"Life is all about perseverance... the unreachable becomes reachable, the unavailable becomes available, the unattainable... attainable." (Inspired by Stacey Charter)
PTS(D)
Post Traumatic Stress is a terrible illness that can dominate one's life without the proper care, support, and control. Many people do not seek out the proper care for this illness or tend to play down the severity of it. Although most never forget the haunting memories, a healthy and happy life is achievable. Strength and openness through rough times can help you accept and move forward from any tragedy. This illness is often present in soldiers that have returned home from the war but can also be caused by other traumas. Focusing on suffering soldiers here is some more detail. "People who suffer from PTSD often suffer from nightmares, flashbacks, difficulty sleeping, and feeling emotionally numb. It often has symptoms like depression, substance abuse, problems of memory and cognition, and other physical and mental health problems. The disorder is also associated with difficulties in social or family life, including occupational instability, marital problems, family discord, and difficulties in parenting." (http://www.military.com/benefits/veterans-health-care/posttraumatic-stress-disorder-overview.html) Obviously Post Traumatic Stress is extremely life altering and can really put you in a place of darkness. It would take someone who is truly strong and open to having their family's support and getting care. In the novel Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko, the main character, Tayo, suffers from PTS(D). He fought for the United States in Vietnam. "Jungle rain lay suspended in the air, choking their lungs as they marched; it soaked into their boots until the skin on their toes peeled away dead and wounds turned green." (Silko 10) This is a great depiction of how vivid the memories are. In Tayo's mind, he still feels this and he still feels it so vividly that the reader has the ability to feel it too. Tayo really struggled with these vivid flashbacks and haunting memories but eventually he got the help he needed and his numbness wore off. He had the strength to push through the illness and move on. Even though reading about PTS(D) is interesting, nothing is more moving than hearing about it first hand. After watching the presentation done by Navy Seal, Clay, everything really set in. He describe stories of the war that were heartbreaking and he described what it was like to experience Post Traumatic Stress from those experiences. One story he described was about a girl that was in a dress and crossing a really busy road. He said she looked about twelve, the same age as his daughter. Her face was emotionless and it didn't really add up. Clay made the quick decision to end her life. She ended up having a bomb strapped to her and she was coming to sacrifice herself in order to kill everyone in the area where they were. He said that he learned to cope with his PTS(D) by recognizing that what he has done has been for his country. He says there are some really bad people out there and for this country's safety a price must be paid and unfortunately that is it. (Clay) One can only imagine how horrifying this would be. Clay says he still wakes up and the girl is standing in his room, or when he goes shopping she is there too, and even when he was standing there talking she was in the back of the room. He has found the strength to deal with these memories. Clearly, it still haunts him everyday and all the time but he is able to work with his illness to still live a good life. Traumas are tragedies but they are also a part of life. Not everyone has the ability to move forward from horrendous experiences because they are so vivid in their minds. It takes people with true strength to push through those times when PTS(D) is at its most vivid stage. It also takes people who can have an open mind and get the help and support they need. Not everyone has these capabilities but it is possible.
Seven Pounds
The film Seven Pounds portrays the beauty that lies in both life and death and how you cannot have one without the other. The movie can enlighten the viewer of that because it puts a new perspective on death. It doesn't not portray it in such a negative light as most films do. There is beauty in life and beauty in death, don't forget to recognize either. First off, there is a quote that describes the life and death throughout the film and how they are separate while still being intertwined. "Life is poured into death and death is poured into life without a drop being spilled." (Inspired by http://www.quotegarden.com/death.html) The entire film, these two concepts are displayed together in the same scenes. Much of this is done through the two main characters Ben Thomas and Emily Posa. Ben represents death and Emily represents life. The story shows the beauty in how they are connected. There is a scene where Ben feeds Duke, Emily's dog a piece of meat and Emily hears them and comes running out. She is surrounded by light, trees, and plants which are all symbols of life. (Seven Pounds) Throughout the movie, she is constantly surrounded by these things. That is what is beautiful about her, is she is so alive even though she is dying. In her personality, setting, and hobbies she conveys life. On the other hand, the whole movie Ben is placed in dark settings with dust and clutter. A lot of the time his face shows sadness and depression. He has a lot of flashbacks to the accident and his wife. (Seven Pounds) Ben is death. Ben died in the accident when his fiancé died but his body is still here on Earth, he just isn't living. The beauty in Ben's metaphorical death is that with death he is giving so much life to so many people. He makes Emily feel happy and special and gives so much to so many. When he actually dies, he gives literal life to seven people or makes their lives worth living again which is such a unique and beautiful thing. Also, when his heart stops beating he can release all the pain, sadness, and guilt that he carries with him everyday. This is a lesson to be learned. There is sadness in death but also in life. Death isn't all sadness and grief, but relief and sometimes it is lovely to realize that it is such a wonderful cycle the world goes through.
Press Pause Play
Press Pause Play captures so many capabilities and different aspects of the world's media scene today. The media allows people to reach their goals with hard work and determination. With passion comes success. A great example of this is Olafur Arnalds, one of the Musicians interviewed in Press Pause Play. He talks about the unique kind of music he is sharing with the world. Olafur says, "I play... crossover classical music into pop music. Trying to make classical music popular." (Press Pause Play) Classical music has never been a chart topper. He describes his challenge here, that he is trying to reach the world with his musical idea. Adding on to that, Olafur says, "I do think I love the classical scene. It's very divided from the rest of the world and I would like to see this divide broken down. I would like to see classical music as just another genre." (Press Pause Play) He touches on the fact that although classical music is technically just another genre but it isn't really in reality. It doesn't stand out and most people do not seek out classical music. It is a hidden genre. He was determined and passionate about reaching these goals so he just kept doing what he loved. He kept making music, he kept trying to make classical music reachable by the general population and he found success. Olafur says, "I started making the music... early 2006. I recorded my first album... then I think only three, four months after I actually put some of the music online. I was playing the first shows and they were already sold out." (Press Pause Play) He found success by committing to his passion and to his goal. He kept making music and stayed true to his dream of making classical pop music. Now he is known around the world and touring. Through technology this world has the ability to share and find so many different ideas. This shows that everyone should share their passions and strive to achieve them because now more people have the ability to reach success.
Media
Being passionate about something is one of the most lovely things about human life. The drive of Sir Ken Robinson is truly inspiring. He has committed his life to bringing about educational reform not only in the United States but around the world. Dedicate your life to making the world a better place. Go where no one has gone before. Point out flaws, but never forget to provide solutions. On his website Robinson explains his goal. Robinson says, "There’s a consistent mission in all of this and if I were to sum it up in a sentence, this is it: 'to transform the culture of education and organizations with a richer conception of human creativity and intelligence.'" (http://sirkenrobinson.com) He displays amazing dedication and speaks out for, not himself, but for the bettering of entire countries. This is an incredible confidence and drive to have. His work has cause an epiphany for so many, some not even realizing how behind education systems are. Also on his website is a quote about the impact his work has had. “If there was a moment when our crisis in education hit critical mass it may well have been the date Sir Ken Robinson’s TED talk went up on YouTube. In just 19 minutes his wry but eviscerating presentation gave voice to what so many of us are living through: our schools are failing to recognize creativity; we’re failing to prepare the next generation for the challenges that lie ahead.” (Vanity Fair, http://sirkenrobinson.com) Like stated, his accusations pointed out so many problems at once. Things no one so diligently pointed out before. Only such a drive as his can bring about real awareness and real change. The problems are all suggested in his Ted talk, titled Changing Paradigms. He paints a clear picture of the real issues with the system and explains why things should not be this way. Robinson says,"We still educate children by batches; we put them through the system by age group - why do we do that? Why is there this assumption that the most important thing kids have in common is how old they are. It's like the most important thing about them is their date of manufacture. Well I know kids who are much better than other kids at the same age in different disciplines, or at different times of the day, or better in smaller groups than in large groups, or sometimes they want to be on their own. If you're interested in the model of learning you don't start from this production line mentality." (Changing Paradigms) Everyone is so used to the education system, it has been virtually the same for so long. He points things out that most never think about on their own. The system puts every child in a box. Every of one age has to be in the same grade, take the same classes, and learn the same way. One must wonder if the education system can really be productive and worthwhile. Ultimately, Robinson is the type of guy to stand alone if he is standing for something he believes in. Everyone should strive to be this way and be as committed to fixing the issues as he is. The world would be an incredible place if everyone was this dedicated.
Craigslist Joe
In a world where technology runs our daily lives it is easy to feel lost and disconnected. Some wonder what the culture misses out on while letting technology be a distraction. Interaction and community is still here, it is just harder to find. If you seek out connection, connection will seek out you. In Craigslist Joe, Joseph Garner tests whether or not community still exists in the modern world. This is an introduction to his project. "Many were skeptical that today’s self-involved society would be able to weather the storm without its traditional social supports... Could he survive with nothing, apart from the goodwill of others?" (http://www.craigslistjoe.com/project/about-craigslist-joe/) By leaving everything he knew and everyone he loved he was taking a risk. He was consumed with finding people who would selflessly give with no reward and not knowing him at all to begin with. Garner knows what people say, that with the standards and norms in technology is cannot be done. The community just isn't structured the way it used to be. Garner says, "As a country we're wealthy, diverse, and technologically sophisticated yet some say we have lost the sense of community that used to carry us through tough times. Today it is every person for themselves. Some say technology and social media fuel this isolation." (Craigslist Joe) Despite considering the possibility that no one would help him he still set out to find the generosity and draw out the community. It was tough but as a result he was so touched and so amazed by what the world still has to offer. Reflecting on his experience, Garner says, "By far and away the most inspiring... experience of my life... the generosity of people... the stories they share and the connection I've made in one month was so deep... We can take care of each other." (Craigslist Joe) He receives the most spectacular outcome. Everyone is generous and he meets so many people that are each special and have something of their own to give. Technology can be a positive thing that promotes the sense of community and relationships in society. It just has to be used correctly. If individuals can find a balance between the real world and the technological world, the sense of community will be stronger than ever. It is just a matter of taking the time to seek out others and enjoy the company of the people in this world.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Seven Pounds
Film creators today use many different tactics and effects to suck people in and draw out their emotions. Colors, shots, framing, sequences, scene set up and many other things play a huge role in persuading the viewers thoughts, emotions, and understanding of them film. Without studying film, one may not realize that almost every small detail is not by chance but completely intentional. As the viewer, most don't even realize how much effect the little things are having on their feelings throughout the movie and overall view of each character. The brain tends to subconsciously notice these things and incorporate them into the viewer's general emotion about each scene, character and the film as a whole. An amazing film to explore these ideas with is Seven Pounds. The main character, Ben Thomas, is in a very dark place as he was the cause of a car accident that killed seven people including his fiancé, Sarah. He sets an elaborate plan into motion to save seven different lives with different parts of his body, the last one being his heart and thus causing his own death. As he is "investigating" the people he is ultimately giving his life to, he falls in love with Emily. Emily is the woman he leaves his heart to. By examining Ben throughout the film the viewer is touched with deep feelings of death, guilt, sadness, conflict, and unbelievable selflessness that Ben radiates throughout the film. Despite his heroic actions, Ben never accepts forgiveness for what he did and he dies still punishing himself down to his last breath.
There are endless signs throughout the film that prove how Ben is feeling, the viewer can see them externally on Ben through body language and can decipher the film to find them internally through framing, color, and mise-en-scene. The viewer sees both these aspects in every shot of Ben from start to finish. At the beginning of the movie, Ben is at the IRS looking at different profiles of people for an unknown reasons. This is one of the first few scenes. Ben pulls up the profile of Emily Posa and then it flashes to a shot of him. It is a medium close up shot of Ben looking at the computer. The viewer sees his nose and up but his mouth down is covered. His brow is furrowed and he looks like he is on the verge of tears. The background is half pitch black and half low-key lighting. The side with low-key lighting is cluttered with stacks of papers and folders on a shelf (Seven Pounds). This shot tells the viewer so many things right away. Externally, sadness and fear are displayed on Ben's face. This creates a curiosity in the viewer. The viewer is completely baffled, they don't know why he is at the IRS, who Emily is, and why he looks so upset. But, this starts building Ben's character and obviously is essential to the story. By analyzing the shot, the viewer can uncover even more about Ben. The fact that half the shot is dark and half the shot is lit has multiple dual meanings. It displays the concept of life and death. Ben is dead on the inside but alive on the outside. It also foreshadows. The darkness he has faced in his past versus the light he will bring in his future and the viewer does not yet know what those are for him. The contrast also shows conflicting thoughts within him, thinking about his plan and if anything can truly redeem him. Lastly the clutter that is in the lit side of the shot displays the unorganized ruins his life is in. Later in the film, Emily calls Ben from her hospital bed and asks him to tell her a story. As he talks to her he walks to the hospital to be with her while she sleeps. He walks to her room and looks from the outside, through the wired glass window into the room at her sleeping. The scene is very dark and has a greenish tint to it. Looking at Ben through the window provokes the feeling that the viewer is not supposed to be watching Ben as he watches Emily, the viewer is placed on the outside looking in (Seven Pounds). The fact that the glass is wired shows that Ben is caged in. He is trapped in his own devastation and guilt. The dark, sickly green portrays the decay of Ben's life. He is falling for a girl while loving another and he is falling for a girl that he can never truly share a life with. This realization strikes him severely with guilt. Near the climax of the film, after Ben and Emily sleep together and say "I love you" there is a shot that pans up from Emily to Ben. Emily has light shining on her face and the shot gets darker as it moves up to Ben's dark face that is showing so much emotion. Sadness, worry, fear, guilt, and love are all clear in his face (Seven Pounds). Ben is looking as Emily, the light in his world now, and recognizing that they cannot be in this world together. He knows he has to leave her side, but more importantly leave her in this life. She is lit up because she is the light in two ways. One being she is the light that guides Ben through his darkness and the other being she is the life, she is the one that is going to live. Ben is dark because he cannot escape his guilt and he is death, he has been death continuously and now he knows for sure that he is going to die in just a short amount of time. Ben suffers so much depression from the car crash forward. He feels the only way to be forgiven for what he caused is to save seven kind people. Yet, throughout the film the viewer always sees him returning to the same emotions, never coming close to breaking away from them.
The acts Ben choses to do are acts to receive redemption and to make things right although Ben knows from the start that he will never feel redemption for his actions. He never even imagines forgiving himself for what happened the night of the accident but he still creates an incredibly selfless plan. The viewer wonders throughout the film, if he will die, if Emily will, what exactly happened that night, and if he will ever be happy and move forward from the tragedy. The fact of the matter is, he will never feel like he has done enough to be forgiven. He will harness guilt until the second he dies. Ben donates his kidney to a hockey coach that helps underprivileged kids play hockey. The day he is donating his kidney in the film, there is a seen that shows the doctor, the hockey coach and Ben in a hospital room. It is a medium shot of Ben looking at the doctor, a medium close up of the hockey coach also looking at the doctor, and the doctor has his back turned to the camera looking at them. Ben and the hockey coach are smiling up at the doctor. The room is lit up but everything around Ben is dark (Seven Pounds). This demonstrates that even in the moments where Ben is doing a chivalrous act and saving a life he is still in the dark. On the outside he can show happiness but inside his guilt still haunts him and nothing will ever be enough for what he did. He can never cure himself of his wrong doings. Later on in the film, after Ben fixes "The Beast", Emily's printing machine, he gets back to the motel and lays down on the bed. He has a flashback of his bride-to-be in her purple dress and then it cuts to him laying flat on his back with his arms spread out wide, in the Christ pose on his bed. The room is very dark, empty, and once again has a greenish tint (Seven Pounds). The first thing to notice here is that directly after doing something loving for Emily, he flashes back to his fiancé on the night she died. She is in a purple dress which sets a loving and romantic mood. This sequence shows that he feels guilt for falling in love with Emily because he still loves his wife. Also, directly after doing something kind, once again the viewer finds hime in the dark, slipping away, empty and hollow. No matter how many good deeds he does, he is a man that cannot be forgiven. In the last twenty minutes of the film, Ben commits suicide. This is after he sleeps with Emily and then runs to the hospital to find out if there is any chance she will have a donor other than him. The chances are so slim, he knows they can never live long, prosperous lives with one another. He goes to the motel and puts his plan for death into action. Throughout the whole sequence of Ben getting into the ice bath, watching the time, knocking the jellyfish in, watching it swim up to sting him, him being stung, and the preparation for the heart transplant Ben is having flashbacks Sarah and the night of the crash. The bath tub is boxy and small. The ice resembles shattered glass. When he grabs the curtain, cringing in pain, the curtain almost looks like it could be the metal of a car (Seven Pounds). All the shots in the suicide scene draw parallels to the car accident. His memory is stuck on that night. Although he is dying now, this shows that he truly died in the car accident. It also shows that he has not let go of what happened. He still feels all the guilt he felt the day after the accident and even in his death, his last moments in this life, he could not redeem himself. There was hope throughout the movie than Ben would potentially find salvation through Emily. By the end, the viewer knows he can only find redemption through himself and he will never forgive himself for it.
The plan Ben sets in motion is his way of making things right from the devastation he caused to specifically seven people but so many others were effected too. He is seeking redemption but a part of him always knows that he will never achieve it. He always knows it is not for himself but for others. Even during his acts of kindness he is depressed, he feels guilt, and he cannot find any true or lasting happiness. Even in his brightest moments he is in the dark both metaphorically and literally. The deaths haunt him and he is already dead. The moment that car crashes and he loses his fiancé he loses himself too. No redemption comes to him. Even when he cringes in the ice bath, preparing to die, he cannot forgive himself. Seven Pounds tells a story that presents hope for a broken man. But Ben never has hope. The viewer contemplates the possibility of Ben leading a long, happy life of redemption, potentially with Emily but Ben never sees that. Ben never relieves himself. Ultimately Ben dies a good man but a sad man. A man that cannot overcome his past. Some people that find themselves as the cause of a tragic event whether it be an accident, like Ben, making a life changing mistake in an relationship, or blaming themselves for an unpredictable incident they cannot control can find salvation. Some through therapy, some through kind acts, and some through Christ. The moment Ben inflicted this pain, he knew he would never stop feeling the pain himself.
There are endless signs throughout the film that prove how Ben is feeling, the viewer can see them externally on Ben through body language and can decipher the film to find them internally through framing, color, and mise-en-scene. The viewer sees both these aspects in every shot of Ben from start to finish. At the beginning of the movie, Ben is at the IRS looking at different profiles of people for an unknown reasons. This is one of the first few scenes. Ben pulls up the profile of Emily Posa and then it flashes to a shot of him. It is a medium close up shot of Ben looking at the computer. The viewer sees his nose and up but his mouth down is covered. His brow is furrowed and he looks like he is on the verge of tears. The background is half pitch black and half low-key lighting. The side with low-key lighting is cluttered with stacks of papers and folders on a shelf (Seven Pounds). This shot tells the viewer so many things right away. Externally, sadness and fear are displayed on Ben's face. This creates a curiosity in the viewer. The viewer is completely baffled, they don't know why he is at the IRS, who Emily is, and why he looks so upset. But, this starts building Ben's character and obviously is essential to the story. By analyzing the shot, the viewer can uncover even more about Ben. The fact that half the shot is dark and half the shot is lit has multiple dual meanings. It displays the concept of life and death. Ben is dead on the inside but alive on the outside. It also foreshadows. The darkness he has faced in his past versus the light he will bring in his future and the viewer does not yet know what those are for him. The contrast also shows conflicting thoughts within him, thinking about his plan and if anything can truly redeem him. Lastly the clutter that is in the lit side of the shot displays the unorganized ruins his life is in. Later in the film, Emily calls Ben from her hospital bed and asks him to tell her a story. As he talks to her he walks to the hospital to be with her while she sleeps. He walks to her room and looks from the outside, through the wired glass window into the room at her sleeping. The scene is very dark and has a greenish tint to it. Looking at Ben through the window provokes the feeling that the viewer is not supposed to be watching Ben as he watches Emily, the viewer is placed on the outside looking in (Seven Pounds). The fact that the glass is wired shows that Ben is caged in. He is trapped in his own devastation and guilt. The dark, sickly green portrays the decay of Ben's life. He is falling for a girl while loving another and he is falling for a girl that he can never truly share a life with. This realization strikes him severely with guilt. Near the climax of the film, after Ben and Emily sleep together and say "I love you" there is a shot that pans up from Emily to Ben. Emily has light shining on her face and the shot gets darker as it moves up to Ben's dark face that is showing so much emotion. Sadness, worry, fear, guilt, and love are all clear in his face (Seven Pounds). Ben is looking as Emily, the light in his world now, and recognizing that they cannot be in this world together. He knows he has to leave her side, but more importantly leave her in this life. She is lit up because she is the light in two ways. One being she is the light that guides Ben through his darkness and the other being she is the life, she is the one that is going to live. Ben is dark because he cannot escape his guilt and he is death, he has been death continuously and now he knows for sure that he is going to die in just a short amount of time. Ben suffers so much depression from the car crash forward. He feels the only way to be forgiven for what he caused is to save seven kind people. Yet, throughout the film the viewer always sees him returning to the same emotions, never coming close to breaking away from them.
The acts Ben choses to do are acts to receive redemption and to make things right although Ben knows from the start that he will never feel redemption for his actions. He never even imagines forgiving himself for what happened the night of the accident but he still creates an incredibly selfless plan. The viewer wonders throughout the film, if he will die, if Emily will, what exactly happened that night, and if he will ever be happy and move forward from the tragedy. The fact of the matter is, he will never feel like he has done enough to be forgiven. He will harness guilt until the second he dies. Ben donates his kidney to a hockey coach that helps underprivileged kids play hockey. The day he is donating his kidney in the film, there is a seen that shows the doctor, the hockey coach and Ben in a hospital room. It is a medium shot of Ben looking at the doctor, a medium close up of the hockey coach also looking at the doctor, and the doctor has his back turned to the camera looking at them. Ben and the hockey coach are smiling up at the doctor. The room is lit up but everything around Ben is dark (Seven Pounds). This demonstrates that even in the moments where Ben is doing a chivalrous act and saving a life he is still in the dark. On the outside he can show happiness but inside his guilt still haunts him and nothing will ever be enough for what he did. He can never cure himself of his wrong doings. Later on in the film, after Ben fixes "The Beast", Emily's printing machine, he gets back to the motel and lays down on the bed. He has a flashback of his bride-to-be in her purple dress and then it cuts to him laying flat on his back with his arms spread out wide, in the Christ pose on his bed. The room is very dark, empty, and once again has a greenish tint (Seven Pounds). The first thing to notice here is that directly after doing something loving for Emily, he flashes back to his fiancé on the night she died. She is in a purple dress which sets a loving and romantic mood. This sequence shows that he feels guilt for falling in love with Emily because he still loves his wife. Also, directly after doing something kind, once again the viewer finds hime in the dark, slipping away, empty and hollow. No matter how many good deeds he does, he is a man that cannot be forgiven. In the last twenty minutes of the film, Ben commits suicide. This is after he sleeps with Emily and then runs to the hospital to find out if there is any chance she will have a donor other than him. The chances are so slim, he knows they can never live long, prosperous lives with one another. He goes to the motel and puts his plan for death into action. Throughout the whole sequence of Ben getting into the ice bath, watching the time, knocking the jellyfish in, watching it swim up to sting him, him being stung, and the preparation for the heart transplant Ben is having flashbacks Sarah and the night of the crash. The bath tub is boxy and small. The ice resembles shattered glass. When he grabs the curtain, cringing in pain, the curtain almost looks like it could be the metal of a car (Seven Pounds). All the shots in the suicide scene draw parallels to the car accident. His memory is stuck on that night. Although he is dying now, this shows that he truly died in the car accident. It also shows that he has not let go of what happened. He still feels all the guilt he felt the day after the accident and even in his death, his last moments in this life, he could not redeem himself. There was hope throughout the movie than Ben would potentially find salvation through Emily. By the end, the viewer knows he can only find redemption through himself and he will never forgive himself for it.
The plan Ben sets in motion is his way of making things right from the devastation he caused to specifically seven people but so many others were effected too. He is seeking redemption but a part of him always knows that he will never achieve it. He always knows it is not for himself but for others. Even during his acts of kindness he is depressed, he feels guilt, and he cannot find any true or lasting happiness. Even in his brightest moments he is in the dark both metaphorically and literally. The deaths haunt him and he is already dead. The moment that car crashes and he loses his fiancé he loses himself too. No redemption comes to him. Even when he cringes in the ice bath, preparing to die, he cannot forgive himself. Seven Pounds tells a story that presents hope for a broken man. But Ben never has hope. The viewer contemplates the possibility of Ben leading a long, happy life of redemption, potentially with Emily but Ben never sees that. Ben never relieves himself. Ultimately Ben dies a good man but a sad man. A man that cannot overcome his past. Some people that find themselves as the cause of a tragic event whether it be an accident, like Ben, making a life changing mistake in an relationship, or blaming themselves for an unpredictable incident they cannot control can find salvation. Some through therapy, some through kind acts, and some through Christ. The moment Ben inflicted this pain, he knew he would never stop feeling the pain himself.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
TV Analysis
This picture demonstrates low key lighting. It shows strong contrast between the light and dark parts. This represents the light and dark in the character, Ray's, life. He is looking out the window at his son and that is where the light is coming from. The darkness is coming from the inside, from within the prison, and within himself as he walks to receive the death penalty.
The color of this photo sets the mood for the whole scene. The deep blue truck conveys sadness. The character, Mitch, has spiraled into a deep depression after the murder of her daughter. She is also in the rain which in this scenario just represents her deep feelings of being upset. Her face is hollow, like she has now become an empty shell in her sad, destroyed world.
This is a photo of detective Sarah Linden and her son Jack. It is a good example of deep space. There is a lot of space between Sarah and her son, not only space, but a whole scene. Throughout the show, it is clear that Sarah's job comes first and this causes a lot of distance and tension in their relationship. The deep space in this shot shows that. Her son Jack looks at her, longing for her but she looks straight on, focusing on something else.
The decor in this photo is a good depiction of Sarah Linden's life. She is busy, as usual. She holds something in both of her hands while her expression appears to be distracted, like there is something else on her mind. In the background, there is the hustle and bustle of the city. There are a lot of cars, colors, and lights making the city feel busy just like her life.
Frontality is used in the photo below. The camera is looking at the shot head on. This allows the viewer to vividly see the emotion in both of the subjects faces. The boy looks like he is in pain and upset and Detective Holder looks angry. With the shallow focus, the viewer notices Detective Linden in the background calmly watching. The color of the seen is read which conveys a heated, fiery scene.
This photo represents shallow focus. The detective, Sarah Linden, is holding the gun and holding it at a man. Her face is the only thing in focus so the viewer focuses on that. There is a lot of emotion in her face. She looks scared, angry and upset. The whole photo has a greenish tint which represents the sickness she harbors. The sickness of threatening another human being's life.
This is a good example of deep focus. Shallow focus is represented as well as the hanging apparatus is blurry. The deep focus resides in the men's faces. All of their faces are very clear. This allows the viewer to see the pain the are suffering from this traumatic experience. The two officers are about to hang Ray, the inmate, and this is there final scene together. Though Ray has been convicted of murder and these officers have known this was coming the actual event is harder said than done. There is raw emotion on their faces about the whole situation and what is about to happen.
This photo shows very precise framing. The scene strictly follows the rule of thirds, both horizontally and vertically. The lines of the blinds come in from the top and lead down to the two characters. Detective Holder is on the edge of the first third and Detective Linden is on the edge of the second third. Their eyes fall in the top third of the picture and torsos fall in the bottom third. This picture also creates a strong emotional response. Sarah is in the dark as though she is the one who needs help, Holder is her light. That being said Holder is weeping and Sarah is trying to comfort him.
This is a close up shot. It is of Ray, a criminal from the show who is on death row. Close up shots allow the viewer to really see the character. There is a lot of detail in his face and his emotion is right there. It provokes the viewer to be emotional to, to see the character. He has a tear in his eye, something that would go unnoticed in a long or medium shot. Although the audience has seen him be a horrible man the viewer still feels a pang of pity for him. The viewer wants to comfort him, to save him and cry for him too.
This is a medium shot, showing most of the character's body as well as a good amount of the background. The viewer sees Detective Linden staring into a pond with something like red tarps floating in it. Each red tarp has a body wrapped inside of it. The red stands out so that the viewer is especially effected by the horrific scene. It also kind of gives the point of view of Sarah, as the camera is directly behind her.
The color of this photo sets the mood for the whole scene. The deep blue truck conveys sadness. The character, Mitch, has spiraled into a deep depression after the murder of her daughter. She is also in the rain which in this scenario just represents her deep feelings of being upset. Her face is hollow, like she has now become an empty shell in her sad, destroyed world.
This is a photo of detective Sarah Linden and her son Jack. It is a good example of deep space. There is a lot of space between Sarah and her son, not only space, but a whole scene. Throughout the show, it is clear that Sarah's job comes first and this causes a lot of distance and tension in their relationship. The deep space in this shot shows that. Her son Jack looks at her, longing for her but she looks straight on, focusing on something else.
The decor in this photo is a good depiction of Sarah Linden's life. She is busy, as usual. She holds something in both of her hands while her expression appears to be distracted, like there is something else on her mind. In the background, there is the hustle and bustle of the city. There are a lot of cars, colors, and lights making the city feel busy just like her life.
Frontality is used in the photo below. The camera is looking at the shot head on. This allows the viewer to vividly see the emotion in both of the subjects faces. The boy looks like he is in pain and upset and Detective Holder looks angry. With the shallow focus, the viewer notices Detective Linden in the background calmly watching. The color of the seen is read which conveys a heated, fiery scene.
This photo represents shallow focus. The detective, Sarah Linden, is holding the gun and holding it at a man. Her face is the only thing in focus so the viewer focuses on that. There is a lot of emotion in her face. She looks scared, angry and upset. The whole photo has a greenish tint which represents the sickness she harbors. The sickness of threatening another human being's life.
This is a good example of deep focus. Shallow focus is represented as well as the hanging apparatus is blurry. The deep focus resides in the men's faces. All of their faces are very clear. This allows the viewer to see the pain the are suffering from this traumatic experience. The two officers are about to hang Ray, the inmate, and this is there final scene together. Though Ray has been convicted of murder and these officers have known this was coming the actual event is harder said than done. There is raw emotion on their faces about the whole situation and what is about to happen.
This photo shows very precise framing. The scene strictly follows the rule of thirds, both horizontally and vertically. The lines of the blinds come in from the top and lead down to the two characters. Detective Holder is on the edge of the first third and Detective Linden is on the edge of the second third. Their eyes fall in the top third of the picture and torsos fall in the bottom third. This picture also creates a strong emotional response. Sarah is in the dark as though she is the one who needs help, Holder is her light. That being said Holder is weeping and Sarah is trying to comfort him.
This is a close up shot. It is of Ray, a criminal from the show who is on death row. Close up shots allow the viewer to really see the character. There is a lot of detail in his face and his emotion is right there. It provokes the viewer to be emotional to, to see the character. He has a tear in his eye, something that would go unnoticed in a long or medium shot. Although the audience has seen him be a horrible man the viewer still feels a pang of pity for him. The viewer wants to comfort him, to save him and cry for him too.
This is a medium shot, showing most of the character's body as well as a good amount of the background. The viewer sees Detective Linden staring into a pond with something like red tarps floating in it. Each red tarp has a body wrapped inside of it. The red stands out so that the viewer is especially effected by the horrific scene. It also kind of gives the point of view of Sarah, as the camera is directly behind her.
Monday, May 5, 2014
Reflection Week 4/28- Music Videos
There were a lot of interesting videos this week in class. There were a lot of videos that surprised me with their depth and meaning and that fit the terms very well. The music video Stan by Eminem beautifully exemplified a lot of the terms. Looking at Eminem as the auteur, he wrote the song about a true fan of his. It was based on real events that he experienced being a famous artist. For the diegesis, the viewer can infer that Eminem can see aspects of himself in Stan. At 5:50 the viewer sees Eminem as he is writing the letter to Stan and realizing what he has done. His reflection flashes in the window and we can interpret this as Eminem looking inside himself and recognizing the similarities between himself and Stan and how easily he could have wound up in the same situation. This video also has many flashbacks of Stan's life and his path to losing it.
The second video that stood out to me was I Knew You Were Trouble by Taylor Swift. The genre is narrative because it tells the story of her past relationship. The plot is that she always knew she was putting herself into a bad situation but she could't help herself. Despite knowing she would get hurt, she wanted to do it anyway. A good example of scene/sequence is throughout the video it flashes back and forth between her memories of her relationship and her current situation. It depicts how thrilling her life was when she was in a relationship versus how barren and lost her life is without it and allows the viewer to feel how intense those memories are for her.
The music video American Soldier by Toby Keith has great editing to convey meaning. A lot of the editing makes the viewer feel compassionate. The subject of the video is in the military for are country. The editing allows us to see his home life, his family and such and then will show us him putting on his game face to go to war and leave his family. A great shot in this video is at 2:37, when the soldiers are walking on to the plane. It shows them all as dark shadows meaning they are the faceless soldiers of the military. They are also walking into the darkness and the back is full of light, showing the darkness and horrors they are about to face.
The music video for Hey Brother by Avicii has a great example of Mise-en-Scene. At 9 seconds into the video, there is a medium shot of the front tire of a boy's bike. There is a picture in the spokes of the tire which is the focus of the shot. Also, the colors in the shot are red, white, and blue. This infers that there is longing for a someone who went into the war. It is patriotic and the photo is a way of representing the boy's longing for his family member in the war.
The second video that stood out to me was I Knew You Were Trouble by Taylor Swift. The genre is narrative because it tells the story of her past relationship. The plot is that she always knew she was putting herself into a bad situation but she could't help herself. Despite knowing she would get hurt, she wanted to do it anyway. A good example of scene/sequence is throughout the video it flashes back and forth between her memories of her relationship and her current situation. It depicts how thrilling her life was when she was in a relationship versus how barren and lost her life is without it and allows the viewer to feel how intense those memories are for her.
The music video American Soldier by Toby Keith has great editing to convey meaning. A lot of the editing makes the viewer feel compassionate. The subject of the video is in the military for are country. The editing allows us to see his home life, his family and such and then will show us him putting on his game face to go to war and leave his family. A great shot in this video is at 2:37, when the soldiers are walking on to the plane. It shows them all as dark shadows meaning they are the faceless soldiers of the military. They are also walking into the darkness and the back is full of light, showing the darkness and horrors they are about to face.
The music video for Hey Brother by Avicii has a great example of Mise-en-Scene. At 9 seconds into the video, there is a medium shot of the front tire of a boy's bike. There is a picture in the spokes of the tire which is the focus of the shot. Also, the colors in the shot are red, white, and blue. This infers that there is longing for a someone who went into the war. It is patriotic and the photo is a way of representing the boy's longing for his family member in the war.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Reflection Week 4/21
The music video presentations have been very interesting. There has been such a wide variety of music and so many cool interpretations. That is something I admire about music, it is so different, and so personal to every person individually. I think the video How Do You Like Me Now? By Toby Keith did a really good job of portraying all ten terms. There were concrete of each and that is one of the only ones I've seen so far that has done that. It was hard to find a video that depicted all of them well like that. There were two that really stood out to me as fascinating. Breezeblocks by Alt J The Scientist by Coldplay. I don't typically watch music videos, I like imagining my own story in my head but I have never seen videos like these two. The reverse method was really strange but very powerful and those to stood out to me.
This project led me to realize a couple things about my personal interest in music. I found that music videos are not really my thing but that music research is something that I would like to spend more of my time doing. I chose the song Highway 20 Ride by Zac Brown Band and after spending 5 minutes researching I learned so much about that song. It gave me a much deeper connection to the song and I felt compassion for the song writers, two members of the band. I think I will start researching my favorite songs more often. I think learning that was the best part of this project.
Wyatt Durrette (Auteur, Highway 20 Ride)
This project led me to realize a couple things about my personal interest in music. I found that music videos are not really my thing but that music research is something that I would like to spend more of my time doing. I chose the song Highway 20 Ride by Zac Brown Band and after spending 5 minutes researching I learned so much about that song. It gave me a much deeper connection to the song and I felt compassion for the song writers, two members of the band. I think I will start researching my favorite songs more often. I think learning that was the best part of this project.
Wyatt Durrette (Auteur, Highway 20 Ride)
Monday, April 21, 2014
Culture, Communication and Media Reflection
The evolution of media has made a massive impact on our society, culture, and human race in its entirety. This impact has effected almost every aspect of our lives from our careers, to our daily lives, to almost all our interactions and so much more. The intensity of media has brought about a ton of new norms for our culture that continue to grow and change daily. What the media has not brought yet but will eventually bring is social change and discovering how to evolve with the technology. The democratization of our society has brought about a lot of good changes which keeps increasing but technology has out run us. Ultimately, technology and the media are a few steps ahead of our mass culture. The mass media is developing so quickly and it is so exciting but we have not yet found a way to uphold our values in such an overwhelming state of media. Overall, the massive changes that have occurred have been positive. We just have to learn to live in a society where technology and media are so prevalent in the ways we interact. We have to learn to change the way we portray our morals and ethics as individuals and as culture before we will be able to appreciate the way media has shaped us.
Democratization has made numerous amazing things possible in our lives. Most importantly, communication is easier than ever before. We have a bunch of different ways to interact with a bunch of different people that would never be possible without technology and the media. It has opened up so many doors for people to experience their passions, explore new ideas, and learn things that the mass culture has never been able to access before. Culture and Communication Part I introduces this concept. "In early times there were distinct differences between culture of the elite... and the culture of the common person... Although some elite culture exists today, ordinary people can at least observe some of it on TV shows..." The gap between the "elite" culture and the "common" culture is closing. Most people have access to internet, transportation, and leisure activities. While there are variations of this things and different costs, the majority of people can afford these things in one form or another. Democratization occurs in several different aspects of our society however, a great example of it is the media. Now, way more people have the ability to put themselves out there and get noticed. In Press Pause Play numerous artists agree with this idea. Hank Shocklee says, "A lot of movies that may have not had the chance to be made will be made, which means you're gonna have a lot more options for cinema, you're gonna have a lot more creativity rising to the top." Shocklee refers to this concept with cinema but it is true with so many things now that the internet plays such a huge role in our lives. It is so simple to but creative ideas out there, on websites, blogs, social networks, youtube and so many more internet creations. If someone has talent, they can build a fan base and get noticed. A good example of this is Lena Dunham who was featured in Press Pause Play as well due to her acting career. She says, "I never thought of film making as a job I could have... it didn't ever occur to me that it was something I could do with my life." Although many people don't see themselves as ever being able to become rich and famous it is now possible for the "average Joe". If someone demonstrates their talent in a YouTube video, the whole world can watch along. It isn't hard to get ideas out there and therefore it makes it much easier to make connections. Someone can watch one video of someone singing and share it on their Facebook page. Then someone else sees it and posts it to their blog. Then a friend of theirs sees it and they have a friend in the music business who they email it to. There are hundreds of ways for information to reach the world and tons of ways to let new talents surface.
The growth of the media was inevitable and its influence is huge in our society. Every where we go we are exposed to an advertisement, television, music, art, etc and by now we are used to that. People often associate many societal issues with the media and technology, however all of our issues stem from within ourselves. Some people believe that society has become a less trusting, less giving place because of technology, they think it has isolated us a little bit. For example, in Culture and Communication Part II, there is a quote from a sociologist named Louis Wirth. During his time he felt like the new societal changes were negative. "...the new urban culture... saw 'the weakening of bonds of kinship and the declining social significance of the family, the disappearance of the neighborhood, and the undermining of the traditional basis of social solidarity.'" Parts of this are true. Our social relationships have changed a lot and as a society we are learning how to develop the skills to communicate through technology as well as in face-to-face conversations. But, we are not losing the sense of family or community. Family and friendships are still incredibly important to us. Technology is too. We are having a hard time finding a way to have all this distraction in our lives and still be able to sit down and just be physically there with other people although we still value this time very highly. Even though a lot of times we cannot sit down and be with others physically without being with others also through technology. Joseph Garner from the documentary Craigslist Joe demonstrates how community is still very much alive in our society. Garner says, "As a country we're wealthy, diverse, and technologically sophisticated yet some say we have lost the sense of community that used to carry us through tough times. Today it is every person for themselves. Some say technology and social media fuel this isolation." Through his experiment, Garner was able to prove that if we use technology in the right ways it actually increases the sense of community. People are still generous and people do care about interacting with others. In the lecture, The Empathic Civilisation, done by Jeremy Rifkin he explains how we are capable of this. He agrees that we are kind and loving toward one another at heart but that we need to actually acknowledge that and apply it to our lives. "Because I want you to imagine the following proposition - is it possible that we human beings who are soft wired for empathic distress is it possible we could actually extend our empathy to the entire human race, as an extended family? And to our fellow creatures as part of our evolutionary family and to the biosphere as our common community? If it's possible to imagine that then we may be able to save our species and save our planet." Rifkin makes a good point. This is another depiction that the problem does not lie within technology but within ourselves. Disconnection and violence are not a product of technology or media but a product of our society losing touch with its true values.
Now that technology is here and it isn't going anywhere we have to learn to live with it. It will continue to grow and become bigger and more advanced everyday. Technology is already ingrained in our lives whether we chose to acknowledge that or not. What we need to do now is incorporate it in our lives and promote the good things it brings. We have things that as a society we need to change. We can use technology to our advantage to make these changes. In the lecture done by Roman Krznaric titled The Power of Outrospection he discusses a change he feels is necessary. "...the 21st century needs to be different; instead of the age of introspection we need to shift to the age of outrospection. And by outrospection I mean the idea of discovering who you are and what to do with your life by stepping outside yourself, discovering the lives of other people, other civilisations." Right now we use technology as a way of expressing ourselves and sharing our own lives. We are exposed to a lot of other people and their lives as well but ultimately what we care about is who is going to see our own stuff and like it or comment on it. This is why we need change because there are so many connections to be made if we can step out of our own worlds and use this amazing gift to give back to others. More than just helping, finding a solution to the problem. In a lecture by Slavoj Zizek, First as Tragedy, Then as Farce, he points out how there are a lot of issues that need to be fixed that are being put off. Technology could be used to benefit everyone in this situation, again. "People find themselves surrounded by hideous poverty, by hideous ugliness, by hideous starvation. It is inevitable that they should be strongly moved by all this. Accordingly, with admirable, though misdirected intentions, they very seriously and very sentimentally set themselves to the task of remedying the evils that they see. But the remedies do not cure the disease they merely prolong it; indeed the remedies are part of the disease." In Zizek's eyes, we do help, or at least let ourselves believe that we do. We believe that our small donations by buying the box of shoes that says "One for One" is good enough to solve the worldly issue of poverty and it's not. It isn't even close. We need to actually be present and involved by volunteering and doing things that will help multiple people long term. Once again, we have the means to do it we just have not stepped up to the plate. Then there are problems in our own society, social problems. With innovation comes different goals, aspirations, and requirements. Changing Paradigms is a lecture done by Sir Ken Robinson that demonstrates how our culture is fighting the technology movement when we need to flow with it. His example of this is our education system although it occurs in various aspects of society. "The problem is they're trying to meet the future by doing what they did in the past. And on the way they're alienating millions of kids who don't see any purpose in going to school. Our children are living in the most intensely stimulating period in the history of the earth. They're being besieged with information and calls for their attention from every platform - computers, from iPhones, from advertising hoardings, from hundreds of television channels and we're penalising them now for getting distracted. From what? Boring stuff at school,
for the most part." The media and technology wave is something we need to embrace and find ways to incorporate it into our learning and growing. This applies to many things but schools are the perfect example. Students still have to spend hours on end memorizing vocabulary when they can look it up online and find it in fifteen seconds. Technology is growing and changing and we need to think open-minded and dive in.
Technology and the media have brought up many interesting points in our lives. As a culture, we chose whether technology plays a mostly positive role or a mostly negative role. If as a whole we keep blaming our own issues on our outer surroundings we won't get anywhere. If we can accept the fault and accept the changing times society will be an overall better place. We used the intelligence of our culture to create these things and now we need to use our intelligence to learn and thrive from them. Stepping up, remembering our values, supporting each other, and keeping an open-mind could lead us to the best age of social, educational, and cultural intelligence. All the possibilities are in front of us if we just reach for them.
for the most part." The media and technology wave is something we need to embrace and find ways to incorporate it into our learning and growing. This applies to many things but schools are the perfect example. Students still have to spend hours on end memorizing vocabulary when they can look it up online and find it in fifteen seconds. Technology is growing and changing and we need to think open-minded and dive in.
Technology and the media have brought up many interesting points in our lives. As a culture, we chose whether technology plays a mostly positive role or a mostly negative role. If as a whole we keep blaming our own issues on our outer surroundings we won't get anywhere. If we can accept the fault and accept the changing times society will be an overall better place. We used the intelligence of our culture to create these things and now we need to use our intelligence to learn and thrive from them. Stepping up, remembering our values, supporting each other, and keeping an open-mind could lead us to the best age of social, educational, and cultural intelligence. All the possibilities are in front of us if we just reach for them.
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Reflection Week 4/7
I found myself very interested in some of the points made in the videos we watched this week in class. It really made me think about the way our world is, if it needs to change, and if it does, how it will happen. The videos demonstrated a desperate need for social change in our world, I just can't imagine how it will come about. In Jeremy Rifkin's lecture he says, "To
empathise is to civilise; to civilise is to empathise... So when a child learns
that life is vulnerable and fragile, and every moment is precious, and that
they have their own unique history it allows a child then to experience another's
plight in the same way - that that other person or other being, it could be another
creature, has a one and only life, it's tough to be alive, and the odds are not
always good. So if you think about the times that we've empathised with each
other our fellow creatures it's always because we felt their struggle, we had
the depth and empathy and the celebration of live. And we show solidarity with
our compassion." (Rifkin, The Empathic Civilisation) I found this point very interesting. I find my mind wandering thinking about how different our world would be if we kept the same empathy standards as we grew up. I feel that our society does have empathy. Most people do care about others and feel bad if they are struggling. The issue is, no one does anything about it. Then this point was made in the other lecture we watched done by Roman Krznaric. "...instead
of the age of introspection we need to shift to the age of outrospection. And
by outrospection I mean the idea of discovering who you are and what to do with
your life by stepping outside yourself, discovering the lives of other people,
other civilisations. And the ultimate art form for the age of outrospection is
empathy;..." (Krznaric, The Power of Outrospection) He adds on to Rifkin by defining what is necessary to get to that place. He says that we need to experience other people's poverty, devastation, and horrifying lives in order to truly be empathetic. Ultimately he says that we can help people in need but we cannot truly understand until we walk a mile in their shoes. For example, someone can send money from the comfort of their own home everyday to children in poverty in Africa but they won't ever see the whole picture. The only way for them to develop true empathy is to travel to Africa and see for themselves what the living conditions actually are and feel how the kids actually feel. There was another interesting point in another one of the videos that was also about empathy but took a very different approach. The lecture was by Slavoj Zizek. "But the remedies do not cure the disease they merely prolong
it; indeed the remedies are part of the disease. They try to solve the problem
of poverty, for instance, by keeping the poor alive. Or in the case of a very
advanced school by amusing the poor. But this is not a solution it is an aggravation
of the difficulty." (Zizek, First as Tragedy, Then as Farce) I am still a little bit lost on the main points of Zizek's lecture but from what I understand I believe he thinks our empathy needs to go deeper. The ways in which we empathize, or in other words, help the less fortunate are pathetic. He is saying that we really aren't helping them at all. In reality we are hurting them more and we don't even recognize that. He is saying we need real, concrete solutions to all the serious problems in our world.
Something else I found fascinating was Sir Ken Robinson's perspective on public education. I had never really thought about how constricting school actually and how worthless it is when kids are invested as little as they are. "We still educate children by batches; we put them through the system by age group - why do we do that? Why is there this assumption that the most important thing kids have in common is how old they are. It's like the most important thing about them is their date of manufacture. Well I know kids who are much better than other kids at the same age in different disciplines, or at different times of the day, or better in smaller groups than in large groups, or sometimes they want to be on their own. If you're interested in the model of learning you don't start from this production line mentality." (Robinson, Changing Paradigms) I completely agree with him, now that I recognize this issue. I think this is something I have actually believed for awhile without really noticing. In most of my classes I feel zoned out and uninterested because of either the information being taught or the way it is being taught. Time in a public school is wasted when the students aren't invested. Teachers can take phones away but that does not stop distraction. Students can come to class everyday but that doesn't mean they're present. It is so true that our society puts every student in a box and that is crazy because we don't all learn the same way. We all learn very differently, in fact. I wonder if schools were taught in a different way would the same students excel? This lecture made me realize that we really only follow one way of learning. It really sparked a desire in me to bring change to our public education system.
Something else I found fascinating was Sir Ken Robinson's perspective on public education. I had never really thought about how constricting school actually and how worthless it is when kids are invested as little as they are. "We still educate children by batches; we put them through the system by age group - why do we do that? Why is there this assumption that the most important thing kids have in common is how old they are. It's like the most important thing about them is their date of manufacture. Well I know kids who are much better than other kids at the same age in different disciplines, or at different times of the day, or better in smaller groups than in large groups, or sometimes they want to be on their own. If you're interested in the model of learning you don't start from this production line mentality." (Robinson, Changing Paradigms) I completely agree with him, now that I recognize this issue. I think this is something I have actually believed for awhile without really noticing. In most of my classes I feel zoned out and uninterested because of either the information being taught or the way it is being taught. Time in a public school is wasted when the students aren't invested. Teachers can take phones away but that does not stop distraction. Students can come to class everyday but that doesn't mean they're present. It is so true that our society puts every student in a box and that is crazy because we don't all learn the same way. We all learn very differently, in fact. I wonder if schools were taught in a different way would the same students excel? This lecture made me realize that we really only follow one way of learning. It really sparked a desire in me to bring change to our public education system.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Reflection Week 3/31
This unit is interesting to me because although most of it is very apparent in society I have never studied it in depth. A lot of it I already knew, I just had never though about it. Studying the media has shown me why our society is the way it is. There were some things I didn't formally know that I found extremely interesting. Psychological noise was one of these things. I understood the concept of psychological noise before I read this textbook but I never considered it for myself. For example, selective exposure is a type of psychological noise which is that in general, "we expose ourselves to information that reinforces rather than contradicts our beliefs or opinions." (Culture and Communication) I started thinking about my behavior and if I conform to selective exposure and I found that I do. I tend to only inquire about things I know that I will like the answer to. I don't even do it intentionally but it is how my brain works. I know there is information out there that will contradict my beliefs I just unconsciously chose to not seek it out.
Another point I found very interesting was about how although nearly everyone views the mass media we all see it differently. "...we all think that what we see with our set of goggles is what everyone else sees." (Culture and Communication) I had never really recognized that everyone sees these things differently and it effects their lives in different ways than it effects mine. I was really grateful that this reading exposed me to that concept because I think that is important and can be applied to multiple aspects of my life. It is also interesting to think about the task of being a media producer, advertiser, director, etc. It must be so difficult to mass produce something that has to have an impact on such a mass audience. Overall I enjoyed diving beneath the surface of our culture and exploring the mass communication and media and how they effect our daily lives as well as our life spans.
I chose this picture because it demonstrates how the media interconnects all of us and it puts everyone on the same level because the majority has access to the same things.
Another point I found very interesting was about how although nearly everyone views the mass media we all see it differently. "...we all think that what we see with our set of goggles is what everyone else sees." (Culture and Communication) I had never really recognized that everyone sees these things differently and it effects their lives in different ways than it effects mine. I was really grateful that this reading exposed me to that concept because I think that is important and can be applied to multiple aspects of my life. It is also interesting to think about the task of being a media producer, advertiser, director, etc. It must be so difficult to mass produce something that has to have an impact on such a mass audience. Overall I enjoyed diving beneath the surface of our culture and exploring the mass communication and media and how they effect our daily lives as well as our life spans.
I chose this picture because it demonstrates how the media interconnects all of us and it puts everyone on the same level because the majority has access to the same things.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Reflection Week 3/17
I am pro democratization. I believe that our technology has expanded as our brains have expanded which has led to the progression of every other aspect of society. It does not make any form of art less special because every one has access to it. In Press Pause Play, Moby says, "When humans make stuff we tend to make interesting things." This is true. As humans we are constantly pushing our creativity to the limit in our own ways. Regardless of wealth, race, social class, etc. every human being has this quality. Every person having access to the means to be creative just makes our world more diverse and interesting. There is a ton of talent, genres, and oppourtunites that have arisen due to democratization. For example, the film industry and media."A lot of movies that may have not had the chance to be made will be made, which means you're gonna have a lot more options for cinema, you're gonna have a lot more creativity rising to the top." (Hank Shocklee Press Pause Play) Ultimately technology has allowed our mass culture to become more individualized while at the same time bringing us closer through all these different forms of art we get to explore.
I chose this picture because I think it represents how technology and access to it allows us to create connections and bonds to anyone anywhere.
Through democratization we also have the oppourtunity to discover new talent in ourselves and others. It is easier to be recognized now, with the internet and all, people have the choice to put themselves out there and find appreciaters qucikly. Lena Dunham is a great example of this. She says, "I never thought of film making as a job I could have... it didn't ever occure to me that it was something I could do with my life." (Press Pause Play) What allowed Dunham to become an actress was her ability to use to internet to get recognized. Now with everyone having that luxury, I think we can have a much broader spectrum of talent in every industry; art, music, film, media, and digital media. That being said, I believe that luxury will still but continue to change. We may be using a completely new method on a completely new device just a few years from now but I think democratization will continue to increase. "I think in 20 or 30 or 50 years we're going to look back at now with sort of like an endeared, a wistful nostalgia... like the same way like we look back at phones 25 years ago like oh they're cute, they're big and clunky and only worked in one part of the world... it had its own charm but we moved on." (Moby Press Pause Play) I agree with this. Everything will just keep growing and changing but if anything all these art forms will become more accesible. It will only make a more diverse and accepting world.
I chose this picture because I think it demonstrates how technology has bonnded society through communication and access. There is one human race behind everything you see on a daily basis.
Monday, March 17, 2014
Reflection Week 3/10
This week in class we watched Smoke Signals. I enjoyed the movie but I honestly thought it was a little cheesy. I really enjoyed the whole story and I was happy that Victor Joseph had healed but it was just very predictable. I thought the movie was humorous and entertaining while being educational about native life. I did not always understand the message that Thomas Builds-the-Fire was trying to convey through his stories. Overall, I thought it was a good movie. I also drew a lot of parallels between the movie and Ceremony. For example, alcoholism, PTS, and healing.
This week we were also introduced our essay prompt for out Native Study Essay. I am anxious to write my essay and see more in depth how everything we have studied links together. I am nervous about writing it as well because the prompt is challenging and I have a busy week ahead of me with work and other classes. I really enjoyed this unit of native study as it was not something I had been exposed to. I think it will be fun to analyze and write about. I am also glad to be exploring new topics.
This week we were also introduced our essay prompt for out Native Study Essay. I am anxious to write my essay and see more in depth how everything we have studied links together. I am nervous about writing it as well because the prompt is challenging and I have a busy week ahead of me with work and other classes. I really enjoyed this unit of native study as it was not something I had been exposed to. I think it will be fun to analyze and write about. I am also glad to be exploring new topics.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Reflection Week 3/3
The end of Ceremony was devastating. It was hard for me to read when Tayo was tired, hungry, and thirsty and he was running from his friends. That was unbelievable to me and I can't imagine the heartache he felt when he found out that they were hunting them down. Then, I could not bear to read the part when Emo, Pinkie, and Leroy were beating Harley and Tayo had to watch. I am still confused on exactly what happened then though and how Tayo made it back home safely. I could feel how hard it was for Tayo to watch but afterwards I couldn't read his emotions. I couldn't tell if he was still finding light in his days or if he was depressed again.
This represents Harley's hand-a symbol for Harley. He was bleeding badly when Tayo last saw him and the heart represents Tayo and Harley's love for each other.
This is the yellow, and yellow light, that is surrounding Tayo throughout this section of the novel.
Something I noticed in the last section of the book was the use of the color yellow. It was used repeatedly to describe a wide variety of things. For example, the bull, the bull's eyes, the sandrock, flames, the light, the sand, uranium, and the leaves. Not only were all these things described as yellow but the same items using the same description were repeated over and over in this section. In fact, there were many things described with color in this section but yellow especially stood out to me. I don't understand why this is used so much and why it is relevant.
This represents Harley's hand-a symbol for Harley. He was bleeding badly when Tayo last saw him and the heart represents Tayo and Harley's love for each other.This is the yellow, and yellow light, that is surrounding Tayo throughout this section of the novel.Monday, March 3, 2014
Reflection Week 2/24
The essays this week were hard for me because they were before we discussed and I was confused on a lot of the reading material. After we discussed, I understood that I analyzed the section incorrectly. I felt like Tayo started healing through the ceremonies and stories that Betonie told him. I felt like he was finally becoming happy and starting feel like he could let go of some of his sadness or at least control it. Then when he came down and spent time with Harley, Leroy, and Helen Jean I felt that he was relapsing. He started drinking again to numb himself and it seemed to me that he enjoyed that. Now I know that Tayo was realizing that he no longer wanted to feel that way and live his life that way.
I am very glad to see that Tayo has continued healing, that I was wrong in my analyzation. The discussion we had after the essays really helped me better analyze portions of the reading and I can now see that Tayo was still healing. He was relapsing in a way but during that he knew it wasn't what he was going to continue to do. Also, now that we are farther in the reading it is so apparent that Tayo is way healthier. I am so happy for Tayo and it is such a relief to see him feel and react like a healthy person. I feel his happiness when he smiles and it is contagious. It is amazing what Tayo has overcome.
This picture represents Tayo and his relief/release from his sadness.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Reflection Week 1/17
This week former U.S. Navy Seal, Clay, came and talked to our class about his experiences in the Navy and throughout his life. One thing I thought was really cool was that he gave an amazing description of the intensity of P.T.S. and the severity at which he has it. First of all, it really helped me relate to P.T.S. I always related it to war veterans but now I know that I have P.T.S. with some experiences as well. It also really helped me relate to Ceremony better and see how Tayo is feeling a lot of the time. When Clay described being able to smell gunpowder in the air, hear screaming and shooting, and taste the blood in the air, I could see how vividly those things were appearing for him. I could feel the extreme qualities of those memories in his mind.
Something that was extremely intense for me, was when Clay talked about the 12-year-old girl he killed in Jordan. I cannot imagine being in that situation or living with that situation everyday from then on. The reality of that situation made me so sad. The fact that there are people in our world, that would persuade a young girl to commit suicide in order to kill others sickens me. I feel sad for that girl. I feel sad for Clay and the severe emotional pain that comes with his job. I feel sad for our world. It is hard to imagine that things like that actually happen in our world. Even though I did not agree with everything he said, Clay made me thankful for his service and for coming and sharing his experiences with our class so that we can understand Ceremony better and the world we live in better.
Something that was extremely intense for me, was when Clay talked about the 12-year-old girl he killed in Jordan. I cannot imagine being in that situation or living with that situation everyday from then on. The reality of that situation made me so sad. The fact that there are people in our world, that would persuade a young girl to commit suicide in order to kill others sickens me. I feel sad for that girl. I feel sad for Clay and the severe emotional pain that comes with his job. I feel sad for our world. It is hard to imagine that things like that actually happen in our world. Even though I did not agree with everything he said, Clay made me thankful for his service and for coming and sharing his experiences with our class so that we can understand Ceremony better and the world we live in better.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Reflection Week 2/10
This week the discussions really helped me understand Ceremony better. There were a lot of metaphors, double meanings, and time frames of the book where I was very lost that I now understand. I still have some unanswered questions but overall I have a much deeper understanding of the details of the story. The essential parts of the story that are crucial to understanding Tayo's current state were fuzzy for me until we talked through them, moment by moment. I now feel more confident about the reading.
Now that I understand things better, I feel even more sad for Tayo. As I learn more and more about Tayo's past I can't imagine how he functions on a daily basis. He was repeatedly abandoned by his mother as a toddler. When he finally was given a stable environment and a consistent family he was subjected to Auntie's rude and uncalled for words and actions. Tayo feels so much guilt for everything that has gone on in his life that he has no control over. I feel that he is clinically depressed and I feel so sad that everyone that was supporting to him and kind, he has lost. Mainly Rocky and Tayo. I wish Tayo had a more loving and caring environment to live in so that he could find ways to deal with his grief and pain.
I chose this picture because I feel it represents all the parts of Tayo's life that are dying to get out of him.
Now that I understand things better, I feel even more sad for Tayo. As I learn more and more about Tayo's past I can't imagine how he functions on a daily basis. He was repeatedly abandoned by his mother as a toddler. When he finally was given a stable environment and a consistent family he was subjected to Auntie's rude and uncalled for words and actions. Tayo feels so much guilt for everything that has gone on in his life that he has no control over. I feel that he is clinically depressed and I feel so sad that everyone that was supporting to him and kind, he has lost. Mainly Rocky and Tayo. I wish Tayo had a more loving and caring environment to live in so that he could find ways to deal with his grief and pain.
I chose this picture because I feel it represents all the parts of Tayo's life that are dying to get out of him.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Reflection Week 2/3
This week the quote activity was hard for our group. Personally, I'm confused on the flow of the book and not so much the content so specific quotes didn't really help me overall. There are parts where metaphors are unclear to me and I wrote those down but the thing I am struggling most with is time. Ultimately, I have a hard time telling what is present and past, imagined and real, and if it is past or imagined why it is important to the whole of the story. I feel the specific quotes won't help me much because it is such a huge question and the story jumps around so often that there is no way to go through in complete detail what time frame Tayo is in throughout all the parts we have read.
I chose this picture to represent Tayo. One thing I can understand very clearly from the reading is that Tayo has lead a very hard and sad life. Sadly enough, I think he will continue to be depressed beyond repair throughout the rest of the novel as he has so many hardships to deal with and hardly any support in dealing with them.
I'm hoping that as we continue discussing quotes everything will become more clear to me. I feel as though I understand the details of the story, for example, when Tayo goes to see Night Swan. That portion of the story is very poetic and indirect but I was able to decipher the meaning behind it. It is figuring out when that happened initially and why Tayo is remembering it now that I struggle with. I also understood the direct parts of the portion about the homeless people living in shacks, hiding from the police. What I did not understand was how that pertained to Tayo's life. I couldn't tell if it was about Tayo, a memory of his, or if it was some sort of metaphor. I did pull quotes from that section to ask about but it is such a big portion with so many details it is hard to ask one specific question about it. I am hoping that as we continue discussing quotes as a class these will make more sense to me.
I chose this picture to represent Tayo. One thing I can understand very clearly from the reading is that Tayo has lead a very hard and sad life. Sadly enough, I think he will continue to be depressed beyond repair throughout the rest of the novel as he has so many hardships to deal with and hardly any support in dealing with them. Monday, February 3, 2014
Reflection Week 1/27
This week Ceremony became more confusing for me. I just feel that it jumps around so much that I cannot figure out what is really going on, what is present and what is past. Something I do understand is Tayo's past and I felt so sad reading about all the hardships he has dealt with. He has a very strange life and I'm starting to understand why he has such depression, alcholism, and PTS. Psychologically, he must be very, very lost with everything he has been through. Something I was very confused about was the section of the book that desscribe a young boy living with his mom by the river in a box and being left around, hungry and cold, while she slept with men. I am wondering if this is Tayo or not as it was not very clear.
Reel Injun really opened my eyes to a lot of things that I have never realized. I know racism has been prominent in our country since our birth but I never noticed the severity of it toward Native Americans until we started this unit and Reel Injun especially. I am thankful that I have this whole other perspective now and I'm seeing this sooner rather than later. I hope that as a country we continue to progress forward on these issues. I am glad the film industry has started to show the truth about Native history. After learning about all these issues, I may end up in a different career path than I originally planned. 
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Reflection Week 1/20
After starting Ceremony, I'm interested but confused. The story is pulls me in but it is a lot of information at once. It is also kind of confusing because it jumps around a lot between Tayo's thoughts and experiences throughout different times in his life and it doesn't make it very clear which are memories and which are actually happening. I also feel like there are so many metaphors throughout the reading that it is hard to uncover and understand each one. I definitely need help finding the hidden meanings behind the text. I am trying to annotate very thouroughly so that I won't have trouble with my essay and I am putting question marks anywhere that I would like to dicuss further. I think it will be a good experience to read Ceremony but a challenge. 
The class discussion from Friday did help me a lot. Being able to ask questions and clarify the meaning behind certain sections really helped. I am still confused but there are some things I do understand better. The writing we did Thursday was hard for me because even though I read I really didn't have a clear understanding of what was going on in the book. I think it would be helpful to read then discuss then write so that I could write a more thourough analysis because I would be able to understand the reading a little better. Overall, I like the story and the parts that I can follow. I think it is very sad and I feel bad for Tayo but I am glad that I am being made aware of the way things were during this time for the Laguna Pueblo people.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Dances with Wolves Reflection 2
Dances with Wolves impacted me in a way that I was not expecting. I feel more educated on native american life and I feel sad about the way the white settlers treated the natives and anyone associated with them. I never knew much about what really happened when white people came to settle in North America except that it wasn't pretty and they did some horrible things to the natives. Now I feel more enlightened as to why things happened the way they did. I feel that the white settlers saw themselves as more advanced than the natives and therefore superior. They also came, generally, with a mind set of domination. As far as the Sioux go, they only wanted peace and respect. Then the struggle with communication had a big impact. In the movie, John Dunbar makes a genuine effort to understand and the natives do the same. However most white settlers assumed the worst and immediately started to "prove" their power over the natives.
I'm really glad that Dances with Wolves was our introduction to this unit. I enjoy exploring topics that I don't know anything about and I think opening my eyes to these kinds of situations will only help me grow as a person. When we read The Laramie Project I was thankful for the way we were steered away from any sort of judge mental views and we were encouraged to look at all different sides of the story. I am carrying that policy with me into this unit. I am keeping and open mind and considering why things occurred the way they did. I am excited to learn more about the topic though. With The Laramie Project, I had witnessed discrimination against homosexual people and I knew a lot about the issue. The discrimination against Native Americans is something I know very little about and it is something I want to become more educated on.
(I picked this picture with the description of the Sand Creek Massacre to depict the type of discrimination natives dealt with)
I'm really glad that Dances with Wolves was our introduction to this unit. I enjoy exploring topics that I don't know anything about and I think opening my eyes to these kinds of situations will only help me grow as a person. When we read The Laramie Project I was thankful for the way we were steered away from any sort of judge mental views and we were encouraged to look at all different sides of the story. I am carrying that policy with me into this unit. I am keeping and open mind and considering why things occurred the way they did. I am excited to learn more about the topic though. With The Laramie Project, I had witnessed discrimination against homosexual people and I knew a lot about the issue. The discrimination against Native Americans is something I know very little about and it is something I want to become more educated on.
(I picked this picture with the description of the Sand Creek Massacre to depict the type of discrimination natives dealt with)
Native Study
Arapaho Tribe
The Arapaho Native Americans lived mainly in Colorado and Wyoming but there are traces of some branches of the tribe living in North and South Dakota as well as Montana. There were 5 dialects of their language spoken but now they are no longer spoken even though some people are familiar with it. They hunted buffalo, rode on horseback, and lived in tepees. They got along well with the Cheyenne, Sioux, and Gros Ventre tribes and fought with the Crow, Kiowa, and Comanche.
One of the famous chiefs of the Arapaho tribe was Little Raven. He is remembered as a very peaceful man that tried to make peace with enemy tribes and the white settlers. He was a part of the tribe at the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864. He still sought peace and fought until the Arapaho were granted reservation rights.
Kiowa Tribe
The Kiowa tribe lived in Montana at the sources of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers. Their region had deep snows. They were hunters, with bow and arrows, that hunted with dogs. Dogs were their only domesticated animal for awhile. Later on they learned to ride horses and hunted on horseback. They always kept the largest herd of horses of all the Plains Native Tribes.
One of the most famous Kiowa Chiefs was Satanta or White Bear. He was a very smart negotiator, philosopher, but at the same time he was a murderer. He was known for his big build his whole life and was called Big Ribs as a baby. He was well recognized by white soldiers for his size as well. He negotiated multiple treaties with the soldiers and fought against them in many battles. He was well known for his bugle that he would sound as the indication of a battle beginning or simply to make his presence known.
The Arapaho Native Americans lived mainly in Colorado and Wyoming but there are traces of some branches of the tribe living in North and South Dakota as well as Montana. There were 5 dialects of their language spoken but now they are no longer spoken even though some people are familiar with it. They hunted buffalo, rode on horseback, and lived in tepees. They got along well with the Cheyenne, Sioux, and Gros Ventre tribes and fought with the Crow, Kiowa, and Comanche.
One of the famous chiefs of the Arapaho tribe was Little Raven. He is remembered as a very peaceful man that tried to make peace with enemy tribes and the white settlers. He was a part of the tribe at the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864. He still sought peace and fought until the Arapaho were granted reservation rights.
Kiowa Tribe
The Kiowa tribe lived in Montana at the sources of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers. Their region had deep snows. They were hunters, with bow and arrows, that hunted with dogs. Dogs were their only domesticated animal for awhile. Later on they learned to ride horses and hunted on horseback. They always kept the largest herd of horses of all the Plains Native Tribes.
One of the most famous Kiowa Chiefs was Satanta or White Bear. He was a very smart negotiator, philosopher, but at the same time he was a murderer. He was known for his big build his whole life and was called Big Ribs as a baby. He was well recognized by white soldiers for his size as well. He negotiated multiple treaties with the soldiers and fought against them in many battles. He was well known for his bugle that he would sound as the indication of a battle beginning or simply to make his presence known.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Dances with Wolves
I am finding Dances with Wolves very interesting so far and I am anxious to see how it continues. It is inspiring to see a story of cultural difference and more so of respect for another group of people or person. This movie has enlightened me to the fact that discrimination generally comes from a lack of knowledge. Some white people saw natives as people who were so different from them they must be bad. John Dunbar gave them a chance just as they gave him one. It is so refreshing to see that acceptance, generosity, and strive for communication.
There are some very touching scenes and parts of the story that have made an impact on me. An example of this is the dynamic of emotions portrayed on opposite ends of the spectrum from two separate scenes is very powerful. When John Dunbar rides into the confederate side in the Christ pose as a suicide attempt with such sadness about his leg and situation I felt the depression so intensely. Then in contrast, when John Dunbar moves to his new post I felt his happiness and motivation to serve. Both of the emotions portrayed from these scenes are completely different yet I felt both of them so strongly. I think that is one of the main things drawing me in, in the movie. It has an ability to pull emotions out of me which creates a much deeper meaning for me.
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