Communications Lab

Pulse of Life & 海马区

Jingchen Gao & Yiwen Xu

Instructor: Xingchen Zhang

I. Concept & Story

Our film aims to explore the theme of regret in life. Often, we insist that “things will get better after we get through this period,” a phrase frequently on people’s lips. It seems we spend our entire lives striving for the future, filled with various dreams, never allowing ourselves to pause. However, it is precisely because we invest so much expectation in the future that we tend to neglect our present feelings. In our film, we want to encourage the audience to reflect on their lives and advocate for the concept of “focusing on the present.” We hope that people will shift their attention to appreciating the small joys of the present moment.

We previously heard from our professor that many visual metaphors revolve around love stories. However, as we have not previously created videos or received professional video training, we cherish this opportunity to edit a video and look forward to exploring more profound themes through this film. This theme is one with which we are both very familiar and have personally experienced. We both feel sad about this phenomenon, and thus, we want to encourage our audience to make some changes.

Initially, we considered expressing this theme by portraying the stories of 2-3 different characters. However, this approach had the following drawbacks: it was difficult to find actors, and even if we found them, it would be challenging to establish connections among them; the duration was too short, making it difficult to clearly depict 2-3 stories in just one and a half minutes. Therefore, after multiple discussions with our professor, we ultimately decided to use a group portrait approach to convey this theme. This method not only expands the coverage of the main characters in the video, emphasizing the idea that “everyone faces such troubles, and everyone is a protagonist,” but also resonates more strongly with the audience. This is the reason we ultimately decided to use this approach for filming the video.

II. Creation Process & Execution

Here is the link to our original proposal and the storyboard: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1scInmF1CtWOL6pNLP1iqBBRr8kW-lh9quippMIbHZno/edit

Our storyboard played a limited role during our filming process because we made significant changes to our original plan after completing the storyboard. In short, we shifted from focusing on the trajectories of one or two individuals to using a more general group narrative to convey the theme, as I mentioned in the previous section. However, the process of creating the storyboard did indeed inspire us, leading to the subway shots. Thus, the storyboard primarily served as a source of inspiration.

Since we aimed to depict a group portrait, we did not extensively filter the filming locations. Instead of sticking to one or two specific settings, we took our camera to various places in the city, capturing every scene we found compelling. However, we were not entirely without consideration for the locations. To convey that the anticipation for the future and the neglect of the present spans all age groups, we consciously chose groups from different age ranges—childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age—and ensured that their screen time was roughly equal. We also selected appropriate locations for different age groups, such as schools, playgrounds, subways, and residential areas. During the filming process, our most prominent model was our professor, whom we invited to serve as the narrative thread from the beginning to the end of the project. Through his story on the subway, we aimed to express the theme of “time travel.” We were also deliberate in controlling the visual language during the filming process. We used close-ups, medium shots, and long shots, combining static scenes with dynamic shots to provide a diverse visual experience and avoid monotony.

The most challenging part of our production was the time travel segment. The scenes before and after the time travel sequence were quite emotional, moving from somber to more hopeful tones, making time travel the most indispensable part of our visual language. However, since time travel itself does not exist, the main challenge was to make the audience aware of the temporal shift. To address this, we employed several techniques: using a dark yellow vintage filter to represent the memory segments, accelerating the footage during the time travel, and altering the narration and background music. We were quite satisfied with the final effect.

We did not use Adobe Premiere for editing. After confirming with our professor that using Adobe Premiere was not mandatory, we opted for CapCut as our video editing software. The editing process consisted of the following steps: importing the video footage from the camera to the computer, deleting unnecessary shots, reviewing the footage from start to finish, arranging the shots according to our narrative, adjusting the duration and speed of each shot to keep the total length around two minutes, and adding music, narration, and special effects. We spent an entire night editing the video together, achieving our desired effect by dawn. After presenting in class, we consulted our professor for feedback, spent another night revising the original version, and produced a derivative version based on the feedback. Overall, the editing process went smoothly, and the final result met our expectations.

III. Collaboration

My partner and I did not have distinctly separate roles. In fact, we worked together on the project almost all the time. However, in terms of specific tasks, I leaned more towards shooting video clips with the camera, while Yvonne took on a greater responsibility in the editing process. From the outset, our ideas were highly aligned, and we never encountered any disagreements or conflicts. Nevertheless, we continuously provided each other with inspiration and detailed suggestions. For instance, she would point out interesting people and events nearby and afar while I was filming, and I would refine her editing work. I am extremely grateful for my partner and our collaboration. Without our complementary efforts, the project could not have progressed as smoothly as it did.

IV. Aesthetics & Results

In terms of aesthetics, considering our theme, we adopted a relatively vintage tone and inserted a vintage filter in the middle of the video. We believe that the visual style integrates well with the theme. We also selected different background music according to the tone of the video, ranging from relatively dull and sad to cheerful. The change in background music serves as an effective way to subtly indicate the theme to the audience. Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, we altered the speed and rhythm of the video clips and the camera angles in the middle of the video to convey a richer and more varied visual experience to the audience.

In summary, this visual metaphor project progressed very smoothly. I am grateful for this opportunity, which allowed me to collaborate with my talented and hardworking partner as well as use my preferred shooting style and editing techniques to express a theme that I care about deeply.

Jingchen Gao

This assignment requires us to create 18 frames of storyboard for an existing video. Our teacher told us that we should assume that the director has never known anything about the content of this video and that our storyboard is his/her only point of reference. Therefore, we should make it really clear how the camera angle moves, what happens in one particular scene, and how the video is progressed by the alterations of the shots.

I chose a clip from the movie Amelie since it is my favorite movie and I love how its scenes are shot in special ways. My selected clip is from 01:05:54 to 01:08:56 of the movie, and I have basically covered all the main shots covered in this clip.

I first finished all the drawing parts of this assignment, and then I went to my teacher to ask him whether there were more improvements that I could make. He told me that I should try my best to write down the shot types as well as the camera angles of the clip, and try to generate a description that would help the director to understand my intentions. Besides, he also clarified the definitions of “scene” and “shot number” for me, and it was really helpful. After this conversation, I revised my storyboard and finally finished a complete version of this reverse storyboard assignment.

I like this assignment very much because I have always had a deep affection for drawing and watching films, and this assignment provides me with a good chance to do two of them at the same time!

Below are the pictures of my reverse storyboard:

On the Way to a Piano Class

Jingchen Gao

I. Concept

The purpose of this project is to record various kinds of sounds and put them together into a short sound clip that can trigger a certain piece of memory whenever I listen to it. As soon as I got to know the requirements of this project, I decided to pick my memory of going to a piano class when I was still a kid. The reason why I chose the way to a piano class instead of having a piano class is that I consider having a class too long and the soundscape would be boring because the only sound that appears would be me playing the piano. 

This special memory lasted about 13 years, which is the total duration of me learning the piano. However, I would like to specifically focus on the last period of my learning experience. I had learned this instrument in various locations, from musical instrument stores to my teacher’s home. Nevertheless, the last two years were spent in Shanghai Conservatory of Music since my teacher was a professor of music at Shanghai Conservatory of Music at that time. It was a place where various captivating melodies floated in the air. Students learning different musical instruments would wander around on campus, chatting and laughing, discussing about their new musical assignments. Outside the campus, there were cars buzzing, and I could recall the irregular footsteps of pedestrians. Besides, as that area is an artistic location near the most prosperous part of Shanghai, melodies of both musical instruments and human voices were always constantly wafting through the air. This kind of luscious atmosphere of music really impressed me and served as the spice of my life.

When it comes to the aspect of the memory (actual sounds, feelings, ideas, etc.) I aimed to convey to my audience, I didn’t focus much on the feeling part as was later pointed out by my professor. I didn’t expect it to have that much of an importance to the whole project, so I didn’t spend much time focusing on the expression of my emotions when I was still engaged in this experience. Instead, I spent a lot of effort recording the actual sounds that I heard on my way to the class, such as the sound of traffic, the voices of pedestrians, the piano songs circling around in the air, the sound of a girl singing, the sound of wind weaving through the leaves, and so on. I spent most of my time figuring out an appropriate way to combine multiple pieces of soundtracks together and still make it beautiful. The general idea when I was doing this project was to convey to the audience that this piece of my memory means a lot to me and I really miss the days when my mother and I were walking down the avenue lined with planted phoenix trees on both sides.

This part of my memory is a summary of a crucial part of my life experiences, the days when I had passion of music and held the dream of turning impossibilities to reality. Therefore, I decided to pick this piece of memory as the theme of my Memory Soundscape assignment.

II. Process

In order to mimic the effects that I have mentioned above, I went to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music again with my friend to refresh my memory of this experience as well as to record the real-time sounds that appeared on my way to the Conservatory.

On our way to the Conservatory, one sound that I didn’t expect was the twitter of the birds. They were clear and beautiful, and the reason I used it in the beginning of my recording was that I think this vivid sound could really bring about the vibe of early spring and the feeling of childhood. Besides that, I also recorded relatively normal sounds such as the sound of traffic, the sound of the breeze, the shaking of the leaves, the communication between passers-by and so on. Meanwhile, as I have noted before, the whole area surrounding the Conservatory was a really artistic place, so even though I was still outside the music school, there were also sounds of piano and violin that came from nearby music schools. I decided to record that sound as well since I wanted to stay true to the real situation. 

Above is the first phase of my Memory Soundscape Project. It basically depicts my experience outside the gate of the Conservatory, and is more about the outside surroundings of the school.

The next phase starts with the footsteps of me and my friend walking up the wooden stairs of one building in the Conservatory – the exact building where I used to have piano classes. Part of the reason why I went there with a friend was because her footsteps could imitate that of my mother. I picked the recordings of the footsteps to suggest the audience that I had now entered the Conservatory and a second phase has now started. Also in this stage, I combined various kinds of musical sounds together with the footsteps to convey that as I was walking in the school building, I would encounter a lot of music forms that were beautiful and added to the rich musical atmosphere of the Conservatory. That is the reason why I picked different melodies of piano songs as well as the singing of a girl during my choice of sounds. I also incorporated the sound of violin. In the end, I ended the soundscape with a slam of the door to indicate that my short journey to the Conservatory has now ended and what follows is the beginning of my piano class.

When it comes to the recording techniques, I didn’t think very much before deciding to use the Tascam as the tool I was going to use for this project. Tascam is well-known for its rich capacity in recording high-quality sounds so I used it instead of my phone. However, one problem I encountered during the recording process was that I found the Tascam was too easy to be affected by the wind, and that would cut the quality of the recordings. Actually a lot of my recordings were ruined because of this issue. Maybe the reason behind this was that I forgot to borrow a windshield when I was checking the Tascam of the Equipment Room of our school. My solution to this problem was that I used my phone for some of the recordings, and that partially helped solve the problem. Maybe next time I should really get a windshield before putting my hands on any kinds of recordings.

As for the editing process, I think it was rather successful. In previous assignments and exercises I have already gained enough knowledge that I would like to use in this project, such as the employment of filters, the way to adjust the volume smoothly, the method to incorporate different tracks, etc. Therefore, I just tried my best in putting all the techniques I have learned previously together to create a mature soundscape. One thing and also the most crucial takeaway I learned during the whole process was from the conversation between my professor and I during the mid-critique. After listening to my soundscape, he thought that overall I had done a good job putting the recordings together. However, he suggested that the way I could move a step further was to create multiple different layers of the sounds. In his opinion, I should distinguish the volume and texture of each sound track from each other to avoid the delayering of the whole project. This somehow corresponds with his suggestions for my Sound Visualization project, and it definitely deepened my understanding of the importance of layers.

III. Conclusion

Before the final presentation, I had been pretty satisfied with my project since I thought I had done a good job combining various sounds together and recreate the scene in my memory using the recordings of sounds. However, it was not until the final presentation that I heard the comment from another professor that I should also try to convey a sense of feeling in my project. That is the part that I ignored and I think I would try to refine that by adding sounds that I recorded elsewhere or applying some filters to my original soundscape if I had more time.

In all, I think this project is my favorite one throughout the semester so far, and I gained practical skills of editing sound recordings during the whole learning process!

IV. Image of Audition

Hito Steyerl discusses the challenge to the “unbroken belief” in the documentary form. This refers to the traditional notion that documentaries present objective and truthful representations of reality. Steyerl suggests that this belief is being challenged in contemporary times, particularly with the proliferation of rough-cut, abstract, and emotionally charged documentary images that are increasingly prevalent in the media landscape. Steyerl argues that these documentary images, despite their lack of focus and uncertainty, evoke a sense of authenticity and intensity. They may not adhere to conventional standards of accuracy or objectivity, yet they still convey a feeling of being real. The significance lies in the emotional impact they have on viewers, as they tap into our desires for immediacy and intensity rather than strict factual representation.

The relationship between truth and fiction is intricate in the context of documentaries. While certain movies and films are explicitly based on true stories, truth can also inform fiction in various ways. Real-life events, experiences, and social issues often serve as inspiration for fictional narratives. By incorporating elements of truth, such as authentic settings, characters, or situations, fiction can gain a sense of realism and connect with audiences on a deeper level. Conversely, fiction can also inform the truth by presenting alternative perspectives, exploring hypothetical scenarios, or using artistic devices to shed light on social, political, or cultural realities. Fictional works can challenge dominant narratives, provoke critical thinking, and offer new insights into the complexities of the world we live in.

The authenticity and representation of truth in the media we consume on a daily basis are significant because they shape our understanding of the world and influence our beliefs and actions. When media outlets prioritize authenticity and accuracy, it fosters trust and credibility. However, in a time when uncertainty and doubt are pervasive, the quest for truth becomes more complicated. The emotional impact of media, including documentaries, can sometimes overshadow the pursuit of objective truth, as viewers may be more affected by the intensity of the presentation rather than its factual accuracy. In this context, live broadcasts play a role in providing immediacy and a sense of “being there.” They create a direct connection between the audience and events as they unfold in real-time. Live broadcasts can evoke strong emotions and intensify the impact of the information being conveyed. However, it’s important to recognize that the live nature of a broadcast does not guarantee its accuracy or comprehensive representation of truth. The potential for bias, subjective interpretation, or manipulation still exists, and critical thinking is necessary when engaging with live media.

Overall, the relationship between truth, fiction, authenticity, and representation in media is complex and evolving. The documentary form, once associated with objective truth-telling, is now being challenged and transformed by the prevalence of emotionally charged and abstract imagery. Understanding the nuances of these dynamics is crucial for media consumers to navigate the information landscape and critically engage with the media they encounter.

In the movie “The Five Obstructions,” directed by Jorgen Leth and Lars von Trier, Jorgen Leth, a Danish filmmaker, is challenged by Lars von Trier to remake his own 1967 short documentary film “The Perfect Human” under specific obstructions. Here are the precise rules of each obstruction:

1. Obstruction: The film must be made in Cuba, and it must be shot in just 12 frames. Meanwhile, Jorgen has to answer the questions in the narration and he is not allowed to build a set. Jorgen copes with this obstruction by traveling to Cuba and exploring the poverty-stricken district. He uses a handheld camera to capture the essence of the place and creates a visually striking film using only 12 frames.
2. Obstruction: Jorgen must remake the film as a cartoon. Jorgen copes with this obstruction by collaborating with an animator and transforming the original film into an animated version. This obstruction allows for a different visual style and interpretation of the original concept.
3. Obstruction: The film must be made in the most crowded place in the world. Jorgen copes with this obstruction by shooting the film in the red-light district of Mumbai, India. The bustling and chaotic environment becomes an integral part of the film, reflecting the obstruction’s requirement.
4. Obstruction: Jorgen must make the film as a personal statement. Jorgen copes with this obstruction by incorporating personal elements into the film. He includes scenes from his childhood and explores his own emotions and experiences, making the film more introspective and subjective.
5. Obstruction: Jorgen must remake the film with the least possible means. Jorgen copes with this obstruction by remaking the film using a small digital camera and limited resources. He simplifies the production process and focuses on the core essence of the film, resulting in a minimalist interpretation.

Throughout the challenges, Jorgen copes with the obstructions by adapting his creative approach and embracing the limitations imposed by Lars von Trier. He navigates each obstruction with a mix of determination, creativity, and resourcefulness.

The effect on the movies Jørgen produces is that they become unique and divergent from the original film. Each obstruction introduces a new perspective, visual style, or personal element, resulting in a series of distinct reinterpretations of “The Perfect Human.” The obstructions force Jorgen to think outside the box and push the boundaries of his creativity, resulting in films that are influenced by the constraints imposed upon him.

As for my Memory Soundscape assignment, I would like to pick my personal memory of going to a piano class. The reason I chose the way to a piano class instead of having a piano class is that I consider having a class too long and the soundscape would be boring because the only sound that appears would be me playing the piano. 

The memory lasted about 13 years, which is the total duration of me learning the piano. However, I would like to specifically focus on the last period of my learning experience. Previous to my last days learning the piano, I learned this instrument in various locations, from musical instrument stores to my teacher’s home. Nevertheless, the last two years were spent in Shanghai Conservatory of Music since my teacher was a professor of music at Shanghai Conservatory of Music at that time. It was a place where various captivating melodies floated in the air. Students learning different musical instruments would wander around on campus, chatting and laughing, discussing about their new musical assignments. Outside the campus, there were cars buzzing, and I could recall the irregular footsteps of pedestrians. 

This part of my memory is a summary of a crucial part of my life, the days when I had passion of music and held the dream of turning impossibilities to reality. Therefore, I decided to pick this piece of memory as the theme of my Memory Soundscape assignment.

Colorful Childhood Brushstrokes

Jingchen Gao

I. Concept

The concept I want to convey by the communication between these two images is the relationship between my current pursue in IMA major and my previous learning experiences in painting and photography. I picked the painting tools I used when I was a kid as well as the youth palace where I used to learn painting five years ago as the target objects in this assignment, and I used different drawing techniques as substitute for different parts in the first picture. 

Painting meant a lot to me. I had learned painting when I was a little kid, but I had to give it up in my eighth grade due to the pressure from school. Nevertheless, it is my greatest luck to come to NYUSH and pursue an IMA major, where I can start to create something artistic of my own again. Meanwhile, I have also cultivated my interest of photography recently, and in my opinion the two art forms of photography and painting share a lot of similarities. Both of them aim at recording the objects, either with fidelity or with embellishment. Therefore, this theme is the first and only idea that jumped into my mind as soon as I saw the requirements of this assignment. By using this as my content, I am recalling my memories of childhood and relating my previous experiences of drawing with the major that I am pursuing and I love.

When it comes to the conversation between the two pictures, I intend to make the first one a simple photograph I take of the still objects, while the other a collage of my sketches and paintings and the deformation of the youth palace I used to go to. I would like to utilize various drawing methods to create my own drawings and represent the same composition in the original picture in assorted ways, and add another layer which is a rearrangement of different parts of the construction of the youth palace on top of it. By combining these elements together, I want to convey the idea that I had gained practical drawing skills which will benefit me for the entire life from the youth palace. Although now I don’t continue to learn drawing any longer, both the location and the tools will stay with me forever and will keep guiding me in my future pursuit in Interactive Media Arts. The two pictures will also symbolize the two art forms that I love the most: photography and painting, with the first one displaying the former and the second one representing the latter.

II. Process

My first step was to make an arrangement of the drawing tools that I brought from home. I opened all the covered containers which had my pencils, paints and brushes in it, took out all the tools and arranged them in my dorm. After that, I took pictures from different angles of this composition. I also took photos of the water spray generated by my humidifier in case I would like to put it in the background of my second image. Finally, I adjusted the hue of the final version of image 1 to make it more visually appealing.

After I had finished creating image 1, I turned to image 2 which requires photo editing and is the most crucial part of this assignment. To get started, I first put my hands on the drawing part which I considered to be the core of this picture. Instead of just taking photos of the drawing tools, this time I opened the dusty containers of my art supplies and started to create drawings by them. I used the tools in specific positions in image 1 to imitate their appearances in my paintings. This was time-consuming, and I stayed up all night just to finish all the sketches, but it was worth it.

Having finished all my drawings, the next step was to go to People’s Square where I used to learn drawing and find the youth palace that I had been to for years. Therefore, I spent a Friday evening on this mini-trip and took some photos by my camera. Below are two pictures I took that I consider to be the most representative:

Then it came to the part of Adobe Photoshop which was the most challenging for me. To get started, I first created a new file and put my pencil sketch in the background because it would then benefit me by suggesting where each component should be placed. Then, I utilized the “Magnetic Lasso Tool” which I found the most convenient and made copies of the drawn parts in my previous sketches. When doing this, one thing I found useful was that it would be really helpful if I open a new file and operate on the new components there instead of directly editing it in the original file. This would make the editing process much easier due to the clear background and the convenience of copying and pasting the new component. In this process, two mostly used tools in my case are the crop tool and the magnetic lasso tool, with the former one responsible for cropping images to fit the file size while the latter enabling me to directly choose the components that I needed.

After carrying out this process repeatedly for multiple times, I finally combined the five separate pictures together into one image. For some elements in image 2 I didn’t use the drawings that I made, instead, I just kept their original appearances because I consider this to be more visually appealing (just like the brushes in the middle of the picture below). Here is the collage that I made at this stage:

Then, I changed the background to the darker photo of spray that I mentioned before. The reason why I did this was because I thought that it could add another layer to the image at the bottom, thus creating a visual effect of multiple layers. Meanwhile, the shape of the blurry spray can also symbolize the fading of my childhood memory.

Then, I adjusted the color of the whole picture by adding layers of filters on top of the collage. Having finished this first step, I then entered the second crucial phase of creating image 2: adding another layer of constructions above the original layers. This time I started by blurring the whole image so that my drawings wouldn’t distract people when they see this picture. After that, I continued the steps in the first phase – that is, to use the magnetic lasso tool to select objects in photos and pasting them onto my second picture. When deciding the position of each photo, I arranged them according to my personal likes (although later I realized that I should have done it with more consideration), and below is the result I ultimately reached.

When it comes to the problems I encountered, actually I consider the editing process went on quite smoothly. I had my plan about what to do at each stage, and nothing went wrong during this process. The only thing I consider not that satisfactory is the arrangement of the constructions in the second phase. I felt that I didn’t have sufficient knowledge or experiences in making collages, or maybe I just didn’t take enough consideration before I started to arrange the elements on the second layer (not counting the layer of spray at the bottom). I was not able to come up with a proper solution in the end, and what I did was to arrange the components according to my own aesthetic. That was also pointed out by my professor during my final presentation. He said that the second image of mine is a little messy and suggested that I could be more thoughtful about the designing part. This unordered arrangement can be considered as the compromise I made as well and is definitely something I am going to improve in the future.

Below is the contact sheet I made for this assignment:

III. Conclusion

In all, I think I have benefited a lot from the learning and making process of this photo diptych assignment. Not only did I learn how to use a camera correctly and gained knowledge in using Adobe Photoshop, but I also got the chance to look back into my memories and utilize the abilities I learned to visualize my past art experiences. Nevertheless, I still think that a lot can be improved. My most significant weakness that I noticed during this process is that I lack the consideration required to design a collage well. In other words, I am (currently) not good at creating the communication between two images. I should have clearer plans about where I should put each component, and make my arrangements more reasonable for people who know nothing about what I was trying to convey. I will try to adjust my methods in photo editing in the future and make the images I create better align with what I want to express.

IV. Image of Diptych

As for my Photo Diptych assignment, I would like to feature on the painting tools that I used about 5 years ago. I had learned painting when I was a little kid, but I had to give it up in my eighth grade due to the pressure from school. In the years that follow, I have always been missing the Saturday afternoon when I can spend four hours in a row in the studio, creating sketches and gouaches. It is my greatest luck to be able to come to NYUSH and pursue an IMA major, where I can start to create something of my own again. What’s more, I have also cultivated my interest of photography in recent years, and in my opinion the two art forms of photography and painting actually have a lot in common. Both of them aim at recording the objects, either with fidelity or with embellishment. Therefore, when I saw the description of this assignment which requires us to shoot various objects of one theme and manipulate them with Photoshop, the idea of shooting the painting tools that I used jumped into my mind. The process of arranging the positions of each artistic material and collage different photographs together reminds me of my sketch class where I learn to copy a composition of still objects and arrange the gradations of light and shade in a purposeful way. By using this as my content, I am recalling my memories of childhood and relating my previous experiences of drawing with the major that I am pursuing and I love.

When it comes to the conversation between the two pictures, I intend to make the first one a simple photograph I take of the still objects, and the other a collage of my sketches, paintings and the deformation of the drawing tools. I would like to use my own drawing as a substitute for the original materials and use various drawing methods to present the same composition in assorted ways. If things go well, then the second picture will be the painted version of the first one, but the methods of painting vary so that it will look distorted and purposefully processed. The two pictures will also symbolize the two art forms that I love the most: photography and painting, with the first one displaying the former and the second one representing the latter.

In terms of the images that I plan to take photos of, I would like to shoot the composition of the motionless objects from different angles and record my different drawings respectively. At this point I am still not sure whether I should add other things as supplement and decoration of my second picture. Maybe I will include a music score (I had played piano for a couple of years) and some spitballs as well. However, these are all minor elements in my image, and the most important components are no doubt the painting materials and my drawings.

Regarding the photoshop manipulations, I am still in the process of exploring possible tools in the Photoshop that can help me convey my theme better, so at this point I don’t have the exact list of the methods that I want to use. However, one thing for sure is that I plan to collage different pictures I take by a camera together and change their hues. I want to create a feeling of jigsaw puzzle to symbolize the previous art experiences in my life that made me who I am and brought me to where I am today. I will keep learning the photo manipulation methods and keep an eye on what can be used for my own photo diptych.

What does Ritchin mean with the “fluidity of the digital”? Give an example of digital imaging/digital photography that exemplifies this.

As far as I am concerned, the “fluidity of the digital” refers to the possible and practical digital manipulations of the original picture. In his article specifically, this refers to the reconstruction of the photos conducted by a computer. One example that I can think of is photo editing, the process of changing the photo’s original parameters by digital means to fulfill the photo creator’s needs. One well-known application specifically designed for this is Adobe Photoshop, the one that we are learning to use this semester. By using this tool, one can easily change the colors, shapes and compositions of the objects included in one picture.

Reflect on the extent to which photography is capable of capturing reality; and compare it to other media (technology) (e.g. text, video, virtual reality, books).

Comptine D’un Autre Été, L’après-Midi

by Yann Tiersen

Jingchen Gao

Here is the video of the music track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znfYwABeSZ0

I. Concept and Design

The purpose of this assignment is to introduce us to the basic ideas in the field of design and push us to make our first attempt to design and create something of our own. Meanwhile, as the topic of this assignment suggests, it also asks us to fully expand our imagination and come up with a carefully considered image that represents our initial feelings when we were exposed to the selected music piece for the first time. I consider this assignment very valuable and I appreciate it not only because I practiced my skill of using Adobe Illustrator during this process, but I also was exposed to the ideas of Gestalt theory for the first time and tried to reach the boundaries of my imagination under the scientific instructions of the art theory. Overall, I learned a lot and I enjoyed the feeling of being a designer very much!

The first step we should make was to pick a music piece. I stuck a bit at this stage, because I had trouble making the final choice on which song to focus on. At first I chose three songs with lyrics and I had already drafted three separate sketches for each of them, but later on I finally decided to pick one piano song without any lyrics and I started to draw the sketch for this song at last. Actually the initial drafting process went very smoothly. Previous to the start of this assignment, I asked my professor what I shall do if I have no inspiration at all about what to draw on the paper. He told me that I could just draw whatever jumps to my mind during the course of me listening to the music piece, and this instruction helped me later on. When listening carefully to the gentle flow of the piano, I started to draw some piano keys as well as some curves on my screen, and the initial version of this project was made. Later on, the idea that the peaceful and loving melody represents the shape of a heart jumped into my mind, and I made some revisions to my draft to include a figure of heart in the middle of the whole image. I also added different sizes of rectangles in the secondary places in my draft since I think they perfectly represents the keys on the piano as well as the silvery sound in the selected piano sound. As for the background, I drew two big black rectangles behind the main elements and made two lines that each comes from different triangles parallel with each other to correspond with the Gestalt theory reminded by my professor. This strategy enables me to create a second layer behind the simple, plain first layer and adds to the visual appeal of the whole design. It also serves as the ground in the image and makes the design solid.

Below are the sketches I created for the other 3 music pieces and the draft of the piano song that I finally selected:

Prior to this project, we also finished another assignment called “One Black Square”. That assignment serves as our first attempt to practice the Gestalt theory and I struggled a lot to finish that assignment. However, it clearly has a profound impact on my process of finishing this project, since there are a lot of unintentional similarities between the One Black Square assignment and this Sound Visualization project. For example, my first design of One Black Square also used two triangles in the corners of the background. Meanwhile, that same picture also possesses a sense of curve in the middle, and I applied the strategy of emptiness in both of my designs in One Black Square. These attempts have definitely affected me a lot when creating my Sound Visualization project, though I may not have recognized it in the first place.

Below are the two designs I created for One Black Square:

As for the design principles that I attempted to explore in this project, the first and most important one in my opinion is similarity. I was reminded multiple times by my professor that every time I want to make the same shape appear again on my canvas, I should make small changes to it so that it still looks harmonious in the whole design but won’t be too repetitive to be boring for the audience. Therefore, I made changes to the piano keys every time I wanted to use that element again, and I also applied that to the stroke and length of the parallel lines in the background as well as the curves in the middle of the picture. I used the principle of proximity as well, and composed a curve-like shape near the bottom part of the design by some small rectangles that are close to each other. The figure/ground element also appeared in the final image since I created various layers that distinguish clearly from each other.

II.Process

In general, the designing process went on rather smoothly. I had already had a general idea of what to do during my drafting process, and what was left undone was only the polish of the details. One special rule for this assignment was that we could only use the variation of letters to create shapes on the canvas. We were not allowed to use extra pictures, neither were we approved to use the letters to form a concrete image. This definitely added to the difficulty of this project, and I had made a lot of changes accordingly.

My first attempt to create the curves was to type a continuous sequence of letters on an invisible curve, which is a new technique I learned during this process. However, I later figured out that no matter how hard I tried and how small I set the size of the letters to be, there were always non-negligible empty spaces between some or every of these letters, and they made the curves broken. Therefore, I tried another method which was to use the “s”s to mimic the curved lines, but then the whole design would look too heavy on the top. Therefore, I finally decided to totally abandon the curves and use straight lines and rectangles (the former came from “l”s and the latter came from “I”s) instead to create this sense of motion. As for other parts, I just selected different fonts of various letters to make subtle differences between each element.

 

When it comes to failures, I guess the part I mentioned above can be considered my biggest failure during this process. Not only because I totally abandoned my original plan in the end, but I also lacked careful consideration during the designing process. The main body of my design is made of angular rectangles and straight lines, and I should have foreseen how the general image would be destroyed by adding various other letters disorderly. In terms of successes, I think overall my design progressed according to my initial plan, and I didn’t encounter much problem during the whole process. I think the initial draft really helps when creating a design like this.

The mid-critique didn’t change my original plan so much since my professor thought that my design was fine. Nevertheless, he made some suggestions that changed multiple crucial parts of my project.

First of all, he said that instead of keep adding new elements onto my canvas, I should make changes to the original components, since one vital rule in the field of design is that every shape that occurs on the canvas should have various corresponding parts in the image. That was also part of the reason why I changed the curved lines into rectangles and thin, straight lines ultimately since I found the curved lines made up of different letters would destroy the original tone of the picture and they were very hard to echo with. I also added more small black-and-white rectangles to the design to align with this instruction.

Secondly, according to my professor, there should be various layers in the design to avoid flattening. That is the major reason for me to add the two huge black triangles to the top right corner as well as the bottom left corner of the picture to create something that clearly distinguishes from the top layer.

After making revisions to these parts, I finally reached the final version of this project which I consider to be quite satisfactory (mine is in the middle):

III. Conclusion

Overall, I think the working process of this project was very pleasant and I improved my skills of imagination and using Adobe Illustrator at the same time, which is definitely a rewarding experience. However, if I had more time, I would probably add some new elements as well as other layers to my design since I think that my final version is still a bit plain.

In general, I appreciate the chance to work on this project very much!