Final Project

Why Study Religion: Interview with Javier from Polina Eisenberg on Vimeo.

Relationships Between Shots

I chose to analyze the opening scene of “Forrest Gump” as I always found the shot sequence to be unique and creative. During opening credits, the camera follows a feather flying through the air and eventually falling on people and making its way to Forrest Gump. I thought the editing process of the feather was interesting because the feather was shot separately from the scene and edited in post production. After following the feather, the shot cuts to it landing on a random person crossing the street. The movement of the camera during this scene is what makes the whole shot an experience as it makes the viewer feel like they are flying along with the feather. The shot goes on for almost three minutes until its first cut. I thought this was very effective as the scene felt soothing and calming. Although there were no cuts at first, there were still small transitions that moved from one are to the next: at first the feather lands on a random passerby crossing the street and then it is swept up by the wind again this time leading us to Forrest Gump sitting on a bench. I think this was a great way to “introduce” the character into the scene. The shots preceding this introduction are smooth yet still show a transition between situations without cutting. The composition of scenes is intriguing and fun. The camera smoothly moves over an intersection, probably using a crane for the “flying” effect. The color contrast played a big role in the scene because although it wasn’t obvious, the feather had to stand out in the foreground without blending in. This seems like it would be difficult to accomplish given the transparent nature of a feather, but the editors made it work well as the feather was very crisp and clear. The first cut happens after Forrest Gump picks up the feather and puts it away. At first we see him glance to his left, after which the shot cuts from a close up to a medium shot of him sitting on the bench and a bus comes in from the left. I thought this cut was placed perfectly and works well with the scene because it shows a natural transition of events that happen once a bus zooms into a field of view.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7voy1vit6Y  

Interview Project

https://soundcloud.com/user837471825/soundcloud

Museum of the Moving Image

In the Museum of the Moving Image we were shown a number of demos about the way moving images are created and experienced. The demo that particularly resonated with me was the post production of sound editing in “Titanic.” It was news to me that the multi-million dollar film used cans and chairs to create sounds to put in the film. I had always assumed that in postproduction the sounds were always created electronically. It was interesting to be reminded that this was not always the case. We were also shown the way different layers of sounds work together to create the intended sound for a scene. There has to be vocals, background noise, and sound effects in order for the scene to look realistic. The editors used people’s screams, sound effects of random objects, and the actors’ voices to create the desired scene. I was also unaware of how vital it is to have all of these elements working together because the tour guide showed us what it would sound like if one of them was missing. I never realized how one small detail could make such a difference. Another technique that captured my attention was the subliminal effects of a particular sound. “Titanic” used the sound of a lion roaring in the midst of a flood scene to induce a feeling of terror. It sounded like the actual water itself and created a sense of fear. I was also surprised that the woman falling on the floor was actually a chair being thrown, and a part of the ship collapsing was actually an aluminum can being crumbled. It is amazing how the perfect combination of sounds and images create the perfect effect of a scene.

Soundwalk

On my soundwalk, I walked to my yoga studio on E86th Street and 3rd Avenue from Hunter College and back. It was a busy rush hour; there were a lot of footsteps on the ground and sounds of people's feet shuffling. When I left Hunter I heard a group of students laughing hysterically outside by the West Building. It was the sound of relief after a long day at school. I heard a blind man' stick against the floor as he looked for the entrance to school. There was a sound of the 6 train under ground which I never actually heard before or paid any attention to. It was the "stand clear of the closing doors" announcement. As I walked up Lexington Avenue, I heard the sound of commuters and traffic. Cars honked every 5 minutes because the light would turn red every couple seconds. Once in a while a huge bus would pass and make a huffing sound as if it was tired. A desperate clipboard guy kept trying to stop every person on the sidewalk by asking them questions. This was a very direct sound signal as he tried very hard to get people's attention but was not succeeding very well.

On my walk back, I was crossing 86th and Lexington, a small intersection where people grunted with frustration as they tried to avoid collision while crossing the street into the subway entrance. I heard a lot of clicking of the tongue against teeth from women who almost walked into one another. There was the sound of commuters leaving work; clicking of heels against the ground, traffic noise, and exhausted sighs. I heard a baby crying and children yelling. A loud fire siren passed by and people got annoyed. A barista was handing out free samples of yogurt by asking "would you guys like a free sample?"
On my walk I mostly heard keynotes; it was mainly city sounds and people's everyday chatter. After my walk, I felt a sense of peace and quietness in my mind.

Project One

Project 1 from Polina Eisenberg on Vimeo.

Project 1

https://vimeo.com/88727794