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[williamzzhou]

I am supposed to create an podcast for an assignment. Originally I had planned to do something regarding culture and identity, specifically British-Asian identity. This would range from experiences and thoughts on identity to talking about similarities in growing up. Initially my plans were specifically going to be about British -Asians, but recently I thought decided that it could include a more diverse range of people should they want to work in a group. I think that a more diverse group will allow for a wider audience range which could also lead to further understanding.

I had watched YouTube videos where people would share their experience in regards to different topics ranging from childhood, college life and interests, where there was a wide range of people talking. I really enjoy these kind of videos where differences and similarities in culture and race are highlighted. Given the recent events and issues concerning race this year, I think that this would be an interesting topic.

As for the possible format for the podcast, there is only one option and that is for a group discussion type podcast. Instead of one person having a monologue about other people’s experiences, I think that having people discuss it together would be more personal and realistic. It would also make the podcast much more interesting to listen to.

[williamzzhou]

I had to do a photo essay for an assignment. I chose to do mine on technology that has become redundant or technology that I no longer use. I didn't have a lot of experience taking photos or having to take photos as part of an assignment so I didn't think too much about how the photos were taken. What I mean by this is that the photos were poor. Terrible and was obvious to tell that there was not a lot of thought put into it. 

This was one of the photos I took. Its an old CD player that my parents gave to me before I had a phone.

So if I were to redo the assignment with a change in topic...

These are two out of five photos I took to show the dull monotony of daily life within Lock-down and how Time and Seasons carry on as normal without regards to the insignificant troubles of humanity.

[williamzzhou]

A while ago, for an assignment I was asked to create a stop-motion animation. For this project I took pictures of a tree being blown about by the wind. I used the Burst mode function on my phone to instantaneously take many picture of the tree at once. (I was in a rush) Luckily, it was a windy day so there was a noticeable movement in each frame. 

Afterwards, I edited them together on DaVinci resolve. One issue I had doing this was that there wasn’t enough photos for the intended time-frame of the project. I couldn’t take new photos either because some of the cars in the background moved. (Specifically the red one, which made taking new photos not an option.) 

Instead, I looped the photos so that it would appear to be a continuous animation of the tree moving.

Several things I think I could have done better, planning, more research and practice on using the software. As I said above, I was in a rush because I left it a little late, I didn't plan it beforehand and just did the project on the fly. Therefore I didn't get enough photos. Not researching how to properly use the software beforehand didn't help either. By the time I had figured out that there wasn't enough photos, I had decided that the entire process was unbearable dull and too mind-numbing to start over.

[williamzzhou]

Given that most of my lectures are centered around Media, it was inevitable that the debate about cinemas would eventually come up. Personally speaking, I have always enjoyed going to cinemas over watching films on my phone or laptop. Going to the cinema has always been the highlight because the experience was special. Going to the cinema with your friends and watching it a full room of people has always been part of the experience that I looked forward to. 

Watching the actual film on the big screen has always felt like you were “doing it right”, that you were watching the film that way it was intended. The screen sprawled out in front of you, the sound coming from all around you and the immersive feeling of being surrounded by sound and darkness with the screen as your sole focus. That experience will always be superior to watching it on my laptop. 

When I watch films at home, I have the option to skip scenes, use my phone or do something else with the film in the background. most of the time, I find myself scrolling through social media when I’m watching a film at home. In cinemas, I am “forced” to focus solely on the film. I can be dragged “into” the film or become caught up in the spectacle of blockbuster movies. It makes the entire experience that much more enjoyable.

Of course there are movies that are not shown in cinemas due to the financial aspect of the industry or geographical location. This is when I look to streaming platforms to watch the films that are not being shown on the big screen. However it is not the same. The film could buffer or it could be in poor quality not to mention the stuff mentioned above. My personal solution is to go to the cinemas when possible and when confronted with no other choice, watch it on the laptop. (personal opinion)

[williamzzhou]

After a recent discussion on favorite Marvel films in a lecture, I have decided that the film that really sticks out to me would be Deadpool (Miller 2016). One of the great things about how the film was done would be how the character breaks the 4th wall, repeatedly. Unlike other films where this may be done subtly, Deadpool does so in an obvious way that speaks to the audience. 

The film also involves narration through the character of Deadpool. The narration leads us through different flashbacks and speaks directly to the audience as if he exists in the “real world.” The narration also directly addresses the hybrid genre and the subversion in many scenes. 

The many quirks of the movie capture the likeness of the comic-book character all the while contributing to the comedic effect of the film. The film is violent to a fault and includes many scenes that would never be found in a typical Marvel film. Torture and sex montages along with the consistent swearing can be found in this film making it a refreshing change in the “super-hero industry.”

Deadpool. 2016. [video] Directed by T. Miller. Hollywood: 20th Century Fox.

[williamzzhou]

For an assignment for my course, I have decided to do create a non-linear narrative, I don’t have an exact idea of what I’m going to do but one thought that did come into mind was a documentary about Lock down lifestyles.

I remember studying a film for my A-levels, Timecode. 2000. [video] Directed by M. Figgis. Hollywood: Red Mullet Productions. It used four screens to tell different stories that interacted with each other. It also had a habit of traversing between screens which made the viewing more difficult, it was only after watching it a few more times and doing research on the film, that I realized that it wasn’t a complete mess of a film.

It was particularly confusing to watch at first, but it did lead me to think that in regards to my short non-linear narrative, a split screen documentary comparing two different lifestyles during the lock-down could be a good idea. It will be a documentary, which documents the routine in an ordinary setting so it wont be terribly confusing in regards to the plot.

It’s just an idea for now but it’s stuck in my head because of Timecode...

[williamzzhou]

For an assignment i was asked to create an audio track. It took a while to come to a decision, but i ultimately decided to create one of a rainy ambiance. Initially I thought that I could just record the rain and then tweak it on Audacity, but I was recording on my phone which lead to disappointing results. so I chose to record three different components of my “envisioned sound” and then edit them all together. 

My three components were a recording of an urban setting, the rain outside and a typing on a keyboard. I chose these three mostly due to my personal opinion that I find the sound of rain comforting. I only added the sound of typing to add more depth to it and to convey the idea of an ideal environment to work in.

Not sure if this was the most efficient way to do things, but it worked, so that’s something.

[williamzzhou]

Hi! I just watched Devil all the Time on Netflix yesterday and I think that overall its pretty great. But the way religion is represented does need to be addressed. So, a basic summary of religion in this film is the general conflict between belief or a lack of belief, as well as corruption of religion in the form of fanatics. in general the film does very well to dissuade the audience from the idea of Christianity. Sacrificing a dog and crucifying it to killing a lover with delusions of reviving said lover. This is also conflicted with the presence of all-knowing narrator who takes the role of God.

Personally, I see this as a reflection of religion in society or more precisely, Christianity. It used to be such a widespread religion but as time passed, it seems as if people dismiss the need for a God. However, although they reject religion there are still continuous references, reminders of religion. This varies from figures of speech, religious building, and religious people. Religion has also been given a bad reputation for being too demanding or restricting in human desires. Religion is being rejected. With Pop Culture portraying religion in negative light, Media now also encourages the separation of Man and Faith. More often that not we now see religion being associated with horror films, fictional media and fanatics used in memes.

So just to summarize, the media now encourages the rejection of religion through its portrayals of religion and the representation that they’ve been given.

(Hope this doesn't offend anyone :))

[williamzzhou]

2020 has been a rough year, there is no two ways about it. I say this even though the years not over, but let’s be honest, it has been a very taxing period of time. And in many cases, this was a time for people, communities, nations and even the whole world to pull together to combat the many events this year, this did not apply to everyone. During the early stages of the Covid 19 outbreak, the media played a huge role in informing us and connecting us later during lock down procedures. However this also had a detrimental effect on the Asian community. Newspaper headlines and article repeatedly stressed China’s role in the spread of the pandemic and many of these articles were accompanied by images of Asians. Even the American president labeled it as the “Chinese Virus” during interviews and such. It is only recently that I had begun to realize the effect this had on us and myself as an individual during my day to day life.

I was on the train back from work when I noticed that a lady nearby was glaring at me, I then watched as she went to the trouble of reaching into her bag to get her mask so that she could use it as a shield between herself and me. Another time at work, a group of individuals smashed the window at the front of the shop. after this I began to research and found out that this was not a singular case but just the tip of the iceberg so to speak. many Asians were verbally and physically assaulted, refused service and were subject to hate crime and racism.

I realized that media is a truly dangerous tool. A few images and repeated association was all it took for people to do as stated above. media producers, i think, should be conscious of what their work can cause. When we as communities should be banded together to support each other, the conflict and discord sowed by certain media is not needed.