Final Project

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n34J3dD7FWs 

Scene Analysis

The scene I chose to analyze is taken from James McTeigue’s V for Vendetta. This sequence, commonly referred to as the “Evey Reborn” scene, stars both protagonist of the film, Evey and V, played by Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving respectively. To me, this sequence was one of the most powerful in the movie which is why I chose to analyze it.
The sound really helps to set the mood of the scene. Throughout the film we learn that the character V loves and enjoys anything classical. He enjoys such classics as the original The Count of Monte Cristo film, ballroom dancing, sword fighting, and above all, classical music. Like most of the movie, this scene uses classical, orchestral music. While Evey is the main focus, the use of this music, which is reminiscent of V’s character, shows how V has influenced and essentially rubbed off on Evey. He has become a part of her. The music starts off soft and only with a few instruments, as the scene unfolds and Evey breaks away from V to embrace the rain and essentially the change in herself, the music becomes stronger and louder and more complex with more instruments being added, creating many layers of sound. The scene ends with the music fading out a bit and the sound of thunder and rain become the prominent noises.
The organization of shots in this sequence also adds to the mood and theme of the scene. At one point there is a close up of Evey’s face as the rain is falling on her, she whispers “God is in the Rain,” and the next shot cuts to an over head looking down on her as if the audience is God themselves. This shot is my favorite in this sequence. We look down on Evey as the music crescendos and chimes can be heard, giving even more of an angelic feeling, the rain falls in slow motion and the camera zooms in following the rain, to get a close up looking down on Evey. The last few shots are also quite powerful. We see Evey as she embraces the rain, arms open and laughing at the sky, it then cuts to V, when he had his own rebirth, he stands amongst a burning building, surrounded by flames with his arms open yelling to the sky. There are several shots that cut from Evey’s rebirth then to V’s. The similarities and differences in those shots show the similarities and differences of the characters too. One is born of fire and anger while the other is born of water and relief/joy.

The Museum of the Moving Image

Visiting the Museum of the Moving Image was an absolutely incredible experience. It was my first time visiting this museum but it will most definitely not be my last. This museum was very different from other museums I’ve been to before like MOMA. The Museum of the Moving Image, unlike other museums, was very interactive. I found that this trait is what made the museum so interesting and people friendly. The hands on experience I thought were very intriguing. The ability to create my own flipbook or stop-motion animation was a definite treat. Alongside the interactive quality of the Museum of the Moving Image, I also really enjoy seeing all of the props and costumes from famous films. While admittedly I have never seen the Star Wars movies, I was still able to appreciate the sight of little Yoda. But one of the props that I found the most interesting, simply because I enjoyed the movie so much, was the prosthetics from Black Swan. It was great to see all the types of things that go on behind the scenes of a film, especially in such a hands on manner.

Interview with Hasnah Farraj on Writing

What I Hear -- Kew Gardens

I decided to take my soundwalk through my own neighborhood in Kew Gardens. I’ve only lived there about seven months and in that time I have never paid much attention to all the sounds around me. For the most part, while walking through the streets, I listen to music or talk to whoever may be with me. Because of this, I have never realized all of the different noises that are present in a place which I once regarded as quite but, have since learned better. The first sound that I noticed while on my walk was that of the wind. I feel that the natural sounds that come from nature tend to be the ones that are ignored the most. With the wind also comes the sound of the rustling of leaves or whatever trash that may be littered on the ground. On this day the sound of birds could be heard singing their songs now that the weather has finally started to warm up. Walking off of my own block and onto the busy street of Queens Boulevard, I was hit with enough sounds to make it difficult to pinpoint them all. The most prominent sounds were that of the traffic. The engines of cars roaring and the honking of horns by impatient drivers were very clear. With the cars, more wind could be heard as the traffic whooshed by me. The F train underneath my feet could also be heard from the grates on the sidewalk. And, of course, the people all around me made even more noise. I could hear the clanking of heels on the concrete sidewalk, a mother rushing her two young children along, several people talking on their phones, and even more people playing music loud enough to be heard from their headphones. It’s incredible the amount of different sounds that surround us that most people, including myself, tend to ignore. It is something I will definitely be more aware of from now on.

Define a Space: The Library

The Library from Brandi Ude on Vimeo.

Artist Statement

I enjoy a good mystery, I like to problem solve and analyze to fully understand something and that’s how I create my work. I dabble in many different art forms such as dance and writing but, my main focus is on drawing and painting. I try to add layers to each piece so that even when a person breaks the surface, they still have far to go before truly understanding the art, and that’s how I see life. It is a puzzle, an enigma, a piece of art that needs to be analyzed and dissected to be understood and even then, there are so many layers that it takes a lifetime to fully comprehend it’s worth. It’s a mystery I find myself drawn to and cannot help try to solve. It will mean something different to each person and I want them all to be able to find a bit of themselves in my work. I want them to see the mystery but, when they finally understand it, they do so in their own right, what the mystery is to them is not what it is to the next person. We all see things and interpret things differently and I like to explore those ideas. One person may see a rose and think of love and happiness while another may look upon that same rose and see sadness and loss. This is what drives me. Showing how each individual can see the same image in a different way and understanding why that is. I’ve come to learn that it tends to be past experiences that lead people to see things in such a way. A simple image can mean a thousand different things; it just takes a different person to see each meaning.