Communications Lab

Concept & Story

•        Describe the concept & the story in your project.
  In the visual metaphor project, we decided to portray how someone can feel lonely despite living in Shanghai, one of the most populated and vibrant cities in the world. The story features a single main character who is seen moving about the city experiencing a visible loss of identity and facing an internal conflict.

•        What inspired you to create this project? 
  Personally, as a newcomer to Shanghai, I very much could relate to the struggles faced by the character in my video. I think that even if you are surrounded by people, it is very easy to still feel isolated and as an outsider, so I wanted to channel my personal experiences into this piece.

•        Describe your ideation process? 
  At the time of planning this project, we were still in the quarantine hotel, where a theme of isolation is clearly present. We both felt that because we were experiencing this unique situation, it was natural to portray it as a visual metaphor. As for planning specific scenes, it was pretty simple to record as we ourselves walked around the city with a sense of loneliness, just as the main character of our video does.

•        Why do you want to explore this topic?
  I think this topic is important to explore, because while going through the production process, I realized that the themes present in this video are not rare, and they can be and are felt by just about everyone at some point, regardless of a myriad of factors. 

Creation Process & Execution

• Share your storyboard and describe how it helped you in your project?
  Although we made a fairly simple storyboard, it was effective in guiding our shots to make a complete piece. We did not end up following our initial storyboard exactly, but the 4 main scenes were more or less included.

• Describe the process of choosing a setting, shooting, sourcing materials, lighting, directing (if applicable).
  Because we were both new to Shanghai, we did not choose our video scene locations prior to shooting. In order to shoot our desired scenes, particularly the cityscape scenes, we strategically chose to go out in the evening when there would be more traffic and people and the buildings would be lit. For the most part, we were unable to utilize professional equipment simply due to lack of time and ability to retrieve these items while in quarantine.

• Describe the challenges you encountered during the content creation process, and how you solved or overcame them.
  In the content creation process, the greatest difficulty we encountered was finding the time to successfully shoot clips with others. We repeatedly faced time conflicts amidst moving from quarantine to the dorms, and this may have been reflected in the quality of our shots. In addition, we used a phone camera to shoot the entire video, which may have also affected the quality of our project.

• Describe your editing & Post-Production process, you may share a few of screenshots from Premiere about the editing techniques and effects you learned.
  Below is an image of my Premiere workspace at the end of the project. We chose to remove the audio from all of the clips and layer the voiceover with ambient sounds of the city. While creating this video, I learned how to use effects such as the mosaic effect and how to add text to the screen. Since I was a complete beginner with Premiere, I utilized online tutorials to learn how to achieve certain effects. As a result, I think some of my editing in this video is not as polished as I had desired.

Collaboration

• In this project, Naomi and I worked and communicated very well together and shared tasks very evenly. While I collected most of the footage, Naomi contributed great input on where and how to include the clips. She also seemed more comfortable with the Premiere workspace and was able to demonstrate how to use some tools. To critique myself, I would say that sometimes I take too much control and try to do too much myself without including my partner. In the future, I would like to work on this.

Aesthetics & Results

• In order to intensify the vibrancy of the city, we chose to use color effects that would highlight the bright lights and therefore develop a solid setting. We choose to contrast this with low saturation shots of the main character, which was meant to visually show the sense of loneliness and sadness. After receiving a critique, perhaps these aesthetic choices were not as effective as desired. As for our camera shots, we chose to do a lot of static shots of the street that would show how fast the city moves. For the captions, we did not know prior to presenting that there was a standard for subtitling, and therefore ours were not considered acceptable. However, for our captions we chose a classic yellow and italic look, which we thought paired very well with the color scheme of the rest of the video.

Project Title: Isolation (working title)
Team Members: Naomi Dominguez and Celia Forster

III.  Concept | Storyline: 

1). Who are you going to interview? Or What is the piece (article, poem, story) for the narrative voice over? 

The writing that will be narrated is still unknown but it will be a piece that has to do with being lonely or being in isolation. We will also have facts that talk about how populated and welcoming Shanghai is, which will contrast the emotion portrayed visually.

2). What’s the story about? 

Being lonely in the most populated city in the world. Begins as someone who is clearly in isolation (quarantine) but even after they go into the city and are surrounded by people, they still feel alone on the inside.

3). Which part of the story are you going to focus on? 

The actor being lonely in the city

4). What kind of style/aesthetics are you going to pursue?

Melancholy, quiet amidst chaos

1. Execution Plan: 

1). What equipment are you going to use when shooting the movie? (cell phone, DSLR camera, sound recorder, stabilizer..)

Phone camera, tripod

2). Which locations will it be shot at? When is it? Day time/night/unknown? Why?

Shot in a hotel room and in a crowded area of Shanghai, video is set in the modern day and during daytime when most people are out in the city. We want to capture a typical Shanghai environment and juxtapose it against the loneliness and new experiences felt by the actor.

3). What are some challenges you might  encounter and how will you prepare?

Finding an actor, coordinating filming while still in quarantine, and finding a piece of writing that matches the film. We will remotely communicate often to ensure the tasks are being completed and we are on the same page.

4). How will you collaborate? How will you divide work? (Gantt Chart)

We will use the Gantt chart to brainstorm all tasks involved with the production of this video, then distribute tasks amongst ourselves and hold each other accountable for completing these in a timely manner. We will be working remotely until we are released from self-isolation, then we will film the bulk of our footage and work together to edit and combine the clips.

1.   Storyboard Draft

1. Gantt Chart

Task	Owner	Start Date	Due Date
Find voice actor	Naomi	11/26	11/29
Find writing and facts to read	Celia	11/26	12/5
Find actor	Celia	11/26	11/29
Film	Shared	~12/5	12/5
Editing	Shared	~12/6	12/9

 

After reading Pamela Jennings’ article titled Narrative Structures for New Media and exploring alternative methods to tell a story, I became particularly interested in interactive forms of storytelling through technology. This brought me to the “Visual Novel” category of video games. While I do not have much experience in video games, I went out of my comfort zone to try some games in order to better understand the effect it has on the user. I concluded that these types of games can be quite effective in interesting people who would otherwise not be very interested in simply reading about something. Some of these games allow the player to make decisions, which can lead the story in different directions. Others are based on historical events and are simply there to educate players about a certain event or phenomenon. With recent advancements in technology, the development of visual storytelling through virtual reality also enhances the experience. I think this form of storytelling is only going to gain more traction in society as it becomes more advanced.

1) What are the precise rules of each of the obstructions?
I. -No single edit may be longer than 12 frames
    -All questions posed in original film must be answered
    -Must be shot in Cuba
    -Film cannot be shot on a set

II. -Must be shot in what Jorgen considers the “most miserable place”
     -Cannot show the characteristics of said location
     -Jorgen Leth must play the man
     -Feature the meal instead of the woman

III. Either -Complete freedom
       or -Must go back to Bombay and follow Obstruction II correctly

IV. -Must be in cartoon format

V. – Made by Lars Von Trier
    – Jorgen Leth is credited as director
    – Jorgen Leth must read script written by Lars Von Trier

2) How does Jorgen cope with the obstructions?
Jorgen becomes frustrated with the requirements given by Lars Von Trier. He tries to find loopholes to accomplish the five obstructions, but Lars Von Trier does not let him get away with taking shortcuts. It seems that Lars Von Trier is trying to dig deep into Jorgen Leth’s emotional side and wants to use these five obstructions as tools to evoke these deep feelings. Jorgen appears to realize Lars Von Trier’s intentions and tries to avoid such things from happening by doing the bare minimum of the requirements.

3) What is the effect on the movies he produces?
The movies produced by Jorgen Leth have a certain quality to them that is hard to put a name to. He is clearly out of his comfort zone when trying to accomplish the five obstructions, but each obstruction still holds some of his personal touch. As with the original “The Perfect Human” film by Jorgen Leth, each obstruction has the same odd take on human nature. The different obstructions, however, seem to each focus on different aspects of the original film.

4) Other thoughts crossing your mind while watching.
While watching this film, I found myself looking forward to how each obstruction would appear in its final form. I personally found the cartoon obstruction #4 to be the most visually interesting, mostly because it presented such a different format than the other four obstructions. Because I am not too familiar with filmmaking, I felt that this film also taught me how small changes can change the output so drastically, such as the 12 frame limitation.

1.   Concept
   For my memory soundscape, I chose to recreate an evening at the job I held throughout high school at a restaurant, as this period of time marked immense growth and maturing as a person. I felt that the best way to convey this setting would be to move through the restaurant and encounter different sounds I commonly would hear in a night. I began with the sound of answering the phone and scribbling down an order, then walking through the dining area which featured some voices, sounds of silverware against plates, and the classical music soundtrack which I associate so closely with this setting. Finally, the soundscape ends with the sounds of the kitchen , where I spent the majority of my time. This features a chaotic array of sounds, including food frying, sinks running, additional ringing of the phone, and the sound of vegetables being chopped among other things. I wanted to convey a stark contrast between the calm atmosphere of the dining area to the loud and stressful cacophony of harsh sounds which made up the kitchen component of the soundscape. 

1.   Process
   The majority of the sounds used in this project were self-recorded at home and were mostly the exact sound I wanted to convey. I had to use the internet in order to record the classical piano song that plays in the beginning of the soundscape. The kitchen scene in the latter half of the soundscape is where most sounds are featured. I recorded various sounds such as chopping vegetables, frying food in oil, a kitchen vent and freezer sounds for added background noise, and some clips of the sink running. I recorded these myself based on how I recall my time spent in this setting. I think my recording of these sounds was pretty successful, and any background noise was easily edited out with DeNoise on Audition. One issue I encountered was maintaining a steady volume, as some of the sounds I was creating were very quiet at times and then suddenly very loud. To combat this obstacle, I moved the microphone farther away from the source of the sound as it increased in volume to maintain balance. 

1. In editing my soundscape, I mostly worked chronologically, adding sounds to build off of each other to create a complete soundscape. I chose to use a separate Audition workspace to create the kitchen sound component, as it was a large portion that was more convenient to work on separately. I then added the finalized kitchen soundscape to the original soundscape workspace. I focused on layering throughout my entire soundscape, as the memory I wanted to convey has many different sounds happening at once and is not simply a linear event. My biggest obstacle in editing the soundscape was making sure the amplitude and level of sound remained level and passed through the right and left channels in a realistic manner. In order to do this, I think repetition was the best solution, listening to my soundscape over and over until I made changes that sounded accurate. Going into this project, I did not realize how complicated sound editing was and had no prior knowledge of how to use Audition. After completing my soundscape, I am proud that I now have the ability to work in this software to accomplish projects related to sound.

1. Conclusion
   If given more time, I would have definitely added additional sounds that would have more clearly revealed my setting, such as more voices to show that I was trying to recreate a restaurant setting. On presentation day, I received constructive criticism which confirmed my own thoughts on my soundscape. I was told that I could have more clearly presented my setting through the addition of voices or other human noises that would have shown that I was in an environment with customers. I found it quite interesting that some of my classmates described the beginning of my soundscape as sounding like a movie scene. Of course as the creator of the soundscape, I am unable to listen without already knowing the setting. It was helpful to hear what my classmates felt after their first listen.

1. Image of Audition

   

   

1. Audio File

 

 

For my memory soundscape project, I am choosing to recreate the sound of an evening at my high school job. I worked in a restaurant, and although it was just a part-time commitment, it was a transformative period in my life where I felt I matured and grew a lot as a person. I spent hours each night in this environment, and it became like a second home to me over the two years I was employed there. While the sounds of this environment may bring some stressful memories to mind, I think it will also be a nice way to relive a day during this time of my life. The sounds that I will be including in this soundscape will come in many forms, such as the sound of a telephone ring, food sizzling in an oiled pan, knives chopping vegetables, or a receipt printing. In planning my memory soundscape, I think the best way to order and layer these sounds is by making it feel as though you were walking from the front of the restaurant to the kitchen in the back. This would sound like a quieter environment which gradually fades to louder and more hectic sound effects.

Celia Forster, A Photograph Two Ways

1. Concept
   In order to create my diptych, I first created a setup, focusing on reflecting light through mirrored surfaces such as a CD-ROM disc, a metal knife, and water. I wanted to use relatively muted colors and then add a pop of color through the addition of a bright lemon. In the second half of my diptych, I chose to create a graphic that would incorporate each element of the photo, some in obvious ways, and others more subtly. For example, I noticed how the colors reflecting off of the CD-ROM disc in the photo resembled the colors of the aurora borealis. I used this same gradient to create a sky in my digitally edited image. By utilizing the same color scheme for both halves of the diptych, I made sure that each component came together to form a cohesive composition.
2. Process
   Part I: When staging the photograph in part I of this assignment, I made sure to select objects that would support my desire for reflecting light. These items included a knife, a glass, and a CD-ROM disc with drops of water on its surface. I also added a lemon slice to the edge of the glass to add some color to my setup. As for the positioning of this setup, I did not do anything too complicated, placing my objects pretty linear in the frame. In order to capture my desired image, I tried photographing the same setup at a variety of angles. The photo I ended up choosing has an interesting angle which in some areas of the image appears flat or two-dimensional, and in other areas can be clearly seen as three-dimensional. I also used a higher ISO value on the camera which added some brightness to the photo as well as some noise, which visually appealed to me.
   Part II: In part II of this assignment, I used Adobe Photoshop to create a collage design that would pair well with my digital photograph. At first, I struggled to come up with a concept that would achieve this goal, but after reviewing the color scheme of the photo, I decided to use the CD-ROM disc reflection as the gradient for the sky in the lower half of my image. In order to portray the knife seen in the photograph, I chose to add a personal photograph of my face and use a cracked glass overlay to make it appear as though it is cracked. I took transparent glass shard graphics on the sky with the distorted light seen in the drops in the actual photograph. I put the lemon slice from a different photo in my contact sheet as the other half of the face to serve as both part of the face and almost as a sun in the sky shown in the lower half. I felt that by displaying each element of the photograph in my collage image, I was able to successfully connect the two images and form a cohesive diptych. I had originally added additional graphics, but after reviewing during critique, I determined that the piece was more appealing without them.
3. Conclusion
   If given more time to improve my diptych, I would like to focus more on my technical Photoshop skills, as there were some aspects of my design that appeared rough or poorly done. I think if I had more time, I would work more with the layer transparency effects to elevate my design and create a more sophisticated image. While not directly visible in my diptych, I would like to improve my ease of using Photoshop, as I am a beginner and some steps probably could have been done more efficiently than the methods used in this project. As for the photography aspect of this project, I would just like to branch out more, using more bold lighting techniques to create a more professional result.
4. Image of Diptych

   

 

 

What does Ritchin mean with the “fluidity of the digital”? 

By referring to the “fluidity of the digital”, Ritchin aims to describe the phenomenon resulting from the advancement of photography. The move to digital photography brings exponentially more possibilities to manipulate or edit the visual appearance of an image. This makes it very “fluid” in that it can serve many purposes. This, of course, can have both positive and negative effects on society. For example, take the use of digital editing software to manipulate the outward appearance of a model for a magazine ad. For the company, this could certainly benefit their sales, as a polished and perfect appearing model may encourage consumers to purchase their item. But for viewers, the flawless image may lead to unrealistic body standards and promote an unattainable goal. The ability to manipulate photos is exclusive to digital photography, and therefore is a relatively new development. Another aspect of “fluidity” is the fact that digital photographing abilities are never staying the same. There are constantly improvements or new features that allow artists to create new things through digital photography.

Reflect on the extent to which photography is capable of capturing reality; and compare it to other media 

In my opinion, photography, like other forms of media, can certainly portray reality, but is not always used for that purpose. Modern digital media can be edited to extreme levels to either erase history, downplay or exaggerate the extent of a crisis, or spread false information. The trouble with this is that digital media can so quickly be accessed and then shared. In particular, photography is quite widespread. While media such as virtual reality is only accessible in more modern and technologically advanced areas, photographs can more easily be shared whether digitally or in print. This means that if a photo inaccurately portrayed something, the falsity could be spread across the globe within seconds.

Link to PDF: Pioneer Plaque