Project 3 video

Blog #4- Scene

Wes Anderson is a distinguished director in his own right, the same way Tarenitino and Scorsesi are known for their style. To begin to think of a scene to digest from Anderson’s 2001 The Royal Tenenbaums, would be a tedious task considering every scene is relatively abstract and worth detailing. However, for the sake of this blog, I lended to focus on Richie’s suicide, which comes later in the film. Quick character synopsis: the Tenenbaums are a dysfunctional family, and throughout the movie you learn the true feelings of the characters beneath the surface. Richie is and has always been in love with his adopted sister Margot, portrayed by Gwyenth Paltrow, whom is already married to Raleighh St. Clair, Bill Murray, but has an affair with Eli Cash, Owen Wilson, who is a Tenenbaum wannabe. The suicide attempt scene takes place in the bathroom of Raleigh’s home. The only significant music is the excellently placed “Needle in the hay” by Elliot Smith which is played on an acoustic solo guitar coupled with lyrics of longing and failure. Anderson’s uses a subtle, and sometimes not so subtle, color balance in the background throughout the film. Throughout the colors are warm, varied with yellows and some red, however this scene is a pallete of blue—as cold as it can get. The beginning of the attempt is a total of eighteen jump cuts, starting with Richie as he ‘normally’ is, shoulder length hair and beard, to bald and bare. The scene is a transformation for Richie, both physically and figuratively. He shaves his head and beard which is him shedding his physical mask that he hid behind as well as removing his trophy Fila headband, which connected him to the only success he ever had as a child tennis champion. Even in the introduction of the Tenenbaums earlier in the film, the child version of Richie is wearing the headband. The editing of the entire movie, let alone this scene is very jumpy. After his barber attempts, he looks into the camera, which in reality is him looking into the mirror. Then the scene cuts to a view of the mirror from an over-the-shoulder view. Then theres a jump to a close up of him shaving his beard, then back to an earlier shot of him looking into the mirror with his full length hair, then back to him looking into the mirror and whispering, “I’m going to kill myself tomorrow.” Again, aside from the post-production addition of the soundtrack, this is the only dialogue in the diagetic world thus far. Anderson’s keen detail fro continuity and consistency is seen again, for the same eighteen jumps it took for Richie to remove his identifiable gear (wristband, headband, sunglasses), eighteen is used again, this time eighteen frames of earlier images from throughout the movie thus far of Richie’s life. It’s a rapid montage, about six seconds worth, tuned to a faint hum. This part in particular is spectacular continuity editing. In the flashbacks, its frames of Richie’s falcon. When in the flashback Mordecai looks left, it cuts to a present scene of Richie looking right. Then Mordecai looks left and so do Richie. Then you realize Richie is bleeding from his wrists. The next scenes where Richie is found is scenes jumped when each family members finds out and rushes to the hospital, and the music picks when Margot asks about Richie at the hospital. Overall this scene, which is an intimate calculated of Richie’s actions is followed by fast chaotic scenes when the remaining characters have to deal with his consequences and ultimately the cold estranged family comes together.

Project #2 : Interview

Blog #3 - Museum Trip

I've enjoyed going to museums ever since I first visited the museum of Natural History with my 1st grade class, however with balancing school and all that comes with being a college kid, this pastime got pass downed on the priority list. However there's something about having to do something you like as an assignment that takes the enjoyment out and converts it into a task, so naturally I got mixed feelings about the trip. (The last time I was on a school trip I was in high school)

A huge part of whether you enjoy something or not definitely has to do with who you're doing it with, so this is where my group's your guide played a huge role. (I wish I remembered her name, but she had fun reddish hair and wore graffiti spray painted skirt) Not only did she show us though the built in Egyptian theatre to Freddy's oversized sweater, but every step was relevant to the pop culture that we grew up to (Mrs. Doubtfire's apparel is so distinctive)

My favorite part would have to be the voice over room located between the video camera display and the titanic sound manipulator. It was a small padded sound proof room where we got to chose a scene from the likes of wizard of oz to titanic to Eddie Murphy's coming to America--and of course the group agreed on Eddie. As an audience we were able to get involved and use our voices over the images that actually appeared in the movie.

Before this exercise, I understood that for certain scenes where the actor couldn't be mic-ed, for example in the water, that there would be a need for VoiceOver. However, for the particular scenes that were available, the actors weren't in circumstances where they couldn't have recorded and shot the scene in one take. Our tour guide explained to us that sometimes certain scenes need to be re-recorded for the dialogue only and the visuals were good, so after wrap actors had to come into the studio and get back in the mindset of the particular scenes and then record the dialogue to match the movement of the mouth on screen. It's way easier said than done, because you have to remember the specific way things were said in the shot in order to preserve the authenticity of the video.

We later moved on to look at the titanic exhibit which basically stripped the audio of the scene where the ship is sinking and Jack and Rose are running on the deck. As a 'regular' audience member, you don't really realize the intricacy that goes into each scene of a film. There's the dialogue, the sound effects of the background, folio added sound effects, etc. So we muted each audio segment and watched the scene with just one, for example just the dialogue, and it's shocking how most of us laughed at what would have been the movie without the additional post production work. And as a viewer, you naively think that this is all collectively the scene, when in reality, the scene is really created and further developed in post production. That definitely changes my perception of how marvelous or sophisticated an actor really is and how essentially they truly are when some aspects can be manipulated later. It's not to discredit actors on their job, just that in this particular scene there wasn't anything  outstanding about their roles but rather this intense and heavily important role truly came to life through post production.

Blog #2

Our generation has spent more time on their phones and the like in instead of engaging in conversations. I speak from personal experience that I can often be texting and walking (dangerous) and the bubble around me zones out all the "background" noise surrounding me. The sad thing is that that background noise isn't really background, but because I chose to engage in something else it's been demoted. Almost a month ago, I was charging my phone and it feel off the table, face first and my internal screen broke (white screen). Besides the initial panic, my first thought was "I need to either get this fixed ASAP or get a new one." A month has gone by and I have done neither. Not because I'm lazy, or broke (aren't all college students), but because after a while I enjoyed not having the distraction. You don't realize how much you miss by focusing on a device.

I spend more than 4 hours a day on the MTA, unfortunately, but for this assignment it's been ideal. So much happens on the train. I decided to "meditate" here because unlike a specific neighborhood that I would have chosen, the personalities and actions on the train are often unpredictable, aside from the occasional solicitors and show-time boys.

I get on at the first stop of my train line, therefore I often spend a few stops alone in the train cart. During this time I paid attention to the sounds the train itself makes, like the conductor fumbling to get the "lineup" and confirming with his partner via the PA. However I think regardless of your activity while on the train, everyone knows the famous "stand clear of the closing doors please (ding dong)" followed by the sound of the rubber numbers meeting, or the ever frustrating "we are being held by the trains dispatcher, we will be moving momentarily. We apologize the inconvenience."

Through this exercise I realized how weird people assume you to be for just sitting and staring, although that would have been the norm a decade ago. I'm sat next to a woman continuing a conversation on the phone since she boarded a few stops ago. I'm not a habitual eavesdropper, but when I do, I often try to imagine the full conversation because all I get is what I'm hearing coming out of the one person's mouth.

There's something soothing about the sound of the train on the track and the rocking with every twist and turn--ironically. I wanted to fall asleep (with my coffee in hand).

I guess after you start paying attention to individual noises, you can skeeved at the thought of being enclosed with sick people. I don't mean this in a rude way, but I noticed the orchestra of different people coughing and sneezing that I would have probably assigned to one person had I not taken the time to trace the cough to its cougher (not sure if that's a real word)

There's always that one person playing their music at an obnoxious level that not only do you find yourself either humming along or frustrated, but also worried for that person's eardrums. The man sitting diagonal to me is blasting Beyoncé (unleash the inner Queen B).

A lady walked on at DeKalb Ave, and her shoes clacked as she boarded. That must be annoying to have to deal with--can never walk by incognito. What's the appeal in heels that make noise? Is it a self affirmation thing?

Overall it's a pretty quiet morning on the train. Perhaps because it's not even 9am and there's no service underground. I must say I miss the show time boys right now (never thought I'd say that)

As I approach the one hour mark required for this assignment, we've reached crossing the bridge aka service (thank the gods is everyone's thoughts as the fumble to find their phones to check for messages or make calls). And like expected, the volume increased.

Project #1: Define a Space

Project # 1

Artist Statement

Home is where the heart is--or so they say. However, my permanent address is in Brooklyn, but I feel my heart lies in elsewhere. I have lived my life thus far with a challenge in self-belonging. In America, I'm a product of immigration. In Sudan, I'm a product of migration. My daily struggle has been to finding a place of true belonging.  For the past three weeks, I lived in Khartoum, Sudan. It hasn't been the firs time I traveled there--in fact I've gone ever summer since 1996, however every time I feel like a visitor. As hard as I try to immerse myself, I'm always viewed as an outsider, the visiting one. Family members who've known me for year are still astonished by my ability to speak Arabic. Sudan, like most African nations, has been stereotyped in negatives ways and labeled “third world.” Truthfully speaking, it is nothing like New York City; the magnificent and vibrant city that we all call home. Instead it is a serene and peaceful escape. Through my media, I hope to show anyone that has never travelled to a developing country, that although life it not what it is like here, “third world” is still a good world. Through this blog I hope to be able to give a positive voice to a country that history has already shaped to be presented otherwise. Sudan and its people have inspired me in many ways. They taught me the virtue of minimalism and a life outside of technology. They enriched my understanding for what I need rather than what I want, as well as strengthened my appreciation for what I already have. Through my eyes, this is my Sudan.