Assignment 7 (Video Project)

VIDEO ONE:

VIDEO TWO:

Blog Number 9

Freak Factor


Summary:
            
            The article Freak Factor is basically about discovering your strengths and weaknesses. It talks about how there are three basic options for self-improvement, which include, fixing weaknesses, building strengths and doing both. It is important to realize that an individual’s weaknesses are clues to their strengths. Everyone has weaknesses ad we all have unique characteristics. Having unique characteristics does not mean something is wrong with that individual. People do not need to fix their weaknesses because it can be painful and distract us from other things, but they can build on their strengths because it can be enjoyable and it will make up for their weaknesses. It is important to let people be who they are and do not try and change them. 




Critique:

            The first question he asks is “What’s your problem?” He talks about discovering your weaknesses and how every job interview includes this question. He also talks about how an individual’s family always knows their flaws and people are always criticizing others for it. This makes people think there is something wrong with them, when in reality, there is not. He also talks about the three basic options for self-improvement. They are fixing weaknesses, building on strengths, and doing both. I believe that these suggestions are valid for overcoming one’s weaknesses. It is important to recognize one’s weaknesses because they help to build on their strengths. This also relates to me because when I have been writing these blog assignments this quarter I have realized along the way that I have many weaknesses. I am not a very good drawer, so anytime I have to draw something, I am constantly telling myself how bad of a drawer I am and how it is one of my major weaknesses. I always feel like I have to overcome my weaknesses, but I realize that it is not an easy thing to do. I just have to accept the fact that it is one of my weaknesses. I think it will be pointless for me to try and overcome this weakness because I do not particularly like to draw and I am not seeking a job that involves drawing. I believe this makes me better rounded because I recognize both my strengths and weaknesses.

            The second question that he asks is “What’s my problem?” In this section he talks about all of his own weaknesses. These include weaknesses he believes he has and weaknesses that his family recognizes in him. When reading the list, it made me think of all of the weaknesses I have and made me wonder what my weaknesses my family would link to myself. It is important to realize the fact that he is still successful even though he possesses so many weaknesses. He also points out that he did not overcome his weaknesses and instead realized that his flaws were clues to his strengths. It is important to recognize this, because once you do, you can be whoever you want to be. I will bring up my drawing example again because I think it fits very well with this idea. I realize that one of my weaknesses is drawing. Because I realize this is a weakness, I believe that my drawing have become much better overtime. I used to always be worried that my pictures looked terrible. When I realized this was one of my weaknesses, I no longer cared if my drawings turned out poorly because what mattered was that I tried very hard. Another one of my weaknesses is that I get distracted easily. I have realized that it is very hard for me to work on this weakness, so I try not to.

            The third suggestion that the author mentions is “Flawless: There is Nothing Wrong with you.” I believe this is the most important suggestion that he brings up. It is so important to realize that just because you have so many flaws and weaknesses does not mean that there is something wrong with you. Everyone has many flaws and weaknesses and they cannot help them. We all have negative and positive characteristics, and they make us who we are. These positive and negative features that we possess come in pairs that cannot be separated. He gives a chart of examples of pairs of unique features we possess. For example, you can be extremely creative but very unorganized. You can be dedicated but stubborn or adventurous but irresponsible. We have these strengths and weaknesses that go together and if we try to eliminate our weaknesses, then we are doomed to fail. We need both of the features because each has advantages and disadvantages. He also talks about how our weaknesses can sometimes be considered strength and that we need to embrace it and celebrate instead of avoiding it. One of the pairs listed in the chart that relates to me the most would have to be that I am organized but inflexible. When it comes to organization, I am the most organized out of my friends and family members, but I seem to be very inflexible. I want things to go as planned and do not want to have to change things around. This will affect my life in the future because I will always keep my workplace and my things organized, but I will have to adjust to people making changes at the last minute. Even though this is not a particularly good weakness to have, I am just going to have to embrace it. 




Strengths and Weaknesses:


            Over the course of this quarter, I have found that I have many weaknesses and strengths when it comes to the creative process in this class. My weaknesses are that I am a terrible drawer, I procrastinate, and I a perfectionist. My strengths would be that I am organized, I am creative, and I work hard. During this quarter we have been assigned many different projects where we have to draw many pictures. I was assigned to draw a villain and I had to re-draw the pictures because I kept thinking they looked horrible. I also had to storyboard a scene of my choice for one of my blog assignments and I also had to re-draw my pictures many times because I did not like how they turned out. Another one of my weaknesses is that I procrastinate. This became a problem when it came to my blog assignments because I would be stuck writing three blogs in one day and it would make me feel stressed. It was also a problem when it came to my creative projects because I would wait to the last minute and feel like I had to rush to get my projects done. Luckily, having a partner for most of the projects helped me to stay on task. Another weakness that I have would be that I am a perfectionist. Because of this I found that I took much more time on my projects than most people because I didn’t think it was good enough. This is also why I was re-drawing my pictures so many times. One of my strengths would definitely be that I am very organized. I would also consider myself to be creative. I am always thinking of new and creative ideas and try to make my projects as creative as possible. Another strength would be that I work very hard. I spend a lot of time on my projects and blog assignments and it usually pays off. 

Blog Number 8

Brainwashed

Summary:

            Acknowledge the Lizard is considered to be the part of the brain that makes us worry. Individuals are not able to create genius works of art because of resistance, also known as fear. Therefore, we have to acknowledge it. The two of the seven layers that stood out the most to me were connect and fail. The first layer, connect, is very important when it comes to media. This layer is about how making connections through the Internet with people can not only help an individual gain insight, but also help them gain connections with people they have never met before. Many years ago, people did not have the opportunity to make connections through the Internet, which made it very hard for people to make connections. Because of the Internet, we are now able to make connections easily. Making connections on the Internet can also help expose an individual’s talents. The last layer is fail, which states that in order for an individual to grow, they need to be able to fail first. 

Essay:


            I believe that the blog assignments that I have been assigned over this quarter have really helped me not only become a better student, but also a better person and artist as well. The first blog I was assigned this quarter was the hero and villain design. I decided to create the villain and I found this assignment to be pretty challenging. I am not a very good artist, so it took me a long time to draw the character. I found that I kept having to start over too because something in my head kept telling me that my drawing looked horrible. This is like one of the layers in Brainwashed called Acknowledging the Lizard. Acknowledging the Lizard is the part of the brain that makes us worry, and I found that I was constantly getting worried about my drawing. My picture would have been so much better if I was not so worried about it to begin with. It turned out that my picture looked fine, and was similar to those of my classmates. Also, this particular blog assignment taught me how to deconstruct my character, which is something I had never done before.             
            
            Another blog assignment that really helped me become a better artist was the storyboard blog. I thought it was pretty cool how I was able to learn how to storyboard a scene. I struggled a little bit trying to draw each picture, but as I started to draw more and more, my picture became much better. When I drew my first picture, it looked nothing like the characters in the scene I chose. This relates to the failing layer. I failed a few times drawing the pictures, but with practice, my picture got significantly better. This blog also helped me grow as a student because I was able to learn about different camera movements and where the camera is in each shot. Now when I watch movies, I pick up on the different camera movements used, and where the camera is in each shot.


            All of the blogs that I have written have really helped me grow as a student. I am learning so many new things after writing each blog. Sometimes when I waited to the last minute to write the blogs, I would think that the blogs were a waste of time, but looking back, I realize they helped me grow so much. I have become a better artist and have been exposed to new programs that I have never used before. I have failed a few times along the way, which in turn has made me stronger and I have had doubts about my projects, but they have made me grow as a person.

           

Blog Number 7

Scene Deconstruction


The Social Network:

Theme:

            The movie The Social Network is considered to be a biography and a drama. The film is about Mark Zuckerberg, a Harvard student who created the now popular social networking site, Facebook, in 2003. The two major themes of the movie are power and loyalty. In the movie, all of the characters are either in power or are trying to gain power in some way. Also, those characters that are in power use their power to impact other characters. For example, Mark’s girlfriend Erica uses her emotional power to dump him, and in turn, he creates a blog that defames her publicly. Loyalty is also a major theme of the movie. Zuckerberg's loyalty is with the development of Facebook, instead of the people in his life like his girlfriend and friends. Therefore, he loses his friendship with his best friend Eduardo Saverin and his girlfriend Erica. Zuckerberg creates this social networking website that focuses on people making connections with one another, but he cannot seem to keep the connections he had with his friends. These themes would be didactic because they teach the viewer that loyalty is an important characteristic to possess, while having power can be a both positive and negative characteristic to possess. 


Critique:
            The themes of power and loyalty are reinforced throughout the scene because of line and movement. In the beginning of the scene, Eduardo is walking out of the conference room and all of the lights in the room behind him point towards his character, which give him a sense of power. Also, the lines of the door point in the direction of his body, which help reinforce the fact that he is very angry and has the power in that particular spot. Even though at this point he is far away from Mark, his eyes draw a virtual line that leads to Mark’s eyes. There are other virtual lines drawn when many people in the building begin to look at Eduardo because he is constantly screaming out Mark’s name.

            Tension is created when Eduardo approaches Mark and throws his computer on the desk because he is angry that his share within the company has dropped drastically. This tension immediately catches the viewer’s attention, and it is apparent that Mark is in power because he lowered Eduardo’s share in the company and remains completely calm in the entire scene. This enforces the theme of loyalty and the fact that Mark’s loyalty is with Facebook, and not with his former best friend. Also, there is contrast between the parts of the scene where Eduardo is yelling at Mark and where Eduardo is walking out of the conference room. The conference room scene focuses more on lines that are being drawn, both actual and virtual, whereas the scene where Eduardo is yelling at Mark focuses more on Mark being in power and Eduardo being powerless and angry.

            There is a lot of movement throughout the scene. There is camera movement throughout the scene when Eduardo is walking towards Mark and then away from him at the end of the scene. Also, the people in the background create movement, as some of them walk completely through the frame. Secondary movement is created when Eduardo is constantly pointing at Mark and Parker because he is angry. His body is moving along with his arms, which make his arm movements secondary.  

Blog Number 6

Animation Deconstruction:


SpongeBob SquarePants

            There are many similarities and differences between the two pictures I chose. I decided to pick two pictures from the same animated television show, SpongeBob SquarePants. Both pictures are very similar with regards to color or hue. The main color that stands out in each picture is green. Although the first picture with SpongeBob has many different colors, the green background seems to stand out the most. In the second picture, there are many different shades of green between Squidward, the background, and the floor. The other color that stands out the most between the two pictures is brown. The burgers in the first picture stand out on the green background because they are contrasting colors, which make the burgers look like they are advancing. Squidward’s shirt also stands out the same way as the burgers in the second picture. Also, saturation is used in the second picture with the color brown. There are many different shades of brown within the picture, which helps things stand out. For example, Squidward’s shirt, the garbage bag, and the stains on the garbage bag are all different shades of brown. The stain is a much darker brown, which emphasizes the stain and shows that the garbage is greasy and full. Squidward’s shirt on the other hand is a much brighter brown because it allows him to standout from the background.

            The biggest difference between the two pictures would definitely have to be the lighting. The first picture does a much better job of using lighting than the second picture. In the first picture, there is lighting around SpongeBob SquarePants’ body and his left hand, which not only makes him stand out, but also makes his hand look like it is advancing. Also, the lighting around SpongeBob verifies the fact that the burger ingredients are floating in the air. This contrasts with the second picture, which has no lighting. The lighting in the first picture also affects the mood. The lighting around SpongeBob not only helps emphasize the fact that he is extremely happy, but it also gives the picture a happy mood. The colors are very bright and SpongeBob appears happy so the mood is happy. The second picture is completely different as there is no lighting and it is clear that Squidward is not happy. The darker tones give the picture a much more somber mood. 

Blog Number 5

Ratatouille


Storyboard:

Overhead View:

            The director of the animation film Ratatouille did a very good job of following the rule of thirds. The rule of thirds is essentially a rule of thumb where important elements of each shot should cross the lines cutting the scene into three rows across and three rows down. For example, in the first shot, Remy’s face crosses the lines because the director wants the viewer to pay attention to his facial expressions. Since Remy is thinking in the first shot, the viewer’s eyes are guided to his eyes first. Also, the director has other important elements such as the pot of soup and the wooden spoon crossing the imaginary lines in the second shot because it is essential for the viewer to recognize the fact that Remy is cooking in the kitchen. Another scene where the director uses the rule of thirds very well is in shot five when Gusteau is constantly flying around Remy. Gusteau is an important character in this scene because he is telling Remy to go ahead add ingredients to the pot of soup while he can before the cooks come back in the kitchen and see him.

            The director also followed the 180 degree rule and the rules of 30 very well. Throughout the entire scene, the camera does not cross the 180 degree line. Also, when Remy is turning his body, the camera moves around with him so that it does not cross the 180 degree line. The same thing goes for when Gusteau appears in the air and flies around Remy. Remy is constantly turning around so that he can be face to face with Gusteau and talk to him, so the camera moves with them to avoid crossing the line. The director also follows the rules of 30. There are no jump cuts within the scene. In the first shot, the director uses a pan shot when Remy is running back and forth horizontally on the counter. In order to avoid jump cuts in the third shot, the director uses another pan shot when Remy turns around to look at the pot of soup.

            Overall, the director did a great job of following the rule of thirds, the 180 degree rule, and the rules of 30. He made the most important elements of each shot stand out by having them cross the imaginary lines that cut each shot into 9 parts. He also avoided jump cuts by not crossing the 180 degree line, by using pan shots throughout the scene, and by having the camera move around with the characters. 

Blog Number 4

Mumford & Sons


The Cave:

Little Lion Man:

Listening Framework: The Cave

Listening Framework: Little Lion Man

          The two songs The Cave and Little Lion Man by Mumford & Sons share more different qualities than similar qualities. There are three major similarities between the songs. The first similarity is that they both have moderato or medium tempos. They are also alike because the rhythm is coming from the lead guitar. Also, the two songs have a very upbeat and fun groove and each song flows very well.
            The two songs are also very different from each other in many ways. The lyrics in The Cave are about leaving behind fears and living life the way it is intended whereas Little Lion Man is about pushing a loved one away. The structure and the organization of each song are different as well. The Cave starts off very slow with the guitar playing the same notes over and over again. The song builds up in the middle with the vocals on top and then slowly drops again. The song then builds up again for the ending. Little Lion Man also starts off slowly but does not build up that much throughout the song. Instead, it builds up just a little bit in the middle of the song.

            It seems that The Cave is much more intensified and faster than Little Lion Man. When the instruments (drums, banjo, and guitar) in The Cave, are all playing in sync with the vocals on top, the song becomes very intense and loud. The listener can really only hear the vocals and the banjo playing the same notes over and over again, when in reality the drums and guitar are playing as well. In Little Lion Man, there is a little bit of intensity in the middle of the song, but the beginning and the end are slower and quiet. Also the drums play a big role in driving the song along with the guitar, whereas the song Little Lion Man is driven by the lead guitar and banjo. With regards to timbre, the chorus of The Cave is much noisier than the chorus of Little Lion Man.

            The melodies of the two songs are also very different. Both songs have completely different tunes that can be hummed. Their tunes may differ from one another but they both seem to have linear melodies with regards to following the intro to verse to chorus pattern. I personally like the song The Cave better than Little Lion Man because I like how the song intensifies and drops many times throughout the song. I also really the meaning behind the song, and I like the fact that it has a very upbeat and fun groove.