FINALly DONE

For our final project for Digital Media Convergence, our only directions were to shoot a video.  It could have been anything from another time lapse to a music video, but I ultimately decided to shoot a documentary.  It took a ton of effort and a full night’s hours to complete, but I can honestly say that I am 100% happy with the final product.  I feel that this may be my strongest video yet and in making it I developed a fondness for documentary filming.  Perhaps a new career direction in the making…..?

There are few circumstances in which all the right pieces fall into place, and destiny places itself squarely in one’s hands. This short film documents such a moment. This is the story of Ben Soldate and Christian Binder, college roommates turned musical companions. Two total strangers. Two different stories. One common bond.

Potential Research?

If given the opportunity and resources to conduct research on any given topic, I would do so on the recent trends and behaviors of the music industry and how they have affected/reflected on society.  As an avid music lover, I would enjoy looking into the business of selling music, studying what goes into signing an artist and how an artist’s relationship with the business side of music changes over time.  I’m not entirely sure how this would work, but it is something that I would certainly investigate if given the opportunity.

Portrait Photography

These next ten photos were taken in-studio.  I decided to give myself some guidance and followed a musical theme from picture to picture.  Of all the photography assignments we have been given this semester, I feel this group is one of my strongest.  There is not much that I would change or redo in any of them, and the actual process of taking the photos was quite enjoyable.  Some people in these portraits include Kacey Stark, Leigh Burgess, Greg Gentile, and Dan Enders, as well as Ben Soldate, Christian Binder, and Phil Anderson of Shades of Gray.

Time Lapse

I had the great fortune of capturing Ben Soldate while he built the pickguard electronics on his Fender Stratocaster-to-be. The 45 minutes of footage have been condensed into this two minute film. Special thanks to Ben for helping me out with this project!

For those who are not well-versed in guitar, Ben is sautering the wires of the pickguard that make the electric guitar function.  Without these electronics, the guitar will not function when plugged into an amplifier.  Essentially, in a highly literal sense, Ben is making music!

New Photos – The Night

For this photography assignment, I was asked to prowl the darkness of night in search of interesting images.  This required the use of a tripod, high exposure, slow shutter speed, and a lot of patience.  I often found that I had to take a large number of pictures of the same image to get exactly what I wanted, and since these photos took an extra five to ten seconds each to take, my resolve was really put to the test.  Ultimately, I felt pleased with the majority of my pictures, especially those of the fountain and lake.

Interview

I sat down with Lauren Ramsdell to discuss her experiences so far in Digital Media Convergence.  I thouroughly enjoyed conducting the interview because I got to see into the perspective of a fellow student on a shared learning experience.

DENIED!!!

I experienced one of the more awkward moments of my winter semester yesterday.

I was meandering through Alamance Crossing searching for subjects for our street photography assignment.  I wandered into Barnes and Noble, hoping to find interesting shots of people perusing the shelves of the store.  I came across a woman who had a focused look on her face, her arms crossed, and her weight centered on her right leg.  I thought it would have been an interesting shot, so I asked her if I had her permission to take the picture.  She looked around suspiciously for a few seconds, then promptly refused.  AWKWARD!!

I guess that’s just part of the game.  And we were warned that this might happen.  So I guess I shouldn’t be too concerned, but that certainly didn’t make me feel any better about it.  Oh well, today is a new day, which means more street photos to take and more subjects to creep out!