((Remix)) Storytelling
2021
Once upon an August...
a group of intrepid freshmen at the University of Pittsburgh set out to have a hands-on learning experience. The learned how to see space as more than a backdrop through spatial theory. They met with a professor from Pitt-London Film program about disaster films, toured a national historic site with an interpretive specialist, and learned how to navigate Pitt's media equipment collection. They wielded a range of editing software (e.g. Audacity, iMovie, Adobe Photoshop, Slices, Powerpoint). By tinkering with Foley sound effects, manipulated visual perspective, and captured soundscapes, they set out to create small projects offering distinct versions of Pittsburgh spaces and offering innovative stories. Anchoring their interpretations in the idea of estrangement (removing an object from its place of origin both in a physical and literal manner) and the method of remix (combining, sampling, mixing, distorting, overlaying, blurring, and more) they generated the following digital projects. It is our pleasure to welcome you to their visions and soundscapes! They have accomplished a truly tremendous feat in only one week.
--Dr. Jessica FitzPatrick & Robby
ELLE KATRINA, AND ALEXANDRA
Carrie Furnaces:
Those Who Stayed Behind
Our project takes Carrie Furnace's history and estranges it with those visiting it in the 21st century by creating an interactive experience for the audience to explore the old furnaces. By combining its history with more fantastical elements such as hauntings and the spirits left behind, it allows a modern audience to better understand what industrial workers faced for most of their lives.
(To explore the story, click on the image at the right. You can move left and right through the story by clicking on the left and right sides of each image.)
Connecting the Past
and the Present
EMILIA FERRETTI AND MATALAI LEE
Our project blends the grim but rich history and culturally significant present of the Carrie Blast Furnaces. This historical landmark was once a steel plant where many workers died due to dangerous working conditions. It is now a site where artists can create beautiful, inspiring artwork. We wanted to connect these two pieces of the site's story together with our project.
Works Cited:
Gaughan, William. Photograph. Anvil Forging. Sept. 1948. 943.94861.GN. Historic Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh. 20 Aug 2021.
(To explore, click on the image to the left. Audio will begin playing automatically.)
Nature Takes Over
GABY, KYRA, AND ERIN
Our project incorporates visual and auditory elements in order to convey the intertwined relationship of nature and machinery. Visiting Schenley Park, a former manufacturing spot turned into a haven of greenery and wildlife, as well as Carrie Furnace, which has yet to leave its grim and dark past behind it, allowed us to understand the way in which history and perceived realities can combine to create a story of its own.
(You are encouraged to play the full project soundtrack below and then click to move through the slides at the right.)
Women Are Steel
AMELIA & COURTNEY
Our project emphasizes equality and capability in the workforce, specifically with regard to Carrie Blast Furnaces. During the 19th and early 20th century, women were often associated with traditional, domestic roles like maintaining the household and raising the children, but we would like to showcase how women can take on dangerous jobs that were often dominated by male workers.
Works Cited
- Gaughan, William. Holiday Cheer. Dec. 1952.
-Gaughan, William. Teletype Operators. July. 1946
-Gaughan, William. Carrie Furnace Blown In. Aug. 1961.
-Gaughan, William. Keeping Time. Feb. 1943.
-Gaughan, William. Woman Welder Sitting Beside Beam. 24 Jan. 1945
-Gaughan, William. 100” Mill Female Employee. 23. May 1945.
The Puddler in the Furnace
BEN AND ADWOA
An exploration of the blast furnaces and a memorial of the workers that disappeared on site.
Quotes from Thomas Bell's novel *Out of this Furnace*, originally published in 1941.
(If embedded player malfunctions, please view slideshow through this link)
Nature Overtakes Machine
DANILO FERRETTI
An audio experience about a contentious relationship.
(If embedded player malfunctions, please view slideshow through this link )
"Whenever faced with such binarized categories... Lefebvre persistently sought to crack them open by introducing an-Other term, a third possibility or “moment” that partakes of the original pairing but is not just a simple combination or an “in between” position"
EDWARD SOJA
Pssst...if you're interested in digital narrative...
CHECK OUT THE DNID MAJOR