Process Piece

            Artist Statement: 

            As film students, we usually focus on the visual and only use the audio to enhance the image. This assignment was based on only using sound to convey a process. So, we chose to use a process that we are very familiar with as film students, watching a movie. We included the sounds of a TV turning on, a DVD case opening, using a DVD player, the actual film sound, popcorn and snacks. It was interesting to fabricate some of the sounds that we weren’t able to have around, like the popcorn popping. We had to use to world around us to find a similar sound, which was fun to discover how to use sounds we already know in a different way.

            Process is something that, arguably, this generation has lost appreciation for. We are in a world of instant gratification and products. Rarely, do you go into a home and see chickens being raised so that at dinnertime we can actually eat meat. Instead, today we have frozen dinners that take 3-5 minutes to heat up, or restaurants where you can order food without even leaving the comfort of your car. But there is something inherently satisfying in process. For example, I crochet blankets and scarves, not for the product (which I actually give away more often than not) but for the process itself.

            In class, we had viewings that demonstrated the use of not only sound, but also process. In Mercadante’s Routines, we see a simple, everyday task accentuated by embellishing the sounds that accompany putting on a belt. This is something that we usually overlook in our day-to-day lives, but it was nice to take a moment to acknowledge the process that is involved in our daily routines. Similarly, in our audio piece we drew attention to the tiny sounds that go along with such a mundane task.

            Gary Hecker, the foley artist from Robin Hood (2010) and The Empire Strikes Back (1980) also recognizes the importance of sounds in a process. In an interview Hecker says, “It takes timing and a huge creative mind to… use, chose and change sounds.” He goes on to say, “films are a big canvas of sound, and we paint different colors and textures so that you have a [masterpiece] of sound.” Then for the audiences he demonstrates the different sounds fabricated for his films, and describes the process that it takes to complete a film.

P.S. 10 points if you can guess the movie playing in the background.