#4 Reflection on Sound Design

Part of the scene above.

This scene was very interesting to take a part. The sound in it is very influential on the situation because the makers didn't show the audience what was going on. They had to explain it more through emotion of the characters and slightly vague dialog. The most interesting part of the scene is that the audience never actually sees what's inside the box.

This scene utilizes many different aspects of sound. I feel that the most common techniques is space and time. The whole scene is made with an added sense of urgency. This is portrayed by the tempo of the simple music being played in the background. But it is also achieved by combining a lot of different sounds to represent a feeling of chaos in the situation. I think a combination of the wind, helicopter, music, and the yelling of dialog really adds this sense of urgency to the scene. I also believe space is used heavily in the scene to get information across. For instance, Detective Mills cannot hear Detective Somset when he opens the box and starts to panic. Even as he runs for many yards, only a the audience can hear a slight faintness of his voice yellowing to Mills to put his gun down. Space is also utilized with the sound of the helicopter coming closer and then retreating back. It creates an interesting echo to the scene adding to the open and interesting environment.

#3 Brainwashed

Read Brainwashed by Seth Godin here: http://changethis.com/manifesto/66.01.Brainwashed/pdf/66.01.Brainwashed.pdf

Acknowledging the Lizard

In the reading, the author describes the lizard as being more specifically "the lizard brain." He emphasizes that everyone has lizard tactics in life and that most to all of them are used constantly throughout our day. They are a set of rules we follow to not appear out of line. We check with them constantly to make sure were following society the way we've been taught to and also to prevent the possibility of failure. Acknowledging the lizard is the one and only way to ignore it. If you consider the lizard's impact on your daily life, you can learn to ignore it and be completely yourself. Brainwash free.

Connect

This concept really illustrates one of the main differences between our generation and the ones before us. We now have this tool that has never been used and the most interesting thing about it is that there is no clear instruction on what you do with it. Connection to people you will never meet face to face is a completely odd thing to consider. It can help in a variety of ways and the most important is sharing what you have. Sharing is easier then ever in history and this new system just begs you to put whatever you got into it. 

Art

 Art is anything that is original from you. It comes only from you and there is no clear definition of it. Art can give you perspective, and it can also strive towards innovation. Art is the new leader in trends and innovation. It's not about working in a factory to make ends meet anymore. Now it is your job to create what you have and share it to others. You can make the new "thing" even if nobody, including you knows what it even is!

These "levers" that I have summarized above heavily influence my creativity even if it just gave me another reason to write. This blog is very connected to all three of the concepts listed above. Writing this essay alone, is able to emphasize on my art skills because I am able to put something that is completely from me. I also utilize connection by putting this out to the public on the internet. The internet makes it incredibly easy to publish your work and share it with others. Which leads me to acknowledging the lizard. The lizard is the thing that would keep me from doing this in the first place. The lizard would instruction me to not create this form of art and it would cringe at the idea of sharing it with anyone. I am able to ignore that and blissfully place this out there to help me defeat the "brainwashing" techniques that old society has placed on us. 

I feel that art and creativity the new occupation to succeed. The 9-5 job just doesn't cut it like it used to. Job security is very hard to find in many places and benefits get smaller every year. Knowing how to manufacture an object, hundreds of times a day is very restrictive on our minds.  Opening up our ideas to others used to be a very rare thing. Now, it is done by many and some even do it for a living. Of course, people constantly fail at getting the feedback they want, but at the same time, they learn from it and mold their creativity further until it becomes something revolutionary. 

In my opinion, exercises like this help boost my creativity. I feel that it helps me discover more about myself every time I do one. Also, getting to share things like this with anyone really helps me critique my own work. The main thing I got out of this reading, was that art can be defined as almost anything. Some things haven't even been figured out yet, but art is behind many of things. 

#2- Finding Your Howl

Link to "Finding Your Howl" http://changethis.com/manifesto/show/51.01.YourHowl

In Jonathan Flaum's writing about when he was in the 5th grade, he describes interpreting a fellow classmates writing to be too entirely true about everyone. Through this, he develops that an answer to the story is to find your howl. He tries to describe what a person's howl is which is impossible considering it's up to the only you to find your own. He does describe it as being a vital part of you. Something you cannot escape, but at the same time, something that you can't live without. The reading also goes to explaining that the only true way to find your howl is to dig the deepest through you and strive towards everything you're not used to. A lonely journey that only you, along with your wisdom can completely. It can get very difficult at times but you must carry on because at some point there is no turning back. He even describes the discovery of your howl to be like a death in a way. A death followed by a rebirth as you finally find your own true Howl.

To describe one of the roots of my creativity is for me to take a lyric from one of my favorite songs. The lyric is "It's everything that is connect and beautiful and now I know just where I stand." This line just speaks to be in such an intense way and it is hard to explain exactly why, but I will try my best in this essay. The lyric comes from a song by Silversun Pickups. It is named "Kissing Families" and it can be found on their Pikul EP.

The only true way to explain how this line made such an impact on me is to tell a story about it. One night, about 2 years ago, I was sitting in my back yard with my parents surrounding a fire pit that was ablaze. It was a cool summer night with no clouds in the sky and the moon was shining on the earth with a dim overlay. Sitting on a chair, I starred at the fire as it burned slowly through logs. The flames would wave slowly and then make sharp twists as if it was only a matter of time before it tripped and fell on itself. The suburban horizon had a dim orange light above the houses in almost all directions reminding me that even in the middle of a city, the feeling of isolation could still be achieved. The distant sound of cars mobilizing and air conditioning unit blustering seemed to turn into a sort of white noise that could be easily ignored after enough exposure. At this point my parents decided to go in the house for the night, asking me to put out the fire when I was done. I agreed and just like that I was alone. I continued to stare at the fire watching its one time show. After I put it out, this fire will be dead, I thought as if the fire was living the most of the short life it has been given. The brightness of the flames shown all throughout the back yard and the constant flickering light shinned on the house with an orange tint. I glanced all around analyzing the lighting effects that the fire placed on everything around. I looked down on the brick porch and saw obscure shadows bending in all different directions as continued to flicker it's signature color. At this moment I thought to myself how interesting it was that the fire could portray a whole new perspective on the bricks. It was almost like it was combining the two to make something completely original and unrepeatable. It is as if, in any situation, a perspective is manipulated by the combination of objects in your environment and how they interact with each other.

I thought really hard about this and for no apparent reason, I took a look at the ground again and thought "Everything is connected and beautiful and now I know just where I stand" as if I had discovered that "where I stand" meant I had discovered part of my "howl" and the root of my creativity. I feel as if perspective is the most important part of being creative. Everyone sees something in their own way but sometimes it's hard to describe it to others. I also think that perspective goes hand and hand with manipulation both bad in good in media.

Character Deconstruction

Protagonist

Color: Black, Grey, and White

The color I selected for my character is a collection of dark colors giving off a feeling of mystery. The colors are very similar in hue because he doesn't want to attract unwanted attention. He also represents a more formal image based on the darker and closely spaced colors. These colors can be viewed as a way to blend into something and remain hidden if needed.  This use of many different uses of value and saturation indicate that the character is really complex and versatile.

Lighting: Fairly Dim

I chose very dim lighting for this character because it is very beneficial to him that the area around him doesn't make him noticeable in any way. He avoids bright lights so that he doesn't attract attention. He is never and never desires to be the star of the party. Only to sneak past is his most precious objective. Although, people in dim light as well may need to be taken care of if they get in his way. The light also displays a sense of mystery making it unclear what the character will do.

Shape: Thin straight line

The shape chosen for my character is a very sharp thin straight line. It is very subtle and easy to miss even when you're looking for it. One second it could be there and another it's gone. A little blur in the peripherals of the viewer. Even those who are looking attentively have a hard time following the character as he quickly navigates the area. This advantage also gives the character the ability to sneak up on people or avoid them completely with stealth. 

My character is a spy like James Bond.

Antagonist

The color chosen for my antagonist is various shades of red. The color of blood, danger, and the root of all evil. It's different amount of value describes the different abilities and strategies. Some things are unclear about this character, but everything is influenced by a differing amount of cruelness. It also gives off a rough sense of urgency as if there is a limited time to stop his plans from succeeding. Pure evil radiates from this character as if he is obsessed with power and cannot let it go.

The lighting chosen for this character is a spotlight right onto them. The color is red because this is not a spotlight of achievement or envy. It is a spotlight of demise and control. This character uses this spotlight to let everyone know what he wants and how he is going to get it. He wants to see someone try to stop him because he knows they will fail in the attempt. It's only a matter of time until the world is under his power according to him.

The shape chosen for my antagonist is a circle. More specifically the shape of a monocle. My character wears one to show his elitism and his intelligence. Even though he has an unhealthy obsession with power, he has a very strong wit and his plans are complex and well thought out. His motives help fuel this intelligence making him a criminal mastermind, ready to manipulate whoever he can to gain power. 

My antagonist is Dr. Panek, a criminal mastermind.