My Interview with Kevin Pena (squiggly line over n for Pena)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXAt-Mgp8jA&feature=youtu.be

What I Heard...

I decided to take a walk after Hurricane Sandy visited my neck of the woods. As I walked through the wrecked streets of southern Brooklyn, I was listening to my shoes cracking the branches beneath my feet.  There were very few cars driving by, but there were some cyclists ridding around. As I walked on, closer to the major sites of destruction, I was comforted by the rotating chains of the bicycles.  Their monotony soothed my into feeling safe, somehow.

I listened to the bass of the pumps sucking out the water from the flooded homes.  I heard so many different sounds that created music all together. They created a beautiful and soothing melody in the wake of all the destruction.  I heard the running water, more like the gushing water, from several pipes.  This noise filled me just as it filled the unusually empty streets.  I almost felt like I was walking in a ghost town, with it’s own background music. 

My neighborhood is generally buzzing with cars, buses, and people at this time of day – the late afternoon.  But today, today was literally the aftermath of a disaster. And though I was curious to look at what had happened, I was walking alone.  And alone I listened to the echo of my footsteps and to the sounds around me, which almost overpowered the natural sounds of the wind, the trees, and the birds.  Maybe that’s because so many of the trees fell and we were left with their arms lying around the pavements.  However, this break from my technology allowed for me, ironically considering the situation at hand, to organize my thoughts.  

Mise-en-scene

You can start watching from 7:25

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kUp6YobNEk

         I chose one of the final scenes in Luky Number Slevin, where the entire story essentially comes together. 

         In this scene, the two mob bosses, The Boss and The Rabbi, are tied up without a clue of why and by whom.  The mighty descend of Slevin from the spiral staircase, which belongs to The Boss, dictates an authoritative tone.  A spiral can also be seen as a turning point; namely one in which the tables have turned. The dimly lit room speaks of a mystery air that frightens more than it pokes at ones curiosity. 
         The close-up of The Boss and of The Rabbi portrayed the exasperated looks on their faces.  The scene began with the two waking up in The Boss’s main room.  The director, Paul McGuigan, used close-ups to focus primarily on the individual faces of the two mob bosses to emphasize their fear and confusion.  
         Once the two realized they weren’t alone, they began talking at each other, which is where McGuigan changed to a medium close up to capture the profiles of both the bosses and to express the cumulative fear in the room.  And just as the The Rabbi and The Boss realize neither one is to blame for the recent deaths on both ends, Slevin made his way into the shot and McGuigan used a long shot to capture the mighty descend.
         This changing up of shots, from smaller to larger, was a build up of the situation.  From focusing to one face, the director moved to two people’s faces, and finally to a long shot with a spiraling staircase, Slevin, and the entire free space Slevin had before him.  This much room is also helpful in portraying the liberty that Slevin had over his victims; where he had plenty of unfilled space, they were virtually immobile due to the rope that was binding them to their chairs.
         An interesting transitional element incorporated into the shot where Slevin made his descend was a fading into the scene. As Slevin walked down the stairs, the fire burning in the fire pit slowly appeared in the transparent background, bringing light to his prevailing position.  Also, visible in the background, were the terrified faces of the two mobsters who were now the defenseless captives.            
         This powerful scene, though at the end, was very well done and essentially tied the missing pieces together.  


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kUp6YobNEk

Mise-en-Scene Assignment

Theme: Thomas Hunter

Here are a collection of shots my teammates and I took in Thomas Hunter.
The song in the video is by Coldplay, titled "Fix You"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcxWzgTKKb4

EXTRA CREDIT

            This past semester I had interned at 5W Public Relations, which was founded by Ronn Torossian.  I spoke with Mr. Torossian about his company’s ascend to one of the top 25 U.S. Public Relations agencies, the responsibilities of a public relations specialist, and of course, of his success.

            Mr. Torossian started his company in 2003 on his own with just one intern.  The company now has over 100 employees and is on the Inc. 500 list.  5WPR’s headquarters are in Manhattan, though they also branched west with an office in Los Angeles.  Mr. Torossian is under 40 years old and is the only CEO at 5WPR!

            The world of public relations is very hectic and stressful.  However, by working at Mr. Torossian’s company, I left feeling that it was all worth it.  

            PR helps people.  Whether it is large corporations or small businesses, PR gets their messages across to the masses.  I feel that PR is fundamental to the success of oneself or of his/her business, for it not only helps communicating, but it also helps market the company.  The name grows and spreads and that is what everyone wants in order to gain success.

            Mr. Torossian is someone I would like to mirror in the future.  The courage and the boldness are qualities that I work on myself.  His constant incorporation of new ideas and information is slightly overwhelming, though incredibly beneficial.  Everyone must stay on their toes and their noses must be in the news.  My time interning at his company has opened my eyes to the endless possibilities of establishing oneself.

-->FULL<--

Masaye Fratkin and I took shots of what we felt resembled the adjective "full"...

Thinking Back...

          Looking back at the class as a whole, I feel that I have come so far.  When I first started, I had never used Photoshop, I had never held a video camera, and I had never wanted a blog.  Now, I not only know how to use all those things, but I want to continue using the tools (even a blog).

          I really enjoyed the hands-on exercises we did and I felt that they allowed us to absorb the information we learned at lecture and through the readings.  Practice sure does make perfect.

          If it were not for this class, I doubt I would have learned HTML and CSS – even if it were just the basics.  I had fun constructing my own page and I even want to work on it some more.

          I feel that professor Lucas and professor Portlock did a swell job in informing us of their field of study.  My section leader, Makia Harper, hardened the material from lecture by having the class participate in class discussions and elaborate on what we had learned.  The overall flow of the semester went very smoothly and was full loaded with informational tools that are applicable to our everyday lives.

The Spring Haiku

My haiku about spring.


http://fmundergrad.hunter.cuny.edu/~nuzbrokhr/

Democracy Now!

            Democracy Now! is a news program that is hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez.  From my visit to the station, I was able to see the inner workings of a news broadcast station.  We started our tour off in the control room, where, as the name implies, we saw the controls for everything in the studio.  Every switch served its own purpose, and there were people who oversaw various operations. This was fascinating, for it was an entire network of operations going on in one room. 

            We then moved to the part of a studio that is separated by a glass; we were on one side and the live broadcast was going on behind the other side of the glass!

            From my visit, I was able to observe an incredible anchorwoman, who not only delivered the news, but also did so in an objectively interesting fashion.  Her way of stripping her thoughts from her report, and then feeding it to the public is something I most definitely want to learn from.

            After the broadcast was over, Amy came over to the adjoining room to talk to us about her experiences in the world of reporting.  Ms. Goodman has lived and is still living an exciting life in which each day has a new adventure.  Her curiosity and ambition has led her to her present-day job as an anchorwoman.  The tour, overall, was very insightful and educational.  I look forward to my next visit to Democracy Now!

Website I Like

I love the layout of Netflix.  It is geared to serve the consumer's interest, obviously.  However, it does so in a grand effort; it makes the process of choosing a movie/show so much simpler.  At the top left corner of the page, Netflix presents to the user what he/she has recently watched.  Afterward, Netflix arranges the top 10 movies/shows for the user, making a selection easy as ABC.
Maneuvering around the website is effortless, and the layout only improves the process of movie selection.  Because there are thousands of films to choose from, Netflix has created a simple, fun, and interesting way for the selection.  The layout of the site is not too extreme; it is rather plain with a red toolbar and an off white page.  This design does not take away from the purpose of the site, and it enhances the process.  Time is not spent admiring the extravagant layout, but it is spent using the website.
When moving the cursor over a movie/show, a small box pops out that gives one a summary of the film/show, the director, main actors, date of release, running time, rating, and star rating.  This allows for one to read up about his/her possible choice before being taken over to a new page.  Once the selection is made, and a user chooses a movie, he/she is taken to the page of the film, on which there are is the same information as in the little box just mentioned, but in greater detail.  Almost the entire cast is listed, with links redirecting to their pages that have their list of film shown on Netflix.  The genres are listed; there are also user reviews, and options for subtitles.
 This convenient way of movie browsing has made the dreadful process quite fun.  Rather than getting lost in the countless number of film/shows, I am able to choose what I'd like to see quickly and get introduced to something new based on my preference.
The only thing that I'd prefer to change about Netflix is the instant redirection to a new page, once I click onto the box of the movie/show.  Sometimes the little summary does not load quickly enough, so I click onto the actual selection, which has a giant play button over it.  This action not only redirects me, but also begins playing the film.  Sometimes I only want to read about it or read the reviews, not watch the film.

Photoshop Assignment

Traffic with Nicole, Kevin, and Regina

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfdlgVnP6L4

Stamp Art

What I See

Rami Meiri. This Israeli artist has reached great lengths, literally, with his art. He has this way of turning something old and bland into young and vivacious.


The design of this mural is beckoning people to linger around the area. By painting a depth of field, Meiri manipulates the viewers into thinking there is more to this wall than meets the eye. By playing with shadows, Meiri created a never-ending path that is always full of people. The backs of the people and their shadows makes the painted figures come to life.


The colors are very inviting. By painting the background of the mural white, Meiri is once again playing on the eye. The scene appears to be forever lit, giving the space a lighter feeling.


In this particular mural, Meiri created a painting that added so much depth to what otherwise would have been a bare wall amidst the Ackerstein Towers in the city of Herzliya, Tel Aviv, Israel. He added half of a bench specifically for this purpose – in order for his painting to come to life. Meiri mimicked the architectural style of the ground-level retail center, as well as, its decorations and he therefore created a palpable mural.


This image works for me, for it makes a boring wall come to life. The texture of this mural is very tangible, for not only does the half bench add onto this, but so do the shadows of the people. Simply put, this work of art is enjoyable to look at and brings a smile to my face because of its inventiveness.





If you like what you see, definitely check out Rami Meiri's website:


http://www.ramimeiri.com/

Mrs. PTH

Emmons Avenue

Some time last week I took my usual walk home, along the Bay.  I got out of the train station at just the right time; when the sun was setting and the birds were flying.  I feel that the canal embodies romance, serenity, hope, and joy.  I took a wide-angle shot to fit all that I see so often, yet fail to truly appreciate.  I usually take this path down home, because I like walking by the water.  The wide-angle shot captured what I saw; the setting sun, the birds flying, the few people gathering, and the body of water that stretches out endlessly.  I feel that the angle of this shot allows one to be in the picture and not just starring into it.  The angle also gives off an illusion of two depths of views – the setting sun and the railing that runs down with the pavement.  Up until this assignment, I’ve never noticed just how calm I feel when I walk along the Bay.  I realize that I like it so much because it simply relaxes me.

The Road Ahead...

In this photo, I feel that the road ahead is symbolic of a clear path to the future, with arrows guiding the way.  It's almost beckoning one to start his/her journey on it.  And, it would be as if one is walking into the sunset.  By the way the sun is setting, it seems as if it is taking in its last glimpse, its last goodbye.  The road back seems to be clogged with traffic.  It's almost an indication that to go back will take too long and there simply is no point for a return.  I happened to accidentally capture this photo when I was touring Israel last month and it's simply my favorite picture from the entire trip!

The Art of Telling

I have something to say.  It's not something worth saying, though.  It's important.  It may be detrimental.  But it doesn't sound pretty.  I guess I fear the reaction.  Possibly I will be faced with hearing the consequences.  But in any case, I have something to say that is not really worth saying.  The art of telling is hard to muster.  If one wants it to be a smooth wave, then one must craft what he has to say in such a way, that no one will notice, simply because it just slipped in.

My Story

I love love; I love thinking about it, reading about it, and capturing it, but I feel there are so many emotions intertwined in this grand feeling that so much is required to produce it.  I love motion.  I hate idleness.  I love surprises.  I hate expectations.  I love dimples.  I hate frowns.  I love fire.  I hate ice.   I love whatever is associated with love, for I feel it brings the animal out from within.  People are beautiful creatures that are capable of so much expression that I want to capture as much of it as possible. 

I developed this passion for love after reading a few of Francoise Sagan’s novels.  They embedded the lunacy and instability of love.  With characters ranging in personalities from the innocent artist, to the spontaneous teenage girl, to the begrudging aging actress, Sagan was able to capture personalities in love in her strong medium of writing.  I hope to do the same in film.

I not only want to capture personalities in love, but I want to capture personalities in general.  My ideal tool is a camera.  I like to have a picture accompanied by words.  I hate telling people what is on my mind; I’d much rather show them and hear their take.  I love to hear what others have to say, because it’s a way for me to tap into their psyche.  

Einstein once said “I have no special talents, I am only passionately curious”.  Just so, my curiosity lurks on every corner.  I have always been interested in people.  I have always wanted to learn their stories.  My inspiration lies in the minds of the people around me.  I am very curious to know what they are thinking of.  I want them to tell me so that I could create a story out of their stories.