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Sep 21, 2013

How to rock a Mixed Media project

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Pattie Crider

WRT 320

Re-Mix Project

September 24, 2013

 

Knowledge Made New

 

            Re-mixing is the art of taking what already exists and making it new. The amount of change or addition to an established piece of work can vary from using a small portion, to a complete change to the entire piece of work, or any variation of the two examples. Re-mixing is the art of changing another author’s work.

For my re-mix project, I took the work of The New Book of Knowledge, prints collected in the photography lab at York College of Pennsylvania that would have otherwise been discarded, and a sheet of poster board that was an abandoned project of an 8-year-old.  These three properties of my project were all created by other people.

First, I paged through the encyclopedias looking for topics that interested me.  I began cutting out quotes, pictures and words and making a pile of pieces I might use.  To make the overall look more appealing, I used scissors that cut unique patterns and applied the same process to a selection from the hundreds of photos created by fellow students.  My thought process was to make a connection of some type between the outdated encyclopedia texts and the newly created photos as a new way to consume knowledge. At this point, I wasn’t positive how this would all tie together, but as the creator, I went on instinct and hoped for the best.

 

I only had one Smirnoff in the fridge, so it no influence my project.

I only had one Smirnoff in the fridge, so it no influence my project.

 

My dog was nosy and not helpful as he walked over my materials.

My dog was nosy and not helpful as he walked over my materials.

I sat at the empty spot on my living room floor and began placing my materials from the pile onto the poster board.

I sat at the empty spot on my living room floor and began placing my materials from the pile onto the poster board.

The first, and the most important line of Manovich’s text, Who is the Author, is “New media culture brings with it a number of new models of authorship which all involve different forms of collaboration.” My project fit his thesis as it grew, piece by piece. I tried to determine a theme for the photos when I realized the theme was, a new media look at knowledge, specifically, The New Book of Knowledge, encyclopedias. I chose, perhaps subconsciously, to use the rocket-like artwork on the poster as my background of the body of a tree.

Bottom Half

Bottom Half

With imagination, this work can be interpreted in endless ways. My specific interpretation is a mix of reality and fantasy, supported with quotes of historical meaning. At the base of the work, roots and death, real and imagined, are grounded. An audience is presented in consumption of performances. A young man surrounded by vegetables, a young boy with imagination spurting from his head through a rainbow while his accomplices pass gas (nuclear bomb) in the face of a centaur and to the far right, a recipe for “Heavenly Hash” by the graveyard while ladies perform musical numbers on the world’s stage…surreal.

Top Half

Top Half

The top piece of my work represents knowledge being shared with others.  The tree is metaphoric in expanding and touching the lives of all people, from those that served time in the service, defending their country and often losing their lives, to students learning or enjoying the material items life has to offer.  Again, my humor urged me to place hamburger above the ladies enjoying the nude presentation of a sculpture and to place a consumer product like Jello, as the base of the skate-boarding rubber duck.  In the center, the arms of the performer expand into a tree (cut from the cover of the encyclopedia) and a fox; the expansion of knowledge through performance is crafty, like that of a fox.  The old versus new technology is represented in the young lady facing an antiquated television and phone.  Around this lady’s neck are headphones that connect to current technology that allows for television and music entertainment on a cellular phone…surreal.

The Crown

The Crown

The crown to this mixed-media mash-up, is made of the front cover of one encyclopedia and the binding cover of three, to form the “holding piece” of a new form of media knowledge.  From the base of the tree a diver is frozen in space, destined to portray people’s desire to be informed by all means of media available to them.  The addition of media re-mixes allows the logic in previous work to be explored in a new form continually expanding the wealth of knowledge to those that choose to explore examples of new media forms.

Full Size

Full Size

Middle Close-up

Middle Close-up

Filed Under: Art, College, Professional Writing Class · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,
Sep 1, 2013

Bones~Aliens in a Spaceship

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Pattie Crider

WRT 225.101

Introductory Activity: Bones

September 4, 2013

 

Cast of Bones

Cast of Bones minus Zack who turned out to be an accomplice to a serial killer.

Character Discipline and Theme Analysis of Bones Season: 2, Episode: 9

“Aliens in a Spaceship”

 

            The genre of program determines the theme and discipline of the characters. Bones is a crime solving program and the focus is on two disciplines, science and law enforcement. Underlying themes of the program are personal and work relationships, religion and death.  This specific episode featured the antagonist as serial killer who kidnaps two of the protagonists, Bones and Hodge. Through the use of logic, science and technology, the kidnapped scientists are rescued by the FBI agent.

The concept of Bones is a group of geniuses that solve murders through the study of bones. The group works closely with the FBI to determine the perpetrator in hopes of capture. The main cast has unique personalities that create many secondary story lines. This is necessary in all writing. Bones, the main character, is logical and relies on science to answer questions.  She has no higher power belief. Agent Booth, while an expert in catching criminals, relies on his experience, gut feelings and faith in God to achieve his goals. The pair continuously has conflict over religion and underlying emotions for each other.

The remaining sub characters are all scientists but have individual focuses in order to be an important part of this genius group. Angela’s specialty is visual art, recreating what happened to the victims.  Hodge, who is deeply in love with Angela, specializes in chemistry.  Camille, the motherly figure who is having a sexual relationship with Agent Booth, fields the psychological aspects of the criminals and Zack, the baby of the group, is a driven, math genius.

This episode of Bones has re-occurring themes that the cast must tackle, ego being a significant one.  Also significant in this episode is “The Grave Digger,” an “invisible” serial killer, is shown as “God-like” having complete control over his victims and their families.  Bones and Hodges must rely on their brilliance and MacGyver-like skills of survival; they escaped certain death at the hand of the Grave Digger.  Graphic scenes, love confessions, serial killers, explosions, kidnapping and attractive people in well-written stories are popular in the 21st century.  The story line and characters of this program transfer well to television, capturing an audience following.

Not relevant to my paper and not in the version I turn in to my professor.  Angela is smoking hot!

~P.

Filed Under: Professional Writing Class · Tagged: , , , , , , ,
Jun 4, 2013

I Write

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I write and I enjoy it.  Sick, I know.

When I dream about what I want to do in life, I dream about traveling the world, taking photographs and writing about the experience.

I dream that my photos and essays will have an impact on readers.  That I, as a writer, will make a difference in the lives of others.

I don’t dream of fame and fortune.  If I did, writing would be the wrong career choice.

This weekend is the 2013 Philadelphia Writers’ Conference and I am giddy with excitement to meet so many other writers in one place.  It’s all about contacts!

Dream big!  What’s the point of dreaming small?!

~P.

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Feb 8, 2013

Internship week 3

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Sharing one story at a time

Sharing one story at a time

Working for Stage of Life the past three weeks has been a learning experience.  The fifteen weeks are going to fly by before I know it!

This week:

2/1/2013 Spoke with Eric on phone, contacted possible bloggers to contribute to SOL   1.5 hrs

2/4/2013  Blog content, read/comments   2.0 hrs

2/5/2013  Wrote post, emailed bloggers, researched bloggers   3.0 hrs

2/7/2013  Met with Eric at the office, discussed ideas, established a list of items to begin, Finished several posts, emailed a new blogger to SOL community, continued working on Quattrone interview (professor), spoke to Dr. Walters about involving class with SOL, took postcards to writing professors offices, dropped off posters at OSAO office for permission to display.   4.0 hrs

2/8/2013 Continued email with new blogger, referred her to Eric for technical difficulties, emailed Quattrone for more information and clarification, Joined Pininterest to follow fellow SOL intern.  2.0 hrs

Total hours 12.5 hours & 4.5 previous = 17 hrs

Goals:

Get more specific writing for SOL column

Check on Eric’s progress of getting the interns on the website and our specific column.  LOL

Have Wendy’s membership issued resolved.

Complete a minimum of 25 hours intern work

Check out http://www.Stageoflife.com and share a little story!

~P.

Filed Under: Junior Intern, Professional Writing Class · Tagged: , , , ,
Oct 31, 2012

Writer’s Memo

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Writer’s Memo:

I love to write and do so almost daily in my blog.  My subjects range from college essays, being a mom, divorce, and life in general.  I have short stories, poems and photographs on my blog and try to make each entry unique and engaging.  Most people don’t realize how deep my faith in God runs.  I don’t push my beliefs on people, nor do I bark about them in person.  But on my blog I am free to express myself however I would like.  I show no fear on my blog and let no comments upset me.  God and I are tight and I am keeping it that way.

My biggest struggle is to continue focusing on the present when I think the future will be ending soon.  The borrowing money for student loans, making holiday plans and especially dates in the year 2013 are frustrating.  I don’t want to or expect to be earth bound after December 21st 2012.  My friends poke fun at me.  So do my sons, now both adults.  Jokes aimed at my religious beliefs are just their way of giving me a “hard time.”  I don’t get upset or mad.  I just laugh along with them.  How can I laugh when they are making fun of me?  Easy.  If I’m wrong, I continue with life on December 22nd.  If I’m right, I’m in Heaven with my maker testing out my new wings.  I’ve always wanted to fly.

~P.

(Virtual Sinning isn’t Cheap Advanced Composition Assignment)

 

Filed Under: College, Professional Writing Class, Religion · Tagged: , , , ,
Sep 26, 2012

The rambling professor

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The professor has to be juiced or cursed with a bad case of ADHD.

His lips move so quickly-words gush and blur-the deaf would be defenseless to read.

“Has anyone read —insert names no one recognizes.”

The look of despair when no hands are raised.

Name dropping doesn’t impress…just alienates.

 

 

Filed Under: College, Professional Writing Class · Tagged: , , ,
Apr 20, 2011

What the Doctor said

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Everyone loves getting an “thatta boy” or in my case, girl.  This is the letter my professor sent on my behalf for a scholarship in professional writing.  I don’t know how much the scholarship is for but any amount is helpful in paying tuition!

~P.

Dr. Travis Kurowski
441 Country Club Rd.
York, PA 17403

April 19, 2011

 To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to recommend Patricia Crider for the 2011 Carraway Scholarship.

Patricia has been more than a pleasure to have in both my Introduction to Creative Writing course this semester and as an interested, enthusiastic writer and learner on campus, who seems to be constantly working on one writing project or another. Patricia has even taken some of her student projects and began publishing online, and so doing what we hope all of our students will eventually do: taking her classroom work and testing it out in the larger world. What makes Patricia a nice addition to the creative writing classroom, is her constant, often quite insightful, commentary on her peers work.

Perhaps more to the point of this scholarship, Patricia is a motivated, intelligent writer—meaning that she is a constant reviser, always open to suggestion and critique. Many beginning writers—in an effort to perhaps prove their talent to themselves, their peers, or maybe even their professors—often have trouble taking to heart criticism and really applying it to the betterment of their writing. In my experience in the classroom, and at our writer-in-residence workshop this past month, Patricia has taken criticism from other writers and applied it to the betterment of her work—such as the use of specific, concrete images (and the right ones at that) to tell her story, allowing us to more fully imagine her world, which is what we want from our writers in the end.

Sincerely,

Dr. Travis Kurowski

Filed Under: College · Tagged: , , ,
Mar 9, 2011

What you learn

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Gettysburg College held a writer’s summit on Feb. 19th.  I attended the “Speak Up, Write Out” conference with three other students on staff at York College’s Spartan Newspaper and found it to be an enjoyable, learning experience.  The professional guest speakers were happy to share helpful tips on attaining success in the journalism field.

It’s who you know.  The professionals on the panel all stressed how important having contacts has been in their careers. The consensus was attending conferences, meeting guest speakers and remaining in touch with college professors is what made a difference in their own success.

Shoot for the moon.  No matter your career goal, don’t be afraid to take chances.  Send out your resume, submit your work or even apply in person.  The worst thing that can happen, you don’t get the job or receive a “thanks, but no” letter.  One panelist suggested “wallpapering your bedroom with rejection letters” as a way to make some use of them as there will be many.  Don’t feel rejected by these letters.

Internships are important.  Members on the panel all at one time were interns.  They usually weren’t paid, but what they did earn was the knowledge in a work setting in their field.  Learning the ropes as an intern is just another important step towards a career goal.  While interning, make as many contacts as possible.

Learn a second language.  Several different panels agreed Spanish would be the ideal second language, but any second language may be helpful to an employer deciding on who to hire.  Knowing the lingo of writers is also important.  I heard several times that writers are snarky or have snarky comments.  Since the conference I did some research.  Snarky is British slang for “irritible, testy and short.”

Work that cover letter.  Write a sincere, informative cover letter telling what you can do for a company and include personal interests.  Make an impression with your cover letter and resume to stand out and be competitive in their content.  Try to keep your resume to one page but include anything and everything that is relevant in your work history, education and personal interests that could help you get an internship or job.

Network online.  If you want to get your name out there, especially in a writing career, get on the internet.  There are endless websites to use for networking.  It sounded odd hearing the professional panelists pushing for Facebook, Twitter and other social network websites as useful tools in their career.

Enterprising stories.  My last panel session topic of the conference was “journalism in local news.”  Local newspapers in Hanover and Gettysburg do not have enough reporters to cover the news.  An “enterprise story” is an idea for a story a reporter comes up with on their own and runs with it.  Local newspapers often print this type of story. Mainly because the topic is specific, no one else would have written about it.

Filed Under: College, Professional Writing Class · Tagged: , , , , , ,
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