Hunter College's Reading and Writing Center

Project 3 from Isabel Varban on Vimeo.

For this assignment I chose a to analyze the editing form a scene of the movie The Life of Pi. The scene I chose is one of the most important scenes in the movie since it signifies the change of the relationship between Pi and the tiger. Prior to this scene, the tiger held all the power because Pi feared him and was inferior to him. In this scene Pi takes a stand and starts training the tiger which leads to him being the superior on the boat.
The editing does a great job in visualizing this change of power. The shots are from three different perspectives, either from Pi looking down at the tiger, with the camera placed directly above Pi's shoulder, the tiger looking up at Pi, which makes Pi look tall and powerful, and lastly a shot from the side of the boat that shows both Pi and the tiger and how far from each other they stand and the way they are positioned to each other. By editing those three shots after each other, the changing relationship becomes clear. The color of the scene stays the same throughout the scene and most of the movie. It's coloring is very warm even though Pi is in a terrible situation. It foreshadows the friendship Pi and the tiger will eventually form and the calm of the ocean in contrast to the powerful storms it can produce. There is no music in this scene until the very end of the scene. The silence of the scene, with only diegetic sound, which in this case is the sound of the ocean and the boat rocking back and forth, makes it thus more powerful. The silence represents the tension of the scene. In this moment Pi takes the initiative to train the tiger and be the tiger's superior. This is very dangerous, since the tiger is a wild animal that might at any moment jump out at Pi and attack him. This tension is more effective without a musical score. In the end, when the music does start, Pi has finally managed to get the tiger into a corner of the boat under a sheet where the tiger will remain and at that instance the music works as a sound of relief and a transition into the next scene.
This movie is full of amazing scenes that should all be analyzed. It's an amazing movie and an even better book. I highly recommend it!
 Peace and Love, Isabel

From Senegal to the Big Apple - Project 2

Museum of Moving Images Tour

The visit to the Museum of Moving Images was very interesting. I enjoyed the tour because it gave me an idea of all the different aspects involved in making moving images. The interactivity of the museum make it that more engaging. One aspect I found especially intriging was about sound. Our tour guide demonstrated to us, all the different sounds that go into one specific scene of a movie, the example he used was Titanic. First off, he identified the different sounds that are included. These sounds are: background sound, foley sounds, hard sounds, dialogue and music. He then extracted each individual sound element and demonstrated it to us by itself with the moving picture. What became apparent pretty early on was that each sound by itself just didn't seem to work with the image. It was either too loud, seemed out of context or didn't match the action. Especially interesting were the foley sounds. Foley sounds are added in post production and are sounds such as foot steps, rain etc. These sounds are never actually created from the action that is happening. For instance, the sound of foot steps we hear in a movie is never actual recorded foot steps. Or rain is never actually rain. So in Titanic we see these ropes snapping off of the side of the ship and falling into the water. This sound is actually created with a shot gun which was set at a higher pitch. I found that really amazing. Being a foley sound person means being extra creative about what sound sounds just like something we would imagine it sounds like. This was my favorite part of the tour! The tour guide was great at involving us in guessing the different foley sounds and surprising us with the actual answer. 

Peace and Love, Isabel 

"Soundwalk"

What I hear – Prospect Park

I decided to do my “Soundwalk” in Prospect Park. More specifically, I spent an hour at the southern end of the park, at the newly built LeFrak Center which includes an ice skating rink and a set of new benches by the lake. I spent an hour wandering around the rink and the lake, sitting in multiple locations surrounding the area.

The first thing I heard in the foreground was the music playing at the ice skating rink. It was a Foster and The People song but I do not know which one. This music, of course is for the enjoyment of the skaters but also draws attention from walkers and bikers nearby. One sound that was was almost as loud as the music, was the talking, laughter and screams from the skaters themselves. They attracted attention as well. If you listened close enough you could hear the skates on the ice as well. The background noises consisted of very nature-esque noises such as birds, the wind in the trees and the geese. There were many geese on the still half frozen lake that in sections took off whilst talking in their language. Other background noises included the steps of people passing by, the conversations of people surrounding me and the noise of a scooter and a child laughing while racing alongside the lake. One specific soundmark was a group of older men playing some game, I think it was checkers. They were talking and yelling loudly with each round of the game. This area of the park is predominantly Caribbean and their accents revealed that. Somewhere in the distance you could hear another soundmark for the area which was drums.

Define a Space: The Elevator

The Elevator Isabel Varban Project 1 from Isabel Varban on Vimeo.

Artist statement

Hey there,
My main inspiration when making media is exploring the unknown. I love to travel and experience new cultures. I guess that was the main reason I left Germany and started college in a different country. I like to be set outside of my comfort zone, placed into a new city or country. All I need is a map, a camera, and a travel journal and I'm happy. Diving into the unknown is scary and nerve wrecking at times but the experiences you learn are irreplaceable. I am hoping to create media that expresses my wanderlust.

Peace and Love, Isabel