1) Triple-Split Personality
Although it was a relatively short animation, I think the simplicity of it was sufficient in terms of expressing the Artist's idea. The animation also featured a well thought out visualization of the phrase split personality, or in this case a "triple-split" personality. In addition, the animation was well drawn, as the artist took a very detailed approach to the construction of the images.
2) Animator v.s. Animator II
This is probably Alan Becker's most well known animation, and it is also one of my person favorites. The stick figure was well animated, and the movements of various objects across the screen were extremely smooth. In addition, this animation also featured a well done visualization of concept in scenes such as when the stick figure "goes through the trash" or is used as a pop-up blocker.
3) Out of My League
Although this animation was relatively simple, I found the music video aspect of the production worked well as an idea or general concept for an animation. Initially, I could not understand why the piano keys was not synchronized with the music, but after a second viewing I realized that the entire animation seems to be 1 to 2 seconds behind the audio.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Napoleon - Abel Gance
Able Gance was extremely important to film making because his innovative ideas and use of technology. In addition, he was also an extremely ambitious individual as well as a perfectionist. His innovation of a triptych scene in the film, "Napoleon", was one of his most creative and spectacular contributions to the film making community. Although he originally planned to create a total of six films about Napoleon, his first turned into a three hour long masterpiece and he ran out of funds to create the other five films.
Abel Gance's, "Napoleon", was very important to the history of film making for a various number of reasons. One of its' most significant innovations included the use of a twenty minute long triptych scene, which alternated widescreen panoramas with complex montages that were projected on three screens simultaneously. In addition, Gance's experimentation with hand held cameras allowed him to introduce the cinematic effects of color tinting, split screens, and wide screen expansion; however, the cost of these advanced innovations for his time period, combined with the overwhelming length of the film, cause Gabel's "Napoleon" to fail financially-- resulting in the incompletion of it's sequel.
Abel Gance's, "Napoleon", was very important to the history of film making for a various number of reasons. One of its' most significant innovations included the use of a twenty minute long triptych scene, which alternated widescreen panoramas with complex montages that were projected on three screens simultaneously. In addition, Gance's experimentation with hand held cameras allowed him to introduce the cinematic effects of color tinting, split screens, and wide screen expansion; however, the cost of these advanced innovations for his time period, combined with the overwhelming length of the film, cause Gabel's "Napoleon" to fail financially-- resulting in the incompletion of it's sequel.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
The Origins of Jazz
Although many believe it to have originated in New Orleans, the ascent of jazz music into popular entertainment is difficult to constrict to one specific area or state. In addition, this is partly because nothing of what early jazz bands played was ever written down as much of it was improvised by early jazz musicians; furthermore, even if they were documented, the technology of musical notation cannot accurately describe the feel of the improvised performance that comprised much of early jazz. The origin of jazz is also difficult to place in one specific state because jazz music evolved and adapted according to the change in the conditions of the time in which the musician had experienced it; consequently, jazz expanded rapidly and jazz performers were constantly changing the original sound of jazz, creating new branches of the original. For example, the origins of jazz trace back to the sound of Creole subculture's response to racial issues of the time specific to New Orleans; however, jazz was immediately responsive to the atmosphere of the speakeasies and the illegal virtues that the mobster audience inspired-- resulting in a much different sounding jazz.
Jazz was extremely important to American history because it reflected the pure emotions of the era in which the jazz musicians would live in, allowing future people to have a sense of how living in conditions such as the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression would have felt.
For examples, most of the jazz music in the 1920's were written for Broadway, and therefore encompassed non-realistic realities because the 1920's were a time of unprecedented prosperity; however, jazz music would transition into a more serious tone during and proceeding the crash of the stock market in 1929. One classic example of the reflection of the emotional impact that the Great Depression caused was the song, "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" The sounds of the song, along with its' lyrics, convey the degree of poverty and desperation that consumed that era of American history. Furthermore, examples such as "This is the Army" and "Oklahoma" would reflect the complex transition of the time of depression into war during the time of the first World War, and would later reflect the disposition that music and entertainment should distract or relieve its' audience of the major agents of stress that began to impact not only American history, but world history as well.
Most Interesting Link
In all honesty, this link isn't too interesting in itself. However, it did make me realize that although I had read and understood much of the conceptual importance of the sound of jazz, I had not yet experienced it myself. Therefore, I was inspired to create a short playlist of the famous jazz music in the 1920's and post it to my blog so that my classmates could also experience the sound of jazz in the time period we are learning about. In addition, two of the Louis Armstrong songs' (What a Wonderful World & Hello Dolly!) lyrics can be found at the link above in order to further the experience of the jazz culture of that time period as you can hear and read the words simultaneously.
References
1) A History of Jazz Music
2) The Origins of Jazz
Jazz was extremely important to American history because it reflected the pure emotions of the era in which the jazz musicians would live in, allowing future people to have a sense of how living in conditions such as the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression would have felt.
For examples, most of the jazz music in the 1920's were written for Broadway, and therefore encompassed non-realistic realities because the 1920's were a time of unprecedented prosperity; however, jazz music would transition into a more serious tone during and proceeding the crash of the stock market in 1929. One classic example of the reflection of the emotional impact that the Great Depression caused was the song, "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" The sounds of the song, along with its' lyrics, convey the degree of poverty and desperation that consumed that era of American history. Furthermore, examples such as "This is the Army" and "Oklahoma" would reflect the complex transition of the time of depression into war during the time of the first World War, and would later reflect the disposition that music and entertainment should distract or relieve its' audience of the major agents of stress that began to impact not only American history, but world history as well.
Most Interesting Link
In all honesty, this link isn't too interesting in itself. However, it did make me realize that although I had read and understood much of the conceptual importance of the sound of jazz, I had not yet experienced it myself. Therefore, I was inspired to create a short playlist of the famous jazz music in the 1920's and post it to my blog so that my classmates could also experience the sound of jazz in the time period we are learning about. In addition, two of the Louis Armstrong songs' (What a Wonderful World & Hello Dolly!) lyrics can be found at the link above in order to further the experience of the jazz culture of that time period as you can hear and read the words simultaneously.
References
1) A History of Jazz Music
2) The Origins of Jazz
The Crash of the Stock Market in 1929
The stock market crash in 1929 was the most devastating crash in American history, and contributed to the Great Depression that follows it. The crash of the market was due to a number of reasons, such as World War I weakening the economy by causing an agricultural depression in the 1920's and the unevenly distributed wealth of the "Roaring Twenties". It's most significant cause was the United State's service as the World's banker, as it was the primary creditor to Europe as it struggled to pay war debts from World War I. In addition, the price of stock was excessively over-priced, causing inflation to turn into deflation.
The stock market crash in 1929 can be compared to the recent crash in the stock market in 2008 in the sense that stocks were to the 1920's as collateralized housing loans were to the housing bubble in 2008. One major similarity was the overall consequences of the causes of both crashes built slowly over time in order to produce such drastic effects; however, the main difference between the two economical crises was that in the 1920's, main street economy declined first and then affected the population gradually overtime, but although the housing bubble burst in 2008, main street was only "peripherally" giving way.
References:
1) The Great Crash of 1929 vs The Panic of 2008
2) The 1929 Stock Market Crash
3) Causes of the Great Depression and the Stock Market Crash
The stock market crash in 1929 can be compared to the recent crash in the stock market in 2008 in the sense that stocks were to the 1920's as collateralized housing loans were to the housing bubble in 2008. One major similarity was the overall consequences of the causes of both crashes built slowly over time in order to produce such drastic effects; however, the main difference between the two economical crises was that in the 1920's, main street economy declined first and then affected the population gradually overtime, but although the housing bubble burst in 2008, main street was only "peripherally" giving way.
References:
1) The Great Crash of 1929 vs The Panic of 2008
2) The 1929 Stock Market Crash
3) Causes of the Great Depression and the Stock Market Crash
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