Final Project

final project from Kianna Sullivan on Vimeo.

MOMI Reflection

I don’t typically enjoy museums much so my expectations were low going into MOMI. As the tour went on however, I was pleasantly surprised by this museum. I was intrigued by a lot of the exhibits, like the costume recreations for movies I’ve liked, and the “Saturday morning cartoons” exhibit with the retro living room set up was really cool. The content was just a lot more interesting for me than a lot of the museums I’ve gone to on other class trips.

This trip was great for the course because the museum surprisingly had so many hands on exhibits pertaining to media production. My tour group got a chance to try pretty much everything, but I really liked the ADR exhibit, which ended up being a little harder to do than it looked. The exhibit where the tour guide changed the soundtrack over a movie scene was also really informative because it illustrated how influential the track can be. They pretty much changed the whole context of the scene just by changing the musical atmosphere, so while some tracks fit the scene in some ways, it really changed the feel of the scene in ways that wouldn’t fit in so well in the actual movie. The exhibits like this were funny to mess around with but a learning experience at the same time.

I’ve never even heard of this museum before taking this class, but I’m glad I got exposed to it and I’ll definitely be making a trip back there in the future.

Interview

Soundwalk

I took my sound walk not indoors, but through Grand Central Terminal. While the assignment implied a walk through a neighborhood, I deemed Grand Central appropriate for the assignment because there is a lot to be seen, and heard, in such a a large and populated place that many people frequent daily, much like a neighborhood. Additionally, I happen to spend quite a bit of time in Grand Central every week but not once have I ever thought of taking my headphones off and listening to everything around me.

The first thing you’ll notice as walk through the terminal with open ears is obviously the chitter chatter. Lots of it, and in countless languages and accents as well. Past the constant hum of conversation, you’ll hear a lot of mechanical sounds – clicking and beeping of walkie-talkies for both the MTA employees and the soldiers who keep the peace, ticket machines operating, and the sounds of the little MTA vehicles doing whatever it is they do. And then beyond those, you’ll pick up on the “soundmarks” of the area. These are very recognizable and distinct to the locations. Things such as the loud whirring of a train pulling in, or the omniscient MTA voice making benign announcements, much like on the subway trains. These soundmarks make it clear to you just what exactly you’re walking through. If you could not see, you’d certainly be more than capable of realizing the insurmountable conversation occurring around you, combined with the “Thank you for your cooperation” announcements, would most likely suggest that you’re in the busy hub that is Grand Central.

Define a Space

Making Music from Kianna Sullivan on Vimeo.

Artist Statement

I’ve always had a subtle interest in video-making. Whenever teachers listed videos as an option for projects and presentations, I’d jump at the opportunity. It just seems fun to me. But outside of said projects, I haven’t dwelled much in the field. It seems far more daunting to make videos recreationally. By this, I mean, putting yourself out there as a creative entity, rather than just presenting your video for a required grade in school. It’s hard to make a statement about my art when I haven’t actually done that much creating as of yet.

What I hope for in this course is that it will give me more creative confidence, as well as make me more motivated to plan projects on my own. I believe that after taking this class and polishing my (very unrefined) videography skills, I will be confident enough to start working on my own personal projects for fun and able to post them publicly without worrying about judgment so much. Working with video production could lead to various fun job opportunities, but even if I don’t make a career out of such a thing, I think it would be beneficial to find a creative outlet for my free time and I’ve never been one for, say for example, painting or drawing.