Mason: Final Blog Post EVER...

The final project that Sam, Ryan and I are working to create originally sought to provide a closer look at the situation of the homeless here in Provo. We wanted to investigate how their trying life circumstances influenced their beliefs, as well as how they managed on a day-to-day basis. We felt it would be interesting to learn about a homeless person’s connection to Mormonism, whether through personal history or interactions with members on the street.

Unfortunately, our encounters with the homeless have not gone well during this project. On Tuesday we approached a man on the corner of Center and University and received an earful about how the CIA and Secret Service have been ruining people’s lives for years. The man offered veiled threats about the people he has killed; he was obviously not in a state of mental health to respond to our questions, and explicitly refused to be interviewed, due to the government’s crackdown on him personally.

This experience, combined with our lack of many possible alternates, caused us to reevaluate our project goals, which resulted in a change of topic. Talking with this man on the street corner, however, gave me some personal insight into the conditions in which the homeless have to struggle. I felt compassion for this man, even as he was talking about the latest men he has killed, because he was suffering from mental instability and likely had no other options at the time than to be homeless. Had he consented at that time to let us interview and film him, we would have needed to ensure that we treated him humanely as a subject. Many of the things he said were false, but that would not allow me to discount his belief in them, which was obviously vigorous.

I feel like this final project helps to illustrate my goals as a Mormon artist by portraying the charity we should try to have for other people. Not to say that I’m fantastic at respecting everyone I meet, but this experience helped me self-reflect a lot more about how I would want to portray someone with the issues this man was facing. As a member of the Church, I feel as though I have a duty to highlight the good in the world around me, as well as to strive to change situations for the better. My influence can be positive or negative, depending on the manner in which I portray subjects and the topics I choose to address, and I have to make sure that my work is conducive to the Spirit, which is an important consideration as we move forward with our backup plan.

The collaborative process of this project has helped me further understand the need for interaction with other creative minds and the pooling of talents and abilities; I can imagine few situations in life where my abilities will suffice for entire situations. Everyone has something to contribute in a positive way, and as I move forward with the program, it will be important for me to remember how much I both need the support of my peers and need to support my peers. So that’s gotta be my goal…

Feedback

Receiving feedback is one of those things that's always good for you, but you don't always want to accept it, kind of like Robitussin. My goals for eliciting and receiving feedback include learning things about my work that I hadn't considered or realized, as well as learning or recognizing the weaknesses of my work. I would also hope to learn about the strengths of my work from the feedback I receive. With feedback about the positive and negative aspects of my work, I could then emphasize and continue the things I do well while removing or improving the weaknesses. The reading brought up an aspect of receiving feedback that I found revelatory, but not immediately obvious—to me, at least. On the final page, the author discusses how eliciting feedback can give you a very real sense of how the work is perceived by the audience, as well as what sort of effect or impact the work has on people. This is probably only reliable if the person/people giving you feedback are reliable and trustworthy; he or she or they should probably also be important to you, otherwise you'll be less likely to allow them to proceed once they start in on the criticism. And after they finish you'll be tempted to cast off your relationship with that person unless your relationship is more solid than acquaintanceship. These suggestions from the reading were helpful because they clarified the number of ways that feedback can make your work stronger and more meaningful to the audience.

In class this semester—in all my film classes this semester, actually—I have come to understand how important constructive feedback can be; I have also seen how unhelpful offhanded criticism can be. When reviewers thoughtfully consider how a piece of work succeeds as well as how it could be improved, they give the creator a spectrum within his or her own work with which to measure his or her efforts. Knowing which parts of my scripts and short films worked well helps me understand which part of my creative process was succeeding at reaching the audience. Likewise, knowing which parts of my work were unclear or were faulty helps me understand which part of my creative process needs to be tweaked or revamped. Unless people tell me what worked and what didn't work with each of my projects, I will progress at a much slower rate than if I received guidance from my audience. By incorporating feedback into my work, I am able to create things that are more meaningful to my intended audience.

Lots of words does not necessarily = convincing...

It seems like a lot of us struggled a bit with Robinson’s article. I found it to be fairly well-written, but half the time her prose made it too difficult to divine what she was trying to say. Some of the comments by readers at the end of the article helped sum up her points much more succinctly. I agree with the others who have posted that it seemed her article revolved around the interaction of science and religion; I’ll forego citing from her article, but I have my disputes with a number of her passages and we’ll leave it at that.

That being said, she does try to approach the topic of religion—and its interaction with science—in a respectful, though sometimes sort of snobbish, kind of way. I felt like she was trying to convince me, from her position of well-cultured moral superiority, that my belief in certain religious tenets was a little backward…or at least suppressed my ability to revel in the sacredness all around me. She did raise several points that were insightful, but how would her conversation relate to those who do believe that science and religion do not and should not intersect? Didn’t she spend approximately 27 pages talking about the need for both disciplines to intersect and share in the process of enlightening us to the wonder of the human experience? I guess there were some bits about fiction writing and college reading in there too…

In any case, enough about that. Respectfully engaging with belief involves giving said belief the chance to speak for itself--something Robinson didn't really set up, instead working with broad sweeping characterizations of either religion or science. In my experience, I don’t think this applies to missions, since that’s not really the purpose of that endeavor. Again, just my experience/opinion, but there’s SO MUCH work to do, we don’t usually have time as missionaries to have hour long give-and-take discussions where we both leave understanding one another’s religions much better. Hopefully the other party understands our religion much better, but missionaries shouldn’t be interested in full sharing. It just impedes the work. As regular members, now, we have the opportunity to fill in where missionaries cannot, and come to better understand where our brothers and sisters are coming from in their personal experiences. These discussions might not lead to conversion as often as missionary conversations do, but they help us bond with others who share belief—they just believe in something different.

My favorite “Meet Your Farmer” film talked about the love the farmers had for their professions and how it was the best thing they could be doing at that time. The pair of farmers discussed what it’s like trying to encourage local growing and purchasing, and they were clearly passionate about the matter. This is a case where their beliefs—which don’t always have to be religious—were alien to me, and I found it enlightening to listen to their portrayal of their belief. By the end I believed in how important is was for them, and even though I don’t know enough about the issue to really believe one way or the other about what they purported, I do believe that they personally believe it. And that communicates something sacred about their human experience.

Mormartistry

Challenges and opportunities that confront Mormon artist are often just the same as those that non-members encounter; both believers and non-believers have to struggle to portray truth (as they see it), to portray their emotions, and connect with audiences. That being said, Mormon artists face certain challenges and have opportunities that non-Mormons do not. I think one of those challenges is an inherent responsibility to stand up for the Gospel and its related standards, especially against those who would otherwise tear them down. Having a religious belief set that is so fundamental to every aspect of our lives, we as Mormons—if we truly believe the things we’re taught—have a duty to pass on the Gospel message to everyone.

This does not mean that every Mormon artist has to paint scenes from the life of the Savior or make movies about His ministry, but Mormon artists should be able to convey truth in whatever medium they use; they should also always seek to communicate through the Spirit, no matter the subject they are portraying. If a piece of art does not allow the audience to feel the Spirit, I think the artist has failed to be true to a fundamental aspect of his or her identity. If we as members of the Church should avoid anything that drives away the Spirit, then creating art that is not conducive to the Spirit is in opposition to our purpose as Mormon artists.

Again, this isn’t to say that as filmmakers we ought never to explore serious, complex issues—on the contrary, the Spirit can help untangle many of these issues. But if we have testimonies of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we reject aspects of that Gospel while creating our art, or in the subject matter we portray, or in our manner or tone, then I think we cast aside the opportunity we have to make a serious difference in the world.

I think compelling stories of light are all around us; the day-to-day struggles that we face as members of the Church, as we try to live the Gospel, are stories of light, and many of them are compelling—and unexplored. The struggles of good people everywhere, in and out of the Church, are worthwhile stories of light. Weakness and error do not make people evil, and stories about humanity and persevering against tribulation are stories of light. Such narratives can be found in every part of the world. The scriptures are full of interesting stories (the Book of Judges, anyone?), but are sometimes difficult to relate to. Plenty of noble, upstanding stories unrelated to Mormonism portray important truths and espouse goodness and compassion. Having the Spirit with us can help us see these truths and learn from worthwhile art, no matter its origin.

A Man of Many Talents

-What are your project’s strengths and weaknesses as a podcast?

I feel that my podcast/slideshow conveys a lot of what's most important to Danny. As a former roommate and longtime best friend, I know quite a few of Danny's eccentricities and can understand a bit about what drives him. His background in music was a mystery to me, however, until I had the chance to talk with him about it for this assignment (all the writers I wanted to talk with never responded, so I took a more accessible route, and it was really rewarding). I think Danny's passion for music comes across well throughout our discussion, as do some of his quirks. If you can't understand him at times, don't worry, only 2% of the world is fluent in Danny's unique dialect; my wife still can't understand him half the time.

It turns out I recorded over 40 minutes of discussion and music during our exchange! It was just really interesting and we had tons to talk about and we recorded lots of snippets of songs. I'd say another strength of my project is the wide range of material I had to work with, and the scope of the resulting podcast is pretty good, in my opinion.

Weakness-wise, there is a lot of information I would have liked to include, but I tried my best to stick to the 5-minute maximum. I have a 10+ minute cut that I think does a much better job, but I figured there was no way I wouldn't get docked for that, so I posted my shorter version. So I think we don't get as good a view of Danny and his love for both the Gospel and music as we could have.

-What did you learn about yourself as an artist while creating this assignment?

I found that I really enjoyed the interaction that this assignment encouraged. Of course I talk and hang out with Danny frequently, but this assignment gave me the chance to have a focused, driven conversation with him about something that mattered a great deal to him, and we connected even more because of it. I have always enjoyed the communal aspects of art, the passing-around-your-latest-drawing-to-see-what-everyone-thinks sort of mentality. I learned that I connect my art with other people more than I previously thought; art is often meant to be enjoyed, and that enjoyment is best shared with other people. There's gotta be a famous saying out there about the worth of an artist without an audience...

As a media artist, I discovered even further that my work almost always involves other people as subjects or actors, and my interactions with them shape the production in very sizable ways.

-What does it mean to you to be a Mormon artist?

I identify with many of the things Danny mentioned; I feel it is my responsibility as a Mormon artist to create media that has a positive message or can contribute some understanding to my audience. I don't think my art needs to be focused entirely--or even very much at all--on religious material for it to still impart worthwhile messages. Every good thing comes from God, and leads back to Him, and this list can be very long. I also feel that as a Mormon artist, I have a responsibility to stand up for my values and for the Church whenever I can, though this support need not always be a shouting match with an angry viewer or an angry repudiation on Facebook. I think media leaves us Mormon artists with so many possible avenues to convey our ideals, and we have a responsibility to use them well.

Material and Immaterial

I found this exhibit pretty awesome, and it was a refreshing to look into an art exhibit that had a very different aesthetic than much of Western art. Many times upon walking into an exhibit of famous Renaissance painters, I have been struck by lifelike renditions that capture the human form and perspective and lighting in realistic ways. When I walked into this exhibit, I was impressed instead with the intricacy of the patterned paintings, inscriptions, and texts.

Instead of the overwhelming focus on depictions of figures and landscapes that exists in Western art, Islamic art seems to focus on repetition of patterns and designs. I was interested to learn about the Islamic interpretation of time and how this influences the faith's artwork. Muslims have traditionally espoused a belief in the rotating cycle of time, where religious events rotate throughout the year; the patterns in Islamic artwork, therefore, represent the faith's belief and way of thinking. Patterns and designs interweave and repeat, just as time follows a cyclical pattern. This cyclical view of time leads to Islamic belief in the transience of material things, which view stands in direct contrast to Allah, who is eternal and never-ending. By portraying patterns in their art, Muslims are glorifying the God they believe is as everlasting as the cycle of time.

While God is certainly never portrayed, even human figures are relatively scarce, especially to a Western viewer. Muslim artists, in keeping with their belief that art—and creating art—can glorify God, often forewent signing their pieces. If the purpose of their art was to serve as religious devotion, then why sign it? For the praise of men?

In relating the things I learned in this exhibit with my own creative tendencies, I discovered that while I appreciated the designs in the exhibit, I have rarely given much value to my own designs of a somewhat similar nature. I have long enjoyed drawing, but even though I would sometimes doodle patterns and symbols, I never considered that such material could be serious artwork. I always focused on creatures or spaceships or aliens or something similar. This exhibit was a useful reminder to me that there is a much wider range of legitimate subject matter in the world; even things as originally uninteresting as words can be transformed into stunning works of art that are as valid as any Rembrandt.

Duh duh duh...

Interesting audio stories seem to possess a lot of the same elements that make for any sort of interesting story. I imagine the best audio stories show a change in one or more of the characters involved in the story. As part of that, I think an audio story that helps the audience learn something—large or small—about the human experience qualifies as interesting, even if the subject matter isn’t immediately appealing. Interesting audio stories are bound to focus on something specific which has enough personality to be entertaining, though…at least in my mind…

Moving forward, I want to avoid the pitfall of confusing listeners by not offering enough introduction to the material or to individuals in the segment. It seems like most of us get confused when something new is presented and developed without much introduction. I think the snippet we listened to in class about the radio swap ‘n’ shop show introduced the concepts and the main participants pretty well. These sorts of stories, about small-town, everyday sorts of things tend to resonate with me; I grew up most of my life in a small town with a unique history and lots of quirks, and I can connect well with stories and storytellers that convey their little brand of Americana.

I was really intrigued by this Radio Lab episode, entitled “Patient Zero.” The Radio Lab guys investigate the case of Typhoid Mary, who purportedly caused numerous outbreaks of typhoid fever in the Northwestern United States at the turn of the 20^th Century. They include two different experts in their investigation, as well as some dramatized readings of letters and (probably made-up) reenactments of dialogue and whatnot. It was really fascinating! They interweave narration, “interviews,” music, and dramatic noises to build up their story, first about Typhoid Mary and her quarantine, then about AIDS and the breakdown of the “Patient Zero” theory in light of AIDS history. The Radio Lab guys mix their narrations and the narrations of their guests in creative patterns, interspersing bits from several different people to form one chain of narration. It sounds like it might be confusing, but it really worked for me. Their dramatic music and sound effects built up suspense at just the right moments. And I think they introduced new narrators well. Pretty darn neat.

http://www.radiolab.org/2011/nov/14/