Other Projects and Journalism
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Sound Design
In March/April of 2015, this sound design piece was used in ReVamp Collective's original play "Shit Men Have Said to Me"during it's one week run as part of MZ Fest. A collaboration with director Carly Bodnar, Matt built this audio montage from various news clips, and layered them over a looping music bed. The result is a piece that highlights the ways in which politicians and talking heads fail to understand the importance of women's reproductive rights.
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Video ProductionPart of being in a band involves creating content for social networking and video sites to aid in promoting the project beyond the boundaries of local shows and radio support. This trailer was put together as a teaser for fans to get a first listen to a song from the nearly complete album sessions. Using a rough mix of the song, "Friendly Fire," edited live performance footage was placed over the track along with other design elements to help generate interest for fans and supporters of the Indiegogo campaign who generously pledged money for the recording sessions.
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Journalism
In October of 2011, Matt was a student at Suffolk University enrolled in the course Issues in Journalism taught by noted Boston Globe and Providence Journal investigative reporter Bruce Butterfield. The first major assignment for the semester was a social justice paper on a relevant topic determined by each individual student that had to be approved by the instructor. Less than two miles away, one of the biggest demonstrations in recent history was taking place in Dewey Square along The Rose Kennedy Greenway.
The City of Boston was not alone, the movement calling itself "Occupy Wall Street" had grown to include sizable numbers of demonstrators in almost every major city in the United States. Makeshift tent cities sprang up in public spaces, with individuals living in everything from camping gear, and in more extreme conditions, cardboard boxes, or right out in the elements. These sites all had one common thread, they were usually in close proximity to major financial institutions like Wall Street in New York, or the Federal Reserve in Boston. The "99 percenters" took aim at the "1 percent" of wealthy American's who the protesters felt paid less than their share of taxes by income ratio. As the movement grew in size and political ideology, the message came to symbolize more than a problem with austerity, and social issues of any kind could be the motivator behind an individuals involvement in the demonstration. With that in mind, Matt and his friend Kristen went down to Occupy Boston armed with a flip camera and a set of questions. Notable among those interviewed for this project was Carlos Arredondo, who less than two years later would emerge as a hero after saving the life of a critically injured marathon spectator named Jeff Bauman, who lost both legs in the Boston Marathon bombing explosions. Mr. Arredondo's actions, as well as those of many other citizen first responders, became the center of local and national pride following what was later uncovered to be an act of domestic terrorism. The slogan/rally cry "Boston Strong" was partially inspired by Arredondo's actions. In 2011, Mr. Arredondo was interviewed by Matt and Kristen while living in a large tent he named "Camp Alex" in memory of his son Alexander who died in 2004 during a combat mission in Iraq. This tragic event led Carlos to begin a lifetime dedicated to social and political activism. His primary concerns throughout the interview included ending the war overseas, taking care of veterans who have suffered physical and psychological damages as a result of service, and taking the money saved from ending the war and redistributing those funds to pay teachers, and provide better education to the youth of America. |
Carlos Arredondo in 2011 being interviewed by Matt Dargan during the Occupy Boston demonstrations.
Carlos Arredondo as a first responder on April 15, 2013 at the scene of the Boston Marathon bombing. Photo Credit: Associated Press
Occupy Boston demonstrators in Dewey Square at the height of the protest in the Fall of 2011. Photo Credit: Greg Derr
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Voice Over/ Audio ProductionVoice Over commercial advertisement with Sound FX and a music bed created using Pro Tools for a Halloween themed event at a New Hampshire amusement park.
Voice Over piece about the historical significance of Seattle grunge music done with NPR style writing and narration created using Pro Tools. The voice over tells the story, with interviews of multiple subjects weaving in and out over a carefully edited music bed featuring select songs by the artists being discussed. |