Final Video Project

HungryHungryAlex from Anthony P on Vimeo.

Blog #4

My visit to the MOMI with the class was very interesting as compared to other museums, particularly because I got to see how film progressed from simple animations to what we see today. One of my favorite activities was when we experimented with ADR using the Wizard of Oz scene. It was fascinating to see how it actually worked, rather than just seeing it explained on paper. I was expecting it to sound out of place, especially because I knew that it was being recorded in the same room I was in and definitely did not belong in the film. However, it blended in perfectly with the scene and I was surprised. Even though it was out of place, with the right kind of editing and blending, it seemed to belong. After seeing this I actually began to think about ADR and foley work while watching every day TV shows. I never realized how much actually went into these productions and I finally began to understand the tremendous process that goes into things that we see on television every day. I also particularly enjoyed the horror exhibit, seeing the mechanisms that went into producing some of the most memorable horror scenes that I never really understood when first watching the films. The robot used in The Exorcist particularly caught me off guard because that was always one of the scariest movies to me and I never expected to see the girl sitting there. Despite knowing it was all mechanical it still felt eerie being near it, and she looked shockingly real. It was fascinating to see how powerful technology is and how people are able to produce such amazing pieces of work.

Blog #3

I chose to look at a short piece of media I found a while ago on Facebook. It was during a brief period when touching videos were just going around, shared by friends or my liked pages. This video in particular has stuck with me, it is very well done and put together. The way it is edited does a lot for the message and the story. The settings and characters are repeated, but the actions the characters are doing are slightly different. Through this repetition with subtle change, we can see a progression towards what the man in the video ultimately obtains from his actions. For example, he gives money to a homeless mother and her daughter, hoping that she will be able to receive an education one day. While it is clear other people around him don't understand or even support his behavior, such as the man who shakes his head once he sees the main character giving money, he continues to do what he does. The music and the video work together here as well-the music starts when he begins his actions and stops when there is a change. The change that stops the music is the fact that the little girl is now missing. The viewer is held in a few moments of silence, perhaps also surprised by the abrupt change which is reinforced by the silence. But shortly after the little girl returns, now wearing a school uniform, and we see focused shots of the characters facial expressions. Shortly following are all the results from his daily generosity, he now has a dog as a pet, is a friend with the street vendor and his neighbor, and the plant he started watering now looks alive and healthy. The music itself also seems to have more too it. The plant in the video was a great way to open and close the video-the viewer is presented with the same simple act that began the video and the final result of that, which I felt was a powerful conclusion.

http://youtu.be/51LkdysQ0gc

Audio Portrait

Natural Sound Symphony

We are often so consumed within our own realities, our own thoughts or the music playing in our ears that we forget the beautiful harmonies of sound that every day life has to offer. I realized I was no exception as I walked through Sunset, a neighborhood in Brooklyn that I lived in for the majority of my life. I noted the frequency of the cars passing by, the sound of tires pushing against the road as they pulled into the street. Car doors closing and engines rumbling. Any conversation I could hear was distant and drowned out by the activities of cars passing by on fourth avenue-a very active area on the road. I went up to fifth avenue, which is just as active but has a tendency to produce traffic congestion with many more people busying the side walks. The sound of cars passing by frequently was replaced by the sound of acceleration and the occasional honk of a horn. I noticed the rustling of plastic grocery bags as people passed by with them in hand, the chirping of a bird the the whisper of soft winds passing by, and the sound of children giggling or crying. Each avenue had produced their own unique symphonies-these sounds that come together to give an identity to the individual avenue. I realized I never truly listened and was too caught up in my phone and music to notice how different these areas sounded. They were so distinct from one another despite sharing the same sources of sound.

Define A Space (Kaliroi Halkias and Anthony Pena)

Define A Space (Kaliroi Halkias and Anthony Pena) Media 160 from Anthony P on Vimeo.

Silent Minds (Artist Statement)

People have a tendency to say, "You have to be careful around the quiet ones, you never know when they're going to snap." An implicit association with insanity suggesting the outcome is inevitable for those who prefer to keep to themselves. Perhaps because it appears as if these individuals rarely express what is going on internally. Part of what we can draw from the statement rings true, however. Those who are quiet have as much going through their minds as anyone else, but may not feel comfortable expressing it to others around them. Regardless, there are mountains to be expressed, including some abstract concepts which words can only scratch the surface of. On the other hand, art is much more flexible, it is able to dive further to capture the depth and essence of emotion. As a quiet person, I have often found myself turning to music as a method of expressing my ideas, values and even my sense of identity.  My emotion became the atmosphere when I immersed myself in the world of sound, playing my guitar and letting the strings speak for me. I often realized that the extent of my emotion was much greater than what I originally thought after I began to play. By putting the right notes together, a composer can cause an individual to feel what they felt, sharing their pain or bliss for the duration of the song in a private and covert connection. Despite never saying a word, music has allowed me to express the quiet person's thoughts.