Game Narrative

Story is very important to me, whether it be in a movie or a game. Most things rely on a good story as their foundation, and I also enjoy playing games that revolve around great stories.

I'll begin with the Legend of Zelda series. This is a great series of games that revolve around recurring themes and storyline. The world of Zelda has its own characters and lore that enrich the game play. The game itself is moved along by the plot, and while you play you feel immersed in the story of Link and Zelda. When I was little I started out with playing the Ocarina of Time. I was hooked to this great N64 game. I was pretty young (and sucked really bad at it) but I enjoyed it nonetheless. For me, I wanted to know the story of these great characters. I so desperately wanted to know how the story would end that I actually had my older cousin beat Ganandorf for me just so I could see the ending! I've been hooked on the franchise ever since, so I like to think that this proves how successful the narrative was in the case of the Zelda series.

A more recent series I have been playing is the Professor Layton Games. Created for the Nintendo DS, these games are set up as playable detective stories. While the gameplay revoves around solving puzzles with the Professor, narrative is the overall driving force of the game. Between each "chapter" of the game there are little movie clips that move the storyline along. The Professor also keeps a journal of his findings and his thoughts on the events throughout the story that you can read along with. Each game ties into the last to move the story along (aside from the most recent, which is a prequel story.) I really enjoy the Professor Layton games and it is currently my favorite series. I am currently playing Professor Layton and the Last Specter.

Another game I have recently started playing is Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon! I was obsessed with the original Luigi's mansion for the gamecube. It is a great combination of my favorite virtual plumber and haunted houses and spooky ghosts! So far Dark Moon has been a really great play. The narrative isn't as engaging so far as the original Luigi's mansion story...but I'm still pretty early in the game.

Comics!

Growing up I had little experience with comics. In fact, I had more experience with the characters themselves. I used to live and breathe Batman the animated series. Looking back, I'm surprised I never got into American comics sooner...especially with my love for Batman and the Justice League.

Honestly, my first experience with graphic novels was with Manga. I was in seventh grade at the time, and began reading series like Fruits Baskets, Saiyuki, Bleach and Yu-Yu Hakusho. They are still some of my favorite series to this day, having been a big influence on my art at the time. I'm not sure what it is about anime and manga, but it sure seems to influence a lot of people in middle school. I know there are some people who look down on manga and anime, but I still really enjoy it. I started reading some DC comics when I became a freshman here at Ringling. Since then, my comic collection has been growing!

In these past few years, I've began to see how vast of a medium comics have become. They are no longer contained by a few pages in thin paper books. They have grown and expanded into hardcover novels and exploded into different mediums like television, movies, games and the web comics!

Speaking of webcomics, they are my current addiction. They are easy to read, and can incorporate all different elements like animation and music! I truly believe that this will be the next big platform for the comic industry. I'm sure there are people pushing to get comics app friendly, but for now the internet is the best place for both new and professional comic artists.

Here is a taste from some of the successful web comics of the past few years:

xkcd

Homestuck

Nimona

Media Studies

      For class this week I have read both of the provided essays, Encoding/Decoding and Technology and Society. I found the first essay difficult to read and understand. I got a sense that it was about how people interpret the messages in media, especially television, and how these messages are influence by their own personal connotations and culture. The best example in my opinion was the sweater example. Seeing someone wearing a sweater can be interpreted by the audience that cold is coming or a feeling of wearing warmth depending on the situation. The actor is not literally saying "It's cold outside!" or "This sweater is keeping me warm" but as a viewer we can infer that immediately from the visuals.

      The second essay focused much more on television itself and how it has changed society since its introduction. For me, I have found the television discussion to be a very annoying debate. Personally, I really miss having a television when I'm at college. I watch available shows on my computer, but it isn't the same experience. I actually have less motivation to tune into shows if I don't have a television to watch it on.

    To me, television is just another form of entertainment. I find it not much different from listening to music or reading books. I spend just as much time doing those things as watching television shows. The main plus to television that appeals to me is that I can have it on in the background when I'm multitasking. It keeps my mind active, and inspires me with new ideas. I like to watch a lot of documentary style shows, fantasy/supernatural themed shows and cartoons. As an artist, I feel like these are all beneficial to my personal growth and inspiration, while also being a source of entertainment. I won't deny I don't have a few shows I watch solely for entertainment (Hell's Kitchen being one of them) but I watch it KNOWING its a staged show. It's basically watching a weekly play about crazy chefs.

   Aside from its entertainment purposes, I have first hand experience with knowing how disconnected you can become from the world without television/internet. A few years ago my Mom, brother and I had to live in a tiny cottage (the whole thing was about the size of a dorm room) that had no cable and the weakest internet connection (you were lucky to get on for an hour). I pretty much had the worst case of cabin fever. I didn't know what the news was, I had no clue what movies were coming out or what my friends were up to.

 It. Was. Awful.

When we were finally able to afford an apartment, the first thing we did was get cable and plug in the TV. I have a hard time believing it when someone scoffs at the idea of technology and prides themselves in being able to live a life without television, internet or a phone. I find it ridiculous when people struggle to live in the past (as if the past is always better then the present?)

I think that television is a great thing, as is the internet. I feel that all this technology, whether its invention was intended for scientific reasons or not, has made people even more connected then they were before and its for the better. Without this technology, without the creation of television or the internet, I would not have met other artists around the world on social communities like tumblr. I would be far less cultured then I am today, because I can read the articles about someone's life in a different country and their first hand experience.

Here's a great info graphic I found that I feel is relevant to this subject:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/cconnelly/the-world-without-the-internet-s3x

Wes Anderson

For the assignment this week, I chose to analyze three films by Wes Anderson: The Darjeeling Limited,  Bottle Rocket  and Moonrise Kingdom.  I watched Moonrise Kingdom over this past winter break and fell in love with the film. It's a quirky "first love" love story between a young boy at summer camp and girl. If you haven't seen it yet, I recommend giving it a shot, its an excellent movie!

When comparing these three films together, the first most notable similarity that struck me was Anderson's use of specific actors. Owen Wilson and Bill Murray have played a part in two out of the three films I watched (and Bill Murray has played a role in every one of Wes Anderson's movie but Bottle Rocket.) These actors lend themselves perfectly to Anderson's film style that is a blend of quirky comedy and romantic drama.

Visually, these three films I watched all shared in a similar faded/warm color palette. Everything has a soft dated feel to it, and the acting feels very realistic (despite how unrealistic the plot line may be getting). Anderson also uses a lot of contrast in his camera work. A beauty shot can instantly cut to a wide shot. We could stay with one camera for a very long time, and then suddenly cut to several cameras in a row. In Bottle Rocket, there is a scene where one of the Owen brothers is on the phone, and as the phone rings, we cut several times to all different places in the motel where the phone is ringing.  He also uses a lot of quick camera pans to get from one part of the story to the next, and I also noticed that he likes to do extreme closeups of still objects (and many of these are top down angles.)

Here is an awesome compilation video that shows several examples of his iconic top down shots:


Wes Anderson // From Above from kogonada on Vimeo.


The majority of his staging is very flat and centered which lends to an exaggerated stiffness, and that we are up close and personal with the actors. During my concept class we were always taught to keep wary of the rule of thirds, and crossing the 180. Wes Anderson bends and breaks these rules throughout most of the films I watched! A lot of dialogue scenes are center stage, with the actors barely looking into the audience's eyes.

I feel that Wes Anderson's films have a very personal point of view. The subject matter of all the films I watched are focused on broken families and relationships and the struggles of getting through life together. I personally feel that his films are conveying a message that while life is a strange and bizarre struggle we are still able to find the comedy and romance in it.

Another point of view Anderson might be suggesting through his films is the importance of nostalgia. A lot of his films have this home video, 60s vibe (and the music definitely accentuates this.) Sometimes I feel like I'm looking through a time capsule into another person's life and watching their story

Whatever his true view point may be, I really enjoy Wes Anderson's films and I am excited for when The Grand Budapest Hotel is released.

Screenplay- Ed Wood

I chose to read the screenplay of Ed Wood specifically because it was directed by Tim Burton, and I am a huge fan of his movies. I haven't seen the movie before (or even knew anything about it) other then Johnny Depp played the role of Ed Wood. I avoided googling the book until I had finished reading. The screenplay was hilarious and heartfelt at the same time, and I really enjoyed reading it!

I took this assignment on as the role of an Art Director, and jotted down some quick notes/ideas as I read the screenplay (I'll further embellish these ideas tomorrow):

-Have the movie filmed in black and white, reminiscent of the old horror movies
  
   -Or have the movie filmed in color, but during the sequences where they are filming the movies or are on the sound stages, it would be in black and white.

-Ed Wood in drag, Bella and his friends other friends would be very dramatically costumed. Sequences with the group would be wild and fun, to contrast the static and dull everyday people and businessmen that surrounded Wood's life. When Ed Wood is wearing men's clothing, he would appear very monotone/static like the others. Contrast between these two "worlds" is important to show in the film stylistically!

-Any camera moves/cuts and transitions can call back to old film techniques. No CG!

(Will continue this list later...)

The Medium is the Massage

The Medium is the Massage was a really interesting collage of media messages and imagery. As I was reading through the book, what instantly caught my attention was the phrase, "Printing, a ditto device." When thinking about our assignment this week to give an updated page to the book, Tumblr was what came to mind. Reblogging is literally a "ditto device" and the backbone to the Tumblr interface.

The page I created is what I think of as "Tumblr in a nutshell". Walls of text posts, passionate reblogs of like-minded users, followed up by a sarcastic remark summed up with an image. And let's not forget the never ending tags where a user can get in their final two cents on the matter.

Lolita

" To an unsmiling blond bitch of a secretary I gave my daughter's age as "practically sixteen." 
  

After reading Lolita, I can see how Lolita has become such a popular, but controversial novel. The essence of Lolita is based around the ideal "nymphet"; the cherub-like child on the brinks of womanhood. His drive to find these perfectly aged nymphets girls stemmed from the relationship he had with Annabel as a child. Feeling unaccomplished, he continues to seek out for girls around the age of 12. To Humbert Humbert, the little Lolita is the epitome of nymphets. His fetish for young girls is constantly brought up throughout the story, and he is keen to remind the reader of what he sees as Lolita's age and the ages of other nymphets that strike his fancy. The age of a girl is very important to him and he wants to tell the readers of that every chance he gets.

So when I was reading through Lolita, and I got to this remark by Humbert to the nurse, it really struck a chord. Up until this point, in Humbert's mind, Lolita was perpetually a young child around 12-13 years old. Even though she was far from innocence and the subject to his sexual endeavors (and to of a boy's in summer camp) she remained a nymphet in his eyes. His obsession for Lolita was so great that it began to distort his perception of her age. Although he clearly knew she was naturally getting older and would describe her features as she aged- she was always his "child" or "darling."  He was attracted to her youthful childness afterall, so as long as he kept that alive in his mind- his attraction and obsession with Lolita continued. 

He also tries his best to prevent her from growing up- another effect based on his idealized version of Lolita. Humbert prevents her from being with boys and keeps a close eye on all of her friends. Even though he knows that Lolita has had experiences at the camp in the past, he takes great strides to prevent Lolita from reaching adulthood in society. When Lolita attended school and wanted to participate in the play, he made of point of only allowing her to join if there were no male actors.

I noticed that the few times Humbert were bring Lolita's true age to his own attention was if Lolita was acting rebellious towards Humbert or if Humbert was in an awful mood. The scene in the hospital is one of the best examples of his emotional state where Humbert has to admit to the nurse that Lolita is "practically sixteen" in a harsh and violent demeanor. Earlier in the story, he would keep pretending Lolita was still young around 12 years old.

The young age of the girls he pursued was an extremely important factor in Humbert's obsession and is most likely one of the reasons why Lolita is such an uncomfortable book to read. It's one thing to read about a character's obsession and passion for another, but the target of his deeds is a young girl. It was definitely a very interesting and well thought-out book, but I would probably not read it again in my spare time. 

The Moon Maid

Last week we looked into Pulp Fiction writing. I was really excited for this week because I am a sucker for the over-the-top fantasy/scifi genre stories. I definitely skimmed that list and picked the one that had the most interesting and bizarre name, and I didn't want to have any prior knowledge to the novel I chose before I read it. My attention was instantly caught by the Moon Maid by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

It was a whirlwind of science fiction, action and romance. I really enjoyed this book! I was hooked when the team of space explorers landed on the moon and began to describe their surroundings. The descriptions had tons of detail that gave me a really clear mental picture of the soft greyish lavender vegetation, the thick murky water, and the bizarre creatures.

I found it funny though that in this world of great space exploration and travels to Mars, that no one decided to investigate the moon- the closest to Earth. I suppose what was meant to be implied was that it was a common assumption between the scientists that the moon was a dead planet. Either way, I'm glad that the team made their emergency landing onto the moon. The whole idea of this extensive world thriving beneath the moon's craters was really fascinating. I loved how there was always this perpetual foggy daytime atmosphere. You could see Burroughs took great care in developing a convincing but eccentric world.

The creatures were also pretty terrifying, mainly the centaur like beings with human faces that were cannibals. Actually, practically every race that existed on the moon ate each other in some horrific fashion- which Julian is horrified by because of the races having human like faces and intelligence. I was getting the vibe there was some pro-vegetarian undertones to this book!

The Moon Maid was a really great read, and I'd be interested in checking out the sequels when I get a chance.

GREAT GATSBY screenplay

My version of the Great Gatsby takes place in a post apocalyptic world, where chemical warfare has left the country in ruins and the air contaminated. Gas masks and oxygen tanks have become a part of normal life. A mysterious man named Gatsby is known for hosting extravagant parties for survivors.

My screenplay is a snippet from Chapter 7, after the death of Myrtle.
----

Fade in:

EXT. DAISY AND TOM'S HOUSE - NIGHT

In the red haze of the radioactive war district, a car's dim headlights breaks through the thick chemical fog as it pulls into the debris ridden drive way.

CUT TO:

INT. CAR - NIGHT

The shadowed passengers pull on their gas masks and affix the mini portable oxygen tanks to their belts.

TOM, still rattled by the lost of his mistress, is revealed to be the first to exit the car as he steps into the light from his house.

TOM

(mutters)

Daisy's home.

JORDAN, and NICK, cautiously exit the car watching Tom.

TOM

I ought to have dropped you in West Egg, Nick. There's nothing we can do tonight.

The group walks through the hazardous fog, the sound of their breathing through the masks fills the silence, until they arrive at -

THE PORCH

Tom looks back towards Nick, before he opens the heavy protective door.

TOM

(impatient)

Won't you come in?

NICK

(hesitant)

No thanks. But I'd be glad if you'd order me a taxi…

JORDAN

(confused)

It's only half past nine.

Jordan puts her hand on Nick's shoulder, motions for him to follow.

NICK

(tired but stern)

No thanks.

Nick and Jordan stare at each other in silence through their masks, and Jordan abruptly turns away through the door.

Tom follows after Jordan, looks back at Nick one last time before shutting the heavy door.

Nick watches their silhouettes move through the windows, sighs, and makes his way towards the street.

DISSOLVE TO:

SIDE OF THE ROAD - NIGHT

The thick red haze swallows up the streetlights, the house is barely visible in the background.

Nick walks along the pathway to the curb to wait beneath the dim streetlight.

Nick goes to sit down on a pile of rubble, left from the war.

GATSBY, a man who's known to throw lavish parties for the survivors, walks out from behind the debris.

NICK

(caught by surprise and stands)

What are you doing here?

GATSBY

(uneasy, fidgeting)

Just standing here, old sport.

(pause)

Did you see any trouble on the road?

NICK

(suspicious)

Yes.

(begins to step away)

GATSBY

(steps closer)

Was she killed?

NICK

(long pause)

Yes.

(Getting frustrated)

What happened?

GATSBY

(fumbling with his words, incomplete thoughts)
Daisy wanted to...I tried to swing the wheel-

NICK

(shocked, cuts off Gatsby)

Was Daisy Driving?

GATSBY

Yes.

(pause)

She was very nervous, and thought it would steady her to drive, and this woman rushed out just as-

The taxi's eerie red lights break through the fog, the sound of the motor approaches.

Nick and Gatsby watch the taxi pull up to the curb.

Gatsby looks to Nick, but Nick dismisses him, shakes his head and enters the taxi without a word.

Gatsby looks back towards the house.

PAN OUT AS TAXI DRIVES AWAY INTO FOG.

FADE TO BLACK.

Week 2

Case #491

Official investigation into the death of Elizabeth A. Warden and Sarah C. Warden.

Warden, A. Elizabeth. Female. 1882-1903. -Accused
Warden, C. Sarah. Female.  1854-1903. -Stepmother of Accused

November 18th, 1905.

EVIDENCE:

The following pages are from Elizabeth Warden's diary.

----

October 26th, 1903. 

Great news! Earlier today, I was sitting in the study hand stitching some finishing touches to my costume for the party, when I heard Daddy shouting for me from the lobby. He seemed rather excited over something, I could hear the surprise in my step-mother's voice. I shouted "I'm coming!" towards the hall as I looped the thread into a knot and gave it a little tug. I'm being a witch for this year's Halloween party, and it's the first time I have sewn it all myself. I'm still pretty impressed by it. While I was besides myself with pride, my father and step-mother, who realized I wasn't coming to the lobby, decided to pursue me in the study.

"Elizabeth dear, you should come when your father calls you" said my step mother, in her typical dreadful, judging tone. I saw her scoff when she glanced over to my witch costume. Sarah decided to take it upon her self to run the Halloween party this year, and it was her wishes that everyone keep to the theme (which so happened to be Alice in Wonderland.) I was not about to wear some tacky, childish Alice costume. I could tell she was still holding a grudge over it; if she wanted someone dressed up as Alice, she can be Alice herself! (I think the Queen of Hearts suits her so much more...)

Lucky for her, my Father spoke up before I gave her some of my two cents on the matter. 

"Darling, Elizabeth, look! I've brought you home a little surprise. I was going to give it to you on Christmas, but I just couldn't wait," he said to me as he placed a decent sized box into my hands. I was pretty shocked, it wasn't like my father to give out gifts. I sat down on the sofa, and placed the box gently on my lap. I lifted up the corners and pulled out the crinkled tissue to reveal a shiny black box. I remember thinking for a few moments about what strange looking object it was. I pulled the black box out and realized what was in my hands.

"A Kodak!" I had shouted to my father, who's face lit up with joy. Sarah seemed uninterested, but I thought she was just jealous. 

"Great! Now you can take photos of the party," she was quick to add. What began as an awesome present, had already turned into a boring job. I can see why my father bought the Kodak now. I'm sure he'd been planning for me to take pictures of the party for Sarah all along.

Oh well, at least I still have a few more days to mess around with my Kodak before Halloween. Here's the very first picture I took, starring yours truly! 

  

Looks pretty nice, right? 

 

October 26th, 1903.

I decided to go out and spend the day around the lake. It was really beautiful- sunny with a mild breeze. I took a picture of our house on the way over:

It's been an unusually warm Autumn. Most of the leaves have not fallen yet. It's even a little surreal. 

October 29th, 1903. 

Today has been drastically different from three days ago, there's a chill in the air! I can hear the wind whistling outside the windows tonight. It's beginning to feel like Autumn, just in time for Halloween! Unfortunately, my step-mother has been having me clean and prepare the house for the party, so I haven't had the time to explore with my Kodak as much as I would have liked. 

October 31st, 1903

Happy Halloween!! Here's a picture I took of myself yesterday as I tried on my costume for the first time:

 Isn't it great? I added some designs to the dress yesterday morning, I felt it needed a little something extra. Sarah wasn't so happy that I was using the kitchen broom as a prop- in fact she was telling me off just as the photo snapped. I'm sure I can get some better pictures of it later. 

It's still early in the morning, only some family members have arrived. Sarah was quick to get me on picture duty.

Speaking of Sarah, the award for most ridiculous costume goes to my step-mother, Sarah Warden.

And to think she criticized my costume...

Uncle Simon and Aunt Beth

Uncle Simon fits the Mad Hatter, that's for sure. (It's only 10:30 and I swore I saw him looking around the wine cellar). I'm not really sure what character Aunt Beth is. March Hare?

Cousins Samantha and Frederick.

Apparently, they are tweedledee and tweedledum. They are pretty darling either way. Freddy has been playing with his father's umbrella all day. Hasn't anyone told him that opening an umbrella indoors is bad luck?

Sarah's shouting for me to come downstairs, it sounds like some more guests arrived.  

November 1st, 1903 

I did not sleep last night. I've made sure the candle by my bedside has stayed brightly lit until the sun rose. I can't even believe what I'm looking at. I don't want to look at them, but I can not look away. The images developed from the party last night...

Well I guess I should give a brief summary of the events that led to these images. 

Last night, around 2 in the morning, my step-mother brought all of the family and friends together into the parlor. While everyone was out enjoying the food and music in the other room, she had set up tarot cards, a crystal ball, and several other strange objects in the center of a room on the table. All of the furniture had been re-arranged to revolve around center of the room, and some tacky Halloween decorations hung around the curtains to give the room this "gypsy fortune teller" feel. I knew my step-mother wasn't a particularly religious woman, but even this felt a little over the top for her.

"A séance?" I remember my father asking her. He had always grown up in a strict religious household. I could see him fidget nervously.

"It's just a little Halloween fun, dear! Is there something wrong with that?" She rebuked to my father. Her tone of voice kept my father's mouth shut, with the fear he'd end up being to blame for ruining her party events. 

With that, the guests and my parents sat around the table in the parlor, the candlelight illuminating everyone's faces in an eerie way. My step-mother and aunt began the séance, invoking the spirits of the dead and past family members with words of both hate and love. Some guests took it seriously, others took it with a hearty laugh. 

I found it as a good opportunity to take some pictures. The room was filled with whispers to the long departed, and the flashes of my Kodak's bulb. 

In one of those flashes, I could've sworn I saw a face illuminated behind one of my aunts. I shrieked and jumped back, interrupting the flow of the séance. Some of the guests shrieked along side me, but most of the men in the room laughed. They switched the lights back on, and the guests began to say their goodbyes after the long, eventful night.

"Elizabeth, you've got your self all worked up! I didn't even get to finish the séance!" Sarah snapped at me as she pulled me aside by the arm. While the guests filed past us back into the hall, Sarah narrowed her eyes at me. I could tell she was trying to think of something insulting to say. Instead, a few guests came over to speak with her, and I used the opportunity to retreat back to my bedroom.

I was going through the images of the party this afternoon, a lot of them were the generic images of the guests and decorations. But when I got to the séance...well. See for yourself:

I don't understand. Did I really see that face? I must have...

These images are haunting. I haven't showed them to anyone yet. The faces, I see them in my nightmares. I see them in the shadows, in the corners of my eyes. I'm afraid to use my camera again. This will be my secret. 

November 2nd, 1903 

I keep seeing a boy. Well..not really seeing him. I can't sleep, but when I do, I see a boy in my dreams. They aren't dreams, they are nightmares. He carries an axe. I don't know why I keep dreaming about him. 

Father and Sarah have been arguing a lot today. I don't know why. 

November 3rd, 1903 

Arguing worse. Nightmares are worse. Everyone's fighting now. It's like my nightmares are reality. I thought I heard a voice today. It was calling for me.

November 5th, 1903. 

They've been fighting over me! I'm just so MAD. I can't sleep. Everyone is always shouting.

Sarah stole my camera from me. I want it back.

November 8th, 1903.

Sarah found more pictures on my camera. I DIDN'T TAKE THEM. She didn't believe me. I don't know where these came from. Here is one:

Father left today.

I saw the boy. He had an axe.

November 11th, 1903.

Sarah stole my diary.

She saw the pictures.

November 13th, 1903.

The boy and I have a plan.

----

2 bodies identified as Sarah Warden and Elizabeth Warden were found November 13th, 1903.

EVIDENCE: 

      -Axe found at the crime scene: murder weapon.

      -Kodak camera found near said murder weapon.

      -Additional photographic evidence found VIA Kodak:

End of transcript.