Semester 2, Blog #5: Reflections on the Semester

This semester in "Media in a Digital Age" has been challenging for a few reasons. In some ways, the challenge was healthy, in other ways it was just frustrating. Overall, my main critiques would be that the course felt a little more disorganized than last semester, some of the assignment objectives were unclear or unreasonable, and the lectures weren't very helpful at all in learning new software.

The most important thing for me was the introduction to video editing using Final Cut. I'm a total beginner, so I'm glad we did the video assignment because it was my first fully edited video project and I learned a lot from it. However, we were given little time for the planning and filming phases, so I felt very rushed and worried we wouldn't be able to come up with a decent concept or get enough footage. Furthermore, the lecture format is not an effective way to learn how to use software that I've never used before. I can't remember all the things we were shown, and taking notes on the steps is impractical if not impossible. It was even more frustrating with the Flash animation portion. When it came time to actually edit our video or do our Flash animations, I had merely a vague idea of the layout of the software and little know-how. We had to figure it out by trial and error or by seeking out other tutorial sources. (I still don't get how to even begin to use Action script because the lectures on using Flash made zero sense to me. Didn't understand a sentence of those, honestly). What's more, some last-minute requirements were thrown at us for the animation assignment which we were not equipped to fulfill. In the end, all the students did a really impressive job on the projects, especially considering the time constraints and so forth.

I think it would be so helpful if we learned how to use the software hands-on in the computer lab using sample video clips or animations. The problem with the computer lab is that the desks are facing the wall, not the front of the room where the projector is. I may sound silly for saying this, but that really hinders the students' ability to watch what the teacher does on their computer while working on our own computers, because we have to turn around and look at the projector screen. It might be asking a lot, but the lab room should be totally reorganized to make it so the computer desks are placed in such a way that students can look up to the screen at the front of the room without turning around, while still sitting at their computers. (If that makes sense the way I'm wording it?) That way, the professor may say "Next, click on such-and-such and select this-and-that" and the students can look at the professor's screen and see right where to click while still facing their own computer screen, and can easily follow along with the directions.

Because of all the confusion, I still feel a little ill-equipped for my future film courses, but I did learn some important basic, introductory skills in editing that will hopefully help me. Perhaps Hunter's Film department should consider going back to having the course "Beginning Techniques in Film and Video" as a pre-requisite. This combined media crash course is a little too condensed. I hope I didn't sound like I was merely complaining in this post.

Semester 2, Blog #4: Speaking with Animation

Animation is one of my favorite art forms to enjoy as a consumer of media. My favorite works of animation come from the realm of hand-drawn Japanese animation, and in particular the films of Academy-Award winning director Hayao Miyazaki. His most recent film Ponyo stands out to me as an imaginative and unique piece of animation. Miyazaki intended for this movie to appeal to small children and strove to see the world through their eyes, and he achieved this through both the narrative and animation styles. The background paintings look like scenes from a spectacular children’s storybook, with bright pastel colors and energetic strokes of (presumably) watercolor and colored pencils. The texture the animators achieved with mixed mediums is quite remarkable. Rocks and buildings in the scenery are rendered with playful curvature, using almost no straight lines, so that edges of buildings appear uneven and cliffs look rounded. The characters are drawn fairly simplistically but they have charming designs, colors, and personalities that fit seamlessly into the lively background paintings.

Elements of nature in the world of Ponyo take on new magical forms, especially Ponyo herself, who morphs between her fishy form and girl form. Furthermore, Ponyo in her “goldfish” form is not drawn literally like a fish, but more like how a little child might try to draw a fish: she has a face, a little tuft of hair, and her tail fin looks like a skirt. The look is both odd and delightful. In the film’s most acclaimed scene, even the waves of the ocean erupt into the form of giant blue fish and burst as they crash against the cliffs. The magical animation evokes the childlike curiosity of the main character, Sosuke, a five-year-old boy who lives by the sea. Sosuke stumbles upon Ponyo, a goldfish who gets stuck in a jar, and the two take a liking to each other, so Ponyo wants to become a human girl through the magic that is innate in her. It’s a slight and simple story about devotional love that unfolds on Miyazaki’s own terms, using a childlike “dream logic” rather than typical Hollywood-style story structure. In my mind, Ponyo is not about plot, it’s more about the subtext and the emotional impressions we (the viewers) experience in each scene. It’s an animated film that speaks to the kid in our hearts.

Semester 2, Blog #3: Video Production Notes

When we were first presented with the video project assignment, the task of coming up with some kind of short story on the fly seemed daunting. But I've learned that to make it easier on yourself, it's best just to take your first instinct and run with it. I suggested (to my partner Ayako) the idea of a chase scene in which a person is chased by a stranger around the campus and thinks her pursuer means to harm her. Their chase increases pace as it covers various locations around the school. However, it turns out that the pursuer just picked up her metro card that she dropped back at the subway station, and wanted to return it. After much discussion, we settled on this story, realizing of course the circumstances of the story would seem unrealistic (given the fact that there are tons of people around on campus, not to mention the pursuer could simply have yelled out to her in the first place, etc...).

Since the editing was the primary purpose of the project, I thought that the chase scene would present an interesting editing challenge because it would require putting lots of pieces together from different angles and locales. However, I also knew it would be very difficult to shoot the scene in the limited time we were given. Ayako and I drew up a sketchy storyboard, scouted out some locales around campus where we wanted to film the chase, and also tried to determine ahead of time what order in which we would film these parts, all in order to make the filming process move as quickly as possible. We also needed another actor, since I would be behind the camera, and thank goodness Ayako got her friend Ken to help us out and act as the pursuer character.

The filming process was rather hectic indeed, but still enjoyable. We rushed from place to place around campus filming the shots in as few takes as possible. I did my best to direct Ayako and Ken in a way that would bring to life the "vision" of our storyboards. My lack of camera experience, along with the rushed atmosphere of our shoot caused my camerawork to be shakier than I would like. However, I did want some shots to be shaky since it evokes a frantic mood for the chase sequence. That shakiness went further than I intended, but I'm an amateur, so I shouldn't expect perfect work on my first video project. The shoot went better than I expected overall, since we managed to finish in time to get back to the lab and save our clips to the computer. Much of the credit goes to Ayako and Ken for staying on their toes and performing with both haste and style.

The editing process was challenging, but also the most interesting to me. Ayako and I had no previous experience with Final Cut, and we only had the limited exposure to it that the class lectures gave us, so neither our process nor the end result was anything too advanced. We had to figure out a lot of things on our own. And if we couldn't figure out how to make something flow better, we basically defaulted to a crossfade, whether it was video or sound. The crossfade was our trusty fallback, especially when it came to softening the audio transitions from one shot to another. That's probably an amateurish shortcut, but it worked. Everything else was a matter of clipping shots, deciding which take to use, and putting everything in a logical order that would result in a mostly continuous story with instances of montage cutting. I feel like we did a pretty good job for beginners, even if everyone else's video projects were much more impressive. In fact, I was so impressed by the other students' projects, it made me feel rather crappy about myself. Looks like I'm the only real beginner here.

Click here to view "The Chase," the completed video project by Sean (me) and Ayako.

Semester 2, Blog #2: Editing Analysis

The music video for Adam Lambert’s song “For Your Entertainment,” directed by Ray Kay, is an excellent example of how editing style can impact the feel of a video piece. Like many contemporary music videos, it is essentially a montage comprised of shots from numerous scenes that are intercut and juxtaposed in a complex way that evokes the thematic content and rhythms of the song, rather than telling a straightforward narrative. The scenes ostensibly take place in a shady yet high-fashion underground club with ornate décor and dim reddish lighting.

In the introduction of this suggestive song, we see shots of Lambert entering this club with his entourage through a brick hallway and past a curtain, after which he begins singing amongst a group of extras who are all mingling rather erotically about the club. The rhythm of the cuts begin to take on the rhythm of the electronic pulses of the song itself, as we see rapid closer-up shots of extras dancing, embracing, or writhing erotically, intercut with shots of Lambert (in a few different settings) singing aggressively to the camera. This rapid cutting enhances the sense of eroticism and visual stimulation to complement the pulsing beat and suggestive lyrics of the song. As soon as the song hits the chorus, the video cuts to a rousing choreographed danced scene, with Lambert in the center surrounded by background dancers. This scene was shot from various angles, and the video continues the rapid cutting style by switching from one angle to another.

When the song gets to the second verse, we then see various close-ups of Lambert walking through jungle-like bushes while his “sexual minions” reach out with their hands and plead for attention from within the foliage, as he continues to sing, sometimes to the camera and sometimes to the people surrounding him. There are also some quick shots throughout of Lambert holding a green snake, an appropriate symbol of temptation and seduction. Once the song again reaches the chorus, it cuts back to more of the choreographed dancing sequence. Soon the editing becomes more complex as it weaves the numerous threads amongst each other, with the video eventually culminating in a chaotically shot sequence with Lambert and his band rocking out before an audience. The continually quick cuts and blurry imagery in “For Your Entertainment” are somewhat disorienting, but you get the sense that’s how director Ray Kay wanted it to feel.

Check out the video below, or click here to see it larger.

Semester 2, Blog #1: User-generated Content

I use the internet on a daily basis, and most of the media of which I partake is user-generated content. What I most enjoy about the internet is how it offers limitless opportunities for users to express their creativity, share information, and interact with other people who share common interests. A prime example of user-generated content is YouTube, which contains a great variety of video content uploaded by users, from mindless viral videos, to clips of entertainment professionals, or TV and movie clips, or even intelligent, educational documents. I visit YouTube frequently primarily to watch clips of my favorite performing artists. Sometimes the endless amount of entertainment can actually become addicting, and that’s the negative side to having so much content at your fingertips. Another site I like that features user-generated content is DeviantArt, where users can publish their artwork to share freely with others. I use DeviantArt just to enjoy other people’s original artwork and fan art, but I haven’t yet put up any of my own work. My relationship with media on sites such as YouTube and DeviantArt is merely as a consumer (for now), since I don’t like the idea of putting up my work to be judged by users. People post hateful, rude, or malicious comments more often than not (especially on YouTube), and that can make these sites a very frustrating interactive experience. Other sites I often visit are fan-made websites dedicated to singers, actors, anime series, or other interests I have. These sites play a big role in deepening my love and understanding of various artforms and their artists, and connect me to other fans with similar passions. If it weren’t for websites created by fans, I would know next to nothing about my favorite films, TV series, or singers, nor would I have much of an avenue for my “fandom.”

Design I Like: "Castle in the Sky" Poster

One of my favorite movie posters is for a classic Japanese animated film called “Castle in the Sky” (1986) by my favorite director Hayao Miyazaki. The poster is immediately striking for its vibrant, warm colors and complex imagery. It has a strong look of fine artistry that is rarely seen in the vapid movie posters of today, but there is also something to be said for it as a functional piece of graphic design. The two main characters, the boy Pazu and the girl Sheeta, are featured prominently in the poster floating high above a canyon landscape and gazing upwards with smiling faces that convey a sense of optimism and wonder. Flying below them, but still high above the village in the canyon, there is the pirate airship and several of its pirates on board, who start out as pursuers of the main characters in the movie but end up forming an unusual friendship with them. This spectacular and unexpected aerial perspective serves to grab people’s attention and give them a sense of the adventure they can expect when they watch the film. The fact that the two main children’s faces are featured very near the center of the frame also accentuates their glowing expressions and indicates who the main characters are. The magical stone on Sheeta’s necklace is also glowing in the center near her face, perhaps representing the idea that this jewel is indeed the “MacGuffin” of the film’s story. The bright colors on the children’s clothes, in contrast to the brown tones of the pirate ship and village below, separate them from the background and also suggest how their grand adventure brings them to wondrous new places far removed from the industrial-looking village that they leave behind.

What I See: Where the Wild Things Are

Where the Wild Things Are is one of the most special films made in recent history. In adapting this beloved children’s picture book, Director Spike Jonze defied convention by creating a darkly affecting and visually rough movie about childhood that proves especially resonant for those of us whose childhood is a bittersweet memory. Jonze, cinematographer Lance Acord , and production designer K. K. Barrett created a dynamic mise-en-scene that is both remarkably naturalistic and fantastical. The film begins and ends in “the real world”—a very recognizable suburban environment, a place in which the rowdy Max finds little solace, stimulation, or companionship. To evoke Max’s disenchantment, it takes place in winter, a season that holds both the promise of fun times in the snow, or the disappointment of being left out in the cold. The beginning outdoor scenes are lit ostensibly by a gray overcast sky that gives the feeling of a cold and gray world, as Max plays alone in the snow. Later at night, the interior of Max’s house is unevenly and dimly lit while Max is isolated in his room.

The fantasy world of the Wild Things is dynamic and ever-shifting. It is painted mostly in earth tones—shades of brown, tan, gray, and muted green—but is occasionally broken up by bright colors. The texture in these scenes juxtaposes the coarseness of bark with the softness of fur. Joy, bliss, fear, and sadness are experienced as extremes in this world, reflecting the inconstant emotional nature of childhood. Jonze and Acord chose to shoot Wild Things mostly with a handheld camera, and apparently without the aid of a Steadicam. The shaky camera is used to heighten these various emotions and evoke spontaneity, as if the camera were documenting real experiences. In particular, the rough camera work is meant to generate chaos and energy during Max’s rambunctious behavior at home or when he and the Wild Things are playing one of their wild games. However, I have to say, although I understand why Jonze and other filmmakers want to use the “shaky camera,” I don’t like it because it’s distracting. I feel that the most stunning moments in Where the Wild Things Are occur when the camera is held still. The movie’s beauty lies in what’s happening beyond the camera itself.