Superheros

Superpowers

Listen to the first 20 minutes of This American Life.

If I could have any superpower I would choose the super speed.  In the video below you receive an audio presentation of how and why I selected my super hero, along with a picture of him or her.

Video Jokes

We were asked to prepare two video pieces based on a chosen joke.  Below is the joke we selected and our interpretations.


A few days after Christmas, a mother was working in the kitchen listening to her young son playing with his new electric train in the living room. She heard the train stop and her son said, "All of you sons of bitches who want off, get the hell off now, cause this is the last stop! And all of you sons of bitches who are getting on, get your asses in the train, cause we're going down the tracks."

The mother went nuts and told her son, "We don't use that kind of language in this house. Now I want you to go to your room and you are to stay there for TWO HOURS. When you come out, you may play with your train, but I want you to use nice language."

Two hours later, the son comes out of the bedroom and resumes playing with his train. Soon the train stopped and the mother heard her son say, "All passengers who are disembarking from the train, please remember to take all of your belongings with you. We thank you for riding with us today and hope your trip was a pleasant one. We hope you will ride with us again soon." She hears the little boy continue, "For those of you just boarding, we ask you to stow all of your hand luggage under your seat. Remember, there is no smoking on the train. We hope you will have a pleasant and relaxing journey with us today."

As the mother began to smile, the child added, "For those of you who are pissed off about the TWO HOUR delay, please see the bitch in the kitchen."

In the first video we recorded the audio after the filming of the video.  Specific cuts, positioning and framing were made to ensure the characters' lips were not visable during their dialogue.  It also portrays internal conflict through the parent's beginning portion when the viewer hears his thoughts.  An interesting fact about this video is the voices for the two characters were performed by each other, as in the father's voice is used for the child and the child's voice is used for the father.  The father's facial expressions created subtext to how the audience should feel and virtual lines were created by the line of the dad's gaze constantly looking at his son.  Lines were also created by the time out corner which formed a box around the child.  Shape was incorporated in the contrast of the father's square face and hat with the boy's round face.  The movement in this video is not as easy to notice as some of the other techniques.  It is established by the son appearing on the left side of his father when he uses bad language to show he is on his dad's "bad side".  But after his time out he moved to the right side metaphorically moving to the "good side".

In the second video we took a silent film approach.  This totally eliminated the dialogue they share because it appears as text.  Because of this we decided to make the characters' movements very animated and wild to make the video more attention getting.  When we framed the characters we wanted to always make the parent seem larger which showed the importance of her.  In contrast, the boy always appeared on his knees to make him smaller, and also featured camera angles looking down on him.  The rhythm of the video has a quick tempo, because without the audio it seemed monotones and boring.  We added music which helped add to the rhythm also by giving the audience something to listen to during the piece.  We manipulated the space by giving an illusion of multiple rooms. In the video there is a kitchen, a family room, a reading room and an entrance to the boy's bedroom.  I feel that we did a good job considering our location was the entrance to a classroom. 

These videos have affinity in the fact they are both about the same subject and both filmed on terrible cameras, also they both portray the adult as more powerful than the child.  Videos one and two contrast in ways also; depicted in the genre, filming techniques, audio placement and many more.

My Sound Scape

Cover Song

For my two songs I have chosen “Umbrella”, originally performed by Rihanna and covered by Scott Simons.  Rihanna released this recording on March 29^th, 2007 and it was quickly re-made by Simons on June 28^th of that same year.  The original version of “Umbrella” was very popular, resulting in Rihanna clinching positions within the top ten on music charts around the world. One of the most outstanding similarities, or affinity, in these tracks is in the lyrics.  In short, a cover is simply a recreation of a previously recorded song.  Also, cover songs keep the original lyrics, but everything else in the piece can be altered.  In addition, these two songs also contrast, or differentiate from, each other in many ways as well.

 Rihanna-Umbrella

Rihanna’s version of “Umbrella” fuses rock and hip-hop with a touch of auto-tuned sound. When listening to the song, one will notice the complexity in the layers of instruments applied in the music.  The melody is fueled by a prominent electric guitar, accompanied by a classic feeling kick drum loop.  However, not just the guitar and drums support her powerful vocals, but also the use of cymbals and a keyboard.  The keyboarding in “Umbrella” not only adds to the rhythm of the song, giving her track it’s catchy qualities, but also gives her a more intense vocal performance by providing an accent to her voice.  Having that backdrop makes her singing seem bigger and more exciting.  Also, it provides a nice complement to the auto-tuned feel, because both sound futuristic and new age, yet still being subtle.

Scott Simons-Umbrella (cover)

The alternative, indie approach taken by Scott Simons, transformed Rihanna’s Top 40 hit into a calm, elegant piece of music.  The use of auto-tune is much more apparent in this version, but it gives his vocals a tranquil vibe and a soft intensity. His singing conveys both tension and release depending on the different segments of the song.  In Simons’s verses, the song lets you relax with a slow speed paired with a low pitch.  However in his choruses, the pitch rises and the speed of his singing increases. The beauty of this version is the simplicity it possesses, because the instruments producing this sound are solely a piano and a drum beat.  Because such a basic melody is used, the vocals shine as the most prominent portion of the track.

The two versions share many qualities, but also have very distinct differences.  Both recordings use a drum beat, auto-tuning techniques and, of course, the lyrics.  Conversely, the two differ in speed, intensity and the overall feel of the song.  I feel Rihanna’s “Umbrella” is almost anthem-like with its rhythmic structure and rich melody.  Oppositely, Simons’s recreation is not a track to sing from the rooftops, but one to lie on your back and look at the sky.  Both tracks are very impressive, but I prefer the cover song created by Scott Simons.   I am persuaded this direction partially because I can better relate to his song.  His version is voiced through the point of view of a man, which gives me a better understanding of the emotion behind the lyrics.  I also can’t help but love the rawness and the execution of such a simple melody.

Ways to obtain ideas

Have you ever had to come up with an idea but ended up just sitting staring at your computer screen for what seems like hours?  If you have please check out this link and search for "14 Ways to get Breakthrough Ideas": changethis.com.  In this article Ditkoff describes the two types of approaches in discovering new ideas, the Eastern and Western approach.  Eastern states: I am, therefore I think, when the Western method states: I think, therefore I am.  The Eastern approach is a more creative method focussing on intuitive knowing.  The Western approach is most used by business professionals which highlights thinking as an individual.

One suggestion Ditkoff gives is to follow your fascination.  I think this is a great tip because if you are working with something that really interests you you will delve more deeply into the subject.  Also, your topic will hold your attention much longer because you are actually enjoying what you are researching and learning.  As an artist, I really enjoy hip hop music.  I can use this love for music in my own creations by making documentaries about the past, present and future of this genre.  I agree with this prompt because I feel like I could make a much better piece about hip hop music rather than something I have no interest in such as polka or opera.  

Ditkoff uses the term immerse to prompt the reader in his article.  Immersion is defined as "the act of being completely involved or absorbed in something".  Although I respect Ditkoff, this method would not work for me.  When creating a film I like to draw from many different influences, because it gives my work more variety and appeals to a larger group.  It is good to be focused, but you do not want to be so absorbed in one thing that you miss something that could have drastically improved your creation.  This leads to very flat, bland and one sided finished products.

Another impressive technique is the method of "making new connections".  This describes the combination of subjects to make something new.  In Ditkoff's article he describes this topic through examples like, "MTV being nothing more than the connection between music and television".  Using this technique will lead to original and innovative ideas I can use in my own personal media creations.  Also, if you are bringing something to the table nobody has ever seen it will make you a more memorable person and open up more possibilities for your career.

In prompt one Ditkoff asks the questions "What new idea is fascinating you?  What new possibility has captured your attention?  In what ways can you honor this inspiration today?"  Lately I have began to become very interested in the art of DJing, mixing music, creating music and scratching.  I have also been communicating with a disc jockey at Ohio University to gain knowledge about his abilities and techniques.  I want to take the idea of rewinding music by moving the record and apply it to video.  My goal is to make a piece about a DJ actually rewinding reality by by scratching and mixing music.

Who am I as a creative person?

When creating a piece of work I try to be as creative as possible.  I focus on trying to see the subject in a different sight than it is perceived originally.  I am influenced by artists who are doing things that have never been done before; one would call these people innovators.  I like the newness and the fresh approach these people take when tackling their expertise.

The first artist i have chosen is an up and coming hip hop artist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who goes by the stage name Wiz Khalifa.  He has not only made great music, but organized a whole revolution of followers commonly known as "Taylor Gang".  Observe the photo below of a concert he held in New York and notice the excitement and loyalty of his fans.

Khalifa is giving kids, who did not use to feel heard, a voice through his lyrics.   He is doing new things in the music industry by not signing with a leading record label, but instead taking an alternative route as an independent artist from Rostrum Records.  He is not just a musician but also a performer.  The video below is a concert he held at Ohio University, watch how active he is and his energy in connecting with the crowd. Also, note his tension and release by how he goes to different parts of the stage and the audacity of his movements.

Wiz brings a fresh and unique style all his own to the music industry, which I greatly admire.  These are some qualities I hope to bring to my own works of art.

Another professional whom I admire is Michel Gondry.  He has a very impressive collection of films he has directed including "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "The Green Hornet".  He has also directed numerous music videos, one of which is "Around the World" by Daft Punk.  This video is one of the most original and creative productions I have ever seen.  There is a unique character for each sound portrayed in the song and put against the black background the contrast is great.  Also, the affinity of all the characters give the video a very uniform look.  It is amazing that he can create such a masterpiece in such a limited amount of space.  Below is the video in its entirety.