The Conversation

I've been having a problem where for over a couple of weeks i've been trying to record the right conversation for my animation. I thought of different ways of trying to get audio of random conversations and it was actually really quite hard. I spent most days walking around town with a recorder in my hand, in shops following people around or in queues. But i could never really quite get the clarity right, or even a remotely interesting dialogue.

I thought i'd treat it as fishing, i'd sit in different coffee shops have a drink, do some work and have the take recorder at hand incase anyone sat down next to me. Some people did and i thought i would of gotten some good material but you could barely hear it.
I also went to the oceanarium and thought i might be able to catch some kids shouting loudly to their parents which i find is what i always hear but when i went, the whole place was desolate!

I had to take things into account in the places where i was recording, i managed to get a whole conversation which was happening right behind me on the bus. But when listening back to it all that ou could hear is the engines.

Things were getting quite late and i couldn't start my animation until i had the audio sorted and i had my crit where my tutor basically said i had to get this done asap. I don't know why but it didn't feel right having a force conversation or making it up as i wouldn't feel inspired to carry out the project as it wouldn't be sticking to the point of recording a strangers conversation.

Luck happened literally the next day, it was fate. I sat down on a bench by the beach and i moved my bag to get a book out when a elderly man came and sat next to me asking if this seat was taken. We started to talk and i saw my opportunity. Typically, the audio recorder i borrow from uni decided not to turn on, but i had my tape recorder on me thankfully and begun to record.

It was perfect, he talked about how he used to go to Pontins when he was younger at Clacton-On-Sea and how he used to dress up nice for the girls. "Oh how i remember it" telling me the best days of his life.
He asked what i did and i told him how i was currently job searching and talked about politics of student life which i didn't quite understand how i will live afterwards. He also told me his wife died 5 years ago and told me what his daughters did, all in all it was really pleasant.

I used to get really funny when strangers started to talk to me but then i'm quite awkward, but that day i realized this was how i was going to get my conversation. It's a shame how people can feel so lonely and even though we are surrounded by people we feel like we cannot talk to  each other. I think i learnt something that day, i think because when i walk amongst people or around people i feel generally very detached. But  maybe people should warm up to each other and not treat each other when passing to not even acknowledge another life form passing by. I'm not sure what my point is but i would like to think my animation of this man telling me a brief story of the glory days of his life would touch some people.