Luke Johnson

Using the medium of your choice, translate E.B. White's 'The Door' using the elements of Narrative Structure.

A reoccurring theme throughout this semester has been the importance of research. Working with Christiane we began this project by identifying an aesthetic that we found compelling for the dark and ominous overtones of the door. Christiane did an excellent job of finding examples of stop-motion animation that transcend the light-heated feel usually associated with this medium. After story boarding our project, we set out to create our version of the door.

Unfortunately, neither of us had much experience with the stop-motion process. Checking out lights from the equipment room, we set out with our interpretation of 'The Door' in hand.

Although both Christiane and I had never made a stop-motion piece, we found the challenge both exciting and daunting in its application. Despite our best efforts to storyboard the project, we found ourselves improvising because of the fragility of the materials. Moreover, we received some excellent critique in adding more text to this piece as well as adhering to White's more lyrical use of prose in our imagery. Given a second change to tackle this piece, I would have made more of an effort to connect my images. Secondly, I would have played up the affordance of our lights to make the shadows more pronounced.

Call me John or Captain.

Every statement is an argument.

What do you need to know to actually know something.

Out of the roots came the branches.

You need to have structure in order to communicate

You've got lo learn to live with death.

You must not, cannot, count on me to spell anything. . . ever.

Detail sets the ground for communication.

What would you do if I told you the back of your house was on fire.

Cropping always brings things forward.

The idea of someone being completely objective is almost humanely impossible.

"The beast with two backs." - Othello

"I am the captain of my ship, my soul." -Hennley

We are all translated into a greater work (at death).

Time heals all things- I am not sure about that.

The devil is in the details.

An organic and well made plot are based on an integration of parts.

Be willing to trust your own serendipity.

Black imagery goes for extremes.

If you deal with human values, then people will disagree.

We all have to make our peace with the business world.

How much liberty can you take with your piece? Unlimited.

Believability: That the moral issue.

Whore House Walllpaper

Good Struggle

What goes into a space gives it its humanity.

You don't ever have to take notes without a good memory

Check your sources, even your mother.

There is no substitute for thorough research.

There is a constant concern about preaching to the choir. By all means, preach to the choir.

Nice girls don't tell stories.

Logic is an artificial construct.

Everything is an illusion of dramatic proportion.

"Once the needle goes in it never comes out." LG

Putting on your face is an interesting metaphor.

She has enough hair spray in that thing to float a fucking ship.

If we didn't have words, we wouldn't have order.

If you are bald, don't stand by a mailbox if Diane Arbus is around.

I left the baby in the oven and I've got to watch the phone.

There is a need to pay closer attention.

The Bald Soprano.

Othello

The Killers

Maus

The Dark Knight Returns

Death Comes to the Old Lady

Orson's Shadow

The Chairs by Eugene Inesko

Waiting for Gadot by Samuel Beckett

4 months, 3 days and 8 hours

I'm Not There

No Country for Old Men

Nan King

Taxi to the Dark Side

The Seagull

The devil is in the details.

Franz Kafka's Metemorphisis

The Day I swapped my dad for two goldfish

Before the Rain

Exotica

Ivan's Childhood.

Open City

Roselina.

The Year My Parents Went on Vacation

Witness

WGone Baby Gone

Joan of Arc

Murder My Sweet

Addicted to War

Palestine

Dark Circle

Winter Soldier

Diane Arbus

Nan Golden

Tina Barney

The Wind Will Carry Us

Taste of Cherry

Using the aesthetic of the graphic novel, recreate a scene from Earnest Hemmingway's 'The Killer.'

Again, my partner in crime for this project was Christiane. Although the medium was the graphic novel, this was in many ways an exercise in seeing. There was much debate between the two of us regarding our personal vision of the piece. After both parties compromised, we went about finding the appropriate imagery to convey our sensibility (which included taking photographs of me "knocked out" on the floor.)

I now have a new respect for the time and effort necessary in making a graphic novel. What was an unexpected outcome, however, was how much of my visual understanding has been shaped and formed through our culture. Television, movies and photos have all shaped what I expect to see. While these conventions are in most cases necessary, it was interesting to find myself falling into the usual traps of imagery.