Self Reflection
Reflecting back, I most enjoyed working with sound for the screen however, ProTools is the standardised DAW in which I have still yet to complete a project, therefore, my goal this year is to use ProTools to the best of my ability. I enjoyed the roles of being a foley artist/engineer and sound designer and plan to continue building these skillsets. I have an ambitious goal to work with Doby Atmos this year and this being shown in my portfolio would be great for my future career goals. I would also love to revisit spatialisation working with 7.1 surround sound for cinema and 8.1 for octophonic sound.
Goals
This final year at LCC, I am fortunate to have access to the highest level of facilities and equipment therefore I plan to make the most of the opportunities at my disposal specializing in my practice to the best of my ability.
Initial Proposal Ideas
Project 1: Audio-Visual Work
Concept: I will field record sonic frequencies heard in the range of human hearing as well as field record ultrasonic frequencies merging the two together in a composition combined by visuals recorded by video camera.
Relevant Research: I will be referencing Steve Goodman’s book on Sonic Warfare, an argument that the enormous amount of sound created by us humans is creating an environment of sonic warfare among all living organisms.
New Skills: I am interested in photography and this project will expand this skill into cinematography, a desired interest of mine. I find video editing enjoyable therefore I plan to build and showcase this skill in my portfolio.
Project 2: Song Writing
Concept: Over the summer break as a hobby, I have been songwriting and producing music in the hip-hop genre. I began the thought process of conceptualising an album with complex layers exploring the theme of nakedness through an explicit lens. The theme of nakedness could be deeply and complexly explored through a visual context, for example, album art and a screen/video medium and sonically explored through the tonality of voice and a lyric’s intention from a poetic standpoint as an expressional outlet.
Relevent Research: The voice carries a powerful emotional transformative effect in the sonic domain. Artist Imani Mason Jordan discussed this, on the 3rd of October speaking in a sound art guest lecture. Her work conceptualises the power of the spoken word in a performative arts context.
New Skills: This project will progress my recording techniques specifically vocals. I aspire to have production of the highest quality. With the use of the equipment and facility access here at LCC, I believe this idea would greatly benefit me post-university. This third year I want to evolve my skill sets ready to tackle the professional world. Production of beats and instrumentals is a new skill I will explore in this production using Ableton Live, a DAW that is also new to me.
Reading:
Practice-Based Research
Robbin Nelson: Practice as Research in the Arts.
As suggested by Mark Peter Wright, chapters 1 and 2 gave an intellectual contextualisation on the topic of practice-based research otherwise known as PaR (practice as research) which is how we are being guided to present our process and documentation. An ongoing continuous journey is the knowledge learned by ‘doing’ not the knowledge learned by already ‘knowing’.
“philosopher David Pears remarks: I know how to ride a bicycle, but I cannot say how I balance because I have no method. May know that certain muscles are involved, but that factual knowledge comes later, if at all, and it could hardly be used in instruction.”.
The simplicity of this quote explains metaphorically the complexity of PaR. By reading these chapters I am now informed of the contextualisation around this method of learning.