The End of Needles Film and Media Academy

I have decided to discontinue this blog and merge it with my other class blog to consolidate information, examples, and resources for students. As of January 1, 2012 all posts will be published on my new merged blog: ART ROOM 161

Creating an iPad app

This This week we will be talking about how to create an iPad app so take a look at this tutorial from Computer Arts before we get started!

Photographer Research Project

Here's the list of photographers which are represented in our research project in this semester's Media Art:Photography class. Each student has been assigned a photographer and should research them creating a slideshow of information with at least 10 images of their artwork.

1.Alfred Eisenstaedt
2.Alfred Stieglitz
3.Ansel Adams
4.Autumn De Wilde
5.Barbara Kruger
6.Bruce Davison
7.Chuck Close
8.Cindy Sherman
9.Danny Clinch
10.Danny Lyon
11.David LaChapelle
12.Dorthea Lange
13.Edward Weston
14.Greg Crewdson
15.Henri Cartier-Bresson
16.Herb Ritts
17.Irving Penn
18.Lauren Greenfield
19.Margaret Bourke-White
20.Marilyn Minter
21.Nadar
22.Peter Beard
23.Robert Capa
24.William Wegman
25.Yousuf Karsh

Astoria Federal Savings 2012 Teen Photo Contest

This year's Astoria Federal Savings Teen Photo Contest has been announced and the theme is "Eye on Style: People, Fashion, and Trends". There are $250 cash rewards as well as a $100 cash grant that goes to the school along with an invite to the reception for winners so if you have images you'd like to submit you can get a form from Mr. Needles and fill it out before the December 19th postmark deadline. Remember fashion is everywhere so if you have friends with a unique look or images of people using fashionable technology it could all work, good luck!

Alphabet Soup

This week's assignment was to "photograph the alphabet" by finding things in nature that resembled letters and editing them together (an example from class is pictured above). After the alphabet is finished add one or two additional symbols such as an astrick, exclamation point, ect. to finish out the image and add balance. Finally take the letters you created and put together an inspiring word that we'll print out and post up(an example from class is pictured below).

Photography Forum Contest

Here's a link to the Photography Forum High School Photography Contest. The deadline is this week and there is a very reasonable five dollar entry fee per image. The magazine was the first to publish my work in the United States and is one of the leading photography magazines out there.

Our Japanese introduction

This week Mr. Needles photography class spent a few minutes each day learning how to introduce themselves in Japanese in preparation for the Skype conversation with students in Tokyo, Japan about their collaborative photography project in The Japan Society's Going Global program. The students are currently speaking to students in Japan, Pakistan, and throughout the United States on a social networking platform and exchanging images of what an average day looks like in their life and then comparing and contrasting.

JR Inside Out Photography Project

Here's the first round of images from the JR Inside Out Project from students in Mr.Needles Photography class. The images include students, teachers, and staff and are currently displayed in the Needles AP gallery in the visitor's entrance hallway.

Halloween filmmaking

In celebration of Halloween here's a great flowchart on how to create a horror film from Gregory Ferembach for the French channel Canal+

Illustration Friday: Fuel

This week the computer art classes created digital illustrations for Illustration Friday's "Fuel" theme, here are some examples.

Japan Society's Going Global Social Networking Project

We have begun collaborating with students in Japan, Pakistan, and throughout the United States as part of The Japan Society's Going Global Social Networking Project. The Photography classes started in September and below are some examples of one part of the project.

Tintin morphing animation sequence

The Adventures of Tintin from James Curran on Vimeo.

As we are progressing on our own short animated film I thought I would share this pretty sweet morphing animation from the title sequence of the new film Tintin.

Alaphabet animation in Media Art

Here's an example of a finished storyboard and name credit from our alaphabet animation project that we're working on in Mr. Needles media arts classes as well as what the final animated segment looks like.

2011 Hampton's Film Festival

This weekend a group of students from Mr.Needles classes and the Art Honor Society and Media Art Honor Society spent time volunteering for the 2011 Hampton's Film Festival in East Hampton, Sag Harbor, Montauk, & Southampton. Students had an opportunity to meet and work with professionals from the film industry such as: Alec Baldwin, Steven Spielberg, & Alexander Skarsgard.

The 2011 Hamptons Film Festival

Next week we will once again be volunteering at The Hamptons Film Festival on the east end and there will be some information given out on Wednesday in a joint meeting of the Art & Media Art Honor Society afterschool. If you're interested be sure to fill out the volunteer application here.
This year the festival will be showing some great films such as: The Rum Diary, The Descendants, & Jeff Who Lives At Home. Among those expected to attend the Festival are: Lauren Ambrose, David Bailey, Bob Balaban, Alec Baldwin, Ellen Barkin, Harry Belafonte, Matthew Broderick, Jay Duplass, Felicity Jones, Penelope Ann Miller, Matthew Modine, Susan Sarandon, Bobby Valentine, Rufus Wainwright, Lucy Walker, Wim Wenders, and Anton Yelchin.

Lego Animation

Jim-Bob's BIG Mis-Adventure from James Newman on Vimeo.

I heard from Strictly Students Film Festival alumni James Newman this week who is doing well and working on some terrific new film projects but I still have a special place in my heart for his award winning Billy Bob film he did in high school.

Welcome to the 2011-2012 School Year

This week is the anniversary of the World Trade Center bombing and here is a moving short animation based on the event.

Anti-Bullying PSA

Stop Bullying Now Public Service Announcement from Rich Vernillo on Vimeo.

Here's the film from our filmmaking class that was chosen as a finalist for this years Suffolk County Youth Prevention Film series by senior Rich Vernillo. The film premiered at the Patchogue Theater and was also show on Cablevision.

Ponyo Essay

Now that we have finished watching Ponyo and constructed out paper cranes, our last assignment is a paper, below are the instructions:

Answer the following short essay questions in a 2 page typed, double spaced paper

1. Point out 2 of the American/Japanese cultural differences that you noticed in the film Ponyo, what was your first impression of the differences when you saw them and how would they be portrayed differently in an American version?

2. Compare and contrast the main characters of Ponyo and Sōsuke. How do their differences support the story if at all?

3. Compare and contrast the supporting characters of Ponyo’s parents Granmamare and Fujimoto along with Sōsuke’s parents Lisa and Kōichi. How are these characters symbolic? What might they say about the Japanese culture from which they came?

4. What purpose do the three older characters from the Himawari House play in the film?

A Thousand Cranes for Japan

This week we are doing a project where we are going to create 1000 individual origami paper cranes (known as a Senbazuru, it’s a symbol of peace and good fortune- in Japanese lore if you make 1000 you are granted a wish) and we will photograph each one to make a large photo montage. I had the idea after looking at a photograph I took in Hiroshima of Sadako Sasaki's final crane- http://goo.gl/QOSsK when I had a chance to see her brother speak at her memorial site.

Each student will create and photograph their own crane and we will combine each of them into one larger piece which we would like to share with a school in Japan. Prints will be sold to raise funds for the Japan Society's relief fund and the montage will be delivered to a school near where the disaster occurred as a symbol of hope and support.

Mr.Needles Filmmaking 2011: The Documentary

This semester we welcome a new group of film making students and we begin with our short documentary assignment. With the Academy Awards coming up at the end of the month we are currently taking a look at all of the films that are nominated for the documentary award, an eclectic group which are previewed below:

Restrepo
by: Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger


Exit Through The Gift Shop
by: Banksy and Jaimie D'Cruz


Inside Job
by: Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs


Gasland
by: Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic


Waste Land
by: Lucy Walker and Angus Aynsley


Students can watch any of the films and write a one-page review for extra credit. I've seen nearly all of them and it's a really interesting bunch of films so enjoy!