The Sound of Silence

There is something strange that happens when we are faced with intentional silence. An image immediately comes to mind of the moments of silence through out school when the intended goal was to refrain from laughter. Yet, something unique occurs when the intention of the silence lasts for more than just a brief moment and even more interestingly when it involves the majority of activities that make up our everyday lives. With the start of the 72 hour media fast, my feelings were quickly absorbed with some sort of lingering anxiety that lasted throughout. Never had I ever wanted the slightest means of stimulation before. I longed for just a quick listen to a song, the opening credits of a Netflix series, or even just a simple text message. It was surprising, really. Driving was a new experience as instead of being greeted by the radio, I was welcomed only to the sounds of my keys jingling against one another as I drove over speed bumps. I was, however, able to focus more on my thoughts, instead of trying to fill the silence with the next distraction. It was something I greatly appreciated and brought me back to my semester abroad and the disconnect I had there. The quiet really allows one to reconnect to their surroundings and to be more sensitive to what is happening around them.

First Response: Stream of Conciousness

After watching Norman Mclaren's piece, my mind was was bursting with as many thoughts as the figures etched onto each film strip. Below is a transcription of my thought process: 

The video was a collection of colors, shapes, and patterns set to Vince Guaraldi sounding jazz music. There was rhythm, and the synching of shapes and music. Exciting piano riffs. Very cool, enjoyable and surprisingly entertaining. Use of languages, most notably French. Abstract. Prints. Dancing lines and figures. Poetic: blue, red, and orange hues. Non coherent story. Avant garde. Stains, marks and scratches. Changes in tone, but mood remains upbeat. High energy, with a lot of percussion dominating the score. Use of film strips. Editing methods must be incredibly difficult. Was it made using blank film strips? How did emulsion factor in the creation? Did it have to be developed? Use of drawings and sketches. Bouncing and popping. Striking, beautiful and talented.