Sound Activator

Write a blog post explaining what you have learned about audio recorded at different levels. 

What is the optimal level for sound recording?

The optimal level is -12dB

What can you do to fix audio?

To fix the audio at any level, I would first make sure that you are recording in the right settings (-12dB), otherwise it won't be the best audio. However, if you accidentally don't record at the optimal level, you can use the audio mixer to try and make the audio consistent.

What cannot be fixed?

When the sound is not recorded at the correct decibel level it cannot be fixed. It was very hard to get the sound recorded at -40dB up to the correct decibel level even moving the sliders in the audio mixer. It was still too quiet even when slid all the way up. The sound recorded at 0dB was way too loud to begin with and even pulling the audio mixer down almost all the way did not get rid of the gain. You can only adjust the volume to make it consistent, but it will not be at the optimal level of volume.

Critique Reflection

Design:

In the design category, I think the main thing I need to focus on next time is making sure I have smoother camera movements because some of the shots in our film were jerky, and it made it awkward, especially with the sad mood of the film. There was a good use of principles of design in my film. They could be found in every shot; however, there could have been more variety in principles of design, and we could have thought more about the meaning behind the principles rather than just throwing them in for aesthetics. There also could have been more of a variety of camera angles and shot types jut to make it more interesting, but overall, I think the design looked nice. Like I said before, there was a good use of principles of design, and every shot was compositionally sound. In addition, our shots using techniques like rack focus, selective focus, and bokeh all worked out very well and made for good visuals. Our dolly shots were also relatively smooth and well executed.

Technical:

For the technical aspects of the film, my biggest regret in making the film was not using more interesting editing. It was supposed to be an art film, but I kept it very standard, and after seeing Opiee's version of our film, I wish I would have done more in that aspect. We could have used a tripod more to get smoother shots like in the bokeh scene and the tilt up of Opiee, and in the opening shot that was supposed to have some panning, I should have kept the tripod completely still. There were also some moments in the film where the white balance could have been better, but that was more of my editing than the actual white balance on the camera. I thought the audio in my film was very fitting to what it was supposed to convey. It was a sad piano ballad that was cyclical, and that was perfect because it was sad, and I wanted to emphasize the cyclical nature of the character's rise and fall. I also did a very good job with controlling the lighting in the film. Especially with the scene in the PAC and the nail scenes, the lighting was interesting and very well done. Our camera use was very good as well as I knew my way around the camera after what we learned in class and the notes we took. Also I thought the way I edited, although it wasn't very interesting, was still clean and fitting for the story.

Performance:

There was not much performance in the film to begin with, so I think one thing I could have improved on was making sure that there was more emotion and more performance in each shot rather than worrying so much about the aesthetic quality. Tessa was very somber throughout the whole thing, which was fitting for the story, but there could have been more variety in her emotions. Also in the bokeh scene, I wish you could see more of their faces and emotions and were able to see the apology. Overall however, I thought the performance in the film was about as good as it could be. Opiee did a very good job of looking stoic and hen looking like the one in power. Tessa did a fantastic job of making you feel her loneliness, guilt, and desire to fit back in with her friends. She really makes you feel how she is torn, especially in the scenes where she is picking off the nail polish. The extras in the film also did a good job of acting like they were ostracizing Tessa and laughing at her when she was in their group just a little while before.

"The Goal of Film Analysis: Articulating Meaning" Summary

     The excerpt we read from the book emphasized the goal of film analysis, which is to articulate and draw a meaning from a film. It said, "The purpose of film analysis is to make statements about a film's themes and meaning," and went on to describe the three different forms that those statements could take, with each form related to a different level of meaning. 
     The first form of statement is a descriptive one. A descriptive claim is a neutral account of the basic characteristics of the film, which usually involves plot events. An example of a descriptive claim would be a simple plot summary, or a sequential account of the important events in a film. Descriptive statements could also illustrate specific details about a film's visual or audio style, or go beyond events to refer to intertextual connections. Describing how a film or shot resembles or copies the style of another film is an example of this type of descriptive claim.
     The second form of statement, and arguably the most important, is an interpretive one. An interpretive claim presents an argument about a film's meaning and significance. It addresses a film's themes and abstract ideas, or makes an argument about what a film does with subject matter rather than just describing what that subject matter is. Interpretive claims make an argument about the careful orchestration of scenes in a film, and to support this argument it needs to construct a logical thread of more narrow interpretive claims about how individual scenes, motifs, parallels, turning points, sounds, etc. all cohere. Based on what different knowledge people have, there can be many different interpretive claims for a single film, however they can sometimes contradict. To be considered the more valid claim, you must have more evidence, and take all aspects of the film into thorough consideration. 
     The third form of statement is an evaluative claim. An evaluative claim expresses one's belief that a film is bad, good, or mediocre. They are usually expressed in measurements such as grades, thumbs up, or stars in popular media outlets; however, those would be basic examples. Stronger evaluative claims explain why an evaluation is positive or negative. Evaluative claims are based on the standards of the reviewer, and standards obviously differ, so it is up to the viewer to decide if they agree the reviewer's opinion. Good evaluative claims rely on rely on the speaker's ability to describe details from a film accurately and interpret what the film is trying to accomplish using these details.