Response on Theory of the Film: Sound

Bela Balazs stresses the importance of sound in film in his article Theory of the Film: Sound. In a world and industry dominated by striking visuals, sound is put on the back burner, so to speak, and the audience generally underrates the necessity of sound when it comes to film. One claim Balazs makes that I appreciate is "The sound of a wave is different if we see its movement", because that is an idea I've never thought about before. At first, his claim does not appear to make any sense. How can a sound be perceived differently when it's isolated from the source? I tested out this theory, closing my eyes in my apartment and simply listening to the sounds I heard - the clock ticking, the roar of the refrigerator, the opening and closing of doors in the hallway. Ever noise I heard was amplified, attaining a new presence that I would not have heard had my eyes been open. The eyes typically take center-stage when open, while the ears fall to the sides, yet this experiment challenged that.

Another point I loved about Balazs' article was his interest in silence. My FST 200 class talked about the significance of silence briefly, and how it can often be more powerful than the loudest explosion one hears on screen. Balazs writes "The widest space is our own if we can hear right across it and the noise of the alien world reaches us from beyond its boundaries", which is a neat thought that sound alone can create depth without the aid of visuals.

One of the final points Balazs made deals with educating the ear. Coming from a musical background (piano, flute for 8 years, and now a vocalist), ear training has been drilled into me, and while it is more difficult to distinguish sound than visuals, sounds are nonetheless important. The ear is just as sensitive, if not more, than the eye, with the capacity to distinguish many degrees of sounds. We live in a superficial society, putting stock into appearance, thus art is reduce to a strictly visual form - photographs, films, drawings. Through making a conscious effort, the ear can be trained just as well as the eye, and I believe that is what Balazs was trying to accomplish.

Do You Hear What I Hear? (Part 2)

As I return to the safety and comfort of my apartment, I think I've escaped the noisiness of campus. While there is definitely less sound inside my apartment, noise is still very much apparent. The sound of doors opening and closing as my roommates make their way inside bounce off the walls. The hum of the refrigerator fills the kitchen, along with the squish of the dishwasher. Even as I sit on my bed typing this, the click of the keys on the keyboard resonate. From next to the window, I hear the roar of the radiator, which never seems to dissipate. Sounds I usually wouldn't notice began to make themselves known, and I hear the buzz of the electric currents inside the overhead lights of my bedroom. My own breathing takes center stage when I'm alone in my room, and I can hear my pulse again.

Do You Hear What I Hear? (Part 1)

Amidst the hustle and bustle of a college campus, there are quite a few sounds that go unnoticed while making my way down Chancellor's Walk. With intentionality in mind, I listened to the various noises around me while outside, on my way to class. The obvious source of sound comes from the chatter among students, usually about class schedules and the abundance of homework each has, despite it being only the third week of school. I hear the roar of longboards as ride over the wooden bridges, the clank of the bike chains, the music playing entirely too loudly through headphones in the ears of students. Feet shuffle along the cement and book bags rustle, full of notebooks and pens. From time to time, I hear coughs and sniffles. Hidden beneath the man-made sounds, there are more subtle tones. The sounds of birds chirping in the distant trees, the wind blowing through the leaves and grass surrounding the sidewalk, even the blood pumping through my veins (especially when I'm walking to class in the mornings when there is practically no one on campus). Sometimes I hear the consistent breathing of people as they pass by, unaware of the audible sounds they are creating.

All About Me

Veterinarian School - that was my future... but something changed. It was not until senior year of high school when I realized I wanted to channel my artistic tendencies into a career and leave my zoology-intended major behind. I took a film class, Cultural Media Literacy, and my whole perspective on entertainment as a whole shifted. Film was no longer a form of media that brought me into an imaginary world, a place to escape, or to watch passively. Film was a creative outlet that challenged the mainstream, constructed aesthetically striking stories with dynamic characters that were full of life, and allowed the viewer to actively engage with the pictures flashing on the screen in front of them.

At this point in my life, I am on the path towards animation. I have always been a huge fan of Pixar and Disney (funny, because they are as mainstream as you can get, but nonetheless I love the timeless stories they produce). I identify as an artist, with the drawings I create as well as the ideas that manifest in my mind. Being able to translate those ideas into a tangible film would be a dream come true. Walt Disney said it best "All dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them". Especially when it comes to the film industry, it is challenging to become successful, however it all depends on how you define success. My definition of success is if I am able to make the most of my talents and ideas, putting forth as much effort as I can and making my best attempt. As long as I am happy, I believe success will fall into place afterwards.

Despite wanting to work for a massive animation corporation, experimental film is another one of my interests. For my FST 205 class last semester, I played around with clay-mation, a task both daunting and rewarding. A very time consuming process, I still enjoyed experimenting with a medium I was not use to. It gave me a new appreciation for those independent filmmakers who take the time to go off the tracks and try something new and different, even if the final product is not accepted by the general public. The freedom that comes with avant-garde style film is captivating - being given the chance to truly make the film of my dreams without any repercussions is comforting, to say the least.

So here I sit, a 20 year old in her apartment, slowly figuring out what I want to do with my life. Things may be confusing and scary right now as I attempt to plan out my future, but at least I can wrap myself in the comforting arms of filmmaking.

Week 1 Reading Responses - Deren and Camper

Often times when I hear the word "amateur filmmaker", I automatically assume that is someone who is not as experienced, does not have high quality equipment, and cannot execute technical maneuvers as well as a professional. This word has a negative connotation attached to it. Maya Deren challenges this misconception in her article Amateur vs. Professional. Her initial argument deals with the true meaning of the word "amateur", which translates to "lover" in Latin. The basis for her argument is the amateur filmmaker makes films out of love for what they do rather than for money and fame. I appreciate her take on amateurs, because as an amateur filmmaker in college, it can be daunting to hear about how cut throat the business can be. I never saw being an amateur filmmaker as a good thing, but Deren reveals how much freedom amateurs truly have with their creative ideas. Deren writes "Instead of trying to invent a plot that moves, use the movement or win or water, children, people, elevators, balls etc. as a poet might celebrate these.", and I love this thought because many professionals do not have that wiggle room to explore and create freely. They work under time constraints and authority, and if they do not deliver, they are fired. Film should be about creative expression and cannot be put into a box. As a filmmaker, Deren opened my eyes to see the beauty of being an amateur.

With all of the artistic freedom being an amateur filmmaker has to offer, that means they are able to explore film in ways others cannot. The most explorative of all genres is definitely experimental. But what exactly is experimental film? Fred Camper wrote an article, What is Experimental Film?, where he listed 6 criteria that most avant-garde/experimental films possess. I learned about these criteria in my 205 class, however it was a nice refresher for me. One quality I like about experimental is the fact that the filmmaker takes on multiple roles with his or her film - this gives the filmmaker an incredible amount of freedom without having to worry about communication problems and he or she can truly make the film based on what he or she wants, not what others want. I have always been a fan of Stan Brakhage, the way he manipulates film by scratching or painting on the strips and uses color to create a new aesthetic is intriguing. Experimental has that ability to call attention to the fact that it's a film. The viewer is given the opportunity to interpret however he or she wants, which is what I think all film should be like to an extent. It is so easy for viewers to passively watch films. With experimental, it is nearly impossible to watch something so visually striking and not be engaged. I believe that is why I am so intrigued by experimental film.