The Olympus camera took great pictures and pretty good quality video. The only negative about the camera was that if you left batteries in it, the batteries would drain within a day. I wish you could just keep the batteries in there without them being drained. I am use to better cameras. I’m pretty sure this camera is two years old and camera technology gets better year after year. I have better cameras at home but this one still did the job. Yes, I was able to implement my drift walking strategies. The camera’s capabilities didn’t hold me back. In an ideal world, I would have a slimmer camera, one that fits in my pocket better than this one. Also, there would be no batteries you would have to use, it would run on an internal battery. Also, I wouldn’t use a camera that was designed for taking stills and use it for video. I think we should just use a video camera.
I didn’t want to spend thirty dollars on Quicktime Pro so I went to the computer lab in Mitchell Hall to find software that would edit video. What I first found was iMovie. I used this for my first two rough cuts. I hated it because you couldn’t use the timeline format which I have used in the past. You could only drag part of a video into an order of events section. I started looking for something better and found iMovie HD. This had the timeline editing format I liked and also had effects that I could use in my final video. I only chose this software because it was all the lab had. I never used it before but I had used similar programs. Because I was used to the format of the program, I was able to edit with some ease. I will use this program in the future because it’s free and easy to use.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Reading response 2
I chose the future of music: credo by John Cage. I chose it because it had a different style of writing in it. The thesis is written throughout the essay in a larger font than the rest of the article. Under each part of his thesis he supports that part in a smaller font size. Most people write essays with the thesis in the beginning but this way works for this article. I also chose this article because I agree with what he’s saying about how music is just organized sound.
The main point of the essay is how music is evolving yet it is still inspired by the past. He says electrical instruments in that era (1930’s), mimic the sounds of instruments in the 18th and 19th centuries. Those instruments are also used to play masterpieces from the past, not new creations. His other major point discussed in the essay is how music is nothing but organized sound. In that sense, anything can be made into music, automobiles, wind, etc…
In my practice of creating media, I like to incorporate rhythm and timing. In other words, I like to use music predominantly throughout my works. John Cage says you don’t need to use music in the sense that most people think of it. If you organize sound properly, you can create music with rhythm and timing without using electrical instruments. I want to try to use this method more in my practice as a media artist.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Drift 1 Assessment
1. Describe two situations that aggravated, bothered, shocked or otherwise stressed you during Drift 1. (Please note that the situation CANNOT be technology-related.)
The hardest part of Drift 1 was finding a four hour time period to do my walk. I work every day of the week and the only time I could do it was at night. So one night, I just stayed up the entire night and did the walk. I was tired but I got it done. Another part that aggravated me was the lack of rich, textured sounds. Most of the sounds I recorded were very dull and boring. I barely found enough sounds that were good, and even the ones I chose to put in my blog didn’t seem good enough.
2. Describe, with details, two situations during Drift 1 in which you felt unusually peaceful, at ease, or contemplative.
While I was walking on Oakland Avenue around midnight, I felt very calm. No cars were passing by and the wind was gentle and barely moving some leaves. I was completely alone and I could hear every step I took. I felt in complete control and felt like I could do anything I wanted and no one would care.
The other situation I felt peaceful was when I was on the bridge over the Milwaukee River on Locust Street. I had my headphones on and was listening to absolutely everything. I had the volume turned way up, but not too loud so that when a car drove by it didn’t bust my ear drums. I could hear every leaf move and could even hear the river. I just sat there for about 10 minutes and listened while recording sounds.
3. Describe three surprises or unexpected situations you encountered on your Drift and in the days that followed. The surprise could stem from your expectations that conflicted with "on the ground" realities, cultural or social issues of which you were previously unaware, feelings and reactions that you did not expect to have, appearances and soundings of things you did not expect, good or bad outcomes of "on the spot" decisions you had to make, or the discovery of "deeper" realities in the materials you brought home. (Again, skip anything technology-related!)
The biggest surprise was how quiet it is a night. At some points in my walk, there was no noise. When I was in a neighborhood, I couldn’t pick up any noise, not even the wind.
The other surprise was how busy it is on Water Street at 2 o’ clock in the morning. The bars are just closing and every bar is still packed to capacity. I would have thought most people would leave by than.
Another surprise was the amount of recordings I had collected at the end of the night. I was out there for about 5 hours and I had about an hour and a half of sound collected. The most I recorded in a single session was about 3 minutes, but I guess when you add all of the times I pushed the record button, it adds up.
4. Describe your favorite experience, situation, place, or recollection from your Drift. Be specific about what happened, how you felt, how you reacted, and why you think this particular experience affected you so much.
My favorite experience was when I was walking down Water Street and seeing all the drunk people. They were talking to me but it was hard to understand what they were trying to saying. I just thought they were funny and just kept on walking. I know some drunk people can be dangerous so I just tried to keep walking and get in a different area. This affected me because it made me want to get off of Water Street and get in a different area during my Drift walk.
The hardest part of Drift 1 was finding a four hour time period to do my walk. I work every day of the week and the only time I could do it was at night. So one night, I just stayed up the entire night and did the walk. I was tired but I got it done. Another part that aggravated me was the lack of rich, textured sounds. Most of the sounds I recorded were very dull and boring. I barely found enough sounds that were good, and even the ones I chose to put in my blog didn’t seem good enough.
2. Describe, with details, two situations during Drift 1 in which you felt unusually peaceful, at ease, or contemplative.
While I was walking on Oakland Avenue around midnight, I felt very calm. No cars were passing by and the wind was gentle and barely moving some leaves. I was completely alone and I could hear every step I took. I felt in complete control and felt like I could do anything I wanted and no one would care.
The other situation I felt peaceful was when I was on the bridge over the Milwaukee River on Locust Street. I had my headphones on and was listening to absolutely everything. I had the volume turned way up, but not too loud so that when a car drove by it didn’t bust my ear drums. I could hear every leaf move and could even hear the river. I just sat there for about 10 minutes and listened while recording sounds.
3. Describe three surprises or unexpected situations you encountered on your Drift and in the days that followed. The surprise could stem from your expectations that conflicted with "on the ground" realities, cultural or social issues of which you were previously unaware, feelings and reactions that you did not expect to have, appearances and soundings of things you did not expect, good or bad outcomes of "on the spot" decisions you had to make, or the discovery of "deeper" realities in the materials you brought home. (Again, skip anything technology-related!)
The biggest surprise was how quiet it is a night. At some points in my walk, there was no noise. When I was in a neighborhood, I couldn’t pick up any noise, not even the wind.
The other surprise was how busy it is on Water Street at 2 o’ clock in the morning. The bars are just closing and every bar is still packed to capacity. I would have thought most people would leave by than.
Another surprise was the amount of recordings I had collected at the end of the night. I was out there for about 5 hours and I had about an hour and a half of sound collected. The most I recorded in a single session was about 3 minutes, but I guess when you add all of the times I pushed the record button, it adds up.
4. Describe your favorite experience, situation, place, or recollection from your Drift. Be specific about what happened, how you felt, how you reacted, and why you think this particular experience affected you so much.
My favorite experience was when I was walking down Water Street and seeing all the drunk people. They were talking to me but it was hard to understand what they were trying to saying. I just thought they were funny and just kept on walking. I know some drunk people can be dangerous so I just tried to keep walking and get in a different area. This affected me because it made me want to get off of Water Street and get in a different area during my Drift walk.
Questions
1. What kind of sounds are outside the city at night?
2. Do things sound different in the rain?
3. Is the city busier during holidays than on any regular weekend?
4. Are there other parts of the city that are busier?
5. What kind of sounds do woods produce?
6. How blurry can I make a picture look?
7. How long does it take to walk from 1st St. to 108 St.?
8. How late do planes take off at the airport?
9. How busy is the Bradley Center on game nights?
10. What kind of noise do you get in the deep woods with no street near by?
2. Do things sound different in the rain?
3. Is the city busier during holidays than on any regular weekend?
4. Are there other parts of the city that are busier?
5. What kind of sounds do woods produce?
6. How blurry can I make a picture look?
7. How long does it take to walk from 1st St. to 108 St.?
8. How late do planes take off at the airport?
9. How busy is the Bradley Center on game nights?
10. What kind of noise do you get in the deep woods with no street near by?
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Reading Assignment
I have chosen “A New Way of Walking” by Joseph Hart. I chose this because I’m about to go on a walk around the city and I felt like this article related the most on what I’m about to be doing. That’s pretty much the only reason I chose it. I’m about to be walking and this article is about walking. No other reason than that.
Well as I said earlier, this article is about walking. But not the kinds of walking most people are use to. He says that when most people walk, they usually have a destination and there fore they focus more on their destination than on their surroundings while they’re walking. Joseph Hart recommends generative psychogeography or more notably called, algorithmic walking. This is basically walking with the only purpose of taking in your surroundings. To do this, you have no destination, just a pattern in which you walk. An example is First Left, Seconding Right, Second Left, and so on. By having no where in particular to go, you get more involved with your surroundings and can explore the city and get to know it a little better.
This article directly relates my practice as a media artist because my first art project is algorithmic walking. This article taught me the reason behind this kind of walking along with some history about it. Algorithmic walking has showed me that there is much more out there than you think and the best way to find hidden gems in the city it to go on a walk. I have a new outlook on the urban environment now and can’t wait to explore the city.
Well as I said earlier, this article is about walking. But not the kinds of walking most people are use to. He says that when most people walk, they usually have a destination and there fore they focus more on their destination than on their surroundings while they’re walking. Joseph Hart recommends generative psychogeography or more notably called, algorithmic walking. This is basically walking with the only purpose of taking in your surroundings. To do this, you have no destination, just a pattern in which you walk. An example is First Left, Seconding Right, Second Left, and so on. By having no where in particular to go, you get more involved with your surroundings and can explore the city and get to know it a little better.
This article directly relates my practice as a media artist because my first art project is algorithmic walking. This article taught me the reason behind this kind of walking along with some history about it. Algorithmic walking has showed me that there is much more out there than you think and the best way to find hidden gems in the city it to go on a walk. I have a new outlook on the urban environment now and can’t wait to explore the city.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Sound walk
Were you able to find places and spaces where you could really listen?
The Garage. I could hear a pin drop because of the echoes
Was it possible to move without making a sound?
No
What happened when you plugged your ears, and then unplugged them?
Every noise felt louder and more crisp
In your sound log exercise, what types of sounds were you able to hear? List them.
Click here for the list
Were you able to differentiate between sounds that had a recognizable source and those sounds you could not place?
Yes and I recognized nearly everything I heard
Human sounds? Mechanical sounds? Natural sounds?
People talking and walking. /Skateboards over bumps, bicycles, cars and buses stopping and accelerating, air vents, lights buzzing, police sirens, and washing machines runnings. /The wind blowing trees, wind blowing in my ears, birds chirping, bugs buzzing, and leaves blowing.
Were you able to detect subtleties in the everpresent drone?
No
Extremely close sounds? Sounds coming from very far away?
Wind in my ears and bus accelerating and breaking. / Police Sirens, and cars driving away.
What kinds of wind effects were you able to detect (for example, the leaves of trees don't make sounds until they are activated by the wind)?
Leaves on the trees, leaves on the cement and grass, wind in my ears, wind blowing the paper I was holding
Were you able to intervene in the urban landscape and create your own sounds by knocking on a resonant piece of metal, activating wind chimes, etc.?
Yes, I stomped on metal sewer plates and clicked my pen
Do you feel you have a new understanding or appreciation of the sounds of our contemporary landscape/cityscape?
Yes, everything has a very unique sound
How do you think your soundwalk experience will affect your practice as a media artist, if at all?
I will be more aware of the sounds of anything and everything
The Garage. I could hear a pin drop because of the echoes
Was it possible to move without making a sound?
No
What happened when you plugged your ears, and then unplugged them?
Every noise felt louder and more crisp
In your sound log exercise, what types of sounds were you able to hear? List them.
Click here for the list
Were you able to differentiate between sounds that had a recognizable source and those sounds you could not place?
Yes and I recognized nearly everything I heard
Human sounds? Mechanical sounds? Natural sounds?
People talking and walking. /Skateboards over bumps, bicycles, cars and buses stopping and accelerating, air vents, lights buzzing, police sirens, and washing machines runnings. /The wind blowing trees, wind blowing in my ears, birds chirping, bugs buzzing, and leaves blowing.
Were you able to detect subtleties in the everpresent drone?
No
Extremely close sounds? Sounds coming from very far away?
Wind in my ears and bus accelerating and breaking. / Police Sirens, and cars driving away.
What kinds of wind effects were you able to detect (for example, the leaves of trees don't make sounds until they are activated by the wind)?
Leaves on the trees, leaves on the cement and grass, wind in my ears, wind blowing the paper I was holding
Were you able to intervene in the urban landscape and create your own sounds by knocking on a resonant piece of metal, activating wind chimes, etc.?
Yes, I stomped on metal sewer plates and clicked my pen
Do you feel you have a new understanding or appreciation of the sounds of our contemporary landscape/cityscape?
Yes, everything has a very unique sound
How do you think your soundwalk experience will affect your practice as a media artist, if at all?
I will be more aware of the sounds of anything and everything
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