Absolute Film

The idea of "absolute film" is very interesting. I think it's difficult for modern day audiences and filmmakers to really grasp the ability to make something that references no outside sources. I know that's a challenge for me, but I know I'd like my work to have some kind of message. I feel like if there is any message in absolute film it's that art for art's sake is still worth appreciating. I personally view that kind of work as something that plays with aesthetic. The filmmaker is creating an aesthetic rather than a narrative. I know that's something I would like to play with more, though I think using actual celluloid would ease the process and be a lot more fun. It's much more hands-on and nitty-gritty than sitting at a computer. Also, I liked that all of the artists mentioned in the article worked together, or at least in proximity to one another. To me that emphasizes that need for an artistic community to keep you creating and challenging yourself with the medium. I think it's important to have people to work with and/or adjacent to to keep yourself motivated. I know it helps me.

Cymatics and Synesthesia

Cymatics blew my mind. When you think about it, it makes sense that different sound waves would alter matter in some way. I just never thought it would create patterns like that. I would personally describe it as geometric (or mathematical) art. It somewhat reminds me of sacred geometric shapes. The paintings that Melissa McCracken made to show how she processes music was absolutely gorgeous. It really captures how sound can create an image on it's own. I experienced that (though not like McCracken) when listening to the other groups' sounds without knowing their source. It paints a picture based on the listeners frame of reference. The association of sound with image is something that I don't imagine the average person thinks about a lot, but it's so ingrained in us. It's a process that happens so automatically that we have to really think about it to recognize it.

Sound Recording Experience

This was the first time I was excited to do something sound related. The ability to play around was such a treat. My group had a willingness to try whatever we could think of. It was definitely a learning experience in terms of equipment and the struggles of getting clean sound when some factors are out of your control. It was also interesting to listen to other groups sounds without knowing what they are. I know some of the ones I made note of were made by something different than what I wrote down as a guess. That just reinforced in me that foley truly is an art in and of itself. Making one noise sound like another is so fascinating and fun.

Bela Belazs' Thoughts on Sound

I'm not sure I understand his description of silence including the quiet sounds that are unheard if "normal" sounds were occurring. He uses the example of hearing a fly when everything else is silent, almost sounding like the fly's noise is amplified. But doesn't that mean it's not silent? If you can hear a sound when it's "silent" is it really silent?

I agree that image tells us how to interpret sound, or vice versa. It made me think of the music in Halloween. In the scene when Laurie is walking down the street then waits for her friend, even though Michael Myers isn't in frame, isn't scary without the music. Without music it's just a girl walking down the street, smiling when watching the trick-or-treaters. The music adds so much stress and tension to a scene that is otherwise not frightening. (From 28:10-29:10 you can hear the difference with the sound on and with it on mute. I have no idea what the weird jump cut is about in the middle. https://youtu.be/1IOqkHdKyBs?t=28m10s)

I found the idea of sound being linked to space very interesting. I agree with the example about the band in a restaurant. If the characters are in that space, the sound of the band must be audible in some way. But what about sound effects? It is technically part of the diegesis of the film, but if the sound coloring is dependent on where the sound is heard, would it then be linked to the sound studio? Thinking about it now there are some sound effects that are easy to distinguish as ones that were recorded in a studio. Even some dialogue. I'm thinking about Mean Girls when Gretchen, whose face is off screen, says something about Regina's mom's boob job being, "hard as rocks." You can tell she didn't actually say it on the day on set. It sounds distinct from the previous dialogue in the scene. (About 17 seconds in. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEQV2OJVBx4)

A Walk to the Car: Sound Observation

Moving away from the Pride celebration, the loud music slowly becomes a mild thump until it completely disappears. My sandals flip and flop on the sidewalk, louder to me because of their proximity. They occasionally make a low pitch scuff when scraping the pavement. When the breeze rolls by the leaves on road lightly scratch its surface, and the bushes briefly rustle as they shake. Cars zoom by, loud and fast. A block away people are outside talking. To me it is quiet and indistinct, a soft, low, mumble. Some voices deep and others lighter. I walk past a water fountain and the consistent flow of the water reminds me of the sounds people play to make someone pee. (That's it, it just sounds like someone peeing in to a toilet at a slower, more relaxed pace.) It's only loud when standing right next to it. In the parking lot, a car pulls in; the rubber tires crunch over the rocks and roughly glide over the pavement.