Unrelated but amusing video

This isn't really related to anything we have been talking about but it is just so addicting and grim that I love it.  For the first 40 seconds it will seem like something to show a four year old kid, but it changes quite rapidly after that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXvsl8xgRxc

Sample Music

When we were discussing sample based music today in class the first thing that came to my mind were all of the videos on YouTube that remix dialogue and sounds from games and movies into songs.  Here are a few that I remembered.

Ballad of Black Mesa:
In this video he took many of the gun sounds from Half Life 2 and used them to compose a song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTbL5elVXrU

TF2 - Guns Orchestra:
This video does the same thing but with sounds from a different game.  Skip to 25 seconds in for it to start.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=PMPPXTnZP8g#t=26s

Groangasm:
Ok so the name may sound a bit off putting and it should since the song is pretty weird.  Made from this guy's voice and sung by many floating animated heads.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4vpBw3pf58

Jack Black - Octagon Remix:
Here's an old one that must have been removed from YouTube a while ago.  The re-upload has pretty bad video quality but its still just as addicting as ever.  Made from the audio of one time that Jack Black talked about an octagon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq6EC7YU54s

Intensive Gaston Unit:
Heavily manipulated voice and sound from Beauty and the Beast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8coX8VkUKY8

I Hurt People:
Made from voice clips from TF2's Meet the Team videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrLx86Pr4Sc

The Performance

Technology is always watching us and keeping tabs on what we do.  We voluntarily allow it to do so by posting status updates, pictures, and videos of ourselves on the internet.  Even if we do not do these things all businesses and many public locations have security cameras and other ways to monitor us.  Simply by walking across campus I pass by many cameras each day.

So in an age when we are all so exposed to cameras and being watched why is it that many people are so afraid to be on camera.  If they do not have the time to prepare themselves the average person simply does not know what to do in front of a camera.

Even just asking a simple 'Excuse me, what time is it?'  becomes very difficult for people to answer. Most eventually do answer but not after stuttering or trying to cover themselves from the camera.

This is what I tried to bring to light in my performance when I went around campus asking various people that very question while Chris pointed a camera at them.

Blogger does not seem to like my monster sized movie file so I can't upload it right now.  I can upload it elsewhere if you still want it.

For now here is an action packed screenshot from when I was working on it.  Exciting!

Photocopy Project

For this project I wanted to create something surreal that would encompass the things we see when we dream.  Doing this with scans of my body proved a bit harder than I expected.

I used many copies of my hands in various positions as well as my face from three different angles.  Let me say that the scanner is really damn bright and keeping my eyes open for it was not all too pleasant.

I used a simple yet bizarre scene I created in Autodesk Maya 2013 for the background pictures as well as a picture of space from good ol' Google.

Then it was all a matter of cutting it out and gluing/taping it all in place.

Just in case the wind completely destroys it before I make it to class in the morning here is proof of what my final product is supposed to look like.  What it will look like after I get to class is anybody's guess.

The pieces that were left behind but not forgotten..

Surreal Idea

For the next project I have been thinking about how to use photocopied parts of my body and other objects to create a message.

I think I may have finally settled on a surreal theme revolving around using similar images in repetition to form a strange creature.

For inspiration I looked towards one of my favorite video creators on youtube, cyriak.  His use of repetitive images to create an entirely new creature is fascinating to me.  Of course my project will be a single image not a video but it's still quite cool to look at.'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuWTQtyKih4

Grid Project

So of the three pictures I posted the other day which did I finally decide on making into grid art?  The answer: technically none of them but sort of the second one.  I planned on using the Doctor Who/Pulp Fiction crossover but when I started I noticed that it was impossible to distinguish their faces and the sonic screwdrivers were indistinguishable from their arms.  So I figured it would be best to base it off of the original picture from Pulp Fiction.

So my plan was to shade in the grid paper with a sharpie and leave the white portions uncolored for a distinct contrast.  To make it easier to determine where to shade and what to leave blank I took the picture into Photoshop and lined up a grid with the same 40 by 50 square dimensions as the cut paper.  

Then I marked where to leave blank on a test paper before actually shading.

Finally I cut a new piece of grid paper and began outlining and shading the picture to match the test paper.  

The end result turned out about exactly how I wanted, although a white paint or white-out may have made it pop even more.  Still I feel I made a picture that people could easily match to the original as long as they are at least somewhat familiar with the film.

Internet Currency

I saw this video a little while ago but forgot about it until last class.  It's sort of related to the online currency in Second Life but with a different game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=E_9R45RLNR0

To Grid or Not to Grid

Well I have my supplies and I have time to work now the only thing still in my way is deciding what exactly I want to make.

Idea #1 - Fallout Brotherhood

Ah yes Fallout a game series everyone loved and that I didn't jump on the bandwagon until two years after Fallout 3 came out.  Ok so I was late to the party but I still loved it.  And the iconic image of the Brotherhood of Steel feels like it would translate well as grid art.  Even if the small details get pushed aside the silhouette of the image will still have an intimidating appearance   Well as long as it is still somewhat recognizable on a 40 by 40 grid.

Idea #2 - Doctor Fiction (Pulp Fiction + Doctor Who)

My current laptop background and an awesome mash-up I found online, this picture would be really cool to do as grid art.  Taking two awesome things like Pulp Fiction and Doctor Who and putting them together makes this picture really amazing in my eyes.  I know exactly how I would do it as grid art but the only issue would be if the image would still be recognizable in that form.

Idea #3 - Prof. Oak

Yup I am in a fairly nerdy train of thought right now and can't think of anything besides movies, television shows, and video games to make as my grid art.  So why not Professor Oak?  Compared to my other ideas he is definitely the simplest image and the one that would be the most recognizable as grid art.  But I almost wonder if he is a bit too simple.  

The Flip Book

The Flip Book Project or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Just Use Flash.

As someone who is interested in animation I was really excited about this project.  A chance for me to get extra experience with frame by frame animation and get work done at the same time sounded great to me.  While I still like how my flip book turned out, I am a bit upset with myself for not asking if I could just submit a Flash animation instead of actually using a book.

To create the project my original intention was to make a simple storyboard and then sketch out each frame by using the previous page as a base.  However when I started I quickly discovered that the pages of the book I bought were not very easy to see through.  No matter how much light I shined on the pages or what I used to draw with I could not see any pages below the one I was working on.  So I decided that the best way to outline what to draw would be to create a frame by frame animation in Adobe Flash.  If only I knew that I could just turn in this animation I would have saved a lot of time, but oh well too late now.  Note to self: asking questions is a good idea.

While it's not perfect I am fairly happy with how this quick animation turned out.  It gave the mysterious and surreal concept a very stylized and cartoony appearance which I think makes it more enjoyable than if I tried to make it realistic and serious.  

With each frame lined up it was now time for me to do it all again but this time with a pen and a book which, as I soon learned, was not the easiest way to draw.  After a few hours of copying with a pencil and then tracing over each line I finally had my flip book completed, although it was not quite the same as my initial idea.

Drawing the same image over and over again without computer guidance or a light board is a fairly tiresome experience.  Thus after a while I began to work away from my outlined frames in exchange for a less time consuming method.  The part when he steps into frame in an exaggerated manner was changed to have him pull his head back so I would not have to keep drawing it in the same position.  Due to this change the rapid rubber band like motion that brings him fully into frame was replaced by a gradual stretch.  I also shortened the motion of him pressing the button into the same frames as his arm movement to save even more time which seemed to confuse several people in the class as it went by too quickly.

Finally I just grew too tired of drawing the same frames over and over so I completely changed the button press to make him vanish in a cloud of smoke instead of having the door appear first.  Now the door would appear open as the cloud vanished and then the door would quickly close and disappear itself.  The final frames off the wind blowing his hat were added to make the ending feel a little less abrupt but at that point the book pages would flip so slowly that most people probably missed it.

In the end I think my flip book came out alright.  What I wanted to do was make a flip book that gradually took over the entire page and I feel like I was able to do that.  Although that very ambition also made it much more difficult to flip through than something smaller.  I also made it so the animation could be viewed both forwards and backwards so no matter how someone flipped through the book it would still make sense.  Whether they see it as a door appears that reveals a strange man who slinks off the frame or a man who creeps onto the frame and disappears into a strange door it still tells a story.  

Stage Door

Christmas Carol: A Musical

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZR2-GJmXOGw#!

In this piece they use a combination of close shots and what appears to be a fish eye lens to create a very surreal feeling.  The digital effect added in to make the tomb shatter adds to the surreal feeling evoked by this short video based on the classic Christmas Carol.

Camelot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wzh6VKpB6qc#!

In this quick video the use of elaborate set pieces and costumes to really make the interaction between the characters interesting.

Titanic Musical - The proposal/ The night was alive

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LRSj52VGC6E#!

Making use of working props and a diagetic light source this segment from the Titanic feels as if the scene has a real living presence   It is a bit hard to explain but it is almost as if it feels like a realistic set rather than an exaggerated one.

Tap Your Troubles Away

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=e6skpCNIoes#!

This clip uses many lights both over them and behind them to draw all attention to the stage.  There at the stage the performers can be the center of attention with their dark clothes that greatly contrast the incredibly bright and colorful lights.

42nd Street Movie Clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mSvQtAnh_CI#!

Heavy use of moving floors and tables centers all attention on the middle of the shot.  The low angle camera shots then disorient the viewer with the moving floors.  Instead of the performers moving around in circles the technology allows them the set to move them.

The Surrey With The Fringe On Top

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RAYLCXXCfUY#!

Instead of a typical set this clip shows a painted background that appears to be positioned in a circular figure to make the illusion of depth.  The odd perspective it has makes the characters feel surreal as if they are not even there despite their many interactions with the objects also on set.

Sweeney Todd

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rrYGl5wTwhs#!

The use of blue lighting and bright lights positioned in various angles contrast with the dark plot of the performance.  To make the almost disgusting themes into a bright and colorful performance allow the actors to perform with a great deal of comedy and exaggerated movements.

Theater

Today in class we discussed the forms theater has taken throughout the years.

One of the most interesting ideas is that theater, and all forms of entertainment, are fueled on what is considered right by the people who watch them.  Something that may be considered incredibly offensive in modern times would have just been a normal thing at the time for their audience.

A good modern example of this brought up today is how Muslims are stereotyped after 9/11.  Now comparing all Muslims to terrorists seems acceptable to many people of the United States despite how offensive that is to the Muslim people.  Another example was that of Jewish jokes, something I have seen many times is when a friend is paying for a meal and leaves a mediocre tip.  Immediately after they are called Jewish and no one even stops to think how offensive that really is.

It is just something we see almost every day on television and in movies.  I can't think of the last comedy I watched that didn't poke fun of at least one group of people.

Madama Butterfly Animation

This stop motion animation created a surreal experience using the plastic dolls with what appear to be clay faces and dreary painted backgrounds.   It starts out seeming like a fairly normal art piece, sexuality is displayed in a way to show the connection of the two characters.  The way it would have been done  the original opera may have been less graphic but it still appears to follow the same idea.  When the male leaves the female character is shown watching and waiting alone.

It is here that the animation really becomes surreal and shows that it is going for a much different way of showing the story's development.  The part when she flies her child like a kite with her umbilical cord made me have to watch again just to be sure that is what I actually saw.

After her child was taken away she leaves the set of the painted backgrounds into what looks like either someone's house or an art studio.  She proceeds to rip her face and body open to expose a metallic skeleton in way that I can only describe as some sort of dream like trance.  Then she completely disassembles herself and the pieces vanish across the table.

Maybe more knowledge of the original opera is needed to truly understand what occurred during this animation  but I think I can make an assumption.  It seems as if the loss of her child and her lover caused her to abandon all of her humanity represented by her complete deconstruction into a pile of materials.  Perhaps the end scene when she is shown again with the butterfly in her hair represents rebirth and change after her death.

The Birth and Life of Opera

In this video I learned much more about opera and how it is still going strong in this day and age.  I must admit that I previously had little knowledge of opera aside from a basic definition of what it is.  I had never seen an opera in person and nor had I heard of any of my friends or family having seen any actual opera in a theater.  Even during my stay in London while there were many musicals and plays being shown, I did not hear of any operas.  While I knew it was still being preformed it felt as if it was only being shown in small opera house reserved only for the wealthy and famous.

But this video proved me quite wrong.  In fact the theaters opera is preformed in are incredibly large with 4500 people in the audience all watching the same opera.  The popularity of what I had considered to be a lost art is truly astounding.  To be able to tell a story in such an impressive method is something that I now find myself fairly interested in.  Maybe I should try to track down a real opera house sometime.

Second Class

In class we summarized some of the many forms that art has taken throughout the years, although skipping over oriental art and digital arts.  The style that most appeals to me is the geometrical style of cubist paintings and sculptures.  I always found it a bit odd that I enjoy an art style so heavily influenced by simple shapes over the much more detailed baroque works and classical paintings.  As someone who has been drawing since I was a child I have mostly adapted a cartoon based style relying heavily on smooth lines, not geometrical figures.  Yet the pieces made by Picasso interest me very much.

To answer the question posed in class about what defines art I say art is everything.  From massive paintings that cover the ceiling of massive churches to a stick figure drawn on a subway wall.  Anything that people creates for the sole purpose of being seen should be considered art.  Buildings are art, streets are art, and food is art.  If someone can see it, whether they enjoy it or not, it is art.  Even if the only person who sees it is the very person who made it.

First Class

The first day of class showed me that I can expect a great deal of interesting things in the future.  I really enjoyed how it is very discussion based and how the class actively participates in it rather than simply watching.

The broken bust and clown head may have been my favorite pieces shown due to just how much perspective changes how they look.  As someone who once enjoyed puzzles quite a bit seeing artwork that needed to be rearranged by moving around it and looking at it in the right way really caught my attention.  But the paper stop motion was really captivating as well and is something I could really show to other people.  The amount of time and precision needed for that video is really mind blowing.  I have done some work with 2D and 3D animation and the time that it takes to arrange the props and frames in the proper way can be incredibly time consuming for only a small character movement and that is with the help of a computer.  Doing this entire thing with handmade cut-outs is a task I don't think I could do.

I am really excited to see what else we will be viewing and working on in the future of this course.  I expect to see many things I have never even thought of before.