He has gone on to write books about what he believes as a Futurist, and how he feels about people with disabilities and the use of technology to assist them.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Ray Kurzweil
Ray Kurzweil is an awesome guy! He is the director of engineering at GOOGLE! The latest search engine website. It has become so much more than that. You have Google as a search engine, but you also have Google mail (gmail), Google docs, google images! So much comes from Google. It is an amazing thing, and probably a very interesting place to work. Kurzweil went to MIT and excelled in his classes. He is responsible for having a computer scan text and read it in many different fonts. He is also responsible for having the computer read out loud to the user to help the blind in using computers. Overall Ray is a pretty cool guy, who has an interesting story. He loves to help out those who have minor disabilities such as blindness, ADD, and dyslexia.
He has gone on to write books about what he believes as a Futurist, and how he feels about people with disabilities and the use of technology to assist them.
He has gone on to write books about what he believes as a Futurist, and how he feels about people with disabilities and the use of technology to assist them.
Mark J Stock
Mark J Stock is an artist, mostly dealing with digital art. One of his pieces is called the Sprawl. This is an image that is displayed on a grid (just like our assignment for grid art) and it is of a branch sprawled out over the grid. This is an interesting piece because it's as if the two parts do not belong together. The grid is very organized and neat, while the branch that is over it is disorderly and does not fit into the grid very well.
One thing about me is that I am a Math major. Being a math major, you have to like grid and the imaginary planes. I love this stuff. But for me, when I use a grid I use one to make graphs that make sense that have specific points on the grid. However here he uses a grid which is traditionally used to mark specific known points, as a backdrop to a branch.
This is a little odd and out of place, but I like it. :)
The second piece that I want to talk about is called Red Streamlines. This is amazing!! This is all math and I love it. Here he puts together a piece using the inverse square of a function. He puts together a piece that makes sense to me. This is speaking my language. It is something that can be solved and shown again and again. The result will always be the same when using the same functions. That is what I love about math... consistency.
One thing about me is that I am a Math major. Being a math major, you have to like grid and the imaginary planes. I love this stuff. But for me, when I use a grid I use one to make graphs that make sense that have specific points on the grid. However here he uses a grid which is traditionally used to mark specific known points, as a backdrop to a branch.
This is a little odd and out of place, but I like it. :)
The second piece that I want to talk about is called Red Streamlines. This is amazing!! This is all math and I love it. Here he puts together a piece using the inverse square of a function. He puts together a piece that makes sense to me. This is speaking my language. It is something that can be solved and shown again and again. The result will always be the same when using the same functions. That is what I love about math... consistency.
Douglas Engelbart
Douglas Engelbart is an American engineer and inventor. He is interested for human-computer interaction. Engelbart is responsible for the invention of the computer mouse. This is a pretty cool invention seeing as how this makes a lot of computer part accessible. For example, the transition between a type writer and a computer could be argued the invention of the mouse. In the type writer you can write text, but you cannot backspace. You are also unable to clip anywhere in the document to review what you have done. With the mouse, and of course the software of Microsoft, we are now able to type on a computer but have the ability to move the mouse around and view different areas of the computer screen.
War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast
This is the original War of the Worlds radio broadcast and it is amazing. At the time this came out, everyone was stunned. This was first heard in 1938 and produced by Orson Welles. Radio could be heard by anyone who had a radio, was at a diner with a radio, everywhere! People were enthralled with the radio at this time, and so Orson Welles thought that he would recreate the War of the Worlds over the radio and get people to believe that aliens were actually taking over.
Because of this the public freaked out. They thought that World War II was coming and panic flew over the US. This was a big controversial in radio history.
Today radio is such a part of our everyday lives, I sometimes wish that I grew up in the time when people actively sat and listened to the radio. I am a huge fan of the radio (minus all the commercials.) However I really like sitting and listening to the radio. Back in the early days of radio it was mostly used to tell news and talk about current events. Now most of the radio is for music, which I do enjoy, but I would like to know what it felt like to sit down with the family after dinner and listen to the radio to get the local news rather than sit down and turn the TV on.
I'm a bit old fashioned. lol
Because of this the public freaked out. They thought that World War II was coming and panic flew over the US. This was a big controversial in radio history.
Today radio is such a part of our everyday lives, I sometimes wish that I grew up in the time when people actively sat and listened to the radio. I am a huge fan of the radio (minus all the commercials.) However I really like sitting and listening to the radio. Back in the early days of radio it was mostly used to tell news and talk about current events. Now most of the radio is for music, which I do enjoy, but I would like to know what it felt like to sit down with the family after dinner and listen to the radio to get the local news rather than sit down and turn the TV on.
I'm a bit old fashioned. lol
My Flip Book Animation
My flip book animation was inspired by a simple story. This is the story of a baby caterpillar trying to find his way through life to become a butterfly. Along the way he meets a frog friend and he shows him the way to become a butterfly.
Through the animation, the caterpillar, Cameron, is born, he begins exploring the world. He is then picked up by a bird who is there to help him find his way. The bird brings him to a beautiful land full of nature. Here he finds beautiful flowers and his frog friend, Frank. Cameron and Frank continue into a forest where they find a pond. This pond has lily-pads and they float on them to another land area. Here they find the perfect tree for Cameron to transform into a butterfly.
Once Cameron is a butterfly, he goes to find his friend Frank again. They share over missed times together, and continue the adventure into a cave where the story ends. This ends in this way to give the viewer an imagination of their own, of where the two friends will explore next. :)
Hope you like it!
Through the animation, the caterpillar, Cameron, is born, he begins exploring the world. He is then picked up by a bird who is there to help him find his way. The bird brings him to a beautiful land full of nature. Here he finds beautiful flowers and his frog friend, Frank. Cameron and Frank continue into a forest where they find a pond. This pond has lily-pads and they float on them to another land area. Here they find the perfect tree for Cameron to transform into a butterfly.
Once Cameron is a butterfly, he goes to find his friend Frank again. They share over missed times together, and continue the adventure into a cave where the story ends. This ends in this way to give the viewer an imagination of their own, of where the two friends will explore next. :)
Hope you like it!
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
A Trip To The Moon
A Trip to the Moon was kind of a boring video for me to watch, definitely not one of my favorites. It brought me back to the opera, which isn't that interesting to me. What was interesting about this video was that you could tell that it was from early film because you could see that the colors were all drawn on to the film. You could tell because when changing frames, some of the colors wouldn't match up or be different shades. It didn't bother me that you could tell the different frames and that everything wasn't perfectly colored because I think that it brings character to the film. :)
Singing in the Rain Comparison
Singing in the rain is a song performed by Gene Kelly in the musical Jazz Man. It was originally released in 1929, right after the Great Depression. When people make songs and movies, they usually reflect on what is happening in history during that time period. The original song is a joyous man singing in the rain, happily trotting through the puddles. This is a reflection of the time period. 1929 marked the year that the US finally was out of the Great Depression. This is a period called the "roaring twenties." It makes sense that this song would be recorded in happy spirits.
The movie Clockwork Orange was filmed in 1971. This is a period where everyone is experimenting with drugs and free spirited. The movie is based on a couple of teenagers experimenting with drugs that make them violent. This movie plays the song "signing in the rain" as the teenager is raping a woman. This is completely contradictory to the original song. Here I believe the director let them use this song because it is meant to be a happy song, and in the movie these teenagers are so happy on their drugs and causing trouble. To them they couldn't be happier raping this woman. I think it is meant to cause the viewers a little disgust when they watch this man singing such a happy song, while committing a horrible act.
Theses two differences in the same song, just goes to show the difference movies have during a specific time period.
The movie Clockwork Orange was filmed in 1971. This is a period where everyone is experimenting with drugs and free spirited. The movie is based on a couple of teenagers experimenting with drugs that make them violent. This movie plays the song "signing in the rain" as the teenager is raping a woman. This is completely contradictory to the original song. Here I believe the director let them use this song because it is meant to be a happy song, and in the movie these teenagers are so happy on their drugs and causing trouble. To them they couldn't be happier raping this woman. I think it is meant to cause the viewers a little disgust when they watch this man singing such a happy song, while committing a horrible act.
Theses two differences in the same song, just goes to show the difference movies have during a specific time period.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Mise En Scene
Mise en scene is all of the components that make up a shot. There are several pieces that are important such as the angle, color, lens, and depth.
Angle:
There are 5 different camera angles, birds eye view, high angle, eye level shot, low angle, and oblique angle. All of these different angles were tested in the early 1930s when film was really booming. As some of the video clips we saw in class, it is obvious the director is experimenting with all these different camera angles.
Color:
The color of a shot is important because it tells the viewer where they should direct their attention. For example in this shot everything in the picture is all brown and grey but the woman is in bright blue. This makes it so you direct your attention to her.
Lens:
There are several different types of lens used in film today. Such lenses are called telephoto lens, wide-angle lens, fast film stock, and slow film stock. The telephoto lens draws objects closer but takes away from the depth of the image. The wide-angle lens takes an image an increases that depth of that image, sometimes blurs the edges.
Depth:
Angle:
There are 5 different camera angles, birds eye view, high angle, eye level shot, low angle, and oblique angle. All of these different angles were tested in the early 1930s when film was really booming. As some of the video clips we saw in class, it is obvious the director is experimenting with all these different camera angles.
Color:
The color of a shot is important because it tells the viewer where they should direct their attention. For example in this shot everything in the picture is all brown and grey but the woman is in bright blue. This makes it so you direct your attention to her.
There are several different types of lens used in film today. Such lenses are called telephoto lens, wide-angle lens, fast film stock, and slow film stock. The telephoto lens draws objects closer but takes away from the depth of the image. The wide-angle lens takes an image an increases that depth of that image, sometimes blurs the edges.
Depth:
Talking about changing the depth, the depth is another technique used to draw the viewers attention to one object or another. In the picture above, it creates a depth in the background, making that blurry. This allows the viewer to focus on what is "in focus" little depth. In this image, it is the characters that have little depth, and the background that is farther in depth of the image.
Stop Motion II
Still Moving
The first video was a cool architectural video, I liked how they used different building and parks to base their video off of. I also felt like sometimes they used two or three different background scenes in one shot. They would be cruising past a park, however the same building was present in the background at multiple parks in different locations. This was not my favorite because it seemed a little boring and repetitive.
Big Milk
This video was interesting... Not sure how I felt about it because it was a little too abstract for me. But I believe the artist was trying to get the point across that we are human have the "americanvirus" which basically is living every day the same, and rushing rushing rushing. We are repetitive in our lifestyles, and every day wake up and go to work, and wake up and go to work the next day. This kind of makes you think about your life, and how you can create ways to be happier and enjoy every day. I believe that the artist was also trying to say that we work ourselves to death because they kept showing images of the person working and struggling, then there would be images of a skeletal. Sometimes the person would be struggling and even wresting the skeletal. So this was a cool video if I got the message that they were trying to give out.
http://vimeo.com/1452564
The first video was a cool architectural video, I liked how they used different building and parks to base their video off of. I also felt like sometimes they used two or three different background scenes in one shot. They would be cruising past a park, however the same building was present in the background at multiple parks in different locations. This was not my favorite because it seemed a little boring and repetitive.
Big Milk
This video was interesting... Not sure how I felt about it because it was a little too abstract for me. But I believe the artist was trying to get the point across that we are human have the "americanvirus" which basically is living every day the same, and rushing rushing rushing. We are repetitive in our lifestyles, and every day wake up and go to work, and wake up and go to work the next day. This kind of makes you think about your life, and how you can create ways to be happier and enjoy every day. I believe that the artist was also trying to say that we work ourselves to death because they kept showing images of the person working and struggling, then there would be images of a skeletal. Sometimes the person would be struggling and even wresting the skeletal. So this was a cool video if I got the message that they were trying to give out.
http://vimeo.com/1452564
Stop Motion I
Bumble Bee Boy
The first animation that I watch was called Bumble Bee Boy. I obviously chose this one because it reminds me of the awesome movie series Transformers. :) This animation was cool because it reminds me of the movie and also because the descriptions says that these clips are based of real life things and not hand drawn clip by clip. So that means that someone took the time to build the model and take picture after picture of the object moving to create this sorta of mini movie. So I can appreciate that because I certainly don't have the time to create an animation of this sort.
http://vimeo.com/3784930
This is Where We Live
This was a cool video to watch because it was all about the characters in books. I liked the beginning because it reminded me about our animation flip books that we have to do in class. But I really liked how they made a video about the book characters but making sure to keep the closed books in the background. This reminded me that there is more to a book that what you think, and when you actually sit down to read a good book, all of the stories that come out of that book are amazing. So needless to say, I liked this video. :)
http://vimeo.com/2295261
Almeria
Okay, so I know that I really liked the book video, but this was probably my favorite one. I am a math major, but I have an environmental science background because I love the environment and Earth. This video was an amazing way to represent the wear and tear we have created on this earth. That no matter when, the trees still stand tall, withering all that we throw at them. The wood shows signs of old age and hard times however, still holds up buildings and bridges. This was just so cool. Well done.
http://vimeo.com/2910853
The first animation that I watch was called Bumble Bee Boy. I obviously chose this one because it reminds me of the awesome movie series Transformers. :) This animation was cool because it reminds me of the movie and also because the descriptions says that these clips are based of real life things and not hand drawn clip by clip. So that means that someone took the time to build the model and take picture after picture of the object moving to create this sorta of mini movie. So I can appreciate that because I certainly don't have the time to create an animation of this sort.
http://vimeo.com/3784930
This is Where We Live
This was a cool video to watch because it was all about the characters in books. I liked the beginning because it reminded me about our animation flip books that we have to do in class. But I really liked how they made a video about the book characters but making sure to keep the closed books in the background. This reminded me that there is more to a book that what you think, and when you actually sit down to read a good book, all of the stories that come out of that book are amazing. So needless to say, I liked this video. :)
http://vimeo.com/2295261
Almeria
Okay, so I know that I really liked the book video, but this was probably my favorite one. I am a math major, but I have an environmental science background because I love the environment and Earth. This video was an amazing way to represent the wear and tear we have created on this earth. That no matter when, the trees still stand tall, withering all that we throw at them. The wood shows signs of old age and hard times however, still holds up buildings and bridges. This was just so cool. Well done.
http://vimeo.com/2910853
Friday, February 7, 2014
Quinta's Stage Door Posts
Whatever Lola Wants
I thought that this was a cute little number. I really like the dance and song that goes with this song, I am a fan on jazz music and dance so that was neat to see. This song actually reminded me of the song that we watched in class with Queen Latifah "When you're good to mama." I don't know why they reminded me of each other, but I think it's because they are both about girls being seductive to guys in the same manner. I liked it though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLx7qUeRGU0&feature=player_embedded#at=221
A Christmas Carol
Christmas time is one of my favorite times so I had to choose A Christmas Carol to blog about because it just makes me happy to think of Christmas. This part in the musical looks as if its the ending part where he is getting a look at how miserable he is. Enjoyed this clip, however having seen the musical performed live I obviously like that much better. The musical was amazing to watch, I love when the audience just has Christmas spirit running through the atmosphere. :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaFcmYIVGf0&feature=player_embedded#at=89
Applause
This was a musical that I've never seen before, but it was nice. I liked how it was like expressing about the money and education problems that were happening in the real world around that time. That is what I liked most about the operas, was that it was based off of events and things that were going on around them in the real world. Also, those yellow and green pants that she has on are pretty awesome :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89DzMDC6gws&feature=player_embedded#at=110
I thought that this was a cute little number. I really like the dance and song that goes with this song, I am a fan on jazz music and dance so that was neat to see. This song actually reminded me of the song that we watched in class with Queen Latifah "When you're good to mama." I don't know why they reminded me of each other, but I think it's because they are both about girls being seductive to guys in the same manner. I liked it though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLx7qUeRGU0&feature=player_embedded#at=221
A Christmas Carol
Christmas time is one of my favorite times so I had to choose A Christmas Carol to blog about because it just makes me happy to think of Christmas. This part in the musical looks as if its the ending part where he is getting a look at how miserable he is. Enjoyed this clip, however having seen the musical performed live I obviously like that much better. The musical was amazing to watch, I love when the audience just has Christmas spirit running through the atmosphere. :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaFcmYIVGf0&feature=player_embedded#at=89
Applause
This was a musical that I've never seen before, but it was nice. I liked how it was like expressing about the money and education problems that were happening in the real world around that time. That is what I liked most about the operas, was that it was based off of events and things that were going on around them in the real world. Also, those yellow and green pants that she has on are pretty awesome :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89DzMDC6gws&feature=player_embedded#at=110
Transgender Presentation
This presentation was an interesting one to say the least. I have no experience with transgender people, I have never met one, never spoke to one, so needless to say I have no idea what they believe and their values. This was sort of an eye opener for me to realize what these people are struggling with. I thought that the artist had a good eye for art and some of the pieces were really neat. I liked how the pieces were all large 10 - 12 ft drawings. That was the coolest part because it must be so hard to complete a drawing of that size! I also liked the idea of taking pictures of yourself each day and see how you change, and how the hair and makeup styles change on a day to day basis. I also liked the drawings that they did based on the hairstyles. I have no artistic ability to draw or paint so that's pretty cool that these things can be done.
It was also amazing that they reached out to people internationally and were about to get other "sponsors" per se. The dancers in asian countries that were choreographing dances for those transgenders who lost their lives in a daily struggle against being who they really are. I think that people in 2014 need to open their eyes to many different kinds of people, and their choices shouldn't effect one's life to such the extend some make it out to be. Personally, I do not care of your sexual preference as it does not effect me. As long as no one is trying to push something on me that I don't like, then I am totally cool with whatever it is that you wish to me. With that being said, I can't imagine how it is to live in a world where people are trying to push you to be something that you are not. If this was the case for me and my sexual preference I would be very angry and express my feeling the way the artist did in this presentation.
It was also amazing that they reached out to people internationally and were about to get other "sponsors" per se. The dancers in asian countries that were choreographing dances for those transgenders who lost their lives in a daily struggle against being who they really are. I think that people in 2014 need to open their eyes to many different kinds of people, and their choices shouldn't effect one's life to such the extend some make it out to be. Personally, I do not care of your sexual preference as it does not effect me. As long as no one is trying to push something on me that I don't like, then I am totally cool with whatever it is that you wish to me. With that being said, I can't imagine how it is to live in a world where people are trying to push you to be something that you are not. If this was the case for me and my sexual preference I would be very angry and express my feeling the way the artist did in this presentation.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Wicked
First of all, I saw Wicked at the Straz Theater. It was truly amazing! I went into it not knowing what the musical was going to be about, but I had heard only good reviews about it on the radio. I asked my mom if we could go (mostly because I didn't think that any of my friends would find this enjoyable) but we loved it!!
Watching the behind-the-scene video really puts into perspective how much work really goes into a performance of this size. And the effort that goes into this has to be 100% from ALL the people involved. Like the video says, it requires effort from the director, cast, orchestra, writers, makeup, everyone's part is crucial to a successful performance.
As much as I loved this musical, my all time favorite was Dirty Dancing. I saw this in Boston and I cannot even describe in words the way it makes you feel. It's so real and just takes you to a different place. Definitely makes you appreciate this type of art when you see it for yourself.
Oculus Rift
These seem awesome! Now I'm not a big gamer, but I can enjoy a good action movie. This equipment seems as if it is similar to 3D glasses (which as such a hassle to wear through an entire movie!). But I like the idea that I can watch my favorite action/adventure movies through these as well as listen to concerts that I may have missed out on over the summer. I love music, and I love even more that music, is live music. These would be an amazing product that one day I hope to try and/or own. :)
p.s. I thought that the video at the end of the article was pretty cool too. I liked the way that this artist incorporated his own music into the orchestra and the chorus. Not very many performers like to take the spotlight away from themselves.
p.s. I thought that the video at the end of the article was pretty cool too. I liked the way that this artist incorporated his own music into the orchestra and the chorus. Not very many performers like to take the spotlight away from themselves.
South Pacific and Coco Cola Commercial
There is much controversy in the most recent super bowl commercial for Coco Cola. This commercial is about America being beautiful and diverse and having it's own culture. Part of the song is sung in English and the other part of the song is sung is Spanish (which a high percent of Americans speak today.) The argument is that this should not have been performed in this way as those in American should speak English and be a true "American". These racial issues are the same that are bought up in the broadway music "South Pacific." This musical is about an American army man who falls in love with an Island girl, they have two children together. Then the man is a widower and cares for the two children of mixed race. As this man goes out to look for another wife he gets a lot of criticism for raising children that are of mixed race. There is so much controversy about this musical, and they got criticized hard for the main song of the musical. This song is called "How You're Taught." This is a song about racism being something that we are taught to feel it is not innate in us from birth. They sing about how each person should be loved and valued the same way no matter the race or background of the individual.
This musical was from the late 1940s, and we are currently in 2014. This is some 50 years later and we are still dealing with the same issues. Now there are laws and rules that say that each individual is equal in all aspects, however this clearly is not the case. I do believe strongly that it is how we are raised. Children learn by example and if there is some issue going on between a white man and a black (or other racial background) man, the children pick up on this much more that we would think. In the United States this has been such an issue that it created the Civil War. Although the war is over and rules have changed, society has yet to change. I fear that this issue will never truly go away.
It is really sad to see kids getting treated differently for something so small as skin color. I grew up in New England, Massachusetts to be specific and we did not have such racial issues in the little town that I grew up. Although people look at whites and blacks differently, there does not seem to be as much segregation as there is in the south. Now I learned this when I moved to Florida 3 years ago. I got a job in Ybor, Tampa and saw first had the discrimination. I was appalled at first, and spoke with managers and coworkers from the area and they see no issue with how they are treating minorities. They told me "this is the south, its our culture." Now after being here for 3 years I see how this is their culture and it is completely unlike New England.
I think that white Americans feel and act this way towards minorities as part of a pride issue? We are all taught in schools that whites came over to America and discovered this land and that it is ours (whites that is.) You do not learn about black leaders in school, only those white presidents and persons of importance. You learn in school that blacks are slaves, and that there was a huge problem that there was a war in place of it. Now things may not have changed because people do not want to accept change and believe in ways they were brought up, or possibly they do not change because people EXPECT things to be a certain way and look out for this.
As far as the Coco Cola commercial "offending" some people because it is in a different language, comes from those uneducated people who believe that there is no room for diversity. In all honesty, when I was younger I did not believe that we should allow immigrants into the country because we should maintain America's way and their culture. However now that I am older and educated, I understand that the WAY of America IS to be diverse and be different. This is a magical place where anyone is welcome and should feel at home. Not a place of discrimination and racism.
Now it may take years and years or we may never see true equality, but I certainly don't think that we should encourage this among children. I do see first hand that it is a cultural issue, and if children in MA are brought us to treat everyone equally I don't see why children in the "south" can't be taught the same thing!!
This musical was from the late 1940s, and we are currently in 2014. This is some 50 years later and we are still dealing with the same issues. Now there are laws and rules that say that each individual is equal in all aspects, however this clearly is not the case. I do believe strongly that it is how we are raised. Children learn by example and if there is some issue going on between a white man and a black (or other racial background) man, the children pick up on this much more that we would think. In the United States this has been such an issue that it created the Civil War. Although the war is over and rules have changed, society has yet to change. I fear that this issue will never truly go away.
It is really sad to see kids getting treated differently for something so small as skin color. I grew up in New England, Massachusetts to be specific and we did not have such racial issues in the little town that I grew up. Although people look at whites and blacks differently, there does not seem to be as much segregation as there is in the south. Now I learned this when I moved to Florida 3 years ago. I got a job in Ybor, Tampa and saw first had the discrimination. I was appalled at first, and spoke with managers and coworkers from the area and they see no issue with how they are treating minorities. They told me "this is the south, its our culture." Now after being here for 3 years I see how this is their culture and it is completely unlike New England.
I think that white Americans feel and act this way towards minorities as part of a pride issue? We are all taught in schools that whites came over to America and discovered this land and that it is ours (whites that is.) You do not learn about black leaders in school, only those white presidents and persons of importance. You learn in school that blacks are slaves, and that there was a huge problem that there was a war in place of it. Now things may not have changed because people do not want to accept change and believe in ways they were brought up, or possibly they do not change because people EXPECT things to be a certain way and look out for this.
As far as the Coco Cola commercial "offending" some people because it is in a different language, comes from those uneducated people who believe that there is no room for diversity. In all honesty, when I was younger I did not believe that we should allow immigrants into the country because we should maintain America's way and their culture. However now that I am older and educated, I understand that the WAY of America IS to be diverse and be different. This is a magical place where anyone is welcome and should feel at home. Not a place of discrimination and racism.
Now it may take years and years or we may never see true equality, but I certainly don't think that we should encourage this among children. I do see first hand that it is a cultural issue, and if children in MA are brought us to treat everyone equally I don't see why children in the "south" can't be taught the same thing!!
Madama Butterfly
This was a very interesting animated opera. It is clearly to be viewed by adult viewers seeing as there is graphic detail in the first two minutes of the opera. However, this is a story about a woman who falls in love with a man who leaves her. When he leaves, he gives her his jacket and hat, but takes her little butterfly. He also leaves her pregnant with his child and does not return for some years. This little lady waits and waits for her man to return, and just as it seems he will not return, he does. This time however, he returns with another lover. This wicked stepmother breaks up Madama and her baby girl. Now this woman has not her child, lover, or butterfly. She then cannot handle being alone and abandoned and commits suicide. I have mixed thoughts about this video. I find it interesting because of the story and I'm a sucker for love stories however the way it is presented is so odd to me. I do not understand why this woman's baby originally is a fish in a glass tank in her stomach, and then when she is born she is a normal baby? I don't know, maybe I'm missing an important idea but it just seems odd to me to make a video of an opera in such a way.
Deus Ex Machina - Catching Fire
If you are a fan of The Hunger Games, you've probably seen the most recent sequel Catching Fire. This movie was excellent!! I chose this movie to use as my example of deus ex machine because the entire movie is fictional, yet is portrayed in such a way that it feels real, rather than fictional. This movie is about a world where instead of fighting in the US Army to protect your country and todays democratic government, the world is flipped upside down. The government is so bad that it encourages those of upper class to watch the lower class citizens fight to the deal in a series of games called The Hunger Games. These games are similar to the Olympics that are taking place this year, however on a much sicker scale. The first movie of the trio is the introduction of how the games are run, and Katniss (the main character) volunteers to fight in place of her little sister. Here she fights along side another boy from her district Peeta. Together they end up winning the games together, which is unusual because the point of the game is to have one winner. However these two convinced the viewers that they were lovers and sympathy allowed them to win together. :)
The sequel to this first movie is next year when it's time for the picking for this years hunger games. They decided to do a unique year where they invite all of the winning tributes to fight as sort of a "advanced" game. Katniss and Peeta return for battle, knowing this time they won't make it out together. The government they have is so corrupt and brutal, that even members of their government are beginning to turn against them. Katniss and Peeta are favorites from the games, and they want to rescue them. The example of deus ex machine comes in the ending of this movie. They go through a series of challenges that bring them near death, and remember the point of these games is to "put on a show."
All of the other members in the tournament decide that they want to go against the government and save Katniss, since she seems to be the head target of the game leaders. We, as the viewers do not know that everyone is on Katniss' side and this makes the movie very interesting. People come close to killing her but it's all for show. The ending of the movie happens when one of the members sacrifices herself to save Katniss, she cuts her tracker out of her arm. And just when Katniss is about to die she is randomly rescued from a jet that enters the game zone and picks her up. Obviously the game leaders do not know that this has occurred since her tracker has been taken out. This is when we find out that her mentor and Peeta, and other members of the government team were out to save Katniss this whole time.
I thought that this was an example of where technology saved an unseeingly solvable problem because in the movie it's at the end, and the entire field is going to burn with everyone in it. Katniss has encountered some serious battles and is almost dead from exhaustion and just at the last minute this giant jet comes from no where and picks her up and puts her on IVs to save her.
Hope this is what you're looking for!! :)
The sequel to this first movie is next year when it's time for the picking for this years hunger games. They decided to do a unique year where they invite all of the winning tributes to fight as sort of a "advanced" game. Katniss and Peeta return for battle, knowing this time they won't make it out together. The government they have is so corrupt and brutal, that even members of their government are beginning to turn against them. Katniss and Peeta are favorites from the games, and they want to rescue them. The example of deus ex machine comes in the ending of this movie. They go through a series of challenges that bring them near death, and remember the point of these games is to "put on a show."
All of the other members in the tournament decide that they want to go against the government and save Katniss, since she seems to be the head target of the game leaders. We, as the viewers do not know that everyone is on Katniss' side and this makes the movie very interesting. People come close to killing her but it's all for show. The ending of the movie happens when one of the members sacrifices herself to save Katniss, she cuts her tracker out of her arm. And just when Katniss is about to die she is randomly rescued from a jet that enters the game zone and picks her up. Obviously the game leaders do not know that this has occurred since her tracker has been taken out. This is when we find out that her mentor and Peeta, and other members of the government team were out to save Katniss this whole time.
I thought that this was an example of where technology saved an unseeingly solvable problem because in the movie it's at the end, and the entire field is going to burn with everyone in it. Katniss has encountered some serious battles and is almost dead from exhaustion and just at the last minute this giant jet comes from no where and picks her up and puts her on IVs to save her.
Hope this is what you're looking for!! :)
Monday, February 3, 2014
Opera Gone Modern Video Game
The opera I chose is Ernani by Verdi. This was originally performed in 1844, and was a very dramatic opera. This opera is classic in that it is about a woman, Elvira, that is a love triangle. She is told to marry Gomez de Silva by her family, however is in love with bad boy Ernani, whom she cannot marry. Ernani is collaborating with a bunch of bandits who feel sorry for him because he is so gloomy. They decide to capture Elvira and run away with her. Ernani breaks in when King Carlos and Silva are there, he challenges them both to battle and tells Elvira to prepare to flee. Elvira chooses to marry Silva because she believes Ernani is dead. Ernani however finds his way into the palace again, to tell Elvira they will run away together, and she tells him that she plans to kill herself at the altar. Then Ernani and Silva get together to get Elvira away from the King. Strangely the two worked together well, and even though the King demanded answers and help Elvira captive, Silva did not turn Ernani in. Carlos overhears Ernani and Silva talking and demands that Ernani is dead however once he sees the connection between Ernani and Elvira he decides to unite the two lovers. At the end Silva hands Ernani a dagger and he ends up killing himself as he promised Silva he would do so in return for freeing Elvira from the King.
From this opera I learned that many operas are the same story, however presented differently. It seems to me that most operas are a dramatic love story between two lovers who cannot be together and at the end one of the lovers commits suicide. When this opera was originally presented I think that the audience reacted very well to the opera because it was based on events that were happening around them. This time people were forced into marriages and many times, the ones whom they were told to marry were not the ones they loved. I'm sure many men and women could relate to the feelings that were presented during the operas. Besides, everyone loves a good love story!
This piece is important chronologically to opera because it is telling stories of what was happening in this time in history. It also is testing the limits with opera by performing acts that may have been otherwise known as taboo. Committing suicide on stage has got to have been a bold statement at this time in history. Unfortunately, today we hear of suicide much too often. There is minimal use of technology in this opera however it can be seen in the beginning when the bandits are fighting the man on the white horse. This use of technology makes the skit come to life. Also as in most other operas the use of technology can be seen through the different back drops during the opera.
If I were a 21st century director, I would turn this opera into a video game by making the game about capturing Elvira. The way the game would work is by going up levels each time you get closer to Elvira. You would encounter challenges such as Silva and Carlos, however to win the game would have to overcome these obstacles and eventually get the girl. This game would have lots of action as Ernani is part of the bandits and there is a lot of "almost" fights between Ernani, the King, and Carlos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcInGVq_ERw
Sunday, February 2, 2014
The Birth and Life of Opera
After watching the birth and life of opera it definitely made me have more appreciation for this form of art. Opera is an amazing art form the combines several different forms, such as dance, music, and theater. Those that made the opera were from the Camerata (people such as artist, philosophers, scientists, and writers) in Florence over 400 years ago. I found it most interesting that the styles of opera changed depending on what was going on around them. There were several styles of opera. Ones that were looking to tell a story, a romantic and/or serious opera that included the audience. Then there were operas that wanted to show up one another, or highly impress their guests (usually the kings and queens.) One example of an opera for the rich and famous is Mozart's Marriage of Figaro. Because operas were political in many ways, people began exploiting the operas based on their political views such as in 1996, when a Venetian opera burns because of political views. Today opera is not as popular as once before, however they seem to be rising in countries that are experiences rapid change and growth. One example is in China in the People's Republic of China as they just completed that Shanghai Grand Theater in 1998.
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