Rosebud

In the movie "Citizen Kane" the primary character played by the late Orson Welles dies at the beginning of the movie. His last word before he dies is "rosebud". According to my research, the meaning of the word rosebud is that it was the name of the main character's red sled, seen near the end of the movie when it was burned. It is not only the name of his sled, it holds a bigger meaning, which is left to the audience to decide for themselves. I personally see the rosebud to be a metaphor for growing up, and the end of innocence. This was very evident in the movie. Also in the movie we see variations in camera angles as well as different forms of lighting that express the tone of individual scenes. The beginning sequence also reminds me of another movie that I love, "Memento". In this movie we start at the very end and go backwards in the time line to see what lead up to that point. I wish more modern psychological movies do this, rather than go with corny subplots that usually never make sense.

Character 3D Modeling

A character I'm working on.

South Park and Broadway

This is so hilarious, and true when it comes to the shows of today.

Napoleon 1927

Although there isn't much out there on YouTube that shows how groundbreaking this film is, I can tell you from what I saw, this is definitely legendary. From what seems to be underwater scenes to splitting the screen into 3 panels at the climax of the film, this movie drove the industry forward. This film broke the barrier of glorious battle movies, and showed the hardship and emotional truth of what war really was. It is unfortunate that there isn't much out there. I wish I could see the whole thing rather than bits and pieces.

The Great Train Robbery

"The Great Train Robbery", out of all the silent movies I have seen in class so far, was the most thrilling. I'm not exactly sure if this was the first action/thriller created, but it definitely was the best thus far. You also see for the first time the illusion of a constantly moving set (the train) on a grand scale, which wasn't properly done yet at the time. We already have seen the use of early color in the movie, but I feel the mix between the black and white, and the specific colors for the women's dresses and gun smoke were vital in dramatizing the scenes. Also, at the end where the robber breaks the fourth wall and shoots his gun at the camera, I thought this was ingenious. Not only was it sending a clear message to the audience about the life of crime, but it also makes the movie an interactive piece. That scene definitely reminds me of the end of the movie "Goodfellas", where Joe Pesci shoots his gun at the camera. It is the exact same message, from a different time period and a different scenario.

Fox and Friends Trolled

This kid is the man! this is what he said after the interview:

Rice said that the opportunity to go on national television “kind of fell into my lap” when “a friend of a friend” got a text message asking if anyone knew a recent college graduate who can’t get a job and is voting for Mitt Romney. “I’m like, hell yeah I’m a college graduate. Eff Obama!” he said. “20 emails later with the producer at Fox, they’re telling me what to say. It’s such bullshit. It’s so ridiculous.”

Rice told Raw Story that he in fact dropped out of college, but lied to Fox News about it just to see if they’d do their homework.

“The first thing that shocked me is that they were that desperate to find someone that fit that category,” he added. “What they were seeking is someone who voted for Obama in 2008, then somewhere in the last four years got disenfranchised and now is a huge Romney supporter…They were so happy that I fit the mold and that I was Caucasian,” he continued. “They were just casting a part in a show. They were so stupid. I’m a kid messing around.”

A Trip To The Moon

For a far fetch fantasy, this movie is quite outstanding. There are a ton of breakthroughs when it comes to the plot of the movie. For the first time in cinema history, there is a clear beginning, climatic middle, and a satisfying conclusion. Also, this movie made some breakthroughs when it comes to editing, or what Georges Melies calls "Illusion Magic". You see for the very first time the use of effective overlays and transitions, which during those days could be considered true illusion. In the fantasy movie "Hugo", Georges Melies is portrayed by the great Ben Kingsley, which I find outstanding. In it, Georges is depressed about his life, and how the world didn't need his movies in order to move along through life, and so he put them away, intending to never speak of them again. In the end, the main character Hugo influences Georges to find his old movies and once again demonstrate their uniqueness to the world. I loved "Hugo" and hope a lot of other people feel the same way.

Technology on Broadway

1) Crazy for You: "I Can't Be Bothered Now"

Just the fact that the dancers pull off the jammed packed clown car illusion had me. I thought that was amazing for the Tony Awards.


2) Peter Pan "I'm Flying"

I saw the original production of Cathy Rigby's Peter Pan when I was around 10 years old. I always thought that the flying was the most amazing part of the show, even though now I see that it looks a little silly to see a 60 year old woman swaying back and forth in the air.


3) Tony Awards 2012 Opening Number

Although this opening number was a poke fun at the actual mechanics and technology that the theater produces, it was still funny and amusing.


4) Nice Work If You Can Get It

I like the scene change from the streets to the club. It demonstrates quick scene change, which is essential on Broadway today. I'm not a fan of the show, although I can see why some people might.


5) Porgy and Bess

Being an artist, I find color to be a great way to demonstrate the mood of the scene. This is exactly what happens in this show. It went from a dull yellow, which I find sad and depressing, to a bright blue and white, which to me is cheery and nice. This was always essential and still is in a show on Broadway.


6) Evita

I love the set design for this show. I think this is crucial for a show like this, as it demonstrates once again the tone and mood for the act.


7) The Apple Tree

The costume design stood out for me in this excerpt. Although not a crucial aspect to the mechanics of Broadway it still demonstrates the personality of the characters, which is needed for a show.

Wicked Mechanics

The smash hit, Wicked, demonstrates some of the most unique and original technology I have ever seen on a Broadway show. I'm use to the simple mechanics of shows like Showboat, or even the Sound of Music, because of the simplicity of the story. Wicked however needs to show the audience that Oz is magical. As we all know from magic performances by Penn and Teller or even Houdini, the illusion of magic is one of the most technically difficult medias to perform. Wicked, even though is not a magic show, requires some of the same illusions and pieces of equipment. For example, I found the technology behind the Wizard of Oz's head to be fascinating. They use bicycle brakes to open and close the mouth of the head, along with the movement of the eyes. Also, they use a base drum pedal to move the eyebrows of the head as well. Another piece of technology I found interesting was the bat wings of the flying monkeys. I didn't realize how many artists it took to design this piece of cloth, just to only express the opening of the wings maybe once in the show. They designed a harness that goes around the actor, and attached a string that the actor pulls to spread the wings out. I thought the whole process in creating the wings was fantastic.

History of Jazz

The influence of Jazz began with the formation of ragtime, which was an organized form of African American folk songs developed in the late 1800's and remained popular until the 1920's. It evolved into Jazz when ragtime styled music combined with European instruments. The Blues is considered another form of Jazz.

Maya 2013 3D Animation Work

Some Snapshots of what I'm working on for Senior Showcase.

Madama Butterfly

What a beautiful piece of animation. At first this reminded me of one of my favorite musicals, South Pacific, of which a similar romance can be seen. I thought the use of two different types of dolls (Barbie and Japanese butterfly doll) exemplifies the stereotypical differences between the Americans and Japanese, and how the clashing cultures don't particularly mix with each other well. The suicide of the butterfly doll was much more pleasing and wonderful to witness, rather than the original suicide in the Opera. It gave it metaphorical purpose to the ending.