Transitions Used In Maus

Photos By Hannah Parker, "Transitions"

Identifying Transitions Used in Maus

       I am continuing to read Understanding Comics The Invisible Art, by Scott McCloud, and just finished Maus A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman. In this blog I am to identify at least three out of the six panel transitions that McCloud discusses in his book, and relate them to Maus citing examples.In Understanding Comics The Invisible Art, McCloud explains   the six different panel transitions used in the world of comics:

1.     Moment–to-moment (each frame is moving in time)

2.     Action-to-action (the progression of action!)

3.     Subject-to-subject (stays within a scene or idea, that holds the meaning)

4.     Scene-to-scene (transports reader to a different place, setting in space and time)

5.     Aspect-to-aspect (bypasses time, and sets a wandering eye on various aspects of a place, mood, or idea)  
                                                                            
6.     Non-Sequitur (these panel transitions have NO logical relationships to one another) (McCloud 70-72).                                                                                                Three of the main panel transitions that are clearly apparent and frequent in Spiegelman’s Maus that are: action-to-action, scene-to-scene, and subject-to-subject. I noticed that Spiegelman does mix up these transitions, meaning that he does not use just one or two to move the story along. By having some variety he really makes the story interesting. It also brings a smooth flow.   There are some action-to-action transitions in Maus, for example, when Vladek goes outside to urinate and a guard begins to shoot at him, it transitions from Vladek creeping slowly outside his tent, to an abrupt gunshot coming from straight behind, startling him, and making him run and crawl back into his tent (Spiegelman 62). Another example of action-to-action is in chapter three, “Prisoner of War," when Vladek shoots the moving “tree,” killing a Nazi (Spiegelman 48-49).

"Action Transition"

     Scene-to-scene transitions make their way in Maus when Vladek takes his wife Anja to the sanatorium to get help for her post-partum depression. A few frames show different scenes of locations the main character traveled. Vladek journeyed from his factory in Bielsko to help Anja who lives in Sosnowic to the peaceful far away location of the treatment center. (Spiegelman 31-34)

"Scene-to-scene"

I would have to say that even though Spiegelman uses a diverse range of transitions, he certainly favors the subject-to-subject transition the most. This type occurs on almost every page moving the narrative along. Subject-to-subject transition happens the whole time Art and Vladek are simply interacting with each other, and with Vladek going “in and out” of present time to his recalling his memories from the past. For example, when Art and Vladek are taking a walk and talking about the past, Vladek changes the subject by rummaging through a trashcan to find a wire.  At this point, Art must get him back on track to transition back to his past story. (Spiegelman 116-117).

"Subject-to-subject"

Sources

McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics The Invisible Art. Harper Collins Publishers. 10 East 53^rd Street, New York, NY 10022, 1994. Print

Spiegelman, Art. Maus: A Survivor’s Tale. Pantheon Books a division of Random House, Inc. Published in New York and Canada, 1992. 

Topic for Game Design Essay Blog

         The Use and Effectiveness of Game-Based Learning  

                                         

            In elementary school, and beyond, math was my least favorite subject. It was dull, unrewarding, and certainly didn’t hold my interest in the same way that literature or history did.  I remember in the middle of my third grade year being told by my teacher that I had to memorize my multiplication tables. I also remember doing everything I could to avoid the tedious activities of being drilled by flashcards or writing my times tables over and over. My math grades suffered as I struggled to commit each problem to memory until one day I arrived home to find a shiny new software box by the family computer.  Though I’m not certain of the exact name of the game, I do remember that effectively solving sets of multiplication problems earned me the reward of playing a shooting game. After few minutes of playing, I was hooked, and in a couple of weeks I knew my multiplication tables inside and out. What elements of this simple game made things click for me?  Why was a computer program able hold my interest and essentially teach me the basics of multiplication when other methods were less effective? Why did game-based learning work for me?  My blogging research topic for this semester of Game Design 344 will be “The Uses and Effectiveness of Game-Based Learning.” In my research I plan to explore the three main realms where game-based learning is utilized, to provide examples, and to discuss the effectiveness of this learning in each realm. 

            Game-based learning is essentially a way of conveying information and working towards a goal through the use of a virtual model (Trybus). This model could be as elaborate as a high-tech computer program, or as simple as a board game. Why did game-based learning work for me in my example? Jessica Trybus, the Director of Edutainment for Carnegie Mellon University's Entertainment Technology Center, says that “when education or training feels dull, we are not being engaged and motivated. In other words, we’re not really learning.”  My teacher’s method of writing tables over and over and using flash cards was certainly dull to me and my grades reflected that I certainly wasn’t learning.  Trybus also states that “in an effective game-based learning environment, we work toward a goal, choosing actions and experiencing the consequences of those actions along the way. We make mistakes in a risk-free setting, and through experimentation, we actively learn and practice the right way to do things. This keeps us highly engaged in practicing behaviors and thought processes that we can easily transfer from the simulated environment to real life”(Trybus).  Although it was far more basic than some software, my simple computer multiplication game had me working toward the primary goal of understanding and learning my multiplication tables, as well as the secondary goal of solving problems to reach the shooting game reward at the end of each level. As I played, I felt totally safe and unembarrassed if I answered a question incorrectly. In fact, making a mistake caused me to better remember the correct answer the next time the same problem was given.  In the end, I was easily able to transfer the knowledge that I obtained while playing on the computer into the classroom.

            The classroom/school setting isn’t the only venue where game-based learning is effectively utilized.  Game-based learning is also frequently used as an effective form of transferring knowledge in the military in terms of tactical, strategic, and global levels of warfare (Project on Defense Alternatives). Its other main use is in many industrial settings. For example, in the healthcare industry computer programs allow doctors to perform virtual surgeries in a safe setting. In the aviation industry, pilots can use flight simulators to practice difficult landings without the fear of putting real lives in danger.  No matter what the setting is where game-based learning is utilized all have similarities in terms of creating virtual worlds, fostering collaboration, providing goals and motivation, providing a safe place to practice and make mistakes and allowing knowledge to transfer from virtual to actual settings (Conetta & Knight). 

      Sources

Conetta, Carl and Knight, Charles.  “Project on Defense Alternatives, Briefing Report #4.” August 1993. Web.

http://www.comw.org/pda/calculus.htm

Lymbery, Judy. “The potential of a game based learning approach to improve learner outcomes.”School of Educational Psychology and Pedagogy. Victoria University of Wellington, 2010. Web

http://education2x.otago.ac.nz/cinzs/mod/resource/view.php?id=274

Trybus, Jessica.  “Game-Based Learning: What it is, Why it Works, and Where it's Going.” The New Media Institute. Carnegie Mellon University. 2009. Web

http://www.newmedia.org/game-based-learning--what-it-is-why-it-works-and-where-its-going.html

Graphic Novel: Applying a Concept

                                  Sometimes Simple Cartoons Convey Critical Messages

                      Photo By: Hannah Parker, "McCloud and Spiegelman"

This semester I have the privilege to learn about the art of graphic novels, also known as comic books. Our class is starting off the course by reading Understanding Comics The Invisible Art, by a comic book expert, Scott McCloud. It is an educational text illustrated and written in comic book form that gives the reader a comprehensive up-to-date analysis of what comics are all about. It also stresses that comics can be just as important pieces of literature as non-graphic novels. So far we are into chapter one, “Setting the Record Straight,” and chapter two, “The Vocabulary of Comics.” My Graphic Novel class is also currently reading the well-known graphic novel, Maus: A Survivor’s Tale, by Art Spiegelman. This historical novel is about the comic book’s author, Art Spiegelman who is interviewing his father for his next graphic novel, Valdek Spiegelman about surviving his hard life during WWII during the Nazi reign in Europe.

Our assignment is to take a concept from McCloud’s book and apply it to Spiegelman’s graphic novel. The concept that really stood out to me while reading Understanding Comics The Invisible Art is best stated by McCloud, “By de-emphasizing the appearance of the physical world in favor of the idea of the form, the cartoon places itself in the world of concepts” (McCloud 41). He simply means that some authors of comic books choose to draw their illustrations in a less realistic cartoon style to let the reader focus more on the importance of the ideas and concepts of the writing. For example in the novel Maus, Spiegelman’s characters in the story are drawn very simplistically, as are their surroundings and backgrounds. The main characters of the story are represented as very crudely drawn mice.  In observing the illustrations of the characters, I noticed that they all looked extremely similar in the way that they were drawn; all of them possess the same sized body and face. The only way to visually distinguish between them is by what they are wearing. 

                                         Photo By: Hannah Parker, "Maus Page 38"

The simple cartoon drawings of the characters certainly have a significant symbolic meaning of their own, but it is the dialogue and the concepts that are certainly the most important parts of the work. For instance, Vladek receiving a letter from the government telling him that he is to be drafted in the war is a very weighty issue. I could easily imagine the panic and adrenaline rush that Valdek and his family had while reading those words. His wife Anja cried that she was afraid, and heartbroken that she and her baby son would be separated from Vladek. I could also feel Vladek’s quick instinct to protect his family, as well as his fear about fighting in the war. (Spiegelman 38). The illustrated icons that Spiegelman presents are plainly drawn out, but are by no means intended to be picture perfect. As McCloud points out, the reader releases the rest of the full picture in his or her mind letting the author to truly convey the essential concepts of the story (McCloud 45).

Though Spiegelman’s illustrations are basic and simplistic the storyline, dialogue and concepts of Maus; A Survivor’s Tale are quite deep.  This certainly goes along with McCloud’s theory that when the images are more simplistic, a greater focus can be placed on the concepts of the story.

Sources

McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics The Invisible Art. Harper Collins Publishers. 10 East 53^rd Street, New York, NY 10022, 1994. Print

Spiegelman, Art. Maus: A Survivor’s Tale. Pantheon Books a division of Random House, Inc. Published in New York and Canada, 1992.  

Cooking: Anyone Can Do It!

 I believe having the skills to create a delicious and nutritious meal is one of the most important things that one can do. It is also a skill that anyone can acquire! In my computer mediated communications class we have the opportunity to build our very own website. Mine is going to be a site that is aimed toward people beginning their journey into the world of cooking. It will include helpful information such as knowing what basic kitchen equipment to own, basic food staples to have in ones’ kitchen, and many delicious, and healthy food recipes to make as well as other links to other valuable resources to the beginning cook. I choose this topic for my website because for the past year I have been learning how to cook and I want to share the informative techniques I have learned to show other new cooks. I guarantee there will be something scrumptious for everyone's pallate!  

  

           Cheesy Queso Dip Photo By- Hannah Parker 

                                                                                                                         

Relay For Life Classroom Campaign PSA

          For my final project in advertising & imagery, the class was divided into four groups that would serve on an advertising campaign for Relay For Life. These groups are PR, video, audio, and print. I am involved in the print group. My team is responsible for creating eye-catching print advertisements encouraging and urging people to participate in Shepherd University’s annual Relay For Life Walk next year that is held every spring semester. There are three theme ideas that my classmates/ “coworkers” are developing for a cleverly executed finished project on each group topic, the themes are as follows: Pirate, Super Heroes/Comic Book, and “Rockin’ Relay” (a fifties rock and roll vibe). Work that has been produced for the pirate themed relay have been focusing on pirate like objects such as treasure maps leading to a trail for gold, representing the “cure.” The “Rockin’ Relay” 50s theme, which seems to be enormously well liked over the other two themes yields images emulating “blue suede sneakers” on pavement, records, jukeboxes, and slick greased hair. The theme that is my main focus is the Super Heroes/Comic Book. I used drawn images of comic book custom designed super heroes that represented a different type of cancer, and put them on a background that is a picture of a track that is used for running and walking. Each character is giving information about when Relay is happening by way of speech bubbles accompanied by comic book phrases such as “boom!” or “pow!.” I am very pleased with all of my print team’s fine efforts. Our local Relay campaign seems to be including all of the types of advertising that I haven’t seen in the past year that I have been at Shepherd University. For example I have not seen video footage or have heard announcements on the radio. Although, there is always room for improvement.    

            After reading an interesting publication from the Advertising Educational Foundation passage entitled “Public Service Advertising,” by William M. O’Barr, our advertising campaign is not as sophisticated as the information posed, which is understandable because we are amateur students. For example, the Ad Council agency for PSAs includes their messages in multiple languages like Spanish. They also carry a bigger budget than Shepherd. But they both are trying to send out a persuasive message that will make you want to listen or partake in events. Also, the amount of creativity that is put into PSAs are being utilized at the Ad Council and our local University.

                I believe that the strength of our work could be a little stronger, but overall it is beginner level success. If I could change some of the courses of action for this campaign, I think that we should have investigated more information about relay for life itself, and have a little more input from other advertising teams for better communication. Overall, I think that Relay for Life will be a triumphant cakewalk with many people involved, enjoying and appreciating the well thought out creations of its theme created by comm. 406!    

Dove For Real Beauty Campaign

In comm. class today we talked about the Dove for Real Beauty campaign. I like this campaign because its main goal is to bring about high self-esteem to young girls and women of all colors, shapes, and sizes. The Dove for Real Beauty campaign wants to make women feel comfortable in their own skin, and not feel like they have to look like skinny, mutant supermodels, as seen in so many types of media, to feel like they are pretty. Their campaign includes TV commercials, print ads, and PR workshops that all stress that women should have confidence in themselves and know that they are beautiful and special in their own way. This print ad shown below is great because many ad campaigns do not choose models that are older. I like this because it shows that at any age a women can be beautiful on the inside as well as the outside. The woman's smile in the ad is a signifier that signifies she is happy, confident, and feels good!   I believe that more companies should promote more positive, feel-good campaigns like Dove!

Semiotics Signifier/Signified

Today in my Advertising & Imagery class we discussed semiotics. Semiotics simply put, is the study of signs and the production of meanings from those signs. The actual sign itself makes up the signifier, and the signified is the concept it represents. In order to obtain a better understanding of signs and what their signified represents, a classmate and I choose an ad and explained one sign and what is signified from that ad. We also explained our findings to the class. From there, we had to come up with five additional signs and their signifieds on our own.

The ad that my partner and I choose was for the alcoholic beverage Absolut Vodka shown here:

This ad is placed on the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. My partner and I chose the pyramid as a sign. The signified for the pyramids shows ancient culture, power, skill, and eternity.  The Luxor sign itself resembles and signifies the Washington monument located in Washington, D.C. It also represents political power, and control, like that of the President living in D.C. It is taking this powerful American monument and placing it next to another great civilization's monument, comparing it to Ancient Egypt. Which brings us to another sign, the  Great Egyptian Sphinx, one of the most monumental sculptures in the ancient world. Its signified represents royal power, with a head of a pharaoh, and a body of a strong lion. The texts in the ad that read, "VEGAS", and "IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD" are signs. The signified for  "VEGAS" represents that being in Vegas could potentially make you rich or more wealthy because of the opportunities for gambling and the chances to "win big." "IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD" signifies that Vegas in a way could make "your" world as "absolute"; just as fantastic  as  the world of the Ancient Egyptians. The Ancient Egyptians had an advanced society that was prosperous and strong! The Absolut Vodka bottle is a sign. Its location at the top of the pyramid signifies that it is of such great importance that many people can view it and look up to it. This ad overall has signifiers that show that Absolut Vodka is powerful, and everlasting.