Prep for Help Sessions on Monday, February 18

Hello, all.

I hope you had a productive weekend, and that your Drift 1 walks resulted in a lot of great sounds and maps.

On Monday, February 18, we will have open Help Sessions focusing on specific areas of Drift 1. Here is the schedule:

* SonicStage: Steve Wetzel, MIT B-18
* Scanning Maps: David Witzling, B-18
* Audacity: Seth Warren-Crow, Julie Murray, Alex Torinus, B-56
* Blogger, PantherFile, GoogleMaps: Glenn Bach, B-65
* Drawing Maps: Lilly Czarnecki, B-68

Please note that these Help Sessions are not restricted to specific lab sections, and that you may attend any session or sessions you wish. Bring your work on your laptop or CD-R, or have it posted on your Blog or PantherFile for us to access.

I have updated the tutorials for PantherFile and Blogger. They are available here:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/116_pantherfile.html
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/116_blogger.html

If we do not see you on Monday, it will be for one of two reasons:

1) Your Drift 1 walk was extremely fertile, your recordings were crisp and clean, you were able to transfer and edit your recordings with no difficulty, you were able to upload your MP3s and maps to PantherFile, and your Blog is solid and seamless.

or . . .

2) You weren't able to go out on your Drift walk yet (!) and you have no material with which to work.

If the reason is #1, then we will expect a fantastic Blog with engaging sounds and maps. If the reason is #2, then you are really behind and it will take an extremely concerted effort on your part to meet the first Drift 1 deadline a week from tomorrow.

Remember that the deadline for Reflective Response #2 (Sound) is due tomorrow at 3 PM. The readings from which you can choose are Delahanty, Ferrington, Hill, Peterson, Russolo, Toop, and Westerkamp. Remember that you are supposed to read ALL of the readings, and then pick one to write about. Don't just write about the first article you read, or simply pick one at random. Post your response as a comment to this post on the Course Blog:
http://film-116.blogspot.com/2008/01/reflective-response-2-sound.html

Finally, tomorrow is also the deadline to drop this class without a "W" appearing on your record. If this class is ending up on the bottom of your list of priorities, then it may be a good idea to drop, since things will not be getting any easier as we get into video editing in Drifts 2 and 3.

We hope to see many of you tomorrow.

Best,

Glenn

P.S. Remember to visit the Course Directory to make sure you have the correct URL for your Drift 1 Blog:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/08116_directory.html

P.P.S. If you are planning to attend the map drawing workshop, please bring the following materials:

* Any and all notes and sketches pertaining to your Drift (if you feel like some vital info might be missing--street names, major building names etc., you can look this info up online to piece together what you do have.)

* Paper (regular 8 1/2 by 11 paper is great)

* Pencils and erasers

* Coloring tools: markers, crayons, colored pencils, paints, ink, etc.; whatever you like. (PRISMACOLOR dual-tip design markers work really well and do not bleed. These are available at the UWM bookstore and sold individually.)

* Black fine-tip marker or pen

Drift 1 this weekend!

Hello, all.

There will be no soldering sessions this week. If you have any issues with your microphones or windscreens, e-mail your Lab Instructor to set up an appointment during office hours.

Because we lost a day due to the snow day last week, it is critical that you go out on your Drift 1 walk this weekend. We will have help sessions next week, so we need you to be well on your way in the process of transferring and processing your sounds before we can help you. The first deadline for Drift 1 is February 25, which doesn't leave you with a lot of time to procrastinate. If you have to prioritize what is most important among all of your classes, make 116 your top choice, at least for this weekend!

When you go out on your Drift walks remember to stay warm and watch your surroundings. It's really easy to slip on an icy sidewalk when you're focused on your recorder and mics.

Remember to check the Drift 1 page on the syllabus for further instructions:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/08116_drift01.html

Not that I wish to see any of you go, but the last day to drop this class without a "W" on your record is Monday, February 18. If things are just too crazy with the 18 units that you are taking (for example), and you're not sure you will be able to spend the necessary time on this class, then you should consider getting out while you can. I will be teaching 116 again this Summer and in the Fall.

Monday, February 18, is also the deadline for your second Reflective Response, this one on Sound. The articles from which to choose: Delahanty, Ferrington, Hill, Peterson, Russolo, Toop, Westerkamp.

Have a productive weekend, and we'll see you on Monday for the help sessions.

Best,

Glenn

Prep for Wednesday, February 13

Hello all.

We meet tomorrow, Wednesday, February 13, in MUS 180 for a series of demos: SonicStage, Audacity, PantherFile, and Blogger. Since these are the key applications you will be using for your Drift 1 assignment (and beyond) it is crucial that you not miss this important lecture.

We will have a last-minute soldering session either on Thursday or Friday, with a time to be determined. I'll let you know as soon as I have something pinned down.

A reminder about the MD Recorders. When you are out recording, and you are going back and forth between Pause and Record, it's important that you at some point press "Stop" and let the recorder save the file and write to disc. Don't jostle or move the recorder while this is happening . . . let it do what it needs to do. Don't remove the batteries (and hope that your batteries don't die) while the recorder is writing and saving or you will lose everything.

And when you do Stop, or turn your recorder on after it shuts itself off, you have to put the recorder back into Manual Gain mode:

* Hold down Pause (II) and press REC (+>) (“Record Pause”)
* Menu (hold for two seconds)
* REC Set
* REC Volume
* Manual

A reminder about e-mails. When you send an e-mail to me or your lab instructor, please include [08116] in the subject line so that we can recognize that the e-mail is from you and not some random spambot.

A reminder about the Drift Map. The TinyURL has to be posted as a comment to this post in the Course Blog:
http://film-116.blogspot.com/2008/01/drift-maps.html

Remember to keep up on your readings (thanks to those who have completed the first Reflective Response). Up next are Toop and Hill:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/08116_research.html

Okay, see you all tomorrow.

Missing Headphones . . .

Hey all,

Someone left a pair of headphones in MUS 180 this afternoon. Send me a note if that someone is you.

Prep for Monday, February 11

Hello, all.

A reminder that Seth will lead a soldering session tomorrow, Monday, February 11, from 12:30-2:30 in B-18. Anyone who needs to make last-minute mic or windscreen adjustments is welcome.

We will meet in MUS 180 at 3 PM for an important announcement, and then we will break into the lab sections for mandatory field recording practice sessions. Attendance will be taken. (Remember to bring your gear!)

Some of you may ask: "If I have already gone on my Drift 1 walk this weekend, do I still need to attend?" The answer is yes. If you've already gotten the hang of your recorder and microphones, and you've had some success in collecting good, clean sounds, then your Lab instructor will ask you to share your experiences, both positive and negative, with the rest of the group. You can also help your peers with troubleshooting.

Tomorrow (3 PM) is also the deadline for your first Reflective Response (on mapping), covering one of the following articles: Cresswell, Cross, Debord, Hiss, Lopate, Lippard, or This American Life (note that Joseph Hart's essay, "A New Way of Walking," is not included among your possibilities). Post your response as a comment to this post on the Course Blog:
http://film-116.blogspot.com/2008/01/reflective-response-1.html

See you tomorrow.

Follow-up on past deadlines

Hello all.

Just a reminder that we still have quite a number of no-shows on the first three graded requirements for this class. To date, we have received only 56 replies for the Introductory Survey. This was due January 27th.

Only 61 students have registered for the Technical Forum. The deadline for this was January 30.

Only 41 students have posted the Tiny URL to their Drift Maps. This was due February 6.

You can still receive partial credit for following through on these. The Drift Map is worth 50 points, and won't be graded until the end of the semester, but it's important that you get it started now so that we can track your progress as you work through your Drifts. Your Drift Map URLs are linked on the Course Directory:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/08116_directory.html

Monday, February 11, 3 PM, is the deadline to post your first Reflective Response on Mapping, choosing one article from Cresswell, Cross, Debord, Hiss, Lopate, Lippard, or This American Life. So far there are only six responses. If you decide to stay home this weekend rather than go out on your Drift walk, then you will have lots of time to finish your readings and craft your response.
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/08116_research.html

Remember to bring your production kits, mics, headphones, minidisc, and batteries to class on Monday.

See you then.

Glenn
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/08116_syllabus.html

Drift 1 Strategies and Preparations

Hello, all.

Just a reminder to choose a Drift Strategy to structure your upcoming exploratory Drift walks. You will be posting your Drift Strategy on your Blog, so make sure it is a structure you feel good about. Here is the list of Strategies:

1. Algorithmic Walk

a) Second Left, First Right

b) Third Right, Second Left, Third Right

c) Zig zag: left, right, left, right

2. Roll dice to determine direction: 1-2: left, 3-4: right, 5: reverse direction, 6: cross street.

3. Stopwatch: make a change in direction every 5 minutes.

4. Map Overlay: Walk the streets of Milwaukee while using a map of Boston.

5. Take a hard-copy paper map of Milwaukee and fold it several times, including folds not corresponding to straight square folds. Make direction changes or focus particular attention on points on the map falling in an intersection of folds.

6. Draw a circle on the map. Walk every street inscribed within this circle.

7. Draw a circle on the map. Walk the perimeter of the circle as best you can.

8. Pick a starting point and ending point and draw a straight line between them. Follow this straight line as rigidly as you can.

9. Draw a square on the map. Navigate the area within this square by walking consecutively smaller squares within the original square.

10. Snake Technique: walk on one side of the street in one direction, go the opposite direction on the other side of the street, repeat on the next street over.

11. Create your own . . .



We will ask for a show of hands on Monday to ask how many of you need a demonstration on how to operate your MD recorders. If you want to get a head start, here, again, are the important steps to prep your recorder:

Make sure you are in Advanced Mode:
* Press and hold Menu for 2 Seconds.
* Rotate jog wheel until "Option" appears.
* Press "Enter" (middle button).
* Rotate to "Menu Mode," Enter.
* Rotate to "Advanced," Enter.

Make sure your discs are in Hi-MD mode (this will be set automatically if you are using a 1 GB Hi-MD disc):
* Menu
* Option
* Disc Mode
* Hi-MD

Make sure your discs are in Hi-SP mode:
* Menu
* REC Set
* REC Mode
* Hi-SP

Make sure you check your Mic Sensitivity:
* Menu
* REC Set
* Mic Sens
* “High” for general ambience
* “Low” for loud situations or very close mic

Make sure you are in Manual Gain mode while recording:
* Hold down Pause (II) and press REC (+>) (“Record Pause”)
* Menu
* REC Set
* REC Volume
* Manual
* You have to do this each time you hit STOP or power up your recorder.



All of the instructions for the Drift 1 assignment are posted on the Drift 1 page on the syllabus:
http://www.glennbach.com/film_116/08116_drift01.html

Have a safe, warm weekend, and we'll see you Monday in MUS 180.