Flip book videos

Flip book

When creating this project I could not think of any ideas that would be able to last 200 frames, so that is why I made 2 separate visuals. As you flip the book in chronological order one story develops, then as you flip through it upside down and backwards, there is a totally different visual created. My inspiration for each creation came from my love for nature. The beach is one of my favorite places which is why I decided to make a fish being eaten by a shark and a sailboat sailing across the water for the first part. I had planned to have a shark eat the fish from the beginning because I wanted to show movement across the pages. Then, as I started to draw it I realized it was somewhat boring so I decided for a tragedy to occur which is how I decided to have the boat crash into a rock. My inspiration for that part also came from the Titanic; having a ship peacefully go across the ocean when disaster strikes and the boat goes down.
Once that piece was complete I still needed more, so being in Florida I decided to draw a palm tree, but there aren't any palm trees in the middle of the ocean so I had to figure out a way to get to land. My vision for this was just to have the pictures scan across the ocean until they reached landfall. After a few pages of the ocean levels decreasing, I got to land and found a palm tree with coconuts! Then I remembered in cartoons coconuts always fall from trees and hit people on the head, but decided to have a man who is stranded on this island shake the tree for coconuts. I enjoyed this part of the project because I liked how the movement of the tree came out. Once the man had shaken the tree and picked up the coconuts I was almost to the end, which I then made the man walk away with hopes of being rescued.
I knew for the second part of my flip book I wanted to show some type of evolution which automatically makes me think of birds and eggs. Showing the mother bird lay the egg, fly away and having the bird hatch was really fun for me to make. When the egg was hatching I tried to make it seem like the picture was zoomed in by making the nest bigger, but I don't think I was successful in portraying that and I would go back and change that if I had the chance to. Once the cute little bird was alive, I wanted to add humor which is where the man on the bench comes in. Again with the stereotypes, creating the bird-pooping-on-head was my humor to this project. I am not a good artist in the least bit, but I tried drawing a bird to the best of my ability. Zooming in on the man's face shows the emotion he was feeling after a bird pooping on his head. Although this project is simple, it is to my fullest potential and effort was not lacking.

Grid Art project

When we first got assigned this project, like many others, I came up blank with no ideas. Then I let the idea sit for a little while and listened to others ideas, and still no inspiration. I am not creative in the least bit so from the start I knew that my finished product was going to be nothing extraordinary. I think that the reason I am so uncreative is because I like things to be in order and organized. I am not good with drawing unique pictures or fancy designs, which is why my project turned out the way it did.
Initially I was trying to think of an object that would be cheap, small, and easy to have 900 pieces, which is how I came up with stickers. Having colorful stickers allowed me to organize my project by that criteria. I did have a sketch but when it came time to actually do the project, I just started sticking down stickers. I started with the black border because I like things to be sharp, defined, and have edges, then tic-tac-toe came to mind. I decided to split up the 30x30 grid into a 3x3 grid. With this I started making a diagonal line that split up two different colors and liked the way that looked. Creating this first box led me to the rest of the project, using vertical and horizontal lines with the same principle. I knew I had to have many different parts to this grid because I had 8 different colors to work with, and from there I just continued to put down stickers and let the pieces come together.
I like how my project came out because it is very organized and neat, which is visually appealing to me. There were some times where it was hard to keep all of the circles in line with each other making sure they matched up with the black border but by the time I came down to the end, everything had lined up. This project reminds me of pop art because of the vibrant colors and many little dots coming together to create a picture. There doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to this project because I did not stick with the original template I had created which I guess in some ways is me being creative.

Plus Pool, New York

            In August of 2013, for the first time ever people of New York were given the opportunity to swim in the East River. Swimming has always been prohibited due to the contamination of the river, but the creation of the Plus Pool has changed that forever. This new technology now allows people to experience and enjoy the beautiful nature that surrounds them in New York. As the idea was introduced, creators quickly realized that many people were eager for this new invention and were more than willing to help. Water filtration is such an essential part of life and has been around since the 1700s, but even the ancient Greeks in 2000 BC had ideas of water purification. Clean drinking water is something many people take for granted but is a large issue in other parts of the world. Various technologies that have been created to purify our water which has led to lives being saved and making the world a better place.

            Aqueducts in 7^th century BC created by the Assyrians carried water from one place with water to another place without water. This invention didn’t necessarily purify water, but it did evolve around the basic need for clean water which has led to many other essential inventions. The first water filters were created in the 1700s by using charcoal, sponges, and wool. These materials were used to clean the water and remove any particles that could be harmful to humans drinking it. As time progressed, new materials were used for filtration, such as sand during the 1890s in large filtration systems. Although there are certain chemicals like chlorine, that purify water as well, the basic ways to filter water have continued to be used throughout history.

The Plus Pool is similar to a large strainer, filtering out bacteria and contaminants. This technology, dating back to the 1700s, filters water through materials being tightly woven together to trap particles and leave clean water on the other side. The invention of the Plus Pool opens up a whole new window of opportunity in the world becoming more self-sufficient. If we apply this new technology in other parts of the world, we will be able to give water to many countries who do not have clean drinking water. Being able to provide clean drinking water to all humans on the planet will be possible with the use of the Plus Pool technology in other parts of the world. In the future, technology like this will solve the issue of people not having clean drinking water. This simple technology allows for it to be accessible without having to build a complex structure. By applying technology that has been around for centuries, we are moving in the right direction of living in a healthier planet with proper drinking water for all.

Sources:

http://www.pluspool.org/design/

http://www.lenntech.com/history-water-treatment.htm

Jenůfa

            Opera is a unique art form that never fails to evoke an emotional response within the audience. No matter what the Opera is about there is going to be an emotional reaction from the audience. There is so much more than just sounds that go into an Opera performance, there is light, costume, sets and technology all intricately put together to create something much larger. The thing that sets Operas apart is the intensity of the music coming from a person’s mouth. When watching a performance, it is captivating to think that all of these sounds are purely coming from someone’s vocal cords bouncing off of each other at extreme speeds. But that is just the basics of what goes into an Opera. There are many things that occur behind the curtain, or even done in plain sight, without the audience knowing which I believe is what makes Operas magical to the human eye. The simplicity of Jenůfa was not lacking an emotional response, rather the simplicity of the costumes and sets were effective in revealing the true meaning that laid beneath the performance to grab the audience and receive a reaction.

            Before watching Jenůfa, I had pictured all Operas being elaborate by using technology in new and creative ways to portray the performance to the audience. Even though costumes and sets are only pieces of the performance, they are two aspects that truly make a difference. Although the costumes in Jenůfa were never elaborate or colorful, they did match the tone of the performance. Wearing mute and monotone colors, such as off-white or black, throughout the entire performance set the tone of the Opera. Having certain characters, such as Jenůfa and her stepmother, in different dress makes the audience pay closer attention to them without even knowing it. By having the Kostelnička in dark dress in the beginning of the performance foreshadows what is to come. The Kostelnička being in dark clothes is like having a dark cloud looming above throughout the whole performance. Dressing her in dark clothes and the other performers in lighter clothes in the beginning, already makes the audience have an emotional reaction before any drama had occurred. This is all due to the simple fact that she did not match the rest of the set which was comprised of warm light colors. Keeping her in dark clothes makes the audience feel uneasy the whole time, representing her evil character even though they did not have any evidence to support this until the very end.

            As the Opera progressed, I was expecting there to be more technology used in the performance. The stage differed only slightly from act to act, but it was the lighting that made the acts stand out from one another. In the first act, the lights were bright and the audience was able to see everything that was going on on stage, which left nothing to the imagination. But in the second act, the lighting was very dark with only a few spotlights. Setting up the stage in this way with the rock being the main focal point, made the audience guess more due to the fact that not everything was easily visible. This caused the audience to question what was happening that they could not see. During this point in the Opera the Kostelnička is acting very suspicious, drugging Jenůfa and lying to her, which pulls the audience in based on curiosity of the unknown. The use of lighting and props in this act is effective in getting the desired reaction from the audience.

            This play kept the audience attention throughout the whole performance because of Kostelnička practically controlling the whole situation, which I would simulate to chess match. In chess you must deceit, lie, and ponder in order to win the game, and that is exactly what occurred in this play. Kostelnička was the chess master, moving the pawns throughout and controlling all things that occurred. The pawns were Jenůfa, Steva, and Laca all being manipulated by Kostelnička. The whole time she had her own agenda and used them to complete her plan. Drugging Jenůfa so she could take her baby away from her was the ultimate move. Jenůfa had no idea what had happened or why she was feeling ill, but Kostelnička did because she was moving the pawns of the chess match but doing it discreetly so no one would ever suspect anything. Kostelnička being the pawn master kept the audience interested because they could see how manipulative she was being but the other characters could not, causing them to ponder the much larger picture that was being created.

            Jenůfa is like Tetris, trying to add up all the pieces together to create a much larger picture. Some do not add up and some fit into the puzzle just like it was meant to be. As the performance is happening, there are many questions that do not make sense to the audience, the largest one being what happened to Jenůfa’s baby? The whole time the audience is trying to figure out this strange situation that is occurring, why is Jenůfa “sick?” and where is her baby? The Tetris pieces have to be moved and rotated in different directions until they fit in with the other pieces, and the audience must think and ponder all of the strange things happening on stage. As time goes on, the pieces are starting to come together making the picture clearer, but it is not until the very end when it all comes together to show how each piece must be perfectly placed to complete the puzzle. Things do not start to become clear until Jenůfa finds out that the Kostelnička is the one who killed her baby, but they still are not clear enough to make the puzzle complete. It is when the Kostelnička explains why she killed the baby, to protect Jenůfa and her baby, that the puzzle is finally complete and all of the pieces perfectly fit into the puzzle. While the performance was happening, the audience was forced to use their imaginations and creativity to try and figure out the puzzle, moving the pieces and trying new options to make it all clear.

            Although the picture was not made clear until the end of Jenůfa, the audience still became emotionally involved with this Opera. The lack of outrageous costumes and set changes kept the audience on their toes leaving them to use their imaginations to sort out the story line as it progressed. Just like in Tetris, they were forced to ponder new options and new configurations to try and answer the questions that loomed overhead throughout. This allowed the audience to have an emotional reaction not just in the end, but every time something would occur in the Opera. The music, costumes and sets were all perfectly put together to allow enough information to be given to the audience, and yet not allow too much information to be given either. By leaving questions for the audience to answer throughout the performance, the director pulled them in and was able to keep them concentrated until the very end when it all came together perfectly, just like the tiles of Tetris being manipulated into one another completing the puzzle.

           

           

Broadway!

I truly enjoyed looking through the Stage Door blog because there were so many different Broadway clips to look at. I was able to watch all of the videos and see how they compare to one another. In my opinion, Broadway shows are supposed to be fun an exciting with a lot of different things going on at once. I did not like the videos where it was just one person singing or performing because although the music was beautiful, the performance did not interest me and had nothing exciting to show. The ones I did enjoy were Hair, Grease, the Tony Awards with Jennifer Holiday, Patti LuPonte and Betty Buckley, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and The Color Purple. All of these were very entertaining because they were so lively with excitement and commotion, but my favorite Broadway show was The Color Purple. I liked this one the most because it was the only show that the whole cast was black. The whole performance was so powerful and strong and I felt like the performers really embraced their character which made the show so captivating. This shows how blacks were oppressed and abused but shows it in such a way that is overpowering and moving by using vibrant colors and sounds. Performing this on Broadway is a big movement because it not only addresses issues of slavery and black oppression, but also because it is performed by all blacks. For many years Broadway was only performed by whites, so having a full cast of black people performing this show about the cruelty blacks have endured, is a movement within itself.
Grease and Hair are typical Broadway shows and in my opinion, they were performed perfectly with the use of set changes, lively music, active performers, and excitement. There never was a dull moment and in times of set changes, the director used creative ways to make it appear seamless even though it was happening right before the audiences eyes. I enjoy the costumes used on Broadway because when looking at them separately it doesn't seem as if they would match and coordinate together, but when combined in the show somehow they are put together in such a way that is flawless. When looking at each costume individually I love to see how much detail there is in each piece. Also, the unique changes that occurred during the Tony Awards with Jennifer Holiday ... was captivating. Having the stage turn and each time it turned showing a different show was extremely innovative. I really enjoyed watching this video because I was able to see many different Broadway shows being performed on the same stage all at once.

Madama Butterfly animation

From the few Opera videos I watched in class and after watching this animation, I agree that Opera evokes emotion no matter what. Different tones and sounds play with our emotions and get different reactions. If the music is fast, the audience will react with anticipation and suspension, but if the music is slow and calm, the audience will feel happy and relaxed. In this animation, the music really told the story. As it opened the music was peaceful and soft which fit the scene of  a butterfly in the field with the man and women making love. The music was also used to show the changes from morning to night, ranging from cheerful to more serious tones. When the baby was born, the music got really loud and high pitched which represents the new life being brought into the world. Also, when the man returned, the music was very upbeat and hopeful, which was reflecting the feeling of the woman. But when he came back with another woman to take the baby, the music became very low and serious which represents how the mother was feeling as her baby was taken away from her. I enjoyed the flow of this animation because the music really connected the story and would have been able to tell a story even without the visual aspect of it. As the woman was deconstructing her limbs at the climax of the story, the music was the most dramatic at that point too. If the music had not been there to support the visual, the audience would not feel the woman's pain of having her baby being taken away. Throughout the animation, I was able to be connected with my emotions from this. Opera truly does evoke emotion and leads the audience throughout the story to feel connected with the performance.