Creating Significant Learning Experiences by John Carter

Creating Significant Learning Experiences

By:John Carter

Creating Significant Learning Experiences

John Carter Mrs. Karen Redding English 1102 02 May 2012

Table of Contents

Analytical Cover Letter…………………...………………………………….…...……1 Quality Comparison……………………………………………………………....……3-10 Least Successful Paper (The original final draft submitted to me) ……...……3 Most Successful Paper (The original final draft submitted to me)………...….6 “What’s the Difference?” Paragraphs…………………………………………9 Revision Samples………………………………………………………...……………11-26 Least Successful Paper (with mark-up) ……………………………….…...…11 Least Successful Paper (new final version) …………..…………………...…14 Most Successful Paper (with mark-up) ……………………………...….……17 Most Successful Paper (new final version) …………..……………...….……20 Free Choice Essay (with mark-up) ……...…………………………..…..……23 Free Choice Essay (new final version) …….………………………….…...…25

May 1, 2012 Karen Redding, M.A. Assistant Professor, English/ Reading Interim Writing Tutor, Spring 2012 Gainesville State College, Oconee Office 547, Library 1201 Bishop Farms Parkway Watkinsville, GA 30677 Dear Mrs. Redding, My name is John Carter and I am a freshman at Gainesville State College. This year has been a long but fulfilling year in my pursuit to be an academically smarter and efficient person. Since English and literature are the more difficult subjects for me, I had to make sure that I took away many useful things that I learned from the class to get me back on the right track. Before I got to college, I was very worried about my abilities as a writer. Since I did worry about my abilities as a writer I did not like to share my ideas about writings. Through class discussions and help from you, I now feel more comfortable with sharing my ideas and getting help when it is needed. I think that class discussions are overlooked by many teachers for some reason. I think it is important to discuss with peers because we can learn many things by building off of others ideas. It also tells us as students where we stand in comparison with our peers. This class was sure to always incorporate class discussion into the curriculum. The eLearning site also played a big role in peer discussions because of the fact that we all could see what our other classmates thought about different topics and we could use those ideas to build on. The most important thing to me that I took from the class was some good tips and techniques that I acquired for building a powerful thesis. My first essay I submitted lacked a powerful thesis. My first ever thesis for the class was,” Scary things that seem real are way scarier than things that the reader or viewer deems fake” (Carter, Fake 1). For this assignment we were required to read a collection of articles and pick two of them that we liked and find a connection between the two. I think the reason for my trouble making a solid thesis statement was because of two factors. One was that I came into the class not feeling confident with my writing abilities and the other factor was that I had a hard time finding a good connection between the two articles. Throughout all the practice I got in the class, I began to be able to formulate a catchy thesis statement in a timely manner. Before this class, it could potentially take me hours to formulate a decent thesis. Now I can formulate thesis like,” In No Country for Old Men, Joel and Ethan Coen use shot focus in order to demonstrate how Chigurh uses his isolation characteristics to his advantage to finish what he started (Carter, Chigurh 1)” in a timely manner and that is engaging. This class also taught me things about myself as a person. Many times with school work, I have a bad attitude because I have trouble with the assignment and look at it with a negative attitude. The fact that you were a great teacher changed the way I viewed the class. I came to find out that with a good and positive attitude comes success. My grades did not necessarily correlate with this idea, but it is not about the grades, it is about what I take away from each

assignment to use in the future to better my academic success. Thank you for an enjoyable learning experience and for making me more confident in the areas of English and Literature. Sincerely,

John Carter

Least Successful Essay “Fake Things are Not Scary!” Asma, T. Steven. Monsters and the Moral Imagination. Web. 18 January 2012. Rudin, Seymour. The Urban Gothic: From Transylvania to the South Bronx. Kent State University Press. 1974 , p115 - 124 Scary things that seem real are way scarier than things that the reader or viewer deems fake. Authors use this aspect to play tricks on the reader’s mind. Stephen Asma makes this point in his article, Monsters and the Moral Imagination. When a scary situation seems real it tends to instill a certain emotion in the reader or viewer. This certain emotion is total fear that the situation could happen to their own self. Amsa retells a story in his article about a man that entered a coffee shop and randomly started going after people with a knife (Asma 2-3). The point of the story is to get the reader to begin thinking about what they would have done if there were in the same situation. This is easy for the reader to use their imagination and play out the situation in their own mind because the event is very real. The fact that the story is real makes the story scarier. A story about a masked man going after a family in the middle of the night over a series of nights tends to be scarier that a two headed monster that rules the planet of Plantathon. The reason for this is because when the events seem real, it is easier for the reader to put himself in the same situation. It is human nature for the reader or viewer to imagine and put themselves in the same situation and ask themselves, “what would I have done?” Whenever someone goes and sees a movie, there is always that one person that says, “Oh, she should have picked up that pair of scissors on the table.”

We use our imagination and put ourselves in certain situations so that we may learn more about our morals and ourselves. Authors use real settings and things that seem like they could happen because they know the viewer will imagine themselves in the same situation. This aspect plays tricks on the mind. Sometimes the reader or viewer actually feels like they are part of the situation and they feel like they are there. Seymore Rudin uses this same aspect when he tells some of his stories. In The Urban Gothic: From Transylvania to the South Bronx, he uses a mostly real setting to play with the readers mind. He uses the setting of some dim lit, trashed, scary backstreets that have abandoned buildings all around in New York City (Rudin 115-117). This makes it easy for the reader to visually imagine the setting. Its not a very complicated setting and it is somewhat real setting. This plays the Rudinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advantage. He wants to instill fear in the reader. The reader picked up the story because he or she wanted to get scared. This sounds weird but that is what some people want to do. It is the same reason that people go to see scary movies. Things also see scarier when the monster takes on a human persona. The man in the coffee shop is a scary situation, not only because he was wielding a knife, but the fact that he is a monster in a human form. Besides the fact he really was a human, he is a monster of some sort. In Rudinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stories, the monsters also take on human-like personas. The story is about some children that take on a human form during the day, but turn into flesh eating monsters at nighttime (Rudin 115-116). It is hard for the victims to see the identify the predator as a monster before they get attacked because they monster is in human form before they act as monsters. The fact that is could happen so quick is what is scary. One minute, something could seem perfectly normal, and before the victim knows it, the predator has turned into a monster giving them no time to prepare themselves or react to the situation.

A good example of using realistic characteristic to enhance a scary subject is the movie Paranormal Activity. The producer has made the movie seem as real as possible by using a very realistic structure. The movie consists of entirely “real” footage of paranormal activity that haunts a certain family. The fact that it looks like real footage plays with the viewers mind. People that love scary movies have fallen in love with this movie because it looks very real. The fact that it looks so real plays with the viewers mind. Someone that might not believe in paranormal activity will later question themselves about “what if” because the movie looks very realistic. This movie has become a huge hit and the producers have added more movies to the series to keep people buying their movie. They used the simple aspect of reality to insure their success in the movie industry. The aspect of reality is a very important aspect that any skilled author or producer will use to make their works successful. Their popularity most likely directly correlates with whether or not they take advantage of this aspect. Things that seem real to the viewer make the viewer think that maybe the same situation could happen to their own self. The viewer loves this aspect and will keep them coming back for more and more.

Most Successful Essay Chigurhâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Devoted Plan Seen Through Shot Focus No Country For Old Men. Dir. Joel and Ethan Coen. Perf. Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones. Paramount Vamtage, 2007. Over the past few years, producers have been turning to shot focus to give a deeper meaning to a scene as opposed to making it look more pleasurable. Having a good film shot represents an uninterrupted segment of time. Shot focus can define a character identity more than his actions. In No Country for Old Men, Joel and Ethan Coen use shot focus in order to demonstrate how Chigurh uses his isolation characteristics to his advantage to finish what he started. In the film, many cleaver tactics engage the audience throughout this thrilling yet suspenseful cinema. One scene that demonstrates the meaning of shot focus is during the deserted gas station scene in a dry, lonesome setting where Chigurh is conversing with the gas station cashier. Joel and Ethan Coen use deep focus to emphasis what exactly is going on in the background behind the cashier. Having this shot focus gives deeper meaning to not only the scene, but also the characteristics of the cashier. From the viewerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s understanding, the clerk has an innocent charismatic persona. While focusing on the conversation that is happening between Chigurh and the cashier, the producers made sure that the background was eye catching. For example, the smiley face stickers to the right side of the cashier made his innocence play a bigger part to the scene. Joel and Ethan make sure that they had the right focus to show the smiley faces in high definition. The producers also used this focus to emphasis the dirt road grater in the background to show that the characters are beyond civilization and paved roads. The Coen brothers use this image to emphasize the setting, which is empty, solitary, and dangerous, just like Chigurh.

When the camera focus is on Chigurh, the background is more of a shallow focus in which the viewers can only see the generic gas station products. This happens to be a very significant strategy that the producers use to show that Chigurh is an isolated and determined character and will do the unimaginable and unthinkable things that are necessary to get the job done when given the perfect opportunity. Another scene that uses shot focus strategically is the pharmacy scene. The scene displays deep focus from Chigurhâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s point of view to put the viewers in Chirgurhâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perspective so that they can infer to the way he is thinking and the things he might attempt in. The scene starts where Chigurh is sitting in the car alone, observing his surroundings. When he notices no one is around or paying attention to him, he begins to put his plan into action. The producers quickly switch to a shot of the corner of the car using shallow focus to infer that Chigurh is walking closer and closer to the camera. While walking the viewers can infer that he is about to attempt his plan within the vicinity of the corner of the car. This aspect also adds the element of suspension. The producers quickly return to Chigurhâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s point of view to show that Chigurh is making one final check to insure that nobody is watching before following through with his plan. The brothers use first person point of view in a few parts to show that Chigurh is paying close attention to his surroundings. His whole plan centers on making his distraction to the townspeople in order to steal medical supplies without anyone noticing. He exceeds with his plans because he is always hidden from people. The focus shows the characteristics of Chigurh and how he likes to act alone. Another great example where the producers use shot focus to give more meaning to a scene is during the phone conversation between Chigurh and Llewelyn. The conversation is solely between the two men who are both alone and highly attentive to the information that is

being exchanged. The producers again use shallow focus to show that the entire conversation is only between two individuals. The camera displays deep focus on Chigurh to show that he is alone in his hotel room on the phone. The producers then switch to Llewelyn and use shallow focus the entire time to show that no one is close enough to hear what is being said on the phone. The viewer can see people in the distance from Llewelynâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s scene, but they happen to be too blurry to make out any of their facial features. The shallow focus is a key, used to symbolize the important details which are seen directly. The producers return to a shot of Chigurh and use this same aspect. The conversation is more important to the plot of the movie than what is physically going on in the scene. The shallow focus is used to remind the audience that Chigurh is all alone in the room by making props and decorations in the background blurry. This makes it so that the background is not eye catching and the viewer will pay attention to the words being said and not the image on the screen. Using shot focus is a science because the audience does not realize the changes that are going on throughout the movie making the film more powerful. The Coen brothers created a masterpiece and reminded viewers that one does not need special effects to create an unforgettable and deeper meaning to a specific scene. The producers ability to focus on Chigurh through shot focus enables the audience to see his detached and disconnected characteristics, therefore creating a more compelling story line and cinema.

What’s the Difference? For my most successful essay, I chose “Chigurh’s Devoted Plan Seen Through Shot Focus”. This essay was written by April Freeman and me and it is about how the producers used shot focus to get a point across to the audience. I chose this essay to be the most successful because it shows the point in my learning experience where I finally started to get the hang of putting together an effective thesis statement. It was the first time that I did not have to spend hours on just getting started with an essay. I also felt really comfortable writing about the topic because the topic was one that I had a pretty good knowledge about and enjoyed analyzing a good movie. I believe that my success with this paper is because of my good attitude towards the assignment. Another reason this paper was very successful is because I am a more independent person and would rather work on a paper alone. The fact that me and April worked efficiently together brought us both success throughout the assignment. My least successful essay was “Fake Things are Not Scary!” This was an essay on why authors and producers make their stories seem real to instill fear in the reader or viewer. We were required to read a couple of scary articles and find a similarity between two of them. The assignment did not start off well considering I really did not like the stories and I felt that they were sort of hard to comprehend. I do better when I see things instead of reading them and trying to visualize what is going on. Though I felt comfortable writing about the topic, I had a hard time coming up with evidence to support my topic. I also had a hard time just writing enough about the topic. I think the fact that it was the first essay that we did in class made it a little more unsuccessful. At the time, I was still having a difficult time coming up with an attractive thesis statement to catch an audience.

Looking back on the essays, my grades corresponded with how I felt about the assignments. The essay that I felt was more successful scored considerably higher than the one I felt was less successful. This makes me come to believe that with a positive attitude comes success. The main reasons for the success or the lack thereof were mostly in part of composing the thesis and feeling comfortable with the topic that I was writing about. I am glad that I figured out that I can do better on things when I have a better attitude toward the task.

Least Successful Essay “Fake Things are Not Scary!”

No quotations

Asma, T. Steven. Monsters and the Moral Imagination. Web. 18 January 2012. Rudin, Seymour. The Urban Gothic: From Transylvania to the South Bronx. Kent State University Press. 1974 , p115 - 124 Scary things that seem real are way scarier than things that the reader or viewer deems

More specific Reword.

fake. Authors use this aspect to play tricks on the reader’s mind. Stephen Asma makes this point

Add a space WC

in his article, Monsters and the Moral Imagination. When a scary situation seems real it tends to instill a certain emotion in the reader or viewer. This certain emotion is total fear that the situation could happen to their own self. Amsa retells a story in his article about a man that entered a coffee shop and randomly started going after people with a knife (Asma 2-3). The point of the story is to get the reader to

Too informal

begin thinking about what they would have done if there were in the same situation. This is easy for the reader to use their imagination and play out the situation in their own mind because the event is very real. The fact that the story is real makes the story scarier. A story about a masked man going after a family in the middle of the night over a series of nights tends to be scarier that a two headed monster that rules the planet of Plantathon. The reason for this is because when the

Use a different scenerio

events seem real, it is easier for the reader to put himself in the same situation. It is human nature for the reader or viewer to imagine and put themselves in the same situation and ask themselves, “what would I have done?” Whenever someone goes and sees a movie, there is always that one person that says, “Oh, she should have picked up that pair of scissors on the table.”

Also a little repetitive Why is he a monster. Give a reason

omit

Least Successful Essay Fake Things are Not Scary! Asma, T. Steven. Monsters and the Moral Imagination. Web. 18 January 2012. Rudin, Seymour. The Urban Gothic: From Transylvania to the South Bronx. Kent State University Press. 1974 , p115 - 124 Scary situations that seem real are considerably scarier than things that the reader or viewer deems fake. Authors use this tactic to play tricks on the reader’s mind. Stephen Asma makes this point in his article, Monsters and the Moral Imagination. When a scary situation seems real it tends to instill a certain emotion in the reader or viewer. This certain emotion is total fear that the situation could happen to their own self. Amsa retells a story in his article about a man that entered a coffee shop and randomly started attacking people with a knife (Asma 2-3). The point of the story is to get the reader to begin thinking about what they would have done if there were in the same situation. This is easy for the reader to use their imagination and play out the situation in their own mind because the event is very real. The fact that the story is real makes the story scarier. A story about a masked man going after a family in the middle of the night over a series of nights tends to be scarier than a mythological creature. The reason for this is because when the events seem real, it is easier for the reader to put himself in the same situation. It is human nature for the reader or viewer to imagine and put themselves in the same situation and ask themselves, “what would I have done?” Whenever someone goes and sees a movie, there is always that one person that says, “Oh, she should have picked up that pair of scissors on the table.” We use our imagination and put ourselves in certain situations so that we may learn more about our morals and ourselves. Authors use real settings and things that seem like they could

happen because they know the viewer will imagine themselves in the same situation. This aspect plays tricks on the mind. Sometimes the reader or viewer actually feels like they are part of the situation and they feel like they are there. Seymore Rudin uses this same aspect when he tells some of his stories. In The Urban Gothic: From Transylvania to the South Bronx, he uses a mostly real setting to play with the readers mind. He uses the setting of some dim lit, trashed, scary backstreets that have abandoned buildings all around in New York City (Rudin 115-117). This makes it easy for the reader to visually imagine the setting. Its not a very complicated setting and it is somewhat real setting. This plays the Rudinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advantage. He wants to instill fear in the reader. The reader picked up the story because he or she wanted to get scared. This sounds weird but that is what some people want to do. It is the same reason that people go to see scary movies. Things also see scarier when the monster takes on a human persona. The man in the coffee shop is a scary situation, not only because he was wielding a knife, but the fact that he is a monster in a human form because of his murderous acts. Besides the fact he really was a human, he is a monster of some sort. In Rudinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stories, the monsters also take on human-like personas. The story is about some children that take on a human form during the day, but turn into flesh eating monsters at nighttime (Rudin 115-116). It is hard for the victims to see the identify the predator as a monster before they get attacked because they monster is in human form before they act as monsters. The fact that is could happen so quick is what is scary. One minute, something could seem perfectly normal, and before the victim knows it, the predator has turned into a monster giving them no time to prepare themselves or react to the situation. A good example of using realistic characteristic to enhance a scary subject is the movie Paranormal Activity. The producer has made the movie seem as real as possible by using a very

realistic structure. The movie consists of entirely “real” footage of paranormal activity that haunts a certain family. The fact that it looks like real footage plays with the viewers mind. People that love scary movies have fallen in love with this movie because it looks very real. The fact that it looks so real plays with the viewers mind. Someone that might not believe in paranormal activity will later question themselves about “what if” because the movie looks very realistic. They used the simple aspect of reality to insure their success in the movie industry. The aspect of reality is a very important aspect that any skilled author or producer will use to make their works successful. Their popularity most likely directly correlates with whether or not they take advantage of this aspect. Things that seem real to the viewer make the viewer think that maybe the same situation could happen to their own self. The viewer loves this aspect and will keep them coming back for more and more.

Most Successful Essay Chigurh’s Devoted Plan Seen Through Shot Focus

Comment [GSC1]: Word choice

No Country For Old Men. Dir. Joel and Ethan Coen. Perf. Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones. Paramount Vamtage, 2007. Over the past few years, producers have been turning to shot focus to give a deeper meaning to a scene as opposed to making it look more pleasurable. Having a good film shot

Comment [GSC2]: omit

represents an uninterrupted segment of time. Shot focus can define a character identity more than

Comment [GSC3]: ? omit

his actions. In No Country for Old Men, Joel and Ethan Coen use shot focus in order to demonstrate how Chigurh uses his isolation characteristics to his advantage to finish what he

Comment [GSC4]: omit

started. In the film, many cleaver tactics engage the audience throughout this thrilling yet

Comment [GSC5]: reword Comment [GSC6]: don’t talk about audience

suspenseful cinema. One scene that demonstrates the meaning of shot focus is during the deserted gas station

Comment [GSC7]: word choice. effect

scene in a dry, lonesome setting where Chigurh is conversing with the gas station cashier. Joel and Ethan Coen use deep focus to emphasis what exactly is going on in the background behind

Comment [GSC8]: change the what

the cashier. Having this shot focus gives deeper meaning to not only the scene, but also the

Comment [GSC9]: what do I mean

characteristics of the cashier. From the viewer’s understanding, the clerk has an innocent charismatic persona. While focusing on the conversation that is happening between Chigurh and

Comment [GSC10]: word choice

the cashier, the producers made sure that the background was eye catching. For example, the

Comment [GSC11]: why was it eye catching

smiley face stickers to the right side of the cashier made his innocence play a bigger part to the scene. Joel and Ethan make sure that they had the right focus to show the smiley faces in high

Comment [GSC12]: why

definition. The producers also used this focus to emphasis the dirt road grater in the background

Comment [GSC13]: repetitive. omit Comment [GSC14]: change to directors

to show that the characters are beyond civilization and paved roads. The Coen brothers use this image to emphasize the setting, which is empty, solitary, and dangerous, just like Chigurh.

When the camera focus is on Chigurh, the background is more of a shallow focus in which the viewers can only see the generic gas station products. This happens to be a very significant

Comment [GSC15]: PR 30 Comment [GSC16]: PR 36

strategy that the producers use to show that Chigurh is an isolated and determined character and will do the unimaginable and unthinkable things that are necessary to get the job done when given the perfect opportunity.

Comment [GSC17]: Add isolated

Another scene that uses shot focus strategically is the pharmacy scene. The scene displays deep focus from Chigurh’s point of view to put the viewers in Chirgurh’s perspective so

Comment [GSC18]: Stop talking about viewers

that they can infer to the way he is thinking and the things he might attempt in. The scene starts

Comment [GSC19]: ??

where Chigurh is sitting in the car alone, observing his surroundings. When he notices no one is around or paying attention to him, he begins to put his plan into action. The producers quickly switch to a shot of the corner of the car using shallow focus to infer that Chigurh is walking closer and closer to the camera. While walking the viewers can infer that he is about to attempt

Comment [GSC20]: Once again. viewers

his plan within the vicinity of the corner of the car. This aspect also adds the element of

Comment [GSC21]: Why is this important

suspension. The producers quickly return to Chigurh’s point of view to show that Chigurh is making one final check to insure that nobody is watching before following through with his plan.

Comment [GSC22]: Why is this important

The brothers use first person point of view in a few parts to show that Chigurh is paying close attention to his surroundings. His whole plan centers on making his distraction to the townspeople in order to steal medical supplies without anyone noticing. He exceeds with his

Comment [GSC23]: Word choice

plans because he is always hidden from people. The focus shows the characteristics of Chigurh and how he likes to act alone. Another great example where the producers use shot focus to give more meaning to a scene is during the phone conversation between Chigurh and Llewelyn. The conversation is solely between the two men who are both alone and highly attentive to the information that is

Comment [GSC24]: Terrible transition. Change it

being exchanged. The producers again use shallow focus to show that the entire conversation is only between two individuals. The camera displays deep focus on Chigurh to show that he is

Comment [GSC25]: Why is this important

alone in his hotel room on the phone. The producers then switch to Llewelyn and use shallow focus the entire time to show that no one is close enough to hear what is being said on the phone. The viewer can see people in the distance from Llewelynâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s scene, but they happen to be too blurry to make out any of their facial features. The shallow focus is a key, used to symbolize the important details which are seen directly. The producers return to a shot of Chigurh and use this same aspect. The conversation is more important to the plot of the movie than what is physically going on in the scene. The shallow focus is used to remind the audience that Chigurh is all alone in the room by making props and decorations in the background blurry. This makes it so that the background is not eye catching and the viewer will pay attention to the words being said and not

Comment [GSC26]: Viewers viewers viewers

the image on the screen. Using shot focus is a science because the audience does not realize the changes that are going on throughout the movie making the film more powerful. The Coen brothers created a masterpiece and reminded viewers that one does not need special effects to create an

Comment [GSC27]: No need for flattery

unforgettable and deeper meaning to a specific scene. The producers ability to focus on Chigurh through shot focus enables the audience to see his detached and disconnected characteristics, therefore creating a more compelling story line and cinema.

Comment [GSC28]: Talk about the character

Most Successful Essay Chigurhâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mischievous Plan Seen Through Shot Focus No Country For Old Men. Dir. Joel and Ethan Coen. Perf. Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones. Paramount Vamtage, 2007. Over the past few years, directors have been turning to shot focus to give a deeper meaning to a scene. Shot focus can define a character identity more than his actions. In No Country for Old Men, Joel and Ethan Coen use shot focus in order to demonstrate how Chigurh uses his isolation to his advantage to finish his mischievous plans. In the film, many cleaver tactics give hidden meaning throughout this thrilling yet suspenseful cinema. One scene that demonstrates the effect of shot focus is during the deserted gas station scene in a dry, lonesome setting where Chigurh is conversing with the gas station cashier. Joel and Ethan Coen use deep focus to emphasize characteristics of the background behind the cashier. Having this shot focus gives meaning through a visual medium to not only the scene, but also the characteristics of the cashier. From the viewerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s understanding, the clerk has an innocent persona. While focusing on the conversation that is happening between Chigurh and the cashier, the directors made sure that the objects in the background were eye catching. For example, the smiley face stickers to the right side of the cashier made his innocence play a bigger part to the scene to show that he was the exact opposite of Chigurh. The directors also used this focus to emphasis the dirt road grater in the background to show that the characters are beyond civilization and paved roads. The Coen brothers use this image to emphasize the setting, which is empty, solitary, and dangerous, just like Chigurh. When the camera focus is on Chigurh, the background is more of a shallow focus in which the viewers can only see the generic gas station products. This technique happens to be a significant strategy that the producers use to show that

Chigurh is an isolated and determined character and will do the unimaginable and unthinkable things that are necessary to get the job done when given the perfect isolateed opportunity. Another scene that uses shot focus strategically is the pharmacy scene. The scene displays deep focus from Chigurhâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s point of view to show Chirgurhâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perspective to hint that he is paying close attention to his surroundings. The scene starts where Chigurh is sitting in the car alone, observing his surroundings. When he notices no one is around or paying attention to him, he begins to put his plan into action. The directors quickly switch to a shot of the corner of the car using shallow focus to infer that Chigurh is walking closer and closer to the camera. The suspension grows as Chigurh gets closer and closer to the corner of the car. The directors quickly return to Chigurhâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s point of view to show that Chigurh is making one final check to insure that nobody is watching before following through with his plan to insure that the act is committed in solidarity. The brothers use first person point of view in a few parts to show that Chigurh is paying close attention to his surroundings. His whole plan centers on making his distraction to the townspeople in order to steal medical supplies without anyone noticing. He is successful with his plans because he is always hidden from people. The focus shows the characteristics of Chigurh and how he likes to act alone. The directors continued to use shot focus to give more meaning to the scene where there is a phone conversation between Chigurh and Llewelyn. The conversation is solely between the two men who are both alone and highly attentive to the information that is being exchanged. The directors again use shallow focus to show that the entire conversation is only between two individuals to emphasize that they are isolated. The camera displays deep focus on Chigurh to show that he is alone in his hotel room on the phone. The directors then switch to Llewelyn and use shallow focus the entire time to show that no one is close enough to hear what is being said

on the phone. The viewer can see people in the distance from Llewelynâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s scene, but they happen to be too blurry to make out any of their facial features. The shallow focus is a key, used to symbolize the important details which are seen directly. The directors return to a shot of Chigurh and use this same aspect. The conversation is more important to the plot of the movie than what is physically going on in the scene. The shallow focus is used to remind the audience that Chigurh is all alone in the room by making props and decorations in the background blurry. This makes it so that the background is not eye catching and gives deeper meaning to what is being said and not being seen Using shot focus is a science because the audience does not realize the changes that are going on throughout the movie making the film more powerful. The Coen brothers created thrilling movie and reminded viewers that one does not need special effects to create an unforgettable and deeper meaning to a specific scene. The directorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to focus on Chigurh through shot focus enables the audience to see his detached and disconnected characteristics, therefore creating a more compelling character.

Carter 1 John Carter ARSX 1100 Mr. Kemling 27 February 2012 Self-portraiture The self-portraiture project was a time consuming and very meaningful experience for me. It made me think more into depth and think about whom I am not and who I would like to be. I learned

Comment [JC1]: Punctuation. Should be “timeconsuming Comment [JC2]: Reword. “, but” Comment [JC3]: Reword. “in”

more about photography throughout the project with the help of my girlfriend and YouTube videos.

Comment [JC4]: Reword “who”

I had to learn how to use an application for the iPad to make my photos look more professional. This

Comment [JC5]: Reword. “to add different details to the images to show different portrayals of me.”

aspect of the project was the most time consuming due to trial and error and trying to get my images

Comment [JC6]: Punctuation. “timeconsuming”

just right. Throughout the project, I had to use many different materials that I had around me. Everything from make-up and tights to candles and a bible helped my get the right scenery for my self-portraits. In the portrait of something that I am not, I had to squeeze into my girlfriends black tights and black V-neck shirt. She then proceeded to put eyeliner around my eyes to give me the look of a kid that is in depression and the background is plain which symbolizes how he feels empty

Comment [JC7]: Punctuation. “plain, which”

and alone. The picture is completely black and white and the only color that is visible is the red

Comment [JC8]: Reword. Too long of a sentence. “ She then proceeded to put eyeliner around my eyes to give me the look of a kid that is in depression. I then made the background plain to symbolize how he might feel empty and alone.”

blood. This symbolizes the pain that someone that might be doing this would be feeling. This was definitely the hardest picture that I had to take considering that I felt very violated squeezing into girl

Comment [JC9]: Omit

clothes and wearing make-up. After the picture was over, I had to get into the shower and get the

Comment [JC10]: Punctuation. “black-andwhite” Comment [JC11]: Reword. “but there is”

eyeliner off around my eyes. It was very painful and it took me three tries in the shower considering

Comment [JC12]: Omit Comment [JC13]: Reword. Add “from around”

it was waterproof and not the easiest to remove. I chose this image because it is the exact opposite of who I am and I am doing something that I could never imagine myself or anyone else doing. The easiest picture that I had to compose was the self-portrait of me as I am. The first thing that came to mind was what I enjoy the most. Hunting is my passion so I made it a big part of the

Comment [JC14]: Reword. “because” Comment [JC15]: Omit. Start a new sentence. Comment [JC16]: Reword. “anyone doing something of this sort.

Carter 2 picture. The face paint symbolizes that sometimes I can be serious but I can take it overboard and be

Comment [JC17]: Punctuation “,but”

funny with it even though most people would be completely serious in the same situation. One element that sticks out is the big smile. I am almost happy all of the time. The third picture that I took was the idealized version of me. This was for the most part easy because I took a picture of the person that I would want to be and have been striving to be. I used a prop from a past project to show that the idea has been with me in the past and is still with me today. The final self-portrait that I took was the portrait where I was given and artistic license. This was by far the most enjoyable part of the project. I wanted to make a sort of funny image of myself.

Comment [JC18]: Should be “an” Comment [JC19]: Omit

I thought about what I have learned in class and thought it would be funny to imagine myself as an ancient roman statue. I first started by finding an image of Augustus of Primaporta. This was an

Comment [JC20]: Should be italicized

image that we have studied in class. I then took a picture of myself looking in the same direction as the statue and tried to put on the same facial expression. It then took me about an hour and a half to Photoshop my face onto the statue and get the right skin tone to match the stone. It was also a very funny experience and it gave my quite a laugh looking at the final product. This project was one of the most meaningful to me because not only did it teach me more about art and who I am, but I also learned how to use Photoshop and really enjoyed it and plan on using it a whole lot more. I learned more about whom I am and who I inspire to be while having fun.

Comment [JC21]: Reword. “more in the future” Comment [JC22]: Too long. Reword into two sentences. Comment [JC23]: Reword. “who”

Carter 1 John Carter ARSX 1100 Mr. Kemling 27 February 2012 Self-portraiture The self-portraiture project was a time-consuming, but meaningful experience for me. It made me think more in depth and think about who I am not and who I would like to be. I learned more about photography throughout the project with the help of my girlfriend and YouTube videos. I had to learn how to use an application for the iPad to add different details to the images to show

different portrayals of me. This aspect of the project was the most time-consuming due to trial and error and trying to get my images just right. Throughout the project, I had to use many different materials that I had around me. Everything from make-up and tights to candles and a bible helped my get the right scenery for my self-portraits. In the portrait of something that I am not, I had to squeeze into my girlfriends black tights and black V-neck shirt. She then proceeded to put eyeliner around my eyes to give me the

look of a kid that is in depression. I then made the background plain to symbolize how he might feel empty and alone. The picture is black-and-white but there is red blood. This symbolizes the pain that someone that might be doing this would be feeling. This was definitely the hardest picture that I had to take considering that I felt violated squeezing into girl clothes and wearing make-up. After the picture was over, I had to get into the shower and get the eyeliner off from around my eyes. It was very painful and it took me three tries in the shower because it was waterproof and not the easiest to remove. I chose this image because it is the exact opposite of who I am. I am doing something that I could never imagine anyone doing something of that sort.

Carter 2 The easiest picture that I had to compose was the self-portrait of me as I am. The first thing that came to mind was what I enjoy the most. Hunting is my passion so I made it a big part of the picture. The face paint symbolizes that sometimes I can be serious, but I can take it overboard and be funny with it even though most people would be completely serious in the same situation. One element that sticks out is the big smile. I am almost happy all of the time. The third picture that I took was the idealized version of me. This was for the most part easy because I took a picture of the person that I would want to be and have been striving to be. I used a prop from a past project to show that the idea has been with me in the past and is still with me today. The final self-portrait that I took was the portrait where I was given an artistic license. This was by far the most enjoyable part of the project. I wanted to make a funny image of myself. I thought about what I have learned in class and thought it would be funny to imagine myself as an ancient roman statue. I first started by finding an image of Augustus of Primaporta. This was an image that we have studied in class. I then took a picture of myself looking in the same direction as the statue and tried to put on the same facial expression. It then took me about an hour and a half to Photoshop my face onto the statue and get the right skin tone to match the stone. It was also a very funny experience and it gave my quite a laugh looking at the final product. This project was one of the most meaningful to me. Not only did it teach me more about art and who I am, but I also learned how to use Photoshop. I really enjoyed the program and plan on using it a more in the future. I learned more about who I am and who I inspire to be while having fun.