Messages, Meanings, Choices, and Propositions..but not really

Thursday's class was a lot more engaging to me, and it really made me want to assess why I want to be an animator. Mainly, I chose animation because I love beautiful aesthetics, diving into fantastical worlds, and telling stories. But more importantly, I want to use my love and passion of those for a purpose. No, I never set out to change the world, I don't think I could even if I wanted to. But I like message and purpose behind my work, I really do. I don't necessarily care if the viewer will get what I'm saying or what I was intending, just so long as it has some sort of meaning for them.

Now, that being said, I've equally done a lot of "experimental" work that is simply just exploration. Eventually, I'll find some sort of meaning or thought process I think I could shoot for, but at the same time, I like to keep media open. And I absolutely agree that there shouldn't be a blatant statement being bashed into a viewer's brain when they set eyes on work; but I still like meaningful stories behind media.

So, I might be setting myself up for some bashing here, but I do believe that there should some sort of meaning or a choice the audience can get out of a given media.

I think this statement I found on another blog can help sum this up:

"We can’t change other people. We have to want to change in order to do it. No matter how much we wish someone would act differently, it has to be his or her choice." -Tiny Buddha

*Disclaimer: I wouldn't recommend making Tiny Buddha's words a guideline for life, or becoming heavily involved with the site itself, but I thought the quote was something to think over, and found it kind of applied to my post.

This leads me to thoughts about the discussion we were having over the Christian films. I've always kind of wondered what would happen if one were to make a film that had Christian views and elements  at work in the film but didn't outwardly advertise it as such. This draws me to a book I read years ago but keep around because it's a favorite: Arena by Karen Hancock.

By reading the summary of the book, you'd never know it was a piece of Christian literature.
I found this on a book summary site; obviously, the author of the summary doesn't care for Christian literature (they are a humanist, that would be why), but I find it funny how they wound up stuck in finishing the book, because it's just that good.

"Cruci-fiction really ought to come with a warning label. It really chaps my hide when Christian propaganda masquerades as fiction, and only when it’s too late do you realize what you’re in for. If I’d been able to see the actual book beforehand, I might have known (perhaps the most surreal blurb in the history of jacket copy: “If you liked Pilgrim’s Progress and "The Matrix," then you’ll love Arena”), but all I had to go on was a brief plot summary that failed to mention the religious angle. And by the time I figured out what I was reading, I was trapped in the Arena myself." http://www.curledup.com/arenahan.htm

I feel like Arena really did propose a choice to the reader that could be applied to real life if they let it. While Hancock did really push the idea of Christianity in the end, never once was the word God or Jesus stated in the book, just the overall captured essence of a fatherly figure that loved and supported and was the only way to becoming free from the hellish Arena. In the end, it keeps the reader wondering what they would choose the entire time because following Elhanu (the overall God figure if you couldn't guess by just hearing the name) is not easy at all, in fact, it comes off as easier to get killed trying than to stay content living in the wicked cities of the Arena.

My hope is to one day make great media like that; not necessarily to the extreme Karen Hancock used in Arena when she employed "Christian propaganda", but be able to have a powerful moral meaning behind my work that is beneficial and identifiable--perhaps subtly--to the viewer. And even if the viewer doesn't get what I intended out of my work, if they just enjoyed it, well that's great too.

rachelhunter

Hi Everyone! My name is Rachel Hunter, and I'm from Butler Pennsylvania, which is just outside of Pittsburgh (GO STEELERS). There are many "Rachels" out there, so many people resort to calling me "Hunter" . Then again, I have met some guys named Hunter here at Huntington, so feel free to call me anything: "Ray", "Rach", whatever you want. Film production is my major, and I could not be more thrilled about it. On the other hand, business is my minor, and I could not be less thrilled about that one... Oh well, I have to please the parents somehow.

My main interests: music, theater, missions, and of course film. I love music, but really... who doesn't? I'm mostly interested in the instrumental side of music, and how it can so easily transform your mood and emotions. I currently play guitar and drums, but I am always experimenting with any instrument available to me. Theater is something that I've always enjoyed being a part of. I do love acting; however, it's the process, the people, their devotion, and the entire experience that have really kept me interested in musicals and theater. Missions is something very close to my heart. I have been on three missions trips to Hato Mayor in the Dominican Republic. I absolutely adore the people there. I would not be the same person, without having met and seen these people and the way they live their lives. Okay, now getting to my enthusiasm for film. Ever since I was younger, like any little kid I loved creating stories. I would use my friends, my family, or my toys to help make my stories, and I was always compelled to grab the camcorder and video everything that was going on. I have developed a passion for films that are conceptual or push the limits of what is known to be possible. Animation astounds me even though I am on the live-action side. Stop-motion is something that I can never get enough of. I love people. Plain and simple. I love the way we act, the way we express ourselves, and especially the way we think, and I think it becomes something beautiful and even profound when that is captured on film. That is what draws me in personally and is something that I believe relates to everyone. 

The most important thing in my life is my relationship with God. If there is anything in the universe that defines me it is Him. All of these interests come after that, and I am so very  thrilled to discover the best way to keep my faith, and still make art in the world of film; art that glorifies and pleases Him. 

Well, I hope this gives you an accurate representation of myself, and I am looking forward to learning about you all and your thoughts on  class, films, and life. I know this will be a challenging yet rewarding semester. Can't wait!

EmilyThornton-Time passing

It's really amazing to me to see not just how much I'm learning, but how much everyone else is learning as well.
I mean, I admit it, being around a lot of Freshman is sort of irritating much of the time. xD (I may be a transfer student, but I was basically born a Sophomore, so.)
I do really appreciated seeing all of the growth that is to be had though. It's very encouraging for this generation of people.
The reading excerpts were really interested, and I really loved listening to Leaper read. It's very apparent that his love for story telling goes very deep.
I hope that someday I could tell really good stories. I mean, not just like, the so-so sort of stories that you walk away from and are just like, "oh, well, that was okay" I'm talking about the really good stories. The kind that float around in your head and stay with you, and influence your life and thoughts as you continue to grow in life.
I'd like to make stories like that. I mean, at the moment I feel like I hardly know what I'm doing. xD Maybe someday though.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBk3ynRbtsw

TheGospelAsATragedy_BeccaBeanblossom

So, today in class, I really enjoyed the reading excerpt from Flannery O'Conner's book. I loved that there were so many details in the story, it helped me to paint a vivid picture in my mind, that went with the story. And, when I get a vivid picture in my mind, I am inspired to paint that image on paper. So, we'll see, maybe I will put up a cool painting sometime, of what I saw while hearing this story!

As far as the movie, "Devotion" goes, I felt like it was a very peculiar film. From the beginning of the movie, I kind of had a weird feeling about it, obviously at the end, my mind was changed a little, after I realized that Hank, was symbolic of a dog, and not a crazy obsessive guy. I think after watching it, it made me realize, that you shouldn't look at everything in such a literal sense, but try to figure out what it is, that the person creating the film, is wanting you to find.

I always thought that being an artist meant, looking at how the characters and the set was created and layed out, but today I found out it is equally important to pick up on what the story line is trying to tell you, and it may not be right in front of you, a lot of stories require deep thought to get to the ultimate message.

After doing the reading tonight in "Telling the Truth", I can honestly say that I was completely confused. I found it hard to stay on track, with exactly what it was that the author was trying to tell me. However, there was one thing that the author said that really made me think, "the preacher must somehow himself present silence and mystery of truth by speaking what he feels, not what he ought to say, by speaking forth not only the light and the hope of it but the darkness as well, all of it because the Gospel has to do with all of it". I think this is extremely important because often times I think that people preach what they want others to hear, which is the good news. I mean, who wouldn't want to tell people about how awesome our Savior is? But, I feel that the bad news is important, and needs to be preached on as well, because sometimes hearing the bad news, is just what might make you change your life, and turn to Christ. I don't think anyone would want to be in the darkness about Jesus' awesome love, and that he can ultimately change your life, but how would you know these things, if they were never preached on?

Art and Truth

It is amazing to me the things I have started to learn just in these last few days. Reading deep, substantial literature about what art is and should be, coupled with extremely insightful commentary on the truth of the Gospel makes me stop and think.....or maybe not even think but just let the information run back and forth through my head. It is beautiful to me the truth that speaks of mystery and sorrow, because God is the one who lets us join Him in that sacred place... I think art is so strange. Not because of anything negative, but just in the irony of it's existence. I mean, art is meant to be used together with truth and substance, but that is precisely the thing which we are all afraid to see in art....and so at the end of the day the true artist is the one who lives in persecution, since the truth is so offensive.

But people are always wanting to find some sort of truth to life, aren't they? I mean, they might want it to be a nice, five-point list that shows them how all of life fits together, but they are still looking for truth either way. I think most people wish there were an easy answer to the tough questions....or at least one that makes sense to them. Heck, a lot of the time I wish I could just understand how and why life has to be the way it is....but the moment you suggest that truth is not something you can or even should put in a box, it's like people are afraid that they'll go crazy if they don't have the answer! (myself included, a lot of the time).

But there does seem to almost be an element of arrival when you begin to calm down and admit that you probably never will ever fully get it. Not that complacency should be encouraged, I'm just speaking as one who likes to always think about things that need to be though about, but feels a bit distressed when the thoughts only lead to an empty void of mystery. So I'm learning to appreciate that mystery and not shy away from it....which is a very difficult thing to do indeed. BUT it is rewarding...in a mysterious way....

It actually probably sounds like I have nothing to believe in, now that I've talked about being ok with not knowing truth and all....but that's totally wrong because I can believe in God's actual revelation and His mystery without being self-contradictory....when I talk about truth here, I really mean the ultimate knowledge of Truth (with a capital "T"), which only God has, and I would be foolish to expect to obtain. However, I really can hold on to some truth that God has revealed to all of us (special/general revelation, etc.) and that is really needed cuz most of living requires something by which to base our decisions on. So we have bits of truth that are necessary to have, but we don't have Truth in it's fullest form.... Ok thats probably enough for now.

Luke Yurkovich

My Life

My Life

   I am i Puertorican girl from Elkhart, Indiana. I enjoy having a great time with my family and friends; especially at parties. But my favorite thing to do is write a stories about many things in life.
  i have been writing a story about a girl in the middle ages for 5 years now. i can't find a way to connect the story together but it is fun to write about and continue writing it.
   The picture you see on the top of the blog is my first volunteer day at the college i just started at, Huntington University. i have met alot of people here, all of them are really friendly. But in the dorm that i live in, Hardy Hall, is the craziest place i have ever been in. We have nerd fights, tell stories about awkward conversations with guys, and especially like to stay up really late and hang out with one another.
   My town, Elkhart, is not very big; but we end up with the most problems in the united state. My mom is a nurse and my dad is a salesman. My mom decorates cakes for special events like birthday parties, weddings, and baby showers. you can find all of the cakes on her facebook; her name is Elisgnia Collazo. I also have a brother named Omar, and he is a pain in the butt.lol. still, i miss my family; especially Omar. My dog, Cindy, is the cutist dog you will ever see. She love to sniff new people, but she also likes to chase things like the mailman, kids on bikes, and squrrels.
   My friends are the best. They are always there when you need them; like Ashley. She is my BFF and loves to watch movies and chat on Facebook. And whenever i need to have some time away from my family, she is always there to share a big elephant ear with. Billy is the type of friend that enjoys helping people and driving his big, black truck. i really miss them and hope that i can hang out with them very soon. As for my blog, hope you enjoyed an inside look at "My Life".

What i thought was interesting today_HenryMaynard

I am slowly beginning to understand the role of story telling. If its a verbal story or even just pictures, or a video narrative story. These are just a few kinds of ways to get a story around. Just the past summer before coming to Huntington I finished reading a pretty cool artish kind of book.

This book is a great book to read. Its a pretty easy book. The way the author uses pictures and text in one book to tell two storys and have them come together for a bigger picture is so cool. 

Now back to the class, I thought it was awesome to hear leeper mention "make the audience put your movie together..." or along those lines. When he said that the wheels in my head began to turn and things were coming together and making sense, of what i might and probably can do. 

Story telling for me is hard because I have a speech impediment I kinda want to get this out early to all. I had a speech impediment most if not all of my life :( but yet I have had speech lessons in and through out my school career from Kindergarten to 10th grade. And like its hard for me to get my words together. But I am over coming and making a bigger improvement. Cause I have had help with understand of that I am not alone and I still can be a great story teller. 

This link below this kinda is like the one about 9/11 family but its not in NY. But goes along the same lines.

https://vimeo.com/28717711

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This is a snippet of the movie courages. This is a powerful scene from courages. If you want to watch the movie I have the movie with me. Even though this is a "christian film" as I said it has good messages that really should get out to the other people.

My over all dream and goal is to work in Hollywood or NY with and or at some film company and to use what I learn here at HU and show that you can make a great movie and you dont need all of the bad swears and nudity, and drugs and all of the bad stuff. And you dont all need to be like bible people cause that is just boring something along the lines of Soul Surfer and Courages but something more. Society lately has been putting out blockbusting videos and movies and shorts but most of them are not "Christian" like. And I would love to show and be a witness to them that you dont need to be a scientologist or an atheists to make greats films and movies. 

the Christian Dilemma JacobSiegel

          One thing that struck me today was a quote Mr. Leeper said which was in order to be a good Christian artist we must, “let go of truths that Christians have to be good story tellers.” I’m just curios how much “truth” should us as Christians be able to let go of in order to get our message across to the non-believer. If we want to be witnesses for Christ through digital media are we going to want to dilute the Christian truths in our films so much so that after watching our films the non-believer will take away whatever he or she wants. Or do we throw the Truth right at the audience in hopes that it will stir some sort of emotion or conviction.

Jonathan Edwards

For me I think the answer should be neither.  I feel like in order for us to be a witness we must first instill in them an emotion or something (as we talked about in class) “uncomfortable.” This will challenge the watcher and start to make them think. When we get them thinking, in a sense, we make them open to the Truth that we are about to show them.  A good example of this working effectively would be “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards, the lead figure in the great awakening.  He gives his audience a picture of their lives hanging on strings over the fiery lake of hell and at any moment he could decide to cut that string, ending their life as they fall to hell.  This picture that Edwards presents to his audience instills fear in them.  Then he gives them the “Truth” that they all need God in their lives to survive.

Now of course not all films need to create fear in the audience, but I feel like in order to be a witness for Christ we do need some foundational truths to point the audience to the direction we want them to go towards.

Hopefully this makes some sense and I’m not just blabbering.

On art as a message

Today in class, Dr. Leeper talked about the difference between art as a vehicle for a message or as a tool to show people how to see. His statement really made me think. I have always thought that, as a Christian, I had the duty to convey the message of the Gospel in all my art, whether that be music, drawing, or film. I felt as if my calling as an artist gifted by God was the make much of His Son through my art.

What Dr. Leeper has said on the topic makes me question that though. Perhaps my art isn't supposed to convey a message. Perhaps I don't need to speak directly of Christ. Perhaps my work will simply put Christ in a light that those who don't know Him will finally see Him.

I feel that the reason people don't see Jesus in the "Christian" media of the day is because they don't cater to the audience of those who don't believe. Like Dr. Leeper said, "they tell you what they feel, not what they experienced."

The travesty of Christian media is that there is the perfect storm of bad acting, low budget, poor filming, and weak story. While well meaning, these people went into the creative process with a message already in mind and because of it they created stale art.

Powerful, moving art is created when you go into without a message to tell, but with. the intent of showing people how to see better. A good artist takes others along for the adventure that they've been taken on by Christ. That, I believe, is true art.

My feeling on the area of Christian film is that if Christian film makers went into the creative process aiming to show people how to see Jesus and His redemption instead of telling them that they should be redeemed, then they would succeed in bringing glory to Christ through their art giving them by their Lord.

I feel that that is a great example of Christian art that calls attention to Christ and shows you how to see Him without telling you to see Him.

The element of surprise

We got to see some pretty cool films today, huh? You don't need to answer that. It was rhetorical. Because we all know they were pretty awesome.

There were some key differences, I thought, in the case of the first two films and the last one. And no, I'm not referring to the fact that the first two were live action pieces and the last one was animated, gorgeously so. I'm talking about the way the stories are told.

Take the first film, Devotion. It presents what seems to be a clingy, obsessed, ADD man talking with the woman of his desires, and in the end he ends up being a dog.
The second film, The Routine, shows the daily rituals of a woman and her child, and in the end it turns out that she lost her husband to the 9/11 attacks.

In both works, there is a secret hidden in the stories. A surprise of sorts. But they don't just hit you out of nowhere, leaving you going 'Whaaaaaaa?'


Pretty good example of a 'Whaaaaaaa?' face

 Once the reveal is made, if you haven't already connected the dots, it all makes sense. The man's irrational behavior and social interaction. The woman wearing man's clothes and listening to a recorded message several times. Their actions were all clues pointing to the secrets within the films, and these clues tie everything together in the end. Some of their actions are so obvious that you can even tell what the secret is before it is explicitly stated.

I love this kind of storytelling, the kind that makes you think and pay attention to figure out what is really going on. The Sixth Sense is a good example (and I probably would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't watched 50 First Dates before it, which has characters discussing the ending -.-'' Regardless, it was a great movie and built up the suspense about the secret very well). Another one, one of my favorite movies, The Prestige, hid the surprise so well that I couldn't figure it out until the necessary moment in these kind of works when the movie slaps the secret in your face (and boy, did that one surprise me. I totally recommend it, it's spectacular, and one of Christopher Nolan's more neglected works).

However, whenever I really want to think about a good work that has a surprise in it, I always turn to possibly my all-time favorite animated short, a Taiwanese work called 'Out of Sight'. Not only does it have a surprise (which, the first time watching it, I didn't get until the end ^_^;), but it also effectively gets the audience to see the world the way this little girl does (I won't say anymore to avoid spoiling the surprise). Anyways, its adorable, and I posted it down here. Please watch it. I promise it will be worth your time (I should know, I've watched it several times)





AlecCarroll

Hello everyone, my name is Alexander Carroll but really I don't know anyone who calls me Alexander; you can all refer to me as Alec. I'm from the wonderful state of New Jersey, which really isn't as bad as most of you might envision. Although it is a long way from home I feel like Huntington University is a great place to get a solid education on film production with the added bonus of learning it from fellow Christians; and for those reasons i decided to come all the way out to Indiana.

I have been making films since i was around 10 years old. These films are nothing special but they some people enjoy them. I mostly make short films however there is an occasional 45 minute film thrown in there. If any of you would like to see some of my movies here is the link to my youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/TheAMFilmProductions

I am looking forward to getting to know all of you and having my mind broadened and my passion for film built up into legit skill in the craft

Introducing Me

Hello! My name is Eric Luce, but you can just call me "Eric", or sometimes "Luce" I suppose. I am so excited to finally get involved with Huntington's DMA program—it is the highlight of my reason for being here.

During high school I was very involved in the theater and music departments. After leading a group that was responsible for creating PSA style videos to be shown after the morning video announcements, I quickly developed my reputation as "that video guy" who always recorded concerts, plays, or any misc. video really.

I'm origionally from Reno, Nevada, but my family moved to Kansas a year ago, where my dad is the Youth and Worship Arts pastor at a Nazarene Church. My mom, also musically inclined, plays the piano for the worship team. My brother plays the violin, and I would also sing with my dad on occasion.

I tend to view myself as much more technically driven than an artist, which definitely has made me stand out among my previous environments. During my time here at Huntington, I hope to develop those technical aspirations so that I may quickly advance in the Film and Entertainment industry.

That's probably about all I have to say about this topic. I look forward to getting to know all of you better throughout our years here!

HenryMaynard

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHsa4E9GYVE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Last and our first intro to DMA was a pretty fun class. I think all of us will learn new things and understandings. The one thing I learned and never knew about was the optical printer thing. I have seen the bouncing tv thing before but not by the same person. But used the same concept. And I was always intrigued by it. But how are they able to control the shutter speed and ISO of the cameras. Would it be both over exposed cameras.  

This is a ok video of how an optical printer works. It's just how Professor Leeper explained it. I think the optical printer was a pretty cool thing. I was trying to find a better video explaining what a optical printer does. 

What would be the newer way of doing this. I think professor Leeper mentioned like now you can do this in final cut pro x or motion and or after effects. I also have been trying to find a link for that. 

What are some other unique ways that people have used this technique of film and film editing?

LukasSalazar

Well hello there! Lukas Salazar is the name, and let me tell ya, I'm pretty darn excited for this class and college in general. First things first, I come from a suburban area named Greenwood Indiana, just 20 minutes south of Indianapolis, maybe you've heard of it? Probably not, but anyways, I went to a high school that had 2500 kids, so when I hear people talk about graduating classes of about 30-40 it blows my mind ( kind of... not really) . My graduating class was actually 520 something kids, so small classes are unnatural to me. Why did I choose to go for Film Production? I've always been passionate about making movies, even when I didn't even realize it. My earliest films date back to me as an 8 year old kid, stealing the family video camera and making small miniature movies that were just plain silly, but hey come on, I was 8! We moved around a lot in my family ( 5 times to be exact! ) and so instead of focusing on making more small films, I was more focused on trying to fit back in after making friends and then having to move for what felt like the 200th. time. Movie making just sort of fell off the radar for me, but once I got into high school, the spark reignited. I took a basic broadcasting course in High School, and it really reminded me how much I had getting behind the camera. I took it to the next level and started making short films and submitting them in film festivals, which to me is always an amazing experience. Although I never actually won any grand awards, the whole time I had fun with it and that's when I realized that this is what I want to do in the future. I want to be a Director, and with the help of God I know I'm gonna do just fine! Well thanks for listening to a little bit of my life and hopefully I'll see you in the classroom.
Eh...not too bad for a first time blog post huh?

JustinWhite

What's up everyone?! So hey, my names Justin White and this is the first blog I've ever done so I'll try my best to make it exciting. I guess to start off, I come from a small town called Clymer, NY. Pretty much I could describe it as small and full of amish. I'm not even joking, the population is seriously 70%, but it's an amazing town where pretty much everyone is family (literally). I'm probably related to about half of them, not the amish don't worry. My high school was actually K-12 and we only have a total of about 400 kids. I graduated with 32 and that's nothing compared to all the other highs schools everyone talks about here. You know everyone. 

Family wise I am really close to all of them. Dad, Mom, and little brother and sister. My little brother is the man, and he's so hilarious. His name is Matthew, aka Fred. He's 9 years old and if you haven't seen our "Farm it Maybe" video on YouTube, I'll definitely have to make a blog about that. My little sister is 15, and she's the nicest person you'll ever meet. Her names Kait, and I feel so blessed to have a sister with her faith, she's incredible. 

I live on a Family owned farm and I would say its one of the greatest experiences ever. I love every moment. Working and watching it grow is a glimpse of God's creation. My great-grandfather started it many many years ago with my grandpa and they started off with only about 14 cows. Now we milk 170 and own about 250 maybe. I work night shift milking and I love it. Right before I left for Huntington we put in a ton of loads of haylage for a couple days. 

Anyways, Huntington wise, I love it here so much and I am excited for this year and years to come. I am a Freshman and I am coming in for an Animation major. I'm still not sure if I should do Film instead, but if it's God's calling we shall see. Coming to Huntington Un. was definitely God's calling from the start and he is an amazing God. 

Till next time 

God Bless

Justin White 

LukeYurkovich

Hello everybody-
My name is Luke, and I come from the Czech Republic. My parents were missionaries there, and that makes me an MK (missionary kid). Having grown up in Europe, surrounded by foreigners and hanging out with people like me who live somewhere other than the country of their mother tongue, I've developed a slightly different way of viewing life than most people living in the States. This is not to say that I have expert knowledge in fields such as international politics or stuff like that....what I mean is that I'm used to some things Americans are not used to (relying on public transportation, for example), and I am quite un-used to a lot of the stuff that normally happens here in America (like watching TV in English). Other than that, I'm just like all of you guys :) I like to eat good food, play video games, hang out, go to movies, listen to music.....

I have to say, so far my experience at Huntington University has been exceptionally awesome. I'm loving getting to know everyone, including the professors, and the things that I'm learning so far make me very excited for the rest of the semester. I enjoy thinking deeply about things of significance, and art is definitely one of those things. I do consider myself an artist, and so doing art for me is something that makes me excited and gives me motivation to learn even more about art and life as an artistic field.
Well...I think that sort of covers the basics....yep!

Luke Yurkovich

Matt Whitney

Hey everybody! Matt Whitney here. I'm a Sophomore here at HU. I transferred in from a tiny little community college in Michigan that I spent two years at. I'm in the DMA program doing Film Production with the hope to be a director and screenwriter in the future.

I absolutely love film and am an avid Cinemaphile. Some of my favorite movies are Inception, The Dark Knight, Blazing Saddles, The Return of the King, and The Illusionist. I am a huge fan of Johnny Depp, Mel Brooks, Peter Jackson, Jay Leno, and Christopher Nolan. Without these people I would not be interested in Film. They have all inspired me in different ways with their art and the way they portray the media of Film.

I cam to HU because the DMA program is absolutely incredible! I have always wanted to go to Christian school and when I saw the level of excellence HU offered I I was sold. The Lord has been leading me to HU for a while, but I have been slow to respond.

When I'm not geeking out over Film I love doing martial arts which is a big passion of mine. It's such a beautiful art form using the human body to express so much. I also love reading, especially Fantasy and Philosophy.

Music is my other big passion. Over the years I have picked up many instruments. My first love will always be the piano, but I also love playing the guitar, cello, violin, and drums, and I'm picking up the saxophone and clarinet.

You'll see me around campus on my bike or in the MCA or Becker. I practically live in MCA this semester. I you see me around campus, say hi, I love to get to know people. Shoot me a message on Facebook and we'll have a meal together at DC, or if you like to run, let me know, I usually run in the mornings and would love company.

That's it for now. I'll be putting up a post on our first class soon so stay tuned. I'll be reading all your guys posts too and keeping up to date on your thoughts on the class.

See ya!

Emily Thornton-Beginning blogging

Hi guys. I'm not much of a blogger, so we'll  just have to see about this. XD
Ah, well, I am originally from Michigan, but I decided to come to school here to be with some very dear friends of mine, as well as for the DMA program.
I actually grew up first in Ohio, and then when I was maybe six or seven we moved to Indiana. When I was fifteen we moved to Michigan, and now at nineteen I have somehow managed to move back to Indiana. I suppose it's just a small world of something like that. ^^; Dunno.

I'm really looking forward to learning more about what is film, and what is story, specifically. I feel like much of the time, particularly in teen literature the art of just telling a good story is loss. I'm very curious to learn the thoughts an opinions of the others around me. =)

Anyhow, that's about it.
Oh, above is a pic of a really dorky looking dragon I drew. 8D yay! And if ya like here is my DeviantArt page as well, for any who are interested.
http://saturntraveler.deviantart.com/

E.T

ToriMarch

The bigger the horse, the better. Horseback riding is the best.

I guess I'll start off with where I'm from. I'm from PA, and I grew up there. It's beautiful there and I miss the rolling hills, but Indiana's nice too. I have two brothers, both of which are younger than me. Brandon, my little-big brother is sixteen and tall, and shouldn't have his license but does. My other brother is Shawn, who's 9 years old and thinks he rules the world. I also have a mom and dad; they're pretty cool.

I have a lot of things I'm interested in. Art, writing, reading, running, listening to music, horseback riding, volunteering, hiking, hanging out with friends, and traveling are just a few of the things I enjoy. 

I am at Huntington University because I felt that God wanted me to be here of all the colleges I had been looking into attending. I am an animation major, and want to use what I can accomplish through studying here at HU for God, and I'm hoping that in being here He'll show me a way to do just that.

I'm really looking forward to this class. I can tell that, after just one session, that I'm going to encounter a lot that will be hard for me to get my head around in this class, but I'm excited to be challenged,and to get to know my classmates and more importantly, glad and very thankful to be here. 

KatySeymour

Hey Everyone!

My name is Katy Seymour, and this is my first blog post ever, so please bear with me as I rant about what you may or may not find interesting.

*ABOUT ME*
First of all, I'm single. Just kidding! The first thing I want to tell you is NOT my relationship status. I am a freshman interested in furthering my skills to further bring glory to the only one who deserves it: Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. My major of choice here at Huntington University is animation, but I love all kinds of art. The pony at the top of my post is actually my own design created by hand-drawing then converting to digital format and then coloring with Gimp. If you like this little doodle, feel free to check out some of my other works on my Facebook site (https://www.facebook.com/ArtByKatySeymour).

Some of my interests include honoring my Father, youth activities/missions, making people smile, graphite art, soap and gum wrapper sculptures, photography, singing, and playing music (I make music which, by the way, you can access a free download here: http://soundcloud.com/dizni_mau). I'm sure I'm interested in other things, but I don't know of anything else right now.

*CLASS WITH PROF. LEEPER*
I personally loved class on 8/28/12. It was interesting and insightful. Professor S. Leeper said some things that I found very thought provoking. In conclusion to my blog today, I will post some Prof. Leeper quotes I found exceptionally interesting.

-Girl in Red Dress-
"Evil always finds a vessel in what used to be that girl." -Leeper

-My Window, My Frame-
"If you start with the answers, how profound can that be? Come on!... When it comes to message verses media, go with media." -Leeper

"Things outside the frames affect what is inside the frame, and lets us know that there is more outside the box." -Leeper




Thank you for reading my blog post!

~Katy Seymour

Hello everyone! My name is Austin Miltenberger! This is my first year at Huntington University, and I am really enjoying myself thus far! All my classes seem interesting to a point, but I am excited to learn and just grow as a person while I am here. I transfer in this year from IWU which is a college in the city of Marion, about 30 minutes away from Huntington. I really never was decided what I really wanted to do with my life there, but I really always had a love for movies and such. So that is why I decided that HU was the best fit for me to major in Film Production, I am excited to learn about the field of study, and be one of the best at it. My goal is to one day be a director for a major motion picture, and make a bio-pic on the late great Kurt Cobain.

Some things l love to do in my spare time is spend time with my family and girlfriend, also I have a love for music and sports. I am a huge Patriots fan, and just please don't talk about the past Super Bowl with me, because it still hurts. Another thing I love is Batman and Lego'sThey are simply the best and something I will always play with even when I am an old man some day! The Dark Knight Rises was the was best Batman period in my eyes, yes I did miss the Joker "RIP Heath" but it really summed up the whole series that Nolan did in the most perfect way. I look forward to learning the art of film making over the next 4 years.

Later days,

Austin

JacobSiegel

          Hey everyone, my name is Jake Siegel.  As of right now I am still deciding on my major, but hopefully by the end of the semester I will know what major I would like to pursue.  Anyways, I am 18 years old and have one younger sibling named Kurt.  I’m an MK so for most of my life I have grown up in Saint-Petersburg, Russia.  My Dad is a teacher at the international school I attend and my mom works for Wycliffe Bible Translators.

         Since I have grown up in Russia I consider it my home, and USA a foreign country with a strange culture.  But I have been In America for three months now and I’m already adapting to the culture and people here.  One thing I’ve always had to adapt to is coming back to the small towns and rolling fields of farmland.  In Russia I lived in a city of five million people was no corn fields and grass was something special.  But even with a huge city, my International school was very small (around 90 kids k-12) so coming to Huntington where there are at least a thousand students has been a big shock for me. 

         Even though I might have come from a different place my interest pretty much what you would expect. I love watching movies, Lord of the Rings and Star Wars being two of my favorites.  I love watching TV Shows like Lost, NCIS, and Adventure Time.  I love playing Video Games and I play sports like basketball and soccer for fun.

Yep that’s me, can’t wait to get to know you all !

BeccaBeanblossom

Hi, my name is Becca. I am an animation major, and hope to work for Disney one day. I am from New Albany, Indiana, which is right near Louisville, Kentucky. I love watching classic Disney movies more than anything, I enjoy the hand drawn animation, and appreciate the time and effort that goes into it. This past summer, I went to Disney World, and ended up getting an email address to one of the Disney artists, that creates some of the paintings in the art galleries. After talking to him, he has encouraged me to strive towards my dream of working at Disney. Okay, that is enough about my love for Disney.
I really enjoyed the reading "C.S. Lewis: On Stories", this evening. I felt like what C.S. Lewis had to say was extremely powerful, and quite interesting. I thought it was interesting to see that characters portrayed as animals in story books, or often not able to be humanized as a child or adult, judging by their mannerisms. Alot of times, these characters have no responsibilities, like jobs, or bills, however, they are still able to drive cars, and such.
I like that C.S. Lewis believes that no matter your age, you should still have the imagination of a child. After all, what would digital media arts look like, if we all grew too old for such a wonderful imagination? I think it would be bland and not nearly as entertaining, if there weren't imaginative characters being created, but instead only typical human characters.

Introducing me, Kayla Mitchell



My birthday cake was a lie...

 

 

Just in case the post title isn’t clear enough, I’ll go ahead and restate the obvious: my name is Kayla Mitchell and I’m 18. Up until eighth grade I went to public school, but through my high school career I attended a homeschooled co-op kinda deal. My parents are pretty awesome, and I have a fourteen year-old brother, through whom I have been introduced to sub-cultural phenomena such as Halo and Minecraft. I guess I’ve been a Christian basically all my life, being raised in the church and baptized at…I think nine. I don’t remember exactly. However, I haven’t really started taking it seriously until high school, and I strive to grow closer to God every day.

I like to think of myself as an artist and, sometimes, a writer. Oh, and a nerd. I’m currently working through some kinks in a webcomic I hope to start in who-knows-what-month next year, but college will probably make that difficult ^_^; I was also hoping to watch some anime series on my anime to-watch list, but that doesn’t seem practical with all my homework either.

Oh, forgot to mention, but if you didn’t already know, I’m an animation major. This would be because I love animation. Love it. I think it tells stories in ways that live action media just can’t, and usually they tell the kind of stories that I want to tell.

So yeah.

I really don’t want to talk about me anymore (makes me sound like an egotistical maniac, no?).

Can’t wait to get things started!

HenryMaynard

Hello DM 101 please give a nice big warm welcome for Henry Peter Maynard. Wait thats me :). Hello, I am Henry Maynard, I am 18 from massachusetts. I have a nice family of four (Mom, Dad, Brother, Me). My mom is a chemist who works for the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). My father is a chemist as well. He works for a local business in Boston, MA called CDM&Smith they deal with water technology making cleaner water in lots of places. He travels a lot. And my brother Jake he is 22 and just graduated college from RIT with a degree in Media management now working out in cali for Intuit. Intuit is a tax company and he helps designs it.

I have been on 6 mission trips in my life. I have been to West Virginia, Trinidad (three times), New Orleans (Twice). All out of my church I grew up in from 6th grade all the way to now. It was Grace Chapel of Lexington, MA.

Some activities I like would be biking, ultimate, rock climbing, tennis, drawing, photography ( I have a t2i) and playing my guitar and hanging with friends.

Introducing Me

Hey ya'll! Welcome to the wonderful world of DMA! It's a blast, I promise.

My name's Amanda and I will be your Teacher's Assistant for the semester, which basically means if you need any help with the blogs, I'm your girl.

I am a sophomore in Animation and have recently decided to tackle a Graphic Design minor, as if being a DMA major wasn't enough. I have a strong desire to work for Disney or Pixar as a Storyboard artist after growing up surrounded by everything Disney.

Here's a bit of advice, savor this class. It only gets harder from here on out, but there's never a dull moment when you're surrounded by all these creative people who have the same desire to do something AMAZING with their major.
Don't be scared about blogging either, its not as bad as it sounds. It's an awesome way to get to know your class and what they're into etc. I definitely had fun on the blog and in this class last year, especially with Professor Leeper as my teacher.

This is my website that I've posted a few videos and pictures of things I did my second semester if any of you are curious at what you'll be experimenting with in the near future :)
http://lifeofananimationstudent.webs.com/

I'm disappointed I'm not able to sit in on your class since I have another Animation class during that time.
Enjoy your semester! If you ever see me around campus or yelling *cough* I mean doing my homework calmly on a Becker computer, don't be afraid to introduce yourself so I know who I'm helping :)

Good luck!