Against The Machine

This video is a culmination of the ideas and techniques I have explored in the previous four videos and comments on a discovery I made while on my drift. While traveling the city I couldn't help but notice the people moving about the streets rather mechanically. Businessmen dressed in suits, all of them the same, as they traverse the grid of streets from A to B. They walk and stop at the will of computers and lights-machines. Considering this, it seems they are hardly different from the machines that control them. The only way to remain human in this otherwise mechanical world is to break free from the controls and influences that reign over us.

Kaleidoscope Eyes

Again, I have paired my recorded sounds and images albeit in a more abstract way. I used a couple of sights common to the downtown area and tweaked them in order to intrigue the eye. I also distorted and combined many common urban sounds to match the videos movement. In this way, I hope to shed new light on these everyday sights and sounds.

Nowhere to Turn

For this video I not only used some of the video I collected on my drift, I also used some of the many sounds I recorded in the rich downtown environment as well. I used a number of signs from around the city and and paired them with the urban sounds to emphasize anxiety and the struggle to break free from control.

Silent Rough Sketch Two (Continuity)

This video was made by comparing the videos I had of objects in motion and finding graphical continuity between the shots. I then placed and transitioned the shots so that they would flow seamlessly into each other.

Silent Rough Sketch One (Walk/Don't Walk)

This rough cut video was made by using a combination of my two image capturing strategies. I juxtaposed images of objects in motion with images that imply motion, such as the walk/don't walk sign.

Sailing

The end of my first drift was cut short in Downtown Milwaukee. Since this part of town seemed highly promising, I decided to Begin my Second drift where my first one left off (Westward bound on Michigan st.) However, I formed a new strategy for this drift: Following the wind. Essentially, at every other intersection I would walk which ever way the wind blew me. By following the most unpredictable and unbound source of motion, my travels and exploration of my environment would also be free of subjectivity.

However, there were a few technicalities with this plan where I was forced to add improvised variants to my strategy. they are as follows:

• If the wind blew me in a direction with no road (I.E. a "T" intersection) I would flip a coin to Determine weather to go straight or left/right depending on the scenario.
• If the wind was not blowing at an intersection, I would wait there until the wind did blow and observe my surroundings much like a possible rendezvous.
• If the wind was blowing me back the direction I came, I would continue going straight

For capturing images on this drift I wanted to limit my options but also maintain a theme. Going with the concept of wind, I decided to only film objects in motion (I figured many of these objects would be blown by the wind). My second option was to also film objects that implied motion. These objects could be signs, arrows, fans that weren't moving, etc).

Windward Bound

This map highlights my drift path from following the wind. Please explore my entire drift to get a full understanding of the point and purpose of the sights and sounds collected along the way. The map is completely interactive in that you can change from map to satellite, zoom to street view, click below for a larger map, and click on every path and point for more information and detail about its use in my work.

• The RED points are video landmarks complete with screen shots.
• The DARK BLUE points are sound landmarks complete with links to sound clips.
• The PURPLE points are BOTH video and audio landmarks complete with both screen shots and links to sound clips.
• The EXCLAMATION points are technicalities as explained in my Drift strategy.
  

View Larger Map

Note: This map is a continuation of my Drift one explorations. If you would like to take a step back , the information from this page is particularly insightful regarding the development of my drift experiences. It focuses on audio landmarks and the often overlooked aural environments we pass through everyday.

Also, for further information about all of my experiences exploring media and the urban landscape, as well as my thoughts about the video/audio equipment used and collaboration on insightful readings, please feel free to visit my Research blog.