The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T

    While I cannot say the The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T was the strangest movie I have ever seen, it was definitely up there on the list, along with The Yellow Submarine and 2001: A Space Odyssey. But, seeing as this was a Dr. Seuss movie, with Dr. Seuss himself playing a large role in the making of it, that is only to be expected. If anyone can be called the King of Imagination, it has to be this man. If it could be dreamed up, he wrote it down and provided pictures to help transport his readers into the world inside his head. The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T was a typical Dr. Seuss story, but illustrated on-screen in live action, bringing this young boy’s bizarre dream, and the Seuss’s imagination, to life.

   
    Dr. Seuss stories have always reminded me a bit of my own dreams, and, like dreams, are believable in a fantastic way when in the medium we are used to it being in. What made this movie so strange was that it was a story brought to life. It was Dr. Seuss being lived. I feel like it would be the same strange feeling if I saw one of my own dreams or stories from my imagination occurring in front of my wakeful eyes. Utterly strange. But at the same time, could be simply wonderful.

    Imagination always has that quality of wonder. It is what we encourage and nurture in children, and is the base for every gripping story ever told, written, drawn, recorded, or filmed. Stories are all about getting what is in your head in a place for others to experience as you imagine it. Imagination stories often take this principle and add to it fantastic qualities and events that make the imagination of the audience soar. The video, A Shadow of Blue, does just that. It takes a situation that is believable and yet a fantastic event happens, and a shadow story full of wonder and adventure begins. I loved how they used shadows in order to portray the fantastic elements and the aspect of imagination.

    It also showed how nightmares are part of imagination. Not all dreams are as beautiful as Wonka’s Chocolate Room. Some are are frightening as the imagination can come up with, like in Pan’s Labyrinth. The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T contained the fears of Bart Collins, and they were terrifying for him. He was chased, thrown in a cage, and had his mother being taken away from him by the man he despised most. Yet, in a dreamlike fashion, was able to take control of the situation. His imagination was what made him victorious, with his atomic noise-nullifier. Oh, man, that part made me laugh so hard!

Medium Specificity

    Poetry Is

Poetry is the unsung song
The story untold
It is the beat and the rhythm and the current
Pulling you along

Poetry is chaos abound
Or order pristine
Containing rhyme and rhythm and flowing stanzas
Or thoughts jotted down

Poetry is our feelings read
Each word with meaning
Focus on the words rather than person or story
Sounds thoughtfully said

Poetry is written with care
So much more than words
It is the meaning and the feeling and the flow
That poets transcribe


    After watching a good movie, reading a good book, or seeing incredible art, the first things that often jump into my head are, “Wow! That was incredible! Very well done. How did they do that?” It is natural when I am astonished to wonder how such a thing came to be, and if I could do such a thing. I want to learn more about it. In many cases, after watching a movie, I find that I enjoy the “making of” features of the film even more fascinating and entertaining than the main feature. I tried to create my poem with the same feeling and explanatory elements that I have enjoyed in other media sources. I integrated the poetic elements of rhyme, rhythm, flow, and stanzas not only into the structure of the poem, but in the subject of the poem. It describes itself.

    Poetry has a lot of the same elements as musical lyrics, but I noted that in the poem and described a difference between the two. “Poems are songs unsung.” Poetry has a flow and almost a beat to it, but poems are not written to be sung. They can have rhythm and flowing lines, as I displayed in Poetry Is, but I mention how they can have no rhyme or rhythm at all. Literally. They can be chaotic and unorganized. Larry Eiger’s poem #1201 is a great example of this. This poem, like so many of Eiger’s work, is made of one, seemingly unrelated, word per line. It speaks of the flow of ideas of a poem going onto a page.

The words or sentences can have seemingly no connection, but they always are connected through meaning.

    All poems are written with meaning and feeling. They convey emotions just as much, if not more so, than they convey stories or scenarios. Just as McCloud tried to teach what comics are, and why they are important, through his comics, I tried to enlighten others in a similar fashion with a poem. My poem tries to teach this as it invites the reader to focus on the words, but even more, on the meaning and feeling of each word. What does the poet want you to feel? That is what is truly important and that is what my entire poem, Poetry Is, is trying to teach the reader about poetry.

God Bless the Child

     The world is filled with a lot of hard truths. It is filled with death, disease, poverty, crime, abandonment, greed, and is downright unfair. It is often very difficult to determine when to introduce these truths to our children, and even more difficult to decide how to do so. I have found that the best way for me to understand these hardships, especially the ones I have never experienced for myself, is through films. God Bless the Child is an especially poignant documentary to introduce individuals to the concept of being left behind by a parent. It was a tough film, but teaches this hard truth through observational documentary, being real but not over-dramatic, and touching the hearts of every one of it's viewers.
     I think it is safe to say that every human being in history is born with the fear of being abandoned, and this film tugs on that fear. Human beings seek for connections and have a general dislike of being alone for too long. Parents are especially dear to us, and the idea of them just up and leaving can terrify any child. Yet this happens all over the world. God Bless the Child teaches this and introduces that pain that comes from being left by a parent, as well as some of the other consequences that often occur. The documentary was perfect for displaying this situation, as it reminds the viewer that this is real, and the pain we feel for them is that much greater. Documentaries make us view the world differently, as we now know just a little bit more about it and what goes on in the lives around us. It's a hard lesson, but a very valuable one.
     The children in this documentary were not exactly the most well-mannered children in the world. They were rather ruff around the edges and ruff to those they interacted with. Although I did quite enjoy the racist pilot joke in the beginning! The children often fought, they were rude towards each other and even strangers, whined, and were rather scruffy looking. They did not grow up secure in the knowledge that they were important, loved and protected by their mother. They did not grow up with parents teaching them through word and example of morals, conduct, and manners. This film actually made me feel a little bad about some of my feelings towards others in my past. These type of kids always greatly annoyed me when I was young, but now I realize that their behavior might have been influenced by growing up in a similar situation. Movies that teach these hard truths make their viewers more understanding of the world around them and more patient with those who suffer.
     God Bless the Children made me much more grateful for the life I have and currently live, as well as make promises to any future children I might make. I grew up in a stable home with loving and religious parents. They were always there for me whenever I needed them. After seeing that documentary, I really want to make sure they never have to face what these children grew up with. It was very sad to see how being left for who knows how long was so normal! They handled it remarkably well, but it still made me sad inside. But that is what it was supposed to do. Documentaries done well change people. They teach us of the good and bad and fascinating in this world, and teach us truths that are hard to learn in other ways.

Historical Story - Tunguska

https://writerduet.com/script#TB4JJ   

A script is one of the very first insights into the vision of someone’s idea they have for a story. When read, one may discover the characteristics and attributes of certain characters and settings. A script is more often than not based off of an idea or experience its creator has had which they desire to share. The script may be a literal representation of what this idea is or it can be transformed into something completely different; or it can contain a little bit of both.

    For the script we have written, we combined a great deal of truth from an actual event that took place in 1908 in Tunguska, Siberia, and mixed it with a fictional twist to add depth and excitement to the story. What occurred was some sort of massive explosion in Siberia that destroyed thousands of acres of trees and land, although no one really knows what caused the explosion because there was no crater, or any kind of radiation. Our story is thrilling because it is based on an event that has produced many questions and theories due to its puzzling nature (was it a bomb test, meteorite, etc?). It is not clear exactly what happened, creating natural loose ends to which we could create our own story behind what actually happened.

    There are many films that will take a piece of history and blend its truth with the ideas of a director or writer. For example, Valkyrie, a thriller film about a failed attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler, is an example of a movie with real elements of history mixed with fictional elements. In fact, any movie that states it is “based on a true story” could have any varying amounts of fiction added to historic times, people, or events. This is an excellent way to see someone’s take on what could have happened in history; what subplots or untold stories there may have been.

    It was a real challenge writing this script: trying to make it a good enthralling story, be accurate to the historical facts recorded and studies done, be basically believable, and have a balanced storyline. It was new and exciting, and definitely made us grow. Many different internet pages were open and constantly being referred to as the script was written, and it was exciting weaving our own story around another. It was a fun reminder that history is really what we create it to be. History books are written by the winners and biased by the author’s opinions. It was quite enjoyable creating our own version of history!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Stalin
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Siberia
http://www.space.com/5573-huge-tunguska-explosion-remains-mysterious-100-years.html
http://earthsky.org/space/what-is-the-tunguska-explosion
https://www.psi.edu/epo/siberia/siberia.html

Adventure - The Book of Three

    Everyone wants to go on an adventure. Almost all books that we read, movies that we see, or music that we hear, talks about an adventure of one type or another.The most classic and lasting stories tell of an individual, or group of individuals, who leave home, have a set of trials and return home as changed beings. The Book of Three is a great tale of classic adventure. Taran, the Assistant Pig-Keeper in tiny Caer Dallben, wants nothing more than to learn to fight and go on adventures. However, upon being dragged off into an epic adventure, Taran quickly discovers adventures are not as glorious as he thought, he is not as ready as he presupposed, and home has become a place to long for. As in any good adventure book, our protagonist leaves home, faces many trials for honor’s sake, learns from his adventures and mistakes, and comes home a changed man.

    Taran was given a charge, a duty to fulfill, and left home on this adventure in order to do that duty and recover his charge. He saved the kingdom because his fortune-telling pig, sought after by both hero and villain, ran away. Weirdest start to a save-the-world story ever. But, hey, it’s certainly intriguing and different. And it sets this protagonist on the same journey that so many legends have gone on before: the journey for duty and honor.

    Another quality that many heros gain in their adventures is humility. In the beginning, Taran is so overconfident and proud that he thinks he can do anything. At one point, Taran and the hero, Gwydion, cross a big river and Taran starts to flail. After Gwydion saves him, he asks why Taran didn’t tell him he couldn’t swim, and Taran replies, “I was sure I could learn, as soon as I came to do it,” and then he promptly blamed the horse for his failure to swim (32). Yet the quest makes him face many trials, most of which he messes up though his arrogance, which by the end of the book plants in him the growing seeds of humility. Through the story, he comes to recognize and admit his faults and start to rely on others to help him.

    This adventure, like so many others teaches that things are not always what they seem and not to judge too swiftly. First off, it is about a pig and Pig-Keeper, and the reader should not jump to judgment about that as I did within the first two chapters. It is about a scary messy monster that is actually quite sweet and loyal. It is about a chatterbox of a strange young girl that actually has more bravery, fire, and brain than Taran. It is about a lying, flimsy bard that becomes a stalwart fighter and good friend. Things are never as simple as they first seem in adventure books, and The Book of Three is no exception.

    Taran learns that home is never so sweet as when it has been left. Adventures are all well and grand, but he learns that peace is far more dear than heroic quests. Just as Frodo Baggins, Jim Hawkins, Brian Robertson, and Dorothy Gale learned in their adventures, Taran learned that there truly is “no place like home” (Wizard of Oz). He returned with home with joy and then was surprised to find that he had changed in his travels and home would never be quite what it had been. As his mentor, Dallben stated, “it is not Caer Dallben which has grown smaller. You have grown bigger. That is the way of it. (186). The heros in adventures go through the refiners fire and come out a new creature.

    While most people will never go on a grand adventure and save the world, we all will live through our mini adventures in life, and because of that, we gravitate towards adventure books. They make us feel alive and give us hope. The Book of Three is a great adventure book to inspire these feelings as it speaks of a common nobody with no great skill but big dreams and a good heart. We can connect with such a blundering hero, as he acts very human as he goes through these adventures and returns home, happy with what he has.

Sound Process

https://soundcloud.com/micai-nethercott/process-piece

Here’s the embed link:
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    Documentaries focus on everything from the extraordinary to the common, everyday occurrences. They inform and they inspire feeling, whether they be documenting the Hundred Year War or the making of horseshoes or the washing of dishes. Our short audio documentary is the everyday experience of walking a dog. It is simple, unadorned, has repeating sounds, few words and is rather quiet, yet listening to it could produced a different experience, and inspire different feelings and memories, to each listener. Most people have walked a dog at some point or another, and by documenting such an ordinary and plain event, it allows the listener to picture what they will and insert themselves into the audio and picture their own memories into the walk.

    The jingle of the collar. The panting of a dog. The steps tapping down stairs. All these quiet noises make the listener focus and try to identify these quiet noises and create an image of what is going on. As defined in Broderick Fox’s book on Documentary Media, this is a performative piece, quite different from any of the videos we watched as homework, but rather in common with Jack White Makes a Guitar. It makes the viewer wonder what the person in the piece is thinking. The sounds in the beginning are very familiar as the leash is placed on the dog and they go out the door. New sounds are introduced as they walk down stairs and around the neighborhood, telling a simple story as we listen for things that we can identify and picture. As the pair return to the stairs, we realize the short journey is at an end and they have returned home.The beginning and ending is easily identified and allows for an easier identification with what is going on.

    I loved to walk my dog around the neighborhood back when I was home. It was peaceful and I often would stick in headphones, and think back to the latest book I read, placing myself in it and having a mini adventure in my head. That is what this audio recording captures for me when I listen to it. However, when Micai walks his dog, he enjoys nature and time with his dog, while thinking about nature, school, hobbies, friends, family, his next task. This audio documentary doesn’t just capture one moment, but many.

    For me, it has the same effect that “The Equation” scene does in the movie “The Little Prince.” Both are very simple, with few and repetitive sounds, and. Document something very simple. “The Equation” scene is about a young girl stuck inside doing homework. The simplicity of the scene and the sounds bring a nostalgic feeling and allow one to place themselves into the scene or documentary.

Morality - Mary Poppins

       Every parent wants their children to grow up being taught the right morals and how to behave in society. Childhood today is something that is highly valued and cherished, yet parents are trying to prepare their children for adult life and adult society. Adult  life and expectations come quickly, and the young must be prepared for it. And no one teaches what is acceptable and good, and what is simply not done, like Mary Poppins can. She is, as her magic measuring tape says, “practically perfect in every way.” When teaching children right from wrong, the correct attitudes to have, how to treat others, and how to be childlike without being childish, there is no better teacher than Ms. Mary Poppins. The movie, and character, of Mary Poppins, is a fabulous example of moral media for children as it teaches children how to work, respect others, and what is truly important in life, in a very entertaining fashion.

    There are so many words of wisdom that sprout from Mary Poppins mouth, that she could almost be the saint of nannies.

Her words and her songs inspire morals and behaviors into children in a fun way, that is simple for them to understand. She is stern, but she is also kind and loving, which comes across very clearly. She teaches hard work, but that it can be fun and appealing if looked at correctly: “In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun, and snap! The job’s a game.” She spoke of never judging anything based on appearance, and corrected the children on their critical first judgements on everything from carpet bags to  men and women asking for money on the street. She taught them that they can do anything and experience anything, as long as they do not get in their own way. When she spoke to the children, she taught them morals they should make a part of their lives.

      Mary Poppins doesn’t just talk the talk, but she walks the walk, and she teaches a great deal simply through her example. She is always dignified, well dressed,and proper in both word and action in every situation. She is able to laugh and have fun, while at the same time maintaining her wellbred image. This teaches the children that it is alright to have fun and play as long as they are still respectful of those around them and stay mindful of who they are. Mary Poppins spends a lot of time around those of the lower classes and speaks highly of them, such as Burt, the chimney sweeps, and the lady feeding the birds. Normally, these are people that others might shun or ignore, yet Mary Poppins treats them as valuable and important members of her society. Her example teaches that all people are important and we should not judge based on appearances or station in life, but instead judge the actions of these individuals.

    Morals define what is right and what is wrong, what is acceptable or not, how to behave, how to talk, how to judge. They are the most important things to learn growing up as they define who we are and where we go in life. Mary Poppins is an ideal for children as she is fun, but stern, beautiful but elegant and kind, confident but not pompous. She teaches in both words and actions, what makes a good, moral person.