Month: March 2016

Project Brief 2 – Self Portrait

Posted on by ryanrosenberg

I wanted to create something that was true to living inside of my mind. My mind operates on two levels; reflection and observation.

To achieve this idea, I essentially created two films. One of footage that I had created, and another of me viewing it.

The act of ‘watching’ myself is a metaphor for the reflective process. My mind is constantly presenting imagery that I am familiar with through past experience, in this case, a walk I took through the wilderness. With this comes reflection. The two videos, set in day and night, were edited into a montage to capture how one thought can shift into different directions. My head is placed below the screen to look like my mind is at work in this process.

Analysing one particular thing in my head, in this case my cat, is true to the process of observation that I endure on a everyday basis. Again, the images were edited into a montage to show how my mind reacts to one thing in a thousand different ways. The progressive speed is symbolic of how initial analysis can descend into psychological chaos.

The two subjects I focus on; forests and cats, were chosen to highlight my fascination of the ‘real and natural’ world rather than the ‘superficial’ one we currently live in.

The “I’ve Had Too Much Time To Think” text appearing above my head is a moment of self-realisation. The truth is, no matter how deep we delve into something, we are still searching for answers. It is also a comment on how I tend to ignore action and prioritise thought.

While the creative process was successful, editing was pure hell. I would have also preferred to use a projector rather than a television (I originally planned to), and to achieve Kubrickian-esque symmetry.

Project Brief 2 from Ryan Rosenberg on Vimeo.

Week 4 – Lecture: Sound

Posted on by ryanrosenberg

I didn’t attend this morning’s lecture as I was sick. However, it looks like ‘sound’ was the topic of discussion. Everybody seems to be posting their favourite and least favourite sounds, so here are mine:

Sounds I Hate
5) The shared laughter of a group of friends having a good time
4) The voice of any mainstream television/radio presenter
3) The desperate cries for attention by the self-righteous
2) Any sound that can be heard in a club
1) Any YouTuber with a voice and an acoustic guitar (**Make that anybody with a voice and an acoustic guitar**)

Sounds I Love
5) Nicolas Cage’s maniacal screams
4) The sizzling, sensual sound of bacon frying
3) Blood spattering in a Tarantino film
2) Bret Easton Ellis attacking millennials on his Podcast
1) Zach Hill’s chaotic drums, Andy Morin’s glitchy synthesisers, and MC Ride’s screams of insanity

A Quick Complaint

Posted on by ryanrosenberg

My Macbook Pro is about 6 years old, so naturally, it is quite slow. Downloading Premiere Pro took so long, I (re)watched Volume I and II of Lars Von Trier’s ‘Nymphoniac’ (Director’s Cut). It completed downloading sometime between ‘The Mirror’ and ‘The Gun’.

Editing my ‘Project Brief 2’ on Premiere Pro has been torturous, if not worse. All my imported footage that I’m editing with lags so badly, I have to keep exporting the project to Quicktime just to see how it looks. That itself takes a long time.

The whole process has been infuriating.

Week 3 – Workshop: Inauthentic Media Socialites

Posted on by ryanrosenberg

This week’s Workshop chat revolved around the topic of ‘Authenticity On Social Media’. Here are some of my thoughts:

1) On Facebook/Snapchat/Instagram/whatever – image trumps authenticity
These narcissistic platforms are solely used by teens and young adults to construct a grossly fictionalised and ideal version of themselves that they think people will be impressed by. Well guess what, I see through you all.

2) Twitter has integrity
Kind of… well, at least in comparison to other social media sites. Twitter prioritises personal opinions rather than personal aesthetic. And I would rather read some dumb opinion than look at some photo you keep shoving down my throat.

3) Free speech is the best thing about social media
I was shocked that my classmates thought saying whatever the hell you want is the “worst” thing about social media. It is by far the best. Why are people afraid of ideas? If they’re stupid, ignore them. And what is with everyone always complaining that nobody is hearing their precious and important “voice”? This could not be further from the truth; today, everybody has a voice. Everybody. And it is annoying as hell. But this is what social media is all about!

4) Tumblr is a cesspool full of pseudo-hipsters/intellects/artists/activists
Need I say more?

Week 3 – Reading: Throwing Down The Gauntlett

Posted on by ryanrosenberg

My brain doesn’t respond to ideas that are vague, tautological and lacking in purpose. Unfortunately, this weeks readings by David Gauntlett were exactly that. And if you’re thinking “oh, he must be one of those people who have to ‘relate’ to everything in order to respond” – I’m not. I just believe the readings by Gauntlett didn’t reveal anything new or interesting.

To me, ideas such as “learn with media, rather than about” and “move forward, not back” are quite generic and ultimately meaningless. “Look at media as triggers for experience” – okay? Now what?

This is not an attack on Mr. Gauntlett; I’m sure these ideas are properly explored in his book. However, watching a video and reading a few articles as an exercise did nothing for me.

The Video:

Week 2 – Media Is Everywhere

Posted on by ryanrosenberg

And it is. Especially at somewhere like Melbourne Central. The main thing I noticed during this exercise was how many stores/brands are adopting moving/interactive advertisements, as opposed to a more traditional poster or mannequin. The younger the person, the greater the need for constant stimulation. Something as tame as a sign no longer serves its purpose, especially in today’s market. Recognition is one thing, connection is another.

Main things I noticed:

UP HIGH
* Samsung Digital Billboard
* News Billboard
* Rolex Clock
* Mould Cloud

MID GROUND
* Info Touchscreen
* Nike Logo
* Mannequins

ON THE GROUND
* Stickers
* Advertisement(s)

Phone Check: Seven

12825545_10154034599712803_1816626984_n    12825252_10154034599677803_1349103276_n    12822099_10154034599587803_1079523833_n

Week 2 – Lecture: The Edit

Posted on by ryanrosenberg

Listening to Jeremy Botwell’s presentation of editing was both fascinating and eye opening. It had me thinking about the first time I noticed editing in film as a device to enhance meaning.

Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 masterpiece ‘Psycho’ has probably the most infamous editing sequence in the history of cinema. The shower scene montage, in which Marion is stabbed (if this is a spoiler its your own fault for not watching it), is a truly terrifying piece of cinema.

I remember watching this for the first time when I was about 14. The frantic feeling I was experiencing came from three aspects of the edit. One, the fast cutting, which gave me a rush that I had never experienced before. Two, the close nature of the shots, which was incredibly tense and claustrophobic. And above all, the sharp, accented strings from Bernard Herrmann’s glorious score, which was unlike anything at the time of its release.

The Edit Itself – By George Tomasini:

Week 1 – Hyper & Deep Attention

Posted on by ryanrosenberg

I’ve had ample time to process Katherine Hayles’s ‘Hyper and Deep Attention: The Generational Divide in Cognitive Modes’ and have come to a few conclusions.

I think it is extraordinary that this was published nearly 10 years ago. Hayles clearly saw the warning signs of the future, such as “the 6.5 hours young people spend with media per day” (which has now probably nearly doubled) and how we are moving away from traditional methods of study. We are now well and truly in the midst of the Information Age and will continue to lose our tolerance for Deep Attention.

This piece also reiterates my belief that our generation are the worst. The departure from Deep Attention has single-handedly ruined art. The majority of millennials don’t want to engage with a challenging art film. Hell, they don’t even want to go into a cinema where they are forced to abandon their phones and sit quietly in a dark room for 90 minutes. Literature is a dead art form. The music they respond to is Top 40 banger hits.

Worrying times already. Worrying times ahead.

Week 1 – Reading: Cal Newport’s Advice That I Will Inevitably Forget

Posted on by ryanrosenberg

Has anybody actually ever ‘changed their life’ because of a motivational speech? I feel like its purpose has a very temporary effect, rather than the intended permanent one.

I’ll admit, unlike most ‘inspirational speakers’, Cal Newport raised some very interesting points. He offered a refreshing approach towards the ‘do what you love’ concept, which has become increasingly unrealistic and outdated. However, I will inevitably forget what he said due to the temporary nature of the ‘motivational speech’.

These speeches play into our imagination, which is separate from reality. It can be linked to escapism, a concept that is temporary in its practice. They only work if they are constantly revisited. And as we process thousands of pieces of information each day, we will soon forget about the notion of something like “deep work”.

Week 2 – Workshop: Edward De Bono And My Desire To Be Criticised

Posted on by ryanrosenberg

Using Edward De Bono’s ultra-happy ‘Six Thinking Hats’ (four in class) as criteria for our first assignment was ultimately ineffective. Three of the four hats lean towards to the positive side of the spectrum, while the black hat is (in theory) more negative. This, to me, is a problem; there is not enough of a balance. The real problem, however, was that using this system is impractical for a class that has barely been together for two weeks.

Using a system that blindly favours positivity in groups denies one an opportunity to give and take honest criticism. This is largely out of fear, which in our context is perfectly natural. We are in week two, adjusting to a new climate, and nobody wants to be known as ‘that person’ who gives criticism. I myself felt uncomfortable giving negative feedback, despite my belief that it was appropriate. However, I feel we must address this culture of cowardice if we are going to succeed in such a ruthless industry.

I feel this generation has a problem giving and taking face-to-face criticism. We have grown up in an age where we have been shielded from reality. We hide behind our computers, where we have access to all, and therefore, think we know all. The moment we are faced with genuine criticism, we take it personally, despite its intentions. I don’t know about you, but I want to be criticised. I want to hear other people’s views. I want to be truly open with one another. I am not going to make it in this industry without a few harsh lessons along the way. We should embrace criticism, and change this culture of ultra-positivity.

If we were to have had this project solely assessed by our tutor, I feel we would be able to receive honest feedback. If we were to present in groups again, perhaps we should be encouraged to express our views.

There is no such thing as a bad idea. Except there is.

“Gold stars for everybody”