Clay Monster VS. Yarn Monster

I had so much fun making this animation, from the process of making it to even editing the music in. I hope you guys enjoy it, it makes me giggle.

CITIZEN JANE 2010 BUMPER

TADA! It's done. Thank you Hannah for you help and for making it happen. Also, thanks to Ivy for doing the sound for it. We did the video backwards actually, by taking shots of the completed Legos and then taking them down piece by piece. Also, we started with the top letters moving downward.

What do you guys think?

CJFF Bumper in the making...

Animation tools...

Here's one...
How to do cut-out animation using Photoshop and FCP
http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/its_alive.html

Our first collaborative animation!

Ladies, Here is what you all made in class today... I took the liberty of adding some music (who doesn't like a little ska?!) and editing the end a bit (i.e. mixing in the last image with that of our hands).Now, go forth and animate, fearless makers! See you Wednesday, armed with all your doodles, props, materials, and great ideas!

ghostyscape

Walkabout Sounds

Here is the mix of everyone's sound I made. I recommend to just close your eyes and try to locate the different sounds.

Tin Can Brain

So here is my experimental sound video.... I thought the picture fit well, they remind me of each other for some reason. You should probably wear headphones and get the picture as large as possible. Enjoy!

What A Time!

So doing this project was really fun! I have just been learning how to use SoundTrackPro, and decided to stick with a program I already had and knew how to use, Audacity. I had used it in the past to make my own ringtones and wanted to explore more of it, also the set up is quite user friendly! I used several sounds made by my self and the class, but really ran with the stretching, and crazy editing. Putting things backwards is one of my favorite things to do. If only I was good at making beats I think it would be fun to do some dubstep...though it is not my jam this project helped me understand more about why people can like it. My most favorite thing was that I was able to just explore and play, I often found my self giggling at the things I made or how weird something sounded...it was really fun. In my tune there is a laugh...don't know if you can catch it but it sound too funny to me, could be mistaken for creepy as well. Another thing I found out about, in experimenting between this and my own blog I found a way to just post my audio...at Box.net I was able to host some files and make them able to be linked!

my audio is here

Audacity

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/help/documentation

Walkabout Columbia

I had a great experience on my walkabout. I also had the opportunity to take my bike on her maiden voyage. The first stop was Chong's, which I had never been to. I was reminded of my childhood going to asian markets with my mom. It smelled of livestock and dried squid immediately upon entry. I skimmed the aisles quickly at first anticipating the many items I have not seen in a while. Then I browsed again once more, this time slowly, trying to see if there was something I had not seen before in other stores. I took my time, pacing and wandering the aisles, then realized this was not the best of ideas. I was the only one in the store that was not speaking in a language besides English, I had a huge backpack on, and was beginning to think the workers suspected something. I ended making a few childhood favorite purchases (strawberry bubblegum made in to spheres in individual boxes, reusable chopsticks, and shrimp crackers).

My next stop was the bus station. People were just beginning to arrive when I got there, so I did not feel as noticeable. The people who arrived stood around chain smoking for the most part, and did not speak to anyone else (unless they had come with others). I got distracted by a grasshopper frantically running around in circles. It looked as if som

eone had stepped on one of its hind legs, breaking it off completely. I watch for a while at the helpless bug, obviously at a loss for what to do. After a few minutes he stopped

running and became very still. I wondered what our lives would be like if we were not able to go to a hospital for a medical problem like this, or even anything slighter. To some people an injured leg is not much of a concern at all. Then I wondered, what if grasshoppers had these same capabilities? What if they had built hospitals, and transportation, and knew how to cure ailments...

Tony's Pizza Palace

Tony's Pizza Palace was a nice spot. They do both pizza and Greek Cuisine. Their kitchen is right out front so you can watch them make the crust for your pizza. It's really hot in the front area from the pizza oven. It's loud with the oven opening and closing, and the smell of pizza definitely waftin' about. The folks working there were very nice and laid back.

Unfortunately I decided to get onion rings, and they didn't really float my boat at the time being, but there were some serious onion inside those rings. The waitress gave me ketchup to go with them, and I'm not really a big ketchup fan, so it kind of bummed me out.

All of the seats and booths matched and were in good condition, something that's kind of hard to imagine for a place that seems it's been around for a while on a pretty low budget. The ceiling tiles were stained white/brown. There was industrial blue carpet. On the walls I think were pictures of places in Greece. Pillars and whatnot. Tony's obviously isn't the hotspot of Columbia, but they seem to cater mostly to the people in the neighborhood just north of Walnut Street.

They probably have frequent fliers as their main clientele. I think there were two other families sitting in the restaurant when I came in, maybe neighbors from down the street. They were talking about sick people and some raunchy old guy that was always bugging them. Everyone was drinking soda except for one woman with a bud light.

Another group of people sat there looking like zombies for the most part. I didn't really see much interaction. Two middle-aged women and a middle-aged man.

I didn't really get a good look at their pizzas, but it looks like a thin crust somewhat resembling Emo's pizza.

Also! They had some nice video games out front. I forget exactly what they are off the top of my head, though. What I do remember is I would have played the machine to the left if I had a bit more motivation.

The waitress helped me open up a new pair of headphones with a butter knife. She was nice. The store forgot to take the security tag off the package and we complained about when they forget to do so, and it makes you look kind of sketchy trying to open the thing/get the tag off later on.

When I paid for my food the man at the register had a fancy watch with all sorts of doodads inside. I complimented him and he said thanks.

One Friday Eve

I went to a eatery in Columbia, MO. It was called Mississippi Fish Shack. I had been there once before for a meal over the winter break season. When I had gone that time, I was watching the weather and walkers outside, thinking of my family about to arrive for the holiday. This time was much different. I was in no hurry to receive my food, and payed attention to the people inside rather than outside. When I first arrived, there was a couple in the front room, and a table in the back room where I was placed. It was around 4:30 and it was quite. I was listening to the chatter of the table next to me, along with the waiters throughout the restaurant. around 5 the business started to pick up with another table and up until I left at around 5:45, there were people coming in, seemed about rush time. The chatter of the restaurant was interesting, I learned where the owner started out and how she came to own the fish shack, where they were moving too and why, as well as many interesting tidbits about these strangers all around me. It was an interesting experience, I have done this before and listened to conversations while at restaurants, parks, where ever I am; but this time it was different not communicating with the outside world or my own head. I enjoy doing this, it is in a way a type of meditation, I am not looking at my self, I am soaking up my fellow people and surroundings. I would have to say, that was a very interesting way for me to start my evening.

p.s. The Mississippi Fish Shack is moving to Ash and Providance, will be open by Wednesday and is very tasty.

Too much

I would sort of like everyone to watch this video because it is adorable, and I really like it. I have watched it a billion times the past few days, and it's semi relevant to what we have been talking about in class...

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON from Dean Fleischer-Camp on Vimeo.

mostly it's just really great, and it is well animated in my opinion. Since we have been working with recording our own voices lately, it is amazing to me that this audio is not enhanced at all, someone out there just has this voice! Crazy!

Walkabouts

I was given four different locations to go and be at for an hour on Friday. Just purely be there and observe and listen. I was told to turn off my cell phone and just watch and listen to the place I was in and try to not think about all the other things I had to do this weekend.
It was difficult to just block out my life completely and just be there. The place I chose to go to was a Mexican Restaurant called Guadalajara. It was at 4pm so no one really was in the restaurant besides the workers. There were a few people coming in and out that were friends of the family that decided to eat.
I just sat there and ate for awhile. I had a view of the open kitchen and I watched as the workers went in and out bringing out food and taking breaks. It was nice just to watch them talk in Spanish. It reminded me of how I have taken Spanish for four years and traveled to South America twice. It also made me feel terrible at how awful my spoken Spanish was. An hour seemed like a long time just to eat.
The waiter and I ended up having a conversation for the last ten minutes I was in the restaurant. He told me how his family saved up their money just to open this place, it has only been open for about a month. He then went in depth about how authentic their food was. And how his mom was in the back of the kitchen making homemade tortillas. It was nice to be in a new environment and just be there and not worry about everything else going on.

Visual Snack!

This first video follows the Fleet Foxes on the way to a concert.  All of the music in the video is live. I thought this was an interesting was to document part of their tour.



This Regina Spektor video for "Us" uses cool speed techniques to make her seem like she is living in a pop-up book.



Uh Huh Her's "Not A Love Song" has an interesting video.  I like the focus on both animation and the unicorn!!!



The last but certainly not least...Lady GaGa is known for her outrageous videos, outfits, and persona!  Her "Paparazzi" video tells more of a story to her music.  I love the semi-morbid messages she sends in this video.

Recording Tips

After I saw the "foambrero" I knew I had to share this!

Music side by side with Video

I really enjoy how music and video blend together so perfectly. It's interesting just how walking and listening to music can change your whole outlook of your surroundings with just the mood of your song you chose.

This first video, I love the mix of stop motion and time lapse.

"Home" by Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros


I wish I could walk across America. I mean it makes it seem so fast right?

Dr.Dog is one of my favorite bands and I really enjoyed how this video was put together with the song.
Dr. Dog - "The Ark"


It's kinda bloody but it fits with the meaning and mood of the song.

Mus-ak

Do you ever have a band that seems to follow you around your whole life? I have a couple of those. The ones that I never stop liking, from the minute I hear them, for the rest of forever. One of these bands for me, is the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I really like Karen O. (who doesn't?) I think she is really bold and does whatever she wants. I admire her for this. That's why one of the music videos that I am really excited about comes from her band...

Next is this Florence and the Machine video, I really like this one because it's really costume focused. I love it when people wear ridiculous things in videos, I'm a big fan of people who can really perform, and aren't afraid to take risks.

Also this is crazy...

http://vimeo.com/channels/hd#14252396

Stories Via the Song

I might be a bit biased because I worked on this video, but I think it does a really great job of telling a story via the song with out being annoyingly overt in relation to what the song is about. Does that make sense?:)
Also, it's shot really well and the pacing is perfect.




I'm sure you all of have seen this video, but I really love it. The color, the camera work and performative aspects are all so cohesive.
The subtly of story is perfect and leaves a mysticism that very much compliments her voice and music.
And again the pacing of the edit with the rhythm of the music is great.

Some Music Videos for Thought

I really like the way this song has been remixed and the pace changed, but the melody still kept the same. I also enjoy the visuals that change with the beat. When all of these clips are put together they make a very beautiful, although random, assortment.

I remember the first time I ever saw the music video for "Follow You Into the Dark" by Death Cab for Cutie. My cousin and I were at a family get together and he pulled me over to our grandpa's computer and showed it to me. When it was over, he just looked at me and was said "isn't that cool? It's like what the heck? But it's really simple". I like that the story is mysterious yet simple, and at the end there is a twist. I also like that it fits the song, but at the same time it doesn't.

This music video is very simple and made up of drawings strung together that give it a very jumpy quality. I think it fits the mood of the song very nicely and makes for a visually interesting and intellectually relaxing piece of video.

I love this music video because it combines post secret with a driving alternative rock song. The song itself is good, and the secrets make the video very entertaining. It also forces the viewer to pay attention so they can read all the secrets on the screen.

This music video is one of my new favorites. I heard the song while I was sitting in traffic in Los Angeles and immediately fell in love with it. I've been looking for a music video that went along with it, and they have finally posted one. I love the use of scratched film combined with digital. The art direction is perfect for the feel of the beach, using lots of yellows, reds and oranges. The editing is also fantastic because it goes with the beat and allows for a variety of shots that focus on not just the band or the "lovers" but also the people and sights of the places they go. Overall the video just suits the song perfectly.

Music You Can Watch

I am really looked forward to the music video. A couple of bands I am thinking of are The Conquerors and Daughters of the Sun. The Conquerors are some of my friends from Kansas City, one of which I have already done a music video for. The other band I met earlier this year, they played a show in Kansas City then another show in Columbia the next day.

Here are some links if you want to check them out.

The Conquerors

http://www.myspace.com/theeconquerors

Daughters of the Sun

http://www.myspace.com/daughtersofthesun

Both of these bands have some really good music, I highly recommend giving them a listen.

Also, here are some music videos that I have found on my many youtube binges...

This one makes me feel like I am watching one of those classic Coca Cola commercials... I like that it is simple though and gives you a warm fuzzy feeling after watching it.

Bedding for this one was disabled but you should definitely check it out.

Peaches - "Billionaire"

This one is a video I did last year.

Beach House Music Videos

Beach House recently came out with a spectacular album, Teen Dream. A really fantastic component to their album is a full DVD of music videos by different artists. Each have a completely different style and are totally fabulous. Check out their website.

One of my favorite things!

So todays class to me was very exciting when we talked about sound and audio. I have always had an obsession with sound and how it can work with video. Michel Gondry has been one of my favorite filmmakers for quite some time now, his work was one of the key reasons I was interested in film in the first place (along with my critiquing talents!). Today seeing "Fell in love with a girl" was really awesome and got my wheels turning on some other videos that I would love to share. The first is by Mountain Man, they are a three piece of women and this is just a display of how sound can be captured and is amazing in a natural setting. The are singing in a tunnel in San Fransico.

Mountain Man "Mouthwings" [part 1 of 3] from Yours Truly on Vimeo.

Another video that is around the lines of syncing up audio to visual. This video is by Chris Cunningham, who is another that inspired me, but in a slightly darker way. The artistic talent he has in manipulating video images is quite cool. This is a video he did for Squarpusher.

Squarepusher - Come On My Selector

The final video I would like to share for the evening is just because I LOVE Liars, they are my favorite band, and this video, well I just like it and think you should watch it :).

Liars "Scissor" from A Bruntel on Vimeo.

Some notes on sound and music...

Luigi Russolo, futurist artist of the very early 20th century, was perhaps the first noise artist. In 1913, he published L'Arte dei Rumori (The Art of Noises), a manifesto about non-traditional instruments. The image here is of Russolo with his Intonarumori, noise-generating devices that he designed and constructed. Russolo assembled a noise orchestra with his instruments, and his most famous performance, the Gran Concerto Futuristico (1917) was met with strong disapproval and even violence from the audience (as he himself had predicted).

What is Sound?

Sound can be described as a traveling wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas. These vibrations are sensed by the organs of hearing and interpreted as sound. Using electrical or mechanical inscription, sound waves are recorded and then can be played back. Recording and reproduction can be analog or digital. Typically, sound is recorded using a microphone, a device which has a diaphragm that can detect changes in atmospheric pressure (acoustic sound waves) and can then convert them into an electrical signal that can be recorded. Digital recording and reproduction converts an analog sound signal from a microphone to a digital form by a process of digitization where audio is translated into series of binary numbers in a way that the human ear perceives the result as continuous sound. Digital recordings are considered higher quality than analog recordings not necessarily because they have higher fidelity, but because the digital format can prevent much loss of quality found in analog recording due to noise and electromagnetic interference in playback, and mechanical deterioration or damage to the storage medium. 

Terms and styles to explore:

Noise Music

Musique concrète

Sound Art

Sound Collage

Soundscape

Sampling

Electronic music
Radio plays / Radio dramas

Hiphop

Chopped & Screwed

Crunk

Baile funk / Carioca funk

Below are some links to works or references from class:

First Sound Recording Ever Made?: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4-Bm6tAM00

I Am Sitting In A Room (by Alan Lucier, 1969): http://ubu.artmob.ca/sound/source/Lucier-Alvin_Sitting.mp3

Mashing/Remixing:

DJ Kool Herc talks about break beats: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw4H2FZjfpo

Ms. Jackson Chopped & Screwed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z0H4UEwhCM

Greg Gillis (Girl Talk) shows how he samples: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KykbPtRb0K4

Some music videos:

White Stripes: "Fell in Love with a Girl" (dir. Michel Gondry): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRDi67G0Siw

Lykke Li: "Little Bit" (dir. Mattias Montero): http://www.lykkeli.com/films.htm

Radio programs:

Radio Lab: http://www.wnyc.org/shows/radiolab/
* We listened to an excerpt from the "Musical Language" episode

This American Life: http://www.thisamericanlife.org 

Other related sites:

Free Music Archive:  http://freemusicarchive.org/genre/Experimental/

OpSound: http://opsound.org/ 

Last FM: http://www.last.fm/

Below: DJ Spooky (Paul Miller) talks about the history of media and shares his thoughts on the roles and challenges of media in contemporary culture. He discusses and demonstrates the unexpected side effects of free speech, law, and copyright while showing the power of remixed art. He ends with a discussion about the future and meaning of remix culture. 

Striving to create another reality with Experimental Media

I recently returned from Australia. I went with visions of adventure, prepared for cultural awakening and excitement. I returned slightly disappointed by the Australian mode of operation and the identity crisis that much of urban Australia seems to be facing. However, the Australian art community was far from a let down, and I've found it continues to infiltrate my world two months later and a half a globe away.

While in "Oz" I picked up several art publications one of which is the comprehensive Artlink. I was immediately drawn to the magazine and have carried it with me most days, pulling it out whenever I find a spare second in my day to concentrate on it's well written articles. But it wasn't until recently that I found new pertinence for it in my life...
"The Underground" is the focus for this quarters publication, and this theme compliments many of the ideas and projects that we are exploring in Experimental Media. Experimenting with various mediums, pushing artistic boundaries, and art as a radical means of cultural excavation are present themes, and lend to an understanding of the larger community in which experimental media exists.

As we were given our first class assignment, the creation of a zine, I flipped to an article I had recently read in my underground Artlink, "Discovery and adventure in the zine world". Author and zine-artist Vanessa Berry poignantly describes the value of these unique creations within our techno-driven society. But what struck me was the way in which she described the below ground world in which zines exist. The Underground is likened to Alice's adventures in Wonderland,

"Discovering the rabbithole is only a small part of the story. What follows is Alice's adventure, and it is here the strange, mixed-up world she has entered is revealed. It's power comes from its comparison with the everyday... She is found in a place that where things are not as they seem, yet is also free from the constraints of conventional logic."

Her description of entering Wonderland and the unique perimeters and philosophy embedded in the space deeply parallels my thoughts on penetrating and working in the realm of experimental media. Furthermore, the alternate reality that can be constructed in the Underground is similar to my perception of what is possible in the Experimental, "another reality that exists alongside the expected, everyday one... places where conventional time, laws and linkage are subverted." To my mind this is what experimental media strives to work with and create.
It isn't everyday that you're invited down the rabbithole, ... I'm excited to discover the world that will be constructed from turning the key.