Final Project: Direction and Continuity

Blog #4 Field Trip - Museum of the Moving Image

During the trip I found many interesting displays relating to what we've learned in media production. One that stood out to me was the Automatic Dialog Replacement (ADR) demo booth. In this we were able to experience first hand the procedures of recording over the character's voices. Being in a group we had three volunteers take turns recording a line from the family movie, Babe. The automated studio played the dialog scene twice, allowing them to practice on the first one before recording on the second. When all three lines were done, the studio automatically handled the edit and created the full scenes with the actor's voices. We were amazed at how good the second actor sounded and laughed at the last dialog done by the third actor.

I left the booth with more knowledge about ADR. The movie we did in particular made me realize how impossible Babe would be without ADR. Can you imagine teaching the animals to read scripts? I also learned that there are many situations to use ADR, such as when the subject is conversing at a great distance, or when the subject is in a noise-polluted environment, or when the sound guy forgot the plug in the mic. It opened my eyes in just how often ADR is used in movies and TV shows we watch today and take for granted. Overall the trip was an enjoyable experience. If time wasn't an issue, I would've spent an afternoon at the arcade exhibit. Maybe next time!

Blog #3: Relationships Between Shots

The media I decided to choose is the 10-man fight scene in the biographical martial arts film, Ip Man. The setting takes place in 1937 during the Japanese invasion. While the Japanese occupied Ip Man's hometown of Foshan, they were scouting Chinese martial artists in order to offer them to train the Japanese soldiers in return for refuge. In this particular scene, Ip Man have just witnessed his sparring partner and long-time friend murdered by the hands of a Japanese officer. In an act of rage, Ip man demands to fight 10 Japanese martial artists.

The music played in this scene protrudes the theme of tragedy, sadness, and anger, beginning with slow beats of the drum which then picks up once the fight begins. The foley in this work is spot on. The echo of the footsteps Ip Man took as he walked onto the arena floor gave the feel of solitude[3:23-3:30]. The sounds of the connecting punches as well as the bone cracking evokes the emotion of anger and rage of the once merciful kung fu master.

The muted color scheme during the whole clip sets a grave tone. Ip Man wears a black changshan which contrasts with the white karategi surrounding him. The only real color shown in this span of the clip is the blood on the bag of rice from the gunshot wound inflicted on Li[3:19], highlighting the reason of the fight that's about to take place.

It is important for a martial arts film to have good sense of movement and direction so the audience can follow the actions. The camera pitted Ip Man in the center while being surrounded until there were no enemies remaining which perfectly describes the situation. My favorite scene in the fight was  the high-angled shot of Ip Man fending off multiple enemies simultaneously with the use of both his arms and legs [4:38]. It would've been hard if not impossible to display so many actions at once with a different angle.

Continuity between the shots were fluid for the most port. Unfortunately I noticed a discontinuity[4:47-4:50] where Ip Man's facial expression and head orientation does not match in these two shots, which somewhat detracts from the experience and feels a bit awkward.

It's always hard to find an action film that delivers both a good story and intense action scenes. I highly recommend anyone who hasn't watched this to give it a a shot!

Audio Portrait: Raquel

Afternoon in Dyker Park

Zooming by are cars that seems to be in a hurry. A periodic beep as the delivery trucks unload their goods to a local deli store. The trees were rustling and birds chirping while I approached the entrance.

Walking deeper I hear a girl scream while being chased by what I assume to be her menacing brother. Many kids were all over the the playground. Their excited yelling signifies their freedom from school that day.

As I sat on the bench At a distance I hear the popping of handballs hitting the concrete wall, the repetition of these pops seemed predictable, almost relaxing, until interrupted by a loud clank when the ball hits the fence. The fence was what separates the handball and basketball court. While the handballs went "pop" the basketball went "boom". "pop", "boom", "boom", "pop", "boom", "CLANK".

Not far away I can hear what seemed to be the sound of billiard balls hitting each other. I thought to myself, "Who would be playing pool in a park of all places?" Further inspection revealed a group of seniors laughing in unison while in their own world of croquet. "bink" as the wooden mallet encounters the ball.

As the afternoon grew tired, these soundbites gradually faded. By evening there was hardly any signs of life at the park. There were no screaming, no "pop", "boom", "clank", nor "binks". No birds were around to be chirping. As I headed towards the exit, a strong gust of wind approached me from behind. The trees were still rustling.

Defining a Space Project

Strangers at Hunter from JosephStrong on Vimeo.

Artist Statement

Technology has gotten to the point where independent works are meeting if not exceeding works by established industries in terms of quality. It is astonishing how what used to be a professional grade camera is now outmatched by a tiny window on our phones. I believe it has gotten to the point where the quality of the media one makes is not determined by one’s wallet, but by one’s imagination.

Everyone has a moment when they are entranced by a form of media, be it a dramatic plot twist in a TV drama, or that tense life-or-death moment in a video game, or that sick bass drop in a dubstep track. That very moment is when one would temporarily forget about reality and experience a profound sense of emotion that can’t be described with words. It’s this magic behind these media forms that I wish to grasp and utilize.

Since birth, I’ve consumed various forms of media. From watching Animaniacs on Saturday mornings to seeing an ad for breast implants in the subway on my way back from class, there isn’t a moment when I’m not consuming media one way or the other. However, many of the media I’ve consumed has been forgotten over time, leaving only the most memorable ones. My one true goal is to create something that will not only capture the attention of my audience, but to leave a lasting impression that will stay with them forever.