I chose to reframe an image from pop artist Roy Lichtenstein since I admire vintage comic book drawings. The first image is the work without any manipulation and the second is one that I edited using Photoshop. I wanted to capture the intensity and uneasiness of the couple in the car as the artist had originally intended it, with much emphasis to the wide framing of each character's facial expressions. Three major visual topics that are expressed in my framing of Lichtenstein’s image are line/shape, shot type and visual movement/rhythm as well as contrast/affinity and text/subtext.
Lichtenstein’s original and my re-imagined image both contain elements of both actual and virtual line/shape. Actual lines are seen on top of and next to the figures that represent the wind blowing as the car zooms into the distance. There are also facial lines on the man and the woman, a common detailing of many comic and pop artists, in order to physically exaggerate the emotions in which the characters are experiencing. The menacing gaze of the man and the disgusted direction in which the woman is staring depicts virtual line. This use of line works well in the piece because it emphasizes the emotional strain of the relationship. After framing the photo, most of the lines that outlined the car disappeared. This affects the photo because the lack of lines makes it harder for the viewer to realize that the scene is taking place inside of a vehicle. I purposely cropped the lines out because I did not think that the location of the scene was relevant to the emotion that it conveys. As for the use of shape, the man has a square jaw and face which symbolizes that he has the power over the woman while the woman has a round, innocent looking facial structure, proving that she falls victim to the driver.
The shot type of the original is an OTS 2S (over the shoulder two shot) while my manipulated photo is mainly a 2S WS (two shot wide shot). The contrast in each shot type is that the initial photo is focused on both the location and the situation in which the event is taking place, whereas the framed copy has an enhanced and clear focus on the individual’s body language. Affinity in this work is reflected through the unchanged focus of the man’s powerful gaze upon the woman that is present in both versions. In essence, the text of this photo is that there is a couple driving in a speeding car. The subtext, however, is that the car ride is far from the ordinary; the pain that each individual is feeling relates to the realization that this is a highly uncomfortable situation.
Lastly, visual movement and rhythm is not only depicted through the use of lines to indicate speed but also through the way in which the viewer’s eye is immediately guided to diagonally towards the man’s face. This makes his gaze seem inescapable and intimidating, making us feel as though we are the woman in the piece.
Through the use of these elements above the viewer is able to establish a sense of how framing is important in understanding the overall meaning and feel of any form of art.
Seth Godin's article, "Brainwashed"discusses seven ways to break free of the confines from the corporate drone culture that has plagued our nation. In order to better ourselves and increase our creativity levels, he suggests that we must acknowledge seven layers of reinvention: connect, be generous, make art, acknowledge the lizard, ship, fail and learn.
One of the layers mentioned above instructs us how to "Acknowledge The Lizard". As soon as I heard of the name of this topic, all I could think of was a reference to the Spider-Man villain, The Lizard, who acts on natural instincts and impulses when responding to danger in a fight. Don't worry; there is a method to my geeky references, especially for this section of the article! Similar to The Lizard from Spider-Man, Godin informs us that we as humans are interconnected with the prehistoric part of our brain that he calls "the lizard brain". "The lizard brain" despises being ridiculed and laughed at and it worries about safety and as a result of this worry, it releases anger. The lizard part of our brain reacts to "the resistance", a mechanism that trains us to comply with instructions and discourages us to think outside of the box and reach our full potential. I truly believe that this advice is crucial for expanding our creative minds to accomplish our ultimate goal in life. I often have instances where my doubts and fears disable me from performing to my full potential which I now realize is the prehistoric part of my brain telling me to hold back and stick to the norm. Keeping this concept in mind will also aid me in making my blog posts more appealing, creative and personal while still following the guidelines that I am instructed to adhere to. I strive to develop a distinctive voice for myself through my blog posts and to entice people to read them. We must realize that successful people gained their place in society by taming the lizard part of their brain and becoming fearless in their tasks and endeavors. Like Spider-Man we must fight the lizard!
Another layer that I found useful in developing my creative process is the "Make Art" suggestion. I really enjoyed reading about this section of the text since I have a huge adoration for drawing and any type of artwork in general. Godin's definition of art is spectacular; he claims that art is not just painting or writing a poem, but it is an original gift that all people can perform at a human level. He claims that "If you interact with others, you have the platform to create something new-something that changes everything. I call that art." This ideal will help me greatly as I continue my education in the media school as well as when I pursue my ultimate career. Creating vast networks with media industry professionals will encourage my interaction with others and make myself known.
I strongly believe that the assignments that are given to us for this class including the "Brainwashed" article will expand our knowledge and mold us into well-rounded individuals. Most classes in college are designed to teach students to obey instructions from bosses, officials and any other person in a higher power position, whereas this class teaches us just the opposite: to make ourselves known through hard work, perseverance and to think as if we are those bosses and officials in power. I will also continue to create ideas and write scripts for short films that I will direct with my friends who are also video production majors. The layer mentioned above regarding making art will have an amazing influence in the creation of my blog, since I hope to expand my eccentric ideas into full-fledged productions with the help of creative criticism and input from my peers. If I am able to break free of the social confines of what is considered the "norm" for careers just as this article is persuading me to do, my confidence in my work and myself will grow and reach its peak. Confidence is undoubtedly the key to happiness and success in oneself and their career, which I hope to accomplish as I dive deeper into the media school curriculum.
Here is the song that I created using Garage Band. I was going for a heavy metal feel by changing the panning of the tracks and the pitch. I also played the organ on the program at the beginning and I also played my own electric guitar at the very end of the piece. Hope you like it!
My all-time favorite cover from a musical artist or band is Johnny Cash’s rendition of the song "Hurt" from industrial rock act, Nine Inch Nails. Both Nine Inch Nails and Johnny Cash are two of my favorite musicians; Johnny Cash for his innovative place in the rebellious history of rock n’ roll and Nine Inch Nails for their ability to push musical limitations between hardcore rock and electronica while packing an angsty punch. When Cash’s heartfelt gritty country rock passion is infused with Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nail’s fury, a beautiful musical composition is birthed. Before analyzing NIN’s original song and comparing it with Cash’s ingenious rendition, check out the two variations of “Hurt” below and brace yourself for an epic battle of "whodunitbetter". Let the battle BEGIN!
Ding Ding!
vs.
Every battle has a beginning, so let us commence with the original version of the track as created by Trent Reznor and the gang. The eerie lyrics suggest an inner turmoil and self-loathing. The beginning of the piece is delayed for a few seconds until it starts with Reznor proclaiming, “I hurt myself today/To see if I still feel/I focus on the pain/The only thing that’s real.” Reznor whispers the lyrics during the verses and then shouts in the chorus with despair: “You can have it all/My empire of dirt/I will let you down/I will make you hurt.” The haunting melody of the song has an andante tempo with an undertone of a heavily distorted electric guitar being picked slowly and steadily. The repetitive melody remains constant throughout the verses but then suddenly takes a heavy turn during the chorus while Reznor yells in frustration. The timbre of Reznor’s voice as well as the volume of the guitar varies as the chorus progresses. The speed and intensity escalates through the heavy pounding distortion of a gritty guitar riff and the guitarist’s speed takes the listener on a rollercoaster ride through Reznor’s personal hell.
Now let us transition into the cover of Reznor’s personal song as performed by the legendary Johnny Cash. Cash’s version can be portrayed differently than Reznor’s because Cash takes the meaning to the next level and adds a religious aspect to the song in order to reveal to the audience how drug abuse can lead to demise. Although the majority of the lyrics stay true to the original piece, Cash changes one part of the lyrics to “I wear this crown of thorns” while Reznor sings “I wear this crown of s**t”. The melody is similarly haunting and although it also contains an electric guitar as NIN’s piece, the distortion is set to clean and is more melodic than the original. The tempo is also set at andante speed that adds to the contemplative tone of regret that Cash exaggerates in his version. As the chorus kicks in, so do the guitars as they switch tempo to a moderato speed. Cash’s vocal performance is distinctively grittier and heavy than Reznor’s, providing the track with a different aesthetic.
And now lies the ultimate question of which contender dominates this epic battle of survival of the fittest, “Hurt” edition. Still stumped? I will let you in on my answer to this challenge: Johnny Cash. Although I love Nine Inch Nails and credit them with the originality of the song, I honestly feel that Cash brought more pain and suffering to the song, especially through the addition of the religious symbolism that he manipulated in the lyrics. I believe that although Reznor’s original evoked his own sense of struggle, Johnny Cash’s representation was a more universal one. Whenever I listen to this rendition, I feel as though Mr. Cash himself is speaking to me because of his ability to develop a strong connection with his audience. I admire Cash greatly and respect him for making ingenious musical risks to push the limits. This is a phenomenal example of Cash’s courage to perform a cover by a hardcore band and put his own spin on it with his unconventional country-rock roots. I highly recommend watching Cash’s music video to “Hurt” as it is his last and extremely powerful in performance. Keep in mind that the performer refused to wear any makeup or alter his appearance for the video in order to show his ill health and prove a point about drug addiction. (Johnny Cash's "Hurt").
Also, HERE is a link to an article about Reznor’s own opinion on Cash’s spin on his personal creation.
For those who are unfamiliar with the term, a soundscape is a combination of sounds that is used to evoke a specific emotion, especially in film. Check out our soundscape above and try to guess which emotion it is trying to convey. Still can't figure it out? Have no fear and look no further my friends; the answer is located on the last clip of the video!
Individuality is crucial to finding our creativity. Jonathon Flaum reasserts this in his article, Find Your Howl. He shares two stories throughout the article in order to specify how important it is to find our inner voice. One of the stories talked about how his devilish fifth grade teacher assigned the class a five page paper on a topic of their choosing. One of Flaum's classmates, Nick Thompson, chose to write his essay about a captive tiger at a zoo who longed for his freedom. Each time that the tiger would try to escape with all of his might, he would wake up in a different cage at another zoo. The theme of this story repeated throughout Thompson's entire essay and the fiendish teacher ended up adoring his work. Although the story may seem cruel on the surface, he moral of the fifth grader's story is universal and rings true for all people; we are prisoners of our own anxieties, fears and our culture all play a part in constructing our own cage. We must learn to break away from these forces holding us back from our artistic potential and face the factors that are disabling us to use our utmost strength.
For this exercise, I expressed my inner "howl" by singing and playing a small excerpt on my Epiphone SG guitar of My Chemical Romance's song, "Summertime". I encourage you to find your inner passion and break free of all of the obstacles that are detrimental to your creative self.
Fellow dreamers, ever feel as if you're stuck in the middle of a massive brain freeze when trying to formulate a brand spankin' new creative idea? If you've answered "yes" to my rhetorical question, then be sure to check out Mitch Ditkoff's 14 Ways to Get Breakthrough Ideas. These bits of information will come to rescue yourself from those nasty brain bubbles. Here are three of the fourteen ways that I found most helpful:
1. Follow Your Fascination- All of us are deeply intrigued by something, whether it be the wondrous forces of nature, the swirls on Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal or the amount of time it took animators to move Jack Skellington for just one second of film. Ditkoff advises us not to overrule any of our interests as silly or unimportant. Instead we need to embrace what makes us tick and use it to generate other ideas and concepts. He even suggests that those intriguing ideas are part of our individual calling since "the fascination felt for just one of them is a clue that there's something worthy of engagement." I truly believe that each of us is called to perform a greater task in life and that in order to find our destiny we must look further into developing our fascinations and expanding upon them to come up with an ingeniously creative idea.
4. Make New Connections- A television show about a talking sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea? When Stephen Hillenburg came up with this strange idea for a Nickelodeon show on a very low budget, who knew it would ever become a world phenomenon? The connection between something as imaginative and normally unrelated as an anthropomorphic sponge was formulated to create a truly ingenious idea. Ditkoff explains that we must not stay within the confines of our own little 'box' of what we are most comfortable with. We have to be wiling to break free of this box and express ourselves through things that are not interrelated. Make connections between different ideas and you'll be on your way to making the next worldwide phenomenon!
5. Fantasize- Be a dreamer. I know for a fact that daydreaming is my middle name. Ditkoff affirms that most ingenious ideas come from fantasizing about something great that you want to make happen to benefit yourself and others. How did J.K Rowling come up with the fantastical concept of Harry Potter? The answer: as she was DAYDREAMING on a train.You must set out and attempt the impossible and never miss your chance at conceiving an irrational yet inspiring idea and fulfilling it to your best ability. Be sure to make fantastic revelations and don't be afraid to take a tiny mental vacation every now and then (something that your teacher will never tell you). IMAGINATION IS KEY TO SUCCESS.
I chose to answer suggestion #5's prompt;"Think of a current challenge of yours. What would a fantasy solution to this challenge look like? What clues does this fantasy solution give you?
-One current challenge that I have is to come up with ideas for a screenplay that my 48 hour shootout team and I are conceiving. I am usually able to whip out my notebook and jot down some crazy bits ad pieces of notes that I am able to use for a story, but as of right now I am flat out of ideas. If it were up to me I would solve this problem by stopping time for a a few moments and just allow my mind to relax and process ideas without having to respond to any outside noise. The fantasy solution informs me that I tend to become too obsessed with coming up with new concepts for a film that I don't allow it to come naturally. I tend to over-think issues and I need to step back and let a screenplay hit me in the face (not literally of course, that would be painful). As I mentioned before, J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series was spontaneously birthed as the author looked outside of her train window. I have had random 'idea spurts' in the past where I would think of lyrics to a new song or words to a new story as I was lying in bed. When these miraculous occurrences happen, I toss my warm blankets in the air, grab my glasses and head to my desk for any available writing utensil. Perhaps I need to stop wishing for another one of these moments and instead wait and see what the future has in store. On a side note, I have just rented out two phenomenal screenplays from the university library to aid me in my quest to create a great script; Sleepy Hollow and Back to The Future.
Back To The Future
One of my all-time favorite films that I have always admired is the Back To The Future trilogy, although the first film will always remain my absolute favorite. I adore the character of Marty McFly (alright, I'll admit that I've always had a crush on him!) because he is so relatable, realistic and he plays electric guitar. I also love Doc Emmett Brown for his wacky yet lovable demeanor as well as George McFly's nerdiness. This film allows me to dive deep into the fantasy world of traveling back in time to find out what my parents were like as teenagers with a super trendy DeLorean for a time machine. There is a reason why this sci-fi comedy has become a timeless classic; although the time periods are dated, the story still rings true about how certain events affect future outcomes. The script is phenomenal and I intend to make a timeless classic as a director just as Robert Zemeckis did with this film.
One of the best scenes from the first film where Marty does some awesome skateboard tricks to run away from Biff and his gang.
Spider-Man Another mention of an inspiring work for me. As mentioned earlier, art has been part of my life ever since I was born and I am expressing that through my cartooning on 'Camelittle'. I really like comic books because of the artwork and meaning behind the stories. If you ask any of my friends or family members, they'll all explain to you my adoration for Spider-Man. I am a reader of both the original Amazing Spider-Man series as well as Ultimate Spider-Man, which focuses on superhero Peter Parker as a teenager in high school. Why, you may ask, am I so enthralled with Spidey? The answer is simple; he is such a realistic character. If you think of other superheroes, you'll notice that most of them seem to be from a whole different planet (in the case of Superman) and do not experience regular human emotions. With Pete, it is the opposite. We can see the destruction Uncle Ben's death plays in part of his character as well as his struggle to help others and cope with having powers, which he usually doesn't want. Spider-Man is also extremely humorous and always provides comic relief to every situation, which is another form of tension and release as I described earlier. These are just some of the reasons why I am a total Spider-Man girl!
Green Day
Finally, shifiting gears a little bit, it would be a sin for me not to mention anything about music. Green Day has always been my favorite band of all time, and without them I would have never picked up a guitar and dedicated my life to rockin' out! Billie Joe Armstrong and the gang were actually also the ones who introduced me into old school punk rock bands such as The Ramones, The Clash, Social Distortion and even Rancid. I have now expanded my rock roots to include bands such as Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Guns n' Roses and even Johnny Cash. Without Green Day, I would have a huge musical void in my life. Music has become such a huge piece of me; one of my uncles is a band manager in Los Angeles while the other runs a music venue in the San Francisco Bay Area (heck, my dad and my brother play guitar too). So, here's a shout out to Green Day for getting me into the magic of ROCK!
My first and foremost inspiration for wanting to become a film director is the eccentric and ingenious Tim Burton. I was first introduced to Burton's work when I watched Beetlejuice as a child, which still remains one of my favorite films. His work has always fascinated me and encouraged me to continue writing strange Gothic-esque dark yet humorous stories and screenplays. I admire his ability to create films that are truly pieces of art and always contain an underlying theme or message. For every media class that I have attended thus far I have either written a paper focusing on a specific Burton film or I have written a biography in order to better acquaint myself with who he is and why he chose the path of filmmaking. I have always shown interest in dark mysteries and horror stories even at a young age when I picked up an Edgar Allan Poe poem for the first time or when I watched The Shining and thought it was brilliant. I feel a connection between the filmmaker's desire to dig deep into the fantastical world of monsters, goblins, ghouls and complex fictional tales. For the longest time I felt that I was the only one of my friends who took such interest in obscure things and almost every time that we had a girl's movie night, I always suggested to watch a dark or action film while my friends unanimously agreed to watch a chick flick. As this trend continued, I decided to try and find a person who shared the same affinity for eccentric films as myself. That was when I discovered Tim Burton and ultimately confirmed my passion for wanting to become a filmmaker since I had already been making short movies with my neighborhood while filming on my Digital Blue camera for a few years. Ever since then I have always identified myself as a big Tim Burton connoisseur and I could relate myself to his unique interests and his driving passion to create films that were not only important for his own identity, but that would also impact the audience in a deeper way.
Another reason why I admire Burton is because he is a talented artist and cartoonist in addition to being a filmmaker and had his start at Disney Animation Studios, illustrating parts of the animated film, The Fox and The Hound. He did not enjoy his time as an animator at the studios since his style of drawing was a far cry from that of the traditional Disney artwork. I too have been drawing since I was a young girl and I am currently expressing that interest as an illustrator for the show 'Camelittle' that is student-run at the university. Similar to Burton, it was a bit challenging for me to adopt the artistic style of the show to my own signature cartooning at first, but soon I was able to incorporate elements of my work into theirs, which made working much easier for me and I absolutely love being on the show. Burton's use of romantic imagery within his pieces is fascinating to me. Although the artwork and animation in his films and sketches are quirky, they inspire me to find my own artistic style and apply it to my own projects and endeavors. I truly believe that his passion is undoubtedly the ultimate force that shaped his fame and recognition today and I admire him greatly for all of his achievements.
Burton uses the elements of contrast and affinity greatly in his feature films and shorts. In every movie that he has directed and/or written, there is always a contrast between the "real world" and the "alternate world" (which is sometimes the world of the dead as in Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride). This contrast is usually depicted through the use of dark and light imagery. For example in The Nightmare Before Christmas, Halloween Town contains a gray and black cold and bleak setting with monsters as the inhabitants while Christmas Town is just the opposite with colorful glowing lights and a warm atmosphere. Affinity, or similarity, in the films is that there is usually an outcast, since Burton considered himself an out casted individual during his childhood. Take for instance Edward Scissorhands who is alienated from society because of his unique physical appearance and is eventually a wrongly accused victim as a result of his uniqueness. This is also shown with the character of Frankenweenie, a friendly dog who is brought back to life by his owner and is feared throughout the town because of his appearance.
Halloween Town contrasted with Christmas Town. Which would you rather live in?
Tension and release is created as a means of pushing the limits on the comfortability of the audience. The use of tension is evidenced in Sleepy Hollow when the Headless Horseman brutally decapitates a character in front of protagonist Ichabod Crane. The viewer's first response to this action is one of both disgust and shock as the severed head rolls towards the front of the screen. The release of this particular scene happens when Ichabod comically faints in front of the camera, creating a sense of comic relief. Burton added this reaction shot to purposely add humor after a disturbing situation. The mere fact that Ichabod, a detective in charge of solving the mysterious murders occurring at Sleepy Hollow, shares the same nauseous feeling as the audience after witnessing the Headless Horseman's strike is particularly humorous and causes a release of uncomfortable tension. This element of tension and release is crucial for all experimental filmmakers who aspire to push the limits and take their audiences to uncomfortable heights while managing to bring them back to a level of comfort with hilarity.
Ichabod fainting. I LOVE Johnny Depp!
The objective element of the scene mentioned above is that the headless horseman chopped off one of the character's heads in a disturbing fashion (is there any other way to cut off a head?). We as an audience know that the head is no longer attached to the body; it is visual and straightforward in its presentation. The subjective element, however, is the question of whether or not Ichabod Crane is the right individual for solving the murder mystery of Sleepy Hollow since seems to be unable to handle events related to his mission as evidenced by his sudden fainting. Burton intends to pose this indirect question for the audience's interpretation. If Ichabod is unfit for stomaching the gory events taking place in Sleepy Hollow, who should be in charge of the investigation? Is anyone really fit for the job? Also, Ichabod's means of solving the case are considered unorthodox to the townspeople of Sleepy Hollow, which also adds to the question if Ichabod is qualified or not.
**And just for the heck of it, I'm going to throw in Burton's first animated short, Vincent, because I think that it is phenomenal and captures Burton's signature style. Plus, I just visited the Chiodo Brothers Animation Studio in Burbank, California where this was filmed! Enjoy :).
I signed up for the bright and early 8:00 a.m. Friday morning Media 203 lab not because I am a morning person (which anyone could attest that I am not), but to start my day off without having to worry about hurrying to afternoon class. All I need is a warm cup of Starbucks House Blend Coffee with vanilla Coffee Mate creamer to stir up my creative brain waves and I am ready to kick start the media filled morning. The early lab also allows me to go back to my dorm and rest for a while before starting some homework for the weekend. In addition, the majority of my friends registered for this section, so I thought it would be fun to be in class with them and see what kind of creative things they would produce.
With that being said, I look forward to posting my interesting and crazy media creations on this blog not only for my class but also for others who might stumble upon my ramblings. Just a little about me so you can get a sense of who I am and what my interests are: I love drawing, music (I play electric guitar), writing and I hope to one day become a film director/screenwriter (Tim Burton is my biggest inspiration as you can see). To all of my followers and Media 203 class, feel free to give me some creative criticism! I hope you enjoy my work :).
