Blog #4 MoMi

            The Museum of the Moving Image carefully dissects the complex process of media production for the general audience. I found the field trip to be very intriguing as the museum highlights the development process of media throughout history. The museum also acknowledges all aspects of media, from set design to the camera technology. One of my favorite demos from the Museum of the Moving Image was the audio placement demo where participants chose certain audio tracks to be integrated into a specific scene. I found it to be very enjoyable as participants got to see how music influenced a specific scene; a track can have drastic effects on a scene. I have always found that a vital aspect of a successful movie is a memorable soundtrack. A soundtrack may enhance emotions that actors cannot; it provides a very personal sense of connection between the medium and the audience.

            One surprising aspect I learned from my visit to the Museum of the Moving Image was how the audience did not always embrace modernity. In the gaming exhibit, two Atari arcade systems were displayed side by side. However, the futuristic system was not only older, but it was also unsuccessful. Atari resorted to something more familiar in order to grasp the audience.  I found this to be very surprising as this concept is very different from modern day media where people embrace modernity more willingly.

            Although moving image technology has evolved drastically, I feel that the essential aspect of conveyance through moving images has been retained. The advanced techniques, however, have improved the way people experience them. From color, to 3D animation, moving images have taken many forms in order to reach a wider range of audiences and ultimately convey messages and emotions that artists were unable to in the past.

Blog #3 UP Montage Analysis

Pixar’s UP opening montage is a prime display for the collision of images. The manipulation of multiple shots displayed the story of Carl and Ellie and evoked; although the montage did not utilize any dialogue, it successfully evoked multiple emotions and captured the lives of two individual in a short period of time. The montage starts by zooming out on Carl in a tuxedo; the zoom reveals Ellie to be the wife of Carl. The marriage celebration then cuts to the newly wed building their new home. Carl and Ellie and then shown having a picnic date, viewing clouds, at a park. The montage cuts to their occupation at a Zoo where Ellie handles the animals while Carl sells balloons. The primary goal of these shots ultimately shows the interaction between Carl and Ellie as a couple. The montage cuts to another date at the park. However, the clouds transform to little babies, indicating a transition within the relationship between Carl and Ellie. A shot for “preparations” is shown through the painting of a child’s room. However, the lively music dwindles to a slow, sorrowful melody as Ellie is diagnosed with infertility in the following shot in a doctor’s office. Carl revives Ellie’s livelihood is displayed in a shot where Ellie paints Paradise Falls as they begin to fund their vacation through a jar of change. However, a series of unfortunate events are sequenced together where they are forced to use the money within the jar. A mixture of shots showing Ellie fixing Carl’s tie illustrates the passage of time that occurs within their marriage. The aging Carl then attempts to surprise Ellie with tickets to Paradise Falls during a date. However, Ellie collapses and the shot pans right, fading into Ellie in a hospital bed. The music, once again, shifts to a sad melody, as Carl is shown at the funeral, sitting alone. As he faces the casket, it fades into his home as he enters alone. Although many settings of the different shots were recycled, the settings were cut into a way that allowed for the progression of the story. The music successfully reflected the shots that were displayed and evoked many different emotions throughout the duration of the montage. Each different shots showed a different time period within the marriage of Carl and Ellie.

  Although the collision of images allowed for the rapid passage of time to be shown, the themes and settings of the shot also showed fluidity of the story. The church, Carl and Ellie’s house, the park, the zoo, and the hospital bed were repeatedly used in different ways, emotionally and physically; the displayed the dynamic effects of the music and period in time in comparison to the shot displayed. While the montage utilized aspects of the collision of images, it also utilized aspects of the continuity of images in a thematic way; combining two different two aspect into one montage.

LINK:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G371JiLJ7A

MEDP Assignment #2: Audio Profile