I remember browsing youtube one day and coming a cross and animated short film called Sintel. It was only about fifteen minutes but I was stunned. The uploader claimed that it was created by a freeware company called Blender. I investigated further and soon discovered the incredible tool that is called Blender. Blender is a free animation software that is used to create highly polished animation. Just take a look at what some people have created. You can barely tell it apart from what they are creating in Hollywood.
I know that we went over that it is best to make a project that you want to make not one others want us to make, but I feel that this program is so good at creating animation that will live up to the creator's standards that it is definitely worth mentioning.
Thursdays class was about making use of the resources you have. Filmmakers don't necessarily need to work with a huge budget, or be employed at a prestigious studio, they just need to be passionate about their work. I've heard it said that you shouldn't move to Los Angeles to "make it big", you should wait for Los Angles to invite you. In other words, aspiring artists need to work their asses off and keep doing their own thing. In time, their work will be recognized. Ever since I was young, skateboarding and filming has excited me. My friends and I drive around the city looking for spots to skate and film at, all the while run into trouble with annoyed citizens and cranky security guards. Last year at our local skatepark, my friend Davey had an idea to do a backflip out of a quarter pipe and land on another skateboard. I filmed it and posted it on Youtube, unknowing of how much feedback it would get online. His trick got us both recognized- him being the talent and me being the filmer of this video clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6i7KAXNjck
This clip got featured on Thrasher and The Skateboard Mag, two of the most well known skateboard magazines worldwide. As well, MTV contacted me and wanted to use this clip in one of their shows. Our couple weeks of fame didn't last long, but the only reason it happened was because we were doing what we love, and not caring about being recognized or not. In a similar way, Leeper mentioned that Pixar isn't looking for people like them. Interestingly enough, they want the edgy, raw talent of people making films with their own set of aesthetics who could bring something new to the table. I believe the only way to "make it big" would simply be do your own thing and not worry about the success.
So last night I decided to see a movie that I had no idea about which is very rare because now a days we are swarmed by commercials from all sides of media. Anyway John Wick tells a story about a man by the name of John Wick (Keanu Reeves). John Wick is an ex-hitman that tracks down the people that took everything from him. Sounds like every other ex-hitman movie right? No. This movie was just plain ridiculousness. This is a self-aware movie that knows it is out of control and yet it still manages to be enjoyable. There really isn't a lot I can say without giving it away but this movie is still pretty great with a bizarre soundtrack, odd acting, and the fact that everyone is afraid of Keanu Reeves. If you wanted to see something different, I would check this movie out.
Sorry, this post is rather out of place, and it's really long, but I really felt like sharing it. Get a little perspective from me on a certain genre.
A lot of people ask me why I like superheroes and comics so
much, and there’s not really a straightforward answer with that, but there are
definitely deeper reasons than, “I just really like all the action and
butt-kicking.” Which, I do like the fight sequences, but that’s hardly the
reason why superheroes are so important to me.
When many comics were started, they served as archetypes for
the time period. Superman could do no wrong and was of the highest morals when
the Great Depression was coming to an end; when people weren’t sure where to
turn and were just beginning to get back on their feet. Just as his ‘S” logo is
a symbol for hope on his planet, Superman was a symbol of hope for America.
Captain America was created to increase moral in the hearts of American
soldiers fighting in WWII, and was resurrected in the 60’s when America was on
the verge of losing their patriotism. Batman was the voice of all those who
felt injustice.
Today, for me and many others, the superheroes still hold
those archetypes, still hold their value and awe factor. They are symbols, or
rather, personas, of what we want to be, of what we strive to accomplish. To
want so badly to fight for what we believe and uphold that we actually go out
and do it. Even behind masks and awesome costumes, our favorite heroes are
people we can connect and relate to. They have their strengths and weaknesses,
but for some reason they have the ability to balance their emotions with their
responsibilities and everything that makes them human (or whatever species they
may be) with their calling to help the world for the better.
There’s a lot to learn from comic superheroes. They
represent what make each of us unique and what we should take pride in. Even
the antiheroes like Wolverine and Punisher connect to their audiences, on a
personal level. The X-Men are my favorite, and they mean so much to me. They’re
mutants – outcasts of society, scorned and persecuted. But they fight to
protect and preserve the basic human rights of those that would deny them their
own rights. That’s truly incredible to me, that they are sworn to protect those
who fear and hate them. Anyone who has felt different at some point in their
life, anyone who doesn’t fit it, a minority, the bullied, can identify with the
X-Men. Every mutant has their own special talent and power, calling us as fans
to be proud of what we can do. Let’s look at Spiderman as well, just an
awkward, nerdy teenager who found himself endowed with great power, and a great
responsibility. He was just a normal teenager, who faced hardship, in first
losing his parents, then losing his Uncle Ben. He fights his own inner turmoil,
but continues to be the energized, happy Friendly Neighborhood Spiderman.
Extremely relatable to most people, except for the radioactive spider bite
part.
We can rework and re-tell, re-live and re-elaborate stories
that we think could have gone a different way, or we make our own stories up,
but still our favorite heroes remain the same. And there will always be hope. The
movies are just now catching on to the essence and spirit of the superhero and
comic. Sure, they may not always capture the meanings behind the characters or
storylines, but for each Spiderman 3, we will have Days of Future Past to go
back in time with Shadowcat or Hugh Jackman and save whatever we must. For each
Origins: Wolverine, we will have the Avengers. For each Batman & Robin, we
will have a Dark Knight. And for each Brett Ratner, we will have a Joss Whedon.
Maybe, we will always be a little unsatisfied when they
don’t make a perfect movie or a perfect comic or whatever, because we cherish
these characters and worlds so much. I’ve been extremely guilty of nitpicking. But
will we turn our backs to our favorite heroes? No, because they do not turn
theirs on us. Because they are more than just fictional characters. Because
they ARE US, only with more... We project ourselves onto these characters,
making them a part of us, and us a part of them. I’m part Nightcrawler, mixed
with Captain America, a dash of Hawkeye and Batman, with a whole lot of
Shadowcat.
So yes, superheroes mean a whole lot to me, more than just
what’s on the surface.And just try and
read this post while listening to the Avengers theme and NOT feel the spirit of
the superhero as well. I believe in heroes.
Today’s collection of films
really brightened my day. I haven’t laughed that hard at a film in quite a
while. The Hell’s Kitchen and Pfffirate were my favorite ones. I
completely agree with Professor Leeper that the stylized, simplified look was
very effective. Something about the shallow set and simple characters just made
it hilarious. I especially enjoyed the squeaky, rubbery animation of Pfffirate. It just added to the humor of
the film. I found it interesting that it was slightly edgy at the beginning.
Originally, I thought that this would be a children’s film; however, that was
thrown out the window with the mermaid scene.
The Hell’s Kitchen on the other hand was perfected via comic
timing. I also found it very effective that much of the destructive action was
happening off screen. This made the revelation of the burning cars in the slow
camera zoom out even funnier. However, I will say that I did not like the
ridiculously long song and minimal animation at the end of the film. I honestly
think that the film would have been so much better if it had just ended after
tilting up and seeing the buildings. Regardless, the films were all hilarious,
and I thoroughly enjoyed watching them.
This was a delightful little film. Every object was some kind of blow-up balloon or float, even including the clouds and the water. The whole look was very pleasing and quite complex and professional. The fact that only three animators worked on it is simply amazing. We talked about the water being a blown-up balloon-like surface and how this look is definitely better than say, life-like water would be. In fact, this reminded me of a part I didn't care for in The Lego Movie (just one teensy part!). And that is when their submarine dives underwater, the water is made to look real (liquid-like). Before this scene, you see the top of the water is of course made of Lego. Which was a brilliant idea. It's just too bad they couldn't find a way to make the underwater part made of Lego as well. Anyways, back to Pfffirate: I really loved the story here. It was funny, and it was based on just one thing causing conflict throughout (as seems typical of most CG animation), and a hilarious kind of battle ensues. Something CG animated shorts do so well is that they can take a simple scenario and create a whole story out of it, without the need for any dialogue. This film is no exception.
I had this thought pop in my head after Tuesday's class and couldn't quite shake it... So you guys get to read it. There are some sayings that we tend to cut short and consequently change the meanings of. One is "curiosity killed the cat." The part that we forget is "satisfaction brought it back." Similarly, my older sister loves to spout out "blood is thicker than water" whenever she talks about relationships.
The part that she and so many others forget (or maybe ignore), is that the full phrase is "the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb." Ties to your family are there and shape your person, but that's not excuse support your family if they hurt you. I don't even mean to the extremes that we see in The Stain. I mean when your dad cuts you off because he doesn't value your opinion. I mean when your mom compares you to your siblings and sees how you don't measure up. Guys, when your family tells you to "man up" when you're upset and showing your barest and most raw emotions. Ladies, when your parents tell you that you do things well "for a girl."
I'm not saying cut off your family entirely (except in abuse cases. Totally cut them off then), but don't subscribe to their mindset just because they expect you to. Question them and demand why they think what they say/do is okay. If they tell you that you're making them uncomfortable, say "good" because discomfort brings change.
The Dog who was a cat inside This animation reminded me of the cartoon Cat Dog where these two animals were one and had to learn to work together. I really liked the whole plot to this and the ending was really touching. No one seemed to accept them until they found someone like them. The hard work put into animations like these is worth high praise. I really love the creativity put into these. This had a lot of twists that I really enjoyed from seeming to have all the conflict to finally getting along.
Pfffirate This was such a cute animation. Definitely very creative and I loved how they were balloons. This was so interesting to watch the pirate attach the robotic/iron parrot. This was so funny and I really enjoyed watching it because it was cute and cartoony. The nipple cork was so funny too and I think these artists did an overall good job! The whole setting went together perfectly and had a great balance. The story telling was also brilliant. I think cartoons are only truly successful with conflict that ends funny and satisfying to the viewers. I really enjoyed each of these animations.
So I know that Leeper isn't really fond of superhero movies but the new Avengers trailer makes me giddier than a kid on crack. I am a huge fan of the Marvel universe and I love all the stories that get woven into each other. What makes this film particularly exciting is that this movie could spawn the civil war within the Marvel universe. This is one of the biggest battles within the Marvel universe and this makes me so excited. Overall I am a die hard Marvel fan and I love the stories and the action despite the fact that they are popcorn movies.
There are two subjects I am highly passionate about. Sports, which I'll probably talk about in another post, and Superheroes. With the Age of Ultron trailer being released I figured it'd be a good time to capitalize on a post opportunity. Looking back on my adolescence I say that I was raised by God, Grandma, Superheroes. Right now it's a great time to be a fan of this genre that has really just exploded over the past couple years thanks to Marvel. Make Mine Marvel as it is commonly said.
Now, yes, there are a lot of misses to go along with the hits. There is an obvious flooding of the market as everyone is trying to cash in on Marvel's success. In 2016 there will be over 5 Superhero movies coming out alone. So I came across this article the other day that said the University of Baltimore was adding a class based on Marvel movies. Uhm, like what? I feel like that would be an excellent J-term class in the future.
It's amazing how much Marvel has influenced pop culture and love em or hate em they're a box office success. Personally my favorite is the first Captain America as his and my story is sort of similar. Yes, I say that I'm a hipster and liked him before it was cool. This year the Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy hit theaters and they weren't only a success financially, but critically as well. Marvel has a formula and as long as they stick to it I see them being successful for many more years to come. Now only if Sony would give them back the rights to Spiderman....
So we watched a group of films all of which were created by female animators. These films all expressed various emotions and ways women feel and are treated in the world, They also tell stories in which men kind of can't. Which kind of made me think of female action heroes and why in a way is why I love female action heroes over male action heroes.
I love that in these films most of the time females express various roles and emotions unlike males. In the film series Aliens Sigourney Weaver plays a space traveler named Ellen Ripley that comes in contact with a hostile specie in space. Throughout the film she expresses fear and desperation as she tries to escape the spaceship she is on as her crew members are attacked one by one. Now in most movies if a guy was in this role he would just be like I can take it and have this showdown that would never happen in real life. Not to say that I don't like that in films but sometimes you like to have a rational character. Then in the second film she takes up the role of motherhood as she watches over a little girl named Newt who survived an attack by the aliens. In this film Ripley picks up both a sensitive and maternal role plus the will to kick butt. She isn't just the person who takes name but also watches and relates to children who are in need of a parental figure.
Another great female action hero is Sarah Conner from the Terminator series. As it is she essentially the main character of the first two films and usually is focused on for TV series. She is shown as a normal human who reacts to all of her surroundings as a normal person would who just got told they are going to give birth to the future leader of mankind. The first film she is fairly normal as she is exposed to what she will have to teach her future child to save the world. The second film is just totally awesome as she has the strength to kick butt and take names. She even just about breaks out of an institution on her own to only be interrupted and messed up by Arnold and her son. It is also nice that as the audience we get to follow her thought process and know what she is thinking.
For what I hope in the future before I get to what I don't want happening to female action heroes is that more subjects of females and emotions are explored. Most female heroes have some connection with children or they get hindered by lack of screen time(Black widow) or daddy issues. Also to not make them as sexual as possible(Lara Croft, Catwoman etc.). I hope that more guy action heroes take up similar development. Right the only guy in comic, movie and shows that is willing to cry is Spider-Man. As it is most superheroes use their loved ones death to go into isolation(Batman) or vow revenge(mostly everyone else).
Now what I don't want happening to females is to follow the guy pattern of not having emotions or caring. This was my big problem with the movie Lucy. Not only did they have a false premise with the whole 10% of the brain but they made Lucy less interesting throughout the film. She starts out as a student in Russia who is forced into doing a drug delivery and is then kidnapped. This could of been a cool premise where she led herself and the others kidnapped to freedom or something or became a superhero from the mind altering drug. Instead when the drug enters her she acts like Sheldon Cooper without personality. I hated this!! There are parts where she gets shot and cut open and doesn't react. She has moved past the realm of being a human and to Godhood and isn't interesting like the Greek ones.
So I would like to say that I think there should be more women animators and stars in Hollywood so that things can change. I think that when this happens there will be more thought and creative mix to add to our entertainment.
I'm a feminist. I'm a hardcore feminist, and it actually makes me so, so sad when I see girls who say they aren't feminists. I get that many people don't want to be defined by a label, and they don't want to be associated with "femi-Nazis," but that's not what feminism is. A man can be a feminist. If you think men and women should be equal, then you are a feminist, whether you like the label or not! Lemme break it down for you.
Feminism is:
regarding women as equal to men
giving women exactly the same rights as men and vice versa
Feminism is NOT:
man-hating (misandry)
lesbians everywhere
no shaving ever
bra burning
And you know what? I need feminism because it is 2014, the early 21st century, and my mom still gets paid less than her male coworkers. I still live in a society that, when faced with a rape victim, doesn't immediately ask, "Who did this horrible thing?" and instead asks, "What was she wearing? How much was she drinking? Why was she alone? Why was she out so late? How can we make this her fault?" I live in a post-modern society that still teaches young girls not to tempt the boys instead of teaching the boys how not to rape. It's 2014, and the term "friendzone" is still perfectly acceptable. "She put me in the friendzone because heaven forbid I'm just a genuinely nice guy who she sees as a friend. No, she totally owes me sex or a relationship because I'm such a nice guy. Why did she friendzone me?!?!?!"
Hint: "Nice guys" who complain about the friendzone are not usually never very nice guys at all. It's 2014, and there are still shirts that say, "Cool story, babe. Now go make me a sandwich." IT'S 2014, and our bodies are still being used to sell a product. IT'S 2014, and YA literature is still full of girl-hate, since they are all about how the main character is better and more special than the girls around her. I was at my DJ shift for Forester Radio, and a song by Colbie Caillat called "Try" came on. At first, I thought it was going to be inspirational, and indeed, it tries to be. But it fails so hard and just spreads the notion that girls are naturally insecure! It talks about how girls "don't have to try so hard" by putting on makeup and doing their hair. They don't have anyone to impress! And she's right. They don't. But I personally love makeup, and I don't wear it to impress anyone. I wear it because I feel good in it. I just like to wear it, and there is nothing wrong with that, but our society has taught us that if we wear makeup we're bimbos!! Never mind my 3.54 GPA in high school and never mind the fact that my IQ is above average; I'm stupid! But then at the same time, it tells us that if we don't buy beauty products, we're doomed to be alone forever! GUYS, IT'S 2014, AND "NO" DOESN'T MEAN "NO." IT MEANS "CONVINCE ME." So, yeah, I'm a feminist, and I need feminism for a number of reasons.
I was taught from a young age to hate my own gender.
If a girl gets raped, she must have done something wrong.
Our bodies are objectified and held to ridiculous standards.
1 out of 5 women all over the world will face or have faced sexual assault at some point in their lives.
There are young girls in other countries who can't even get a decent education because "that's a boy thing."
Even with my decent education, I'll only make about 70-77% of what my male friends will.
Both men and women alike think feminism isn't important and that society is perfectly normal the way it is.
And if you think I'm overreacting, then I'm going to tell you you're underreacting. And if you're scared to call yourself a feminist, don't be. And if you're not a feminist (meaning you don't believe men and women should be equal), then bye, I'm not even having that conversation. I'm usually very open to other people's opinions, I swear, but if you don't think that your wives or daughters or mothers or sisters or aunts or grandmas or girlfriends or girl friends deserve the same rights as a man, then... well, that's just a little bit on the messed up side of things.
And here are some great videos worth checking out if you're interested in hearing more about feminism and the beast known as rape culture.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Wu7Ax78hXo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dC5mygiIPbk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-t1KrTCnlU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IuV7Q9dACM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSHnnPunShg
I am proud of the women who made the videos we watched in the class on Tuesday, proud of them for speaking out about rape and sexuality in a society plagued by slut-shaming and victim-blaming. So, thank you, Leeper for showing us those videos. They really made my whole week.
This week in class we talked about Feminism and Mental illness. I personally identify strongly with both of those topics, seeing as I suffer from mental illness. Recently, a friend mentioned how he didn't like feminists because they were extreme, and they hate all men. That is an extreme view that is actually widespread. While there are feminists who believe this, those are extreme cases. The definition of feminism is equal rights between men and women.
Mental illness is something that modern media tends to stay away from. Because of this, many people are unaware if it's large spectrum. When they do portray mental illness, it is usually in a negative light.
Personally I suffer from anxiety and mood disorder, and the majority of people don't think that my anxiety is a real thing. It tends to spike in some school related things, and social situations.
The majority of creators who openly talk about it are female. They feel more comfortable sharing that part of themselves.
So originally this was going to be some blog post about feminism, but in the fear of coming off as a sexist jackass and having every female in the class come at me, tie me to a table, and castrate me before grabbing a tattoo pen and write derogatory words all over my body and then slice my neck and hang my body on a crucifix in from of the girl's dormitory where everyone can see me as the piece of turd macho-pig that I am, I decided to talk about The Stain instead.
This movie is rather disturbing. Which coincidentally was the point. It's supposed to destroy all cover-zones and let's you see the things that you don't want to see. Now we are all supposed to believe that every family is supposed to be happy and supportive with each other and not a big pile of abuse. Well that isn't the case, unfortunately. I can't speak of everyone, nor can I assume that everyone lived this life, but whenever a story of abuse and (pardon my French) mind-fuckery damage to your psychology like the baby sister in the film, there really is no way to blindly ignore it and address it. However many people unfortunately likes to live life being ignorant.
One of the things I like was the way the animation mixed the hand-draw and traditional animation. It adds to the jarring effect the film is supposed to make the audience feel, and they did some creative things with it too. It reminds me of a music video from the 90s. Throughout I can't help but feel like this song would be something that Pearl Jam would write about (look up the lyrics to Alive and you'll understand). And that makes it work. With the stop-motion being stiff and wonky, it's to show how their lives are, imperfect and broken. With the hand-drawn scenes, it's surreal like the visions of the younger sister and the flashbacks towards the kids showing innocence and wonder, despite reality constantly slapping you in the face over and over and over AND OVER! It's supposed to be awkward and scary to look at. That's the point! The filmmakers are trolling you! And if you fell for it...well...U MAD BRO!
Beauty is not defined by what the media portrays it to be. I am a guy speaking from personal experience addressing how this problem in our society has affected men and women all around the world. I wish that this problem could just dissolve if we as humans could all just simply ignore the media. I fortunately have, however many people close to my heart have not. I see just how much this form of advertisement has mentally hurt others to the point where it makes people sick. I'm here to say that beauty is not defined by you or me and it is certainly not defined by the main stream media. Upmost Beauty is defined by God alone. He is our creator and we are made in his image, therefore we are all beautiful in his eyes. It doesn't matter whether you are big or small, skinny or fat, ugly or gorgeous, but what does matter is that you are a child of God.
To shed more light on this issue take the ugliest woman in the world for example,
SHE IS BEAUTIFUL
Some people might look at her and think yeah...she really is the ugliest woman in the world. I'm here to say GOD MADE HER! SHE IS BEAUTIFUL. She is not only just beautiful on the outside, but she is also on the inside. I think her most beautiful quality is her confidence to be a public speaker. We forget sometimes what the word beautiful actually means. Beautiful - having beauty; possessing qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, think about, etc.; delighting the senses or mind. Beauty is NOT just something that you see. It is anything that gives you great pleasure. I love how people "carry" themselves. Beauty is more about character qualities more than anything. To be courageous, loving, caring, nice, smart, talented, excited, happy, friendly are all qualities that define beauty. So stop living up to the way media defines beauty. I challenge you to take off the makeup and stop worrying about your body. This is not to say that I myself have not dealt with this though. The one thing I worry about most is my hair...yeah guys can be vain too. WE ALL NEED TO REMEMBER GOD MADE US. So let's show off our faith in him and start redefining what beauty truly is. I agree that there is absolutely nothing wrong with trying to reshape your body and get fit or muscular, there is no shame in trying to be healthy. If we had that same outlook on our mental health we might be able to overcome the media. So WORKOUT YOUR BRAIN like you WORKOUT YOUR BODY. Have no fear about what others think or may say, it will never change the fact that each and everyone one of us are BEAUTIFUL because GOD MADE US. If this is the next step in the journey, then we need to spread the message. We as artists animators and film makers need to start spreading the word. Let's tell everyone and end self-esteem issues. I believe that both animators and film producers can do this in both extremely direct ways as well as in metaphoric ways, however the issue must be addressed. I don't want my kids to grow up in a society where there are going to be constantly upset over the way they look because someone else told them they don't look the right way. I want them to realize that beauty is within you and not what you look like.
For the many of you in DM115 who already know that Miyazaki is awesome, you may have noticed a few patterns. One of the most prominent is his inclusion of female characters. Miyazaki is actually a feminist. Every time you see a female character in any one of his films there is a great chance that they will have great influence in the plot. Take the character of Nausicaä for example. She is the titular character in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. She exhibits great qualities of bravery and sacrifice even as a hoard of giant insects is about to tear apart her home. In Porco Rosso, Porco has his airplane completely rebuilt by women.
There are more examples but they are two numerous to count. Miyazaki has stated that if a company is to succeed then its famale characters must have an equal opportunity to succeed. This is clearly shown in how he portrays women in his movies.
It’s so common in our society to pressure women and men with
simple things like commercials and magazines that it has become basically
numbing and seems practically harmless to the eye. When I was a little girl I
saw nothing unusually about a sexy woman on a magazine cover; they were
everywhere so I thought that must just be what it’s like to be a grown-up. It
never bothered me and I never cared. I see things like that now and I still
don’t care; I probably should, but I’m just used to it so I ignore it. The
pressure of beauty on today’s kids and teens is tremendous. I could tell you
all about beauty gurus in the Youtube community because I enjoy watching them;
not because I want to support an industry of increasing pressure on girls to
look beautiful and have beautiful things, but because some of them are actually
nice entertaining people. Some of them have great beauty tips, but it is true
that quite a few follow the stereotypical guru pattern of getting paid by
company to talk about and promote certain products to teens. Companies seek out
new and increasing popular beauty gurus, usually younger teens and tweens and
offer to pay them to promote their products. It’s sad that little girls and
teens will be/ are looking up to these gurus as role-models, not to mention all
the other external pressure. The internet is just so accessible to everyone now
that no one can avoid this type of beauty pressure. Even when driving down the
road or at the store… ANYWHERE!
So how does this tie into women in animation? Women have the
ability to create some pretty powerful things that come from only a woman’s
point of view. Un Jour was a
beautiful and powerful piece about how this woman may as well just keep the guy
in her stomach because at least he’s not as bad as the woman next door’s man. When
he left, it left a gaping hole inside of her and she tried to fill it with lots
of other men who didn’t fit quite right. That sounds like a lot of sad stories
I hear in real life and is something I think a lot of people from many different
situations can relate to. Same with A
Feather Tale. When I saw the clips from class it reminded me of the movie Changeling (not The Changeling- that’s about a haunted house). In Changeling a single mother from the
1920’s loses her son and when the California police department returns him to
her she discovers he is not her son. When she accuses the police of finding the
wrong boy they are so appalled at this woman’s accusations that they throw her
in an insane asylum. It’s a super interesting movie and I believe it’s based
off of a true story. It’s from a time when women could not have their own voice
and because she was a single mother no one would help her. She was accused of
being deranged and was brutally punished for accusing the police of making such
a mistake.
So that’s part of my opinion on this topic, but if I type
any more it will be way too long.
The other night some friends and I went to go see the movie Fury at the Huntington 7. The story
follows a close group of soldiers who fight together in an American tank during
World War II. They eventually get to a German town where their tank breaks down
and a German SS battalion is coming their way. When faced with the tough
decision of fleeing or staying, they choose to stay and fight the entire battalion
in a non-movable tank, making for a very sad and powerful scene.
What really makes this movie stand out among
other war movies is the sense of brotherhood and trust these soldiers have
among each other. I would compare this movie to Saving Private Ryan in the way that a group of soldiers decide to
risk their lives for a single purpose and many of them end up paying for it
with their lives. I have always been a fan of the WWII era and the movies
associated with that time period have always caught my attention. While this
may not be as good of a movie as Saving
Private Ryan or the miniseries Band
of Brothers, it still does a good job of telling an intense story in a way
that connects with the viewer and makes you genuinely feel for the actual
soldiers who lived through these events.
Today, feminism seems to be everywhere we look even in class last time, which I really enjoyed by the way. But no matter what the situation is I find people end taking the side of discrimination, whether it was an accident of some sort or just the reality of it; people end up trying to find an excuse for their failures. Yes, there is the fact that women are seen lower than men but sometimes thats just meant to be, you don't have to go out and yell at people just because they think that way. If they do then, fine, that's their view not yours. Personally, I do have to admit I do get a little on the edgy side when I see things like men getting a higher paying job when its the same job and the women is actually working harder. But thats just sadly, how things are and I accept it. I'm not going to get all worked up about it and make the matter worse than it already was.
But we shouldn't as a society push things (like feminism) into other peope faces. Yes, there is a problem with the equality in gender but its not just going to go away if you make the other dominant than the other (basically switching the odds) thats just going to make matters worse. If we really want to be equal then accept the fact that there are going to be little things that will make one gender higher than the other, its just how we were wired. Some things are meant for men and some are meant for women but that doesn't mean you cann't try something new. In fact, thats how you find whether you want to do that certain thing or not.
In the short film, The Stain, the case was made that the family is the worst criminal sect. This argument is made because of the abuse that sometimes takes place in families. But I do not think this is a fair argument due to its subjective nature. Not all families are abusive. Not all fathers are unloving. I have been blessed with an amazing family who have been extremely loving and supportive of me. Sadly this is something I often fail to fully appreciate. Seeing The Stain was a splash of cold water for me. It reminded me that not everyone has a family like mine.
As stated above, I do not think the "Family" is evil, because it was created by God. However, when sin came into the world, it affected all the members of the family. So it is not the family that is the problem. It is the individuals who make up the family.
I believe that part of the reason God has blessed individuals like myself with a loving family is so that we can pay it forward, not just with our own children in the future, but with other children who do not have a good family environment.
Yesterday's films were very different than works we have seen before in class. They emphasized women's voice in film, but also certain issues prevalent in society. Sexual abuse, dominance, and body image were common themes. I was rather uncomfortable watching them, not just the content and the grim reality they showed, but the fact that the makers behind them had to think through all this stuff and make them. I mean, the one with the chicken - that had to be uncomfortable to make, but she wanted to make it! That kind of shocks me, because those women filmmakers are brave - sometimes I think too hard about some of my ideas and the reception they may get and shy away from anything too weird in my scripts and films. But it's really brave to boldly put those things into a film. I appreciate it though, because if I'm uncomfortable watching it and understand the themes, then it's probably really uncomfortable for others who don't know what it's trying to get at.
Another point that yesterday brought up was the amount of equality and presence women have in society. Women are definitely still not equals with men, and still don't hold a lot of positions men do. I for one, would love to see women with bigger roles in churches, as preachers, pastors, and such. We do have a right for those positions. I know some guys in the class (and the world) won't agree with me on these views. One of my biggest dreams is to eventually be a director. Now how many women directors do you know of? That's right, I can see your thoughts going vacant. Women don't have a huge presence in the film industry and I don't like that!
Sorry, but it's true. And we do bring a certain level of emotional storytelling to the medium that frankly men just can't.
There was some great content in this feminism
section of class. One of the animations was overtly political (the court one)
but other than that I had a hard time seeing the political side of this. It was
a bit confusing to me that Dove made that video about talking to young girls
about the problems with the beauty industry, when as far as I have been led to
believe they are one. Nevertheless it was pretty good stuff, and disturbing in
a good way, highlighting the terrible things people will subject their body to
in order to look like the ideal person, or have the perfect body. The video
about the sad family was also very good, not just because of the story about
the horrible mistreatment of the women being sexually abused, but the amazing
combination of mediums in art were quite amazing. It is hard to picture drawn
animation, mixed with stop motion, mixed with live action working in a film but
the transitions, and movements work well and don’t distract my mind from the
story, but make me much more interested in it. It’s important we have more of
these films, they have something to say, and I have not really seen men say
these things.
Today’s array of films was quite
disturbing for me. This wasn’t because I had experienced any of these traumatic
events or implemented any of these injustices. Rather it was because I hadn’t.
You see, many a time, I feel as if I have nothing to contribute to the
conversations on feminism or broken families. I have never held the belief that
men were better than women, nor have I grown up in a broken family.
So when
I watch films like The Stain, I am
frustrated as I try to comprehend them. I am frustrated as I try to identify
with them. And I am frustrated as I try to talk about them. I feel terrible
that people have to suffer such injustices, but really at times I feel like
there is nothing I can do.
Now to
be fair, perhaps being exposed to such material is good for me. Perhaps by
watching such disturbing media, I will be discouraged from ever turning into a
creature that mirrors the characters of these films. However, in the mean time, if I appear to be
lacking sympathy toward these topics because I remain quiet in discussion, it
is not because I don’t care about the issues. Rather, it is because I do not
yet feel equipped to engage in the conversation.
Today’s collection of films
really brightened my day. I haven’t laughed that hard at a film in quite a
while. The Hell’s Kitchen and Pfffirate were my favorite ones. I
completely agree with Professor Leeper that the stylized, simplified look was
very effective. Something about the shallow set and simple characters just made
it hilarious. I especially enjoyed the squeaky, rubbery animation of Pfffirate. It just added to the humor of
the film. I found it interesting that it was slightly edgy at the beginning.
Originally, I thought that this would be a children’s film; however, that was
thrown out the window with the mermaid scene. 
This was a delightful little film. Every object was some kind of blow-up balloon or float, even including the clouds and the water. The whole look was very pleasing and quite complex and professional. The fact that only three animators worked on it is simply amazing. We talked about the water being a blown-up balloon-like surface and how this look is definitely better than say, life-like water would be. In fact, this reminded me of a part I didn't care for in The Lego Movie (just one teensy part!). And that is when their submarine dives underwater, the water is made to look real (liquid-like). Before this scene, you see the top of the water is of course made of Lego. Which was a brilliant idea. It's just too bad they couldn't find a way to make the underwater part made of Lego as well. Anyways, back to Pfffirate: I really loved the story here. It was funny, and it was based on just one thing causing conflict throughout (as seems typical of most CG animation), and a hilarious kind of battle ensues. Something CG animated shorts do so well is that they can take a simple scenario and create a whole story out of it, without the need for any dialogue. This film is no exception. 
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But we shouldn't as a society push things (like feminism) into other peope faces. Yes, there is a problem with the equality in gender but its not just going to go away if you make the other dominant than the other (basically switching the odds) thats just going to make matters worse. If we really want to be equal then accept the fact that there are going to be little things that will make one gender higher than the other, its just how we were wired. Some things are meant for men and some are meant for women but that doesn't mean you cann't try something new. In fact, thats how you find whether you want to do that certain thing or not.
In the short film, The Stain, the case was made that the family is the worst criminal sect. This argument is made because of the abuse that sometimes takes place in families. But I do not think this is a fair argument due to its subjective nature. Not all families are abusive. Not all fathers are unloving. I have been blessed with an amazing family who have been extremely loving and supportive of me. Sadly this is something I often fail to fully appreciate. Seeing The Stain was a splash of cold water for me. It reminded me that not everyone has a family like mine.
