Final Project

00019 from nicolette vanco media 160 on Vimeo.

Blog Post 3

I discovered a lot about production during this museum visit. I was intrigued with what goes on behind the scenes with costumes, makeup, and masks. Then the exhibit with the light making it look like an object is moving was very interesting as well. It surprised me that someone created this moving visual masterpiece. I also enjoyed the sound portion of the visit, where we compared what kind of musical composition fits best with a certain movie scene. It was intriguing to watch a movie clip with and without sound, as it made me realize how important sound actually is to setting a certain mood, which I will think about for this final project. I also enjoyed ending the tour with the old cameras and televisions, which was a reminder as to how far the media world has come since the early days of film and photography. Overall, I enjoyed my time at the museum.

Blog Post 3: Relationship Between Shots

            The clip that I chose is from the very beginning of the movie “Sicario”. The shots start off with a van full of FBI agents and then changes to a POV from inside the van as it drives up to the house that it’s about to break through. The next shot is from inside of the house, with the van breaking through. This sequence of shots set the mood to be intense and made me jump in my seat. It is then edited with a series of clips with gunshot sounds effects and screaming of “don’t move” from the FBI. These clips are short and set a fast paced tone of a house raid. After the FBI barges into the room with the shooter, the clips are longer as the characters wonder why he shot, which then pans through the room and they realize that there are bodies in the wall. The more they dig through the wall, the faster the shots are cut again, so that the intensity can pick up. The cuts in this clip are seamless and go along with the storyline very well to set up a powerful scene.

Project 2 - Sound Project

The Soundwalk

This past weekend, I did a soundwalk around a part of New York City called the East Village. Without my phone or friends for an hour, I took the streets and enveloped myself into the sounds of the neighborhood. It was a Sunday from 2-3 pm, and the first thing I heard were the sound signals of cars racing down 2nd Avenue through some midday traffic. The second sound signal was of course an ambulance. The third sound signal was whenever I passed most bars, I could hear the cheering of football fans as they watched their Sunday football. This happened more often the closer I got to Union Square. Some typical soundmarks were the cars, people talking on the street, people talking outside of coffee shops, dogs barking, and the occasional homeless man asking for change. The keynotes were the sound of traffic and overheard conversations of the people that I walked by. The texture of the sound was loud and on-going. There was never a moment that it was quiet in the East Village streets. The instruments in this symphony were mainly cars and people. The sound clues specific to this neighborhood are the different types of people walking around, whether its families, friends, couples, or homeless people. It’s most common to hear them while walking past the tons of bars and restaurants on these streets. You hear the full range walking around this part of the city. It’s meaningful to me to hear these sounds because they’re very true to this part of the city and what you picture and expect when you think about the East Village, which is why it’s my favorite neighborhood.

Project 1 - Define a Place

Project 1 from nicolette vanco media 160 on Vimeo.

Artist Statement

            I take photos because the fact that I can capture a moment in time and make it last forever means so much to me. Growing up, my parents were always taking pictures of me whenever we went on vacation or even walked the dog. I picked up a camera early into my childhood and knew I would absolutely love doing the same. Now, I take my camera out whether I go on a trip to the South Pacific, or on a walk to the East Village.

            Portrait photography stands out to me, and I find that whenever I walk around the streets of New York City, I always find an intriguing figure to shoot. I also love travelling, so shooting landscape is my favorite. To capture a significant place that has been around for billions of years, and will be around for many more, gives me a personal touch to my surroundings.

            I admire photographers who shoot raw and real scenarios. I look up to photojournalists because they sacrifice time into travelling and staying awake no matter what time an event is happening. They take time in capturing “the” shot that’ll be published in tons of magazines and newspapers worldwide, and even risk their lives for the shot in some cases.

            I want to showcase the beauty of life in my work, whether it’s from random faces on the street, to those I’ve known my whole life. Whether it’s a trip to a beautiful destination or my backyard, I want to show it to the public eye, and most importantly, be able to keep my memory of it forever. Photography, in a way, reminds me how wonderful people and places can be, and keeps me always wanting to explore more of the world.