Video # 1
Role Producer & Actor
Video #2
Role Producer & Actor
Video #2
Role: Editor & Actor
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Freak Factor
http://changethis.com/manifesto/show/45.02.FreakFactor
This article, "Freak Factor: Discovering Uniqueness by Flaunting Weakness" is about how no one can actually be a freak. Each person has different strengths, weaknesses, and desires in life. People grow up believing that they need to be a certain way and have certain strengths and no weaknesses and if you have a weakness than it needs to be fixed. Really it's a focus of self-improvement.
Three of the nine suggestions I found to be interesting include:
1). What's Your Problem?- This is simple, what is your weakness? A weakness is seen as a problem and people try to fix it. At the same time, people want to build up their strengths. Fixing a weakness and building a strength gives "well-roundedness" to people that David Rendall refers to. Reality is that we as humans are not perfect and flaws make us uniquely who we are. My own flaws give me the characteristics that make up my personality. I found this to be rather uplifting because it means that fixing problems is just a waste of time. Fixing weaknesses are often ineffective and the ideal to be well-rounded is unattainable. As children in school, as Rendall points out, if you are lacking in an area whether it be sports or academics, then it needs an improvement plan to be well-rounded. This idea is crazy because of the unattainability to be well-rounded. Overall this suggestion is valid in my opinion. Instead of trying to overcome a weakness, it should be embraced. By realizing that it is impossible to be well-rounded, then it becomes easier to see that uniqueness comes from some of these "flaws". If more people realized this like Rendall, then I think that people would strive to be creative in their own ways rather than the ways society tells them too.
6). Focus: You Can't Do Both- To focus on strengths and weaknesses takes a lot of effort and not to mention time. It is even difficult to do and fixing them will not work out well. By working on a strength and fixing a weakness it limits progress. By doing both it prevents us from becoming exceptional in another area according to Rendall. Weaknesses and strengths are linked so by the attempts at fixing the weakness, you're actually diminishing the corresponding strength. Therefor it is better to focus just one, and preferably a strength. Since we already know that fixing a weakness is pretty much just a waste of time, than we can focus on improving one strength. By doing this you build up what needs to built up and it then gives you and extra bit of uniqueness. No one is paid to be mediocre. I think this is a very valid point. If people spent more time focusing on their strengths, and less time on their weaknesses, then I think they can be truly amazing people rather than striving to be mundane. For me personally I think that if I spent less time fixing my weaknesses than I can stive for excellence at something else, more importantly something that I love. I would not want to be mediocre.
3). Flawless: There's Nothing Wrong With You- This step basically states how every strength has a corresponding weakness and vice versa. Benefits are gained if you harness the power of your weakness. Instead of seeing a weakness as natural, we see it as a problem to fix. This is just going to fail because of particular advantages and disadvantages that give characteristics to our strengths. An example is if you are creative, then you are unorganized. I find this to be true, as far-fetched as it may sound. But because people are not good at everything an inherently have flaws and weaknesses it makes sense. I see it as a balancing act. To make up for a weakness you have a strength. You can even find strength within your weakness. I see that with my own weaknesses. Each weakness is counteracted with a strength.
My strengths and weaknesses- I have a weakness of being really shy. As I have read this Freak Factor, I have noticed that although I'm really shy, I spend a lot of time reflecting on things. All this time I thought I should try to be more outgoing when really I should work on reflections. I am also a fairly awkward person but my strength is I can understand others emotions and how they are feeling. I am also really indecisive but through that I have patience. These strengths I have are related to the creative process because I can be patience while working on something and I can play into others emotions for an artistic response. I can also reflect on my own work as well as others and see the creativity behind it. I think that this was a good article in understanding that it is okay to have weaknesses because in them there is strength and uniqueness.
This article, "Freak Factor: Discovering Uniqueness by Flaunting Weakness" is about how no one can actually be a freak. Each person has different strengths, weaknesses, and desires in life. People grow up believing that they need to be a certain way and have certain strengths and no weaknesses and if you have a weakness than it needs to be fixed. Really it's a focus of self-improvement.
Three of the nine suggestions I found to be interesting include:
1). What's Your Problem?- This is simple, what is your weakness? A weakness is seen as a problem and people try to fix it. At the same time, people want to build up their strengths. Fixing a weakness and building a strength gives "well-roundedness" to people that David Rendall refers to. Reality is that we as humans are not perfect and flaws make us uniquely who we are. My own flaws give me the characteristics that make up my personality. I found this to be rather uplifting because it means that fixing problems is just a waste of time. Fixing weaknesses are often ineffective and the ideal to be well-rounded is unattainable. As children in school, as Rendall points out, if you are lacking in an area whether it be sports or academics, then it needs an improvement plan to be well-rounded. This idea is crazy because of the unattainability to be well-rounded. Overall this suggestion is valid in my opinion. Instead of trying to overcome a weakness, it should be embraced. By realizing that it is impossible to be well-rounded, then it becomes easier to see that uniqueness comes from some of these "flaws". If more people realized this like Rendall, then I think that people would strive to be creative in their own ways rather than the ways society tells them too.
6). Focus: You Can't Do Both- To focus on strengths and weaknesses takes a lot of effort and not to mention time. It is even difficult to do and fixing them will not work out well. By working on a strength and fixing a weakness it limits progress. By doing both it prevents us from becoming exceptional in another area according to Rendall. Weaknesses and strengths are linked so by the attempts at fixing the weakness, you're actually diminishing the corresponding strength. Therefor it is better to focus just one, and preferably a strength. Since we already know that fixing a weakness is pretty much just a waste of time, than we can focus on improving one strength. By doing this you build up what needs to built up and it then gives you and extra bit of uniqueness. No one is paid to be mediocre. I think this is a very valid point. If people spent more time focusing on their strengths, and less time on their weaknesses, then I think they can be truly amazing people rather than striving to be mundane. For me personally I think that if I spent less time fixing my weaknesses than I can stive for excellence at something else, more importantly something that I love. I would not want to be mediocre.
3). Flawless: There's Nothing Wrong With You- This step basically states how every strength has a corresponding weakness and vice versa. Benefits are gained if you harness the power of your weakness. Instead of seeing a weakness as natural, we see it as a problem to fix. This is just going to fail because of particular advantages and disadvantages that give characteristics to our strengths. An example is if you are creative, then you are unorganized. I find this to be true, as far-fetched as it may sound. But because people are not good at everything an inherently have flaws and weaknesses it makes sense. I see it as a balancing act. To make up for a weakness you have a strength. You can even find strength within your weakness. I see that with my own weaknesses. Each weakness is counteracted with a strength.
My strengths and weaknesses- I have a weakness of being really shy. As I have read this Freak Factor, I have noticed that although I'm really shy, I spend a lot of time reflecting on things. All this time I thought I should try to be more outgoing when really I should work on reflections. I am also a fairly awkward person but my strength is I can understand others emotions and how they are feeling. I am also really indecisive but through that I have patience. These strengths I have are related to the creative process because I can be patience while working on something and I can play into others emotions for an artistic response. I can also reflect on my own work as well as others and see the creativity behind it. I think that this was a good article in understanding that it is okay to have weaknesses because in them there is strength and uniqueness.
Brainwashed
http://changethis.com/manifesto/show/66.01.Brainwashed
Summary:
Acknowledging the Lizard: The brain fears being laughed at so it shuts down that part and focuses on following instructions. This in turn shuts down our art. It's a resistance that lives in fear and is easily aroused. Artists, on the other hand, have discovered that the resistance is the barrier that keeps them from their art. Taking the risks however, leads to the reward. By acknowledging the lizard brain, it can then be ignored. This gets work doen and art is created.
Connect: Social media connects us to others but at the same time we could be missing the big picture. If people only focus on how many facebook friends they have or who is sending tweets, then they have lost the importance that social media can have. Social media allows people to connect and no longer be isolated. Although, most social media is done in isolation. Now people can interact with just about everyone.
Make Art: Art can be done by anyone and is an original gift. By interacting with others you have the ability to create something and call it art. It doesn't follow rules or instructions and is simply unique. A price doesn't matter.
Discussion:
The layers can be connected to my blog because it gives explanation to the creative process. While these layers give for good reason to reinvent myself and open my eyes to a process, it did not directly relate to my blog. I did not think about these things when I was making each entry and I felt like the blogs had to be done in a fairly specific way which allowed for little creative freedom. An outline of what needed to be done for each blog keep me in a range that did not allow me to fully express my creativity. And after reading about the Layers, I feel more aware of what I need to do to be a better artist, person, and student but for these exercises I do not think that was something connected to the layers. In turn, I don't think this exercises helped a significant amount in making me a better artist, person, or student. It actually made me really stressed. Although it opened my mind to the various aspects of media and the deconstructions behind them, it was in a more mechanical way that put a lot of pressure on me. Some of the exercises on the other hand did allow me to pick music or movies that I enjoy but picking those does not mean it makes me a better artist, it just expresses something that I like. Perhaps over time I will look back on my early blog entries and see how maybe it did actually help to make me a better person, but for now I pretty much just see it as something stressful to do for a grade in class.
I feel that a better way to understand and learn about the creative process is to talk about it in class and and perhaps watch TED videos on it. Being opened up to it at the very beginning of the class would make students more aware of how they can be creative with out adding tons of extra pressure and assignments. These exercises can become very tedious and it would be simpler to learn up front their meanings so students can actually feel like they are learning something rather than feel like they are wasting their time. To learn about them and then do them can be more accomplishing and I'm sure students would feel better knowing the point behind what it is that they are doing. I think it would be a good idea to watch some videos on the creative process in class and then go through the seven layers of connect, be generous, make art, acknowledge the lizard, ship, fail, and learn. Going over them in a discussion like way will in my opinion, give more meaning to the creative process.
Overall I feel as thought the layers are slightly connected to my blog however I feel in a way that is not very significant in making me a better person, artist, or student. Instead of going this roundabout way to learn about the creative process, I think it make more sense to be direct about it in class by watching some videos and having a class discussion. That way when exercises are assigned, they won't feel like a waste of time and will aslo be less stressful to do.
Summary:
Acknowledging the Lizard: The brain fears being laughed at so it shuts down that part and focuses on following instructions. This in turn shuts down our art. It's a resistance that lives in fear and is easily aroused. Artists, on the other hand, have discovered that the resistance is the barrier that keeps them from their art. Taking the risks however, leads to the reward. By acknowledging the lizard brain, it can then be ignored. This gets work doen and art is created.
Connect: Social media connects us to others but at the same time we could be missing the big picture. If people only focus on how many facebook friends they have or who is sending tweets, then they have lost the importance that social media can have. Social media allows people to connect and no longer be isolated. Although, most social media is done in isolation. Now people can interact with just about everyone.
Make Art: Art can be done by anyone and is an original gift. By interacting with others you have the ability to create something and call it art. It doesn't follow rules or instructions and is simply unique. A price doesn't matter.
Discussion:
The layers can be connected to my blog because it gives explanation to the creative process. While these layers give for good reason to reinvent myself and open my eyes to a process, it did not directly relate to my blog. I did not think about these things when I was making each entry and I felt like the blogs had to be done in a fairly specific way which allowed for little creative freedom. An outline of what needed to be done for each blog keep me in a range that did not allow me to fully express my creativity. And after reading about the Layers, I feel more aware of what I need to do to be a better artist, person, and student but for these exercises I do not think that was something connected to the layers. In turn, I don't think this exercises helped a significant amount in making me a better artist, person, or student. It actually made me really stressed. Although it opened my mind to the various aspects of media and the deconstructions behind them, it was in a more mechanical way that put a lot of pressure on me. Some of the exercises on the other hand did allow me to pick music or movies that I enjoy but picking those does not mean it makes me a better artist, it just expresses something that I like. Perhaps over time I will look back on my early blog entries and see how maybe it did actually help to make me a better person, but for now I pretty much just see it as something stressful to do for a grade in class.
I feel that a better way to understand and learn about the creative process is to talk about it in class and and perhaps watch TED videos on it. Being opened up to it at the very beginning of the class would make students more aware of how they can be creative with out adding tons of extra pressure and assignments. These exercises can become very tedious and it would be simpler to learn up front their meanings so students can actually feel like they are learning something rather than feel like they are wasting their time. To learn about them and then do them can be more accomplishing and I'm sure students would feel better knowing the point behind what it is that they are doing. I think it would be a good idea to watch some videos on the creative process in class and then go through the seven layers of connect, be generous, make art, acknowledge the lizard, ship, fail, and learn. Going over them in a discussion like way will in my opinion, give more meaning to the creative process.
Overall I feel as thought the layers are slightly connected to my blog however I feel in a way that is not very significant in making me a better person, artist, or student. Instead of going this roundabout way to learn about the creative process, I think it make more sense to be direct about it in class by watching some videos and having a class discussion. That way when exercises are assigned, they won't feel like a waste of time and will aslo be less stressful to do.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Scene Deconstruction: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
This video actually contains several scenes from The Chronicles of Narnia movie, (I couldn't find just the scene I wanted) but I'm focusing on the scene at 3:40-5:45. This scene has a strong theme of sacrifice and is evident greatly in the dialogue. What is being said to Aslan is that he is dying for no one, when in fact he is sacrificing is his own life to save the life of someone else. This theme is didactic because it used to teach a lesson and give the meaning of sacrifice.
Critique:
Lines- There are many lines used in this scene that are both actual and virtual. The actual lines of creatures are pointing toward Aslan, showing that he is important. There are aslo actual lines that bind Aslan (ropes) and this re-enforces that he is not fighting back and is ready to give up his life. There are also virtual lines being created as well. The torches are all pointing to Aslan and the gaze of everyone's eyes are pointed toward him. The lines are used to focus attention and the subject matter and this in turn gives support to the theme.
Movement- Different types of movement are used that help support the sacrifice theme. The use of direction via horizontal, verticale, and diagonal are used to focus on the subject matter. Quality of both straight and curved again creates a focus on Aslan. There is simple and complex movement and the scene also uses the object moving and the camera moving as a type of movement. These movements give meaning to the theme and have a purpose.
Tension and Release- The scene builds and builds creating thoughts of wonder and concern for Aslan. He did nothing but is being humiliated, shaved, and tied up to give his life for Edmund's. This intensity gives thoughts for the sacrifice theme and then is released right after Aslan is killed.
Subconscious- The thoughts of sacrifice aren't being told to you, it's picked up in the subconscious and then is re-enforced through dialogue, movement, and tension and release. Creates a very didactic message.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
Animation Deconstruction
Comparing and Contrasting: Color
The image of Cinderella consists of a monochromatic hue, blues, that have different saturation. Her dress is all the same blue with sleeves that have less saturation. The background around her is also blue, but with a higher saturation than her dress. This brightness makes her stand out against the darker background. The image of Rapunzel has a lot of similarities to that of Cinderella. She has the similar blond hair, and is also dressed in a monochromatic scheme but with a hue of pink/purple. Her upper sleeves have more saturation than that on her arms. This saturation is exactly opposite of what is being done with Cinderella. Also, Rapunzel is in a background that uses the same colors as in her dress. The background however, uses much more saturation. This can be compared to Cinderella. The darker background creates a brightness to the character making her stand out, as also in the Cinderella image. While the actual hues used in the images are different, they follow a similar theme that uses monochromatic schemes. Another similarity is the dark background that makes the character seem brighter. A major difference is how the background of Cinderella is plain color, while Rapunzel has details that still use a monochromatic scheme. Lighter tones advance and the darker ones recede.
Comparing and Contrasting: Lighting
Cinderella uses a lighting technique illuminates her. The whiteness around her acts as a light that makes her stand out and give a mood of enchantment and amazement. It's all around her in a very magical way. The light symbolizes as sense of magic. The only shadows are that of the background. Rapunzel has a light that is casting down on her. It makes her stand out from the background and gives her a symbolism of strength and courage (even though she is actually frightened). The shadows in the background just add to her domination and mood of "don't mess with me". Both Cinderella and Rapunzel share a similar use of light to make them stand out. However, the light is all around Cinderella while it is being cast on to Rapunzel. Because of the lighting technique, it symbolizes different things for each image, Cinderella enchantment and Rapunzel strength/courage. These symbolism's create different moods. A mood of amazement for Cinderella and a mood of "don't mess" with Rapunzel.
The two images share several aspects while still being uniquely their own.
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