Project 2 afterthoughts

After putting over fifteen hours into this project I have no problem saying that I really love it. Please do not mistake labor for discomfort, the whole creative process was a joy. Yes, there were times when I struggled with technology but I really feel like I achieved what I was going for. At this point I really don't see myself changing anything and this is very unusual of myself because I am my own hardest critic. For anyone who is about to view "The Mellifluous Morning After" please be advised that it may be a little "overt" at times. But......ENJOY!

Regarding Project 2

I am extremely excited to start my second project. At this point I am thinking about an image collage that uses images with my own poem imbedded in them. There will be a lot of these images both real and self-created that will be overlapped with sound. At this point I am still deciding whether to record one of my own self-written songs or use a piece of music that has already been recorded. This project will probably have an "activist" appeal as it relates to current issues an events.

Click Here To See My Second Project!

McCloud's concept of amplification through simplification

McCloud makes mention of an intriguing concept called “amplification through simplification” in reference to sequential images and cartoons. In our class discussions we viewed several pieces that exemplified many of McCloud’s concepts however the idea of amplification through simplification was especially inspiring to me. McCloud describes the concept of amplification through simplification as a way of taking an abstract image, symbol, or figure, such as in cartoons and using the complexities or non-complexities of that image in a way that is representative of something more specific and descriptive. To simplify, McCloud makes the statement that “by stripping down an image to essential ‘meaning’ an artist can amplify that meaning.”

Last week we looked at a sequence of images online entitled “Bright Morning Blue.” I saw this not only as a wonderful progression of images to tell a story but a marvelous example of amplification through simplification because Jason Turner was able to tell a story using extremely small and simple images. All of us have had a morning similar to what was drawn, making these images familiar and almost sentimental in a way. Turner’s use of text or the lack there of puts a large emphasis on a recurring theme (alarm) which amplifies the images that surround it. Each image in all of its simplicity represent something greater, something that is abstract and recognizable by all of us; a dream that we wish to never wake from.

Secondly, I believe strong elements of amplification through simplification were evident in“Rice.” I was immediately captured by the picture of the Vietnamese boy in the towards the bottom left of the page. “Rice” itself is almost a collage of real images, and the expression on the boys’ face is almost haunting in a way, so I clicked on it first. Within that are a series of images that seem unrelated but really spark my curiosity. I knew that these images, though simple and unrelated represented a story or event in some way. A few clicks later a story emerged through an associated text-image click through. I saw this as a great example of amplification through simplification because even just a picture of a human face as simple as it may be can evoke strong feelings.

Ultimately, amplification through simplification plays a huge role in sequential imaging because it teaches us that sometimes a long drawn out dialogue or text isn’t always necessary in telling a story. “Bright Morning Blue” and “Rice” do a great job of this. McCloud’s concept will definitely stick with me when I set out to accomplish project 2.

"O"hio

A Change of Plans

Originally, I had an extremely strong sense of direction with this assignment but I knew that the actual execution of it would hinder the creative direction. About halfway through the creation and development stage of this project I realized that some of my original ideas were completely unfeasible. At this point, the project is complete and talking about my original “game plan” is a moot point.

“Why Ohio?”

I chose to make an adaptation of the Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young song “Ohio” as a reflection upon past and present issues dealing particularly with war and free speech. The song itself was written after the events that took place at Kent State University in 1970 where the National Guard opened fire on a group of student protesters resulting in the death of four people. The song itself does a great job at capturing the mood of a generation that faced similar issues that we are facing today. I wanted to capture both an era and an event in a concrete visual text that wasn’t too ambiguous.

Execution

Power Point 2007 - The first problem that I encountered was having to adjust to the “new” PowerPoint. Having practically mastering the 2003 edition over the years, I will be the first to say that it is completely different than its predecessor. This both helped and hindered me as the learning curve slowed my progress however I was able to do certain things with this version that were never available on the 2003 version.

The “O” – My original plan was to have a giant “O” that had a series of images imbedded in it and the “Ohio” lyrics directly in the center. Unfortunately technology hindered me from doing so however this gave birth to new ideas and executions. The “O” is separated into four sections to represent the four victims of the Kent State Massacre. Within these sections are four triangles with the initials of each victim. It must be understood that these are meant to be delta symbols. Each victim has their initials inside the delta because the delta symbol represents change which is exactly what the four students who died that day were protesting. The rainbow color of the “O” is representative of the “tie dye” t-shirts that became so popular during that era. Visually it captures one’s eye immediately. Finally, on the outside of the inner ring and the outside of the outer ring are Kent State’s school colors (Gold and Blue). This may be slightly difficult to see because of the color of the “O” itself but it is just a little something I wanted to add in.

Inside the “O” – Inside the “O” is the verse to “Ohio” by CSNY which are partitioned by the Pulitzer-Prize winning photo of the Kent State Massacre. The photo is the center piece of the entire visual which I made sure to do in order to capture that moment in time that will never be forgotten. Textually I played with certain key words in the song to add a certain kinesthesia to the entire project. Specifically, I put “FOUR DEAD” in an Impact font to resemble the font used in the newspaper headlines.

Background – Originally I planned to not have a background and let the “O” to exist in white space however I began thinking of a collage or quilt-like pattern with a series of images in the background that would reflect the Vietnam War era. You will notice the Vietnam Flag, American Flag, a picture of two of the victims, Vietnam pictures, the state of Ohio, etc. I really like what I did here however I may consider adjusting each image to make it smaller to allow for more images.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I am very happy with my adaptation of “Ohio.” The flow of this work from the epicenter outwards was my purpose and I feel as if I achieved my goal of doing so. It almost looks like it was made the week after the shootings and posted in a newspaper or had a poster made out of it. Nonetheless, this is an event that should never be forgotten. With times like these, we must not let history repeat itself.

Execution of Project 1

I intend to make an adaptation of the events that took place at Kent State University on May 4th 1970. This event was captured musically by the classic rock group Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. The song "Ohio" was written, recorded, and released in only 4 days. The song embodies the tragic events that resulted in the shooting death of 4 students.
I plan to transform the lyrics of the song "Ohio" into a multimedia writting. I do not want to give away the specifics of my adaptation but it will be a strong visual that will be wrapped with lyrics of the song. I want my audience to understand its meaning at a quick glance and then drive deeper into the visual elements that I will select. This is a moment in history that should never be forgotten and I want to capture it.

"Red House"

This is my adaptation of the Jimi Hendrix song "Red House." Stylistically, I wanted to embody blues music in a text format. The song is "Red House" and the contrast between the blue background and the red text bring out the nature of the song.

Pre-Project Thoughts

At this point, I cannot wait to begin project number one. I consider myself a creative person that likes to have a lot of "room" to work with. What I mean by this is that I work better in circumstances that allow me to spin my own web and not be constricted by long and tedious assignment parameters. This is not to say that this assignment will be an easy one but it is my own self-expectations and exhausted creativity that will make this challenging. To me, the assignment is clear however I am still in the process of figuring out my exact execution of my ideas.

Questions: As stated previously, the assignment is clear to me.