Video Games

I thought the video game movie was interesting, but very outdated. THough we watched the most modern version of the film, it still only went up to the release of the "future" PS2. I've always been interested in videogames and how they will progress and Professor Echeverry broguht up good points about how he thinks things will simplify in the form of how the game is played. I searched for the new Play Station and Xbox and found something called OnLive, which is exactly what Santiago spoke about. From what I understand, it is a mesh of gamefly and Xbox live. You have a database of videogames right on your console through the internet. You subscribe or purchase the game to play it.

The issue that a commenter brought up however, was what happens if OnLive a. fails b. shutsdown and c. the servers are not equipped for the amount of gamer traffic they will recieve.

If any of these technological crises happen, the whole system is shot to hell.

Disney: Skimping on the Dreams

Today in class we watced how Walt Disney classic movies like Snow white, the aristocats, Jungle book, and others have scenes in them that are the exact copies but with differnt characters.

All I could think to myself when this was going on in class was, "sooo Disney really only made one movie?"

You don't notice it, because you're not watching the films side by side. Nevertheless, it was still disappointing to me. Some of the movies, I'll admit, I haven't seen and therefore cannot compare story lines very accurately, but I feel as though they must be at least similar, or the dances and chases (which were the templates we watched) must seem completely random.

I guess it's wise for Disney to use the templates in various movies, it helps them crank them out faster. The quality of concept in my mind is now dimisnished for the movies I grew up watching.

ar·che·type 

n.

1. An original model or type after which other similar things are patterned.

Which movies stemmed from original concepts?

Disney, what will I find out next about your "magical" company?

Notes on Classmate's Flipbooks

Ellery- Very consistent-nice even intervals. Smooth Animation. Ps. Nice coloring job. :)

Dylan- I like how it was both directions. Smaller intervals would make it easier to read/see and make the transitions smoother.

Gina- Awesome Drawing, very smooth. Nice se of color.

Andrea- Love the bird flapping it's wings. Awesome perspective.

Cheryl- Nice use of design. Abstract. I especially like the first red swirl.

Maria- Nice idea by using actual photographs. Obviously adorable. Innovative. It reminds me of film with an original/retro feel by being in the format of a flipbook.

Greg- Awesome use of 4th wall. Great perspective.

Brian- I like the two figures that move upwards. Unconventional. Nice morphing from one object to another.

Lea- LOVED that you had to flip the book halfway through. Great drawings and I like the overall concept.

Mike- Another great use of the 4th wall. Makes it an experience.

Jessica- Beautifully drawn, amusing concept. Great pacing of drawings.

Cara-Abstract. Random, but appealing. The story is short, but well communicated. THe colored circles reminded me of film/photo filters and the story is through the perspective of these filters.

Singing in the Rain vs. A Clockwork Orange

Well. I think many things happened between the production of Singing in the Rain and A Clockwork Orange.
A clockwork orange was made in a time of war, drugs and young adult rebellion. Boys were burning their draft cards and the youth was completely sepearated from the generation of their parents. The 50's were all about the perfect family and the perfect home. Even if things weren't perfect, people idealized and pretended they were. The hippies however suring the 60's and early 70's, were adamant about expressing their beliefs and protesting ideas they were against. They were also heavily opinionated on peace and free love. Sex was suddenly not taboo to talk about. Leaders such as JFK and MLK Junior were assasinated. The years were also under the influence of many hallucinogenics and other drugs which I think is blatent in a clockwork orange.

Things changed so fast between the 50's and 60's that by the time a clockwork orange was produced morals completely varied depending on what generation people were a part of. The parody of Singing in the Rain in a clockwork orange reflects how the youth of the 60's and early 70's were parodying their parents generation overall.

FLipbooking

I had a flipbook fail.
So I walked to a thrift store today to buy a new one with a new idea in mind.
Well, the thrift store nearby does not have books.
So I went to the bookstore and bought mini notebooks. I hope they work.
But I think I drew it backwards?

Why is this so difficult for me?!

what's today? the 23rd?

So that Harry Potter paper? I think I got it down. This week we're talking about photography (<3) and film and the first artistic uses of it. We're making flipbooks which I'm nervous I won't be able to come up with good concepts for....hopefully I get something good....

I'm SO busy with classes and extracurriculars. Maybe that will work it's way into my flipbook. I had a classmate offer to go get old books with me today, that was nice, thank you Max. :) Sorry I was busy, I'm using up every ounce of time either doing homework, extra curricular stuff, or trying to regain my energy.

Here's to becoming a cartoon artist?

Harry Potter--Copyright Infringment and Lackluster Technolgy/

So right now it's 10:53pm on Tuesday night and I'm stressing over my decision to use Harry Potter characters in my modern version of Aida. I can't distinguish between technology in the play and magic, or if they're the same thing. If I do have the characters use magic, I feel as though I'm not being creative because J.K. Rowling is the one who came up with all the magical goodness of the HP world that I'm using. The only controlled elements I'm using are how the movie/opera is displayed and the differences between the old story and the story made for Harry Potter and friends. I have 2 more days to work on this, but I don't know how I'm going to get enough information without telling the whole story of the opera. I'm tempted to start over, but I'm not one to give up easily and I feel like writing about Harry Potter is much more fun than writing about a religious cult, which was my other idea.

It's probably just because I'm so tired that I'm having more trouble with this than normally.