Blog Assignment #9

1).  www.Changethis.com

Valid Suggestions:

A).             I feel like the suggestion “There is nothing wrong with you” is valid, because of what the answer says right underneath it.  The answer is “Weaknesses are important clues to your strengths.”  I feel like this is a very smart and intelligent answer.  I feel like this, because the answer fits perfectly to what the question asks.  Also, this answer is very true and honest in the way in which it is worded.  The way that it talks about weaknesses seems as if weaknesses are a strength, however, the answer says that it is a clue to your strength.  I feel like this is a double negative in the terms of how it uses the weakness as the strength and how it switches them around.  A way that I could implement this suggestion into my own life, would be to make a list of all of the things that I feel are my weaknesses, and then try to look at them in terms of how they could all be beneficial to me in the future, and how I can learn from these weaknesses in order to start trying new things out, such as idea’s and motives.  I feel as if this is really good advice and is very valid and should be given to a lot of people to ponder on, because I feel that a lot of people would get a good understanding and new outlook on things in a good sense from this one little piece of information or suggestion.

B).             Another suggestion that I feel is very valid is the suggestion that says “Your Weaknesses Make You Different”.  I feel like this is very valid because of how inspiring and uplifting these words of advice are.  Also, I like the way in which this suggestion defines the word “Freak”.  It says “A person who is unique because of a natural positive obsession.”  This also brings up a very good feeling when hearing the word “Freak” and thinking of it in this way.  This is because in essence, we are all Freaks in the terms that we all have different natural positive obsessions.  This could be anything from Music, to Movies, to Video Games and more.  So not only does this suggestion make the viewer seem more happy and give a better, more positive self esteem boost, but it also characterizes some good use of advice.  I feel like I could implement this into my life, because I am always looking for more ways to boost my self esteem.  Also, I could use this new definition to create a new take on things, because now it doesn’t matter what I like to do or how I do something, because even though it is completely different than somebody else or anyone else, every other person is doing the exact same thing completely different that I am, which makes everybody a “Freak”.  This suggestion could also help in my creative life, by allowing me to think of what I do and my reasons for what I create in a new meaning that is more closer and personal than ever before.

C).             The suggestion:  “Freak Factory: Putting your quirks to work” is also another very valid suggestion that I completely agree with.  I agree with it because of what it says.  Underneath the suggestion, it says a couple of things, one of which is “Engage in Permanent Procrastination.”  I feel like this answer is perfect because of how it explains the way someone can achieve this.  Basically all it says as an answer to this, is that if you are procrastinating in activities that you don’t like, you should stop doing them altogether.  I think that this is another really good piece of advice that I plan of using.  However I feel that this answer needs to be used with caution, because if someone starts procrastinating on something that they need to do, they can’t just quit, because then they will be behind on whatever work that they are doing.  Another thing that this suggestion says, is to find people who are strong where you are weak.  I feel like this is a better piece of advice than the procrastination idea.  I feel this way, because if you have somebody who can compliment you where your weak spots are, and you can compliment them on where their weak spots are, then you can essentially have the perfect friendship that can allow for you two to be able to accomplish a plethora of things that you both wouldn’t be able to on a normal level by yourselves.  I feel like this idea is genius and should deserve an award.  Finally, I feel like I could use this suggestion to compliment my life the most out of all of the other suggestions.  I feel this way, because I already use the part where it says to find someone who can compliment you on your weak spots and find someone that you can compliment on their weak spots.  Me and My Best Friend Billy are like this and we have been BestFriends for over 14 years now.  I feel like this is the perfect way to keep a really good friendship alive.  Also, I feel like the procrastination idea is good, but like I said before, needs to be used only at certain times, as if it is not, it can cause serious consequences.

D).              I have found my strengths and weaknesses to be equally the same.  Some of my strengths are being able to complete a task well and understand the problems that I am trying to solve.  These are my strong suits and I use them in order to complete what I have to in a fast or accurate manner.  Some of my weaknesses are not being able to become interested in something if it is not something that I enjoy.  This is because when I work on something and want to not only learn more but also have the drive to do more work on the subject, I typically always have an interest in it.  However, when I’m faced with a something that I really don’t enjoy that much, since I don’t have that much of an interest in the subject, it typically takes me longer to get accustomed to it, however after I get accustomed to it, I seem to be able to come up with good idea’s about the problem and do pretty decent work.  Another one of my weaknesses, is taking down notes a little bit to literally.  I feel like sometimes the notes that I take are to exact and to the point and don’t explain enough of the problem or question at hand when I go back to look at it or them when I’m studying.  I feel like the way to fix this, is to listen to what the teacher says more, and write down the literal notes and what is on the board less, because I think that hearing a back story to some problems and parts of notes, helps engrain the information into my mind a little bit more easily.

Blog #8

1).   http://changethis.com




A).  "Acknowledging the Lizard" "Make Art" and "Connect".

             Acknowledging the Lizard is basically a take on how the part of our brains (the lizard brain) is essentially what controls our emotions when faced with a task, then the resistance is how we cope with the task, such as becoming angry or encouraging us to follow instructions.  The  “Connect” layer is all about how everybody on earth is connected and how we can use digital media to connect the future.  As far as “Connect” goes, we can all make real connections with digital media and we can all interact with people that we wouldn’t have if this digital media didn’t exist.  The “Make Art” layer is all about how the idea of “making art” is essentially the ability to create the un-created and use a new unused platform in order to create other new platforms and styles of art, which in turn allows creative thinking for future generations and other forms of art.

B).             I feel that all of the layers that I summarized and all of the other layers are all connected to this blog and share an ideal purpose for what this class entails.  For example, I feel that the “Make Art” layer is highly essential to this blog as well as the class.  I feel like this is right, because that layer says that we as humans all have the ability to create not only a new form of art but also a new platform on which to display our art.  This to me, seems like a vital role to any person with a major in Media Arts and Studies.  This is because every single major in this program has a different platform on which to portray their own form of art.  The best part of this, is that even though there are only a few platforms because of the limited number of majors, all of the people that are in this major have different views than their peers.  This means that there is an unlimited amount of creativity associated with each person in each major.  I feel like this is why the “Make Art” layer is so important to this class and blog assignment, because anyone can make whatever they want, and whatever those people make, is what becomes new forms or art for the future.  I feel like this layer also helps not only me, but every single artist who has ever lived become not only a better artist, but also a better person.  I believe this, because the more available forms of art there are, the more people who will strive to be artists, and the more artists there are, the more creative thinking will take place, hence creating yet more platforms to display an infinite amount of art on.  I feel as if I’m a better artist and person because of this layer, as what I just said about platforms applies to me.  I also feel like the “Connect” layer is associated with this blog assignment and class because it is essentially saying that digital media is connected all around and helps connect the world.  One of the biggest proponents of this, is that this assignment is a blog, and a blog is definitely one of the best forms of digital media used to encapsulate more and more people into using new forms of media.  This class is also teaching us forms of art all in which show new ways to connect the present to the future.  Finally, the “Acknowledging the Lizard” layer pertains to this class and blog assignment, because with the use of the skills that we will and have gained from this course, we as people will be able to understand how to go about coping with what a possible out come of a task could be, and how to handle it emotionally and tackle it head on.

Blog #7

1).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TJTbF2pBLM

I think that based off of this clip that the theme is more of a dark and intense kind of movie that implies a lot of violence and disturbing images.  The clip exemplifies this sort of theme in many ways, one of these is the use of camera angles.  The way that the camera angles are used in this clip are done in an extremely un-orthodox way and it is something that I have never seen in a movie before.  Also, the dialogue and accents are a key give away as to how the movie could turn out, as there is a lot of cursing and back-talking.  This theme is more of a didactic kind of theme, because the characters in the movie don’t see the camera angles and are oblivious to the atmosphere that is going on around them. 

Movement plays a big part of how this scene takes on such a unique theme.  This is because the way that the camera angles are used seems completely random, yet somehow organized at the same time.  An example of this, is how the camera zooms in and out, then changes to an overhead view, and then goes to the traditional over-the-shoulder shot.  Also, Space is a big factor in the way that the theme plays out, because the camera’s make it seem as if there is a lot of space somehow compacted down into something small.  I think that this is a really good technique and makes the viewer feel more attached to the movie, emotionally and physically.  Line is another good example of how the dark, intense sort of theme is portrayed, because a lot of the camera tricks are done with either straight lines, horizontal lines, inverted lines, or over head and under foot angles.  The way in which the director does this, makes for a kind of shifty and experimental take on the way that the plot unfolds, as it happens during the length of the clip.  Shape also plays a big part into the theme.  Shape is used as more of a background shot, this is because a lot of the figures in the movie have abstract shapes.  Also, the main character and good guy has a rectangle head, while the bad guy has more of a triangle shaped head.  I believe that the director did this, so that the audience would feel more of a connect to the characters, and in turn would make the plot seem a lot more realistic to the viewer.

Blog Assignment #6: Animation Deconstruction

1).













    


2).

















     Both of these pictures have a lot in common when it comes to their Color and Lighting.  An example of this is that in the first picture, Wile E. Coyote is the exact same color as he is in the second picture.  Also, the rocks are the same color and appear to have the same texture based off of the lighting.  However, in the first picture, the sky appears to be on more of a grey scale and almost a faded blue color; while in the second picture, the sky is bright blue and it appears to be the middle of the day which gives the picture a more happy and seductive tone, which is more pleasing to the eye of the viewer.  Also, even though both pictures seem to have different color schemes, they both still give off the same texture in the scene.

     Another difference in these two photos is that the first one is a lot older than the second one, however they both maintain the exact same symbolism as each other, in terms of what the show is based around.  Both of these photos also have different Mood's than one another.  For example, in the first picture, Wile E. Coyote seems upset because he knows that he is about to fall off of the edge of the cliff, while the RoadRunner seems to be enjoying itself because it knows that it just won.  On the other hand, in picture two, Wile E. Coyote seems to be very happy and excited about what he is about to do.  If you've ever seen the show, then you will know that even while he is happy in this screenshot, he is about to fail his objective miserably.  Another thing that is different between both of these pictures, is the Saturation of them.  The first photo has a more darker Saturation, as it is more dull and the colors don't stand out very much, but in the second photo, the Saturation is extremely bright because it shows a lot more emphasis on the colors because they are a lot more brighter and intense.

Week 4 Blog

1).  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYuEk0U2NRg

2).  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh9_PFtB-9Q

1).  LISTENING FRAMEWORK

(SIMPLIFIED)

Tempo [slow, medium, fast]

     a).  Medium/Fast

Source [where is the rhythm coming from?]

     a).  Drums, Guitar, Bass, and Vocals.

Groove [describe how the personality of the rhythm]

     a).  Loud, Heavy, Intense, Solid, Soulful,and Prominent.  

Instrumentation [which instruments drive the song?] 

     a).  Guitar, Bass, Vocals, and Drums.

Structure/Organization [how is the song built? Order, patterns, etc.]

     a).  Intro, Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Guitar Solo, Chorus, Chorus, Ending.

Emotional Architecture [Draw how the song build and drop?]

     a).  The song starts off kind of slow and depressing, then builds up to the chorus and is a lot more energetic and full of life and surprises.

Balance -

Height [high and low of frequency]

     a).  Pitch starts off quiet and builds up as the song goes on, then the song ends with a bang.

Width [stereo panning left/right]

     a).  There is no panning used.

Depth [layers of instruments - via loudness]

     a).  The Guitar Intro is overlapped into the Verses, and the Drums are used to keep the beat.

2).  LISTENING FRAMEWORK

(SIMPLIFIED)

Tempo [slow, medium, fast] 

     a).  Medium/Fast.

Source [where is the rhythm coming from?]

     a).  Guitar, Bass, Drums, and Vocals.

Groove [describe how the personality of the rhythm]

     a).  Catchy, Poppy, Has a good Flow, Solid, Rhythm, punchy, heavy, light/heavy at the same time, has a good Pulse, and Fun.

Instrumentation [which instruments drive the song?] 

     a).  The Guitar, Bass, Drums, and Vocals.

Structure/Organization [how is the song built? Order, patterns, etc.]

     a).  Intro, Verse 1, Verse 2, Chorus, Verse 1, Verse 2, Chorus, Bridge, Guitar Solo, Chorus, Verse 1, Outro.

Emotional Architecture [Draw how the song build and drop?]

     a).  The Intro of the song is very interesting and catchy, then builds up and the lyrics become inspiring, and then the rest of the song is happy and has a good feel to it until the end.

Balance -

Height [high and low of frequency]

     a).  Song starts off kind of slow and builds to a catchy beat, then the chorus picks up tempo and the song stays at that Tempo for almost the rest of the time, until the end of the song.

Width [stereo panning left/right]

     a).  There is no panning used.

Depth [layers of instruments - via loudness]

     a).  All of the instruments overlap each other at the same time, creating a very unique effect.

3).  Both of these songs are very well written and are performed by the same band, however they sound completely different when played one after another.  This is because these songs both have a different tempo, and mood.  At the same time, both songs have the same instrumentation, Song structure/organization, Emotional Architecture, and Balance.  The main thing that makes these two songs different, is the that while they both have the same instrumentation, they use the same instruments a lot differently.  This is one of the factors that I think makes a band very good, and able to write good songs that maintain the test of time.  The main thing that makes these two songs similar, is that they are both recorded the same way and have the same Balance, while also having the same Song Structure/Organization.  I feel like both of these songs are uplifting in different ways only because of the way that the instruments are used and how they are put together with things that contrast with each other.  Also, the second song has very inspiring lyrics and has a more happier tone than the first one, because the first one is more of a story being told and an energetic, loud, in your face, intense song.  This is also a big thing that makes these songs completely different while using the same instruments in both songs.  Next, Song number One has a more aggressive melody over a more aggressive beat, which portrays a message that is kind of harsh and a little bit more intense.  Song number Two, has a lot nicer and more catchy of a melody, which makes the song more easy to listen to as far as easy listening music goes, also, the beat that is underneath Song number Two, is a lot more relaxed, which makes it a more catchy and easy to listen to song, because of the similarities of a relaxed beat and relaxed melody.  Finally, the Rhythm of both songs is completely different because one is more of a softer and relaxed song, while the other one is more of an angry, aggressive song.  My opinion on what song is better is that Song number One is a better song, because it is more in your face and aggressive, and I like that a lot more than the other style which is fast paced and relaxed.  However, I love both songs almost equally, but Song number One is just a little bit bigger.

Blog Assignment #3: Reflections on Sound Design

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0C2T75EWtgU

This is a video clip of the movie:  Running Scared, this is the opening scene and it uses audio and sound design extremely well.

Script Format:

FADE IN

INT. APARTMENT BUILDING- DAY

The camera zooms out from a building, showing two men counting money.  The sound of money rustling is heard.  In the background a police siren is heard.

INSERT PHRASE: 18 Hours Earlier.

Camera pans across the room where 4 men are holding guns.  One man is counting money.

                                                    MAN IN WHITE SUIT
                        
                                                            Were good

Camera pans over to a man standing by the door.

Door busts open and 3 men with guns start yelling.

                                                           GUY ONE

                                                     Nobody fucking move

                                                           GUY TWO

                                                      Eat the floor fuckers!


                                                         GUY ONE

                                        Get on the ground now, you cock suckers


                                                  GUY IN WHITE SUIT

                                         Your makin the biggest fuckin mistake


Guy 1 slams gun on Guy in White Suit's head and knocks him to the floor.


                                                       GUY ONE

                                       Get down mother fuckers, eat the fucking floor!


Everyone throws their guns across the floor, and the guns all make loud sliding noises.



                                                      GUY ONE

                                        Come on let's go, hurry up!


Dark, suspenseful music starts playing, as bad guys start taking money.  One guy cuts a bad guys achilles tendon with a knife, guy starts shooting and shoots one guy in the chest.

Full blown shootout starts

Gunfire explodes, shell casings hit the floor, man gets shot in the head, music continues to play.

Scene rewinds, shows Guy in White Suit pull out a gun, scene fast forwards, Guy in White Suit shoots the guy in front of him, shoot out continues.

Shootout ends, right before one of the bad guys dies, he pulls out a badge and it is known that he is a cop.

Everyone runs out, and scene zooms out to all of the dead cop bodies.



The way that this scene is scripted and filmed is one of the most unique moments of film I have ever seen.  The way that it uses Time is incredible.  The film does this, by using multiple camera angles, and at one point, it show's what is going on from one point of view, then rewinds to the beginning, and shows a man pulling a gun out at the same time in a different point of view.  I think that this use of time is very unique because of the way they used speed to rewind and fast forward the clips, as well as raise the volume of the film when stuff started to get intense.  Something else they did, was use subjective time, by slowing down the film when the rewind scene started, then speeding it back up when they fast forwarded the scene.  This movie also uses Space in a very unique way.  Perception, distance, and size are all used a lot in this first scene, as the camera does many effects such as zooming in and out of different frames.  Also, the directionality and movement that is used is done in a really well mannered way.  It is done by moving the camera's in all different ways to make the movement seem real and make the directionality what the director wants the audience to see.

Blog Assignment #2: Finding Your Howl

This is a link to Johnathan Flaum's "Find Your Howl".

changethis.com

The two stories that I was supposed to read, aren't showing up from this link, so therefore I can't summarize any of the stories.

Please let me know what I can do,

Thanks,
Josh




My favorite quote is "May the wind always be at your back, and the sun always upon your face, and may the wings of destiny carry you aloft to dance with the stars."

     This is one of my all time favorite quotes.  It is from the movie:  Blow.  There are several reasons why I like it so much.  The first is because of the wording.  Every time I hear this quote or say it, I feel like the way it's worded makes it sound incredibly beautiful.  Also, I really like what the quote means.  What I get out of it, is that it is saying to stand up for yourself and don't let anyone push you around.  Then if you do this, your reward will be the greatest thing you can think of.  The part that says "May the wind always be at your back", is saying that you should always look forward and not let anything get in your way of doing whatever you want to.  The part that says "and the sun always upon your face", means that you should always be smiling, because for every down you have, there will be an upside, and you just have to be positive about it.  The final part of the quote that says "and may the wings of destiny carry you aloft to dance with the stars.", is saying that if you can do all of these things; such as looking forward and not letting anything get in your way and being positive about your situation, then you will be rewarded by what you have made yourself into, and you will become a much better person than you were previously.
     Also, I like how this quote can be used in a plethora of different situations.  It can be used if someone is feeling down, if someone is having a bad luck streak, or just a confidence booster for someone, when they need a little bit of encouragement.  Another thing that I like about this quote is that anyone can interpret it to have a new, fresh meaning to them; it can have a different meaning to everyone who reads it, just based on what is happening in their life.
     As a creative person, I find that this quote has a strong use of creative words, allowing for the reader to really understand what is going on with the quote.  For example, if somebody reads this quote for the first time, then they are going to be a little bit astounded with how the wording fits in with what the message is.  Then, on the second time reading through the quote, the audience or person reading it, is going to figure out what the meaning of the quote is and then put the two together, to form and analyze what they want the quote to mean to them.  Also, with this quote being put into a movie, it allows the viewer to understand the quote based off of what is going on in the movie.  This quote is repeated two or three times in the movie, all of which each time, something different is going on in the movie.  This gives the viewer multiple times to see what the quote means for every time it is said, and allows for the plot to develop better.