Portrait of a Place

I remember...
-the sound of bongo drums in the distance
-the feeling of the sun shining on your face
-the feeling of serenity and welcome
-the way grass feels before everyone flattens it with blankets
-walking around aimlessly and exploring
-laying down and just looking up for hours
-the way gusts of wind make you feel content
-an unspoken feel of peace/unity
-the way the bark looks/the shadows of the trees
-the "golden" tint of the sun rather than the "white" tint shining
-didgeridoos humming in my ear for the entire weekend
-genuine laughter
-climbing trees
-hanging upsidown on the playground
-the view of downtown at night
-seeing so many people it feels like the apocalypse
-the smell of incense and fair foods
-diversity amongst everyone
-not knowing where I'm going but continuing to walk
-weird statues
-beautiful artwork
-uncomfortable artwork, making me wonder



I don't remember...
-where everyone went once the park closed
-who i talked to on each day
-things i really wanted to buy at the time
-the music in the background that i either tuned out, or wasn't interested in
-all the faces i walked past seem blurry now

Short Story Reflection

1.What kind of details does Carver choose to describe the “place?”

The details are pretty descriptive. In my mind, I can really visualize this guys place. It seems like his own personal den. Carver describes the placement of all the objects in his room. A yellow muslin cloth, a model television on a coffee table, a wall clock, and a sofa. The little details he uses that may seem insignificant really help the reader see this place their own way. For example, he says “A yellow muslin cloth, much too large, a gift, covered the table and hung down over the sides.” This sounds way more interesting than just “A yellow cloth sat on the table.”

2.What do the following passages tell you about the place? 

“The girl sat on the bed. She pushed off her shoes and lay back. She thought she could see a star.” 

“Lights came on in the houses up and down the street.”



Something about this place brings a feeling of comfort, belonging, and welcome. This bed, although still in good condition, has survived many years. It has stories of its own and been different places.  Its story is about to change though once it is brought into this young couples life.

 3.Now look at the passages that you chose. How do they talk about the place? Why are they important or unimportant? 


                  -“Now and then a car slowed and people stared.  But no one stopped. 
  It occurred to him that he wouldn't, either.”

                  This part honestly made me kinda sad. This guy seems to be lonely, but in a way he is at peace with that. He has already lived his life and seen many things. He wants to pass on his experiences with others now.  And by doing so, he can sell some of his memories with new people.

                  

   -"Those people over there, they're watching," she said. 
  "It's okay," the man said.  "It's my place," he said.

He doesn’t live his life in fear that others will judge him. He drinks as he chooses, and dances where he wants. He seems to have a care-free attitude. Without this feeling of openness, I don’t think this couple would have opened up so much and danced/drank with him. His comforting vibes allowed the couple to feel at ease and make bids with this man they may never see again, but also never forget. 

MA2 Class Film

Criteria: Group Movie Project


1. Describe your role in the production of the class movie. How did your contribution make things more efficient? How did you help make the movie better? What specific contributions did you make? Did you go above and beyond, or simply show up? Be honest.  

Most of the time, i was an extra in the movie. Which was honestly just a freak, schizophrenic kid in the corner. Even though i didn't have lines, i think that the weirdness of my character (along with Neely's character) gave the movie some originality. One day, i helped direct the movie in the lunchroom scene. It was hard at times to get everyone to listen to you, but i think that i tried my best to atleast make the scenes flow.

2. Describe one or more things you learned about the writing process that you did not know before working on this project.
It takes a lot of organization to make a film work. You have to take into consideration all the props your gonna need for each scene, the extras, and of course the script. I think that writing them all out really helped everyone to collaborate in the film.

3. Describe one or more things you learned about the production (filming) process that you did not know before working on this project. 

While your filming, you have to think about the film as a whole. If you film one scene wrong, it could confuse the entire film or make the clips not flow at all. Also, you need a lot of people helping out. Otherwise you're going to end up using the same five people as extras for the whole movie.

4. Describe one or more things you learned about the post-production (editing, sound, etc.) process that you did not know before working on this project.
A lot of the time, what you think is gonna look awesome in your mind, doesn't flow at all. You have to have a significant amount of "b roll" so the movie makes sense, or doesn't chop from scene to scene. Also, we needed extra recordings to make the movie seem more realistic.


5. Are you satisfied with the final product? Why or why not? Be honest.
I am satisfied with final product. At first, i was kinda worried that the idea wouldn't work. although, in the end i realized that it was pretty funny, and at the same time creative. The editing went very well, and people came up with clever editing ideas that i wouldnt have thought of on my own. For example, the montage scene shooting back to the outdoor scene ended up making the continuity of the film much better.


Suggest one improvement for next year’s class. What could I do to make it easier/better/more informative/more fun?
Find a way to get people to get more involved. Maybe more extras involved, or make the extras have specific characters, so the people in the background arent just standing around. although, most of that is their own fault for not trying.


Evaluation
Individual Contribution to Pre-Production Excellent    |    Good     |    Average    |     Poor

Individual Contribution to Production Excellent    |    Good     |    Average    |     Poor

Individual Contribution to Post-Production Excellent    |    Good     |    Average    |     Poor

What is creativity?

                Creativity is the abstract way of viewing the world. It allows us to express ourselves, show off the right side of our brain, and expand beyond the obvious answers. Creativity is hard to truly define, considering it may be expressed differently in nearly everyone. Without this subject, the world would definitely be a pretty bland place. It allows individuals to be unique and show off the variety of different perspectives in the world.
                  Many times, i find myself thinking creatively. Whether your drawing in a notebook, painting, or even thinking of new ways to save energy, all of these take creative minds. All of this ties into my everyday life. I have to think uniquely to be able to create new pieces of art that are actually visually exciting, rather than just looking like every other one out there. Although, creativity isn't necessarily just related to art. It can tie into any subject. People need this topic to be able to think outside the box and view the world through a new set of eyes. It is what causes us to be our own individual and not blend in with the crowd. In my own personal life, creativity is what gets me going. Without it, i don't know how i would even live. I cant imagine living in a world where it didn't exist. It would almost make the human race seem robotic. We all need creativity to indulge in different perspectives and ideas for life.
                    Because everyones minds are all shaped from different experiences in life, this allows us to have our own views of creativity. Whether your into math or science, being creative is still a necessity. How would we even reach the knowledge we have today without creative minds? If Albert Einstein didnt have a creative-and very smart mind- who knows what we would be missing today in our field of science. Im glad that we have all adapted to our own ways of creativity.