Assignment #12 Safiya Azaunce

Here’s my webisode , titled dorm house shenanigans, episode 1, chair jumping. an inside look on the shenanigans that occur inside a niece dorm. Just a feel-good make-you-laugh kind of webisode.

Assignment #10 Safiya Azaunce

The infamous West Side Story film is a very well know film that I once saw several years ago. It was nice to refresh my memory seeing it again. This time around, I was able to look at it both subjectively and objectively, as a film studies student. There are a lot of things in the film that I was able to focus my attention on that I didn’t think of paying attention to before. I was able to focus on the techniques of filming, sounding, lighting and narrating, and the choice of the sceneries, colors and picture composition, and how it plays in fitting and expressing the moral of the story.

In the early 1960s, racism was a potent issue. I could even say that at a small portion, it still exists to this day. While examining the Polish and Puerto Rican gangs, I am not surprised at how they treat eachother, especially at that time period. Even the police officer treated them with different levels of respect. I remember watching a music video not too long ago called Our Deal, by Best Coast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVFs1fPOHDU&spfreload=10

This video completely reminds me of West Side Story, except without the racial tension.

The conditions in the movie intertwining with the racial conflicts between the gangs brought in a lot of tension between the two parties. The filmmaker allowed you to see that with the wide and long shots of the Manhattan slums. Some places included West 68th Street between Amsterdam Avenue and West End Avenue, and East 110th Street between 2nd Avenue and 3rd Avenue. However, some scenes were shot in a studio instead of on location.

Personally, I don’t prefer musicals, but this movie has done a lot where for decades it still stays relevant and a good film to watch.

Assignment #11 Safiya Azaunce

When it comes to ethnicity in television, I learned that the controversial decisions to create some of these masterpieces have really impacted the world of television. I was able to visit the Paley Center for Media and was heavily informed on the concept. Growing up in New York, you notice the range of different ethnic groups. However, things outside of New York might not be the same, so displaying a diverse cast on a television show, or a show that is centralized on one ethnic group can cause one reaction from New Yorkers, but a completely different one from everywhere else in the world.

What really “struck” me about the presentation, was that I learned that African Americans shows were barely shown on television until later in the 60′s and early 70′s. It was television shows such as Julia and The Cosby Show  that featured black people as lead characters and took on many racial issues during their time. Growing up in the 21st century, I was unaware of just how controversial some of these shows could have been when they first aired. I was oblivious to the fact that race was a problem, so It was refreshing learning about the history of these shows and their upbringings. Seeing how the main character in the pilot for Julia tackled racism in the workplace while the civil rights movement was in high effect was really inspiring to me, not only because I am a woman of color, but because it was a huge risk to air the show at that time. As for the Cosby Show, (one of my favorites) It was able to show what life was like inside of an African American family, dealing with life problems and day to day issues, with a little bit of humor. My favorite part will always be learning about how succesful these shows have become especially in the times that they aired, because it goes to show how any show that can cause problems and eventually fail as a television show can become a giant and well known sitcom.

Assignment #9 Safiya Azaunce

Visiting The Library of Performing Arts was a great experience for me. I did not know what to expect going there, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. My favorite part, which I am sure is everyone else’s favorite part of the tour, was the part where we got to meet the cast of the Sesame Street show. I never thought I would be able to see the puppets used, let alone see them in a library in manhattan. I was sure that they would somehow be somewhere in LA, where i believe most if not all authentic television props are held for display. I guess I was wrong. Watching the show as a child, I never knew how much work was put into bringing the show into fruition while bringing the puppets alive. Seeing the scripts and the music scores for some of the episodes opened up my eyes to how much work was really put into creating this show for children. I wasn’t necessarily taken aback, but I was definitely inspired. When it comes to coming to this library for research, I feel like this is the “Holy Grail” of all places to find anything I need to help me research any topic on television and film. I enjoyed the tour, and I will most likely be visiting that library again, especially since it is right in the city.

Assignment # 8 Safiya Azaunce

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1xh9_favkntAjuOuRkFhTy_d_579HgqIk_7uCWWs2tn8/edit?usp=sharing

Assignment # 7 Safiya Azaunce

The movie, “Gangs of New York” was a marvelous film. The film was about two gangs and their feud in the area of Five Points. The protagonist (DiCaprio) as a kid watched his father die by the hands of the leader of their opposing gang. After leaving, he comes back to his hometown when he has matured into a man to avenge his father. He finds a way to be taken under the wing of his enemy to eventually kill him right under his nose. After DiCaprio’s friend sells him out,  It is not until a full out riot where he gets the opportunity to kill his enemy.

I like this film because it underlines the level of violence, sex, and chaos that occurred in its time. Not only do you see the lives of the people who are in the gangs, but the double lives of the people who are related to their madness, including a woman who has mastered the art of pickpocketing, and pretends to be a maid to steal the property of rich people who have no idea what they would be missing. You get to witness the strife of the Irish people, and one of the biggest things that stood out to me was the level of power and immunity the leader of the opposing gang had. Even though everyone loved and hated him, you couldn’t kill him because he was untouchable. He stayed by the right hand side of what they considered their government officials, and stayed in a position of power in the world above the law, and below the law. H even killed in front of people, knowing that no one could do anything. And no one could do anything because he instilled fear in everyone in order to get the respect he wanted. In comparison to gangs today, I would say that I would be more afraid of the gangs back then. Gangs of NY today are more careful and hidden, while the gangs of NY back then were careless and ruthless.

Assignment #6 Safiya Azaunce

When we went to the Tenement museum, I was very intrigued. I had no idea what a tenement looked like, since I grew up in a house, much less what it looked like years before I was born. There were some surprising things about the museum that I did not think I would be able to see. one of those things was a bathroom hat had to be shared among the entire building. I could not imagine now days living in an apartment, having to share it with several other families. Another thing that stood out to me was the fact that the people who lived in those tenements worked from home. The conditions in those apartments back then had to be hard. With limited electricity I could only imagine how hot and cramped it must have been sitting to close to each other creating outfits and sewing dresses together. Even in the winter time, I could only imagine how cold it must have been, when the only source of heat was the oven in the kitchen, which is probably why the crib was in the kitchen. Given that the kitchen was the warmest place in the house, it made sense for the crib to be there.

My favorite part of the museum was the part of the tenement that had not been touched. I liked this part of the museum because you could see the handprints of the people who once lived there, and the writings on the people who once resided there. It was a wonderful experience, feeling so close to something that happened several years ago. It was surreal seeing items that were left behind, including the scissors. Its amazing to be able to see the very things that these families once used to make a living. I also loved when the tour guide stated that for the people who touched the railing of the staircase, you basically shook hands with everyone that lived there.

Assignment #5 – Safiya Azaunce

Hester Street

Lastly, did you think the conditions as shown in the film were authentic as evidence by the photographs of Jacob Riis’s seminal How The Other Half Lives, which were screened in class prior to the film.

In “Hester Street” A family moves to the big apple to start a new life. While there, identity issues start to arise and questions of loyalty begin to brew. The characters Gitl and Jake adapt to the new world of New York City’s Lower Eastside differently. Jake’s name “Jake” is not his birth name, but he decided to change his name to Jake, because it sounded more American. He also did the same for his son, and named him Joey. Gitl’s name, however stayed the same. Jake was more attracted to American women to the extent that he wanted his wife to wear american fashion. She was more so grounded in her roots and refused to let her real hair show and to wear american fashion. She soon came around and decided to assimilate, but then Jake decided he didn’t like it anymore, comparing her to a common whore. This is when Gitl snaps back at Jake saying, “You and your Polish whore can jump out of your skins”.

When Gitl’s neighbor Mrs. Kavarsky tells Jake “You can’t pee up my back and make me think it’s rain.”, I think she was referring to the fact that Jake had been spending all this time perfecting his “American” Image trying to fool all outsiders around him into thinking that he was either always American, or very quick to assimilate, almost seeming natural. He can trick others on the outside of their home in the Lower East Side ghetto that he was american, but to her he will always be the immigrant he was when he first came.

Yiddish is used throughout the film as a language they carried with them when they moved to the Lower East Side in NYC. During the film, Yiddish is nearly attached to the religion that they practice, causing the language to not just be their original tool of communication, but a part of their spiritual lives and understanding.

I think that the conditions shown in the film were pretty authentic in relation to the photographs of Jacob Riis’s seminal How The Other Half Lives. The structure of the homes were pretty similar, however, the outside of the home in the film was much cleaner and less authentic. Hester Street captured the indoor life pretty well, but completely missed the mark of similarity with the outdoor conditions.

Assignment # 4 Safiya Azaunce

Answer to question #1

In “The Crowd” a movie by King Vidor, A man meets a woman in the typical setting of New York city. Although we did not get much back story about the leading female role, we got a good enough backstory of the leading male role, John. He was confident and sure from the time he was young that he was gonna be something “big”. At the time, everyone had a job. Johns job was to bring the bacon home, and as for his wife, to take care of him and the children. It was not too long before the marriage started to sour, and the ways of living a cramped life started to stagger the connection between the two. Although it was normal, it was still unbelievable to them that success was so close, but so far away.
There were some times when John was pushed to the limits by Mary’s parents because all he was seen as was someone who could not provide the best. I felt as if the only reason the two stayed together as long as they did was because John was sort of in dream land, and it seemed to create a cloud 9 solid enough for Mary to stand on. I find it very ironic that even at one point when John and Mary were on the bus, they laughed and shamed a clown on the street below them, commenting on what a disappointment to his father he must be, where in the ending, he becomes a clown himself, which is the opposite of what his father wanted him to be. It just goes to show that no matter how big you are in your mind or how amazing you think you are, the proof is in the pudding, and sometimes, you must come to terms with the fact that in a tough situation, you are not too good to do anything. Especially make a living.

Assignment #3 Safiya Azaunce

In Charlie Chaplin’s “The Immigrant”, Charlie, plays his famous “Tramp” character, as an immigrant sailing into New York City with several other immigrants. On that boat he meets a woman and his mother. When they depart into the city, Chaplin, (now broke)  meets the girl again and reconnects with her.

The immigrants are portrayed in the film as different personalities. Some are greedy and disrespectful, others, oblivious. Most however seem helpless, thinking that in the land of opportunity, there is something promised to them, where they haven’t the first clue of how to get it. Some of the obstacles they face is assimilation, and of course, finances. In the film, Charlie had trouble assimilating to the culture, when he is in the restaurant and does not know that it is polite to take his hat off. And as for finances, Charlie barely had a dime to enter the restaurant in the first place. Chaplin uses humor to address this in the scene where the waiter and chaplin continue to go back and forth taking off and putting on his hat. Also in the scene where Chaplin takes the money that dropped from the waiter’s pocket and uses it to pay for his food, later finding out that the money was fake. Chaplin’s point of view on the “new land of opportunity” as they sail into the harbor consists of assumption that life will be greater, and much easier, when sometimes it could be just as hard to get by.