funny puppet

Monster Mittens

Revealing of Concealment

It is important to try and understand the demons that existed through slavery by reading the stories of former slaves who survived the hardships and torture, yet we hardly come close. While there are many of these tales written by former male slaves, Harriet A. Jacobs presents a different side of the story in her novel Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Matriarchy and womanhood has everything to do with her novel, especially since the female house slave is often overlooked to focus on the severity of slave field laborers although Jacobs can attest to a similar severity of treatment which was less physical and more psychological. Historically, women have always been forced to conceal themselves in many ways. After a life of concealment, Jacobs reveals her hardships and agonies of slavery defying this ridiculous assumption society creates of the veiling of women. 

The master/slave relationship is the main source of all concealment in Jacobs' book. From the foundational elements of slavery, the master makes the slaves believe that he is good and fair to them, to prevent them from thinking otherwise which may potentially lead to slave rebellion which lies at the base of all fear within the master. The master, Dr. Flint, accepts Linda as his own secret love slave to rid his life and marriage of dullness and to maintain his control and ego. Linda's private home Dr. Flint had built for her is a direct metaphor for concealment from his vindictive wife. Although Linda utilizes it as her own safe haven from encounters with Mrs. Flint, Dr. Flint still demonstrates superiority, barging in whenever he pleases.

Despite all of her concealment, Linda makes one attempt of revealing in hopes it would benefit her own position. Instead when she reveals to Dr. Flint that she is pregnant from another man, it only makes things worse. Flint becomes furious and feels betrayed by someone he held in high respect supposedly. This is the only truthful revealing in the entire story, and proves to be the most mentally destructive event in her life, at least up to this point. In all other tribulations, Linda chooses to conceal the truth which produces less complicated results. 

Jacobs major transition from slavery to freedom demonstrates determination, depravation, ad desperation. Jacobs must hide within the belly of the beast to destroy the beast. In the small loft space above the back room of her grandmother's house, Linda conceals herself there for seven years. From a small peep hole Linda could observe and listen but remained speechless and motionless for her own protection. Imagine the heart wrenching image of a mother forced to watch her only children grow without the love of their mother who remains with them without their knowing. To me, that mental torture would be more to bear than the confines of the space. After seven years with the inability to freely move and exercise one's limbs, Linda's body suffered numerable damages and pain, almost even crippling her. This idea of inflicting physical pain on oneself by confinement conveniently alludes to the age old traditions of woman obtaining physical beauty. These opposing opinions of a similar action mark a dividing line of the upper or middle class whites and the oppressed blacks. 

Jacobs' cautiousness in her concealment was an essential element to her freedom. Even in the letters she had carefully written to Dr. Flint, she created confusion in her concealment, postmarking them from random addresses in New York although she remained very close to him. Flint replies to her letters with a similar level of falsehood, referring to her family members he never even talked to and his family's forgiveness of her actions and hope of her return. So desperately inconceivable are his letters that it is humorous to imagine him actually imagining them working, and Linda returning home expecting a warm welcome. 

Concealment is such a reoccurring theme in Jacobs' novel that it leads us to believe it was the only guarantee of attaining freedom. Surely a huge burden was lifted from Jacobs' spirit when she was able to reveal her history and release her bottled emotions that darkened her childhood and early womanhood. This notion of concealment in relation to slavery may take even a modern standpoint. Society attempts to conceal this infamous treatment of African Americans which impacted history so immensely. With the tension of discrimination the modern white man's consciousness avoids references to historic human oppression, with a feeling of guilt from these irrational acts of his ancestors from a different time. 

RWE

Kassey Pass
F09_DS03- Discussion (S_002)

Introduction

1. The distinction and particular value of anything, or any person, inevitably must alter according to the time and place from which we take our view.
- This very first line of Oliver's introduction specifically reminds me something we recently discussed in my public art class. Given ethnographic field studies, we are sent to different location to simply "observe" what we see. This "act of observing' became a major topic of discussion amongst our class, creating much controversy of what it means to observe. The modernist approach is to consider all aspects of a situation which in many cases, objectifies everything. Yet to an anthropologist of an older observing technique, the goal is to be completely subjective and consider only what is at hand. The fact that Mary Oliver brings up this same idea leads me to believe that it is completely true. Times change and mindsets seem to alter with the seasons, therefore making it sometimes difficult to understand ideas from other times, yet very insightful and revealing.

2. The best use of literature bends not toward the narrow and the absolute but to the extravagant and the possible. Answers are no part of it; rather it is the opinions, the rhapsodic persuasions, the ingrafted logics...
-This statement really makes me ponder my opinions of literature. Over the summer, I wanted to read as many books as I could, yet I could not decide what my reading preference was. I started , without finishing, many fiction stories trying to find what interested me. Giving up hope to find a novel that resonated with me, I considered reading non-fiction, so that I would become more knowledgeable on a certain subject matter. I finally found a popular book, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, that really enjoyed. After I had finished the book, I tried to analyze why I had liked it so much, so that I may have some direction for the next time, and I realized that I think it was because so much of the book provided access to the main characters thoughts. Instead of a series of events composing the plot, the author presented an passage for the reader to enter the thoughts and emotions of this vulnerable character. The title itself, alluding to a wallflower suggests a lot of activity going on in this person's mind. Therefore, from my experience, I can definitely attest to great literature coming from one's thoughts, as long as the opinions and ideas are intriguing and relative.

3. ...a young boy, remembers him [Emerson] sitting in the parlor, "legs crossed and-- such was their flexibility-- with one foot hitched behind the other ankle. Leaning forward, elbow on one knee, he faced his guests and held converse..."
- This detail made me laugh. This mention of Emerson's position seems kind of silly, yet it produced a very detailed image in my mind, which I think is really important because it makes me think of Emerson completely differently than what I had presupposed. Seeing someone twisting their legs around each other in such a manner is very uncommon. The only time I can maybe remember seeing this position, it was demonstrated by someone much younger. Though this is hard to explain, in my opinion, someone demonstrating this awkward position makes me believe that they are friendly, humorous, and easy going. It seems that if someone of such high philosophies feels no need to present themselves as proper, they are probably very understanding and eager to share thoughts with you.

4. [on transcendentalism] All the world is taken in through the eye, to reach the soul, where it becomes more, representative of a realm deeper than appearances; a realm ideal and sublime, the deep stillness that is, whose whole proclamation is the silence and the lack of material instance in which, patiently and radiantly, the universe exists.
This idea seems very reoccurring in philosophical texts. I completely understand this theory and even believe I had similar ideas even before I was able to read these classic texts. Yet despite all these historic writings, it remains yet a theory. So why therefore do famous philosophers put so much emphasis and superiority on comprehending the transcendental point of view when really, the most superior of all intellects is that which adopts and considers all theories, knowing that these things may never be proved?

5. The light is always identical in its composition, but it falls on a great variety of objects, and by so falling is first revealed to us, not in its own form, for it is formless, but in theirs; in like manner, thought only appears in the objects it classifies.
- I thought this analogy was really excellent and made a lot of sense to me. Yet the only word I find a problem with is identical. For the sake of the basic analogy, the "identical" or unchanging light refers to the consistency of our thoughts. Yet as an artist, I know that the light is not always identical; that you can change its angle, intensity, distance, etc. Considering this new perspective, our thoughts are NOT always the same. They may actually be ever-changing.

6. Every materialist will be an idealist; but an idealist can never go backward to be a materialist.
-I understand what Emerson means, but I feel as though he's taking this labeling thing too seriously. I may accept and understand these Idealist ways of seeing, yet how can I be classified as one or the other? Even if one considered themselves a true Idealist, what would that mean? that the person blindly stumbles around ignoring all human relations and behaviors, trying to find some portal to escape a materialist's world made up of illusions? Even an Idealist can not escape interacting with this "reality" that materialists focus so heavily on. So what then does an Idealist do that makes them an Idealist or are there any Idealists?

7. His experience inclines him to behold the procession of facts you call the world, as flowing perpetually outward from an invisible, unsounded centre in himself...
-How then, does this idea relate to our attention to relations with one another? It seems that so much of our lives involve our interactions and relations with others. Imagine all people as being empty nothings with imaginary strings attached to our imaginary experiences, which includes connecting strings to other peoples strings. Although all these facts are flowing from each of us, the invisibles, an intricate web of relation would seem to form. So maybe this web allows and reinforces our reality proving that material things may exist even through Idealistic views.

8. Society is good when it does not violate me, but best when it is likest to solitude.
- I simply liked this line, finding it even poetic, particularly by the word choices of "good" and "violate." I agree with Emerson's portrayal of society presented in this quote. It seems as though society serves as that annoying friend that won't stop following you and suggesting your next move. To me, it seems as though society as a whole fears being alone. As a rebel of oppression, I feel as though I try to disprove these misconceptions. When others frantically call friends to accompany them in little errands such as grocery shopping, I am disgusted. Sometimes, I even try to make it known that I am independent and unfearful to be alone. Even when individuals bring attention to an awkward moment of silence in group conversation, I refuse to search for meaningless words, choosing rather to demonstrate how perfectly normal it could be if society wasn't so uncomfortable with themselves.

9. The Buddhist, who thanks no man, who says, "Do not flatter your benefactors," but who, in his conviction that every good deed can by no possibility excape its reward, will not deceive the benefactor by pretending that he has done more than he should, is a Transcendentalist.
-How does this peculiar characteristic of gratitude relate to the other attributes associated with a Transcendentalist?

10. [on the person of solitude] Whoso goes to walk alone, accuses the whole world; he declares all to be unfit to be his companions; it is very uncivil, nay, insulting; Society will retaliate.
- I think the comment of Society (capitalized) retaliating is very humorous in its portrayal of the society's opinion of the individual preferring to be alone. I think it is very upsetting that the herding of sheep has become such an accepted treatment of mankind. How when one sheep gets separated, they freak out and run around in confusion until they are eventually eaten alive by the coyote. This frantic removal from the heard seems much more unbearable than a sheep sneaking away to wonder off into the woods where he discovers new objects of interest that only he can enjoy. Considering this portrayal, it is probably a good thing all the sheep don't wander into the woods because then it would no longer be a secret place of personal pleasure.

Bus Ride

First Memphis Bus Ride

Riding the Mata bus has less to do with the actual bus riding part, and more to do with "catching" it. After one attempt, I had almost given up. I had walked down my street and waited for over an hour. In my notes, I had commented on how I couldn't believe the bus drivers still had to work on labor day. I guess many of them didn't. I had seen buses traveling down my street earlier in the day but I suppose right when I decided to wait for one, they all went on break. There I stood with one pocket full of a dollar sixty exactly in one pocket and a handful of Starbursts in the other. As I waited for the bus, the sounds I heard were the most noticeable to me: small conversations of neighbors, thumping rap and Motown music of cars passing by, the silly tune of the ice cream truck, a helicopter, the vibrating sounds of insects, a distant dog bark, and even a cough, hock, and ptew. A man with a bag full of groceries asked how I was doing, and as he walked away, asked if I had any spare change. At this point, almost an hour later, I'm itchy, thirsty, still hungover, and my right armpit is excessively sweating. I have enough time to walk home for a glass of water only to return to find the bus has still not come.

Now as I ponder over what I've written in my notebook, I realize I was just using up wasted time waiting for the bus by overly absorbing everything around me. Watching people, listening to sounds, and anxiously tormenting my last nerve in hopes of that big, loud Mata bus driving around that corner at the end of my block. Then I got a text message. Presented with a grand opportunity, I was forced to decide whether I would wait on this bus or go swimming in the pool of some mansion.

I eventually did make it on the bus. I took a spot in the middle, choosing not to sit on the stained seats. I saw many black women who looked tired and rested their heads. This bus was extremely noisy; every time we hit a bump, the bus's pieces jiggle with a loud clashing noise. Of course I'm confused when we get to the station and as I look around, I realize I'm the only one. I stand around writing, when a man in all black starts talking to me. We talk about all kinds of things as I stand by him waiting on my next bus. To my surprise, I see many of the people outside the bus depot with beer in some form. One man has a case in each hand and I think the man in all black is drinking beer out of his water canteen.

The ride back was much calmer and more quiet. There were less people on this one and most of them were much younger. You notice a lot more when you ride the bus because the windows are so big and the driving is so slow. I look at the bus passengers' faces, noticing where they stare to, and I wonder what they're thinking. And there's my stop.

The Romantic Narrative of Edgar Allen Poe on Race

Written in a time of political turmoil and racial unrest, Poe explores many of the psychological opinions and feelings concerning race through a romantic narrative. The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym envelopes Romance in entirety. Pym plays the heroic boy thrown into a historical setting where he encounters many trials and tribulations, in some cases to a supernatural extreme, that alludes to the larger topic of Race, in this case a simple discrepancy of white or black. Edgar Allen Poe uses Arthur Gordon Pym as a device, a provider for deeper meanings, noticing the similarity of Pym's name to Poe. Poe places a curious teen boy seeking wayward adventure in broader denotative contexts as to relate issues concurrent to the time of Poe writing the novel around the Civil War, to symbolic allegory presented in the novel, a key characteristic to Romantic stories. Poe provides the primary narrative which encompasses Arthur Gordon Pym's narrative. Pym illustrates his memories of events on the verge of reality, alluding to exaggerated and mystical events and accounts. Poe thus utilizes this to slip in deeper meanings through symbolic allegory. My impression of the mental character expressed by the author and therefore his reasoning defending the entire novel is similar to what I would label the mind-set of most anglo-saxons towards the "darker" race throughout the 19th century. 

Throughout the novel, characters, objects, and events declare a spot on the racial color spectrum. Characters such as the black cook who parades through the ship hurling hammers into men's foreheads, or the final christ-like figure with skin of "perfect whiteness of snow," the psychological implications are obvious. Most all the aspects from the story either fall into the savage, mysterious, and wicked black category or the magnificent, safe, and pure white category. Further yet, Poe includes elements that break the white/black barrier to instigate a slightly skewed perception on the topic. For example, Tiger, man's best friend and Pym's loyal dog comforts Pym through his fearful stowage and even aids in an attack of the mutineers. Yet in Pym's first account of starvation, the dog who ironically is black turns viciously upon Pym's throat. Similarly, Dirk Peters, a "hybrid" of Indian descent, can be neither classified white nor black therefore falling in the middle of Pym's favor. Who had once attacked and threatened Augustus and Pym, Dirk Peters becomes of of Pym's closest surviving friends. Peters had rescued Pym on two occasions and was present through most of Pym's incidents he speaks of. 

Using unusual metaphorical imagery, Poe presents religion with his major theme of race. The black islands and their barbaric black inhabitants illustrated with black teeth even, sync with preconception of hell. Pym's travel through the center of the Earth adverts an epic passage through the self on the question of black and white which ultimately results in the assurance of a brilliant after-life white. This momentous transcendental figure of white carries so much influential weight on religion, humanity, politics, and human mindsets to this very day. Poe seems to mock Pym in the closing scene ending him in death and leaving the reader unsettled and searching. Poe provides this answer, gloriously revealed leaving the reader to ponder on the matter presented from the tale of Pym's adventures. 

As Poe's only novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket was received with many questions and criticisms, most of which were not good. Race plays the leading role in the novel and romance simply provides a means for Poe to pursue and present it. Despite opposing opinions, Poe's novel arouses and provokes concerns and discussion, which stimulates inward thinking concerning the world around us and those among us, which makes the story of success in itself. 

absence of the alcoholic memory

a short film by Kassey Pass

Children's show

As all children's shows have overall themes, my show's theme will be centered around Memphis City Street Smarts and Safety. The overall layout of the show will mimic kid's shows but the content will contain adult humor. Some parts of the show will have subtle adult humor while other parts will be obvious. 

Possible Show Titles:  St. Elmo St., Puppet Trap House, Stat Flo Street

Show outline:

-Introduction

         Show will open with the theme song which will contain a mixture of animation and live action. The theme song will end on the host in the main backdrop with a puppet. The two will converse briefly about the show and it's theme.

-Letter of the Day

Host and puppet(s) will present the letter of the day- G. Live action will mix with animation to present different memphis-related G things. This area will purposely be cheesy with animated letters and so on.

-Guest

A young, black male will appear as a guest with a rough attitude and advice. He, along with the puppets, will explore the importance of safety street knowledge when protecting yourself and your "product."

-Visit puppet Bumbo

Talking about drugs will lead to an adventure to visit Bumbo, the homeless puppet. The guest and puppet(s) will arrive at the trash heap/cardboard box on a park bench where Bumbo lives. Bumbo tries to sell them drugs but the guest explains the right and wrong way. Bumbo leads to focus on homeless life of Memphis streets.

-Street Shout

long armed puppet Kish goes out on the streets with the camera to talk to people. She may interact with some bums along with hookers?

-Chemist Corner

human character scientist with thick glasses teaches about mixing chemistry which is really drugs.

-Number of the Day

Animation and song similar to Letter. Number is 36 for 36Mafia where Host and puppet(s) talk about rap and 36 Mafia music plays.

-Guest Appearance

Breakdancer guest appears and teaches viewers a dance move.

-Closing 

Characters will join together and rap with guests coming in as well

Pre-Production notes

General Idea

A Sesame st. influenced children's show that targets more adult humor. This particular episode will be based around safetly tips and survival in Memphis City Streets. The show will be comprised of clips that focus on different aspects of the theme.

Characters

 

Host: Ryan, puppet co-hosts, guest appearances

Puppets:  

Kelsi: stoner, slow talking, 

Cutter: deep black man's voice

Donovan: maybe mute? or innocent kid talk

Bumbo: cracked out, raspy voice

Kish: outgoing, sassy girl voice

Tracey: goody goody girl voice

Textures and Props

  

Hats and props, Curtains for set, Beads for Mardi Gras

Costumes

 

dresses for ryan

Inspiration

This show is a modern day puppet-type show. I love to watch because it is so bizarre

I should have instructional songs maybe more related to being safe on the memphis streets... I will use random musical childrens' instruments to create the songs

Appropriately, I will include memphis rapping songs- probably 36 Mafia and Project Pat.

This clip is so freaky but completely awesome because i had a friend who's mom was a flight attendent and she brought these things back from germany or something. the toy inside was SOOOO cool

This montage provides a lot of great sample examples. There are a few voices and "characters" I may mimic in my film.

NEW IDEA (the best always come last minute)

A CHILDREN'S SHOW

I was briefly reminded of my work with my hand-made puppets at the beginning of the semester which i had completely forgot about. I had been planning on using them in some kind of movie eventually so I'm not sure how I forgot about them completely. For the first time in a long time of filming, i have an idea that i'm pretty set on.... I want to have a children's show!!!! I had first bought a monster hand puppet from Target back in the day. After I had learned to crochet and was left over with all this yearn after being burnt out on making hats and scarfs, I decided to start making hand puppets of my own. When I first got the puppet tho, I was fascinated with the idea of children's show. I held a photo shoot where I, the host, dressed in red and white striped socks with the other members of my cast, Chingy, the puppet, and my friend's miniature greyhound, MooMoo. I took a series of photos, turning one into a poster for The MooMoo ChingChing Show, and also a small book illustrating a show. I am baffled by the fact that I have completely forgot about the influence these puppets had on me and my desire to create a children's show.

so for my newest idea, I will script a children's show. I think this will be an excellent change and relief from my previous filming ideas and techniques which have been honestly stressing me out. It this case, everything will be scripted, I will need only one main character with a few guests, and the set will be simple, allowing me to more cleanly experiment with shots and angles. The structure of the show with be similar to a children's show but I would prefer the content to be slightly more adult. I think this will allow me to break apart from the puppet shows adult cartoons put on which are funny but amateur looking. In this case, they will look more professional, yet have a funny light hearted dialogue.

I think this project will really allow me to explore multiple aspects of an extremely controlled environment. I will be able to play artistically with backdrops. I will be allowed to use specific colors in terms of the puppets, props, and costumes. I can use animation techniques and song to create the show's opening theme song. Also, if i choose to include smaller clips as they do in children's shows, I can include animations as in with "the letter of the day" and I can even do some interview footage with the puppets go out and talk to people on the street.

I am so excited about this!!!!! It also gives me an excuse to continue working on my puppets since I haven't had time lately!

next project

After reviewing my comments and talking with people, the idea of hoarding using plastic bags in particular seems to stand out.

New Film Ideas

1. Hoarding

either with a combination of multiple people or a narrower focus on just one person....
the idea of people collecting and saving stuff
both in a messy, cluttering way and/or in a precise, sterile way
If i use one character, I would want them to have thick glasses and they would collect things and place them all in ziplock bags.
i really like the image of objects separated and organized into plastic bags

2. Ziplock bags

storing food in ziplock bags
There are many practical foods to be stored in plastic bags but there are also many impractical things
reminds me of my grandma putting chicken and dumplings in a ziplock bag, or macaroni, something that just doesn't work
also playing with the idea of "does it work"
hanging bags upside down, smashing it with a hammer, boiling it.. weird stuff to get weird textures


3. combination

what if someone collected hair specimens from different people and stored them in those tiny zip bags
even hair itself is interesting
thinking of all of the different colors and textures of hair and imagining how to light them
or things coming in and out of hair
or hair being found in strange placing
when girls use brushes, the hair that forms a matte in the brush, could form together to create a mass of hair that comes to life with stop motion

4. grandma

as i continue making movies, I find myself burnt out on characters which have revolved around myself, and places which have been my room
I would love to be able to shoot at my grandma's house... but i'm not sure exactly what the substance would be. I think my grandma would be a great actor to work with but I'm searching for a more specific story line.
There are a lot of funny things about her everyday activities that could be interesting to shoot... her cooking, playing cards, feeding the cats, and whatever else she does
also just the things around the house could be fun to focus on... her closet, her egg cartons of earrings, the collection of fairy figurines, the hat rack, her stacks of music reels to play on the piano
with easter coming up, ideally if i don't have too much homework, i will go home anyway and this would give me a good excuse to stay at her house all weekend and film which i think would be SOO MUCH FUN because my grandma makes me laugh

taking a new direction with film 2

I have been tossing the ideas of my movie around for a whole week now and the dreading of filming has become such a burden that I must take matters into my own hands. To produce a truly successful film, I must be fully passionate about what I am portraying.

So the new idea will still encompass somewhat the original, but will find more abstract, symbolic ways of expressing it.
The film will encompass the idea of forgetting the events of a drug and alcohol induced evening. Similar to when a person asks his or her friend what happened the night before, the film with explore the idea of others creating a mock-up of someone else's actions.

To really push the concept of delusional fragments of memories, I will surprise the viewer with the order of events so everything seems a little unclear. Instead of opening with the character getting ready to party or opening with the character waking up from partying before, I will choose to start somewhere in the middle.

The film opens with a sequence of camera-shook blurred images that come in and out of focus, signifying the descent into disorientation. Voice overs will mimic those of friends rambling out multiple stories of what occurred the night previous. Shots abruptly stop movement and audio as the camera shows a blurred image of the main character as she appears at the party. Then a black screen for a couple seconds.

Voice over: "What happened yesterday?"

Camera shows realistic sequence of real-life events the girl was engaged in that afternoon. As the sequence continues, the shot duration speeds up until shots begin flashing for only a second separated by heartbeat sounds... These quick images will show the transition from the normally perceived images to the more metaphoric of those under the influence. I will introduce the substances consumed in their regular form but then play with the imagery, by turning the liquid different colors, and splashing it around, and even having the character swimming in it. There will be the spontaneous dialogue but difficult to decipher.
The rapid shots and heartbeat sounds will merge into the heavy beat of a song... which leads to the party atmosphere scenes. This scene will encompass perceived actual events from the party along with the phantasmal and illusive imagery. This scene will show realistic scenes at the party involving the character with "drunk" dialogue which may switch to similar characters but all in masks talking about something completely legit. There will be shots of people dancing and laughing which will be transposed with disturbing images of frightening masked and/or costumed people doing bizarre things. Besides the combination of these two states of mind, I will also interlace the sequence with disassociated shots from separate events which may still apply. For example, there may be close ups of gruesome looking food being stirred, or people crawling out from under the bed. They will be rapid and unexpected. I will also explore the sexual aspect of party scenes by people, at times masked and unmasked, kissing and touching. I also want to show people's feet dancing, arms in the air, drinking, laughing, DJing, smoking, and maybe even bathroom sequences of people peeing.

At the end of the party sequence, the shots will flash again and become more and more spaced out until the camera focuses on the character's face which ends out of focus and ideally, show the effect of the apparent film strip falling off the reel. After a short black screen, the camera shows in the morning light the after effects of partying-- random people passed out on couches, endless amounts of cans and bottles, clothes and trash spread over vast areas. The camera will then show the character who wakes up in an unexpected position, pulling strange things from strange places. The movie ends with a close up of the character finding her phone and a close-up of a text reading... "what happened last night?"

Memory Film Rehearsal Write-up

The weight in my rehearsal shooting was placed on the beginning scene because I wasn't really sure how to set up the at home shot. I figured the party scenes would all be sporadic and unplanned and the real essence of that part in the film would appear through my editing. Shooting this first scene of the film, I became discouraged and lost interest. I feel like its really difficult for me to get a straight edge feel for this side of the character. Experimenting in my room with the props and lighting, I came up with some things that I liked, yet other things I may wish to readdress. The more I think about my film as a whole, I think I may enjoy playing around with the party scenes more than the beginning and end shot. I can incorporate many interesting elements through colors, actions, lighting, symbols, and abstractions.

The first night I experimented with shooting the party scene, I tried to set up black lights, a red light, and a strobe light which ended up being way too much. The images I got from that night really sucked. The second time I experimented, I didn't mess with the lighting, I just let the person throwing the party set them up. The shots were dominated by the black lights but I got some really interesting shots. I tried to really capture the amount of traffic through the small space. I got some specific shots of random people doing things which I plan to tie into the party sequence.

So after seeing how strongly the black-light-only shots turned out, I think it may be easier for me to set separate lighting schemes for different shots so i focus on the transposition of different party shots as they make up the whole. I think by really experimenting with filming and lighting techniques through this area of the film, I may really enjoy working with my original idea while also gaining personal knowledge on things that worked and things that didn't.

here's some help?

Specific Shot Sequence

Scene 1: Girl walks into house, unwinds, has a drink, then gets ready to go out.

shots

1.1a close-up of heels walking up outside steps

1.1b close-up of girl's hands opening clutch to get out keys

1.1c medium close-up from behind girl's head towards front door

1.1d close-up of key unlocking door

1.1c same shot from behind her head but now she walks into door and shuts it

1.2a low camera angle cutting off below butt, girl puts coat and purse on bed

1.2b profile view of girl taking down up-do and she reaches down to take off shoes

1.2c jump cut to close-up of girl pulling off heels

1.2d close-up of girl mixing a drink, camera pans to follow her to the chair

1.2e medium low-angle shot of girl sitting down in chair to drink

1.3a close-up of girl twisting lipstick up

1.3b close-up of lipstick being put on lips

1.3c close-up of girl putting on jewelry

1.3d close-up of girl putting on heels

1.3e girl grabs bottle

1.3f girl walks out front door

I may choose to intercut still images of character photos in pageants, graduating, winning awards, etc.

Scene 2: Girl goes to a party where she drinks excessively and images blur together. Girl says some stupid things but keeps her overall composure initially. Gradual build-up of drunkeness until it hits her stupid and she passes out.

2.1a random medium long shots of different people getting out of cars, walking to party

2.1b medium close-up of shot from behind girl as she walks into party. 

2.1c multiple shots of people dancing, drinking, and interacting

2.1d close-ups of girl pouring shots, close-ups of lips drinking shots (face not shown)

2.1e intercuts of different angles and close-ups of different people dancing

2.1f  shots of room full of people waving hands in air

2.1g random shots of girl dancing, hugging people, drinking

2.1h multiple shots and angles of DJ spinning records

2.1i  different shots of people playing games like beer pong and poker

2.1j interchanging of girl getting flirty with different guys, and eventually kissing scenes

2.1k people's faces start to change into multiple masks, close-ups

2.2a medium long shot of girl sitting on a couch with people

2.2b someone offers shots and she takes it

2.2c girl turns to friends and tells him to take off his mask and she rubs her fingers down his face

2.2d random abstract images such as: gruesome textures, still photos of girl in different poses wearing different outfits, possibly some underwater shots

2.2e shots of girl stumbling and then falling down, screen goes black but audio still heard (slowed-down time lapse as girl passes out and image blurs)

Scene 3: Shot begins in black screen with alarm going off. Girl is shown back at home where wakes up and gets dressed  in her professional business wear.

3.1a medium long shot of room, girl sits up in bed with crazy hair.

3.1b close-up of hand turning on shower faucet

3.1c close-up of feet one-by-one stepping into shower

3.1d close-up of water hitting girl's neck

3.1e close-up of girl snapping bra

3.1f close-up of girl pulling on pantyhose

3.1g close-up of girl putting on make-up

3.1h close-up of girl putting on pears

3.1i medium long shot of girl grabbing purse and jack

3.1j long shot from house interior of girl walking out front door

Second Movie Exploration

Summary

The film opens with the character who is professionally dressed coming home to unwind where she makes herself a drink. The character gets ready to go out where she drinks excessively and memories become blurred. She returns home where she passes out until morning when she wakes up hung over and strung out to start the day new without regard of the previous night.

Underlying Theme

My film will explore the split personality  characterized by the sober versus the alcohol-induced  person. The two differ ironically with the stereotypical independent, working business woman and the alcoholic party whore. The issue will address memory by experimenting with the erasure of memory through alcoholic blackout. 

Specifics

Color schemes

The daytime initial and ending colors will revolve around the colors of the bedroom used. Colors will be yellows and reds, yet slightly dulled. Red will definitely be a recurring element through the changing of personalities. 

The nighttime party sequences will be dark and highlighted with blues and greens. I will still use red accents throughout the night but I will strive for a cool, glistening feel, almost exemplifying the party life.

Lighting 

For the day scenes, I will utilize the daylight through the windows and also accent lighting from the track lights.

For the party shots, I will experiment with shooting strobe lighting and black lights. I may also use small moving white spot lights to show specific expressions. I really aim to experiment in the party scenes to see which colored lighting proves most effective at portraying the desired party feel. 

Audio

In the beginning and random parts throughout, I want the girl to have omniscient, narrated parts. There will be a few dialogue sequences at the party but the scenes of her at home will not have her talking. I also plan to integrate music in scenes changes. I may wish to have a relaxing song in the background as the girl unwinds, and then a music change as she gets ready. Then a loud music track for the party which is interrupted by shot 2.2 sequence which includes dialogue. Then possible a different song afterwards which I may wish to have slow down and go out of tune as the character passes out. The last sequence will have no music and maybe a little narration.

Places

I plan to rearrange the furniture in my room to create a desired living space for the girls bedroom scenes. 

The party place I have not specifically decided yet but it may be possible and even beneficial to use multiple locations and combine them in the end for a more scattered party sequence arise more confusion and questioning from the audience.

Director's Notes

If possible, I may try to refrain from showing the character's full identity. I plan on using myself as the character and I think by creating shots that continually cut off my head would be challenging yet intriguing.

short response to what I watched

on Haynes' "Superstar"

The movie was surprisingly not as cheesy as I had predicted. The voice overs did such an excellent job of conveying the mood and tone in their speech that the barbie dolls' expressions were not necessary. In many cases, particularly with the low lighting shots, the barbies mimic humans very well. The shots of Karen singing on stage were shown almost completely in black with a slight spotlight on the barbies face which was really perfect. It showed just enough information to relay an idea without being overly shown which would probably reveal the fake people too much. Even the sets the barbies occupied looked really realistic. I thought this movie was a great example of how one can really accomplish a great movie without even using real people. 

on Carolee Schneeman's Fuses

I really admire her ability to create these beautifully colored images transposed on top of other images. The colorful overlapping of images, patterns, and textures becomes a symbolization for her sexual relationship. After watching it, I didn't feel as if I had just watched porn, even though there were some very graphic images. Though I'm not sure what she wanted to say with this video, it seems she may have been seeking a sexual release, a way of expressing her feelings about sex through art in video.

Movie details

Visually:    I want this movie to appear very bright, colorful, and "happy."  I plan to utilize daylight while also using colored accent lights. The props and costuming will be colorful with some patterned textures along with things that glisten and shine. 

Sound:     I will have the main character narrate the story. At times, the narrator will talk over action sequences. There will be parts where the narrator talks over blank shots. And there will be times when the narrator does not talk and the dialogue among characters comes through instead. Music will be applied to certain scenes, specifically at the beginning where the narrator talks over images of herself trying on different costumes, and at the end when her and her true love walk away together holding hands. 

Other cinematographic techniques: I would like to play with transitions maybe mimicking the the old fashion film slide transitions where the sprocket holes show up on the side momentarily. I think adding shots where the camera blurs and moves off subject could be an interesting addition also. 

Story line from essay

SCENE 1: A girl talks to the camera directly while dually narrating the story. She explains her opinions on clothing while we see her different characters.

SCENE 2: (set in past tense)  We are shown some of the "groups" and how they interact with her. Jump cuts to her in her room implying the past tense, while she shows the camera her friends.

SCENE 3: She decided she wants to dress up as one of the popular girls that tease her. They continue to ignore and make fun of her.

SCENE 4: She returns to her room upset. She changes to an all black outfit deciding to give her love of costumes up. 

SCENE 5: She goes to school where someone else wearing all black compliments her glasses.

SCENE 6: Discouraged again by this odd acceptance of her all black outfit, she decides she's perfectly happy in her costumes.

(version 1) She puts on a princess costume and walks out her front door. She notices a cute boy dressed as a prince. The two hold hands and walk down the sidewalk.

(version 2) She dresses as a bunny rabbit and spots the boy dressed as a billy goat. They still hold hands and walk down the sidewalk.

New Memory Essay

Does what I wear define what kind of person I am? What do these sneakers say about my sense of humor? What does my sweatshirt say about my temperament? If clothes don't make up my personality, why do people that wear similar clothes get along and hang out? No matter how hard you try to escape it, at least as a young adult, you will always be categorized, thrown into a group with similar styles. So why do you go along with it? You choose to buy clothes that fit into your wardrobe, your style. For what, consistency? So you don't get confused who you are and who your friends are? You should just wear what accommodates who you really are. I do.

Yesterday, I wanted to be a luchador. 

Before that, I wanted to be a super hero. 

Today I'm a cowboy and tomorrow depends on how I feel when I wake up.

People at school don't like me very much. They make fun of my costumes and tell me Halloween is only once a year. But I wish everyday was Halloween so everyone could break away from their fashion clicks.

That's ok. I have my own friends.

~

Do you know what I feel like being today? I want to dress up like that group of Abercrombie wearing girls at my school. I'm even going to act like them too. Maybe just by wearing their clothes, they'll ask me to join their group.

~

I'm tired of being alone. No group will accept me no matter how much I try to dress like them. I think I'll try stripping my identity clean. Stop playing these characters and just wear BLACK.

"Hey, I like your glasses," some kid says to me at school. I don't understand. I wear a boring all black outfit to school and that's what they like? I don't understand these twisted people and their fashion identities. This isn't me, this isn't who I am.

~

Because today, I'm a princess.

Response to the Response on my Manifesto

I had already decided I wanted to move my new idea for a movie in a different direction than what my original essay provided. I feel that there are some aspects about my manifesto that I would like to change, but I think overall, it encompasses my style. While some people's proposed styles seemed to apply very strictly to reality while others explored humorous and ironic elements of reality, I think my style convincingly craves the attention of the bizarre, the strikingly strange side of things.
I was interested in exploring the comments made on being "fake." I think this idea has been lost to me all along, waiting to be discovered. My mind always resorts to the idea of the "character" involving the actions of a person putting on a costume and playing someone they really are not. If someone were to watch a clown at a circus, the monumentality of the character is lost when the life of the person beneath the clothes and makeup is considered. He could be a creepy man that smokes 3 packs of cigarettes a day and lives with five cats, or he could be a genuinely boring old man that loves to be and clown and still lives with his mom. But as I write this, I realize that these hidden identities DO actually make the character more interesting. We are processed to accept characters wearing costumes as being unreal. We "play along." We understand it is this man's JOB to do silly things and make us laugh. But this idea of a split life plays on the original idea of being fake. What if we DID live in an all fake world where we accept people's characters as their true self. Imagine the conversations that would be held, the sexual relationships that would be shared. The world of disguises would be such a bizarre place.
Also commented on from my manifesto, the idea of selective invitation. Me saying "oh you're not allowed to come." Relating this exclusiveness back to the costumes, it reminds me of themed party where if you don't come in costume, you're not allowed in. You've got the people at the party that are all about the costume. They look completely authentic and even enjoy playing the part in which they portray. And then there's the others who don't find amusement being someone they're not. They come to the party in their regular clothes and try to get in anyway. Doesn't that defeat the whole purpose? Don't they get tired of dressing like themselves everyday? Am I the only one who enjoys trying to see how much like someone else I can make myself look?
I remember in middle school after being given a hooded wrestling sweatshirt from my first boyfriend, I tried to dress up like a boy wearing that sweatshirt. I concealed all the woman attributes as best I could, tied a bandanna around my hair, and put on a sideways cap. And by golly, I was a HOT guy! And I even tried to walk around and act like a guy, which was extremely fun for me. Since then, I've continued to collect interesting costumes, masks, and any bizarre props which would aid in my generation of multiple characters for multiple moods.
Since I came to art school, I've always seemed to resort into this idea of "characters." If it is something i've been coming back to for so long, I suppose it must be important. I never seem to be bored with it and there are always so many aspects to explore. In my art, I've always been drawn to the figure but it seems to stop there. The idea of the figure as a different character intrigues me. There are so many characters out there to be explored and their visual appearance along with their tasks and personas create very interesting concepts.

changed my mind

I want to have a lot of fun doing this movie, relating back to good memories i have. I still may use the party scene idea, but it should be more positive than negative.

Essay

She opens her fridge. Stark. An apple, an avocado, some milk-- skim. What is she hiding? College student. Where's the frozen waffles? Where's the beer? Her face is tired, uneven, jaded. She grabs the apple. Bites into its green firmness. Flashback
She brushes her teeth. Make-up. Heels. Hair. Flashback. She's equipped and ready, but she's forgetting one last thing. She's looking. Behind those, empty. Under there, empty. Above that, empty. She desperately searches for substance, among the empty bottles, her empty soul. She's found her fix, the fuel that drives her to happiness.
Music muffled by the brick walls and glass windows from the speakers inside the party, she enters the door, hands at her sides, peering through the crowd. Her hair's cute. I like her outfit. The "beautiful" people surround her. She feels uneasy, too self-concerned. Time to loosen the timid paralysis that consumes her. Whiskey, her only friend- the fun times, lover- the sexual arousal, the father- the comfort. It's all there, all in one. Shot number one- easy. Shot number two- even better. Shot three- went down the wrong tube, she's coughing. Flashback. Shot numbers 4, 5, 6, down in a matter of minutes. She grabs a beer, a simple accessory. Now she's ready to enjoy herself.
She's dancing. She waves her arms in the air. She's making out with guys... and girls. She falls down. She gets up. She falls a couple of times. Bruises form all over her, but she doesn't seem to notice, or care. Her friends regard this saturday night behavior as normal. The therapist tells her the "normal" person can't even finish one beer. She does NOT believe that because she knows plenty of people that drink a couple forties before they feel anything.
She's brushing her teeth again at the party, as if she can brush the alcohol right off her breath. She mumbles her goodbyes. Everyone responds making her feel special and appreciated, that they enjoyed her presence at the party, which they probably did. Fellow partygoers typically don't mind the drunk girl making out with random people, as long as she's not puking. That's the give-away sign that this bitch needs to leave. Even if they weren't nicely saying fare-well, she probably wouldn't care, she's drunk.
In her car, the music is blaring. She zooms through yellow lights, cuts the corners, dodges into her driveway, and stumbles out the car and up the steps. She takes off her heels and most clothing. She stumbles to the bathroom to brush her teeth one last time before heading to the kitchen. She opens the refrigerator door. The stark light shines on her sullen face as it lies flat against the hardwood floor.

more inspiration

I'm just trying to find some cool short films to get as many aspects and ideas before i settle on my next film idea.

From Crackle: from here on it got rough

Manifesto

The "real" me is made up of my ability to be alternate me's.
The world is my stage and each day provides me with a new scene.
I peruse through my closet contemplating which character I will be today.
With a wishy-washy confidence
a definite hesitance
a matter-of-fact mood
gritty and glistening, horrific and intriguing,
all co-existing together.

Red is the color, the attitude
Passion, blood, insanity, love
All-encompassing, terribly captivating
With scatter-brain certainty
the fairy tale fixings
and demonic adversaries
alcoholic enemies and friends,
all with their own problems, but
never as twisted as mine.

The world is a circus ring
and only the most bizarre, sinister, and disturbing
have the potential to be my circus freaks
Step right up, the show starts in 5
yet none of you are allowed in, sorry.
My circus was made by freaks FOR freaks.
Where no one feels as alone
an individualized conformity.

The day-in and day-out sequence skips over in my head
While the metaphoric display of creatures and characters
mingle with the rapid changing shots of everyday
Memories blur with one another, covering my eyes completely
All I can do is stumble around in the dark
Held up by strings as if the booze has
Weighted me down a hundred times
Yet I continue to trudge through the muck called life.

I'm beginning to believe happiness only exists in my memories.
But each moment is determined by the next.
Nothing is free. Only able to dabble in the freedom of our dreams.
and even there, most fail to explore.
The cheapest vacation that no one even knows about.
Well they're foolish...
and lucky,
that I'm willing to extend an invitation to my cabana,
where I can escape and explore the complexes of my thoughts.
What they do not know though, is that my vacation spot is full of
freaks, animals, and booze.

inspiration

this commercial summarizes a style that i would like to explore in my next movie. I want to attempt to establish a story using only rapid changing images

Photos to go with my first movie

after shooting write-up

After shooting, I can definitely conclude that using a complex narrative with five actors was too ambitious for a first assignment. Multiple times, I considered abandoning the project but I knew afterwards, I would be left with nothing. Shooting at Tops went much differently than I had originally predicted. Although I would like to say it went well because the staff working there were very obedient and complying, I had many complications in other areas. The batteries had not been charged by the previous user and outlets were hard to find. The previous user had also changed the display setting and I didn't want to keep my actors waiting while I fiddled with it. Therefore, I couldn't see the sound meter for the boom so I only used it in half of the shots at Tops. I had also forgot my tape at home which delayed the process even more.

Before shooting, I was extremely nervous about how the workers at Tops would react, especially on a Friday afternoon. After all that, I now know how kind the workers were and I would feel completely comfortable going back if I needed too.

I also shot scenes in the car which I learned were really fun. Sitting in the back seat of my own moving car with the T-tops off was somewhat relaxing. I also enjoyed the intimate space with my actors. My angles were limited which I found kind of relieving. I have yet to shoot the scooter scenes which I'm sure will be much more of a challenge.

Amazing look at the world

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=576388

Quiz #2

1. Key light, fill light, back light
2. back light
3. key light
4. fill light
bonus: background light- a light behind the subject that is facing away from subject to highlight something in background as opposed to the subject

post-rehearsal evaluation

(1e.) PROPS

scene 1: scooter, apron
scene 2: record player, old photo, scooter
scene 3: glass bottles, cigarette, fake money, old-fashioned bag
scene 4: car, long jackets, hats, masks, chaps, fake money, plastic hamper
scene 5: gun, bag, bandanna, eye mask, briefcase, glass of drink
scene 6: fake money, two cars, scooter

(2.) LOCATIONS

robbers' house- unlimited lighting, outlets, space is wide open so sound maybe washed out

counterfeiters' house - no exterior outlets for lighting front porch besides porch light, two distant outlets inside door, kitchen has good amount of outlets and lighting options, bedroom has good power sources also

scooter girl kitchen- small confined space, may not have much camera room, one outlet in kitchen, on outlet in connecting room, sound quality is good and confined.

street- although some of the actual locations are on tucker, street may be too busy for final scene. Use tucker for counterfeiter's entrance at night, but may find it helpful to shoot on Rembert for final scene. Houses are smaller, looking older, yet there will probably be more people outside watching us.

(10.) RESPONSE TO REHEARSAL

The first practice shoot was at the robbers' house with Sally and Meagan. I expected Meagan to take very naturally to her part because she is so dramatic and Sally to find it hard to portray her character. I was shocked when we shot sally for the first time. She did a remarkable job and I didn't have to instruct her very much. She took her part very seriously and studied the script thoroughly before shooting. I ended up utilizing a different part of the area for the scene because the area I had planned on using had artwork hanging in it. Instead of filming in the front room area, we resorted to a more confined kitchen area in the back. I was able to utilize the blue painted bathroom walls in the background of sally's shot which contrasted nicely with the red fill light I used. I thought the cinematography and lighting on the first practice shot worked very well with my vision.
With Meagan's scene, I experimented with a few different angles but I would like to push a few more next time. I also need to work with Meagan on speaking more slowly and more clearly. She was not having a good day which could have been the cause.
The glass bottle breaking part was an issue I had worried about and the testing of it helped a lot. We found that by laying a drop cloth down and padding for meagan to fall on, if we had someone with good aim throw the bottle hard at the wall next to meagan's head, she would duck down and the glass would shatter. I was worried the class may not break against the wall, but the thrower must have used enough force the first time that nothing went wrong. For the scenes prior to the actual bottle breaking, I had Sally throw the bottle at someone to catch it offscreen. Overall, I was surprisingly pleased with how well everything went in this scene and I may even try to incorporate some of the shots in my final.
The next scene I shot was with Lauren on the scooter in the kitchen. I was nervous about shooting this scene because I think the actors think it somewhat strange. Lauren had trouble acting and I could tell she felt nervous and awkward. I did not really know how to solve the problem. We just tried a couple different things and Brannan helped me loosen her up. I played with the lighting a little bit and experiment with shots by changing camera angles and closeness to subject. A few things I need to be aware of when I shoot the scene for real: I need to get Lauren drunk so she eases up to the camera and the scooter, I need to bring a power strip and different colored lighting so I can play with strange colors and light densities, and I also need to play more with abstract shots capturing close-ups of Lauren and the shiny scooter parts.
The last scene I shot was with Alejandra at my house. I had trouble with lighting from the front door because I didn't want the front porch light on. The outlets inside are far enough away that it was hard to get the lights strongly focused on the opening inside the door. Also, I have a metal framework glass door outside the main red door and I would like to play more with the shadows they create. The kitchen scene shot through the window provided a lot of cool opportunities. With so many different lights and outlets in the kitchen, I can play a lot with the appearance of the subjects through lighting. It was also just an interesting shot because it is through the window from outside and you can see the subjects so clearly, see their mouths move, yet not hear anything. I think the costuming for this scene will be really important in getting the implied message across. While the viewer first sees the characters hiding themselves with the long coats, I want the camera to act as a peeping tom seeing the characters in these crazy erotic costumes, putting the blinds down so the viewer is left guessing.