Ca-blob's Ca-blog

@ca-blob-bat

24 posts

BCSC 102 - Movie There are many techniques used when making movies, some which are tried and true, and some which are new and exciting. One of the newer, and lesser known technologies is time lapse video. I have seen this kind of video a few times in the past, but this was my first time filming one. My iPad camera has a built in timelapse function, so I thought I’d give it a try. The idea of a time lapse is simple, it’s basically the same as speeding up a piece of video footage, so that it plays at a rapid speed. Built in functions such as Apple’s, however, allow you to simply shoot a video, and automatically saves it as a time lapse. The feature is cool, because it allows the person shooting the video to show a great deal of footage quickly, and is very effective at showing change over time. I thought I’d give it a try by filming the walk from my vehicle into school one morning. I have mixed feelings about the results. It is certainly interesting to see a walk that normally takes several minutes take only 13 seconds. However, I didn’t have anything to stabilize the video with, so I had to just hold my iPad as i walked. As you can see, the result is pretty shaky, and in it’s sped up form, it’s kind of hard to watch. were I to use this feature again, I would make sure I had some way of stabilizing the video, and getting a cleaner, smoother, result.

BCSC 102 - Channing Tatum I thought that I would make my last tumblr post about something that I really love, and it's not secret that I am madly in love with Channing Tatum. Not only is he drop dead gorgeous, he is an extremely talented actor, and a really interesting guy. I chose this photo of him to post, because it's a modelling photo, that has been specifically staged to make him look sexy. We talked in the course before about how modern media uses images to pimp out celebrities in a sense, and this photo is no exception. Every decision the photographer made, from the pose to the props, had a clear goal, to make him look good. The photo succeeded course, because it's pretty hard to make him look bad. But I personally would prefer a more genuine shot, not something with "forced sexiness." It's interesting to think about the honesty of a photo, and what the intent of the person behind the camera was. It's certainly something that I am more aware of since taking this course, and just as it applies to this picture, it can be seen everywhere in our world.

BCSC 102 - Tattoos Tattoos are divisive, there’s no question about it. Some people love them, while some people think they are awful, and a mistreatment of a person’s body. I don’t really understand this view, because I really freaking love tattoos. They the perfect way to express your love for something, and show off who you are. Granted, a poorly done tattoo can be an embarrassment, but a well done tattoo is a beautiful and badass piece of artwork that you get to carry with you for your entire life. One of my favourite kinds of tattoo are black and white clipper ship tattoos, like the one seen here. I love the attention to detail that is paid in this tattoo. These kinds of tattoos can often look goofy and cartoony, but this one looks realistic, and striking. The use of black and white allows the shading and highlighting to really pop, and it gives the tattoo wonderful texture and depth, rather than just looking flat. The placing is also important as well, the tattoo seems to hug the subject’s arm, and fits perfectly in the area. All of this makes this tattoo incredibly striking, and I really want a tattoo like this someday.

BCSC 102 - Sherlock This picture is something that I found and saved on my computer a long time ago, and have always come back to as a great piece of art. Sherlock Holmes is as iconic of a character as there is, and there’s a incredibly large number of interpretations of his adventures that exist today. This image is a drawing of Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes in the BBC’s Sherlock series. The image seems pretty straightforward, it’s black and white, and has lots of nice details and texture. But the really cool thing about this piece is Holmes’ shadow. While Holmes is facing outwards, his shadow is smoking his pipe, and holmes has the shadow of the pipe clasped in his physical hand. Of course this is impossible, but it creates a visually appealing illusion. So much of Holmes character and his stories are about illusion, and mystery, it feels befitting of the character, and contrasts nicely with the realism in the drawing. And it’s not something that is totally obvious, you may have to look at the whole picture for a second before you see the paradox, which rings true for mysteries in general.

BCSC 102 - Bond I really wanted to include this photo as a post, because it is one of my all time favourite movie posters. This is a poster for Pierce Brosnan’s first James Bond film, GoldenEye, though the poster doesn’t even feature the title of the film it’s advertising. Rather than just sell the movie, the poster is promoting the character of Bond. When Brosnan took over the role, There hadn’t been a bond film for 6 years. This poster is meant to send the message that Bond is back, and he can’t be replaced; hence the subtitle, “There is no substitute.” Below the subtitle is the famous 007 logo, Bond is such a popular character, that the poster doesn’t even need to have his name anywhere on it. Just putting 007 on the image is enough for people to know that this is James Bond. The image of the poster; a close up of Bond’s eye, and his gunbarrel, combined with the lack of colour in the image, gives an intimidating effect to the poster. Bond is a kick ass killer, and this image is all business, and all Bond. The simplicity here is so effective, and appealing. The poster isn’t too busy, or unclear. it’s clean, it’s simple, and one look is all you need to know that Bond is back.

BCSC 102 - Font and Typography I think this comic book cover is a really cool example of font and typography being used in a creative and eye catching way. Normally the comic book’s title, “Batman” is placed at the top of the cover, and the cover art is featured below, in an unrelated way. Here, the letters of the title are part of the cover art, and the character’s are interacting with them. Rather than just plain letters, the title is shown as giant stone blocks that batman is perched on, which are cracking and breaking after the Blockbuster has punched them. You really get a sense of the Blockbuster’s strength, and the danger that Batman is in. the cover has an incredible kind of impact, thanks to it’s use of the title. The goal of any comic book cover is to jump off the shelf, and make the reader want to buy the book. The use of the lettering on this cover certainly accomplishes this, and is what makes this image so effective, and an excellent example of what fonts and typography can accomplish.

BCSC 102 - Photography Early mornings, all nighters, long classes, longer days, weeks fraught with heavy eyelids, and heavy workloads: it all amasses to the need for the boost of caffeine. What could be more indicative of the MacEwan (or any other University) experience? Many people will say that their coffee addictions began when they were in University, and this isn't hard to believe, given the constant mile long line that can be seen in front of the campus Tim Horton's. Hundreds, if not thousands of students come here every day for that caffeine fix. I tried to make the photo a little blurry, and out of focus, because that’s the way that you often feel in the morning, waiting for your coffee.. I also chose to add this particular filter to the photo, because I think it gives the picture a very mellow, sleepy, and worn out kind of look, which fits with this the general tiredness of the students waiting for their coffee. I want the viewer of my photo to get that feeling of tiredness when looking at the picture, and I think I achieved that.

BCSC 102 - Photography This without a doubt one of the most famous photographs of all time. It was taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt in Times Square during victory over Japan day, and was published a week later in Life magazine. It is an iconic piece of American histroy, and is easily reckonizable today. I think the reason that the picture has become so famous is because of the sense of joy it conveys. Without knowing the contex of the photo, you can still figure that it portrays the end of war, or soliders returning home. It’s the perfect example of being int eh right place at the right time, and you really feels like it captures a monment in histroy. it doesn’t feel staged or posed, and you can tell from all the smiling faces in the background that everyonein the photo is happy to be there. It makes the photo feel eally genuine, and I think that is the biggestr eason why it resonated as greatly as it did.

BCSC 102 - Nachtway I saw a lot of horrifying images when looking through James Nachtwey's body of work, but this one here really stuck out to me. It's a sweeping landscape shot that really manages to capture the devastation and destruction war causes to the places where battles are fought. There's a sense of loneliness here, this place could have been vibrant and full of life, but now it's was ravaged and abandoned, except for the three lone subjects in the photo. They seem alone, and without a place to go, surrounded by destruction. The photo conveys a feeling of hopelessness, and lack of colour in the photo really helps emphasize that. This picture may not have the shock and horror effect of a ok me of Nachtwey's other photos, but it has a haunting feeling that will stay with you long after you see it.

BCSC 102 - Photojournalism This is a photo taken by Trevor Christensen, a photojournalist from Utah. When I was searching for an example of photojournalism, this picture caught my eye, but I have no idea who this is. I looked on his website where I found his photo, and there was no information about who is in the photo, what the subject is, why he took the picture, or anything at all. The look on this boys face is so compelling, but he looks sort of innocent and unassuming.And the way he is framed in the photo, holding the golf club is brilliant. Looking at this, I want to know more about what I am seeing. I want to know what this boy's story is. Why does he have a large lump on his chest, why does he have all those scars? I do not know, and it is frustrating. I tried to find the picture in another source, but I could not. This picture is beautifully simple, and really stands out amongst images of Soldiers and victims of war. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but this image has piqued my curiosity, and I wish I had a few words to accompany it.

BCSC 102 - Composition This photo was taken by a friend of mine who in a photography Student at NAIT. This picture is a part of a photoshoot she did for her thesis featuring me and my best friend. The theme of her thesis had to do with people living their lives without being seen, and this photo captures those sentiments perfectly. She asked my friend and I to pose as a couple, and photographed us is ways that would obscure our identity. Here I think the composition of her photo tells a story, and sends a message. Her use of focus and blur is remarkably effective. The grass is the the focus of the picture, while me and my friend are blurred pieces of the background, under ok Ned and Hard to see. I think this really represents the struggle for visibility that gay people have faced for far too long. Often treated as second class citizens, gay people seem to go unseen, and in some places of the world, struggle to receive even the most basic of human rights. Just as in this photo, LGBT are often forced into the background of society. Along these lines, those who are gay are often forced to hide their feelings, keeping their true identities "blurred," and stopping people from truly seeing them as they are. Similarly, those who are not gay often think of gay people as "others," especially when they do not know anybody who is LGBT. It's easy to pass over an issue if a person has no face, no human connection, with the people involved. This lack of visibility keeps gay rights from getting the attention they need and deserve. What appears at first glance to be an out of focus photo, is actually a masterfully staged commentary on an issue in modern society, that is what I love about this picture.

BCSC 102 - The Shredder Pictured here is the second image of realism inspired Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles artwork I have chosen as reading week posts. Here we are looking at the Turtles arch enemy, Oroku Saki: The Shredder, as if he existed in the real world. Just like Raph in my previous post, The Shredder’s eyes are one of my favourite parts of the this image. One eye is completely obscured in shadow, and the other is dark red, and has a piercing stare. if looks could kill, The Shredder’s gaze here would be fatal. The details on his helmet and armour are also very powerful. They aren’t shiny and new, they are scratched, damaged, and stained with blood. And on the visible part of his face, The Shredder has a large scar. And the shading around and behind The Shredder is orange, suggesting fire and violence in the background.And though orange is generally a warm colour, this image still feels cold, it’s subject a cruel man. These details tell the viewer a story; this man is brutal, he has been through daunting battles, and he has emerged victorious, and likely not taken any prisoners. He is obviously the bad guy, he is dangerous, and he isn’t someone that you want to mess with, as he will probably kill you with ease. Provided is the link to the artist’s page on deviantart, I highly recommend you check out his other images in his TMNT series, they are all incredible. http://davidrapozaart.deviantart.com/gallery/30154029/TMNT)

BCSC 102 - Raph I have an undying love for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, so I thought I would make them the focus of my two posts for reading week. Many artists have imagined what the Characters from the TMNT franchise would look like if they existed in a the real world, or were interpreted from a realistic angle. Presented here is the first of two of my favourite photos of this nature. This first piece of art is an image of a realistic Raphael. I love this picture and find it to be oddly striking. The picture has a rough and unfinished sort of look about it (and the artist has mentioned that they never fully completed the picture), but I actually think that this adds a lot to the image. Raphael is known as the hotheaded brother, the one with the bad temper. He is alway portrayed as being the roughest and toughest turtle, and this image really conveys that. Furthermore, we see Raph is smoking. This is obviously not a part of his usual depiction, but it contributes to the realism of the piece. If the TMNT were portrayed in a hyper-realistic world, Raph smoking would suit the roughness and self-destructive nature of his character. The small crack in his shell also reinforces these elements of his character. One of the most striking elements of the picture is Ralph's gaze. His eyes are incredibly striking, and they feel bright and alive. It makes him look unexpectedly alluring. All of these things make this an excellent piece of artwork, and a very compelling image. http://www.deviantart.com/art/TMNT-Quiet-Night-501181051

BCSC 102 - Advertising Given my unbound love for all things Batman, it really should come as no surprise that I think this Dark Knight infused Volkswagen advertisement is highly effective. This is a perfect example of using a pop culture reference as an effective marketing tool The beacon in the sky contains the volkswagen logo, and it is obviously intended to look like the famed Bat Signal, the spotlight that is used by Commissioner Gordon to call for Batman’s help in an emergency. It is present in almost every incarnation of the Caped Crusader, and it a staple of Batman lore. The Volkswagen advertisement is playing off of that idea to promote their 24-hour emergency service. Just as Gotham City can call on the Batman when in peril, so can drivers call on Volkswagen’s emergency service in their times of need. this is the message Volkswagen wants to send to their consumers. Batman is a trustworthy hero, who will always answer the call of duty, and save the day. This ad is telling its audience that the same true for Volkswagen, and it’s this message, this riff on the nature of the Bat Signal, that makes this advertisement so effective.

BCSC 102 - Colour Our entire class on colour, and it’s uses and meanings to people, had me thinking of the DC Comics Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum. In the fictional DC universe, this spectrum is an energy field that is fuelled by the emotions of all living beings in the universe. Each emotion has it’s own color, and the power of these energies can be channelled by groups of beings using power rings. The spectrum consists of: red; representing rage, orange; representing avarice, yellow; representing fear, green; representing will, blue; representing hope, indigo, representing compassion, sapphire (pink); representing love, and black and white; representing death and life respectively. The image you see here features characters harnessing all the colors of the spectrum. I really the idea of the emotional spectrum, because it’s a unique and interesting story concept. This image is a really nice representation of that. I think the way it is laid out is very smart, as it keeps all the complimentary colours grouped together, in the actual order of the spectrum. If the colors were just all next to each other, (ex: red next to green, next to orange, next to pink, etc.), it wouldn’t show the snes of flow present here. I think it’s also important that Green Lantern in the center of the image, as he is the main character of the comics that the spectrum features in.

BCSC 102 - Terrorism I found this political cartoon after the debate we had about the anti terrorism bill in class, and I thought it was relevant, not only to our discussions in class, but to the profession many of us will be entering. The question of whether or not the media is responsible for a sort of fear mongering in regards to terrorism is one that is often asked. This cartoon is suggesting that the media certainly does have a hand in the issue, and jokes that we can “lessen the grip of fear from terrorism” by turning off our televisions, and ignoring the media outlets that propagate that fear. while I do not completely agree with this sentiment, i think there is some truth to what the cartoonist is saying, and I like how he gets his message across in a humourous way.

BCSC 102 - Propaganda After the documentary we watched on Edward Bernays, i was thinking about propaganda, which made me think of Captain America. During his career in World War II, steve rogers wanted nothing more than to go into battle, and fight for his country. Being infused with Howard Stark’s super solider serum gave him the ability to do this. However, the American government molded him into Captain America, a figure for americans to rally behind, and to be the face of the war. He became a tool for propaganda, rather than a hero. This poster for the film Captain America: The First Avenger shows this idea. The background is composed of the Captain’s blue and red shield design, the colours of the American flag. And the Captain is front and center, taking up most of the image, with fellow troops rallying behind him. Even though this is a movie poster, it looks like an actual piece of wartime propaganda, which is what makes it so interesting.

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