Blog #8

Scene Deconstruction

Zombieland!

Zombieland, a comedy film which was released back in 2009 include such stars like Jesse Eisenberg as Columbus, Woody Harrelson as Tallahassee, and Emma Stone as Wichita. The theme of this movie is how a shy student is trying to journey to Ohio to find his family in a zombie invested world but instead discovers himself along the way. Movement is very important in this scene. The whole movie is pretty much based on movement. Each of the characters is always running and defending themselves from the zombies. In this scene in particular, there is a lot of movement going on when Tallahassee and Columbus are both trying to stop the zombies from eating them. Tallahassee is in a desperate need to satisfy his Twinkie craving. Him and Columbus both go into a grocery store together and discover that there more things in there then just groceries and a golden square of deliciousness. They use different instruments and tools and demonstrate a variety of unique movements, one even being with a banjo. Line is also an important to this scene as well. There are more virtual scenes, but there are also many actual lines as well. An example of actual would be the signs at the top of Tallahassee’s head in the begging and the lines from the lawn clippers before he kills the one zombie. An example of some virtual lines would be the aisles of the grocery store and the lineup of zombies in the aisle.  Overall I believe both of these features were demonstrated very well in a great movie.

Blog #7

Animation Deconstruction
Monster's Inc!

 

and Finding Nemo!

The two pictures I picked were from the movies Monster’s Inc. and Finding Nemo. I choose these two movies mainly because they were created by the same people and I wanted to see what they did different. Another reason why I decided on these movies is because they are also very unique also. In the Monsters Inc. scene, Sully discovers that Boo followed him and came out of her room.  This scene illustrates color in many ways. All the dark colors in the scene are receding like the background and Boo’s shirt and all the brighter colors are standing out, including all of Sully and the white door he’s leaning up against. The scene has a tinted blue hue overall and a lot of saturation is added. You also notice that the door is brighter than all the other elements in the scene some even brighter than the characters due to a light coming from somewhere. Moving on from Color, Lighting is also important in this scene.  In this picture a shadow is casted upon Boo which makes her look even small when compared to the much brighter and bigger Sully.   In this scene symbolism is the interaction between characters. The creator of this film switched up the symbolism and showed that even the things we are scared of our scared of us, it doesn’t matter what size we are. The mood you get from this scene is obliviously that Sully is frightened by Boo and that creates some kind of curiosity when you’re looking at the photo. In Finding Nemo, Marlin is telling a story to turtles and Dory. There’s not much symbolism in this scene but just like in Monster’s Inc. though you can tell the difference between colors by which are receding and which are advancing. In this case instead, you can tell the characters apart from the crowd. There is more saturation then Monster’s but it includes a sort of blue hue towards it also. With lighting, if you look closely you can kind of see some shadow which adds to the mood of the entire scene. Lastly, there is a lot more movement in this scene than there was in Monster’s. You can tell that the turtles are moving in sort of parallel movement that makes you aware of what direction they are traveling in.

Blog #6

Storyboard Imitation

The scene I choose was from the first Iron Man movie starring Robert Downey Jr.  In this scene Downey’s character, Tony Stark is introducing a new weapon system in the military. In the beginning of the scene the director pans over to the right that introduces Stark walking down the stairs, and then pulls out slowly to introduce the military. After that shot it then goes to a MS, going from his waist up, of Stark, and then pans to the left to show them meeting. This would be an example of the director following the 30 degree rule. The pans make it stands out the most out of all but he does something different by zooming in just a tiny bit to emphasize the greeting shot between stark and the military. After that we switch environments and go into MS of Stark on a flat background and switches from that to a MS of the military often.  When Stark is on this background this one of the many examples of the rule of the thirds. Another example I found in this scene of the rule of the thirds would be anytime the weapons were set off. Both examples draw your interest and keep you focused. During the scene where he is the main focus on the background the audience wants to know more about what he’s talking about because they are unaware of what’s going on. The last cut I drew was the over the shoulder shot on the 3 military members watching the weapons being set off. This scene is an example of the 180 degree line. The director doesn’t break the rules as from what I can tell. He does include a couple of push in’s in some of the scenes but other than that from what I can tell everything Is pretty basic and straightforward.

Blog #5

Song Deconstruction

I Won't Back Down Original- Tom Petty

I Won't Back Down Cover- John O'Callaghan

I Wont' Back Down Original- Tom Petty Listening Framework

I Won't Back Down Cover- John O'Callaghan Listening Framework

The song I choose to compare and contrast would be, I Won’t Back Down by both Tom Petty and John O’Callaghan.  The original version by Petty came out in 1989 on his solo album, Full Moon Fever. O’Callaghan’s cover of the song though came out a couple of years ago. Obliviously there is a long period of time between both songs which makes them display a very different style. Even though both have different styles, with their lyrics they both express the same thing.   In the song they are both telling themselves they won’t back down no matter what happens or where they end up.  The each show their emotion by being intense in their tone of voice. Both artists succeed in wanting you to listen to this song and learn more about what their trying to tell the listeners.  Both songs are organized the same way as well. Each starts off with a guitar and lead into the voice of both artists.  After that, instrumentation is added contributing to the grove of each song. Although there are many similarities about both of these songs there are also very different.  Petty has a very high complexity level while O’Callaghan leans towards a very simple complexity. The organization tells a lot of the timbre when it comes to these songs. The guitar is introduced in both songs leading to the voice, to the chorus, and then to a guitar solo.  Although they are set up the same way, the layers of instruments make the timbre level different. The pitch of both songs also becomes very high, especially when the guitar is added to the mix.  It also is very high when the singer raises his voice in parts of each song. Also, while the tempo in the original version of Petty’s song is fast pace, O’Callaghan slowed it down and made it his own style.  Personally I like both songs the same. They each have certain characteristics that make them unique and always keep me coming back over and over to play them one more time.

Styks

Mexicans

Blog #4

Iron Man- Jericho Missile Test

Critique


The two topics i used to critique the scene were Listening Modes and Space... 

Listening modes

Casual sounds: In the scene there are many more semantic sounds than there are casual but Tony Stark walking down the stairs of the plane and the drinks clinking is one of the more casual sounds you notice.


Semantic sounds: These sounds include the missile being launched, the explosion, the drinks being lifted out of the cooler, the music that makes the scene more intense, and the sounds of the airplanes in the background. You would think that some of these sounds would be more natural but the way they are used are  more unnatural than anything because the sounds are more amplified than the others.

Space

Subjective/Emotional: The scene were the missiles are launched and the sound they make when they explode makes you feel like you need this equipment to feel powerful and in control. Tony Stark is trying to make the military and even the people watching this film more intrigued and amazed of his equipment, and what it can be used for. 

Movement: When the wind comes from the missiles launching it puts you in a position of knowing where you are in the film. Their hats are blown off and their hair is blowing in the wind. The sound makes you feel as if something will happen to you when the wind get closer from a distance. 

Blog #3

The 7 layers

check out this story
The 3 layers out of the 7 that really spoke to me would have to be Acknowledge the Lizard, Make Art, and Fail. Acknowledge the Lizard was probably my favorite and it spoke to me the most out of all because it's right in a lot of ways. The little voices in our head keep up sometimes from actually doing what we believe in because its not what is instructed. I think in a couple of ways this holds us back most of the time and i myself feel like this sometimes too, it can almost control you. The main point though i really liked of that was to take the voices we hear for granted and let them help you rather then tear you down. Make Art spoke to me because it encouraged me to want to try and make a difference with what i create. I always wanted to make something in my life that affected millions of others, and maybe would change their outlook on how they feel on certain issues. Even though it may not always work out, it keeps you believing that their is always next time and to just keep trying. The last one that spoke to me was Fail. This spoke to me because it demanded me to fail. Many people in this world are scared of failing because we dont know where it will lead up in life, myself included. Its scary in alot of sense but it will lead to accomplishment.

The connection with this blog

The voices in your head, creating something different that captures others, and putting yourself out there even though it may not work as well as you think are all important aspects that connect the layers in “Brainwashed” and this blog.  Acknowledging the Lizard, 1 of the 7 layers summarized in this blog is critical because it makes you aware of who is reading. It connects both by letting you become more careful with what you say, and in some sense you work towards making others who view this blog more intrigued. Your readers might even learn a thing or two from reading the advice that you are passing on. You are taking that little voice in your head and using it to your advantage.  Make Art, another layer is also very important as well.  It encourages yourself and others to create something that someone else will appreciate. In the blog, we are all talking about what we created in the class and we are explaining it to our viewers with our point of view, we are letting our art become real. The last layer I summarized would be failing. Failing is a key part of life according to this article. When we write these blogs we are at a risk for failing and falling flat on our face with a bad grade, but that’s not the only thing. We show others our work on blogger.com and we put ourselves at risk. Someone may not have to agree with what we say or they just don’t like what we write. We have to embrace this though because if we don’t put ourselves out there and risk failing we would never be where we are today, and we probably won’t go very far. All of these layers help me to reinvent myself and help me to realize the blog I’m writing right now helps me to become a better student, and also have a better perspective of how I choose to go about showing others who read my blog that this is what I am all about about. 

Blog #2

Finding your Howl
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This story is about a wolf who is searching for his howl. In order to find this he has to stop feeling ashamed of being a wild animal and doing the thing he does to survive. Everything he touches his mark is left on them and his dislikes this. In order to find his freedom he will go through difficult times but they will be worth it in the end. The main point Flaum makes in this story is in our journey to self discovery its not always going to be pretty. We have to accept who we are and go through some rough patch in order to find the things we want.


My Quote and its purpose

My favorite quote of all time would probably have to be “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why” by Mark Twain. When I was a senior at Hoover high school I thought I was set on Journalism. I applied for journalism schools and I wrote about a million shorts stories just because I enjoyed it. I dreamed of working for Rolling Stone and moving to the city of New York. However though when I was a sophomore in high school my family persuaded me to take a video production class because of how high tech their program was, and how much they thought I would enjoy it. With a little convincing I finally gave in and it changed my life in some weird way. From day one I loved that class, everything about it was special. I loved writing and I still love it as of this moment, but I was missing something important and I needed it in my life. I truly though found my passion of what I wanted to do for the rest of my life when I edited my first independent film. At first, I had no clue on what I was doing. I had never worked with any kind of editing system before in my life and I thought for sure that I would mess up or do something stupid. I started going in everyday though during my study hall and watched hours of tutorials on the system itself. After finally figuring everything out I became hooked and I created my first independent film in late January, one year ago. Even today, I still feel a sense of accomplishment when I look at it on my Youtube channel and I know it’s what I would love and that’s a great kind of feeling in my opinion that I hope everyone experiences in their life. After that video I created 2 more just like it and also a short film, I’ve never felt prouder of anything else. I like that quote by Mark Twain because it’s true. When you are born, you come into this world and you offer it with more then you know. It’s one of the most important days of your life. When you figure out though what you want to do with the rest of your life, it’s just as great as when you are born. You learn your true purpose of why you were put on this earth and at that moment you can finally enjoy all that you accomplish.  This quote speaks to me as a creative person because it explains of why I do the things I do. It shows me that everything I work for means something and it always will. I know I made the right decision when I changed my major from Journalism to Video Production, No regrets just memories. 

Blog #1

The Hero- Fang

Light- A sunrise
The light from the sunrise represents the hero, Fang. The light from the sunrise represents a new day in the making. Because she is a young and new character i believe a sunrise is the perfect light to describe her. You dont expect this light but it comes out from a distance and surprise's you.  A sunrise comes out in the darkest of times and every time you watch it you cant help but admire it. A hero comes out of nowhere and helps you out when you most need them. 

Color- redish tint
The main color scheme used  is a darker red .  This is the color of this character that represents what she stands for and her drive to succeed. Red is classified as a very untouchable color. Normally when something's a redish color you stay away from it. For example if there's a fire you wont jump in it, you keep your distance but your still interested in the color. That interest is why red is a good choice for this character. Whenever you associate the color red with something, it also can mean its powerful, which is another good representation.

Shape- A Tree
The shape i choose for this hero is a tree. The tree represents not only the character's strength but her freedom to grow. The character's background in life went through a rough patch. That negative impact in her life became a positive though. The tree is a good shape for her because she learned to take those rough situations and learn from them. This is a very important characteristic of her as a hero. She became something you appreciate and look up to just like this tree. 

The Villian - Arboc

Light- An alleyway with a small light

This light that you see above represents the character.  The character presents himself as a very dark and mysterious figure. The small light you see from afar at the top of the picture draws the audience eye's in that direction. The character itself is very bright and others walking by are attracted to the light he gives off. He uses this as a way to draw his prey in, a very useful technique. The alleyway also represents his personality as well. He is a very upset being  that this place expresses his mood and how he feels about society. 

Color- Different shades of green and yellow
The main color scheme used is different shades of a saturated green and a bright yellow. Both colors compliment each other  and together they make the audience feel a little uneasy.  The yellow though itself stands out much more than the green. For the eyes of the character this color was chosen because its the first thing you want to look at. Its a very bright color and much more interesting than the green.  The green however is a darker color but if you look closely you do notice it.  The skin of  the character though is like the green, you notice it but its not the first thing you see. 

Shape- A Sailboat
The shape i choose for this villain is a sailboat representing indepence and individualism. 
There are many different kinds of sailboats all over the world, both big and small.There are some sailboats though that are unlike the others. Just like these sailboats though this character is an individual. He might look alot like others but he displays different characteristic's than others. Some characteristic's include how from the start he can handle difficult situations if  put in that position.  He is also very independent and uses his advantages as a guide to achieve his goals.  

na na na na na na na...

Batman!