bela balazs

I found this article even more difficult to absorb than the Murch, but once I was able to trudge through the wordiness, I was able to appreciate Balazs's insight. I found his section "Educating the Ear" especially interesting, and thought he really got to the heart of why hearing things without seeing them can be scary, since sounds are innately harder for the human brain to identify than something that is seen.  what I also thought was interesting was that he was getting at the idea that silence can be much more varied and diverse than people realize, especially in the context of film.

walter murch

what I think is most interesting about Walter Murch's piece is his theory that how we process sound as adults goes all the way back to what sounds we were experiencing in the womb. I never really though before about the process of a baby realizing that sounds and sights/feelings go together, and this general idea gives film sound new meaning and depth. while Murch's language is flowery and poetic, showing the artistry and raw connection humans have to sound, he touches on its importance in a scientific way as well.  I was extremely confused at his diagram of the "colors" of sound like dialogue and music, but felt it easier to grasp upon the second reading. his wordiness here made it much more of a challenge to understand what he was explaining.

sound observation 2

in starbucks- I can hear the music coming from the speakers, a synth-y 80s pop song that sounds a bit garbled. there are a lot of people in the store and i can hear 4 or 5 voices overlapping, one a young woman with a deep raspy tone.  there is a latte machine which is very loud and makes a harsh "shhh" sound when used. I can hear people walking in sandals or soft shoes on the tile and the footsteps sound like a soft click or pat with a scrape. empty plastic cups being placed on the counter have a high-pitched hollow tap.

sound observation 1

in my kitchen- The fridge is making a low, soft rumble that is constant. a couple ice cubes fall in the freezer and it sounds like high-pitched, tinny thuds that echo briefly.  I can hear my roommate's TV playing in the next room and it sounds like an old-fashioned radio announcer with a brassy voice, with a big band playing in the background. She and her boyfriend are talking, and her voice is soft and high, his is deep and carries, echos loudly. all of this is muffled through the wall. There is a different low rumbling from the air conditioner that cuts on and off every few minutes. Occasionally I can hear the soft whooshing/whirring noise of cars passing outside.

what is experimental film?

While I can understand why Camper's article is helpful in defining the over-arching characteristics of experimental film, I find that it reads too much like a rule book.  Obviously many of these points can be contested, and the concept of over-arching characteristics of experimental film seems strange, since there really isn't a good way to define the mode. In an academic setting though, I do appreciate having this passage as a reference, as it is often hard to define whether or not a film could be considered avant-garde or experimental if you don't know which traits to look out for. Someone who may not be familiar with this mode of film-making would find this reading extremely helpful.

amateur vs professional

this post could be alternatively titled "why I love Maya Deren".  I've had to read this essay several times in the course of my time as a film student, but this time, in the context of this class, it really clicked.  I've always felt very confined as a student film-maker.  I've felt that I can't make exactly what I'm trying to because I don't have the means, the gear, the connections, etc.  But this made me realize that what I'd been trying to do before wasn't really reflective of me as an artist, and that in this format, working independently of a crew or a studio, I have the freedom to make what I want and how I want. In her essay, Deren celebrates the amateur film-maker, because they make films and art out of a love for the medium as opposed to a need for money. While I obviously understand that I need money to survive, this reading makes me feel more confident in what I'm doing as an artist. What I make is just as valid as anything else, and I can make something just as good, if not better than a big budget Hollywood film. Because if it's good to me, it doesn't make a difference what others think. I wouldn't be making it for them anyway.

intro

Ever since I can remember, I've loved watching movies more than anything. My whole life has revolved around the films my parents showed me, and I decided I wanted to be a paleontologist at 4 years old after watching Jurassic Park.  I held on to this dream until my first trip to Walt Disney World when I was 17, when I visited Hollywood Studios and promptly changed my future career to film-making. Now I work at Disney World seasonally and am actively pursuing a career as a sound mixer/designer because as much as I love making magic, I don't want to work at a theme park forever.  And while I've always been inspired by the classics, I find myself gravitating towards film that I can relate to on a personal level like queer and women's cinema. Hopefully one day I'll have a real job, but right now I'm here to have fun, goddamn it.