Blog Assignment #8

Tower Scene From Vertigo, by Alfred Hitchcock


     This scene from Vertigo demonstrates a battle between love and death.  The woman in the video has a choice of continuing to love the man, or end her life.  She ends up choosing death, because she knows that this love would never work. The theme that Alfred Hitchcock is trying to deliver, is that love is more complicated than what you feel.
     Contrast of space is vital to the feel ofVertigo.  When the main character is chasing the woman up the stairs in the bell tower, he looks down to see how high off up he is.  The camera shoots the ground with a fair amount of space between them, and the the camera pulls back.  This allows the audience to see what the protagonist sees. This is also a contrast and affinity, because it shows the contrast between normal vision and the protagonist's vision.  It shows affinity by doing this twice throughout the scene.
     Movement is also vital to this scene.  The characters are always in motion.  This constant motion creates great tension throughout the scene.  As the protagonist is acceding up the stairs, the music is playing in the background gradually increases in pitch.  This tension is then released when the girl umps off the tower to her death, and the music stops.
  

Blog Assignment #7

     These two images were taken from the animated sitcom The Simpsons.  Even though the images are taken from the same show, they tell different stories.  The animators use color and lighting to bring these images to life.
     Colors are used differently in both frames.  In the frame on the left, the hues are all dark and depressed.  This make the room seem less bright.  The colors are more saturated, and deep.  Every wall and object in the frame on the left are darker than the objects and walls in the frame on the right.  This creates a depressed tone for the frame on the left.  The only similarity between the two frames in relation to hugh and brightness, is Homer himself.  This is significant, because it shows that even though the characters are placed in dark and light environments, they remain the same as a person.  The frame on the left shows the Simpson kitchen in the dark.  These dark purple colors in the kitchen are drawn to show how secluded Homer is.  It subconsciously lets the audience feel lonely for Homer sitting on the couch.
     Lighting is also used in these frames to express symbolism and mood.  The image on the left is highly depressing, yet funny at the same time.  The whole room is dark, and the lights are all turned off.  The frame on the right that shows Homer with his whole family, is brightly lit.   The mood of the family portrait is one of joy and satisfaction.  The family is content with being together, and watching T.V.  This warmth is a symbol that remains throughout the entire Simpsons series.  The symbol is simply that things are brighter with the family.  Sure, the Simpsons have had their differences, but at the end of every episode, the family gets back together in a loving manner to enjoy each others company.  This is why the animators decided to put Homer in a dark room when he is alone.  They want the audience to know that he is lonely.  The camera is pulled back in the frame on the left as well.  This make Homer look even more secluded.
     The animators always have a purpose for every line that they draw.  This becomes more and more evident as the frames are studied.

Blog Assignment #6

      The opening shot is an extreme close up of the character "Cheddar" snorting cocaine off a cd through a straw.  This shot establishes the environment in which the scene will take place.  The director uses the opening shot in a crafty way.  This project was a great introduction for storyboarding.  Being able to draw each individual scene, helped me catch the different angles with ease.  It was interesting to notice small things that would otherwise go unseen.  The director knows exactly what he is doing with every camera position, and that is evident when viewing each shot separately.   The over the head view would not have been easy without carefully studying the camera positions of the previous frames.  By studying each frame, one can figure where the others are located in the room.  The director did a great job of establishing a 180 degree line between the characters, and did not break the line once.  He also did a good job of moving the camera 30 degrees or more within the scene.  He never broke the 30% rule either, always zooming in or out 30% or more for the next shot.
     Director Ben Affleck is an outstanding director, and he allows his brother Casey Affleck to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight in "Gone Baby Gone."  Ben stays professional throughout the entire sequence, and does not break any of the traditional rules of shooting.  The camera faces upwards when facing the character Cheddar, to show that he is a man of great power in that area.  The camera uses this technique again when filming the two protagonists of the film.  He tilts the camera down to make them appear weak and venerable.  "Gone Baby Gone" is a great film, shot by a professional director, and it shows throughout the whole movie.

Blog Assignment #5

1 original, and 1 cover.

SONG: God's Gonna Cut You Down

Version #1 Johnny Cash-  God's Gonna Cut You Down
Version #2 Sean Michel-  God's Gonna Cut You Down

ESSAY:

     I chose to discuss the song titled "God's Gonna Cut You Down" by Johnny Cash.  I chose this song, because I absolutely love the cover that Sean Michel does.
     Since I decided to choose a song and its' cover, the lyrics are the same.  The only difference in wording that I found, was that Sean Michel uses his first name in the song instead of "John" which is how Johnny Cash wrote it.
     The melody was similar as well, but it did have some noticeable differences.  Johnny Cash drew out the song very slowly, while Sean Sped thing up. The pitch was very low for Johnny's version, but much higher for Sean.  Sean used his fingers to snap the rhythm, while Johnny has people clapping in his.  The clapping was louder and much more intense than the sound of the snapping.  Johnny's voice is very pure and organized.  He dies not use riffs, and is straight to the point.  Sean is quite the opposite.  His version was shaky and had riffs.  This difference made Johnny's version seem much more organized, and Sean's version sounds more random and tonal.  Both versions are amazing, and the differences create a different, yet enjoyable listening experience.
     This project opened my eyes, and allowed me to respect the differences in these two versions.  I must say that I find Sean's versions to be more enjoyable, but both are great.  This project also helped me understand how music can be manipulated over time.  Johnny wrote that song many years ago, and Sean covered it only a few years ago.  Sean modernized the song by making it more upbeat and fun.  He wanted to appeal to a larger audience, so he had to change the tempo.

South America Class Project

Stikz Star Wars

Blog Assignment #4

Scene from the movie, Gone Baby Gone

Directed by: Ben Affleck

brief critique 

  

The scene in that I have chosen is very quiet and it allows for a tense situation.  Just like the scene from The Godfather this scene uses the lack of noise to make everything to sound louder.  The speed and loudness of this scene are both low.  It is not a loud scene, and it is also very slow paced.  This creates tension, which is appropriate for the situation.  The tonal center of this scene is one of frustration and tension.  The characters have a lot on the line in this sequence.  The listening mode is highly referential, and not casual at all.  If the audience is not listening intently, they will miss the tone, and the point of the scene.  Gone Baby Gone is a very intense action-thriller, and it requires a very intent audience.  The emotion of the movie will not be caught if someone were just watching casually with a bunch of friends.