For my documentary film analysis, I watched 2 Pac - Final 24. The film, which is one in a series of several dealing with celebrity deaths, documents Tupac Shakur's life and how it related to and ultimately culminated in his untimely demise.
2 Pac - Final 24 is split into two alternating sections, one
dealing with the last 24 hours of Tupac's life and one telling the story
of his rise to fame. A mixture of interviews and narration are used to
guide the story. The parts dealing with Tupac's final hours use
primarily narration accompanied by dramatic re-enactments, while the
story of his life is told through A-roll of interviews and archival
footage of Tupac performing and being interviewed.
The movie, while primarily about Tupac's life and death, also incorporates some of the people who played a large role
in one or both, such as his mother, rival rapper Biggie Smalls, and the
CEO of Death Row Records. It is told primarily from a third person point of view, but incorporates first-person when the subject of an interview describes a part of the story.
It also has a dark, mysterious mood to it and follows the format of an action/spy movie. It incorporates cinematic aspects characteristic of spy movies such as a split screen with a timer shown to depict what is happening at a certain time before the tragedy occurs. The lighting is very moody during the interviews, and the dramatic re-enactments all take place at night, which give the film a dark feel. The music used consists primarily of hip-hop beats.
The dramatic re-enactments use actors to portray the people who were actually present during the events described in the documentary. Using pictures and actual footage from said events as a reference point, the filmmakers recreate the scenes as closely as possible using sets, and costumes.
Overall, 2 Pac - Final 24 is a very well-made film and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in hip-hop history. It is also very engaging, more so than most documentaries, because of the murder mystery format. The only thing I didn't like about the film was that all of the people interviewed were close to Tupac, resulting in a slightly biased image of the rapper.
The movie:
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
Don't Take This the Wrong Way...
Since we've been given a lot of freedom with these blogs and are told to write whatever is on our minds, I'm going to do just that. And what's on my mind right now is plagiarism. I recently got in trouble because a paper that I wrote comparing two poems was too similar to that of another student (who will remain anonymous). I'm not denying that they were similar, but I have a few things to say.
The student in question was absent the day that we were assigned this paper, which I'm sure is a common excuse for plagiarism. However, in class the day that we were assigned this paper, we went over the rubric, which was to compare the literary elements used to develop tone, and our teacher essentially told us which literary elements were present and what tone they helped to establish. Needless to say, the only step we as students needed to take from there was to add more words to what she had told us. Therefore, it was inevitable that the majority, if not all, of the papers be overwhelmingly similar, considering we were essentially told what to write in class.
The student who got in trouble alongside me was not in class and therefore was not spoon-fed the answers. So to help him, I let him read my completed essay as an example, knowing that they would all be, in essence, the same paper. However, and not to put the blame on him, but he did not know exactly which ideas were mine and which ones were given to us in class. The result was too papers that were a little bit more similar than the rest.
I'm not saying that I wasn't in the wrong and that anyone in particular is at fault, nor am I trying to gain anything by saying this. But if the purpose of plagiarism is to prevent us as students from stealing each others ideas, then when the ideas were not really mine or anyone else's to begin with, but rather the ideas and knowledge forced upon us by the county curriculum. I could understand if it was math or another subject where the prevention of plagiarism is actually ensuring that students retain the material, but what is there to retain in an instance like this? The point of comparative essays is to better our critical thinking and analysis skills, which can't be done if we are given someone else's analysis.
The student in question was absent the day that we were assigned this paper, which I'm sure is a common excuse for plagiarism. However, in class the day that we were assigned this paper, we went over the rubric, which was to compare the literary elements used to develop tone, and our teacher essentially told us which literary elements were present and what tone they helped to establish. Needless to say, the only step we as students needed to take from there was to add more words to what she had told us. Therefore, it was inevitable that the majority, if not all, of the papers be overwhelmingly similar, considering we were essentially told what to write in class.
The student who got in trouble alongside me was not in class and therefore was not spoon-fed the answers. So to help him, I let him read my completed essay as an example, knowing that they would all be, in essence, the same paper. However, and not to put the blame on him, but he did not know exactly which ideas were mine and which ones were given to us in class. The result was too papers that were a little bit more similar than the rest.
I'm not saying that I wasn't in the wrong and that anyone in particular is at fault, nor am I trying to gain anything by saying this. But if the purpose of plagiarism is to prevent us as students from stealing each others ideas, then when the ideas were not really mine or anyone else's to begin with, but rather the ideas and knowledge forced upon us by the county curriculum. I could understand if it was math or another subject where the prevention of plagiarism is actually ensuring that students retain the material, but what is there to retain in an instance like this? The point of comparative essays is to better our critical thinking and analysis skills, which can't be done if we are given someone else's analysis.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Incoming Documentary
Now that the dystopia trailers are done, the next major group film project that we have been assigned is a 3 to 5 minute documentary. This past Friday, our homework assignment was to describe an idea that we've had regarding the documentary's topic. I really liked the topic that my group came up with, so I decided to share it with you.
Blair is known for it's arts program. And I don't just mean the CAP. Blair has a great film program, an award-winning newspaper, an outstanding theater program, and, of course, a great music program. My group wanted to do something about the arts scene at Blair, so we decided to focus on the thing that we were the most interested in: music. Originally we planned on focusing mainly on the hip hop scene, but we decided that there was enough variety amongst the artists at Blair to make a documentary about the music community as a whole.
I am looking forward to making this film. It will be interesting to interview and tell the stories of all the bands at Blair, such as Ladle Fight, as well as the solo artists, like Brian Griffin. Hopefully we will be able to cover most of the artists at Blair, but I have a feeling that since the time limit has to be taken into account, we will end up focusing on a few artists in particular.
Here's an example of what I want it to be like:
Blair is known for it's arts program. And I don't just mean the CAP. Blair has a great film program, an award-winning newspaper, an outstanding theater program, and, of course, a great music program. My group wanted to do something about the arts scene at Blair, so we decided to focus on the thing that we were the most interested in: music. Originally we planned on focusing mainly on the hip hop scene, but we decided that there was enough variety amongst the artists at Blair to make a documentary about the music community as a whole.
I am looking forward to making this film. It will be interesting to interview and tell the stories of all the bands at Blair, such as Ladle Fight, as well as the solo artists, like Brian Griffin. Hopefully we will be able to cover most of the artists at Blair, but I have a feeling that since the time limit has to be taken into account, we will end up focusing on a few artists in particular.
Here's an example of what I want it to be like:
Sunday, November 18, 2012
HP dv6-7010us Review
In my last post, I briefly mentioned that I would be getting a new computer "soon." At the time I wrote that post I had already ordered the computer, and it arrived a few days ago. I feel that I now have enough information about it to make a review, so lets get started.
The process of choosing a computer to get was difficult. I had been wanting one for a while, but it wasn't until my 4-year-old laptop's battery warped and the track pad stopped working that I decided I was in need of something more modern. So I began to do some research. Since I was on a pretty tight budget, I had originally wanted to build my own computer. However, by the time I had assembled a fairly decent parts list, I discovered that for the same price that my build was going to run me, I could get a laptop with even better specs.
The first laptop I looked at was the Dell Inspiron. There are many different models of the Inspiron, but there were two in particular that I liked: The 15R, of which one model was 550 dollars and had 500GB storage, 4GB RAM, and an Intel i3 processor. The other one was also a 15R, but it was 800 dollars and had 1TB storage, 8GB RAM, and an i7 processor.
I was just about to buy the 550 dollar model when I discovered that HP, a brand which, due it's mixed reputation, I had not considered, made a computer for the same price as the 15R, but with better specs. The computer, which was a dv6-7010us, had 750GB of storage, 6GB of RAM, and an AMD A8-4500M CPU. While this may seem like the obvious choice, it took me a while to settle on whether the dv6 or the 15R would be a better buy.
The main thing about the dv6 that I was concerned about was the processor. While the A8-4500M is roughly equivalent in performance to an Intel i5 processor, I had had little to no prior experience with AMD processors and had heard mixed reviews of them. However, I eventually decided that it would be worth it to get the dv6, because the A8 CPU, regardless of whether or not it performed as well as the i5, was still better than the i3, which was the processor that the 15R came with.
And there you have it. I am very pleased with my dv6-7010us. I have also been monitoring my CPU usage, and taking that into account, it looks to me like AMD is just as good as Intel.
Until next time.
The process of choosing a computer to get was difficult. I had been wanting one for a while, but it wasn't until my 4-year-old laptop's battery warped and the track pad stopped working that I decided I was in need of something more modern. So I began to do some research. Since I was on a pretty tight budget, I had originally wanted to build my own computer. However, by the time I had assembled a fairly decent parts list, I discovered that for the same price that my build was going to run me, I could get a laptop with even better specs.
The first laptop I looked at was the Dell Inspiron. There are many different models of the Inspiron, but there were two in particular that I liked: The 15R, of which one model was 550 dollars and had 500GB storage, 4GB RAM, and an Intel i3 processor. The other one was also a 15R, but it was 800 dollars and had 1TB storage, 8GB RAM, and an i7 processor.
I was just about to buy the 550 dollar model when I discovered that HP, a brand which, due it's mixed reputation, I had not considered, made a computer for the same price as the 15R, but with better specs. The computer, which was a dv6-7010us, had 750GB of storage, 6GB of RAM, and an AMD A8-4500M CPU. While this may seem like the obvious choice, it took me a while to settle on whether the dv6 or the 15R would be a better buy.
The main thing about the dv6 that I was concerned about was the processor. While the A8-4500M is roughly equivalent in performance to an Intel i5 processor, I had had little to no prior experience with AMD processors and had heard mixed reviews of them. However, I eventually decided that it would be worth it to get the dv6, because the A8 CPU, regardless of whether or not it performed as well as the i5, was still better than the i3, which was the processor that the 15R came with.
And there you have it. I am very pleased with my dv6-7010us. I have also been monitoring my CPU usage, and taking that into account, it looks to me like AMD is just as good as Intel.
Until next time.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Capturing the Fall
This week's blog post is about the "Capturing the Fall" independent video project.
I filmed it with a Fujifilm s400 and edited it in Premiere. The shots are as follows:
- Intro shot of feet walking through the leaves
- Title slide
- Tree with yellow leaves
- Slow dramatic zoom pan of a tree with red leaves
- Walking through a rock outcropping
- Dramatic zoom in on a cat staring at me
- Panning shot of a small creek
- Walking down the street
- Gnome in a tree
- Panning shot of a dead tree
- Chopped wood
- Man walking his dog down the street
- Credits
Sunday, November 4, 2012
This Week's Showdown: Mac vs PC (Mid-Level Editing Software)
Last week was originally going to be a comparison between Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere, but once I started writing it, it quickly turned into Mac vs PC, and I figured that if I was going to start a Mac vs PC series of blog posts, I might as well start with the basics. So i did Windows Live Movie Maker vs iMovie. This week I'm doing Premiere vs FCP.
Now before I start, I'd just like to clarify that Adobe Premiere works just as well on Mac as it does on PC, and that Adobe is not affiliated with Microsoft. The only reason I'm calling this "Mac vs PC" is because people tend to associate Premiere and the other programs in the Adobe Creative Suite with PC, probably because far fewer people use them with Mac. Also keep in mind that I edit with Premiere at home, and I use Final Cut Pro at school, so I am fairly experienced with both programs. With that out of the way, let's begin.
The first thing any frugal American will notice when comparing these two editing programs is the price. Final Cut Pro 7, the most recent and widely-used version, costs 1,000 dollars. Final Cut Pro X, the budget version, only costs 300. On the other hand, Adobe Premiere Pro CS 5.5, the version that I edit with, is 800 dollars. I know that it's not the most recent version, but I would guess that it's still the version that most people use because the newest one hasn't had enough time to catch on yet.
The next thing to look at is how well both programs live up to their intended uses. Since they are both top-of-the line mid-level editing programs, it is safe to assume that the people who will be using them are mainly advanced amateurs, in some cases professionals, meaning that the standards that they have to live up to are much higher than those of Windows Live Movie Maker and iMovie. In this category, Final Cut Pro has the best track record. More big-budget professional movies have been edited in Final Cut Pro than in Premiere. However, since the release of FCP X, which sacrificed several features to cater more to film makers on a tighter budget, Adobe Premiere has been considered more proffessional than FCP. In a way, this is not fair to Apple, because the full version is just as professional as Premiere, but as they seem to have no intention of making a FCP 8 and instead plan to focus on FCP X, Premiere has the upper hand.
Until next time.
Now before I start, I'd just like to clarify that Adobe Premiere works just as well on Mac as it does on PC, and that Adobe is not affiliated with Microsoft. The only reason I'm calling this "Mac vs PC" is because people tend to associate Premiere and the other programs in the Adobe Creative Suite with PC, probably because far fewer people use them with Mac. Also keep in mind that I edit with Premiere at home, and I use Final Cut Pro at school, so I am fairly experienced with both programs. With that out of the way, let's begin.
The first thing any frugal American will notice when comparing these two editing programs is the price. Final Cut Pro 7, the most recent and widely-used version, costs 1,000 dollars. Final Cut Pro X, the budget version, only costs 300. On the other hand, Adobe Premiere Pro CS 5.5, the version that I edit with, is 800 dollars. I know that it's not the most recent version, but I would guess that it's still the version that most people use because the newest one hasn't had enough time to catch on yet.
The next thing to look at is how well both programs live up to their intended uses. Since they are both top-of-the line mid-level editing programs, it is safe to assume that the people who will be using them are mainly advanced amateurs, in some cases professionals, meaning that the standards that they have to live up to are much higher than those of Windows Live Movie Maker and iMovie. In this category, Final Cut Pro has the best track record. More big-budget professional movies have been edited in Final Cut Pro than in Premiere. However, since the release of FCP X, which sacrificed several features to cater more to film makers on a tighter budget, Adobe Premiere has been considered more proffessional than FCP. In a way, this is not fair to Apple, because the full version is just as professional as Premiere, but as they seem to have no intention of making a FCP 8 and instead plan to focus on FCP X, Premiere has the upper hand.
Until next time.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
This Week's Showdown: Mac vs PC (Basic Editing Software)
Last week I wrote about French vs American literature. This week it'll be part 1 of Mac vs PC. I think I might begin doing a showdown every week as the format for my blog. But anyway, let's get started.
It seems to be a commonly accepted fact that Mac is a better platform for editing video than PC. Now, as someone whose sole purpose in life is to topple the Apple empire, my point of view may be slightly biased. But regardless, I think the view that macs are more useful for editing is based entirely on the fact that iMovie comes free with Mac OSX. But Windows Live Movie Maker, the free PC editing suite, is just as good.
The reason iMovie has become so popular is that it is a very user-friendly editing program. Since the world has seen a huge increase in amateur movie making over the past few years, editing software that is user-friendly is in high demand. However, Windows Live Movie Maker is even more user friendly, and can carry out any basic task required by an amateur movie maker. iMovie can perform more advanced functions, but if someone who is in need of more advanced editing should most likely invest in a more advanced editing suite.
There is also the fact that while the newest version of iMovie comes free with a newly-purchased Mac computer, you must pay 15 dollars in order to unlock the updatable version of iMovie. Windows Live Movie Maker is 100 percent free.
Tune in next week for Mac vs PC: Mid-Level Editing Software.
It seems to be a commonly accepted fact that Mac is a better platform for editing video than PC. Now, as someone whose sole purpose in life is to topple the Apple empire, my point of view may be slightly biased. But regardless, I think the view that macs are more useful for editing is based entirely on the fact that iMovie comes free with Mac OSX. But Windows Live Movie Maker, the free PC editing suite, is just as good.
The reason iMovie has become so popular is that it is a very user-friendly editing program. Since the world has seen a huge increase in amateur movie making over the past few years, editing software that is user-friendly is in high demand. However, Windows Live Movie Maker is even more user friendly, and can carry out any basic task required by an amateur movie maker. iMovie can perform more advanced functions, but if someone who is in need of more advanced editing should most likely invest in a more advanced editing suite.
There is also the fact that while the newest version of iMovie comes free with a newly-purchased Mac computer, you must pay 15 dollars in order to unlock the updatable version of iMovie. Windows Live Movie Maker is 100 percent free.
Tune in next week for Mac vs PC: Mid-Level Editing Software.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
This Week's Showdown: French vs. American Literature
I'm in French 4, and we are currently studying Antoine de Saint-Exupery's iconic novel Le Petit Prince. While most Americans know of this book, few have actually read it. Most just assume that it is a children's book, and to a certain extent, they are right.
On the surface, Le Petit Prince is a cute story of a little kid who travels the universe to learn about life. But on a deeper level, it is a criticism of the gap between children and adults just about every other flaw the author finds in human nature. For instance, when the little prince visits a man who is obsessed with counting the stars, thinking that because nobody has claimed them yet they all belong to him, and that he must find out how many he has in order to determine their worth.
Le Petit Prince is comparable to several American classics, but the connection that I made as soon as I began reading it was to The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster. The Phantom Tollbooth is another children's book that can be interpreted on many levels, starring a boy named Milo who goes to the Lands of beyond, where he meets all sorts of characters and places that are representations and criticisms of human nature, among other things. For example, when Milo stops thinking on the Road of Expectations, he ends up in the doldrums, a place where people are encouraged not to think. This is a criticism of oppression and the limited freedoms experienced by some, as well as of the human tendency to want to follow rather than to lead.
On the surface, Le Petit Prince is a cute story of a little kid who travels the universe to learn about life. But on a deeper level, it is a criticism of the gap between children and adults just about every other flaw the author finds in human nature. For instance, when the little prince visits a man who is obsessed with counting the stars, thinking that because nobody has claimed them yet they all belong to him, and that he must find out how many he has in order to determine their worth.
Le Petit Prince is comparable to several American classics, but the connection that I made as soon as I began reading it was to The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster. The Phantom Tollbooth is another children's book that can be interpreted on many levels, starring a boy named Milo who goes to the Lands of beyond, where he meets all sorts of characters and places that are representations and criticisms of human nature, among other things. For example, when Milo stops thinking on the Road of Expectations, he ends up in the doldrums, a place where people are encouraged not to think. This is a criticism of oppression and the limited freedoms experienced by some, as well as of the human tendency to want to follow rather than to lead.
Friday, October 12, 2012
They're Still With Us (I'm With You Review)
I've been a fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers since I was 8 years old. At the time, of course, I didn't really understand their music, which is, in general, not something an 8 year old should be listening to. So, as you can imagine, I was extremely exited when I learned that they were coming out with a new album called I'm With You. The Peppers went on hiatus after releasing their 2006 album Stadium Arcadium, which resulted in roomers of retirement. No one took these roomers seriously, however. As bassist "Flea" put it, "the Chili Peppers never went away."
For a band that's been around so long, and kept most of it's core members the whole time, it's impressive how good they still sound. I could not find a single track on I'm With You that I didn't like. I was also impressed with how well Josh Klinghoffer's style meshed with the traditional funk/hard rock/punk style that the Chili Peppers are known for. Klinghoffer was confirmed as a permanent replacement for long-time guitarist John Frusciante. While many fans were upset to see John go, Josh's style provides a different yet interesting effect on the music. Where Frusciante was known for his psychedelic riffs, Josh does a good job of keeping a good background rhythm that complements Flea's bass riffs very well.
Overall I'd have to say that I'm With You is one of my favorite albums by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It has less of a hard rock feel to it and draws more influence from funk, which is an interesting but not unwelcome change from the traditional Chili Peppers sound. The only album that I think tops I'm With You is Californication, which was and still is a gem.
For a band that's been around so long, and kept most of it's core members the whole time, it's impressive how good they still sound. I could not find a single track on I'm With You that I didn't like. I was also impressed with how well Josh Klinghoffer's style meshed with the traditional funk/hard rock/punk style that the Chili Peppers are known for. Klinghoffer was confirmed as a permanent replacement for long-time guitarist John Frusciante. While many fans were upset to see John go, Josh's style provides a different yet interesting effect on the music. Where Frusciante was known for his psychedelic riffs, Josh does a good job of keeping a good background rhythm that complements Flea's bass riffs very well.
Overall I'd have to say that I'm With You is one of my favorite albums by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It has less of a hard rock feel to it and draws more influence from funk, which is an interesting but not unwelcome change from the traditional Chili Peppers sound. The only album that I think tops I'm With You is Californication, which was and still is a gem.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Dystopia Trailer Update
Hello again.
Our most recent project has been to create a trailer for our own "original" dystopia story. I say original like that because every dystopia story ever written has the same plot. Fact.
But back to the topic at hand. So far, my group's script has been going swimmingly. Since I have been awarded he prestigious title of scriptwriter in chief, it is my job and duty to inform the masses of what the script looks like so far.
We use the first few shots to depict the society in which the story takes place. These are mainly long to medium shots of factory employees hard at work. After that, we slowly take the time to introduce the rest of the dystopian elements present in the story. We we also use a commercial for the miracle drug "Bonum" that the story is based around as a means of establishing the setting.
The story is told using as little narration as possible. There is no text used, and the characters are barely heard talking at all. The only time dialogue is used is in a brief exchange between the two main characters, which serves as a means of increasing the tension.
We have about 8 to 10 scenes in our script.
Straight bawrse signing out.
Our most recent project has been to create a trailer for our own "original" dystopia story. I say original like that because every dystopia story ever written has the same plot. Fact.
But back to the topic at hand. So far, my group's script has been going swimmingly. Since I have been awarded he prestigious title of scriptwriter in chief, it is my job and duty to inform the masses of what the script looks like so far.
We use the first few shots to depict the society in which the story takes place. These are mainly long to medium shots of factory employees hard at work. After that, we slowly take the time to introduce the rest of the dystopian elements present in the story. We we also use a commercial for the miracle drug "Bonum" that the story is based around as a means of establishing the setting.
The story is told using as little narration as possible. There is no text used, and the characters are barely heard talking at all. The only time dialogue is used is in a brief exchange between the two main characters, which serves as a means of increasing the tension.
We have about 8 to 10 scenes in our script.
Straight bawrse signing out.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
5x5
Clips used:
- Carrying amplifyer
- Carrying effects pedal
- Carrying cord
- Carrying bass
- Turning on amp and playing bass
I am pleased with how it turned out, although I went over the tie limit by about 2 seconds.
While it can be fun to make bite-sized video projects, it would be cool if our next individual project could be something bigger, like a 5 minute short or something.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Dystopia Trailer Analysis
1984. Michael Radford. 1984. Rated R
In a futuristic dystopian society, the democratic Britain we know today has been overthrown by a socialist party called Ingsoc. Now, in an effort to regain his freedom, average joe Winston Smith attempts to rebel against the government by having an affair with co-worker Julia.
The 1984 trailer does a very good job of conveying the dysopian setting through it's use of cinematographic techniques. First of all, the music used is very ominous and has a heavy bass, which creates a tense, suspenseful mood. On top of that, the use of predominately dark, gloomy colors and shots of wrecked buildings help to establish the dystopian setting. Finally, most of the shots used are either close-ups or medium close-ups, which pulls the viewer in and makes them feel as if they are experiencing the same emotions as the protagonist. For my dystopian trailer, i will probably use similar techniques. In particular, i will use ominous music, close-ups, and bleak colors to convey the setting and set the mood.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Learning on that thing I use for youtube and facebook
I just read an article called "Words Without Walls: Learning Well With Others," and figured I would share my thoughts with you. Just kidding, it's an assignment. But back to the topic at hand.
The article is about how new methods of teaching that fully incorporate use of the internet are now possible, but are being overlooked. In the authors opinion, teaching in the classroom setting is becoming quickly obsolete, now that student's have the ability and the resources to learn the same material in whatever way suits them best. All the knowledge and expertise found on the internet should be taken advantage of and utilized by schools, something which has only been happening in few select classes. As the author puts it, "For
educators and the schools in which they teach, the challenges of this
moment are significant. Our ability to learn whatever we want, whenever
we want, from whomever we want is rendering the linear, age-grouped,
teacher-guided curriculum less and less relevant."
While the article was interesting, it wasn't anything I hadn't heard of before, so nothing about it took me by surprise. I was surprised, however, when the author talks about how an eleven year old "community volunteer and blogger" has a large audience of people from all over the world. It's mentioned in passing, as if it's not a big deal. I was surprised because, as any frequenter of the internet knows, kids as young as eleven don't usually have a large audience unless it's a group of people mocking them.
The article is pertinent to what we are doing in class because as far as I can tell, we're trying to establish a classroom environment both in class and on the web. I have had teachers who have tried this before, but they either lost interest or just slowly stopped trying to use the internet to teach. Not to sound pessimistic, or anything. I have high hopes for this one.
I'd be interested in learning more about film history.
Post over.
Here's the article
Monday, September 10, 2012
Annotated Movie Review
The movie review that I read was a review of "Battleship" written by Christopher Orr. Orr is the principle film critic for theAtlantic, a popular website for news and movie reviews. The first part of the review was mainly a summary of the movie, in which the author did not give his opinion. The second part, however, he gave his take on the acting, cinematography, and literary aspects of the movie. It does not focus on one aspect of the film in particular, though Orr barely mentions the acting. The review is written in a casual tone, and the author employs sarcasm frequently in order to support his points. Overall, Orr seems to find the film rather mediocre.
Our quarterly movie review should follow a basic structure, because without one it is hard to determine how to grade them. The structure should be something like:
- Plot summary
- Literary aspects
- Dramatic aspects
- Cinematic aspects
- Recommendation
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Nice to meet you
Hi there.
Today, I was surfing the interwebs when I stumbled across this website. Which brings me to my next point.
I'm Nico. My age doesn't really matter. I'd have to say that my favorite aspect of film making is editing. Why should I listen to this amateurish fool, you ask? Well, I have quite the resume. I've loved film making for as long as I can remember. From when I was about six, I would make movies with my neighbors. I went to a magnet middle school almost expressly for the film program, and then went on to do the same for high school.
All this means that I have done a lot of film projects over the years, so it's hard to pick a favorite, although I'd have to say it was the Individual Media Project, or IMP, that I did in the eighth grade. I was very proud of it because I had to write, direct, film, and edit the entire thing myself. In hindsight, it was pretty bad.
We could use these blogs for any of the following:
- Communicating our ideas for Change Projects
- Writing reflections on projects and assignments
- Probing into the minds of other CAP students
Well, that's all I have to say.
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