Cameron Babcock's Media TMA 112

Where Are You Scooby-Doo? What comes to mind when play is said? Toy trucks, dolls, baseball, cops and robbers, or maybe even a favorite television show? Did any hobbies or what you do on your free time come to mind? The word play is so easily associated with childhood. During childhood, play time is where one can learn more about rules of games, competition, mutual respect with others, and simply being able to experiment without fears of failing. Children's playtime also includes playing in children's stories from any sort of media. An adult can travel back to childhood playtime by reading or watching those stories that helped them have fun and to feel apart of the story. One of the modes of transportation on that time machine for adults can be a fan fiction story. Fan fiction stories are an artistic outlet where the reader, child or not, can meet with the author and play together in one of their favorite stories. For example, the fan fiction chapters of  S...

Whales and Traditions This child's performance of this monologue is one of the best monologue performances in film in my books.  Last week's focus for our class was diversity. It is interesting to see superheroes and to recognize the majority of race and gender that is presented: white males. I knew that the majority of superheroes that are presented in children's media are men but the class discussion really opened more of my eyes to the white representation in superheroes. I respect X-Men for trying to have a little more diversity than just having white, main characters. I love how artists have recognized that and have drawn or written more superheroes that are females and that are a different race. The image of the African American Spiderman was powerful. I think children need more of a fair representation of different races and genders. Now, for the film, Whale Rider  (2002), the story and characters are set in one of the most beautiful places on the earth, N...

Let's Play Playing is such a big part of my childhood and hopefully it is for all children. When I was a kid, I played baseball starting at age 5. I loved it. My older siblings played baseball too so we would play catch all of the time. I loved my teammates on the field. I learned about the importance of unity in a team and that hard work can pay off. I think practice can also be play if you enjoy that activity.  I loved our discussion in class about play. What kept coming to mind was the tools we use for play. For baseball, it's a glove, ball, and a baseball bat for the main tools. Maybe the tool or weapon is a sword, lightsaber, or even just a stick. Imagination can come right into play time because the stick can turn into the magic sword that will slay the dragon. I think it's important to remember that play is play though meaning when one child plays dead; he is really not dead. When mom yells out to the kids to come in, the kids come back to life and run...

The Prince, Not a King When was the last time you rode the train of imagination? Were you alone? Were you near a child or children? Do grown-ups imagine? One's creativity and heart are invited along for the ride of imagination. All people should be able to imagine but people don't take the time to do it. The heart filled story The Little Prince (1943) by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry teaches how grown-ups don't understand that imagination can lead to a greater understanding for the most precious things in life by what the narrator teaches the reader from the exposition, the planets symbolization, and the resolution of the story.  The little prince is an imaginative, caring young boy who had done much traveling in the world. He has that in common with the narrator. The two characters find common interest even though the narrator is older than the little boy. Right from the beginning of the story, the reader observes narrator's feelings of grown-ups. He relates the sto...

The Farm: Angola, USA (1998) If you were sent to prison for life, how would you feel? Would you fight to get a hearing? Do you think you would be successful in leaving prison before you die? These questions float around in the viewer's mind as they watch The Farm: Angola, USA . This film is written by Bob Harris and directed by Liz Garbus, Wilbert Rideau, and Jonathan Stack. I was thinking how relevant this film's issues would be knowing it was made in 1998 and found out these issues, difficulties are still present today. Many of the inmates at Angola are sentenced to prison for 75 years or life and many of them are African American. The viewer is able to know more about specific subjects in the prison and why they are there. I think the filmmakers did an excellent job in representing the subjects in the prison. I didn't feel like they were trying to say look at this person and how they messed up miserably. I felt that the filmmakers were trying to say as people we make...

Fit for the Kingdom   http://fitforthekingdom.byu.edu/index.php?page=watch&piece=emilia Wow! This series is one of the most pure documentary series I have ever seen. While I watched the five short films from this series, I noticed not only was my mind engaged but my heart as well. The filmmakers were able to help the audience feel the emotion of the stories. I realized that I cared about the subjects and wanted them to succeed in their goals. A tool that helped the filmmakers accomplish that was the use and style of the handheld, home video recording. I imagine that the films were shot on a basic, family home video camera which helps the subjects feel more comfortable. They are used to a basic camera because generally for family trips or for school projects that's the camera that is used. The filmmakers using the zoom and the fluidity of the camera really helps the viewer feel personal and intimate with the subjects. In all of the shorts I watched, there are close ups of ...