YunxiaoMu.Vision

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Final Project Proposal - The Eternal Blink

My project is The Eternal Blink, which will explore the concepts of time flowing and remaining still, as well as the eternal and the instant, to express the theme that time and memory are always so long yet seem to pass away in an instant.

Inspiration：

L'Eau de la Seine (Teo Hernandez, 1982-1983)

This film explores time, desire, and memories through the scenery of the Seine River and human images. It aimed to adopt a non-narrative editing approach and rebuild the audience's expression through poetic association and sensory logic. 

He adopted the creative approach of handheld shooting and slight camera shake. The camera lens visualized the sensations, transporting the audience into a perceptual world. 

He also used overexposure to simulate moments that cannot be clearly remembered. 

In my project, I will use handheld and shaking camera lenses to depict the flow of time.

Sorrows (Gregory J. Markopoulos.1969)

This film employed techniques such as single-frame editing, the stroboscopic effect, and changes in lighting. 

It creates an emotional rhythm and awakens the subconscious of the audience. 

And I will incorporate occlusion and stroboscopic effects in my work to depict moments of time standing still and those retained in memory.

Alexander Babarikin

https://www.instagram.com/wrapped.nil?igsh=MWRmeGk4dTlwN2lveQ==

At the same time, the slow-motion photography also provided me with aesthetic inspiration.

Synopsis and Conceptual Framework:

Concept:

My project will explore two fundamental forms of memory and the apprehension of time: flow and stillness, eternity and the instant. What I want to express is that our life experience is the continuous dialogue between these two forms.

Stylistic approach:

In the opening scene, I’ll incorporate occlusion to depict the process of transitioning from being awake to falling asleep.

Then, I’ll portray time flowing and memories through slow shutter and shaking the camera to capture the natural and urban scenes throughout the day; meanwhile, I’ll cross-cut these shots to portray the moments when memories are frozen in time.

Thus, to fully convey the two forms that time or memories take in one's life.

Techniques:

Shooting in Super 8: The graininess and nostalgic atmosphere can well reflect the theme of time and memory. 

Bleaching and scratching in some Super 8 clips, and then re-scanning: This process can simulate the passage of time, the fading of memories, and the wear and tear. 

Painting in Clean 16mm and through post-production to overlap with some Super 8 clips: To create a stronger subjective color and psychological awareness.

Sound Design：

I will create the background music using freesound. 

And selectively record the reading of T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets—specifically "Burnt Norton"—and play the audio back repeatedly in the room to create a resonant effect that conveys a sense of the passage of time and the fading of memory.

Artist reference：

AlvinLucier, I am sitting in room (1969) 

Resource Requirements:

Canon 1014XL-S Super 8 Camera

Kodak Vision3 50D Super8 Film

Kodak Vision3 500T Super8 Film

Clean 16mm Film

Scratch/additive tools

Painting tools

Bleacher

Zoom H6 + Rode Shotgun Recording Kit

Timeline:

(10.6 - 10.12)

Shooting period: 10.10 - 10.12

(10.13 - 10.19)

Film processing and scanning, Sound recording

(10.20 - 10.26)

Film processing and scanning, Painting

(10.27 - 11.2)

Film processing and scanning + Receiving finished video + Physical Manipulation (Bleaching and Scratching) and Re-scanning

(11.3 - 11.9)

Post-production

(11.10 - 11.16)

Post-production + Completing Research Journal

11.17 - Due 11.21

Completion and submission

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The art of sound and noise BLOG

Assignment 1: Sound Ecology

Home is the place we are most familiar with. We feel the sound and make sound at home every day, but the most familiar place is often the one that we most easily ignore.

Therefore, in my project, I plan to create a sound ecological work that focuses on my home.

Instead of following the process order, I will randomly use the recording of daily items such as kitchen utensils, furniture and electrical appliances to explore their intentional and accidental vibration, material and atmosphere, and explore the relationship between the reaction of objects stimulated in space and the sound of space itself. At the same time, I want the audience to guess where these sounds come from, because, ignoring the sounds at home, people may imagine them as sounds from other places.

Artist Examples：

1.Toshiya Tsunoda, Solid Vibration of a Support Pillar for the External Unit for a Large Size Refrigerator(1997) https://youtu.be/H7Z609tzLPg?si=Zlxs9IXYKaLCCqQb

Recording the vibration of the external equipment of the refrigerator through the contact microphone provides me with technical inspiration.

I will use this method to explore the sound world that is ignored inside refrigerators, exhaust fans, microwave ovens and other objects.

Visit Original Link

2.Akio Suzuki, Conceptual Sound Work(2020) https://youtu.be/fBNMubCZc-E?si=_Np8hwHyFgUUAa25

Suzuki explored the atmosphere created by wrapping tape in cartons indoors, which provided me with material inspiration.

I began to explore the material and sound when the knife cut the carton, tore the tape, wiped the carpet with detergent, etc., when unpacking the express delivery.

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3.Fiona Lee, Delight (2016) https://fionaleews.bandcamp.com/track/delight

Fiona used fluorescent light bulbs, modular synthesisers and circular magnets driven by electromagnetic fields generated by eddy coils to rotate in glass bowls to explore the natural rhythmic rhythm of object interaction.

I also explored different rhythms when I took the initiative to make sounds. For example, when knocking on the plate, I first make a single knock, and then do many consecutive knocks, and the sound of knocking when the spoon falls naturally.

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Recording Experiments and Process Documentation

I recorded 47 sound materials using the ZoomH6, and then selected 19 sounds to add to the work.

They are:

In-house environmental sound

The sound of the refrigerator

The sound of the switch light

The sound of cutting watermelon

The sound of brushing the plate

The sound of cutting nails

The sound of the spoon scratching the bowl

The sound of running water in the kitchen

The sound of hair dryer

Open the refrigerator door and the sound of bottles colliding

The sound of oranges landing

The sound of tearing tape

The sound of carpet cleaning

The sound of opening the drawer and putting the tableware

The recorder is attached to the washing machine to record the sound.

The sound of the air outlet of the oven

The sound of a knife scratching the carton

Electrical button sound

The sound of boiling water in the pot

At the beginning of the production process, I stitched different sounds together. I found it interesting to listen to each sound alone, but it was very unnatural to simply sew them together.

I realised that it was because the 'acoustic space' of each sound was inconsistent, so I rearranged the sound and solved this problem through technology and editing.

I recorded a continuous room tone and the sound of the refrigerator throughout the song, unifying all the sounds in the same background. To emphasise the neglected background noise, I processed these audio files effectively to amplify the previously ignored sound.

I reorganise the continuous sound, such as the sound of the refrigerator working, the sound of the oven, the sound of the hair dryer, the sound of the water flow, etc. According to the characteristics of different sounds, I let the loud sound appear first, and then layer by layer through the front and middle of the project, and then from the middle to the back of the layer with low loudness. Subtract. Then, I deleted some fragments of these sounds at intervals, so that the sounds of different loudness can be superimposed at various times and interact with each other.

Then, I sorted out the indirect sounds, such as the sound of the spoon knocking on the plate, the sound of cutting watermelon, the sound of switching, the sound of opening the drawer and putting the tableware, the sound of oranges falling to the ground, etc. Intervally placed on the audio track, the audience will also intermittently hear the interaction between these single sounds, continuous sounds and intermittent sounds when listening to the interaction of different continuous sounds. To enhance the effect of these sounds, I added reverb and added echoes to some sounds to amplify the faint vibration.

Assignment2:

Echoes of the Matrix: An Auditory Journey into the Womb of the World

Members: Yunxiao Mu, Mengyi Hu

Concept:

Our project, "Echoes of the Matrix," aims to use sound to create an immersive experience reminiscent of the womb. We will craft three distinct sonic environments using sounds generated from various materials, representing the Womb of the Flesh, the Womb of the Earth, and the Womb of the Cosmos.

We hope that this work can offer a space for individuals to return to—a sanctuary for self-contemplation during times of confusion and unease.

Content:

We pre-recorded audio through a "soundwalk," where I placed a Zoom recorder inside a shopping bag and walked to the supermarket to complete my groceries. This was followed by a recording captured on a bus.

We view the enclosed forms of the shopping bag and the bus as symbolic of a different kind of womb. The Zoom recorder, nestled inside, receives sound, representing our existence within the 'womb of the earth.' These recorded sounds were then played back during our live performance. This approach signifies a transition—from the imaginative space of the 'womb of the flesh' towards the tangible, sensory experience of the 'womb of the earth.' 

To further articulate the concept of ‘the womb of the earth’, we introduced more natural and human-made sounds in the performance using materials like leaves, water, boxes, and plastic bags.

In the final section of the piece, we gradually pared back the existing layers of sound. Only the underlying ambient noise of the various environments remained, subtly blended with new textures created by electronic components. All sounds were then slowly faded out into silence.

A crucial step in our process involved playing this composite audio back into a physical space and re-recording it. This secondary recording captured the audio as it interacted with the acoustics of the environment, creating a layered, mediated version. 

The final work is presented a video. This format fully articulates the cycle of life's information: its transmission, reception, transformation, and retransmission. 

What we present is a video composed of two visual components. On the left side, we show a conceptual visual sequence created through hand-drawn marks on 16mm film, designed to echo and respond to the sound. On the right side, we display documentation of our live performance, where different materials are used to generate sound.

Artists and 
References:

Ryoji Ikeda - supersymmetry (2014)

Christina Kubisch, Nine Magnetic Places (2017) 

Alvin Lucier, I am sitting in a room (1969)

Yin Xiuzhen, INTROSPECTIVE CAVITY (2008)

She tries to evoke people's memories in the mother's womb through "Introspection", making people explore their memory, fantasy and desire of individuals.

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Rhythm Film Project

My project explored the primordial vigour of life and the pursuit of spiritual rebirth. 

In Henri Matisse's painting, "Dance," I sensed a pure and unrestrained vitality, a joyous and liberating feeling of humanity as a natural subject rather than an object.

This sense led me to an ancient origin: the shamanic ritual. I discovered that ancient shamanic rituals have similar forms of expression and purposes.

The shaman ritual achieves an altered state of consciousness through extreme physical experiences, such as trance, singing, and dancing, and thereby brings the wandering soul back into the body. It is precisely the most primitive form of re-establishment of subjectivity.

My project is inspired by this, utilising film to create a shamanic ritual, awaken the inherent vitality and spiritual memory, return to the source of the spirit, and reconnect with nature and the soul.

Artist Examples：

The Melbourne International Animation Festival 2010 Trailer by Steven Woloshen：

His works possess a strong musicality and rhythm. He incorporates various elements to create anime, rhythm and plot.

A Phantasy in Colors - Norman McLaren（1949）

It showcases the perfect blend of graphics, scratches and music. The part where the graphics move along with the music particularly inspired me.

An Optical Poem - Oskar Fischinger（1938）

Although Oskar Fischinger created visual animations, the rhythm generated by the images and sounds in his works also inspired me.

A Colour Box - Len Lye (1935)

It shows how a wide variety of hand-drawn lines are arranged according to the rhythm of the music.

Mothlight - Stan Brakhage（1963）

Stan stuck different insects and leaves onto the film. She magnified the texture of animals and plants, which inspired me to express the relationship between people and nature in the shaman.

Colour Inspiration:

Based on the colour schemes of shamanic clothing and the colours of heaven and earth, I chose red, green, blue and yellow as the primary colours.

Through blue-violet and pink, I aimed to convey the sensation of spiritual power and entering a trance-like state.

In addition, my colour inspiration also comes from Alisher Kushakov and Andre Brasilier.

Technical Exploration: Overall, I used painting, bleaching, sharp objects, sandpaper, and attaching objects to the film's surface.

1. In shamanic rituals, plants and animals are usually used.

I express this through the following methods:

Place the feather stick and shell on the film, then scrape the film Stick long strips of leaves directly on it.

First draw on the film, then attach plants and feathers.

Dip the leaves in bleach and press them onto the film to cause them to fade.

Hang the film on a frame, drip colours onto it from top to bottom, allowing it to flow naturally to represent the growth and fluidity of plants in nature

At the same time, I also added animal sound elements in the audio to enhance this expression.

2. In shamanistic rituals, drumbeats are often regarded as having the power to guide and communicate with the spirit world.

In terms of the visual expression of the drumbeats, I used circular perforations, circular bleaching and colouring of the film with high-contrast colours, linear scraping and colouring.

In addition, I cut the already dried pigments from the palette into small pieces. I directly pasted them onto the film, hoping to achieve the effect of individual colour blocks moving. Although this did not occur after scanning and magnification, the colours were often more intense than those directly colored on the film, and there was also a texture similar to small bubbles.

3. Patterns: In the film, I identified three key patterns: the sun, the moon, and the dancing crowd, which I used to enhance the narrative aspect.

Editing techniques:

According to the shamanistic ritual, I divided the entire video into five parts.

In the video editing, I applied variable speed and rapid cutting techniques to different parts to match the rhythm of the music and create contrasts with the preceding and subsequent segments.

In the audio editing, the main audio track used electronic drumbeats, and additional elements such as the sounds of bird flocks flying and wolves howling were added. For different rhythm segments, the main audio track was processed with variable speed, and other elements such as chimes, dancing footsteps, and campfire sounds were superimposed. The reshaping of the rhythm at the end also represents the return of the soul.

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Experimental Film Class Notes

Films made without a camera：

Additive techniques using paint, inks, marker pens.

Subtractive techniques using sharp objects, sandpaper, bleach.

Moments captured by Professor Virginia📸

Contact printing introduction in darkroom.

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Finding Rhythm through Matisse and 16mm Film

Henri Matisse's representative work "Dance" was created in 1910. This oil painting on canvas, with its simple lines, intense colors (blue, green, and brick red), and dynamic composition, showcases the primitive vitality and spiritual depth of five women dancing in a circle.

The painting isn't just of dancers; it is a dance. My goal was to translate this essence from a static canvas into a dynamic, temporal experience using the tactile techniques of direct animation on 16mm film.

Key qualities：

Rhythm: The rhythm is created by the interlinked arms and legs of the dancers, forming a rolling, circular motion. It feels both joyous and primal.

Movement & Gesture: The bodies are not detailed but are defined by their gestures—arching backs, kicked legs, gripped hands. It's about the essence of movement, not its realistic depiction.

Colour Symbolism: The intense, flat planes of colour are non-naturalistic but deeply emotional. The vibrant red of the bodies signifies passion, life, and energy. The deep blue-green background represents the sky and earth (or harmony and stability), while the black lines are the raw, structural energy.

Line: The black outlines are not rigid; they are expressive, uneven, and urgent. They contain and define the explosive colour within.

Thematic: It depicts a state of ecstasy, freedom, and communal harmony. It's a vision of an ideal, liberated state of being.

Inspiration source:

Steven Woloshen：

His works possess a strong musicality and rhythm. Moreover, he incorporates various elements to create rhythm and plot.

A Phantasy in Colors - Norman McLaren（1949）

https://youtu.be/86Wp96uG-N8?si=Gvyo-Mh7_gfPShaF

It showcases the perfect blend of graphics, scratches and music. The part where the graphics move along with the music particularly inspired me.

An Optical Poem - Oskar Fischinger（1938）

https://youtu.be/FcHsysPGSt0?feature=shared

Although Oskar Fischinger created visual animations, the rhythm generated by the images and sounds in his works also inspired me.

A Colour Box - Len Lye (1935)

https://youtu.be/fOEqTwwkB3Y?si=AjX3JtgReOct_16D

It shows how a wide variety of hand-drawn lines are arranged according to the rhythm of the music.

Mothlight - Stan Brakhage（1963）

https://youtu.be/Yt3nDgnC7M8?si=ElJuey3u-pkubkHh