feedback

        I think Media 150 course is a very interesting and challenging class. Because this is the basic class of the media major, it includes knowledge from the book but also many assignments. My favorite part of this course is the photo assignment. I think it is very interesting. You need to have a creative photo idea first, and then take pictures around the school. I think choosing the right angles of the pictures is very important. Different angles could creative different visual effects. I  am also interested in Photoshop application. It is like you can do anything for your photos. I used Photoshop before, so I still have a little bit knowledge about how to use it. I also used Photoshop for my photo assignment. But I think maybe this course can teach more about how to use Photoshop and other applications. The video assignment is the most difficult part for me. Because I did not have any experiences about shooting before, I have no idea about my video assignment. Therefore I suggest maybe this course can teach more technical knowledge about how to edit video or support some sources we can find online.

        I am very excited about the museum trip when I see that in the syllabus in the first time. The museum trip is another very interesting part of this course. I went to the museum alone and I think this museum is really interesting and you really can learn a lot of things in this museum. So please keep this part of this course, I believe the other students will be very happy to have this trip.

        I think showing our work in the class and exchanging our ideas and thoughts are very important and helpful for me, because we can hear about various ideas and thoughts which can help me to find new inspirations sometimes.

        In conclusion, I like this course very much and I really think Professor Martyna Starosta  is a good professor. Danke!!

extra credit

My favorite movie is “The Legend of 1900”. This is a great and amazing movie. The characters, storyline, shooting style, and sound recording are all perfect. The first shot of this film uses a wide shot. It shows the character Max and surrounding environment which consists of a very long staircase. The wide shot can give audiences a basic idea first, such as what the story is about and who the character is. The film begins with Max’s voiceover, “I still ask myself if I did the right thing when I abandoned his floating city, and I don’t mean only for the work, fact is, a friend like that a real friend, you won’t meet again, if you just decide to hang up your sea legs, if you just want to feel something more solid beneath your feet, and if then you no longer hear the music of the gods around you. But like he used to say, you are never really done for as long as you got a good story and someone to tell it to.” Through this narration, Max points out the basic theme of this film. For example, it shows who that real friend is, what that music is like and what kind of story he has. This narration helps audiences to enter the story very quickly. And I really like this narration. Max is just like a storyteller in this movie. He also narrates the whole story through the whole movie. He is just like a thin line that connects the story with the past and the present. With his narration, the shot proceeds to the medium long shot, medium shot, and then followed by medium close-up. The light usage is very skillful in the beginning. The light is only illuminated on the Max. His surrounding environment is almost in dark. Therefore people can concentrate on Max. The background music is soft and tranquil piano music which reflects the theme of this film, a story about piano.

        After Max’s narration, the frame switches back to the beginning of the story, a boat which goes to America. This is also the main setting of this film. The director uses wide shot here. Therefore you can see everyone’s actions in the boat. The Max’s voiceover still comes with the moving of the shots. Then, there is a man who sees the statue of liberty first, the camera shots from wide shot to close-up, then to extreme close-up very slowly. Finally, it only shoots this man’s eyes, and the New York scenes are reflected in his eyes. I really like this shot, because it shows New York scenes from a man’s eyes are very novel and beautiful, it is like a mirage in people’s mind. At this time, the director uses a very passionate music. This kind of music represents people’s emotions at that time, which show their excitement, happiness, and hopefulness.

        The director uses various shots in the beginning of this film. The different shots can help audiences to see the characters and story broader and deeply. Audiences can know and realize characters’ changes and reactions from different shots. Different shots also can make different visual effects. For example, wide shot could show the whole surrounding environment, close-up can emphasize the subject’s shape and reactions. The director chose Max’s voiceover to open and then back to the beginning of the story. This could raise the audiences’ curiosity. They would think about why Max would sit here alone, what happened to him, or something like that. Overall, the director introduces the background, main setting and main characters in the opening scene.

        After watching the opening scene, I really want to know the whole story about these characters. I also want to know real ending of this story. It is a movie I really want to keep watch. The music is another highlight in this movie. I want to listen to more beautiful piano music through this film and I really listened to it after I watched the whole movie. The director chose saturated and warm color style to this film. It is just reflecting the tones of this movie, warm but a little bit sad. I have watched this movie for five times until now. I think this is a really beautiful and amazing movie. The color, sound recording, and shooting style are very good.

about film ideas

        Anthony Chen and I are preparing to make a film about “secret”. We try to shoot the hunter college views first (use wide shot and long shot) and let audiences know the background of this film. Then we enter in the classroom and introduce a secret (in an envelope). Our classmates will open the envelope and we will shoot their reactions after they read the “secret” (use medium close-ups, medium shot). In the end of the film, we will show the secret in the envelope (use extreme close-up). And we will find some interesting music to be the background music of this film.

Feedback to feministfrequency.com

        After I heard Anita's presentation on feministfrequency.com yesterday, I felt that I learned a lot of things from her presentation. First, I realized more about feministfrequency.com. Second, I realized the process that how she making the video. The most interesting part for me is the video preparing process. You need to prepare a lot of things before you shoot a video, such as choose a topic and buy the props.

        I think it is very interesting and created. And there was one thing surprised me. It was Anita said she didn’t have some professional knowledge about the video shooting and didn’t really know how to edit the video. And I don’t have any professional knowledge about the video shooting and editing either, so it really encouraged me. She also mentioned fair use in the video shooting. Fair use is very important in the video shooting or any other media works. I agree with her thoughts and ideas.

        I learned much knowledge about video shooting from her experiences, such as how to choose a good topic, and how to make a good light of shooting. And I will add some created and interesting elements in my media projects. Video shooting is very interesting and challenged for me.

CO2 EMISSIONS ASSIG. & ADBUSTER

CO2 EMISSION ASSIG.

                                                                     ADBUSTER

PHOTOSHOP ASSIGNMENT

I chose 3 famous people and 3 classical symbols of USA, Europe, and China to make my stamps.

Audrey Kathleen Hepburn-Ruston
        Simple  is the best. I only adjust the color of the picture of Hepburn and add "EUROPA" on the stamp like a watermark.

Albert Einstein
        Einstein was a great physicist. Therefore I add some formulas on the stamp. I try to make it more interesting. 

Bruce Lee
        Bruce Lee was like a symbol of Kung-Fu. His chinese name means "dragon", so I add a dragon behind him.
                               

EUROPE

I use "filter-distort- Polar Coordinates" to make this  stamp.

very classical european style architecture.

USA

Metropolitan Museum+statue of liberty+brooklyn bridge+empire state building

                                                                          CHINA
                                                         very "china" style stamp.
                                                   imperial palace+chinese soldier

Miss Fruits

Thinking in Life

Thinking is an everlasting topic in our life. We can think anywhere and anytime. Thinking represents people’s mental activities. When people are thinking about something, they always immerse in their internal world and do not know what their countenances and actions are at that time. In Hunter College, thinking takes place at everywhere, and every second. I think in order to capture many interesting expressions and the looks on people’s faces when they are thinking. You can also try to find out what they are thinking and sort of create any kind of story that might relate to them.

1.       Under the guidepost, you need to think about where you need to go, where you must go, or where you want to go. There are no people seen in this picture, but behind this picture, we can see thousands of people thinking every day.

photo by Mengyun Luo

2.       In the Cafeteria.

This woman is thinking about what she should eat, or she is thinking about what she wants to eat. Maybe the food she should eat and the food she wants to eat are two different kinds of food. Therefore she is lost in thinking and stands there motionlessly. It could have thousand possible in one picture.

There is a comparison in this picture. The woman in the front moves quickly and the woman stand there motionlessly. For this picture, I used slow shutter speed, and the movement resulted in a blurred image. Therefore, the movement around that woman just represents her thinking status.

                                                   photo by Mengyun Luo

3.       In the Cafeteria.

There was only one man seen in this picture. It seems like the whole world was quiet and there was nobody in there, and he was just thinking about what he wants to drink. His hands are moving just like what we usually do when we are thinking. However, most of the time, we do not acknowledge our motions at certain moments. For this picture, I used wide shot to show the subject and surrounding environment.

                                                          photo by Mengyun Luo

 

4.       Another Shooting Angle in the Cafeteria.

There are five people in this picture. Four of them are thinking about what kind of food they want to eat. Eating is a very important topic in our daily life. There is a huge variety of food we can choose from. When different people see the different food, their facial expressions would be different. The figure was viewed from behind in this picture. We cannot see anyone’s face in the front side. Because of this, we can image their facial expressions randomly. You can tell the boy on the right side is serious; the girl in the middle is intoxicated for the foods. This is the point of this picture. The picture does not merely show what people can exactly see, but also the image behind the picture.

                                                       photo by Anthony Chan

5.       Front of Vending Machine.

This picture shows a girl standing in front of a vending machine. She is thinking about what snacks or beverages she wants to buy or she just is think about whether or not she should buy snacks.

I also used slow shutter speed for this picture. The people around this girl are moving very fast, and she is just standing there and thinking. Personally, I really like this style. Because it can focus more on the main character in the photo and represent the topic of the photo better.

                                                photo by Mengyun Luo

6.       In the Library.

      Library is the best place to help people think. The setting of the library is quiet and serious.

     Therefore I took the picture in the library very carefully. This picture was shot on the fifth floor. Most of people in this picture are doing their homework or writing papers. Writing is another way to express thoughts through thinking. When you are writing, you need to think about what you want to write next and what you should not write. In the middle of this picture, that person is sleeping there. I think sleeping is another way to show the thinking while you are in a state of unconsciousness. Because most time, dreaming is always reflected the moral actions in your mind and what you are thinking throughout the day. The only fly in the ointment is the man in the front, who catches me shooting a photo. But I think this also could be thinking, maybe he was thinking:”why she is shooting?"

                                                              Photo by Mengyun Luo

7.       On the Bridge between West and North.

    I used long shot for this picture. It includes many people. They were chatting, eating, reading, doing the homework, watching the laptop, and walking. Every action was potentially involved with thinking. For example, eating is always easier to help people think, especially when you are eating alone. You can think of anything you want. In this picture, the majority of people have their heads slightly bent which could symbolize the act of thinking. Also, the posters hung on the bridge are another way to show thinking. It is a silent type of thinking.

                                                          photo by Mengyun Luo

8.       Stay Alone in the Corner.

I used wide shot for this picture. The main character is located on the right side. This unbalanced composition makes the picture more realistic about the whole picture, and not only focus on the one person. This man is sitting alone in the corner and typing on the computer. He feels like he is the only person in this world. But the reality is there are two more people in this picture on the left side. This is a contrast of these two groups’ people, the real world on the left side and the self world on the right side.

                                              photo by Mengyun Luo

9.       Stand Front the Elevator.

I shot this picture in the north building. People were waiting for the elevator. I used wide shot for this picture. Therefore we can see the people and the elevator. This helps us to realize the environment and the topic of this picture easier. Waiting time for the elevator is very short, so you do not have enough time to read the book, have a long conversation, or eat your lunch. The only and best thing for us to do is to think. In this picture, people seem to be really silent and expressionless. This is the real reflection of the thinking. And sometimes, these people are not thinking, rather they just stare at someone or something blankly.

                                                      photo by Mengyun Luo

In conclusion, I think thinking is a really interesting aspect in our life. These pictures show that we are in fact thinking everyday in our school life. Sometimes we do not know when we are thinking but we are. Finding the thinking and thinking about it help me to realize more about people’s actions and thoughts.

About My Hometown and My Family

        I grew up in Wuhan, a big, beautiful Chinese city. It is also the most popular city in China. Wuhan is located near the Yangtze River. Wuhan has a long history and cultural background. I was very glad that I could grow up here and I am proud of my hometown and my country.

        I came in the US when I was 16 years old. America was totally a different country for me. New language, new environment, and different culture were all fresh to me but at the same time they were also interesting and challenging to me. To be honest, it was terrible and difficult for me to adjust to this new environment for the first half year. I did not have much friends and I was not familiarized with the new language. Now, I feel so lucky that I can finally distinguish the difference between these two cultures from two different countries. Furthermore, I would like to find the sparks among these two countries. 

       My hobby about Chinese literature started from my family. My father was a business man. His business was focused on Chinese antique, calligraphy and painting. He also loved to collect these stuffs and always told me stories about Chinese history and Chinese culture. My mother was a housewife. She always encouraged me to read and write. I am so grateful for having such a supportive family and they motivate me to achieve my goals. 

WUHAN's PICS

   

@Beijing, 2010

@Wuhan Foreign Language School with my friends 2009

@Metropolitan Museum, NYC 2011

Artist Statement

        There are two factors that affected me for wanting to be a media artist: my background and the personal experiences. I grew up in China, a beautiful, cultural, and also modern country. I love Chinese literature and began to write when I was eight years old. My middle school is a foreign language school. I learned German for four years. I also learned about western culture in my middle school. At that time, I began to host some parties in my school and join some broadcasting station’s competition.
        The turning point in my life was moving to America with my mom when I was sixteen. It is a whole new environment with different culture and language. New things always make me struggle but they also encourage me to adapt it and control it. It lets me know the media is not about a country, a person, or one culture, but rather it includes the whole world. My plans for the future are being a photographer and a journalist.
        I thought media is a challenging and interesting work, especially for photography and working in a TV station. There was like a huge power that aroused me to constantly create something new and learn new things for the first time. There were a lot of things we can find and realize in our society. I want to express more beauty, good, and reality about this world. I hope people can feel happy and have another new perspective to see this world, another new perspective to see our life through my pen, my camera, my voice and my ideas.