At the End

Any time I enroll myself in a Media course I know I will enjoy the class; not only because it is my major, but also because I love learning about the media world. For me my passion lies within photography and always will. However I have always been interested in Media, technology and the systematic lineage of how movies, videos, picture capturing and bringing thoughts to life came to be. This class was everything I thought it was going to be. I was able to gain hands on experience by utilizing actual props and getting to get a physical feel of certain primary objects used in the field. I have always been the type of person who needs to physically interact with whatever it is I am learning. It is easier for me to learn the material that way. I enjoyed the way the labs were done, they were simple and to the point. The time was utilized in a way where lots of subjects were covered and the material was easily grasped. I really enjoyed the segments where we discussed lighting techniques and anything regarding cinematography. In lab where a classmate was a model and we had to distribute the lighting for key light, back light and full lights was extremely helpful for me because of my future career in photography. I definitely feel that I am leaving this course with essential information for the furthering of my Media Degree. I feel there should have been more quizzes just to keep the course load light and fresh in our minds. I overall enjoyed this class and was content with the course.

Design I like(d)

The design that I am choosing for this blog is a CD covers from my favorite band MUSE. The band themselves design the cover and inside art of every CD they put out, even EPS and singles. The CD cover I am choosing is from Muse’s album Absolution. The cover’s design reflects the mood of the album itself, showing a human man looking up into the sky with the shadows of flying species above him (in the shape of human men). The cover’s design is intricately done in a very simple way. The man standing on the ground holds a gas mask as he looks up at the scene of flying species above him, as if to predetermine his fate or the worlds fate as being jeopardized. The Design itself has a very simple texture and color to it. All hue’s are blue and tan and instead of focusing on color the eye tends to focus more on the man and his facial concerns with the objective view above him. There indeed is a beautiful value to this CD cover because it makes the viewer seem vulnerable in it’s own world. It is beautiful in the sense that as a viewer, to try and distinguish what the man holding the gas mask is feeling, and with the shadows of the flying beings above him. For me it is beautiful because it is in a way disturbing to see the shadows of the figures above. For the design to work as well as I think it has it is also good that the rule of thirds comes into play with the placement of where the man is standing. It is easy on the eyes.

"What I See"

The film that for me uses many concepts we have discussed in class is Saving Private Ryan. To me movies that involve war encompass many angels, movements, and cinematography that greatly impact the emotion of the film. Saving Private Ryan is a movie about US soldiers who go behind enemy lines in Normandy, where a private named Ryan is pursued to be saved. Ryan’s mother received a telegram receiving news that three of her sons had died except Ryan, who was still out there on the battlefield.

The reason I chose this film is because it involves many scenes where close-up angles were used with snipers to unravel the pressure and viewpoint of said sniper. Another shot that was constant throughout the movie is the tracking shot. All through the movie these soldiers are moving, fighting, dodging grenades, and the way that the cameraman works with the actors to follow them through these horrific scenes really gives the audience a sense of relation, and an emotional tie as well. The cinematographer and Director Stephen Spielberg really utilizes the location of the scenes to establish a very realistic re-enactment of the soldiers, the blood being drawn in battle and the sounds surrounding the soldiers.

The overall look and feel of the movie is very dramatic, intense, and quick. During scenes were the soldiers emerge from behind there ‘cover’ area, to throw grenades and shoot the enemy is extremely intense to watch because the cameraman gets right next to the actors. You can actually se the despair in their eyes and desperation as they are forced to kill someone. There are many uses of close-ups in order to establish a personal connection between the viewer and the actor. You can see the sweat, the cuts and blood, the anger of the soldiers as a fellow comrade is killed. The opening scene involves the soldiers are stormed on Omaha Beach and are caught in a very intense battle scene. Here, the cinematographer and cameramen work together to follow soldiers from the time they are on shot, until the time they fall into the ocean left lifeless, full of blood, and then finally sink to the bottom of the ocean. The image of hundreds of bodies truly envelopes the viewer to a point of horror.
The cinematographer and Mr. Spielberg accomplish the story telling of such a tragic reenactment of a real life battle are met by the use of the close-ups, the framing, the quick camera movements from scene to scene and soldier to soldier. The camera work, lighting, color schemes, sounds, and framing are consistent throughout Saving Private Ryan, giving it a true imprint in my mind as far as choosing a specific movie that encompasses all of these subjects.

"What I See"

Museum of Moving Image

Upon entering the Museum of Moving Image in Astoria, Queens, I was unaware of what I would find. I had this image in my head of possible wall art that demonstrated moving image and it’s progression through time. However as I walked through the Museum, I began to realize that what I was going to see was physical, tangible items, historical pieces of media and the impact of media in society.

The aspect of media production that stuck with me was the short film about Étienne-Jules Marey. Marey created methods of utilizing the nature of motion and this eventually led to cinematography. Marey observed animals, athletes, people and many other objects in motion and his research played a huge impact on the birth of cinematorgraphy.

The reason that I feel Marey is an important aspect in the progression of moving images is because his experiements, and observations within the sciene of motion was a breakthrough for future moving image moguls. (ex: Thomas Edison and the Lumiere Btohers). Marey used his carrer in the nature of movement as a way for him to branch out into actually capturing animate objects in motion. This innovating breakthrough in the moving image is a huge influence on understanding the aspect of motion caught on camera and film.