MOMI

My trip to the Museum of the Moving Image was an exciting one. I've always been one to geek out about things related to film, and to go to a place that is completely devoted to it was like a dream. One of my favorite parts of the Museum wasn't actually covered by my tour group. However, I noticed in a corner near the costume section was a glass case full of screenplays. It was super exciting for me to be able to see an original copy of the screenplay of Taxi Driver. I actually make it a point to mention it to anyone who cares to ask. My favorite part though was when we got to play around in the ADR booth. I personally didn't get a chance to contribute my voice, but I got to see three classmates do it. I guess I never realized that there is a whole intricate setup in place purely devoted to replacing lines of dialogue should something happen in filming/sound recording. It kind of opened my eyes to how many roles go into the production of a film. Often times we only see directors and actors receive accolades for their achievements, but I this little demo really opened my eyes to how talented the sound production has to be on a film. This trip to the MOMI really educated me on just how far film has come, and has filled me with the drive to want to be a part of what film will become. There is always room for new innovation, but at the same time it's important to know where the process evolved from.

LARP Audio Project from Dennis Ragone on Vimeo.

Sound Walk

I went walking near Penn Station while waiting for a train that was an hour away. This was a particularly interesting night to do a soundwalk because I encountered 2 different groups of street musicians. The first that I encountered was a group of 3 bucket drummers using old paint cans as instruments. The metal made an interesting sound especially contrasting the sound of the cars on the street. The second group I encountered was a small Jazz band with a japanese man playing the saxophone leading them. This was by far my favorite of the three. It reminded me of this show I used to watch called Cowboy Bebop that had a soundtrack that was very heavily jazz influenced.  Although finding music itself on the streets is always fun, what struck me most about the walk was how different I heard the sounds of the city. When you are making it a point to listen to the sounds of the city you can be surprised. The sounds of car horns, people talking, and living there lives takes on a whole different meaning. It actually opened my eyes to what I could use in video to add depth to what I'm trying to showcase.