Walter Murch on Sound

"Womb Tone"

How interesting it is that while sound is the first important sense we truly experience in life, we value it so much less than we do sight (something we do not even have for our first nine months of existence). I really enjoyed Murch's illustration of sound's importance through the eyes of an infant, specifically in regards to the discovery of synchronization and how it relates to the realization that the self and the world are separate entities.

It's also interesting how material from different classes inevitably all relates back to one another. I am in Intro to Editing at the moment and just today we were discussing the importance of L cuts and J cuts. It's important to have asynchronous sound so as to not, in Murch's words, "stifle the imagination" and instead to "loosen those chains and to re-associate the film's images with other, carefully-chosen sounds which at first hearing may 'wrong' in the literal sense."

"Dense Clarity - Clear Density"

Balaz spoke about sound and color as well, and it confused me just as much then as it does in Murch's essay. "Think of sound in terms of light," he says. Easier said than done! I understood his descriptions of encoded vs. embodied sound, but why on earth is one violet and one red? The description does call to mind the phenomenon of synesthesia, although I don't think this is what Murch intended. But perhaps voices really are purple and music really is red to him.

"Theory of the Film: Sound" - Bela Balaz

Sound is my favorite aspect of film, something I really try to pay keen attention to. Naturally, I was very excited to delve into the readings associated with our sound unit, but Balaz's essay is...a lot. I struggled at many points while reading this, but I have emerged victorious, and I now know the definition of the word "din" (a loud, unpleasant and prolonged noise).

The part of this essay that stuck out the most to me was a quote near the beginning: "It is an old maxim that art saves us from chaos....The vocation of the sound film is to redeem us from the chaos of shapeless noise by accepting it as expression, as significance, as meaning" (Balaz 1). Sound is so often forgotten by filmmakers and viewers alike because it seems like such a given, but it is something that can make or break a film. On the most superficial level, bad audio can make even the most high quality footage look like a home video. Further, though, it can provide layers and layers of meaning through all of its nuances (asynchronous sound, acoustic close-ups, and even a meaningful silence).

sound observation 2

halloween & more, 4:55 pm

i sit by the slightly ajar door to the back room. the fridge hums lowly behind me, but the sounds being emitted from the front of the store are much more exciting. "red red wine" by ub40 chimes throughout the building. the lead singer's voice is higher pitched with a distinctive english accent; he draws out each word of the upbeat reggae song.

red reeed wiiiiiine--

the back room is directly behind the area which leads to the dressing room, and my coworker megan is helping a woman try on a costume. she opens the plastic costume bag with a snap! and removes the sequined flapper dress, the fabric rustling loudly as she hands it to the customer. "here you go!" megan chirps in her nasally but pleasant voice. the woman pulls the dressing room curtain closed and it sounds much like that of a shower curtain being yanked shut: a sudden wwwwrrrssshhh. 

stay close to meeeee--

suddenly my other coworker, callan, pushes open the door to the back room. it squeaks shrilly and thuds against the wall. callan smiles at me and walks to the other side of the room to search for a costume. her sneakers make a light clicking sound on the concrete floor as they walk. i hear her pulling a ladder out from the wall. the ladder makes a godawful screeeech as she opens it. she climbs four steps, her feet echoing on the metal rungs, clang clang clang clang. when she reaches the costume she is searching for, i hear the rustling and squeaking of plastic bags rubbing against one another as she looks for the correct size.

don't let me beee alone, it's tearing apart my blue blue heaaaart--

sound observation 1

my apartment balcony, 7:53 am

i pick up my dented pack of american spirits; there are only two left and they shake inside the cardboard, creating a tinny, hollow sound. my thumb grazes across my lighter and the switch makes a metallic click. it's drizzling, and i can hear the light pit-pat-pit-pat as the raindrops hit the trees; when they pelt the canvas awning over my balcony, they create a more baritone sound (dum-dum-dum-dum). i have left the door open and tuna pads out to sit next to me. he is too light on his feet to make any sound, but he alerts me of his presence with a high-pitched, drawn out mroooow. i can hear uncw beginning to wake up; several cars turn onto campus from macmillan. the first is an old camry, and i can hear its engine whirring quietly as it passes by. the second is a large pickup truck - much louder, revving almost rudely, than the camry (even tuna looks up in confusion). the third is a prius, and i cannot hear it at all. the clock tower begins to chime from afar, and i have to strain my ears to hear the distant, reverberating bong bong bong bong bong bong bong bong - it's 8 am. my bagel finishes cooking and the toaster goes off, creating a high-pitched diiiiiiing that fades into silence once more.

"Amateur vs. Professional" - Maya Deren

Seldom is it that I read an assigned material and immediately feel a connection with the author, as though they are speaking to me, but this essay is something I really needed to hear. Maya Deren discusses how amateur filmmakers often fall into the trap of comparing their work to that of professionals, which is a fast road to discouragement (and for me, discouragement is typically followed by concession). She reminds us that it is important to remember that amateurs also have many advantages that professionals do not, such as creative freedom and mobility.

While I do find myself feeling as though I'll never measure up to the Hollywood "big wigs," I also feel this way quite often when it comes to my peers. It seems as though everywhere I look, someone in my class has a better camera, or is a more skilled editor or a better writer, than me. I have always been quite insecure in my work, and comparing it to that of my classmates is one of my biggest weaknesses. It's reassuring to be reminded that I'm probably not as alone in this as I think I am, and it's likely that even the people I compare myself to feel as though they'll never measure up to someone else. If only Maya Deren were here to remind us daily that our bodies are better than tripods and that our imaginative minds are more important than any equipment or training money can buy.

"What is Experimental Film?" - Fred Camper

Attempting to fit experimental film as a genre into a box by listing its common qualities is a bit ironic, no? While it may seem counterintuitive, it does make sense why Camper felt the need to do so - to make it more accessible. Narrative and documentary films' purposes are typically quite clear-cut: tell a story, convey information, and, in the world of big-budget Hollywood productions, make money. While experimental films can certainly tell stories or convey facts, they transcend the need to turn a profit and therefore are rarely considered in the "mainstream" (the opposition of which happens to be one of Camper's criteria). Such a broad genre can be difficult to qualify, so I find it very helpful to have a tangible list of experimental film's common attributes.

Artist Bio

I'm terrible at writing about myself. I looked at the archived bloggers' bios for inspiration, but they just weakened my confidence, as those students are excellent writers with deep, philosophical opinions on film. I don't think I really have any of those - I just love film and I want to learn as much about it as I can!

I'm probably going to have to form some deep, philosophical opinions throughout the course of this class, since experimental film is often layered with hidden meaning, but for now, here are some silly facts about me:

1. I hate Wilmington. I've lived here since I was seven and I hate it. I know this is a very unpopular opinion, and I am truly sorry. But my pale skin hates the sun, my frizzy hair hates the humidity, and my UNC Asheville alumnus heart hates anywhere that isn't at least 2,000 feet above sea level.
2. I love my cat, Tuna, more than any person in the world.
3. My favorite artist is Joanna Newsom! I try to incorporate references to her work in most of my projects.
4. My favorite film is Arrival. My favorite show is South Park........but I promise I'm not a completely terrible person :-(((