This is my final video:

The Tour Video

Scenic Route: Scene Analysis

Scenic Route: Scene Analysis

          The film Scenic Route is about two friends who go on a road trip.  Mitchell and Carter have been friends for a long time and Carter decides that he needs some alone time with his best friend.  Carter purposely sabotages the truck so they can get stuck in the middle of the desert so they can have time to talk.  The following scene is when they get out the car after they realize the truck has broken down. 

         The scene is a transition point where they realize their circumstance.  Mitchell is trying to look for a cell phone signal.  They first shot is a closeup of Mitchell's face then a wide shot with deep focus to show the area they are in.  The next shot goes to a medium closeup with the background having the most presence.  You see an endless desert road with nothing but mountains in the surrounding areas.  The next shot goes back to a wide shot of them in front of the truck.  The entire scene transitions between medium closeups, super wide, and wide shots.   All of these shots are meant to emphasize their isolation.  Furthermore, the sound, though subtle, plays a key role in the film.  In this particular scene the sound consists of the wind blowing and nothing but their voices.  Another key factor is the use of lighting and color.  Lighting is very bright, this is interesting in use because this is a dire situation.  Usually we see a bright scene with little contrast in comedies but this was not really that kind of movie.  The use of color is also consistent to imitate a hot day.  All the shots have a yellowish to orange tone to emphasize the conditions the characters are in.  The clothing that Mitchell and Carer wear also play a key role as a way of showing that they are out of their element.  

        All the shots are tied together nicely and provides smooth transitions.  The cuts also use the 180 degree rule very effectively.  The color and tones play nicely together to provide a consistent message of being very far away from the characters normal environment.  

Audio Project

Below is the link to the audio interview of Rachel Tiedmann.

Rachel Tiedmann Interview

Visit to the Museum of the Moving Image

Museum of the Moving Image

The museum provided a pleasant experience with very nice exhibitions.  I learned a couple of different things as I walked through the various displays.  I did not know how much work actually goes into making even the simple films with no special effects.  The floor plans that I saw on the second floor conveyed how they put a lot of research into how the film locations would look.  Every detail was crafted very intricately. 

The use of prosthetics and costumes were all carefully crafted as well.  It showed me that anything is possible in the film world if hard work and dedication is put into it.  Furthermore, I enjoyed seeing the behind the scenes equipment, looking at all the old cameras.  One of the microphones on the third floor was on an enormous boom pole and and entire trolly system that it was attached to seemed like several hundred pounds.  The cameras and projectors were also very huge.  It is one thing to hear about it books of how large they were but to actually get to see them in person is an experience entirely in itself. I can't imagine myself making a film with these equipment; I'm sure it would be fun but it would take a lot of creative smarts to pull it all together.  It is always refreshing to see that the film makers of that era were so limited but yet created brilliant works of art.

Soundwalk

"Soundwalk"

I sat outside of hunter in front of the west building listening to the various noises going on around me.  I hear all the footsteps of people rushing past me.  I close my eyes to hear the sounds a little better.  I can now try to break all the noise apart and isolate some over others.  I hear the cabs honking their horns, not aggressively but in a way to tell others to move.  I hear the hot dog guy in his cart creating small talk with his customers.  I can feel the wind whistle in my ears, all most seemed calm until a loud laughter of the kids around me break me away from my peaceful and very short escape.

I tried again to just listen to the sounds of the environment and cancel out all the talking around me but I could not.  This reminded me of the love and hate relationship I have with being in the city.  Though I may not be fond of the commotion, I still enjoy the noise of the cars, the horns, the talking, but only once in a while.  There seems to be always some constant interruption with the noise around you.  You can never just remain focused on one thing or one subject.  There is so much going on that you can sit and listen all day.

Serenity

Hope you all enjoy the video.  Please comment and leave feedback.  Thanks!

Artist Statement:


I'd like to introduce myself as an entrepreneur and photographer.  I work right now as a counselor at a college.  But my true passion is to grow my business as a professional photographer and also teach people the art in the future.  I would like to teach in higher education and make videos for the same content for those who can't afford a college education.  I believe that digital education online is going to be the next big thing.  Imagine how many more people we would have more highly educated if there was a system to learn things on sites such as YouTube.  I am aware that there is a plethora of tutorials and instructions for a vast array of subjects.  The problem with this still remains, the credibility of YouTube vs.  other forms of education.  I would like to one day close that gap for photography and hopefully create a way for photographers to receive credible information about the art so they can further their skills and all this for free!  I also love working with students in a college environment, which is where my passion for teaching comes from.

If you would like to see my work please go to abdulphotography.com.

Thanks!




H.