Artist Statement: Process Piece

         The piece below is an audio compilation of a student hurriedly writing and typing to finish his homework before the bell rings to send him off to class. He is in a quiet study room. These sounds represent sounds we hear everyday. They are sounds of studying, working, and putting our things in our backpack. These are all micro-processes that we as students experience all the time. The quick typing and writing and rushed sound of piling everything in the backpack represents the result  of procrastination. We all have procrastinated and have had those feelings. So this piece is meant to be familiar to everyone. It shows the monotony of constant writing and typing, typing and writing that students experience. But it's all for our good. The bell keeps us on our toes. The people we interact with between class educate and stimulate our minds.

         It's quiet, very quiet. The only sounds at the beginning are our minds thinking and our pencils writing. This piece is meant to be very simple but with energy. It is meant to be realistic, but subtle sounds we often tune out are brought to the surface in volume. It isn't very symbolic but it is a representation of the familiar, the everyday, the repetitive nature of school. The student is alone at first working away but soon surrounded by many people; the variety of student life. 

       The process viewings we saw for class were very interesting. I've never given much time to documentary but the video of the smokehouse reeled me in. The way it was shot and the processes were hypnotizing. Process can be very hypnotizing and therapeutic. That's why we are attracted to them. We like process but we also like product. Sometimes we just want the product. But the viewings we saw for class reminded me how intriguing simple process can be. It's especially intriguing when it's a process I've never seen before such as, making candy. Mr. Rogers was great at showing process I've never seen like crayon making. It reels me in. It zones me out of my world for a bit. That's why it creates a sense of euphoria. 

      But in all honesty we all like product, that's why we go to Walmart instead of make our own stuff. And there is a tradeoff. Because of so many products being provided for me today I am able to make films for a living. I am able to focus on that process. If I had to spend all day cutting down trees to make my own furniture, growing food, and sewing clothes, I would never have time to make movies. So in summary I like product because it allows me to focus on other processes like filmmaking but I do appreciate the importance of process and the therapeutic nature of human process and labor. 

Process Piece: No Time for Homework

Tiny Stories

A man was walking down a street. He looked back at the home he just left behind. Then he walked right into a pole and broke his nose.  

A little slug slowly made its way across a hot deck. One day it got distracted by the sounds of people from inside and stopped to listen for a while. When it continued to inch forward, a kid’s foot crushed it just before it reached the other side.

 A man was given a job assignment on Monday. It was due on Wednesday. He completed it Thursday, begging for a pardon. He was immediately fired.

An old man sat all day thinking about what he wished he could have done in his life. The years go by and when he’s 90 he realized that he was only 30 when he started looking back, thinking he was old then. He spent the last 60 years wishing.

A small fish swims toward a light. Floating in the light is food. He takes his eye off the food, looks back to see if a shark is chasing him but forgets where he is and why he is there. So he goes home hungry.

Artist Statement

Every object has a story. The stories above can easily be derived from objects. A street sign can remind someone of the man who looked back and broke his nose. A snail can remind of the poor snail that stopped moving and got crushed. Water can remind one of the fish who forgot where he was a starved. A chair can remind one of the old man who sat in it his whole life wishing he had lived. These objects remind people of these little stories. These stories teach us simple lessons. My stories teach people to never look back, to live, to progress, and not procrastinate. The voice is mostly humorous with some dramatic elements. They are simple and fairly direct.

The tiny stories from the Twitter reading were all witty and involved self- reflection. They had the same voice throughout and poked fun at common human experiences. They had little jokes at the end wrapped in sarcasm and truth.

The reading on “Seeing” taught an interesting principle that we see what we expect to see based on our knowledge and own lenses. A biologist and a detective will see totally different things standing in the same forest. I need to learn how to see better and see more. This assignment is helping with that because I’ve noticed these short stories can mean slightly different things to different people because they are less specific. The 6-word video we watched in class showed me how a phrase can puncture you with emotion. A story when concise with clever punctuation can send a strong, sharp message.

We learned in class about different unifying principles that can link the short stories together. Situation, character and personified objects are a few. Theme is the unifying principle in my stories. A common lesson is taught. And sometimes you start right in the middle but can still have a beginning, middle, and end. I watched a short film about a man that grew up with no legs or arms but overcame his challenges and lived a full life. It was only a couple minutes but it was very powerful. And the video started right in the middle of his life yet still had a good beginning. That video showed how in just a few words so much could be said, hearts touched, and lessons taught. I really enjoyed this assignment. I enjoyed having to condense a story with a lesson into a few words. I discovered that it actually communicated my message better than if I had written a page long version.

Artist Statement

The below collection of pictures represents the instrumental piece, "Finale"  from Tom Tykwer.

            As I listened to the song I thought of the world around us; the mountains, desert, and birds. I thought of the little things of nature first and then as the song builds I think of happy people together.
I like the gradual way in which the song builds upon itself. The peaceful choir adding its' magic to the strings and piano. Measure by measure it gets fuller and louder. As it does I picture nature growing from the little flower and butterfly to the vast expanse of the desert. I feel the power of the mountains ruling the Earth. I see the Earth letting people enjoy its beauties.
          The choir is subtle at first but gets louder. As it grows I picture the people in the world coming together, living together, and smiling together. That's why I chose pictures of happy people together at the end. The three pictures at the beginning are the smaller parts of nature that we normally overlook. The butterfly and bee sing a quiet cadence beneath our eyesight. The water is frozen in time; a sight we never see. This represents the subtle walking, building, and flowing of sound that is heard in the first minute of the song. If we are still and listen closely enough we can hear the small workings of the tiny parts of nature just as we can hear the subtle instruments working together in the song, flowing like water.
        When the choir steps in we see how big and endless nature is with the pictures of the desert and mountains. We can hear the choir singing from the distant hills. Their sound escapes in all directions, and fills the emptiness of the desert. Then we transition into a picture of an endless road that leads somewhere. The lines lead forward, suggesting progression. This part of the song makes me feel like I'm on a journey heading somewhere great. The man standing in the middle of the desert shows how there is no definite trail to this great place but if he just starts walking his faith will bring him there. He is alone, but faithful.
        Then at last, a couple in love is walking toward their future, through their life. The picture of the rings on the flowers represents the blending of people, love, and nature. The rings capture the essence of eternity that the song brings. Then the last two pictures are just people together, happy and enjoying life during the climax of the piece. These pictures represent the happiness and fullness that comes from balance and relationship just as all the instruments at the climax are working together and full.

Our World

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi1DrQfVT1I  

  

 

                           

Thinking and Writing Essay

Chad Gravallese                     

9/9/13

Thinking and Writing Essay

    Historical film that inspires: Lincoln

            Lincoln is a historical film that successfully tugs on human emotion. It does not take the textbook approach to history but the human heart approach. The film Lincoln declares that all men are created equal. The characters fight for that against all odds. Freedom, victory, and having the courage to do what is right are themes of the historical period depicted in this film. And the elements of the film teach us these virtues by establishing, realistically the world of the story. Lincoln has a vision and accomplishes it. What does it really mean, that all men are created equal? “Are we fitted into the times we’re born into?” asks Lincoln. This film answers these questions.

            The film expresses historical figures through rich character establishment and development. The film does not just focus on regurgitating historical facts but telling a story through real people, through characters with all range of human emotion. This approach to re-telling history influences the audience far more than just depicting events. This film depicts people and relationships. ­

The characters represent real people from history. The actors represent these characters with depth. Daniel Day Lewis and Sally Fields connect well with their characters and with each other. They chose who they were and they were consistent throughout the film. Lewis shows the humility and vision that Lincoln had through body language, movement, and voice. The difficulty in the struggle for equality is made known because of the way Lewis and Fields connected with each other, others and their own characters.

            The production design required a lot of detail to re-create America in the 1800’s. Through the use of sets, props, costumes and colors the themes had a world to live in. Every prop, set piece, and costume fit the time. They helped to represent messages of freedom through their design and color. The overall look of the film mixes the look of photos with paintings using blue, white, red, black and brown. This captures the historical feel of the film. And when the history feels right, the themes that were actually there 200 years ago reveal themselves.

The cinematography of this film captures the themes, characters, and their relationships to each other and the world around them. Throughout the film a lot of the sets are hidden in shadow. We see just enough to fill in the gaps with our minds. Natural light is used to validate the historical context since there were no light bulbs. Inside scenes are often dark, with strong highlights on the characters to outline their shape. Their shape represents their character. In the opening scene when Lincoln is talking to the soldiers we only see his back in shadow. We see the legendary figure of Abraham Lincoln. This iconic image is consistent throughout the film because Daniel Day Lewis represents a character we all know about. We do not need to see his face to know it is Abraham Lincoln.

Many times the shots and sets work together to frame the characters. In one shot, Lincoln is framed in the arched window. The contours of the window arch match his posture. This conveys the iconic character in a way that helps us feel his importance.

The way it’s shot makes the audience feel as if they are viewing and experiencing history but are not characters themselves in that world. This agrees with the reality that we were not actually there but that event in history still has meaning because it affects us today.

            This film’s authorship from Steven Spielberg creates the expectation that the audience will be transported into a different world; in this case, a different time. The intended audience is very wide, anyone who appreciates history or story. The goal of the film was not to join the cultural trends of action and spectacle but tell a gripping story through genuine methods. There was no fluff or attempts to please everyone. The story was told to portray strong characters from history in a way that we can relate and appreciate them today.

The film Lincoln is an emotional print of history. It re-creates a defining time in America. It shows how people will fight for freedom and morality against all odds. The good directing allowed the elements of this film to work together seamlessly. They portray themes by establishing the historical world where those themes naturally existed 200 years ago. And because that world was so real, the audience can experience history. All men are unique but are equal before the law. We are fitted into the times we’re born into. This film represented this because Abraham Lincoln was a real person, and the passing of the 13^th amendment really happened. Lincoln successfully portrays history by tugging on the human heart. It stimulates the mind through historical events but captures the heart through rich characters and relationships.