Assignment 1B

I learned a lot more about sound editing in part because I am in Intro to Editing... and it just so happened that this assignment was occurring the same week we had to use Lynda for sound design in that class.
So Lynda helped me with the tools of Premiere, but in another sense, I discovered just how much sound happens around me every moment that I don't even realize. On top of that, I learned that geographical distance of sound also plays a huge role in ambient noise, or something as simple as the noise of someone walking away.
I learned that my classmates are über-talented with sound design; especially in making the ordinary into eerie/creepy. So many of the soundscapes sounded like they belonged in a Hitchcock revival!
I especially find the sound of instruments playing backwards, or on repeat to be particularly fascinating. Even when you don't think that two or three sounds would fit together, a way could still be found somehow through editing the sound together...
I learned that sound needs editing so much more than video! There are so many fields to create, whereas with video, what you get is there, and you have to cut and glue what/where the pieces of your mind find them according.
I like rhythms and syncopation, so that was my goal. Each time I attempt to create/visualize/edit anything, I realize more and more that I lean towards music videos. I used to be a dancer, so I think that might be why I enjoy coordination and choreography of the visual elements combined with the audio elements.

This class is turning out differently than I thought it would, and it's even better.

Week 4

I thought that Eliza really set up the semester of presentations very well. Jonas Mekas seems to have begun the fad of vlogging and possibly even the concept of Youtube. Her presentation made me want to search the internships that you had mentioned. It also made my wanderlust for NYC even more painfully prominent.
Billy and Michael kept the ball rolling. I thought it was so interesting to learn more about the earlier experimentalists, because all I really hear about is Man Ray, Maya Deren, and Stan Brakhage. Not that anything is wrong with any of them, but I enjoy learning new perspectives!
I was originally a Studio Art major, so learning about early animations (or animations in general) are a particular interest of mine. In 6x1 this summer, I drew on a film to create a moving fire and fish and trees. It took forever and it lasted about 10 seconds (crying emoji).
Hans Richter's Rhythmus 21 must've been so cool to see premiered. How different than anything else! A little dry now compared to Jacob Black changing into a wolf, but still (only kidding, everyone knows Harry Potter has my affections).
Harry Smith seems like a hoot. I especially loved watching his work and wondering how many drugs, and what kind of drugs he was taking at the time. A 7 (?) hour film... with that crazy plot. Huh. Did he hang out with John, George, Paul, or Ringo?

The Absolute Film article pretty much reminded me of the Disney Fantasia movie from when I was little... I think the last time I watched it was when I was about 4. I hated it. There were no mermaids, no princesses, and nothing I could sing along too. Plus, I was a highly sensitive kid, and remembered there being some kind of conflict occurring--I don't even know if that was actually the case.
Maybe I should re-watch it. I wonder what I would think now....

Sound recording//Synesthesia & Cymatics Discussion

Sound recording was so much fun...
We learned more about each other's personality by hearing what noises they could bring to the table (Eliza has a killer alter-ego voice. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO NAME IT?!). We also heard each other's fake laughs, so now we know when they're being fake.
In all seriousness, it was really fun to connect with people who I've either only talked to on certain occasions, or whom I've never interacted with in my life. Although it's difficult to get together and create a sound library that would be a little creative as well as useful, I think that Billy, Eliza, Kevin, and I collaborated efficiently and timely... the final result was worthwhile, in my opinion, because now everyone in the class can play around with some of the silly recordings we surrendered.


I took 6x1 this summer, and we also watched this video, but I'm glad we watched it again. I feel like I focused more the second time around. Naturally, when I got home from class I went on Facebook (again, naturally), and saw that one of my friends from high school (in Wisconsin) had just posted something similar to the goofy youtube guys we watched! Coincidence? I think not.
Seeing sounds reminds me of people who see certain words in colors. It's fascinating to discover other people's levels of consciousness with the natural world.
Wait, people can see sounds and different colored words, right? Besides the videos with rice/sand forming patterns...? Did I dream that concept?
Anyways, when we watched the videos, and nearly every time I think of sound, my mind goes to two things:
1) Echolocation... batman, bats, blind people, blind mice. Their hearing is off the walls (get it?!), and although I love all of my senses, sometimes I get jealous.
2) The Lizzie McGuire Movie when Paolo and Lizzie are in the rehearsal auditorium. I think of this when I hear "Acousics" as well.

I just saw something on Pinterest about cats feeling vibrations. I wonder if they see sounds, because they always have that overwhelmed/on LSD look on their face...

My parent's cat, Kitty, theoretically seeing sounds

Okay, now I'm sick of going off of this not knowing, so I'm going to research.

Intelligent British Research

So it turns out I didn't know that Synesthesia was "cross-wiring" of all the senses.
I'm going to bed now happy. And you're probably going to bed wondering if I'm sober and sane. The answer is yes and possibly (scatter-brained thoughts are a form of intelligence..?).

The Pin I referred to earlier

-lizzie

(wo)manifesto

Soooo I just realized I never gave a bio... I edited the one that I had as my blogger/google (?) profile, but I'll do another one here I guess.

I am lizzie warfield.
I like listing things off in this way because like many, I really hate describing myself.....
I am originally from Wisconsin.
I am a dog lady.
I love traveling--next will hopefully be either Costa Rica or Thailand.
I used to play the flute in 5th grade, but the one I rented kept on breaking (six times) so I took it as a sign from God (I went to parochial school as well during that time).
I used to play piano, but I hated practicing.
I used to play guitar but then life got in the way.
I practice yoga daily.
I instagram (from now on "IG") daily. (A lot of yoga. A lot.)
I'm afraid that if I skip my morning coffee, I'd die.
I have a Cockapoo named Little Dog. Little Dawg. Lil Dogg. (the spelling is inconclusive yet)
I walk my dog several times around the racine/college acres area, but if you honk and I don't recognize you/your car, there's a good chance I'll possibly flip you off.
I'm a feminist.
Seriously.
I'm a senior Film Major.
I like writing sometimes, but I really love watching foreign films or silent/early American cinema films.
Buñuel, Hitchcock, Scorcese, and Luhrmann films tend to captivate my interest.
I support Lena Dunham in nearly everything she does.
I have no idea what I want to do with my life, but I want to be happy, so I'll just go from there.
Parks & Rec and The Office are my two favorite comedy shows.
Otherwise it's Gossip Girl. Yes. GG.

XOXO
lizzie

The Salon

As some of you may also know, I work in a salon as a Receptionist. I thought this would be the perfect opposite of my other place of hearing...

Pandora station is turned on.. Ben Howard? Alt-J? John Mayer? Lorde? Damien Rice? Florence and the Machines? I don't know..
The coffee maker is brewing and snarling and gurgling
When the stylists arrive I hear:::
laughter. Really enthusiastic laughter :)
blow dryers running along hair on top of a round-brush, and then air dryers drying nothing but air.
faucets running, and then the softening sound of the water head close to a client's scalp
crinkling of aluminum foils as they are folded, and later as they are removed
the wash machine turning and spinning
the dryer clunking and clunking as it lifts the capes and hair towels.
phones ringing
the computer mouse clicks
tapping of the keyboard keys
receipts coming out of the little receipt printer
high heels clicking and clacking around the floor. Sometimes softly, sometimes quickly.
trays being rolled over to the stylists stations
tubes squshing and mixing brushes mixing colors
the door opens and shuts
cabinets open and close

-lizzie

The Studio

As many of my friends, classmates, and everyone who follows me on IG/is a facebook friend knows, I hangout around my local yoga studio quite often.

Here is what I decided to hear at the beginning of meditation on several occasions:

the air conditioning shut off
the fan over by the door is clicking at a fast rate.
the humming of something in the building--perhaps from another space that is rented out
the creaking of floorboards
the door occasionally opening and shutting
occasionally there will also be people talking in the lobby
the teacher tells us to absorb it all
my stomach might growl
someone is breathing really loudly (wait, that's me)
someone is walking across the floor in a soft, unobtrusive demeanor
my waterbottle makes a weird noise if I decide to sip from it. Remember to only sip with music in the background.

-lizzie

Thoughts on Balazs' Article (Sound)

To begin, I love silent films. Especially silent horror films! I think it's because it's about all the horror I can take. Now, I'm not belittling early cinema horror--I just think that Nosferatu has more of a cinema of attractions/I-just-don't-want-to-look-away-from-the-creepiness compared to something with the likes of the Saw saga.

Reading Balazs' short paragraph about the silent film in relation to sound made me consider that maybe it's the way that I'm watching people and reading cards... I don't have to hear their voices, but have the option to make them up in my head, as though they were characters from a novel. Yet, I have a moving image as well as a background noise/symphony (or lack thereof) to provide me with emotional cues when the title cards are scarce.

Which brings me to another point that Balazs' brings to his essay: Silence. I capitalize the S because it is it's own entity. Silence has just as much of a character-like quality as the lead role. 

For me, Silence in a film gives me mostly anxiety. I become disoriented, and await for the moment where Silence leaves, and I'm attacked with Sound. 

As if they were Yin and Yang, an exceptional film contains both Sound and Silence. Even if Silence takes on the role of being in the background of a singular noise (like Balazs' example of a fly), or accentuating the proximity by hearing a singular noise in the far-off distance.

Sound is so cool. Silence is so cool.

Hearing is pretty cool too. 

I overheard two people from class talk about whether or not they would rather be deaf or blind.

Now because of this reading and the assignments (I'm posting them next!), I feel like I hear everything, and relate it back to sound (Echolocation! Bats! Nosferatu!)

-lizzie