My Animation

Audio Commentary: Modern Warfare 2

My Audio Commentary

Snapshots

Brandon Marino contrasts a black gun in the foreground with white snow in the background.

Prop colors are the strongest and most saturated to make them stand out. 

Video Response to How to be Creative

Visit http://changethis.com and read Hugh McLeod's article, How to be Creative.

My Response to How to be Creative by Hugh McLeod

Audio Commentary: Fight Club

My Audio Commentary

Snapshots

Fincher gives Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) to represent his aggressiveness.

Fincher gives the unnamed protagonist (Edward Norton) a circular head to represent his submissiveness.

The camera follows Durden, the point of interest, as he addresses his audience.

Reimagining Visual Framing

Ben Goossens' Original Image

Ben Goossens' Reframed Image

    In Ben Goossens image, he portrays the back side of a clenched fist in a desolate area. In the middle of the fist, there is an ear that protrudes from its surface. To the right side of the fist, there is an eyeball attached to a pole. Further away, off into the distance, there is a pair of lips attached to an identical pole. There is a contrast between the shape of the lips and the shape of the eyeball. However, there is an affinity between the poles that are holding the objects. I was drawn to the original image because it is eccentric and surreal. Goossens uses an extreme wide shot for his shot type, showing a very large area within a single frame. I reframed the image to zoom in on the fist/ear because it struck me as particularly interesting. While my framed image leaves little room for space, Goossens creates space by portraying a large object in the foreground, and smaller objects in the background. By portraying an eyeball, which is also missing from my framed image, Goosens creates a virtual line that vertically and diagonally directs the viewer. Because the eyeball directs the viewers in certain directions, it creates visual movement and rhythm that guide the viewer across the picture plane. Goossens also uses actual lines to portray wrinkles on the hands and ears in his image. Because the lines direct the viewer in multiple directions, the quality he creates is a contrast within the frame; this is how the lines are perceived by the viewer. This is still shown in my framed image. However, I think Goossens framed the image the way he did because by adding the other objects, he illustrates more body parts. One interpretation is that Goosens illustrated four different body parts to represent the four senses – sight (eyes), hearing (ear), taste (lips), and touch (hands).

Song Critiques

1.) Ryan Nord's Song
2.) Paige Kelley's Song
3.) Mark Adelsberger's Song

Brainwashed

Read Seth Godin's “Brainwashed” on http://changethis.com/

Connect: Godin makes a valid point regarding social media; it's what we make it. It can be a place to solely waste time, or it can be the intermediary between us and the rest of the world. Social media offers a chance to make connections with all sorts of people, and allows us to learn from others in a way that otherwise would be impossible. If we once lived in isolation, social media lets us live in harmony, allowing our voices to be heard all across the world. More importantly, however, is having a voice that reaches people through its ability to touch or change them. The people with a voice that's heard, consequently, gain influence, authority, and power.

Acknowledge the lizard: Godin makes another valid point regarding “the lizard brain” or the part of the brain that worries about safety and expresses anger. The lizard brain is sensitize and shuts down our creative capacities when it is laughed at. This shut own is referred to as “the resistance,” because it forces us to be complacent, like, for instance, when a teacher gives a student a set of directions and he or she follows them. Artists, however, have overcome the resistance, realizing that it obstructs their creativity and subsequently, their work. The only way to overcome the resistance is to acknowledge it. Only once we have acknowledged the lizard brain can we learn to ignore it.

Both of these layers of reinventing oneself are connected to the blog I am creating this quarter. Firstly, I am “connecting” with others through my blog, which acts as an intermediary between me and the rest of the world. Secondly, my blog is helping my ignore my “lizard brain,” because even though I may be ridiculed for my blog, posting helps me acknowledge the resistance and the consequent restraints it puts on my creative abilities. These exercises make me a better artist and student for the very reasons described above. For example, making connections—and a lot of them—is indispensable in a media-related environment. My blog facilitates “schzmoozing” and making new connections from all over the world. Additionally, media students must be in touch with their creative sides and not be afraid of trial and error. Acknowledging your “lizard brain,” and overcoming “the resistance” are the first and second steps toward solidifying your creative potential.

Soundscape Critiques

Below are my soundscape critiques.

1.) Chad Petrie's Soundscape
2.) Maddie Wolf's Soundscape
3.) Alex Scott's Soundscape (unavailable)

Cover Songs

Robert Johnson's Original Version, "Crossroads"

Eric Clapton and Cream's Cover Version, "Crossroads"

       For my exploration of cover songs, I chose an old blues song song titled “Crossroads.” It was originally composed by Robert Johnson, a famous blues artist of the 1930s. About three decades later, in the late '60s, Eric Clapton and his band, Cream, covered the song. There are many similarities and differences between the two versions. One of the first major differences that I noticed after listening to both was the difference in intensity. Whereas Johnson's version of the the song is soft in intensity, Clapton increases the decibel of the sound in his, making it rather high in intensity. Subsequently, Clapton's more rock-centered version sounds “harder” than Johnson's folk-centered original. Another obvious distinction between the two versions that I noticed after listening to each is their timbre. Johnson's version of “Crossroads” is very pure and tonal, using only an electric-acoustic guitar and his vocals. Conversely, Clapton's version is much more noisy, using two electric guitars, a bass guitar, full drum set, keyboard, various horned instruments, harmonica, and vocals. Subsequently, the overlapping and intermingling frequencies create a more complex sound and a rich personality lacking in Johnson's original version. Additionally, the tempo, or speed, in Clapton's version is much faster than Johnson's. This again adds to the rock orientation of Clapton's cover version.

      Differences aside, the two versions do share some similarities. For example, the lyrics and melody are the same. The rhythm in both versions is organized, and the shapes are both characterized by an attack (onset, growth), body (steady-state, duration), and decay (fall-off, termination). Most songs contain a message embedded within its lyrics. “Crossroads” is no exception, as it both didactically and actively conveys a message. While Johnson explicitly informs the listener that he “went to the crossroads” and “fell down on [his] knees,” he also implies that by going to the crossroads, he made a deal with the devil. Therefore, Johnson didactically conveys the message to the listener that he went to the crossroads and fell down to his knees, however he actively conveys the message that by doing so, he sold his soul to the devil. Although this isn't explicitly stated in the song's lyrics, the “crossroads” in folklore and mythology represent a juncture where one can sell his/her soul to the devil in return for something. In Johnson's case, he was most likely referring to the exchange of his soul for his uncanny ability to play guitar. Although I highly respect both musicians and their respective versions of the song, I personally like Clapton's version more. I take this stance for a variety of reasons. Firstly, despite his unprecedented musical talents, Johnson's version is lacking a driving force that moves the song forward and keeps the audience engaged. Clapton's version, on the other hand, effectively incorporates quick sixteenth notes on the hi-hat and catchy drum fills that act as a driving force and fill the void for audience engagement missing from Johnson's version. Whereas Johnson's version is limited in instrumentation, using only an electric-acoustic guitar, Clapton's version is unbounded and embellished by instruments of all shapes and sizes. For example, Clapton's cover version makes use of two electric guitars (both lead and rhythm), bass guitar, full drum set, keyboard, harmonica, and various horned instruments – all played in perfect unison. In addition, Clapton adds catchy guitar solos to his version, adding a touch of rock n' roll to Johnson's more folky version. The end result is a rich, diverse, and complex cover that adds dynamic and personality to Johnson's original “Crossroads.”