Monday, May 13, 2013

Once again, in my math class, I was surprised with a documentary film.  This film depicted the complete history of film starting with Thomas Edison and continuing on through the present.  I was only able to watch the first half of it, so for the moment I have only seen the very early history of film.   I found it amazing the way some of the effects, like ghosts and disappearing people where created.  The processes used were so primative, yet so innovative.  Furthermore, it is wonderful to imagine how the audiences might have reacted to theses now hokey special effects.  If a ghost had only ever been described to you and then you are suddenly exposed to a full visual representation of a phantom on screen, imagine the excitement.  Still, so far the movie has seemed some what more nostalgic than what would considered objective.  However, I cannot complain when I am still being provided the information.  I look forward to seeing the rest...

After seeing the second half, I continued to be enthralled with the information. The movie explored the themes of Hollywood and romantic film.  It spoke about how these films were completely unreal and how everything way made to be perfect.  It then briefly went into the revolution of realism.  It also spoke about some of the darkness in film by referring to the shockingly racist film Birth of a Nation.  I was pleased to see that the directer made a follow up film in response to the horror of his audiences called intolerance.  However, although all the information I greatly enjoyed, I could not help but notice when watching the 2nd half that the narrator seems extremely pretentious.  He ended all his sentences like a question and repeatedly came back to the metaphor that Hollywood was a bauble.  I enjoy metaphors, but instead of introducing it in an interesting way and subtly linking it throughout the film they drove the metaphor through the viewers skull by continuously going back to the shot of a hanging Christmas ornament  and then dramatically making it crash to the floor, while the narrator droned on with his haughty Scottish voiceover.  Despite this small annoyance, I greatly enjoyed the experience of learning a little more about early film.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Today, in Algebra II, I received a lovely little surprise, the opportunity to forgo mathematics and watch a movie.  A documentary film called Between the Folds, this cinematic treat was a surprising trip through the world of modern origami.  It depicted the blending of mathematics and art through paper folding.  While watching the film, I lusted after a few sturdy squares of paper so I could begin the fantastic journey that was being shown on screen.  The film fairly depicted the world of origami by showing traditional origami, wet folding, more edgy artistic origami, and mathematical origami in  a stunning and interesting way.  With amazing colors and incredibly complex technical displays one easily falls in love Between the Folds.  

Some of my artwork.