https://www.ted.com/talks/dave_isay_everyone_around_you_has_a_story_the_world_needs_to_hear/transcript?language=en
In this video, "Dave Isay: Everyone around you has a story the world needs to hear" Mr. Isay speaks about his belief that every one's story is special. That every person on the face of this earth has something important to say. He founded an organization called "StoryCorps", Story Corps has booths all over the world, set so that people of any age can walk in and, with the help of a facilitator, can perform an interview with a stranger, a friend, or a family member. Dave Isay speaks about the importance of listening and understanding people's stories and how they have impacted our lives. Story Corps's recordings are all sent to the library of Congress. This means that in the distant future people will be able to listen back on interviews given by their great-grandparents. They will be able to hear the emotion and the convictions in their voice. People will be able to understand their family just a little bit more, understand who they are and what they truly care about.
While giving this talk, Dave uses actual interviews that were performed inside of some of his booths. He shows three different interviews. All with different messages, all with different backgrounds, and most importantly, different bonds between the people who performed them. A mother and son, a woman and the man who killed her child, who she now recognizes as family, and a married couple. These testimonies help to show the bonds between people, using pathos to show the emotional attachment between people. This pathos also helps the audience feel connected to Story Corp, everyone has someone special in their life, someone they love and are loved by. Story Corp is a way for people to express their feelings as well as tell their life story and show how it makes them feel.
I connect to this TED Talk because it makes me wonder what I would hear if I were to interview one of my family members. After thinking for a long time, I realized that interviewing my grandpa would have been an interesting experiment. He was in the military and also led an extremely interesting civilian life. He had many stories to tell and he liked to tell them to people who were willing to listen to him. He was not always social, yet he liked to tell stories to me. If given the chance I would have interviewed him and then I would have listened to the tapes over and over again. He was never one to express emotions but listening to his stories showed a new side of him to me and to the rest of my family. That is what made me so interested in this Talk, the implications of what it could mean for my family.
-Nick
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Sunday, January 10, 2016
Its Too Dark in Here, Baby...
2. Film noir literally means “black film.” As you are watching the film, keep track of all the elements in the picture that seem dark or depressing. Think about the characters, the setting, and the storyline.
Throughout Double Indemnity there are many instances of the darker side of human life, as well as dark and twisted scenes that are designed to be as foreboding as possible. The plot of Double Indemnity uses these dark scenes along with some comic relief and flashes of sexuality. The use of dark lighting in the movie is used to underscore and highlight important scenes and to add to the plot. For instance while on the back of the train, Walter Neff, is very poorly lit in order to add the fact that the other passengers would not be able to see his face and would not be able to identify him. During other parts of the use of Venetian Blind lighting is used to light rooms but also limit how much light is seen, this is useful for making scenes more dramatic and for adding a sense of secrecy to the business in the room. Many times Walter is inside of a room with Phyllis and Venetian Blinds can be seen on walls or on their faces, this is used in order to make the meeting look secretive and dangerous, or to partially obscure their facial expressions and add mystery to every situation. The purpose for using these specific lighting techniques is to intrigue the audience and to focus attention onto specific areas of importance. In all scenes that include a car, or a car ride, the lighting is set so that anything on the outside of the car is pitch black while everything inside the car is dimly lit, this lighting effect forces the audiences attention to the inside of the car, because it can be seen most easily. This allows for serious conversations to occur without many camera tricks or editing queues.
There are three characters that darkness can be seen in: Walter Neff, Phyllis Dietrichson, and Mr. Dietrichson. These people all show this darkness in different forms, how they act, how they interact with people, and their motives. Walter Neff as the main character is also the narrator of the movie, explaining to his boss how he managed to fool him and get away with murder and with money. Walter shows his darkness and his desires through his interactions with Phyllis and his willingness to plan and execute the murder of her husband. Walter shows his true nature when he decides to go against his moral compass and assists in cheating his own company as well as committing murder. Walter's darkness shows how physical attraction and love can cause anyone to do anything. A physical representation of his evil is his attire. Walter is always wearing a dark blue or black suit, showing his darkness in a physical way. Phyllis Dietrichson is just as dark as Walter, if not more. This is darkness is manifested as her plan to buy accident insurance for her husband, murder him, and then collect on dirty money and move on with her life. Phyllis does not physically show darkness in the same way that Walter does, where as he is always calm but wears his darkness, she wears light bright colors and acts in a horrific way. Whenever she speaks of her husband she becomes aggressive and angry, to the point where in one scene she begins to cry to Walter about how horrible her husband is to her. Her motives are what makes her truly evil. Mr. Dietrichson is perceived as a dark man because of how he treats people and how he interacts with them. In the few scenes that he is present in he constantly speaks down to Phyllis and Walter along with him being curt and rude to everyone that he has an interaction with. His darkness comes from the bitterness inside of him and this bitterness is what causes his death.
The story line of Double Indemnity is uses many gruesome scenes to show murder, scandal, and plotting. All of the dark scenes involve both Walter and Phyllis being present and doing something that they are not supposed to do. In one scene they are discussing her plans to murder her husband as if it were a normal subject, in another scene they are MURDERING Mr. Dietrichson and preparing to plant his body in order to make it seem like a suicide. Between these dark scenes there are many times when Walter sits down and asks himself if he is doing the right thing, if he is doing something that he is proud of. There is lots of sexual tension between Walter and Phyllis, within three days of knowing each other they are willing to say "I love you" and other things of that nature, which portrays an unhealthy relationship. The darker murder scenes as well as all of the scenes surrounding the murder are all set in different location but with similar themes. The theme is obviously death but also how to defame Mr. Dietrichson enough so that nobody thinks twice about him committing suicide. Another prevalent theme is that Walter is in charge. Despite him being the more nervous of the two he is obviously in charge of their operation and is making the calls. Walter's nerves are the most likely thing to get them caught as it is obvious that he is more stressed about this case than he should be. The story is purposefully set to have each morbid scene set apart from one another by a lighter scene, whether it be comic relief or just a scene used to help push the story along. Overall this film noir shows its "black film" side very well because of all the aspects that make it dark and evil.
-Nick
Throughout Double Indemnity there are many instances of the darker side of human life, as well as dark and twisted scenes that are designed to be as foreboding as possible. The plot of Double Indemnity uses these dark scenes along with some comic relief and flashes of sexuality. The use of dark lighting in the movie is used to underscore and highlight important scenes and to add to the plot. For instance while on the back of the train, Walter Neff, is very poorly lit in order to add the fact that the other passengers would not be able to see his face and would not be able to identify him. During other parts of the use of Venetian Blind lighting is used to light rooms but also limit how much light is seen, this is useful for making scenes more dramatic and for adding a sense of secrecy to the business in the room. Many times Walter is inside of a room with Phyllis and Venetian Blinds can be seen on walls or on their faces, this is used in order to make the meeting look secretive and dangerous, or to partially obscure their facial expressions and add mystery to every situation. The purpose for using these specific lighting techniques is to intrigue the audience and to focus attention onto specific areas of importance. In all scenes that include a car, or a car ride, the lighting is set so that anything on the outside of the car is pitch black while everything inside the car is dimly lit, this lighting effect forces the audiences attention to the inside of the car, because it can be seen most easily. This allows for serious conversations to occur without many camera tricks or editing queues.
There are three characters that darkness can be seen in: Walter Neff, Phyllis Dietrichson, and Mr. Dietrichson. These people all show this darkness in different forms, how they act, how they interact with people, and their motives. Walter Neff as the main character is also the narrator of the movie, explaining to his boss how he managed to fool him and get away with murder and with money. Walter shows his darkness and his desires through his interactions with Phyllis and his willingness to plan and execute the murder of her husband. Walter shows his true nature when he decides to go against his moral compass and assists in cheating his own company as well as committing murder. Walter's darkness shows how physical attraction and love can cause anyone to do anything. A physical representation of his evil is his attire. Walter is always wearing a dark blue or black suit, showing his darkness in a physical way. Phyllis Dietrichson is just as dark as Walter, if not more. This is darkness is manifested as her plan to buy accident insurance for her husband, murder him, and then collect on dirty money and move on with her life. Phyllis does not physically show darkness in the same way that Walter does, where as he is always calm but wears his darkness, she wears light bright colors and acts in a horrific way. Whenever she speaks of her husband she becomes aggressive and angry, to the point where in one scene she begins to cry to Walter about how horrible her husband is to her. Her motives are what makes her truly evil. Mr. Dietrichson is perceived as a dark man because of how he treats people and how he interacts with them. In the few scenes that he is present in he constantly speaks down to Phyllis and Walter along with him being curt and rude to everyone that he has an interaction with. His darkness comes from the bitterness inside of him and this bitterness is what causes his death.
The story line of Double Indemnity is uses many gruesome scenes to show murder, scandal, and plotting. All of the dark scenes involve both Walter and Phyllis being present and doing something that they are not supposed to do. In one scene they are discussing her plans to murder her husband as if it were a normal subject, in another scene they are MURDERING Mr. Dietrichson and preparing to plant his body in order to make it seem like a suicide. Between these dark scenes there are many times when Walter sits down and asks himself if he is doing the right thing, if he is doing something that he is proud of. There is lots of sexual tension between Walter and Phyllis, within three days of knowing each other they are willing to say "I love you" and other things of that nature, which portrays an unhealthy relationship. The darker murder scenes as well as all of the scenes surrounding the murder are all set in different location but with similar themes. The theme is obviously death but also how to defame Mr. Dietrichson enough so that nobody thinks twice about him committing suicide. Another prevalent theme is that Walter is in charge. Despite him being the more nervous of the two he is obviously in charge of their operation and is making the calls. Walter's nerves are the most likely thing to get them caught as it is obvious that he is more stressed about this case than he should be. The story is purposefully set to have each morbid scene set apart from one another by a lighter scene, whether it be comic relief or just a scene used to help push the story along. Overall this film noir shows its "black film" side very well because of all the aspects that make it dark and evil.
-Nick
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Recommendations!!!
Recommended by Banquo:
Gotham-- Banquo often feels like he is alone in his fight against an evil boss. James Gordon is Banquo in "Gotham" the good man who loses everything while trying to make his home a better place. Banquo and Gordon both show traits of a hero: brave, honest, hard working, and filled with good morals, and always willing to put others before themselves.
Person of Interest-- "Person of Interest" is about finding out who is going to commit crimes before they commit crimes. Banquo likely wishes that he had the same technology that the characters in PoI have in order to help him realize what Macbeth would do with his destiny that was given to him. Banquo wants to protect his loved ones and his community from the reign of an evil king, but he was not able to predict who that evil would be.
Scary Movie 1,2,3&4-- These movies make fun of the paranormal, making spoofs about ghosts and how people react to the paranormal. This fits with Ghost Banquo and how Macbeth reacts to Ghost Banquo's appearance. When Macbeth reacts with horror and with shock, much like characters in these movies, it is comical and entertaining, despite Macbeth's guests being horrified that Macbeth has lost his mind.
Jarhead 2: Field of Fire-- Trapped in a desert, a Marine will do everything he can in order to save the people around him. Much like Banquo does with Fleance. Banquo gives up everything that he has in order to make sure that his son, Fleance, could escape from the murderers. Banquo makes the ultimate sacrifice to save the ones he loves much like the Marine does in this movie.
Sunday, November 22, 2015
What causes EVIL???
Evil is caused by many things but in Macbeth it is clear
that the Evil is caused by Lady Macbeth and Macbeth's need for power.
Lady Macbeth uses her persuasion and Macbeth's attraction to her as a
means of getting Macbeth to take the first step down the path of evil. In
the Epic Lady Macbeth constantly states "Are you a Man?", she states
this because she is attempting to cause internal struggle for Macbeth.
This internal struggle as well as his craze for power causes Macbeth to
take his first step down the path of evil. Along with motivation
for becoming evil, every person needs to have some event or action that
signifies them becoming evil. For Macbeth it was his murdering Duncan.
Him killing Duncan as well as the two guards shows that Macbeth is evil
because he killed one of his best friends as well as two other men whom trusted
him.
After this murder Macbeth is wracked with guilt, he states "Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood / Clean from my hand? No". These lines are used to to show that Macbeth's conscious is filled with guilt of murdering King Duncan, yet when he causes the death of Banquo Macbeth doesn't speak of guilt. He instead sees the ghost of Banquo and he cries out and denies affiliation with the murder. This internal struggle after these murders slowly drives Macbeth insane and causes him even more problems in the real world.
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Deadly Sin Advertisement
Ad From: Carls Jr.
Time: 2014
This advertisement does not attempt to hide the deadly sin that it uses. In this advertisement the deadly sins of lust, greed, and gluttony. Upon looking at this add it is obvious that the advertisers use this ad in the little picture the Carls Jr. (also known as Hardees on the East Coast) is trying to persuade their audience, whom are hungry Americans, that this burger is the perfect burger and that it is delicious in every way. In the larger picture this photo is associated with sex and with being masculine. This is shown through the text, it states, "She'll tell you size doesn't matter. She's lying". This along with a sexy photo of Paris Hilton gives the audience the feelings of lust, want for the burger and Paris, Greed to have her all to themselves, and also gluttony the need to have the entire burger, which is more than any person should eat.
The audience, as previously mentioned, are Americans that are hungry or whom are attracted to women like Paris Hilton. This audience could be anyone who has around 10 dollars to afford the meal or anyone who can simply make it to a Hardees or Carls Jr. The culture would be one where the majority of the citizens enjoy red meat. This is because this advertisement would not bode well in India where a majority of the population does not consume red meat. Also, it is likely a culture that allows and enjoys women nudity. In the middle east this may ad may not be a good choice because revealing this much of a woman and putting the woman into a power role would not go over well with the population. Also, the allusion to penis size makes it is obvious that the audience is meant to be men.
The creator of this ad uses layout, language, and image to show off their product. The use of the photo of an attractive model who is scantly clad holding a cheeseburger with the words "She'll tell you size doesn't matter. She's lying" are specifically used to arouse the audience and to have the audience members associate sex and lust with their product, which is a cheeseburger. This plays into the stereotyped idea that only men eat large cheeseburgers. This is shown through how the model is a woman. She is being used to target the men, proving that this is a "manly" burger and should be viewed as so. This no longer conforms with society and the ideas of who loves who, but in the context of this add and the allusion to penis size it is obvious that the audience is meant to be men.
Ad From: Carls Jr.
Time: 2014
This advertisement does not attempt to hide the deadly sin that it uses. In this advertisement the deadly sins of lust, greed, and gluttony. Upon looking at this add it is obvious that the advertisers use this ad in the little picture the Carls Jr. (also known as Hardees on the East Coast) is trying to persuade their audience, whom are hungry Americans, that this burger is the perfect burger and that it is delicious in every way. In the larger picture this photo is associated with sex and with being masculine. This is shown through the text, it states, "She'll tell you size doesn't matter. She's lying". This along with a sexy photo of Paris Hilton gives the audience the feelings of lust, want for the burger and Paris, Greed to have her all to themselves, and also gluttony the need to have the entire burger, which is more than any person should eat.
The audience, as previously mentioned, are Americans that are hungry or whom are attracted to women like Paris Hilton. This audience could be anyone who has around 10 dollars to afford the meal or anyone who can simply make it to a Hardees or Carls Jr. The culture would be one where the majority of the citizens enjoy red meat. This is because this advertisement would not bode well in India where a majority of the population does not consume red meat. Also, it is likely a culture that allows and enjoys women nudity. In the middle east this may ad may not be a good choice because revealing this much of a woman and putting the woman into a power role would not go over well with the population. Also, the allusion to penis size makes it is obvious that the audience is meant to be men.
The creator of this ad uses layout, language, and image to show off their product. The use of the photo of an attractive model who is scantly clad holding a cheeseburger with the words "She'll tell you size doesn't matter. She's lying" are specifically used to arouse the audience and to have the audience members associate sex and lust with their product, which is a cheeseburger. This plays into the stereotyped idea that only men eat large cheeseburgers. This is shown through how the model is a woman. She is being used to target the men, proving that this is a "manly" burger and should be viewed as so. This no longer conforms with society and the ideas of who loves who, but in the context of this add and the allusion to penis size it is obvious that the audience is meant to be men.
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