This blog has been a new experience for me. Before this quarter I had never used one before. I have learned a lot and have truly gained a better understanding of myself both as a person as a whole and in a creative mindset. So, as my final post on this blog, I wish to share a list of points that I have found to be most important as a guide to one's personal and creative life:
1) Find a way to express yourself. You will know what this is when you find yourself going in-depth with something you enjoy doing.
2) Be unique. Don't follow the crowd, stand out.
3) Be original. It can be the most satisfying feeling to be able to say "I came up with that."
4) Enjoy the little things. Period.
5) Take time to reflect. It helps to figure out where you stand and can really help you discover who you are.
6) There is always room for improvement. Work toward becoming the best you can be.
7) "Never" only exists when you say it. A positive attitude can do wonders, and determination will help you reach your dreams.
8) Do not lose sight of your dreams. Always remember what you're working toward, and don't let yourself get discouraged.
9) Stay true to yourself. Don't let others tell you who to be.
10) Always remember to have fun. Even the most painful work can seem less dull with a little imagination and creativity.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Freak Factor
I recently read an article by David Rendall titled "Freak Factor". The article is about figuring out your weaknesses to become a stronger person. It asks the reader to consider what their weaknesses are or may be. It then points out that one can either fix his or her weaknesses, or build upon their strengths, or do both. The article then goes into detail about how to go about doing so. I thought this article offered some very valuable information that I found to be very useful. It was also a very interesting article, so I decided to share three of Rendall's nine points (you can read the other six by clicking on the link above).
The first point that I will describe was actually the second on the list, and was called “What's My Problem?” In this section, Randall lists things, such as hyperactivity and impulsiveness, that others have said to be his weaknesses. He points out that he could have worked to fix these problems, but chose not to. Instead, he discovered that these “weaknesses” were actually connected to a strength, and then put those strengths to work. He says that he became a professor and professional speaker, and “now the hyperactive guy, who can't sit down or be quiet, gets paid to stand up and talk.” I thought that this was a very interesting and important thing to realize. Although others may consider these abilities a weakness, it may actually be your strength. I think that it is a very important thing to figure out what your strengths are so that you can develop them more fully. This is a great way to do so: search within your “weaknesses”. I had never thought of this before, but I think that it is a very valid point. Interestingly enough, I may have already applied this concept to my own life without even thinking about it. When I was younger, my teachers and parents would tell me that I had a wild imagination (usually meaning that I exaggerated things) and that I told too many stories and talked too much. Perhaps that is why I became interested in video production. It allows me to communicate my ideas through stories: the perfect way to take advantage of my weakness. I agree with what Rendall says about this.
The second point was called “Forget About It: Don't Try to Fix Your Weaknesses”. This point really goes along with the other one nicely. The title pretty much explains what this section is about. Rendall says that there is no point in trying to fix your weaknesses because you can't make them into a “valuable strength.” He says that we should just focus on discovering and improving upon our strengths rather than wasting time on our weaknesses. I partially agree with this. I agree that it is usually pointless to spend time on your weaknesses when you could be working on your strengths. However, I also think that if you have a weakness that is seriously hindering you from progressing or becoming better then working on your weaknesses should be your primary concern. An example of this would be a person who has trouble focusing at his or her work and therefore frequently breaks equipment or fails to complete the job thoroughly. I say if your weakness is causing you problems, then work on fixing it. Otherwise, by all means improve your strengths.
The final point that I would like to discuss is called “Freak: The Power of Uniqueness”. In this section, Rendall uses the Leaning Tower of Pisa as an analogy about our own uniqueness. He says that the builders tried to make a straight tower, but the foundation sank and the tower now leans. Many people have tried to fix the lean, but the fact that it does lean is the main reason that people travel to Pisa. Therefore, the fact that the tower is different and unique holds all of its commercial and tourism value. I think that this is a good point to apply to my own life. Perhaps the things that make me different and unique are the things that make me most interesting. I agree with Rendall for the fact that we shouldn't try to fix our unique qualities, but rather that we should realize them and use them to strengthen ourselves. Uniqueness can be a very valuable asset.
Superheroes
After listening to an episode of This American Life about superpowers, I decided to consider what superpower I would most like to have.
Reflection on "OU Drunken Dash" Game Presentation
Although I think that our game was pretty simple and easy for the audience to understand, I would have to say that the most difficult point for our group to convey was anything involving how the game would actually be played (mainly mechanics). We mentioned that it would be an online game and that it would have a top-down view, but we really didn't go into much detail other than that. I think that we definitely could have used some pictures to demonstrate what we meant more clearly. I also think that the rules were a little fuzzy, for the fact that they really only outlined the basics of the game. More specifically, I mean that we could have gone into more detail about the obstacles that the player would face and restraints such as time limits, as well as what other levels would be like. I think that the main reason we did not get as detailed as we could have was simply because of the limited time we had to produce this game design in. I think that if we had more time to prepare, we would have come up with a more detailed presentation. I would therefore say that our weak point was a lack of visual aids and demonstrations. Our strong point, on the other hand, was our ability to convey the fact that this was a humorous game. We included funny parts, such as “fun for the whole family” into our game, even though it was about a drunk guy escaping the police. We made the power ups and special items consist of more beer, which is ironic since the character is supposed to be escaping the police because he is already drunk, and drinking even more would only make his situation worse in real life. We made the audience laugh a couple of times, so I would say that we achieved our overall goal. Finally, I would say that the most difficult concept to discuss with the audience would once again be the mechanics. This is because it is difficult to explain how a game is played, what it would look like and to convey the overall tone of the game without actually showing the audience the game and letting them try it for themselves. We obviously did not have the resources to actually make the game, so we (like the other groups) had to do the best job we could to simply explain it.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Character and Animation
Below is my character drawing and animation for the Character and Movement project.
Joke Videos
Below are the two joke videos that I worked on, along with Lauren Worthington, Megan Kirn, Tyler Dawley, and Yingqi Zheng. Enjoy.
Our first joke video, titled “Ye Olde Room for Waitin'” takes the approach of a black and white silent film. Since we could not use synched audio for this project, we decided to insert piano music and put the dialogue on cards for the viewer to read (like an old silent film). We then acted in an overly dramatic, comical manner to make the viewer laugh at the video. This was an interesting approach because it conveys the punchline to the viewer without actually telling them the joke. Instead, this video is highly based upon visual cues and the movement of the characters to provide the entertainment. Movement is especially important since we were not allowed to move the camera during a shot. Instead, we had the characters move in interesting ways to keep the movie interesting. In a similar sense, we used space to establish depth within the frame as well as to make the video more comical. For example, we played with both space and movement to make the movie funnier when the doctor moves closer and closer to the girl until she is sitting on her lap.
Our other video, titled “The Ole' Switcheroo” tells the same joke. However, this video takes the plot in an entirely different direction, since the patient actually receives a female brain. This movie includes intentionally poorly-synched audio to add to the humor of the piece. This establishes both a contrast and affinity with the other video. It contrasts in both visual style, since it is actually in color and takes place in several different locations, as well as aural style, due to the fact that it not only has audio but uses it to tell the story. Though the two videos are different in many ways, they still tell the same joke, which is how the affinity is established. Finally, these videos make use of text and subtext in several ways. The both videos use text in their own unique ways. The first uses text literally, since the viewer must read the dialogue from the cards. The second video relies on the spoken dialogue and actions of the characters to provide the story's text. The second video also uses subtext, however, in the form of irony. The main character, the male patient, goes to the hospital to receive surgery to fix a problem with his brain. Ironically, however, he ends up receiving a female brain, which completely changes him and makes his problems worse.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
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