Noise

jjkirnan · 2005-08-08 05:55:17

First....

This is a GREAT website.

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There is TOO MUCH NOISE in the background! I crave the intimacy you (and with a few exceptions ONLY you) are very close to offering. These people are allowing their naked souls to be witnessed and really letting go. Paid or not...they are risking, and watching that is thrilling.

They should be honored with the respect of a absolutely pure, velvet-smooth silent background, against which we hear the full dynamic range of their voices and bodily sounds picked up by a powerful condenser microphone, one that captures every frequency of every whimper.

Management...please respond. You are out there on the edge of sexual intimacy...but you are giving it to us trashed with bedlam! It's a disjoint!

What would it take to get rid of the trucks, the sawing, the barking dogs, the slamming furniture, the knocks at the door, (there was even construction/hammering in one clip) and especially the roaring, solid white noise that is either caused by air conditioning or the gain turned up too loud because the mic is inadequate/misused.

Joyous to have found you,

J.J. Kirnan www.jjkirnan.com

Kdogg2 · 2005-08-08 07:33:41

I'm not sure if your aware of the fact, but the agonee's choose their own places to shoot their video.

The owners of the site just post the sent in videos. There is no stage or set up for the people to use.

jjkirnan · 2005-08-08 13:22:49

Are YOU sure that is true?

Well, if so, then they are getting together to shoot in a 'common' space, because you keep hearing the same distracting traffic noise on clip after clip, and the white noise is consistent. It is VERY doubtfull these clips are all made on ad hoc homemade rigs, since the audio issues are consistent.

Meanwhile, quality could still be controlled by specifying it to the person. No pay unless the quality is thus and so. Even if each filming is at a unique location (i still doubt it) it should be no big deal to "up" the quality in this way. Wouldn't have to be necessarily "perfect studio control", but could be held to a much higher standard.

Born2bWild · 2005-08-08 15:10:02

hhmm maybe it's just me, but I don't mind the background noise. It's real! For instance, right now if I were engaged in my own agony you'd hear the lawnmower, dogs barking and the TV in the background. Most of the charm of this site (to me anyway) is that it's real! That's why I joined..not to see a staged studio experience...imho.

Kdogg2 · 2005-08-08 17:27:41

I'm not 100% sure of any of this, but I am willing to believe Richard.

It seems to me, that from the few contributers who speak in their videos, and the overkills, that most of them seem to be European.

I've never left the USA, so I can't comment on how close the streets are to the houses there, and if most of them are attached to main throughfares.

Many of the videos seem to have the noise of everyday traffic. If this is the case, how would it be possible to dictate to a contributer, how much background noise is allowed.

I don't konw about you, but I sure don't have access to a studio with sound dampening, and professional grade video equipment.

I figure most of the people shoot their videos with what ever cameras they have, in the comfort of their own homes.

I agree with Born2bWild. The background noise is what adds to the realism of the shoot. Its what you'd expect from a home movie.

Take a look at Overkill OV0006, on 6/23/2004, in the archives. During her shoot, her roommate comes home unexpectantly. Overkill OV0002, on 5/17/2004, answers her phone off camera, Thats realism for you.

I'm not attacking you, just giving a Pro to your Con.

Last edited by Kdogg2 (2005-08-08 17:33:53)

pinguin · 2005-08-08 19:48:10

Several agonees also have a portfolio on ishotmyself, and quite often those pictures are taken at the same location as the BA recording (same bed, pillow, etc). These locations are never the same.

But even if you're right and all agonies were recorded at the same location, than the BA team must have a very large stock of bed linen, cause I've never seen the same pillow twice.

Kdogg2 wrote:

I've never left the USA.

Make sure you do before it's too late :-) Even though you can spend a lifetime traveling through the USA and watch Discovery Channel every night, nothing matches the thrill of going to a different country and experience first hand another culture.

salsasalsa · 2005-08-08 23:20:13

Kdogg2 wrote:

It seems to me, that from the few contributers who speak in their videos, and the overkills, that most of them seem to be European.
I've never left the USA, so I can't comment on how close the streets are to the houses there, and if most of them are attached to main throughfares.

Houses in Europe are as varied in their dimensions and distance from roads as they are in the USA

Lago NY · 2005-08-09 05:39:10

I generally like the background noise in the agonies. "velvet-smooth silent background" could also be interpreted as, sterile, staged. What could be more intimate than the comfort of your own, backyard, den bedroom, bath, etc This is where we go, in real life, for solitude. Those are the sounds we hear.

lauren · 2005-08-09 05:46:33

Agony participants film there own agony's in their own surrounds, where they feel most comfortable. We always ask that they find somewhere which is as quiet as possible, so they may not be disturbed, this is not always easily obtainable for people though. Given that many people share accomodation with others, or live near busy roads, or have neighbours who have loud barking dogs, these sorts of background sounds can't be avoided, i would think that the sounds which surround someone gives us insight into the type of person that they are, personally i think this is beautiful, that these people wish to share this intimate experience with us is amazing. Who are we, or who is anyone to say how or where they should or should not achieve their agony, i'm just pleased that they wish to share it with us to begin with.

jjkirnan · 2005-08-09 06:21:37

Haven't any of you woke in the dead of night, total silence, and made love? There is a tangible riskyness to that much quiet, alone with your own breath, that of your lover, and as I mentioned before, totally aware and savoring the most subtle, inperceptable whimper. That is NOT sterile, staged or dead...it is WAY intimate. Myself, I'd love to make love no holds barred on some frozen night in the Silence of the North.

Lauren, thanks for the direct information. And all well and good for those who like the realism of traffic, dogs, phones, ipods and cell phones. Position granted.

However, realism is not always bedlam, either. Serenity, quiet, peace, the still of the night...these are real too.

Meanwhile, the "white noise" of air conditioning or the camera or? that pervades so many clips...that only masks intimacy.

BTW, I think a lot of the agonees are from Down Under. Just an intuition.

J.J.Kirnan

lauren · 2005-08-09 06:42:44

There are alot of participants from the land of oz but there are an awful lot more participants which are from all over the globe, we've been busy in agony land editing confessions, and i have to say, aussie accents are becoming few and far between. The "white noise" you are hearing may well be heating, air-conditioning, camera or the like. Unfortunate that we have little control over the equipment that is being used, especially when we are recieving the tape in the mail. Alas not everyone can own a pro recording device, and often simple home camcorders are only available to most. I am still hoping for a submission via a camera video phone, i think that would certainly be interesting. Imagine the places you could go. I would have to say that in my experiences, never have i come accross the dead of the night, not like you put it anyway. I lived in the country for a long time and all i ever awoke to was possums fighting in the trees and branches rustling against windows, now that i am in the city all i hear are car engines, sirens, trams and my next door neighbours dog barking constantly. But i have to say that regardless of all those noises which seem to constantly be there, i always can hear my own breath and especially my partners. Hmmm...just a thought, you got me thinking.

jjkirnan · 2005-08-09 18:24:34

I live in Pasadena, California, USA, about 300 yards from a light rail system, 800 yards from the main downtown "very chic" pedestrian street, and we have two fire stations and one police station on the blvd in front of our building. There are two freeways each about 1 mile distant.

Yet, when I am awake at 3:00 AM - 4:00 each morning, especially Monday morning...there is a wonderful blanket of silence, as long as all my computers and air conditioning are turned off...and my neighbors' as well. This happens just before and just after Winter! The weather is so fine here about 4 months per year that not only do you not need AC, you also don't need heat/furnace/fans on. There is no running water. Usually no wind.

In other words, I get deep silence, for the 5-10 mintues between cars going by. If you lie still, you can eventually hear the distant freeway, also lite traffic. Maybe a sound 1/2 mile away.

Is it the "Silence of the North" made famous by Robert Service and Jack London? No. That condition is absolute. But it is a special sense-space.

J.J.Kirnan

Lago NY · 2005-08-10 01:50:19

I didn't mean to imply that silence, itself, was cold or sterile. I can appreciate the calm moments, between breaths, when everything stops. For Agony I lean more towards point an shoot than lights, camera, action, print it! I like the simple quality the clips present. I hope theres more preparation in the motivation for the shoot, than the tech aspects.

Iso · 2005-08-10 05:24:03

J.J. :
Wonderful ideas, I can tell you're a lover of the Word. I'm glad you can find one hour of the day (when the rest of the world is sleeping off their day) when your house seems quiet to you. And it is a valid suggestion, that you'd like to have the agonies have better sound quality. And you've suggested how contributors might accomplish that.

However, this is not the written world. The world we live in is uncontrolled and messy. And in order to achieve the "velvet-smooth silent" "intimacy" you seek, you are suggesting that contributors put themselves in an unnatural and very much less than comfortable situation.

Getting up in the middle of the night, closing all the windows, turning off all fans (don't forget to unplug the fridge), doing several test recording of themselves talking and making other noises (perhaps test bouncing on the bed to see if it sqeeks to loud), watch all these tests and see if they can find a quieter location... by which point it's 5am and time to go to work. So much for intimacy.

Do you own a video camera, by the way? Is it less that brand new? Most of them will pick up motor noise from the camera itself. And the microphones on them are very often _omnidirectional_ and very good at picking up sound that we humans don't notice. My fridge goes on and off throughout the day, I might notice it go _off_ (that is to say the absence of that low hum) but only if I'm not I'm thinking about other things ... like getting it on for exmple.

These are home videos, not hollywood studio films. Given the intensity of some contributions, I'm pleased the contributors stay in frame through it all and don't knock the camera over.

jjkirnan · 2005-08-10 07:42:43

I believe some of you are "totalizing". I'm not demanding the radical notions you are citing "or else it sucks."

I'd be grateful for simply a "big tug" in the direction of quieter backgrounds to the videos. Like, turn off the roaring air conditioner for five minutes, for goodness sake.

Iso: Thanks for the praise. If you do appreciate the word, might I suggest my story "fixed right" or "where only joy was" at my site jjkirnan.com, reading it is free.

But.....in paragraph two you yank the praise back! >> you are suggesting that contributors put themselves in an unnatural and very much less than comfortable situation <<
HUH? Asking them to achieve somewhat more quiet background does THAT to them? As opposed to...making the arrangements with this site, mounting a camera, the staged event, the post production (!) and delivery, getting paid, etc.... is natural? Sorry, they are already doing a lot of premeditated setup, i am just asking them to go a bit further before they start filming. Lauren says she suggests it in her instructions...I wish they would do better, that's all.

And yes, Lago, you more than implied it. Just because you defended with "Could be interpreted", still the implication was exactly that, otherwise why state it?

And all..please remember my first post...I was under the impression most of the vids were being set up by BA at their facility, and I was griping with BA that they should have better equipment.

J.J.Kirnan

Last edited by jjkirnan (2005-08-10 07:46:31)

lauren · 2005-08-10 07:51:43

Yes i do suggest that they try and get some quiet, when i am able to have contact with the contributor, but never do i suggest they do anything that they wouldn't ordinarily do.

Lago NY · 2005-08-10 19:28:07

JJ, my basic intent is that I dont mind the back round noise or lack there of. In some cases, as noted in other replies to this topic, these distractions are welcome as a natural part of the event. Presumably some contributors will give that area more attention than others. While I dont think your concerns are wrong I dont entirely agree with them.

#1 2005-08-08 05:55:17

Noise

#2 2005-08-08 07:33:41

Re: Noise

#3 2005-08-08 13:22:49

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#4 2005-08-08 15:10:02

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#5 2005-08-08 17:27:41

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#6 2005-08-08 19:48:10

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#7 2005-08-08 23:20:13

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#8 2005-08-09 05:39:10

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#9 2005-08-09 05:46:33

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#10 2005-08-09 06:21:37

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#11 2005-08-09 06:42:44

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#12 2005-08-09 18:24:34

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#13 2005-08-10 01:50:19

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#14 2005-08-10 05:24:03

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#15 2005-08-10 07:42:43

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#16 2005-08-10 07:51:43

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#17 2005-08-10 19:28:07

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