Micro-Project 4

Micro-Project 4

Write a brief paragraph aobut your normal activities in [place where you regularly go].  What do you notice?  If you were to close your eyes, what sounds would let oyu know that you are in this place?

I attend the Open Source Club here at OSU.  The typical structure of a club meeting has one of our members give a presentation on some topic related to open source software.  These presentations often raise topics that people in the audience would like to discuss.  However, for the sake of politeness, we (usually) wait until the presentation is finished before talking amongst ourselves.  Often this discussion is carried on between groups of us as we leave the meeting to return to our residences.  Occasionally, a group of us gathers by a bus station next to a cross walk where we split up: some will take the bus and the others will walk on.  Some very thought-provoking discussions happen at that cross walk as we wait for the inevitable coming of the bus and end of group discussion.  The crosswalk makes noises to assist the blind in knowing when to cross.  I find these noises distracting when I'm attempting to carry on a deep, technical discussion with someone else.  To be clear, I'm glad its there - I see no reason this like major assistance to others should be removed to lessen the ultimately minor annoyance for me.  I find it distracting nonetheless.   Hence, the video below:

 

While I expect most of the video makes sense in the context I laid out above, I expect it is possible that someone would be confused about why I made the day/night switch.  Which itself is the whole point: to be confusing.  When I'm trying to think about complex technical issues with an incessent beep, I can get a bit disoriented.  While frustration is easy to display - tinge things red.  The switching mental focus tied to sound is easy to show with camera cuts synchronized with sound.  Confusion is a bit harder.  The day/night switch seems a good way to go about it.

Craft a summarizing statement of this process.

The majority of the process boiled down to: (1) Finding a place I would recognize from the noise.  (2) Figuring out what I want to say about this place in a way that is tied to the noise.  (3) Figuring out how to use sound and video to express these thoughts.

How did your initial visit to the place transform through the process?

It changed very little, as once the assignment was described I knew immediately what I wanted to do.

What kind of emotions do you think your final piece creates?

Hopefully, frustration and confusion.  If I can get across the feeling of attempting to focus on one thing while being distracted by another, that would also be great, but I'm not sure that is technically considered an emotion.

Did you make overt decisions about the piece or were there happy accidents?

Everything about the piece (that I find of note) was calculated and purposeful - if there is any happy accidents within it, I've not noticed them.

What was satisifying about the experience?

Often, when I attempt to create a work of art, the end result isn't exactly what I had imagined.  This doesn't mean it is bad - it may be better than what I had planed - but it isn't what I wanted.  Here, when I first saw the final video, I felt it was exactly what I wanted.  Everything fell into place.  That feeling, in a single word, is satisfaction.  Moreover, I feel this gave me a bit of an outlet to express my frustration with that damnable beeping, which, too, was satisifying.

What didn't you like?

Other than the beeping itself, absolutely nothing about the process was unpleasant.  This is my favorite thing I've done for this class thus far.