To Live and To Live Creatively: A Manifesto

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.

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. 

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.

How I Can Be Creative

How I can apply the suggestions from Hugh Macleod's article "How To Be Creative"

Splinter Cell Lighting Analysis

An Analysis of Forrest Gump

Re-Framing A Photo

I have cropped the following photo by Ben Goossens:

Before

After

The main reason I cropped the image the way I did was because I wanted to focus on the picture that was originally in the center of the frame. I felt that this picture was the most interesting part of the image and that this is the portion that contained the artist's message. As you can see from the top image, the original picture had the person with the painting for a head centered and taking up little space. The person also fit perfectly into the gap in the wall and their verticality and height mimicked the columns to the right and left of them. Therefore, the person and painting blended into the picture rather easily. I was drawn to this original image mainly because of the visual intensity of the colors and lines. The warm colors that fill the frame give the viewer a welcomed feeling and attracts your eye. The lines of the floor, columns, seats and even the shadow on the ground lead the viewer's eye to the painting (of an eye).

I decided to improve upon this image, however, and create a greater focus on the painting. To do so, I changed the shot from a Medium Shot, in which much of the room including the ceiling to the person's waist is visible, to a Medium Close Up that focuses on the painting and only displays the top of the painting to the bottom of the person's shoulders, and much less of the room. I ensured that the viewer's eye is attracted to the painting by giving the painting the most visual weight, since it takes up most of the frame. The painting is also much darker and cooler than the rest of the image, which offers a contrast of colors within the image. To further emphasize the painting, cropped the photo according to the rule of thirds, so that the eye and person's body lay on the left intersections, and the edge of the columns lie on the right.

I think that the artist wanted to provide more of a contrast with the rest of the image by leaving it as the dark spot in the center of the frame. I also think that, consistent with the rest of his images, this artist creates landscape images with a twist, in which something out-of-place is put into an ordinary setting. Therefore, he left more of the room visible to remain consistent with his other images.

Reinventing Yourself

I recently read an article by Seth Godin titled Brainwashed. In this article, the author discusses several methods (seven, to be exact) or "reinventing yourself." I have chosen two of those methods that I feel are the most relevant to my work on this blog.

Acknowledge the Lizard

Godin says that we, like a lizard, have a tendency to concern ourselves with self-image and what others would think. He says, however, that it is this instinct that stops our creativity and that, in order to produce great work, we must first acknowledge and work around this lizard-like instinct. I believe that this blog is my "input" source for saying what I truly feel, without restrain. This blog allows me to display my creative work, comment on it, and gain insight from my peers. This blog allows me to break away from that lizard-brain thinking and lets me be myself.

Fail

Godin also says that an important part of breaking away from this "lizard brain" is the ability to fail. We need to be willing and unafraid of failing a few times before we get it right. If we are afraid to fail, however, our lizard brain will take over and we will become trapped in a limited mindset. As this blog is my input source for creativity, it is also my opportunity to fail. It gives me the ability to post my work and, if it is bad, have it shot down. However, doing so would give me the opportunity to go back and adjust my work to make it better and would improve my skills as a result. Therefore, this blog is an experiment and a learning tool for me.

Wait Until Tomorrow

 When considering a good song that has been covered well, one song comes to mind. That song is Wait Until Tomorrow by Jimi Hendrix, which has been covered by John Mayer. Though it is the same song, each version bears its own unique qualities and offers a different musical perspective.

The lyrics of the song tell the story of a couple who is in love and plans to run away together. However, when the boy comes to meet the girl, the girl changes her mind, saying “I think I'm going to wait until tomorrow.” This angers the boy, causing him to question the girl's reasoning, saying that he is “hearing strange words stutter from the mixed up mind” of her and that she's “so unsure of [herself] leaning from [her] unsure window pane” In the end, however, the girl's dad shoots the boy, turning the story to the tragic side and ending the young love prematurely.

I feel that not only is this song quite catchy, but it's lyrics are meaningful as well. It tells a classic love story of a couple of young lovers who want to spend the rest of their lives together and are willing, seemingly at first, do anything to do so. However, the girl cannot seem to make her mind up and is not sure that she wants to enter a commitment at the present time. In the end, however, her indecisiveness brings about the death of the one that she may have loved. From this, we can learn several things. First, although it is always good to fall in love, we must be careful and make sure that we really are in love before we commit to anything more permanent such as marriage. Second, you cannot be wishy-washy when it comes to love. You are either in love or you are not, and the sooner you figure out which it is, the better. Similarly, the longer you wait, the more chance there is that you will miss out on love, and it could have turned out to be the one true love you have been looking for.

Although both versions of this classic song are good, they are each unique in their use of speed and intensity. Jimi Hendrix's version is much slower and has much less intensity than John Mayer's version. Hendrix uses the steady beat of the bass guitar to set the pace for the song. This gives the listener more of the feeling of someone telling a story from their life experience, while at the same time acknowledging the tragic element in the song. John Mayer's version, on the other had, has a much faster tempo and uses intense lead guitar solos and backing to present the listener with a different image. This version suggests that the events described in the lyrics are simply chaotic and hints that the perhaps narrator is shocked at what has happened. This version indicates that the couple's love went from calm and happy to confused and then tragic in one night and that it happened so fast that it was hard to believe.

I think that both versions of this song are worth listening to, but I favor John Mayer's version. Though Jimi Hendrix was the original artist, his version is not as interesting as Mayer's. His version gives me a psychedelic feeling and has that rather weird dreamy aspect to it. Each time I listen to it, I can't help but wonder if Jimi Hendrix was on something (more than usual) when he recorded his version. John Mayer's version, however, has a much more upbeat feel to it and simply makes me want to dance (or just play the guitar, depending on what kind of day it is). John Mayer's version stands out as being more rememberable.

Music Assignment

Below is my song titled "Funktastarific", made from GarageBand loops.

Soundscape for "Shock"

In addition to posting my own soundscape, I have critiqued several of my friends' soundscapes as well. These soundscapes can be found by using the following links:

Ian Bullington's "Affection" Soundscape:
http://blogofthebullington.blogspot.com/2011/04/soundscape.html

Gabe Marchetti's "Anxiety" Soundscape:
http://mdia203marchetti.blogspot.com/2011/04/soundscape.html#comment-form

and
Joey Buccini's "Jealousy" Soundscape:
http://mdia203joeybuccini.blogspot.com/2011/04/new-playlist4.html

Finding Your Howl

Jonathan Flaum's article titled “Find Your Howl” tells two stories. One of these stories is about a wolf who has been in captivity for so long that he has forgotten how to howl. So, he sets out on a journey to find it. In the end, he ends up howling without even thinking about it and finds his pack that he belongs with.

This story is about finding who you are. However, it indicates that to do so, you must pay a price. We must spend time on our own and go through an eye-opening experience. We must experience something that will allow us to find our one true voice, to find where we belong. This story is symbolic of the fact that to find joy and happiness, we must first experience suffering. This reminds me of a quote I once heard:

Creating Innovative Ideas

Mitch Ditkoff's “14 Ways to Get Breakthrough Ideas” is a very useful tool for someone working with the creative process. In this article, Ditkoff describes 14 different ways in which the reader can come up with good, innovative ideas to start a project with. He notes that these ideas must address a need and should create enough hype to “rally sustained support”. He then describes his 14 points.

Though I won't describe all of Ditkoff's methods, since you can read the article for yourself by clicking on the link above, there were three that stood out as being particularly interesting to me.

Immerse

Ditkoff says that one of the most effective ways to create a breakthrough idea is to immerse yourself in something that interests you. He says that by giving yourself time to “unplug” from the rest of the world, you can increase the likeliness that you will think of a great idea. I completely agree with this. I often find that when you disconnect yourself from distractions such as television and the internet, you give yourself time to concentrate on the things that actually interest you. As a result, you end up with a large number of ideas that you would not have had if you had not have given yourself the opportunity to truly ponder the subjects that enter your mind. I have also found that it is very useful to continue to immerse yourself in creativity and thought throughout the day. This does not mean that you have to ignore others or allow yourself to become distracted at inappropriate times, but simply that you should be open to new ideas as you complete your daily routine. Recently, I decided to try an experiment: I would carry a pad of paper with me and write down any interesting concepts that could be the premise for a movie that I thought of throughout the course of one day. By the end of the day, I had filled at least an entire page with ideas. I now carry a piece of paper with me all the time.

Fantasize

As Ditkoff says, fantasizing can be a great outlet for creativity. However, it often has negative connotations and is commonly associated with childish or perverted thoughts. Though fantasizing is generally discouraged, it is an important factor in coming up with new, innovative ideas. I agree with this as well. However, I think that calling it would be more effective to call it dreaming. Whether we remember it or not, we each go on an obscure adventure each time we sleep, when we dream. Though we cannot control these dreams, we can allow our minds to wander during our free time, which can be a very useful way to become more inventive. I think that if we set apart some time to simply “daydream” each day, we would come up with many interesting new ideas. We could then write these ideas down and expand upon them until we have a completely developed breakthrough concept.

Take A Break

In contrast to the idea of immersing yourself in a subject, taking a break can also be a very useful tool. Ditkoff explains that it is very important to step away from what you are doing when you find yourself stuck. I completely agree with this idea as well. I have always found that if I can't figure something out or am unsure of what to do next, it is best to just walk away from it for a while and do something else. This gives me the opportunity to concentrate on another subject and then come back to the original work with a fresh start. I think that taking a break allows you to get your thoughts together and see the answer to problems that you couldn't see before. If we overwhelm ourselves and rush our work, such actions will be reflected and the quality of our work will then decrease. When we encounter a problem, we enter a cycle in which our actions will only make us more and more frustrated. The only way to break this cycle is to take a break.

After reading this article, I decided to try one of these methods for myself. I decided to try the suggestions for “Make New Connections”, which ask the reader to make three lists of words – nouns, verbs, and adjectives – and then make interesting connections between them. To make this even more interesting, I decided to use an online random word generator to be more original in my word choice. I came up with the following words:

Nouns

Rain, beast, click, cocoa, color, digger, jelly, lightning, manager, radar.

Verbs

Carry, fuss, shine, flip, diffuse, receive, choose, skip, fly, refuse.

Adjectives

Witty, cardboard, misleading, slow, bare, national, unpleasant, autumn, binary, inexperienced.

Some connections that I made:

• An autumn rain machine: a device that recreates that cool autumn mist that blows through the trees in late September.

• A cardboard carrier: something that could be used to carry cardboard boxes in a compact and orderly fashion. It could also be used to store cardboard recycling.

• A fussy, unpleasant beast: a creature that lives in a cave because he complains about everything and others don't want to be around them. Could also be used to describe a person's boss at work.

• A radar receiver: something that detects radar signals and can pinpoint exactly where they are coming from.

• Color chooser: saves women a load of time in the morning.

• Rain and lightning skipper: allows you to skip through a storm and get to nice, sunny weather.

• Misleading manager: a person who is hired by an advertising agency to subtly mislead the customers.

• A jelly diffuser: instantly spreads jelly over food. Useful for toast, bagels or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

• Flying digger: a device, similar to a giant rake, that can be attached to a plane or helicopter and dragged across a field to quickly plow it.

• Binary clicker (a.k.a. key locator): a small device that is comprised of two parts: sender and receiver. The sender – about the size of a quarter – is attached to the keyring of a person's car keys, and sends out a signal. The receiver is a band worn around the wrist of the owner, which receives the sender's signals. When a driver misplaces their keys, they simply press a button on the receiver, which then emits two clicks. The first click indicates the direction of the keys and only beeps when the driver is facing that direction. The second click indicates the driver's distance from the keys, and increases in speed as the driver approaches the sender.

The Inspiration Behind My Work

As far as creativity is concerned, there are many elements of a movie or tv show that inspire me. So many that I would probably be here for days if I were to attempt to describe them all. However, I find it quite interesting when a movie or show makes reference to other shows or makes you think about what is said or happening. I like it when there is so much in a video that you have to pause it here and there to think about it or re-watch it several times just to get the full picture. In short, I am generally fascinated by creative works that make you think “that was clever.”

As a result of this, I am drawn to the people who create these types of movies and shows, and hope to someday follow in their footsteps. I feel, however, that it is important to understand who these people are and what about them captures my imagination and inspires the work that I create. So, I have created a list of three of these influential people.

Seth MacFarlane

In today's day and age, it is very difficult to create a successful television show. Audiences are very critical and have specific tastes that they expect to be satisfied. However, one person seems to have defied this notion: Seth MacFarlane.

Since 2005, Seth MacFarlane has been producing two hit television series: Family Guy (1999) and American Dad (2005). However, Seth MacFarlane doesn't simply produce these shows, but created, animates, writes, and voices a majority of the characters on them as well.

Though it is simple to see why I admire this man, the thing that really inspires me is the amount of thought that goes into each episode. Each episode is riddled with sub-text in the form of references to movies or current events, in addition to clever gags and dialogue. It is these elements that turn an ordinary television show plot into an intriguing adventure through pop culture that allows the viewer to laugh at life and even learn a few things here and there. Seth MacFarlane has taught me the importance of looking at ourselves and laughing every once in a while, and it is this that has influenced my work.

Leslie Nielsen

Although it is very unfortunate that this great man died this past fall, his work will continue to influence many - myself included - for years to come.

Originally a serious, dramatic actor, Nielsen rose to prominence in the early 1980's after starring in Airplane! From this point on, Leslie Nielsen would become a household name which was synonymous with the goofy, over-the-top, parody style of comedy.

There were many things to admire about Leslie Nielsen, such as his innate ability to say or do something completely wacky while maintaining a straight face and acting as though nothing were wrong. However, the thing that inspires me the most is his impact on modern comedy. Along with the writing/directing trio comprised of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker, Leslie Nielsen helped to create a new form of comedy that would become known as deadpan or the “screwball” comedy. This sparked a sub-genre of its own and inspired a series of films and tv shows that would mimic the style of Leslie Nielsen. One particular example of this is the 1982 TV series Police Squad! (shown below). Like the rest of Nielsen's films, this parody of the classic crime/detective drama used the concept of contrast in a comical way. The characters in the show acted seriously in silly situations and seemed to be oblivious to what was happening around them. As a result, this added to the show's funny nature and created that deadpan style of comedy that Nielsen was known for.

Charlie Chaplin

Perhaps one of the greatest and best-known actors/directors in comedic history, Charlie Chaplin has influenced my work in several ways.

Charlie Chaplin made comedy what it is today. His visual comedy style is reflected in many comedians and actors today, including that of Leslie Nielsen. He often portrayed characters who were out-of-place misfits whose mistakes provided entertainment for the viewer. However, the greatest thing that I have learned from Charlie Chaplin is that you do not need to talk to be funny. Since the majority of his films were made during the silent film era, Chaplin used slapstick and the concept of tension and release to make the audience laugh. As demonstrated in the clip below, Chaplin would often put his characters into tense situations (such as being near a grenade that is about to detonate) and exaggerate his actions. He would drag a routine on for an extended period of time, making the audience feel rather uncomfortable, and then “release” the tension by having the character get out of trouble at the last second. This method proved to be extremely effective and drew large audiences to see his films.

MDIA 203 8-10am

I chose the 8-10 section because I work on AVW Productions' Fridays Live (a student-run tv show) at 2pm on fridays, so I wanted to leave room for that. Although I am not one to wake up early, I thought that this would be the only option that would allow me to do both the class and the show. However, I think that as long as I can wake myself up each Friday morning, this will be a good class, and I look forward to attending it throughout the quarter.