Golan Levin's Interview

I found Golan Levin's interview to be very interesting. First of all, I thought the visual effects throughout the interview were very cool looking, and very appropriate for the topic! I found it interesting when he was talking about abstraction, and how it is the capacity to communicate beyond language. I agree with this statement. Often times an image may be hard to describe with everyday language because of how abstract it is. I thought it was interesting when Levin talked about how an image isn't either abstract or not abstract; instead, there is a continuum between abstraction and figuration. Therefore, there are many different levels that an image can be at in order to convey a certain message. Levin remarks how because of how early visual art could only consist of squares and circles, it was abstract. Nowadays there is much more of an exciting range between abstraction and figuration. Also, I thought the question about if a high priced art degree has value was a good question, for it really got me thinking. Especially in a field where by the time someone graduates the technology that they were taught no longer becomes the technology generally used, it seems reasonable to question if an art degree is vital. I think Levin's answer was very true on how it important because of how it brings people to the same place, so that they can collaborate and learn together. I also thought the question on if computers surpass human intelligence should we we sad or happy, to be fascinating. In a sense, computers already have, since they can compute information much quicker. Nevertheless, computers lack that personal understanding that humans have.

Embrace Your Vision!

The theme to my final video was "Embrace the Error". Because I have absolutely horrible vision and must always wear either my contacts or glasses, I came up with the idea of embracing your vision. Not everyone has perfect vision. Many people, like myself, rely on contacts or glasses. Instead of dwelling over having to wear glasses, people should embrace it! There are so many fun types of glasses out there to try, which is what I tried to convey in my video. For my video, I continuously put on different pairs of glasses. Because I only had two pairs of actual glasses, the rest of the glasses I used are sunglasses. Every time I put on a different pair of glasses my vision changes into a different cool visual effect. This is to exaggerate on the idea that wearing glasses can be fun and exciting! Also, every time I put on glasses the song changes. This is in order to emphasize the change between not wearing glasses and wearing glasses. Overall I had a really fun time making this video! It gave me a chance to learn more about using iMovie, and I hope to make more videos in the future!

Music Movements and Technology

One music movement that we talked about in class was Punk, which included the Sex Pistols, Ramones, and the Clash. Another group that could be added to this category is Green Day, which was one of my favorite bands growing up. This band relates to technology because many of their music videos introduce different video effects. For example, their music video to the song Boulevard of Broken Dreams is very staticky throughout it, in order to create the idea of loneliness and being deserted. Their music video to the song American Idiot has black/ white and faded effects. Many different angles are used, and they play with the lighting making it look like they are almost being struck by lighting. In their music video to the song Holiday, the background is constantly being changed even though they are staying put in place.

Another music movement that we talked about was the Nineties, which included artists such as the Cranberries. An artist similar to the Cranberries is Sheryl Crow. Ever since the songs First Cut is the Deepest and Soak Up the Sun came out, I have loved Sheryl Crow. Since then, I have gotten into some of her older songs from the nineties, including If It Makes You Happy, Everyday is a Winding Road, and All I Wanna Do. These songs all deal with technology because of how the music videos were made. Crow's music videos always play with the lighting. The music video to If It Makes You Happy will have scenes that go out of focus and are blurry and then become clear again (this music video is hilarious because of her outfits, so 90s!) Her music video to Everyday is a Winding Road not only plays with the lighting, but the whole video is done in the video effect of sepia. The music video to Steve McQueen divides the screen, so that there are multiple clips being shown at once.

Girl Power was another music movement discussed. A woman that I would add to this category is Adele because I believe she is truly inspirational. She has an astounding voice and was incredibly successful despite any people who argued how she might not fit the image. She is definitely a woman to look up to. Some of her songs include Someone Like You, Rolling in the Deep, Chasing Pavements, and Set Fire to the Wind. She relates to technology because of the visual effects in her music videos. Someone Like You is done completely in black and white. Chasing Pavements blurs out the background a lot. Set Fire to the Wind uses effects to create fire. At one point a woman is holding fire and then at another point people are burning in the fire.

We also talked about the music movement Disco. A group that I would add to this category is the Village People. One of their most famous songs that I still listen to today is YMCA. Another song of theirs is In the Navy. They were before many of the popular visual effects in videos were used, although they relate to technology by the different angles that were used in their videos and the lighting adjustments.

Electro-clash was another music movement we talked about. An artist that I would add to this category is Ladytron. She has many songs, including Everything You Touch, Runaway, and Seventeen. She relates to technology because of the video effects in her music videos. For example, in Runaway, there are lines that look like they are bleeding everywhere and the patterns on their clothes are moving. In addition, the music video of Everything You Touch plays with the sizes of things, making everything un-proportionate.

Performance Art!

For my performance art piece, I decided to dress up in winter clothes and walk around campus with a sled, in search of a place to go sledding! I wore a ski jacket, snow pants, gloves, and a scarf. I created a sled by covering a piece of cardboard with red paper and attaching string to it. This connects back to happiness because of how much I love sledding. I love being in Florida, but one thing that I miss about Maine are all of the winter activities. My experiences sledding have been some of my happiest childhood memories. My family used to go sledding every weekend when I was younger, during the winter. Therefore, memories of sledding remind me of all the happy memories I have with my family. All in all, I found this project to be fun. I won't lie though, walking around in a snowsuit was somewhat emberrassing. I found it interesting how most people would look at me from afar, but then purposely look the other way when I walked by them. It was almost as if they were afraid to look at me. This was not the reaction that I was expecting, so I was pretty surprised!

Xerox Machine Project!

This Xerox Project was a very interesting project to do. We had to scan different parts of our bodies and then create a collage inspired by an art movement. The art movement that I was inspired by was the Dada movement. I attempted to show modern life but with a twist. I created an outdoor scene with trees, flowers, and a sun. However, each tree, flower, or sun had either a face or mouth to it, in order to make it seem more alive. Overall I really enjoyed this project. It was fun to scan my body, and challenging yet rewarding to create the collage. 

Grid Art!

                       

In order to create my grid art, I decided to use 900 tacks. Because of the color variety of yellow, red, blue, green, and white, I thought creating Winnie the Pooh was the perfect idea! Winnie the Pooh was always my favorite character growing up, so recreating him brought back many memories of my childhood. Originally, I was attempting to recreate the image on the bottom; however, I ran into a dilemma. I did not have enough green or blue tacks to create the grass or the sky! Therefore, I had to improvise by adding in clouds and many flowers. Overall, I really enjoyed this project. Although challenging, it was not nearly as difficult as I had imagined this project to be. I am very happy with the outcome of my grid art.

Video Games!

Although I may not want to admit it, video games had a large impact on my childhood. Growing up, my brother, who is two years older than me, was absolutely obsessed in video games. Therefore, my family has had various different types of video game systems throughout my life. When I was younger, we had both the Nintendo and the Genesis in our basement. My favorite game to play on the Nintendo was Super Mario Brothers. On the Genesis, we had this fun fighting game to play, although I do not remember what is was called. In our living room, we also had the Nintendo 64. My favorite game to play on this was Mario Kart. My least favorite game to play was Super Smash Bros because I would always lose, which would frustrate me. For many years we had these three video game systems to choose from. The quality of the Nintendo 64 was much better than either the Nintendo or the Genesis, although sometimes it was still fun to play on these systems too. In addition, we had the Gameboy Color and later the Game Boy Advance. Then, in 2001, my brother bought the GameCube. The quality of the GameCube was even better than the Nintendo 64, so we started playing on that instead. I would always play the game Super Mario Sunshine on the GameCube. After the GameCube, my brother moved on to buying the Xbox, and then later the Xbox 360. This was the time period when I for the most part stopped playing video games. Before, I would always just play my brother's games. However, when my brother started playing the Xbox, he also started only playing gun shooting games, which I had little interest in. I was more interested at this time in computer games, for I was absolutely obsessed in The Sims 2. Although, I did enjoy Xbox games such as Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, and Rock Band. My family also bought a Wii, which I really enjoyed. We would only have fitness games on it though, for my parents wanted us to exercise while playing on it. The last video game system that my family has gotten is the Playstation Kinect. This I enjoyed because I could play dancing games without holding any form of controller. As of right now, I believe that my family only has the Xbox 360 hooked up. When I return home I use it, but only in order to use Netflix.

My Flip Book!

Although creating this flip book was a challenging experience, I found it very rewarding. I am very happy with my finished project. Before starting this project, I was very nervous because I did not know what I would draw for 200 pages. Nevertheless, I soon realized that as soon as I came up with one idea, it would lead to me coming up with another idea, and then another idea. My flip book is made up of various ideas that are completely unrelated; however, I think it is because of this fact that my flip book is interesting. Overall, I had a fun time with this project, and I was happy for the excuse to draw!

Pandora

One feature of the Internet that I especially love is Pandora. I love how I can type in a song or an artist and it will automatically create a station based off of that. I think Pandora is a great way to discover new songs because a song might play that I've never heard before, yet it will be similar to other songs that I like. Therefore, I will instantly fall in love with the new song! In addition, I like Pandora because it allows me to create as many stations as I would like. The type of music I listen to is always completely dependent on what I am doing. For example, if I am doing homework I will want to listen to classical music because words distract me. If I am alone I will most likely listen to alternative rock. Whereas if I'm with my friends, I'll probably listen to pop. I enjoy Pandora more than the music from my iTunes because it is always changing; I never know exactly what to expect. In comparison, I will love the music from my iTunes at first, yet will quickly grow sick of the songs. There are two downfalls to Pandora. One is the commercials, although at least they are not as long as the commercials on the radio. The second downfall is how I can only skip so many songs before it won't let me skip anymore songs. The positive aspects of Pandora, however, definitely outweigh those few negative aspects.

I Love Lucy

I decided to watch the first episode of I Love Lucy, and I thought it was absolutely hilarious! At first I did not think I would like it because I usually don't like older movies as much as newer movies. Nevertheless, I was pleasantly surprised. This humor in this show is the exact kind of humor that I find hysterical! In this episode Lucy and Ethel act especially nice to their husbands because they want to go to the nightclub. Ricky and Fred act especially nice to their wives because they want to go to a fight. It is hilarious watching each person be overly nice to the other person. Once the couples find out what each is up to, they both decide to find their own dates for the club. However, Lucy and Ethel end up dressing up as creepy women to be their dates, which was very amusing to watch. I think my favorite line in this episode was when Lucy said, "Ever since we said I do there are so many things that we don't." I'm not sure why I found this line so funny but it definitely had me laughing out loud! After watching this episode, I would be interested in watching more of this series.

Buck Rogers in the Twenty-fifth Century

The episode from the radio that I decided to listen to was Buck Rogers in the Twenty-fifth Century. This was one of the first science fiction radio series and took place in the early 1930s. I thought that the episode I watched was very entertaining! It was about Dr. Huer, who is a famous, well established scientist and his experiment with the electro-hypno-mental-a-phone. In the episode, he is visited by his friend Wilma who is curious on what Dr. Huer is doing. Due to the special phone he has created, electronic impulses go through the brain to his patient so that the words are registered directly on the patient's brain. Therefore, the patient is able to subconsciously respond without even opening his mouth! The patient is Buck Rogers who is from 1919. He says how he was in an abandoned mine that collapsed on him and the gas that was released put him to sleep for 500 years. This is a very interesting storyline which I feel would make for a good movie! I thought it was humorous how Dr. Huer was such a fantastic scientist that he had created rockets that could go to the moon, since this was before rockets had actually gone to the moon. In addition, I thought the advertisements were cool. It was almost as if the episode was incorporated into Popsicle Pete's commercial because Pete talked before and afterwards on how the listeners should all go buy popsicles. Overall, I thought it was fun being able to imagine the scenes in my head instead of visually seeing them.

The Great Train Robbery

I found The Great Train Robbery to be very interesting. It was a silent film made in 1903 by Edwin Porter about men robbing train stations. I thought it was engaging to see all the gestures and movements that the actors made. Because there was no audio to the movie, the actors had to make up for it through exaggerated gestures. If the movies today had as intense gestures as back then, then I feel like the movies today would be much more comical. In addition, I found it interesting how the screen play had a couple things that were in color: fire and a woman's dress. I wonder why it was decided to make the fire and dress in color when everything else was in black and white? I think it is interesting how this screenplay is essentially about violence. I am curious to know why violence is so common in movies, both today as well as back then. Why are people so interested to watch people shoot others? Overall, it was fascinating to see how much movies have changed from the early 1900s to now.

Angel de Quinta's Blog

After looking at Angel de Quinta's blog, I now want to go watch a Broadway play! Many of the clips I watched on his blog look interesting. For example, I especially want to see the musical Scottsboro Boys, for the trailer looks like the musical is inspiring. Miss Saigon also looks like it would be a fascinating musical to watch. I've never seen a Broadway musical, so I would especially enjoy the experience! I wish I could understand spanish so I could see what Angel de Quinta has actually written on his blog.

Thoughts on La Boheme

The opera that I decided to watch was La Boheme. This opera was about two roommates, Rodolfo and Marcello, who live in the city. They are both very poor and always cold in their apartment. One night, Rodolfo meets his neighbor Mimi. Once the lights blow out, they instantly fall in love. Later on, Marcello meets a rich woman named Musetta, and they begin to date. Rodolfo and Marcello seem to be madly in love until a night when both think that they should break up with each other. At first, Mimi says it is because of Rodolfo's jealousy, while Rodolfo says it is because of Mimi's flirtatiousness. Later, Rodolfo admits that it is because of how Mimi has become sick because of the conditions that they live in. At the end of the play, Mimi sadly passes away. I thought this opera was very fascinating. It shows a glimpse of what life must have been like in the 1800s for those who were not well off. We, ourselves, without realizing it take for granted things such as heat and electricity. This opera revealed to me how we should be thankful for what we have, for Mimi ends up dying because of the poverty and the coldness. I thought the romance between Rodolfo and Mimi was quite beautiful. It was gratifying to see how they stuck together until the end, despite her sickness. However, I was a bit confused on how rapid their romance blossomed. Immediately after meeting they fell in love, which I do not feel is very realistic. In addition, I found the romance between Marcello and Musetta somewhat confusing, for I could not tell how they actually felt about each other. Nevertheless, I thought this was a good opera to watch, and it reminded me a lot of the musical Rent! I wonder if Rent was inspired by this opera.

Thoughts on Pjotr Sapegin's Madama Butterfly

I thought that Pjotr Sapegin's Madama Butterfly animation was very sad. It showed a girl on an island who meets a guy. After being intimate the guy leaves, yet she eagerly waits for him. Over the years, she and her child wait for him until he does indeed return. However, he has made a life of his own and takes the child away. The woman is left alone. From this animation, it is clear that all the woman wanted was love. She is lonely and just wants some form of emotional attachment. I thought this animation was creative by the use of the butterfly. When the butterfly is present, the woman is happy. However, when the man leaves, so does the butterfly. The absence of the butterfly represents the woman's loneliness. Although the death of the woman was sad, I must admit it was creative how her suicide was presented. The woman ripped herself apart, until there was no more of her. The light was turned off, representing the end of her life.

"The Birth and Life of Opera" Reflection

Before taking this class, my knowledge on operas was quite limited. I had never seen an opera nor taken the time to learn about its history. However, in the past few days I have learned a lot about operas! I especially learned a lot about operas in the video I just watched: "The Birth and Life of Opera." For example, I learned that operas were born in Italy approximately 400 years ago. I had no idea that operas have been around for so long! I learned that a group called the Camerata, which consisted of Italian philosophers, poets, composers, and scientists, wanted to come up with a type of art that incorporated not only music, but also poetry and drama. Thus, operas were born. I find it surprising how the Camerata were made up of people from a variety of different fields. It is refreshing to know that there was some unity among people of different careers or backgrounds back then. I find it interesting how the first couple operas were not popular. It was not until "Lorfeo," that people started becoming excited about operas. It is inspiring to learn about how influential Monteverdi was. His operas became so popular that not only did they spread throughout Italy, but the rest of Europe too. I am also inspired to hear about how many operas had messages to them. For instance, Beethoven's "Fidelio" sent the message of liberation and freedom. The narrator of this video called operas the "parent to musicals." I find this a funny yet accurate way to describe operas, for I wonder if musicals would be around today if there were no operas? I am looking forward to watching an opera after watching this video!

Reflection of Raul Cuero's Interview

Raul Cuero's interview had a lot of concepts that I could apply to my life. He talked a lot about how we should not be limited to what society thinks. Some of the best inventions or ideas have come from ways that society would never expect or predict. This shows me how when I am trying to come up with future ideas, I should think outside the box of what society might expect. He talks about how creativeness is not obvious, for it has to do with how you perceive nature. I could apply this to my life by being more observant with the nature around me. In addition, Cuero said how he used people's prejudice as fuel to do better. This shows me how any negative comments that I ever get I should use as motivation to do better.

Hello!

Hi, my name's Brittany Elvidge. I'm a psychology major with a minor in biology who hopes to one day be a psychologist. I am from Maine and love the chance to be in Florida! I am very excited for this class because of how different it seems from all of my other classes which have been either psychology or biology classes. I hope that this class teaches me how to be more creative and how to think more outside the box. I think that this class will be helpful because being able to think more creatively will definitely help me as a future psychologist.