Requiem for a Dream - Editing Piece

   The film Requiem for a Dream was directed by Darren Aronofsky and was published in 2000. It explores the American society and its addiction to drugs, while criticizing its ridicule consumerism. Like its name, the film is followed by its phenomenon soundtrack and interesting sounds. To understand the life of an addict, this scene,begins with a few quick shots that portray what physically happens to the body as the addict takes in the substance. With quick editing of the chemical process of the drug itself before it enters the body, shots of blood vessels and pupils expend (which is a big and repetitive part in the film), and the sound of relief once the substance entered the blood system, accompany the viewer through the journey of the drug through the addicted mind and body.

   In the scene I selected, you could see the quick edited shot of this sort, followed by an interesting shot of what the addicts experience after the drug already took over their systems. The quick soundtrack as well as the eerie one when they sit at the counter of the hot dog stand all drugged up, shows the euphoria they are in. Then we get another look into the protagonist's mind and watch a scene of "what will happen if" which cuts right back to the reality. The flickering light and editing between shots remind us this was not happening in reality but only in the character's imagination.    The fast pace of the first shot of the drugs' entering the body, shows the control they have over us and the slow pace demonstrates in what state humans are under the influence of a drug.

   Those quick shots mirrored against slow ones, and the contrast between the fast pace and eerie soundtrack intense the juxtaposition addicted people are in as opposed to clean ones, and how they deal and behave while on and off of the drugs' influence.

Scene

What Soundtrack Does to My Interview Piece

I have chosen to do my sound portrait interviewing Trine about her work at SoulCycle, a gym for cycling classes provided by energetic music and instructors, a trend that have become very popular in the last decade. 
As Trine describes her experience as a concierge, I want to give the feeling that the audience is there with her at the gym, so I attempted to add cycling class sounds, and some energetic music that inspires the adrenaline flow in those classes. 
As Trine's voice is mellow and calm, the contrast of the upbeat music will give a feeling of the atmosphere she is in every time she is at work. 
I am planing on using diegetic sounds such as the cycling class, or perhaps a police car, to give the Alec Baldwin story a realistic tone. I also want to add some mood music, a non-diegetic sound, to bring some more dimension to the story, so it won't only be based on Trine's and my voice. 
Because Trine is talking about her every day life, and do not have a dramatic tone to her story but a playful and realistic one, I do not attempt to add any effects that will give her story a goofy effect, such as people laughing or a falling sound, but only ones that will clarify the story. Any other feelings from the story, such as laughter, interest, or inspiration I would like for the audience to get from her story itself and her sweet and soothing voice.

Enjoy!!!

A Visit At the MOMI

This was my second time at the MOMI and it was a whole different experience having a guide explaining things I would not have realized without her, and as a communications major student, knowing a little bit about the industry and its history than before.

The first subject we talked about was the evolvement of the moving image and how it was presented to people. Besides learning about it in class, a way to demonstrate the illusion of the zoetrope was presented at the museum by an amazing exhibition article called the Feral Fount Visual that really showed how our eyes and brain being tricked to complete an image with just a simple break (flickering lights), speed, and the series of the images.

Then we learned about the importance of sound in a film, in which we experienced by recording our voice overs in a recording studio. We were saying just two sentences from The Wizard of Oz in our own voices and connotation, and immediately the character and its mood have changed from what it seemed to be in the image. After that we picked our own choices of soundtrack and foley for a famous scene, and I realized even more how sound, score, and background sound affect the mode and ambiance of a scene and a film. 

I will definitely be more aware to the score and sounds I hear when I watch films and TV shows from now on, and will try to consciously hear it and not only watch it.

What I Hear

What I Hear

Walking in my neighborhood without my headphones in my ears, or thoughts about my assignments/obligations/life stressing matters, was a nice refreshing experience;

At first, I of course noticed the SOUNDMARKS- a couple sit outside at their usual spot and talking, the church bells, a train horn from afar. The one thing I remember noticing is how I always take my headphones out whenever I hear those church bells that bring such a unique and special ambiance of history to my neighborhood that is so modern and evolving. 

Then, I listened closely to the SOUND SIGNALS which were obvious as people were talking and laughing around me, cars on the road, and then unexpectedly, car breaks as the road was wet from the rain.

However, my favorite and most conscious feeling I had during this experience was my intensive listening for KEYNOTES or background sounds. Sure, these sounds are always there so I initially thought these will be the easiest to hear. But with all the destruction of everything else we pay attention to like our music, thoughts or other things on our way, I found that they are actually the most hard to hear because they are taken for granted.. 

The first sounds I heard when tried to listen to closely were the rain and the wind in my ears. Only these two were enough for me to realize that maybe I don't have to listen to music every time I am on my way somewhere, or occupy myself with random thoughts or conversation. 
Maybe, as Shafer suggested, we need to just be.  

My Artist Statement - Media As A Mirror to Our World

Hello Everyone!

Growing up in Israel we did not have more than two TV networks and two big newspapers which represented each side of the political arena. Our exposure to what is happening in the world was limited and often biased. 
Because TV was our main outlet at home, the visual aspect of media as far as videos and sound always attracted me the most. As our country always attracts so much controversy, more than once I have heard the adults say, "I don't see a point of watching the news anymore." Inside I was angry and frustrated because to me it is just like saying "I would like to ignore the world and only concentrate on myself." But my parents taught me to share my abilities and fortune with the less fortunate and by that I mean knowledge, resources and point of view. 
When I grew older and managed to shape my own opinion, I realized how important media is in showing us on one hand the reality but on the other, how is the reality portrayed by the outlet and people it is given by. As a person who likes to fight for what is fair, I decided to pursue a media and human rights career, in order to use media as a mirror and not as a mind manipulator. 
I am hoping to enter the field with much more knowledge of the technological tools we are given in our modern world that could help underdeveloped, neglected or even dangerous parts of our planet.

Enjoy!