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