Image curiosity of pictures.funnyjunksite.com/.../ brain-drain/
Thursday, April 22, 2010
10 revalations
Image curiosity of pictures.funnyjunksite.com/.../ brain-drain/
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Media Meditations2, #3: Acting for the first Time
Now I've always been a person who lacks co-ordination and direction, how I ended up as the main character in Geoff Klane’s student film I have no idea. I don’t know if it was a sort of process of elimination situation or the drawing of a straw but it still, he choose me. I would have been perfectly satisfied if I was holding a boom mic or a light the whole time but I guess it was time for me to step in front of a camera.
Knowing my lines wasn’t even the hardest part. Knowing how to become this character “Pat” was easily the most difficult; I had to move like this slacker film student, I had to be as unbearable and lethargic as possible like this slacker film student I was playing. All in all I had to be a complete slob with no regard for anyone but myself. Having spent time around people like this it didn’t take long to settle in and really become this character.
As I’m writing this meditation I can’t help but find myself in a mental daze from all the work I’ve put into this film all weekend. On top of all the acting, I’ve been running around with my head chopped off trying to complete the stack of work I have due in the upcoming weeks. It’s been hard trying to do all my stuff while trying to give Geoff the effort of exact performance of this character. I give a lot of these filmmakers credit for their work because in no way is any of it easy. A simple five-minute scene took us over an hour to shoot. All the production had to be perfect; lighting and sound were crucial to any dialogue that was muttered between the characters. Some scenes we had to do over with different camera angles in order to show the emotion and mannerisms that the actors were given. It’s not a good feeling to see the director with his hand in his face to your own poor performance.
Now Geoff is a friend of mine who I met playing guitar at the grind and being at the weekly digital film making screenings but when it came to working on this film, he was the boss. I want to give him exactly what he sees this movie to be in his head…. And that’s hard to do. Given the fact that this is my first time acting it’s hard to find this emotional transfer to put into the character. I try to be a studious person who has a good sense of morals but I’m playing my evil twin. Geoff told me to try and stay in character this whole week until we’re done with all my scenes and I can’t be a prick for a week!
By next weekend the whole film should be finished and then it will go into post-production. This will require hours in front of monitors on Geoff’s behalf while he edits this film on Final Cut Pro. We filmed the whole movie on a Panasonic HVX using a three point lighting system with a different set of colored filters. Now the interesting thing about the three point light filters is that the color filters act as a means of expression within the mood of the set scene. We only used the colors blue, red and orange but what I could gather from the scene that we shot using these colors was that they really helped set any kind of mood or feelings that the specific scene explored. I haven’t seen a whole lot of the scene because Geoff believes that if I see myself on camera it will make me change my performance. I completely understand that due to the fact that I’ve never acted before and I would want to change any kind of attitude I’ve been portraying throughout the film. We’ll see how I do and I’d be happy to post the video on my blog upon its completion!
I look forward to the completion of this movie because I’m eager to see what my performance was like. Acting is something that I defiantly want to try again in the future if this goes well, and who knows what will happen next year. I might want to take an acting class to truly understand these actual characters we try to mask.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Media Meditations3, #2: Big and Heavy
Monday, April 5, 2010
Media Meditations2, #1: Getting Summer Started
As I turned on my computer the other day I checked the usual websites before I tried to accomplish any sort of work. I checked the facebook, Email, then I logged onto Jambase. Now this website is something of a favorite because it gives up to date tour information on every band as well as providing up to date articles on recent shows(http://www.jambase.com/). So you can imagine my excitement when I found the article entitled "Phish Summer Tour 2010". Now I have been waiting for this news for months and now it was finally upon me. I started the video that came with the announcement and I was immediately captivated.
My limbic brain picked up the beautiful coordination of music in the song, “Taste” from the “Billy Breathes” album. I began to tap my foot and shake my head whimsically as the bright colors and coordination of the synchronized swimmers in the video continued to entice my limbic brain. I felt like a child clapping my hand to the news of the tour dates close to my home in Connecticut. All the emotions that I had felt when they announced the reunion tour in 09 came back to me. That feeling of loving something so much and getting this pleasure of finally being able to see that was this great overwhelming sense of completion. My Limbic brain was literally going to leap out of my skull!!!
I watched the video several time due to the fact that I was overwhelmed with happiness. It’s great how Phish uses a few persuasive tools such as humor in all there performances and their announcements. In the video we see the drummer Jon Fishman do a cannonball into the pool and smile into the camera underwater. Though he is a very talented drummer he is a mascot of the sort for the band. What’s more funny then a 5’5 middle aged bald guy wearing a dress. The band was named Phish is association with his last name during a night of tom foolery and shenanigans. Then at the end of the whole video we see the infamous Phish logo for the band. This symbol is a perfect embodiment of the band in its entirety. If you look closely at the symbol there are several bits of information and double entendres to it. I would not think it would be appropriate to name what they are but see if you can find them you self…
I look forward for the months ahead when I get to see my favorite band again. I’m getting a taste of that on April 20th when I get to see the movie about their music festival “8” in 3-D. So it looks like I have a lot to look forward to. You will get a media meditation on the movie but we’ll have to wait.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
What up Midterm
1. When I first signed up for Electronic Media Writing I did not know what to expect. Personally, I have always had a vendetta against certain aspects of media, before taking this class I had never blogged or used twitter. Like many others of my generation I am an avid email and facebook checker. I have always been willing to try new things and as time went on I found that the media meditations were a segment of my homework that I looked forward to. What I realized through our meditations and chapter blogs was that blogging was a great way to reach out to people and express my own voice. Other work that I felt very compelled by was the script writing. Learning the different format of dialogue within a script was a stimulating process that gave great understanding of the work put into making a commercial or news program.
2. The most important thing I have learned as a critical reader, writer and thinker was that given the current media trends in today’s society we can see how using the tools and programs of our generation(i.e: Myspace, Facebook, Twitter) can be manipulated to one’s own advantage. This summer I plan on using these forms of social networking in order to promote and network my band.
3. One thing that I myself would have wanted to do differently in class would be to use my blog for more personal use. I enjoyed doing media meditations but I would want to journal my own thoughts. I really didn’t take into consideration the fact that people who aren’t in my class would possibly look at my blog. I have thoughts and ideas that I would like to share with the world.
- One thing that I would have wanted to do in Electronic Media writing would be to see more movies in context to promotional techniques that are used in conjunction with the movie. I would want to see how certain things like commercials, reviews, interviews, satire mocking the film, and social networking are used in conjunction with the movie.
5. Looking at the course blog has always been a great way to look back on work or refer to past information. I find that the book provides stylistic and knowledgeable insight on media networking and formatting on specific programs. The book gives great examples like how the “Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade” are produced. Through this example we the reader have a first hand knowledge of the matter.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Media Meditations #3: Transformers again?
Nouveau Michael Bay : Explosions !!!
Uploaded by CuberToy. - See more comedy videos.
Media Meditations #2: "Starburst contradiction commercial"
Media Meditations #1: Phish reboot
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Medical Marijuana Stops Spread Of Breast Cancer
"Summer of the Phish"
This band was more than just a band to us. Having been a Phish head throughout my high school career I yearned for the day that I might finally witness the magic that I had been told of by generations before me was the pinnacle of a perfect Summer. For Phish was more than just a band to me it was the blood that ran through my veins, the glimmering hope inside me and the net to catch me if I ever fell. It was more than a year ago today that the news of a reunion in Hampton, Virginia was upon us and these four men would be on stage to rekindle a flame that many thought had died long ago. Only this time I would be there to witness it.
To my own dismay personal distractions (i.e:graduating high school) stood in my way from being there to see Phish reunite. Instead I waited idly in front of a monitor to see a set list unfold as I gritted
my teeth in frustration to what could have been. But my summer would soon kick into "the high gear of my soul" when I made my first stop at Hunter Mountain's 5th annual Mountain Jam music festival.
Mountain Jam was a time when me and my buddies could blow of the steam that had crowded our eyesight for the four years of our high school careers. It was a magical time filled with the shredding guitar licks of Warren Haynes and the timely southern jams of Allman brothers. The Grateful Dead once wrote, "I spent a little time on the Mountain"- New Speedway Boogie. And that was just what I was doing.For three days I was given the responsibility to have no responsibility and I enjoyed every minute of it. But the best was still yet to come, in just one weeks time I would be at the Jones Beach amphitheater seeing my favorite band of ll time. Soon I would enter Phish's magical land of Gamhenge.
The Jones beach run came and for the first time ever I saw them...Phish. I was only but a slave to the music, arrays of feelings washed over me as I began to realize where I was going and what I was doing. I was entering college and about to grow into the man I would become and it was these moments of my summer vacation that I cherish greatly. For lack of a better term this was it!
At this point I would like to address the fact that although the Jones beach run was good there was still more to come. In Hartford, Connecticut I was going to see them for my third time with a more extended amount of my friends in a latter string of their summer tour. Now keep in mind phish had been broken up for five years, so in other words Jones beach was just a warm up. I drove up their with our destiny's unbound for what was about to unfold before our eyes. I watched as the lights of Chris Kuroda captivated me as the music swayed in turned me every which way. From what was evident it was to be what "phans" call a "Gamehengde" night!
For those who are wondering what a Gamhenge night may be it is a set list that takes some of the songs the band had written for the guitarist Trey Anistasio's senior project at Goddard College. These songs tell the tale of a magical land that our pro-tagonist Col. Forbin entered that was enslaved by an evil tyrant known as King Wilson. We won't go deeper into the story but I strongly encourage all to find a audio of "The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday".
But as the set list unfolded excitement and emotions ran high among the crowd. We all asked ourselves what these four magical wizards had up their sleeves. Then a song that hadn't been played in over ten years was brought to our ears. "Icculus", the song that told of a legendary man who lived atop a mountain in Gamhenge was played. I was captivated by the words coming out of Trey's mouth. He addressed certain aspects of media in our generation, stating that we are slaves to machines such as Iphones and video games. He then went on about a certain aspect of the nostalgia of his childhood, stating that he was around for the invention of pong. The audience was so captivated by every motion and word made, his sense of humor on the matters of technology in our generation brought fourth a charisma of great energy among the crowd. For me this song brought forth new feeling of completion as well as a recognition of a new milestone in my life. I knew that in a few months time that I would be back to my studies only this time in a new place with new people. Although this fact was frightening in one not it was also comforting in another. I had graduated with a 3.8 and had made it to a milestone where I was off to uncover the new life that lay before me. It was during this song that I turned to my friend Jack and said, "We did it dude. We're here and we're doing it! He smiled and nodded his head and went back to the groove that the entire audience was sharing in.
Looking at the whole crowd from the lawn as we all witnessed the magic was something beautiful. We were all one organism sharing in an experience that people will tell about long after this band has ended. I'm proud to say that I was there in Hartford, and I saw the magic.
Months later I moved up to Burlington and began what was my new life. I've grown and I have matured into the man I am today. I cherish the fond memories as my last Summer as a high schooler and will never forget the day that I reached a new milestone in my life. All that's left to say now is... I'll see you on the road this summer guys!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Messin' With Sasquatch
Saturday, February 13, 2010
BANNED SUPER-BOWL ADD
Steven Lico
2/11/10
SCENE #1: ESTABLISHING SHOT - A GIANT MANION, BENTLEY PARKED IN DRIVEWAY
TWO PEOPLE ARE SEEN IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE. DANICA PATRICK IS SEEN UP FRONT WHILE LOLA IS TO THE SIDE OF THE CAR.
KEYBOARD LOOP
DANICA: Meet Lola….
LOLA: Hm..Hm..Mh
SCENE #2: CLOSE-UP SHOT – PORTRAIT OF LOLA, THE NAME “LARRY JONES” IS CROSSED OUT IN PINK READING “LOLA”
KEYBOARD LOOP
DANICA: The day Lola retired from football…
AUDIO: Crowd cheering
SCENE #3: MIDDLE SHOT- DANICA SEEN IN FRONT OF LOLA’S PORTRAIT
KEYBOARD LOOP
DANICA: Lola started chasing his biggest dream…
SCENE #4: SLOW ZOOM OF LOLA INSPECTING LINGERIE ON MODEL
KEYBOARD LOOP
DANICA ENTERS
DANICA: A business of his own, Lola’s first step …
SCENE #5: CLOSE-UP OF LOLA
KEYBOARD LOOP
DANICA: He built his website with GoDaddy.com
LOLA: Mmmhmmm
SCENE #5: MIDDLE SHOT OF LOLA AT COMPUTER, DANICA ENTERS
KEYBOARD LOOP
DANICA:… And with GoDaddy’s easy to use commerce tools, Lola…
SCENE #6: OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT OF LOLA’S MONITORS OF GODADDY.COM
KEYBOARD LOOP
DANICA: Lola, was soon selling his line to he world
SCENE #7: MIDDLE SHOT OF LOLA
KEYBOARD LOOP
LOLA: OOH-WEE!
SCENE #8: MIDDLE SHOT OF POOL AND MANSION, DANICA IS SITTING WHILE LOLA FLOATS BY
DANICA: Lola dreams big…
LOLA: Uh-Huh
DANICA: … And who’s to argue
SCENE #9: ADD EFFECTS- “GO DADDY” LOGO
DANICA: SEE MORE NOW AT GODADDY.COM
END.