My Personal Manfesto

Here are 10 Points that I have developed that help me find my creativity and how I look at things.

1.  Be Yourself.- To be a creative person, first you have to be yourself, and then your creativity will follow.

2.  Don't Be Ashamed.-  Most times, people are afraid to express themselves how they would like in the thought of being ashamed of themselves.

3. TALK!-  Making connections is the best way to share ideas.

4.  Creative Intelligence.-  With your connections, making a collective intelligence will make the final work much more unique and original.

5.  Research.-  The best way to find out about techniques and concepts is to research.  By doing research, you may find something that catches your attention and inspires you to do something.

6.  Be Well-Rounded.-  Being a well rounded person will also help your creativity.  You can apply different techniques  that will help you make a trans-media product

7.  Take Breaks.- Often times, taking breaks will aid you in your creativity.  If you run into a slump,  take a break. Then after, come back to it and you will have a new view of things.

8.  Work on Your Weaknesses.-  If you only concentrate on your strengths, you will only be able to do one thing.  You must recognize your weaknesses and work to make that proficient.

9.  Failing is Inevitable.-  You must fail to succeed. No one is perfect and you must not let a failed attempt be the end of your creativity.

10.  Think "Weird".-  Create an original one-off product with your creativity.  No one wants to be stuck in the norm, so you must "step out of the box."

"Karimanifesto"

Karim Rashad is a creative design specialist/artist. You can see his work at www.karimrashid.com. He has a manifesto called "Karimanifesto.  It is a list of 50 points that regard life and design.  I have read 10 of his points and there is one that stands out to me. He states that "normal is not good."  I appreciate this point, because as i desire to be a very creative person in all aspects of arts and media. The norm is not popular. People want original, unique, one-of-a-kind products.  Sure, you could possibly have your work noticed if you proceed on "normal" terms with your creativity, but you will always be over-shadowed by the unique things.  Would you rather look at a picture of a campfire, or a campfire with arms and legs fighting elephants and Charlie Sheen!!! Okay, maybe not to that extent, but the bottom line is that people want to be fascinated with your work, and they also want to not be able to compare your work with somone else's.  Creativity come from yourself, not to re-create something that is "normal."  Karim Rashad does a fantastic job with creating unique art.  You can defiantly tell he strives off of creativity.  Before I even surfed around his sight, just the background and layout of his website was not "normal."

Hero/Villain Critique

The first Hero/Villain I will critique is Joe Battaglia.  Unfortunately he only has his Villain posted on his wall and not the Hero.  I really liked his animation. It was different from most of the rest. His Villain "Blendinator" blends fruit.  The animation. although, did not show much weight distribution.  His photo on the other hand is also very unique.  It seems that if he concentrated on making his character very square which depicts a evil mood. He also paid close attention to shadows. He shaded very well to let the viewer think he is big and leave a big shadow.

The second Hero/Villain I should have critiqued is Jordan Bond's. She also, does not have her Hero/Villain posted.

The last Hero/Villain is Cameron Brown.  Cameron has his picture of his super hero posted,but no animation.  Even thought he did not have the animation posted, i liked his picture.  His picture defiantly shows a super hero with his muscles, roundish face, and cape.  It seems that he also paid attention to detail during the shadows but to make him feel big and successful, with his raised hand and mug full of beer.  I also liked the brightness of his color choices that also help him to depict a super hero you might see on TV or magazines.

Hero/Villain Project

                                                                  Hero: Eric Williams

Villain: Mucko

FREAK FACTOR

I have recently read a manifesto on www.changethis.com called FREAK OUT.  It is written by David Rendall, and during the article, Rendall explains that it is okay to be a "freak" and it could help you be a well rounded person.  He explains this in a number of points, and also explains how to actively engage each point correctly.  There are 3 points that caught my attention the most. The first being point #4 "Forget It: Don't Try To Fix Your Weaknesses." Rendall believes that fixing your weakness only hinder you in the long run.  The process is slow, painful, distracting, and it doesn't actually work. I feel like these are valid points.  Usually when someone realizes their weaknesses, they tend to let them bring down their self esteem.  This obviously can harm a person's confidence in the long run and often makes them scared to express themselves in the same manner they have before.  I feel like the best way to fix your weakness is trying again, not figuring out how you should deal with it.  To some degree, I think you should not completely forget about your weaknesses, because it will still always be your weakness as much as you try to forget it. The second point that was interesting to me was point #5 "Foundation: Build On Your Strengths." Rendall states that your strengths are "patterns of your passions and your proficiency."  I agree to this, but not fully.  I think you should continue to build on your strengths but not forget about your weaknesses.  If you build on your foundations, you will obviously be very good at what you like, but at the same time you will have no other skills if you only concentrate on the strengths. He does point out that building a foundation will be a success. I think that it could bring success but it will not help you be a well rounded person. The last point that i found interesting was point #6 "Focus: You Can't Do Both."  I am confused if this manifesto was created to better yourself, or I am just thinking completely opposite of Rendall.  I feel like this point is not well said.  I feel like to be a well rounded person you need to be sufficient in all aspects.  I think that if you are a determined person, you can and will continue to build on your strengths and also recognize your weaknesses: RECOGNIZE your weaknesses, not weep over them OR forget about them!  I have many weaknesses myself.  In a creative wise, i guess that you could say that I am proud to stand behind my work.  I am worried that people will judge me on my work.  I consider my music/audio  knowledge my strength.  I spent countless hours researching and working with tools, instruments, and programs that involve music or audio recording.  I spent a lot of time building my foundation.  Other then my weakness of showing my work, my other weakness is animation.  I will be the first one to tell you that animation is not my forte.  While reading the syllabus on the first day of class, i was dreading that assignment.  As we began working with the animation in lab, I realized that i was the worst at animation.  I wish that I would be better at animation and I consider that one of my media related weakness.

"Collapsus"

Although this is an audio-blog assignment, I have yet to understand how to create an audio blog unfortunately.  Collapses is a new game that incorporates trans-media techniques. There is variety of techniques that were used to make the game. I liked the game because if was different, and it seems to be a type of gaming that  people can look forward too in the future.  I suggest that you experience the game here www.collapsus.com.  The game keeps your interest because it uses concrete facts that people can attach themselves too, and also it uses a variety of media techniques to keep your attention.  I can easily say that there is nothing really like it available  today.  The class (MDIA 203) is a good example of using trans media techniques in your creative work.  I have learned a lot taking this class, even though i thought i new it all coming into the first session. I was wrong, but the class helped me with my creative side.  I liked working with groups and sharing a collective intelligence to make our trans-media projects.  During the last few projects, I used different techniques and thought differently towards my projects while using my creativity to create a better project. Since I am an Audio Production major, i felt like the audio assignments were the most interesting, but after working on the other projects, I can see that knowing at least a little bit about most things will help you be successful in the media business.  The business uses collective intelligence, and working with groups for different projects made me a more creative person, and i could easily say that if there were no groups in this class, then our work would turn out significantly worse. This class defiantly helped me look at media in a different perspective instead of just audio, audio, audio!

Video Game Presentation

For my Video Game assignment, my group chose to make an Role Playing Game that would incorporate skill and thinking.  The presentation went well and it seemed like we had a good response.  Although the good response there are a few things i feel like we could have explained better. During the storyline slide, i feel like we could have told the storyline more efficient and slower so our class could understand the entire storyline which was our main concentration.  Since it is an RPG, the storyline drives the game over all things.  Other then that, i feel like we could have described the gameplay and better.  We did not mention it was a game of skill, another thing that compels the game. I feel like if we could have better explained the amount of skill needed and some actual skill related events that would happen in the game.  I think the mechanics part of our presentation was good.  When created the mechanics, we focused on using some of the gaming world's most used mechanics.  As we compared our mechanics to "Call of Duty" I feel that our class could understand the mechanics better since "Call of Duty" is very reputable game. I also feel like the rules of the game needed to be explained in further detail. The rules in games are usually vague and broadly explained. It is hard to explain rules, especially if there are many rules.  Some games apply rules that are only applied when certain things happen.  Also, rules are what help drive the game, and when pitching, the rules need to be clear so it will not mislead the audience. The other detail of video games that is hard to discuss is objectives.  Objectives are much like rules in their difficulty to explain. In a complex game, there are many objectives that the player or players will have to face to complete the game.  If these objectives are not clear, it could be the breaking point for when buying a game.  Also just like rules, objectives can come at various times and in different complexity and detail.  I feel that when pitching objectives, you must give examples of objective the player will have to complete and also give a detailed explanation of the different varieties of objectives you can look to complete.

Contrasting the Video Assignement

In the First Video "Toy Train, we concentrated more on space and rhythm. The visual rhythm could be seen in the actors' attire. We used the same colored shirts, which were green, to tie in a relationship between Tommy and his mother. We also used a variety of shots that were close ups on both Tommy and his mother that were also similar.  We decided to use these similar shots to portray their contrasting feelings and to help with the films visual rhythm.  For the space, were focused on using flat space for the most of the video to let the audience focus on the characters and their emotions. We also used contrast. The father (me) was wearing a white shirt for a difference in color rather than the mother and Tommy's green shirt.  The affinity was tied into the visual rhythm where Tommy and his mother were both men for comedic purposes, and again, they were wearing close attire.

For the second video, "Tony Pepperoni,"we focused on line and shape and movement.  We used line and shape in various shots to display Tony (Yui Chen) and his mother at different angles.  We used high elevated shots when Tony is on the ground to show his little power. In contrast we showed the mother's high power and strength by making the shots at a lower angle.  For movement, we used a variety of scenes to show different angles of the movement. We also used the text and subtext.  The subtext came into play when Tony Pepperoni was walking to his room and slams the door. You can tell that Tony is angry without any words being said through his movement.  For the text, you can understand the feelings of the characters during the voice overs.

Super Powers - Exodus

www.thisamericanlife.org - super powers

After listening to the piece on "This Is American Life", it amazes me how creative people are as they make superheros and villains.  Personally, I dont not have a high creativity in character design, but it did make me think what super-human powers i would want to possess if i were a super human.  Up above, I have posted a picture of the Marvel super human Exodus.  I have researched that Exodus possess the power of telepathy.  If I were a super human, I would want to be Exodus.  Many people want to be the popular super heros, but I tried to delve in to find one that is not so popular, but still has powers that I wish to  have.  Telepathy is a very powerful thing. It allows you to come into contact with another persons thought without and verbal communication.  In many occasions, telepathy would make life interesting.  I feel that with this power you can realize your real friends over people who actually think you are weird.  This would obviously be very helpful in a social way of life, not to mention that it would give you an edge over your classmates in college by coming into contact while your teacher is making a test!  Along with Exodus's telepathically powers, he can also control another persons mind.  With this power, life would be much easier if you controlled the minds of everyone you came into contact with.  Essentially you would be able to TAKE OVER THE WORLD without one violent act or incident!   

Toy Train

Tony Pepperoni

Shutter Island - 5B

After still having complications of ripping my video from YouTube, I have decided to, again, post my video i was going to use for this assignment.  Shutter Island is known for having an active feel rather then a didactive approach.  The imagery helps the viewer understand certain motifs throughout the movie.  The first thing i have noticed was the shapes of the characters.  After discussing this in class, I have began to analyze the shape before everything else.  The main character and his "sidekick" have similar shaped faces and body features.  Contrasting to the boxier facial features of the mains characters,  most other relevant characters in the film have a more circle based face.  I thought this was interesting since as Mr. Williams has said in class, "None of it was an accident." The second concept I have noticed in this clip of Shutter Island is the rhythm.  The rhythm  of all of the character differ in interesting ways.   The main character moves in a slow fashion; it always makes you feel that he is thinking about his next move.  His sidekick moves in a faster, more energetic motion, which creates a contrasting feel in relation to the main character.  Lastly,  the Doctor of the facility moves in a slow fashion as well and speaks fluently.  It seems that if he plans everything out in advance and thinks about what he will be saying next.  It also gives a feel of wiseness and calmness.

Castlevania- Lords of Shadow

Due to complications of ripping the video off of YouTube, I have decided to post the video I was going to use and explain it with text rather then a voice over, unfortunately.  Castlevania is one of the world's most renowned video game series across many platforms starting in the early days on the original Nintendo. The creators of Castlevania have done an outstanding job on staying on top of the crowd with their visual effects.  If you are familiar with the Castlevania games, you automatically know that the game will have deep, dark, and eerie imagery and orchestration to aid the story lines.  The newest addition to the series is Castlevania -Lords of Shadow.  With the name of the game, "Shadow" helps the audience understand the imagery of the game even before buying it.  The movement in the game is fantastic.  The character's primary movement is his legs, his binary being the arms and body, and his tertiary movement could be explained through his attacks.  For the most part, the brightness of the imagery is very dark.  The creators have manipulated the scenes accordingly to the meaning and setting of the game.   The use of shadows in this game help the imagery to have a depth to them also. The imagery itself seems to have a high saturation and a manipulated hue to give the game the dark. Needless to say, the colors incorporated throughout this game gives the player a slightly realistic feel.

Ben Goosens 5A

For this assignment I have chosen a work from Ben Goosens.  This was the first photo that had caught my eye while I had looked over his work.  The photo is unique in all ways.   The first thing that I had noticed upon looking at the particular photo was the depth that was created.  Goosens has done a fantastic job of creative depth in this picture.  Although there is not a lot of eye candy in the background, the photo seems to be going forever. His use of darker colors on the top and bottom of the foreground contrast the middle ground in the middle of the picture that gives it deep depth.  The second thing I had notice was Goosens’ use of the rule of thirds.  It is true! The eye tends to move to the upper left hand side of the picture first.  Besides the depth, my eye was concentrated on the birdcage and the egg at first.  That is why I chose to re-frame this picture in this matter.  Another interesting thing about the image is the shape of the items.  The egg is obviously a more circular object, and according to affinity, the birdcage and other eggs assembled in a row give the picture a sense of affinity.  The rooster and house are contrasting elements in the picture towards the circular object for they have more sharp edges.  I also thought that this photo is to be looked at by interpreting a motif because this has no direct impression on “regular” events, so Goosens must have created the image to let the viewer interpret his or her own opinion on what is trying to be established. The last point I would like to mention about this photo was Goosens use of space.  The image is very wide in a sense, and along with the depth, the image looks massive. The use of color and size gave the image a very big spacey feel to it.  The lighter colors in the middle makes the image feel elongated horizontally.

3 Ways to Be Creative - "How to Be Creative"

changethis.com

Brainwashed

Brainwashed is another online article feature on www.changethis.com. The manifesto contains helpful information to reinventing yourself as a creative person.  Seth Godin, the writer of the article, gives seven main points when reinventing creativity. These seven points are, connect, be generous, make art, acknowledge the lizard, ship, fail and learn.  The article seems to be very helpful.  As i first read the article i was pondering over the "acknowledge the lizard" key point.  Godin explains this "lizard" to be a part of your brain; the part that worries and will release anger.  You must control this "lizard." When someone critiques or laughs at your creative work, you must not be discouraged and fight the resistance to stop you from using your creativity.  The second key point from Godin that I pondered on was his "connect" section.  Being in a creative industry, everything is about connections, connections, and more connections!  In school teachers encourage everyone to be social because you never know who can help you in your creative endeavors.  If you are the only one to notice your creative work, that creative work will stay with you and will not get a chance to put an impression on anyone if you dont get out and talk!  My entire blog applies to both of these points very easily.  As i add on to this blog, I will not be discouraged if someone disagrees with any of my statements or inputs.  Thus "acknowledging the lizard" as Godin states.  This  blog will also help my career with connections (hopefully). I want this blog to help me make connections.  I would like other creative individuals to look at my creative works, ideas, and opinions that I list here. I love to express myself through my works, and I hope everyone enjoys them!

James Watson/Ryan Heitkemper Songs

"Holy Diver"

Ronnie James Dio- "Holy Diver" (1983)
Killswitch Engage- "Holy Diver" (2009)

Covering songs, believe it or not, is a very complicated thing to do.  Being an active musician, I can somewhat understand the process.   When covering any song, most bands today try and put their own flavor and taste into a very popular song.  It is hard to do so without “ruining” the original.  Since music is vastly different then it was back in say the 80’s, many techniques and styles have been generated since then, and incorporating a specific style into a song that is already reputable is difficult.  My favorite cover to this day is the cover of  “Holy Diver” re-mastered by Killswitch Engage, a present day notable Hard Rock/Metal band. Ronnie James Dio originally wrote the song in 1983 on his debut full length, and it quickly became one of his most famous and relatable songs. When first listening to the cover of “Holy Diver” by Killswitch Engage, it is noticeably different but the comparable in many ways.  The first thing that I noticed upon hearing it was the pitch.  Killswitch Engage drops the pitch (or tuning) down to the key of Drop C, which is significantly lower then the original composed in 1983.  The second thing I noticed was that Killswitch Engage kept the same melody for the song (just dropped lower to match the tuning).  This is crucial when covering a song.  If you intend to use the song as a tribute you must keep the basics the same.  The intensity of the song reflects Killswitch Engage's style which is "harder" or an "in-your-face." feel. The rhythm is kept to its original tempo in the cover as well.  Any faster or slower might diminish the songs feel, but a more modern sound and with the different style, it helps give the song a contrasting feel.  The timbre in the song is moderately the same as well.  The song was originally recorded with the basic rock elements: electric guitar, bass, and drums, but again with Killswitch Engage’s modernized sound helped give it a more “noisy” effect.  The last thing to notice is the lyrics.  With “Holy Diver” being a song of such magnitude, the lyrics are very catchy and memorable.  I think Killswitch Engage did an outstanding job on keeping the lyrics the same but adding their own grungy vocals to let the fans of Dio and Killswitch Engage understand that this was a tribute song but imitated in their own way.  Musicians and listeners appreciate what Ronnie James Dio (R.I.P) has done for the Hard Rock and Metal of today.  With out Dio, the Rock music we hear today could be significantly different than what we know and love in this decade.  I think that is the reason Killswitch Engage has covered the Dio classic “Holy Diver”.  After watching interviews of Killswitch Engage regarding this song, it seems that if this song was re-mastered more for tribute to Ronnie James Dio, even before his death, rather than just another band covering a song just because they like it, and that is why I this is my favorite cover. Killswitch Engage has done an outstanding job of covering “Holy Diver” without diminishing or ruining the classic, and I think the cover will also start a trend of modern musicians covering their influence’s classics to pay tribute to the Hard Rock we hear today.

Soundscape- Melancholy

"Finding Your Howl"

"Finding Your Howl" is an online article that can be found on www.changethis.com.  Originally i was going to do an audio post for for this assignment, but i have been having a hard time with that.  After reading "Finding Your Howl", I was impressed by the fact that the writer, Johnathon Flaum, conveyed a moral by setting up scenes and dialoge with wild animals such as deer and wolves.  The article was all about a wolf named Munson who if trying to find his howl, but it is hidden by regret and hard times.  Flaum makes Munson's howl and feel like your personal inner drive and creativity.  Throughout the short Munson goes through more difficult times but eventually finds his howl in the end.  I feel as if this story is a good inspiration to never give up, and also that hard work and dedication pays off in the long run.

"14 Ways to Get Breakthrough Ideas"

14 Ways to Get Breakthrough Ideas is a manifesto created by Mitch Ditkoff and the work is featured on www.changethis.com.  Ditkoff's beliefs are that present day artists get make their ideas from convergence, and also that ideas are already made, its just a matter of putting them together to create your own.  After reading the article, I agree with the points that Ditkoff makes.  I am currently in a band, and this is my creative expression that I yield. My bandmates and I are always trying to think of creative ideas and we pursue some of these points without thinking of them, but on the contrary, we neglect some of the others as well.  Ditkoff makes all of these points seem valuable, I feel that if you follow these points you will see a positive increase in your creativity; whatever that may be. I believe that Ditkoff's fifth point- Fantasize- is the most important.  Before starting a project, you will need to brainstorm, but within the brainstorming you need to fantasize. If you use your imagination and create ideas off of your first idea, then you will find yourself not only creating what you imagined, but also altering the initial idea to make the project even better then you imagined. Ditkoff's second point - Immerse - is another favorite of mine in the article.  Once you have your initial idea, the only way to alter that idea is to immerse your inside of the entire project.  I understand that Ditkoff's point of "Taking A Break" is important, but on the same token, once the "creative juices" are flowing, there is no need to let up until the "juice" stops flowing.  Inside of a creative project, you need to indulge yourself inside and think about what direction you want to take to make the final draft exactly what you imagined. The third most important point Ditkoff makes is to "Make Connections." In the creative business, connections are crucial.  Any type of connection could help you in numerous ways such as converging ideas or taking your creativity to the next level. You could have written the best song ever created in your basement, but if you have no connections how could you expect that song to leave your basement?  Making connections is not the only way to be successful, but being in a creative business means that everyone thinks there idea is the best and making connections will help you better your chances of succeeding and making a better final product.  At the end of point twelve -Looking For Happy Accidents- there are two questions regarding the point.  The point explains how bad ideas can sometimes turn into good ideas or influence you in different ways.  As I said that I am in a band, and my creativity fails me many times.  The times that I think a good idea is flowing, its ends up being a disaster.  When coming back to my idea sometime later, I have a new perspective which will lead to a different path than I had intended before.  I feel that any idea is a good idea in the creative business, but failing does not always mean giving up. In most cases my initial ideas seem broad or unorganized but turn out to be good idea in my opinion. If I still have trouble satisfying myself with the idea, I reach out to my bandmates and see what they can put on the table to help finish an idea.  I believe that collective intelligence is a very powerful thing and if pursued, your project will come out more complex from the different ideas and also you could complete it in a much faster time rather than on your own.  I encourage all of my viewers to read the article, especially if you are looking for help on your creativity.  I feel as if one abides by these 14 points, they will see a significant increase in their creativity.

The Incredible Hulk

The Incredible Hulk's character was formed in 1962 by Marvel Comics.  In the creation of the Hulk, Marvel decided to use one of the most iconic leitmotifs in my opinion. It rivals the "Jaws" leitmotif but it is the same concept. In "Jaws", when you hear the iconic theme song, you can understand that Jaws is coming and something bad is susceptible of happening.  The same concept of a motif is applied to the Hulk.  As we all know, when Dr. Bruce Banner is angered, the is bad consequences to whoever has affected him.  Thus, the transformation of "The Incredible Hulk" is made.  This is perfect example of a leitmotif because in the comics or the movies, when tension is building up towards the Hulk, he gets angry, all of the readers and viewers can understand that the transformation will occur as well as destruction.

Fight Club- Arnon Milchan

Fight Club is another favorite movie of mine. Arnon Milchan is a very creative person that i aspire.  His use of subtext throughout this film is outstanding.  Fight Club is a movie that you may have to watch numerous times to understand the meaning and what exactly is going on at certain times.  The reason I admire this film is for its ironic subtext.  I have only watched the film twice and it was hard to grasp what really happened in most parts, but Milchan really made it possible to keep the viewer's attention occupied because the second you stop paying attention is the second you do not understand the rest of the movie.  I love how he incorporated the use of the main character's split personality/his schizophrenia. In my opinion, Milchan is one of the most creative filmmakers and Fight Club is one of the reasons why i aspire his creativity.

Tim Burton

Tim Burton is one of my favorite filmmakers.  His style is much different then any other's, and his movies are usually dark movies but have time where things happen that you didn't expect.  You could say that Tim Burton uses a tension and release feel throughout his movies also.  In "Nightmare Before Christmas" the main Character, Jack Skellinton, decides to bring the Christmas spirit into Halloweentown. Throughout the film, Tim builds tension by trying to capture Santa to bring the spirit to Halloweentown.  Sally, another character, try to stop Jack of doing such a thing and eventually gets captured by Oogie-Boogie.  While still building the tension, Tim creates a numerous other attempts to build the tension before the release.  In the end Jack is shot down by the military in a graveyard (the release of the film). Jack realizes that he needs to save Christmas before next Halloween in Halloween town and this is where the film ends.

Why I chose Audio Production

Basically, I chose Audio Production for the music and all of the things you can do to it.  There are endless amounts of ways to produce music and I enjoy finding new ways to produce the most creative sound art that I know how.  I also have an interest in electronics.  I like understanding how electronics operate and with Audio Production as my major I will hopefully learn how to use different softwares and electronics to help me with my creations.