For this blog assignment I will be critiquing the Hero/Villain drawings of my classmates.
Adrian and James http://www.adrianraves.blogspot.com/
Adrian and James's characters were Eric Williams and some sort of Bank robber. Williams is the hero between the two, while the robber is the villain. The drawings have a contrast of hue and brightness. Williams has bright yellow as his main color, while the robber has black and a saturated purple. This contrast makes it easy to distinguish who is the hero and who is the villain. The robber's mask and frown on his face also symbolize that he is the villain. Since Williams is standing up tall and proud, it is easy to tell that he is the hero, while the hunched over robber is obviously the villain. These two characters contrast each other perfectly, allowing the viewer to picture a conflict to between the two without even hearing any sort of back story on them.
Andrew and I http://awid7.blogspot.com/
My partner Andrew and myself also decided to use Eric Williams as a hero, but we contrasted him with Darth Cooper, the evil incarnation of Media professor Roger Cooper. We emphasized shadows to show the characteristics of our hero and villain. I gave Cooper a lot of shadowing on his face to symbolize that he was dark and evil. Another key symbol was the lightsabers. Anyone who has seen Star Wars knows that the red lightsaber is for villains and the green lightsaber is for the jedi. Even if you haven't seen Star Wars, these colors can subconsciously represent good/evil. We also thought that the Star Wars theme would give these characters a fun mood, since we didn't want to actually imply that Coop is evil (cause everyone loves Coop doggy Dogg).
Jordan and Lena http://lena229508.blogspot.com/
Lena and Jordan's characters were Lighty and the Boogie Clown. Lightey is a night light who saves young children from the scary boogie clown while they are sleeping at night. What I liked about their characters was the obvious contrast of symbolism; its obvious that the glowing night light represents good while the dark clown represents evil. As a child, everyone experiences a fear of the dark and monsters in their closet, so I thought that it was a good idea to have a night light be the hero, because night lights are our heroes when we are children. The brightness of Lighty is what makes him stick out, while the saturated colors of the Boogie Clown are what gve him his evil appearance. Lena and Jordan also contrasted hue colors, with Lighty using yellow and the boogie Clown using blue and red on its cap.
ME!
Friday, March 11, 2011
Blog 9a
Since we didn't properly draw out the interface for our game, many people probably didn't understand the "look" of our game our exactly how it was played. We wanted the look of the game to be similar to that of grand theft auto, as shown below. We wanted to have icons in the corner of the screen to indicate health and things like that, but we didn't properly display this though our interface. We wanted a simple 3rd person game, but we didn't do the best job of displaying this.
I think that goals and objectives are easiest to explain to the audience. This is because you don't necessarily need visuals to explain this to your audience. You can simply explain what the participant must do in the game and the audience will be able to understand. I think that mechanics and rules are harder to explain. To have the audience fully understand mechanics, you need actual visuals of the game to show what the character does and how he/she interacts with the environment. The same goes for rules. It is much easier to understand the internal organization of a game when you have a visual to look at. Our lack of a proper interface in our presentation left our audience clueless on the rules and functions of the environment of our game.
Blog 9b
http://www.collapsus.com/
The transmedia experience Collapsus combines video games, animation, and film into a unique idea that everyone should experience. Collapsus tells the story of how the energy and oil crisis is affecting our futures. The story unfolds in a "choose your own adventure" style, except many parts are played out like a video game where you are in control, and other parts are made up of cut scenes that are affected by your choices. I enjoyed immersing myself in this game for the time that I did, and I think it is a very groundbreaking and fun experience. I loved how it seemed like a very well made film that gave me the ability to affect the outcome, and it gave me a new perspective on the energy crisis.
This game and this course in general have given me a new perspective on trans-media work. I first learned about trans-media projects last quarter in MDIA 205 when I did a report on The Matrix. In this project, I studied how The Matrix sequels utilized trans-media storytelling to give the fans a unique experience. The Wachoski brothers (the creators of the series) collaborated with video game designers, comic book writers, and animation specialists to tell their story across multiple media. Different aspects of the story were told through different forms of media, giving fans many options to dig deeper into The Matrix story. I like how collapsus did something similar, but they combined these ideas into one project. I've enjoyed the many trans-media projects that I have done in this course. They have helped me to learn about different forms of media which will definitely help me out in the near future. I believe that broadening your horizons by working in different areas of media with people who specialize in different things can definitely help you improve your skills in your own area of expertise, as well as teach you about other areas of media such as video production and animation.
The transmedia experience Collapsus combines video games, animation, and film into a unique idea that everyone should experience. Collapsus tells the story of how the energy and oil crisis is affecting our futures. The story unfolds in a "choose your own adventure" style, except many parts are played out like a video game where you are in control, and other parts are made up of cut scenes that are affected by your choices. I enjoyed immersing myself in this game for the time that I did, and I think it is a very groundbreaking and fun experience. I loved how it seemed like a very well made film that gave me the ability to affect the outcome, and it gave me a new perspective on the energy crisis.
This game and this course in general have given me a new perspective on trans-media work. I first learned about trans-media projects last quarter in MDIA 205 when I did a report on The Matrix. In this project, I studied how The Matrix sequels utilized trans-media storytelling to give the fans a unique experience. The Wachoski brothers (the creators of the series) collaborated with video game designers, comic book writers, and animation specialists to tell their story across multiple media. Different aspects of the story were told through different forms of media, giving fans many options to dig deeper into The Matrix story. I like how collapsus did something similar, but they combined these ideas into one project. I've enjoyed the many trans-media projects that I have done in this course. They have helped me to learn about different forms of media which will definitely help me out in the near future. I believe that broadening your horizons by working in different areas of media with people who specialize in different things can definitely help you improve your skills in your own area of expertise, as well as teach you about other areas of media such as video production and animation.
Blog 10b
This is the final blog assignment, although I still have a few blogs from previous weeks to complete. I am supposed to make my own creative manifesto. Throughout this course, I have been reading the writings of many different creative artists and their tips for leading a creative life. Some of these tips I have found very useful, and some I have found not so useful. Using these writers as my influence, I will now compile a list of what I believe to be 10 tips to live and live creatively.
1. Don't worry bout the haytaz- There are always going to be haters, or people who try to discourage whatever it is that you are doing. Every famous artists or successful person has gone through life having people tell them what they can and cannot do, and only the people who ignore all of the negativity are the ones who become successful. This can be hard to do, but letting people convince you that you are nothing will get you nowhere.
2. Immerse yourself in other people's work- Influences are one of the essential ingredients to creativity. No one has ever simply became good at what they do by doing it: they have learned from what others do. If you read interviews with musicians or directors they will spend a large chunk of the interview discussing their influences and how much of an impact they have had on them. These influences are what shape our creative personality.
3. Take influence from other disciplines- As a musician and producer, I do not simply take influences from other musicians and producers- i take influence from directors, writers, politicians, philosophers, etc. Martin Scorsese once said that the main influence on Raging Bull was the album London Calling by British punk rock band The Clash. The feel and the themes behind this album are not really related to those of Raging Bull, but the emotions evoked by the album influenced Marty in a certain way that helped him make one of his best films.
4. Steal from other artists- There is really no such thing as pure creation. Artists must steal bits and pieces of other artists work in order to make something unique. Quentin Tarantino steals full sequences of shots from some of his favorite movies to create his own films, but he does it in a unique way that makes his films his own. I remember reading an interview with the band MGMT where they stated that they stole many of the basslines on their newest album from another album by one of their favorite artists. They were shy in admiting to this blatant plagiarism, but by only stealing part of the song and changing the rest of it, they made some great, original songs.
5. Take advantage of your weaknesses- I am stealing this tip from the reading "Freak Factor" because I think it is a very important tip. Instead of hiding from your weaknesses, I think that it is important to take advantage of them. The best example is Rudolph, who uses his bright red nose, which the other reindeer saw as a defect, to lead santa's sleigh through the fog (its amazing the themes that can be found in children's storys)
6. Try new things- I think it is important to try things that you never thought you would be interested in. There are many times where I'll give a band a chance that seems like a band I wouldn't normally listen to. Many times these bands will turn out to be some of my favorite artists. The same goes for many films that seem to not be my style, but turn out to be movies that I really enjoy. These new experiences can give you a different outlook on things and change your creative style for the better.
7. Work Hard- This seems so obvious, yet sometimes its the hardest thing to do. No artist has ever gotten to where they are without hard work and extreme devotion, its as simple as that. If you want to be good at something, you have to work hard every day at it. This is something that we are taught from Kindergarten through college, and it was just as true as a child as it is now.
8. Collaborate- It is important to collaborate with other people who have similar, and dissimilar, interests. By bouncing ideas off of each other, you can get a new perspective on what it is that you are doing. The collaboration of John and Paul is what made the Beatles the greatest band to ever live, and the exchange of ideas between the Coen Brothers is what makes their films so unique and enjoyable.
9. Take Breaks- This suggestion was proposed in one of the readings at the beginning of the quarter. I think it is important to take a break from whatever it is that you are doing in order to change perspectives. Sometimes if you are stuck on something, its best to go out for a run, and try to clear your mind. By doing this, the answer will often just come to you since you are no longer think so intensively about it.
10. Hang out with diverse groups of people- This was another suggestion in one of the previous readings. I think it is important to diversify the people that you spend time with. If you hang out with a small group of friends with similar perspectives, then you are only getting that perspective, instead of seeing the points of view of a wide range of people.
So at the conclusion of this class, these are the ten creative commandments that I will try to live my life by, and I hope that anyone reading will use these suggestions in their own life.
1. Don't worry bout the haytaz- There are always going to be haters, or people who try to discourage whatever it is that you are doing. Every famous artists or successful person has gone through life having people tell them what they can and cannot do, and only the people who ignore all of the negativity are the ones who become successful. This can be hard to do, but letting people convince you that you are nothing will get you nowhere.
2. Immerse yourself in other people's work- Influences are one of the essential ingredients to creativity. No one has ever simply became good at what they do by doing it: they have learned from what others do. If you read interviews with musicians or directors they will spend a large chunk of the interview discussing their influences and how much of an impact they have had on them. These influences are what shape our creative personality.
3. Take influence from other disciplines- As a musician and producer, I do not simply take influences from other musicians and producers- i take influence from directors, writers, politicians, philosophers, etc. Martin Scorsese once said that the main influence on Raging Bull was the album London Calling by British punk rock band The Clash. The feel and the themes behind this album are not really related to those of Raging Bull, but the emotions evoked by the album influenced Marty in a certain way that helped him make one of his best films.
4. Steal from other artists- There is really no such thing as pure creation. Artists must steal bits and pieces of other artists work in order to make something unique. Quentin Tarantino steals full sequences of shots from some of his favorite movies to create his own films, but he does it in a unique way that makes his films his own. I remember reading an interview with the band MGMT where they stated that they stole many of the basslines on their newest album from another album by one of their favorite artists. They were shy in admiting to this blatant plagiarism, but by only stealing part of the song and changing the rest of it, they made some great, original songs.
5. Take advantage of your weaknesses- I am stealing this tip from the reading "Freak Factor" because I think it is a very important tip. Instead of hiding from your weaknesses, I think that it is important to take advantage of them. The best example is Rudolph, who uses his bright red nose, which the other reindeer saw as a defect, to lead santa's sleigh through the fog (its amazing the themes that can be found in children's storys)
6. Try new things- I think it is important to try things that you never thought you would be interested in. There are many times where I'll give a band a chance that seems like a band I wouldn't normally listen to. Many times these bands will turn out to be some of my favorite artists. The same goes for many films that seem to not be my style, but turn out to be movies that I really enjoy. These new experiences can give you a different outlook on things and change your creative style for the better.
7. Work Hard- This seems so obvious, yet sometimes its the hardest thing to do. No artist has ever gotten to where they are without hard work and extreme devotion, its as simple as that. If you want to be good at something, you have to work hard every day at it. This is something that we are taught from Kindergarten through college, and it was just as true as a child as it is now.
8. Collaborate- It is important to collaborate with other people who have similar, and dissimilar, interests. By bouncing ideas off of each other, you can get a new perspective on what it is that you are doing. The collaboration of John and Paul is what made the Beatles the greatest band to ever live, and the exchange of ideas between the Coen Brothers is what makes their films so unique and enjoyable.
9. Take Breaks- This suggestion was proposed in one of the readings at the beginning of the quarter. I think it is important to take a break from whatever it is that you are doing in order to change perspectives. Sometimes if you are stuck on something, its best to go out for a run, and try to clear your mind. By doing this, the answer will often just come to you since you are no longer think so intensively about it.
10. Hang out with diverse groups of people- This was another suggestion in one of the previous readings. I think it is important to diversify the people that you spend time with. If you hang out with a small group of friends with similar perspectives, then you are only getting that perspective, instead of seeing the points of view of a wide range of people.
So at the conclusion of this class, these are the ten creative commandments that I will try to live my life by, and I hope that anyone reading will use these suggestions in their own life.
Blog 10a
The article that I will be discussing is David Rendall's "Freak Factor: Discovering Uniqueness by Flaunting Weakness." The article is about utilizing different strategies to overcome your weaknesses. Rendall gives 9 different suggestions on how to do this. They all basically same the same thing, but the essay as a whole seems to stress an important point. This point is that our weaknesses are not necessarily bad. We can overcome these weaknesses by avoiding situations where they are going to be detrimental to our goals, and by finding circumstances in which they can used as strengths (this suggestion is supported by a great Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer example, which I will go into detail on shortly). We should also try to find situations where our strengths will be focused on more than our weaknesses, and we shouldn't try to improve our weaknesses but instead just focus on our strengths. Although his suggestions are extremely repetitive, I think they are quite useful. Here are the 3 suggestions that I found most helpful.
The first suggestion I will write about is number 6- Focus: You cannot do both. This means that instead of trying to improve both your strengths and weaknesses, you should just focus on your strengths. The example that Rendall uses to emphasize his point involves Wal-Mart, Target, and K-Mart. He states that "Wal-mart’s main strength is low prices and its weaknesses include poor quality merchandise, long lines and unhelpful employees. On the other hand, Target’s main strengths are higher quality products from well-known designers, attractive stores and helpful associates who are quick to open a new checkout lane. Unfortunately, target’s weakness is that its prices are not as low as those at Wal-mart." He then goes on to argue that if Wal-Mart were to attempt to improve its weaknesses of poor customer service and low-quality merchandise, then this would in turn raise their prices and hurt their biggest strength. Instead, Wal-Mart should simply accept the fact that it has weaknesses and just focus on his strengths. The same goes for Target. He then uses K-Mart as an example of a company that attempts to focus on both its strengths and weaknesses (it tries to have Wal-Mart prices with Target's service and quality). By doing this, they are not nearly as successful as the aforementioned companies.
The second suggestion that I am going to discuss is number 7- Fit: Find the right spot. This means that we should not try to hide our weaknesses. Instead, we should realize that they are strengths in disguise. The best way to exemplify this suggestion is to use the example that Rendall uses, Rudolph. In this story, we learn that Rudolph is a reindeer with a bright red nose. He is ridiculed and made fun of for this major flaw. He is not allowed to play with any of the other reindeer because he is so different. But since it is a foggy christmas, Rudolph is chosen to lead Santa's sleigh because his nose glows brightly and helps santa see through the snow. Instead of hiding from his weakness Rudolph realizes that it can be used as a strength. Its likely that Morgan Freeman was made fun of as a child for his voice, until one day he realized how perfect his vocals were for narration. Now he is very sought after to narrate movies and commercials. Another example is Steve Buscemi, who is seen as a very ugly person. But his rat-like face is the reason that he gets casted in so many movies.
The rest of the suggestions are exactly the same as the two previous mentioned ones, so I will discuss number 8- Freak: The Power of uniqueness. This says that its better to be exceptional than normal. The example used here is similar to the Rudolph example. It talks about the Leaning Tower of Pisa. For years, workers tried to fix the tower's lean, but they were unable to. But it's lean is what attracted tourists to the town of Pisa, so eventually they just let it be. By not trying to fix the tower's weakness, they eventually realized that its uniqueness is what made it so special.
Personally I have found that one of my strengths is my wide array of interests. I'm interested in many different areas of learning, including science, politics, philosophy, psychology and of course music and film. Having this wide range of interests gives me a lot of different influences on my creative process. My weakness however, is that I have trouble focusing on just one thing. Being a Music Production major, I have trouble simply focusing on that. I tend to change interests day to day. Instead of working on something musical, I sometimes find myself reading about things online not related to my major or future.
The first suggestion I will write about is number 6- Focus: You cannot do both. This means that instead of trying to improve both your strengths and weaknesses, you should just focus on your strengths. The example that Rendall uses to emphasize his point involves Wal-Mart, Target, and K-Mart. He states that "Wal-mart’s main strength is low prices and its weaknesses include poor quality merchandise, long lines and unhelpful employees. On the other hand, Target’s main strengths are higher quality products from well-known designers, attractive stores and helpful associates who are quick to open a new checkout lane. Unfortunately, target’s weakness is that its prices are not as low as those at Wal-mart." He then goes on to argue that if Wal-Mart were to attempt to improve its weaknesses of poor customer service and low-quality merchandise, then this would in turn raise their prices and hurt their biggest strength. Instead, Wal-Mart should simply accept the fact that it has weaknesses and just focus on his strengths. The same goes for Target. He then uses K-Mart as an example of a company that attempts to focus on both its strengths and weaknesses (it tries to have Wal-Mart prices with Target's service and quality). By doing this, they are not nearly as successful as the aforementioned companies.
The second suggestion that I am going to discuss is number 7- Fit: Find the right spot. This means that we should not try to hide our weaknesses. Instead, we should realize that they are strengths in disguise. The best way to exemplify this suggestion is to use the example that Rendall uses, Rudolph. In this story, we learn that Rudolph is a reindeer with a bright red nose. He is ridiculed and made fun of for this major flaw. He is not allowed to play with any of the other reindeer because he is so different. But since it is a foggy christmas, Rudolph is chosen to lead Santa's sleigh because his nose glows brightly and helps santa see through the snow. Instead of hiding from his weakness Rudolph realizes that it can be used as a strength. Its likely that Morgan Freeman was made fun of as a child for his voice, until one day he realized how perfect his vocals were for narration. Now he is very sought after to narrate movies and commercials. Another example is Steve Buscemi, who is seen as a very ugly person. But his rat-like face is the reason that he gets casted in so many movies.
The rest of the suggestions are exactly the same as the two previous mentioned ones, so I will discuss number 8- Freak: The Power of uniqueness. This says that its better to be exceptional than normal. The example used here is similar to the Rudolph example. It talks about the Leaning Tower of Pisa. For years, workers tried to fix the tower's lean, but they were unable to. But it's lean is what attracted tourists to the town of Pisa, so eventually they just let it be. By not trying to fix the tower's weakness, they eventually realized that its uniqueness is what made it so special.
Personally I have found that one of my strengths is my wide array of interests. I'm interested in many different areas of learning, including science, politics, philosophy, psychology and of course music and film. Having this wide range of interests gives me a lot of different influences on my creative process. My weakness however, is that I have trouble focusing on just one thing. Being a Music Production major, I have trouble simply focusing on that. I tend to change interests day to day. Instead of working on something musical, I sometimes find myself reading about things online not related to my major or future.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Blog Assignment 8a
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/178/superpowers
If I could choose to have one superpower, it would definitely be telepathy. I would want the kind of telepathy possessed by Professor Xavier in X-Men. Professor X has the ability to perceive the thoughts of anyone. This means that he can learn almost anything he wants by invading someone's mind and taking information out. I would use this ability to read the minds of MIT professors and become a genius. I would also take information from the minds of my professors so that I wouldn't have to study. Since i could borrow knowledge from anyone, the possibilities are endless. In a short matter of time I would become the smartest person in the world. Professor X also has the ability to project his own thoughts into anyone else's mind. This means that he can control the thoughts and actions of other people. I would do my best to use this ability for good things, such as convincing corrupt political leaders to step down and to persuade Lil' Wayne to stop making music. But, I would probably also do the occasional bad thing with it as well, such as convince rich people to give me money, even though I will probably be making enough money with all my genius writings since I will be the smartest man alive after acquiring so much knowledge from other people.
I am very drawn to Professor X for having this power. He is one of my favorite superheroes do to his incredible abilities to manipulate the minds of those around him and to read other people's thoughts. I respect how he uses these powers for good, and for how he also helps other mutants understand there powers
If I could choose to have one superpower, it would definitely be telepathy. I would want the kind of telepathy possessed by Professor Xavier in X-Men. Professor X has the ability to perceive the thoughts of anyone. This means that he can learn almost anything he wants by invading someone's mind and taking information out. I would use this ability to read the minds of MIT professors and become a genius. I would also take information from the minds of my professors so that I wouldn't have to study. Since i could borrow knowledge from anyone, the possibilities are endless. In a short matter of time I would become the smartest person in the world. Professor X also has the ability to project his own thoughts into anyone else's mind. This means that he can control the thoughts and actions of other people. I would do my best to use this ability for good things, such as convincing corrupt political leaders to step down and to persuade Lil' Wayne to stop making music. But, I would probably also do the occasional bad thing with it as well, such as convince rich people to give me money, even though I will probably be making enough money with all my genius writings since I will be the smartest man alive after acquiring so much knowledge from other people.
I am very drawn to Professor X for having this power. He is one of my favorite superheroes do to his incredible abilities to manipulate the minds of those around him and to read other people's thoughts. I respect how he uses these powers for good, and for how he also helps other mutants understand there powers
Blog 7
For our two joke videos, we took different interpretations to a joke about a young boy using foul language and upsetting his mother. For the first joke, we decided to take the old school silent film approach, and with the second video, we used dolls and did voice-overs for the dolls. We used several line and rhythm techniques to contrast the two videos.
For the silent film version, there were several line techniques that we used to emphasize certain elements of the visuals. The establishing shot of the video depicts the mother and two relatives in the kitchen. The lines of the windows are what separates the mother and the two relatives. When the young boy runs out of his room and sits on the ground to play with his new train, the table that the two relatives are sitting at behind him is used to frame his body. By putting the line from the table above the boys head, he was given the appearance of being small, even though he was actually the same size of the relatives since we didn’t have any younger actors. Another line technique used in this video is when the mother is yelling at the boy. The lines of the doorway are used to frame the two characters to put the emphasis on their actions, instead of the actions of the two relatives. When the boy comes running out of his room after being punished, the doorway again frames him to focuses his excited approach. When he sits back down, there is a more confused use of framing, which creates the tension that builds up to his final line, the release. All of these techniques used “actual” lines, while the second video used more “virtual lines. These virtual lines were created through the eyes of the girl and her dolls. The dolls would be looking up at the girl, and the girl down at the dolls. This created the idea of the girl being much larger than the dolls.
We also used a contrast rhythm. The rhythm of the first movie is more fast paced. There are faster cuts in this movie, and the clips are slightly sped up to give it the old silent film feel. Also, the fast-paced music of this film gives it a much more upbeat feel. In the second film, we did not speed up the clips or use any music. We also chose to use longer cuts to increase the awkwardness of the girl having a tea party with her dolls.
For the silent film version, there were several line techniques that we used to emphasize certain elements of the visuals. The establishing shot of the video depicts the mother and two relatives in the kitchen. The lines of the windows are what separates the mother and the two relatives. When the young boy runs out of his room and sits on the ground to play with his new train, the table that the two relatives are sitting at behind him is used to frame his body. By putting the line from the table above the boys head, he was given the appearance of being small, even though he was actually the same size of the relatives since we didn’t have any younger actors. Another line technique used in this video is when the mother is yelling at the boy. The lines of the doorway are used to frame the two characters to put the emphasis on their actions, instead of the actions of the two relatives. When the boy comes running out of his room after being punished, the doorway again frames him to focuses his excited approach. When he sits back down, there is a more confused use of framing, which creates the tension that builds up to his final line, the release. All of these techniques used “actual” lines, while the second video used more “virtual lines. These virtual lines were created through the eyes of the girl and her dolls. The dolls would be looking up at the girl, and the girl down at the dolls. This created the idea of the girl being much larger than the dolls.
We also used a contrast rhythm. The rhythm of the first movie is more fast paced. There are faster cuts in this movie, and the clips are slightly sped up to give it the old silent film feel. Also, the fast-paced music of this film gives it a much more upbeat feel. In the second film, we did not speed up the clips or use any music. We also chose to use longer cuts to increase the awkwardness of the girl having a tea party with her dolls.
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