Graphics Assignment: Just Like Heaven by The Cure

Art to Life

The project "Art to Life" is one of the more interesting assignments of the semester. It requires knowledge of art, and also the creativity to form a story line leading to the piece of art. The project is a fantastic way for students to explore their creative sides, while getting the experience of editing and appreciating artwork.
Everyone in the group put in effort. However, sometimes being able to meet was difficult. Illness was an issue. In order to fix it, schedules should be more flexible, especially if an unexpected sickness occurs.
Difficulties occur during filming, such as continuity and timing. Editing fixes this most of the time, but if it can't, then shots have to be filmed again.
Some things learned during this film was how to create a story line to an already planned end. It allows the group to explore different scenarios that can all have something in common. Also, new ways of editing were learned. A similar project should be done next time, as this one is really creative and interesting.
Things already learned were easily applied during this project, such as how to appreciate art, the principles of balanced filming, and editing.

Lyric Book

The lyric book "works" because of how the principles of visual literacy are employed to emphasize the meaning of the words and enhance effect. The song itself has a lot of repetition, for example, "alone alone alone" and "show me show me show me", so the emphasis comes naturally. There is emphasis on certain words in the song, which is shown with a larger fonts, italics, different fonts, and colors. This is perhaps the most important principle of visual literacy in the lyric book. Symmetry and balance are also important because they guide the eye in reading the song, so that there is a natural flow.

Business Card Assignment

Original Business Card

YouTube Assignment: The Landlord

This video is from the "Funny or Die" website. In the video, the main character's landlord confronts him after he fails to pay his rent. Comedy ensues as the tenant makes excuses and the landlord, a four year old girl in a princess costume, continues to badger him.

The majority of the shots are medium shots, which are good for setting up the scene and introducing characters. When the landlord knocks, a long shot captures the entire hallway to the door. During the conversation between Pearl the landlord and the tenant, over the shoulder shots support the back and forth exchange. No shot holds too long, and generally a shot only focuses on a character long enough for them to finish their lines.

What "works" in this piece is the flow of the shots along with the comedic dialogue. I like how when the tenant opens the door, the viewer doesn't expect the camera to pan down to a small child. Also, looking down upon something generally symbolizes disrespect, but in this case, Pearl is the one looking up and is disrespecting the tenant, which I think enhances the comedic effect. Lastly, the over the shoulder shot is the perfect shot for conversation.

What I don't like and think should be changed is the length of the piece. It could be shorter and get to the point, rather than extend the conversation a little too much.

URL : http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/74/the-landlord-from-will-ferrell-and-adam-ghost-panther-mckay?rel=player

The group photography project enables us as students to gain experience similar to working in an ad agency that develops campaigns. Group collaborations can end well, as in our case, because if every mind is a creative one and every member participates equally, then the end product will be a success. Having a “secret word” that we all could grasp and transfer into an artistic vision led to us all taking great photographs that work well together. A problem with group projects (that any ad agency must deal with) is time management; being able to find a time where every member of a team can meet to discuss the project is difficult.

Something that could be done differently next time would be to have a rubric available for reference. Having a standard set of guidelines for the project would help, even though having a loose set of guidelines allows the groups to have more creative control. The rubric would let students see that they were filling the requirements, rather than following a mold. Also, allowing the groups to work on the project for a little time in class would alleviate the stress of finding time out of class where all members are available. Other things to do differently include taking a wider variety of pictures so that there are more options to pick from, meeting with group members more frequently, and applying more of the Photoshop skills we learned.

What I like best about the project’s end result is how well each member’s contributions mesh together. Even though each member has their own perceptions on the secret word, all the photos still work to convey the message. Seeing how each member put their ideas into a photograph is beneficial because it makes one view things outside of their normal schema. Also, being able to see how advertising might work from the advertiser’s perspective is really interesting as well. It’s nice to feel that the pictures one takes will actually hold meaning and have a purpose, for instance in a campaign.

The most important items learned from this assignment were how to cooperate with a team, collaborate photographs to convey a message, and tell a story with a picture. Cooperating with a team includes having to manage time to schedule meetings, agree on photographs to put into the project, and decide on a format to display the project. Learning these skills is incredibly important because they are necessary for being successful in almost any field of work. Being able to cooperate with team members to pick photographs for the project is a great lesson because being able to set aside personal bias and pick the best photographs is the best way to guarantee a valuable end result. Learning to tell a story with a picture is beneficial in the line of journalism because photos can be just as powerful as words. With interest in broadcast journalism, gaining skills in photo journalism will only help in my field.

The photos above convey the group's "secret word". The picture works and uses visual concepts from Photo Idea Index. The focus is mainly on the lock, with the key in the background. The depth of field allows the relationship to be evident. The picture of the people works because viewers can relate to other people in a picture. Therefore, the word that the picture is describing is more obvious.

Defending the Benetton Ad Campaign

The Benetton Ad campaign under Oliviero Toscani employs shock value in order to convey strong messages and attract attention to certain controversies around the world. Although many people find insult in such bold images, the strategy of shock value advertising works. Images that are out of the ordinary grab the eye and cause the viewer to study and remember what is seen. In the case of the David Kirby ad, even though the picture had already been published, Benetton's use of it brought attention to the world and media, causing people to talk about AIDS. In 2003 the photo was included in Life magazine collection "100 Photos that changed the world." (Courtesy Benetton Press Group). The picture of David Kirby causes the viewer to sympathize and relate with the victim and his family. The AIDS epidemic is controversial, let alone the use of the matter in an advertisement; however Benetton prides itself on using its ads to call attention to social issues. Even criticisms are considered good attention, because whether the use of the picture was beneficial to Benetton or not, it was beneficial in bringing awareness to the AIDS epidemic.

Lighting and Perspective

These photographs employ the ways that perspective and lighting can change a photograph. The first photograph has the leaves in focus, and views the flowers from a lower angle. The contrast of the light on the leaves to the flowers stands out. The second picture views the flowers from above, focusing on the yellow flower's face. The light hits the flower directly while the vase and leaves are darker in the background. The last picture has a side view of
the yellow flowers, so that the pink flower grabs the eye. However the light is still hitting all the flowers equally, the vibrancy of the pink flower overpowers the yellow.

Composition Project #3

This picture stood out among the other nature photos primarily because of the skewed viewpoint. The angle of the tree opens up a whole new backdrop for this picture. While the birds are the main focus, one cannot help but notice the beauty of the tree against the sky as well. This also touches on the color contrast created by the brown birds and tree against the bright blue sky. The birds are also placed at the bottom of this picture, rather than the center, increasing the depth already created by the skewed viewpoint. The composition of this photo is remarkable to say the least.

Source: National Geographic

Composition Project #2

The photo of "The Stricken Child Crawling Towards the Food Camp" (1994) in Sudan has drawn attention from all over the world. The viewpoint of this picture is so important because the depth created by the child being watched by the vulture practically screams out at the audience the blatancy of the tragic situation. Also, the color contrast and backdrop draws attention to both the vulture and the child. While the ground is clearly barren and dead, the two living things stand bold against the dirt, grabbing the eye.
Photographer: Kevin Carter

Composition Project

This Photo is called "War Underfoot" and captures a man walking through bullet-case covered streets in Monrovia, Liberia circa 2003. The vantage point used draws attention first to the citizen walking the streets, and then from his feet to the streets. By cropping out the person's identity, the photo further emphasizes the state of the street. The lighting creates a solemn tone, as if the abundance of post-war evidence is not enough. Although by placing the passerby in the middle of the photo violates the rule of thirds, the depth perception created by the bullets compensates, since focus should really be on the street and not on the person.

Photographer: Carolyn Cole
Source: Pulitzer.org