http://fmundergrad.hunter.cuny.edu/~riverar/
My Haiku. The pictures aren’t working, though.
Haiku
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When I first started FILMP 150, I was a little nervous and confused, which is really unlike me. This class was actually my first film class I have taken at Hunter College, but I have taken film classes at other colleges before. Going into this class, I was expecting to begin my hands-on training with film equipment and learn to create films. During the first class, I learned that this class was more about photoshopping and blogging, two things I have never done in my life, and the internet, and less about videos. When I realized that I wasn’t the only student who hadn’t ever use photoshop or blogged before, I was a little relieved. I did wonder, though, if this would help me with my career, which is to work in the entertainment and television industry.
Honestly, I found most of the lectures pointless. There were few times when it was a little interesting, such as when the topic was about television and the basics of film and design, but other than that, I wasn’t interested. The history of the internet and blogging is pretty much blah, blah, blah to me. What I care about is how I can be a better filmmaker. That’s it.
The labs, however, were very interesting and did help me a lot. For a Saturday class, I actually looked forward to attending class. Although this class wasn’t really about television or film production, there were a few times when we did work with cameras and editing. Now the photoshop and blogging assignments were definitely not my strongest projects, but I did learn about them and how to use them. I learned the basics and it has motivated me to learn more about photoshopping and blogging and it can help me with my career, too. So yes, I did enjoy learning about these programs. Half of the stuff on television is probably photoshopped anyway, haha.
Again, the lectures were boring, but the labs were interesting and helpful. I can definitely use what I learned in this class in the future and for my career. Thanks. So long.
Yesterday, I went on a field trip with my film class to a production of a news program called Democracy Now!. It was quite interesting. I already mentioned in an earlier blog post that my interest is in entertainment television, but going behind the scenes of a news program is very similar. Before the start of the program, the class went to the production room. It featured computers, sound equipment, lighting, etc. The director was also in the room, but we did not speak to her.
When we first arrived, we just waited in the lobby room where they had snacks and coffee and we could also see the actual news set through a big glass window. After the tour, we watched the news program through the window and on TV, in a sense of seeing the production on TV and in person. Democracy Now! aired for an hour. The two anchors presented political news for about the first twenty minutes and for the rest of the program, they interviewed multiple people regarding different views and opinions about the government and politics. After the program was done, we got to ask questions to the producer and lead anchor, which was very interesting.
Most of the work that went into the news production I already know about. I have actually worked in news productions before and worked at positions including lighting, sound, producing, graphics, directing, and even talent, so nothing was really new to me. However, I enjoyed visiting Democracy Now!. It’s always good to visit and watch TV and film productions even if you know the work already. You never know. You might discover something you didn’t know before. I did learn that this program is aired on TVm radio, and podcast, which is quite cool. The news, itself, was interesting, too. Democracy Now! was a good experience and I would recommend people to watch it in person.
Whether you find them catchy, boring, or pointless, theme songs and title sequences are trademarks of television shows. Almost every single TV show, if not all, has a theme song or theme music and most shows have a title sequence which the theme song or music accompanies. Some people may find theme songs and title sequences annoying because it interrupts their favorite TV show, but I actually like them. I mentioned in an earlier blog that the sitcom genre is my favorite type of TV show so I’ll be using my favorite sitcom, Everybody Loves Raymond, but you’ll find that Everybody Loves Raymond is a weird example.
The main reason for a TV show’s title sequence is to credit its main stars. However, the title sequence usually features the show’s trademark graphics, design, and theme song/music. The title sequence of some shows are computer graphically designed while the sequence of other shows are either just clips from the show or original clips created by the cast and crew that feature its stars a unique credit font. Everybody Loves Raymond was unique because it featured multiple versions of its title sequence, though, for the majority of the show did not feature a title sequence at all. The reason why I like the title sequence of TV shows and why I think all TV shows should have a sequence is because it can illustrate what the plot of the show is, plus some shows have really catchy songs. The design and music of the title sequence reflects the overall mood of the TV show which can help the audience understand what the genre of the show is (different genres usually use different genres of music) and what the show is about. When Everybody Loves Raymond did have a title sequence, it either featured an original sequence or clips from the show and credited its main stars. Strangely, the clip version did not feature the main theme and instead used an upbeat song. Rather random, but it did reflect the overall mood of the show, which is funny, but ironically, the main theme of the show is quite slow and peaceful. A lot of today’s shows have either shortened their title sequence to about five seconds with a brief portion of the theme music or just entirely removed their title sequences and just credit their stars in their opening scenes, similar to Everybody Loves Raymond. In Raymond’s case, the title of the show appeared in the opening scene and then the stars were credited after the title. The font of the credits is rather unique looking, but also plain at the same time, which seems to reflect both the show and Raymond himself. Raymond is really just a plain person and boring person, but he has to deal with the everyday events of his family, which is probably why the show is so funny. Removing the title sequence of a show is not a good idea (*coughRaymondcough*), but a shortened title sequence can actually work just as well as a full title sequence. As you can see, Everybody Loves Raymond is a rather strange example, but it does work because it has so many versions (or no version at all) of title sequences.
Most people have an interest in a certain subject, theme, or genre. Some people like hip hop music while other people like rock music. Some people like comedy shows while others prefer drama. Some people follow politics while others follow entertainment. Everyone has their own interests. Me? I don’t just have an interest in a certain subject. I have an interest in all sorts of subjects. I tend to see myself as an all-around kind of guy.
My main area of interest is film & television (I prefer television) since this is what I’m studying in school and hope to get a job in some day, but music, sports, and pretty much whatever the average person is interested in I probably have some sort of interest in, too. I don’t know why I have an interest in many different subjects, but I do like the fact that I can learn new info about these subjects. Now there’s many areas of interest I have in television. What kind of shows do I like? I’m a 90’s baby so sitcoms are definitely my favorite, but the news, sports, documentaries, and a good action and drama show interest me, too. Laughter is a good thing, not to mention healthy, so there’s another reason why sitcoms are my favorite. I like all sorts of music and sports, too, such as baseball, basketball, tennis, R&B, and jazz. What really excites me about film & television is that I can mix all sorts of things together, such as music, comedy, drama, and action to create an awesome creation that expresses who I am. The subject that seems to inspire me most, however, is inspiration, and my goal in life is to inspire people through the use of media. That’s another story for another blog.
Hi there. I’m Robert. This is my first post for my first ever blog, if you want to exclude Facebook. I thought I’d begin my blog by writing a little about myself, starting with my name. Now you may be thinking why my name is of any interest, but it’s actually quite funny on how I even learned my name. I was named after my father, so I am a Junior. My father was, in fact, named after Robert Kennedy, so I am indirectly named after him, too. My middle name, John, was taken after my grandfather, who passed away a few months before I was born. So, my name isn’t even that original, but I do like it. The funny thing is I didn’t even know my birth name until Kindergarten.
Until I was the age of 5, my family called me by a nickname. I will not reveal this nickname because I do not like it. Sorry, lol. When I started Kindergarten, my teacher called me by my actual name. I was confused on why my teacher was calling me by my first name, but eventually, it was explained to me that my first name is Robert. And I am very glad that I found out about my name because I like it so much better than my nickname. From that day forward, I have been called Robert.
rjriverahunter 