Blog Revision: Free Choice

In this blog, I would like to consider some ideas and topics for my project blog essay. I am going to write my essay based on a film analysis of one of the movies that I watched and previously blogged about. My initial plan was to write my essay based on the movie Coraline because I really admire the artistic elements that create and make up the movie. However, I realized that artistic depictions and movie creation has absolutely nothing to do with my topic. Therefore, it would be best to base my essay on the children's film Paranorman. 

Paranorman would be a great movie for me to write about because it uses the genre of fantasy to alert its audience about bullying and it depicts ghosts and zombies in an inviting and comical way. These topics would be good for my thesis statement because the issue of bullying is extremely important due to the growing rate of suicide attempts and depression among school aged children and teens. The whole objective of the movie is to send this message out to children and provide a positive solution to the issue. Also, the movie depicts the ghosts and zombies in a way that seems to give the audience the message that they are not frightening. For example, all of the ghosts are friends of Norman and have comical outgoing personalities making them seem friendly instead of frightening. I think this aspect of the movie is important because it gives children the chance to be comfortable with characters such as ghosts who are usually depicted in dramatically intimidating ways.

-FairyTaleMovieQueen

A Homemade Sintel Advertisement

      This is advertising the short computer animated film Sintel. I went through the film, took pictures and arranged them chronologically from left to right, top to bottom. I used repetition in the photos and placed the title away from the center so that it's not the main focus. My main focus instead was displaying the character of Sintel and all of her emotions since I wrote about the importance of characters in fantasy and how they connect us to the unreal.

Sintel - Third Open Movie by Blender Foundation

Edward Scissorhands Poster

Behold the poster used to advertise the motion picture Edward Scissorhands. Is it just me or do elements in this picture clash? Here we have this mystical and enchanting blue background, a comforting snowy white and a cute rendition of a dinosaur in the background of the poster. With all those comforting innocent elements in the background, what do we have in the for front where the eye is immediately dragged? A dark, creepy mechanical creature with sharp blades as fingers! I love this rendition of the cover because it portrays the theme of the film perfectly! That this does not belong. From a non bias perspective of one who has yet to see the actual film, one might wonder what exactly this thing is doing in happy innocent wonderland over there! Obviously her is sullen and sad and does not seem to be having a good time by himself over there in the right hand corner of the poster.
-Jason London

Sintel

      This is a movie poster from the short animated film Sintel. The poster uses the separation and longing to be together of the girl and baby dragon to pose questions. Why are the separated? Why do they want to be together? Will they be together in the end? What's keeping them apart? The last question can easily be answer from the advertisement. A huge wicked dragon is between the two characters, looming over them and keeping them apart. The fear in the girl and little dragon's eyes suggest this film is about the struggle of reconnecting. This ad is successful by posing questions to get you interested.
      The title is centered and doesn't grab your attention. It instead implies that the film is more subtle and not in your face. The title is also short, suggesting that dialogue is not the main focus. The credits and website are typical of a movie poster, informing you exactly what this is advertising. There are no reviews or slogans present on the poster. They would only direct attention away from the struggle and depth the two desperate characters are facing.
      This movie poster encourages you to watch the film by displaying an image that tells the main plot of its story and gets you interested and concerned about its outcome.
   

Paranoran Movie Trailer

Paranorman Movie Trailer :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiRdf9crI7U
      The main purpose of the Paranorman movie trailer is to persuade an audience into seeing the movie. Like most movie trailers, this trailer highlights the main scenes of the movie to give its viewers a general idea of what the movie is suppose to be about. I believe one of Paranorman's main goals as a movie is to teach people lessons about bullying and mistreating others that are not like us because you never know when you may need them. This message is relayed through out the trailer with the tagline "You don't become a hero by being normal". The trailer also gives viewers a general idea of the movie's message by showing several scenes of Norman (the main character) being bullied by his sister and school kids but then showing a few scenes of how he will overcome the bullying and save the town from destructive zombies.
     In addition, there is also background music in the trailer which does not seem to be catchy. However, the background music is there to create suspense and draw the attention of the viewer.

                -FairyTaleMovieQueen

Almost Alice blog post 10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZygF-Mj36c

       For This week I chose to present the formal elements of the song "Almost alice" by Avril Lavigne. In the beginning of the song there is a reverberated fanfare of dissonant and clashing pitches. The atonality suggests being taken out of the world we know and thrown in to a fantastical adventure. The striking beats of the bass drum and piano also suggest this notion. The music serves a psychological subtext to the sharp vocals of Lavigne. The orchestral aspect of the piece is affiliated with this same theme.  The strings are meant to represent a more aged and less modern representation of life, that we are not in the time that we normally are.  The harmonies are used as similar psychological subtext. The colors are very dark and contrasted, accenting the lighter parts of the screen. When Lavigne says the line "spinning around", the camera framing is rotating at 360 degrees to emphasize the notion of dizziness. The colors slowly begin to get lighter and lighter throughout the progression of the video. I believe this is meant to suggest that the reality that was originally believe to be the truth is not and the fantastical representation of this other worldly realm is the truth.

-Jason London

Fireflies

 

     Owl City's song, Fireflies, encompasses the ideas of childhood wonders and dreams. The lyrics and music give an alert subconscious vibe. It's chorus goes "I'd like to make myself believe that planet Earth turns slowly. It's hard to say that I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep, 'cause everything is never as it seems when I fall asleep." The chorus' main points are time, sleep, and fantasy. The fact it seems like the Earth is rotating slowly suggests the irrelevancy of time, how time is nonexistent in dreams, how time is not restricting us. The slowed down time also implies that he wants to hold on to his childhood and the innocence that accompanies it. The desire to sleep instead of being awake invokes that feeling that sleeping and dreaming is in fact living and not the other way around.

      The music and instruments used in this song sound uncommon. Along with the voice, they really give the feeling of an upbeat exciting wonder. It seems to stimulate an active imagination which ties nicely into the idea of the song. I also feel that some of the instruments were used to mirror the sounds of the beeps and rings of childhood toys. The first and last times the chorus is sung the music takes a quiet, soft drum-like turn. I can't tell for sure if the music is repetitive as it feels like it changes ever so slightly over the course of the song.
      The music video itself uses many of those childhood toys, everything from little plastic robots to disco-balls. When ignoring the lyrics and focusing on the video I feel that the song is more about toys than sleep. That in his innocent mind, to him, the toys are really coming to life. But part of him feels that their animation is fleeting (like when the calculator writes goodbye or farewell). The video takes place entirely in his room and so much happens within that small of a space. Over the course of the video toys come out on the floor along with trains and a blimp. Near the end there is a whole bustling toy city in the center of his room. At the end all the toys and lights go away. I am torn between two ideas of why the toys left. They either left because he was waking up from a dream or growing up, or perhaps even both.
      My final interpretation of the song takes into consideration of the man at the keyboard's age. He seems far to old for a room like that (but then again that could just be him not letting go). I believe he lost his childhood and he is in constant longing to go back. The only way back is through his dreams.

comment

This week we are suppose to be commenting on other peoples blog posts

I decided to comment on Jason London's Lord of the ring Post because I remember watching the movie as a child, however, my perception of the movie had changed as I had gotten older.

http://escapingintofantasy.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-lord-of-ring.html?showComment=1352334674399

For my second post I commented on a blog on a website called pastemagazine.com. This blog talked about Tim Burton and his 10 Best movies which is relevant to me because I choose children's fantasy movies as my main topic. I talked about why Tim Burton's movies are so popular among children. I am listed as Sunshine Rays.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2012/08/the-10-best-tim-burton-movies-so-far.html

Mirror Mirror -Jason London

Jason London

Commenting

For this week I did some commenting on fantasy in order to explore it better online:

      My first comment was on Dean Cypher's analysis on the movie Spirited Away. I discussed how well I felt the movie captured the fantasy genre as well as incorporated morals into the film. I also showed admiration for the movie's director Hayao Miyazaki.

      http://escapingintofantasy.blogspot.com/2012/09/spirited-away.html

      My second comment was posted on thefantasyforum.com and I went by the username "Multiverse". The main topic of the thread I replied to was "What do you like about fantasy?/ So what is it about the fantasy genre that draws you to it?" A summary of my response is that I like fantasy because it is the attempt at recreating the imagination.

      http://www.thefantasyforum.com/showthread.php?26856-What-do-you-like-about-fantasy/page2

      (Username: Multiverse, Post #22, November 5, 2012 @ 12:20pm)

Recreating

I didn't think I could make myself look like Coraline's mother but I thought I could draw her!

http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/dvd/universal2009/Coraline2.jpg                             
                                                                                                           -FairyTaleMovieQueen

The Extension

      For this week's post I decided to have a little fun and explore fantasy in the form of a video. It follows the path of floating bridges through a world of tall hexagonal pillars. I made this with Blender and added music from Freesound. Enjoy...

Fantasy is Positive

      Children's fantasy movies I believe are very positive because they give kids a positive outlook on fiction teaching them that it's okay to explore things that are not real. It helps them to be creative and promotes the use of imagination (crucial to the development of a child) opening up a world of pretend. Children are supposed to be free to explore and take healthy risks.

   Fantasy movies also introduce children to supernatural elements such as dragons or ghost which is healthy because they are introduced in a way that causes children to be more comfortable with them letting them know that they are not real. Many children's movies are also helpful in teaching valuable lessons about morals and life. 

     In general, children’s fantasy movies are important and promote many positive qualities in kids. They also give us early hope in teaching us that anything is possible and that we must pursue our hearts dreams and desires.

                    -FairyTaleMovieQueen

      

An Ancient Evil Awakens

      As promised, we will be covering gaming as well and, in this case, Halo 4 specifically. It is a first person shooter game exclusively for Xbox 360 with a release date of November 6, 2012. Its story is likely to include war between Humans, the alien race of the Covenant and the Prometheans. The intergalactic wars in the series introduce bizarre new worlds, species and technologies.

      Being a video game, it can't help but stretch the boundaries of our world and epitomize fantasy. Games are the only type of fantasy that adds the aspect of free choice to it. Being in a three-dimensional world enhances the wonder and intrigue with the freedom to look and move as you wish, something books, movies and pictures just don't have.

      Another interesting aspect of Halo 4 that has been evolving of the course of the past games is the forge. In the forge players are given pieces such as walls, windows, blocks, stairs, weapons, trait zones, spawns points, vehicles, you name it. With these pieces they are free to build anything they like and then be able to walk and play all over the map/what they built. This combination of an already fantastic world along with the creativity of the player makes for a unique, ever-changing experience.

      I am a huge fan of Halo and have already pitched in $100 for the limited edition. I know it will be amazing.  And, to explain beyond my capabilities, here's a video documentary of Halo 4.

"It's got to speak to fantasy"-Scott Warner at 1:00

Comic-con

        For this weeks post, I would like to share a little about a popular fantasy convention known as "Comic-con".  For those who do not know, Comic-con is an ongoing yearly event that, in my opinion, represents the pinnacle of fantasy social culture.  Fans flock to this event, selling out on tickets within the month of opening sales, to see popular fantasy flick stars or to hear the latest news in comics, video games and more.
        I have only attended one of these events, but in the short time I stayed I was immersed in the colorful excitement of the diverse demographic.  Fans often will dress up as their favorite character from a fantasy film or popular video game etc.  Within the sea of extravagantly dressed people are paid cos-players, usually incredible beautiful women.  Major contributors and promotors of the event and entertainment will scout women and pay them to show up to events in amazing costumes to arouse excitement in the audience.  The biggest name for the time being Jessica Nigri.  Nigris' latest costume was a real life version of the popular video game character from "Lollipop chainsaw".
        I do not consider myself a fantasy fanatic nor do I even express interest in most fantasy representations, but this event sparked something in me that i can only explain as childlike excitement.  This convention is something I believe everyone should experience at least once.
-Jason London

Elevation Askew

-Elevation Askew by Tariq Soliman

"A man ascends into imagination"

      To better understand fantasy I underwent creating it myself. I made this piece with Paint.NET and a mash up of online images.

      My central focus is on the man climbing the ladder upside-down. I liked the irony of the up climbing position but the downward travel. I next wanted to combine nature and attempted a tree. To keep up with fantasy I made the leaves gears and the roots wires. Perhaps it depicts the uniformity and complexity of nature. I don't know why but I wanted a dead bird. I let my whims and imagination guide me (sadly not to a .png image, but it's not that noticeable). Actually I'll change my mind and say the bird is sleeping. With sleep comes dreams.  Lastly the horse head nebula represents wonder and that fantasy exists in the real world. My plan when creating this was to have no plan and that made all the difference.

       This image is comprised of all real life things (the Pegasus being a horse and wings). It shows that we craft fantasy out of reality. Merriam-Webster defines fantasy as "the free play of creative imagination",  and that is just what this picture is. The beauty of fantasy is that it has no rules, forms or convention. It can be what ever you want it to be. It can be interpreted however you see fit.

Water Colossus

-Water Colossus by Farkwhad/Alexander Kintner

     This fantastic masterpiece is of an unimaginably huge water serpent. This enormous spirit has just entered this realm through a mystical portal. It tears away at the island with a high pressured jet of glowing water. The monster is chained up in decorative metal shackles. Its body aggressively flows with columned sea. The clouds and sky swirl with fear. The island floods in submission. A lone wizard stands atop a cliff's edge, challenging the insane behemoth.

     At first sight you don't notice the sheer scale of this image. It is somewhat breath-taking when you follow down the wizards path to the water colossus and actually get a good comparison of its size. It makes me feel small, insignificant and hopeless. Despite the feelings, I don't see this picture dark at all. The main colors, blue, green and brown, suggest more of a natural, calming and verdant side. I see the man perched at the end of the path as a moral to stand up, try and dismiss the impossible. That we are never given a burden we cannot handle. Looking at the whole, the art piece is deceptively tranquil, a mix between frightened and peaceful. It's overwhelming.

life after death

       This photo depicts a young pale woman dressed in a black victorian gown holding roses.  I infer that this woman could have possibly passed away. The almost transparent angel behind her is grasping the woman in a comforting fashion, possibly to let her know that it is alright for her to let go and move on.  How the woman is grasping the roses, in my opinion, is the representation that she is not willing to let go of life just yet. In the background there is an almost church like structure that seems to be fading away.  This is also a representation that the living plane is slowly fading away.
        This picture inspires many clashing feelings. For example, the feeling of sadness and regret that the earthly life has been taken from her.  With that said, because the angel is lighting up the darkness and comforts the women, feelings of hope and love surface.
         It is a bittersweet representation of life after death.
-Jason London

A Dark Being

     This picture depicts a dark and demonic figure pointing off into the distance. Behind him stands a dark tower almost melting away in the background. It is almost as if he is pointing at someone or something as though he has chosen them for destruction. There is a faded away picture of other beings like him on the bottom left corner of the picture. Fading away almost as if to be a memory.
     For me, this picture gives off a feeling of hopelessness or despair. The beings lifeless features and faceless profile make it seem as if he has no soul or life in him. Even the building in the background melting away seems as though there is no hope or feeling within the structure. Looking at the picture gives off a dark feel as if the being is either coming for you or for some other poor soul. When looking at this picture it gave me a depressing feeling of sadness which can be directly tied to the dark colors, and the way that everything in the background seems to be fading away into darkness. It is not a happy photo and does not seem to have been drawn by somebody in a happy state of mind.

Research

To help you guys relate a little more to the things we talk about on this blog, here are a couple websites I use to get a better understanding on fantasy culture.

fantasy-fan.org

Fantasy Fan is a great website to find reviews on books, movies and anything else fantasy related. They also have in depth discussions on fantasy culture and fiction which you can add to or read in their many forums.

http://www.scifinow.co.uk/

Scifi now is a fantastic place to get the latest news and reviews on anything related to scifi, fantasy, horror, and video game culture. They are updated daily with the latest content and give both reviews and news on the world of fantasy.

These two websites give a good balance between fact and opinion. You can hear when the next great thing is coming out and then find out whether or not it was any good when it is released. You can get deep conversation and debate on the forums, and see media and clips from many great works.