Scriptwriter
Our script process is going extremely well. Everybody in our group contributes their creative ideas to the script. Our trailer will feature governmental and technological control, shown through a news report and headphones used as props. We are showing that the main character, Jett, feels out of place in his world by showing part of his backstory at the beginning of the trailer. The trailer will mainly feature dialogue from the scenes. The only exceptions will be the news report at the beginning of the trailer that will give the premise and a small voiceover saying, "In the near future..." to establish that the dystopian world is not too far away.
There are 5 scenes in our trailer; the first one being the news report. After the news report, the next scene is of Jett and Alex. After Alex is killed, it will fade to black and show Jett walking through the streets where he sees the headphones and understands that the government is controlling the people. After that, Jett enters an apartment building where Alex left all his gear. A training montage is then played of Jett and Ellie. Following the montage, it shows the pair suiting up for an attack and entering the building.
Overall, our dystopian trailer is looking very promising. I'm excited to begin filming and can't wait to see the finished product!
Friday, September 28, 2012
Saturday, September 22, 2012
5x5 Project
1. Scene of coach
2. Scene of kid under tree
3. Scene of juggling
4. Scene of kid kicking ball
5. Scene of players on field
I used the camera on my phone to film my brother's soccer game. I used WeVideo, the web-based video editor, to edit my video. I found it was easy to figure out and use. The one thing I didn't like was that I shot two of the clips in portrait view and I don't like the black bars on the sides. Overall, I liked how my video turned out. The scenes don't particularly fit together, but the over-arching theme makes it work.
I really enjoyed this video challenge because it forced me to open my eyes to what was going on around me. I also like the idea of putting short clips together to form one big thing as opposed to filming a large time alotment. What I think would be a lot of fun is to do something similar to this; take various clips but instead set them to music or some sort of audio not original to the recorded sounds. It could be sort of like a music video.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Dystopian Trailer Critique
Minority Report. Steven Spielberg. PG-13. 2002.
Captain John Anderton believes the system of "PreCrime", where criminals are caught before the crime takes place, is perfect, until he is targeted by the department for a crime he has no knowledge of his intention to commit.
This trailer uses action packed scenes and blue and gray colors to create a dramatic, eye-catching trailer. The trailer begins with the police crashing through a window. The focus then shifts to white text that appears, with a crashing sound effect to bring emphasis to each new phrase that appears. This text tells the premise of the story which is aided by brief scenes of John Anderton about to be arrested. Once all the text is finished, a quick montage of scenes and a crescendo of the background music creates a rush of adrenaline in the viewer. It ends with the badge of the PreCrime Department flying in from the foreground to become the "O" in the title Minority Report.
The use of metallic, dark colors creates a very futuristic look. The color scheme develops a certain chill through the viewer, which is greatly increased with the scenes chosen. Dialogue, as opposed to narration, is used to help define the characters and brings the viewer into the plot line.
Overall, the director did a spectacular job of creating drama and convincing the audience to watch Minority Report.
What really affected me was the text intertwined with scenes from the movie. That is a great way to give your audience background knowledge while showing them the great things in your movie. The color tones of the trailer also bring the setting to life and emphasize the dystopian lifestyle. Using text and darker colors is something I'd like to use to create a serious, professional dystopian movie trailer.
Friday, September 14, 2012
"World Without Walls" Reflection
I read the article "World Without Walls: Learning Well with Others" by Will Richardson for an assignment. This article talked about how new technology such as blogs and Skype can help people, students specifically, learn much more than they could in a normal classroom. It also describes the mass opportunities for connection and learning that can be found.
Something I found really interesting in this article is the idea that effective teachers are found, not given to students. Richardson says that he believes that her kids, "best, most memorable, and most effective teachers will be the ones the discover, not the ones they are given." He says that educators must first be considered the connectors, and content experts second. He claims it is, " no slight against the people in their face-to-face classrooms" but if I were a teacher, I would be offended. I definitely believe teachers have a great impact on their students. They can motivate and inspire their kids in a way that no technology could ever replicate.
My sister is an English teacher who teaches in inner city schools. Although it is a hard job, it is extremely rewarding for her because she changes the kids' lives. Many of them would not have ever considered going to college if not for her. A teacher forces the kids to learn when many of them don't want to. I'm sure that in some cases, if the teacher merely "connected" the students, the students would choose not to grasp that connection. The bond created between a teacher and a student is extremely important for the student's learning ability and motivation.
I'm not trying to completely put down electronic learning. In a ever-developing scientific world it is important for young people to have the skills to use technology to their advantage. For example, I think these blogs are a great way of connecting our class to the technological world. It is vital for people to be able to adapt to the changes and by using the technology to our advantage, we can do just that. But, I believe there is a limit. I don't think there will ever come a time where electronic learning could replace a live classroom.
This topic definitely interests me a lot. I've always toyed with the idea of becoming an educator, so I'd really like to learn more about the evolution of learning.
My Annotated Article
Something I found really interesting in this article is the idea that effective teachers are found, not given to students. Richardson says that he believes that her kids, "best, most memorable, and most effective teachers will be the ones the discover, not the ones they are given." He says that educators must first be considered the connectors, and content experts second. He claims it is, " no slight against the people in their face-to-face classrooms" but if I were a teacher, I would be offended. I definitely believe teachers have a great impact on their students. They can motivate and inspire their kids in a way that no technology could ever replicate.
My sister is an English teacher who teaches in inner city schools. Although it is a hard job, it is extremely rewarding for her because she changes the kids' lives. Many of them would not have ever considered going to college if not for her. A teacher forces the kids to learn when many of them don't want to. I'm sure that in some cases, if the teacher merely "connected" the students, the students would choose not to grasp that connection. The bond created between a teacher and a student is extremely important for the student's learning ability and motivation.
I'm not trying to completely put down electronic learning. In a ever-developing scientific world it is important for young people to have the skills to use technology to their advantage. For example, I think these blogs are a great way of connecting our class to the technological world. It is vital for people to be able to adapt to the changes and by using the technology to our advantage, we can do just that. But, I believe there is a limit. I don't think there will ever come a time where electronic learning could replace a live classroom.
This topic definitely interests me a lot. I've always toyed with the idea of becoming an educator, so I'd really like to learn more about the evolution of learning.
My Annotated Article
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Diigo Movie Review
For my first time using Diigo, I annotated a New York Times Movie review by A.O. Scott on "Beasts of the Southern Wild". My review deeply analyzed the meaning and theme of the movie, but did not discuss the cinematic or dramatic aspects of the movie that much.
The review begins by describing the main character, Hushpuppy, as "an American original, a rambunctious blend of individualism and fellow feeling". I personally think the little girl makes the whole movie, her stick-it-to-'em attitude and her courage stands out above all else. The review describes Hushpuppy's confidence and certainty in herself, but also mentions the contrasting adult view, which consists of a little, vulnerable girl who lives in a poor area with a sick father. The review gives nothing away about how the movie ends and, in fact, doesn't discuss the plot all that much. Throughout the whole review, there are only a few mentions of the cinematic and dramatic aspects of the film. It mentions that Quvenzhané Wallis, the girl who plays Hushpuppy, is an "untrained sprite who holds the camera’s attention with a charismatic poise that might make grown-up movie stars weep in envy." The sole cinematic aspect mentioned is that the director, Benh Zeitlin shot the movie on 16-millimeter film instead of in a digital format and credits cinematographer Ben Richardson with finding the rugged, ragged beauty in nearly every shot. A. O. Scott dives deeply into the meaning of "Beasts of the Soutern Wild", writing that the young heroes of the film remind us of the metaphysical arrogance of childhood." Hushpuppy tells herself that in a thousand years scientists will know the story of her and her father and the Bathtub, the area where they live, because she is leaving behind charcoal drawings wherever she goes. What she thinks and what the world actually is are, "perceived, by an awakening mind, as opposites." Towards the end of the film, it begins to show that the self and the world must too be equal. Hushpuppy stands up to giant monsters and shows that she can be anything she sets her mind to. The review is written in a witty, yet casual way which really parallels how the movie is done; a silent, powerful meaning hidden in a simple plot line.
For our quarterly movie review assignment, I think it would be best to follow a basic structure. The reviews should discuss all three aspects of film. We could also find a way to come up with a creative aspect of it, like writing the review in the form of a news report or creating a commercial for the film, but still include the three aspects. Some reviews could just be in paragraph form, but I think giving students the option to do their own thing with it would make it a lot more fun. Overall, I'd prefer to write my own review instead of reading somebody else's.
Annotated Movie Review
The review begins by describing the main character, Hushpuppy, as "an American original, a rambunctious blend of individualism and fellow feeling". I personally think the little girl makes the whole movie, her stick-it-to-'em attitude and her courage stands out above all else. The review describes Hushpuppy's confidence and certainty in herself, but also mentions the contrasting adult view, which consists of a little, vulnerable girl who lives in a poor area with a sick father. The review gives nothing away about how the movie ends and, in fact, doesn't discuss the plot all that much. Throughout the whole review, there are only a few mentions of the cinematic and dramatic aspects of the film. It mentions that Quvenzhané Wallis, the girl who plays Hushpuppy, is an "untrained sprite who holds the camera’s attention with a charismatic poise that might make grown-up movie stars weep in envy." The sole cinematic aspect mentioned is that the director, Benh Zeitlin shot the movie on 16-millimeter film instead of in a digital format and credits cinematographer Ben Richardson with finding the rugged, ragged beauty in nearly every shot. A. O. Scott dives deeply into the meaning of "Beasts of the Soutern Wild", writing that the young heroes of the film remind us of the metaphysical arrogance of childhood." Hushpuppy tells herself that in a thousand years scientists will know the story of her and her father and the Bathtub, the area where they live, because she is leaving behind charcoal drawings wherever she goes. What she thinks and what the world actually is are, "perceived, by an awakening mind, as opposites." Towards the end of the film, it begins to show that the self and the world must too be equal. Hushpuppy stands up to giant monsters and shows that she can be anything she sets her mind to. The review is written in a witty, yet casual way which really parallels how the movie is done; a silent, powerful meaning hidden in a simple plot line.
For our quarterly movie review assignment, I think it would be best to follow a basic structure. The reviews should discuss all three aspects of film. We could also find a way to come up with a creative aspect of it, like writing the review in the form of a news report or creating a commercial for the film, but still include the three aspects. Some reviews could just be in paragraph form, but I think giving students the option to do their own thing with it would make it a lot more fun. Overall, I'd prefer to write my own review instead of reading somebody else's.
Annotated Movie Review
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
First Post
These blogs are a great way to collaborate and share our ideas with other students on projects, both in this class and other classes. They can also be used to share work that we are proud of from our classes.
Image Source: Cliff Dive
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