chatterbox.

Dialogue. (when I see D-I-A, can’t help but think of Diablo)

When I think that. I think two people at a coffee joint. Because many times have I seen or observed very interesting conversations between at least two people over coffee. And sometimes tea. (:

Dialogue in Autograph Book helped cause the characters say what they feel and think, which may not necessarily be true. But it helped us in forming our own ‘impressions’ of the characters. I think that has got to be one of the most important reasons for dialogue when the character(s) don’t emote much physically. And sometimes what we fail to recognise by sight, we recognise by ear and vice versa. Like how silent films show more as there’s no dialogue. (And also I guess the bit about diction that Aristotle talked about comes in here.)

So yes.

Cabaret.

after studying for the test and all, the first play i thought of that had the elements and whatnots is the Cabaret play TKG did bout 3 years back.

Where there were five girls I believe. From a home. And there’s a evil warden. And the whole play showed inner and outer character. That thing we learnt in class last Friday. And I remembered how in the play somehow, Hang Jebat and Hang Tuah was thrown in. For those who don’t know they’re warriors from folk stories. It got me thinking about the characters.

Something about creating characters (in relation to other characters or not). I think I find it best creating main characters from those that you don’t know so well. Like a random stranger you saw on the train. Because once you decide something such as “I want my character to be like my best friend” then that sort of limits your options on who the character can be or may be. But having someone familiar as  basis of a character helps when you can’t think. The character is then only ‘based on’ and not ‘is’.

I’d rather minor characters be like someone I know. Because then I’m more aware of who they are and how they would react in situations and such and I think that gives the minor(but helpful) characters more life in away. Then they won’t have that sense of being there just so the story would flow but being there for a purpose either known or unknown.

M(emory) + E(xperience) = ME.

When I think of memory and experience I can’t help but think of dreams.

Sometimes dreams are like memories too. You dream it and you remember it. And what you experienced that day you might also experience in a dream.

For me experience in dreams often do not literally mean the experience of going through the motion of something but the emotions that I experienced instead.

I dream in colour and sharp images most of the time. And sometimes I think I can feel physically pain when I dream. Also I’m a pretty lucid dreamer.

Then there are some experiences which I think can only be experienced in dreams.

I like dreams.

on a sidenote. someone told me that if you see a deceased in your dream and they don’t talk to you. then they are real. as in the person that you know to be deceased.

and when people we love die. they become memory.

Eleck-sh-en

so we watched The Election supposedly an example of a greek tragedy. It’s alright for. Enjoyable. (: with suppressed laughter.

I think I got another example. Les Choristes. Happened to be doing that for intro to film. So yeahh..ahahahhaha..ok.

So election. When looking at it from The Mr. M’s point of view. It is a greek tragedy in his case. But I feel sad for him though. And for those other characters in greek tragedies that cause trouble for themselves without knowing it. If you look at it one way. The world is cruel. Greek tragedies can happen to the goodiest of good people. And that just sucks. Oh well.

And we’ve been doing so much o Aristotle and greek tragedies that I really don’t know have more to say at this point of time.

OH. When I was trying to do the Letter to The Past assignment, I realized I’m one lucky bugger. Most of the people who mean something to me are still around. It came to me like mini revelation. Made me thankful for bout Two days and a half. Then back to being ignorant.

And I believe I have lost the flow to writing.

airistotle part two

I’m not with Aristotle and his principles of tragedy.

Well they do make sense. And some I believe in but only to a neutral extent.

He’s an alright bugger but too outdated for my fancy.

And the question.

Is plot more important than the character?

Currently I don’t have any strong feelings about it. And the both cannot work without the other. Plot could help build up or show the character, and characters help build up the plot.

So I really don’t know how to answer the question. Unless I apply that to a particular movie.

Also I have nothing much to say about Aristotle, no more, cause I did that last week.

Aristotle is the bloke of his time and I respect that.

But hey. New Age. New Ways.

air-ree-is-tore-tel

So he’s suppose to be a really famous philosopher. And he studied under Plato. Who I remember distinctively because one of my teachers in secondary school, most probably my lit teacher, said that Pluto is just some guy who sat on rocks and spoke facts in a ‘i-know-stuff’ way and people respected him. Which led me to remember one afternoon long ago, when I came up with a theory that to be famous and ’special’ like Van Gogh, you got to be different. That guy cut off his ears. And after remembering all that and thinking about what was it that made Aristotle ‘The Man’ long ago that long, I couldn’t find out or come up with any sort of theory for this philosopher. Except that he has a cool god-blessed sort of name and he may be a stud in those days with his beard and books.

After all the research on his principles and what he does not like, I think he’s opinions are really….well…general.
If I were to say such things nowadays, people would just look at me in an odd way and pay no more attention to me after. I find him saying/writing his opinions is like me saying/writing that I’d rather eat green apples cause they have a more complex flavour and not just plain sweet. (:

Look at his principles of tragedy.

One. Plot. (It has to be whole and complete.)

Two. Character. The one who brings about the emotions. So that we the not-as-smart-as-the-poet can understand what is going on.

Then there’s Three, Four and Five. The gist of it is that they all involve some sort of thinking (brain).

And I like number Six. I find it amusing. (:

Six. Spectacle is last. As Special effects depends more on the Mechanist who has brawns and not on the Poet’s brain.

And I still don’t get what’s the big deal with Aristotle.

Week 2 Shorts.

There’s one question Mr Leslie asked that really got me thinking. Can a piece of writing or painting be called art if the ‘owner’ wrote/painted only for himself and didn’t show anyone his work?

I don’t think those were his exact words but it was something along that line.

Somehow I remembered folks such as Van Gough and Anne Frank. Their ’stuff’ was only discovered after they died. And they’re called art.

So I guess it’s really subjective.

And from where I stand I think that for something to be called art, at least someone has to see or read it and appreciate it even though if it is a bad piece. At least the effort is recognized. Oh bugger. That’s what I think for now anyways. (:

If I remember right, there was another question.
‘Whether ideas are original if inspired by something else.’

I think that ideas are never original. The way someone expresses that idea makes it original. And even so that could be subjective. As one person may find it original and not another person.

Oh. And about the two shorts that we watched in class. Both were alright. Though the second one with the adorable girl in it I found more interesting as she had guts to curse. The first one, ‘The Call Home’, I guess it didn’t interest me too much as I’m not a fan of films that’s very realistic from beginning to end. Also I never fully realised that different types of conflict is found in every story and that is what makes each one interesting. Subconsciously I knew. But never consciously. So it was somewhat an eye opener.

On a sidenote. Joss Stone helps me do schoolwork. (:

oooohhweeeee…

This is cool. Blogging for class. I sense fun. Much fun. (:

My reflections are way overdued. I blame it on soccer. Bummer.

Class seems fun. We get to write. I love writing even though half the time I’m not sure of what it is I’m doing or if my English is right. So the module’s called Storytelling. There are tonnes of ways you could do that and I like them all. Like is also a very non-committal word and I will stick to that word for now. I think this will be the start of something not that beautiful but nice. I have had enough of analysing and writing bland. Like the essays we do for writcomm or even Lit papers. It’s all fun but not that funky.

My thoughts are everywhere and I am trying not to stray.

I guess right now I just hope that I got enough vocabulary and whatnots to do well.

OH!

WE BEAT RP 1-NIL!!!!!!AHHHHHH!!!!!!! (:

We have yet to show them what the Red’s can do. But for now. Victory.