This week I watched three movies by Sofia Coppola. The movies were, The Virgin Suicides, Somewhere, and Lost in Translation. I found her style of directing interesting, but I didn't actually really like the movies I watched.
One of the biggest similarities I saw in her movies was that she has a lot of shots that are very long of people doing mundane things. For example in Lost in Translation there is a shot of the two main characters riding the elevator with a bunch of other people and instead of seeing them enter and cutting to the next scene you watch them ride all the way in silence. Anther example of this is in Somewhere when the main character is getting his face molded for a part in a film. They cover his whole face with some sort of white clay substance and then we sit and watch him just breathing from his nose for much longer then you'd expect to see. I thought this style of filming created an awkward tension that was actually boring to watch after a while. It made the flow of the films seem to move very slowly.
Another similarity was that the character in the three movies I watched all had rather rough lives. They struggled with something, which I think is very realistic. They weren't fairy tale love stories that ended happy and had characters with happy lives. They were rough and raw and sometimes ended uneventfully. In The Virgin Suicides all of these girls are trapped in their house under the rules of their extremely strict parents. This leads to all the girls committing suicide and making poor life decisions. In Somewhere, Johnny is an actor who lives a sad life that mostly consists of drinking and partying and watching poll dancers in his room. The only happy part of his life really is his daughter who gets left with him when her mom decides to leave. He bonds with his daughter, but still participates in his movie star life of having sex with beautiful women and traveling around. In Lost in Translation these two characters, Charlotte and Bob, are both struggling with in their marriages and having trouble fitting in in Japan. They form a strong bond and spend a lot of time together, but are separated at the end when Bob goes home to his family.
I noticed that Sofia Coppola has two movies with Kristen Dunst in it and in the rest of her movies there was at least one well-known actor. I think it is interesting that she makes these what I think are more quite, real to life films and gets big name actors to be in them. I think this was a very interesting assignment and I'm actually glad that I took the time to watch these three films. Although I didn't like these particular films very much it was interesting to watch multiple works by a director and start to see the similarities in their films.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
In Class Writing: What is My Voice
I would have to say that my voice is very influenced by the way I've grown up. I like to base a lot of my work on the many places I have lived and growing up as an air force brat. So I'd say that part of my voice is about my upbringing.
Another part of my voice that influences my writing more then my art is that I like to try to be really descriptive. I enjoy doing creative writing and I find that I like to tell stories with deep description and tend to use sentences that are probably way too long.
In my design work I'd like to think that my voice is light and fun. Most of my work is graphic and bright and mostly all on the computer. But I do enjoy when I get away from the computer and work with my hands specifically using the letterpress. I could say that the fact that some of my work is letter pressed as apposed to all digital is part of my voice as an artist.
What I notice when doing critiques in my studio classes is that I start to get an idea of what everyones style or voice is in their work, but its very hard to pinpoint what my own style is. I look at each piece as something new and don't usually stop to think if it is similar to the last one. Whereas someone else might be looking at my work thinking that it looks very me.
Another part of my voice that influences my writing more then my art is that I like to try to be really descriptive. I enjoy doing creative writing and I find that I like to tell stories with deep description and tend to use sentences that are probably way too long.
In my design work I'd like to think that my voice is light and fun. Most of my work is graphic and bright and mostly all on the computer. But I do enjoy when I get away from the computer and work with my hands specifically using the letterpress. I could say that the fact that some of my work is letter pressed as apposed to all digital is part of my voice as an artist.
What I notice when doing critiques in my studio classes is that I start to get an idea of what everyones style or voice is in their work, but its very hard to pinpoint what my own style is. I look at each piece as something new and don't usually stop to think if it is similar to the last one. Whereas someone else might be looking at my work thinking that it looks very me.
Week 11: Auteurship
First of all I have to say I loved the illustrations in Asterios Polyp and the cleaver way the artist made the type tell the story. It was little details like having the speech bubble shapes different for each character, based on their personality. For example when the main character was walking through the subway station past a guy with a guitar. You could clearly tell he was singing because he had lines with the words written as notes. Or a little later in the story when at one point Still says "Hey Babe" to his wife and his speech bubble is a heart.
Another thing about this graphic novel that I thought was really great and shows the authors voice is that whenever there was a flashback or a pause in the main story where we were getting told important background information, the illustrations would change. Sometimes color and sometimes style. This really helped me as a reader to understand the story with it jumping all over the place. And it was nice that the author didn't have to say he was taking you back or giving you a brief history of a character we understood by the way the illustrations looked at the time. This method of changing the style the characters where draw in could also help us know what type of emotions were being felt at the time. It was also used a lot when a room full of people we being drawn. I think because we didn't need to concentrate on those other people so it wasn't necessary to make them as detailed at the main characters.
Similar to Karen Russel with her very descriptive similes, David Mazzuchell is also very descriptive but with his drawing. For example in part of the story the main character is remembering driving with his girlfriend while she knits. In order to get us to see that visual David drew a knitted scarf acting as a rode with dots marking destination and even a car driving on it. This is a fantastic visual without him having to say much other then she was knitting in the car.
Thinking about the tone of the piece I would say it was serious all the way until the end. The whole time it's such a serious story about this poor professor who has lost his love and has nothing and it seems a little sad and depressing. By the time you reach the end you are feeling a little better because he has gone back to his love and she seems to want him back and then it is almost funny in the end how it is all tied back to the stranger in the diner by having them hit by an asteroid.
Similar to Karen Russel with her very descriptive similes, David Mazzuchell is also very descriptive but with his drawing. For example in part of the story the main character is remembering driving with his girlfriend while she knits. In order to get us to see that visual David drew a knitted scarf acting as a rode with dots marking destination and even a car driving on it. This is a fantastic visual without him having to say much other then she was knitting in the car.
This whole time I was reading this story it felt strange which kept me wondering what was going to happen. I felt connected with this couple and looked forward to flashbacks to learn more of their story. It really felt like a story with in a story, which kept my interest and made me want to read to the end. It also helped that the visuals and typography were beautiful and descriptive and really added the story.
Week 10: Voice in Contemporary Literature
In Sleep Donation Karen Russell writes with a very clear voice. The first thing I noticed about her voice is that a lot of times she will end sentences with two adjectives. For example when talking about the moon she writes, "Its radiance makes every white of human manufacture seem dingy, impure." I think this way of writing just flows well and adds a little extra description to her stories.
The second thing I noticed about the authors voice is that she writes with a lot of almost asides like she is speaking to the audience. Some examples being, "Our contact is limited to this office (unless you count our public performances at Corps fund-raisers, the Charity Balls and Charity Golf-Offs)." and My mouthy, gorgeous, stupid-brave sister Dori, Miss “Drive It Like You Stole It” (even when the only “It” available to us was our great-aunt’s haunted house of a wood-panelled Chrysler—who ever heard of a car with termites?),". These little notes in parenthesis help the reader to dig deeper into the story the author is telling and make you feel included. They also give you a better taste of what the character and the authors personality is like.
The second thing I noticed about the authors voice is that she writes with a lot of almost asides like she is speaking to the audience. Some examples being, "Our contact is limited to this office (unless you count our public performances at Corps fund-raisers, the Charity Balls and Charity Golf-Offs)." and My mouthy, gorgeous, stupid-brave sister Dori, Miss “Drive It Like You Stole It” (even when the only “It” available to us was our great-aunt’s haunted house of a wood-panelled Chrysler—who ever heard of a car with termites?),". These little notes in parenthesis help the reader to dig deeper into the story the author is telling and make you feel included. They also give you a better taste of what the character and the authors personality is like.
The third way I think we hear the authors voice in this story is her amazing description of things. She uses a lot of really great similes that I don't think everyone would think of. It is because of these similes that she doesn't need to use a whole lot of other description because we get the point after just one well written sentence. A good example of this can be seen even on the first page. The author writes, "Rudy slaps his bald spot and leaves his hand there. A grapefruit hue spills underneath his fingers, as if the scalp is blushing." After just one sentence we get a clear picture of the man she is describing and his actions.
As far as tone goes I think hers could be described in different ways. With her snappy asides to the audience you could almost say her tone is sarcastic. After reading the list of different tones from the link on the class page I picked a few that I think fit with this story. First of all I think the tone could be considered candid meaning truthful, straightforward: honest or unreserved. The reason I think this is that the author doesn't beat around the bush with this story. She jumps right in and begins to tell the story very straightforward. Although she has very descriptive sentences she doesn't write with a lot of other unnecessary flourish. Another way I think the tone could be described is almost chatty meaning informal; lively; conversational or familiar. I think this part of the tone comes out in the authors asides to us. The whole story to me just feels like she is talking to us. We are easily immersed in this world of sleep deprived people because the author is so great at giving us lots of information here and there through various methods.
Overall I thought that this novella was very interesting. I enjoy Karen Russell's style of writing a lot because it feels very personal. I also thought the story in general was a totally new story and I haven't read anything with the same plot. The idea of a insomnia apocalypse is a very cool yet creepy idea.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Assesment
1. Are there any prominent symbols in the story? If so, what are they and how are they used?
The relationship between the two characters I think is a symbol. It is used basically to tell the story. We gradually learn whats happening through these apologies about past events in this couples life. Another symbol is the martian. We don't really know if the main character is who is talking is a martian, but we suspect that he is because he talks about human thing as if he is not human. We also figure out that the martians want to invade earth. In parts of the story the character speaking talks about wearing a costume. Costumes are a classic symbol for heroes and villains so I think that it's important that he talks about hiding his costume and doing costume changes. There is also a lot of talk about Doctor Kagan their couples therapist. The idea that this evil alien villain would being going to see a couples therapist with his girlfriend is just funny and ironic. I think the biggest symbol is the apologies. The whole story is told through these apologies, but some of them aren't really apologies at all.
2. What connections did you make with the story? Discuss the elements of the work with which you were able to connect.
I was able to connect with the relationship talk the people are having. I've been in relationships where I've had to apologize for things or needed for the other person to just hear me out. This is also a very common thing in movies I've seen except the conversation is clearly under different circumstances. I was also able to connect with the whole idea of heroes vs. villains as I have seen many super hero movies. It made me think of the movie Mega Mind because it was from the villains point of view rather than the heroes. I also thought some of the humor in it was similar to that in Mega Mind. The idea that the villain can have feelings for someone or sort of feel bad about what they are doing, but not bad enough not to do the evil thing they plan to do. It also made me think of the villain in the cartoon Phineas and Ferb with the idea that the villain could sort of play a comical more human role in the story. Another aspect I connected with was the couples therapy. My dad is a pastor and does therapy for couples all the time. I think some of the things the main character mentioned the therapist said to focus on were spot on.
3. What changes would you make to adapt this story in another medium? What medium would you use? What changes would you make?
I would adapt this story into a movie because I think it would be funny and entertaining. I would probably start the movie like the story with the holographic projection of the guy talking to the girl. But when he goes through the list of apologies I would have flash backs showing these memories instead of the main character just talking about them. I think this would get people more engaged in the story and would get the viewer more connected with this couple. I would also adapt the ending so that we know what decision Susanna makes. I also think having a better understanding of what is happening to Susanna while she is hearing all these apologies would be good. In the story we don't get her reaction at all so I would definitely try to show that in the movie.
The relationship between the two characters I think is a symbol. It is used basically to tell the story. We gradually learn whats happening through these apologies about past events in this couples life. Another symbol is the martian. We don't really know if the main character is who is talking is a martian, but we suspect that he is because he talks about human thing as if he is not human. We also figure out that the martians want to invade earth. In parts of the story the character speaking talks about wearing a costume. Costumes are a classic symbol for heroes and villains so I think that it's important that he talks about hiding his costume and doing costume changes. There is also a lot of talk about Doctor Kagan their couples therapist. The idea that this evil alien villain would being going to see a couples therapist with his girlfriend is just funny and ironic. I think the biggest symbol is the apologies. The whole story is told through these apologies, but some of them aren't really apologies at all.
2. What connections did you make with the story? Discuss the elements of the work with which you were able to connect.
I was able to connect with the relationship talk the people are having. I've been in relationships where I've had to apologize for things or needed for the other person to just hear me out. This is also a very common thing in movies I've seen except the conversation is clearly under different circumstances. I was also able to connect with the whole idea of heroes vs. villains as I have seen many super hero movies. It made me think of the movie Mega Mind because it was from the villains point of view rather than the heroes. I also thought some of the humor in it was similar to that in Mega Mind. The idea that the villain can have feelings for someone or sort of feel bad about what they are doing, but not bad enough not to do the evil thing they plan to do. It also made me think of the villain in the cartoon Phineas and Ferb with the idea that the villain could sort of play a comical more human role in the story. Another aspect I connected with was the couples therapy. My dad is a pastor and does therapy for couples all the time. I think some of the things the main character mentioned the therapist said to focus on were spot on.
3. What changes would you make to adapt this story in another medium? What medium would you use? What changes would you make?
I would adapt this story into a movie because I think it would be funny and entertaining. I would probably start the movie like the story with the holographic projection of the guy talking to the girl. But when he goes through the list of apologies I would have flash backs showing these memories instead of the main character just talking about them. I think this would get people more engaged in the story and would get the viewer more connected with this couple. I would also adapt the ending so that we know what decision Susanna makes. I also think having a better understanding of what is happening to Susanna while she is hearing all these apologies would be good. In the story we don't get her reaction at all so I would definitely try to show that in the movie.
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Week 9: Genre and The Game Based Narrative
I arrive home from a long day of school I say hello to by mom as I shut the door behind me. I throw my backpack down on the couch and put on my visor, gloves, and my full emersion jumpsuit to begin playing my favorite virtual reality game, Ready Player One.
Standing in my living room. All is black until suddenly the world changes in front of me. I am standing in a long line of people slowly shuffling through various checkpoints. I am momentarily confused then I remember I am playing as Wade Watts and I had just been taken by the Sixers to become an indent. I finally arrive at the first checkpoint in the line. A Sixer guard next to me yells to step through the scanner to check for hidden technology. As the scanner passes over me I feel a tingling throughout my body caused by my emersion jumpsuit. I clear this checkpoint and then am escorted into another room for more testing.
This room is huge with a bunch of individual cubicles filled with other people testing. A guard leads me to a cubicle, pushes me into my seat then walks away. In the game I put on my visor and gloves to begin my test. The room goes black. I am transported to another room where I must complete a series of mini games in order to continue playing as Wade.
The first game is to see how much I know about James Halliday, the inventor of the OASIS, which Ready Player One is based on. For this game I am transported through different moments in Halliday's life. These scenes play around me, while I stand there invisible, and eventually freeze right before a key part. I then have to say out loud what happens next. If I am correct I move to the next moment and if I am wrong the room flashes red and a red X appears on the bottom of the screen. I get three chances to guess correctly and if I don't get it I die and have to start the tests over.
After the last test is finished I am transported to an office. The office is big with a large window on one wall and a big desk in the middle. Sitting at the desk is a woman. Her nameplate reads Nancy. I am told to sit down in the noisy, brown leather chair so I can be given my work assignment. Nancy informs me that because of my test scores I will be a technical support representative. I am then given a contract to read and sign. When I am finished signing Nancy tells me to please remove my visor and gloves and follow the nearest guard to the washing station.
At the washing station I am told to remove my clothes and go through what can only be described as a human car wash. Because of my full body emersion jumpsuit, it really feels like I am getting sprayed with cold water and scrubbed down with big revolving brushes when in reality I am still standing I'm my living room.
After the wash I am given a grey jumpsuit and a pair of plastic slippers to put on and I am corralled to the next station. This station gives me a medical check up. This is my least favorite part because when they draw blood in the game my jumpsuit at home gives me a poke to the arm that make it all seem too real and spooky. I am then given an earpiece and an anklet to wear, which is simulated by my visor pinching my ear lobe and the leg of my jumpsuit tightening up on one ankle.
Medical tests finished, I am now directed by my earpiece down multiple hallways until I reach my Hab, aka my sleeping quarters. I climb down into the hab-unit and look around. It is very small and the only things in it are a bed, an entertainment console, and a camera to watch me.
Just as I am about to sit at the entertainment center and start snooping I hear my mom calling me for dinner. I roll my eyes and say aloud, "game pause" everything around me freezes and a screen come up in front of my face giving me the options: continue play, save progress, options, or quite game. I say "save progress" then "shut down". The hab-unit around me devolves into black and I remove my visor. I am once again back in my boring living room. Surprisingly starving.
Standing in my living room. All is black until suddenly the world changes in front of me. I am standing in a long line of people slowly shuffling through various checkpoints. I am momentarily confused then I remember I am playing as Wade Watts and I had just been taken by the Sixers to become an indent. I finally arrive at the first checkpoint in the line. A Sixer guard next to me yells to step through the scanner to check for hidden technology. As the scanner passes over me I feel a tingling throughout my body caused by my emersion jumpsuit. I clear this checkpoint and then am escorted into another room for more testing.
This room is huge with a bunch of individual cubicles filled with other people testing. A guard leads me to a cubicle, pushes me into my seat then walks away. In the game I put on my visor and gloves to begin my test. The room goes black. I am transported to another room where I must complete a series of mini games in order to continue playing as Wade.
The first game is to see how much I know about James Halliday, the inventor of the OASIS, which Ready Player One is based on. For this game I am transported through different moments in Halliday's life. These scenes play around me, while I stand there invisible, and eventually freeze right before a key part. I then have to say out loud what happens next. If I am correct I move to the next moment and if I am wrong the room flashes red and a red X appears on the bottom of the screen. I get three chances to guess correctly and if I don't get it I die and have to start the tests over.
After the last test is finished I am transported to an office. The office is big with a large window on one wall and a big desk in the middle. Sitting at the desk is a woman. Her nameplate reads Nancy. I am told to sit down in the noisy, brown leather chair so I can be given my work assignment. Nancy informs me that because of my test scores I will be a technical support representative. I am then given a contract to read and sign. When I am finished signing Nancy tells me to please remove my visor and gloves and follow the nearest guard to the washing station.
At the washing station I am told to remove my clothes and go through what can only be described as a human car wash. Because of my full body emersion jumpsuit, it really feels like I am getting sprayed with cold water and scrubbed down with big revolving brushes when in reality I am still standing I'm my living room.
After the wash I am given a grey jumpsuit and a pair of plastic slippers to put on and I am corralled to the next station. This station gives me a medical check up. This is my least favorite part because when they draw blood in the game my jumpsuit at home gives me a poke to the arm that make it all seem too real and spooky. I am then given an earpiece and an anklet to wear, which is simulated by my visor pinching my ear lobe and the leg of my jumpsuit tightening up on one ankle.
Medical tests finished, I am now directed by my earpiece down multiple hallways until I reach my Hab, aka my sleeping quarters. I climb down into the hab-unit and look around. It is very small and the only things in it are a bed, an entertainment console, and a camera to watch me.
Just as I am about to sit at the entertainment center and start snooping I hear my mom calling me for dinner. I roll my eyes and say aloud, "game pause" everything around me freezes and a screen come up in front of my face giving me the options: continue play, save progress, options, or quite game. I say "save progress" then "shut down". The hab-unit around me devolves into black and I remove my visor. I am once again back in my boring living room. Surprisingly starving.
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Week 8: Reading Virtual Realities
I read two short stories from The Dew Breaker, Water Child and The Bridal Seamstress. Both stories were very interesting and I could see how Edwidge Danticat created a new and descriptive world for each. Although they were so different I noticed similar world building techniques the author used in both stories.
Water Child is a story about Nadine, a nurse in her thirties that works at an ear nose throat specialist clinic. She tends to keep to herself and is struggling with some tough life situations. She often receives letters from her parents begging to hear her voice, which she rereads daily but is reluctant to respond to. We learn that she helps support her parents by sending them money and eventually plans to pay them back completely for sending her to nursing school. You soon find out that she has an ex-boyfriend who was the father of her aborted child. On her dresser she keeps a water glass with a pebble in it and some memorabilia of her ex as a monument to her unborn baby. In part of the story she consoles a patient who is no longer able to speak while effectively describing to the reader what is would be like waking up everyday realizing you can no longer speak. Through out the entirety story you get short glimpses into Nadine's desolate life. Slowly learning more and more about her and understanding why she likes to be alone.
The Bridal Seamstress is about a young journalism intern who is send to interview an old bridal seamstress about her upcoming retirement. When she sit down to interview the women she learns a lot more then what she expected and realizes she may get more then a simple article about a retiring seamstress out of it. Halfway through the interview the old women suggests that the two of them take a walk down the block. Exasperated by the women's unwillingness to complete the interview easily Aline, the journalist, protests but is forced to follow the old seamstress when she abruptly walks out of the house without another word. While walking the block the old women talks about all her neighbors and their various jobs and ethnicities until they arrive at one house in participial that seems to have some meaning to the women. By then end of the story you learn that the man who lives in that house is a prison guard on the run from the law that once arrested and whipped the old women back in her country. The women claims that the prison guard follows her whenever she moves because he is able to find out her address due to her bridal clients. Eventually she confides in Aline that she plans to retire from her job so she can move without sending updates on her new address so this man can no longer find her.
On both stories the author uses a strategy of slowly introducing bits of information through out the entirety of the story to build the world in which it takes place. Instead of describing everything at once we are left in the dark at first, but every once in a while we learn a new piece of the puzzle that takes us deeper and deeper into the world the author is building.
I also think the describing words she uses in both short stories really makes you feel immersed in the world she is created. You feel the pain of Nadine as she struggles with people alone and mistakes she has made in the past and you are figuring out the mystery of the bridal seamstress right along with Aline. The author really sets up the story and ends it with an interesting conclusion sentence.
Water Child is a story about Nadine, a nurse in her thirties that works at an ear nose throat specialist clinic. She tends to keep to herself and is struggling with some tough life situations. She often receives letters from her parents begging to hear her voice, which she rereads daily but is reluctant to respond to. We learn that she helps support her parents by sending them money and eventually plans to pay them back completely for sending her to nursing school. You soon find out that she has an ex-boyfriend who was the father of her aborted child. On her dresser she keeps a water glass with a pebble in it and some memorabilia of her ex as a monument to her unborn baby. In part of the story she consoles a patient who is no longer able to speak while effectively describing to the reader what is would be like waking up everyday realizing you can no longer speak. Through out the entirety story you get short glimpses into Nadine's desolate life. Slowly learning more and more about her and understanding why she likes to be alone.
The Bridal Seamstress is about a young journalism intern who is send to interview an old bridal seamstress about her upcoming retirement. When she sit down to interview the women she learns a lot more then what she expected and realizes she may get more then a simple article about a retiring seamstress out of it. Halfway through the interview the old women suggests that the two of them take a walk down the block. Exasperated by the women's unwillingness to complete the interview easily Aline, the journalist, protests but is forced to follow the old seamstress when she abruptly walks out of the house without another word. While walking the block the old women talks about all her neighbors and their various jobs and ethnicities until they arrive at one house in participial that seems to have some meaning to the women. By then end of the story you learn that the man who lives in that house is a prison guard on the run from the law that once arrested and whipped the old women back in her country. The women claims that the prison guard follows her whenever she moves because he is able to find out her address due to her bridal clients. Eventually she confides in Aline that she plans to retire from her job so she can move without sending updates on her new address so this man can no longer find her.
On both stories the author uses a strategy of slowly introducing bits of information through out the entirety of the story to build the world in which it takes place. Instead of describing everything at once we are left in the dark at first, but every once in a while we learn a new piece of the puzzle that takes us deeper and deeper into the world the author is building.
I also think the describing words she uses in both short stories really makes you feel immersed in the world she is created. You feel the pain of Nadine as she struggles with people alone and mistakes she has made in the past and you are figuring out the mystery of the bridal seamstress right along with Aline. The author really sets up the story and ends it with an interesting conclusion sentence.
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