Unique art

So today I stumbled upon this really unique post of what looks like very close up pictures of viruses. This is true, they are viruses but they are glass blown art pieces created by Luke Jerram. When I thought I wanted something unique to post about I figured what better than this. Luke has a website to which you can view his pieces, purchasing them, or even contact him. The website is http://www.lukejerram.com/glass/ . The reason for this body of glass work was designed to show everyone what the viruses looked like and to cause a complex tension to the artworks' beauty and what they represent.

Blog 22: Senior Presentation Reflections

(1) Positive Statement

I'm truly most proud of how I presented, I say this based off of how the students were animated rather then being asleep. Also I feel that most proud of it because Mr. Pang couldn't find a Recommendation to say at the very end even me asking for people to give me a few, they still couldn't do it.

(2) Questions to Consider

a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your Block Presentation (self-assessment)?

AE       P          AP       CR       NC

b.     What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)?

AE       P          AP       CR       NC

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?

For me what worked was how well this large project was broken down. What I mean is by the senior teachers breaking down this project into very manageable sections was what allowed me to remember all my steps. The best thing that worked for me was every step along the way was just an addition the the previous step. A great example of this is when we had our 10 minute presentation then our 30 minute presentation then it all built up to our final, that is what truly worked for me.

(4) (What didn't work) 

What didn't work was my lack of motivation to find more sources for research. I did do what was required when it was required, but since I didn't find to many pieces of research it wasn't as easy doing this project as it would have been with 10 or 15 more.

(5) Finding Value

I have learned that if you do the bare minimum that is what you'll receive back. Most of all I learned how to communicate to not just with people in my field, but also to all the students in my year. Due to this communication on this mutual level I came to have this feeling camaraderie with the class. That is what I will take with me is the idea of what camaraderie is like and apply this idea where ever it best fits.

Blog 21: Mentorship

    Literal

The link to is there to the right--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->

Also my mentor and his contacts: Bobby Collins. Cell: 909.964.3360 Email: bobby_collins1@yahoo.com
Place: Inland Valley Repertoire Theater (performance at the Candlelight Pavilion)

    Interpretive

     What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?

For me the most important experience was persevering through obstacles.  The challenge of finding a mentor taught me to keep trying and don't give up.  Several people I contacted did not take me seriously as they felt a high school student could not be reliable or had any knowledge.  This experience taught me how to take rejection, pick my self up and keep going until I a got a yes.  That being timid would not work , that I had to know my worth and convey that to others.

   Applied

     How has what you’ve done helped you to answer your EQ?  Please explain.
Since being a theatre tech is a very hands on experience based career, mentorship helped me create my EQ along with answering my EQ. My EQ required answers that involved not only knowledge of the topics but hands on experience too.  Practical application of how things are done in a production completed how I would answer my EQ.  Mentorship allowed me to see first hand that on paper something should work but in real life many times it does not.  So the experience taught me how to adjust and evaluate a situation and find a solution that worked.

Some help from those prom ideas

So this is a bit off topic from my senior project but hey lets go with something a little different. Right now you are probably looking for a date or maybe even how to ask a date to prom. Here are a few ideas I think might help. First off let me ask you a few questions; are you close enough to go to a museum or a movie? Secondly what does he/she like? Is he/she willing to go out? Most of all what is unique that you do?

Once you have thought those questions through, you have one last thing to consider before you start brainstorming ideas. You must put the potential dates needs into consideration. For example is the person you are asking tend to be shy, be kind and don't make it a large public thing unless you know they would appreciate it. Second thing to think about is what do you have a talent in? For me I have a  fondness for small tricks with playing cards. So what I planned to do was use this trick called This n' That with a slight change having the final card say "Prom?"  To see the original trick follow this link, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tScm-eZInBE
Later I will also post my prom version. So back to the questions, does he/she like coffee? It doesn't even have to be coffee but rather it can be a place that calls out your name for you to know your order is ready. An example if you go to a Jamba Juice or any place that calls out a name will work. What you do is call ahead of time and explain what you would like to do. If the shop will agree to it then provide your potential dates  information.  If all goes well you can go, order your items and then  when they go to call your name, they don't they call your potential dates name rather and say something along the lines of " (insert name) will you go to prom with (insert name)."

Blog 20: Exit Interview

1) What is your essential question and answers? What is your best answer and why?

What is the best way to optimize a stage for a successful production. Answer one: 

Communicating the plot of the production to the audience through the partnership of light and prop use. Answer two: Using state of the art lighting boards and audio mixers, to optimize a stage. Answer three: Having frequent tech rehearsals, is a way to optimize a stage. Out of those three answers, the best is my third the effectiveness of rehearsing makes sure everything runs smoothly and if there are any kinks they can be worked out before the show. Also the more familiar you are with something the less errors will occur.

2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?

I had all the elements to evoke and increase the wow factor of a production, however without knowing your cues and how the play will be preformed it would result in an unorganized performance.

3) What problems did you face? How did you resolve them?

There where two major problems I encountered. The first was the inability to find a reliable mentor. I went through six mentors and out of the six I worked with one for seventeen hours. Then I landed my seventh mentor form The Inland Valley Repertoire Theatre (IVRT). Secondly was trying to find the research that supported my answers while involving technical theatre. I solved this research challenge by not looking at it literally instead I broke it into its parts and looked at creative ways to find research. 

4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?

My first significant source was my fourth interview with the lighting designer from my mentorship at IVRT. Daniel, the lighting designer, has a wealth of knowledge on the technical aspects of theatre production. One of the amazing things is he learned through practical experience, he had no formal education. The second source is the book "The Power of Habit" by Charles Dunhigg, since it talks about the conditioning of the mind through repetition learning. The best answer requires the stage crew to repeat performances daily with minimal snafus. 

Blog 19: Independent Component 2

LITERAL
(a)  “I, Jonathan Shoemaker, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.”
(b) One of the better sources I used to help me through independent component was " The Back Stage Guide to Stage Management" by Thomas A. Kelly. I know my topic isn't stage management but this source was very beneficial since I needed to stage manage a scene to go to Fullerton.  
(c)Done and done
(d) Explanation of what you completed.   
What I did was really all hands on experience. I went to the Fullerton College Theatre Festival, to competed. The festival was a two day event consisting of competitions for acting and technical work. I competed in 9 technical theatre events on one of the two iPoly tech teams. The events I participated in were the Tech Olympic events. The 9 events are detailed below:
1) Costume Quick Change- Change a member in the dark that has over sized clothes on in the fastest time.
2) Light focusing- I had to hang theatre lights and crop the sides to match a taped out shape on the opposite wall.
3) Team Knot Tying- Each member was assigned 1 of the 5 knots and was timed until all knots were done.
4) Tool Usage- was a relay and each member had been assigned 1 of 5 tools and hardware that need to be used.
5) Prop Quick Change- We were given blurry pictures of a scene and had to set the stage in the fastest time and as accurate to the picture as possible.
6) Tool And Hardware ID- Had to identify as many tools and hardware as possible in a dark room within a 10 minute time frame.
7) Electrical Wiring- I wired adapters such as a three prong Edison to a Twistlock and a Three Pin to a three prong Edison
8) Individual Knot Tying- This was a individual task that required the completion of all 5 knots.
9) Scenic Design- I presented my technical work for the production of  "Working."

INTERPRETIVE 
The specific part that this component helped me with was understanding all the hands on tasks that are required to be a theatre tech. For example knowing how to organize a tech rehearsal so the teams I was in charge of were able to have some knowledge as to what needs to be done at the festival. Along with organization
there is also the skills that are needed to thrive in the tech world. Those skills are things such as how to hang and focus lights, how to tie knots that can help with almost anything that needs to be done in the theatre world and most of all

I might be a little hard to see but just look for the Mohawk. That is me setting up the lights for competition number 2 

That right there is a stunning photo of the punk techie in his natural wood shop habitat. I was being given the institutions for the tool relay which is competition number 4

The Best of Fullerton Festival done by Angel Flores

In the picture above I am at the top right that was me with my presentation board right before I went to present the technical work I did for my Independent Component 1. This was the best competitions I can compete in because this is where you get instant feed back from the judge based on how well you did along with what can be changed or fixed in the design for next time.This were I was told that light has a tremendous affect on how the audience sees a production, but props make the actors mannerisms really "pop-out."

APPLIED
This was beneficial by providing hands on experience. The importance of practical experience and what works in the real world rather then just being theoretical. It helped me understand the time needed to complete tasks and how to organize rehearsals to the best of my abilities. 

Gypsy at...

So its official I have a solid Mentorship that I will be volunteering at for the rest of my fifty hours. In other words I will be there helping for at least thirty three hours. The production I will be working on, will be Gypsy starting this Thursday 4/4 at the Taylor Hall in Claremont off of Indian hill. The curtains open the 9th of April and the dates follow: Tuesday 4/15, Wed. 4/16, Tuesday 4/22, Wed. 4/23. Not that the times are the same for the first three shows however do not for the last since the last date is actually two showings in one day. I'm really excited for this I will get to work stage crew and shadow the lighting and set designer. Much to follow up with, so until next time have a great day.