Media 160 Spring 2018

During the trip that we took to the Museum of Moving Images, I feel like we were really able to physically see all the nuances that make up visual images. The most memorable exhibition for me was the room with the spinning objects and the strobe light that created the illusion of movement. This mechanism used different elements in order to create the illusion of movement. One element was the order and placement of all the objects that resembled drops of water, another was the constantly spinning machine that held all the objects together, and the final element was light. When put together, it created the illusion of drops of water falling down to the floor slowly like a stop motion animation. Now without the final element, there wouldn’t have been an illusion. The strobe light was necessary for providing the visual break that allows our brain to piece together the information that we do visually see, allowing us to perceive movement. It only goes to show how we can manipulate the worl...

In the first few shots of Bruce Banner and Valkyrie speaking to each other, you can see a clear use of the 180-degree rule. Banner is placed on the left side of the frame at all times and Valkyrie is placed on the right side everytime the shots change, maintaining the continuity of the scene. As Banner jumps off the plane, the scene "jump" cuts to another scene of Fenris running towards the Asgardian refugees. This shot is composed so that Fenris is placed directly at the middle of the bridge in order to emphasize the physical depth of the scene to create anticipation. The leading lines composed also help bring focus to Fenris as he takes up more space in the frame as he moves closer. In this shot, we get to see the action from the position of the Asgardians, however, we are placed behind the Asgardians at a higher angle, so it is not a true POV shot. The shot is then cut with a matched action tracking shot of Fenris running from behind in order to further build anticipatio...

On an afternoon on my way to pick up negatives for 2 rolls of film that I shot, I decided to do this soundwalk. On the train, I put away my headphones and phone and began to listen. The first few minutes were extremely disorienting, after all of these years listening to music while traveling I had forgotten how loud trains were. The sounds of the train in motion and the sounds of people having conversations became a bit overwhelming. It was a constant stream of pounding noises coming from the tracks and dialogue without any context; which eventually began to annoy me because I couldn’t tune anything out like I usually could with music. It felt like I was in a superhero movie where the hero first discovers that he has super hearing and is completely overwhelmed by his surroundings. Anything and everything made sound. Even though it was in the afternoon and everyone should be at work or at school, New York was still so busy.  After I had picked up my negatives, I sat down on a benc...

Central Park in The Day Time from Daniel Plastrik on Vimeo .

Had I not trespassed and discovered this railroad, I would not have been staring at this overwhelming and immense dark sky. 150 years ago, the light pollution that blurs our view of the universe would not have existed. I clutched my camera hoping that it would capture some of these stars before they were lost in time. At that moment, I realized how time is undeviating, immovable, and unstoppable; especially at this very moment. Suddenly I could not breathe, hear, or open my eyes as a train had zoomed past me. I was so lost in thought that I did not see the train coming. I felt a rush of fear, adrenaline, and exhilaration as I was trying my best to take in a breath of air. When the train passed I concluded my thoughts. Time is unempathetic, it leaves everything and everyone behind. I began to realize the value of the object that I was holding, the object that broadened my perspectives of the world, the object that helped me dream of limitless potential. A few years ago, I took the dum...