Narrative Location Photos

Some of these were taken awhile ago, but they are perfect for conveying the mood of the narrative. They create an vast, empty, intimidating, and almost austere space in which even the buildings seem to be pressing down on our protagonist, watching with disapproval and condemnation.

Phrases

These are phrases I commonly hear at work:

1. That is badass.
2. It is what it is.
3. Well, then there ya go.
4. That's pretty sweet!
5. Hey big guy...

Documentary Treatment

Six words I get asked all the time: "Are you coming to McCormick's tonight?"

I constantly overhear conversations involving "an awesome show at McCormick's". When I ask what is so great about McCormick's, I am always told the same thing: McCormick's is the best place for local bands and musicians to play music.

Though I am not from this area, I have always been fascinated by the underground music scene. It is interesting asking local acts why they play the places they do, and why so many music goers flock to these shows, sometimes in favor of national touring acts.

What I will attempt to do is learn about one of these such places, McCormick's Coney Island, a bar in downtown South Bend, interviewing the owner and show bookers as well as the bands that play there.

My intent is inform viewers about McCormick's and also to persuade viewers of the importance of the local underground music scene.

"We Are Free" - Zep Hurme

Vimeo Link: "We Are Free"

Music Video Poster

Emotion Video

Apathy

This is the first video I've ever made or edited. As with my Emotion Photos, I used black & white to create a bleak atmosphere. A lot of my time was devoted to framing the scenes just so. Enjoy the dry humor, and also listen closely to the dialogue from the TV in the last scene (That was completely unplanned!).

Vimeo Link: Apathy

Loneliness

Music Video Analysis

This is the music video for the song "DOA" by Foo Fighters, from their album In Your Honor. Though the story of this video doesn't really make any sense, there are a lot of visually interesting things happen. It gives an atmosphere of peculiarity, achieving it by different camera and special effects. Throughout the video, the entire world is literally turning upside down. To further the strangeness, there are various shots of animals weird things, such as a mouse that is running on a wheel that seems to be powering some kind of device, a talking dog, and a bird that is doing flips inside its cage. As with many music videos, there are shots that make up a story, and then there are shots of the band playing. In the story portion, the band members are also the characters. It shows them on a train with the world outside rotating slowly. They are black and white, but outside there is color. The most notable visualization tool being used is the rotating camera.

Brainstorm

Music Video

Empathy in Motion

Tagline: Protagonist discovers the ability to switch bodies with people. 

Summary: A young woman is unhappy with her life, and sees someone that she wishes she could be. Suddenly, she is that person, and no one suspects that anything is amiss. She discovers that this person's life comes with its own challenges. She keeps switching bodies and encountering various humorous difficulties until she finds herself, which is who she decides that she wants to be after all. It is a lighthearted adventure that leads to a discovery of self identity and the significance of individuality.

Documentary

String Benders

Tagline: An account of local musicians, their views on music, and the difficulties of being successful in a small city.

Summary: The South Bend music scene has a plethora of musical talent at its disposal, yet the town does not a very big market music. How do the musicians of South Bend survive and still do what they love? What does music mean to them? What are their dreams, and why should the keep playing even if they can't achieve them? That is what I aim to find out.

Narrative

Depth Perception

Tagline: Man loses grip of the world as his vision degrades gradually into a blur.

Summary: A man literally loses focus of the world. Everything becomes a blur that even glasses can't fix. Then someone comes into focus that makes him question his perception of reality.

Bio

My name is Andrew Nolte. I am 22 years-old, and I am a sophomore majoring in Mass Communications with a concentration in Electronic Media and a minor in Photography. My first experience with making media started when I became a musician. I have been a drummer for 11 years and have been writing and recording music with bands for 7 years. Currently, I am playing with a band called Kaleidoscope Eyes, which can be heard here: kaleidoscope-eyes.bandcamp.com

Though I have no experience in video or film, I have been captivated by films and television my entire life. Just a few of my favorite movies are The Departed, Apollo 13, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. My favorite directors are Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, and Quentin Tarantino. I really enjoy TV shows that look and feel like films, such as most of the shows on AMC and Netflix, including Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Orange is the New Black, and House of Cards. My favorite band is Foo Fighters, and a close second is Queens of the Stone Age.