1984

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George Orwell’s 1984. It’s the book you have to read in order to understand all of our cultural references to it!
Some Quotes:
Big brother is watching you.

Thoughtcrime does not entail death: thoughtcrime is death.

War is Peace

Freedom is Slavery

Ignorance is Strength

The commercial that launched the first Apple computer was stylized after the theme of everyone being the same, following the “party” line like brain dead zombies. Folks in 1984 are all dressed the same, expected to think the same and be aware that Big Brother is always watching from the ever present TV. The government tells you what to do and what to think. Control is ever present.

The Great Gatsby

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The classic book by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a must read for all patrons of literature. It was written in the roaring twenties during prohibition.

The novel opens early in the summer of 1922 in West Egg, Long Island, where Nick has rented a house next to the mansion of Jay Gatsby, the mysterious host of regular parties

It is a tangled web of romance, intrigue, infidelity and murder written by a master writer.

You can read the eBook here.

The Paris Wife

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paris-wifeThe Paris Wife by Paula McLain

A deeply evocative story of ambition and betrayal, The Paris Wife captures a remarkable period of time—Paris in the twenties—and an extraordinary love affair between two unforgettable people: Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley.

In Chicago in 1920, Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness—until she meets Ernest Hemingway and finds herself captivated by his good looks, intensity, and passionate desire to write. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group of expatriates that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.

But the hard-drinking and fast-living café life does not celebrate traditional notions of family and monogamy. As Hadley struggles with jealousy and self-doubt and Ernest wrestles with his burgeoning writing career, they must confront a deception that could prove the undoing of one of the great romances in literary history. (URL)

Music Video Assignment 2012

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Music Video Requirements:

Duration: 3 – 5 minutes including credits

Use one other  software program from this list:  Photoshop, Motion, After Effects

Any lip synching must be accurate

Production Logo: an original image reflective of the personality of your production group (not taken off the internet)

Song: lyrics must be pre-approved. No swearing or inappropriate sexual references or anything that is culturally/racially insensitive or violent allowed.

Credits must include all actors, the song used, camera man, editors. They must be easy to read.

Maximum 4 group members. You may hire as many actors as you want, from this class or your friends. If you need someone during class time from another class, please get that teacher’s permission (I can write a note to that teacher). You can also borrow the camera over-night and on the week-end.

You must use a tri-pod. Shaky camera work will result in lost marks.

Make sure your footage is not blurry, blown out by too much light or hard to see for lack of light.

Remember all films made for Westdale are free of violence, weapons of any kind (guns, knives etc), sexually explicit images, culturally/racially insensitive material, drug use, alcohol, humiliation or mocking behaviour.