Sound in Cinema

Sound is as powerful of a medium as any other, and it is Bela Balazs who believes sounds can play multiple roles in film that cannot be accomplished through other mediums. Sound is not as two-dimensional as we believe. Hiding the source of asynchronous sounds riddle the minds of the viewer, evoking wonder in regards to the origin of the sound. What is more is sound in cinema can accomplish a feat that live theater cannot, silencing all sound. By doing so and continuing to play out the scene the audience is left on the edge of their seats. A drama such as this is impossible to match in live theater, it is something about sound in cinema that pairs exceptionally well together. Without sound, our cinema would not be as intimate.

Betsey's Crepes

You would think the kitchen, a place for aromatic smells and culinary creations, would be the last place to look for golden sound bites, but you would be wrong. The hum of the fans is drowned out by the racket made by an assortment of utensils rattling away preparing the meals. The food cooking on the grill sizzles in my headphones. The atmosphere of the kitchen feels as if it living and breathing with every order that passes through its bowels. In the dining section, the soft chatter of patrons echoes across the open floor space. The hustling footsteps of the waiters stomp across the floors.

Hear My Campus Roar

At first glance, UNCW's campus glows in the light and is warm and comforting. Once your eyes shut, however, the campus erupts into a cacophony of erratic sounds. Attempting to find clean and consistent audio proved to be difficult. Wherever we took our field recorder, we could never shake the loud hum originating from the buildings. As I walk from class to class everyday I drown out the constant chatter of my peers to an almost silent environment; yet, the H6 picks up every little mutter until it becomes an inaudible orchestra of words. During our search for pristine audio though, we did stumble across a handful of auditory gems ranging from skaters nailing tricks to the tennis courts already mid way into a match.

Amateur vs professional - Maya Deren

Deren opens up by defining the origins of the word "Amateur",  followed by an account of praise toward the technique associated with the term. She believes that experimental cinematography offers techniques unachievable in standard filming. The freedoms, both physical and intangible,  associated with avant-garde films allow for new techniques to be theorized and practiced as artists delve deeper into the void that is experimental cinematography. Since its beginning film has been evolving. Deren embraces the cameras newfound freedom from bulky equipment and limited track, to that of handheld filming where any number of spontaneous actions may occur in front of the lens.

What is experimental film - Fred Camper

Camper argues that defining experimental film into one genre is ill advised due to the vast quantity of separate methods experimental films can potentially practice. This includes styles already used all the way to ones not yet mentally conceived. Camper better categorizes experimental genre by creating a detailed list of traits that can be found in a majority of avant-garde films. Camper realizes that many experimental films do in fact encompass more than one trait. He points out that because the film is experimental it can have all traits, or none. By its very nature experimental films have no bounds to restrict it; therefore, having any number of traits included in your film can be accomplished.

     Rosebud Productions

I have never considered myself to be content merely standing behind the equipment, instead I flourish in my ability to previsualize scenes in their whole before shooting commences. My goal as a cinematographer is to push the boundaries of what is captured on camera to reflect the vivid scenes I build in my mind. I am new to this form of medium, but what I lack in off hand knowledge I make up for with a wild imagination born to create art. Just as any art form, film is only as limited as its creators own creativity.