Breaking Out

It seems that one of the assignments for class is to write a paper in which we turn an opera into a video game. This got me thinking about one of my favorite bands, The Protomen, who happen to have done the exact opposite. The interesting thing about The Protomen is that two of their albums, Act I: The Protomen and Act II: The Father of Death are actually a rock opera with an original story based on the video game series Mega Man. They even go so far as to add portions in the lyrics that are not sung, but rather describe the scene and the characters in them.

"The Will of One" Lyrics

Even out of context, the power of the songs can still be felt and enjoyed, but the true experience comes from listening to the albums in order to listen and imagine how the story progresses. I would definitely recommend checking them out, as I feel that even without any knowledge of the Mega Man games, the story itself can still be just as emotional.

Opinions on Opera

Madama Butterfly

I've always loved different kinds of animation. Stop-motion animation is no exception, especially since works such as "Wallace and Gromit" have always held a special place in my heart. Madama Butterfly is an emotional work, but the ending was probably the part that amazes me the most. The creator of this piece actually took the suicide of a character in its most true form: the actual deconstruction of the doll used in the piece itself. It was so unexpected and clever, really bringing the whole piece together to me.

The Ring Cycle

The set design for this opera is astounding, and I have to agree with the director that technology such as that used in The Ring Cycle could very well bring more interest in pieces such as this one. Personally, I don't mind opera, but I've never actually went out of my way to attend one. What they have done at The Met for The Ring Cycle is just so unique that I may have actually attended a show if I had the ability to. Even if I may not fully appreciate the opera itself, I really could appreciate the intricacies and work that goes into making a stage "come to life". In a generation where entertainment reigns over the classic arts, it may not be a bad idea to inject some of the elements that we hold dear, such as our advancing technology, into the seemingly ageless world of art in an attempt to gain more admiration for classic theater.

Going for Baroque

Is it true that we may very well be in what could be described as a Neo-Baroque era? A quick look at the definition of baroque stresses the importance of things such as extravagance, complexity, and bold ornamentation. In an era where more and more people were able to live comfortably, their money began to go towards a push for more art and technology. As mentioned in class, it seemed that it was a time of "embellishing nature, and attempting to make it even better." While we may believe the economy to be quite unstable currently, our technology and quality of life has improved over the years, and we can definitely see a revival of exaggeration and complexity in our modern culture.

Repo! The Genetic Opera is a twisted modern take on opera, released in 2008. Set in a dreary, horrific future, the movie sets out to be grim, yet oddly enjoyable, with its share of catchy songs and amazing set pieces. The opera finale within the movie itself (which makes an appearance in the trailer above) sets out to be as exaggerated and flashy as possible, in order to entertain not only the characters of the movie, but also the actual audience through its pure absurdity. As for movies themselves, films such as Avatar set out to dazzle moviegoers with their amazing use of computer-generated graphics that simply could not be experienced years ago. They set out to tell a story, but also show off our advanced and expensive technology we have developed just for our entertainment. 

However, media is not the only thing that keeps the Baroque era alive today. As mentioned in class and by fellow students in their own discussions of the Neo-Baroque era, some of our architecture today stands as a testament to times of intricacy and extravagance. With buildings reaching new highs in both height and cost, and places such as Las Vegas lighting up the night with enough flashing neon signs and lights to put Thomas Edison to shame, we seem to be doing our best to show off how far we've gotten as we welcome a new Baroque age.

A Little Introduction...

Whether you've just stumbled across this blog or we both share a common interest, welcome! My name is Sean Hamill. I'm currently a sophomore at the University of Tampa with a major in Criminology and plans to minor in Mathematical Programming and Management Information Systems. I'm hoping to pursue a career in the field of digital forensics, possibly for the government or in the private sector. As for hobbies, I tend to enjoy dabbling in different creative mediums. Recently I've been trying to animate, which has been quite an interesting challenge.

I still have a lot to improve on, but Source Filmmaker has been pretty fun to tinker with.

As for the reason I have taken the Art and Technology course, it really came down to the need for an art credit. However, I decided to go with a class that I thought I found appealing, and could really take an interest in. After looking over the syllabus, I cannot wait to see what this class has in store. It seems like it is going to be a unique experience, and could be one of my favorite classes this semester. I guess I'll figure it out more as the semester progresses, but I definitely have high hopes for Art and Technology.