Project 3 - Timely Paper

timely paper!! from Sandra Mariaca on Vimeo.

Lab 13 Assignment - Editing - City of God Opening Sequence

A spiritual ritual in which chickens are sacrificed is orchestrated by a gang in a housing development in Rio. Accompanying this scene is an Afro-Samba rhythm that begins as diegetic sound. The editing of the initial sequence is rhythmic and connected smoothly to the beats of the music. As one chicken escapes from the knife, the music stops. As the chicken flees, the cadence of the shots becomes frenetic and handguns are produced by pursuing gang members, as what was in one moment, ordinary and predictable, becomes volatile and chaotic. Next, parallel editing is introduced and the escape of the chicken from the ritualistic slaughter is placed in contrast to the life of the story's protagonist. As we first meet Cabeção, a young photojournalist, there is nothing but quiet diegetic sound and a smooth tracking shot following him. The parallel editing flips back to the desperate chicken and the ritualistic music continues as non-diegetic sound. As the two plot lines escalate, the cuts become more obvious and choppy until the two plot lines intersect. The chicken has seemingly escaped death only to be nearly run over by a police van. The chicken and Cabeção are face-to-face between the armed gang and police. There is a non traditional shot that violates the 180* rule, but by having the 360* perspective facilitated by the observations of Cabeção, the climax of the opening sequence is given a circular and complete feeling. To heighten the tension, the next shot is a flashback to the 1960's and the audience is left to wonder the fate of Cabeção in the present. Also, there are at least two POV shots from the perspective of the would-be sacrificial chicken and two slow motion shots of the gang leader, Zé Pequeno.

My Video Project (Project 1)

Sandra Final Project from Sandra Mariaca on Vimeo.

My Audio Project (Project 2)

Field Trip - Museum of the Moving Image

           

            October 25^th. A group of students of MED160 gathered for an hour tour at the American Museum of Moving Image, in Astoria Queens. I was one of them.

            After we were separated in small groups with different guides, who they called educators, the tour started. Our group was composed of approximately 10 students.

            First, our educator asked what we were studying. We proceeded on saying that we were taking an introductory production class with emphasis on video and audio productions. She then decided to show us a section of the museum where they displayed different types of cameras. We first saw a very old camera that had a pinhole instead of lens. After that, we saw a “better” camera, which already had lens, but was still a big box, and was immobile, as it was sustained by a tripod. Finally, we saw a portable camera. It printed on it a NBC sign, which meant it was used for TV broadcasting reporting. From there, it took a few decades to evolve to the high definition models that we have today.

            Secondly, we moved on the to the sports broadcasting section. At the museum, they set up in a way that mocked a real broadcasting. There was a wall with many screens. Which one represented the cameras on the baseball field. The director is responsible to orient each cameraperson to get the best shot on the match. That was super cool!

            Finally, we visited the Behind the Scenes exhibition that the museum is currently running. In this part, we could see different aspects of the film production. We saw some of the famous artifacts for the film industry: set design sketches (Freddy Krueger, Blade Runner), make up (Star Wars, Ms. Doubtfire), costumes (Annie Hall, Beverly Hills Cop), and licensed merchandise (magazines, dolls, board games, etc). 

Costume for the 1977 Woody Allen's movie "Annie Hall".

What I Hear

           During an early autumn afternoon, the sounds of one of the richest neighborhoods in New York City, Upper East Side, are a fusion of leisure and work.

            At the playground at Saint Park, on 1^st Avenue, between 67^th and 68^th streets, the harsh honk of the vehicles contrasts with the soothing sound of children playing as well as their parents or caregivers, who communicate with the infants while they look after them.

            At first, the sounds of this corner seem very chaotic. However, by sitting there for a while, one realizes that its sounds are pretty distinguished. Inside the park, the giggling of the children and their parents and caregivers engaging on their parents signify a space in the city where people can relax. The workers at nearby companies also stop by during their lunch break. Phone and personal conversations and their meal eating are also remarkable sounds in the park.

            The outside of the playground reflects the hectic aspect of the neighborhood. The sound of ambulance sirens is a result of the presence of a lot of hospitals, medical offices, and laboratories in the area. There are vehicle sounds: car/truck honks, squeaky of car brakes, etc, they all compose the surrounding space of the park. There are also sounds of people conversing while they walk or when they interact with a food vendor, for instance.

            Finally, some contrasts in a single neighborhood could be highlighted through the sounds of an Upper East Side playground.  It reflects the search of some relaxation in the middle of a chaotic city life.

Link to Project 1

https://vimeo.com/76701310