Assignment 1: Reflection

In comparing my proposed short media works with the works I ended up making, I found myself exploring a whole different concept with quite a different outcome. After further considering my idea of documenting an Op Shop item e.g. Vase entangled in its environment, with a combination of perceived difficulties; unsure how to record the sounds of a vase, and alternative inspiration I decided to change my concept to water. My main source of inspiration for exploring the entanglements of water were various recordings we listened to in class. These recordings of ships on voyage at sea, glaciers and local rivers inspired me to consider water through different perspectives and consequently prompted me to alter my proposed media works. On the other hand, as for similarities within the proposed and final works, I captured frames throughout my video of taps and plants in the same likeness as I intended to with my proposed vase footage – in short and static snippets.

 

Throughout the recording process of my works, I found a greater ease and belief in the story telling aspect when I was recording my visual work as opposed to audio. In my audio process, after a few takes when using the microphone and scouting for sounds, I felt the recordings were almost getting repetitive – as they were all some form of flowing water and as a result I struggled with how I would place them in creating a story in my work. Contrarily, when working visual media and recording the footage for my other work, I felt more comfortable in capturing videos that could embody meaning, ideas and ultimately tell a story. As I continued recording footage of dry plants, sprouting roots and cracking grass patches I began to envision how I could juxtapose the footage with a dripping tap to prompt a storyline of water wastage or droughts. When working with sound, I struggled with this aspect of creativity and entanglement to create a story and as a result, looking back I feel that my auditory media work lacks a strong story telling element about water – and instead is simply various sounds edited together.

 

Further, this same preference to the form of medium was apparent in the editing process of my media works, as I again preferred the ability to incorporate my visual footage with additional audio compared to my sound piece as a standalone work. When editing my videos together I was able to select accompanying background music, an ongoing flowing water sound (taken from my audio grabs) and a political speech recording about farming and Agriculture. Particularly through the last addition, I felt the political speech recording extended the idea of entanglement within the work. Presenting the audio alongside my recorded visuals, which although are two separate media works respectively there are possible connotations and connections to be drawn. I intended the images of dry plants and grass aligned with the speech to possibly prompt connections of water with growth, droughts, farming and essentially the importance of water in agriculture community and the economy.

 

On the other hand, looking back the three accompanying sound tracks alongside my visual footage in my media work do also present an almost overwhelming nature – in which I felt like more media would mean more entanglement. Although this is partially true, I think there is a fine line between complexity and chaos. Within further assignments I intend to be more aware of this and adopt the ‘quality over quantity’ principle in making more refined media works. As for future media works, along with strengthening my familiarity with auditory work and drawing more meaning from sounds, I would also enjoy further exploration of aligning speeches, philosophy’s and spoken word with visual media. Similar to the political speech I incorporated with my visual work, I am fascinated by the visuals that can be evoked from meaningful addresses and how they can prompt greater entanglement.

 

 

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