Blog #10: Reconstruction

What's the deal with Reconstruction?
Reconstruction was an idea for the people who won the war, the Union. Republicans wanted to readmit the South and become America again, how it was before the war. There were many people who were against the though. Because of the lack of fair government involvement in the whole Reconstruction, it was a bit of a failure. The amendments that passed after the Civil War that was supposed to help freed slaves, but instead. was undermined. Former confederates came up with state and local level rules for freed african americans. Ulysses assumed that the South would shape up and everyone would get along, which is the reason why he was very uninvolved in the matter when he was president. Basically, it took a while after the Civil War to put in effect the reason for the war in the first place.

What is/was Reconstruction? What went well? What went poorly?
I'm pretty sure it was to fix up the Southern States. After the war, Abraham Lincoln wanted to put in effect some new amendments like the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendment, hoping to have them enforced. I think this went poorly because Abraham didn't really get to finish what he started. He dealt with a lot of things like the aftermath of the war, the reconstruction amendments, etc. The part that went poorly was that the amendments didn't really effect life. Even though slaves were freed, the confederates still made it difficult for them and limited the rights they are supposed to have as freedmen. They found loopholes that didn't allow African Americans to vote. There was also immense violence caused by the KKK, a clan started by former confederates who still thought the war was going on. Also, like I said before, the presidents after Abraham Lincoln were horrible and didn't enforce anything in the South at all. In fact, they actually helped the South by appointing former confederates as governors. All in all, I think it was a complete mess with what they did. The Presidents weren't supportive, there was no amendment enforcement, no organization, no help, nothing. The government/ military was just corrupted with confederates.

Why is it relevant today?
It is relevant today for many reasons. One of the main reasons is how things in the future change if the past is changed. There are things that could have happened to completely change the America we know today. We may not even have been born. There are many "what if" questions that we can over, like "What if Abraham Lincoln wasn't shot?" or "What if there had been a different president elected?" that may give us a different perspective on how modern life would've been like. The past has a huge influence on the future.

Connect the basic history of Reconstruction with a modern issue, as found (and cited and excerpted from a modern news story).
I emailed Randy about this, but I still didn't really understand what he meant by a modern examples that connects to the Reconstruction. It was between many ideas. One idea was getting an example of starting something over and having a rebellion from the other side. The second idea was comparing the Reconstruction back then to, perhaps, a failure of Reconstruction in modern times? The third idea was comparing the Reconstruction back then to a successful beginning in modern time. I was sort of confused.

Blog #9: Coastal Issues

Source: http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/content/news/2009/09/19/cleanup0920.html

"Cigarette butts, plastic bags, water bottles, Styrofoam chunks, Flip-flops, medicine bottles, netting, thousands of random pieces of plastic. Nobody's picture of paradise. Yet, day after day, it finds its way onto otherwise beautiful South Florida beaches.Cleaning it all up just about requires a small army."

There are many problems arising on the coast. They range from avoidable erosion to habitats for animals being demolished, but one of the most severe problems is litter. People go to the beach to enjoy the views, get a tan, or just surf. People coming to the beach day in and day out sometimes leave trash. This trash either litters the oceans, placing living creatures in danger or is added to the huge vortex of trash and plastic we have floating in the ocean, said to be 2 times the size of the United States!

Even so, there are very simple ways of lessening/stopping the effects of this issue. You can obtain more information or find out ways you can help at any of the following sites:
http://www.keeparkansasbeautiful.com/litter_prevention/
http://stoplittering.com/get_informed.html
http://www.aacounty.org/DPW/WasteManagement/commClean.cfm

This relates to the project because we are the next generation, we will be suffering with this trash. One of the largest coastal issues has got to be litter. This doesn't only apply to the people who go to the beach, it also includes people who litter in general. That litter goes down storm drains when it rains and is led straight to the ocean. The thing about this issue is that it is the result of humans being lazy and unable to walk a few feet to a trash can. Some people do not understand what dripping oil or trash in their driveway might cause. I think that "Media Saves the Beach" is a really good project to keep people informed about what is considered littering and how it can be prevented. Also, some people do not know about how oil from their cars also adds to the pollution of the water. In this project, I think that a really large focus can be about littering in general, not just in coastal areas. Wherever we litter, it eventually makes it way to the ocean or even our shores.

Blog #8: Media Saves the Beach ideas

An idea that I wanted to do while we were on this topic was doing some sort of project that really maximized the effects of litter and how it could influence the environment. One strong issue that could be a good basis of the project is, somehow, having a video showing where a single piece of trash can go from the ground to the ocean. Perhaps it could be like an animation or a video about where trash travels.

I'm not sure about specific ideas I would have for Media Saves the Beach since I'm still not well informed about it. One of the things I am looking forward to though is the water sampling. We did a sewer science segment last year and it was actually a very interesting project. I honestly don't know if our class is good enough to make a flash website like last year did. The website idea was a really good way to keep people informed digitally instead of giving them a whole informed lecture about the project.

Like I said before, I think the idea of following a piece of trash around and giving specifics of where it goes is important. One of the things about the beach is that a many people don't see what a single piece of trash can do. I remember seeing a guy who threw a cup of soda out the window and it angered me to see how irresponsible people were.

Blog #7: American Icons Final

Artistic Statement:
A paper. At the time, it was only used for schoolwork. If you told me that a single paper is where a Pixar movie sprung, I would have suggested you go sell your idea elsewhere. My encounter with art consisted of a beaming expression and overly unnecessary praise. You've probably guessed my reaction to the first Pixar animation I watched, Monster's Inc. It was truly a work of art. The background graphics never failed to pull me into an alternative universe, making sure they had switched my stagnant thoughts into ideas I could question. Their work spoke to me, but delivered the question "how in the world could I ever do what they do?" It seemed pretty hopeless since my explanation to anything unexplainable was, "It's magic." But everyone has to start somewhere, and this is where I did.

A sketch. It took some time until that blank piece of paper took hold of my pencil and used it to etch a door into my thoughts. By then, that single Pixar movie had already ventured into my collection of entertainment several times. They varied from small adventures in "Toy Story" to smaller ones in "Bug's Life" and even an environment change in "Finding Nemo". Eventually, my own ideas started drawing themselves out in a language I'd never seen before. It wasn't English, or Spanish, or even something verbal as far as I knew. It was a series of shapes and lines that blobbed together to make more shapes and lines, a never ending cycle I suppose. I admit, they started out non-digital and weren't shaded, but there was always room for improvement.

A critique. Being the subject of my new hobby, I looked up Pixar's website to learn exactly what jobs kept 700 employees busy. Despite the different aspects of each job, there was one thing that stood out to me that they all had in common. Each director, sketch artist, animator, colorist, coffee deliverer, everyone, had a direction. Even though they all made zigzags, went in circles, and strayed off course, they still met at the same point and brought all their ideas together. I was determined to find that direction, to place myself in the names of successful animators like Pixar. I found new inspirations and kept creating. Feedback kept coming, giving me new material to work with each time. "How can I improve?" was no longer a blank question -- it had become a question brimming with unattempted answers.

A better sketch. I practiced drawing day after day to improve flaws, respond to critiques and try every technique from my observation that worked. Improvement, inspiration, and input were words of motivation for me. Pixar had been there for the beginning and is still here now. I can speak to others how Pixar had spoken to me. Art has become a language where I can speak with happiness, sorrow, anger, and any emotion. Like music is to many, sports are to others, I am able to express myself without the usual, "Yeah I'm good." After all, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Citations:
"Interview with Pixar animator Guiherme Jacinto." Burlington Vermont News, Restaurants, more by Top Local Experts. 14 Sep. 2009 .

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"Pixar Animation Studios." Pixar Animation Studios. 14 Sep. 2009 .

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"Pixar University: Thinking Outside The Mouse." San Francisco Bay Area — News, Sports, Business, Entertainment, Classifieds: SFGate. 14 Sep. 2009 .

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"stock.xchng - the leading free stock photography site." stock.xchng - the leading free stock photography site. 14 Sep. 2009 .

Blog #5: American Icon Reflection

1. What did you discover about your writing during this project?
I discovered my writing needs a process. Many people at school didn't give good critiques. I think it was mostly because people saw it as an assignment. Most of the suggestions I was given, I either wanted to add myself before or they simply said, "Yeah it's good, it's cool!" Critiques started getting better when I asked friends or my family to give me critiques. They were much more specific and gave me lots of new ideas. With this information, I was able to cut down my paper from a page and a half to a page. I had to reword a lot of things. I also noticed I have a lot of different ideas that don't connect well enough for people other then myself to see the connection. I did get better at this hitting the second to third draft.


2. Identify and describe (at least) one specific writing technique that you used. How did you use it? What effect did it have on your writing?
One of the techniques I found the most helpful was getting rid of the "-ings". After Randy talked about words with "ings", I did notice the trend with them. When I read my paper, it did have a flow but it was only because the "ings" flowed from "ing" to "ing", making it sound almost like a chorus played over and over again. When I changed most of my "ings", my paper started to show more meaning and a "thunk" in words. I also used the technique of creating a relationship with your reader. I thought this was an important skill to have because it helps you answer the question, "Why should I care about your paper?" By doing this, I was speaking to a vast majority of people. It ranged from people who work at Pixar, people who do art, people who were inspired by other people, people who don't know what art is, etc.


3. If you had time for one more draft, what would you do?
I am actually very content with my drafts. I have three drafts and a final. I would have wanted to get more critiques though, good feedback. I know I could have organized the ideas a little better and use more details about Pixar. One of the things I was striving to do but did not accomplish was adding quotes by Pixar that may have been inspirational or stood out to me. Another thing I would have done was compare myself to other aspiring artists or how I influenced people too. I go to a lot of game sites and draw. I also have a Deviantart. I help many young kids who want to learn how to draw by teaching them techniques I use, redline their art if they need an outline, or overall, talk when them how to improve or how where they may acquire inspiration.


4. Copy one sentence that you believe is well-written and/or important to your overall piece. What makes it stand out to you?
"How can I improve?" was no longer a blank question -- it had become a question brimming with unattempted answers.

I have a lot of lines I like in my artistic statement, but this one is, by far, on of my favorite ones. It stands out to me because it is a question I ask myself everyday. It's something that every artist does. You hear everywhere about how "there is always room for improvement". After hearing that, you automatically think of "how could I improve?" By putting a strong line in there, I have done a lot of things with it. I have praised myself for being able to have an answer to that question to work towards. I have noted things that other artists may have trouble with. I give the hint of a hopeful feeling for those who are pooped out and don't know what they can do to be inspired of really improve. I know how frustrating it is when you look at the question and think "how much more do I have to improve?" or "What do I need to improve now!?" I wanted to hint that you can always improve and there is no reason you should be frustrated about. I feel like I'm the horse being led on by a carrot on a stick. It's always one step ahead and, sure, I will get frustrated if I can't have it. But it is there to motivate me to walk. Like I said in my statement, "Improvement, inspiration, and input were words of motivation for me" and still is (Another favorite quote of mine).

Critique my image

It's super Photoshopped, I know. I hope to take a picture of the actually stuff in one background over the weekend. Even so, this is my general idea.

Blog #6: Photography Techniques

Rule of Thirds:
I think this technique enhances the photo because it sort of focuses the main thing you want to look at in the middle. Instead of seeing them cut off the screen or somewhere in the corner, it's in the middle. I also think this helps because you have a clear image and clear background. You know your subject and you know you're background.

Posed Portraits:
This enhances a photo because it gives a sense of drama in it. I'm not sure if movement is part of this image or not, but posed portraits happen all the time. I think it also gives emotion to the subject, almost like "that moment in time" feeling. I suppose if done professionally, it could give the "timeless" feel to the image.

Reflections:
I wanted to do this to reflect personality. I think this is a good technique for the right idea or the right image. This sort of adds drama to the picture or a sense of "split personality" or "identity" feel. For example, if someone was looking in the water and it reflected them self, the first thing I would think of is the whole "this is who I am on the outside" cheesy feel. For reflections of background or scenery, it gives a graceful feeling of equality or beauty.

Blog #4: Artistic Statement critiques/ feedback

Personal Notes:
There wasn't much feedback that I thought was helpful. Most of what it said was very vague like, "Add more about Pixar" or "Add more examples". I had that sort of trouble before adding a little bit more about Pixar into my writing, but never found a method. Instead, I actually asked a lot of other people for more critiques on my writing. Some, I found very helpful. One of my friend critiqued my writing and told me about specific places where I may want to add, perhaps, quotes from people.

My plan is to start editing out some details and making the statement flow a little better. I think putting in quotes will take some more time so I want to work on that over the weekend. Even so, I'm planning to still stick to my idea of the whole process of drawing throughout the paper but say it in a way that can apply to the journey I took when I started drawing.

Second Draft:
A paper. At the time, it was only used for school work. If you told me that a single paper is where a Pixar movie sprung, I would have suggested you go sell your idea somewhere else. I was one of those little kids that would go, "OMG that's sooo cute." to almost every drawing on any paper. So you've probably guess my reaction to the first Pixar animation I watched, Monster's Inc. It was truly a work of art with the character depth, background graphics, storyline, 3D Graphics. It had exceeded their "work on the stories to make them original." The question that hung in my head was "how in the world could I ever do what they do?" Hopeless it may seem, since my explanation to anything unexplainable was, "It's magic."

A sketch. It took some time until that blank piece of paper took hold of my number two pencil and used that tool to sketch an open door into my mind. By this time, that single Pixar movie turned into many more. I remember taking a small adventure in "Toy Story", an even smaller adventure in "Bug's Life", then a pull back and headfirst dive into "Finding Nemo". My own ideas started solidifying on the paper in front of me in a language I've never taken classes for. It wasn't English, or Spanish, or evern verbal as far as I knew. It was a series of lines and shapes that eventually morphed together to make something at least slightly explainable. They started out non-digital and weren't shaded, but I saw a base, a start to my very own artistic story.

A critique. After looking at some work from the Pixar website, I learned about all the different jobs that busled around in their corperation. Everyone had a direction, whether they were a directer, sketch artist, animator, colorist, anything! Interestingly enough, even though they all wiggled around, made zig zags, went in circles, and strayed off course, they still met at the same point and brought all their ideas together. I was determined to find that direction, to place myself in the names of successful animators like Pixar. I kept creating. I found new inspirations and created more work. Critiques came naturally from people who found interest in my budding hobby. Eventually, "how can I improve?" was no longer a blank question. It had become a question brimming with unattempted answers.

A better sketch. One added word had never sounded sweeter. I unknowingly started practicing my drawing. I had ideas. I had resources. I followed a saying from a Pixar animator that went, "We try to makes them really special and so different than everything else that is out there." The best part about it was that I had my own direction, I was making my own kind of art. In Pixar, there isn't any two people with the same job. They all had somethign to say, something to add when the animation progress rolled around to their department.

I would no longer sulk on the word "hopeless". Instead, I took it as a challenge. It was a challenge that Pixar had taken and is still competing with, but now, it's a challenge that is stuck through the course of my life. Original? Well, it's up to you to decide.

Blog #3: American Icon Resouces

Pixar:
2. Websites
http://www.pixar.com/
This website is valuable information because it is the official website of Pixar. It has information on all their films, interviews from the people who work at Pixar, step-by-step information about how their films are made, etc. It basically has everything about Pixar and a break down of their shows and team work. Some of the extra info on the website is the inspiration for some of the movies.

http://www.ghibliworld.com/enrico_casarosa_interview.html
This website has some information about Pixar's co-op work with Studio Ghibli. I think it's inspiring that animators from both places can be able to work together well.

3. Movies, films, videos

Monster's Inc: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXn1IEn1NOY&feature=related
Toy Story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8hOHytF4i0

These are all links to the first parts of different Pixar movies. I think this is an important source because it's was the main thing that I was inspired by Pixar. This is a variety of the specific movies I've mentioned before in my blog/ shows the evolution of Pixar movies over time. Toy Story is a more older work, the one I first saw when I was little. Then there is Monster's Inc which is one of the middle works that I didn't see until a little later on. Last, there is Wall-E which depicts more of the current work or futuristic work they produced.

6. Interviews
http://www.examiner.com/x-13908-Latin-Film-Examiner~y2009m6d12-Interview-with-Pixar-animator-Guiherme-Jacinto
This is an interview with one of the people who work at Pixar. I think a lot of his answers matches things I would say of thing I'm interested in now. This notes a lot of things about the characteristics of people who work at Pixar. It gives me more things to relate to.


Hayao Miyazaki:
6. Interviews

This is the first part to an interview with Hayao Miyazaki. He talks about his inspiration for some of his movies. He talks about in the different aspects of his movie "Princess Mononoke", like how he exaggerates the mouth and the eyes for people to be able to see more expression. Some extra information in it is like why he did the things that he did in his movies.

http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/interviews/m_pa_interview.html
Here is another interview of Miyzaki where he talks about some of his movies. This has a lot of information about how he acts around other people and how he attaches himself to his work

2. Websites
http://www.ghibliworld.com/news.html
This is the main website from Studio Ghibli where Miyzaki mostly works at. It has information about his films, the process of his films, and little summaries of each movie.

3. Movies, films, videos

This is a trailer to one of his most famous films, "Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind". It displays the characteristics of one of his works that is between fantasy and realistic.

Blog #2: American Icons

Pixar:
1. What does this Icon represent to you? Why?
Pixar is a 3D animation making group that branches off one of the biggest entertainment companies, Disney. Pixar has been one of the groups that has influenced me the most from childhood to now. I started out with their old works like "Toy Story" and evolved to more current work like"Ratatoille". Not only do they have high quality animated movies, they also stretch themselves to many different themes. Their movies are very specific and just complex enough to be interesting and not confusing. Each animation is filled with beautiful scenery, in depth characters, and a remarkable use of digital movement and animation.

3. How did this Icon become important in American culture?
Pixar has influenced many future animators, I, being an example. The work they produce is an insight into what can be accomplished with 3D programs today. They can push themselves out into the media and have Disney to back them up. All of their movies are watched by people of all ages. They have become icons in television, movies, posters, products, projects, and more. Pixar, specifically, produces more of the elaborate and entertaining films because of the fantsy aspect, humor, and delivery. They show what can be achieved with hard work, creativity, team work, and overall, imagination.

4. How did this Icon become important to you?
This icon became important to me when I actually realized the work they produced. Before, I watched all the Pixar movies and thought they were just straight from Disney. That had always confused me, since Disney released a lot of not-so-good movies. The Pixar crew never stuck to one theme, they made movies all over the place. They went from talking about about things from a bug's point of view in "Bug's Life" to a flying house in "Up". In all aspects of each movie, there was always a different perspective to look at, something that you may have never seen. To be able to experience that without actually experiencing it physically is one of the characteristics that makes Pixar stick out. From a simple, "There are monsters in my closet." they created a chilren's movie that tied together with that general theme but it expanded immensely. Different ideas of how children's screaming was used as an energy source was thrown in an even weirder world of monsters. When I watch a Pixar movie, I get this feeling that they have taken their time to make sure everything made sense.


Hayao Miyazaki
4. How did this Icon become important to you?
This person was one of the first animators I learned about. He is an inspiring icon because of the movies and animations he makes. They always had a twist of something in there. Most of his movies need to be decoded to really understand what's going on. That's why his work is so unique. At first glance, you may not understand the movie. Interestingly enough, you find yourself going back and watching it again to see what some things may symbolize since the movie itself is very abstract.

One of the lessons I picked up from him was finding new meaning to different things. It made me see a whole new perspective of expressing yourself, opinions, and ideas. One thing I like the most is that he has a variety of art he uses. In "Nausicaa of the Wind", he mixed in this very realistic creature with this cell shaded and flat picture. I thought it was unique to mix in the real life hardcore shading with a more cartoonish environment.

5. Who and what did this Icon inspire?
I found a lot of people who was inspired by Miyzaki.
http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/miyazaki/impact.html

Some of the people that is listed there are people who are inspired by Miyazaki's ideas, work ethic, etc. They have list of movies that he had a part in, movies he inspired, people who got ideas from him and made different animations, and more! He has influenced many people from the people who worked on "Toy Story" to Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of the seminal Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros. series.

6. Create your own question: What aspects of his work inspire you?
He has a remarkable capability of putting his own touch to movies but also categorizing them in age groups. For example, he can do children movies like "My Neighbor Totoro" but also do more serious movies like, "Princess Mononoke". I've already mentioned about how much I like the realistic and cartoonish take he has on some of his movies. Another thing that is inspiring is how he makes abstract movies work. Some abstract movies you go, "What is going on here..." but he makes them so, not only can you get an idea of what you are talking about, there is also wiggle room for different interpretations.


Tim Burton
2. Who and what was important to this Icon? Why?
There was a little information about the people who are important to Tim Burton, the people that inspired him. Tim Burton usually works with his close friend Johnny Depp, Danny Elfman, and Helena Bonham Carter. He did do a stop-motion movie called "Corpse Bride" which was the first of it's specific kind. He was inspired by Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion films when he was a child so I think that these people were pretty important to him.

4. How did this Icon become important to you?
This icon contributed to a lot of my interest in 3D animation. He does a lot of stop-motion films very well. To me, I really like the style of his work and the feel his movies give off. His style is 3d but it's very mysterious and rustic almost. I'm not sure how to explain it, but it looks like a refined version of playdough or well sculpted plastic. The feel his movies give off is weird, eerie, or quirky. Even so, for some reason, I can always find something funny about his movies. The aspects of movies really catch my attention as one of the styles that stands out. I mean, anyone can make a 3D movie with the software these days, but he had his own twist on 3D.

6. Create your own question: How does this person relate to you?
This person relates to me because of of the twist he puts on his movies. Most of the movies I've seen from him are really mysterious and sometimes scary. I am the same way. I can make a scary storyline but tie it into something that doesn't have to be hugely violent or really unappealing to watch. I strive to make storylines that haven't been done yet but is still interesting to watch. For example, I think him and his team did excellent in "Corpse Bride" because of the quality and smoothness. At the same time, they came up with a storyline that is a little creepy but made you go, "Woah, that's kind of cool." I don't know, I think his personality is interesting and he can bring that across in his movies.

Blog #1: Returning to school

Tell us about what you hope to accomplish or learn from your experiences in this Humanities class. What do you hope to learn & what do you hope to develop?

There are many things I'm hoping to accomplish. Already, I was really interested in some of the project ideas. I find myself forgetting a lot after I've read something even when I think I've read it thoroughly.The key thing that also adds to my hate for reading is the fact that a lot of literature out there seems unnecessary to me by adding random detail, or something like that. I'd like to learn how to see a new point of view but also be able to find it interesting and give feedback on it. Another thing I'd like to accomplish is learning more about different cultures. I think that by doing this, I can expand the variety in my art and have more ideas then I ever did before. I want to be able to be influenced by many things so I can create a product that is unique and well thought out. Most certainly, I would like it to have little bits of ideas from everywhere. Currently, I've been having an artist block and my art doesn't seem to expand. It's difficult to see the originality and the uniqueness that sets it apart. In learning about culture, not only do I think my art will evolve, but it will apply to a lot of people and may interest them.

One of the things I'm hoping to develop the most is vocabulary. I have a very limited vocabulary because I am used to being able to twist words and even make up words by using similar sounds from the original words. The problem with that is that half the time... people don't understand what I'm trying to say. By stretching my vocabulary, I think I will also enjoy reading more because I wouldn't have to constantly be picking up a dictionary and finding out what words mean. I'm not very effective in humanities because of it. Being able to understand concepts better could help me increase my reading level and able me to read tougher books. If I'm lucky, I suppose I would start enjoying reading. Which... is very unlikely.

Other then that... I'm not sure what else there is. Randy seems to know a lot about music so I may learn a little bit about that. I am also available to learning about different skills humanities has to offer. Lori was a pretty good teacher and it was still a bit difficult for her to get me to read. One thing I wouldn't be looking forward to this year is the reading. The only books I've liked so far are middle school - 9th grade books. I'd like possible suggestions of really good books at my grade level and at the genre I am most interested in, fantasy. I really don't want to read books like Harry Potter. I did like the Series of Unfortunate Events though.... Now I'm just rambling. But yes, I may have repeated myself, but everything I said previously is what I would like to strive for/ accomplish during this school year.