Blog Post 4

Akira Kurosawa: I have actually seen the seventh samurai and a couple other movies by Kurosawa and found them very intriguing and some of the best movies that used movement ever. I think that it is interesting how many parts have to be right in order for a frame to look correct. I never thought that it took that much thinking to shoot angles and such for a film, so this definitely changed my views. This has definitely got me thinking also on how I want to execute my project for this class by using maybe fake rain and wind with a fan possibly to add that extra oomph to my piece.

Satoshi Kon: I have actually been wanting to see one of his films about these homeless group of people who find a baby and want to return it to its mother. I find it very interesting how his cuts are actually so fast that he did not want to do live action because of it, like how they described how his frame animated was 6 seconds and then the live action was 10. I am also going to take into consideration the editing modes that Kon used like the interesting transitions and cuts made to each scene to make them cohesive.

F for Fake: Therefore, But, Meanwhile, back at the ranch!! never ask yourself "and then" when writing a storyline because then you will get lost in a boring loop of uninteresting media. By using therefore and but you keep the audience interested in what is going on in the film. I never knew this technique until right now, which is very cool to me. It also shows that Grammar matters even in the making of movies to get ones head in the right mind space.


Lynne Ramsey. I think that the sound and picture are the most important parts of a film. One of my favorite films, Spirited Away does just this. In the original version, there are all of these elements that is explained in this video that makes a film interesting and a lot more poetic and romantic in a way. But in the American version, a lot of the sound and beautiful nature of this film is taken away because  when the Americans edited it for their general public, they thought we would find those parts boring, which is not true.

Vinyl Intervention

Street Art response

This article mentions artistic credit which I find very interesting. He states that since street art is not curated in a museum, it does not get the same credibility and protection as it would if it were in such an establishment. So then this plays on the idea of status and ability to become "well-known". Since this is hard to do, many street art is covered up and thrown away because it is not protected by things like museums and people who follow the artists. But people like Banksy do the opposite by getting a large following of people to follow his street art, to the point of it getting into an actual museum. Where, he is protected. I find this interesting because historically, street art is a "rebellious" act to show that someone is going against something they do not like or follow. But now, mainly in Philadelphia, people have turned street art into a new art form. The murals in Philly are unbelievable and each Artists has their own style and forum. I just think that it is amazing that people have found a way to make street art relevant again. Yes, many people are still against this rebellion, but I just think people are trying to express themselves and have fun

Selfie: Image Trace

NickName

1. Do a few searches on your favorite brands, notice what stands out to you about their logo/brand identity.  Make a list of what visual elements you are drawn to.
What most stands out is the colors used to create mood and feeling in the logo. Most are very contrasting bright colors which I find very intriguing. 
2. Do some general searches on common logos. Make a list of what elements stand out to you (positively or negatively) The words stood out to me the most on the logos
Neg: How some of the text overpowers the image, too simple,
POS: Cool logos with interesting photos, the colors used, the text, how the logo make me feel.
3. Make a list of all the nicknames you have had in your life choose one or two to make a personal logo. 
Sammalamadingdong, SammyJo, Sammy, Sam, Sammy Lamby

Brainstorming: Vinyl Cut

Sketches for Vinly cut:
I have been keeping up daily with the news about the coronavirus, and have discovered a disturbing fact. Apparently animal owners around China are starting to put masks on their animals to protect them from the virus. Sone also believe that their animals might have the virus and are just letting them go astray, which I find very sad and depressing. Being an animal lover, I could never imagine putting my animal through this uncomfortable process, but if it was necessary I would do it no doubt. But I want my piece to be about this topic, to spread awareness not just about the virus and how it is effecting animals, but how strays in the US are seen as something to be avoided and left to die. Which they should not be. I cannot decide wether or not I just want the cat face or the cat and its body but here it is!

Contemplating self

1. How do you feel about the overall outcome of this piece in relation to your art making process? I am very proud of myself with what I have created. I have never touched photoshop in my life and feel that I have a good hold on it now even with only 5 weeks of it under my belt! I learned how to use the Wacom pad and paint with it and it has become my new obsession. Anyways, I feel like it also realtes to my art making process because I am a very painterly person who likes to use paint to blend and render, and this gave me a chance to do that.
2. In what way did you integrate your personal art practice into this project? I used my painting and sketching skills in this project. Using different uses of marks and strokes I made a realistic enough looking figure to resemble myself. I tend to go toward self portraits for some reason, maybe because I like to explore my own self and face, but I find it to be an interesting figure to go off of. 
3. How did you challenge yourself creatively, conceptually and/or technically in the making of this piece? Definitely. Because I have never used photoshop in any kind of art context I was very nervous at first how this would turn out. I have many doubts about my concept of isolation and self being because I feel that I do not know my true self, but felt this piece was important enough to include. 
4. Were there elements that made the completion of this piece either more difficult or felt not challenging enough?Definitely the perspective of this piece made it difficult for me to render. This is because I wanted my figure very upfront to the viewer but the background more standing back into space, and many viewers did not seem to get that. I wish I had executed that better, but I tried my best. 
5. Reflect on the project critique: was the feedback you received helpful? Be specific about why or why not. Yes and no. I had specifically asked for negative thoughts and got not even one... Maybe about the perspective but I just wish I had more feedback on what I needed more or less of in this piece. 
6. Please share any other thoughts. I feel that I had all of the proper tools to complete this piece and feel that I did it successfully.