Morphing in Titanic

Did you guys know that the beginning scenes in the movie Titanic used 'morphing' technique instead of 'Dissolve'? The ocean scenes in the beginning are wonderfully created just by using the technique of morphing. As Nabeel said in the lecture, morphing is a special effect in motion pictures and animations that changes one image into another through a seamless transition. Maybe many of you haven't noticed it when you were watching the movie, but morphing technique creates much softer, smoother and flexible scenes than traditional dissolve technique which contributed to the develoment of the images in the film remarkably.

Women and Hiphop

'Exploitation of women' is not a strange term in the hiphop culture.
A glamorous and sex-appealing woman (especially black woman) rapping the indecent lyrics is a familiar image when many of us try to think about women and hiphop.Many oh the hiphop music videos show and promote negative images of black women. Most of the women, specifically black women are represented as sex objects. The images in the hiphop music videos go along with lots of explicit lyrics. Also, many times, in the male hiphop artists' music videos women are described as being onlly good for sexual relations.Surely not all the music videos are like that but large proportion of them are. They disrespect, dehumanise and dishonor women. Women (esp. black women) are used to known as having less power, wealth and protection. This stereotype is shaped some of their sexual morality, because some accept that they have no control over their bodies and look at themselves as society see them. What caused this problem? Noobody is sure about the answer. But the one thing is clear. It is the whole idea, system and ideologies in hiphop culture that has to be changed.Well.. for the bright future of the hiphop culture, I might say.

I've spend some time to watch the movie 'Sid&Nancy' this week, a frantic love story of Sid (from Sex Pistols) and his girlfriend Nancy. I am quite impressed with the movie and I think the movie has depicted the psychological factors very well. Especially I was quite touched by the ending part, where Sid dances (disco) while eating the pizza.
1979. Era of Punk was fading and the new disco era was coming.
　
The rejection, rebellion,
Passion for the Punk,
Anarchism,
sneering at the Queen.
They were all sinked into the logic of commercialisation and the Punk was dying.
　
Somewhere in the movie Malcolm the manager, talks about Sid. I can't remember exactly but he said something like "Sid is the symbol of our band and the metaphor".
Actually Sid was not good at playing the instruments at all, but his image itself was so much coincided with Sex Pistols, the punk band. It is quite possible that this is the reason he could survive as a member of the band.
　
Maybe,
Sid himself was the icon of "commecialised punk" .
Although it is really... ironical.

Sid&Nancy

I've spend some time to watch the movie 'Sid&Nancy' this week, a frantic love story of Sid (from Sex Pistols) and his girlfriend Nancy. I am quite impressed with the movie and I think the movie has depicted the psychological factors very well. Especially I was quite touched by the ending part, where Sid dances (disco) while eating the pizza.

1979. Era of Punk was fading and the new disco era was coming.

The rejection, rebellion,

Passion for the Punk,

Anarchism,

sneering at the Queen.
They were all sinked into the logic of commercialisation and the Punk was dying.

Somewhere in the movie Malcolm the manager, talks about Sid. I can't remember exactly but he said something like "Sid is the symbol of our band and the metaphor".

Actually Sid was not good at playing the instruments at all, but his image itself was so much coincided with Sex Pistols, the punk band. It is quite possible that this is the reason he could survive as a member of the band.

Maybe,

Sid himself was the icon of "commecialised punk" .

Although it is really... ironical.

Will vinyl records revive? : Back to the analogue from digital

After Nabeel's lecture on Wednesday, I've researched about vinyl record and its availability. Surprisingly, and unexpectedly hundrends of results came up on the screen, and I became to realise that there are so many vinyl record shops online, in this period of 'digital media'. Personally, when I hear the words like 'LP' or 'vinyl record', the first thing that comes up on my mind is dusty, clumsy figure of records that are all piled up in one corner of our garage which seems like waiting to be thrown away. The thing is I've never experienced vinyl records what the audiophiles call the 'art of sound', so they actually mean nothing to me. But for my parents, they're more than just records. My parents never throw them away even though they don't listen to them anymore.

Now the mp3s are everywhere, not to mention the CDs, and some people even say that the CDs would disappear in the next few years. It is quite doubtful that the vinyl records are ever going to be reappear in the contemporary music market in this world of low-cost portable CD players and iPod. It is hard to believe, but nowadays teenagers are interested in the purchasing vinyl records, especially in England. Five years ago the sales volume of the records were only about 180,000 but now it is gone up to more than a million.

So what makes it attractive to the teens to actually purchase it out of their little money? Well, the most apparent reason seems to be the quality of the sound, the true sound of music that it brings. Some are drawn in by its actual handling of the music & the special atmosphere that it creates while playing it on the phonograph.

The question is, until when will this trend continue? Well, no one can gurantee, only the time will tell. But some people argue that people will prefer whichever they find to be the most convenient. If they are not festishizing the singer/band or their music, they will choose to listen mp3s even if they actually feel the lower quality of the music. But because of its special and prehistoric characteristics there will always be vinyl proponents & the records would never go out of style.

Andy Warhol & Rock music?

Andy Warhol is actually neither a rock artist nor a musician. However his name is one of the top names in rock music or film industry. Andy Warhol has always been known as a ‘pop artist’. His main job was painting (and designing) but he also took an active part in any media field such as music, film, performance art etc- any media field that he thought he could outstretch his artistic presentation. He painted things that we can see easily around us (eg. in supermarket) such as can of Cambell soup or bottle of Coca-cola, or faces of well known stars like Marlin Monroe. He called his workshop as ‘factory’, and here he stayed not only with some artists like him but also the hippies, beatniks, rock musicians etc. Andy taught them drugs and pushed them to join in the new artistic trend. At that time there was an odd rock band called “The Velvet Underground”, who was much influenced by New York style avant-garde music. This group was also influenced by Andy Warhol, spending much of their times in Andy’s ‘factory ’. Later, they were introduced a woman named Nico, and she joined their band to make a new album called “The Velvet Underground & Nico”. This album is the one with the famous Andy’s banana painting drawn on its jacket. Andy took the charge of this album as a producer, as well as the jacket designer. This album tells much about Andy’s world of artistic work. Just to have a quick look at this album, the first song “Sunday Morning” gives lazy and peaceful feelings. But the lyrics are quite different from the song title, as it talks about a life addicted in drugs and days that have gone by meaninglessly. Likewise, Andy’s paintings give familiar and comfortable feelings when you see them, but in reality for those who accept them as a piece of art work but not as a section of life, his works are shocking and unfamiliar. In this song, such unfamiliarity is concentrated in it beyond the comfort feeling that it gives. There are many simple songs make you to think they are not really like avant-garde music. But the anxious words or dangerous contents in the songs, and repetition of the unfamiliar tunes which might sounds like psychedelic show such characteristics. The huge influence of Andy Warhol on New York still appears in contemporary rock music in many formats. The honest and humane artistic view of Andy would be continued in any format in popular music in the future.

Andy Warhol & rock music

Andy Warhol is distinctly neither a rock artist nor a musician. However his name is one of the famed names in rock music or film industry. Andy Warhol has always been known as a ‘pop artist’. His main job was painting (and designing) but he also took an active part in any media field such as music, film, performance art etc- any media field that he thought he could outstretch his artistic presentation. He painted things that we can see easily around us (eg. in supermarket) such as can of Cambell soup or bottle of Coca-cola, or faces of well known stars like Marlin Monno. He called his workshop as ‘factory’, and here he stayed not only with some artists like him but also the hippies, beatniks, rock musicians etc. Andy taught them drugs and pushed them to join in the new artistic trend. At that time there was an odd rock band called “The Velvet Underground”, who was much influenced by New York style avant-garde music. This group was also influenced by Andy Warhol, spending much of their times in Andy’s ‘factory ’. Later, they were introduced a woman named Nico, and she joined their band to make a new album called “The Velvet Underground & Nico”. This album is the one with the famous Andy’s banana painting drawn on its jacket. Andy took the charge of this album as a producer, as well as the jacket designer. This album tells much about Andy’s world of artistic work. Just to have a quick look at this album, the first song “Sunday Morning” gives lazy and peaceful feelings. But the lyrics are quite different from the song title, as it talks about a life addicted in drugs and days that have gone by meaninglessly. Likewise, Andy’s paintings give familiar and comfortable feelings when you see them, but in reality for those who accept them as a piece of art work but not as a section of life, his works are shocking and unfamiliar. In this song, such unfamiliarity is concentrated in it beyond the comfort feeling that it gives. There are many simple songs make you to think they are not really like avant-garde music. But the anxious words or dangerous contents in the songs, and repetition of the unfamiliar tunes which might sounds like psychedelic show such characteristics. The huge influence of Andy Warhol on New York still appears in contemporary rock music in many formats. The honest and humane artistic view of Andy would be continued in any format in popular music in the future.