Blog assignment 6

Storyboard

In this scene, from The Godfather, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, the action takes place at a market on the street, where the camera follows the action of Don Corleone getting shot.  It does not strictly follow the 180 Degree Rule, as the camera is on the side facing the gunmen at some shots, while in others it is facing Fredo, who is opposite the gunmen.  It also uses overhead shots that show the whole scene, which is not following the rule, as the camera moves more that 180 degrees around the action.  The scene does not follow the rule of thirds either, as the camera often puts the gunmen, or Don Corleone himself, right in the middle of the frame.  He is seen running from them, and he is right in the middle of the frame, and also in the overhead shot of the shooting, the gunmen who doing the shooting, therefore the principle part of the action, are right in the middle of the frame.  The 30 Rule is followed for the most part in the scene, except for when it cuts to the overhead shot, as this is obviously more than a 30 degree change.  In most of the scene however it is followed and their are no choppy jump cuts, despite the 180 degree Rule being broken at times.
    I think the director chose to break these rules so that all of the action could be seen in this scene.  He wanted the audience to see how the shooting took place, as well as the reactions of Don Corleone and his son Fredo, and breaking the 180 Degree Rule and the Rule of Thirds made this easier to present.  The scene still looks smoothly shot and there are jump cuts that ruin the fluidity of the scene, so breaking these rules slightly does not stop it from being a great scene.

imovie practice video

Blog assignment 5

Song Description: "Mr. Tambourine Man" by Bob Dylan and The Byrds

Bob Dylan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8d-XUknADY

The Byrds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06rGW0AQGiY

Bob Dylan Version 

Phase 1: Rhythm

Tempo: Moderate tempo

Source: The rhythm is driven by the acoustic guitar, as well as by the vocals a little bit.

Groove: It is an easy flowing, relaxed groove that stays steady the entire song, also folky.

Phase 2: Arrangement

Instrumentation: The song is made up mostly of the acoustic guitar, with some lead electric guitar complimenting it.  The vocals are also a prominent part of the arrangement, as they are put in the front of the arrangement.  A harmonica is also included in certain sections, and although it does not drive the song, it compliments and breaks up the verses.  

Structure/Organization: The song is structured in a fairly standard format, with verses and a chorus going on throughout, with a harmonica solo making a break in them.  It is also structured so that the acoustic guitar plays throughout, with the electric lead playing during the verses and choruses, while dying down a bit for the harmonica into the background.  The song is focuses on Dylan's lyrics, so they are a main part of the structure.  

Emotional Architecture: The song has a fairly steady emotional architecture throughout, although it does build up at the end of each verse for the chorus, and then goes back down for the next verse.  This emotional feeling is prominent throughout the song, although it is not drastic.  

Phase 3: Sound Quality

Height: This song does not use height too strongly, although the electric guitar that plays the complimenting lead lines is higher in pitch than Dylan's voice and the acoustic guitar, as is the harmonica, and this does add some height to the song that keeps it from being at the same level, as the acoustic guitar and the vocals are.  

Width: The song uses width very well.  It has the vocals in both sides, but only puts the electric guitar on one side, giving the song significant width, by spreading out the instruments in the speaker, which works very well.

Depth: The song has significant depth as well.  Similar to how the the electric guitar is used for width, it is also put slightly lower in the mix, so that is not a driving force in the song, but merely compliments the acoustic and the vocals, and adds some depth with another instrument using a higher pitch.  

Byrds Version

Phase 1: Rhythm

Tempo: The tempo is moderately fast.

Source: The rhythm is coming from the drums mostly, with the bass and electric guitars also supplying some rhythmic elements as well.  

Groove: The groove of this song can be described as laid back, as it is not too driving, and also as slightly psychedelic, as the guitars have a very 1960s sound, when that term was often used to describe the feel of rock songs.   

Phase 2: Arrangement

Instrumentation: The guitar is the instrument that is most prominent in the song, as it has a very different sounding tone that most guitars, and plays lead lines several times during that song that are catchy.  The drums are however, while not as memorable a part, what drive the song more, along with the bass.  The vocals are mixed in fairly deep, so they are not as much a driving force. 

Structure/Organization: The song is organized very simply, with the intro, verses and choruses and then an outro.  The guitar is organized to be a part of all this, and the drums come in after the intro, and then stop for the similar outro.  The guitars follow a similar pattern for the whole song, with a ringing, jangling tone, playing the same parts during the whole song.  

Emotional Architecture: The song builds up from the start, then at the end of each verse it builds up again for the chorus, following a very common emotional architecture that is seen in many songs.  This is seen in the drums, vocals and guitars in this song, as they all build for the end of each verse, and into the chorus.  

Phase 3: Sound Quality

Height: The song is on the high end in terms of height, as the vocals and guitars are fairly high pitched.  The drums and bass give the song more balance though, as they are lower.  

Width: The song has lots of width, with the guitars only on one side, while the bass is in the other, and the vocals and rums spread out, giving the song lots of width.  

Depth:  The song also has a lot of depth, with guitars very high in the mix, along with the vocals, and the bass much lower, and the drums are high enough to drive the song, creating a very deep sound with the instruments and vocals mixed together to create the sound.  

   These two songs, the original by Bob Dylan, and the Byrd's cover of his song, are different in their approach to the piece.  Bob Dylan, who is known for his lyrics, uses a simpler arrangement, with the acoustic guitar driving the rhythm, and a less prominent, more mixed in electric guitar.  This puts more focus on the words he is singing, as there are no drums or bass, or loud guitar parts to distract, just a brief harmonica solo.  The song has a simple, folksy feel to it, with the sound quality also being more simple, although it does have some width, especially with the electric guitar in the background.  Dylan's voice is very unique, and his helps make the vocals the part of the song that grabs you, along with the visual imagery, and simple melody he is singing.  

     The Byrds version is much more layered and complex in the arrangement, with drums and bass now added in, and a more prominent, unique sounding electric guitar.  This puts less emphasis on the lyrics, which is made even more apparent as they edit out several verses, so as to make the song short enough to be a hit single.  This does not take away though from the overall song quality however, as the arrangement is very well constructed, and the lead guitar in this song gives it a whole new feel, one that is very grooving and laid back.  The vocals are slightly more mixed in, and as it is not Dylan's instantly recognizable voice singing, they do not stick out as much in this version.  

     I am a big fan of both versions of this song, as I think it is a classic song, but I like Bob Dylan's original version slightly more.  I feel that the simple feel is slightly better for this song, with the acoustic guitar, and I also like the larger emphasis on the lyrics, as they are very well written.  Also, it was the version I first heard, and although I do like Byrds' cover of it, the original will always be my favorite.  

Stykx animation