It took a painstakingly long time, but I finally got it up on the Internet. You'll have to access it through here...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd9c5rSaIRI&feature=youtu.be
Just pay no attention to the list on the right side of the page.
And please, KEEP YOUR COMMENTS CLEAN!
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Close to finish
So, my blog for the class should be finished in such a way that I could direct you folks out there to view my final video, ready my full proposal, understand the process, and review my research. My video's too big to upload at the moment, so instead, I give you this:
Project Proposal
1. Building Blockopolis
2. Charles (CJ) Signorino
3. Logline: “Building Blockopolis is a short personal memoir video about the development of an edutainment series that focuses on the aspects of physics.”
4. Synopsis: The video will be a personal memoir and at least six minutes long. It is slightly similar to various documentary films, especially “The Pixar Story”, but more brief. I, CJ Signorino, will appear live-action and address the person sitting on one side of the camera, and various sketches of my hand-drawn characters, including “Jacken DeBox,” will appear in B-roll to back-up my statements of the characters. The style of the video will mostly consist of montages of my sketches, pictures of me at Disneyland, and my attempts at creating animation on a few strips for the zoetrope. There will also be an upbeat music track with no vocals to give my whimsical view of the cartoon world. Furthermore, the video will be aimed at all ages, as well as people who have yet to understand the basics of physics. I believe this work is important at this time because in today’s society, there are fewer good role models, and I think it’s high time we give people someone to follow. Throughout the history of edutainment, we’ve had grammar, mathematics, history, but no physics. Physics is all around us and can easily be incorporated to form various ideas, and if we teach students sooner, they’ll be ready for their future in the world of physics.
5. Project Treatment
The personal memoir video will tell a story of how CJ Signorino created various characters inspired by everything he experienced in his life and decided to put them in a series that teaches audiences of all ages the essentials of physics. The camera work will be focused on CJ in front of a receding background and on many sketches and drawings of characters in sketchbooks and comic strips attempts. For the music, there will be vocal-less tracks taken from Sound Track Pro’s library with an original mix. The video starts with a black background. The following text appears: CJ Signorino presents. Once the text appears, a retro percussion track starts playing. More text appears: a one-man documentary film. Treble and bass tracks join the percussion track. With letters randomly appearing one by one, the title appears: Building Blockopolis. Open to a medium shot of CJ Signorino sitting in the foreground. CJ introduces himself and states his major and minor. He proceeds to talk about what he has been planning for the past few years. CJ talks about his fascination of educational videos that both teach and entertain the viewers. He refers to School House Rock, Bill Nye the Science Guy, and the many math videos he remembers watching in elementary school. He also talks about his passion for newspaper comics, building objects out of K'NEX, and Nintendo’s video games and characters. CJ discusses the origin of his character, Jacken DeBox, starting with the folded paper boxes he made in seventh grade, which he ended up using as a Mother’s Day surprise for his mother. As CJ speaks, drawings of Jacken DeBox appear. Filled with fun, joy, and good humor, Jacken DeBox is a family-friendly jack-in-the-box and, as he calls himself, "Blockopolis's official host." As the host who often addresses the audience, he does whatever it takes to get viewers to learn physics-based lessons and ensure there's enough music and hilarity to make them all memorable. He can pull out just about anything from his box, even if it's bigger and heavier than him. CJ soon proceeds to talk about additional characters and their roles in the series. The sketches of the characters are shown during CJ’s voiceover. He refers to his interest in Homestar Runner body of work created by the Brothers Chaps, which inspired him to develop his characters with distinguishable personalities and work on his sense of humor in the first place. CJ talks about several scenarios in which he used Jacken DeBox and the world of Blockopolis to complete his homework. For example, one scenario involved an assignment for philosophy that required the student to talk about friendship, and CJ used his fictional characters, Jacken DeBox and Tipper Tawp, in order to get the job done. He also shows off his comic pages created between late 2008 and mid 2009 in an effort to build some original stories. Clips of personal mini-games made with WarioWare: D.I.Y. will play to show characters in color. CJ fantasizes how influential Jacken DeBox and friends would be if he showed them to the world. He jumps back to the subject of educational videos and points out that there are no shorts that teach the basics of physics (CJ’s minor). He says there have been books that teach people the aspects of physics, including The Cartoon Guide to Physics by Larry Gonick. CJ discusses his fascination for the Walt Disney Company and the educational properties it already owns, including Adventures in Music. He figures that if he can get in touch with the company, he might be able to launch his physics-based series. CJ imagines the merchandising that would benefit the series, including figurines, posters, and clothing. At that moment, the viewer gets a glimpse of sketches of characters in merchandising. CJ admits his plan is not yet fully developed, but he will be getting assistance from people experienced in the field of entertainment, including his cousin James Garcia. The video closes with the text “In loving memory of Brenda Signorino (1965-2012)” and the credits.
The process: I used a Vixia camera to record myself talking and "acting." I uploaded videos of me (and WarioWare: D.I.Y. microgames and animation tidbits) to Final Cut Pro, along with the drawings and pictures, and put everything together to create one of the biggest projects I've ever worked on at CSUSM. The pictures/videos that appear usually back me up on what I'm reflecting. The magic of video transitions and editing happens thanks to the tools (e.g. motion) in Final Cut Pro. Additional sound and music from Soundtrack Pro is played in synch with the film with fascinating results.
Research: Now that I look back on my research, I realized I didn't have to rely on a lot of what I talked about earlier. I merely used a few for showing and enlightening references, even "The Cartoon Guide to Physics." There's also the book with essays about Disney's edutainment films, which I thought viewers should be aware of. My style of portraying narration and visuals was heavily based on how "The Pixar Story" (greatest documentary ever) executed its flow. As for the Web sites, I can be sure I got just the right basics that were explained. All in all, I went in a direction that would seem appropriate to me and ages 3 and way up. Let's face it, there's no honor in creating irreverent material. It's not about the technology you use - it's what you do with it, and what I intended to do was take it in a family-oriented direction.
Credits:
Direction, Production, Editing, Drawings, Acting, Concept Conceived by CJ Signorino
Sound and Music by Soundtrack Pro
Format of WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase by Nintendo
The Cartoon Guide to Physics by Larry Gonick and Art Huffman
Essays on Disney's Edutainment Films edited by A. Bowdoin Van Riper
Special Thanks - My family, my friends, Kristine Diekman, and family-friendly role models everywhere
Copyright 2012
Project Proposal
1. Building Blockopolis
2. Charles (CJ) Signorino
3. Logline: “Building Blockopolis is a short personal memoir video about the development of an edutainment series that focuses on the aspects of physics.”
4. Synopsis: The video will be a personal memoir and at least six minutes long. It is slightly similar to various documentary films, especially “The Pixar Story”, but more brief. I, CJ Signorino, will appear live-action and address the person sitting on one side of the camera, and various sketches of my hand-drawn characters, including “Jacken DeBox,” will appear in B-roll to back-up my statements of the characters. The style of the video will mostly consist of montages of my sketches, pictures of me at Disneyland, and my attempts at creating animation on a few strips for the zoetrope. There will also be an upbeat music track with no vocals to give my whimsical view of the cartoon world. Furthermore, the video will be aimed at all ages, as well as people who have yet to understand the basics of physics. I believe this work is important at this time because in today’s society, there are fewer good role models, and I think it’s high time we give people someone to follow. Throughout the history of edutainment, we’ve had grammar, mathematics, history, but no physics. Physics is all around us and can easily be incorporated to form various ideas, and if we teach students sooner, they’ll be ready for their future in the world of physics.
5. Project Treatment
The personal memoir video will tell a story of how CJ Signorino created various characters inspired by everything he experienced in his life and decided to put them in a series that teaches audiences of all ages the essentials of physics. The camera work will be focused on CJ in front of a receding background and on many sketches and drawings of characters in sketchbooks and comic strips attempts. For the music, there will be vocal-less tracks taken from Sound Track Pro’s library with an original mix. The video starts with a black background. The following text appears: CJ Signorino presents. Once the text appears, a retro percussion track starts playing. More text appears: a one-man documentary film. Treble and bass tracks join the percussion track. With letters randomly appearing one by one, the title appears: Building Blockopolis. Open to a medium shot of CJ Signorino sitting in the foreground. CJ introduces himself and states his major and minor. He proceeds to talk about what he has been planning for the past few years. CJ talks about his fascination of educational videos that both teach and entertain the viewers. He refers to School House Rock, Bill Nye the Science Guy, and the many math videos he remembers watching in elementary school. He also talks about his passion for newspaper comics, building objects out of K'NEX, and Nintendo’s video games and characters. CJ discusses the origin of his character, Jacken DeBox, starting with the folded paper boxes he made in seventh grade, which he ended up using as a Mother’s Day surprise for his mother. As CJ speaks, drawings of Jacken DeBox appear. Filled with fun, joy, and good humor, Jacken DeBox is a family-friendly jack-in-the-box and, as he calls himself, "Blockopolis's official host." As the host who often addresses the audience, he does whatever it takes to get viewers to learn physics-based lessons and ensure there's enough music and hilarity to make them all memorable. He can pull out just about anything from his box, even if it's bigger and heavier than him. CJ soon proceeds to talk about additional characters and their roles in the series. The sketches of the characters are shown during CJ’s voiceover. He refers to his interest in Homestar Runner body of work created by the Brothers Chaps, which inspired him to develop his characters with distinguishable personalities and work on his sense of humor in the first place. CJ talks about several scenarios in which he used Jacken DeBox and the world of Blockopolis to complete his homework. For example, one scenario involved an assignment for philosophy that required the student to talk about friendship, and CJ used his fictional characters, Jacken DeBox and Tipper Tawp, in order to get the job done. He also shows off his comic pages created between late 2008 and mid 2009 in an effort to build some original stories. Clips of personal mini-games made with WarioWare: D.I.Y. will play to show characters in color. CJ fantasizes how influential Jacken DeBox and friends would be if he showed them to the world. He jumps back to the subject of educational videos and points out that there are no shorts that teach the basics of physics (CJ’s minor). He says there have been books that teach people the aspects of physics, including The Cartoon Guide to Physics by Larry Gonick. CJ discusses his fascination for the Walt Disney Company and the educational properties it already owns, including Adventures in Music. He figures that if he can get in touch with the company, he might be able to launch his physics-based series. CJ imagines the merchandising that would benefit the series, including figurines, posters, and clothing. At that moment, the viewer gets a glimpse of sketches of characters in merchandising. CJ admits his plan is not yet fully developed, but he will be getting assistance from people experienced in the field of entertainment, including his cousin James Garcia. The video closes with the text “In loving memory of Brenda Signorino (1965-2012)” and the credits.
The process: I used a Vixia camera to record myself talking and "acting." I uploaded videos of me (and WarioWare: D.I.Y. microgames and animation tidbits) to Final Cut Pro, along with the drawings and pictures, and put everything together to create one of the biggest projects I've ever worked on at CSUSM. The pictures/videos that appear usually back me up on what I'm reflecting. The magic of video transitions and editing happens thanks to the tools (e.g. motion) in Final Cut Pro. Additional sound and music from Soundtrack Pro is played in synch with the film with fascinating results.
Research: Now that I look back on my research, I realized I didn't have to rely on a lot of what I talked about earlier. I merely used a few for showing and enlightening references, even "The Cartoon Guide to Physics." There's also the book with essays about Disney's edutainment films, which I thought viewers should be aware of. My style of portraying narration and visuals was heavily based on how "The Pixar Story" (greatest documentary ever) executed its flow. As for the Web sites, I can be sure I got just the right basics that were explained. All in all, I went in a direction that would seem appropriate to me and ages 3 and way up. Let's face it, there's no honor in creating irreverent material. It's not about the technology you use - it's what you do with it, and what I intended to do was take it in a family-oriented direction.
Credits:
Direction, Production, Editing, Drawings, Acting, Concept Conceived by CJ Signorino
Sound and Music by Soundtrack Pro
Format of WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase by Nintendo
The Cartoon Guide to Physics by Larry Gonick and Art Huffman
Essays on Disney's Edutainment Films edited by A. Bowdoin Van Riper
Special Thanks - My family, my friends, Kristine Diekman, and family-friendly role models everywhere
Copyright 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Almost done!
Using Soundtrack Pro, I threw in some music for good measure. You'll get to listen to it once my video is fully complete. Stay tuned!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Monday, April 2, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Long strip of paper
Keep in mind that this was all drawn and colored before I gave Rags Aplenty a new name, changed Punchline's last name, and created the character of Yonda Globe, who I think would fit well in front of the first N in front of Arby if I ever decide to recreate the strip.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Greatest Photoshopped Image Ever
Believe it or not, this was inspired by my fascination of the merging of live-action and traditionally hand-drawn animation, the latter of which I've yet to fully study in the future. This one is more of real-life picture and altered drawing put together. One might say my inspirations include Paula Abdul's "Opposites Attract," which featured MC Skat Kat, who had his own two videos later on and whom I'm hoping to reintroduce sometime this year (see http://signorino2006.wordpress.com), and the many Frosted Flakes commercials.
I had my dad take a picture of me in an office of one of his employees, drew an outline of Jacken DeBox on a printed picture, scanned the picture with the outline, created objects to form Jacken relative to the outline in Illustrator, merged Jacken with the higher quality picture in Photoshop, and gave Jacken various shades and highlights. It's pretty simple if you plan it all out.
As of 3-13
If you're curious to know what else I'll be including, here are some pictures, some of which were done long ago.
Attempted comic strips for the SD UT
Attempted comic strips for the SD UT
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Old drawings
Believe it or not, I've been saving drawings I did in 2007 and somewhere around 2008. Here are some of them:
Oh, and look, a drawing of Jacken DeBox from a notebook page for one of my earlier physics classes.
Oh, and look, a drawing of Jacken DeBox from a notebook page for one of my earlier physics classes.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Looking back at my early college years
Recently, I've been watching tutorial videos for Calculus: Concepts and Context, 3rd Editions, which I always enjoyed during my days of taking math classes in college. Then it hit me: in my video, I could also talk about using hand-drawn animation to bring out my characters in solving physics problems. I'll even throw in sketches of some characters in a video similar to the one you see in the picture. I just love coming up with something original.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Picture of Useful Books
Not only did I get "The Cartoon Guide to Physics," I also got a book that just might help.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Character Images (Part 1)
You can only see them in pencil version. However, once my filming gets in progress, I'll be sure to include clips of them in color from my own microgames shown in WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Proposal
Project Proposal
1. Building Blockopolis
2. Charles (CJ) Signorino
3. Logline:
“Building Blockopolis is a short documentary video about the development of an edutainment series that focuses on the aspects of physics.”
4. Synopsis:
The video will be a documentary one and at least six minutes long. It is slightly similar to various documentary films, especially “The Pixar Story”, but more brief.
I, CJ Signorino, will appear live-action and address the person sitting on one side of the camera, and various sketches of my hand-drawn characters, including “Jacken DeBox,” will appear in B-roll to back-up my statements of the characters.
The style of the video will mostly consist of montages of my sketches, pictures of me at Disneyland, and my attempts at creating animation on a few strips for the zoetrope. There will also be an upbeat music track with no vocals to give my whimsical view of the cartoon world. Furthermore, the video will be aimed at all ages, as well as people who have yet to understand the basics of physics.
I believe this work is important at this time because in today’s society, there are fewer good role models, and I think it’s high time we give people someone to follow. Throughout the history of edutainment, we’ve had grammar, mathematics, history, but no physics. Physics is all around us and can easily be incorporated to form various ideas, and if we teach students sooner, they’ll be ready for their future in the world of physics.
5. Project Treatment
The documentary video will tell a story of how CJ Signorino created various characters inspired by everything he experienced in his life and decided to put them in a series that teaches audiences of all ages the essentials of physics. The camera work will be focused on CJ in front of a receding background and on many sketches and drawings of characters in sketchbooks and comic strips attempts. For the music, there will be vocal-less tracks taken from Sound Track Pro’s library with an original mix.
The video starts with a black background. The following text appears: CJ Signorino presents. Once the text appears, a retro percussion track starts playing. More text appears: a one-man documentary film. Treble and bass tracks join the percussion track. With letters randomly appearing one by one, the title appears: Building Blockopolis.
Open to a medium shot of CJ Signorino sitting in the foreground. CJ introduces himself and states his major and minor. He proceeds to talk about what he has been planning for the past few years. CJ talks about his fascination of educational videos that both teach and entertain the viewers. He refers to School House Rock, Bill Nye the Science Guy, and the many math videos he remembers watching in elementary school. He also talks about his passion for newspaper comics, building objects out of K'NEX, and Nintendo’s video games and characters.
CJ discusses the origin of his character, Jacken DeBox, starting with the folded paper boxes he made in seventh grade, which he ended up using as a Mother’s Day surprise for his mother. As CJ speaks, drawings of Jacken DeBox appear.
Filled with fun, joy, and good humor, Jacken DeBox is a family-friendly jack-in-the-box and, as he calls himself, "Blockopolis's official host." As the host who often addresses the audience, he does whatever it takes to get viewers to learn physics-based lessons and ensure there's enough music and hilarity to make them all memorable. He can pull out just about anything from his box, even if it's bigger and heavier than him.
CJ soon proceeds to talk about additional characters and their roles in the series. The sketches of the characters are shown during CJ’s voiceover. He refers to his interest in Homestar Runner body of work created by the Brothers Chaps, which inspired him to develop his characters with distinguishable personalities and work on his sense of humor in the first place.
CJ talks about several scenarios in which he used Jacken DeBox and the world of Blockopolis to complete his homework. For example, one scenario involved an assignment for philosophy that required the student to talk about friendship, and CJ used his fictional characters, Jacken DeBox and Tipper Tawp, in order to get the job done. He also shows off his comic pages created between late 2008 and mid 2009 in an effort to build some original stories. Clips of personal mini-games made with WarioWare: D.I.Y. will play to show characters in color.
CJ fantasizes how influential Jacken DeBox and friends would be if he showed them to the world. He jumps back to the subject of educational videos and points out that there are no shorts that teach the basics of physics (CJ’s minor). He says there have been books that teach people the aspects of physics, including The Cartoon Guide to Physics by Larry Gonick. CJ discusses his fascination for the Walt Disney Company and the educational properties it already owns, including Adventures in Music. He figures that if he can get in touch with the company, he might be able to launch his physics-based series. CJ imagines the merchandising that would benefit the series, including figurines, posters, and clothing. At that moment, the viewer gets a glimpse of sketches of characters in merchandising.
CJ admits his plan is not yet fully developed, but he will be getting assistance from people experienced in the field of entertainment, including his cousin James Garcia. The video closes with the text “In loving memory of Brenda Signorino (1965-2012)” and the credits.
5. Production Timeline
2/23/2012: Submit proposal, work on sketches
2/28/2012: Work on script
3/1/2012: Rent video camera for shooting, accumulate items for show
3/3/2012: Shoot video of CJ Signorino
3/6/2012: Insert video of CJ into Final Cut Pro
3/8/2012: Insert clips of sketches, drawings, etc. into Final Cut Pro
Between 3/9/2012 and 3/20/2012: Wrap everything up
6. Budget
I don’t know much about film budgets, but I know what I’m going to need:
Personnel: Director/Producer, Editor, Subtitles, Director of Photography, Music Composition, VO Narration, and Production Manager
Supplies: Two tripods, two Canon VIXA HF M300 Cameras, two headphones, two microphones with booms, one or two Apple iMacs, one or two Adobe CS4 Suite, one or two Final Cut Studio 3, and Hard Drives
Space: Student Editing Lab, Production Studio, and a small room for shooting
Outreach Activities: DVD duplication
1. Building Blockopolis
2. Charles (CJ) Signorino
3. Logline:
“Building Blockopolis is a short documentary video about the development of an edutainment series that focuses on the aspects of physics.”
4. Synopsis:
The video will be a documentary one and at least six minutes long. It is slightly similar to various documentary films, especially “The Pixar Story”, but more brief.
I, CJ Signorino, will appear live-action and address the person sitting on one side of the camera, and various sketches of my hand-drawn characters, including “Jacken DeBox,” will appear in B-roll to back-up my statements of the characters.
The style of the video will mostly consist of montages of my sketches, pictures of me at Disneyland, and my attempts at creating animation on a few strips for the zoetrope. There will also be an upbeat music track with no vocals to give my whimsical view of the cartoon world. Furthermore, the video will be aimed at all ages, as well as people who have yet to understand the basics of physics.
I believe this work is important at this time because in today’s society, there are fewer good role models, and I think it’s high time we give people someone to follow. Throughout the history of edutainment, we’ve had grammar, mathematics, history, but no physics. Physics is all around us and can easily be incorporated to form various ideas, and if we teach students sooner, they’ll be ready for their future in the world of physics.
5. Project Treatment
The documentary video will tell a story of how CJ Signorino created various characters inspired by everything he experienced in his life and decided to put them in a series that teaches audiences of all ages the essentials of physics. The camera work will be focused on CJ in front of a receding background and on many sketches and drawings of characters in sketchbooks and comic strips attempts. For the music, there will be vocal-less tracks taken from Sound Track Pro’s library with an original mix.
The video starts with a black background. The following text appears: CJ Signorino presents. Once the text appears, a retro percussion track starts playing. More text appears: a one-man documentary film. Treble and bass tracks join the percussion track. With letters randomly appearing one by one, the title appears: Building Blockopolis.
Open to a medium shot of CJ Signorino sitting in the foreground. CJ introduces himself and states his major and minor. He proceeds to talk about what he has been planning for the past few years. CJ talks about his fascination of educational videos that both teach and entertain the viewers. He refers to School House Rock, Bill Nye the Science Guy, and the many math videos he remembers watching in elementary school. He also talks about his passion for newspaper comics, building objects out of K'NEX, and Nintendo’s video games and characters.
CJ discusses the origin of his character, Jacken DeBox, starting with the folded paper boxes he made in seventh grade, which he ended up using as a Mother’s Day surprise for his mother. As CJ speaks, drawings of Jacken DeBox appear.
Filled with fun, joy, and good humor, Jacken DeBox is a family-friendly jack-in-the-box and, as he calls himself, "Blockopolis's official host." As the host who often addresses the audience, he does whatever it takes to get viewers to learn physics-based lessons and ensure there's enough music and hilarity to make them all memorable. He can pull out just about anything from his box, even if it's bigger and heavier than him.
CJ soon proceeds to talk about additional characters and their roles in the series. The sketches of the characters are shown during CJ’s voiceover. He refers to his interest in Homestar Runner body of work created by the Brothers Chaps, which inspired him to develop his characters with distinguishable personalities and work on his sense of humor in the first place.
CJ talks about several scenarios in which he used Jacken DeBox and the world of Blockopolis to complete his homework. For example, one scenario involved an assignment for philosophy that required the student to talk about friendship, and CJ used his fictional characters, Jacken DeBox and Tipper Tawp, in order to get the job done. He also shows off his comic pages created between late 2008 and mid 2009 in an effort to build some original stories. Clips of personal mini-games made with WarioWare: D.I.Y. will play to show characters in color.
CJ fantasizes how influential Jacken DeBox and friends would be if he showed them to the world. He jumps back to the subject of educational videos and points out that there are no shorts that teach the basics of physics (CJ’s minor). He says there have been books that teach people the aspects of physics, including The Cartoon Guide to Physics by Larry Gonick. CJ discusses his fascination for the Walt Disney Company and the educational properties it already owns, including Adventures in Music. He figures that if he can get in touch with the company, he might be able to launch his physics-based series. CJ imagines the merchandising that would benefit the series, including figurines, posters, and clothing. At that moment, the viewer gets a glimpse of sketches of characters in merchandising.
CJ admits his plan is not yet fully developed, but he will be getting assistance from people experienced in the field of entertainment, including his cousin James Garcia. The video closes with the text “In loving memory of Brenda Signorino (1965-2012)” and the credits.
5. Production Timeline
2/23/2012: Submit proposal, work on sketches
2/28/2012: Work on script
3/1/2012: Rent video camera for shooting, accumulate items for show
3/3/2012: Shoot video of CJ Signorino
3/6/2012: Insert video of CJ into Final Cut Pro
3/8/2012: Insert clips of sketches, drawings, etc. into Final Cut Pro
Between 3/9/2012 and 3/20/2012: Wrap everything up
6. Budget
I don’t know much about film budgets, but I know what I’m going to need:
Personnel: Director/Producer, Editor, Subtitles, Director of Photography, Music Composition, VO Narration, and Production Manager
Supplies: Two tripods, two Canon VIXA HF M300 Cameras, two headphones, two microphones with booms, one or two Apple iMacs, one or two Adobe CS4 Suite, one or two Final Cut Studio 3, and Hard Drives
Space: Student Editing Lab, Production Studio, and a small room for shooting
Outreach Activities: DVD duplication
Treatment
The documentary video will tell a story of how CJ Signorino created various characters inspired by everything he experienced in his life and decided to put them in a series that teaches audiences of all ages the essentials of physics. The camera work will be focused on CJ in front of a receding background and on many sketches and drawings of characters in sketchbooks and comic strips attempts. For the music, there will be vocal-less tracks taken from Sound Track Pro’s library with an original mix.
The video starts with a black background. The following text appears: CJ Signorino presents. Once the text appears, a retro percussion track starts playing. More text appears: a one-man documentary film. Treble and bass tracks join the percussion track. With letters randomly appearing one by one, the title appears: Building Blockopolis.
Open to a medium shot of CJ Signorino sitting in the foreground. CJ introduces himself and states his major and minor. He proceeds to talk about what he has been planning for the past few years. CJ talks about his fascination of educational videos that both teach and entertain the viewers. He refers to School House Rock, Bill Nye the Science Guy, and the many math videos he remembers watching in elementary school. He also talks about his passion for newspaper comics, building objects out of K'NEX, and Nintendo’s video games and characters.
CJ discusses the origin of his character, Jacken DeBox, starting with the folded paper boxes he made in seventh grade, which he ended up using as a Mother’s Day surprise for his mother. As CJ speaks, drawings of Jacken DeBox appear.
Filled with fun, joy, and good humor, Jacken DeBox is a family-friendly jack-in-the-box and, as he calls himself, "Blockopolis's official host." As the host who often addresses the audience, he does whatever it takes to get viewers to learn physics-based lessons and ensure there's enough music and hilarity to make them all memorable. He can pull out just about anything from his box, even if it's bigger and heavier than him.
CJ soon proceeds to talk about additional characters and their roles in the series. The sketches of the characters are shown during CJ’s voiceover. He refers to his interest in Homestar Runner body of work created by the Brothers Chaps, which inspired him to develop his characters with distinguishable personalities and work on his sense of humor in the first place.
CJ talks about several scenarios in which he used Jacken DeBox and the world of Blockopolis to complete his homework. For example, one scenario involved an assignment for philosophy that required the student to talk about friendship, and CJ used his fictional characters, Jacken DeBox and Tipper Tawp, in order to get the job done. He also shows off his comic pages created between late 2008 and mid 2009 in an effort to build some original stories. Clips of personal mini-games made with WarioWare: D.I.Y. will play to show characters in color.
CJ fantasizes how influential Jacken DeBox and friends would be if he showed them to the world. He jumps back to the subject of educational videos and points out that there are no shorts that teach the basics of physics (CJ’s minor). He says there have been books that teach people the aspects of physics, including The Cartoon Guide to Physics by Larry Gonick. CJ discusses his fascination for the Walt Disney Company and the educational properties it already owns, including Adventures in Music. He figures that if he can get in touch with the company, he might be able to launch his physics-based series. CJ imagines the merchandising that would benefit the series, including figurines, posters, and clothing. At that moment, the viewer gets a glimpse of sketches of characters in merchandising.
CJ admits his plan is not yet fully developed, but he will be getting assistance from people experienced in the field of entertainment, including his cousin James Garcia. The video closes with the text “In loving memory of Brenda Signorino (1965-2012)” and the credits.
The video starts with a black background. The following text appears: CJ Signorino presents. Once the text appears, a retro percussion track starts playing. More text appears: a one-man documentary film. Treble and bass tracks join the percussion track. With letters randomly appearing one by one, the title appears: Building Blockopolis.
Open to a medium shot of CJ Signorino sitting in the foreground. CJ introduces himself and states his major and minor. He proceeds to talk about what he has been planning for the past few years. CJ talks about his fascination of educational videos that both teach and entertain the viewers. He refers to School House Rock, Bill Nye the Science Guy, and the many math videos he remembers watching in elementary school. He also talks about his passion for newspaper comics, building objects out of K'NEX, and Nintendo’s video games and characters.
CJ discusses the origin of his character, Jacken DeBox, starting with the folded paper boxes he made in seventh grade, which he ended up using as a Mother’s Day surprise for his mother. As CJ speaks, drawings of Jacken DeBox appear.
Filled with fun, joy, and good humor, Jacken DeBox is a family-friendly jack-in-the-box and, as he calls himself, "Blockopolis's official host." As the host who often addresses the audience, he does whatever it takes to get viewers to learn physics-based lessons and ensure there's enough music and hilarity to make them all memorable. He can pull out just about anything from his box, even if it's bigger and heavier than him.
CJ soon proceeds to talk about additional characters and their roles in the series. The sketches of the characters are shown during CJ’s voiceover. He refers to his interest in Homestar Runner body of work created by the Brothers Chaps, which inspired him to develop his characters with distinguishable personalities and work on his sense of humor in the first place.
CJ talks about several scenarios in which he used Jacken DeBox and the world of Blockopolis to complete his homework. For example, one scenario involved an assignment for philosophy that required the student to talk about friendship, and CJ used his fictional characters, Jacken DeBox and Tipper Tawp, in order to get the job done. He also shows off his comic pages created between late 2008 and mid 2009 in an effort to build some original stories. Clips of personal mini-games made with WarioWare: D.I.Y. will play to show characters in color.
CJ fantasizes how influential Jacken DeBox and friends would be if he showed them to the world. He jumps back to the subject of educational videos and points out that there are no shorts that teach the basics of physics (CJ’s minor). He says there have been books that teach people the aspects of physics, including The Cartoon Guide to Physics by Larry Gonick. CJ discusses his fascination for the Walt Disney Company and the educational properties it already owns, including Adventures in Music. He figures that if he can get in touch with the company, he might be able to launch his physics-based series. CJ imagines the merchandising that would benefit the series, including figurines, posters, and clothing. At that moment, the viewer gets a glimpse of sketches of characters in merchandising.
CJ admits his plan is not yet fully developed, but he will be getting assistance from people experienced in the field of entertainment, including his cousin James Garcia. The video closes with the text “In loving memory of Brenda Signorino (1965-2012)” and the credits.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Updated resources
Books:
The Cartoon Guide to Physics by Larry Gonick
*My cousin, James Garcia, had this book when he was a kid. Considering I have a minor in physics and a passion for drawing lovable characters, I truly believe this book will assist me in portraying my characters in physics-related scenarios. Plus, it may improve my sense of humor, which is what I’ll need in order to make my series both educational and entertaining.
Physics for Scientists and Engineers: A Strategic Approach by Randall D. Knight
*I’ve been using this book since my first physics class with Prof. Edward Price in 2007, and I found it to be very handy. It’s loaded with equations, formulas, units of measure, and examples of problems with detailed solutions. I could take a character suitable for a physics problem from the book and put him or her in the picture.
The New Way Things Work by David Macaulay
*While not specifically a physics book, it explains a lot of basic concepts in mechanical engineering. It has tons of illustrations I could use, though. It might even have concepts not featured in Randall D. Knight’s book, such as digital machinery.
Web Sites:
Documentary.org (IDA resources page): http://www.documentary.org/community/IDA-resources/links
*There are tons of resources for making documentaries on this entire Web site. It mostly features a list of documentary books with useful descriptions.
Physics4kids.com: http://www.physics4kids.com/
*It comes with lots of fun facts, quizzes, and activities, plus links to other sites with similar resources. It should be enough to inspire me with new ideas for my characters in various stories.
Sciencekids.co.nz/physics.html: http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/physics.html
*This Web site comes with videos, illustrations, and a cornucopia of free content. If I ever get into animation (preferably traditional), I would have a blast setting my characters in motion and showing audiences how everything around us works.
Essay:
Documentary Film Production: My First Movie by Caleb John Clark
http://www.noendpress.com/caleb/documentary_film/index.php
*This source seems very appropriate in helping me in producing a documentary film. It shows a list of things to do in an eight-month schedule, including writing a treatment, which can be viewed on another page for reference.
The Cartoon Guide to Physics by Larry Gonick
*My cousin, James Garcia, had this book when he was a kid. Considering I have a minor in physics and a passion for drawing lovable characters, I truly believe this book will assist me in portraying my characters in physics-related scenarios. Plus, it may improve my sense of humor, which is what I’ll need in order to make my series both educational and entertaining.
Physics for Scientists and Engineers: A Strategic Approach by Randall D. Knight
*I’ve been using this book since my first physics class with Prof. Edward Price in 2007, and I found it to be very handy. It’s loaded with equations, formulas, units of measure, and examples of problems with detailed solutions. I could take a character suitable for a physics problem from the book and put him or her in the picture.
The New Way Things Work by David Macaulay
*While not specifically a physics book, it explains a lot of basic concepts in mechanical engineering. It has tons of illustrations I could use, though. It might even have concepts not featured in Randall D. Knight’s book, such as digital machinery.
Web Sites:
Documentary.org (IDA resources page): http://www.documentary.org/community/IDA-resources/links
*There are tons of resources for making documentaries on this entire Web site. It mostly features a list of documentary books with useful descriptions.
Physics4kids.com: http://www.physics4kids.com/
*It comes with lots of fun facts, quizzes, and activities, plus links to other sites with similar resources. It should be enough to inspire me with new ideas for my characters in various stories.
Sciencekids.co.nz/physics.html: http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/physics.html
*This Web site comes with videos, illustrations, and a cornucopia of free content. If I ever get into animation (preferably traditional), I would have a blast setting my characters in motion and showing audiences how everything around us works.
Essay:
Documentary Film Production: My First Movie by Caleb John Clark
http://www.noendpress.com/caleb/documentary_film/index.php
*This source seems very appropriate in helping me in producing a documentary film. It shows a list of things to do in an eight-month schedule, including writing a treatment, which can be viewed on another page for reference.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Descriptions
So, I've had this text file typed before I started class, so I thought it'd be easy for you to get a good grasp of what I imagined.
Blockopolis is a family-friendly edutainment series created by Charles "CJ" Signorino. Set in a fictional world of toys and vehicles brought to life, Blockopolis focuses on the numerous concepts applied to physics, teaching the viewers how to solve problems with their knowledge of the world around them.
Characters
Jacken DeBox (jack-in-the-box)
Tipper Tawp (top)
Wobble Overbend (fingermajig)
Clumpy Gumbottom (clay)
Rags Aplenty (rag doll)
Boomer Rang (boomerang)
Inchbean Wormbag (bean-filled toy)
Luman Shein (flashlight)
Vivian Monocam (View-Master device)
Yonda Globe (globe)
Punchline DePunch (punch bag)
Nespa Vespa (moped)
Edgar Stiffstifles (rocking horse)
Helix Coptimus (helicopter)
Great Barry Yereef (boat)
Arby Megawatt (recreational bus)
Damsel 5000 (hydroelectric machine)
Filled with fun, joy, and good humor, Jacken DeBox is a family-friendly jack-in-the-box and, as he calls himself, "Blockopolis's official host." In the 1930s, Jacken moved from New York to Blockopolis, a metropolis populated by playthings and located several miles away from the west side of the United States. As the host who often addresses the audience, he does whatever it takes to get viewers to learn physics-based lessons and ensure there's enough music and hilarity to make them all memorable. He resides in a three-and-a-half story building on Blocky Point Way with his play pals: Tipper, Wobble, and Clumpy. He can pull out just about anything from his box, even if it's bigger and heavier than him, and to get to other places far from his place, he usually relies on his ride, Nespa Vespa, a spunky, three-wheeled, Italian moped. He also plays his concertina, Squeezen, and whenever he sings, he's always pleasin'! Ha, ha, ha-ha, ha!
Tipper Tawp is Blockopolis's supreme aviator, experienced geographer, and America's favorite top of the world. He's also the top of the game in sports, top of the morning for Ireland, etcetra. He may have a metal body and a gritty voice that sounds like a spinning propeller, but with a lenient attitude and eminent latitude, Tipper is there to tell all toys and toy vehicles in Blockopolis how to get to wherever they're going. He lives in a three-and-a-half story building with his three play pals, and on the roof, he uses a helipad made for his greatest flight partner, Helix Coptimus, a good-natured helicopter with an amusing voice. Although he's always bound to get hit, he can switch between bipedal and spinning mode. Isn’t that ‘Tipper-ific?’
Tiny but nimble, Wobble Overbend is Blockopolis's cheerful, tenacious, sporty fingermajig (you know, the kind of toy that loses balance when you press the bottom of its base upward) with many ambitions. Wobble is usually seen with his closest pal, Clumpy, having fun, going camping, and visiting the gym to workout and set up camp in the locker room (one of Wobble's ambitions). He also likes to collect beads and use them to make lovely works of art. One day, if he ever gets enough beads, he'll put on the best ones and appear bigger to become a contestant for the Body-Bending Championship. But for now, he's fine being puny. And if you’re curious about the hat he’s wearing, you ought to know it makes him look taller.
The imaginative sculptor and modeler of Blockopolis, Clumpy Gumbottom, is whom many toys might refer to as "the shapeshifter of structure and snapshots who is stocked full of surprises." Most of the time, he works in the activity room modeling figures with some of his body clay and taking pictures of them. His closest friend, Wobble, often assists him by doing whatever he's told to do, except pottery - he easily gets stuck inside the jars. He also boasts two features: an artist's hat-shaped form on his head and a flat tail shaped like the head structure of a certain character created long ago. Can you guess the name of that character? Here's a little hint:: Gumbottom - ottom + y. Many of you should have already guessed it by now.
A playmate of Wobble and Clumpy, Rags Aplenty is a ragdoll who often takes things literally. In fact, when she was first called a ragdoll, she thought it was offensive, but she soon started using her dress (and her arms) to wipe the windows, the tables, anything that could use some dusting. To get herself cleaned, she had to use the laundry room, and while she was using the Bounce dryer sheet, she couldn't bounce while spinning in the dryer. But in the end, she always comes out warm and satisfied. Sorry about the long story. Fortunately, she somehow understands what her friends are saying, although she is prone to words with more than one meaning. Still, Rags can always learn from her talking gullible rocking horse, Edgar Stiffstifles.
Boomer Rang is a slim, stable adventurer who seeks thrills high and low and far and wide, but mostly far and wide. He's also the host of a show called 'Boomer Rang's Extreme Wildlife,' or BREW for short. Once an inhabitant of a hidden area in Australia, Boomer was determined to see what was on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, so he stocked up on fuel for his boat and hesitant companion, Great Barry Yereef, and traveled across the ocean. After 10 days of traveling, the boomerang and his boat were welcomed by fellow Blockopolitans as guests. In 1984, as soon as they came to their destination, Great Barry’s dock in Australia was accidentally demolished, and Boomer’s been stuck ever since, but no worries – he’s grown accustomed to the residents.
Inchbean Wormbag is a Beanie Weanie bookworm, stickler, and librarian of the Blockopolis Public Library, located just 600 in (50 ft) away from 3.5 Blocky Point Way. As his name suggests, he's an inchworm AND a beanbag in one. Although he measures one meter from nose to tail, he goes by the name 'Inchbean' because of the width of his prehensile bookmark ribbon-like appendage. He thinks 'Meterbean' sounds more like a ridiculous, pompous punk band name. With his book smarts and experience with multimedia, Inchbean is willing to lend a hand, er, ribbon to anyone looking to find, return, or renew books, cassette tapes, Laserdiscs, VHS tapes, CDs, DVDs, and many more. Be sure to handle them with great care - he can be as finicky about misused items as he is about getting his ribbon tangled.
Luman Shein, the professor of everything related to science, is an intelligent, busy, swift, yellow flashlight with an innovation sensation. He is also one of the only geniuses (besides Stella Scope and Michael Scope) Jacken DeBox and company turn to whenever they need help with their odd yet educational routines, such as creating a large, quiet propeller for Tipper's headwear. Luman can be found in the L.L.A.M.A. (Lighthouse Laboratory At Musselblock Avenue) working on his own inventions, looking out for ships, and making sure the Damsel 5000 (his 50th masterpiece made in the year 2000 and frequent giver of advice) is constantly running on waves and supplying energy for Blockopolis. “If, in schools, you're far behind, Prof. Shein will spark your mind!” –J. DeBox
If you're familiar with the View Master, you should know by now what a View Mistress is, and Vivian Monocam happens to be one. True to her occupation, she can take two-dimensional pictures and put them on special photo wheels with newly added depth. She can get the job done before you can say 'cheese.' Vivian always impresses her clients at the Blockopolis Public Library, even Inchbean, with her breakneck speed, which is no problem for her because she doesn't have a neck. And if you wanted to view the enhanced pictures on the photo wheels, you can either look through the eye holes on the back of her head or have her shine the pictures on a flat surface with her bright eye feature. Vivian doesn't talk a lot, but anyone can easily tell how she's feeling when they take a good look at the images that appear around her.
Yonda Globe is Blockopolis's trusted newswoman and has superior knowledge of the world that's beyond compare. Because of her kind-hearted personality, her friends, especially Tipper, her love interest, often call her 'Sweet Blue Yonda,' but that doesn't stop her from dealing with stressful situations. When working outside the news program, Yonda can be seen hosting her own talk show, which airs in the morning every day, even on holidays! She also likes to keep the world clean and works alongside Arby Megawatt, the wandering, eco-friendly Recreational Bus who communicates with others by honking. Now here's a globe with retractable limbs, a big heart, a big head, and a love for the earth. What more could anyone, or a top pilot for her sake, ask for?
A long time rival of Jacken DeBox, Punchline DePunch can be seen as the perpetrator of heavy comedy, or as he says in his trademark impediment, 'puh-puh-perpetrator of heavy comedy.' One might say he's an airhead, a windbag, and a formidable target (for his fists and tossed fruit, that is). Punchline may be a punching inflatable toy who gets around by hopping on his behind, but if he had legs, he would turn one of them into a 'puh-puh-peg leg' and 'puh-puh-poke everyone in the belly.' Nevertheless, his boxing-glove-shaped hands, which by the way have poking fingers, are always around when he needs them. If you ever run into him, try to be a little cynical - it should slightly deflate him (figuratively speaking) and convince him to go easy on the jokes he wishes to dish out. Above all, be puh-puh-prepared!
Topics:
Mass and Weight
Area and Volume
Speed, Velocity, and Acceleration
Gravity
Units of Measurement
Action and Reaction
Earth
Air
Heat
Water
Light
Friction
Spring Constant
Magnetization
Pressure
Density
Angles
Projectile Motion
Energy
Buoyancy
Angular Velocity
Momentum and Inertia
Sound
Music
Waves
Compasses
Reflections
Electricity
Lenses
Color Spectrum
(and so on)
With so many things around us that involve physics, the possibilities are endless! As for the characters, I have the drawings. I'll put them up in another post as soon as I can.
Blockopolis is a family-friendly edutainment series created by Charles "CJ" Signorino. Set in a fictional world of toys and vehicles brought to life, Blockopolis focuses on the numerous concepts applied to physics, teaching the viewers how to solve problems with their knowledge of the world around them.
Characters
Jacken DeBox (jack-in-the-box)
Tipper Tawp (top)
Wobble Overbend (fingermajig)
Clumpy Gumbottom (clay)
Rags Aplenty (rag doll)
Boomer Rang (boomerang)
Inchbean Wormbag (bean-filled toy)
Luman Shein (flashlight)
Vivian Monocam (View-Master device)
Yonda Globe (globe)
Punchline DePunch (punch bag)
Nespa Vespa (moped)
Edgar Stiffstifles (rocking horse)
Helix Coptimus (helicopter)
Great Barry Yereef (boat)
Arby Megawatt (recreational bus)
Damsel 5000 (hydroelectric machine)
Filled with fun, joy, and good humor, Jacken DeBox is a family-friendly jack-in-the-box and, as he calls himself, "Blockopolis's official host." In the 1930s, Jacken moved from New York to Blockopolis, a metropolis populated by playthings and located several miles away from the west side of the United States. As the host who often addresses the audience, he does whatever it takes to get viewers to learn physics-based lessons and ensure there's enough music and hilarity to make them all memorable. He resides in a three-and-a-half story building on Blocky Point Way with his play pals: Tipper, Wobble, and Clumpy. He can pull out just about anything from his box, even if it's bigger and heavier than him, and to get to other places far from his place, he usually relies on his ride, Nespa Vespa, a spunky, three-wheeled, Italian moped. He also plays his concertina, Squeezen, and whenever he sings, he's always pleasin'! Ha, ha, ha-ha, ha!
Tipper Tawp is Blockopolis's supreme aviator, experienced geographer, and America's favorite top of the world. He's also the top of the game in sports, top of the morning for Ireland, etcetra. He may have a metal body and a gritty voice that sounds like a spinning propeller, but with a lenient attitude and eminent latitude, Tipper is there to tell all toys and toy vehicles in Blockopolis how to get to wherever they're going. He lives in a three-and-a-half story building with his three play pals, and on the roof, he uses a helipad made for his greatest flight partner, Helix Coptimus, a good-natured helicopter with an amusing voice. Although he's always bound to get hit, he can switch between bipedal and spinning mode. Isn’t that ‘Tipper-ific?’
Tiny but nimble, Wobble Overbend is Blockopolis's cheerful, tenacious, sporty fingermajig (you know, the kind of toy that loses balance when you press the bottom of its base upward) with many ambitions. Wobble is usually seen with his closest pal, Clumpy, having fun, going camping, and visiting the gym to workout and set up camp in the locker room (one of Wobble's ambitions). He also likes to collect beads and use them to make lovely works of art. One day, if he ever gets enough beads, he'll put on the best ones and appear bigger to become a contestant for the Body-Bending Championship. But for now, he's fine being puny. And if you’re curious about the hat he’s wearing, you ought to know it makes him look taller.
The imaginative sculptor and modeler of Blockopolis, Clumpy Gumbottom, is whom many toys might refer to as "the shapeshifter of structure and snapshots who is stocked full of surprises." Most of the time, he works in the activity room modeling figures with some of his body clay and taking pictures of them. His closest friend, Wobble, often assists him by doing whatever he's told to do, except pottery - he easily gets stuck inside the jars. He also boasts two features: an artist's hat-shaped form on his head and a flat tail shaped like the head structure of a certain character created long ago. Can you guess the name of that character? Here's a little hint:: Gumbottom - ottom + y. Many of you should have already guessed it by now.
A playmate of Wobble and Clumpy, Rags Aplenty is a ragdoll who often takes things literally. In fact, when she was first called a ragdoll, she thought it was offensive, but she soon started using her dress (and her arms) to wipe the windows, the tables, anything that could use some dusting. To get herself cleaned, she had to use the laundry room, and while she was using the Bounce dryer sheet, she couldn't bounce while spinning in the dryer. But in the end, she always comes out warm and satisfied. Sorry about the long story. Fortunately, she somehow understands what her friends are saying, although she is prone to words with more than one meaning. Still, Rags can always learn from her talking gullible rocking horse, Edgar Stiffstifles.
Boomer Rang is a slim, stable adventurer who seeks thrills high and low and far and wide, but mostly far and wide. He's also the host of a show called 'Boomer Rang's Extreme Wildlife,' or BREW for short. Once an inhabitant of a hidden area in Australia, Boomer was determined to see what was on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, so he stocked up on fuel for his boat and hesitant companion, Great Barry Yereef, and traveled across the ocean. After 10 days of traveling, the boomerang and his boat were welcomed by fellow Blockopolitans as guests. In 1984, as soon as they came to their destination, Great Barry’s dock in Australia was accidentally demolished, and Boomer’s been stuck ever since, but no worries – he’s grown accustomed to the residents.
Inchbean Wormbag is a Beanie Weanie bookworm, stickler, and librarian of the Blockopolis Public Library, located just 600 in (50 ft) away from 3.5 Blocky Point Way. As his name suggests, he's an inchworm AND a beanbag in one. Although he measures one meter from nose to tail, he goes by the name 'Inchbean' because of the width of his prehensile bookmark ribbon-like appendage. He thinks 'Meterbean' sounds more like a ridiculous, pompous punk band name. With his book smarts and experience with multimedia, Inchbean is willing to lend a hand, er, ribbon to anyone looking to find, return, or renew books, cassette tapes, Laserdiscs, VHS tapes, CDs, DVDs, and many more. Be sure to handle them with great care - he can be as finicky about misused items as he is about getting his ribbon tangled.
Luman Shein, the professor of everything related to science, is an intelligent, busy, swift, yellow flashlight with an innovation sensation. He is also one of the only geniuses (besides Stella Scope and Michael Scope) Jacken DeBox and company turn to whenever they need help with their odd yet educational routines, such as creating a large, quiet propeller for Tipper's headwear. Luman can be found in the L.L.A.M.A. (Lighthouse Laboratory At Musselblock Avenue) working on his own inventions, looking out for ships, and making sure the Damsel 5000 (his 50th masterpiece made in the year 2000 and frequent giver of advice) is constantly running on waves and supplying energy for Blockopolis. “If, in schools, you're far behind, Prof. Shein will spark your mind!” –J. DeBox
If you're familiar with the View Master, you should know by now what a View Mistress is, and Vivian Monocam happens to be one. True to her occupation, she can take two-dimensional pictures and put them on special photo wheels with newly added depth. She can get the job done before you can say 'cheese.' Vivian always impresses her clients at the Blockopolis Public Library, even Inchbean, with her breakneck speed, which is no problem for her because she doesn't have a neck. And if you wanted to view the enhanced pictures on the photo wheels, you can either look through the eye holes on the back of her head or have her shine the pictures on a flat surface with her bright eye feature. Vivian doesn't talk a lot, but anyone can easily tell how she's feeling when they take a good look at the images that appear around her.
Yonda Globe is Blockopolis's trusted newswoman and has superior knowledge of the world that's beyond compare. Because of her kind-hearted personality, her friends, especially Tipper, her love interest, often call her 'Sweet Blue Yonda,' but that doesn't stop her from dealing with stressful situations. When working outside the news program, Yonda can be seen hosting her own talk show, which airs in the morning every day, even on holidays! She also likes to keep the world clean and works alongside Arby Megawatt, the wandering, eco-friendly Recreational Bus who communicates with others by honking. Now here's a globe with retractable limbs, a big heart, a big head, and a love for the earth. What more could anyone, or a top pilot for her sake, ask for?
A long time rival of Jacken DeBox, Punchline DePunch can be seen as the perpetrator of heavy comedy, or as he says in his trademark impediment, 'puh-puh-perpetrator of heavy comedy.' One might say he's an airhead, a windbag, and a formidable target (for his fists and tossed fruit, that is). Punchline may be a punching inflatable toy who gets around by hopping on his behind, but if he had legs, he would turn one of them into a 'puh-puh-peg leg' and 'puh-puh-poke everyone in the belly.' Nevertheless, his boxing-glove-shaped hands, which by the way have poking fingers, are always around when he needs them. If you ever run into him, try to be a little cynical - it should slightly deflate him (figuratively speaking) and convince him to go easy on the jokes he wishes to dish out. Above all, be puh-puh-prepared!
Topics:
Mass and Weight
Area and Volume
Speed, Velocity, and Acceleration
Gravity
Units of Measurement
Action and Reaction
Earth
Air
Heat
Water
Light
Friction
Spring Constant
Magnetization
Pressure
Density
Angles
Projectile Motion
Energy
Buoyancy
Angular Velocity
Momentum and Inertia
Sound
Music
Waves
Compasses
Reflections
Electricity
Lenses
Color Spectrum
(and so on)
With so many things around us that involve physics, the possibilities are endless! As for the characters, I have the drawings. I'll put them up in another post as soon as I can.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Sketchbook Samples
On Wednesday nights, I have a class called "Artist Books," where I get to scan the pages on which I show off my imagination. I figured I could use some of them to talk about my way of looking to the bright side of life. I don't think they have anything to do with physics, but I'll get to it someday.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Research Items
With help from my cousin, James Garcia, I was able to find references that might be of assistance for the development of my video.
Books
*Directing the Documentary
*Documentary Storytelling (This is the textbook he used for one of his videography classes. He says it's an excellent book.)
*Physics for Every Kid
*Isaac Newton and Physics for Kids
*The Cartoon Guide to Physics (He had this book when he was a kid. Very fun, and explains physics in a way that any kid could understand. Plus, it comes with tons of drawings.)
*The Way Things Work (While not specifically a Physics book, it explains a lot of basic concepts in mechanical engineering. This one also has tons of illustrations I could use.)
Web Sites
*spoke.com (five must have documentary books)
*documentary.org (IDA resources page, tons of resources for making documentaries)
*physics4kids.com (lots of fun facts, quizzes, activities, plus links to other sites with similar resources)
*sciencekids.co.nz/physics.html (videos, illustrations, etc. Lots of free content)
Essay
*My First Film
Books
*Directing the Documentary
*Documentary Storytelling (This is the textbook he used for one of his videography classes. He says it's an excellent book.)
*Physics for Every Kid
*Isaac Newton and Physics for Kids
*The Cartoon Guide to Physics (He had this book when he was a kid. Very fun, and explains physics in a way that any kid could understand. Plus, it comes with tons of drawings.)
*The Way Things Work (While not specifically a Physics book, it explains a lot of basic concepts in mechanical engineering. This one also has tons of illustrations I could use.)
Web Sites
*spoke.com (five must have documentary books)
*documentary.org (IDA resources page, tons of resources for making documentaries)
*physics4kids.com (lots of fun facts, quizzes, activities, plus links to other sites with similar resources)
*sciencekids.co.nz/physics.html (videos, illustrations, etc. Lots of free content)
Essay
*My First Film
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Logline and Synopsis
Logline
“Building Blockopolis is a short documentary video about the development of an edutainment series that focuses on the aspects of physics.”
Synopsis
The video will be a documentary one and at least three minutes long. It is slightly similar to various documentary films, especially “The Pixar Story”, but more brief.
I, CJ Signorino, will appear live-action and address the person sitting on one side of the camera, and various sketches of my hand-drawn characters, including “Jacken DeBox,” will appear in B-roll to back-up my statements of the characters.
The style of the video will mostly consist of montages of my sketches, pictures of me at Disneyland, and my attempts at creating animation on a few strips for the zoetrope. There will also be an upbeat music track with no vocals to give my whimsical view of the cartoon world. Furthermore, the video will be aimed at all ages, as well as people who have yet to understand the basics of physics.
I believe this work is important at this time because in today’s society, there are fewer good role models, and I think it’s high time we give people someone to follow. Throughout the history of edutainment, we’ve had grammar, mathematics, history, but no physics. Physics is all around us and can easily be incorporated to form various ideas, and if we teach students sooner, they’ll be ready for their future in the world of physics.
“Building Blockopolis is a short documentary video about the development of an edutainment series that focuses on the aspects of physics.”
Synopsis
The video will be a documentary one and at least three minutes long. It is slightly similar to various documentary films, especially “The Pixar Story”, but more brief.
I, CJ Signorino, will appear live-action and address the person sitting on one side of the camera, and various sketches of my hand-drawn characters, including “Jacken DeBox,” will appear in B-roll to back-up my statements of the characters.
The style of the video will mostly consist of montages of my sketches, pictures of me at Disneyland, and my attempts at creating animation on a few strips for the zoetrope. There will also be an upbeat music track with no vocals to give my whimsical view of the cartoon world. Furthermore, the video will be aimed at all ages, as well as people who have yet to understand the basics of physics.
I believe this work is important at this time because in today’s society, there are fewer good role models, and I think it’s high time we give people someone to follow. Throughout the history of edutainment, we’ve had grammar, mathematics, history, but no physics. Physics is all around us and can easily be incorporated to form various ideas, and if we teach students sooner, they’ll be ready for their future in the world of physics.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
VSAR 403: Day 1
Today, I have just started my forth blog in college. The other three come from my previous classes. After looking through the syllabus, I realized I was in for something challenging. As long as I keep in touch with the instructor, as well as my mentors, I should be able to get through.
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