{"id":648,"date":"2019-03-28T13:56:43","date_gmt":"2019-03-28T13:56:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/digital.eca.ed.ac.uk\/soundandfixedmedia\/?p=648"},"modified":"2019-03-28T13:56:45","modified_gmt":"2019-03-28T13:56:45","slug":"lecture-10-what-counts-as-an-unusual-approach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digital.eca.ed.ac.uk\/soundandfixedmedia\/2019\/03\/lecture-10-what-counts-as-an-unusual-approach\/","title":{"rendered":"Lecture 10 &#8211; what counts as an unusual approach?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Table of Contents<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a href=\"file:\/\/\/Users\/mparker\/Dropbox\/UoE-paperwork\/teaching\/Programme\/SFM\/07-WhatCountsAsAnUnusualApproach\/whatCountsAsAnUnusualApproach.html#sec-1\">1. What counts as an unusual approach?<\/a>\n<ul><li><a href=\"file:\/\/\/Users\/mparker\/Dropbox\/UoE-paperwork\/teaching\/Programme\/SFM\/07-WhatCountsAsAnUnusualApproach\/whatCountsAsAnUnusualApproach.html#sec-1-1\">1.1. The standard approach\u2026 \u201cyou\u2019ve seen one, you\u2019ve seen them all\u201d<\/a>\n<ul><li><a href=\"file:\/\/\/Users\/mparker\/Dropbox\/UoE-paperwork\/teaching\/Programme\/SFM\/07-WhatCountsAsAnUnusualApproach\/whatCountsAsAnUnusualApproach.html#sec-1-1-1\">1.1.1. Watch this analysis and review of <em>Phantom Menace<\/em><\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n<\/li><li><a href=\"file:\/\/\/Users\/mparker\/Dropbox\/UoE-paperwork\/teaching\/Programme\/SFM\/07-WhatCountsAsAnUnusualApproach\/whatCountsAsAnUnusualApproach.html#sec-1-2\">1.2. The oblique approach<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"file:\/\/\/Users\/mparker\/Dropbox\/UoE-paperwork\/teaching\/Programme\/SFM\/07-WhatCountsAsAnUnusualApproach\/whatCountsAsAnUnusualApproach.html#sec-1-3\">1.3. A systems approach<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"file:\/\/\/Users\/mparker\/Dropbox\/UoE-paperwork\/teaching\/Programme\/SFM\/07-WhatCountsAsAnUnusualApproach\/whatCountsAsAnUnusualApproach.html#sec-1-4\">1.4. An intuitive approach<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"file:\/\/\/Users\/mparker\/Dropbox\/UoE-paperwork\/teaching\/Programme\/SFM\/07-WhatCountsAsAnUnusualApproach\/whatCountsAsAnUnusualApproach.html#sec-1-5\">1.5. An experimental approach<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"file:\/\/\/Users\/mparker\/Dropbox\/UoE-paperwork\/teaching\/Programme\/SFM\/07-WhatCountsAsAnUnusualApproach\/whatCountsAsAnUnusualApproach.html#sec-1-6\">1.6. The Wagnerian Approach<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"file:\/\/\/Users\/mparker\/Dropbox\/UoE-paperwork\/teaching\/Programme\/SFM\/07-WhatCountsAsAnUnusualApproach\/whatCountsAsAnUnusualApproach.html#sec-1-7\">1.7. A formats approach<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"file:\/\/\/Users\/mparker\/Dropbox\/UoE-paperwork\/teaching\/Programme\/SFM\/07-WhatCountsAsAnUnusualApproach\/whatCountsAsAnUnusualApproach.html#sec-1-8\">1.8. The obvious approach<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"file:\/\/\/Users\/mparker\/Dropbox\/UoE-paperwork\/teaching\/Programme\/SFM\/07-WhatCountsAsAnUnusualApproach\/whatCountsAsAnUnusualApproach.html#sec-1-9\">1.9. Is a sum of approaches, your approach?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"file:\/\/\/Users\/mparker\/Dropbox\/UoE-paperwork\/teaching\/Programme\/SFM\/07-WhatCountsAsAnUnusualApproach\/whatCountsAsAnUnusualApproach.html#sec-1-10\">1.10. with this in mind, how will you find your film or piece of fixed media to work on?<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"sec-1\">1 What counts as an unusual approach?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p> This session concerns itself with the ways that you might tackle the  challenge of responding to a fixed media opportunity and bringing your  own voice to the fore of your sound work. We\u2019ll explore approach-types and  you can consider in light these somewhat arbitrary  categories how your approach fits in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"sec-1-1\">1.1 The standard approach\u2026 \u201cyou\u2019ve seen one, you\u2019ve seen them all\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>What is standard? This worthwhile discussion to have with yourself. It helps us to quickly identify a particular sense of what\u2019s required in order  to respond to a challenge.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There has been much research on both standards of film practices, but  also on generic approaches to film construction. This research draws our  attention to what we may have suspected all along, that there are  standardised approaches to editing and cutting films together. There are also perhaps some ways that are more effective than others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, it&#8217;s useful to question &#8220;better at what&#8230;? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The material of film itself becomes a form of information and training, both to  audiences and film makers. There is a \u2018type\u2019 of film that may well  articulate itself in very similar ways in terms of pacing, timing and  other styles of its execution. Hollywood films are one format that seems  to exploit this training, as do youTube help videos such as unboxing  and game screen grabs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<a href=\"http:\/\/people.psych.cornell.edu\/~jec7\/pictures_film.htm\" class=\"autohyperlink\">people.psych.cornell.edu\/~jec7\/pictures_film.htm<\/a>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The papers cited below by James Cutting explains how &#8220;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>filmmakers have systematically explored dimensions that are important for holding our attention <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>\n  Cutting, James E., Jordan E. DeLong, and Kaitlin L. Brunick. 2018. \u2018Temporal Fractals in Movies and Mind\u2019. <em>Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications<\/em> 3 (1): 8. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s41235-018-0091-x\">doi.org\/10.1186\/s41235-018-0091-x<\/a>.\n  \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nSummarised here: \n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/article\/mg20527483-900-solved-the-mathematics-of-the-hollywood-blockbuster\/\">www.newscientist.com\/article\/mg20527483-900-solved-the-mathematics-of-the-hollywood-blockbuster\/<\/a>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"sec-1-1-1\">1.1.1 Watch this analysis and review of <em>Phantom Menace<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"605\" height=\"454\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FxKtZmQgxrI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"sec-1-2\">1.2 The oblique approach<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\nWhere meaning is obscured through the materials of the film itself. \nConsider watching  <em>Memento<\/em> Nolan (2000). It\u2019s available to view on the BoB national archive:\n<a href=\"https:\/\/learningonscreen.ac.uk\/\">learningonscreen.ac.uk\/<\/a>. This film unpicks itself from the inside out so the editing and other factors are part of the obscuring of what\u2019s being said. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> In a different way, <em>Elephant<\/em> Gus Van Sant (2003), layers streams  of sound on top of one another in order to make simple visual structures  pass time in a provocative way. Why this happens remains oblique  throughout. The reason we hear Westerkamp\u2019s music non-dietetically with  the hint that it might somehow be diegetic, suggests unease, but is  never resolved and remains enigmatic.  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3c-plmGkeUc\">www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3c-plmGkeUc<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>mpv Elephant\/Elephant-GusVanSant.mkv &#8211;start=+07:45 &#8211;length=+04:35 &#8211;fs<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nFanboy stuff on Gus Van Sant here;\n<a href=\"https:\/\/magnoliaforever.wordpress.com\/2011\/12\/22\/gus-van-sants-death-trilogy\/\">magnoliaforever.wordpress.com\/2011\/12\/22\/gus-van-sants-death-trilogy\/<\/a>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"sec-1-3\">1.3 A systems approach<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\nA systems approach might be one where the systems behind the material \nare clearly part of the message that\u2019s being communicated. The embracing\n of technology as material is nothing new to us and cinema itself could \nbe thought of as an expression of the technologies that it uses, perhaps\n more-so than the material that it renders which is clearly a fiction. \nWhat we can\u2019t escape is the technological fact of the machine that\u2019s \ndoing the representations.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> Check out Ryioichi Kurokowa: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ryoichikurokawa.com\/project\/ualt.html\">www.ryoichikurokawa.com\/project\/ualt.html<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or for a more historic pioneer in this area, check out Norman McLaren&#8217;s work:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"605\" height=\"454\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/E3-vsKwQ0Cg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"sec-1-4\">1.4 An intuitive approach<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\nStan Brakhage \n<em>Moth Light<\/em> (1963)\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=XaGh0D2NXCA\">www.youtube.com\/watch?v=XaGh0D2NXCA<\/a>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nPeter Kubelka <em>Schwechater<\/em> (1958)\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=cy78LNZFMIE\">www.youtube.com\/watch?v=cy78LNZFMIE<\/a>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nOr this one;\nPeter Kubelka <em>Arnulf Rainer<\/em> (1960)\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Uj-_WhYf-Wg\">www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Uj-_WhYf-Wg<\/a>\n\u201cfollowing the explicit instructions of the filmmaker to play the sound \nat maximum level and to let the film and leader play until it ran out, \nthem leave the projector running fir a minute with its lamp still on \nthen to turn it off and sit in the dark for a minute.\ufeff \u201c\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> These intuitive-seeming films above also are systems-based in their  approach. This is in part thanks to their abstraction, but we can also  hone in on the intuitive, improvisational and happenstance as also being  foregrounded here. Care for linear details are eschewed in favour of a  spontaneous-seeming sprawl, a phenomona, an experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"sec-1-5\">1.5 An experimental approach<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\n<em>Hukkle<\/em> (2002)\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ad5WwmLH_1w\">www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ad5WwmLH_1w<\/a>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> I describe <em>Hukkle<\/em> as experimental as it seems like an extremely  rigorous investigation of a singular idea. It\u2019s a test of immersion,  powers of concentration, the role of sound in film and is a particularly carefully explored statement on Hungarian national identity.  This is well explained in the following essay: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ejumpcut.org\/archive\/jc55.2013\/kalmarHukkle\/index.html\" class=\"autohyperlink\">www.ejumpcut.org\/archive\/jc55.2013\/kalmarHukkle\/index.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>mpv hukkle.mkv &#8211;start=+00:45 &#8211;length=+05:35 &#8211;fs<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"sec-1-6\">1.6 The Wagnerian Approach<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\n<em>Wolf of Wall Street<\/em> | <em>The Revenant<\/em> | <em>StarWars<\/em> | Tarantino | Kubrick etc\u2026?\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nThe links with opera and film are clear. Film seems to be the logical \ninheritor of the Geampkunstwerke concept espoused by Wager. It\u2019s a form \nof total control and total expressivity and conceptual freedom.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"sec-1-7\">1.7 A formats approach<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-wordpress wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-meandorla-co-uk\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"nIz74mstas\"><a href=\"https:\/\/meandorla.co.uk\/obsessed-with-cinemagraphs\/\">Obsessed with Cinemagraphs<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" src=\"https:\/\/meandorla.co.uk\/obsessed-with-cinemagraphs\/embed\/#?secret=nIz74mstas\" data-secret=\"nIz74mstas\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;Obsessed with Cinemagraphs&#8221; &#8212; meandorla.co.uk\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\nIt\u2019s interesting sometimes to take a format-led approach where you \noptimise materials for the format you\u2019re going to place them in.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"sec-1-8\">1.8 The obvious approach<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\nThe conceptual\/symbolic approach where one thing directly points to the other. It\u2019s called Mickey Mousing, <em>My little pony<\/em> anyone\u2026?\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=l_EDBM1tOEo\">www.youtube.com\/watch?v=l_EDBM1tOEo<\/a> \n<em>Fantasia<\/em> Walt Disney, (1940)\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"sec-1-9\">1.9 Is a sum of approaches, your approach?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\nIt is for you to work out what your approach is going to be. What will you foreground as your expressive strategy?\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"sec-1-10\">1.10 with this in mind, how will you find your film or piece of fixed media to work on?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\nHow will your project allow you to speak?\nHow will you make your project sound?\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Table of Contents 1. What counts as an unusual approach? 1.1. The standard approach\u2026 \u201cyou\u2019ve seen one, you\u2019ve seen them all\u201d 1.1.1. Watch this analysis and review of Phantom Menace 1.2. The oblique approach 1.3. A systems approach 1.4. An &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/digital.eca.ed.ac.uk\/soundandfixedmedia\/2019\/03\/lecture-10-what-counts-as-an-unusual-approach\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Lecture 10 &#8211; what counts as an unusual approach?<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digital.eca.ed.ac.uk\/soundandfixedmedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/648"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digital.eca.ed.ac.uk\/soundandfixedmedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digital.eca.ed.ac.uk\/soundandfixedmedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digital.eca.ed.ac.uk\/soundandfixedmedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digital.eca.ed.ac.uk\/soundandfixedmedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=648"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/digital.eca.ed.ac.uk\/soundandfixedmedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/648\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":653,"href":"https:\/\/digital.eca.ed.ac.uk\/soundandfixedmedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/648\/revisions\/653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digital.eca.ed.ac.uk\/soundandfixedmedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digital.eca.ed.ac.uk\/soundandfixedmedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digital.eca.ed.ac.uk\/soundandfixedmedia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}