Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. —Lao Tzu
This is how my prototype looks like right now. The Kalimba has a built in Piezo Pick-Up from which the signal goes directly into the Bela board. The board itself is attached on the left side of the Kalimba. On top of it the touch panel is mounted right in the middle to be interacted with your thumbs. To the right there is a Push-Button and a potentiometer. In the top left corner, you can spot the red accelerometer and another potentiometer.
“The first use of the term in relation to film is generally attributed to British filmmaker John Grierson, who defined documentary as “the creative treatment of actuality” (Kerrigan and McIntyre,111). This definition attempts to reconcile the subject matter of a film — something that exists in the real world, as distinguished from fiction, wherein characters and settings are the product of a screenwriter’s imagination — and the vision of a filmmaker, whose art demands the creative interpretation of reality through the filter of a personal, subjective point of view, and whose craft requires innumerable technical decisions in the creative employment of the film medium and its production processes.”
“The cinema is an art form that requires conscious selective aesthetics judgments, but this fact shouldn’t erase the distinction between programs that depict avowedly fictional stories and those that address real-world topics without relying on the artifice of studio sets and actors’ performances. Documentary film thus enjoys a privileged status as a mediated representation of reality compared to fiction films. This distinction is not lost on viewers, who approach documentaries with a different frame of mind compared to fiction. Documentaries represent what Weik von Mosser (“Emotions,” 2014) calls “discourse of consequence,” meaning that viewers expect documentaries to potentially convey a message or have an impact on their actual lives, or at least on their understanding of the real world. This expectation is not diminished even though documentaries may evoke emotional responses in addition to presenting factual information.”
“The nature of a film’s reception depends to a great extent upon the expectations, knowledge, and values of its viewers. So a filmmaker frames her approaches to a topic based on the audience’s anticipated knowledge of and predisposition toward her topic.”
“The basic aesthetic elements of cinema may be summarised as visual composition, lighting, movement, color, direction of action, editing, sound (dialogue, sound effects, and music), and special effects. These elements of film craft may represent aspects of actual subjects in the real world, but they may also embody subjective perspective communicated by the filmmaker. For example, the angle of a shot may make a subject appear more powerful; a long take may convey a deeper sense of continuous reality than a series of quick cuts; and jux-tapositions of shots through editing may imply new associations and meanings through the comparison or contrast of images. Sound effects recorded in post production may add realism and emotional resonance to footage shot in the field without sync sound. Adding a musical soundtrack may lend an emotional tenor to a scene, reinforcing the message of the imagery. Even in direct cinema—the most pure mode of documentary style, which often relies on long takes and neutral camera angles—the filmmaker still makes decisions about where to put the camera, when to move it, and when to make the cut. There is no avoiding the conclusion that, as an art form, cinema molds its own reality as much as it presents that of the world.”
„Many documentaries engage in persuasive argument, desiring to convince the audience to adopt a particular point of view toward the subject matter. Toward this end, filmmakers employ age-old strategies of rhetorical argument to engage and persuade their audience. Following Aristotle, documentarians employ three primary rhetorical styles: (1) Logos—the use of factual evidence and reasoning—through logical argument, empirical visual representation (e.g. photographs or original footage), and statistical evidence (e.g., charts and graphs) to embody or clarify ideas; (2) Ethos—the reliance on authority, expertise, and ethical stature, established through testimony from recognized experts or those who speak from personal experience; and (3) Pathos—the appeal to values and emotions, often through cultivating an identification with sympathetic subjects, or feelings of anger toward their antagonist.“
„Documentary films certainly qualify as forms of communication or „speech“, but it is crucial to respect the difference by which a viewer receives an audio-visual presentation, in contrast to a written or spoken address. Speeches based on factual evidence or appeals to authority are primary left-brain, analytical activities. The listener weighs the evidence and reaches a conclusion, similar to the process in a jury trail. However, an image is „worth a thousand words“; it may appear to offer the strongest evidence of a state of affairs, as well as convey an emotional feeling, thus involving both analytical and intuitive mental faculties. For example, the juxtaposition of two images may establish an implicit link between them that creates a sort of „visual logic.“ The combination of an image and a musical theme may engage one‘s logical and emotional faculties simultaneously. The skilfulness of a persuasive documentarian often rests in his ability to weave these rhetorical threads together seamlessly.“
(The environmental documentary, Bloomsbury Publishing Inc, USA, 2017, John A. Duvall)
In diesem Eintrag soll es um einen Western-Film gehen, der erst letztes Jahr vorgestellt wurde. Im Dezember 2020 wurde „News of the World“ offiziell veröffentlicht, und rund zwei Monate später auch auf Netflix gezeigt. In der Hauptrolle findet sich Tom Hanks, der in der Geschichte einen besonderen Beruf ausübt, und (wie so oft) mit den Widrigkeiten der damaligen Zeit umgehen muss. Der Film spielt im Jahr 1870, wo der Protagonist von Stadt zu Stadt reist, um den dort Ansässigen aus spärlich verfügbaren Tageszeitungen vorzulesen und über das Geschehen der Welt zu informieren. Dafür verlangt er eine kleine Gebühr, um seine Kosten irgendwie finanzieren zu können. Er lebt ein einfaches Leben, allerdings erfüllt ihn seine Arbeit. Als er sich auf den Weg in eine neue Stadt macht, stößt er auf ein kleines Mädchen in indigener Kleidung, das ausgesetzt worden zu sein scheint. Er nimmt es auf, um es schließlich der Armee zu übergeben, da er nicht weiß, was er mit ihr tun soll. Die Herrschaften der Armee aber machen eine Verwandtschaft zu einer Familie aus, die sich rund 400 Meilen entfernt von ihnen befindet. Was also tun? Wofür entscheidet sich „Jefferson Kyle Kidd“ (so der Name des Protagonisten)? Er entscheidet sich für die Rückführung des Kindes und macht sich auf den Weg.
Schon bevor sie sich auf den Weg machen, gibt es einige Probleme. Das Mädchen mit Namen „Johanna Leonberger“ spricht kein Englisch und versucht immer wieder vom Protagonisten wegzulaufen. Drei Soldaten versuchen sie etwas später abzukaufen, und als Kidd ablehnt bedrohen sie ihn. Auf der Reise werden sie von den drei Männern gejagt, die aber durch Geschick und einer Portion Glück abgehalten werden, sie umzubringen. Mit jedem Tag den sie gemeinsam verbringen (müssen), verstehen sie sich besser und werden so etwas wie Freunde. Als sie nach weiteren Strapazen und anderen Ereignissen dann schließlich bei der Familie ankommen, wissen die auch nicht so Recht was sie mit Johanna anfangen sollen. Der Protagonist lässt sie dort, mit einem schlechten Gewissen. Er besucht San Antonio – seine alte Heimat – wo auch das Grab seiner Frau liegt, die vor einigen Jahren verstorben ist. Nach Gedanken wie es um ihn und seine Familie steht, die es nicht mehr gibt, macht er sich auf den Weg zu Johanna. Er findet sie angekettet vor dem Haus der Familie. Der Grund – sie will nicht arbeiten und läuft immer wieder davon. Schließlich einigt er sich mit der Familie Johanna wieder in seine Obhut zu nehmen. Das Mädchen akzeptiert, und auch die Entschuldigung, die er ihr vorträgt.
Der Film schließt mit einer Szene, in der Johanna dem Protagonisten hilft, als er die Geschichten aus den Zeitungen vorträgt. Sie wurde von ihm adoptiert (sie trägt seinen Nachnamen) und beide sind glücklich darüber. Ein schönes Ende – und ein doch recht klassischer Western. Obwohl die Geschichte alles andere als klassisch ist, sind die Motive und Elemente typisch und stark vertreten. Es kommt vieles vor, über das wir schon gesprochen haben. Der Einzelgänger als Protagonist, der sich mit Land, Leuten und Natur herumschlagen muss, das feindlich gestimmte Umfeld, prekäre Situationen und eine Reise, die die Charaktere so schnell nicht vergessen. Auch Sklaverei, Schusswechsel und der Tod als Thematik werden selbstverständlich aufgegriffen. Themen der damaligen Zeit, wie etwa das Aufkommen der Zeitungen, dienen als schöne Rahmenhandlung. Auch die Landschaft wird in einem starken Licht eingefangen, was einen für den Western typischen Kontrast mit den Geschehnissen schafft. Alles in allem handelt es sich bei „News of the World“ um einen durchaus erfrischenden, sehenswerten Western-Film, der vieles aufgreift und doch seinen eigenen Zugang zur Materie findet.
Quellen
Is virtual reality a tool for social change?
In the world of film, VR has become a powerful tool for tackling pressing social issues. It’s capable of presenting hard truths in ways that the average person can easily comprehend and connect with. However, its greatest power is its ability to inspire action.
The fully immersive experience that VR provides makes it an excellent medium for storytelling.
It cuts off viewers from the outside world. Unlike traditional films, which set a safe distance between you and the story, VR puts viewers right in the middle of it. It creates visceral experiences that enable you to connect with characters in a much deeper way. Moreover, it eliminates the typical distractions that you encounter in the cinema, allowing you to focus on the story.See Also: Virtual Reality Documentary Tells the Story of the Band That Changed History in Eastern Europe
Depending on the point of view, you can watch the story unfold from the perspective of a character. You can walk in someone else’s shoes. You’ll feel empathy—not just sorrow—for the real lives represented in the film.
One of the latest VR documentaries you can check out right now is called Reeducated, which debuted at SXSW back in March. Through this film, The New Yorker exposes the harsh truths inside the Xinjiang prison camps. It accompanies their investigative piece called “Inside Xinjiang’s Prison State,” a multimedia report detailing ethnic and religious persecution in China.
The internment camps in China have been a well-kept secret for quite some time now. Apart from survivor accounts and satellite imagery, the world knows so little about the reality inside these camps. That is, until now, with the debut of Reeducated.
Just before the COVID-19 lockdown, reporter Ben Mauk, director Sam Wolson, and illustrator Matt Huynh traveled to Central Asia. There, they spoke with dozens of survivors of the mass internment campaign.
The documentary, however, only uses the testimonies of three Kazakh men who survived the internment camps.
Huynh captured their stories in pen-and-brush drawings. Animator Nicholas Rubin—with the help of Jon Bernson, who composed the spatial audio—reconstructed the illustrations in a three-dimensional space.
Using a VR headset such as Oculus Rift, you can step into the prison yards, cells, and classrooms in the camps. Since there are no photos or video footage of the camps, VR makes a great alternative. It brings viewers directly into the story, allowing them to connect with these people. Moreover, it conveys the stories with clear and powerful emotions.
VR documentaries are nothing new. In 2014, Zero Point was released as the first 360-degree movie made for the Oculus Rift. It’s about immersive filmmaking and follows the researchers, developers, and pioneers of virtual reality.
Over the years, there has been an increasing number of VR documentaries, which focus on a myriad of subjects and stories. Some of them are like Reeducated in that they tackle pressing issues.See Also: Shaun MacGillivray Chats About IMAX and VR Movies
Traveling While Black is one such example. It illustrates the US’ long history of restrictions for Black Americans. At the same time, it shows viewers how they can make a difference in their communities.
Other VR films illustrate human experiences that might be foreign to the average person. Notes on Blindness, The Protectors: Walk in the Ranger’s Shoes, and Zero Days are a few examples. As VR becomes widely available, filmmakers might use it more not just to highlight pressing issues but also to encourage action.
Viele von euch kennen es bestimmt, ein neuer Aufrag, ein neues Layout ist gefragt. DIN-Formate, naja, sind oft zu fade. Also, ran ans Paper-Prototypen und Formate ausprobieren. Welches Format kann am sinnvollsten vom Konzept abgeleitet werden?
Ruck, Zuck ist der erste Prototyp angefertigt. Der Zweite, Dritte…
Nun brauchen wir einen sinnvollen Satzspiegel – gute/SPANNENDE Randproportionen sind das Wichtigste:
Tschichold, Fibonacci, Goldener Schnitt, Neunerteilung, … oder doch frei?
Jetzt beginnt die Rechnerei, denn der Teufel steckt im Detail. Möglicherweise bin ich hierbei eine Ausnahme, aber es muss einfach stimmen. So, ab damit ins Indesign, um mir die Vorschau anzusehen.
Sehr gut, gefällt mir erst mal nicht, da muss ich nochmal ran. So lässt sich ein Nachmittag schnell mit Rechnerei und tüfteln verbringen. Die Berechnungen sind bekanntlich keine „Rocket-Science“, aber kosten mich Motivation und sind unnötiger Zeitaufwand. Besser wäre es also die Zeit direkt in die Prototypen zu stecken.
Daher habe ich beschlossen einen Golden Ratio Viewer zu programmieren.
Einige der möglichen Berechnungen, für alle Fans der Proportionen 😉
https://www.teuderun.de/typografie/satzspiegel-konstruktionen/
Ziel:
Seitenverhältnisse schnell ändern
Satzspiegel schnell ändern
Richtige Satzspiegel-Berechnung
Schnelle Bedienung
Anzeige mit den kalkulierten Proportionen
Verschiedene Satzspiegel Varianten anwenden
Ergebnis:
Ich habe mich mehr oder weniger bewusst für die vermutlich ungeeignetste IDE entschieden: Processing. NULL vorgefertigte GUI-Elemente, Eventhandler etc. – perfekt. Weil ich mir ohnehin das Mouse-Handling mit selbst gebauten UI-Elementen ansehen wollte hab ich mich dennoch an die Arbeit damit gemacht.
Da, wie oben erwähnt keine GUI-Elemente existieren und ich lieber gleich auf Libraries verzichten wollte, habe ich die Steuerung quick and dirty, bzw quick and old-school per Keyboard abgewickelt.
Da mich aber auch das Mouse-Handling interssiert, habe ich auch dieses ausprogrammiert.
Am Ende hat mich das Tool doch mehr Zeit als geplant gekostet, aber immerhin DIY lol
As mentioned in my last blog post, symbolic meaning acts as one of the most important attributes of product attachment and can be considered as an important factor for positive design. For a better understanding I wanted to do further research on the term of symbolic meaning, outlined in the following text.
Symbolic meaning refers to the image and the associations that spring to mind in regard to a specific object/product. Objects can then act as symbols, providing personal meaning as well as communicating (the owner’s) personal characteristics to others. Those meaning that we attach to objects directly influence how we feel about objects and how we assess them. Researches developed various terms to describe this phenomenon of symbolic meaning, including meaning [1], personal meaning [2], symbolic meaning [3], product meaning [4], linking value [5] and symbolic qualities associated with products. [6]
Symbolic Meaning and User Experience
However, symbolic meaning has many dimensions and another concept strongly related with symbolic meaning is the user experience—user experience refers to the user’s perceptions and responses in regard to their interaction with a system or product (ISO 9241-110, 2010). That comes, because symbolic meanings and associations—dependent on personal interpretation—with a product seem to be an integral part of how users experience a product. Therefore the practice of user experience design has evolved to take into account more experiential aspects of user-product interaction, such as emotions, feelings and meanings. Nowadays many researchers agree that symbolic meaning acts as an important dimension of user experience.[7] Desmet and Heckert identify three levels of product experience [8]:
1) aesthetic pleasure
2) attribution of meaning
happens through cognitive processes such as interpretation, memory retrieval and associations
3) emotional response
Desmet and Heckert state that meaning is related to the personal or symbolic significance of products or the possibility of assigning them personality or other expressive. As an example they mention a Chinese teacup that one of the authors is attached to because it represents his visit to China.
Hassenzahl on the other hand does not explicitly mention symbolic meaning as a component of user experience, but he describes aspects that are closely related. He categorizes the hedonic aspect of user experience as including [9]:
1) stimulation—personal growth, an increase or knowledge and skills
2) identification—self-expression, interaction with relevant others
3) evocation—self-maintenance, memories
Especially identification as well as other hedonic aspects can be seen as part of symbolic meanings.
Symbolic Meaning and Appearance
Symbolic meaning can also be related to a product’s form, appearance and use—that is especially the case in literature linked to Industrial Design. Product semantics there get related to a concern for the cognitive meanings, symbolic functions and cultural histories of form. [10]
Van Rompay gives an overview of studies regarding the relationships between a product’s formal features and symbolic meaning. In his example the rounded form of an object is generally perceived as being secure or emotional. Van Rompay’s conclusion is that meaning is not a fixed property of the world or mind, but results from interactions between individual and environment. One of his studies shows that forms connote different symbolic meanings across cultures. [11]
Symbolic Meaning / Product Meaning and Product Attachment
Product attachment gets best represented by products that have some profound and sustained meaning for users [12]. Already in 1923, Ogden and Richards defined product meaning as the relationship between mind, object and world. Product meaning is generally seen as subjective, suffused with affectivity and usually either utilitarian or symbolic. It has also been stated that a group of individuals have a tendency to make similar inferences about a product, suggesting that symbolic meaning is culturally shared. Symbols are formed by cultural principles, which can be:
— norms
— values
— social categories
Sari Kujala states as example the American flag—the flag may symbolizes freedom or conservative American. [13]
In psychological and sociological literature it gets stated that individuals pay attention to object symbolism mainly because they want to express, maintain or enhance their self-concept—their identity and ideal image of themself. Sociological literature also gives examples of how symbolic meaning has been used to compensate for low self-esteem. [14] Zimmerman adds to sychological and sociological literature that people use products as self-extension—those product then act as an essential part of identity construction for a development of a coherent life story. [15] Mugge adds that people tend to develop a stronger attachment to products where they use them to express and maintain a unique personal identity. [16] In addition to identity, Allen shows by his survey studies that to some extent users form product preferences by evaluating whether their values are represented in product meanings. [17]
Symbolic Meaning and Postmodernity
In ethnosociology a new concept of thinking characterizing postmodernity constituted. Cova states that to satisfy their desire for community, modern individuals seek products and services less for their use value than for their linking value. Linking value results when a product facilitates and supports communion by providing a site, an emblem, the support for integration or recognition, and so forth. Cova states that “the postmodern individual can build an identity for themself with cultural symbols and all possible references (such as plays, exhibitions, films, and books, etc.). Linking value refers to product properties that cause users to experience a feeling of communion.[18] The same idea is presented in the consumer research literature. For example, Belk argues that identity is important not only on an individual level, but also on a collective level involving family group, subcultural and national identities. [19]
“[…] the literature of industrial design suggests that symbolic meaning can arise through memory retrieval and associations (Desmet & Hekkert, 2007) and seems to be one of the determinants of product attachment (Mugge et al., 2008; Schifferstein & Zwartkruis-Pelgrim, 2008). Consumer behavior research shows that symbolic meaning is important to users mainly because they want to maintain, enhance and express their identity and ideal image of themselves. It has been shown that symbolic meaning arises when products support user values (Allen, 2006). The sociological literature suggests that the goal can also be a feeling of communion (Cova, 1997).” —Kujala, S. / Nurkka, P.
Considering all the different definitions and fields of research there are various views of the concept of symbolic meaning. Symbolic meaning—one of the most important attributes of product attachment, especially happiness related symbolic meaning—is something intangible and subjective, but also culturally shared.
Sources
[1] Crilly, N., Good, D., Matravers, D., & Clarkson, P. J. (2008). Design as communication: Exploring the validity and utility of relating intention to interpretation. Design Studies, 29(5), 425-457.
[2] Cupchik, G. C., & Hilscher, M. C. (2008). Holistic perspectives on the design of experience. In H. N. J. Schifferstein & P. Hekkert (Eds.), Product experience (pp. 241-256). Amsterdam, the Netherland: Elsevier.
[3] Desmet, P., & Hekkert, P. (2007). Framework for product experience. International Journal of Design, 1(1), 57-66.
[4] Allen, M. W. (2002). Human values and product symbolism: Do consumers form product preference by comparing the human values symbolized by a product to the human values that they endorse? Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 32(12), 2475-2501
[5] Cova, B. (1997). Community and consumption, towards a definition of the “linking value” of product or services. European Journal of Marketing,31(3/4), 297-316.
[6] Kujala, S. / Nurkka, P. (2012). Sentence Completion for Evaluating Symbolic Meanin. URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286834130_Sentence_Completion_for_Evaluating_Symbolic_Meaning
[7] ebda.
[8] Desmet, P., & Hekkert, P. (2007). Framework for product experience. International Journal of Design, 1(1), 57-66.
[9] Hassenzahl, M. (2003). The thing and I: Understanding therelationship between user and product. In M. Blythe, C. Overbeeke, A. F. Monk, & P. C. Wright (Eds.), Funology: From usability to enjoyment (pp. 31-42). Norwell, MA: Kluwer Academic.
[10] Kujala, S. / Nurkka, P. (2012). Sentence Completion for Evaluating Symbolic Meanin. URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286834130_Sentence_Completion_for_Evaluating_Symbolic_Meaning
[11] van Rompay, T. J. L. (2008). Product expression: Bridging the gap between the symbolic and the concrete. In H. N. J. Schifferstein & P. Hekkert (Eds.), Product experience (pp. 333-351). Amsterdam, the Netherland: Elsevier.
[12] Mugge, R., Schoormans, J. P. L., & Schifferstein, H. N. J. (2008). Product attachment: Design strategies to stimulate the emotional bonding to products. In H. N. J. Schifferstein & P. Hekkert (Eds.), Product experience (pp. 425-440). Amsterdam, the Netherland: Elsevier.
[13] Kujala, S. / Nurkka, P. (2012). Sentence Completion for Evaluating Symbolic Meanin. URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286834130_Sentence_Completion_for_Evaluating_Symbolic_Meaning
[14] Allen, M. W. (2002). Human values and product symbolism: Do consumers form product preference by comparing the human values symbolized by a product to the human values that they endorse? Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 32(12), 2475-2501.
[15] Zimmerman, J. (2009). Designing for the self: Making products that help people become the person they desire to be. In Proceedings of the 27th International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 395-404). New York, NY: ACM.
[16] Mugge, R., Schoormans, J. P. L., & Schifferstein, H. N. J. (2008). Product attachment: Design strategies to stimulate the emotional bonding to products. In H. N. J. Schifferstein & P. Hekkert (Eds.), Product experience (pp. 425-440). Amsterdam, the Netherland: Elsevier.
[17] Allen, M. W. (2002). Human values and product symbolism: Do consumers form product preference by comparing the human values symbolized by a product to the human values that they endorse? Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 32(12), 2475-2501
[18] Cova, B. (1997). Community and consumption, towards a definition of the “linking value” of product or services. European Journal of Marketing,31(3/4), 297-316.
[19] Belk, R. W. (1988). Possessions and the extended self. Journal of Consumer Research, 15(2), 139-168.
[20] Kujala, S. / Nurkka, P. (2012). Sentence Completion for Evaluating Symbolic Meanin. URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286834130_Sentence_Completion_for_Evaluating_Symbolic_Meaning
Nowadays, some of the world’s biggest ‘influencers” are musicians. But how exactly did that happen? It does have something to do with the quality and mainstream appeal of the music, but there is a lot that happens behind the scene in order for a musician to become successful and influential. Believe it or not, many of the principles in the music industry are actually very useful common business and leadership practices. In this article, I go over some of the most impactful leadership lessons (in my own opinion) from musicians.
Leadership begins with a vision/dream
Many big pop stars describe how at the beginning of their career, they would dream or visualise themselves playing in huge venues. In 2010, Lady Gaga tweeted a photo of herself standing in front of the marquee at Madison Square Garden. Later that night, she explained how she would dream that one day her name would be in lights at the venue. She used this to form her vision of the future and share it with her team so that they would always push her to reach that goal. In order to be a good leader, one must have a clear vision of what they want to be or to achieve in the future.
You Need Support
Obviously, musicians can’t have a successful career without the support of numerous fans. musician Amanda Palmer challenged others into shifting the paradigm on how we ask for support: “I think people have been obsessed with the wrong question, which is, ‘How do we make people pay for music?’ What if we started asking, ‘How do we let people pay for music?’”
Just as musicians are building a support network, so should anyone who wants to be a leader. Find your support network, offer them great value for their support and really show that you care about them. Recognise that big dreams require big teams.
Leaders should learn “informed improvisation.”
Everyone just assumes that improvisation in music performances is purely unprepared material without the foresight of how the performance would go. That is not completely true. In order for a musician to be successful at improvisation and dazzle the crowd, one must have a lot of knowledge on the given subject, in order to be able to recognise and foresee possible musical resolutions of the progressions played during an improvisation. When a musician is capable of anticipating notes/sounds, they can take informed risks during improvisation.
There is a lot of talk about leaders needing to take risks and big steps. While that is certainly true, leaders also need to be prepared to make their own “giant steps.” Leaders should study market conditions and forecasting to make better informed decisions.
Leaders make others look good
A lot of big musicians help out new, young talent to swim out to the top, either by mentoring, coaching, or collaborations. True musical leaders help others become better at what they do. That also pertains to on-stage support for artists- Michael Jackson used to oversee and help his crew make the best performance possible.
Leaders should be adept at providing support to make others on their team shine. They listen to their team, take feedback and use that to make the team better.
Leaders understand self-discipline
Stereotypically, most people believe that touring musicians live a very “off the rails” life, party all the time and drink/do drugs. However, when one is touring for weeks, or even months, discipline is absolutely necessary in order to finish the tour and not fall ill during or even die. Simon Tam explains that he and his band have a signed internal agreement about staying sober during performances, as well as keeping up with practicing, equipment maintenance and a schedule that leaves enough room for sleep/recovery. Why is this is necessary? Their usual tours require 4-6 hours of driving every day, 1-2 hour of media/press and then performing until 2 a.m. every night. If they had partied and disregarded their schedule, they simply wouldn’t be able to finish the tour.
A leader should have high expectations for their team and themselves. Just like musicians, they should maintain their skills, develop time for rest, and make decisions for a sustainable career.
Last year, a study confirmed that trees never stop growing. Year after year, they continue to add new rings. In fact, older trees keep growing at a faster rate. The day that a tree stops growing is the day that it dies.
For those of us in the music industry, there are always opportunities to learn, collaborate, and grow. Leaders have similar opportunities for development. Leaders are learners. But whether a tree, a musician, or a leader, there’s one universal axiom: never stop growing.
Sources:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/5-powerful-leadership-lessons-from-musicians_b_6810216
It is already clear that still life photography comes from painting. Nevertheless, the development of painting in the 20th century was also an important inspiration for modern photography.
The 20th century was a century of revolution and emerging abstraction in terms of art. The new trends developed very quickly and overlapped. Above all, the tendency towards non-figurative and abstract motifs was new. The still life found its place here especially in the first half of the century, as in the second half the popular abstraction made the recognizable motifs disappear completely. So it can also be seen in photography how one goes from the classical representation more and more towards more abstract and experimental directions. So it is still exciting to see what very modern forms of painting look like, to see how, after this revolutionary development in the 20th century, the artists are redefining the topic.
About 20th Century
As examples of the well-known artists of this era, Paul Gauguin painted the sunflower still life to honor his deceased friend Van Gogh. Because one of Van Gogh’s most famous pictures is the flower still life with a bouquet of sunflowers. The group, Les Nabis, to which Gauguin belonged, took up his harmonic theories and adapted subjects that were inspired by the Japanese woodcut. Further examples of this period would be the flower still lifes by the French painter Odilon Redon.
Another representative who would be exemplary for still life painting is Henri Matisse. His scheme consisted of more or less flat contours and bright, radiant colors. He also reduced the perspective representation and used multicolored backgrounds. The useful objects, such as tables, which only have the purpose of the display area and, in Matisse’s case, already merge with the space and disappear. Other founders of Fauvism, such as Maurice de Vlaminck and Andre Derain, also experimented with pure color and abstraction in their still lifes.
To sum it up the still life theme is about the things, that belong to us and therefore define who we are. The contemporary still life artwork often reflect the real or suggestive surroundings they have or create through their projects.
Paul Gaugin
Vincent Van Gogh
Odilon Redon
Henri Matisse
Quellen:
https://www.hisour.com/de/still-life-in-twentieth-century-27408/
https://www.daskreativeuniversum.de/stillleben-stilllebenmalerei/
Now that we have set the starting point of the grain, we need to also apply a volume envelope. This envelope will also define how long the short audio segment will play. In the following example the small chunk of audio has a length of 100ms.
When the playhead is moved towards the recording head, the audio gets pitched up or down, because it is played back faster or slower. To make it slower we need to increase the delay time in de vd~ object. Its done by the line~ object on top of the vd~ object. In the following example the playhead moves from 300ms to 400ms.
We can now control the starting time of a grain, the length and the pitch!
Overview Part 2:
5. Visual Rhythm
6. Picture + Sound
7. Advantages of Film Rhythm
************************************************************************
5. VISUAL RHYTHM
Visual rhythm is expressed in different ways.
First of all, visual rhythm is shaped by the “complex orchestration of the mise-en-scène – its composition, lighting and movement”[1] and second of all it is composed in the editing room.
The construction of an image consists of “symmetry, balance, repetition, opposition – all patterns that occupy, entertain, and intrigue the eye”.[2]
Rhythm is bound to MOVEMENT.[3] Rhythmic dynamics are reached by “movement within a shot[4], movement of the camera, movement of editing and the general feeling of temporality”[5]. Focusing on one frame “movement of our eyes”[6] is needed to perceive every detail “because visual stimuli occur in succession”.
The editor decides the length of each frame, cutting on sound rhythms, on movement and taking into account the content of each frame. A wide angle with lots of small details normally needs more screentime to see the whole surrounding whereas a detailshot already sums up the most important massage concentrated on one detail.
“Each image tells its own story and must therefore be considered individually. One image will convey all its meaning in a short space of time, another will take longer: this must be taken into account if the increased rate of cutting is not to lead to obscurity.”[7]
The image itself inheres the “intensity of a frame’s content and the duration of its visual units”.[8]
“Rhythm [in film] has more to do with relationships of intensity [than duration] – but relationships of intensity contained within relationships of duration … The intensity of a shot depends on the amount of movement (physical, dramatic or psychological) contained in it and on the length of time it lasts.” Danijela Kulezic-Wilson, p.39 referring to Jean Mitry (2000, p. 222)
The rhythmic montage is not only a “powerful sensual experience” but also “contributes to our deeper understanding of film”[9].
6. PICTURE + SOUND
Film rhythm never works only visually or aural but as a combination.
Rhythm is not only successful through “the synchronization of the movement of music and the movement generated by elements of the visual composition”[10] but also independent storytelling of both features that “changes the perception of visual movement by adding sonic rhythm and a sense of continuity to it”.[11]
Describing the sound of the robbery scene of Odd Man Out, Karel Reisz depicts a “sound-picture counterpoint”: The group of men hurrying up during their robbery is accompanied by “casual rhythmic beat of mill machinery slows down the pace of the scene to convey something of their state of mind. ”[12] This reduction of tempo in the audio layer emphasises the rushing time and the “working ’against time’”.[13] This “sound-picture counterpoint” plays with information within the visual and the aural level. The audience should perceive these two layers combined without realizing the contrast.[14] In Film as an audio-visual medium “both components are responsible for its intensity”[15] Of the content.
7. ADVANTAGES OF FILM RHYTHM
There are lots of reasons why to include rhythm in film. The first advantage is that “Strong rhythmic components onscreen help us maintain concentration and remember what we saw”.[16]
“Musical perception tests have demonstrated that rhythmical grouping can help one to remember as many small groups as one can individual objects without grouping. Also, if individual sounds are grouped hierarchically in measures, phrases, periods and movements, the ability to grasp larger and larger units increases (Seashore, 1967).”[17]
Rhythm functions the same way how we perceive information, always in titbits. The provided structure helps our brain to understand the complexity in steps and focus the attention.[18]
“Thus, it seems plausible that if the principles of periodicity and grouping are applied to a large-scale form in either music or film, the ability to comprehend the structural relationships of that form will certainly be increased. Rhythms of patterns, changes and repetitions, tension and relaxation, anticipation and expectation in an art form do not always have to be perceived and recognized consciously, as long as one responds to their pulsation.” [19]
Moreover, repetitions[20], motifs and symbols help us remembering and making connections.
In the film In the mood for love by Wong Kar-wai repetitions play an important part. The passing time is shown by lots of different shots of the two protagonists and neighbours Mr Chow (Tony Leung) and Mrs Lizhen Chan (Maggie Cheung) going up and down the stairs to a tiny noodle shop to get their ready-made dinner with varying weather conditions. [21]
[1] Kulezic-Wilson, 2015, p. 43
[2] Rabiger, Hermann, 2020, p.87
[3] Vgl. Kulezic-Wilson, 2015, p.37
[4] Vgl. Reisz 2010, 205
[5] Kulezic-Wilson, 2015, p42
[6] Kulezic-Wilson, 2015 p42
[7] Reisz, 2010, p.202
[8] Kulezic-Wilson, 2015, p.39
[9] Kulezic-Wilson, 2015, p.47
[10] Kulezic-Wilson, 2015, p.85
[11] Kulezic-Wilson, 2015, p.86
[12] Reisz, Karel; Millar, Garvin: The Technique of Film Editing, 2nd edition, Burlington, USA; Oxford, UK: Focal Press, 2010, 226.
[13] Reisz, 2010, 226.
[14] Vgl. Reisz, 2010, 226.
[15] Kulezic-Wilson, 2015, p.39
[16] Rabiger, Hermann 2020: p.87
[17] Kulezic-Wilson, 2015, p.53f.
[18] Kulezic-Wilson, 2015, p.54.
[19] Kulezic-Wilson, 2015, p.54.
[20] Vgl. Kulezic-Wilson, 2015, p.57f.
[21] Vgl. Kulezic-Wilson, 2015, p.64