FREAK FACTOR

Freak Factor by David Rendall

Throughout the essay, David Rendall lists possible solutions to identifying weakness and utilizing it within one’s own personal career. He lists a total of 9, but 3 in particular stick out to me. Those were #5, 6 and 7: Foundation,  Focus, and Fit.

            Foundation is the concept of recognizing one’s strengths and building on those strengths. I like the fact that he makes a connection between passion/proficiency and people’s strengths. I find that when I do things I will be much better at things that I enjoy doing and have no problems working on those things. It is natural, that the more you do something the better you’ll be and the easier it’s going to get, allowing you do enhance that skill even further. I like the ‘Freak Fallacy’ and ‘Freak Fact’ at the bottom of the #5 passage. The fallacy being that strengths do not need work because they will always be there, the fact: “If you don’t use it, you lose it”

            Focus is the concept that one is not able to efficiently multi-task and work on both eliminating weaknesses and increasing strengths. It is important to do one or the other and in my opinion it’s much more important to increase strengths and ignore the weaknesses, however there are certainly drawbacks to that approach as well. It is imperative to the ability of improving strengths to truly focus step by step on one aspect in order to produce exceptional work.

            Fit, I think, is the most important. It’s not about adjusting and adapting to surroundings or expectations, being successful is about finding your nook, finding a place where you fit in and utilizing your strengths at the location to use the focus and foundation in order to be efficient. Again the fallacy and fact really sum up the passage. Fallacy; I need to adapt to fit the situation: Fact; You need to choose situations that fit your natural strengths. One will always do better utilizing their strengths in a particular area than branching out and being efficient in several areas but not have an expertise of any.

            As far as the creative process goes, I haven’t really found my focus or my fit, however I’m working on the foundation. When it comes to being creative I have trouble imagining brand new ideas. I can take someone’s rough idea and tweak in to something doable but I’m not the best fresh idea guy, I need to get it out of my head that everything’s been done because I’m sure there’s plenty more left to be done. My strengths are that I’m very patient and easy going, I can roll with the punches and adjust to situations as certain other things may arise.

Collapsus

Collapsus

Collapsus is a form of trans-media that was quite confusing when I first began using the medium. I thought the game was a very creative and innovative way to involve politics with video games. The interface took a minute to get used to but I found myself transferring back and forth from video streams to the animations, then back to the mini-game. Trans-media work in general should be the next generation of entertainment. Graphics are getting more realistic and gameplay gets faster with better graphics by the day. The need for a new form of stimulus is soon approaching. There’s always a chase for the next big thing and although I have no idea how it is going to be done, I believe it is the next step after people realize 3D is not that cool. This course overall is a fairly good basis of knowledge for allowing students’ interests to be sparked at the sound of certain forms of media. This allows the students the opportunity to work with several different forms of media, hands on and do classwork that is relatable to the careers we all aspire to have.

Gaming Reflection

We were not prepared in class to present our game so I do not have the ability to critique my presentation, however there were a few points that could have made the game better and I figured I'd try and demonstrate my understanding of the Game Play concepts.
Two things that may not have been understandable from and audience's persepective would be the game's objectives because the objectives are basically whatever the user decides they are, as well as the goals. If the gamer does not want to work out, eat, collect Dino teeth, he is not forced to do so but his actions could result in homelessness, death, poor living conditions amongst many other negative possibilities. It is a simulation of real life in prehistoric, cavemen days, so one could choose to or not to participate in the expected activities. Also, this game seems to be an in between of Age of Empires and the Sims, because they can develop technology and skills but the gameplay is a lot like the Sims because everything can be bought and/or created by the gamer and placed in the gaming space. The games mechanics only involve the mouse and the arrow keys. The arrow keys move the character around the the mouse allows the player to interact with various items on screen. The rules are pretty basic. Basic rules of gravity and physics apply. Also, the gamer must remain within the gaming space.

Hero/Villain Critique

James Myers' Hero/Villain
This is a critique of James Myers' Characters:

The characters developped by Jimmy show great creativity. I like the contrast of color, using blue and green between his hero and villain. The hero is mostly green, symbolizing his love of money, considering he is 'Mr. Money Bags', rightfully so. The Tax Man is much more bland, kind of boring with a suit (ripped due to bulging muscles) with his IRS briefcase and nerdy glasses. The Hero appears much brighter than the villain, maybe due to the choices with hue and  saturation. The hue as I mentioned for the Hero was an analogous color scheme using greens and yellows, and the villain was basically just blue, making the two of them almost a split-complementary color scheme when used together, making it aesthetically pleasing to the viewer. The storyline and character relationship is very creative, taking a boring taxman and making him an evil genius is pretty funny and Mr. Money Bags, how could that not be everyone’s hero, the guy is clearly an excellent role model and can make money grow out of nowhere, whenever he wants, what a swell guy. It is ironic that the tax man is a villain, considering that an everyday tax man is working for the government to collect money to make this country the way it is, making that a good thing, yet he is perceived as evil because no one wants to hand their money over to the government.

Hero/Villain Assignment

Hero - Disco Dave

Villain - The Man

This American Life

This American Life 

I would pick the power to fly, basically because I love the outdoors and would love nothing more than to be in the clouds looking down on it all just flying around with no help or need for any other equipment, just a person in the sky. I suppose I would try to use this power to spread karma throughout the world. Trying to right wrongs and correct mistakes for people. Flying is kind of a cheesy power to want because, who wouldn’t want to fly?! But it would be great to have the ability to fly.

Superpowers have many issues, among them and probably the most obvious one is it gives people power, which in most cases is not a particularly good thing. Power gets to people’s heads and people’s heads get them in trouble. Being able to fly is a great super power, however is never the sole super power of any super hero. The reason super heroes can be so successful is their mass of special powers and in Batman’s case, special weapons. I feel the need to mention Batman because he has no super powers besides intellect and he does a lot of good for the city of Gotham. Having powers in the wrong hands of people can make for some disastrous and destructive issues amongst the community.

Video Joke Assignment

The first joke was a pretty straight forward remake of the joke, from the point of view of someone sitting in a room and a friend sitting across the room telling a joke.  The other one is similar with a little addition tacked on. The two utilize line immediately, developing a line of sight between the performer on stage and the audience in the crowd.  I really like the use of shape “Big Blonde Women” by using a very tall, very large blonde man, dressed as a woman, added to the hilarity of the video. This video also utilizies tension and release by building the tension as the ‘blonde’ yells at the standup comedian and continues berating the young man, building tension, then finally turns out the women was yelling at the inanimate puppet on the comedians knee, thus creating the release. The other video was very well done and the ‘big blonde’ women would have turned out much better if we used a different camera but still the videos were equally funny. The ‘blondes and puppets’ has a great moral at the end of the story. This video shows great contrast compared to the satirical/ sarcastic nature of the first joke. The puppet goes off on a rant talking about how people just have to get along and we have to accept our differences if we’re going to be in peace somehow. Both videos are great, given more time and better equipment they could have been much better however I understand that the intention of this course is not purely for video.

Audio Commentary - Movie Scene

Audio Commentary - Fallout

Reimagining Visual Framing

            In the first image, there is a house, floating in the air, dominating the LEFT THIRD of the image. Because the house is dominating the left third and there’s not much else to balance out the image on the other half of it, our eyes are immediately drawn to look right at the house before examining the rest of the image. I would call this image AMBIGUOUS SPACE because of the awkwardness of the house being in the air and us, as the viewer, not knowing from where exactly we are looking. By adding buildings in the bottom right, where the man appears to be heading, it gives the image a sense of DEPTH, assuming that the buildings in the background are the same size as the one in the foreground, just at very different distances. Both the images give a dark and somber feel, with the grays and browns highlighting everything, the two show great AFFINITY in color and emotional feel, but CONTRAST greatly in context. Both images require an ACTIVE mind to determine its meaning and feel because through imagery alone it is difficult to know what the artist was thinking.

            For the edited image, I decided to zoom in on the man in the bottom right. The lines below the man give us the feeling that the man is receding in to the background of the image. His coat waving in the wind is also telling us that the man is moving toward the background. The edited image, to me, feels a little more relaxed, while the original feels dark and depressing. I chose to focus on the man because I really liked that particular little section of the image. The man seems on his own, on a mission apparently, and from the looks of the color, dark clouds and far off background, his mission will not be easy and there seems to be little hope.

Response to "Brainwashed"

Seth Godin's "Brainwashed"

   "Acknowledging the Lizard",  was a very interesting concept that I have never really encountered before. It makes perfect sense, I have just never thought of that 'gut' feeling as being a lizard brain. It's always a good call to go for it all, go with the gut and not be afraid of judgement because only in judgement can you find ways to improve your professional work and creativity. The idea of 'resistance' is also an interesting concept and I find it to be a slight factor in posting these blogs. After reading this I have a little more appreciation for the blog entries. The second "layer" that I liked the most was "Connect". So I often I find myself wasting time using Facebook for non-important things when I could be using it to friend and contact people I know who know other people in the business because it is very important to make connections and contacts to increase job opportunities.
    As I mentioned, after reading this I have a better understanding of the reasoning behind these blog assignments week after week, however I feel it is starting to become busy work. It is a bad time of the quarter for such a question, considering that stress is at a peak during the middle of the quarter, but I see the legitimacy of these entries.

Garageband AppleLoops Project

My Song

Cover Songs

       I have selected the “Hey Ya” by Outkast, not even because I like the song because compared to its acoustic version the Outkast version does not compare. The acoustic version I heard, I believe on an episode of Scrubs, was by Obadiah Parker, played by just him and an acoustic guitar. Both songs feature the same LYRICS and MELODY, however the RHYTHM is slowed and the INTENSITY is much lower because Obadiah Parker sings his version with an acoustic guitar while Outkast uses a variety of instruments and drum beats. The OBJECTIVE material found within the lyrics seem much more involved and heartfelt than when sung over a hip-hop/pop beat. The two songs have a great AFFINITY, as they are identical in lyrics and melody.

            The lyrics are identical, however when sung with an acoustic guitar at a slower pace, the words are much easier to hear and clearer to understand, which makes the song seem more emotional and meaningful than it seems as a rap version. The intensity of  Parker’s singing voice is much less than the intensity of Andre 3000’s unorthodox singing/rapping style. There are quite a few songs that I’ve heard and albums that feature artists that do this very thing, cover hip-hop songs with acoustic instruments. Ben Folds does a great version of Dr. Dre’s “Bitches Ain’t Shit.”

            The hip-hop version is much faster and much more intense. The song is driven by a heavy drum beat, featuring bass and snare. There is an acoustic guitar also in there but it is barely audible. Other than the drums, the melody, the sung lyrics, are much less of a force than they are in the acoustic version. Andre’s voice is much louder and intense. The chorus in this version also seems to be louder and more intense, it contributes more to the driving drum line than the chorus sung by Parker. Parker’s chorus slows down the song, while Outkast’s helps drive it along.

            The songs are in fact very similar and show a great affinity, while at the same time, the portray two very different moods. In Outkast’s music video, there are a ton of shots showing people dancing and having a good time listening to the song and “shakin’ it like a Polaroid picture,” it is shown as being happy, upbeat and fun. Through Parker, it seems much more emotional. The lone voice, and somber acoustic guitar add a very heartfelt vibe to the song. Even in listening to the song it is very easy to start tapping along or bobbing your head because “Hey Ya” by Outkast is a very catchy upbeat song. The driving drums, catchy hook, and upbeat tempo make it a very easy song to listen to and enjoy. On the other hand, Obadiah Parker offers a much more somber feel, almost sad. Even though the Outkast version is the big hit and was on top of the charts I prefer the acoustic version, mostly because I’m a fan of acoustic songs, especially acoustic guitars and piano, there are a lot of acoustic covers of songs out there but this particular cover I like more than its original.

Soundscape

Soundscape

Finding Your Howl

Jonathan Flaum's "Finding Your Howl"

My Audio Blog Response
 - Note: The software I used to convert my audio file from a mp4 to an mp3 threw on a logo at the beginning of my audio response

Mitch Ditkoff's 14 Ways to Get Breakthrough Ideas

The following is a breif summary and analysis of part of Mitch Ditkoff's 14 Ways to Get Breakthrough Ideas:
          Mitch Ditkoff presents 14 ways in which people can come up with breakthrough ideas. He talks about a Eureka! Moment, and that the best Eureka! Moment comes from within, it comes from the vault of ideas and memories stored in the brain. He makes a list of where all the best ideas immerge, as well as a few tips on what to do when stuck, and overall it seems that ideas, especially great ones, are not forced. The greatest ideas are coerced out of one’s mind, often at random times, when one’s head is clear and relaxed. His suggestions all make sense, some more than others, and to me there were three I recognized that stuck out as being particularly relevant.

            The first and most relevant thing I found was to “Listen to your subconscious.” Many people struggle, constantly making a conscious effort to solve a particular problem and to strain their brains, when many times the answer has been in front of the person the whole time. Ditkoff suggests that when a person is trying to figure out a solution to a problem that they strain and drain themselves, give up and recommit, in order to discover the solution. When in reality, many breakthrough ideas seemingly come out of nowhere at random moments because after the mind can’t consciously figure it out, it turns the problem over and let’s the powerful subconscious mind figure out the problem. My favorite quote from this section of the article: “They weren’t buying lottery tickets at their local deli, hoping to win a breakthrough fortune; they were digging for treasure in their own back yard.” Meaning that the ideas and/or conclusions that the person came to was locked in the subconscious and it was only a matter of time, with persistence and knowledge, until the idea comes out of nowhere.

            The second most important thing goes hand-in-hand with the first one. “Take a Break.” Taking a break from attempting to come up with an idea can be very helpful. It allows the mind to relax and process the problem(s) at hand. During this time, the mind may make a subconscious shift in order to help the conscious mind solve the problems presented. I find this technique to be very useful, not only when struggling with ideas, but struggling with tasks and assignments. It’s much easier to step back, take a deep breath, relax for a minute, then dive right back in to work than it is to try and breakthrough a roadblock in front of your destination. This tip can be useful in many different situations, especially those situations where there is a high amount of stress, emotional stimulus and a many countless number of other situations. It is often very useful to take a step back and assess the whole situation, take a breather and take a look at the problem from a new, more relaxed perspective. The human mind can only take so much thinking and struggling before it needs a break.

            The last and certainly not least most important thing to me is to “Notice and Challenge Existing Patterns and Trends.” As a Video Production student, I think it is very important to observe. In order to get an idea of what is, what isn’t, what could be and what couldn’t be, it is crucial to observe and pay attention to your surroundings. I find it important to notice little things, the way people move, the way they change with emotional stimulus, as well as noticing things like the way a shadow falls across someone’s face in a dimly lit room, or paying attention to the sounds as one walks to class. I think it is important to notice and be aware of your surroundings at all times, not just because I can use this knowledge for video work but because it makes sense to be aware of yourself, your surroundings and the effect you have on the people and things around you. Being able to notice existing patterns and trends allows for video producers to make videos in which the viewer is at ease because the camera operator, cinematographer and director have all worked together to make an image that is familiar and pleasing to the eye, while at the same time, knowing what is normal can help one shoot something that is outside of normal, by changing color schemes, angles, framing and every other little aspect that goes in to making videos.

            I have decided to do the prompt from #14 which states: “What can you do this week to suspend practicality, logic and rationality in service to birthing your big idea?” I spend a lot of my time being critical and somewhat cynical because I like to focus on the ‘reality’ of situations relative to things that ‘could’ happen. I plan to spend my time this week to think outside the box and not be so critical.

Creative Inspiration

        There are many people who inspire my creativity, most of them being musical artists and television/movie producers/directors. I am in video production and when I am making something that requires creativity I am not much of an initial idea person, I can’t make the initial spark but I can fan the flame and make an idea grow. I watch a lot of movies and television and enjoy watching movies, critiquing them and trying to predict what will happen, as well as pick up interesting shooting techniques and camera angles. Since my two favorite things are music and films/television, I find inspiration in Dave Matthews, Judd Apatow, and the Coen Brothers. Dave Matthews because I spend a large majority of my “music listening time” listening to Dave Matthews and his band. Similar story with Judd Apatow and the Coen brothers, I enjoy their work so I spend a lot of time watching their films.

Dave Matthews Band

Dave Matthews Band has always been one of my favorite bands and continue to produce music that I really enjoy, and their live performances are incredible. I play a few instruments myself, pretty half-assed if I say so myself, but watching and listening to them perform is something truly unique and makes me want to play like they do. The performance on stage has a way of making the audience CONSCIOUSLY listen to the music, see the lights, and watch the performers, while SUBCONSCIOUSLY making the crowd feel the music and sway and dance with the groove. I have only personally been to 2 Dave Matthews Bands concerts but each of them was amazing and I plan on seeing them many times in the near future. I spend a good deal of time listening to Dave Matthews, Dave Matthews Band, and more recently I’ve been listening to a lot of Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, another amazing guitar player, whom Dave often tours with.

Judd Apatow

            Judd Apatow has only recently become a significant figure who I look up to. His movies are hilarious and almost everything he has done I have thoroughly enjoyed. I would love to work in comedy someday with my Video Production degree, and he has accomplished so much. Judd Apatow has a real talent for producing movies and has produced some of my favorite movies of the past 6 years, Pineapple Express, Superbad, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, including many more. He’s incredible at putting talented people together to collaborate and make something unique and hilarious. The things they produce show great use of TEXT AND SUBTEXT, utilizing irony, double-entendre and a ton of sarcasm. The sarcastic, dry humor is my favorite kind of comedy so I am drawn to his movies.

The Coen Brothers

            I enjoy watching many of the Coen brothers works, and a few of their films have made it in to my list of favorite movies, including The Big Lebowski, Fargo, and more recently their rendition of True Grit. The Coen brothers produce, write and direct all of their own stuff which I admire a great deal. To have that much responsibility on a project and to be able to deliver successful films time and time again is impressive. Their re-make of True Grit was especially incredible. A week prior to seeing the movie I rented the original one from 1969, starring John Wayne. The story was almost identical, but the way it was produced made it a much better film. The utilize TENSION AND RELEASE in many of their films, True Grit in particular.

Monique's Blog

Monique's Blog