Rear Window

Week 4

 

 

 

http://garendaly.wordpress.com/2012/04/11/rear-window-revealed/

 

 Rear Window: Adapting Words to Visuals

I hadn’t seen Rear Window in years and what a treat to watch it again after reading Cornell Woolrich’s It Had to Be Murder (the short story upon which it was based). Right off the bat, Woolrich has us inside the protagonist, Jeff’s, head. In fact, the entire story is pretty much a first person narrative told from Jeff’s perspective. My highlighter began marking up the page at paragraph three; that’s when all of the descriptions start. I wanted to make sure to note master filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock's handling of Woolrich's thoroughly laid out details.

Hitchcock doesn’t disappoint. First and foremost, his casting of Jimmy Stewart as the incapacitated L.B. 'Jeff ' Jeffries is dead on. Stewart embodies the easy, folksy timbre of this piece. And talk about descriptive! In the first few minutes, we become acquainted with the people of this small community who are enduring a heat wave (Hitchcock shows this through the couple who sleeps on the fire escape, a close up of a thermometer reading over 100 degrees and lots of sweat); we meet our leading man, Jeff, and see that he is immobilized by a broken leg; plus we learn that Jeff is an acclaimed photographer (lots of panning of camera equipment, photographs and a stack of magazines sporting  covers shot by Jeff inform us of this). All of this is conveyed before a single word is spoken.

Although Hitchcock remains true to the basic concept, he adds some changes that definitely enhance the story. For example, the house man, Sam’s character becomes two female roles: an insurance nurse, played by Thelma Ritter, and a love interest, Leeza, played by gorgeous Grace Kelly. Hitchcock uses dialogue between the women and Jeff to give information, as well as to further the story.

Rear Window also has a secondary storyline: the love affair between Jeff and Leeza. Jeff isn’t convinced that socialite, Leeza, is cut out for a life as rugged and adventurous as his. Leeza proves him wrong. The turning point for them comes after Leeza delivers a note to Thorwald’s apartment. In a close-up shot, she rushes into Jeff’s room, flushed with excitement; Hitchcock uses another close-up (and dramatic lighting) on Jeff’s reaction, which lets us know this is the moment he’s fallen completely in love with her.

Another difference between the two pieces is the device used to reveal the murder. Woolrich uses a raised ceiling in a neighboring building; Hitchcock uses a dog and a flowerbed. I think Hitchcock’s revision is probably clearer because I found the original story rather rushed and pat regarding the solving of the murder.

Hitchcock’s use of props was most creative. For example, in one scene instead of “fade to black” he uses the pulling down of the shades to black. I also particularly enjoyed the many close-up shots seen through Jeff’s telephoto lens. To break the monotony of being in one location continuously, Hitchcock gives us an occasional  sliver of street life.

I do find Woolrich’s ending more suspenseful. His depiction of the confrontation between Thorwald and Jeff is far more threatening. Hitchcock uses shadows, dialogue, and flash bulbs. In fact, of all the shots Hitchcock uses, I like the flashbulb effect the least. But then again, in Hitchcock's rendition, Jeff does get the girl in the end…a reasonable trade-off for a little blood and gore I suppose.

 

 

Photo Quiz Makeup

Extreme Foreground/Background:

 

I am so pleased with this photo. The beautiful rose in the foreground stands out against the blurred background of the field it inhabits. Yea Me...

 

 

Harmoniously Disorganized:

 

 

Lots of disorganized harmony is happening in this picture. First, there's the belaboured autumn leaf sporting randomly chewed holes; the sunlight hits it in a way that features its gold/brown color. And of course, it's laying on a bed of harmoniously disorganized grass!

 

 

Selfie:

 

 



 

I took a stroll around my neighborhood, hoping to get some candid shots of people going about their everyday business. After getting a few suspicious looks, I thought, "Oh what the heck," and pointed the camera at myself.

 

 

 

All pictures taken by Arnetia Francis



Visual Essays

 

Week 3

 

 Lumiere Project: Group 9

 

         

           Fairy Princess



                                    

 

 

 

In this whimsical tale, the little fairy princess is making her daily rounds. She waves her wand, turning the world into a lovely place, and awakening a beautiful princess.

 

 

 

Week 2

 

 

 

People Are Awesome is a montage sequence of people performing extraordinary athletic feats. As the video begins, I’m at once struck with the appropriateness of the music. It is powerful where needed, possessing a tempo which moves the piece along and supports what we are seeing visually.

The opening views are widescreen aerial shots of landscapes. In fact, many of the shots are taken with cameras mounted on helicopters (which we see on more than several occasions) or cranes (which I suppose is the case with several of the skiing and rock climbing sequences). Other times, a camera is mounted on the athlete him/herself. Such is the case with the person tightrope walking between the canyons. I believe a camera is mounted on his/her helmet. This technique gives us, the audience, the sense of being right there in the scene.

Different camera angles add to the dramatic impact of this video; from the low angle used on the parasailer; the high angle wide shot of the skier coming down the mountain; the low angle voyeur shot from inside of the wave; to the extreme high angle of the bird’s eye view we get when the rock climber falls.

Dolly shots track much of the movement…most likely a steadicam is employed to create a smooth “floating through the air” effect. The camera tilting down the snow covered mountain where the skier is perched gives us an idea of the magnitude of his descent. The video is full of examples which demonstrate the “pushing in” and “panning out” techniques.
 

The editor uses a few different techniques to transition from scene to scene. For example, the opening shots are primarily dissolves where we seem to move seamlessly from one scene to the other. In contrast, mostly simple cuts are used to move from one activity to the other.

I chose this video because it demonstrates many of the cinematic techniques mentioned in Setting Up Your Shots.

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Photo Essays

Week 3



 

 

Anne Geddes: Portraiture Photographer Extroardinaire

http://www.annegeddes.com

 

 

World renown baby photographer, Anne Geddes, first picked up a camera at the age of twenty five. At the time, Geddes was living in Hong Kong with her husband, Kel, whose work had relocated them there. Anne started a small portraiture business, photographing the children of her friends and neighbors. Geddes is self-taught, and it was during the two years spent in Hong Kong that she developed her inimitable style of using simple structure, and powerful visual impressions.

After Anne and Kel returned to their homeland of Australia, Anne became pregnant with her first daughter.  Working from home, she created greeting cards for friends and family which eventually led to the launch of her personalized greeting card business.

 

In 1988, Geddes’ rendering of Gemma, a little girl wearing a tutu, was published in a local magazine.

Her work garnered a tremendous amount of attention, and two years later business was booming. When asked about tricks and tips that help make great, unforgettable pictures, Anne advocates several concepts that AU’s Visual Arts Professor Kyle Brannon repeats over and over again: “Keep your camera on hand at all times; change your perspective; and you don’t need an expensive camera to take great photos.”



 

According to Geddes, “…the best images are the ones that retain their strength and impact over the years, regardless of the number of times they are viewed.” She also maintains that the emotional content of an image is more important that the technique used to acquire it. Anne finds that much of the photography she sees nowadays “lacks the emotional impact to draw a reaction from viewers, or remain in their hearts.”

Anne states, “My idea of a perfect image is where I have created a beautiful environment, and the baby has given something of its personality. That extra spark in the image is always supplied by the baby. When you look at one of my images, your eye is always drawn to the baby’s face, regardless of how complicated the setting is. The babies are always the most important aspect of the image, and so they should be."

 

 

 

 

References:

http://www.babycenter.com/0_20-tips-from-anne-geddes-for-taking-great-photos_10338944.bc

http://www.boerner.net/jboerner/?p=6640 

http://pinterest.com/bayoucajungirl/anne-geddes-photography/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Geddes



Week 2

Visual Literacy class challenges me to see the world in a different way. First, I'm put to the task of taking the time to really look and consider everything or person I encounter...quite a novel concept in this day and age when most folks are staring at an iphone or ipad or some other similar icontraption.

Secondly, I've returned to the practice of living in my imagination...something I thought I'd outgrown. Well, to my utter delight, I'm becoming reacquainted with my creative self, an old friend who never hesitates to ask "what if?"

This week's photo essay assignment is a first for me. The inspiration comes from a crabapple tree that lives in my backyard. As I began to shoot the crabapples from that tree, the story for this assignment revealed itself to me.

A Love Story

 Randy Red was hanging out in the orchard, pondering the meaning of life (he was the philosophical type), when he saw a vision that stopped him in his tracks.

 

 

                               There basking in the sun before him was Ms. Ginger Gold of Virginia.

Randy Red was at once smitten with the beautiful golden apple. He couldn’t get Ginger Gold out of his thoughts.

 

 

One day Randy Red screwed up enough courage to ask Ginger Gold out.

 

 

 

 

Ginger Gold graciously accepted, and the two soon became a couple.

 

 

Before long, they became fruitful and multiplied…

 

...and multiplied.



 

 

Soon their children grew big and strong…





 

 

...and had children of their own.





Red and Ginger were the proud parents and grandparents of a bountiful family. Randy Red began to think that he had found his life's purpose.

 

 

Then the strangest thing happened. Randy Red, Ginger Gold, and the entire family were caught in a blizzard of sugar.



 

Before they knew it, they'd been peeled, sliced and baked into a scrumptious pie. A pie that was so delicious, folks traveled from miles around to get a slice.





Randy Red and Ginger Gold were as proud as proud can be to be so famous, and they (and their kids and grandkids) lived happily ever after...on the menu!



Word Reviews

Week 5

Neesha's Pic for Low Angle:

 

I took this picture on AU's campus. It was a sunny day; I didn't particularly notice any clouds in the sky at the time. Later when I looked at this shot, I was amazed at the way the globe of the lamp post reflects the clouds. It looks as if there is a cloud inside the lamp.

Week 4

Neesha's Pic For Foreground/Background:

 

Even though the immediate foreground is blurred, I like this shot. It gives me the feeling that I'm privvy to the POV of a stalker who has nefarious intentions. Creepy...

 



Week 3

Neesha's Pic For Wild:

I let this flower have it's way all summer. The result is wonderful and wild...

Week 2  

Neesha's Pic for Beautiful:

I took this close up of a beautiful butterfly as she/he stopped to enjoy the butterfly bush in my garden. I am particularly pleased with the lighting (courtesy of the sun) and the different colors, shapes and textures.

 

Week 1

Foreground/Background:

"Foreground - a properly chosen foreground element will give the viewer more clues to the scene's context while adding a sense of depth to the image..."
                                                                                  Jim Krause, Photo Idea Index

"Background - Part or element of scene that is behind -- i.e. more distant from the observer than -- the foreground..."
                                     http://www.idigitalphoto.com/dictionary/background

Although I know virtually nothing about baseball, this photo spoke to me. It's evident that the baseball, which is in the foreground, is moving forward; it's equally obvious from whence it came: the pitcher in the background who is a bit out of focus.

This kinda represents life: where you're going is much more important than where you came from.

retrieved from:http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-4501807/stock-photo-baseball-pitcher-ball-focused-in-foreground-player-unrecognizable-in-background.html

 

Negative Space:

"Negative space helps define a subject, so subjectively speaking, negative space works when there’s a balance between the positive and negative spaces. Negative space also works when it draws the viewer’s eye into the subject at hand."
                                                                             Jacob Cass in Columns

This concept is certainly abstract, but I love the idea of it. It makes you stop and focus and think.
What exactly is the main point here? Are the hands making impressions on the pillow? Or is the pillow yielding to the pressure of the hands?                                                       

Kinda like: what comes first; the chicken or the egg?

http://www.cmybacon.com/2010/09/negative-space-pillow/
Artist: Mathilde Roussel-Giraudy

 

Beautiful:

"Beauty is in the eye off the beholder."
                                                             Margaret Wolfe Hungerford, Molly Bawn
                                                       

This drink is aptly named the Blue Hawaiian. The vibrant colors and different shapes all work together to make this a beautiful picture as well as inviting drink.



http://www.georgetowner.com/articles/2010/nov/03/blue-hawaii/

Portrait:

"A representation or impression of someone..."

                                                                   Merriam-Webster Dictionary
                                              

In this picture, it seems as if my young friend, Victoria, pauses to give us a smile before continuing on her life's journey, which is symbolized by the white picket fence behind her that seems to go on forever.

 Courtesy of Dale Vidaurre, Beyond Belief Images

 

  

Wild:

"Furiously disturbed or turbulent; stormy..."

                                                                                              The FreeDictionary

 



 

The symmetry between the lightening and huge funnel cloud accentuates the fury of this scene. I can almost hear the crackle and boom of thunder; the deafening sound of a racing locomotive as the tornado rages on wildly...

http://www.optcorp.com/edu/articleDetailEDU.aspx?aid=2137

 

 

 

Motion:

"...allow (rather than avoid) the blur that sometimes occurs when you photograph fast-moving objects"

                                                                     Jim Krause, Photo Idea Index

 

 

I wonder if this picture was shot with a low light setting? I'm fascinated by the fact that the background appears to be in motion even though logic dictates that it is the biker who is moving.

I believe this is a good example of motion blur. I can't wait until I learn to do it.

 

http://www.antalik.com/15-beautiful-motion-blur-photos/

 

 

 

Saturation:

"The intensity of a hue..."

                                     Photo Idea Index

 

 

 

 

                                                             http://easyphotoedit.com/

 

Silver and green saturate this forest setting.  I love the path that leads into the misty unknown.

 

 

Power:

"Strength or force exerted or capable of being exerted..."

                                                                           The FreeDictionary

 

 

 

                                

                  http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/blog/?tag=national-prayer-breakfast

 

The president, one of the most powerful men on earth, is humbled before the greatest power of all. Notice how the light is reflected on his praying hands.

 

 

Low Angle:

"...low angle perspective gives a fresh view-point to the audience..."

                                                                                               Pashminu Mansukhani

 

 

 

http://milk-cream.deviantart.com/

 

This picture is an example of a low angle shot, as well as a dipiction of five low angles formed by the fingers.

 

 

Deceptive:

" Giving an impression or appearance different from the true one; misleading..."

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Of course this sign is in use.  If it wasn't used to

advertise that fact, how would we know?                                                          

http://www.break.com/pictures/sign-deceptive-2333728

 

 

 

Arnetia's Pic for Deceptive:

Cute little bunny, right?

Actually this little monster is a menace to my vegetable and flower gardens. I'm surprised he stayed still long enough for me to get this picture.