Blog Assignment #3: Relationships Between Shots

AMC's Mad Men is among the greatest American television dramas ever produced. Set in New York in the 1960s, it features an ensemble cast that represents several different spheres of society during this time.

The show is a hilarious perversion of cultural conventions of the 60s, including (but certainly not limited to) excessive alcohol consumption, constant cigarette smoking, and casual infidelity. Surprisingly, it isn’t until the sixth episode of Season 5 that the show highlights the chemical substance that came to define the Psychedelic Era: lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), also known as acid.

Scene from Mad Men Season 5, Ep. 6: 'Far Away Places'

In this scene, Roger Sterling and his wife Jane take LSD and go on an enlightening journey beyond the ordinary boundaries of space and time. Their experience comes to life through the application of suggestive editing techniques. The audience is not simply watching the scene unfold, but rather getting a taste of the powerful effects of LSD for themselves.

The drug lifts users to an altered state of consciousness. It has perception-altering effects that induce intense hallucinations. After claiming to be bored by the drug, Roger goes to pour himself a drink. He opens a bottle of vodka and immediately starts hearing loud opera music. Confused, he places the cap back on the bottle and the music suddenly stops. Roger opens the bottle once more and, much to his surprise, he hears the music again. The editors are indicating that Roger finally realizes he is tripping.

via GIPHY

Under the influence of LSD, time can seem to considerably speed up or slow down. This is cleverly demonstrated when Roger goes for a smoke. He lights his cigarette, takes a drag, and watches it burn down to nothing almost instantly. Clearly the editors are indicating that time, from Roger’s perspective, is moving quite rapidly.

Roger then begins to fade out of consciousness as he stares at his reflection. Another man enters the frame and tells Roger not to look in the mirror. Roger ignores his demands, and the view shifts from both men to a shot of Roger. The conversation continues. However, Roger notices a change in the man’s voice. Suddenly, it’s more familiar, more inviting. When he goes to look back at the man, Roger sees he’s now talking to his old friend and business partner Don Draper, who is not really at this party; the editors are just illustrating the psychedelic nature of the drug by having Roger hallucinate Don’s presence, as well as the out-of-body experience he has following the conversation with Don. 

The feel of the scene is profoundly attributed to the editing. The shots are organized in a manner meant to display the surreal, mind-bending essence of acid. The cuts are seamless and fluid. The editors include several overlapping audio tracks to give the audience a sense of the confusion and nervousness Roger feels. This scene is wild and unsettling, which I believe is precisely what the editors were hoping to achieve.

Project #2: Audio Portrait

Blog Assignment #2: "What I Hear"

I am on the train heading home from a friend’s house. I’ve got headphones in my ears, blasting Brothers by The Black Keys. After a few minutes, the train begins to slow down. We’re approaching my stop.

“New Dorp,” the conductor mumbles as I step off the train and onto the platform.

I make my way over to the stairs but can still hear the conductor muttering, “Stand clear of the closing doors.”

I disconnect my headphones from my phone and place them in my pocket. The sound of blaring car horns quickly devours my attention. There is always traffic here, but right now it is particularly heavy because it’s dinnertime and the street is lined with restaurants. I continue down the block.

Four women stand in front of this Italian place, smoking cigarettes and jabbering about their weekends. One woman is wearing bracelets on her wrist that jingle every time she takes a drag. This sound makes me think of my grandmother; she never left the house without jewelry. 

Further down the street, amidst the sounds of car engines and radios, I hear a barking dog. It's a tiny, little thing. It's bark is high pitched and piercing. I resist the persistent urge I have to pet it and carry on.

I stop at the closest deli for a cup of coffee. As I pull open the door, I hear bells ringing above me. I’ve always hated bells. I find the sounds they make dreadful and annoying. I replace the awful sound of the bells with the delightful sound of coffee trickling from the pot into my cup.

Finally, I go to the register; the man behind the counter rings me up, and tells me I owe him $1.50. I hand him a single dollar bill and two quarters. He drops one quarter on the counter and the sound echoes across the silent store. He opens the cash register, puts my money in, and tells me to have a nice night.

I head out the door – there are those horrible bells again. I fumble around my pocket for a moment looking for my headphones. I place them in my ears and start my playlist. The sounds of the busy street I have been traveling down fade away.