Comedic Genius

In unit 2 of Journalism we learned about how to formulate a podcast, and make sure one can flow very smoothly. We did by following what Ira Glass had to say on making a good story, and doing it in a podcast form. For an FE, we went to Columbia College, to their Journalism Department, where they do TV and radio broadcasting for class. For the action project, we had to think of a famous person in the 20th century, and make a podcast about them. In this podcast we had to explain why they are famous, and we had to tell a story about them. The person I chose for this was Jim Carrey, for he is one of my favorite actors. He also has a side to him not many know about, and it is one that I really wanted to show in this podcast. Something challenging was getting the story together, and editing the podcast together. What I am proud of is that I got my message out, but in the podcast, I tried to do what Jim Carrey loves to do, which is getting people to smile. I did this by trying to add humor to the podcast. Thank you and I hope you enjoy listening!

WHEN	WHO/HOW	WHAT
00:00:00 to 00:13:47 00:13:48 to 01:02:52 01:02:53 to 01:07:07 01:27:81 to 01:32:30 01:32:31 to 01:50:30 01:51:47 to 01:53:64 01:53:65 to  03:36:55 03:36:56 to 03:44:76 03:44:77 to 04: 15:92 04:15:93 to 04:22:42 04:22:43 to 04:29:03 04:29:04 to 04:40:43	Jim Carrey voices fades Background Music starts (“Ambient Background” by Soundshrim) My voice fades away My voice fades Her voice faded Song fades out	Jim Carrey: I watched the effects of my father’s love and humor, and it altered the world around me, and I thought, that’s something to do. That's worth my time. NVA: From GCE Chicago High School, this is NVA, today we are going to be talking about the famous Jim Carrey. Jim Carrey is a comedian that became very famous in the 20th century, from doing In Living Color, Liar Liar, Truman Show etc. Now let me talk about what I think of him first, then we will see what someone else thinks about him. While I am talking, please think of what you think abou him. Is he just a goof? And afterwards did anything about your view of him change? For me Jim Carrey has always been this person that can make me smile. When I am feeling down, or need some reason just to smile, I would turn to him. Watching so many movies he is in. Going on Youtube and looking at his funniest moments from various movies, interviews, and impressions. Jim Carrey: You love me, you really love me! NVA: I learned something when I stumbled upon a video. Jim Carrey is very inspiring, and wants people to just do what makes them happy, and spread that happiness through what they love to do. Many people view him as a guy just acts crazy and loud, I see him as someone that wants to just make your day better in any way possible. Jim Carrey: The purpose of my life has been to always free people from concern. NVA: So today we have M.A. with us and she has been able to see his comedic genius grow throughout the years. And so, I want to ask you what has been like to see this progression and how has he changed the comedic scene? Jim Carrey: Hold on I got to warm up, I don’t wan’t to pull a hammy! MA: Well, Jim Carrey started out in a TV show called in Living Color and he was just kind of a stand-in. He was not one of the A-list, and he quickly rose to stardom with his impressions and rubbery face. One the things about Jim Carrey however, is that he really is a comedic genius. In order to be a comedian you have to be quite smart, you have to be able to ingest the news, ingest what’s going on in the world/worldwide. So you can relate comedy to it. Jim Carrey, thought most of his movies he does play kind of a goofy guy, I don’t think he has written any of those movies but he may have. He may be typecast- ed as this goofy guy but in reality he is brilliant and really comes off making the movies moe in depth and inspiring for people. Even the Cable Guy, which really is.. I thought it was a funny movie, it kind of taught you something about people at the end; and I think that’s something Jim Carrey brings into his movies. NVA: So he can make society a little more relatable for you, in his comedic genius? MA: Yes, Jim Carrey comes off as a goof but in reality he tries to inspire, the youth, by sending them messages in some of his Ted Talks and different podcasts about how life is short and you need to do what makes you happy and strive for excellence. Jim Carrey: My soul is not contained with the limits of my body, my body is contained with the limitless of my soul. NVA: Alright thank you MA and thank you for everyone that listened, I hope you enjoyed this! Jim Carrey: Okay I'm gone! Taking off! See ya… bye!

Art or Vandalism?

In unit 3 of A Nation’s Argument we learned about segregation, mainly looking at how each generation of blacks are oppressed in different ways. For a FE we went to the Newberry Library, to explore an exhibit that had articles and pictures of ways each decade changed in the oppression of black people. After this, we looked at the thesis of the arguments made by the government and whites, and the other side’s view, also known as the antithesis. This learning led me to the action project, we had to pick a topic that is controversial so it has two sides to it. Then we have to side with a position on this topic, and then talk about that position and talk about the opposite position. Then create a synthesis to see a middle ground of where they can work together. The topic I chose was graffiti: is it art or vandalism. I argue that graffiti is art, and as such, should not be considered an illegal activity. Something I liked about this project was getting to see the other side because I like to think of all sides and try to find a middle point for everything. Please enjoy reading about why I think graffiti should be seen as an art-form.

Meneses, Jaume. “Graffiti als Jardins de les Tres Xemeneies.” 2007. Wikicommons. Web. Mar. 16.2016

Thesis:

Graffiti is something that I have liked, mainly because I can draw letters better than characters. Aside from that, graffiti, something I once thought was vandalism, I see now as art. So why doesn’t everyone else see it that way? Well, that is simply because not many people have gotten to know it like I have. Most people just see a name, a “tag”, an image spray-painted on a wall. They don't see any art within the writing itself. Graffiti has not been seen as art, simply because it is writing more than actually making a piece of art, like drawing a character or landscape. To this point I argue that poetry is an art-form comprised of words, so, is it that the speaking of words that qualifies poetic language as art? Graffiti has a message behind it, which is really that these artists just want to be recognized by everyone and anyone. Whereas many other artists have to work so much harder to get recognized, like going to art shows and trying to sell it. Graffiti is special in the way that:

• You get a rush from doing it.
• Anyone can do it.
• It is the longest art from to have always been popular.

Think about that -- many art-forms die or lose popularity, like fresco, those types of painting were so big. Then they just died off, people found other things, other art-forms that interested them more. Graffiti, however, is becoming “immortal” because it was created in the 1980s, and is still talked about and seen everywhere. Also graffiti does make jobs for people in some ways; the city will hire people to clean the spots where the artists tagged. The person cleaning it can get money for their family or themselves.

Vandalism means: “action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property.” When someone is tagging they aren’t putting damage to the surface, they are only adding to what is there, which could be removed easily.

Having stated that, graffiti doesn’t destruct or damage any of the property, but simply adds to it. Calling graffiti vandalism is basically calling it something it couldn’t be. I think that graffiti doesn’t always have to be something put on a wall that is public or private. It can in your notebook, on a canvas, anywhere. I think graffiti has just got a bad rap because many people, who aren’t in the art community maybe, see it as vandalism.

Support for Thesis:

“Graffiti has been used for years and years, from drawing on walls by the cavemen to the claiming of cities by the ancient Romans. It also has given cities a unique flare. Graffiti is a way for people to express themselves and show their imagination and creativity.” - Lloyd, Alexis. "Could Graffiti Ever Be Considered Art?" The Antelope Valley Times. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.

“Buildings that are “tagged” have a more personal feel than buildings with plain white walls.  Because of the appreciation for graffiti’s beauty, instead of viewing graffiti as vandalism, many realize the amount of skill necessary to create the street art and appreciate the message it delivers.  Many people admire Keith Haring, a famous graffiti artist from the 80s known for his artwork around New York City.  Haring’s artwork is so widely known that the city has embraced its presence around the city.” - Delavari, Sami. "Graffiti Should Be Recognized as Art, Not Vandalism." Calabasas Courier Online. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.

“Graffiti is a form of art for those who can’t afford high end art supplies, or even go to an art class. Many of those doing graffiti art are very talented; they have a knack for the art they put out there. It is very hard to get it perfect so it takes talent. It is a way for them to be noticed; by their art. Sure, there are right and wrong places to be doing graffiti, but graffiti should indeed be considered art.” - Krey, Nicole. "Is Graffiti Art?" On the Prowl. 20 Nov. 2015. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.

Antithesis:

For the other side who see graffiti as vandalism, see graffiti like this because they are taking property that someone owns, and doing whatever they want to it. You don’t want to have this nice house and then your kid writes all over the walls-- no, it looks messy then. People/the city owns these things that these “artists” are tagging, the building then has to be fixed using the owner’s money. “Whether particular viewers find any given piece of graffiti artistically, is irrelevant. Graffiti’s most salient characteristic is that it is a crime.” -  MacDonald, Heather. “Graffiti Is Always Vandalism.” New York Times. Nytimes.com. 2014. Web. Mar. 2016. Also, some graffiti artists think tagging something means they own it, like how a signature at the bottom of a painting means the person made it. Some graffiti artists think that because they do this, they own the building, mailbox, newspaper stand, etc. So upon which they’ve made their artistic mark someone who works hard to build this building and make it their own, is ruined just because an artist writes their name saying it is theirs now.

Francki. “Garage Door Graffiti-Vandalism.” 2010. Wikicommons. Web. Mar. 16th, 2016

Synthesis:

Both sides can agree that graffiti is writing a tag, or handstyle on a surface, whether it be canvas or spray painted on someone's building. Secondly, we can agree that graffiti will be done illegally no matter what, since that is part of the point of doing it. Any city should try to legalize it, in all public areas. Then maybe the rush of doing graffiti illegally is gone. This will tell who is really doing it for the art of graffiti. Which matters, because it should be done for the artist expression, not for the fact that it is just illegal. Or another compromise would to make spots around the city for these artists to tag, so they can still get their name out in the art community. The city should try to speak with Brazil, because the Pandolfo twins, famous graffiti artists, made graffiti legal there and they work to make Brazil a more artistic place. They even work with the government to make graffiti and street art better.

Conspiracytheory74. “Os Gemeos Tag” 2013. Flickr. Web. Mar. 16, 2016.

Questions for graffiti artists:

1. How would a you feel if someone tagged your house?
2. Should graffiti become legalized, so the rush of doing it is lost?

Questions for people who think it is vandalism:

3. Why do many people perceive the graffiti as vandalism, and not actual art?

Question for you:

4. What do you see it as? Why?

Conclusion:

My synthesis is something that has made me wonder now, “what if?”-- what if we could make either of suggestions happen. Would it turn out better, or would these graffiti artists rebel even more than most do I would definitely like this, because I have talked to graffiti artists and some say they don’t want to do it illegally because they don’t want to be arrested. I think this would help them look better, and have this fear for trying to do something that they love. Then again, many like the rush of doing it illegally -- and take away that rush and there could really be a lion. This is such a seemingly minor issue that no one really talks a lot about, and I want people to think about it.

Stand By Me

For unit 3 of my Ollywood class, we learned about post production, and mainly everything they add to the movie after everything has been filmed, CGI, film score, sound effects, and different approaches to movie reviewing. For the action project we had to create a podcast on a movie of our choice and I chose to do Stand By Me, because of how good and impacting it is on the audience. The purpose of his was to learn another approach we could use in reviewing a movie that we watched, and I thought it was super useful to me.

Script:

Hey everyone! Thank you for listening to my movie review channel, today I will be doing a movie made based by Stephen King’s book The Body, Stand by Me, a drama made in 1986!

I will be reviewing this movie through the generic approach, which mainly focuses on comparing it to other movies that are in the same genre and maybe movie concept.

I compared Stand By Me  to  The Breakfast Club, because they are both dramas that talk about how a group of  kids go on a small adventure and come out a different person. But both of these films  also took very different approaches to tell that story. The Breakfast Club focuses on a group of kids, who are not friends serving Saturday detention together and happening to find themselves in an adventure while Stand By Me follows a group of close-knit friend who seek out an adventure to pass their time.

These two 80s drama are similar in that they both talk about kids trying to deal with there parents and, trying to find where they belong. Through their adventures, the kids from The Breakfast Club and Stand By Me, learn more and more about themselves and each other.

Stand By Me is narrated by older Gordie Lachance who is writing a book about this summer adventure in Oregon. The movie starts with Gordie walking through his town and meeting up with his friends Chris and Teddy. Chris is the leader of the group and is known for being part of the bad family in the town. Teddy was similar where he was known for his father who almost burned Teddy’s ear off and was known for being crazy.When he enters they are playing cards and smoking and joking around. Then their friend Vern came in saying he had big news he overheard these guys talking about a dead body. The group end up going on an adventure where they share happy and sad moments. Each member of the group end up learning about themselves through their friends. In this adventure they had a lot obstacles but they were able to overcome them and come out as different people.

This movie in general was very well done. The film -editing was very well done. The whole movie used dialogue referent to cut back and forth between the present as Gordie was writing the book to the past, showing what he was writing about. The scene in which film cuts were used most effectively was when Gordie was in the little market buying snacks and they used a thought referent film cut, to flashback to a memory Gordie was having. The scene shows Gordie standing at the cash register and the cashier was talking about his brother, Dennis who passed away. The scene cuts to Gordie having a flashback of their family having dinner and his father only talking to Denny and ignoring him. I liked how this cut was used as a symbol of what Gordie’s life was like before and after that happened.

The film score was amazing in this movie, and I loved it because it might not be memorable but it fits so well with the adventure.  The composer of the film took simple songs and made it a fun kind of road trip song. My favorite scene was in the beginning of the film where the guys were hanging out in their tree house playing cards, smoking, and joking around, and Rockin’ Robin played to set a very nice and calm mood.I loved that scene!

The sound effects were also very well done and were used perfectly to make me feel like I was right there with them. The best use of sound effects was when they were crossing the bridge and the only sound you could hear was the rumbling of the train. As the train got louder, it really built up the suspense of the question, Are they going to make it?. That sound made me scream, “Run!” throughout that entire scene.

There was no CGI in this movie, I felt like if they used it the movie wouldn’t be real or as good as it was. They very well with out and it made the set they used was very well done, just like in The Breakfast Club, because they didn’t use CGI and that made it so much more real for the audience.

This movie gets 5 out 5 stars, because it used such a great soundtrack and how they used that music to seem adventurous when the song isn’t. Also the set design and everything was so beautiful and it could not have been redone.

Watch Stand by Me now and let it take you on the journey it did for me and just wait to be amazed!

Thank You for turning on my channel!