Week 6, Summer 2023

Into the Future

Jul 05, 2023

I got interested in a very unique art form this week—single-take shots, also known as one-take scenes. They are long video sequences that feel like they have been shot in one take, i.e., without any no discontinuities or cuts. And there is something really magical about it.

One-take scenes feel a lot more immersive to the viewer. You stop being a distant observer and become someone who is a part of the video, following the characters as events unfold. You become more present in the actions of the event.

There are many directors that have experimented with this style of storytelling, but as appealing as they might be, they are logistical nightmares for the production team. Every pan and motion needs to be timed precisely to avoid mistakes. There are many movies and short films that have been directed in this style. However, it is much harder (impossible) to shoot an entire movie in a single shot than it is to shoot something short, like a music video. This is why they need to incorporate many clever tricks to make it look like it was all done in a single shot—such as scene stitching and intentional obstacles.

Some examples of great one-take films are 1917 and Birdman. I made a playlist of some videos that take you behind the scenes of some one-take films. Check it out here.

One-take films are a masterclass in cinematography. Learning more about this style of filmmaking has inspired me to try making one myself. 1

Weekly updates!

Music

I continued my practice for the ‘Succession Theme’ this week, along with releasing a new song:

Let me take you on a journey through a futuristic world where anything is possible. With ethereal electronic beats and soaring synth-filled melodies, this soundtrack will have you on the edge of your seat as you explore a world beyond your wildest dreams.
From the very first note, you'll be transported to a place where technology and humanity collide, creating a tapestry of sound unlike anything you've ever heard before. With each crescendo, you'll feel the weight of a world on the brink of change, and with each pause, you'll be left to wonder what the future holds. So, put on your headphones and be transported to the year 2049, where the possibilities are endless.
Welcome to 2049.

This soundtrack holds a very special place in my heart because it is a production that I really enjoy listening to. It has been my go-to soundtrack whenever I sit down to work and need to focus. Listening to it requires some patience because it is not a song with crazy beat drops or overly dramatic verses, but rather one which takes the listener on a peaceful ride through space and time.

It is perfect for a long drive or a mindful work session. It always leaves me bopping my head to its 808 beats. There are many subtleties hidden throughout the track that are best experienced through headphones. But beware! Side effects may include a very relaxed mind 🐨

I made this track back in 2022 but never released it formally until last week. There are many others that haven’t seen the light of day (to be released soon) and many that are still being developed.

I am constantly learning and improving my production style, and sharing my work with everyone is an integral part of that journey. There are still many imperfections in the songs that I make, but with each song I produce, I am inching closer toward complete mastery of the art.

I am sure that the songs that I publish next will also have significant room for improvement. As I continue on this path of experimentation, if you have any feedback for any of my songs, I would be delighted to hear it.

(P.S. Another bright new song coming out in next week’s update)

Reading

“Whatever we understand and enjoy in human products instantly becomes ours, wherever they might have their origin. I am proud of my humanity when I can acknowledge the poets and artists of other countries as my own. Let me feel with unalloyed gladness that all the great glories of man are mine.”

A couple of weeks ago, I professed my admiration for the team that brought together “Spiderverse” to the bring screen. I mentioned wanting to learn more about the creative process behind making something as magnificent as this. So, I got a book that draws the curtain back for me.

My new book of the week is “Spider-Man Into the Spiderverse: The Art of The Movie”.

I have reached the last part of India Unbound—called ‘The Rebirth of Dreams”—which focuses on the years after the 1991 economic reforms. There was one chapter that really resonated with me this week, and it was about Westernization and Modernity.

It shares some perspectives that still resonate today, after over two decades since the book was first published. People often associate “modernity” and “westernization” as a threat to their culture. This was (and still is) especially true in the case of India, which was very fearful of following the footsteps of the west and losing all its values in the name of capitalism.

“The verbal confusion makes us ambivalent about foreign trade and investment. It makes us clamor for protection in a globalizing world. It slows our responses to the economic reforms and delays our ability to create a competitive economy. At the root of the issue is a legitimate fear of the loss of Indian tradition, culture, and way of life. But the fear is often a symptom of an inferiority complex apropos the West, especially with the older generation that is in power.”

The argument made against foreign trade and investment is the loss of the country’s rich culture. While I see some merit to this argument, it doesn’t justify closing the country to the outside world. If our traditions are as strong and deeply rooted as we claim, we will find ways to keep them alive despite rapid modernization.

“This is the dilemma of modernization for a poor country like India. It is difficult to disagree with the political party’s desire to retain the good things in our traditional culture. This will, however, not be achieved through xenophobia or excessive tariff protection. It will come by having a vigorously competitive economy and improving the quality and quantity of education, which will ultimately give Indians confidence in their lives and their culture. There is no question that modern life will erode many features of traditional society, but a better understanding of the past through education will give a person perspective and make him or her better able to retain that which is good and reject what is bad in tradition.”

He continues by saying,

“Our continuing inability to distinguish between the "modern" and the "western" is surely the cause of some of our grief. If we could only accept that a great deal of modern Western culture is no longer the property of the West but a universal, critical way of thinking which belongs to all rational, civilized human beings, we would not suffer quite as much. We would conserve our energy for better things rather than waste it on swadeshi, Hindutva, national language debates, U.S.-bashing, multinational-baiting, and other futile activities.”

And I couldn’t agree with him more.

I think there is enough room in the world for every culture to co-exist. While globalization has homogenized societies in many ways, it is still possible to maintain and practice one’s traditions, while shedding the ones that no longer hold any value. Tomorrow’s society is going to look much different than it does today, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, in my opinion.

There is no one definition of a “modern society”. A modern American society is going to be different from a modern Japanese society, which in turn is going to be different from a modern Indian society. We need to stop seeing other cultures as a threat trying to disrupt ours and instead focus on finding ways to embrace and integrate ours into the way that we live.

“The ideal life for the modern Indian, he said, combined the spirituality and wisdom of the East with the rationality and technology of the West. "What we now need in India," said Handa Saheb, "is to create the industries based on the science of the West while retaining our spiritual tradition." This was our national project.”

If you’re interested in reading the chapter in much greater detail, you can access it here.

Website

I had a great response to the website! Since last week, I have added a couple of other features to the website, such as the ability to scroll to the top.

As the pages are going to get populated with more content, it will get annoying for the user to keep scrolling up once they have reached the bottom of the page. For instance, take the Photography page for “American Solar Challenge ‘22”.

When I released it last week, it only had one page with about 10 or so images from its first day. Now, it looks something like this:

I added buttons that can help a user navigate to all the different days of the race. With about 180 images, you can view the entire race catalog now!! You can follow through the American outback with the Illini Solar Car team by clicking on the buttons on the top.

With the addition of adding so many new images came the challenge of having to scroll up every time one would want to change the day. So to make the UX better, I also added a “Scroll to top” button (☝) on the side for a smooth animation to the top, so that you can enjoy all the images seamlessly.

Check it out in action here.

(Next step: Add more albums to the page)

Learning Spanish

The learning experience has been getting better. I have sought greater avenues to learn the language. I tried watching a movie in Spanish, but you can only have subtitles in one language. If I have English audio and Spanish subtitles, I still won’t have any way of knowing what each word associates with. If I do the opposite, I will focus too much on the subtitles and won’t be able to pay attention to what is being spoken. Either way, it didn’t seem like a great idea.

While there are some browser extensions I could use to have 2 subtitles, I would be missing out on comprehending it. YouTube videos will have to do for now.

I had more conversations in Spanish as well. Forming sentences in a conversation still feels hard. Listening to it feels much better now since I am able to pick up a word here and there. I have also tried to increase the time that spend every day learning Spanish. Rather than just continuing the streak on Duolingo, I am taking a step beyond it as well.

There is definitely improvement, but there could be more. I will continue having and listening to more conversations to get more comfortable with sentence formation and comprehension.

Onward!

Photo of the Week

I had a chance to visit the observatory this week, which is when I took this picture through the telescope lens using my phone’s camera.

It captures everything that is beautiful about the Moon and never fails to amaze me. I could look at it for hours, studying it’s every crater and shadow, and still not grow tired of it.

It stands as a reminder for me to never stop looking up.

As busy as this week was, I took the time at the end of the week to reconnect with my friends and watch a good movie. I have been so involved in my projects that I have not been getting much time to slow down, reflect, and write about everything that I am learning and thinking about every day. I am learning more on a daily basis than I ever have before—from Indian history and art to music and coding. While this summer has been a good time to work as hard, it has also shown me that it is important to find time to reflect upon what I do.

While I have found a certain rhythm in my days, the end of the day still leaves me wanting for more time. My activities and interests are like different nutrients, and together they create a well-balanced diet.

There is one very important project that I have alluded to in the past but still haven’t fully explored here (and for a very good reason). I am reaching an important point in its journey and I will have more to say about it next week.

Until then, join me in taking a ride to the future.

Mantener Apretado!
Aaryaman

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