Link to Final Project

https://vimeo.com/149226898

Blog #4: MOMI Visit

It was my first time there and I absolutely loved going to the MOMI. The first thing our guide brought us to was this dark room with a spinning machine. The machine was layered at different stages so while it was turning it looked as if it was turning from a drop of water, to a missile going through a hand turning into a piece of paper which then transformed in a paper airplane landing into a waste basket. As the machine was turning there were strobe lights to help with the effects. The museum had cute areas like cameras through the years and televisions throughout the years. They had interaction areas like the flipbook area where it takes a series of shot and converts it into a flipbook, an audio voice over area which is when the actors go back in studio to record over their voices incase its missed while filming. This is why in some movies the voice doesn’t always line up because when the actor goes over the lines they sometimes don’t say it the same way as the first time, also it could be due to editing the voice in as well. I would say my favorite area was the Foley part. Our tour guide showed, us a clip from Titanic. Titanic is one of my favorite films so it was interesting when we were dissecting the scene and learning about it. When you take out all the extra sounds and the music the effect of the scene as well as the feeling is lost. When just hearing the Foley sounds it was interesting as to what sounds where used. For example, when the boat is sinking the wires break apart and fall into the ocean.  When we heard the sound by itself I noticed that it was actually the sound of a silencer. Same with when the tube like part fell into the ocean it as the sound of a soda can getting crushed. I had a wonderful time at the museum and would definitely visit again.  

Blog #3: Relationships Between Shots

I choose the ending of the Sopranos finale as my example. I believe this piece of editing has made a significant contribution to the storytelling and the feel of the piece. The main relationship of sound to the images would be “ Don’t Stop Believin’ ” that Tony picks from the music box. The song plays throughout the scene along with occasional chatter from the characters as well as random sounds like doorbell rings, and car brakes to name a few. Whether the group name or title, the song hints at the journey it told for everyone to meet Tony since they all arrived at different times. The relationship of the images are back and forth but mostly from the point of view of Tony. The shots were organized perfect because it showed the characters personalities. The movement was dark (in feeling) and felt as if the viewer would be next to walk through the door. The felling or the point of what you are trying to deliver determines the length and the order of the shots placement. Examples from the clip are the shots of other people in the restaurant compared to the Sopranos, also he time spent on each character as they walk in to when they sit at the table. I don’t believe there is a right place to cut. As seen with the ending here, the director cuts the scene on Tony’s face and went black with no sound leaving the viewers in a complete shock.

Link to the Sopranos final scene via YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnT7nYbCSvM

Project 2 - Audio Interview

https://soundcloud.com/alexandra-karounos/media160-audio-project-1

Blog #2: What I Hear assignment

For the "What I Hear" assignment I chose the Upper East Side. I started at Hunter College and walked to fifth avenue. When walking the most obvious sound I heard were people chatting with one another. When I listened closely I started to here more of the keynotes or the background sounds. As it is New York City, I immediately noticed the traffic sounds. You can hear the cars beeping and the breaks of the cars when they stop short. I heard a skater rolling by and your occasionally smoker flicking with the lighter. Along my walk it got a little residential and quite so I heard more footsteps and dogs chains clinking as they are walking. When on fifth, I heard more stilettos clicking along the sidewalk and you can almost hear the wind as people are rushing by to get to their next destination. As far as the texture of the sound most blends together. I think you can definitely tell which specific neighborhood you are in because there is a clear difference from being in Time Square then being on a path in Central Park. You can also notice the time of day. I conducted my experiment around lunch time so there were more noises then later on in the night when there is not a rush. To me the sounds I heard were not as unique because I'm used to the city sounds so I expected to hear a majority of the sounds that I heard. 

Project 1 - Defining a Space

https://vimeo.com/141452409

Rewrite: Artist Statement

They say there are two sides to every story. They say everyone has two faces. There is light and there is darkness. There is sparkle and there is dullness. I’d like to think my work is a mixture of both. 

On the one hand we have an excitement with a touch of sparkle. It's spontaneous and thrilling. On the other hand we have this mysterious and dark under line of the mafia life-style. Together you get my key to the secret garden, my way to wonderland, my looking glass. By exploring both the good and bad of any situation we are able to better understand it. This is what my work incorporates. It demonstrates the two sides to any story but focuses on the mafia life style and its culture.

  

The word ‘Princess’ is the just the beginning. Growing up that was the one word that was always used to describe me.  Whether it was from family members, my father’s business associates, or friends, the title always stuck.  I like the princess lifestyle and I live the princess lifestyle. I love glamour, all things that sparkle and the thrill of adventures.  Since I was little everything I did incorporated that.  You can say my life falls along the story line of The Sopranos. I am a huge fan of mafia films; the way filmmakers depict the life style in there own way is fascinating to me. I want to learn to work with different camera angles and contrast within film to showcase the tensions and values that occur in this life.

My biggest influences would be Martin Scorsese, partly because my father has worked with him in the past on The Departed and The Wolf of Wall Street, but also because of the dedication and thought he puts into his work. I like how he sticks to certain actors for his movies and I think that the more you work with the same actors they will understand the style of the director and what he wants. I would also say that my father is an influence. As I said he has worked with Scorsese but also worked with the cast of The Sopranos. My father knows in the ins and outs of the mafia lifestyle so I believe that's where my interest started. 

I believe the mafia lifestyle is based on respect, power, and loyalty. The mafia controlled everything from the streets to high levels in the government. Sure it's a dangerous choice to get involved with the mafia because one favor means you owe them for life, but that never stopped people. In this life you start at the bottom and work your way to a captain title or the big boss aka the head of the family. However, it's also a life of luxury. Yes the money may not always be legitimate, but it opens you up to a world of endless possibilities and a world of no limits. 

I like working with colors and brightness. Kind of in the princess and mafia life style is the glam and the shine of objects and that is what I’d like to capture in moving images by altering the brightness of objects that grasp the attention of the viewer. The mob life style will procure a darker more eerie feel and contrasting it with the brightness and sparkle I find to be embedded in my own personality will yield a new and interesting kind of result.

I’m influenced everyday by a majority of what I encounter in the day and I’d like to create something that will show others the positivity of my world.  So this is my statement. This is me. Welcome to my world!