Blog Entry #6

This scene is chaotic as missiles close on Mrs. Incredible and her two children Violet and Dash. Being an animation, this movie does need to strictly follow the rules of cinematography as live action. The 180 rule is not followed, instead these five shots bounce back from two different lines of action. The first shot is a horizontal view of the plane and missiles in flight, then a second line of action is introduced in the second shot that is perpendicular to the first which shows Mrs. Incredible straight ahead. It then cuts back to the original line of action of missels closing in followed by a shot of the second line of action with violet trying to cast a force field. The fifth shot is a reversal look of second line of action which shows Mrs. Incredible's view of the rader of the missels closing in. The rule of thirds is followed as the missiles, plane, violet and and Mrs. Incredible seem to moving to the points of interest. The plane is moving but stays within the same section of the frame. You can only see one missile clearly and it moves around the frame bouncing from the thirds intersections. Mrs. Incredible sweeps her head into the right hand of the frame, and Violet is seen off centered creating a more dramatic shot.  The 30 rule is not followed as each shot is a new subject matter and only the shot of the missiles closing in is the repeated shot. The two shots of the missiles are clearly just a continuation of the same animation so the visible missile doesn't change size from the end of the first shot to the beginning of the third. and The director broke these rules to enhance the chaos and stress of the scene. The one line of actions shows the danger while the second line of actions shows who is in danger.

Blog Entry #8

Final Scene of the Dark Knight
First off the theme of this movie is even the best of men are capable of becoming evil. The Joker proves this by turning Gotham's white knight insane with one really bad day. This theme is told didactically through the conversation between Gordon and Batman at the beginning of this scene.

The rhythm of this scene is Batman being chased paralleled by Gordon public eulogy of Harvey Dent. What Gordon explains to his son at the end of the scene is an example of affinity to his eulogy speech at the beginning because Batman is the true hero of Gotham by keeping Harvey's image alive. The contrast is seen as how Batman and Harvey are both portrayed from the same speech. As Batman says, the people of Gotham deserve more than the truth because they show that they are not all inherently evil (shown by the two boat ferries scene). The rhythm of this scene bounces between people covering up the truth to keep others safe: the eulogy, Alfred burning Rachel's note (that reveals that she wouldn't wait for him despite Bruce's beliefs), Lucius Fox destroying the sonar machine to preserve the privacy of the public, Gordon destroying the bat signal and Batman running away so he becomes the enemy. The movement of this scene is a climax to build to Gordon's final line, "A Dark Knight". Once Batman reveals to Gordon that it should be him thats is charged for the killing of the dead the music begins to build and continues as rhythm bounces from cover up to cover up. The movement and rhythm are in sync in this scene as the both increase in intensity. Conscious and subconscious comes into play between the white and dark knight. Batman associated with being vigilante and a criminal makes him the dark knight while Harvey cleaning up the streets and being a martyr makes him the white knight.

Blog Entry #7

The two images I will be discussing our from Toy Story 3.

Image 1

Image 2

I first want to talk about the color in each image. In image one, there are many distinct hues: The bear Lotso has a very vibrant pink color which is seen in the background around the class photos which could represent his control over the school. Also the wooden desk matches Woody's colors and the carpet matches Buzz's which can contrast each others acceptance of this new world (the carpet is very involved in the scene where as the desk is only slightly seen). Another hue choice to point out is Lotso's cane, it is made of wood and similiar colored to Woody's hat and boots which could be seen as Lotso power over Woody. Lotso's power over Buzz is seen with his hand placement over Buzz's back. The hues in image two are much less abundant making you focus on the characters themselves. The background of the metal shoot and concrete wall emphasize their change from safety (image one) to danger (image two).  In image one the brightness is very strong in comparison to image two, as image one depicts a "safe" time where as image two shows a more dark and scary tone. The saturation of each image is again in contrast, as the first is very saturated making it colorful and pretty and the second image is less making it more grim and blend together slightly to show their universal outlook on their situation. The next topic I am going to discuss is lighting. The first image is very light creating a relaxed mood which is emphasized through the facial reactions of Lotso and Buzz Lightyear. The second image however has a much darker setting creating a tenser mood which again is emphasized through the facial reactions of all of the characters. The only shadows in the first image are cast by the characters and woody's hat making the right side of his face darker, which may indicate his skepticism in Lotso. In the second image the octopus is in complete shadow, symbolizing him as the enemy which goes along with his facial reactions in comparison to everyone else. Shadows in image two are on Mr. Potato head, the horse, and Woody who all had doubts on their new environment from the beginning which symbolizes their connection with the octopus as knowing something was up the whole time.

Blog Entry #5

David Davison The Ongoing Horrible
Phase 1
Tempo: This song has a relative slow tempo as the melody comes in between the slaps of his guitar.
Source: The rhythm comes from David's right hand as he taps his fingers against the guitars base. He stops tapping at the second part of the song and the rhythm then comes from the tapping of the strings.
Groove: I would describe this songs groove as folky and original  (the songs sounds come from a creative use of the guitar which produces an interesting sound).
Phase 2
Instrumentation: The only instruments used in this song are a guitar and vocals, although the guitar's strings, tuners, and base are used for producing different sounds.
Structure/Organization: The song structure is, first stanza, second stanza followed by a brief interlude while david moves up on the guitar to change the sound, then he begins playing while manipulating the tuner and sings the third and fourth stanza, he repeats the third stanza then sings acapella the fourth verse.
Emotional Architecture: The songs lyrics display a pretty grim society and the song doesn't change to a very positive tone. Instead, David and whoever he is singing to dance and sleep to ignore the horrible scene going on around them. So the song keeps a constant grim tone but at the end it is revealed David and someone are trying to make the best out of each others companies by ignoring whatever horror they are in.
Phase 3
Height: The song has various pitch levels as David sings all across the scale. And the use of the tuners make the guitar's sound range from high to low.
Width: There is no manipulation of width to enhance the song
Depth: There is really no depth to this song as there is only one instrument and person but the different sounds David produces with the guitar you could argue that their are layers to this song.

Now I will dissect Accordion by Madvillian (MF DOOM and Madlib's collaboration name)
Phase 1
Tempo: The song has a moderate tempo, at least faster than The Ongoing Horrible
Source: The main source of rhythm in this song is the accordion sample, there is some light drums and bass but the most predominant rhythm comes from the accordion. Both Accordion and the Ongoing Horrible used little in terms of percussion.
Groove: The song has a funky and soulful sound. Bass and Accordion together make a unique sound.
Phase 2
Instrumentation: In this song their is no guitar but vocals (rapping but sill counts). Along with MF DOOM rapping there is an accordion riff, and bass with a repeated percussion hit.
Structure/Organization: The song has an intro which is just the song without MF DOOM rapping, then there is verse 1. After the verse their is a pause in his rapping where he hums the melody, just like The Ongoing Horrible there is no chorus just a brief pause in the song. The song ends with one more stanza from MF DOOM followed by an outro.
Phase 3
Height: Unlike The Ongoing Horrible this song doesn't have much height as it stays consistent with the accordion and vocals.
Width: Again width is not a factor in this song
Depth: This song has more depth than The Ongoing Horrible but only because it uses more than one instrument there is the accordion bass, percussion and vocals.

Blog Assignment #4

The following blog is in reference to this scene in The Incredibles

I was unable to post this as PDF as i got ERROR everytime I tried to post it as an image so i just copied and pasted it                                                                           
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         
          FADE IN                                                        
                                                                         
          EXT: IN THE CLOUDS                                              
                                                                         
          Three rockets are closing in on a jet with HELEN and her        
          kids DASH and VIOLET. Intense string music plays in the        
          background.                                                    
                                                                         
                              HELEN                                      
                    Abort! Abort! Abort!                                  
                                                                         
          Violet is seen trying to make a force field but only            
          produces a small ball that pops with a ELECTRONIC sound.        
                                                                         
                              HELEN                                      
                    Abort! Abort! Abort!                                  
                                                                         
          Helen speaks quicker and louder as the rockets close in. The    
          rocket sounds becomes high pitch seconds before impact.        
          Helen wraps her kids into a ball of her elastic body. A loud    
          EXPLOSION occurs and the plane is obliterated. The three        
          people begin to fall as pieces of the plane WHIZ past the      
          camera. The string music becomes more hectic and dark.          
          Violet and Dash both begin to scream crazily. Helen awakes      
          to their screams and grabs them both and creates a parachute    
          with her body. As her body deploys the string music comes to    
          an immediate stop. The sound of wind is heard rushing          
          through Helen.                                                  
                                                                         
                              HELEN                                      
                    Brace yourselves.                                    
                                                                         
          The camera looks down on the family. The waves of the ocean    
          are heard as they come closer. The family softly lands into    
          the sea.                                                        
                                                                         
                              DASH AND VIOLET                            
                    Mom! Mom!                                            
                                                                         
                              HELEN                                      
                    Everybody calm down. Now, I’ll tell                  
                    you what we’re not gonna do. We’re                    
                    not gonna panic, we’re not                            
                    gonna--look out!                                      
                                                                         
          Helen pushes her children under the water and swims to avoid    
          the large part of the ship CRASH into the ocean. It is heard    
          as people underwater would hear it. Many air bubbles are        
          rising to the surface. The family surfaces                      
                                                                         
                              DASH/VIOLET                                
                    -Who’s idea was this anyway?!                        
                                    
                    -What are we gonna do?! What are we                  
                    gonna do?!                                            
                                                                         
                              DASH                                        
                    We’re dead! We’re dead!                              
                                                                         
                              VIOLET                                      
                    It blew up!                                          
                                                                         
                              DASH                                        
                    We survived but we’re dead!                          
                                                                         
                              HELEN                                      
                    Stop it! We are not gonna die! Now                    
                    both of you will get a grip. Or so                    
                    help me I will ground you for a                      
                    month! Understand?                                    
                                                                         
                    Those were short-range missiles.                      
                    Land-based. That way is our best                      
                    bet.                                                  
                                                                         
                              DASH                                        
                    You want to go toward the people                      
                    that tried to kill us?                                
                                                                         
                              HELEN                                      
                    If it means land, yes.                                
                                                                         
                              VIOLET                                      
                    Do you expect us to swim there?                      
                                                                         
                              HELEN                                      
                    I expect you to trust me.                            
                                                                         
          Heroic orchestra music begins to play. Helen has shaped        
          herself into a boat as violet sits and you hear Dash’s feet    
          FLUTTER as he paddles the boat.                                
                                                                         
                                                                         
          FADE OUT:                                                      
                                                                         

The beginning scene does great work with the use of time. The speed and loudness snowballs as the rockets close in on the plane. Subjective time is used to increase intensity, the camera jumps from Helen to the rockets outside, to the radar on the plane, to the children very quickly. The camera is dragging out the time by jumping to what is happening to the different subject matter over a matter of seconds. The space of sound is deep as everything is happening over a large amount of land. The movement and direction of the sound close in on the plane as the rockets close in which results in the loud explosion to climax the suspense of the scene. Which continues as they survive the crash but now are crashing towards the water and the subject of them in distress comes to a halt when Helen creates a parachute with her body and softens their landing.  There is a final moment of distress as a large part of the plane is about to crash on top of them but Helen again saves her family by swimming out of the way. Now that all obstacles of death are dealt with the scene progresses as Helen relaxes the kids and makes a plan to travel to the island where the rockets came from. From that the scene changes emotion again as you see the family brave and heroic as they journey to face their attackers.                              
                                                                       
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         
                                                                         

Blog Assignment #3

The following blog is made after reading Seth Godin's Brainwashed on www.changethis.com

The first layer I want to discuss is Acknowledge the Lizard; the little voice in our head that tells us not to take risks, to not make art. In fear that we will made laughed at a trying and failing. Godin tells us to acknowledge this voice so we can ignore it instead of obeying it. The next layer I want to discuss is Connect. In today's world society is being connected  through the internet, you can share your resume, personal information, and your opinions with the world. You can be discovered for your talents from your very own home. The third layer I want to discuss is Be Generous. Eric Williams has said multiple times that no matter how talented you are, you will not make it (especially in the entertainment industry) if you are not personable. If you give gifts to people you, there is a good chance they will return the favor.

These blogs are certainly beneficial to me as a student, artist and more. Not only do I enjoy these articles but they give me insight into my future career and motivate me to do the best that I can. What really helped me week two blog on finding your howl. It said that if we don't live through our own particular neurotic problems we are destined to repeat an re-create our problems. This spoke to me because I myself am particularly self conscious and suffer from OCD and social anxiety. I find this as a large burden but I can not let it stop me from trying everything I can to becoming successful in life. This article by Seth Godin also spoke to me because I hated school. I was being taught things I didn't want to learn and judged by universities on those subjects that I had no motivation to learn. All I want to learn is how to entertain, how to make other people laugh so becoming a video production major was the ideal choice. Not only will I be learning about the things I love (movies and television) but I can have a career where I love what I do (working for movies and television). I would disagree that these exercises make me a better person because the articles speak little of moral values and I already consider myself a rather personable and friendly guy. Being generous does speak true because I have befriended a lot of people in tv shows I work on and fellow stand up comedians and they have given me several opportunities to become better in the entertainment industry. I have beaten the lizard brain along time ago but it is good to have it reiterated to me so I don't forget my failures will lead me to future successes. It is good to hear from successful people on how they became successful because it is better to listen to winners than losers. Most of the people I know our losers, or haven't made it yet so professional opinions do go along way. The stories and examples the authors use in the articles we have read are extremely true and relevant to not only their point but my life.  I definitely support the continue use of these blog assignments for future 203 classes because they hit the hearts of many people I have talked to. This class has been not only my favorite but the most practical for my major and future.

Blog Assignment #2

http://changethis.com/  Read Johathon Flaum’s FIND YOUR HOWL. That is what this blog is based off of.

The first part of FIND YOUR HOWL is a poem by Robert Frost which describes the journey of a Red Wolves re-released into the wild. He and his fellow wolves lost the ability to howl, all were scared and some wanted to go back to captivity. One named Mumon, however, was determined to find his howl and instinct told him to journey into the wild. In the wild consumed by hunger he chases a deer and kills it but feels bad in doing so, then an owl tells him to not feel bad as he is an animal and that is what he does. He then finds his power and becomes a true hunter again until he is shot by a farmer only to be born again through spirit of the other wolves finding their own howl. 

My favorite poem is from one of my favorite books  Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman. The poem is called , "When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer":

When I heard the learn’d astronomer,

When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me,

When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them,

When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room,

How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick,

Till rising and gliding out I wander’d off by myself,

In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,

Look’d up in perfect silence at the stars.

This poem speaks to me because I myself have trouble being taught and would much rather learn on my own (as impossible as that maybe for me). I don't consider myself to be a non-conformist but I definitely feel out of place in lectures halls and large classrooms because my identify is lost in the sea of people. I thrived in high school because the classes were small which gave me ample opportunity to express myself as a funny and creative person. I won the superlative of class clown for being the constant enthusiastic person for learning and having fun. I enjoyed class when I was able to comment and make banter with the teacher over the subject, which is when I learned most. The trouble I find in college is what the poem illustrates. A rigid curriculum with a set objective for each day, where everything is organized and linear. And the majority of students, I wouldn't say enjoy this style, but have adapted to it over the years. I decided what I wanted to do from an early age, to be funny. And in the video production major I take they teach me formats to be funny but not to be funny in itself. I would much rather travel the country by myself and tell stories of my adventures with standup. All the money I am putting toward school would be used to sustain my wealth, and would help my avoid from going into the debt I'm most likely to obtain while staying in school. I would most likely not end up doing this because the practicality a higher education has for a future career. I still ignore the professor from time to time in order to write a joke instead of notes but if I could live the live walt whitman lived after his stint with a newspaper I would be truly happy even if I never achieved fame and wealth. Walt Whitman had the deepest love for all things in life. His poems usually talked about the connection all humans had with each other, and how we all had a connection to the world around us. I too have an immense appreciation for life and all its beauty and flaws. Whitman and I agree that education although necessary is not what it should be. Instead of catering to what works for the masses we should focus on what works for the individual. Which can be related to Johathon Flaum’s FIND YOUR HOWL. An ideal college in my opinion would be a school where you work under a professor who he did, or is doing, exactly what you want for a carrer. You learn from him, practice for him, and work under him. Some of the greatest minds have come from a great mind being their mentor a few examples are: Aristotle mentored Alexander the Great, Martin Scorsese mentored Oliver Stone, and Freddie Laker mentored Richard Branson.  My dream is to tour with Daniel Tosh, who I have modeled my stand-up style after, and learn from a man who has being doing stand up for a very long time. Overall this poem speak to me as a creative person because I would much rather experience the beauty of life and comedy without being told how to do so. Life is more than whats in the textbooks and I know the real world will bite me in the ass once my educational career is over. 

Deconstructing Characters

Antagonist: Dennis Burns
Color:

I chose a picture of a flame to represent my antagonist because that is exactly what Dennis Burns looks like. Having the ability to engulf himself in fire makes him look like a giant flame.  His colors are yellow orange and red which is an analogous color scheme.  He is has fiery passion for destruction and his colors reflect that. Dennis is a very outgoing and eccentric person he is known for his comical banter with his nemesis the hero William Evans.  Dennis Burns actions are hard to follow as he changes his mind often but his desire for destruction if the only constant he shows.   

Light:                                  

I chose this picture of a blinding light to represent Dennis Burns because his actions and infamy are known throughout the world he occupies. The world is more than aware of his presence but terrified of his existence and the only person capable of stopping him is William Evans. He wants everyone to know who is destroying the world and will not stop at anything until his task is complete. Dennis is understandably the most hated criminal in the world and is the top of every governments wanted list. He is a bright light that the world would want nothing more than to put out.  

Shape: 

I chose a fireball for Dennis Burns's shape because he is an speeding ball of fire ravaging the world with incredible speed. He can travel quite fast and burns up the forest in his wake. He can destroy everything with ease and leaves a smoke trail for miles. People know when he is coming as they see the fire and smoke rising from far away. Dennis Burns is the super villain with unstoppable force and the only difference between him and an actual fireball is he is stopping at nothing to see the world burn. William Evans even doubts how he can stop such a man. 

Protagonist: William Evans
Color:

I choose this picture for the color of William Evans because this the rainforest is what he personifies. His colors are many types of green and brown like the rainforest. This is an analogous color scheme which is what Dennis Burns but his colors are on an opposing side to Evans. His colors show his, "going green" aspect his mission is to rebuild the world that Dennis Burns wants to burn. He has the ability to raise nature from nothing and plans on returning the world to its previous beauty. He has a calming presence as his colors reflect his easygoing nature. 

Light:

I chose this picture of a shaded canopy for Light of William Evans because he is a mysterious figure. Unlike Dennis Burns, William Evans has a secret identity as a billionaire and philanthropist. He keeps his superpowers secret so Dennis can not target his friends and family. William Evans struggles with his two lives as he is constantly leaving to stop Dennis Burns latest plan for world destruction. The world knows of both William Evans and want the superhero to leave his life of normalcy to take on Dennis Burns full time there in lies the inner-conflict William Evans experiences everyday. 

Shape:

I chose a picture of a feathered arrow for William Evans shape because he is a fast flying nature embowed object flying to restore nature. His cape that he wears resembles a bird's wing. He has the ability to fly because he can control the air around him. William Evans can create nature about as quickly as Dennis Burns can destroy which is what makes them such strong enemies. William Evans is constantly on the move but he still form time to time stops his constant nature building to plant beautiful designs and give nature its beautiful feel once more. 

Batman...yeah

My favorite superhero is Batman.