Summation

MEDP 150 was an interesting course.

I value the new fond appreciation that I have for shots, the inspiration for each shot, each moment, each frame. I've been looking at films from a different scope. I look through my pictures and try to discover if it goes against the rule of thirds. Before this course, I didn't know the technical ways/terms for different images and software. Now, I know of many different ways of how to approach a film, both viewing and creating. Thank you.

Within the semester, I borrowed the film Wings of Desire, from Professor Cherrier. I love the entrance, the range of shots. It began with an extreme close-up of an eye. There were words written in german with voice overlay and in the background was a cello playing, providing a deep, mysterious undertone, followed by the odd plucking of violins. This all created an off balance, errie feeling.
Then the violin comes to a crescendo and we see an aerial view of the city. A man with wings appears and as he looks down, the frame goes towards a girl who is staring up. It then shows girls in a bus, a baby looking up at the sky, and then a little girl on a bike looking up at the airplane. The audience doesn't see anyone talking, but we hear whispers in german, whispers from different voices.
On the airplane, everyone's eyes are down; they all have brown hair, except for this one little girl who is looking up and has blond hair. A guy stares at her as if he was pulled to her voice and he smiles. As soon as Columbo speaks, the guy's eyes trails to him and the smile disappears.
Everyones' mouths were closed, everything was inner thought, but the way the film placed it all together, I found quite brilliant. It made the opening scene much deeper, much richer.

I've watched that scene five times. Anaylzing each frame, each shot to see something different. At first I didn't see all the connections, and I assure you that I probably still haven't even now. I love how films can do that. It seems endless. This semester has confirmed that for me. A film can be seen in so many different ways.


One thing I've tried to work on this semester is my artist statement. I gave in two, one was a revised editiong given in later in the semester. My lab instructor said that I needed to explain certain aspects written in the statement and that there seems to be a lot ofthings mentioned that are not completely synched with one another. I tried to do another one but she said that it is still scattered and not strong enough. But, as I say for myself and in my statement: my life happens in chapters; that's why things might be scattered. Though the class is over, I will keep re-writing my statement to make it better. I feel that there is always need for improvement, both within my statements, and me growing as an artist. Still, I don't know how an artist statement can be judge. Each person has a different niche, a different style, a different perspective, and a different way of illustrating that. How can my statement be graded? I know that was the assignment, but I still feel that way in a sense. I guess, my goal is to still write an artist statement that will be more understandable to the public and one that can still stay true to who I am as an artist.

I really did enjoy this class. I wish that the lecture was longer. I love the scenes that we saw and they really did open my eyes to a different way of looking at films. I loved also how I could come up to both Professor Cherrier and Professor Lucas and ask them questions after class, as well as receive references and more insight. I also enjoyed my lab; this I truly wish was longer. I felt that our filming projects were rushed and that there wasn't enough time. It sucked that my partner and I had different schedules and that for part of the time, she was out of the country. Also, I wish we could have taken the cameras out more, but that's business. I guess these are realities that will happen in the future. I'm okay with that. I guess, I just wanted more time so I could completely sink myself into the project. I also wish that we had time to edit our exercise, the haiku. I'm still going to edit this project for fun on my own. I love my exercise group and feel that we had interesting ideas.
Speaking of groups, I loved working in teams. My exercise group was a blast. My profil piece that I did with my partner was challenging due to technicalities and scheduling, but it was interesting to see how someone else thinks a shot can be carried out and to share ideas. The collaboration was and will always be so important.

Ohhh, so earlier, I've mentioned that I will be watching a few movies a week. I've picked out a couple of movies: The Ledge, Let the Right One In, Push, Casino Jack and The Undeserved. They are all different, but for some reason, I was enraptured by them.

I also saw a short called Eggbaby by Nadine Troung and a documentary called Top Spin by Mina T. Son and Sara Newens. I enjoyed them both. During the showing of Eggbaby, they even had the director discussing the short during the commercial break. It was great hearing her perspective, reasons for choosing certain shots, her inspiration...I will do my best to watch more films, both for enjoyment and creative approach.

There is also one more movie that I want to see, but I forgot the name of it...I will find out tomorroww ^^

All in all, I enjoyed my time in class. Outside of class, I've gained the courage to submit my photos to the Olivetree, a Hunter College arts and creative writing club that exhibits students. Though I submitted my photos last minute and received recent news that my works will not be featured, I'm happy that I still tried. I can't wait to try again next year as I grow as an artist and develop more.

Thank you.
.....and now I must sleep because I have a final.

Our Short: Hunter Food

It took a while for my partner and I to do this project. We went through a lot of technical difficulties within Final Cut Express. Each time we had to render a clip, an effect, a cut, and the rendering would be anywhere from 5- 20 minutes for each. Still, we kept our spirits up and started looking for more ways to edit. We then decided to try to take our footage and run it through Final Cut Pro (but a lot of the footage was offline---so); we had to try another route. We finally tried iMovie, and it work!! Editing was fun, towards the end, we really started to like our piece. We hope you like it as well.

Hunter Food

Raw Footage 3--Haiku

Raw Footage 2--Haiku

Our Raw Footage--Haiku

Shots

Today in class we viewed a mixture of films to see different images and editting styles. One film that I want to see due to a clip in class is Clara Law's Automoon. I love how she captured Hong Kong, one of the most busiest places in the world, completely empty.
Amazing. I can't wait to see the rest of the film.

I'm going to start watching a couple of films per week. Hopefully I can watch three extra films--two of them will be documentaries, while one will be any genre. I want to see the different shots these filmmakers do.

Again, I love how one can view a film so many times and still see it in a different lens.

A Screening

Today we saw Makia's documentary which displayed the violence in the streets of Philadelphia.

I love documentaries, and can't wait to create a full documentary. Right now, I'm filming a short piece that showcases the art students at Hunter. I'm so excited! The people in my crew are all different, which is great because we can all bring our diverse backgrounds/teachings to the 3-8 minute film.

Back to Makia's documentary though...
I had lots of questions. I asked if we needed to request permission for certain people who happened to be in the shot. What type of microphones were used? What was your inspiration?

I love documentaries because they open the audience to another world, a world that is real, and at times, right next door. It was nice that we were able to see some of her work.

Looking at some of her shots, I saw that my shots in the short documentary I'm doing now, are different. We all have different angles and stylistic approaches and I can appreciate that.

Museum Blog Assignment!!!

I had to write another blog for the assignment:

1st: What I chose to write about---Automated Dialogue Replacement.

My favorite part of the whole museum. The tour was short, but a few of us, after exploring ourselves first, made a tour of our own. First stop, the automated booth. We walked in with a different group of high school students and their tour guide, who taught all of us the different elements/functions to doing voiceovers. The tour guide showed us an example with a high school student, by using the movie Babe. It was great. After the tour guide was then we all left the booth. Then, I suggested that we should go back in, and ohh how I'm glad we did.

It was less crowded the second time, just us four. We looked through the selection of movies and three of us gave it a go. The movie I chose, Coming to America. The audio played my lines first so I could rehearse, then the second time, I was recorded. I've seen this movie dozens of times, but the words went by so fast, it was hard to keep up. When I heard the playback, there was one segment in which I said, aaaaaaaaaaa (and no, that was not part of the scene ^.^). I learned how hard it could be to do voiceovers.

I was always interested in this form of media production and knew that these devices have been here for a long time. Being a long time fan of anime, I quite often thought about how people supplemented their voices for the characters and how I would do in trying this.

Throughout the years, voiceovers have helped society as a whole in terms of communication, immensely. Whether it was for translating into a different language or adding voice to an animal or animated character (to give a more humanistic appeal, reach a certain audience, to make more "entertaining", etc), it has become a large component of our lifestyle and something we've become used to. While watching a movie on a certain channel, there are times in which the film might contain language not suitable for that channel's viewers, in turn, the movie might supply a voiceover of a less offensive word/phrase. A very subtle change, sometimes hardly recognizable, but used so often.

It was nice trying out the station. There was so much work put into every object within the museum. Just furthering my appreciation for this area.

Museum!!!

So, I've passed this museum during the summer and didn't go in--mistake.

It was great going to a museum solely for media entertainment. Never had a chance to be up close with a Akeley Pancake (35mm). It was interesting to see what Flaherty would have used, as well as other filmmakers around that time period. I never saw a Moviola (editing equipment) until that day either. It looks just like a sewing machine, and the guide said that women more often used these and actually helped them in terms of having the ability to edit (I'm guessing, for within that time). It was nice seeing the Sports editing area as well. I didn't know that the director would be in charge of 14 cameras, 14! I also enjoyed looking through the Motoscope of George Milies' 1902 Trip to the Moon. All I could think about was Jackie Gleason, during the credits of the Honeymooners.

3rd favorite: Tyrell Skyscrapper, Blade Runner

In the Blade Runner is a scene depicting this huge skyscraper, at least, you think it would be. In actuality, the skyscrapper was a miniature object.

Parts of it seem to be missing as well-an indicator that these objects were meant to last for the duration of the movie, not a lifetime.

2nd favorite: Exorcist Puppet

Inside the museum lays the puppet from the horror flick, The Exorcist and a mini clip displaying the scene containing the girl and the swap with the puppet. Through editing, there was a cut made to a super close-up of the Priest, adding to the intensity of the scene, while taking us away from the installation of the puppet.

I love the tricks you can do with the camera.

Design I Like

My choice-The DVD cover of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist.

The cover portrays a balanced photograph, which allows the audience to take in all of what the photograph has to offer. Though the snapshot may be balanced, there is an extra emphasis towards the center. According to the rule of thirds, Nick and Norah (actors Michael Cera and Kat Dennings), are in the center; great idea because they are the main characters of the film.

The cover gives uses a narrative, a story. The image of the city vs. the size of the two main characters functions well. It lets the audience know that the film will probably deal with NYC, but the city isn’t as nearly as important as the two people who are going to roam in it. The medium long shot, going from the knee and up, is showing the physicality of the body emotionally. Due to their stances, the audience can see that they’re happy. They’re captured in a still, exhibiting laughter and/or smiling. The audience can probably see that this film will perhaps be comical, light-hearted, easy going, etc.

Along with their stances, the background scenery helps to elucidate the emotions that should have been captured. The background of the environment is very flat. In the photo are the city lights, and a view of iconic NY buildings. The lights are very bright and vibrant, and provide a great contrast between them and the dark background. The brightest colors (the ones exuding a glow) happen to be red, green, and blue, the main colors for light. Though the shot is flat, the people within the center exhibit more depth by being 3 dimensional.

The typography isn’t formal, like Times Roman, but resembles neat handwriting. It makes it more personal, endearing, and youthful. The headphones encircling the two characters are in a heart shape, telling the audience that they have/form a love through music, and as the headphone cord wraps around the legs of the two protagonists, it leads to the phrase: Every Night Has A Soundtrack. The choice of the words signify that this film is driven by music. Though that phrase, the names of the actors, and the title of the film are located on the cover, the images on the front still pop out. As mentioned in class, the brain works better with visual imagery. The cover of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist provides a wonderful collage of words, objects and overall image, to help explain the sum of the film-two teens, who in one night, undergo a journey, perhaps shaped by music, and they fall for one another.

Terminator 2

I felt like I was back in a math class yesterday :-)

Nothing but the x-axis.

It's funny how one can watch a movie and then read a chapter out of the Cherrier book or come to class, and see it from a completely different standpoint.

There are so many options in doing a shot. So many meanings that one angle can convey.

Today two examples stuck out to me, Terminator 2 and the one featuring the professor with a student on the 4th floor hallway.

The tilting shot. The Terminators boots to the face. A slow scan up with the camera positioned downward so when tilting up, the Terminator looks more empowering. I love the tricks you can do with simple positioning--it conveys so much.

The z-axis shot (never heard of this term in reference to film): The student walking in the hallway, towards the camera. With this shot the student stayed on the screen longer, and the focal point changed. It was great. Something so simple, but nice.

Just Passing By

A few days ago, I was walking through the corridors of the North Building and I cam across some pictures on a wall across the USG room. I saw someone I recognized and immediately commented, what a nice medium shot. I felt like I converted. Since the beginning of the course, I've began to analyze small things like this within a new lens. My tastes and awareness for the camera have grown exponentially and all I want to do is capture and learn as much as possible.

Poster

The Environment Speaks

FoNtsSSsSsS

I was so happy with today's lecture because I saw a partial showing of the movie Helvetica earlier this semester!

Fonts are amazing! They can help depict a mood. You can transform what you think by associating certain terms with a certain typographical style. Have you ever notice how the titles of scary movies are written in the same type of style? I love it! Gosh, I sound so geeky, but I truly do appreciate how the structure of a letter can make you think in a particular way.

Urges 2

Learned some really neat stuff in lecture today. My appreciation for the inner workings of computer graphics has really grown. I can't wait to try to work with Illustrator and to get the hang of Photoshop.

Speaking of Photoshop, they explained the assignment today. I'm not sure which one of the three I'm going to pursue, but I'm leaning towards either the stamp or the appropriation art. We'll see...

Urges

Dear Mr. Potatohead,

Why are you hurting me?

Sincerely,
A Student Trying Hard

The Potatohead experience was hard for me today. It just goes to show you, even if it sounds simple, art doesn't have to be simple at all. I'm going to keep on working with this head and hopefully sooner than later, get the hang of it :-)

Tree of Life

Got Soup?

A Quick Encounter

3?

So, we were suppose to choose three photos instead of one. I'm glad, because there were three different types of warmth I wished to project--so, it all worked out ^_^

Image 1) Tree of Life: A simple still of a tree surrounded by levels and Hunter College in the background. The concrete steps are dark, yet life (the plants) spring forth upward. As one travels up the levels, they are led towards the light. In my approach, heaven, which is for this exercise Hunter.

Image 2) Got soup?: I wanted a in your face warmth shot. The picture was a snapshot that I took within Hunter's cafeteria (what's warmer than food ^^). I used an app on my phone to deliver a cartoonish feel while taking the shot. I wanted something different, something unique. However the color, the picture is vibrant. Still, the hand with the red nail polish and the yellow soup pop right out of the picture. I can still smell it from here.

Image 3) A Quick Encounter: A photo displaying a couple of Hunter students enjoying each other's company and eating food. I was going for a communal sense of warmth. A picture promoting familiarity, security, and normalcy. The picture isn't completely in focus, but I didn't want it to be. I wanted the camera to act as another Hunter student walking alongside the bridge. Since the person would be in motion, so is the camera.

In interest of the lovely characters within the photo, I will not post the third image until I receive their permission/okay.

1, 2, Photo!!!

In class, we discussed a range of shots (longshot, medium, close-up...), as well as key terms: composition, exposure, resolution, rule of thirds, the four basic reasons for choosing a shot... Seeing all the examples within the lecture truly help me gain a better understanding and appreciation for a particular piece of art. I know when an artist chooses to exhibit their art, that they go through a process, but going step by step in class was a true eye opener. I really liked today's lecture.

I really want to see the movie Chop Shop now!

Earlier we were told to capture an image of what we felt truly defined the idea of warmth. We were to do so at different angles. I'm still looking at which one I wish to show the class, but I enjoyed doing the exercise with my partner, as well as seeing warmth from another person's perspective.

First Blog Post

In the lab class, we looked at different types of blogs. I'm not used to blogging. I've blogged my reactions for a required submission for internship purposes. Also, if anything I leave notes on my computer in a blog format, but sharing it with the web, well, I haven't tried yet. I look forward to it. There were two blogs that I really liked and were discussed today, The NYC Nomad and Sasha Feng. The NYC Nomad seems very interesting. I like the ethnographic approach he takes while embarking on his random, yet compelling journey. Sasha Feng's site had drawn me in. I immediately recognized the song from one of my favorite TV shows and I love how simple it looks. Hopefully, my site through time will exemplify me.

I'm still a little hesitant with having a blogging site, especially one featuring my name. I want to be an artist in the shadows, one who shares her work or others without a face. I will try to find a compromise.