Final Project

For the final project, I worked with Daniel Lutsker and Tomas Medina. Our concept, as seen in the video, is a mockumentary about a vampire than attends Hunter College and his experiences at the school. For the project, I contributed ideas to the script and recorded the audio feed using the zoom recorder. I also selected the appropriate audio and video clips for the project out of all the takes. In the actual video, I played the role of the vampire's friend, discussing what it's like to be friends with a vampire.
Video shooting and final editing in Premier was done by Daniel, who had a brief appearance at the end of the video. Tomas animated parts of the video and added special effects. Tomas also played the role of the vampire and finalized the script.
This project was interesting for me because it was really a group effort. I had a lot of fun with the concept and writing the script and executing the final product was a very entertaining process. I also think that the assignment made sense because it combined the elements of the previous two projects, since the first project was only visual and the second project was only auditory. Overall, I enjoyed this project the most out of the three and I am very satisfied with the finished product.

Blog Post #4 Museum of Moving Image: Costumes

My visit to the Museum of the Moving Image (MOMI) provided me a glance at the inner workings of the film industry. The Museum was as informative as it was historic. One of the sections of the museum that caught my attention was the costume section, especially the masks. I saw the makeup mask that Eddie Murphy wore on SNL, "The Mask" from the movie of the same title starring Jim Carrey, and the Chewbacca mask from Star Wars.
The Chewbacca mask is, of course, covered with fur, which I learned, is from a yak. Nowadays, if a movie was produced with a similar character, most of the visuals would probably be computer graphics, but being that the Star Wars movies were created before some of the sophisticated graphics we know today, the actors on set actually wore costumes. Although the Chewbacca mask is well proportioned and looks realistic, I still have a question about how heavy it must be. Even when an actor is standing still, it must get very hot in that costume with all the set lights and the lack of air circulation inside the costume. The Star Wars franchise, with all the production, costumes, and minutiae, was one of the most successful in movie history, which to me is very impressive. All in all, seeing the extra elements of some of what goes into the makings of a successful movie was fascinating to me, and costume design is just one of those elements.

Blog #3: Relationship Between Shots in Mannequin scene of "I Am Legend"

The I Am Legend mannequin scene is especially powerful because of its simplicity and the way that the camera shots are constructed. In the scene, the protagonist, Robert Neville, played by Will Smith, walks into a video store as the last living person on Earth, seeking solace through conversation with a mannequin in the store. In the scene, the camera shots are as follows: 

**Following Neville as he enters the video store

**From the side of Neville's head, showing the mannequin's face as he approaches her. 

**From the back of the mannequin's head, showing the other side of Neville's head.

**Switching back to show Neville in the foreground and mannequin slightly blurred next to him. Camera then focuses on mannequin's face. 

**Switch back to back of mannequin's head, as focus turns to Neville. This is where he says "please say hello to me."

**Lastly, the camera switches back to Neville, first refining focus to the unchanged and cold face of the mannequin, and then blurring the mannequin and focusing on the distraught face of Neville. 

The switching of focus between the mannequin and Neville shows a great juxtaposition between Neville, who is yearning for any form of interaction, and the mannequin, who is obviously unchanged. 

The sounds in the scene also hold great significance.  There are very few sounds in the scene, namely: the chirping of birds, Neville's footsteps, and Neville's voice. The lack of background music allows for the viewer to completely focus on Neville's emotional plea to the mannequin, which makes the scene especially powerful. 

Animation: An Interview with Tomas Medina (by Andy Bell-Baltaci)

Animation: An Interview with Tomas Medina from Andy Bell-Baltaci on Vimeo.

Sounds I Heard Today

Sounds I heard today

This morning, I decided to put my headphones away and listen to my environment on the way to the train.
Outside of my dorm on 25th street, the metallic pounding of a jackhammer cracking the asphalt cuts jaggedly into the air.
As I reach the corner of 25th street and 1st avenue, the tires of cars and busses create a whooshing sound as the rubber pushes off against the pavement. Aside from the occasional impatient honk, one might liken the sound to the ambiance of an oceanside.
As I continue walking up the street, towards 2nd avenue, I hear the clacking of high-heeled shoes against the sidewalk, which is relatively loud compared to the quiet side-street. As the wind picks up and tunnels between the buildings on the following block, wind chimes create a high-pitched but quiet mosaic of music in the window of a first-floor apartment.
As I turn and walk down the steps into the 28th street 6 train station, I hear the thunderous echo of an express train rushing rushing down the tracks. In a few seconds, the sonic storm is over, a few echoes follow, and then silence. I wait for the train, as the recognizable female voice interrupts "there is an uptown 6, local train, to, pelham bay park, approaching the station..."

Macaulay Lounge: A Short Film

Macaulay: A Short Film from Andy Bell-Baltaci on Vimeo.

My Life and Music

There was a time when I didn't have any friends. It was 10th grade. I was shy and awkward and tried to fit in instead of being myself. I had listened to rap since middle school, when I was trying to fit in in a school that was born into the culture of hip hop. 10th grade was when I decided to perform in front of the entire student body at the holiday talent show. I performed a cover of "When I'm Gone," by Eminem. The performance gained me my peers’ respect and some friends.

I performed at the next two talent shows, parodying rap songs and feeling the satisfaction of a cheering crowd.

As I grew up, I listened to meaningful rap music—which unfortunately has diminished with a new audience that cares for hot beats more than good lyricism. Artists like Eminem, Nas, Kendrick Lamar, J Cole, and Kanye West helped inspire me to strive to make music that made you turn up your ears and your mind, not just your body.

In freshman year, I started writing remixes instead of parodies, and getting more serious with my music. Since then, music has helped me express myself in ways I couldn’t otherwise. Music is the one thing that every living person shares. Even deaf people can feel the vibrations of instruments in their chest.

When I step on stage, I get to reflect on my life and times in a way that excites an audience. Seeing people vibe to what I create is truly the greatest feeling in the world, and that’s what drives me.