Route 66 and the Daily Life Behind Tourism

Historically, Route 66 represents westward expansion and industrial revolution. Built in 1926, the highway was meant to connect two major cities on either coast - Los Angeles and Chicago. Following The Depression, the highway was a symbol for opportunity. What could no longer be found on the east coast might be found on the west. In the 1960s and 70s, the highway was a popular tourist attraction, even prompting a TV show and a hit song. However in classic American fashion, there is always a marginalized history behind the mainstream.

What happens to the people who travelled along Route 66 in search of adventure and a new life, but never found it? In Arizona, the rural homeless population is rapidly increasing. Many homeless people can be found along - you guessed it - Route 66. Recently, a woman by the name of Lori bought Route 66 Motel to transform it into a homeless shelter called ANEW Living. A documentary film would tell the stories of the people in this motel. It would tell the daily life behind a tourist attraction. The truth behind the facade. The reality behind the show.

A MUST SEE: THE ARTIST!

I had the most unexpected surprise today when I got on Netflix and looked under the "Recently Added" tab. I scrolled along trying to find something to watch and I was stopped dead in my tracks when I saw The Artist directed by Michel Hazanavicius sitting there among the other movies that people can stream online. It was one of those moments where everything around the picture of the movie went out of focus and there glowed the one movie I have been dying to see for the last three weeks. So, I cooked myself some dinner, curled up on the couch, and hit play.

This movie was so much better than I had even expected. I thought I was excited after watching the behind the scenes look in class, but after I finished this movie I was grinning from ear to ear and had the sudden urge to get up and dance around my room laughing.

Where to start in describing this experience? I suppose with the history that it encompassed and depicted in such a creative way. The transition from the silent films to the "talkies" was one of those topics that my amazing U.S. history teacher gave a lecture on in high school. A subject that is not usually in the curriculum for history classes in high school, I was completely fascinated by it. Two of my peers and I were able to put together a little report for one of the class projects. I thought it was interesting how many of the silent film actors were not used in the "talkies"because, just like George, they were symbolic of the "old" and they wanted the "new." Beyond that though, some were not used because of their voices in general. For the "new" style of film, they weren't only looking for people who were attractive, but also for those people who sounded good as well. The Artist did such a wonderful job of depicting this era of change.

I saw several Charlie Chaplin films (including City Lights) when I went to France with a friend about two years ago. While we were staying with her grandparents in Antibes, her grandfather would put in the movie and we would all sit and watch. He said (thanks to my friend's translation), "These kinds of films are the best to watch because it doesn't matter what language you speak, everyone understands." How true were his words! It is the wonderful part about these kinds of films. Half the time, I didn't need the dialogue that flashed on the screen in order to understand what was happening. It reminded me of reading a book (which I do a lot of), except for the fact that you don't have the trouble of imagining the setting and the characters looks. I could almost hear the dialogue in my own mind and the story unfolded.

The characters were so memorable as well. They were the kind of characters that you wanted to meet and hang out with. The personality of George Valentin was great when it was  all charm in the beginning, but I think it was towards the end, when the audience saw him at his weakest point, that he became such a rounded out character. Jean Dujardin, the actor who played George Valentin, not only looked the part, he completely embodied the part. He was like a symbol for all those actors who were considered the "old." His energy and emotion given through his eyes, right down to the smallest of gestures, were so great that it made me feel like I could see straight to the soul of the character.

I have decided that if I could be anyone, I would love to be Peppy Miller. She was so bold and confident, but best of all, she had such a kind heart. She was the kind of woman I hope I can someday become. I loved her personality that was so innocent and yet, she didn't let anyone mess with her. Of course, Bèrènice Bejo was just fabulous playing the part. All of the actors were phenomenal, including John Goodman and James Cromwell.

The filming itself was amazing as well. A story told mostly through images and a wonderfully arranged and performed film score. The use of the camera was astonishing. I love how the newspaper was used for "dialogue" in the beginning when it said "Who's that Girl?" It was great how the movie never got boring because the next shot was always so unexpected. Shots that showed what was happening in the reflection of mirrors or glass tables, or the use of shadows, or the transition of time with a montage of magazine and newspaper headlines; it always kept you engaged and entertained.

Even the use of sound was so creative! I loved the dream sequence were he started hearing the things he touched and the phone rang. What a great way to show how he was really feeling about the "talkies!" Even at the end when you can hear them all speak, it was such a treat; a wonderful ending that depicted the acceptance that George felt for the "talkies" by the end of the film.






My favorite line in the whole film though was when George says to Peppy, "If you want to be an actress, you need to have something the others don't." As one of those dreamers myself, this line truly resonated with me.






It is so hard to summarize this movie in only a few words. From wonderful music to the awesome tap numbers at the end of the film (I was a dancer for nine years), I travelled through time to another beautiful era that took my breath away.  I would definitely recommend this movie to everyone. It is such a great film that leaves you with a smile on your face and a catchy tune in your head.

~Amber Capogrossi

Binaural Sound. The New 3d?

Has the buzzword "3D" lost it's buzz yet? It's true, after an explosive renaissance in Hollywood after James Cameron's "Avatar," 3D films just aren't bringing in the incredible margins that they have, even a year ago. As the technology gains more market share, it also loses it's novelty, which is arguably a large part of it's appeal. But three-dimensional visuals aren't the only gimmick in town. Not by a long shot. This is Hollywood afterall.

Before the days of installing new 3D-capable projectors, theaters were in a similar arms race of how many watts their theater's sound system sported. From the beginning of the Talkies, sound technology has steadily been improving from stereo to surround sound. But little known to the general population is another advancement in sound design: binaural sound.

Binaural technology records sound the exact same way we perceive them. Two microphones are placed about 7 inches apart, and a head shaped object is placed between to account for the small alterations our own heads creates. This is different from stereo sound, where the left and right microphones could be placed wherever the sound engineer wants. With Binaural recording, there is a defined perspective. The listener is then placed in the middle of that perspective when they listen through headphones (necessary to avoid "cross talking" between the two sides, or hearing a bit of the left sound in the right ear). This has the unique ability to make sound appear three dimensional. Don't believe me? Try it yourself!

Tip: You must use headphones for this to work

It would be too easy to tell if a sound is coming from the left or right. Somehow, however, you can also hear the sound move frontwards or backwards, and up or down. You can hear the woman whispering behind you, then hear her move to your front. How can only two speakers give so much dimension?

The secret is in the timing of the recordings. The minuscule difference of when sound arrives at your left ear and right ear is not lost on the subconscious mind. Also, the shape of our ears distort and direct sound differently if it is entering the ear from in front or in back. By mimicking the human aural design as faithfully as possible, the effect can become even more effective.

Just like 3D films today, binaural sound recording was developed far before the latest blockbuster films. The first experiments with it actually date back to 1881! Since then, the technology has struggled to find a proper use, despite a fad of musicians recording their albums with it (One example being Pearl Jam's unironically titled "Binaural" album). Despite it's seemingly magical effect, the technology never really "caught on."

This could be due to the fact that the format's practical applications are unfortunately limited. Though some select circumstances in movies could benefit from this total sound immersion, it is a foreign form compared to how we process movies now. It would be akin to showing feature films in 60fps. It may be a more lifelike experience, but it is not part of the audience's internal film expectations. Not to mention, you'd be required to wear headphones on top of those ugly glasses at the movie house. One application that would benefit greatly from this technique, however, is point-of-view video games. Since the audience is already submitting to a point-of-view perspective, it plays right into the audience's coded viewing experience, and add the realism that game developers strive so hard to achieve.

Though it is yet to be seen whether binaural sound will ever find widespread adoption, it still can inspire sound designers to create an ever more immersive soundscape, and make a pretty awesome YouTube video, too.

-Dylan Van Arsdale

Sources

www.filmschoolrejects.com/opinions/why-cant-3d-sound-be-the-future-of-movies.php

http://sciencefictionworld.com/films/science-fiction-films/574-the-death-of-3d.html

http://benbeck.co.uk/firsts/talkies2.htm