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.