So Lonely

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In the production of this video Alissa and I brainstormed ideas and decided to make a documentary style film. We decided to interview random students at Hunter College on their experiences at the school. We asked questions about their most awkward moments and what they think could improve about the school. It took us a couple of days to find people to actually participate in the documentary, many were too shy to speak and some did not feel that Hunter College is kind of anti social. We were able to find a good amount of interviewees. In the process of recording we forgot an important step to signal when to start recording the film and sound but in the editing process we were able to work it out.
There were a few things we could have done differently, such as location, because a few of our interviews' sound were not as great as we thought they'd be. We should have recorded in a quieter setting. We recorded shots of popular high traffic locations in the school as well, and used voice over for those scenes. We took the audio from the visual shots we could not use and placed it over these scenes. I found music that fit the topic of our video as well, I used music that was up to date and current because of the age range of the students, these are songs that are universally popular. I found this project to be a good learning experience not only in film production but working in a group and collaborating ideas. Although it was challenging because this was my first film production project like this, I am glad I completed it and learned many new skills I can improve and use later in life.

Trip to the Museum of the Moving Image

The exhibit I enjoyed the most was the Nam Jun Paik exhibit where the artist created two figures standing alone on a table. What I enjoyed most about this exhibit is that I was able to interact with it. I had to swing the small lamp so that it would make the shadows of the figures move, as if they were dancing. This exhibit showed how light and objects interact with each other. I learned that not all objects need to be manipulated on camera, that objects can appear differently just based on lighting and angles. The movement of the objects' shadows changed direction according to which direction the lamp was being swung (side to side or front to back) . The Movement of the lighting played the major role in the way the shadows appeared to move. Moving Images can be created by, more than light but the angles in which they are being viewed from as well as the direction and speed they are moving at. All in all, I enjoyed the hands on experience of learning about moving images, and how images and props are used and manipulated in films; along with seeing the very moving images and the devices that were used to record and project them.

blog 3

I chose a scene from Spike Lee's film Do the Right Thing, where the camera angles and dialogue in communicating the emotions in the scene. The lighting is dim in this scene so it creates a dangerous feel. In this scene, there is a lot of loud music in the background while the characters are yelling at one another. There are a group of men who enter the pizza shop aggressively, and they are shot from a slanted upward angle, causing them to look bigger than they are. This angle makes them look like the aggressors. Then the pizza shop owner is shot from a slanted high angle, making him look like the victim, even though he is yelling as well. I think that the use of this slanted angle is important in this scene because it creates suspense.
The cuts are made obvious, as they jump from character to character. This is done intentionally in order to show the tension in the scene. The shots in the scene are determined by action and reaction, the relationship between the two groups represented. From the moment the three men entered the pizza shop to the point where they started arguing to the shop owner smashing the radio with a baseball bat. The scene continuously builds from shot to shot.

Do the Right Thing Scene

Sound Walk

Sound Walk on Cortelyou Road.

             I decided to do my sound walk in my neighborhood, right here on Cortelyou road. I silenced my phone and removed my headphones. Cortelyou is a pretty busy street, full of people, apartment buildings, maybe a house or two, and many stores. I walked down Cortelyou road around 3 pm. I heard all the trucks, cars, and buses passing by, along with the Q and B trains that run frequently at the train station. I also heard people talking to one another, and on their phones. As I continue my walk I also hear the sound of people rolling their laundry carts to the laundry mat on the corner of E 16th and Cortelyou. I also hear kids yelling, and a baby crying. A child wheels by me on his scooter. Another guy bikes past delivering pizza, and shortly after I hear a motorbike zoom by delivering Chinese food. I also heard a few cars honking their horns at one another, impatiently waiting in traffic.
           The sounds that would be considered background noises, would be pigeons flapping their wings and making that odd sound they make, the sound of peoples' footsteps, and the city traffic. I would consider these sound marks as well, because these sounds occur the most often. The sounds I did not expect to hear, or really notice for that matter were the sounds of people's cell phones ringing, and a few police and firetruck sirens in the distance. The most meaningful sounds to me, were the ones that are natural to the city, such as the cars and bikes passing by, and the pigeons.

Filmp 160 interview from sydney codrington on Vimeo.

Rooftop

Rooftop from sydney codrington on Vimeo.

Artist Statement: My Art Is...

My art is poetry, I express myself best through paper and pen.
My art is inspired by culture, by the past and the present, by current and reoccurring issues.
My art is inspired by change; change in communities, always changing and inspired by change, in fashion, in art, in music, in media, in my own life.
My art is inspired by others, by their works of art, by their nail art, by their hair, by their clothing, by their skill.
My art is a reflection of myself.
My art is advice to those who can relate, who seek an answer.
My art is inspired by struggle and success.
 My art is honest and strongly opinionated.
My art is therapeutic.
My art is inspired by good food and free galleries.
My art is straight forward and right to the point.
My art is helping others.
My art is watching way too many hair and makeup vlogs on YouTube.
My art is urban, it is the up and coming, it is inspired by the foundation of what made urban culture. My art is inspired by what is trending and classic.
My art is inspired by love.
My art is blogging.
My art is fashion, is beauty, is music.
 My art is current and reoccurring issues.
My art hopes to inspire.
My art is a learning process.
My art is sometimes laid back, sometimes it is intense.
My art comes from personal experiences.
My art is here to evoke emotion in others.
My art is self motivation.
My art is traveling to new places.
My art is the positive and the negative.
My art is inspired by my dreams.
 My art is old school r&b.
My art is sharing different aspects of my life.
My art is personal growth and overcoming personal obstacles.
My art is still in progress, still learning, still growing, still changing.