Monday, April 25, 2011

Rough Theater

Response

First of all, I just realized that last weeks blog was to write a response to the rough theater reading we had, I got confused and wrote about the 48 video race.  My bad.  :(

Okay now...when reading the rough theater article, it made me think about all the different mediums that have been past down through the years as a way to textually bring across an artist vision.  For example, right now I am working on several different projects, one is a painting of a lotus flower.  To create my flower I drew a grid on my canvas and scaled the flower, using a pencil the draw, I also used a sharpie, a paint brush and also a palette knife, bring across the illusion of a floating flower.

Also with the just recent video race, I used such programs as Maya and the original paint program on windows as well as a scanner, to bring all of my images together to make a whole film.  But what if this were thirty years ago and I had the same assignment, what would I have done?  Not trying to imply that the progression of technology is better than the previous means, but would take some wide technique and thinking outside of the box to use other means that people view as the old way.

Every medium has its great quality and I think that no matter how old the form may be, I think it is necessary for use to know and learn about them.  Them biggest example in cinema that comes to mind in using different early forms mixed with modern is in the Japanese New Wave, esp. the use of bunraku, Japanese puppet theater in Oshima's Double Suicide: Japanese Summer. (1967)  

Monday, April 18, 2011

Do you know, what you know, what you know?

The poem this week is not from me, but from another poet and its topic has nothing to do with the mystery workshop.....or does it???


Homage to My Hips

these hips are big hips.
they need space to
move around in.
they don't fit into little
petty places. these hips
are free hips.
they don't like to be held back.
these hips have never been enslaved,
they go where they want to go
they do what they want to do.
these hips are mighty hips.
these hips are magic hips.
i have known them
to put a spell on a man and
spin him like a top
Lucille Clifton


Response

One word.....WOW!  I can't believe I just did that, makes me appreciate a camera a whole lot more.  Tell me your SECRET as the mystery was a hard concept to grasp, because first of all it is a secret and most people will not be so apt to jump forward to "tell" theirs.  Secondly, for most of us who are used to writing our stories out with a camera, probably found it almost impossible to do.

The only thing I could do use think outside of the biggest freaking box imaginable, and draw on from the very very little I knew of using MAYA, the paint program on my computer and scanning in items.  My film for the most part may seem a little ambiguous to the regular viewer, it may even seem so to an experimental person, because I know I was confused when I watched it.  I was like I used everything that I set out to use but for so reason the end product seems a little weird, but I thought about is some more and reminded me of my poetry, and I remembered my original intent and now I must say, my concept makes prefect sense.  And if you end up confused, I will not explain, because my secret is worn out in the open for everyone to see, but they don't realize what they are seeing and why they are drawn to is so, but the great thing is, is I know and you don't.  Maybe I'll tell, maybe I won't. 

Monday, April 11, 2011

What are you hearing?

Poem

I played, until I played no more.
My lost love I've let you down.
Venture of my mind, of all minds, you are the only universal.

Response

To start off this week's blog I am going back in time to many memories that I have sitting in the band room of my high school, and also when I was on the stage about to perform a concert, or play for a competition along with sight-reading, or preparing in two days an All-County Band concert.

I started playing the Clarinet when I was in sixth grade, like most hopefuls who want to join band at that time, but unlike most I stuck playing throughout middle school and high school (I even played for a few weeks in the Wind Symphony here at UNCW, but I had to withdraw from the class due to conflict in my production schedule).  I played the Clarinet throughout middle school and then I got my first taste of a new instrument when I tried out for Jazz Band in the eighth grade, with my Clarinet, I made the cut, but no Clarinets were allowed, so I had to learn the Tenor Saxophone in order to stay in the small group of players.  The trend of learning new instruments stayed with me as I graduated high school, ending up playing the Contra-Alto in my senior year.

Okay with all of that aside, with each time I switched instruments, I had to get to know the sound and become familiar all over again, so I would go home and play incredibly long notes, making sure my pitch was right.  I learned this habit from every director I encountered, when getting ready for a concert, especially during the two days in All-County Band and the thirteen days we had to put together a Christmas concert after marching season, difficult pieces would be thrown our direction and when the director saw we were struggling in a certain area, they would slow down the tempo drastically, so the band could hear as a whole what each section was playing.

Also we would do our warm ups, some days spending about thirty minutes listening to each other, blending and balancing, adjusting our breathes, being in tuned to if we were too flat or too sharp.

This is what came to mind immediately when I started to listen to Beet Stretch, I know that we are supposed to be looking at the track as another piece of art, which I can say is a pretty interesting idea, but it reminds me of no other than the harmony and flow of music, how each note and sound is important.  

I think of how Mr. Morris had us tune as a band, he would tune the tuba first, with a tuner, and then add the other sections of the band, until that wobbling sound in the notes was no more.  Then we would follow his lead, watching his baton or the motion of his hands, we would slowly go up and down the scale, crescendoing and decrescendoing, practice our ability to rotate our breath in the instruments.  Beet stretch, from what I can hear, is the conductor and the instruments are following his command in sync and harmony.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Plagiarize This

Prose Number Six

The trees were very leafy, all the greens rattling because the wind couldn't sit still.  They sat in the park over a bench, towering, I saw a man, he was dressed in ragged clothes.  I was looking for the truth in life, and I didn't care if he was a bum, I had to ask.  "Sir," I began, "What is truth?"  He had a nub of a cigarette in his hand, which he placed to his dry lips and pulled back a drag.  Exhale.  He choked on his  own polluted air.  "Truth?"  He chuckled and hacked.  "Truth, my dear, is here."  He got up and walked away, and I sat alone, while the gardenia bush gave off its perfume and a lady bug tickled my hand.  I flicked it off and picked a flower and thought, I need to ask someone else.

Response

In these reading I found myself in a middle ground, especially dealing with the topic of what is really plagiarism, to what is really inspiration?  In the poetry department every one of my professors has encouraged everyone of there students to read poetry.  And just like in the film department, film majors are encouraged to watch films and read reviews, so we can draw inspiration, and also how could I be a poet or a critic or a filmmaker, if I've never read a poem or watched a film or read a review.  I mean yes it is possible to do so, but if your mind is not opened up to possibilities then your thoughts cannot go very far.

Joy Garnett saw a photo and was inspired.  Just like when van Gogh saw the night sky and when the shadows of the day changed, he painted and drew the same setting over and over again.  An artist need to create goes along with their mood or for better words, emotion of the current time.  If they are feeling political, then expect the new face of change to be multi-colored, or a morbid picture of grief when they are enduring that pain.  Did Joy copy Sarah's photograph and plagiarize?  I don't know if I could answer my own question, but I'm pretty sure that money is the root to the whole issue between the two.

I just recently watched a documentary entitled Catfish, and the thing, besides many things (and I promise I won't spoil the story for anyone) but the photographer featured in the film had his photos painted by an artist and I never heard of any controversy in that area.

And just like in The Ecstasy of Influence article, when the writer talks about the story of Lolita being drawn from other influences, and Bob Dylan using lines from every place imaginable.  I guess that it is only plagiarism when someone takes the actual work of another person and try to present it as their own, then the work is plagiarized.  But I think every day we humans draw influence and inspiration from one another, we serve as each others seasoning, and I consider it a great form of flattery when someone can use you work to express their feeling.  But if you make millions off of me, then expect to pay up, because I want my cut...20%!!!  :)