Fireside Chat

Artist Statement

            Everyone has a story to tell. No story is the same, and every story carries it’s own meaning. For this Fireside Chat I chose to share some of the stories that are so close to me, and how music has helped me to get through these moments in my life. I believe that music can be a channel for our emotions.

In class we did not have any specific readings, but we did view some media that helped us to get an idea of what to do. In class we watched a clip from the TV show Mad Men, which showed the personal connection photographs and the product Carousel had to his own life. Like him, I took songs that were written for anyone, anywhere, and applied them to my life and me specifically. Making this connection made it possible for me to take this normally generalized media, and make it into something that is more poignant for myself.

In the movie Silver Lining’s Playbook, a young woman named Tiffany struggles with the loss of her husband, and tries to find a way to cope with her issues. She becomes heavily immersed in dance, even to the point where she pulls a very reluctant (and issue plagued) man named Pat into the routine with her. The dancing becomes a sort of escape for them, and helps them to deal with the many problems they are facing. Music had a similar effect on me, and helped me to move past the different challenges I was facing.

When preparing for this assignment, I thought a lot about how I should present the idea. I wanted everyone present to feel comfortable with me sharing these stories from my life, and I wanted to convey the idea that everyone was my friend and we were simply having a conversation about my life. I wanted this because I felt that when I would have problems in life, the best thing I found I could do was to sit down and talk it out with a close friend. It is because of this that I chose to sit on a stool and talk to everyone unscripted. I also chose to not play any of the music because I felt that it would take away from that heart to heart feel and become too much like a presentation. Although at times when talking with friends you could show them a song, I felt that a dramatic reading of the lyrics would be much more effective.

My life hasn’t always been a perfect story of success and popularity, but I’ve been able to find the best parts of my worst moments, and find the joy of life within them. Even if I’m left out at a dance or dressed up like a dweeb for a Harry Potter premiere, I know I can still conquer life by seeking out the things that allow me to have an emotional release. Music is powerful and my life has become indebted to its power.

Concerned Citizen

Artist Statement

It's hard to feel that the arts are slowly filtering out of the school system when you live in Provo, Utah. Music especially seems intrinsic in the Mormon culture, with every other child able to play the piano or sing angelically. However, more and more arts education is leaving mainstream school systems in favor of more "practical" skills such as sciences or athleticism.
In our reading in class this week, it says "Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefit." It continues on to discuss the progression of cultural rights in general and their ability to allow self-expression in ways that make sense to us. However, if this cultural and media-literacy is to disappear from schools, that ability to express in any particular medium that might benefit one specific person the most deeply will disappear. For example, in this class I often find myself frustrated by my lack of previous instruction and skill, and if I had come into it with more outside knowledge, I might feel more prepared to tackle these projects. However, with my limited arts education, despite extracurriculars all through grade school, I still find myself unable to express the intentions of my mind.
While this is a very concentrated example, and many people are not arts-minded and would be frustrated in an educational system that forces any sort of medium down their throat they aren't naturally comfortable with, the exposure to this kind of culture can only benefit students as a whole. Though perhaps a general knowledge of classical music or historical paintings won't help a surgeon as he operates, it just might allow him to put a family at ease with small talk using such facts that are separate from the medical situation entirely. The knowledge of these artistic pieces can create an empathy that a scientific background alone could not possibly allow.
Our concerned citizen, Daysha Lassiter, speaks about her worries of an ever-shrinking emphasis on the importance of arts educationally, specifically that of music education. As a junior in her pursuit of a Bachelor's degree in music, she speaks of the benefits she sees in musical education on students as an emotional output that would be deprived in an artless education. Multiple scientific studiesback up her theory on the benefits of musical education especially, showing increased test and language scores for those who participate in musical endeavors as well as the typical school work. We felt this issue was incredibly relevant, and Daysha's conviction was powerful enough to adequately address this issue.
When we filmed Daysha, we didn't want to focus on much other than her and the little pieces of her through her surroundings. Like with "Rusty" that we watched in class, we wanted the focus to totally on her, and felt her words were more important than any sort of film picture could be. We didn't want to over pack it with b-roll footage that might cause wandering concentration, and felt using primarily establishing personality shots did more towards that than some of the other clips we had would.
Though large scale political movement may not be possible, many people like Daysha are urging for the return to funding and aiding arts programs.  VH1, a cable TV channel devoted to music, has created the Save the Music Foundation which provides educational and scholarship opportunities for children unable to find it in their local schools. Through these movements and those that continue to come with increased passion and public movement, we might be able to bring arts education in its entirety to schools.

Protest Poster

Artist Statement

          For years, Americans have had a dark and gloomy picture of hunger and pain hanging over the image of the African continent. Commercials, blogs, and websites all add to the thunder clap that booms so steadily from the dark skies of American’s African imagination. While the issues they discuss are real, Africa is not a land doomed to overcast skies. There is a bright light that shines steadily, and the light emanates from none other than the land and people themselves.

          In my protest poster I explored this idea that Africa is a land void of happiness. In class we watched a talk given by Chimamanda Adiche, exploring this same idea. I was heavily influenced by this talk because I too have lived in Africa and understand some of the reactions she described in her talk. A more poignant example she described was while she would discuss with her college roommate. Her roommate was astounded by her native language and was amazed by the fact that she knew who Mariah Carey was. I felt that this lopsided perception is prevalent with the majority of Americans, and felt the need to explore it more fully.

          In preparation for this project I sought out some of the media that is fueling this gloomy idea. I found a website called “Save Africa’s Children,” that is a non profit organization made to help the suffering children. Their homepage is smothered with pictures of young children with tears in their eyes and unhappy countenances. One of the pictures that caught my eye clearly was a young baby looking directly into the camera with the words “Give Hope, Give Faith, Give Life, and Help Save Africa’s Children, Give Now” bordering his face. Another piece of media I found was a series of commercials done by the organization “Save the Children.” Their commercials focused in on a single child, sharing his name and where he was from, while quiet serene piano music is heard with the voice of a narrator glazing over the images. Finally, I found a CNN article titled “Why Africa Still Needs Aid” by Bob Geldof. At the top of the article is a picture of many people gathered around a well to fetch water, and the artist of the piece adds to this image by giving us several statistics about African life, such as “40 percent of Africa’s one billion population still live on $1.25 per day or less.”  While it would be impossible for me to argue and try to say that these organizations or viewpoints or not valid, I can say that they are not the whole truth.

          In my piece of selected several pictures showing the natural beauty of the African land. Beautiful waterfalls and rivers dot the land, while the sunsets cast a blanket of peace across the countryside. In the background of the pictures, I included one of a river with miles of crops growing on its banks. Agriculture is one of the most lucrative businesses in Africa, and millions of people benefit from their own gardens every single day. From this many people have their own source of food, and while they aren’t eating steaks, they are eating. I also included several pictures of happy people, especially happy children. Anyone who has stepped foot on the continent has instantly fallen in love with the pure innocence and happiness of the children. I picked these images to capture this notion. Although millions of children die to malaria and other diseases each year, millions more live and become respected members of their various communities. At the center of the poster I placed a clock tower found in Bo, Sierra Leone. Often when Americans imagine Africa, they instantly think of half naked people running about with spears, living in huts. Africa has several large cities and is developing its infrastructure. The clock tower is a symbol of that progress. I also placed a picture of the sprawling city of Freetown, Sierra Leone in the background near the top. The city is filled with clubs, supermarkets, restaurants, and is home to over a million people. The people you find there are vibrant and full of life.

          When I posted this image on Facebook, many people responded in a positive manner. One comment made was, “the world makes you think that Africa is a different place and that a people without much fiscal sustenance must have horrible lives and can't enjoy life without money and technology.” Another person who had also lived in Africa said of the poster, “It is showing your definition of paradise. Paradise is happiness, children, smiles, and enjoying the moment. Happiness is enjoying your surroundings. You don't need money or fame to be in paradise. I agree with you. I have never been with a happier people or been happier myself. Paradise.” It’s important to understand that there isn’t one side to this complex group of people.

          In conclusion, it is very clear to me that there is much more to Africa than dying children and tribes of primal hunters. It is a growing civilization that is ripe with booming modernism and  happy people. While there is still much to improve in the land, we mustn’t forget that there are millions of people who are happy with the lives they have, and happy with where they are going. 

Webspinna Battle

Elephant Love Medley (25 seconds)

Bon Jovi - You Give Love a Bad Name

L.O.V.E. - "Stop Seeing Each Other" 500 Days of Summer

Love Story/Love Quotes

Cee Lo Green - Forget You

Close Your Eyes x Three Days Grace - I Hate Everything About You (1:04)

The Notebook Love Scene
The Notebook Break Up Scene

Plain White T's - Hate

Titanic/Gone With the Wind themes - The Dark Night "I hated my father" & Indiana Jones - "I hate snakes"

Titanic "I'm flying" x JoJo - Leave (Get Out)

A Thousand Years

Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone

Pride & Prejudice

Ted How I Met Your Mother - "Winning this break up"

 "All you need is love." According to The Beatles, our lives are complete the moment we have obtained the highest point of a relationship-- love. But according to the Book of Mormon prophet Lehi, "it must needs be, that there is opposition in all things." How could we ever have love if we never had its petulant arch nemesis, hate? By exploring the contrast of these two opposing principles, we can find ourselves feeling the love, or burning with hate.

       In class we explored some different pieces of media to really exploit these contrasting characteristics. One piece we explored in class was DJ Spooky's "Rhythm Science." In his piece he took a group of random words and had them correlate in a not so linear way. He took different words, such as "Cool, Theater, The Idiot, and Vector," and put them all in the same space. By definition, none of these words really have any correlation with each other. The difference in this piece is that although they are not similar in definition, they are all linked by their occupation of space. They have all been placed together to convey a meaning. The meaning that came to us was pure confusion. In the Webspinna battle, we took a vast variety of media that came from all different sources, and put them in one place to cause some confusion. Is it a song of love? Or a song of hate? The contrasting elements come through and disorient any idea of a linear narrative.

       One example of these contrasting and disorienting pieces happened in the middle of our battle. "Close Your Eyes," a soft sultry ballad sung by the heartthrob Michael Buble was thrown to the wall by the harsh vocals from the band Three Days Grace in the song "I Hate Everything About You." While you were beginning to orient yourself in the milky twilights, you were quickly pulled in a different direction completely. 

        Another source of media that conveys this confusion is the piece Marie-Thérèse au béret rouge et au col de fourrure by Pablo Picasso. When you first begin to view the piece, you can see the expression is one of complacency, but as you continue to stare that idea is moved around and morphed into the chaos Picasso is so famous for. It's even hard to tell what emotion the person is trying to portray. At an initial glance you may see it as something mundane, but as your eyes shift you see traces of sorrow. It is just as the battle we held-- should you feel happy or sad?

            In our battle we wanted to explore different perspectives of love and hate. We brought in scenes from The Notebook, Moulin Rouge, and Titanic to show people expressing their love in different ways. Then we contrasted that with break-up scenes from the same movies. When romantic love is torn because of mis-communication or offense hate surfaces. The song, “Close your Eyes” shows the romantic magic of love and “Love Me Do” shows the fun, happy, dancy side of love. Taylor Swift explores immature teenage love while LOVE from Frank Sinatra sings the classic, mature love. And most of the hate songs reveal broken hearts. We wanted to visually represent these songs through our dress. Love is more pure so Chad wore white with a full heart on his chest. Hate is darker, so Hunter wore black with a broken heart on his chest. Most hate starts with broken hearts. Everyone needs to be loved, if someone is not, hate can develop.

       The battle of Love vs. Hate is legendary and will never cease to occur. While we make our way through our lives we'll find ourselves flip flopping between the two as we attempt to orient ourselves to the proper side. Until then we will continue to be at war.

World Building

Artist Statement

• Before a baby learns to talk, they smile. Body language is a major part of human interaction that begins at infancy. In the world of Dancetopia, the only way by which people communicate is through body language. Dance is the sole form of self expression citizens use to interact with one another. Analyzing this aspect of Dancetopia causes one to reflect on communication on Earth. Dance and body language is an integral facet of communication on Earth, a fact that is made clearer through the exploration of Dancetopia. Throughout Earth's history, political gestures have been made popular by the leading figures of government. Dancetopia also features politicians with their own particular political gestures. The first scene in our short film is a presidential debate between two candidates – a strictly conservative female candidate and a passionately liberal male candidate. The conservative candidate has very closed-off and concise movements that are symbolic of her belief in having less taxes. The other candidate, however, demonstrates free, open movements that represent his willingness to happily be taxed and give in order to benefit of others. In the country of Germany on planet Earth, Adolf Hitler required the Nazi salute to be performed by his citizens to indicate their loyalty to him. Richard Nixon used the V for victory sign as a trademark of his. The presidential debate scene in the short film prompts one to reflect on how Earth politicians have used physical movements to rally their supporters and sway public opinion. In Dancetopia, citizens are either of the upper class, the lower class, or the religious class. Those in the religious class differentiate themselves from society by physically altering their appearance. Religious Dancetopians dress all in white, decorate their forehead with a spiral, and move in a manner in which their bodies are directed either towards or in submission of the heavens. Religious people on Earth have similar practices. Jewish people wear prayer shawls to demonstrate their faith in God. Some Hindu people place a bindi ion their forehead to protect against demons. Individuals of all faiths worship God by bowing or orienting themselves towards the heavens in prayer. The religious dance ceremony in the short film mimics Earthling religious worship and shows the audience that worship on Earth can be viewed like a dance. Dance and body language are a prevalent part of our beings and touches on many characteristics in our lives. Classes are distinguished from one another through their bodily "diction." The upper class of Dancetopia moves in a very elegant and smooth manner, while the lower class dances closer to the ground. As Earth, certain genres of dance are sometimes associated with a specific class of people. In Dirty Dancing, Baby was not suppose to affiliate with those who danced dirty because she belonged to the upper class. In Dancetopia, the varying forms of dance represent the individuals' social standing. Dance can be a signifier of class status, a fact that is true in both Dancetopia and Earth. In the final scene of the short film, we see a family unit at home eating dinner. In this particular scene, the strongest expression of emotion is depicted. This is very reminiscent of the music video for the song “Valtari” by Sigur Ros, in which two subjects communicate to one another passionately through interpretive dance (warning: there is graphic content in this music video). Emotions are strong and are only portrayed through dance. Similarly, in this scene, the father explodes in anger, which is represented through violent, passionate, and Footloose-esque movements. Julian Bleecker had stated in her essay, Design Fiction, “[Worlds] are assemblages of various sorts, part story, part material, part idea-articulating prop…” Our world is designed through various observations that we have made. Earth is a potpourri of interpretations and thoughts, a product of experience. Similarly, Dancetopia is a product of our past associations with dance. Dance and movement on Earth communicates basic wants and desires that one experiences since infancy. Body language is key to communication on Earth, a facet of our society that is focused on in the world of Dancetopia.

Textual Poaching

Artist Statement

          Since the beginning of my life I have always been a little brother. Being a little brother hasn’t always been an easy thing, and especially so when the older sibling is a sister. For my textual poaching I took a music video of the boy band N’SYNC that was popular just barely after my birth, but greatly influenced those around me, especially my older sister. Because of this, I was inadvertently affected by it, and have created a product that exemplifies this influence in my life.

          My older sister was born in the late 80s and because of this she got the full experience of the 90s. She had always been a fan of the arts and wanted to see her director dreams be realized in any way possible. This led to the many productions and pieces that left me, the younger brother, to star in, whether I liked it or not. This piece of media is especially identifiable with me, however, because it marked one form of how I was able to bond with my sister and have a stronger relationship with her. I placed within the actual music video, real footage from my childhood in which I danced along with the N’SYNC song. I feel that this represents the importance that this project has in my personal life, and shows the lengths I was willing to go to make my sister happy.

          In class we took a look at the piece L.H.O.O.Q. by Marcel Duchamp. In his piece he changed something we all know very well and put his own style to it. In my own piece I also took something that is relatively well known and put my own style into it. I feel that Duchamp’s piece showed a bit of his personality. Perhaps he is a very wild and spontaneous person. By the piece I did you can tell that I’m a bit dorky but willing to try new things, even if it could be embarrassing to myself.

          Apart from the piece we looked at in class, another wonderful example of this concept can be seen in other works of art by Marcel Duchamp. One of his pieces, known as Fountain, is another interesting take on something we all know so well. He took a urinal and photographed it and altered it in such a way that it has become something of value. When making art, we must make something that can be valued, and he did so by taking an ordinary object. I tried to take a common video and turn it into something personal, and something that I can value myself.

          Being the little brother is full of many different experiences, good and bad, but I am happy to say that most of mine have been good. Although it has led to me doing some pretty outrageous things, I’m glad I did them. Dancing along to the music of N’SYNC has become more than just a passing fandom to me, but instead had become a treasured memory that is my own to keep and value. The ordinary can become important to us; that is where we find extraordinary.

Medium Specificity

Artist Statement

     Everybody is different. Or at least everybody claims to be different. And while everyone claims to be different from everyone else, everyone else is claiming that everyone is the same. Hence, we get stereotypes that seemingly limit our freedom to express and be who we want to be.

     In class we read over McCloud’s comic piece Show and Tell. In his medium, he demonstrated how comics, pictures and words, could effectively tell a story. In my own piece I did something similar. I used several photographs put together to create a work of art that explores a certain subject. Just as McCloud used in one portion of his piece, I too demonstrated how words and images can work together to have the audience fill in some of the blanks for themselves. An example of this in my piece is when I shade the character black and then write the word “sports” above his head. It’s obvious that there is a connection between the image and the word. It is highlighting the stereotype that all black people are good at and love sports. By doing this, I was able to link words and pictures together, and convey a specific message.

     The Chicago School of Media Theory also explored the importance of medium specificity and said the following, “Eliot argues that a writer never starts on a blank page, and by the same token a painter never begins with a blank canvas, and the same follows for all media. In order for a medium to have characteristic qualities it must be grounded in a tradition that has established these as intrinsic properties.” In my video you see that I do start with a blank page, but I did not just start drawing with a blank mind. Everything we do is just the product of everything that has happened before us, and my piece helps us to see that. There are plenty of ideas and words that have been said pertaining to man, and I attempted to capture that by saying that all of these stereotypes are influencing people to become what others expect them to be. In a sense, you could say that the lives of people are an example of medium specificity themselves.

     At the conclusion, of my piece, I drew a box around everything that had been written and put of the word “Freedom???” There is a trite phrase that people like to use when saying they have a different way of thinking. That is the phrase to “think outside the box.” While people believe that’s what they are doing, they are in fact becoming a product of what the people around them expect them to be. That is why I pose the question of freedom. Is it freedom if we just become what everyone thought of us to be? That is the question we have to answer for ourselves.

Historical Piece

Artist Statement

            “We went from children who were afraid of gunshots to now children who were gunshots.” – Ishmael Beah (former child soldier in Sierra Leone)

            As we approached our topic of child soldiers and war, we found it difficult to write our script due in large part to our lack of experience with such matters. Drawing largely upon stories Hunter had heard on his mission in Sierra Leone and research, we were however able to articulate our ideas into a coherent script.

            Having served in Sierra Leone, a country in which child soldiers were employed during the civil war of 1991-2002, Hunter was able to hear several stories from Africans who had fought as child soldiers. These stories were both shocking and disturbing. One such survivor spoke of arms being cut off at the wrists or shoulders depending on if the victim wanted “short sleeves” or “long sleeves.” Another survivor was betrayed to rebels by his father. These ideas cast a vivid backdrop to our story and allowed us to achieve some level of authenticity, despite our lack of personal experiences in such matters.

            Despite the gruesome and disgusting nature of these stories, however, we desired to write a script covering the theme of redemption. We found this to be a very realistic theme due to Hunter’s experiences with survivors. Many of them have gone on to live normal lives. Some are cooks, some are tailors, some are just moms. They are tied together through their experiences as child soldiers, but even more so through their quest for and eventual triumph in humanity. Through this idea, we came up with the concept of art as a redemptive medium. Kolleh, based off of an actual person known by Hunter, is able to remember and reconnect with his own humanity through the art and actions of another.

Although redemption was our ultimate goal, we also wished to portray some of the horrors of child soldiers. Drawing from Neufeld’s “After the Deluge” we wished to show the confusion that comes from innocence and ignorance. Just as the victims of hurricane Katrina didn’t believe that the hurricane would be so severe and went on with their normal lives, we wished to show the normalcy of life within a war zone, characterized by Kadi’s capturing of the butterfly.

In conclusion, we were able to achieve an almost archetypal narrative with hints of personality drawn from stories of actual survivors. Although we are not experts, we are human and are able to understand to some small extent the sorrow and despair that can be washed away by the joy and elation of redemption.

Process Piece

Artist Statement

     As film students, we usually focus on the visual and only use the audio to enhance the image. This assignment was based on only using sound to convey a process. So, we chose to use a process that we are very familiar with as film students, watching a movie. We included the sounds of a TV turning on, a DVD case opening, using a DVD player, the actual film sound, popcorn and snacks. It was interesting to fabricate some of the sounds that we weren’t able to have around, like the popcorn popping. We had to use to world around us to find a similar sound, which was fun to discover how to use sounds we already know in a different way. 

     Process is something that, arguably, this generation has lost appreciation for. We are in a world of instant gratification and products. Rarely, do you go into a home and see chickens being raised so that at dinnertime we can actually eat meat. Instead, today we have frozen dinners that take 3-5 minutes to heat up, or restaurants where you can order food without even leaving the comfort of your car. But there is something inherently satisfying in process. For example, I crochet blankets and scarves, not for the product (which I actually give away more often than not) but for the process itself. 

     In class, we had viewings that demonstrated the use of not only sound, but also process. In Mercadante’s Routines, we see a simple, everyday task accentuated by embellishing the sounds that accompany putting on a belt. This is something that we usually overlook in our day-to-day lives, but it was nice to take a moment to acknowledge the process that is involved in our daily routines. Similarly, in our audio piece we drew attention to the tiny sounds that go along with such a mundane task.

     Gary Hecker, the foley artist from Robin Hood (2010) and The Empire Strikes Back (1980) also recognizes the importance of sounds in a process. In an interview Hecker says, “It takes timing and a huge creative mind to… use, chose and change sounds.” He goes on to say, “films are a big canvas of sound, and we paint different colors and textures so that you have a [masterpiece] of sound.” Then for the audiences he demonstrates the different sounds fabricated for his films, and describes the process that it takes to complete a film.

Tiny Stories

"I've been waiting for this day!" he said, towering over me. 

I gasped for air. "You finally got an A!"

"Please, no!" I begged as she raised the knife above her head.

"I want the last piece of cake!"

Looking back he let out a great sigh.

Things will never be the same.

Hello Mac, goodbye PC.

Looking into my eyes he spoke softly,

"I'm gonna have to let you go..."

Emotion coursed through my veins.

My first party will be so fun!

This can't be happening to me.

Of all the people in the world, how could this happen to me?!

I won the lottery!

Artist Statement

          Our world is full of seemingly insignificant moments that make our lives to be a wonderful array of joy and excitement. In my tiny stories I attempted to capture those little moments in life that are dramatic, yet are things that are relatively insignificant. Just like the reading we took from the “Tiny Stories” Twitter page, I did my best to capture a small course of action using a minimal amount of words. I felt that I was able to do so and that the different stories were effective in portraying a certain scenario. One example of this can be seen in the first story I shared. We understand that the person who is being spoken to has just done something they have never done before. In their moment of excitement they let out a gust of air and are told how great their accomplishment was. From the reading of Tim Burton’s tiny stories, he conveyed very small information to us and gave us a big story. When my own stories are compared to his, there is a slight difference between the delivery of the two, but they are both attempting to give the same effect. What I really loved with his stories is how powerful they were with such a small amount of words. One great example of this was “The Boy with Nails in His Eyes.” It simply states what has happened, and in doing so it has a comedic effect on the viewer. My own stories are short and I also attempted to put somewhat of a comedic effect upon my viewers. Another interesting thing to notice about these stories is the medium I used to create them. I drew all of the pictures exclusively in pencil, and the pictures are nothing close to a work of art. But that is exactly how I wanted it to be. The simple colors of grey and white help us to feel the dullness of everyday life hat is supposed to be going on in these stories, and the imperfect drawings help us to remember that we live in an imperfect world. I have never drawn pictures to fulfill an assignment that gave me the option of other mediums, but I felt that in the spirit of the dull and imperfect world we live, I would give it a go. Although we can learn much from many large and voluminous texts, there is a large amount of power that can come from a small amount of words. These tiny stories were meant to show that, and I feel that they really did.

Music Mosaic

Debut by Anberlin (click here)

Artist's Statement

       Debut by Anberlin is a rather strange song, and one that I never really appreciated. However, upon a closer listen and a desire to analyze, impressions came that were not there before. It showed me a world I never saw before. The song itself begins quietly and only gets more loud and intense as it continues. Near the middle of the song there is the sound of sirens heard and with that sparked a flurry of images in my mind. In our world today there is a strong desire to build and become greater and better than the next city or nation. In our frenzy to build and become better, we often forget about the simple beauties of life and force ourselves to conform to the cold hard world. I conveyed this idea through the first seven images by finding examples of the constructed sphere. The color of those images have been dulled and faded to represent the fading light of natural beauty. The song is chaotic and captures that sense of urgency that so many of us can feel in our own lives. The second image in the series is an example of the bondage of our world, as is portrayed by the crossing lines in the foreground. The space behind is deep and appears to go on forever, which is the perfect example of the demise we live in. We think that we are being free and building on with endless possibilities, when in reality we are forgetting our roots and binding ourselves to the expectations of others. The photos climax in the fifth picture, where we see the silhouette of a completed building with man made wires binding us to it. Men can reach the sun, but what is the cost of losing our individuality? In the seventh picture, the lines from the bars lead your eyes to the door, and above the door we see that it is an exit. As the music mounts to a climax the song suddenly and abruptly ends, directly contrasting  the insanity that was building. It is as if we have stepped through the door and exited the world behind us. The last image is pure nature and it’s bright and vibrant colors are in direct contrast to the images before it. The greatest sense of enlightenment won’t come until we leave the dark and dreary world behind us and step into the light.

Pitch Perfect or Trite Tone?

In every college across America, you can find the exact same people. The rich girl, the nice guy, the funny fat kid, that guy who seems like he wants to help you but really wants to help himself-- they’re all there. As if we haven’t seen them enough, Hollywood is relentless in shoving these cliches in our face time and time again. The year 2012 was no different as Jason Moore’s comedy Pitch Perfect hit the theaters, saturating us with yet another dose of overdone teen drama and antics. 

Pitch Perfect is nothing we haven’t seen before, a bunch of girls who are all different overcome their conflicting characteristics to accomplish a common goal. While each of the characters have very different and dynamic personalities, they all fulfill a different stereotype. Our “school diva” is found in Aubrey Posen (played byAnna Camp), the rich spoiled girl who constantly reiterates to the others, “It’s my way or the highway,” and forces the others to support her in her selfish quest for stardom. We’ve seen this character countless times before, such as Sharpay Evans from Disney’s High School Musical. Her persistent nagging and overuse of “Barden Classics” makes you want to only follow her in doing one thing, vomiting. I think we’ve all met Aubrey in high school already, what’s done is done.

Another well known personality to the movie screen is everybody’s favorite, fat, funny guy. Right? Rebel Wilson fills this role as “Fat Amy” and does all she can to remind you of the fact she’s a bit heavier than the rest of the gang with fun lines like “I’m gonna finish him like a cheesecake!” or “Even though some of you are pretty thin, you all have fat hearts, and that’s what matters.” It’s great that she’s put on some extra pounds but it doesn’t mean we have to endure two hours of her persistently pestering us with her protests. Do I really want to keep watching obese people slam themselves year after year with every new comedy that comes out on film? Fat chance.

Pitch Perfect continues to fill it’s cast with all the other fun cliche kids we’ve always seen before. The lesbian (Ester Dean), the sex addict (Alexis Knapp), the weird Asian girl (Hana Mae Lee), the down to earth rebel who rejects those around her (Anna Kendrick), and the young adorable heart throb who just happens to posses every trait any girl would love (Skylar Astin). The list goes on and on (and on) and helps us to see that America is obviously full of idiotic, half baked numskulls who are just trying to push your buttons and prove that they’re different by being exactly the same.

This barrage of stereotypical behavior is not only a nuisance to those who view it, but even causes a negative impact on the rising American generation. Scientific studies have proven that teens who watch films that glorify sex, beauty, and alcohol use are more likely to have issues with their self-confidence, and even encourage them to engage in those activities. This simply results in a flood of corruption filled with drowning teens wishing they were someone else. Not everyone is supposed to test the waters.

True, it can be said that Pitch Perfect is just a fun, carefree comedy that means no harm. The film itself did well with audiences across America, making over $100 million from the time of its release and causing an outpouring of YouTube videos with fans performing the famous “Cup Song.” The film has many fun and entertaining musical performances, taking many of our days hit songs and turning them into a smooth reality of any a cappella boy’s dreams. But is it really worth it? Is it worth the onslaught of cliches? Is it worth sitting and watching the same story we’ve seen a million times play itself out for no doubt not the last time? Is it worth lowering our moral standards to watch something that will just make us feel bad? No. We don’t have to throw ourselves into a downward spiral of idiocy to find a good slice of entertainment.

It’s time to think outside of the box and move away from the trite cliches of our time. They’re just like a thorn in our sides that makes for a painful viewing experience. I know that we’ve all cracked a joke or two about those stereotypical people we’ve run into throughout the years, but isn’t it time we gave it a rest? Film is much more dignified than the teeny bop fantasyland we’ve thrown ourself into. Don’t you think we can do better? Well you know what they always say, times are a changing-- let’s change for the better this time.