Extra Credit #2- MOMA Quay Brothers Exibit

The Quay brothers definitely produce art of the German Expressionism era. The first display in the exhibit is a set from their short film, Street of Crocodiles. On the description it told the viewers that films such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari greatly influenced the Quay brothers' work. Right away I had the feeling that their art would resemble the art of Tim Burton. The creepy feel of the set, along with the film itself, is very dark and eerie. Their use of dark and light and shadows create an ominous feeling to their work not just in the film, but in a lot of their drawings as well. Their beginning work consists of drawings of landscapes and their images of people come in twos. This resembles the fact that the brothers are twins. Doubling their images within a single piece of art is present in a lot of their drawings. They also make the people in their drawings, puppets, etc very abstract, missing limbs, and/or disproportionate. They also have a very erotic feel to them having sexual parts exposed at times. They are also known for being surrealists. Due to their style, animation fit them very well. With animation they can have their characters be whoever they want them to be. In Street of Crocodiles the main character encounters characters which look like doll heads and arms on a box. They have no eyes or teeth and are lit from inside the eyes and mouth. These are extremely creative and strange characters. A lot of their work, because of the unique make-up, can bring upon a disturbing feeling. One thing I found very interesting was a set in box that seemed uneasy on the eyes unless it is viewed from a specific angle. It contained a magnifying glass that the viewer can look through and inside it looked normal. If you like German Expressionism and filmmakers and artists like Tim Burton you will definitely enjoy this exhibit. As a horror lover I definitely did!

Final Project- Continuity

http://youtu.be/ZCLJKTRSlqs

Continuity Project Storyboard

Extra Credit #1- Transitions

In Steve Beck's, "Ghost Ship" (2002), many editing transitions are used to move the film along and add certain effects to the plot. The film begins in 1962, where the ship Antonia Graza experienced a massacre of its passengers. It then goes to present day where Arctic Warrior's salvage crew manages to salvage a boat. After docking and collecting their money, Ferriman, an air patrol pilot, seeks them out to salvage a boat he has found, but claims to know nothing about. After negotiating to join them, Ferriman and the crew venture out into the ocean to find the mysterious boat. Santos, the driver and engineer, sees something on radar that disappears and reappears. The Arctic Warrior ends up smashing into the Italian luxury liner, Antonia Graza, living them with bad engine problems. The crew goes aboard, without Greer and Ferriman, to check it out, discovering that the ship is sinking. While on the ship, Epps sees a ghost, a little girl named Katie. When everyone boards again, Epps and Ferriman find dead men in the laundry room and crates full of untraceable gold. The crew then decides to leave the ship and take the gold. After the propane nozzle is mysteriously turned on in the engine room of the Arctic Warrior, the tugboat explodes, leaving Greer and Munder injured, and Santos dead. Now, stuck fixing the Antonia Graza, weird things begin to happen revealing the liner's gruesome past. Greer follows the late Francesca, the singer on the Antonia Graza in 1962, around the ship, falling down the broken elevator shaft to his death. Epps meets Katie, where Katie tells her to leave the ship. Murphy gets acquainted with the late captain of the Antonia Graza, discovering the past of what happened to the ship and the only survivor causing the massacre. In searching for Epps, Murphy and the ghost of Santos fight and when Epps finds him, he believes Epps is Santos and attacks her. Ferriman knocks Murphy out and they throw him down into the aquarium. Epps, Dodge and Munder fix the ship and begin to pump out the water. Epps goes to search for Greer and finds him dead. Then, Katie brings Epps back to 1962 to show her what happened. Now knowing that Ferriman was involved and not normal, she runs to get Murphy. She finds Murphy drowned in the aquarium, holding a picture of Ferriman. After, Epps warns Dodge telling him she gets why her, him, and Munder are still alive (to fix the ship) and leaves him with Ferriman to go find Munder. Epps finds Munder dead, and Ferriman attacks Dodge. Dodge then goes to Epps who is rigging explosives. It is then revealed that Dodge is really Ferriman and that Dodge is dead. Ferriman then reveals his job to Epps, attacks Epps, and Epps blows up the ship. Katie guides Epps out of the sinking ship where Epps and all the souls swim to the surface. After waiting in the water, Epps is finally saved and brought to an ambulance. The film concludes showing the gold being boarded onto a new ship with Ferriman following, starting it all over again.

All transitions used helped move the film along in very creative ways. It gives the film a very creepy feeling and keeps the viewer paying attention. In total, 37 transitions are used in this film, other than the standard cuts. They take place through 17 groupings. Below are the list of transitions and why they were used:

1) WS of full ship (Antonia Graza) dissolves to CU of front of the ship with deck dance floor which dissolves into Francesca singing in the ballroom.
These dissolves establish the location of the first scene, along with where the majority of the film will take place.

2) Upper torso of man dissolves into woman trying to reattach her lower half which dissolves into a hand reaching up and then falling.
These dissolves are used to emphasize the gore, body horror, pain and shock of the incident.

3) Arctic Warrior on sea dissolves into another Arctic Warrior on sea which dissolves into another Arctic Warrior on sea.
These dissolves are used to show the passing of time, day to night.

4) Ferriman CU dissolves into Antonia Graza steering room which dissolves into Antonia Graza aquarium room which dissolves into another Antonia Graza room.
These dissolves are used to establish the new location of the haunted ship, along with linking Ferriman to the ship without noticeable cause at the time.

5) Arctic Warrior dissolves into sea which dissolves into bubbly water (underwater) which dissolves into sunrise above water.
These dissolves are used to establish the change in day.

6) Moonlight on sea dissolves into Epps taking care of Greer aboard the Antonia Graza.
This dissolve is used to establish a turning event in the plot (forced to stay on haunted ship).

7) The fight between Munder and Greer getting broken up dissolves into a CU of the pool room art which dissolves into into a WS of pool room with Katie dancing which dissolves into the moonlight on sea which dissolves into WS of ship which dissolves to Murphy in the Captain's quarters.
These dissolves are used to reflect on the death of Santos and the loss of their boat. It also reveals the position the crew is now in, stranded on a sinking, haunted ship. Some shots are seen overlapping through the dissolves and stays for a few seconds.

8) Ferriman sitting in control room fades to Munder and Dodge in kitchen.
This fade is used to bring on suspicion to why Ferriman is in the control room listening to their conversation.

9) Above the flooded room dissolves into under the water which dissolves into the crew swimming to the hole which dissolves into more swimming through room.
These dissolves show how bad the flood is and how much water is needed to be swam through in order to get the hole.

10) Shot of hole dissolves into patching it up which dissolves to the crew patching up all holes which dissolves into the finished patched up holes.
These dissolves are used to show the passing of time and accomplishment of fixing the sinking problem.

11) WS of ship dissolves to Epps beginning her search for Greer.
This dissolve is used establish location, reminding that they have islands to clear and are still in the middle of the ocean. This also begins another turning point in the film.

12) Below ship wipes to Epps looking for Greer.
This wipe is used to establish location of the ship interior.

13) Picture of Greer's fiancee dissolves to Greer's death in elevator shaft.
This dissolve is used to reveal Greer's death. Before it was only shown him falling. This dissolve with the two shots show what actually happened to him. It also creates an emotional sadness because he will not be going home to his fiancee which was why he was hesitant to even go in the first place.

14) Throughout the 1962 flashback scene many effects are used with the lighting in certain cuts.
These are used to give it a flashback feel and to move the scene along revealing different parts of the massacre.

15) Epps and Katie being shot through dissolves into the dead passengers floating in the pool.
This dissolve is used to show that even though they themselves were not killed because they are back in time, the people that were there at the time were left dead in the pool.

16) CU of Epps in water dissolves to EWS of her in water which dissolves to a more EWS which dissolves into day time on ocean with Epps afloat which dissolves with a closer shot of Epps afloat which dissolves again into a closer shot of Epps afloat which dissolves into a CU of Epps in water.
These dissolves are used to show isolation and the passing of time before finally getting picked up by another ship.

17) Ferriman boarding next ship fades to black.
This fade is used to not only end the film, but to leave the audience in shock that Ferriman is about to repeat the same massacre that had been occurring over 40 years.

Audio Project

http://youtu.be/zT9-umnFhGw

Project 1 mise-en-scene

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjZeN7ahX5Y&feature=youtu.be

Blog 2- What I Hear

     In Harlem, New York a lot of sounds are present, especially at night. There are the obvious sounds of cars, cabs, and buses, and even the 1 train above 125th and Broadway. Underneath the traveling noises of New York, one might hear obnoxiously loud music of people's IPOD's as they walk by and even some music blasting from the cars. A lot of times you can hear the people rapping and singing along to whatever they're listening to as if no one is around. As you approach the outside to restaurants or bars, you can often hear many people talking and blowing smoke out from their cigarettes. Doors are opening to closing to bodegas and other stores. A jingle may even be heard on the doors. Just then, 3 cop cars with their sirens wailing screech to a hault. The policemen get out of their cars and approach passengers in a car parked on the street. You hear the people surrounding get very quiet, in trying to listen to what is happening. You hear the cops talking to the driver, while another pats down a passenger. You hear the cops talk amongst themselves as they begin to get back into their cars. The people watching start to whisper to each other, discussing what just happened. The cops turn their sirens off and you can hear their tires K-turn to drive back with the traffic. Slowly, the volume of talking begins to pick up again and the sounds go back to normal on the street. You can also hear the swishing noise of people's jackets as they walk down the street.
     A night in Harlem can be very loud and exciting if you open up your ears to listen. I find all of the sounds to be meaningful to me in some way because they represent the 2 1/2 years of the time when I lived there. Memories of different events, such as Tuesday nights at Patrick Ryan's bar, often come to mind and make me smile. Things seem to be quieter in the day, just people traveling and going about their day. The screeching noises of the cop cars surprised me this night because the car being approached did not seem suspicious in any way. It really happened out of nowhere. Now living on the Upper East Side, I can definitely tell the difference between neighborhoods just by the sounds. On my street, I often hear a lot of kids, construction and cars. Overall, it is a pretty quiet area. I am glad to have experienced both neighborhoods in the 3 years I have lived in New York. Although, different, both still make me feel at home.

Mise-En-Scene- Blog 1

The sequence I have chosen to analyze is the first 3 and a half minutes of "SAW" by director James Wan. Through this sequence the audience not only gets introduced to the main characters, but is introduced to the location in which the majority of the film takes place. Adam and Dr. Gordon are chained in an old bathroom. At first, there are no lights. Everything is kept dark so that the audience is experiencing waking up in this room just like the characters. Finally, Dr. Gordon turns on the light where you finally get a better feel for where they are. Close-ups of Adam squinting and hiding his eyes, and the blurry, out of focus POV shot from Dr. Gordon, lets the audience know they have been in the dark for a while and the fluorescent lights are blinding them at first. As the tracking shot of the lights pulls back, the audience is now aware that this is not just a normal sized bathroom in some one's apartment, but rather a large room. The first wide shot you see is after they first see the dead body. This shot gives the audience an idea now of how big of a space they are actually in. Everything in the bathroom itself is old and dirty. In the middle of the floor lies a dead man bleeding from his head holding a gun in one hand and a tape recorder in the other. This indicates that they have been placed there for a reason and will now be going through something that has to do with each other, being chained in the bathroom, the dead man, gun and the tape recorder. In the beginning of the sequence, a close-up of a key is seen going down the drain of the bathtub. You are shown this before you see the characters are chained, however, you do not find out what the key opens until the end of the film. Other than the chains, gun, key, and tape recorder, there are no props introduced in this scene. Adam's wardrobe is simple, jeans and a t-shirt with an opened buttoned-down, while Dr. Gordon is in a buttoned-down shirt and suit pants. Throughout this sequence many kinds of shots are used to establish location, emotion, and the state in which the characters have been put in. Below is a link to the sequence. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAWK9V9Hk_A

MOMA- Cindy Sherman

I was very surprised to see how Cindy Sherman's work resembled so many forms of art, such as film and paintings, although it was all photography. Aside from one set of work, she is present in all of her pictures. She creates different characters for her to portray almost to the point of the viewer not recognizing they are all her. However, she does not consider herself to be a photographer, but uses the camera as a tool. Most of her work is very erotic, sexual, and have a violent feel to them. Her expression, positions, and locations resemble women in vulnerable, threatening states. A lot of her "Film Stills" resemble stills from Hitchcock movies and other films of the 1950s and 60s. Through her art she expresses how women were portrayed by the media. One collection of work were photographs for magazines with her wearing very expensive clothing. The photographs I found to be very contradictory, for her appearance herself did not fit the luxurious clothing she was wearing. The set of photographs where she was not present were extremely sexual. She used dolls and put them in awkward positions to create a uneasy, erotic feeling. Her pictures that resembled paintings were done to look like painting that you would see hanging in an old castle. She completed this set of work while living in Italy. Some of the pictures in this set were also sexual, revealing women's breasts. The last set of images I saw were extremely colorful and violent, like portraying someone with sharp teeth. As a horror fanatic, I found her work to be very inspiring. You do not need a video camera to portray violent, scary images. She can still achieve that tone with photographs and paintings without a chain of events that the viewer is watching. I recommend the exhibit to all people that can appreciate art without judging the fact that you will not get a happy feeling from the work.

Class Reflection

Although I have gotten sick a few times this semester, causing me to miss certain classes, I definitely enjoyed taking the course MEDP 150. I have enjoyed the labs more than lecture because I tend to learn more when I'm working hands-on, then sitting in a classroom listening to a professor and reading a textbook. Blogging has been a new experience for me and as the semester went on I have gotten used to it. My favorite project was our Photoshop project. I have definitely learned a lot about how to use Photoshop and loved making my stamp. However, I do wish we would have used Final Cut to teach editing. My main focus is on film and television and I definitely need to work on Final Cut more to advance my knowledge. At my previous school, Brookdale Community College in New Jersey, I learned Avid and am much better at editing when working on that. Many companies use Final Cut though, so I would like to be just as good when editing with that program. HTML was the hardest for me. There were a lot of problems I encountered that took a while to figure out and fix, such as uploading my images to fit in the space on my page. I also found the codes to be confusing and it would have been easier to make a website using Photoshop. In the end though, I was able to do it. I give people who design websites for a living a lot of credit, it definitely is not easy. The MOMA field trip was fun and I loved watching the film about the events going on in Bahrain. I do not usually enjoy documentaries, but I enjoyed watching this one very much. Not only did we get to view an amazing film, but we also learned about something going on in the world today. I know I was not aware of these events and I assume a lot of the other students did not as well. Overall, this was a great class and I look forward to taking MEDP 160 in the Fall.

HTML Site

http://fmundergrad.hunter.cuny.edu/~silversteina/index.html

Film Exercise

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjyAUSM0WXU&feature=youtu.be

Stamp Art Photoshop Assignment- Horrorville

I chose to make a stamp for a world of horror. In this stamp I have incorporated a bunch of classic horror films throughout time. It includes Casper, The Birds, Carrie, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th, Scream, and The Nightmare Before Christmas. All of these films have been inspirations to me in some way whether it was for its suspense, creative animation, or gore.

Mr. Potatohead Exercise

Design I Like

As most film lovers have noticed over the years, Tim Burton's opening sequences to his films often take you through something. For the "Design I Like", I have chosen the opening sequence to Edward Scissorhands. From the 20th Century Fox shot, it begins to bring the viewer into the world of Edward. It has a dark, blue tint to the shot with snow. The color portrays the creepy theme of the film and the snow plays a big part of the film and why the story of Eward is being told in the first place. From there, the camera brings the viewer to a house and through the door. Then, the title shows up as the words open to resemble a scissor. Throughout the rest of the sequence, Burton shows the viewer things inside the house, such as inventions, and other parts of the house. The colors used are the same blue and black background, with white for the text of the credits. This keeps the ominous feel throughout the first 3 minutes. The font used is all uppercase letters with a creepy feel to the way the letters are shaped. By using this particular font, the gloomy tone is once again enforced. The text also moves a little as it begins to fade and the next name appears. This fits with the tone and goes along with the music composed by Danny Elfman. The overall product lets the viewer know and feel that this is going to be a creepy, maybe even sad story. At the end of the sequence you see a set of hands which fades out and then Vincent Price's face appears, as if to look like he is sleeping or dead. This is done to give the viewer more insight into the story and how Edward came to be. The composition in each camera shot is well balanced and and the close-up's show great texture in the object being shown. For example, the shots of all the inventions are close enough to show the texture of the metal, especially with the way the light hits it. The shot going up the stairs also has great depth of field. Great use of lines are also used in shots of  the house and on certain inventions. The last image shown in a zoom out of the mansion as it snows outside. This shows the viewer a wide shot of where they were and leads into the first scene of the film. Below you can view this opening sequence and see for yourself that the introduction to Edward Scissorhands does in fact succeed in giving the viewer an exciting, yet creepy feeling, and some insight as to what the film will be about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5ixJu2YvZQ

New Eyes

The photograph I have taken is the hallway of my dormitory. I walk through this hallway a few times a day, but have never really stopped to analyze it as a space. It has great depth of field from one end of the hallway to the other. It is a rather dark hallway, however, the light from a window at the end of the hallway and the light coming from the ceiling through the hall light the image up enough to give a very warm feel to the picture. The colors purple, deep red, and what appears to be gold from the light hitting the floor also contribute to the warm feel of the image. The light hitting the door handle give the silver handle a sort of sparkle. In addition, the angle from which I took the picture creates lines from the doors and elevator, where the carpet meets the floor, and in the cement blocks.

Ethics Exercise

What is your favorite piece of media you saw recently?

The film, "The Woman in Black".

Why do you think you liked it?

I found it to be a very suspenseful horror film. It wasn't very scary, however, the build up to all the events had me jumping a few times. I liked the plot, character development, and cinematography. I also enjoyed that the props, costumes, etc, were true to that time period. This is one of the first films I truly enjoyed in the past few months.

How did you feel after you saw it?

I felt very inspired after I saw this film. When I see horror films that I actually enjoy and don't find to be cheesy it motivates me to one day write, direct, and produce a horror film that really scares and is enjoyed by an audience.

Did you think or understand anything new after viewing?

The only thing I thought/understood that I would consider new after seeing "The Woman in Black" would be that the style in which it was shot (lighting and cinematography) reminded me a lot of a Tim Burton film, or films such as "The Ring" and "Dead Silence". Although every director and cinematographer has their own style, it is still okay to use similar approaches in achieving a certain tone and mood for a film. As long as you are not imitating another exactly or make it a overwhelmingly noticeable similarity, it can still be passed off as your own.

What do you think the piece says (overtly or covertly) about the world, about the way people live in it?

This film's story implies that many people around the world are superstitious and believe in an afterlife with ghosts that may be around for good or evil. If this is believed people will often live by it to keep themselves and their family and friends safe.

How was it made/ by what kind of group or individual?

It was made by director James Watkins and production companies Hammer Film Productions, Alliance Films, and the UK Film Council.

4 "Empty" Images (Partner- Bryan Powers)

Image

I chose the classic picture of the house from the 1960's film, "Psycho". The still photograph is creepy and mysterious and creates a sense of curiousity for the viewer. There is a lot of contrast in this image between the white sky, the grays of the house, and the blacks of the walkway and of Norman Bates. This let's the viewer know there is something odd about the house and the man who resides there. If I were to ever see something like this in my real life I would definitely want to stay as far away as possible. However, at the same time, I would have a small urge to investigate further. This is the perfect way to reel an audience in for a horror film.

Artist Statement

     My name is Amanda and I am aspiring to be a horror/drama film director and producer. My interest in horror films and real life/fictional disasters came to me at a very early age. It started off scaring me and in order to take away my fear, I started researching films and events on the internet and by reading books and from there, it grew into a positive obsession and career goal. Although slasher films may nauseate most people and make them think it influences violence in real life, for me, it is an artistic and creative way of portraying horrific actions displayed on film for entertainment.    
     I also enjoy disasters, fictional and nonfictional. Through film, when an event that has actually happened is portrayed on screen, you can achieve the goal of making your audience feel as if they were actually going through the incident themselves. I'd like for more people to get a better understanding about fatal events such as the Holocaust, or 9/11. To have an idea of what the people at that time went through will most likely give them a different outlook on the past then when they first entered the theater.
     My film-related inspirations have been the films "Jaws" and "Scream" and include directors/producers such as Steven Spielberg, Wes Craven, Tim Burton, Alfred Hitchcock and Joel Silver. Their films have brought the art of film and fear together, becoming a form of entertainment for many viewers. Psychological thrillers, such as "Silence of the Lambs" all the way to films known for it's gore, like "Hostel", all leave me feeling nervous, excited, and overwhelmingly motivated to create a piece of art that will one day be known to viewers as a horror classic. I hope that through my work during this course, I can learn and grow as a filmmaker and that it will lead me to achieving the goal of making a classic horror film. A film that can scare and be enjoyed by people around the world. It is my dream to become the next Hitchcock, with films scaring people long after I'm gone, and remembered by everyone in the film industry.