David Rendall's Freak Factor Article
This article written by David Rendall is very insightful. Rendall gives 9 really valid suggestions for overcoming weakness. I chose to analyze 3 suggestions that hit closest to home for me.
#5 Foundation: Build On Your Strengths
The point Rendall is making here is to work hard on your strengths.You have the greatest potential to succeed in the areas you are strong, so keep working on those areas and you will have a better chance at success. Your strengths will make up for your weaknesses and eventually make them irrelevant.
I could incorporate this idea into my creative life by focusing strictly on the things I'm good at. For example, I am very good with Photoshop. So instead of trying to get better at Garageband I could simply just focus on Photoshop.
#4 Forget It: Don't Try To Fix Your Weaknesses
What Rendall is trying to say here is working on your weaknesses is a waste of time. No one likes working on their weakness so it is usually painful and slow.
I however don't agree with David here. I believe that we should work on our strengths more then our weaknesses, but I don't think we should completely ignore our weaknesses. Some day we may need to use one of our weaknesses and if we have no experience with it , it will only make us weaker.
#7 Fit: Find the Right Spot
Here Rendall talk about matching talent with roles. He uses the example of Rudolph the red nose reindeer to get his point across. Basically what he is saying is we all have flaws, but we just need to find the right fit for them.
I also agree with this suggestion. I think everyone has someplace where they fit in and we should really look for that place. This could be translated into my creative life by when we worked in groups. Everyone had their own weaknesses and strengths and the key was finding the right combination of people to get that perfect fit where everyone worked well and made good work. I noticed this the most with my first lab partner. We were a perfect fit for each other, we both had ideas and we were able to work them together and shine where the other person couldn't.
When people think of themselves they like to think that they are perfect and that they don't have any flaws. I however have realized over this quarter while taking this class that I actually do have quite a few. My greatest two weaknesses are procrastination and originality. I often procrastinated through out the quarter and spent many late nights finishing up projects. I'm not sure that originality is the right word but I often through out the day come up with good idea, but I will forget to write them down and I eventually end up forgetting them. So when it came to crunch time to finish a project I had no original ideas. Despite the weaknesses I do also have some strengths. I would say my main strength is working well with a group.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
This American Life - Superpowers
This American Life - Superpowers
I found this episode of This American Life to be very interesting. After listening to the first act it really got me thinking about what kind of superpowers I would want. Normally if you were to ask a young kid what kind of superhero or superpowers he would want, it would be an easy answer. However after listening to this it got me thinking deeper and more in depth as to what power I would want.
For me selecting a superpower was hard. I began to think of all the pros and cons of each power and then weighed them against each other. I finally came to the conclusion that my superpower of choice would be shape shifting. The only superhero I know with this power is actually a super villain, and her name is Mystique. I am not particularly drawn to her mainly because she is a villain and probably because she is blue. For me this power would have so many uses.You could obtain almost anything you want. For instance one of the most powerful people in the United States is the president. Being able to shape shift into the president would give you so many benefits. You could easily take the presidents place in office and no one would ever notice. You could run the country however you want and reap the benefits that the president gets. If running the United States isn't your cup of tea you could easily replace any person in the world and benefit from their situations.
I found this episode of This American Life to be very interesting. After listening to the first act it really got me thinking about what kind of superpowers I would want. Normally if you were to ask a young kid what kind of superhero or superpowers he would want, it would be an easy answer. However after listening to this it got me thinking deeper and more in depth as to what power I would want.
For me selecting a superpower was hard. I began to think of all the pros and cons of each power and then weighed them against each other. I finally came to the conclusion that my superpower of choice would be shape shifting. The only superhero I know with this power is actually a super villain, and her name is Mystique. I am not particularly drawn to her mainly because she is a villain and probably because she is blue. For me this power would have so many uses.You could obtain almost anything you want. For instance one of the most powerful people in the United States is the president. Being able to shape shift into the president would give you so many benefits. You could easily take the presidents place in office and no one would ever notice. You could run the country however you want and reap the benefits that the president gets. If running the United States isn't your cup of tea you could easily replace any person in the world and benefit from their situations.
Collapsus Response
Collapsus
Collapsus is a kind of interactive movie/game. It tells a story through video clips and allows you to interact with parts of the story. However, this game for me was kind of a miss. I might have gone into this experience with a little bit of a closed mind but regardless I gave it a fair try. I felt like this idea was very gimmicky and I don't know who the target audience might be. Some of the interactions didn't work on my computer or i couldn't figure out how to do them. I felt like the acting in the videos was very sub-par. However I did enjoy the art style that was used. For me I didn't find the story very interesting and this might have been why I didn't enjoy the game so much.
My work over the quarter with trans-media has not really changed the way I envision my own creative work. But however being a digital media major I can see how it might effect my future work
Collapsus is a kind of interactive movie/game. It tells a story through video clips and allows you to interact with parts of the story. However, this game for me was kind of a miss. I might have gone into this experience with a little bit of a closed mind but regardless I gave it a fair try. I felt like this idea was very gimmicky and I don't know who the target audience might be. Some of the interactions didn't work on my computer or i couldn't figure out how to do them. I felt like the acting in the videos was very sub-par. However I did enjoy the art style that was used. For me I didn't find the story very interesting and this might have been why I didn't enjoy the game so much.
My work over the quarter with trans-media has not really changed the way I envision my own creative work. But however being a digital media major I can see how it might effect my future work
Reflection on Gaming Presentation
I felt that today our gaming presentation went pretty well. However I felt like it was a little unorganized so maybe some people may not have been able to follow what was going on with our story. The main thing driving our game was the story, and Yuxi had a very creative story that I found really interesting. The game is about Lilith who is Lucifer wife. Some of the demons in hell grow jealous of Lilith and put a curse on her that splits her soul into seven pieces. So the goal of the game is to recover the seven pieces of your soul and return to hell to your husband Lucifer. Another weak point might have been the rules. Being that this a game based on real life physics and laws of nature, their are many rules to the game. I think in our presentation we only touched briefly on the rules and we did not go very in depth with them.
I think that mechanics is the hardest things to discuss with others. When you create a game that is like nothing like another game it is hard to compare the mechanics of this game to another. Although the game is considered an RPG we compared the mechanics to Call of Duty because it is pretty well known.
The easiest concept for me to grasp is Objectives. The best way I have found to look at it is that you have many objectives in a game to reach your goal. So for example in our game in order to return home to Lucifer, the goal, you have to complete several objectives which in this case is collecting the 7 pieces of your soul.
I think that mechanics is the hardest things to discuss with others. When you create a game that is like nothing like another game it is hard to compare the mechanics of this game to another. Although the game is considered an RPG we compared the mechanics to Call of Duty because it is pretty well known.
The easiest concept for me to grasp is Objectives. The best way I have found to look at it is that you have many objectives in a game to reach your goal. So for example in our game in order to return home to Lucifer, the goal, you have to complete several objectives which in this case is collecting the 7 pieces of your soul.
Hero / Villian Reflection
Jordan's Hero / Villain
The first Hero/Villain reflection I did was of Jordan’s. Her hero and villain were both brilliantly made. Her hero is a night light and the villain is what looks like a combination of a clown or jester, with a ghost like body with leaves on it. The lighting really created a nice contrast to show you which character symbolized the good guy and which one symbolized the bad guy. Her hero, the night light, is brightly lit to create a positive good mood. On the other hand the Villain is kind of in the shadows and lit very dark giving it an evil feeling.This hero villain combination worked really well for me. Every kid at some point in their life was afraid of the dark and I feel like this was a clever recreation of that stereotype. In Jordan’s animation she also did a really good job demonstrating tension and release. At the beginning the hero is sleeping and then begins to wake up and turn on as the villain starts to appear. The tension is really built as the clown slowly pops up over the side of the bed. The release point is when the night light scares the ghost clown and it begins to make a sad face. Over all Jordan’s hero and villain were really well drawn and had a cool concept driving them.
Cameron's Hero / Villain
The next Hero/Villain I was to reflect on was Cameron's. He only had one of his characters posted so it was little harder to review it. I believe this was the hero and his name was Frat Star. Frat star outfit consists of very light green and yellow hues. I'm not sure if it is because of the scanner but Frat Star appears very bright and saturated. I also found this character funny because it does a good job of playing off the "frat boy" stereotypes. The name Frat Star is kind of a double-entendre. I believe this because the "Star" part of "Frat Star' is poking fun at the often cockiness and negative stereotypes of frat boys and at the same time saying he is a "star" in his own eyes.
Hannah's Blog
Hero/ Villain was not posted
The first Hero/Villain reflection I did was of Jordan’s. Her hero and villain were both brilliantly made. Her hero is a night light and the villain is what looks like a combination of a clown or jester, with a ghost like body with leaves on it. The lighting really created a nice contrast to show you which character symbolized the good guy and which one symbolized the bad guy. Her hero, the night light, is brightly lit to create a positive good mood. On the other hand the Villain is kind of in the shadows and lit very dark giving it an evil feeling.This hero villain combination worked really well for me. Every kid at some point in their life was afraid of the dark and I feel like this was a clever recreation of that stereotype. In Jordan’s animation she also did a really good job demonstrating tension and release. At the beginning the hero is sleeping and then begins to wake up and turn on as the villain starts to appear. The tension is really built as the clown slowly pops up over the side of the bed. The release point is when the night light scares the ghost clown and it begins to make a sad face. Over all Jordan’s hero and villain were really well drawn and had a cool concept driving them.
Cameron's Hero / Villain
The next Hero/Villain I was to reflect on was Cameron's. He only had one of his characters posted so it was little harder to review it. I believe this was the hero and his name was Frat Star. Frat star outfit consists of very light green and yellow hues. I'm not sure if it is because of the scanner but Frat Star appears very bright and saturated. I also found this character funny because it does a good job of playing off the "frat boy" stereotypes. The name Frat Star is kind of a double-entendre. I believe this because the "Star" part of "Frat Star' is poking fun at the often cockiness and negative stereotypes of frat boys and at the same time saying he is a "star" in his own eyes.
Hannah's Blog
Hero/ Villain was not posted
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Reflection of Video Joke
For the video joke assignment my group took two very different approaches. The joke we chose to do was the S.H.I.T. and T.G.I.F. elevator scene. I liked this joke out of all the jokes the best because of its irony. The first script we chose was a spoof of a Hispanic Soap opera and the second rendition we did went for a futuristic robot theme.
The style of most Mexican soap operas come off as very cheesy. In order to recreate this stereotype we had to recreate the same type of rhythm that they use in these programs. We created this rhythm by using quick cuts, close ups and a couple 3 shots. Like most soap operas the close ups give you a sense of how the characters feel and in this case it helped create the tension between the two men in the elevator and eventually the release when the other man figures out that it is only Thursday. Due to the restrictions put on our groups the movement in the Mexican soap opera is very limited. However, there is movement in the point of interest. When the first actor is talking you are focused on him and then when the second actor begins to speak the point of interest moves to him. Also as the two men are having their dialogue the point of interest is also shifted to the girl in the back of the elevator as she gives her reactions.
The next video we did was a black and white short about two robots on an elevator. The rhythm of this video was a lot smoother than the Mexican soap opera version. Being that it was the same joke the representation of tension and release was still there. However I felt like it was better represented in this version because of the long pauses and awkwardness between interactions. The movement in this video was also mostly with points of interest. Since the one character was significantly taller than the other the point of interest shifted from the bottom left to the top right of the screen.
The style of most Mexican soap operas come off as very cheesy. In order to recreate this stereotype we had to recreate the same type of rhythm that they use in these programs. We created this rhythm by using quick cuts, close ups and a couple 3 shots. Like most soap operas the close ups give you a sense of how the characters feel and in this case it helped create the tension between the two men in the elevator and eventually the release when the other man figures out that it is only Thursday. Due to the restrictions put on our groups the movement in the Mexican soap opera is very limited. However, there is movement in the point of interest. When the first actor is talking you are focused on him and then when the second actor begins to speak the point of interest moves to him. Also as the two men are having their dialogue the point of interest is also shifted to the girl in the back of the elevator as she gives her reactions.
The next video we did was a black and white short about two robots on an elevator. The rhythm of this video was a lot smoother than the Mexican soap opera version. Being that it was the same joke the representation of tension and release was still there. However I felt like it was better represented in this version because of the long pauses and awkwardness between interactions. The movement in this video was also mostly with points of interest. Since the one character was significantly taller than the other the point of interest shifted from the bottom left to the top right of the screen.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Blog 5a
The images above are called the Temptation of St. Anthony and they were painted by Salvador Dali. I was really drawn to this image and a lot of the images Dali has painted because of the surrealist style he uses. This picture to me seems really unique, ironic and complex. I think I enjoy it because it has a lot going on and it seems like it has a deep meaning. I re-framed this image on the elephant in the background because I feel like there is so much detail in this image and the picture is so big that it is hard to pick out all the little details. Dali used depth cues by shading this elephant lighter and making it smaller to make it appear farther away. This picture is very ironic because it has elephants carrying buildings on their backs, which is near impossible. Dali also uses contrast with the large horse by making it white and then coloring the elephants black. This draws your attention to the horse in the front then slowly brings it back to the elephants in the back. The framing Dali used was very simple and I think he did this on purpose. The main focus of this painting is the horses and elephants, so Dali framed them in the center and made them the biggest. He also left plenty of open space around them so your attention is drawn towards them. This painting also has many virtual lines. When I look at the painting I find myself starting in the bottom corner, looking at the man on his knees, and then working my way up to the white horse and then following the line of elephants back into the background. After doing research on Dali I learned that when he painted his pictures, he does not have any intended meaning. For me this was kind of a letdown because I think I enjoyed them a lot more when it felt like they had substance and deep meanings.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Brainwashed
http://changethis.com/
Brainwashed - Written By: Seth Godin
Acknowledge the Lizard
In this layer Seth Godin talks about acknowledging the lizard which is basically the part of our brain that tells us not to take risks. As creative people we need to learn to ignore this part of our brain and not be afraid to get laughed at for an idea or effort. This is a constant struggle with everyone and Godin calls it the resistance. It’s the idea that we should just sit down and shut up and follow what other are doing or told to do.
Fail
This section spoke to me the most out of all the sections, probably because it is the one I have the most trouble with. Being extremely competitive and a perfectionist I struggle with this daily. I have been raised and taught that failure is bad so I try to avoid it will all costs. In this article however, Seth says that failure is the key to succeeding. Without failure Seth says that the market would not be reinvented. He goes on to demanding us to fail and demanding us to create risky things and to create change.
Reflection
Like Seth said in the reading we are being brainwashed to think inside the box. So going through my whole life in public schools and doing what I have been told I cannot really think outside of the box yet. Right now I think that doing these blogs are a waste of time but eventually I get a grade for it and in the end it gets me closer to graduation and one step closer to my career. Therefore these blogs become pertinent to me. Next, some of the things I learned throughout high school I have found uses for. So how am I to say whether or not these blogs are a waste of time, I could find them useful later. The professionals that are out there doing the jobs that we want to do could answer this question better than I could. Overall, I would be lying if I said I haven’t learned anything from doing these blogs. The key to it is applying these lessons and exercises into all the aspects of our life to make us better artists, students, and people in general.
Brainwashed - Written By: Seth Godin
Acknowledge the Lizard
In this layer Seth Godin talks about acknowledging the lizard which is basically the part of our brain that tells us not to take risks. As creative people we need to learn to ignore this part of our brain and not be afraid to get laughed at for an idea or effort. This is a constant struggle with everyone and Godin calls it the resistance. It’s the idea that we should just sit down and shut up and follow what other are doing or told to do.
Fail
This section spoke to me the most out of all the sections, probably because it is the one I have the most trouble with. Being extremely competitive and a perfectionist I struggle with this daily. I have been raised and taught that failure is bad so I try to avoid it will all costs. In this article however, Seth says that failure is the key to succeeding. Without failure Seth says that the market would not be reinvented. He goes on to demanding us to fail and demanding us to create risky things and to create change.
Reflection
Like Seth said in the reading we are being brainwashed to think inside the box. So going through my whole life in public schools and doing what I have been told I cannot really think outside of the box yet. Right now I think that doing these blogs are a waste of time but eventually I get a grade for it and in the end it gets me closer to graduation and one step closer to my career. Therefore these blogs become pertinent to me. Next, some of the things I learned throughout high school I have found uses for. So how am I to say whether or not these blogs are a waste of time, I could find them useful later. The professionals that are out there doing the jobs that we want to do could answer this question better than I could. Overall, I would be lying if I said I haven’t learned anything from doing these blogs. The key to it is applying these lessons and exercises into all the aspects of our life to make us better artists, students, and people in general.
Cover Songs
George Michael - Faith
Limp Bizkit - Faith
About a week ago I was watching South Park and when Eric Cartman was walking he was randomly singing a song. I knew I had heard the song before but I couldn't figure out what the name was. After a quick Google search I found out the song he was singing was Faith by George Michael. After hearing the song again I remembered that Limp Bizkit had remade the song. So for my cover song I chose Faith by George Michael and also Limp Bizkit.
The lyrics for Limp Bizkit's version of Faith are similar, however Fred Durst did take the liberty of changing and removing some of them. Although the lyrics are subjective I believe the original song is about a girl who possibly lied or cheated on George Michael and he is telling her that they need a break (Oh but I need some time off from that emotion / Time to pick my heart up off the floor). Although the girl might not be lying to him George needs a break from the relationship because he feels like a fool in love, or almost in love and doesn't want to get hurt like a previous time(Maybe you mean every word you say / can't help but think of yesterday / And another who tied me down to loverboy rules). George is also saying at the end that he may not be in love yet, but the longer the relationship goes on the more likely he will fall in love(Before this river Becomes an ocean). Throughout the song and in the chorus George Michael is acknowledging that he needs to have faith, but he is not yet strong enough or ready for another heartbreak (Well it takes a strong man baby But I'm showing you the door 'Cause I gotta have faith). In Fred Durst’s version of Faith he switches a couple lyrics but leaves out quite a few lines throughout. Instead of talking about the girl’s body in the beginning he says “not everybody has a body like me”, which adds to the stereotypical cockiness of rap-metal music. Besides that, the song’s lyrics are very similar and just a little different in order.
The melody is very catchy and the same in both songs. However, in the Limp Bizkit version the melody is driven by an electric guitar when an acoustic guitar was used in the original. The intensity is also a lot different in both of the songs. Limp Bizkit is known as a rap metal band, so naturally if they were to remake a song it would have to be high intensity and that is exactly what happened. To create this high intensity music Fred Durst’s loud screaming vocals are followed with a loud electric guitar and heavy hitting drums. This song has a feeling of tension throughout and then when Fred Durst hits the chorus and starts screaming you get a sense of release. The speed of this song is also a lot faster in the remake version. Limp Bizkit speeds up the lyrics and also the melody, making a 3 minute song into two minutes.
Over all, I enjoy both of these songs because they have very similar simple lyrics and catchy guitar chords. But, depending on the mood I'm in that day would determine what song I would listen to. If I absolutely had to choose which version I liked better I would have to go with Limp Bizkit’s version. Although I'm not a huge fan of Limp Bizkit I feel the way they went about remaking this song was solid. Fred Durst's vocals put an all new spin on this song, bringing out a new set of emotions and view on the song that George Michael probably did not intend. The use of the electric guitar and heavy drums really makes this song vibe well and gives it a good feel.
Limp Bizkit - Faith
About a week ago I was watching South Park and when Eric Cartman was walking he was randomly singing a song. I knew I had heard the song before but I couldn't figure out what the name was. After a quick Google search I found out the song he was singing was Faith by George Michael. After hearing the song again I remembered that Limp Bizkit had remade the song. So for my cover song I chose Faith by George Michael and also Limp Bizkit.
The lyrics for Limp Bizkit's version of Faith are similar, however Fred Durst did take the liberty of changing and removing some of them. Although the lyrics are subjective I believe the original song is about a girl who possibly lied or cheated on George Michael and he is telling her that they need a break (Oh but I need some time off from that emotion / Time to pick my heart up off the floor). Although the girl might not be lying to him George needs a break from the relationship because he feels like a fool in love, or almost in love and doesn't want to get hurt like a previous time(Maybe you mean every word you say / can't help but think of yesterday / And another who tied me down to loverboy rules). George is also saying at the end that he may not be in love yet, but the longer the relationship goes on the more likely he will fall in love(Before this river Becomes an ocean). Throughout the song and in the chorus George Michael is acknowledging that he needs to have faith, but he is not yet strong enough or ready for another heartbreak (Well it takes a strong man baby But I'm showing you the door 'Cause I gotta have faith). In Fred Durst’s version of Faith he switches a couple lyrics but leaves out quite a few lines throughout. Instead of talking about the girl’s body in the beginning he says “not everybody has a body like me”, which adds to the stereotypical cockiness of rap-metal music. Besides that, the song’s lyrics are very similar and just a little different in order.
The melody is very catchy and the same in both songs. However, in the Limp Bizkit version the melody is driven by an electric guitar when an acoustic guitar was used in the original. The intensity is also a lot different in both of the songs. Limp Bizkit is known as a rap metal band, so naturally if they were to remake a song it would have to be high intensity and that is exactly what happened. To create this high intensity music Fred Durst’s loud screaming vocals are followed with a loud electric guitar and heavy hitting drums. This song has a feeling of tension throughout and then when Fred Durst hits the chorus and starts screaming you get a sense of release. The speed of this song is also a lot faster in the remake version. Limp Bizkit speeds up the lyrics and also the melody, making a 3 minute song into two minutes.
Over all, I enjoy both of these songs because they have very similar simple lyrics and catchy guitar chords. But, depending on the mood I'm in that day would determine what song I would listen to. If I absolutely had to choose which version I liked better I would have to go with Limp Bizkit’s version. Although I'm not a huge fan of Limp Bizkit I feel the way they went about remaking this song was solid. Fred Durst's vocals put an all new spin on this song, bringing out a new set of emotions and view on the song that George Michael probably did not intend. The use of the electric guitar and heavy drums really makes this song vibe well and gives it a good feel.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Friday, January 21, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Ways to get ideas
http://changethis.com/ - "14 Ways to get Breakthrough Ideas"
I know that often I struggle to come up with new and creative ideas. So, Mitch Ditkoff has released an article titled “14 Ways to get Breakthrough Ideas”. In this article he provides 14 different ways and techniques to get break through ideas. Although some of the ways might be obvious this is a really good article to get you coming up with new ideas.
14. SUSPEND LOGIC
Mitch's last suggestion is to suspend logic. I completely agree with this suggestion but I disagree with where he placed it. I think this should be one of the first 3 suggestions. In today's world we are often taught to think rationally and realistically which in some situations is good but in others it is only limiting yourself. If we are constantly limiting ourselves to what is rational or logical we would never invent or do something new and creative. 100 years ago we would have never thought that we could have portable computers, or iPods. So maybe today's crazy idea could be tomorrow's new invention. I could easily implement this suggestion into my own creative life. Next time I am working on a piece of art I can suspend what is practical and just paint what come to mind regardless of how realistic it is or looks.
10. HANG OUT WITH DIVERSE GROUPS OF PEOPLE
This is another great idea from Mitch. I think this applies with just about any creative thing there is but I notice it most with music. Some of the best music is made when two groups or artist collaborate. Also, when you hang out with other people you get to see the world in a different way, you get to see how people think of the world differently, and you get to see how people react to different situations. This helps you become a more well-rounded and see the world in a different light.
Make a list of ten people (or groups of people) outside of your traditional “posse” who you can spend some time with this month. Who’s first? When?
- My Brother
- Co-Workers
- Will
- Max
- Joe
- Cameron
- Myles
- Malcom
- Robin
- Bob
2. IMMERSE
I feel a lot of times that when dealing with technology the people who designed it have not really immersed themselves with the product or previous products. At home I have this TV that is mounted on the wall. It is a really nice TV and costs a lot of money. The only problem with the TV is when its mounted on the wall it is physically impossible to reach behind it and plug in cables. So whenever I want to plug in my DVD player or Xbox, I have to take it off the wall and plug them in that way. I feel as if whoever designed this TV was not really immersed in the design process. I feel like their boss told them that they had to include a certain amount of features on the TV and that is what the person did. The person who designed it had no intention of using it or had ever mounted a TV on a wall. So this had led me to say that immersion is a good suggestion when trying to develop breakthrough ideas.
Creative Influences
Brian "KAWS" Donnely
The most influential artist to me is KAWS also known as Brian Donnely. KAWS started off as a graffiti artist and later developed into a painter and clothing designer. I enjoy almost every piece of art he creates. When I see his work I get this overwhelming feeling of inspiration and enjoyment. Most times after seeing a piece I think to myself that I wish I would of created that or that is a such a great idea why didn't I think of it. In KAWS latest works he has used affinity with black and in some cases red to to make his usual characters such as "companion" and sponge bob very plain and similar. KAWS paintings often use rectangular shapes and vivid color which are always visually pleasing. One of my favorite pieces and his most famous piece is that album art for Kanye West's 808 and heartbreak album.
George Lucas
Martin Scorsese
The most influential artist to me is KAWS also known as Brian Donnely. KAWS started off as a graffiti artist and later developed into a painter and clothing designer. I enjoy almost every piece of art he creates. When I see his work I get this overwhelming feeling of inspiration and enjoyment. Most times after seeing a piece I think to myself that I wish I would of created that or that is a such a great idea why didn't I think of it. In KAWS latest works he has used affinity with black and in some cases red to to make his usual characters such as "companion" and sponge bob very plain and similar. KAWS paintings often use rectangular shapes and vivid color which are always visually pleasing. One of my favorite pieces and his most famous piece is that album art for Kanye West's 808 and heartbreak album.
Although it is almost cliché to say that George Lucas has been an inspiration to me I feel that he must be included. This man has produced classic movies such as the Star Wars Trilogy and the Indiana Jones movies. When our generation gets older and has kid these will be the movies we tell our kids about. Both of these series have clever stories and characters with addictive personalities, in which I love. George Lucas finds a way to include a tolerable amount of action, romance, and comedy all into one movie and keep you wanting more. For example at the end of Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull George Lucas uses a subtext of irony to make you think. At the end, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) gets married, and due to the wind his hat flies off his head and lands at his son’s feet (Shia Labeouf). This would be situational irony because Shia Labeouf has been rumored to be the next Indiana Jones. Little things like this and characters such as Yoda make George Lucas a genius.
Martin Scorsese
Two of my favorite recent movies were directed by Martin Scorsese. Scorsese had directed movies such as Shutter Island, The Departed, Goodfellas, Taxi Driver and The Aviator. I enjoy his movies because most of them have a twist or a surprise ending. I enjoyed Shutter Island because the ending is left open for interpretation and makes you truly think about what you saw in the past hour and a half. Scorsese makes you be an active viewer by never really telling you what to think or believe is true. I believe that with any good work of art or movie that you should be able to have your own view on what happened and not be told strictly what to think. Scorsese also directed several episodes of Boardwalk Empire which I have just started watching and enjoy the complex story line and the corruption of Nucky Thompson.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Why Digital Media?
Growing up every person is faced with the dilemma of what they want to do for the rest of their life. As a teenager I was always interested in art, music, movies and games. One summer I stumbled upon a website in which several artists were taking 3d objects on the computer and implementing them into videos and images. For a young kid inspired by the Star Wars movies I was instantly intrigued and wanted to try this on my own. I experimented and tried to teach my self how to do it, but I realized that there is only so much I could teach my self and that I needed to be further educated. So at 15 years old I decided that I wanted to make special effects for movies.
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