A Clean Sound

https://soundcloud.com/tortoiseshell-tides/tuning

The lights are dimmed, audience hushes, the orchestra tunes. It’s a wave of discordant noise that finally rests into a clean, purposeful sound. As the movement begins, the audience hears the euphonious sound made possible by this effort.  Consider the lone instrument: carefully brought out and tuned to perfection in a cacophony of noise to add to the clarity of the whole. These small processes are what allow the larger task to succeed, and developing an appreciation for these will increase the perceived value of the completed product.

The opening scene in Moonrise Kingdom reflects this idea as the family listens to “A Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.” It explains how the individual families of instruments make up a complete orchestra to fully realize the complex orchestral movement. Similar to this, micro processes are important to the overall, larger process. It is especially important that these microprocesses be done correctly, so not diminish the intended product, such as an orchestra tuning to achieve a “clean sound” at the beginning of every live show. What sounds like a chaos eventually allows the orchestra to faithfully represent the vision of the original composer.  This concept is what led us to consider the individual instruments in an ensemble, such as the viola. In our piece, we focused on the tuning of this one instrument. Within this smaller process, there are more microprocesses. We hear a case being unzipped, the bow being tightened and rosined, and an annoying tuner tone. All leading up to the tuning of the instrument itself. Because of its preparation, it will be able to blend seamlessly with the rest of the group and produce striking sounds which will inspire many. We felt this exemplified both the idea of smaller processes adding to larger ones, and the principle that these microprocesses need to be done well in order for the whole to succeed.

In Smokehouse, we see a man tell the tale of how he built his smokehouse. More importantly, we see him take time to describe in detail the tiny processes that went into the construction of his structure. As he describes his mistakes in the events leading up to the finished product, the audience sees a sort of pride from the man as he recognizes that despite all of the mishaps, he accomplished something great for himself and his community. Because of his labors, his lifestyle was improved as he became self-reliant and closely bonded to his community through the smokehouse. This construction process ended up initiating a routine that would inevitably improve his life. After watching this video, we learned that the micro processes which so interested us were not just gears in the mechanism, but intrinsically valuable to our lives. As we come to value our mundane routines and tiny processes, we will be able to complete better products--whether that be a smokehouse, or a beautiful symphony.

Moonrise Kingdom “A Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra”-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xb7rGRyC2o

Symphony getting a clean sound-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfSH1ezevjM

Forum Extra Credit

The topic that impacted me the most during this forum was the emphasis on the Hollywood lifestyle. Bill Draper, an executive at Warner Brothers, stressed that he didn't get a job. He adopted a lifestyle. The Hollywood life takes a certain personality and sacrifices, especially when it comes to family time and vacations. This only makes it more apparent that to do what he does, you need to love it. If you don't love it then the job will not be worth all the hard times and the sacrifices it requires both physically and emotionally. I think this translates to film life in general. Production and deadlines always cause late nights and early call times. If you aren't enjoying the process, then why do it? The road to Hollywood sounds too long and hard to be something you don't want. Too many people are passionate and want it, there will always be competition that has just as much talent as you. If you don't think you want it, or don't think you have the stamina to live it, then there are other roads to explore. Hollywood isn't the only destination worth considering.

Tiny Stories: Steps Not Taken

Steps Not Taken
by Caitlin, Olivia, Cody, Claire, and Hadley

The lightbulb in his ceiling burned out. He contemplated the chore of replacing it and decided he liked living in darkness better anyway.

 
As he sat in the darkness, he realized that he was hungry. So he started to crawl. He kept searching for the door but found himself lost.

 

Content in his solitude, he breathed in deeply... absorbing the rich nutrients of the dark, making his wings stronger and his talons sharper.

He didn't need her, anyway. The games were tomorrow and he was most definitely going to win.

The forecast was cloudy with a chance of crushed dreams as all sporting events were cancelled. 

Artist Statement

Though each of us went to different schools, we all share a collective dread for group projects. The fear that fueled this ranged from doing all the work to not even being heard. The “Tiny Story” assignment allowed us to experience group work in a different way. Instead of picking apart each other’s visions, we were allowed more individual freedom for creativity. Influenced only by a few lines and picture, we made each new addition our own. This form of collaborative art leaves room for a more chaotic form of creativity, which provides a more unique and spontaneous outcome than the Hunger Games of opinions that traditional group work dictates.

A film that immediately comes to mind is Adam Shankman’s Bedtime Stories. While Skeeter attempts to control the outcome of his stories, it is the children’s input that matters. His stories become the basis for their additions that end up coming true. Similarly, we were each given a section of text and one image to influence our own contribution, but it could be taken in any direction we chose. Our stories were created by combining everyone’s different interpretations. This kind of collaboration gives the artist control only over their designated portion. The story is meant to grow like a completely separate entity, similar to the ideas set forth in the “Exquisite Corpse” article.  As the article explores, many works today are collaborative and are affected by works we have previously experienced. The idea of original work has to account for the truth that we cannot escape these influences. Additionally, as we see in both Bedtime Stories and “Exquisite Corpse”, the creators of media must set free their direction and control. They sometimes have to trust that their vision will still be acknowledged, but the path may be altered. We must also accept that our vision might never turn out how we originally plan it.

The twitter account gives a strong example of the Round Robin stories technique in new media form. While the exquisite corpse is the more traditional version of the project we attempted, the twitter account shares short stories with people around the world, and thus receives varying feedback. The public forum in which art is shared today allows for even more creativity and development than was available to generations past. It also speaks to the influence that so few words can have on readers. Short stories are powerful no matter the setting they are shared in, and the Short Stories Twitter Account proves that.

None of these stories concluded the way we originally intended. Once a story began, the original author relinquished all control over the outcome. You can’t guarantee a positive outcome in a group project, but we’ve found that this project had a surprisingly good ending, proving that putting faith in each other’s creativity can pay off in the long run.  

Group Members

Cody Mondale
Claire Nielson
Hadley Scholz
Caitlin Stratton
Olivia Taylor

Music Mosaic - Painting Water

Something I found intriguing and familiar in the reading was the author's reference to seasickness of the Greenland Eskimos, “the reflex from the mirror-like water hypnotizes him, he seems to be unable to move, and all of a sudden it is as if he were floating in a bottomless void, sinking, sinking, and sinking…” This description caused me to reflect on the stillness of water and the ways this stillness can be broken. Using my chosen music and medium I experimented with the properties of water to reflect my thoughts on movement, disorientation, and the relationship between the two.

The above portrayal of seasickness reminded me of my own experience with the ocean. As a scuba diver I have felt some of the strange occurrences that come from being suspended dozens of feet below the surface. It can be a very peaceful experience, but occasionally disorientation sets in and up can no longer be discerned from the surrounding ocean. Direction must found by finding meaning in reference, such as seeing the sunlight filtering down from above or considering the movement of sea life. I was impressed by the art of Amelia Watanabe Daines'. Seeing how she layered and blended colors inspired me to try the same effect to paint water and light. All of the images I created incorporated this idea. Some were meant to have no proper direction of up or down while others represent water’s interaction with various elements to suggest a surface.   

I selected the song “Make a Wish” by Secret Garden for its calm and complexity. The music reminded me of several aspects of water. The beginning recalled images of a still surface being broken by small impacts and gusts of wind, causing ripples. As the music unfolds more instruments and melodies are brought in to create layered orchestration. To represent this change my images evolved from simple experiments with blue to including the color purple and a variety of brush stroke techniques. Additionally, just as the music contains elements of hard (quick notes with a short attack and sustain) and soft (notes that linger and fade) I explored creating the same effect with different textures and shade. I accomplished this by using different amounts of water on my brush. The result was a contrast between blended strokes and crisp lines and blots. I also included sketches intentionally given bold lines to stand out against softer backgrounds to further explore my thoughts on still water being broken by outside influence, such as when a leaf falls on the surface creating omnidirectional ripples, or how a fish moves the water around it to create gentle disturbance.

Although the feeling of disorientation suggests panic, I focused on the calm that always accompanies my interaction with water. Just as the violin in "Make a Wish" swells, seeming to swirl around and lift the accompanied orchestra, water encircles all within it in an suspended, ever-changing embrace.

                    

Watanabe Watercolors - Amelia Watanabe Daines

The Grim Nature of Philosophy and Man in The Dark Knight

Christopher Nolan has often been praised for his adherence to ‘gritty reality’ in the Dark Knight trilogy. Indeed, in the recent deluge of hero flicks it stands out as particularly thrilling and dark. Like all superhero movies it has its fair share of explosions, fancy toys, and dramatic exits. So what sets it apart from others of its genre? True, it possess a darker color palate and lighting then traditional comic book adaptations (especially when compared to earlier version of the Batman universe), but I suggest that what differentiates these films is a more complex combination of the methodology and philosophy of Batman’s adversaries.

            Nolan’s Gotham is intrinsically different from others due to its basis in our observed reality. There are no alien invasions or genetically modified humans. There are just men committing acts of terrorism in an environment we recognize as similar to our own. Although exceptionally dramatized and hyperbolized, the crises presented are much more plausible in the world we live in. This alone creates a connection between the audience and the conflict. Additionally, the villains are men attacking men and have been given distinct philosophies to fuel their actions. Philosophies that if not agreed with, are arguably understood by a base part of our natural condition as men.  All three films of the trilogy posses these qualities but for the sake of being concise I will explore only the second and arguably most complex, The Dark Knight.

            The credit for creating the enduring character of the Joker cannot wholly be given to Nolan, but his film’s interpretation definitely exemplifies the characteristics that act as a foil to Batman’s creed of justice. The Joker is both the embodiment of terrorism and the extreme representation of a philosophy introduced by the philosopher Thomas Hobbes in his novel Leviathan. Sharing the belief that, if forced to function without the constraint of rules or government, men would dissolve into civil war, both held that society is part of the equation and not just a victim. When discussing this lawless world Hobbes wrote, “In such a condition there is no… society, and, which is worst of all, continual fear and danger of violent death, and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” This same ideal is reiterated by the Joker in his statement to Batman, “You see, their morals, their code, it’s a bad joke. Dropped at the first sign of trouble. They’re only as good as the world allows them to be. I’ll show you. When the chips are down, these… civilized people, they’ll eat each other.” This is the philosophy of the human condition, that men possessing illusionary superiority will continue to put their needs above their neighbors, or as Hobbes put it, “every man looketh that his companion should value him at the same rate he sets upon himself, and, upon all signs of contempt or undervaluing, naturally endeavors as far as he dare (which amongst them that have no common power to keep them quiet, is far enough to make them destroy each other) to extort a greater value from his contemners by damage, and from other by the example.” 

            This is the persistent debate of is man by nature good or evil? A question that has long been examined by men of religion and philosophy. Hobbes has taken the position that man will indeed revert to selfish acts if they are perceived necessary to survive. He calls this the Natural Condition of Mankind, asserting that we all must recognize this part of ourselves. It is this recognition that gives the character of the Joker his powerful impact. His ideals are unequivocally morally wrong, but yet we are selfish enough to understand his point. We see his persuasion and reject it. This glimpse into our psyche can be unsettling and this greatly characterizes the striking dark nature of this film.  We are further confronted when the Joker purposefully puts two groups of people on ferries and asks them to choose who better deserves life. A plan dependent on men selfishly putting their own worth above another’s. Although we are relieved to see this “social experiment” fail, would we be surprised if it hadn’t? Nolan is asking us to examine ourselves to discover what we would have done in a similar situation and, if honestly participating, this is not a comfortable consideration. Furthermore, what of Harvey Dent? The Joker succeeds in using Dent as an agent of this philosophy when he pushes him to face his ‘natural condition’ by forcing the choice between pushing back within the rules, or abandoning them to play by the Jokers non-standards. Dent becomes an example of this fallen man when he chooses to lash out in the way he deems as fair regardless of society’s rules. Through the character of the Joker Nolan presents us with two possible outcomes, man choosing “good” (the ferry riders) and man choosing “evil” (Dent).

            This differentiation between man choosing between “good” and “evil” is what sets the Joker apart from Hobbes. The Joker unabashedly believes man will choose chaos, or “evil” and that it is best for the world, being fair and natural. His character is over imbued with this philosophy, emphasizing its negative qualities and suppressing others for a very pointed effect. Hobbes may subscribe to the theory that man is capable, even prone, to this outcome but he also believed that man was capable of recognizing structure as a way to obtain safety and the commodities affording stability. He argues that through this process of reasoning man chooses government, or in terms of the Joker’s social experiment, not to sacrifice the other ferry. This ending realization that humanity is “full of people ready to believe in good” is a concession in the film's discussion of whether man is good or evil. It is the optimism that Hobbes believed in and the positivity that we must believe in to win the argument. 

For the Longest Time on the set of On a High Arid Plain

Click here for the musical stylings of bored grips and sound crew!



Also, Melissa this is for you. Find your inner Bowie.