This American Moth’s Sandbox

This week I listened to three different podcasts with each dealing with a storytelling. The podcasts I listened to were Moth, This American Life and Sandbox. Personally, I had heard of Moth and This American Life, but had not yet gotten around to giving them a listen. The episodes I listened to were:

- “Bye-Bye New York: Emad Kiyaei,” Moth
- “Valentine’s Day,” This American Life
- “The Sensory Connection Between Art and Science with Ani Liu,” Sandbox

For me, the Moth episode was the most interesting to listen to as it dealt with a man who told his story via Skype. Usually, participants are present at a live Moth slam to tell their stories. However, because Emad Kiyaei had been forced to leave the United States under President Donald Trump’s administration, the man told his story by only using a Skype audio call. He talked about how he grew up in South Africa and how he moved to New York just after Sept. 11. He talked about being racially profiled by TSA and the treatment he received while being interrogated for something he had no knowledge or involvement in. After his release from the interrogation, which lasted several hours, he found himself alone at night in a city he knew nothing about. Emad then talked about how he lived in New York for a few years, developed friendships that became family, and found a career he loved. Then, abruptly, he was given only so many days to leave the country. This meant majority of his belongings had to be given to friends or sold. His story was powerful and it immediately drew me. It also drew in the audience and judges, as he ended up winning the competition that evening.

Next up, the This American Life episode I listened to was about how various people took a break or pursued love. Overall, the stories told were very interesting and entertaining. My only issue was that the hosts would continuously interject with questions or comments that took away from the natural flow of the stories. On top of that, the music and general format of the show just didn’t really interest me. It was more so the content of the stories being told that kept me listening.

Lastly, the Sandbox episode I heard was not very interesting to me personally. Either that or I just was tired of podcasts at that point. I do, however, think the sound quality for this episode was superior to the others. It sounded crisp and clear. The speaker was great and she didn’t stumble over her words or come across as if she were reading.

New Phone, Old Problem

My storyboard is hard to see, so I've included a video below with each panel in order to read it better. This story of anger deals with a recent situation where my iPhone 8 was defective not once, but twice. 

Story Board:

Video:

White Bags, Hearts and Illusions

For this assignment,  I decided not to tell a specific story regarding Valentine's Day. Instead, I wanted to talk about how the day is perceived from childhood to adulthood. The audio was recorded in Adobe Audition without the use of effects. I then created the video in Adobe Premiere (my first time ever really using it). The images were pulled from Google, as I did not get a chance to take photos or create images. The background music is from AudioBlocks.

Tarantino Reflection: Ambition Over Critical Acclaim

While watching Quentin Tarantino’s interview with Charlie Rose from 1994, there was a question Rose posed regarding which film of his Tarantino liked more (“Reservoir Dogs” or “Pulp Fiction”). The answer Tarantino gave was one I found to be relatable. He says that to him “Pulp Fiction,” which came out two years after “Reservoir Dogs,” was the better film because it was more ambitious. 

As someone who writes and creates publishable content, I can understand where Tarantino is coming from. Regardless of if an older work is critically better, the work that one has spent the most time dedicated to and making the best it could be is the one the creator typically favors. At least, that has been my personal experience. Knowing that I did something that was challenging and ambitious makes me like it a bit more. Even if the audience or reader isn’t aware of the time and energy put into it, I still know what it took to get from point A to point B. This is what I think Tarantino was essentially saying. 

My Bey-gest Regret Retold (Audio Story)

For the retelling of my biggest regret, I incorporated sound effects. These effects include the sound of walking on pavement, birds chirping, and a record scratching. I also recorded a bit as the will call clerk and used an effect to make it sound similar to how I heard it. 

To me, this was the better version because I didn't feel rushed. I also had more of an idea of what I was going to say so it felt more like a conversation than reading a prompt. 

'Psycho' vs. 'Pulp Fiction'

Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” presents a linear tale of a man who is suffering from mental illness, which drives him to commit murder. The film, which was released in 1960, is simple in structure with the story being told without the need of flashbacks or out of sequence scenes. The dialogue is clear and is used as a tool to drive the story along, including as foreshadowing. The film relies on the dialogue, camera angles, lighting and music to add layers of suspense.

On the other hand, Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” has a complex story that involves a circular and out of sequence structure. The dialogue is a spattering of one-liners and sometimes unnecessary added detail such as what a quarter pounder with cheese is called in France. Tarantino tells multiple character stories that are still connected in some way. The film does have more blood, sexual themes and strong language than Hitchcock’s “Psycho.”

In terms of effectiveness, “Psycho” draws pulls in the audience with suspense and unexpected twists. By killing off who is believed to be the main character not even half-way into the film, Hitchcock raises the stakes for how the narrative will move forward. However, Tarantino relies on more comedic characters to maintain the audience’s attention. Based on personal opinion, “Psycho” captivated my interest a lot more simply because it didn’t need to go to extremes to convey a deeply psychological tale.

On a side note, this was the first time I watched “Psycho” from start to finish and it led me down a rabbit hole of researching the three other films in the franchise. I have not watched these films, but I’ve read their summaries and how Norman Bates’ life ended up after “Psycho.” It’s an interesting tale of mental illness and redemption.

My Bey-gest Regret (Audio Story)

For this blog, I will be telling the story of my biggest regret in life. That reget being missing out on a free opportunity to attend a Beyoncé concert. Trust me, no one is judging me harder for this than myself. So sit back and enjoy!