Game as a Medium

This week's post is about the subject of gaming as a specific medium, and how it might be considered literature. I decided to write about one of my all-time favorite game series: Sonic Adventure. The first time I played Sonic Adventure on was a Dreamcast, which brings back so many memories of my childhood. A Dreamcast is so old that it isn't even being manufactured anymore, which makes it even more nostalgic to write about it.

Sonic the Hedgehog, which is the main character in this game, is a pretty recognizable figure to any person, despite culture, age, race, or gender. This is due to the many varieties and themes of games that Sonic appears in. These games are not only limited to Sonic Adventure, but also include Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Rivals, and so many more other games. The range and variety of games of Sonic make it easy for anyone to pick a game and play and have a good time playing. Whether you like racing games (Sonic Riders), action and adventure games (Sonic Adventure), or fighting games (Sonic Rivals), you are able to choose from any type of Sonic game and be happy. Sonic games also include multiple secondary characters in the storyline, including Tails, Amy, and Knuckles, which make connecting to the game easier. It helps people relate to a different character based on their personality and how the character acts in the game. For instance, Tails is my favorite character because I can relate to him because such a great friend to Sonic and how he is always there to help him when in need. I also love Tails' childlike personality and how lively he is, and not to mention how he is able to propel with his tail.

The way Sonic also appeals to a wide range of age groups is another reason why this is my favorite game, because it means that no matter how old I get, I will still find a valuable place in my heart for Sonic. The older generation who grew up with the original Sonic can still find joy in playing the classic games on the vintage play-sets, such as the Dreamcast, while younger generations can find excitement with playing newer versions of the game on either the X-box or Playstation.

I feel like this game might be considered literature because of the different stories it has. You may not have to actually read anything on the screen while playing the game besides subtitles when the characters speak to each other; however, the way a person imagines the story in their head when they're reading, sort of like their own personal movie, is similar to what you see on the screen when playing. The game is a story in itself, however, different from a book or novel, the player is basically in control of the story in the game.

Stranger Things

For this week, I decided to binge watch Stranger Things on Netflix for the first time. I have always heard everyone talking about it and how good it was, but I never got around to watching it, until this weekend.

After just a few minutes into the first episode, I was immediately intrigued and hooked onto this series. It was something I couldn't take my eyes away from, and I ended up watching all eight episodes in just a day and a half. Needless to say, I was sad when it ended, but not disappointed in watching it in the least. For someone who loves watching syfy-horror films, this show exceeded my expectations and lived up to all of the hype that it got. From the very first scene, the viewer is immediately drawn in due to the mystery of it all and wants to figure out what exactly is going on. 

I feel like one of the reasons this show has done so well is due to how well written each character is. The viewer is really able to sympathize with each character and is able to relate with one or another in some way. Mainly focusing on the storyline of three boys coming together to find their lost friend, this show allows us to connect with each person and come to really care about their character. It shows how far a group of friends will go to save one of their own, no matter the dangers that may lie ahead. This is the same with the mother of the lost boy. It is easy to sympathize with her because it is unimaginable the pain she is going through searching for her son, and how no one believed her when she says he is alive. Feeling lost and alone, and so heartbreakingly worried about her son really came through in an amazing way and helped me to want her to get her son back.

The nostalgia of this show is also something that set this apart from other shows that are currently airing. It is based in either the 70s or 80s, and accurately depicts the activities and outfits that were used back then, such as the game Dungeons and Dragons and flare jeans. The color quality used in this show also helped to really get the time period across, because the colors were somewhat hazy and muted.

This show also featured a lot of misunderstood people, which made it that much more relatable. Will's mother knew her son was alive and tried to get other people to believe her, yet she was left as being out of her mind and in denial over her son's death. Her oldest son, Johnathan, was also very misunderstood, especially in the high school world. No matter the time period, there are always bullies in high school who rather pick on and make fun of someone rather than get to know that person, and unfortunately, Johnathan, along with Will's three best friends, were victims to that. Fortunately, as it turns out, nice guys don't always have to finish last, and seeing unlikely friendships form during this show was really nice and made this show less depressing. Finally, my favorite character, Eleven, was also extremely misunderstood. She never really had the chance at a normal life, and even though it wasn't her fault, she was often blamed for it. However, I loved the relationship between her and Mike, and seeing the friendship and trust grow stronger as the story developed. It was extremely sad how it ended, and I even shed a tear seeing how hurt everyone was when she saved the day. However, Eleven was finally shown as the amazing little girl she was, and it was nice to see how much everyone would miss her.

The world building of this show was also done well. It made me feel apart of that world, and weary of ever going to the 'upside down', which was portrayed in a great, yet scary, way. The way everything was set up made me fall in love with this show, and it kept me wanting to watch every episode until it was over. I am looking forward for when the next season comes out, and I would recommend this show to anyone looking for an amazing binge-worthy series.

Asterios Polyp

For this week's post, I decided to read Asterios Polyp, a graphic novel written by David Mazzucchelli. This was my first time really reading a graphic novels, so I didn't really know what to expect, besides it being similar to a comic. I'm not that into reading comic books, however, I do know how they are set up and what they look like in terms of image style and text layout, so I did have an idea of what to compare this novel to. 

The overall style of this book is very sketchy, with a main color palette of blue, purple, and an accent of yellow, with the text being a secondary object compared to the images. In fact, many of the pages are often devoid of text, leaving the drawings to tell the story for you, which is very easy to do because the author/artist is extremely detailed in his work. When text is introduced in the scene, it usually fits perfectly with that character's personality. Meaning, the actual font that is used, and even the shape of the speech bubble, is changed or manipulated into different styles for each

individual character. I feel like this helps not only distinguish who is speaking when there are multiple people in the scene, but also lets the reader imagine what these character's voices may sound like, and it makes us feel a little more connected to the characters and the storyline. When it comes to Asterios' bubble, it is always in a box form with stiff capital letters. This mirrors his personality because he isn't as loose and easy-going as other people, and it helps the readers understand him more in a much more deeper way. It's easy to read the words in order to understand who someone is as a person, but it's easier to actually get a visual idea of their personality, and I feel like Mazzucchelli hit this right on the spot. 

Comparing the way Asterios talks to the way Hana talks in the same frame, you can tell how more delicate and shy Hana is as a person. Her speech bubble is more curved and organic, and her text is also much more fluid and more feminine than Asterios. You can also see how she is often overshadowed by Asterios. Mazzucchelli does this in a very creative way that is different than regular novels. In one shot, he shows how Asterios' bubble literally blocks Hana's bubble, showing that he is interrupting her. In another scene, he shows how when Asterios talks, the spotlight which was once on Hana slowly moves toward Asterios, and she is then left in the dark.

The way Mazzucchelli also changes the style of the characters depending on their mood is also very unique and graphically appealing. For example, there is a couple moments in this novel where Hana gets fed up with Asterios and actually gets angry. This anger engulfs her whole body image, and she ends up turning completely red and even more sketchier. This results in Asterios loosing his stiff and solid composure, and he turns into an outline of shapes that make up his body, as if he becomes empty inside when he realizes how upset he made the love of his life. At the end, seeing Hana slowly calm down and transform into her normal self and style again shows how she does love Asterios and is able to empathize with him and the way he feels about loosing his twin. I feel like Mazzucchelli does this in a way to intensify the situation and really show the readers the true emotions the characters are feeling, drawing us further into the story and connecting us deeper to their feelings.

Comparing this to a regular comic strip, it is very easy, in my opinion, to see the creative differences. Because this is a novel, it is much more descript and detailed, and it delves deeper into the story and connects the readers to the characters in a much stronger way. Also, I feel as if in comics, the actual styles of the characters don't change as much as the ones in this novel do. Of course, characters in comics visually show their emotions and actions; however, I feel like Mazzucchelli takes it one step further and really takes that concept and runs with it. In my opinion, he uses his voice in order to really connect the readers with his well developed storyline. He takes simple characters with more complex lives, and portrays it in a way that is easy to empathize with. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this graphic novel, and felt like it was a nice break from my reality.

Sofia Coppola

This post is based on three movies that I watched by Sofia Coppola: Marie Antoinette, The Bling Ring, and The Virgin Suicides.

Throughout all of these movies, I saw a lot of common themes and other elements that point to Coppola's personality and voice. The strongest theme that connected these movies the most was the music and soundtrack. Coppola uses music in her films to set the overall mood and tone of the film, and it is a strong element that is sometimes used instead of actual communication between the main characters. For example, in The Virgin Suicides, there was a scene where the main characters were in separate rooms and used different records to have a conversation with each other. Also, in Marie Antoinette, modern rock music was used a lot throughout different scenes, even though that wasn't the type of music played back then. This allowed for the scenes to be more upbeat and appeal to Antoinette's lively and youthful spirit.

There is also a similarity between the ages of the main characters throughout these films. For instance, in Marie Antoinette, Antoinette, along with the majority of the other main characters in that film, were all teenagers basically put into a somewhat tough situation and trying to figure out how to live life. This is similar in The Bling Ring and The Virgin Suicides as well. The main characters in both films are also in the teenage age range and are put in precarious situations as well. In The Bling Ring, the main characters are constantly being put into tense situations when they are robbing the celebrities' houses.

Coppola's movies also include a strong female character or characters. This is shown mostly in Marie Antoinette, which is a slightly different adaptation from other renditions of the topic. Usually, Marie Antoinette films focus mainly on Louis XVI and have Antoinette be the background or secondary character. Coppola's version of the film focused solely on Marie Antoinette's story and life, and how she felt with getting married at 15 to a prince and leaving everything she knew to be her life. The Bling Ring and The Virgin Suicides also feature strong female leads. The Virgin Suicides is basically centered on the story of 4 guy friends being completely fascinated with five mysterious sisters and the story behind their lives. The Bling Ring also features numerous scenes with women being the focal point. This points to Coppola having a strong voice that relates to feminism and doesn't use women as just an unequal counterpart to the male lead.

Finally, Coppola's films make the characters relatable to the viewers. In Marie Antoinette, we get to really see Antoinette as a 15 year old girl and we get to go through the journey in her life with her up until her death. The way the story is laid out makes it seem as if she is more than just a rich socialite who is married to Louis XVI; it shows us that her life has many similarities to normal teenage girls, too, such as her love of shopping, and the way she interacts with her puppy. The main characters in The Bling Ring are also relatable to its viewers, because we all wish to be rich and live extravagant lives, yet the only difference is that we don't go and rob celebrities' houses. Coppola also includes scenes where there are long silences that help make the movie seem more realistic, since in real life there isn't a soundtrack constantly playing in the background. These silences also let the viewers know that the characters do actually have inner thoughts and some substance to them.

Auteurship

Dead Man, Mystery Train, & Down by Law, directed by Jim Jarmusch

• All of these movies were based in the past
• They all sort of deal with trouble
• It's an intense story line
• Characters act tough or are put into tough situations
• The settings are generally dark and are in rougher parts of town
• The surroundings are pretty broken down and seem mostly abandoned
• We are watching their story develop and what's happening in their lives basically at the same time they are

Adaptation

The Goose Father

Order of Things to happen:

• Views of newspaper talking about goose-fathers, Gilho’s daily life, eating junk food because wife/kids were in America, but he was better off with money and planning his life/fortunes. Scene of him hugging dirty baseball mit. Next would be putting out ad for tenant, to help with his lonely feeling.
• Show meeting Wuseong and introduce goose at doorstep.
• Show balcony scene of confrontation between Gilho and goose. Gilho was checking on plants.
• Show scene with pancake and then develop into montage where they start more separate but get a lot friendlier and close with one another.
• Show night going out to drink and do stuff, close moment, show Gilho slapping Wuseong, Wuseong disappears for a day or so. Show empty apartment, then show him getting visas, calling in sick, etc.
• Passage of time, show him drinking with other guys, show him bringing other dude home.
• Show them coming back and Wuseong comes back and he’s sitting on the balcony with the goose.
• Drunk guy tries grabbing goose feathers, gets bit, Gilho has another confrontation with the goose, eventually lets goose go after Wuseong talks to him.
• Gilho wakes up, new moon, sees Wuseong standing on balcony with goose-corpse-mom scene.
• Show visual representation of Gilho coming to terms with loving Wuseong with goose wings enveloping the both of them in a hug for end. To show the end of Gilho’s internal struggle with feelings.
  
  

Visual Important things:

• Bright colors for when Wuseong and Gilho are around each other
• Desaturated for when they aren’t around each other
• Normal Actors (Not an Animated Feature)
• Importance of Goose-mom scene, heavy visuals on this scene to imply importance of it.
• Lots of focus shifting for scenes
• Sharp cuts for most scenes; Fuzzy/soft cuts for passages of time.
  
  

Visuals (Locations and Theme):

• Korean based still like original story
• More focused on the romance; less on weird goose corpse mom?
• Show even amounts of the backstory between Gilho and Wuseong since we’re learning about both of them.
• Definitely keep goose.
• Modern time (2016-17); It still keeps economic issues and also common theme of families staying apart and people staying, etc.

The Thin Man

Costume Designer

Clyde Wynant

He is a tall, thin man of about 55 years old with thinning white hair. He works in a workshop as a very successful inventor. When working, he should be dressed in overalls, possibly in a denim or khaki, with some casual work stains on it, like oil or paint, to give it a more worked-in look. When outside of his workshop, he should wear a nice, well-tailored business suit, covered by a nice long, dark trench coat, which would work in order to elongate his body for him to appear as thin as possible.

Tom

Works with Wynant and is about 35 years old. He is also dressed in similar overalls as Wynant, but his aren’t as distressed and worked in. When out of his overalls, he dresses in a simple street suit, nothing to over-the-top.

Dorothy Wynant

She is Clyde Wynant’s daughter. A young girl of about 21 years old, who is spirited and high-tempered like her father. She has a great natural beauty and distinction, which should be represented through her clothing. When meeting with her father, she should be dressed in a smart, simple street dress that is reflective of her personality, along with a simple fur coat over it. This style will be consistent throughout the movie.

Andrew Reade

He is a good-looking young boy fresh from college, who is also engaged to Dorothy. He should dress in a similar style as Dorothy, smart and simple, yet something that gives an impression of reliability and common sense. This could be shown through nicely pressed blue jeans, a simple white t-shirt, and a brown or denim jacket over it, which all would be complemented with freshly cleaned and tied sneakers.

Herbert Macaulay

He is Wynant’s lawyer, so he should dress professionally, perhaps in a nice business suit and a trench coat, casual enough to be out of the office, but professional enough to be in the courtroom.

Tanner

Wynant’s bookkeeper, he is a little man with a quick eye and an eager manner. He should dress in business-casual, which would include a nice, ironed, button up collared shirt with black slacks, along with polished, black shoes. When leaving the office, in order to show is personality, a nice hat and simple coat should do the trick.

Julia Wolf

As Wynant’s secretary and mistress, she is about 30 years old who lives in a fashionable penthouse apartment in a very new and modernistic style. She should dress very elaborately, even including her lounging pajamas. Her hair is too well waved, her nails are too red, and her eyebrows are too delicately arched. Yet, she should still look like a hard businesswoman underneath it all.

Joe Morelli

Considering the time period and being characterized as a tough looking gangster, he will be wearing a black, tight-fitted shirt, with loose, baggy jeans, that sag when he stands. A chain leading from his belt loop and his pocket help tie the look together. He will also be adorned with multiple tattoos, as well as a black hat and boots. When outside in the cold, he should top his outfit with a tough, leather jacket, with chains and a bandana in the pocket.

Nick Charles

He is a retired detective who worked on a case for Wynant. He is calm, cool, and collected, and his attire should reflect that. He is also pretty indifferent to everything besides when he is going to get his next drink. He should wear casual clothing, which include nice slacks, a simple shirt, and a casual jacket.

Nora Charles

She is Nick’s wife and a quirky, eclectic, and free-spirited woman. She is about 26 years old and is a tremendously vital person, who is interested in everything and everybody. Her style should be free and flowing, which a mix and match of patterns. Yet, she should still look very attractive and feminine. She also loves to wear hats when out and about.

Mimi Jorgensen

She is Wynant’s ex-wife and Dorothy and Gilbert’s mother. She is a slightly faded but still pretty woman, who is about 46 years old. She is utterly feminine, with bright, little ways of talking and moving. Her outfits should be feminine to reflect her personality, perhaps with tight-fitting dresses.

Gilbert Wynant

He is Dorothy’s younger brother and Mimi and Clyde’s son. He is a boy of about 17 or 18 years old with glasses and a slight build. He is a very intellectual boy, and is attire should reflect that. He should wear casual clothing, such as polo shirts and blue jeans.

John Guild
He is a burly Special Investigator in charge of the investigation. His outfits should represent is strong and forceful personality. This would be characterized by a black suit with black, polished shoes.