Flip Book Animation

Here is my flip book animation! I felt like music was necessary, so I included the songs Blue Jeans by Lana Del Rey, Snake Charmer by Blink 182, and Up and Up (Acoustic) by Relient K. Enjoy :)

Clockwork Orange

          I'm going to be honest; watching "Clockwork Orange" in class freaked me out a little. The drugs, the violence, the rape, the eyes being clamped open, the whole experience was very intense. But obviously there is more to the movie and the book than those small clips we saw in class. I researched the novel and Anthony Burgess's ideas, and behind the traumatizing movie is the powerful story of a troubled youth finding his way out of the darkness and realizing theres more to life than drugs and violence.
          In order to portray the story of Alex in a more interesting way, Burgess created a language called "Nadsat". This dialect is only spoken by the teenagers in the novel, giving the teens their own sort of community and connection that the adults cannot comprehend. This emphasizes how Burgess wanted to isolate the teenagers and give them their own ideas of superiority over the adults. "Nadsat" pulls pieces from numerous languages and slangs, including Russian, cockney slang, German, and Burgess even made up some words himself. Burgess explained that if he used contemporary speech, his novel would soon become outdated. But because he invented his own dialect, the novel is timeless and his unique speech will never go out of style.
          I also read that Burgess used made-up words to cover up the harshness of some of the book's content. The book is very violent and very obscene, so using words people don't understand to describe horrible scenes can confuse readers, and lessen the impact of the more intense scenes.
          Aside from the novel, the film adaptation of the book that we watched in class had some interesting techniques, such as incorporating the song "Singing In The Rain". I had some ideas about why this song appeared in the movie. First, I thought it was supposed to emphasize the contrast between 1951 and 1971. In between those time periods, the American public became much more liberated due to drugs and alcohol, and the general ideas about sex became much more open. The movie "Singing in the Rain" also deals with lighter topics than "Clockwork Orange" does. Putting that song in Clockwork Orange is ironic because the song is always associated with Gene Kelly dancing happily through the streets, and now people see it associated with rape and violence. It's quite the contrast.

Singing In The Rain - Glee Version

On the topic of "Singing in the Rain", I have always loved the Glee mashup of this song with "Umbrella" by Rihanna. I love how they incorporated similar effects as the original "Singing In The Rain", with the water on the stage and the umbrellas. So here is the video of the Glee version!

Stop Motion

          I think the Stop Motion videos are amazing. It's mind-blowing how still images can be combined to create multimedia that seems alive. Also the amount of time and effort that must go into these projects is extremely impressive, and I can't wait to create a flip book animation of my own.
          My favorite video from the Stop Motion 1 blog was Scintillation, by Xavier Chassaing. I can't figure out exactly what objects he used or what special effects he incorporated to get that liquify, glittering substance that flowed over every surface. No matter what techniques he used to achieve that magical effect, it still intrigued me. 
          The music was enchanting and reminded me of wind chimes, and it made me feel relaxed and peaceful. Then the shimmering colors of the glitter popped against the dark shadows, and the smoothness of the glitter slithering around mesmerized me. Overall I thought it was beautiful.

Albelardo Morelli

          Albelardo Morelli's work is amazing. I find it unbelievable how it is possible to take a life-sized scene from reality and mirror it into a room. It's almost like cloning; the reflected image is just as perfect as the real thing. My absolute favorite is the photo below, the view of the Brooklyn Bridge from 2009.

          I'm not sure what about this photo is more intriguing, the bed that is actually there or the perfect reflection. I know the bed isn't part of the camera obscura, but something about the rich red of the sheets and the intricate styling of the headboard is beautiful. But the image of the Brooklyn Bridge is incredible, with the tall, strong sides of the bridge and the amazing New York city in the background. It looks like you're looking out the window at the actual scene, not seeing a reflection.

Behind the Scenes of Wicked

          Wicked is an amazing musical that I've had the opportunity to see live. When I reflect on it I remember all the songs and incredible performances of Glinda and Elphaba, but the video "Behind the Emerald Curtain" reminded me of how hard the ensemble works. Having been in musicals before, I know how hard it can be to stand out in the ensemble. Everyone always remembers the leads, but the dancers and the chorus put in just as much effort as the leads do. That is what's so amazing about Broadway Production; no matter what role someone has, they're always outstanding and they put so much passion into their performance.
          This reminds me of the videos we watched in class that talked about the evolution of the Broadway dancer. Even though they're in a group, they might have the hardest job of them all. This also relates to "A Chorus Line", which is all about the dancers in the ensemble and shows how difficult and draining it can be to be a dancer on Broadway. I was extremely impressed how the Dance Captain in Wicked will individually work with new dancers for two weeks to help them learn the moves and also find their will to make an impact on the stage. It is amazing how intimate the choreographers work with the dancers, and it always ends in a wonderful performance.

Angel De Quinta's Stagedoor Videos:Pippin

          While all of the videos Angel De Quinta posted were intriguing, the "Pippin" videos stood out the most. I've actually seen Pippin at an off-Broadway production in Boston and I was absolutely amazed, so I'm biased and already love the show. But watching the videos on the musical made me fall in love with it all over again for its powerful message and mesmerizing effects.
          "Pippin" is one of those musicals that has the best of both worlds, and has two completely different dynamics. The young man Pippin is desperately trying to discover who he is and find his place in the world, and the assortment of circus entertainers are trying to manipulate him into joining their parade of glitter and excitement.
         The video of the Pippin cast performance at the 2013 Tony Awards starts off with an innocent and beautiful ballad from Pippin himself. These parts of the show don't need any technology because they are focusing on the desire in Pippin's heart to find meaning in his life. It is all about the raw emotion. Pippin is even wearing a plain, simple outfit to make sure that all the attention is on his song and the meaning behind it. This simplicity emphasizes the character of Pippin, which is a major part of the show.
          The second half of the Tony Awards performance represents the other side of the musical. These videos are all about pizzazz, and technology is essential for this. As soon as the large curtain drops, the audience is wowed with an overwhelming display of incredible acrobatics, colorful costumes, and jaw-dropping tricks. The staircases, the trapezes, the lights, the huge blue feathered fans, the hula hoops, and all the other set pieces combine with the amazing gymnastic talents of the performers to create a scene that is magical. The song continues to reach out to the audience, breaking the third wall and singing directly to us. Seeing the video is amazing, and seeing the performance live is an experience that I will never forget.

Racism Onstage and on the Screen

          Racism is an issue that appears throughout history over and over again, and it will never truly fade. There is constant debate over what is considered racism, and what is considered offensive. Obviously these ideas will differ person to person, but in my opinion, racism is all about context.
          In terms of the Minstrel Show, a white person painting themselves black and acting insane in order to ridicule the black race is definitely offensive. They are explicitly making fun of blacks, which they have no right to do. But when black people got involved in the Minstrel Shows, that is a whole new dynamic. When William Henry Lane and Thomas Dilward first took the stage as actual African Americans performing in a Minstrel Show, they were essentially making fun of themselves, and making fun of the white people that made fun of them in the first place. This transformed the Minstrel Show from discrimination into a lighthearted tease, because there is nothing wrong with making fun of yourself. For example, the song "Piece Of Me" is three minutes of Britney Spears ridiculing herself, and that is perfectly appropriate because it is a reflection of herself from her own perspective. If someone else were to make that song, it would be considered rude and derogatory.
          Considering this point, Die Antwoord's "Fatty Boom Boom" is absolutely racist. By painting herself black for that video, she is associating the black race with all the vulgar dancing and inappropriate language that she does. She is not portraying the black face in a positive light, so it is definitely racist in my opinion.
          The way a person portrays race is the main factor deciding whether something is racist of not. In class today, Julie Taymor talked about how Lion King is all about race from a black person's perspective, but in a positive way. The musical shows a black man as Mufasa, the King lion. The way the musical holds Mufasa''s status above everyone else's sheds a positive light on the black race, so therefore it is not racist; it actually glorifies African culture.

Opera in Pop Culture

Although this commercial is more pop than opera, it is based on "Carmen", and you can hear the underlying tones of true opera in the background.

Madama Butterfly

          First of all, the video of Madama Butterfly, and just the story itself, was extremely depressing. I can actually feel my mood dropping now that I have watched it, but it was still a beautiful piece. The way the opera played into the video made it that much more magical, and the imagery used in the video was a perfect representation of the emotions.
          I noticed that every time there was a moment of extreme emotion, the opera music in the background grew more intense. Whether it was passion, happiness, anticipation, sorrow, or self-loathing, the opera was blaring over the scene and emphasizing the emotion. It was amazing how the visual images blended with the audio to make a strong, hypnotizing piece of art.
          The animation used was very impressive, and I'm shocked that such a cartoonish display could make me feel so much. The smallest aspects of the video had such an impact, like when Madama Butterfly's lover returns on the boat and she kicks the record player in hopes that the sound of the music will make him remember her. She is afraid of feeling neglected and forgotten, so she is desperate for him to recall the memories they made. Also when  Madama Butterfly's lover takes her child and hops in the car with his new family, they all wave. Their lightheartedness and cheerful attitude makes Madama Butterfly's despair that much more dramatic, because no one else in the scene has any idea how much they are hurting her. It's the little details in the animation like these that make the video so emotional, and the opera combined with those details make for an absolutely heartbreaking piece of art.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E387c5RAhK4