Drift Area Map for both my "Drift 1" and "Drift 2" Film 116 Class Adventures!
Drift 1 = Yellow Star Area - Click here to see my Drift 1 Blog
Drift 2 = Blue Hexagon Area - Click here to see my Drift 2 Blog
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Saturday, May 2, 2009
Drift Area Map
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Sunday, February 15, 2009
Soundwalk Maps and Response
On Feb. 2nd, 2009 our FILM 116 "Lab 1 group" met in room B-91 for class. We started class off with a couple of listening exercises in the room to adjust our ears to focusing. Listening closely. Not only to the sounds directly around us, but farther away and then even the sounds of our bodies. Then with notebooks and pens in hand, we were off on our first Soundwalk on campus.
Soundwalk Area Map (Click here or on the image to view it larger.)
As we walked, we listened. We recorded down the sounds we heard as we went. Every sound we could manage to capture. I struggled a little to keep up with my ears, as my pen kept running out of ink. I will be sure to have a better pen (and a back-up or two) when I go out on any future Soundwalks.
Soundwalk Log/Notes (Click here or on the image to view it larger.)
We walked through the Mitchell building out the door, outside through campus, and into the Union. Stopping in the front of the Union to sit and listen closely again to the sounds around us. This time we drew the noises - creating a sound Body Map.
Soundwalk Body Map (Click here or on the image to view it larger.)
After awhile of listening and drawing we went back to the classroom. The experience of the Soundwalk was fun and really interesting. It was fascinating to listen more closely and to hear sounds I normally don't pay attention to.
Response Questions:
1. Were you able to find places and spaces where you could really listen? Yes, when it wasn't too loud. It was interesting, when we went through the busier and more crowded part of the Union, how it got so loud and there was so much to listen to that it all jumbled together. Much easier to focus when there wasn't sound-overload like that.
2. Was it possible to move without making a sound? No. We all made noise as we walked. Footsteps, papers rustling, pens writing, the movement of our clothing, bags shifting weight on our backs as we walked... even our breathing.
3. What happened when you plugged your ears, and then unplugged them? Plugging the ears muffled all the sounds around me, but heightened my focus on my own sounds - my heartbeat, my breathe and even my blood flow in my ears. Then when we unplugged our ears, everything around me sounded louder as my ears had adjusted to the muffled volume when plugging them.
4. What types of sounds were you able to hear? List them. If your original notes are legible, and include all of the sounds you heard, then simply link to the scanned image(s). If not, retype them so that we can read them. See "Soundwalk Log/Notes" Above or Click here.
5. Were you able to differentiate between sounds that had a recognizable source and those sounds you could not place? Yes, especially when we sat to do our Body Maps. I could recognize where most of the footsteps, chatter and laughter came from as people walked by, but then when we heard the piano playing I was a little lost. I knew it was out in front of me somewhere, but it's music filled up the area in such a way that I couldn't decipher exactly where the piano was.
6. Were you able to differentiate human, mechanical, and natural sounds? Most of the time yes. Some of my favorite sounds were the mechanical ones. The growling sound of the Maintenance Room in the hallway, the snow blower that went by, an distant airplane and the over all hum on the buildings.
7. Were you able to detect subtleties, changes, or variations in the ever present drone? Yes. Especially when we went from the noisy level of the Union to the upstairs. The sound of people muffled out and it was much quieter upstairs. Then we returned back down the stairs to the crowded volume again. I also enjoyed the differences off inside sounds compared to outside sounds.
8. Extremely close sounds? Sounds coming from very far away? Close sounds - my own movement, footsteps, papers, squeaking shoes, chatter amongst us and from people walking by, etc... Far Away Sounds - a distant airplane, cars/traffic, laughter in the distance, etc...
9. Were you able to intervene in the urban landscape and create your own sounds by knocking on a resonant piece of metal, activating wind chimes, etc.? I mostly noticed my footsteps, especially when I they crunched in the snow.
10. Do you feel you have a new understanding or appreciation of the sounds of our contemporary landscape/cityscape? It was a great exercise to really get me listening and I do feel like I have a new understanding and appreciation for sounds I don't normally notice around me. I am sure I will pay closer attention now.
11. How do you think your soundwalk experience will affect your practice as a media artist, if at all? It was really great to be able to focus like we did on this walk. And as a media artist, that type of focus is important. To be able to really capture the "life" of the environment. I think it will help us to emote more in our work.
Soundwalk Area Map (Click here or on the image to view it larger.)
As we walked, we listened. We recorded down the sounds we heard as we went. Every sound we could manage to capture. I struggled a little to keep up with my ears, as my pen kept running out of ink. I will be sure to have a better pen (and a back-up or two) when I go out on any future Soundwalks.Soundwalk Log/Notes (Click here or on the image to view it larger.)
We walked through the Mitchell building out the door, outside through campus, and into the Union. Stopping in the front of the Union to sit and listen closely again to the sounds around us. This time we drew the noises - creating a sound Body Map.
Soundwalk Body Map (Click here or on the image to view it larger.)
After awhile of listening and drawing we went back to the classroom. The experience of the Soundwalk was fun and really interesting. It was fascinating to listen more closely and to hear sounds I normally don't pay attention to.
Response Questions:
1. Were you able to find places and spaces where you could really listen? Yes, when it wasn't too loud. It was interesting, when we went through the busier and more crowded part of the Union, how it got so loud and there was so much to listen to that it all jumbled together. Much easier to focus when there wasn't sound-overload like that.
2. Was it possible to move without making a sound? No. We all made noise as we walked. Footsteps, papers rustling, pens writing, the movement of our clothing, bags shifting weight on our backs as we walked... even our breathing.
3. What happened when you plugged your ears, and then unplugged them? Plugging the ears muffled all the sounds around me, but heightened my focus on my own sounds - my heartbeat, my breathe and even my blood flow in my ears. Then when we unplugged our ears, everything around me sounded louder as my ears had adjusted to the muffled volume when plugging them.
4. What types of sounds were you able to hear? List them. If your original notes are legible, and include all of the sounds you heard, then simply link to the scanned image(s). If not, retype them so that we can read them. See "Soundwalk Log/Notes" Above or Click here.
5. Were you able to differentiate between sounds that had a recognizable source and those sounds you could not place? Yes, especially when we sat to do our Body Maps. I could recognize where most of the footsteps, chatter and laughter came from as people walked by, but then when we heard the piano playing I was a little lost. I knew it was out in front of me somewhere, but it's music filled up the area in such a way that I couldn't decipher exactly where the piano was.
6. Were you able to differentiate human, mechanical, and natural sounds? Most of the time yes. Some of my favorite sounds were the mechanical ones. The growling sound of the Maintenance Room in the hallway, the snow blower that went by, an distant airplane and the over all hum on the buildings.
7. Were you able to detect subtleties, changes, or variations in the ever present drone? Yes. Especially when we went from the noisy level of the Union to the upstairs. The sound of people muffled out and it was much quieter upstairs. Then we returned back down the stairs to the crowded volume again. I also enjoyed the differences off inside sounds compared to outside sounds.
8. Extremely close sounds? Sounds coming from very far away? Close sounds - my own movement, footsteps, papers, squeaking shoes, chatter amongst us and from people walking by, etc... Far Away Sounds - a distant airplane, cars/traffic, laughter in the distance, etc...
9. Were you able to intervene in the urban landscape and create your own sounds by knocking on a resonant piece of metal, activating wind chimes, etc.? I mostly noticed my footsteps, especially when I they crunched in the snow.
10. Do you feel you have a new understanding or appreciation of the sounds of our contemporary landscape/cityscape? It was a great exercise to really get me listening and I do feel like I have a new understanding and appreciation for sounds I don't normally notice around me. I am sure I will pay closer attention now.
11. How do you think your soundwalk experience will affect your practice as a media artist, if at all? It was really great to be able to focus like we did on this walk. And as a media artist, that type of focus is important. To be able to really capture the "life" of the environment. I think it will help us to emote more in our work.
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