Minimalist Shakespeare covers

Hey I made these. I'm digging Intro to Shakespeare.

- Avery Violet

Proposal for assignment 5 (?)

Hello!
So for this project I have a few ideas and I don't know which would be more interesting.

Ideas:
1.) Wear a sign all day that reads "please don't touch me" and record how people respond. I'm aware that it is possible that people will touch me anyways just to make a joke. With this I really want to emphasize on personal space and issues many women face with unwanted touching or closeness. Some could argue the sign is provoking that reaction, but what it says is contradictory. Kind of like when people say "what she was wearing provoked him".
Also, I hate when people touch me without consent or if I don't know them. I feel like slapping some hands... (just kidding). What I hope to point out is people's inability to follow a simple unspoken rule once it's plastered on my body.

2.) unravel a sweater or long knitted garment while talking aloud about nothing at all or something personal. I'd probably film this.

3.) play violin without knowing what I sound like in public.

4.) read aloud on film every horrible name you can call a woman, and then a man. Compare lists.

5.) smash a bunch of snow globes.

I think I like the top one best but I haven't really developed the other ideas yet.

-Avery Violet

Assignment 4: This is what you want to see.

Let me begin by saying I do not support 50 Shades of Grey, the books or the movies. I have not seen the movie, but based on the original trailer alone, I don't really think I'm missing out on any cinematic gold. Also from the parts I have read, or heard read on youtube, the writing is so bad it's hysterical. The actual plot of the movie is not that exciting so here's a really good youtube channel that goes through each chapter and critiques it in a funny concise way. She's much funner to watch and also free so there's that.

For my project I took the trailers and a few movie clips from the movie 50 Shades of Grey and transformed them into a "trailer" for a romantic comedy version of the film. The goal for what I created is that I want people to watch my version and then watch the original (posted below) and see how very different they are. I honestly want to make the original feel like a horror movie trailer. This is entirely because the storyline is in all actuallity very problematic and potentially dangerous.

The biggest problem with the book/movie is that it cloaks domestic abuse under a thin veil of "romance". Some of Christian Grey's behavior towards Anastasia is controlling and non-consensual. Not to mention a little creepy. At one point in the book he gives her a list of things she can't do, eat, or wear while they're involved. In a few of the more racier scenes he ignores her asking him to stop. In my trailer any trace of him stalking her or harming her in anyway is wiped away. It looks as if they have a grand ol' time together. In the scene where they first meet she look nervous and uncomfortable,   almost scared of Christian. He looks at her as if she's food, very predator like. When I watch it, I feel scared for Ana.
In my version, he looks at her like he actually in interested in her and she's just nervous because he's handsome or because of this attention. The hardware scene was crucial to get because the acting is sort of comedic and fun. I wanted it to actually look like christian was just a regular nice guy asking Anastasia on a date at work (and not showing up to her work creepily). They go on dates, they're passionate, they go on adventures, every clip I selected makes it all seem very positive and sweet.  

The movie's big plot point is that Christian is into BDSM. Like really into it. However, some have commented that the book shows a false representation of the BDSM lifestyle and plays too much on the stereotype that the female always has to be submissive. Personally, I don't know anything about BDSM or kinks. But from what I've researched, the two biggest non-optional rules are that everything must be consensual and safety is top priority. In some scenes involving this sexual behavior it seems that those rules aren't even on the table or are completely ignored.
So, when I thought about including a nod to that part of the story, it was very hard to find footage that showed either of them actually excited about it. The shots they used were probably supposed to be "mysterious" and seductive but they came off scary and awkward. Honestly, I can only think of one clip that would've worked., where in it, Ana holds her hands up and says "yes please", but unfortunately I can't find it in any of the trailers. I say this because I don't want it to seem like I excluded that part of the movie almost entirely to shame people who engage in BDSM or even sex in any way. I don't have a problem with that; I do have a problem with there being no consent prior to the act occurring.

I think the feeling of my trailer is light spirited and sweet. It really shows a couple meeting and having an adventurous enjoyable relationship. With the music, I made a deliberate choice to use a song that I've already seen used in romantic comedy trailers/movies. The song is Sweet Disposition by Temper Tramp. It's beautiful, light, and nostalgic so it fits in well in almost any rom-com. I picked soundbites that were light-hearted and could denote a positive relationship. He asks her about her interest in literature, and when she says something that's self deprecating he twists it in a positive way to show he likes her ("look at me..." "I am."). It was a matter of taking these small lines and strategically placing them so that it's shows how their fondness of each other grows (in a healthy way). What was weird was including the line "I'm incapable of leaving you alone". It strikes me as obsessive alone, but it somehow didn't completely come off that way in the context I put it in. Leading up to it you believe they've already fallen in love, so why would he want to be without her? He comes off sweet and devoted, and she wants him to stay just as much.

What's sickening to me is that people have mistook Christian's obsessive stalking behavior as romance or love. I actually had a friend describe them as "in love", but that's not what it looks like to me. I created the trailer with that thought in mind and gave them what they want to see from this story. I appeased the masses that said it's a love story, only to reveal how it isn't. Not only that, but also I conveyed how easy it is to cover up an abusive relationship with a little editing. 

-Avery Violet