Today was our last class. I have mixed feelings about today. In terms of the blogs, I'm just annoyed. I'm annoyed by the fact that people have apparently been using my blog as a resource. I'm annoyed by the fact that if someone searches blog search for the name 'Mark Lipton,' my blog is one at the top of the page. I'm annoyed that I've been made fun of countless times because I have so many blog posts. Honestly, the quantity of the posts isn't what matters, and I frankly don't care about the total number. I did what I thought would have been natural, and that just so happened to be over the expected amount.
When we had the final exam today, I was a bit skeptical. As much as I want a grade in this class that reflects the amount of effort, initiative and planning that I put into it, I feel that I still could have done better. I mean there's always room for improvement. I feel that I deserve a final grade of 82%. This is how I'm working it out:
Media Autobiography: 6.5/10
Semiotic Essay: 21/30
Blog: 44/50 (This isn't because of the number of posts, that is completely coincidental haha)
Last Word: 9/10
Yes, this adds up to 80.5%, but for what I've had to go through according to group projects the like, I think I deserve an 82% when all aspects are put into account. But obviously professors can't always be aware of all the circumstances, so one will almost never get the mark that they think they deserve.
I'm sort of sad that since Mark Lipton is known to be a hard marker, I will not achieve this grade. Class average of 35% last year? Are you joking? If I got lower than 35% I would probably cry. On anything I've put effort into (And I'm an all-or-nothing kinda gal, usually ALL) I've never received lower than 80%. Man, if I don't do well..
I really try not to compare myself to other people, this is rooted with the fact that I have a sibling who I used to always compare to myself. Since she had more of a slender body type, I always thought my parents liked her better. I mean of course they didn't care about that stuff, but you know, I was young, I didn't know any better. Anyways, it just kills me to see that people are always going to be given second chances. It feels like people aren't getting weeded out early, and all I can think is, am I still going to have to deal with these people for another three and a half years? I can't believe how...how lenient and push-over-like the world can be.
Well I guess this is it. This is farewell to the worst and best semester of my life. After having to endure this class I have learned a lot about myself. I am definitely a very sensitive person, and I've always known this, but it's more than I thought. I'm kind of a woos (I'm assuming that's how you spell it, spell check doesn't object). I take things a little too personal and yes, sometimes criticism or rudeness may be directed at me, but I guess I need to learn to get over it. And that's what I think I learned to do this class. Whenever I thought that Mark was cutting me off or being rude, I was SO mad. Why is he doing this to me? Is he just trying to test me? And I don't mean in a malicious way, I mean in a way that would make me realize how I react, and how I may need to change. Well, he did it.
From the day that I walked out of the class, (and returned) I've had this theory. I am almost certain that I'm wrong, but I might as well express it. I think that everything in this class including the professor, the course, the way in which the course was taught, and even the group tasks are just a HUGE, sort of stressful test of our critical analysis and integrity. And I don't mean surface critical analysis, I mean like..thinking so hard that it drives you crazy. Because that's basically what has happened to me. I'm so used to already over-analyzing everything, that this course has literally blown my mind. I now have so many more thoughts that just crowd and hurt my brain. I've found that lately I always have this feeling in my throat that I am about to vomit...maybe it's symbolism for the overflow of thoughts in my brain. What's scary to think is that I'm probably not even analyzing as much as I could. Just think if I was critically analyzing to the fullest! I'd probably be dead.
I think if students are intimidated my Mark Lipton, they don't get his point. And I'm not sure if this claim is way off, but maybe, on the contrary, I've pinpointed the point of the class. I think from critically analyzing everything about the course, I've discovered the mystery of mass communication. Or maybe I'm just like Seinfeld, the show about nothing, except it's Cara's Blog About Nothing.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Timeline of Media Social History
"'Doc are you telling me you built a time machine . . . out of a Delorean?'" (1)
Going back in time to see what cultural implications were linked to various technologies is pretty interesting. Since I have always been fascinated with history, this group task looked like it would be really cool to dig deep and find connections between technologies for media and culture. We started off with our theme sort of broad, and later realized that it was hard to start because it was hard to make links with the technologies we had chosen. Recently we started to think deep into what we could do as a practical and interesting theme, and we came up with technologies for audio recorded media. So our five technologies are cave men, the phonograph, the LP record, the cassette tape, and the Compact Disc. This theme is easily relatable to most individuals. Here is what we came up with, I did the part about the cassette tape, as well as put the poster together from construction paper, string from my Hallowe'en costume, and the pictures that Adam, Lisa and I found when we met up.
I think these links are important to take note of because I've always thought that history is important because situations that were overcome in the past can be knowledge for the future. This whole 'cause and effect' deal has a lot to do with the ecology of media actually, fancy that!
The theory that there are environments that media forms is the root of media ecology, the study of these media environments. Ecology of these environments (the environment being its structure, content, and impact. So, in a way, we have just conducted media ecology case study on audio recording and communication!
The fast-forwarded version of what I’ve learned from all the pieces of the timeline:
Cavemen, usually noted for their cave drawings, actually had some audio of their own that came from having portable records of pictographs (on pieces of clay), to using these portable pieces for shipping and trading materials, to using sounds (abstract figures and grunts). The progression is amazing, them neanderthals (and humans too, I guess) are sum-art.
The phonograph was invented by Thomas Edison in 1877. It recorded voice or sound, and then could play back the audio. When a noise was picked up by the recording needle the sound vibrations would get indented onto the cylinder and would later be able to be played back. The social aspect that the phonograph created was the notion of elitism. Because the phonograph was expensive, only the richest people could buy them, and therefore it made categories for which people could be classified.
The vinyl record was instrumental in the hippie, rock and psychedelic era of the 60s and 70s. The sounds that were recorded could be played back, not only forwards, but also backwards. This sometimes had demonic sounds or secret messages that the people heard at that time.
The cassette tape was responsible for many social phenomena since its creation in 1963 by Philips Electronics. But there is one main connection that the cassette tape has to culture of the 1970s-90s, and it is that of the hip-hop culture. Small and compact, the cassette tape was the first portable piece of audio equipment with recording on the piece. With the help of the Sony Walkman in 1979, this was made possible for individuals to mobility with audio recordings. This is where one can see the start of hip-hop culture becoming more popular, because MCs and Breakdancers were provided with the mobility to spread the idea of hip-hop culture. This culture would be blown away with what would come next. The highly anticipated, large-and-loud style boombox, or ghetto blaster, was created in 1981, further advancing the Breakdancing scene, because now, breakers could make an entire style out of carrying around this huge music playing device. Relating back to the cassette tape, these two aspects of hip hop culture were a result of the cassette tape, and essentially, pushed the hip hop movement to a great start.
CD? The CD = technological kick-start.
Bibliography
Bellis, Mary. “The History of Sound Recording.” About.com. 2007. About Inc. November 25, 2007.
Bellis, Mary. “The History of The Cassette Tape.” About.com. 2007. About Inc. November 25, 2007.
“Boombox Birth.” Pocket Calculator Show. 2007. Boombox Museum. November 25, 2007.
"Cave Drawing." National Wildlife Federation. 2007. National Wildlife Federation. 19 Nov. 2007 .
Combs, S. "Letter to Mom and Dad." 2007. 19 Nov. 2007.
Donna Yankowitz , The Turn Of The Century, The Phonograph. 2007
Dr. James H. Billington,The Library of Congress, Inventing Entertainment: The History of the Edison Cylinder Phonograph, 2007
<>
"Inventors; a Brief History of Writing Instruments." About.Com. 2007. About Inc. 19 Nov. 2007
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>The CD part of the poster? It is now there just for show.
It amazes me that one person will mess up once and it will do bad for everyone. One member of the group decided not to do their part, and, as much as I would be determined to get the information from everyone, or follow up on the person who was collecting all of it, I am completely fed up. I now know that there are some individuals that I absolutely cannot work with.
(1) "Back To the Future." Useless Movie Quotes. November 2005. D.C. Douglas. November 25, 2007.
http://www.uselessmoviequotes.com/umq_b019.htm
Going back in time to see what cultural implications were linked to various technologies is pretty interesting. Since I have always been fascinated with history, this group task looked like it would be really cool to dig deep and find connections between technologies for media and culture. We started off with our theme sort of broad, and later realized that it was hard to start because it was hard to make links with the technologies we had chosen. Recently we started to think deep into what we could do as a practical and interesting theme, and we came up with technologies for audio recorded media. So our five technologies are cave men, the phonograph, the LP record, the cassette tape, and the Compact Disc. This theme is easily relatable to most individuals. Here is what we came up with, I did the part about the cassette tape, as well as put the poster together from construction paper, string from my Hallowe'en costume, and the pictures that Adam, Lisa and I found when we met up.
I think these links are important to take note of because I've always thought that history is important because situations that were overcome in the past can be knowledge for the future. This whole 'cause and effect' deal has a lot to do with the ecology of media actually, fancy that!
The theory that there are environments that media forms is the root of media ecology, the study of these media environments. Ecology of these environments (the environment being its structure, content, and impact. So, in a way, we have just conducted media ecology case study on audio recording and communication!
The fast-forwarded version of what I’ve learned from all the pieces of the timeline:
Cavemen, usually noted for their cave drawings, actually had some audio of their own that came from having portable records of pictographs (on pieces of clay), to using these portable pieces for shipping and trading materials, to using sounds (abstract figures and grunts). The progression is amazing, them neanderthals (and humans too, I guess) are sum-art.
The phonograph was invented by Thomas Edison in 1877. It recorded voice or sound, and then could play back the audio. When a noise was picked up by the recording needle the sound vibrations would get indented onto the cylinder and would later be able to be played back. The social aspect that the phonograph created was the notion of elitism. Because the phonograph was expensive, only the richest people could buy them, and therefore it made categories for which people could be classified.
The vinyl record was instrumental in the hippie, rock and psychedelic era of the 60s and 70s. The sounds that were recorded could be played back, not only forwards, but also backwards. This sometimes had demonic sounds or secret messages that the people heard at that time.
The cassette tape was responsible for many social phenomena since its creation in 1963 by Philips Electronics. But there is one main connection that the cassette tape has to culture of the 1970s-90s, and it is that of the hip-hop culture. Small and compact, the cassette tape was the first portable piece of audio equipment with recording on the piece. With the help of the Sony Walkman in 1979, this was made possible for individuals to mobility with audio recordings. This is where one can see the start of hip-hop culture becoming more popular, because MCs and Breakdancers were provided with the mobility to spread the idea of hip-hop culture. This culture would be blown away with what would come next. The highly anticipated, large-and-loud style boombox, or ghetto blaster, was created in 1981, further advancing the Breakdancing scene, because now, breakers could make an entire style out of carrying around this huge music playing device. Relating back to the cassette tape, these two aspects of hip hop culture were a result of the cassette tape, and essentially, pushed the hip hop movement to a great start.
CD? The CD = technological kick-start.
Bibliography
Bellis, Mary. “The History of Sound Recording.” About.com. 2007. About Inc. November 25, 2007.
Bellis, Mary. “The History of The Cassette Tape.” About.com. 2007. About Inc. November 25, 2007.
“Boombox Birth.” Pocket Calculator Show. 2007. Boombox Museum. November 25, 2007.
"Cave Drawing." National Wildlife Federation. 2007. National Wildlife Federation. 19 Nov. 2007 .
Combs, S. "Letter to Mom and Dad." 2007. 19 Nov. 2007.
Donna Yankowitz , The Turn Of The Century, The Phonograph. 2007
Dr. James H. Billington,The Library of Congress, Inventing Entertainment: The History of the Edison Cylinder Phonograph, 2007
<>
"Inventors; a Brief History of Writing Instruments." About.Com. 2007. About Inc. 19 Nov. 2007
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>The CD part of the poster? It is now there just for show.
It amazes me that one person will mess up once and it will do bad for everyone. One member of the group decided not to do their part, and, as much as I would be determined to get the information from everyone, or follow up on the person who was collecting all of it, I am completely fed up. I now know that there are some individuals that I absolutely cannot work with.
(1) "Back To the Future." Useless Movie Quotes. November 2005. D.C. Douglas. November 25, 2007.
http://www.uselessmoviequotes.com/umq_b019.htm
<3 Le Petit Prince
I don't know if I mentioned this already in a previous post, but I have to express how much I adore the book 'The Little Prince' originally in French called 'Le Petit Prince' by Antoine St. Exupery. Since I read this book about two years ago, I find my way of thinking has changed slightly. Although a child could read this book, an adult could read the book, looking for a certain theme or message. Let me tell you, it would be impossible to find. The book tells the story of the author of the book. He is a pilot (in real life and in the book) who's plane crashes in the desert. It is there where he meets the little prince, who then tells him stories about his travels to other countries. If one were to look closely, he or she would be able to understand that the individuals that the little prince symbolically describe are types of people in the world. The plot later goes on to demonstrate the essential element for life. I don't want to go too far into it otherwise I will start to ramble, but I just really love this book.
Picture From: http://krysalide.canalblog.com/archives/litterature_/index.html
Monday, November 26, 2007
Group Work...in general.
So as a whole, I screwed myself over with the group work. I went back to my old habits of ALWAYS taking the leadership role. Except for one project, well, sort of.
I have a lot of leadership training and group work experience. And I mean:
- Promotion Head of Student Council one year, then Spirit Head for the next, and then I was Co Prez. I also was a minister for the Eastern North Secondary School Students Association, that organises leadership conferences and my additional job was to get sponsorships and funding. I was also on my school's leadership planning committee for two years, planning a leadership camp and leading groups th develop leadership skills and develop ways to work in groups and, well, in general. I also was part of the Harmony Bridges Plenary Committee three years in a row, planning and leading groups in a full day, anti-racism workshop. I've also attended various leadership camps, ran Leadership programs at the YMCA, have gotten MVP awards for soccer, and was even captain at one point. I've also done a bunch of speeches, including keynote speaking for the Launch of Black History Month in Ottawa, advocating for Angel Hair For Kids, and I was joint-Valedictorian with one of my best friends, Peter.
By this extensive list of my activities I'm really not trying to brag. I'm not trying to say anything like 'wow, I did a lot of ish so you should respect me and my experience.' All I'm trying to get at is the fact that I obviously am not terrible at working in a group, and yes, I do usually end up taking a leadership role if it calls for it, because that's hows I've been trained. And if it calls for it, I know what kind of leadership to use, or how to approach the task(s) at hand.
So it really annoys me when someone claims that I don't know how to work in a group, or that I think everything should revolve around my schedule. I make myself available, and I just make it known that I am prepared to progress re: the task at hand. All that means is that I am ready whenever the rest of the group is. I'm not pushing us into anything unwanted, so I don't see the problem there.
In my opinion and from my experience, there are a lot of keys to good group work, such as focus, organization, time management and the dynamics of the group; how they interact with one another, and as a whole.
But the two that I find are the most important and the most influential to how a group works together are prioritizing and initiative. If everyone is on the same page with their priorities, as well as the group is aware of each other's priorities and where the groups tasks lie within the priorities, it is easier to choose meeting times, and figure out how to get the work DONE.
As for initiative, I think it's important for everyone to want to start. So what if there are roadblocks or obstacles; at least the group is generally in good mindset. But for my group though, it felt like no one had initiative to say 'alright let's get started...' Yes, when there is a week of class left, that's when everyone is willing to work. Earlier in the semester I tried to initiate progress. I even made a little schedule for when we should try to have each project finished by. But I guess it all fell through because certain people weren't willing to start work. I really didn't want to push too hard, but when stuff doesn't get going and time starts eating in other responsibilities, action seriously needs to be taken.
Depending on how the marks turn out, I think I liked the fact that we didn't have exact deadlines for everything. It made everyone see how to time manage properly. It forced us to be organized, well some of us I guess. It still amazes me that there are people in the class who really haven't learned anything in the class, and don't want to. The course has so much potential to open everyone's minds and broaden ways of thinking, but people just aren't appreciative of it. Those rich kids and their abundance of money...
And I'm not the best at organizing my time, or organizing my life. I thrive on being busy and scattered, but there is "method to my madness"(1) (usually).
The thing with me is that I truly love working with people, but for some reason, these seven group tasks were a huge hassle. Even though all the group members lived all in close proximity with each other (VERY CLOSE, as in a few steps or floors away), no one would ever want to get stuff done. Taking a directive leadership approach, I tried to organize the group in a way they were comfortable and everyone was doing at least close to the same amount of work. So I figured if the work was delegated for one or two people to 'head up' each task, it would be easier on everyone, and everyone would have the chance to be the one who everyone turned to/answered to. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out this way. I ended up being the one that everyone turned to, ultimately, for all of the tasks. It backfired of course, but I think it's notable that I put effort into collaborating with these individuals, even though, after first attempting start it out, I knew it most likely wouldn't work out as smoothly as I'd hoped.
(1) Yes. this is a Hamlet reference, I just don't know how to reference it properly. Hey, at least good Billy (William Shakespeare) got attribution.
I have a lot of leadership training and group work experience. And I mean:
- Promotion Head of Student Council one year, then Spirit Head for the next, and then I was Co Prez. I also was a minister for the Eastern North Secondary School Students Association, that organises leadership conferences and my additional job was to get sponsorships and funding. I was also on my school's leadership planning committee for two years, planning a leadership camp and leading groups th develop leadership skills and develop ways to work in groups and, well, in general. I also was part of the Harmony Bridges Plenary Committee three years in a row, planning and leading groups in a full day, anti-racism workshop. I've also attended various leadership camps, ran Leadership programs at the YMCA, have gotten MVP awards for soccer, and was even captain at one point. I've also done a bunch of speeches, including keynote speaking for the Launch of Black History Month in Ottawa, advocating for Angel Hair For Kids, and I was joint-Valedictorian with one of my best friends, Peter.
By this extensive list of my activities I'm really not trying to brag. I'm not trying to say anything like 'wow, I did a lot of ish so you should respect me and my experience.' All I'm trying to get at is the fact that I obviously am not terrible at working in a group, and yes, I do usually end up taking a leadership role if it calls for it, because that's hows I've been trained. And if it calls for it, I know what kind of leadership to use, or how to approach the task(s) at hand.
So it really annoys me when someone claims that I don't know how to work in a group, or that I think everything should revolve around my schedule. I make myself available, and I just make it known that I am prepared to progress re: the task at hand. All that means is that I am ready whenever the rest of the group is. I'm not pushing us into anything unwanted, so I don't see the problem there.
In my opinion and from my experience, there are a lot of keys to good group work, such as focus, organization, time management and the dynamics of the group; how they interact with one another, and as a whole.
But the two that I find are the most important and the most influential to how a group works together are prioritizing and initiative. If everyone is on the same page with their priorities, as well as the group is aware of each other's priorities and where the groups tasks lie within the priorities, it is easier to choose meeting times, and figure out how to get the work DONE.
As for initiative, I think it's important for everyone to want to start. So what if there are roadblocks or obstacles; at least the group is generally in good mindset. But for my group though, it felt like no one had initiative to say 'alright let's get started...' Yes, when there is a week of class left, that's when everyone is willing to work. Earlier in the semester I tried to initiate progress. I even made a little schedule for when we should try to have each project finished by. But I guess it all fell through because certain people weren't willing to start work. I really didn't want to push too hard, but when stuff doesn't get going and time starts eating in other responsibilities, action seriously needs to be taken.
Depending on how the marks turn out, I think I liked the fact that we didn't have exact deadlines for everything. It made everyone see how to time manage properly. It forced us to be organized, well some of us I guess. It still amazes me that there are people in the class who really haven't learned anything in the class, and don't want to. The course has so much potential to open everyone's minds and broaden ways of thinking, but people just aren't appreciative of it. Those rich kids and their abundance of money...
And I'm not the best at organizing my time, or organizing my life. I thrive on being busy and scattered, but there is "method to my madness"(1) (usually).
The thing with me is that I truly love working with people, but for some reason, these seven group tasks were a huge hassle. Even though all the group members lived all in close proximity with each other (VERY CLOSE, as in a few steps or floors away), no one would ever want to get stuff done. Taking a directive leadership approach, I tried to organize the group in a way they were comfortable and everyone was doing at least close to the same amount of work. So I figured if the work was delegated for one or two people to 'head up' each task, it would be easier on everyone, and everyone would have the chance to be the one who everyone turned to/answered to. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out this way. I ended up being the one that everyone turned to, ultimately, for all of the tasks. It backfired of course, but I think it's notable that I put effort into collaborating with these individuals, even though, after first attempting start it out, I knew it most likely wouldn't work out as smoothly as I'd hoped.
(1) Yes. this is a Hamlet reference, I just don't know how to reference it properly. Hey, at least good Billy (William Shakespeare) got attribution.
The Essential Guide to Natural Healing
Have you heard of Doctor Andrew Weil? Apparently he's America's best known doctor, and he's a naturalist!
When I go to Chapters bookstore I have three magazines that I pick up on a pretty regular, bi-monthly basis: Photolife, Discover, and Snowboarder. I'll admit, I do have one or two CosmoGirl and Ebony, but I mostly use them for projects and collages and whatnot.
Photolife just has a lot of amazing pictures, and I love photography so I'm never let down when I get my Photolife mag. Some of the articles in there are interesting as well. Discover is a magazine that I definitely buy to enhance my knowledge and generally become aware of what's going on in the world. And Snowboarder? Well, I am a snowboarder, but not a very good one at that, so I like looking at pictures of the pros doing what they do, hoping that eventually I'll get that good. And some of the articles are pretty good.
The last time I did a magazine pick up I got those three, as well as Dr. Andrew Weil's Essential Guide to Natural Healing. This interested me because I was introduced to naturopathy and other alternative health methods at an early age. Since I had atopic dermatitis which connects to the fact that I just have a terrible immune system, I went through many so-called remedies. This included a bunch of chemical creams, cortisone (My dad used to tell me that I could get kicked out of soccer because I was using a steroid, I thought I was so bad-ass), as well as homeopathy, and other natural/organic foods and health products. So I really just wanted to express my interest and enthusiasm that I feel when I realize what's waiting for me in my magazine bin. I peeked at some of the articles today and they look verrrry interesting. They range from articles about acupuncture and other physical remedies, to recipes for very healthy meals. Considering it was a VERY expensive magazine (thirteen bucks!) I am pretty impressed.
Good buy. Plus, dude's beard is poppin!
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
When I go to Chapters bookstore I have three magazines that I pick up on a pretty regular, bi-monthly basis: Photolife, Discover, and Snowboarder. I'll admit, I do have one or two CosmoGirl and Ebony, but I mostly use them for projects and collages and whatnot.
Photolife just has a lot of amazing pictures, and I love photography so I'm never let down when I get my Photolife mag. Some of the articles in there are interesting as well. Discover is a magazine that I definitely buy to enhance my knowledge and generally become aware of what's going on in the world. And Snowboarder? Well, I am a snowboarder, but not a very good one at that, so I like looking at pictures of the pros doing what they do, hoping that eventually I'll get that good. And some of the articles are pretty good.
The last time I did a magazine pick up I got those three, as well as Dr. Andrew Weil's Essential Guide to Natural Healing. This interested me because I was introduced to naturopathy and other alternative health methods at an early age. Since I had atopic dermatitis which connects to the fact that I just have a terrible immune system, I went through many so-called remedies. This included a bunch of chemical creams, cortisone (My dad used to tell me that I could get kicked out of soccer because I was using a steroid, I thought I was so bad-ass), as well as homeopathy, and other natural/organic foods and health products. So I really just wanted to express my interest and enthusiasm that I feel when I realize what's waiting for me in my magazine bin. I peeked at some of the articles today and they look verrrry interesting. They range from articles about acupuncture and other physical remedies, to recipes for very healthy meals. Considering it was a VERY expensive magazine (thirteen bucks!) I am pretty impressed.
Good buy. Plus, dude's beard is poppin!
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Chuck
An Album by Sum 41 is named Chuck. But the Chuck that I'm talking about is Chuck Palahniuk, the author, actually author of famous books/movies such as Stranger Than Fiction and Fight Club. I really would like to read some of his books, especially the one called Choke. My best friends were reading it and told me that I would like it, but I just never got around to reading it myself. Apparently it's about this guy who scams fancy restaurants by pretending to choke on their food. Then the restaurants feel bad and send him financial compensation. It looks like a book that I would like to read, and not just because I would have to read it, for recreational reading.
The one thing I think that's cool about mainstream, Oprah-recommended books is that it gets youth to start reading again. I remember when A Million Little Pieces by James Frey came out, EVERYONE was reading again. The people that I least expected were reading. I remember wanting to read James Frey's other book called My Friend Leonard, instead. I think it was because one of my best friends Andrew, was friends with one of the Special Education kids at our school, and his name was Leonard. I've always liked working with people with special needs, but Andrew just liked being friends with him. So I guess the title of the book reminded me of Andrew. Also, this was the first (and, well, only) book I had ever seen Andrew read. So I really wanted to read it that year (I believe it was two years ago) I still haven't gotten around to it...so I guess this is yet another book that I want to read.
Picture From: http://vivisect.org/
The one thing I think that's cool about mainstream, Oprah-recommended books is that it gets youth to start reading again. I remember when A Million Little Pieces by James Frey came out, EVERYONE was reading again. The people that I least expected were reading. I remember wanting to read James Frey's other book called My Friend Leonard, instead. I think it was because one of my best friends Andrew, was friends with one of the Special Education kids at our school, and his name was Leonard. I've always liked working with people with special needs, but Andrew just liked being friends with him. So I guess the title of the book reminded me of Andrew. Also, this was the first (and, well, only) book I had ever seen Andrew read. So I really wanted to read it that year (I believe it was two years ago) I still haven't gotten around to it...so I guess this is yet another book that I want to read.
Picture From: http://vivisect.org/
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Make way for the professionals...
Today I helped out my friend, who's in film, with his chase scene for one of his classes. He needed a girl for one scene, summing up to be about 4 takes. I think it's the first time his group is getting to use the equipment, so they were a little iffy about lighting and what not. After working on a film production with Lisa, it was amazing to see what a difference equipment makes. They made really good use of lighting, as well as set and placement within frames. And, for this project, they had restrictions: there could be no use of sound, AND there couldn't be any editing. I thought it was pretty cool, and made me want to be a bit more involved in film making, in general. Even the storyline, for TWO minutes of film, was highly developed. We spent basically the whole day, from 10am till.. well they're probably still filming. I just thought it was pretty cool to have a whole 'production day' like that, and the students were so grateful that I could help them out (I guess they needed actors/actresses BAD...).
I'm already one of those people that wants to talk throughout an entire movie. Some camera angles are just SO brilliant, that I can't bear for them to go unnoticed. For example in Trainspotting they have some really good, and trippy shots. Also in We Own the Night with Mark Whalberg and Joaquin Pheonix, the camera angles were impressive because they were so realistic. I think another reason why I feel the need to talk during a movie is because I want to know what's coming next, and I really can't wait for the movie to just run its course. Perhaps that's why I enjoy movies that I can't predict as much, unpredictable movies are my favourites because the catch me completely off guard. For example, last night I watched the Boondock Saints, and I was just not expecting a lot of it. And a movie like The Departed. Most of the find-outs in that movie I could NOT predict. Hmmm, I think I just like not knowing who's going to die next. I guess it's a really gross thing to think about, but if I'm not amused by superficial drama, what would you expect me to be amused by?
Anyways, today was just a fun, but obviously stressing and grueling experience that will enhance my outlook even more on movies.
I'm already one of those people that wants to talk throughout an entire movie. Some camera angles are just SO brilliant, that I can't bear for them to go unnoticed. For example in Trainspotting they have some really good, and trippy shots. Also in We Own the Night with Mark Whalberg and Joaquin Pheonix, the camera angles were impressive because they were so realistic. I think another reason why I feel the need to talk during a movie is because I want to know what's coming next, and I really can't wait for the movie to just run its course. Perhaps that's why I enjoy movies that I can't predict as much, unpredictable movies are my favourites because the catch me completely off guard. For example, last night I watched the Boondock Saints, and I was just not expecting a lot of it. And a movie like The Departed. Most of the find-outs in that movie I could NOT predict. Hmmm, I think I just like not knowing who's going to die next. I guess it's a really gross thing to think about, but if I'm not amused by superficial drama, what would you expect me to be amused by?
Anyways, today was just a fun, but obviously stressing and grueling experience that will enhance my outlook even more on movies.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
