Sense of Place audio project inspiration

Since last week's seminar, which included walking around Sheffield city centre and gathering ideas and inspiration for our audio projects, Sarah and I have got together in our production team and started thinking about and further discussing our initial ideas. I find the idea behind this project interesting, as usually sound is something that we don’t break down or notice much, until it’s emphasised in a scene, however by noticing the finer details of some of the places we visited, as well as just the city in general, it has sparked my interest and I have gained some early  inspiration towards this project. This was first noticed when we visited the train station, and we discovered how smaller details, such as the beeping of the ATM cash machines could be just as effective in creating a particular mood in a busy place, as the bigger picture- the overwhelming noise of the tannoy systems.

Sarah and I reflected back on the places that we had visited during the morning and discussed which sounds had influenced our ideas and which had stood out to us the most. We agreed that the train station was a particularly interesting starting point; the idea that such a busy place with people rushing around could be transformed into something much more condensed in terms of sound use, and still be effective from a different context and perspective. We agreed that  given the time we have to manage and complete this project, a simple idea would work well, and once we had this, we could then focus in on the finer details. We also decided that collecting extra audio than what will be required for the project will be useful , even if not directly associated with our idea, as it could be added to an archive file which could add to our idea at a later stage during the post production process, and also help us in planning for any contingencies.

With the train station idea still in mind, we thought about the possibilities of an imaginary place in the form of a memory, and having the audio in some way unrelated to the visuals which will be used for our other project at a later stage. Linking back to the first seminar we had, transport and in particular train travel came up as something that inspires us. This got us thinking and talking about  the idea that although everyone is usually busy travelling somewhere and has that in common with other passengers on a train , they are all in their own separate worlds. This is where our initial idea for recording some audio that would be in the form of a memory originated from, however we are aware that this idea needs to be more refined and discussed further before we start planning the finer details of the project.

 

Keeping with the travel theme, I researched some sound recordists who have recorded audio pieces on similar themes. I remembered attending an event in Newcastle with a sound recordist talking there, and when I looked his name up, I found that he has actually done an interesting audio piece on a train. Although this is recorded on the train and not elsewhere, as we intend our memory audio to be,  it still sparked some ideas and made me think about the busyness side to the train idea.

https://soundcloud.com/michael-maroussas/conversations-on-train-in-suffolk  

Keeping the 'Sense of Place' theme for the project in mind, another inspiration was attending the current Sound Map of Sheffield exhibition by Chris Watson at the Millennium Gallery in Sheffield. Hearing so many different sounds all from the same city made me think about developing the idea of a collection of memories through audio use.

 

Love Me Or Leave Me Alone analysis

Love Me or Leave Me Alone (Duane Hopkins, 2003- 15 min.)

                                                                                  






Love Me Or Leave Me Alone is a short film reflecting upon the misunderstandings of a young couple's relationship. The film is set in a vast and open country location, which draws the viewer into primarily focusing on the character's and their situation. The choice to use an empty location also represents the theme of loneliness portrayed throughout the whole film.

The cinematography and sound work together in establishing the film's themes and narrative right from the beginning. The opening shot does not hesitate in setting up the unsettling theme; fast moving camera work immediately shows character Steven (James Firkins) spitting directly onto his girlfriend's face. The film's main narrative from then on is concerned with following the aftermath of an argument, and the viewer is left to establish their own take on what has happened prior to this.

The actual title of the film is not shown until a later stage, and when it is shown, it is displayed at a time which is fitting to the audience's initial understanding of the narrative. The camera work quickens as the subject's argue with one another, representing their parallel views of the same situation. The camera work is disorientating; as well as letting the viewer gain an insight into the angered teenager's states of mind in the distressing situation, it could also be symbolic of the relationship as a whole- the misunderstanding and confusion of the character's relationship. A later shot also shows a washing line shaking outside, from an indoor perspective, which could also be representative of the uncertainty within the situation. Throughout the film, many shots have the character's positioned in the centre, which could further be a way of diverting the audience's focus onto the character's alone.

The lighting is another key element which works well, together with the emptiness of the location, in portraying the dark and unsettling theme of the film. Shots are carefully put together and lit in a way which could be used to convey specific meanings to audiences. One example of this is the scene where Steven is shown inside of a hut, looking out towards his girlfriend after they have argued and she is walking away across the field. The camera is positioned from his perspective, and the shot is almost split directly in half between the outside light and darkness of the shelter. One interpretation of this could be that the split light is representative of his choices; deciding between what is right and wrong, which also clearly links with the film's title.

Another noticeable point throughout this short film is the use of sound, and how this is used successfully as a device to create a sense of building tension for the viewer. At one point (when the girl is shown getting into an unknown car), the sound completely cutting out adds a moment of uncertainty for the upcoming events, which is then followed by a long ongoing shot showing Steven slowly disappearing into the distance through the car's wing mirror.

Although only fifteen minutes in length, this film successfully achieves having a longlasting effect on the viewer, in that it makes them ask questions about its meaning, and the message in which it is trying to convey. The films narrative is based on a fairly simple idea, however different interpretations can be taken from it and I think watching it more than once could change perspectives on what the film is about.