Mis-en-Scene Banshee

"I am guys like that!!!!!" 
Disclaimer please forgive the cursing.

I chose to use a scene from the cable television series Banshee. In this scene, Sheriff's deputy Kurt Bunker has just assaulted a group of skinheads and is trying to get his temper back under control.I chose this scene because the character of Bunker is one of my favorites, he is a very hard looking character who has a lot of depth and most of his past shows on his outside. Emotionally this scene spoke to me and was done so well that I felt myself relating with Bunker. Director of photography Christopher faloona first sets the scene with everything out of focus and dark.

the use of little to no color in the background allows the viewer to focus on just Bunker and then later on Sheriff Brock. The way that the focus keeps going in and out so that at times Bunker is the only one in focus creates a sense of connection.  when Bunker is highly agitated, discussing how he feels about his past the image seems to quake with him. This effect really puts the viewer there in the room and in connection with Bunker. The way the screen shifts from Bunker; to his hands,  to Brock, and back, creates a feeling as though the viewer is there. At times I felt like a participant when the viewing angle shifts to over the shoulder. The lighting gets just a little brighter when some closure is found, and the quaking screen stops. I don't know what the style is called when the camera actually shifts from side to side as though it was walking with the character and generally I don't always like it. However, in this scene, it helped to create that feel of being in the room watching. When Bunker turns and states "I am guys like that!", behind him is a red door that is used to frame him. while he gives his speech about how he feels the red of the door perfectly matches the red in his eyes caused from crying, a beautiful contrast to the green in his eyes. This above all really allows viewers, at least myself to empathize with Bunker. Whenever Brock speaks he is framed with  the calming neutral colors of the walls and shadows behind, this helps with the effect that Brock is there to calm Bunker. Interestingly enough when Bunker seems to be more relaxed in the last scene he is framed with a background of the same calming walls as Brock. This is just one of many instances where Christopher Faloona catches the inner turmoil of the character.I have watched this scene numerous times and each time I feel vulnerable myself and am moved to emotion. I have also found something new each and every time.

I have put up one more scene with Bunker in from Banshee. Enjoy.

I would strongly suggest watching these and using the links to the Youtube videos for better picture quality.

Banshee Season 4: Aeschylus (Bunker) (Cinemax)
Banshee - I can feel you looking at me

Thunder Hills Membership Card and style guide

www.ahales19.wix.com/comm3560

Membership Card.

Thunder Hills Country Club is an elite course and we wanted our membership card to put that on display.

Our membership card is not just a card; it is a smart card. Our card ha a key fob inserted into it that allows the member access to all of our amenities as well as this card is the key to all of our golf carts. Without this card on the member’s person, the carts will not operate.

The most exciting feature of the card is the QR code unique to each member. This code, when scanned by a smartphone, will install the Thunder Hills App. This app the official score card of the course! No more paper scorecards, a player's golf scores are simultaneously uploaded to the Thunder Hills Servers as they are recorded. A member can choose to have his or her stats private or public. All active members will show up on a map using GPS while they engaged in their round of golf.

If a player scores an eagle or any other important score, the entire course is notified.

Along with the app, a member my slide their ID into the card reader attached to the touch screen tablet on every golf cart and record their scores as well as follow others on the course.

With these features, a Player may issue a challenge to any active golfer on the course at any time.

Thunder Hills monitors all players’ stats and can issue awards for various achievements.

A member may not enter the course without their membership card.

The Design

The Front of the membership card is very simple and shows only the Thunder Hills “T” of the logo without any words while the back has a small picture of the member emblazoned over a smaller version of the full logo and name. Along with the picture, there is the aforementioned QR code and magnetic strip.

The Front



The Back

Headings are in Playfair Display

Subheadings are in Droid Serif

Paragraphs and buttons are in Times New Roman

Background		Subheadings		Background		Headings
Black		Silver Chalice		Glade Green		Husk
Hex	RGB	HEX	RGB	HEX	RGB	HEX	RGB
#000000	0,0,0	#999999	153,153,153	#5f804d	95,128,77	AA950	170,149,80

Director: Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson films are known for their distinctive visual and narrative style, He himself has stated that he is a fan of the long take. One thing that is distinctive of an Anderson film is a shot where there is a lot of motion and people moving in and out of the screen (fig 1)Anderson is noted for his extensive use of flat space camera moves, obsessively symmetrical compositions, snap-zooms, slow-motion walking shots, a deliberately limited color palette, and hand-made art direction often utilizing miniatures. These stylistic choices give his movies a distinctive quality that has provoked much discussion, critical study, and even parody. Anderson himself has commented that this gives his movies the feel of being "self-contained worlds", or a "scale model household". 

I really enjoy his use of dialogue and the boundaries that he pushes with it. Its not uncommon to ask yourself after watching a scene "did he just do that?" Anderson uses a style that is one of where his characters often speak of things that are quit disturbing in a very nonchalant way. His films are always heavy with satire. An interesting bit of information is that for the film The Grand Budapest Hotel he used three different aspect ratios. He did this to differentiate between different timelines.

Zen:

Axiom of Web Design

Wow!!!

I decided to use this assignment as an opportunity to take a look at the web page fro Star 98 FM, I am currently interning for the Morning Show Robynne and Matt in the Morning, and have been responible for the Facebook page Star 98 FM. Recently It has been discussed that myself and the others would be more responsible for the web page Star98online.com.

When I first went there I was just shocked the space around the content was distacting making the page look as though it was a window open over my regular browser. I think the page should have just used all the space that is availiale in a browser window as opposed to the banner of stars running down both sides. Next, the banner across the top is mostly just unused negative space that is just plain and cheap looking. If the designer wanted stars this is where he should have put them! The color of the banner matches the Facebook "F" perfectly and this next to the twitter bird make these two logos look fake.

The menu underneath the banner although somewhat intuitive or self explanitory is very minimlistic and not in a good way.

/

Business/Communication Objectives: It does communicste the purpose of the page although it could do more. The purpose of the page is to expound on the on-air content; and although there is some of the things spoke about during the day, if an everyday listener was to go to the page regulallry it is obviouse thst the page is not updated regulally. 

Strong Grid: The grid is not well defined on the right side there is a twitter feed and under that a facebook feed. These would serve better if they were columns on oposite sides with scroll bars of their own. 

Intuitiveness: It is pretty easy to naviagte, but the menus dont always have the content that they claim to have. I would also have the entertainmnet news setion in the middle cotian the same stories that we spoke about during the on-air segment with links for more info.

Contrast and Harmony

This picture is a perfect example of contrast, harmony, and balance. The different skin tones give us a very high-level of contrast. Although the colors are opposite of each other, they balance one another out. It is interesting how parts of the black hand match the lighter tones in the white one and parts of the white arm match the darker colors of the other. The way the space around the hands changes from dark to light in the center complimenting the harmony of the main image. The chain provides a feeling of power ad conviction along with unity. The way the fist are formed as perfect mirror images of each other shows more harmony. This picture is a common one I have seen in reproduced in many different ways some have the desired effect while others fall flat.

Visceral Response

      Visceral Response:

This Picture exemplifies the feeling of frustration I had while looking for another to better use for this assignment, so I went with it.
The use of space between the guy and the laptop evokes a feeling of buildup and explosion for me. The way the light is brightest in the exact center and gradually fades to shadow on the outside creates that illusion of explosion although the space is empty.
There is a lot of line being used. His glasses and every point on his face all point to the offending object as well as the lines in his suit do the same. The laptop is showing a sense of being blown back,  the way the somewhat horizontal lines of the monitor with respect to the lines of the keyboard and table are how this effect is achieved. This use of line mixed with the space and light in the center of the picture all combine to produce the effect of overall frustration and release at this tool of our everyday life. Another feeling is one of fear; perhaps the laptop is afraid. The laptop does look to be shocked and cowering.