Sounds of Nature

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rr53PVKdMl4

Birdsong, water and wind sounds have been suggested to ease stress and anxiety. A new study conducted by -Cassandra Gould van Praag, PhD, a research fellow at the University of Sussex
said ‘They (nature sounds) physically alter the connections in our brains, reducing our body’s natural fight-or-flight instinct.’

A film by Jack Chambers called ‘The Hart of London’ has interludes os sound which is used effectively with the visual. I am most drawn to the running water sound which can be herd from the middle of the film until the end. Though some of the visuals in the film during the second half may be disturbing the sound of the water adds a sense of calm to the film. The sound leads the visual and leaves you questioning your relationship to the artists, as well as the life and death themes in the film.

A Millenial Audience

William Doan – Art tackling mental health

Millennials

Millennials have grown up surrounded by technology and the internet. The advance push in technology, whether it’s though medical or personal technology is phenomenal. Apps like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram help us stay connected to friends and is a great way of sharing and storing memories. Mobile banking helps us stay on top of our finances without having to go to a bank, and health apps help us track our fitness and the amount of steps we take in a day.

However, it also seems we can’t escape technology, its constantly on and always a tap or click away. TV’s and computers are in bedrooms while mobile phones are always within reaching distance. Because of technology being so readily available, the constant amount of data and information we take in through bright LED screens never ends, and algorithms have been programmed into phones and websites to make them addictive.

Social media is a massive part of our culture, it’s how we communicate and share thoughts, but it’s also a damaging tool if used without moderation. We can get so wrapped up in other people’s lives that we forget to live our own. By ‘Facebook stalking’ or binge watching Youtube blogs we can loose sight of our own identities, creating a platform for us to become envious, depressed and anxious.

Switching off from our technology can only improve our mental health even if it’s just for five minutes. To be able to establish your own ideas and think about how you feel is an integral part of being human, and something which technology often blocks out.

Linked below are some interesting articles about millennials.

http://www.independent.co.uk/student/student-life/millennials-generation-y-quie-polite-activism-protest-streets-activism-twitter-facebook-ice-bucket-a7559801.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/millennials-uk-mental-health-depression-world-ranking-second-worst-study-anxiety-a7572026.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-41036361

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-38399246

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-us-canada-35435540/new-barbie-shapes-seek-to-entice-millenial-mums

 

Anna Ginsburg and Adam Young on creating tour visuals for Bombay Bicycle Club

Animator and illustrator Anna Ginsburg created the tour visuals for Bombay Bicycle Club alongside Adam Young. In this video they talk about how they came up with some of the imagery concepts and how they were made. Anna Ginsburg and Jack Steadman talk about the visual response to the the track “Feel” being a very literal dancing snake reflecting the film the sample in the song is from in the  and the visuals “work perfectly” because of the relation to what we are hearing being a typical response and the hypnotic effect. She went with her instinct response to hearing the track. Another part I find interesting is that she used the dancing Beyonce inspired character which she didn’t feel was quite right for the band at first so went on to change it however they preferred her original hip hop dancer showing that you don’t always know how a client will respond to work and all ideas are worth a shot.

 

‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’ transitions

More influence from director Edgar Wright, this video essay explores how Wright uses transitions as narrative tools. 00:44-01:50 Gives an excellent example of how transitions can be dictated by motion within the scene

With cycling being inherently kinetic, having my transitions follow the rapid motion of the rider allowed me to create moments of disorientation where transitions merge into each other, reflecting the riders physical exertion as well as direction.

Using the passing bicycle to pull in the transition following the the counter-clockwise trajectory of water was, in a sequence that follows a left to right motion, is the way in which I achieved this.

Bespoke

This piece of music was created solely with audio captured from a bike and its component. By exploring a bikes full potential to generate sound, this video gave me an initial idea of the most sound-rich areas of cycling.

The composer talks about how he associates the sound of a bike with the freedom he felt cycling as a child, demonstrating that these sounds are instrumental to the cycling experience. It is primarily though these, more intimate sound, that I draw contrast between the calm distant view and the personal experience of a hill climb.

Birch Std.

Birch

To enforce the idea of stereotypes within a film, the appropriate typefaces should be used to subconsciously insinuate an idea to the audience. The font ‘Birch’ was made famous by its use within the western culture in wanted posters and in western style films. It is this culture that is often associated with country music, therefore creating imagery and design styles which then become synonymous with the genre of music.

The Birch typeface was created taking inspiration from a range of different styles from the 20th Century, and is modelled from a wood type. Although not suitable for main text, the typeface is suited to large and bold headlines and titles, due to the distinctive narrow lettering.

The use of stereotypes is presented when the audience can begin to understand type and design, when visual connections are displayed to other pieces of design that they may have seen before. This is how stereotypes can be used to the advantage of designers, by ensuring that their audience will make assumptions about the design displayed.