Criticizing, Not Critiquing

http://www.nba.com/2013/news/01/19/marion-fined.ap/index.html

I recently ran across this NBA article about Dallas Mavericks forward Shawn Marion being fined $25,000 for referee criticism. Marion's remarks are an example of criticizing another person instead of critiquing them for how they performed their job. Him being fined was an example of how the league felt he handled the situation poorly. 

50x50 Picture

The picture I chose to pixelate is the original Rochester Americans logo from 1956. They are a hockey team that competes in the American Hockey League, farm team of the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL. I chose this because my family had season tickets for this team from 1997 - 2008. I love their original logo. I've been to hundreds of games and they have been a big part of my childhood. This project is a tribute to my favorite hockey team. I also chose to make this picture 50x50. 

Quote

"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time." Thomas Merton

When you start creating a piece of art, you may not necessarily know what direction you're going in or what the finish product will be like. You may discover a new direction or a new path you want to take your art work, and in tern, discover something new about yourself. You may not realize you care capable of something unless you just start working at it. This does not only apply to art work, but life in general. You never know what potential you have until you apply it. As far as losing yourself, when you are in the "zone" and nothing can stop you from seeing a vision through, you become lost in your work. Your mind and your subconscious motor skills take over and allow you to create something great. 

Flip Book

I chose the title, "Miracles" in reference to the movie Miracle, about the 1980 US Olympic hockey team, who won the gold medal in Lake Placid. More specifically, it is referencing the famous Herb Brooks speech before the US played the Soviet Union in the semi-final game. He opens the speech by saying, "Great moments are born from great opportunity..." That is why I chose the words, "Great moments, great opportunities, miracles." This applies not only to the movie, but to any miracles that happen in life. 

My experience making this book was very interesting. I do not have a lot of drawing ability, so I chose to do it on graph paper so the text lined up consistently from page to page. It took me about 5 hours to make. Even though it was quite tedious work, I was happy with the end product. 

Beacon Theatre

The theatre I chose to research is The Beacon Theatre in New York City. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufSi-Jvn1T4

Today, it is a popular sight for various artists, such as the Dave Matthews band, as seen in the video link above from 2009. They are able to adapt their technology to modern day concert styles, which include various flashing lights, dozens of microphones, and video projectors behind the musicians. This technology obviously was not around when the theatre first opened.  

The Beacon Theatre opened in 1929 as a facility that hosted vaudeville acts, musical productions, drama, opera, and movies. At the time, it was known for playing silent films.

It was a primary first-run movie theatre into the early 1970s. In 1974, live pop concerts were brought to the Theatre. Throughout the 1970s, the Beacon Theatre became a popular stop for touring musicians. 

In the years of 1986 -87, there were proposals to convert the building into a night club and a disco. This was turned down because it would have damaged the building's architecture and prestigous image. This was a time where the theatre was still hosting operas, movies, and various other productions and acts. The theatre was able to get such a prestigious reputation because of it's impeccable acoustics and elaborate architecture. 

In December of 1991, the Beacon Theatre was the first concert hall to be fitted for an IMAX film. The film was "The Rolling Stones at the Max."

Othello

Giuseppe Verdi's Othello, performed by the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus displayed aspect various aspects of Mise-en-scene. Its color scheme of blue, black, brown, and grey, along with the low lighting provided a dark and mysterious feeling for the viewer. The dramatic music played into this as well. There are mostly medium and full shots throughout this Opera. When specific individual have dialogue or song, their expressions are prominent, so it's important to have the correct camera proxemics to capture them. In this Opera, the focus of the camera doesn't change, but the lighting and the position of the frame does to show who the dominant character is in a specific scene. 

Madama Butterfly

Madama Butterfly was pretty disturbing, but it depicted emotion very clearly and in interesting ways. The movements of the clay figures were simplistic, but their actions were very clear. When the man came back with his new, better looking girlfriend toward the end and took the child, she was devastated. When she literally dismantled her body at the end, it showed that she was nothing without her "man" and her child. He made a fool out of her for tricking her that he was in love.