Documentary Project
concept:
New York is a one seconder. Everything is fast. The only time it slows down is when you realise your really hungry. My one minuter is a regular guy on the move always running late everywhere. Suddenly he hears his stomach rumble and he decides instantly to have a pizza. The one minuter is based on his one minute that he takes to eat his pizza.
Werner Herzog
Encounters at the end of the world : by Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog gives a first person account of his trip to Antarctica and his encounters with the flora and fauna and people who have made Antarctica their home. He meets various people, some scientists, researchers, some just living there.
The music has a surreal feel to it which gives the documentary its rightful larger than life effect.Each part of the documentary has a story to it. A documentary I find difficult to put down in words. The music especially touched me the most. It reminded me of the movie ‘Abyss’.
Use of camera:
use of tripod to capture panoramic views with panning.
Wide shots for nature.
Still camera
Compositons of frames
Hand held camera while following a researcher and the penguin.
Observation :
Parts of the documentary/each person’s account/their purpose of being there/Werner Herzog’s narrative more like a story/his interpretations of each part/ compositions of people being interviewed.
Streetwise
Streetwise by Martin bell tells the touching story of street kids and their life as they grow up. It is as real as it can get. The matter of fact tone which brings out each one’s story has a melancholic aura to it that every human being can relate to. It was like a mini movie but the actors were all real.
Technically what I found amazing was the clarity of the voices while they were on the streets. Quite a few aspects of atleast 4 characters were sketched out. How they ended up on the streets, their daily life, what they do to make money, their parents and their simple aspirations in life.
The beginning and end is beautifully tied up. Dwayne begins the story. He wants to be free from the worries of his life. It then unfolds onto his life on the streets and leads to the characters who exist around him on the streets. The story ends with Dwayne’s death which according to his father is his true freedom.
Observations:
The music used to suit the feelings of the characters, their attitude
Each one’s narrative to tell thier story
Reactions of other people on the street to them
Areas covered : Aspirations/backgrounds/living conditions/exposure
Course of the ducumentary : clear path followed form beginning to end
Counsellors (help)
Soundscape ideas
When we began to record sound in the George Washington park area I had no specific theme in mind. After recording several different sounds, I felt some of the sounds were very non specific. MY favourite recording was this musician who sang this romantic number strumming the guitar. If I can weave that song to make a romantic soundscape, I think a theme like romance will be interesting and challenging. It will be a challenge to decide what sounds of the environment or even created sounds cann be used to create a romantic piece.
Another theme that interests me at the moment is deep tragedy. For eg : striking loud chords of the piano at increasing intervals. Or somebody weeping to the romantic tune.
The areas I am interested in for the soundscape are tragedy and romance.
Since I recorded the somg in the park, the location I think suitable for the soundscape is the park itself.Rustling of the leaves, birds chirping, whoosh of the wind, thundering clouds etc.
Hollywood Sound
1. How does music seduce the audience and change the meaning of a film?
The music of a film plays an important role to bring out genre of the film. Romance, drama, thrillers, action etc. are all different genres in which music differs form one subject to the other. Music is the component without which no thriller, action, horror or drama will convey the punch of the scene. Imagine a horror movie without a scary background score. Music changes the meaning of a film more importantly in musicals like ‘Sound of Music’ or ‘Moulin Rouge’ where the film depends on the music and its the music that makes these movies memorable to the audience.
2. What role does sound play in remembering a picture? Give an example from the film or from your own memory.
Sound or a composition brings out the emotion when words are missing or words are not spoken.
The film ‘Hollywood Sound’ gives the famous example of Casablanca when Humphrey Bogart sees Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca. There are no words spoken when their eyes meet; just the moment captured on their faces brought out through the tempo of the music. This has made that moment immemorable.
3. What material were composers given in order to compose the score? How did this process take place?
Composers viewed the video piece for which the music had to be composed. If not the video, a suggestion sheet was given. Sound editors also provided composers with a streamer and punch sheet which helped the composer decide where the tempo of the film needs to be changed.
4. How did the Music Editor “spot” the picture? What is the difference between a ’streamer’ and a ‘punch’ and how did they help the conductor to create the musical score?
Spoting the picture means marking a spot where a certain tempo of music may be required. Punch tells the composer where the sound editor requires a new bar tempo in a mass of streamers.
These elements help the composer to coduct a musical score.
