Skeletons in your Closet

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Proposal for Final Project

"Sea Dweller: An Animated Short"

This final assignment will touch the areas of animation and video techniques introduced throughout this course that I have not yet displayed in my past projects. Techniques such as outdoor filming, rotoscoping and utilizing luma and alpha mattes to key out layered video. This nautical sequence will include live footage from a beach setting featuring a wooden dollhouse near the shore. I will use still images to manipulate the interior appearance of the miniature dwelling. The time of place is early morning where the viewer will be greeted by a disguised character engaging in a daily routine. The visuals will be accompanied by a song that follows the tempo of the animation. I chose the track "Fix It" from Grizzly Bear's 1994 Horn of Plenty album for its ambient vocals and distorted strings. I feel that it will fit really well with the piece. The scenes depicting breakfast and daily hygiene will lead up to the climax of the video and reveal of the true beach hermit living at the sea.

ATTACK OF THE BIRD MATTES

Overview of Animation Strategies

Join the Freedom Force by Martha Colbum

I like the chaos and fast paced movement in this piece. Also loves the background audio composition done by Knalpot of simple electronic beats paired with a drum line and varying guitar riffs. This cut animation uses carious forms of mixes media and gives dimension to the overall picture. This anti-violence animation is somewhat psychedelic in the way that it was filmed. It is jumpy and keeps the eyes unbroken attention so that the mind can follow the artist's message.

Subconscious Dive

Here is my sound/image sequence for project #2 using my audio from project sound & memory.

Audio Analysis of 'Subconscious Dive'

This is the first audio piece I have ever created. I had a lot of fun recording found audio clips whether it was breaking plates on the ground or making my roommate scream throughout Decker Hall. When I first began musing over the concept of 'sound & memory' my mind led me to the abstract subconscious memory - the part of the mind in which one is not fully aware of but still has influence on a person's feelings and actions. Over the time it takes to grow old, a human experiences a repetition of daily events and obstacles. Some instances may feel new, yet we react accordingly to our upbringing and uniquely shaped life story. The subconscious can be tapped into through forms of meditation, dream cycles or psychoanalysis.

For my piece, I constructed the atmosphere of a therapist's office in where a psychologist instructs the patient to take a 'Subconscious Dive' in order to help reminisce and heal a traumatizing memory. The spoken word and fast paced breathing in the audio is my recorded voice and I enjoyed manipulating the therapist's voice to resemble a lagging, eery male's tone. A lot of the sounds recorded use small objects such as window blinds, a stapler, a head

massager, drawers, coins and the sound of water falling in the shower. A ticking clock represents the passing of time throughout most of the composition. Some effects I utilized to help the frightening and tense theme of this piece are: expander, clip distortion, exciter, flanger, ensemble, pitch shifter and reverb as well as creating distance with varying the l/r sound outputs.

I really focused on the internal mind of the patient. You're listening to the audio as the patient experiences it, similar to having a front seat in the back of their eyes. The best part of the project were the critiques that I received from my classmates'. I made the audio with full intention of putting the audience in an uncomfortable state. I was slightly nervous to see reactions but the darting eyes, and tensed sitting positions of the listeners affirmed my motives. If I did not receive these reactions I would have viewed my project as a total failure.

Audio Critiques for Anthony, Kyle & Ryan

Anthony -

I hate losing stuff, yet my lack of short term memory makes it a daily routine to be searching for keys, phone, student id, etc. I was able to use my own experience to thoroughly enjoy Anthony's piece where he traces his steps with his inner thoughts accompanied by the usual college surrounding ambience. I appreciated the high quality of the clips demonstrating movement because of the use of different landscapes and ground textures to make an accurate detail of traveling around campus. A camera is an expensive object to lose and I was able to grasp the nervousness in Anthony's voice and pace. I was able to tell an immediate difference between the background noise of Eikhoff vs the Student Center and feel that the execution of capturing these areas was done very effectively.

Kyle -

I liked this clip because it illustrates the natural human activity of wasting time. I'm a serious boss when it comes to procrastinating, especially if I am equipped with the internet. The interjections of typing insinuate an assignment that desires completion. The sources of sounds somewhat confused me but also added to the meaningless information and entertainment we seek that help us avoid the task at hand. Overtones of eating and casual guitar playing also add to the emphasis of evading responsibility.

Ryan -

I loved this piece because it went with the theme of music triggering memory. Almost always when I listen to a song I am able to relate it to a past time, experience, a person or group of people or even what song would come next if I was listening to the full album or if I have previously put the track on a mixed cd. It is really odd how these small mementos are stored in my head and triggered by familiar melodies. The echoed countdown and the overtone of Pink Floyd throughout the piece puts the viewer in a past state. Also the choice of song that is demonstrated throughout the clip also tends to trigger the memory of an actual being or person when you think of 'Wish you were here.'