Jack Olsen Film 160 Blog

  Walking around my neighborhood while doing nothing but paying attention to the sounds I heard was certainly an interesting experience. With the new sound terms I had learned in mind, I realized that almost all of the sounds that I actually noticed on a regular basis were known as sound signals, specifically made to get attention. These included the foghorn from the ferry, horns from passing cars, and sirens from a passing ambulance. The reason I noticed these on a regular basis seemed to be that they were designed to be noticed, by either pedestrians such as myself or other drivers. The ferry foghorn in particular was interesting to me with my new knowledge of types of sound. It was both a sound signal, made to get attention, as well as a soundmark, indicating where in New York I was taking my walk. Not many neighborhoods get to hear the foghorn of a docking or departing ship with as much regularity as mine. The sounds that I noticed, however, were also interesting to me. Most we...

  When making a piece of art in any medium, film or otherwise, I believe it is best to pull from one’s own life experiences for inspiration. This allows you to take an experience or feeling that most are familiar with, and exaggerate or twist it, in order to convey a feeling to the audience. What kind of experience is being used as a base can differ wildly, as will the way that different people will interpret the work. A personal favorite trope of mine in this respect is coming of age stories. Young people look at these stories and see their current selves in the characters, allowing them to connect closely with the events of the film. Older people may see these stories and feel nostalgic for their youth, seeing their younger, more naïve selves in the characters. A story that can be interpreted in different ways based on the age of the viewer is an interesting concept to me, and I hope to incorporate something similar in my own works.