Blog Post #3 - Kirsten Johnson Reflection

   The guest lecture from Kirsten Johnson was rather eyeopening to how film can be expressed in so many different ways, and the level people will go to when creating their pieces of art. The moment that struck me the most during this lecture was when Johnson began to speak on how she filmed the "secret" blimp despite often being told not to. This defiance led to a shot that doesn't exist anywhere else in the world, and could not exist without breaking of the rules. This to me is also an expression of how Johnson sees the world and conveys that she's willing to do anything for the sake of creating that ultimate piece. Another part of the lecture that adds onto this idea is the part where Johnson begins to speak on how long it took to get a flag to blow across the camera's view to create a simple transition. Johnson waited hours just to get a single shot, but it was so well done that it helped pull everything together and greatly benefited her piece.

   Johnson's experiment towards the end of the class also helped to identify some pre-conceived notions I've had of having a viewer look at everything you present. This experiement where we had to stare into another classmate's eyes and stay completely calm, was actually very hard as it ended up in suppressed laughter midway through. This however made me question why I chose to react this way, and what made my classmate do the same. The way we present and express ourselves is extremely important to both our public selves but also our works as the pieces we create are extensions of the way we feel about the world.

Project 3 - Hunter Social Experience

https://vimeo.com/user103270881/review/378883157/9d9f6f87c9

Blog Post #3 - Terminator 2 Scene Analysis

                Terminator 2’s final scene is packed with some very emotional moments.  The scene begins with 2 shots both being close ups of John and his mother Sarah as they watch the T-800 terminator that has protected them this entire time ready himself to his own death.  The editing and shots focus on the John and the terminators relationship by having John always portrayed at a lower angle than the T-800, while the T-800 always has an over the shoulder shot. These shots show how John despite how much he cares is powerless to stop what is about to happen to the T-800 as he must destroy himself.  The viewer is also subjected to lower angle medium shots and one High Long shot to show the setting off and what how the terminator plans to destroy himself by lowering himself into the fire.  After the method of destruction is shown close ups of John’s and the T-800’s face are shown before the camera switches to another over the shoulder shot of the T-800 with John ordering the T-800 not to go.  This further beats in the fact that John can no longer do anything as the T-800 must get rid of himself to save John. This is followed by a close up shot of the Terminator’s face in which he states, “I know now why you cry” The following shot immediately goes back to the over the shoulder shot but this time the terminator is comforting John. The cut from a closeup of the terminator to John’s crying face with the terminator consoling him helps the viewer understand that the terminator has gained something like a human conciseness.  The shots following this scene are of the terminator saying his final goodbyes with close ups to symbolize the trust and lost that the Connors have put into him.  This is followed by descending shots from high angles so that the viewer can watch the terminator go down from the Connors’ perspective, while the low angles would be the terminator’s perspective.  The scene ends on the terminator’s POV with his screen being edited to fade out like a computer turning off, signifying his final death. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmmbBo8RYoE

Project 2  - Interview

https://soundcloud.com/ben-reuben-160270974/project-2-no-music

Project 1 - Define A Space

https://vimeo.com/user103270881/review/362403441/61ad80c753

Artist Statement

 My name is Ben and I want to create animations that take others to worlds that can only be experienced in fiction. I aim to create worlds in which the viewer is as excited as I am when I create these types of worlds and explore every nook and cranny of them. While I would like to focus on animation this is mainly for game design and as such I prefer interactive media when it comes to these types of worlds. My goal with this medium is to immerse the player/viewer as much as I possibly can and make them feel as if they've been transported to another world in which they can explore to their hearts content. 

Aside from interactive media, I also wish to work on feature films that are very narrative driven, be it fiction or non-fiction. The narrative of these types of works are very gripping and I wish to analyze and understand these works so that I may attempt to incorporate this into my own work, and perhaps produce works of my own in this fashion.

The inspiration for my love of creating worlds and narratives comes from the game "Fallout: New Vegas" in which the player is put into a post apocalyptic Nevada, in which the player must exact revenge on the man who attempted to kill him and stole the package he was delivering to the city New Vegas.  This game has inspired me in many ways from it's interactivity allowing the player to pursue the narrative they find most entertaining to the exploration of the world that lets you learn about the Mojave Wasteland while also creating new mysteries from the player to explore. This game also allows the player to enter a world in which their real world common sense still applies to some areas, but is flipped on its head with other aspects of the game. This brings shock to the player as they learn about the world and the after effects of a world war involving nuclear war with each nation. This shock then leads to intrigue which pushes players on to play and explore more, and advance the story of the game so that they may make their mark on this Ravaged wasteland, and learn about everything it has to offer.  The experience this game gives is incredibly unique and fulfilling and, as such it's the type of feeling I wish to create in my work be it films, or video games.