Melies Takes Us to the Moon

         Everything about Georges Melies' "A Trip to the Moon" makes me smile.  The exaggerated acting, the elaborate set designs, and every other aspect right down to the slumber party on the moon give the short film a certain charm.  Although part of the reason for the smile on my face while watching was because of how silly it all seemed (the hand-painted color, the faces on the moon and stars, the lack of space gear and knowledge of space travel, etc.), it is so interesting to think of what a breakthrough Melies' films really were.  During a time when motion pictures were still so new, it must have been remarkable to watch a full story played out and projected in front of you.  Melies combined techniques and machinery from the theatre, and this gave his films a much more interesting quality.  He also experimented with different editing techniques such as dissolves, which can be seen all throughout "A Trip to the Moon."  As a magician, Melies had showmanship and a love for theatrics.  It's safe to say that these qualities shine through in his film work.    

Almost Magic

       The concept of the camera obscura is still completely baffling to me.  Incredibly fascinating, but baffling.  It is almost as if it is a magic trick that I just need to see to believe.  That being said, I am still aware that it is science behind this incredible phenomena.  As the pictures were shown to us in class, my jaw dropped to the desk.  And don't even get me started about my internal reaction to the video that showed how it was done!  Unbelievable.  Now that I am looking through the camera obscura work of Abelardo Morell, I am in no less awe than I was in Wednesday's class.  His work is not only amazing because of the skill it takes to create a camera obscure, but also because of the beautiful images he chose to shoot.  As a native New Yorker, my favorites were all of the photos shot in my city.  Here a just a few to take in and enjoy:

Among these I could not pick a favorite.  They are all gorgeous, each one is unique... and made with magic.

Lighthearted comedy? Racism?

           Is the Mintsrel Show racist? Hmm, let's think about this.  Um, YES.  I'm a New Yorker living in the 21st century and even I was offended.  The general concept of the show itself is one issue to analyze; the fact that a white man is going to the trouble of painting himself black and throwing on his best Alabama accent for comedic effect is a little ridiculous.  What's so funny about the way someone else naturally looks and speaks?  To make it worse, the white woman of clear status in the scene fires questions to which the "blackfaced" answers very unintelligently.  Clearly, the implications are that southern, black men are not intelligent, and the audience can't get enough of the white entertainer mocking the man he is portraying.  When the way another human being lives is being made fun of for the entertainment of others, there is clearly something wrong with society.

Tragic Simplicity

       After watching Pjotr Sapegin's Madama Butterfly, my immediate reaction is, "wow."  Actually, let me try that again.  "WOW."  To tell the truth, I was really unaware of what I was getting myself into as the clip first began, and I definitely had to play certain scenes a few extra times just to be sure that my eyes were not deceiving me.  That being said, the story that is told through the silence of Madama Butterfly is one of so much beauty and passion, yet sadness and hurt, and I was truly blown away.
       The first aspect that hit me was the music.  The soothing sounds flowed in such a way that put me into a trance, and into a mood that was both happy and sad at the same time.  I have hardly ever come into contact with music that could do such a thing, yet this music played sounds of sorrow in a very sweet way.  Thus causing mixed emotions, much like the mixed emotions of the clip.  Happiness is in the air in the very beginning, when the girl and her lover share a romantic night in the field.  Yet this quickly shifts to a more depressing mood as the sunlight vanishes along with the sailor.  A continuing roller coaster of emotions occurs throughout the entire story, and the opera music that plays throughout really adds to the effectiveness and power of the story's meaning.
        The animation.  So simple, yet such a perfect way to go about telling the story.  The unique dolls used gave everything a more personal feel, and the simple movements of each of the figures are what helped the complex story to be more easily followed and understood.  Less truly is more in this case.  As her former lover returns to take away their child, a big, overdone display of emotion is not needed to express her pain.  She simply places her hands over her eyes and her agony is immediately felt.  I feel that effortless animation and the simple pieces used as the set are what drew me into the story even more.
        What would the story be without symbols?  I felt it was necessary to save this for last considering how prominent each of the symbols are and how greatly they effect the story.  For example, as the delicate, pink butterfly flutters on screen at the start of the clip and lands on her head, I instantly knew that this was a symbol of innocence.  After a night of making love, she awakes to find that the butterfly has left her;  her innocence has been taken away in the blink of an eye.  Further along in the story, it can be seen that the fish in the tank symbolizes her daughter in the womb, and the birth of her daughter is clearly symbolized by the breaking of the tank.  As the daughter grows older, the two share a strong bond that is shown by the string that attaches them.  This bond is only broken when the sailor returns to the island and cuts the string to take the daughter, thus breaking the bond.  In her despair, this inconsolable mother rips away her skin and breaks apart her body.  I feel that this is used to symbolize how she feels inside.  After watching her lover be with another woman and take away her daughter, who was her only real reason left to live, it is safe to say that she felt torn apart and broken hearted.  She breaks herself down on the outside to match her feelings on the inside.  After being used by a man she stayed loyal to for years, only to have him return and take her child, who could honestly blame her for feeling defeated?  She commits suicide because she sees no other reason to live.  Although the ending is tragic, the story itself and the means by which it is told are truly beautiful, and I would watch it again and again.

Raul Cuero: A lesson in Creativity

          Raul Cuero is an inspiration for people everywhere, not only for aspiring scientists and inventors, but for anyone who is determined to overcome difficulties and to thrive in their future.  After watching his interview, I was able to take away many important words of wisdom that I can most definitely apply to my life.  The one that sticks out the most is something that has been talked about for years now, and it is the fact that technology today may be hindering the imaginations of the generations of tomorrow.  Cuero notes that much of his creativity came from living in a dull town in which he was forced to play outdoors for entertainment.  He says that kids today spend too much of their time staring at computer screens where information and images are simply fed to them, not thought up from their own imaginations.  For Cuero, it was his deep connection with nature that also allowed him to be the creative person that he is.  Everyone today can surely learn from what he has to say, considering most people of all ages can often be caught with their faces buried in a screen.  We all need to make time away from technology to explore nature and our own minds in order to let our creativity grow.
            A second very important thing that I took away from Raul Cuero's interview has a little less to do with creativity and more to do with persevering.  Raul describes how, being from Colombia, he often faced prejudice and was looked at and treated differently.  He simply states, "...but I didn't pay attention."  Cuero had his fair share of "haters," but did he let them stop him?  He actually did quite the opposite.  Raul Cuero used the negativity he got from others as motivation to gain more knowledge and be more creative; "using haters as motivators" as we might say today. From watching this interview,  I am able to understand more that sometimes it is not enough to just be smart; to simply know facts.  When you are creative as well, you can apply this creativity to the facts you already know and therefore make something out of the two, such as Cuero did with his inventions.  Not only can we all learn a lesson on working hard in our academic fields,  but Cuero also teaches that imagination and creativity are just as important on the path to success.

A Unique Take on Multimedia

          Before my first day in this class, if I were to be asked what multimedia was defined as, I surely would have kept my answer limited to things such as television, computers, animation, and pretty much anything else involving a screen.  However, with my new understanding that multimedia is actually "a series of time controlling tools working in synergy," I see the world in a completely different light.  When examining Juan Carlos Delgado's work that is considered to be multimedia, I was blown away.  The detailed, bronze bust of the beautiful young girl could be considered a masterpiece all on its own, yet Juan Carlos did not stop there.  By attaching the bust to a refrigerator, in my opinion something only a creative genius could think of, he created multimedia.  Over time, the bust formed more and more frost, and it still fascinates me how all of this was thought up and made possible.  Before long, the once bronze girl turned completely white with snow; the tiny ice crystals looking like tiny works of art all by themselves.  This entire project is clearly multimedia because Juan Carlos Delgado took tools, such as the refrigerator and anything needed to sculpt the bust, and used them together to create a piece that would change over a period of time.  He clearly had a vision and he used multimedia to make it come to life.

First Impressions

Hi Tampa! I'm Elisabeth (Liz) DellaMonica, a Communications major from New York.  In high school I starred in most of the musicals, so I really love to sing and perform.  I've been lucky to live so close to a city that is perfect for this, and most of my money usually ends up in my "Broadway tickets fund." Other than theatre, I also enjoy playing volleyball, guitar, and writing.  Upon entering Professor Echeverry's class, I immediately knew it would be something I would look forward to every Monday and Wednesday.  His energy and passion are like nothing I have ever seen in any teacher I've had, and I know that these traits will be what help me to learn in this class.  There already seems to be a lot of information that we will be covering, but luckily it all seems very fascinating.  I really look forward to getting into the more modern types of art and technology, such as radio and television.  Overall I just hope to soak up all of the information that I can, not only to help with my major, but to also allow me to grow into a more well-rounded student.