Project 3

Procrastination from Jane Chazanoff on Vimeo.

Museum of the Moving Image trip

On my trip to the Museum of the Moving Image, one of the aspects of media production that caught my eye was the sound editing portion. In particular, the group looked at ADR and inserting music into a particular scene. The ADR portion had the group in a soundproof room with different movie scenes playing. We had a choice of which movie we'd replace the dialogue from. Three of us (including myself) replaced dialogue from the movie Babe with great success. To be honest, we didn't really learn anything different from what we learned during lecture. Another aspect that was looked at was putting music in scenes in general. Overall, the right music can set the mood and atmosphere for any scene. The group listened to a different music and tried to match it up to a scene from the movie Independence Day. After we listened to one sound clip, we determined if it worked with the scene or not. The scene was supposed to be very dramatic, revealing the alien spacecraft eclipsing most of the sky as the people looked in awe. Therefore, adding romantic music to the scene would not work, as it doesn't match up with the suspense of the scene. The tour guide wasn't very good at what she did. She seemed to know basic facts about certain items, but she didn't really expand on it. At one point both professors showed up and kind of helped her along. While I enjoyed my experience at the museum, I only wish that we had a tour guide that was more informative.

Relationships Between Shots

In the 1979 movie Alien, the scene in which crew member Brett is killed contains editing that has made a significant contribution to the storytelling and the feel of the film. In this scene, Brett is searching for Jones, the crew's pet cat. Although they are in space, you hear chains rattling and water dripping from the ceiling--things you wouldn't expect to see and hear on a space craft. The setting is reminiscent of a medieval dungeon, giving it a Gothic feel. Throughout the scene, you can hear the sound of a pulsing heartbeat. However, it isn't clear who's heartbeat it is. It could be Brett's, the alien's, Jones', or the viewer's. With no non-diegetic sound, it makes the arrival of the titular alien even more suspenseful. It puts the viewer in the position of Brett--unknowing of what is going to happen next. The only time where non-diegetic sound is heard is when the alien's tail curls down from above, mimicking the chains in the room. The surfaces in this scene can be described as greasy, dirty, dark, wet, and viscous, which one would find in an element of the Gothic. While the scene itself goes relatively slow, the death of Brett is quick and painful. Brett does not die alone, however, as Jones watches as the alien hoists him up to be killed. The scene gives us a sense of isolation, where no one can hear you scream. http://dai.ly/x2n2pzh?start=3775 start at 1:02:55, end at 1:05:33.

Jane Audio Portrait

https://soundcloud.com/jane-c-529825339/jane-debra-audio-portrait

The Soundwalk

On a cool spring day, I decided to take a walk around 14th Street after sitting at my work desk for 5 hours. When I stepped out of the building, I was immediately greeted with the sounds of construction workers, hammering and drilling away on the building adjacent to mine. It wasn't the best noise to step out to, but it's expected considering where I am. It made me and other passerby's jump. I began my walk, I forgot that there was a school nearby, which was letting out at the time. Parents were walking and talking with their children about their day. There were also large groups of teenagers coming out of school, some louder than others. One group howled with laughter over the prospect of passing their math class, while the other was more concerned with where they'd go for a midday snack. The sounds of heels clacking on the concrete sidewalk created a bit of an unpleasant symphony with their voices. However, once the groups parted, it started to sound more familiar to me. I wore heeled shoes myself that day, so the addition of my shoes to the "symphony" made it seem more complete. One of my favorite parts of the walk was towards the end: the High Line is near, which means a large opportunity to hear more sounds. Across from that is a small pier, where the water audibly moves along with the breeze. It may seem strange, but the cars and trucks riding on the brick roads almost enhances the experience. It gives you the sense that you are in this hustle and bustle area of New York.

Define a Space_Jane & Shuyi from Jane Chazanoff on Vimeo.

Artist Statement

Behind this screen is someone who has an urge to create, but sometimes unsure where to start.

I'm not going to go out and call myself an "artist". I feel like that term is reserved for those who have accomplished large projects for all the world to see. However, that doesn't mean I haven't created things that I want the world to see. Maybe not the world, per say, but perhaps a small audience. 

I would say I'm more of a hands-on creator. That is to say that I like to get my hands dirty creating a prop or even a simple needle prick while pinning a pattern to fabric. I am by no means an expert in this, but I'd like to say I'm getting pretty good at it. I am inspired by other costume creators and how much energy and passion they put into their work. Every scalloped edge, every lacy headpiece, has an intense amount of detail that I hope to gain someday. I am also inspired by my friends and family, who work hard in many different ways to get the results they want.

There are times where I get frustrated and want to give up. "I should just go back to living as a recluse behind the screen. At least I kept quiet there." But then I remember that I don't want to go back to that life. I want to create to--in turn--create a better me. One that is more confident about herself and her work.

Behind this screen is someone with an urge to create. And I'll start from where I see fit.