September 27, 2012 ("Blackbird")

• The single effect is probably the Civil rights movement and that people of all races should be equal.

1. "Take these broken wings and learn to fly."- This means that black people (and people of all other races) have been disadvantaged, but that they need to use the fact that they have been broken to pick themselves back up again and keep going.
2. "Into the light of the dark black night."- This probably means that they should try to find the light (goodness) in every dark and bleak situation they find themselves in.
3. "Blackbird singing in the dead of night."- This means that they have to cry out and try to get better conditions in the black of night (all alone), since no one will help them or stand by their side.

September 25, 2012 ("Shame")

• The subject of this song is an apology for treating a girl badly in the past, and an attempt to make amends. 
• The tone of this song is remorseful. 

     One word that's connotation affects the tone is "undo". It makes you think of undoing a specific action that you wish you hadn't done. It conveys remorse because you feel bad about taking that action. Another word that's connotation affects the tone is "guilt". Guilt and remorse are pretty much universal synonyms; basically, the song writer feels guilty about the way he treated someone, and is therefore remorseful and sorry for his actions. A final word that's connotations affects the tone is "overwhelming". Apparently, the song writer was overwhelmed and led to act in a certain way, and now he is remorseful about it.

September 14, 2012 ("Sign Language")

3 Things the Author Does to Push a Single Effect

• the music is feel-good and romantic
• the shots follow each sign for a choppy delivery
• the shots are looking down at the people from the level of the signs

The single effect (how the audience feels after the film) is happy and warm/fuzzy.

One aspect of the film I would change is that I would add background noises, since they are in a busy, high-traffic area. This would change the single effect because it would create less of a feel-good atmosphere and create more of a busy one, which is less romantic, etc.

September 19, 2012 ("Love Language")

1. The purpose of this film is to get the idea that deaf people are the same as we are, except for that they can't hear. Also, I think it is to inform us about deaf youth.

2. The film is effective in achieving this purpose because it gets us emotionally involved in the story because it introduces us to the emotional relationship of the boy and the girl. It also gives us an example to follow because the boy doesn't let her deafness become a problem.

3. I am left with a good feeling, kinda warm and fuzzy. This is because of the choice in music (upbeat, happy, feel-good) and the way the information is presented to us. It's choppy and through writing on sticky notes. This elongates the amount of time between each sentence/ phrase.

September 6, 2012 ("Semeadores")

S-The subject of the painting is manual laborers working in the fields.

N-The artist thought that the worker was the best; he was very pro-labor. He was all about fairness in pay & working conditions.

A-The audience of the piece is the employers of laborers. They are probably the most accessible audience.

P-The purpose of this piece is to connect the employer to the worker and make them understand what hard work the worker has to do.

September 5, 2012 ("Good Old Desk")

S-The subject of this is a good old desk, or God, depending on if you view it with the symbolism or not.
N-The narrator probably works in an office building in a cubicle. I think it would be safe to say the desk is his.
A-The audience is people who listen to this genre of music, specifically Harry Nilsson fans.
P-The purpose of this song is to describe a relationship, maybe a symbolic one, between a man and his desk (or something else).


     It changes my impression of the song to know that Good Old Desk is an acronym for God because I thought that it was just a weird song about a man who liked his desk. Now I understand the deeper feelings he has about God and the real life connections he is able to make to relationships.

Lyrics that point to this symbolism:

1.) "it's always there"
2.) "the one thing I've got, a huge success"
3.) "keep my hopes alive"

September 4, 2012 ("The Pinch of Poverty")

S-The subject of the painting is a poor homeless family on the streets on a rainy day.
N-The narrator maybe grew up poor or has a similar experience because he seems to know exactly what these people feel like and wants to portray that.
A-He is painting to upper class people, the people who at the time were the only ones with enough money to buy paintings.
P-The purpose of this painting is to get rich people to understand how poor people feel and what they are going through. It is also to get them to help people who are impoverished instead of just passing them by and not thinking anything about it.


2 artistic techniques that help the artist achieve his vision:

1.) Contrast- parts of the painting are brighter than others showing that there is a glimmer of hope in an otherwise gloomy world.

2.) Positioning - with the family in the foreground, it brings attention to them and makes the mood a bit gloomier