Final Project

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Final Project Thoughts

My final thoughts about this class and project are positive. I learned a lot this semester and I enjoyed learning how to shoot and edit video/audio on Premiere. The final project was challenging, especially because I worked alone. At first I did not want to work alone but then I thought it would be fun to film and make a documentry to my liking. I did not have to worry about the opinion of anyone and I liked that a lot.

First I found two different people from Hunter College; I set up times and dates I would meet with them individually and be able to work with them one on one. I did not want to have more than two people because the point of this project was to hear the individual story of each person.
I used the voice recorder and camera for both interviews. I did the voice recording first and then I filmed the dancers. I wanted them to be themselves and just do what they would do naturally. I directed them to stop at some points because I wanted a specific shot.

 I ended each second differently and I did do that purposely. When Alex was done talking I ended her still and not dancing because she is a perfectionist and as soon as she messes up she starts over. I wanted to show the real her and not the Alex that is a talented dance and is able to do flips. Then with Gab I ended it with a bow. She is a natural performer and she always finished her routine no matter what happens. She told me she believe a dancer should never start but be ready to improvise.

I really worked hard on this project and I am hoping to get the grade I deserve. I also want to thank Patricia for being a great TA and being patient with me!

Blog Post #4

Last wednesday, my class and I visited the Museum of Moving Image. There were a couple of demonstrations that we got to experience on different topics in media art. The one demonstration that I found most interesting was the Sound Effects showing. At first they showed a scene of the television show The Simpsons. In the scene there were some parts without any sound effects. The exercise we did was that we had to add the missing sounds to the scene. We got to see what different sounds could be possible for each part and how unexpected sounds can fit the scene depending on what emotion we are trying to portray. This can be helpful to my own work because it made me more aware that even the smallest sounds can alter the mood of the setting. Also, how sound plays a huge role in films because without sound there would be less emotion and drama. I feel that without sound the film would be extremely boring and people would not be able to interpret things correctly. There are so many things that could be used for sound that I have never realized before. For example, in the scene the little boy bouncing on a pogo stick and one choice was a suction cup. The group I was with actually felt that was the best choice for that part of the scene. 

In the other demonstration about sound effects, we looked at a scene form Titanic. The tour guide person broke down the different sounds in the scenes and we watched them separate. I realized a simple sound can make dramatic scene so much more calmer. Also, that each sound of move has their own separate place. For example, the main girl falls and in the editing process it had its own separate sound in a certain place. Editing is overlooked by many and even by me until I learned how intense post production is. There is a lot that goes in film editing and sound is one of the most delicate parts of film. If the music is off sightly or the wrong kind of music is playing it could potentially ruin the whole mood of the film. So many sounds can be potential for all different things. 

Blog post #3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVZuwp-xjGI&sns=em


The movie Dead Silence (2007) is horror film about a man who's wife had been killed. He returns to his hometown to search for answers to his wife murder. He is soon linked to the ghost of a murdered woman and her ventriloquist. I felt that the scene I chose has made a significant contribution to the storytelling and the feel of the piece. This old man is telling his experience with this ghostly woman (Mary) and her ventriloquist (Billy) when he was a young boy. The scene is immediately switched to a flash back into the 1920s where you get a sense of what era it was taking place in. The ventriloquist and this woman have an act on stage where they have jokes, etc. When she looks for the doll he is hiding out in the back, when watching, the sound effects give you a feeling that Billy is behind you. The doll plays a significant roll into editing because the people on set have to match the sounds to the dolls mouth moving. Also, if you look closer you see Billy's eyes move very slowly when the boy calls out in the crowd that Billy is fake. Billy's eyes begin to move very slow where it makes the scene feel more dramatic and intense. One might think his eyes are actually real this scene and something is about to happen. This scene attempts to make Billy come across as a real boy and that Mary is not doing his voice for him. So when Billy talks, the camera placed on both of them so you see that Mary is not doing his voice for him and you can get a sense of realness. Also, specifically the shooting of the film takes place at all different angles so you get a sense of where the setting is. For example, one shot is behind the shoulders of Mary and Billy so one can see how it would be if you were on stage with them and everyone was looking at you. I think this movie is very well done and this scene is a perfect example of why editing is important to all movies.

Project #2

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What I Hear

         Saturday was a rainy day in New York City but it did not stop my ears from listening to a particular environment. I attend Broadway Dance Center, a dance company in the city. Before taking class on Saturday, I sat outside the classroom and just observed for about an hour while waiting for my class. I listened closely to so many things and jotted down what exactly I heard.

Broadway Dance Center is located on 45th street and Times Square. It is heavy populated and there is constant movement going on here. I expected to witness and hear all sorts of things in this place. In the background I could hear the sirens of fire trucks getting louder and louder as it pasted the windows of Broadway Dance Center. I also heard truck horns beeping and beeping constantly at traffic. Then there was construction going out across the street so I heard the constant chopping and rumbling of the ground getting ripped up out of the street. 

Inside I focused on what was going on around me. I could hear very vividly of the students foot steps marching or landing on the ground during a routine. There was a loud group of people around me talking in all different languages. Broadway Dance Center offers an international program in which students from all over the world come and take classes there. I heard languages such as english, spanish, chinese, japanese and etc. When I moved closer to the door there were people panting like dogs. Some students were breathing so heavily that I felt like I was right underneath them. When I sat in the middle of two classrooms; I heard the sounds of two very different genres of music such as hard hitting beats of hip-hop and a softer classic music in contemporary. Lastly, I heard shouting of the teacher counting out the movement throughout the routine.

Define A Space

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/121427739" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="https://vimeo.com/121427739">DefineASpace_LaurenManna</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user38078671">Lauren Manna</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

Define A Space

https://vimeo.com/121427739

Artist Statement

When most people create an artist statement, they refer to painting, photography or a more traditional method of art. My less traditional medium is dance. I began dancing when I was three years old. People tend to express themselves through a form of art, and personally dance helps me do that. When you watch me dance you can tell what mood I am in, what story I am trying to tell, and what message I want the audience to grasp. 

My dreams and ambitions all begin with that word, dance. I want to dance for a purpose, dance for big artist, dance to express myself, dance to support myself, dance to show my uniqueness, dance to one day teach people my style, dance to share my story with the world. 

You can tell a lot about someone by primarily their body language. Whether or not that person tells you how they feel, you usually can get a good sense by examining that persons movement of the body. I am so intrigued by how a person moves and what allows them to do so. The dynamics of a specific person interest me because it helps me as a dancer to grow and learn different styles. Everyone has their own uniqueness to them and people best portray it in their art work. I started dancing at a young age because my older sister was in dancing school already. My mom always said I always had a bottle in my mouth and bouncing up and down to whatever music playing. As I grew, my love for dance grew as well. 

There is something about the beat of a song that makes me want to go. As well as writers, there are more than one style in this art form. Personally, I enjoy hard hitting beats that go with my hard personality. Visually I think dance is one of the most beautiful things in the world. Film allows you to capture the motion, and movement of someone. In the big world, there are various of artist that have influenced me. I admire artist such as Missy Elliot, Chris Brown, Beyonce, Michael Jackson and their different styles of dance. I hope to take way some sort of explanation of what visually is appealing to the eye on film.