Blog 10

http://changethis.com/

        The article “Freak Factor” by David Rendall is all about how to deal with your strengths and weakness, and how they ultimately go together. In the article, Rendall describes nine different ways to deal with the strengths and weakness you have. Each idea is different, but they are all based around the same principle; we are all freaks, and that is totally ok.

I am going to take a look at three of the points that Rendall talks about in his article. The first point I am going to look at is point 5 “Foundation: Build on Your Strengths”. This point is about the fact that you have to continue to work on your strengths, even though they are the things that you are best at. I think that this is a good suggestion because havin stronger strengths will counteract and balance out your weaknesses, as well as give you a better idea of what you are really good at. By having great strengths, your weakness won’t be such a big deal, and they won’t have as much of an impact on your life as they would if your strengths weren’t really that good. I think that I could implement this into my own life by realizing what I am really good at, and focusing on that. I have realized that I’m not really good at animation, or graphic design, but I am really  good at management, and the business side of media. I can use this idea by focusing more on that aspect, then trying to be great at something I am terrible at.

The second point that I am going to look at is point 3 “Flawless: There’s Nothing Wrong With You”. This point looks at the idea that everyone is perfect just the way they are and that having weakness can actually be valuable to your life. Everyone is unique and different, and everyone has positive and negative things about themselves. Your strengths and weakness go together, and actually help you become a better person. I think that this is a really good suggestion. People often spend so much time consumed with whatever the think is wrong with them, and trying to change that. In that process, the lose part of who they are and what makes them so special and unique. It is important to understand that things that you think are wrong with you could ultimately end up being the things that help you the most. I think that I can use this in my creative life by looking at my weakness and strengths, and figuring out how I can make them work together.

The third point that I am going to look at is point 7 “Fit: Find The Right Spot”. This point is all about choosing a situation that fits your strengths, instead of trying to adapt to a situation that you don’t fit into. Rendall uses the example of Rudolph, who was made fun of because of his red nose, then made a hero when the time came. I think that this is a good suggestion because being a situation that doesn’t fit your strengths won’t work for anyone involved. If you are miserable and not good at your job, it won’t be a happy situation for anyone. Everyone’s strengths are different, and it is important that you find the place where your strengths work the best. I can use this in my creative life by making sure I find a job or internships that fit what my strengths, instead of trying to adapt to situations that I am not very good at. 

         Through this class I have found what some of my strengths and weakness are. My strengths are that I am pretty good at looking at the business and management side of things. I have also realized that I am pretty good at coming with creative ideas, as well focusing on the details like set design, production, and camera shots. I have found that my weakness deal with the more editing and digital side of things. I’m not very good at animating things, editing things, or drawing. Because of these strengths and weaknesses, I have decided to focus on media management over anything else.

Blog 9B

http://www.4shared.com/audio/rtyW6BH1/collapsus.html

www.Collapsus.com 

Blog 9A

For the game design project, my group decided to come up with an educational children’s game involving balloons. The premise of the game is that kids have to answer questions in order to receive balloons, and they go to next level after they receive a certain amount of balloons. When thinking about the presentation,  i came up with some points that didn’t exactly come across in class. The first point that I feel like didn’t come across was that each level would be different, kind of like different worlds. This fact would make each level fun for the kids because they could explore how the world were different , and they might end up having a favorite. Another thing that didn’t really come across was that there would be a wide array of questions, all at different levels so an array of kids could play the game and be challenged. One weak point of our game presentation was that we didn’t really have any pictures or visuals so people would have a better idea of what the game would actually look like. A strong point of presentations was that we had a lot of details for the rules of the game, and all of the different mechanics that would go into the game. I think that the hardest concept to talk about with other people is the mechanics of the game. Mechanics are the ways of play in a game. It is hard to talk about this without actually having a game to show people. Not having video and pictures of what they game will actually look like makes it harder to describe how you will have to go about when playing the game. While there are some things that we could have improved about our presentation, I really liked the idea that my group came up with, and I think that it would make a really cool game.

Blog 8A

The superhero I chose: Comet Queen

www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/178/superpowers 

Blog 8B

 

My Hero

    

My Partner's Villain

Critques:

Nick Moore:

In the villain created by Nick Moore, as well as the hero created by his partner, the major difference between the two pictures is the Color. The hero is done with green and orange, including a couple of different hues of green. The brighter colors make the hero look nice, kind, and good. The villain is a stark difference in color from the hero. The villain is basically all black, with only a whitish-gray face. The fact that the villain is all black makes it look mysterious, creepy, and evil, which is exactly how a villain should look. The major differences between the colors in the characters helps to show the differences in the actual people. You can clearly tell who is good, and who is bad just by looking at them, and that is a big part of what color can do in an animation. When it comes to Contrast and Affinity, the hero and villain are very different in how the approach this concept. The hero uses affinity with the all green outfit, while the villain uses contrast with the dark outfit and white face. The affinity in the hero makes it look good, simple, and kind. The contrast in the villain makes the face stick out, and makes it just creepy, strange, and evil looking. For the topic of Active and Didactic, both the hero and villain use the didactic approach. Neither of the pictures tell you exactly who is the hero, and who is the villain. You have to come to your own conclusion by looking at the colors, backgrounds, stance, and body shapes of both characters.

Michael Garret:

For Michael Garret’s hero and villain, the main difference between the two of them is color. The hero really only has two colors, red and white, with a little bit of yellow. This absence of color, and brightness of the character help to make it appear good. The red gloves, masks, boots, and emblem gives the hero the appearance of strength. The red is the first thing that your eyes look at, and so you focus on his fist and feet, which are probably what he uses to fight off crime, which is why the little blocks of red work for the hero. For the villain, it is basically cloaked in black, from the hood to his feet. The black cloak makes it appear evil, mysterious, and scary, which is exactly how a villain should come off. The hero uses contrast and affinity, by having affinity in the main part of his costume by having it be all white. The affinity comes from the little blocks of red that show up on the mask, boots, and hands. This use of contrast and affinity help bring the idea of the hero to life. The villain uses the concept of tension and release to help show his villain personality. The tension comes the villain’s stance which is very wide. strong, powerful, and serious. The release comes from the weapon he is holding, which has little lines coming off of it to show movement, and the fact that it is lighting up, and releasing some kind of light or magic.

Brandon Reid:

The topic that I am going to look at for Brandon’s hero and villain is the topic of lighting. In the picture of the villain, there is a large amount of shadows, and not a lot of lighting on him. These shadows help to give the villain a dark edge that makes it appear spooky, and evil. The hero is the exact opposite of the villain. The hero basically has a glow around him. The yellowish and bright glow that is around the entire hero shows the goodness, and strength about him. The lighting of the hero helps to give the sense that he is all about good, helping, and fighting crime. On the topic of contrast and affinity, the villain uses affinity of color to appear mysterious, scary, and erie. The use of the same gray-blackish on the majority of the villain gives him a sense of strength, as well as an appearance of evilness. The hero uses contrast of colors to show strength, power, and ability. The contrast of the red cape, blue pants, and yellow belt give him a bright look, which helps translate into goodness, clearly making him a hero. Another topic that I am going to look at is the idea of active and didactic. The hero uses and active process by having the A on his belt, gun, and lightning bolt show that he is setting out to fight crime. However, the villain doesn’t really have anything to show that he is a villain so it is up to you to come to that conclusion by looking at other aspects of him.

Blog 7

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHzzKhY2604

The link to my Joke video. Joke #9

             The two videos that I have decided to compare our mine, Group 3, and Michael Garrett’s groups video (Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzmpOX5_scQ&feature=player_embedded#at=164 ). One topic that I am going to look at is the idea of lines. In both videos, we had very similar lines, and that is mainly do to the framing, and the how we shot our movies. Both of us use hallways, windows, sidewalks, and other basic structures to help frame our main characters, and draw the viewer straight to them. Sometimes, we used actual lines, like in the case of the halls, doorways, and windows. Sometimes it was visual lines, like the mom looking at her son, or the boy looking down at the clock. There was a larger amount of more linear lines in each video, and many of them helped to draw the viewers eye to the main character, and whatever else important that was going on.

      Another topic I am going to look at is the movement. The movement in the two videos was very different. In my group’s video, there really wasn’t a large amount of major movement. The boy and his mom only walked from one place to another a couple of times. This gave the video a calmer feeling, and it didn’t feel like anything was overly urgent. However, in the other groups video, there was a lot of movement, mainly from the boy running across campus to get to his class on time. The movement of him running gave the video a very rushed and excited feeling to it. It made the viewer sit on the edge of their seats to see if he would make it to class on time, without falling down.

     When it came to Text/Subtext, the two videos were very different. In my groups video, the son and mother came right out with what they were thinking, and it was very clearly stated. When it came to the second video, the boy never really came out and said that he was late for class, but that idea was implied by him looking at the clock, and running as fast as he could. My group’s video was more text filled, while the other group’s was more filled with subtext.

     The second binary term I am going to look at is conscious/subconscious. In my video, it was shown clearly where the boy learned that horrible language from, and why he was angry with his mom. The language his mother used was clearly the thing that impact the boy. For the other groups video, you were never told why he was late. You didn’t know if maybe he was up late studying, or hungover, or just lazy. It never came out and said why he overslept, why meant that what he did was more on a subconscious level.

Blog 6B

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_EhT01gu0k

That is the link to my blog 6B that I posted on Youtube.

Blog 6A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4INqx8-CB10

The link for my blog 6a that I posted on Youtube.

Blog 5B

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV_Lh5xytKM

This is the link to my video blog for 5b that I posted on Youtube. For some reason, the only way I could get it to work was by pasting the link. Anyways, this is my blog 5B.

Blog 5A

I chose that photo by Sally Mann for the blog, I then cropped it to the second photo. I was drawn to this image because I found it hauntingly beautiful. The background is kind of distorted, so you can't exactly  tell where she is. You can't see the girl's face, which is unique and different, I reframed it the way I did because I was intrigued by how the girl's hair was done, and also the way she is looking down. I think that the artist choose to frame the photo the way she did because it gives it a more haunting feeling. It also shows the light shining down on the girl, which illuminates the girl, and puts focus on her. By showing the entire background, it allows the viewer to feel the darkness that surrounds the girl, and better explains why her head is tilted down the way that it is. The photo has a large amount of visual intensity. The only thing in the foreground of the photo is the girl, the background is very distorted. This puts all of the emphasis on the girl, and gives the photo a haunting feeling. The space in the photo is very much divided by the background, and the girl. Because of the lighting in the photo, the trees in the background appear very far away from the girl creating a lot of distance and space. However, the fact that the girl’s legs aren’t shown, it cuts the distance and space in the photo. All of the lines in the photo focus the viewer’s eye directly on the girl. This is done by the fact that the beam of light coming down directly frames the girl’s body. Also, the background of the photo has very little lines to it, while the girl’s lines are very strong. That makes the girl stand out. This photo has contrast and affinity in it in a few different ways. For contrast, the background is very blurry, while the girl stands out. For affinity, both the background and the girl are a grayish color. When it comes to objective and subjective, it is objective that the girl is tiny, and near a forest, it is subjective to what she is looking at, and why her head is turned down.

Blog 4B

These are my audio critiques of 3 different songs. I critiqued the songs of Stephen Hicken, Steven Martin, and Mary Swick.

Mary Swick: http://swickaroo.blogspot.com/2011/04/4b.html
Stephen Hicken: http://media203hicken.blogspot.com/
Steven Martin: http://mdia203steven.blogspot.com/

Blog 4A

For this blog, we were instructed to read Seth Godin’s “Brainwashed” on http://changethis.com/ . Everyone should check out the article, it will make this blog make more sense. In the article, Godin talks about seven layers of reinventing yourself.  Anyways, we were also instructed to summarize two of the layers from the article, as well how those two layers connect to us and this blog we are doing, so that is what I am going to do. 

         So the first layer I am going to summarize is “Acknowledge the Lizard.” This layer is based on the idea of the lizard brain, the prehistoric brainstem that all of us contend with, and it doesn’t like being laughed at. It is about the part of the brain that fears rejection, so we shut down our art and creativity. This shutdown is called resistance, and it is what forces to keep our heads down, and simply follow instructions. In almost every aspect of our life, the resistance wins. Over time, artists have figured out that resistance is the sole barrier between them and their art. So, in order to ignore the lizard, we must acknowledge

The second layer that I looked at is “Connect.” This layer is all about social media, and the internet, and it how it connects all of us, and makes the world a smaller place. How you use social media, and the internet is ultimately up to you. If you are to focused on how many followers you have, and the little things like that, it won’t really do you much good. However, if you use it to make connections, and interact with people you normally wouldn’t, then social media can actually be incredibly helpful for you. We used to be an isolated world, but now we are connected to almost everyone, and these interactions can change everything, if we allow them to.

I think that these two layers do connect to this blog, and this class in a couple of different ways. For the obvious, the layer of “Connect” is exactly what this blog is all about. Blogger is another example of the social networking that is out there for us to use, and this blog for class allows us to interact with other people in the class that we may not normally talk to. For “Acknowledge the Lizard,” this layer connects to the blog because the blog forces us to overcome our fears of putting our art out there, and basically forces us to show it to the world. I think that these various exercises are good for us because they help expand our creativity, and make us better artists, which is really the point.

Music/Song project

Blogs I Commented On (3B)

Brie’s Soundscape

http://briezilla.blogspot.com/2011/04/soundscape-pity.html

Katie’s Soundscape

http://mdia203mack.blogspot.com/2011/04/soundscape.html

Maddie’s Soundscape

http://mcschneidy.blogspot.com/2011/04/soundscape.html

Blog 3A

        The song that I have chosen to look at is Don’t Stop Believin’. While many versions of this song have been done, I choose to compare the original by Journey, and the version done by the cast of Glee. This song has always been one of my favorites, as it is for many people. I chose to use these two versions because they are probably the two most popular versions of this song. Journey’s original version was released in 1981, and became a huge hit. In 2009, the hit TV show, Glee, covered the song in their very first episode, as well as another version later in the season. I have chosen to use the second version of the song that Glee did. Glee’s version of the song became on of the top selling singles from the show, and Journey’s version also recharted in the process. The lyrics in both versions of the song remain the same, so I have decided to take a look at the melody and musical quality.

The melody in both versions of the song are pretty similar for the most part. However, they do have some differences. The melody in the Glee version in the a little bit more upbeat, and faster than the original. Also, Glee puts more of an emphasis on parts, by having beats actually sung by cast members, when they were originally just played with instruments in the original, and weren’t made to stand out as much. The melody in the Glee version has a much pop dance feel to it, while the original is much more rock & roll.

While the melody and lyrics are quite similar in both versions, the musical qualities are very different. For a start, the Glee version has a faster rhythm than the original. The original has a much basic, easygoing rhythm, while the Glee version is very upbeat, and a little bit faster. The intensity is also very different in some parts of the song. Going into one of the verses, the Journey version is very basic, and the Glee version goes up a few notches when it comes to intensity on the very same verse. The differences in the pitch really comes from the fact that the Journey version is sung by one lead singer, with a few backup vocals. The Glee version is done by a group of 12 people, guys and girls, so that changes the pitch of the song, as well as the intensity. The Glee version has a much more complex timbre. There are many more voices, and other sounds going on in the Glee version than their are in the original. However, when it comes to the organization, the Glee version is much more chaotic with crazy background vocals, while the Journey is much more ordered. The final difference between the two songs is in the end. The Glee Cast version ends with a bang, while the Journey version just kind of fades out. 

While I am a huge fan of this song in general, I have to say that I think I actually like the Glee version better. There is something really exciting and upbeat about the Glee version that just catches your ear. It is easy to jump around and dance to, and automatically puts a smile on your face. The Journey version is a little more basic, and low intensity than the Glee version. The Glee version just has an infectious beat to it that is actually being sung in the background by the cast members, whereas that beat in the Journey version wasn’t as noticeable, so you don’t really pick up on it. I know people may think that liking the Glee version better is crazy, and don’t get me wrong, I love the Journey version as well, there is just something about the Glee version that I adore.

Soundscape

Blog Assignment #2

Link to Johathon Flaum's story at www.changethis.com

My podcast for the assignment: http://www.box.net/shared/spnju29ivh

Blog 1B

Check This Out:   http://changethis.com/   

On this website, Mitch Ditkoff’s decsrbes 14 ways to get a breakthrough idea. The 14 different ideas that are presented are follow your fascination, immerse, tolerate ambiguity, make new connections, fantasize, define the right challenge, listen to your subconscious, take a break, notice and challenge existing patterns and trends, hang out with diverse groups of people, brainstorm, look for happy accidents, use creative thinking techniques, and suspend logic. These 14 ideas lay out the steps to finding a breakthrough idea, and setting it free. Ditkoff states that people are the ultimate spark behind innovation, and people are sparked by inspired and breakthrough ideas. Ditkoff also states that there are two different schools of thoughts when it comes to the origin of an idea. One school ascribes the origin of ideas to inspired individuals who, through a series of purposeful mental processes, conjure up the new and different cerebral shamen. The second school ascribes the appearance of ideas to a transcendent force. One approach follow the idea “I think therefor I am”, while the second follows “I am, therefore I think.”  Both of these approaches are valid and effective, and lead to Ditkoff describing the 14 steps to a breakthrough idea. The three steps that I am going to look at are follow your fascination, fantasize, and hang out with diverse groups of people.

The idea of fascination is actually a pretty basic and simple concept. It simply to means, that if you find yourself enchanted by an idea, chances are that there is a good idea somewhere in that. Feeling fascination for an idea usually means that we are being called to the idea, and that it is worth our attention and time. I think that the suggestion of fascination is a very good way to lead to the start of a new breakthrough idea. I would use this in my creative life in a couple of different ways. I would think about all of the different topics, ideas, and things that I am fascinated by, and then I would simply choose that one that inspires me the most, and try to delve deeper into a breakthrough idea that is inside that fascination. The prompt at the end of this suggestion states “What new idea is fascinating you? What new possibility has captured your attention? In what ways can you honor this inspiration today?” A new idea that is fascinating to me is the popularity of children’s programs causing a huge splash in TV ratings. This idea has captured my attention because of my recent interest in shows on Nickelodeon. I have kind of become obsessed with shows like iCarly, Victorious, and Big Time Rush. I can honor this inspiration today by watching the shows, and learn more about them.

The suggestion of fantasize is usually what leads to the beginning of many breakthrough ideas. Humans have the ability to fantasize about whatever they want to. They can create and come up with unique stories and ideas in their own minds, even if they aren’t possible or real. Humans have this rare ability, and we can use it to up with brand new breakthrough ideas. Dreaming can help to lead to a small something that can ultimately lead to incredible and inspiring idea. I truly believe that this is a good suggestion, and can lead to the creation of some very good ideas. I would use this in my creative life by taking all of the ridiculous and crazy stories that go through my head, and look at them for ideas that can lead to something greater. The prompt for this suggestion states “Think of a current challenge of yours. What would a fantasy solution to this challenge look like? What clues does this fantasy solution give to you? A current challenge that I am dealing with is keeping in contact with my best friends from back home. A fantasy solution to this project would to bring us all together at one school. This fantasy solution gives me the idea to try an Skype with them more, because it is as close as I can come to be with them in person.

The final suggestion I chose to explore is to hang out with a diverse group of people. This suggestion is pretty self explanatory, but that doesn’t mean that it is easy to act out. People have a tendency to spend time with people that are similar to them. While you may get along great with people, constantly being around the same people as yourself isn’t very inspiring. However, spending time with people outside of your usual circle can help open you up to so many new experiences and ideas. That is why breaking the bonds of the familiar is the perfect way to help you find a breakthrough idea. I think that this a very good suggestion, and I would use it in my creative life by getting to know some new people that I would never normally talk to. The prompt for this suggestion is to make a list of ten people outside of your traditional “posse” who you can spend time with this month.” Those ten people would be Katie, Brianna, Emily, Tia, Beth, Mary, Angela, Robyn, Michelle, and Erica. Katie would probably be first because I am seeing her tomorrow.

One final prompt that I want to take at look at is at the end of suggestion 9 “Notice and challenge existing patterns and trends.” The prompt states “What trends in the marketplace most intrigues you? In what ways might these trends shift in the coming years - and how might your most inspired idea by in sync with this imagined shift?’ I think a trend that I am most inspired by right now is the expansion and use of social networking sites. I think that this trend could shift upward in the coming years because more types of social networking will be created, and more people will continued to get involved. My most inspired idea might be in sync with the imagined shift by thinking about what kind of social networking hasn’t been created yet, and if it will actually work.

Blog 1A

          When it comes to being a creative person, I am someone that views, and comes up with the things in my mind. I have always said that my mind is like one constant TV show that never ends. I am constantly coming up with different ideas and pictures in my head based on the things that I see and hear. When it comes to inspiration, I look to all the different things around me, from my friends and family, and the shoes and movies I watch, and the music I listen to. The world around me is the ultimate inspiration for me to be creative.

When it comes to an artist that I truly admire, that would be Mark Schwahn, the creator and executive producer of One Tree Hill. My admiration for Mark Schwahn is based on his work on One Tree Hill, one of my favorite shows, and the show that started to inspire me to get into the entertainment industry, and my desire to work on TV. Schwahn often uses tension and release on One Tree Hill during important moments. While the show is considered to be a drama, it has its fair share of funny moments. In One Tree Hill, Schwahn often uses the idea of conscious and subconscious to help further the story lines of the characters. It would be impossible to talk about One Tree Hill without talking about theme, and the idea of active and didactic.

When it comes to creating a dramatic television, having no light moments of joy and laughter, or release, can be incredibly exhausting and taxing for the audience. So in order to break up the dark and tension-filled moments on One Tree Hill, Schwahn interjects them will small jokes, and funny awkward moments to keep the audience interested. I love how Schwahn is able to take a scene or moment that is incredibly awkward, scary, strange, and filled with tension, and lighten the scene just a little bit by adding one funny line. Schwahn also has the ability to take a scene that would normally by incredibly terrible and awkward into something that is hilarious and entertaining. This is very evident in a scene between haley and her sisters. In this dinner scene, Haley and Quinn have to deal with the fact that their sister, Taylor, is now dating Quinn’s ex-husband. The are also joined at dinner by Haley’s husband, Nathan, and Quinn’s boyfriend, Clay. The idea of your sister dating your ex-husband, and then having to have dinner with them is incredibly awkward and terrible. But, with some well place lines and moments, Schwahn turns a awkward dinner scene, into one of the funniest scenes from the episode. Tension and release is a perfect to keep an audience on their toes, make them laugh, and continue the story line.

When it comes to expressing conscious and subconscious, Schwahn uses a couple of different ways. Sometimes, he has the characters come right out say to one another what they are thinking, and feeling. Whether its Lucas refusing to play basketball because of Dan, or Brooke lashing out because of her parents, some of the characters choices and the reasons for the choices are obvious and not hidden at all. Sometimes, Schwahn doesn’t come right out and say what a characters motives, and why they act the way they do, including Mouth helping Brooke, or Chris helping Haley. And sometimes, Schwahn is able to show both the conscious and subconscious at the same time, which is most evident in this scene with peyton vs. dark angel. Peyton is confronted by her subconscious when she imagines an alter ego of her self that is very blunt, and doesn’t hold anything back. Peyton’s alter ego says all of the things that Peyton is thinking right to her face, but she isn’t really there and is technically her subconscious. For me, I found this way of revealing Peyton’s true thoughts very unique and creative, and that us part of the reason why I admire Mark Schwahn. Schwahn has used this technique multiple times in the show, especially when characters are injured or actually unconscious. Schwahn will show alter versions of character viewing the world around them, and what is going on, even though they are technically not able to do so themselves, like in this scene with Clay and Quinn.

If One Tree Hill is known for anything, it is definitely the amount of themes and lessons that it shares in its episodes. In most episodes of One Tree Hill, Schwahn places a quote at the beginning or end of the episode to help foreshadow or wrap up what happens in the episode. Sometimes the quotes are easy to understand, and they explain exactly what the audience is supposed to think about what is going on, like this quote from season 3 that says “and when you find yourself lost in the darkness and despair remember it's only in the black of night you see the stars. And those stars will lead you back home. So don't be afraid to make mistakes, or stumble and fall, because most of the time the greatest rewards come from doing the things that scare you the most.” The meaning behind this quote isn’t really one that is left up to interpretation. It clearly states to do the things that scare you, and lean on the people around you in hard times. This quotes also perfectly describe what was going on characters at that time in the show. However, sometime, Schwahn uses quotes that aren’t so cut and dry. Sometime their meaning is left up to the viewers to figure out, like this quote “There comes a time when every life goes off course. In this desperate moment you must choose your direction. Will you fight to stay on the path? Will others tell you who you are? Or will you label yourself? Will you be haunted by your choice? Or will you embrace your own path? Each morning you choose to move forward or to simply give up?” In this quote, Schwahn leaves it up to the viewers to decide what they will take from it, as well as how it relates to the characters on the show. Some themes are shoved right in your face, and they are actively describe and shown to you. Others, are expressed quietly, and requires the audience to come up with their own ideas and meanings. 

I have been a fan of Mark Schwahn, and admired him for many years. His work in creating the world of One Tree Hill is truly inspiring to me, I wish to one day create a show that can inspire someone else in the same way.

Harbor Bridge in Sydney

This is a photo from my senior trip to Sydney, Australia. The photo is of the Harbor Bridge, one of the prominent land marks in Sydney.