Workshop for January 25, 2016

   Today’s class was enlightening, for me it opened up the possibilities of using these techniques as expressive devices in experimental films that I have in mind for future projects. These techniques continue to demonstrate how dynamic the film-medium really is. 

R2 Reading 

Listen Up: ‘Opening Our Ears to Acoustic Ecology,’ ‘Opening Our Ears to Acoustic Ecology’, Justin Boyd: ‘Sound and Time’, and ‘The Father of Acoustic Ecology’ 

   I believe the articles and their authors are trying to address a deep philosophical problem that exist today, especially because of our fast paced environment. Because of today’s socially fast pace, we tend to block out certain aspects of our natural sensory ability to connect with our environment. For instance the natural occurring sounds that are part of our environment, let it be urban or rural. We tend to block them out in lieu of either a more satisfying experience, such as listening to music on our iPod, used as a form of relaxation and or escapism from our immediate surroundings, essentially becoming disconnected from it. I believe the authors are trying to address some serious concerns, a deep and intrinsic disconnect in the relationship between man and his surroundings, especially when it comes to sound. He seems to be asking us to open our minds to the wonders of everyday life be essentially reevaluating our mindset in relationship to it.  It can be interpreted as an exercise in self-reflexivity and in self-reflection. In respect to the former we might say it is about asking why we see something as a problem or obstacle that needs to be addressed. While in the latter you can say, that by particularly focusing on how we use our ‘mental-tools,’ the way in which we look, approach and analyze. Once we realize that, we can reformat our mental-tools in such a way that they will enable us to build a clearer understanding of the sounds we hear, their particular association with our surroundings and their intrinsic value.