Visual Symbols update

So in my first blog I talked about the phrase “visual symbols” and how it affects my life. In the post I talked about how different visual symbols affect my behavior. As I re-read I don’t talk about the media or how the media tricks me into buying product or thinking in some ways.  I talk about the impact biggest day to date is symbols in my car or other people cars. What was I thinking? It’s the media! Open an app on my phone…BOOM advertisement,

(...tricky I see you random sweepstakes...and I'm not falling for you...this time.)

(Look at all those apps...just waiting to spring and ad on me...yikes)

 turn on the tv…BOOM advertisement, or open my web browser…BOOM advertisement. One of the many things I have taken from this class is that I’m hyperaware of what I’m seeing and how it’s shaping my choices. It has made me more of a cynic sadly, but in advertising I tend to be right. 

(...what are you trying to sell? Shoes?...I bet its shoes!)

(Not falling for it! Plus I don't even wear heels!)

I still believe that my car symbols are still there to help keep me safe or at least informed; however, I also that I realized not that those symbols really don’t change my habits. But when I see an M & M advertisement and I find myself wanting M & M’s,  I realize that I’ve been tricked and I tip my hat to M & M’s. What really has changed though is what I do when an advertisement doesn’t work. I find myself asking why didn’t that work and before I know it I’m trying to solve the problem of the advertisement like it was a math problem. Sometimes for hours I’m asking myself if I wasn’t the right demographic, the wrong mood, or simply just a crappy advertisement. 

(Here are a few that still get me.)

(When it makes me make a "yummy" sound.)

(When I think its cool...)

(well... apparently when random things are Pokemon themed...who knew?) 

(DAMN...made a yummy sound...)

AHA 5 The power of a story.

In class, we talked about examples of the strongest, most memorable scenes in your movie watching experience. To me there are two movies that really had an impact on me.  One was when I was a young teen “The Crow” and the other was “SLC Punk”. Both movies are some of the best films ever made and still hold up to this day. I still get the same feeling I had all those years ago when I first saw the movies. The first movie (The Crow) was about getting even and moving on and the second (SLC punk) was really about a man being forced to grow up even though he is fighting it tooth and nail. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEY2ws2lMoA&feature=fvst

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DILdeHgWF-U

The Crow was really one of the first movies that made the good guy just as dark as the villains (well…almost as bad.) He wasn’t afraid to give it as bad as he got it and you felt he was justified. I found myself wanting him to punish those things.  I couldn’t call them humans. It was also one of the first movies that really tricked me into believing what the director wanted me to believe. The director (Alex Proyas) did such a good job making you fall in love with the couple (Eric Draven and Shelly Webster) that when they die, you have nothing but HATE for the things that caused their death. He also paints a pretty gritty picture of the villains by themselves.  By the time Eric is brought back, you want nothing but the worst things to happen to them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZRJl2R7iI0

I forgot they were humans…again I saw them as things. This doesn’t happen very often but I LOVE it when it does. When I can get SO lost in a story that I forget it isn’t really till the movie, game, or book is over.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AfGaAPtf7U&feature=related

Waste land

What do you feel is the message the director is trying to express in this movie?  Support your answer with examples.
The director wanted to tell a story of an artist who made it and wanted to give back.  But what happened was a story about empowering a community and giving them pride in what they do.  It also was showing them that with a little dreaming and a chance to do right, you can make your dreams come true. Vik simply tells you in the documentary that he wants to give back. As the movie unfolds and he gets some of the pickers to help, they start believing in themselves. All of them, by the end are better than when they started.

(...so a quick look at Vik)

(Vik sure is good at making stuff out of stuff...)

(A soldier made out of little soldiers... so meta.) 

(The story behind these makes me sad on many levels...but you will have to watch the movie to hear it...not my story to tell.)

(Reaching from the bottom to achieve so much.)  

(true...I guess never had everything...but I assume your right.)

(  =)  )

If applicable , discuss if you think this movie has accurate depictions of minorities or if they are situational? Why or why not?
Yes! Vik is Brazilian and when he went back he showed the real life of fellow Brazilians. He showed the life's lower, middle class, and the poor. Was their life pretty?  No, but it is theirs!  Real and a little raw.

(These pictures are to heart warming and sad to make smart ass comments) 

Explain if you think the director’s ethnic/cultural/professional background played a role in directing this film?
Yes! He grew up in the poor class in Brazil and understood the struggle of living like that. Because of his success in the art world he wanted to go back and help his country. He found the lowest of the low and decided to work with them to give them a chance to become more.

(emperor palpatine? Vik...is your full name Darth Vik Muniz? ....and we are back.)

What groups (people of color, nationality, culture, class,gender etc.) may be offended or misinterpret this movie and why?
This was one of the best heart warming stories I've ever seen and not sure how anyone could take offense to this movie. It takes people that are poor, beaten both in mind and spirit, and living barley getting by to live their dreams. Some of their dreams were to get out of the trash. Some wanted to give back and others just wanted to believe in themselves again. How? How can anyone hate that?

(Hey sweet thing...I know I make a TON of money how and we want for nothing...Naturally I want to go live in trash and you know...take photos of junk and then recreate them with junk....I know what you thinking and yes I believe most of these people are drug attics and the lowest of the low....but it should be fun.)

(um....what?)

What the movie added to your visual literacy?
What the documentary does best is showing real emotion.  Its not afraid of showing people simply being people.  Its not afraid to show tears, smiles, and desperation. It made the movie feel real.

(ok...bad example)

What kind of artistic and/or visual means did the director use in the movie to focus our attention?
He used a lot of fades from the photo to the trash photo. This effect was fun to watch. With that, you knew that the pickers themselves made it. What he really did effectively was make me care what was happening to the pickers. It made them real.

(Sweet fade...)

(...yup)

Additional comments/and or analysis/and or other movies recommendations (optional).
I'm not sure if I would watch the movie again. Yes it is heart warming, yes it was well put together, and yes I will tell others to watch it.  But it simply just isn't my type of movie.  Im not a tear jerker fan.

(???)

(BAHAHAHA)

This Film Is Not Yet Rated

11. What do you feel is the message the director is trying to express in this movie?  Support your answer with examples.

This was a documentary about the movie rating system (MPAA). In this documentary the director (Kirby Dick) points out several flaws in the system and talked with other directors that share these flaws. Kirby makes the point that the MPAA has very little problems with violence but has a lot of problems with sex. At one point, when talking to the director of “Boys Don’t Cry” (Kimberly Peirce), she point out that the MPAA gave her a rating of NC-17 for sex but violence is A.O.K.   He also talks to authors, film critics, first amendment attorneys, other directors, box office analysts, producers, current and former raters, former rating board chairman, co-founder of October films, and other people that have been in and around the movie business their whole professional  careers.  They all are having a problem with how movies are rated and the way they are rated.

(Ya made this great movie called boys don't cry...but if I want the money to market my movie and have the studios back me...I need at most a R rating)

(BAHAHAHAHA YES...yes you do and guess who gets to give you the rating!)

(Oh....)

(Lets see it...I'm sure a super old white man can relate to your film and will get the message.)

(Jack:....violence fun for the whole family!)

(...um ok?)

(...Gay sex...NC-17...)

(WTF? For implied oral sex and a boob shot?)

(Female pleasure....)

(GET THIS OUT OF MY SITE!)

(...shit)

(yup.)

22.  If applicable , discuss if you think this movie has accurate depictions of minorities or if they are situational? Why or why not?

Well, Kirby goes in length about how he feels (and other director agree) that gay sex is frowned upon. But the way gay sex is depicted is in an accurate way. He mainly says this because he was talking to directors of those films that wanted to make a point or statement in a positive way. Most of the movies either wanted to show a true depiction of life for their character or address an issue that we as a society need to deal with.

(?)

(?)

(?)

 

(?)

(?)

(?)

33. Explain if you think the director’s ethnic/cultural/professional background played a role in directing this film?

Seeing that the director is a director and this movie has to do with how a film is rated, I can’t see how it’s not. He directed 10 movies before this one and knows how powerless it feels to have his films rated.

44. What groups (people of color, nationality, culture, class, gender etc.) may be offended or misinterpret this movie and why?

EVERYONE! These mystery people are deciding what we show our kids and the clueless masses. The MPAA says YES to violence and NO to sex in all forms, but definitely gay sex. They then have the audacity to say it’s in our best interest! More than anyone though parents (ALL PARENTS…gay…straight…ALL PARENTS) should take offence that a group of mystery “parents” know better than you!

(Parents can bring there kids.)

(LOVE STORY?!?!? SAVE THE KIDS....GET THEM OUT OF HERE!!!)

(Man and his pie....cool if your parents think its cool.)

(LOVE STORY?!?!? SAVE THE KIDS....GET THEM OUT OF HERE!!!)

55. What the movie added to your visual literacy?

This movie used a certain technique where they use funny cartons to make a point. It made the opposing agreement look silly and further cementing his point. It also brings some comic relief just at the right time in the film.

66. What kind of artistic and/or visual means did the director use in the movie to focus our attention?

He used side by side comparisons, wacky cartoons, shaky camera, and my personal favorite the binocular cam.

(ect...)

77. Additional comments/and or analysis/and or other movies recommendations (optional).

This is a movie everyone should see. It goes to show you shouldn’t trust anyone just on merits.

(Good stuff.)