Paste the link here from your version of the abstract editing exercise.
Then reflect on the whole process – Consider: the quality and usability of your recordings; the effect of layering and juxtaposition of both the audio and the video and; the things you learnt from working with this kind of audio and video.
The quality of the video and audio recordings aren’t very good. Many of the audio recordings have poor signal to noise ratios. I remember adjusting the gain during a number of the recordings (so the sound gets noticeably louder or quieter throughout). The videos aren’t very good either – all of them have a lot of noise in the image.
Even though this piece doesn’t make much sense and doesn’t flow that well, I enjoyed messing with the video and audio recordings. A large part of the task was to match sounds with unrelated videos in order to invent something new. Creating a mood by clashing sounds and images that either complement each other (e.g. the X shot of the bin reflection movement alongside the rapid crossing ‘beep’ sound) or reject each other (e.g. the stationary broken chair shot alongside the jarringly harsh sound of the truck lifter) was fun. I loved playing around with rhythm by editing image movement to flow with (or against) the audio tracks. Punctuating the stationary chair shot with flashes of other shots that match the rhythm of the ‘wait’ traffic light beeps. Increasing the pitch and volume on the hair-dryer sound to complement the speed of the superimposed hands tearing leaves to create a sense of increasing chaos. Layering audio and layering images (split-screen, superimposed) is so much more powerful than just having either audio or image. It’s the movement in both that does it. When combined, the effect is that it’s more alive. Kinetic. Visceral. Sound is image’s best friend. It helps give it its form. Both are compelling because they move and change. If you can find a way to manipulate sound and image so that their movements/changes complement each other, you can make cinematic music.
This edit is certainly not my proudest creation… But here it is!
Abstract Edit from Ella Thompson on Vimeo.