Static Image

'Walk the Line' poster:

In English, we were making a static image for a movie that we watched. The movie is 'Walk the Line' by James Mangold.

For the static image, I decided to put Johnny and the things that are important to him at the bottom of the poster. This is covering a part of the rule of thirds. I also put the title on the middle part of the rule of thirds to lead the attention to Johnny. I used to the things that are important to him to show that those are the main things that are in his life. I used colours and other visual features to show meaning.

The type of visual text I am going to create is a poster.

I am going to base my static image on the movie ‘Walk the Line’ by James Mangold.

The images I am going to use are a black dog, a photo of him, a guitar, wedding ring and drugs and alcohol.

I am going to use these images because the dog symbolises the black dog Johnny saw before his brother got into an accident. The guitar and wedding ring symbolises his relationship with his music and wife. The drugs and alcohol symbolise his addiction to drugs and alcohol.

The verbal feature I am going to use is a quote from the movie.

I am going to use this because it gives the audience an idea of what the movie is about.

I am going to use the colours Black, red and lots of brown shades.

I am going to use them to show grief for the black, love for the red and brown for the feeling of comfort and home.

The dominant feature I will use will be Johnny Cash and his guitar.

I am going to use it to help show that he is the main character. The guitar is to help show that music is important to the character.

I am going to have the layout like it is using the rule of thirds, I put the characters and the other elements at the bottom. The title and the caption (quote) at the middle and I’m gonna leave the top part blank.

I am going to have the layout in this way because I want the eyes to go to the title and leads the eye to the main focus which is Johnny Cash.

I am going to use the visual language feature layout.

I am going to use it to show that everything is in the right place.

I am going to use the visual language feature, dominant image.

I am going to use it to help show who the main character is in the movie and the things that he considers important to him.

I am going to use the visual language feature colour.

I am going to use it to help show meaning through the colours that were used.

Formal Persuasive Writing

 The world has become more globally aware. We have become more familiar, understanding and accepting of the differences and similarities between cultures. If we have learnt how to accept and appreciate various cultures then shouldn’t students learn a second language at school? Learning a second language is beneficial to students; it provides more opportunities for the students’ career choices; it can help them recognize the diversity of peoples’ cultural backgrounds, it enhances the knowledge of your first language and it can improve your brain.

Learning a second language just because they require your entire school to seem troublesome for some people. However, no matter how troublesome it might be, you will be appreciative for the benefit it will give you. Studies have shown that learning a second language can increase your choices with careers and will not be limited to one country only, but to other countries. Not only that, learning another language will help you increase your wages compared to those who can only communicate with one language. This is crucial to many people, as not all of us came from a wealthy family. They will need a secure, excellent paying job to live comfortably, and learning a new language is the first step to that. Learning a second language has supported other people, especially in Asian countries, gain a job abroad where opportunities are far better and reliable.

We have come so far with the world, and we have become more mature to handle our differences whether it be our skin colour, our complex features, the language we speak or our cultural diversity. Learning a second language would help people understand those distinct cultural backgrounds and traditions. Learning about other peoples’ backgrounds through language would help open new ideas and opinions about the world. This is excellent because when the students grow up they wouldn’t be so close-minded about their ideas of the world, and they know what is right and wrong to say and think of another country. It would be exceptional to teach that it is okay to have different skin colours, complex features, language and traditions to students so they wouldn’t be biased with other cultures.

Third, learning a second language enhances your knowledge of your first language. You may think you already know everything about your first language, but in reality, you only know so much because you’ve grown up speaking that language. This is where the help of a second language is essential. It requires you to go back to the basics when learning about a second language. You often connect what you are learning with what you already know, so when you learn a second language you also learn new things about your first language that you didn’t already know before. That is incredible. Merely learning a second language will help you gain more knowledge in your first language, maybe a word or a sentence structure. You may be shocked to find out that you may have overlooked something very simple for your first language.

Last, learning a new language helps improve your brain and how it works. Your brain needs to be worked for it to become stronger and what better way to improve your brain than learning a language. This strengthens your brain because learning a new language challenges you to think critically. Thinking critically helps your brain to improve not just your memory but your problem-solving skills, concentration, your ability to multitask and also the structure of your brain. Another benefit of learning a new language is that it will boost your performance in other areas of your academic life. Better grades, better brain, better health, all that benefits learning a language can have is wonderful.

The benefits of learning a new language are high, so it would be better to make a requirement for students to study a second language at school. Learning a second language is beneficial to students. It provides more opportunities for the students’ career choices, it can help them understand the diversity of peoples’ cultural backgrounds, it enhances the knowledge of your first language and it can improve your brain. Who wouldn’t want to have the benefits of learning a new language?

Static Images Introduction and Basics

 Identify 10 static images aspects.

1)

Colour: This piece of static image contains colour. It uses different shades of blue to symbolise that it is cold (since blue are cool tones that are often used for colouring cold things).

Font: The font used is bold and big to make it readable. This font is placed near the can so, when the audience looks at the can the next thing they would do is look at the writing. It uses one font so the design is more constant.

Print advertisement: This specific static image is a print advertisement, meaning that it was made to persuade the audience to buy the product that was placed on it. With the font and the colour being simple the attention would be on the can first.

2)

Dominant image: The dominant image on the static image is the box, the hand and the robot. This makes the audience looking at it look directly at the dominant image since it is placed at the centre.

Use of space: This static image use space amazingly. The elements are placed diagonally, from left to right. It is placed like that since we read books from left to right. This helps show the meaning of how fast the delivery is since the robot is going through the box and into the hands of the child.

3)

Layout: Layout is used effectively. They placed the mangoes on the side to direct the attention on the bottle. They also put the bottle in the middle for it to be easily seen. Since this static image is a piece of an advertisement the product should be the first thing the audience sees and by using layout it is doing exactly that.

Depth: They used a shadow to make it look like there's a depth to the photo. The shadow also makes it look like the bottle is a 3D thing rather than a flat picture. This makes the bottle more eye-catching.

Use of space: This piece of advertisement use space very well. They put the bottle in the middle. They put mangoes on the sides to direct the attention of the audience on the bottle but to also fill in the blank spaces on the static image. They also put in a short slogan to fill the spaces on the top and the bottom of the static image.

4)

Rules of thirds: The product is placed in the centre. It is using the rules of thirds to direct the eyes of the audience on the product. This would be the focus on the static image.

Lines: Line is used to direct the attention to the focus. For this static image, the lines of the water are used to direct the attention on the product which is the thermal water.

DVC- Rendering Internal

 Unit standard: AS91066

In DVC we designed our bottle with a filtration system. We learned how to do rendering (colouring) on our bottle to show how different materials look for future clients.

What did you like?

I really liked how we can choose any colour of our choice, that way we can explore different materials and how it looked on our bottle.

What didn't you like?

I didn't like the process of colouring the bottles, it was tiring.

How do you like it? Is there any feedback?

Overall it was great learning about rendering, but my results were not satisfactory for me.

Art- Update

 My kaupapa is the environment. I chose this theme because I feel like the beauty of our environment is often overlooked, I want to use this as my kaupapa to remind people about the beauty of our surroundings. I will use flowers for my subject matter. I will use flower meanings that I researched during my free time to show that flowers are not just pretty in appearance but in meaning as well.

I've also been thinking about what other things I could use for my subject matter, and what media I'm gonna use to show it.

This week and a little bit of last week, I've been drawing with pencil to create works that I can possibly put on my artboard. I'm also researching the meaning of the flowers and thinking about whether I should include it in my drawings.

What is working?

My subject-matter is set, and I am researching for more things I could put on my artworks.

What is not working?

It takes too long for me to actually think of other ideas, but I'm working on it with research and practice.

What is your next step?

Finishing a series of work that can be included on my artboard, drawing something other than flowers, and practising painting for my next series of works.

Art- Update

My kaupapa is the environment. I chose this theme because I feel like the beauty of our environment is often overlooked, I want to use this as my kaupapa to remind people about the beauty of our surroundings. I will use flowers for my subject-matter. I will use flower meanings that I researched during my free time to show that flowers are not just pretty in appearance but in meaning as well.

(Insert photo)

During art, I've been practising drawing flowers as my subject-matter for my kaupapa. I've also tried painting flowers with watercolour.

What is working?

My subject-matter is set.

What is not working?

I'm still not satisfied with my work and my practice work.

What is your next step?

Finishing a series of work that makes me satisfied.

Art- Update

(Practical work)

My kaupapa is the environment. 

I have done practical work based on my subject matter. For our practical, we used charcoal to draw our subject matter (my subject matter is flowers, butterfly etc.). I did work which went well but I was not satisfied with some of my drawings. My next step is to figure out how I am gonna lay out my artboard. In addition to that for one of our relief work I painted a flower using watercolour, I think that went well.

(Relief work)

Level One English- SDL Work on Film Aspects

How does tone work in film?

Questions:

What else can we call tone in a film?

Another way we can call tone is brightness.

What are the 3 main elements of tone?

The 3 main elements of tone are lighting, exposure and art direction.

How and why does Coppola use tone in the classic film ‘The Godfather’?

He uses underexposure and brightness to show contrast.

How can directors control the feelings of the scenes?

Directors control the feelings by controlling the brightness.

How does the over the shoulder shot work?

Questions:

What is the effect of an over-the-shoulder shot?

Over the shoulder shot connects the characters together.

What film aspect shows a disconnection between characters?

Single-shot disconnects the characters.

How does the director of this scene show the disconnect of the characters?

The director shows a disconnection to the scene by transitioning to an over the shoulder shot to a single shot.

What eventually totally isolates the female character?

The waiter and everybody else stops except for the female character and she is shot with a single shot.

How does film blocking work in film?

Questions:

What are the 3 ways directors use blocking in a film?

The 3 ways directors use blocking are spaces, shapes and lines.

What are the 3 basic shapes for film blocking?

The 3 basic shapes are circles, squares and triangles.

What are the emotions associated with these shapes?

Circles create an emotion of safety and inclusive, squares create limited space and triangles can feel aggressive.

What two things can blocking help with?

Blocking can help with sub-text and contrast.

How does camera movement work in film?

Questions:

What are the purposes of the whip pan and the slow pan?

The whip pan creates a jolt of energy, while the slow pan helps to take in the landscape.

What is the purpose of the tilt shot?

The purpose is to reveal something or suddenly redirect our attention to something.

What does the reverse dolly zoom help show?

It helps to show the character’s intense internal feeling or experience.

What the difference between a steadicam and dolly shot?

The difference between the two is a steady cam can easily glide through a certain space stabilised on a camera operator while a dolly shot is shot while attached to a track.

What can the hand-held shot help create for the viewer?

It creates a feeling of anxiety.

What should directors ask themselves with their camera movement?

If the audience has something they are following.

Camera movement should be doing what?

Catching the attention of the audience.

How is contrast used in a film?

Questions:

What are the ways directors can contrast in a film?

Directors can contrast in a film by contrasting in tone, art direction, blocking, camera movement and in colour.

What is contrasted in Spike Jonze’s ad?

He starts off in a dark moody tone without colour and with minimal lighting then as the character goes back home the mood and tone changes into a brighter one.

Why did he contrast these things?

To grab attention, and to show meaning and emotions.

How is the dutch angle used?

Questions:

The Dutch angle does what?

To signal something disorienting.

What is the Dutch angle?

A dutch angle is shot with a noticeable angle on the x-axis.

Who and when created the dutch angle?

It was created and used by German expressionists during the late 1900s.

What 3 things do directors need to consider for the Dutch angle?

The 3 things the directors consider are identifying the moment, considering the moment and enhancing the moment.

What 4 things can enhance a Dutch angle?

The 4 things that can enhance the dutch angle shot is the degree of the shot, the camera angle, the lens choice and the depth of field.

How do visual motifs work in film?

Questions:

What is a motif?

A motif is any reoccurring element that has a symbolic significance to the movie.

Why are they important?

They ensure that the stories can work.

What makes a great work of art?

Catching different things and feelings from the same film after watching again and again.

How does a POV or POT shot work?

Questions:

What is a POV shot?

A shot to show us what a character sees.

What is a ‘point of thought’ shot?

A point of thought shot is a shot to make us relate to the character thoughts.

Why are they important?

It is important because it shows us the characters thoughts and what they see and it makes us relate to them.

How does the insert shot work in film?

Questions:

What is an insert shot?

An insert shot focuses on a specific detail on a scene.

What is the purpose of an insert shot?

It is to direct people on something specific.

What are the 3 main aspects of the insert shot?

The 3 main aspects of the insert shot are composition, colour and timing.

What 3 things help the audience feel about the insert shot?

Composition of the insert shot helps with what in a film?

Colour in the insert shot helps with what in a film?

 How long you dwell on the insert shot helps show what?

How does production design work in a film?

Questions:

What is production design?

The production design is the overall look of the movie.

What makes up production design?

What are the 3 main things production design can help reveal?

It can help reveal the mood, characters state and the story’s theme.

How does colour work in film?

Questions:

How does colour in a film affect people?

Colours have a psychological effect on people and can create different emotions.

What are the 3 factors in determining colour?

The 3 factors are hue, saturation and brightness.

Why is the hue in ‘The Matrix’ mostly green?

It’s because it takes place inside of a digital world.

Why do some films desaturate?

It gives a feeling of cold, rude and gritty and it takes us back in time.

What can brightness and a lack of brightness show in a film?

A lot of brightness can be seen as lively and exciting on the other hand lack of brightness is seen as dramatic.

How do establishing shot work in film?

Questions:

What is an establishing shot?

It establishes a scene.

Why is it used?

It shows the relationship between the subject and the location.

Why are establishing shot usually the most expensive?

Establishing shot are usually expensive because you can see everything.

Self-Directed Learning for Creative Writing

Being ready to learn
I am ready to learn because I am organised and punctual.

Set my learning goals
I need my Chromebook and stationery to complete our learning objective.

Engage in the learning process
Need to ask Mr Aitken when things don't make sense.

Level One Art- What is My Art Kaupapa?

In NCEA level one we are looking at different artists works to understand what subject matter is, and what a kaupapa is. We created a mood board based on this. This is also to enhance our knowledge of various ways we can create art. This year I will be focussing on environment as my theme.

I chose this theme because I feel like the beauty of our environment is often overlooked, I want to use this as my kaupapa to remind people about the beauty of our surroundings.

The media I will work with are Paint and Photography.

The two artists I have selected for list 1.1 one are Sofia Minson and Lisa Reihana. For list two are Vicent Van Gogh and Claude Monet.

(This is list 1.1 one)

(This is list 1.1 two)

The artist I'm interested in for my kaupapa is Rinko Kawauchi.

I want to use animals, scenery and people as my subject matter.