Assignment #3

Aesthetics

 I run daily.  I run to be strong…I run to be calm…I run to be revitalized…I run to find my center.

As I set out the clouds were simply misting on me, a cold wind blowing the soft vapors across my face.  As I found my stride and settled in the rains came heavier, nature demanding my full attention.  Fat, wet drops pounded out a staccato beat on the visor of my hat…glistening drops streamed off the brim caught only by my peripheral vision.  The rhythmic sound of my footfalls and the measured exhalations of my breath joined the percussive sound of the rain…music to my soul.  Headlights catch the wet pavement and light up the stretch of black pavement ahead of me.  I feel the pound of my heart, the ignition of muscles and the strength of both.  An instinctive smile crosses salty lips.  The air smells damp, crisp, fresh.  Nature renews, as do I.

"Nessum Dorma"

I think my drawing demonstrates many of the feelings that I experienced while listening to Pavarotti’s “Nessum Dorma”.  The soft and flowing sounds of the start of the song spoke to me of peace and contentment which materialized as soft, light-colored flowing lines at the top of my drawing.  However, as the song continued the sense of emotion heightened in the song which left me reaching for more intense colors and drawing with more intensity on the bottom half of my paper.  Despite the shifts in intensity of the music at different points I still felt a sense of continuity throughout the song, just various shadings in emotion which is why I think my drawing also has a sense of cohesiveness to it; the color and intensity shifted but the flow of the lines remained the same. 

Establishing Shots in Film

The establishing shot in film serves many purposes.  First and foremost, the shot informs the viewer of the location or setting of the scene.  An establishing shot of the Eiffel Tower, for example, will quickly inform the viewer that the setting of the scene is Paris without having to directly verbalize that fact.  However, the establishing shot does more than just set the location.  It can establish season, time of day, even weather with just one single shot.  The establishing shot is critical as it gives the viewer perspective from which to frame the action and events that follow in the scene.

To demonstrate this fact, I have included a clip of the establishing shot from the film “Lord of the Rings”.  A sweeping landscape shot gives the viewer a glimpse of the countryside in which much of the film takes place while the arrival of a horse and cart sets a sense of the time period.  Additionally, the shot includes a glimpse of tiny doorways embedded in the lush greenery of the landscape.  This establishes a “fantastical” feeling for the viewer and creates a sense of intrigue and curiosity for what’s to come.