Narrative post

Narrative response

Sahan Jayawardena

New Girl

New girl is about how a girl lives with three guys that are best friends. New Girl takes the typical notion that girls are powerless, that girls have no say and that girls are just used for sex. Jessica Day is a quirky girl that is like no other woman on television. She is completely who she is and is one hundred percent okay with. She’s put in to a dynamic with three guys that clearly have a lack of direction. They mesh well together, but with Jess, it’s a smooth running machine. 

Traditionally, if a girl moves in with three guys that she barely knows, either a) she’s a slut or b) she is going to be a slut. New Girl shatters this stereotype. Like the audience, the three guys eventually learn to love Jess like a sister. She is untouchable not only because of how independent she is, but also because of how confident she is. This is translated in the TV show by her strong personality. The very beginning of the show begins with her introducing herself to the three guys. She’s trying to persuade them to let her stay at the apartment, and within the first five minutes of the show, the audience and the three guys are won over by her quirkiness.

Jessica comes in to the show with a major problem that she tells the guys, and within the first week of her staying with them, they are immediately there to help out. This proves how much influence she has on them. Immediately after she’s introduced in to the living dynamic, everything has changed. The power that she eventually develops in the show stems from this moment.

New girl does a good job transforming the image of single, independent woman. A lot of times they can be overlooked and taken advantage of, but instead, Jessica Day wins over the hearts of everybody she interacts. New Girl shatters the pre-conceived notion that woman are powerless by portraying Jessica in a fun, quirky way. Overall I very much enjoyed this show and have been addicted every since the first episode.

3) Reading Response to NYTIMES and Guardian articles about surveillance

While I understand some people's problem with taking pictures of other people through their window, you've got to be able to appreciate the art behind it all. The pictures that were taken are beautiful. It not only shows the daily life of the everyday person, but also beautifies it. Who knew taking a snapshot through a window could provide such artistic potential? I don't think that you should be arrested for it, although taking pictures of other people without their permission is a little bit sketchy and should probably never happen. Nonetheless, the artistic side behind the window photographs should triumph over the contreversy (unless you are taking of pictures of something illegal, which should then be reported).

I am very intrigued with the Edward Snowden case and the idea of surveillance in this article. Encrypted emails and security keys relating to the government always provide a good storyline. I also think that it is incredibly awesome that Laura Poitras was able to successfully help Snowden spill the secrets that he had without getting in major trouble for it, at least in her case. By using film as a get-around, I think that Laura is a genius.

Audio response

Sahan Jayawardena

Audio Response

http://www.radiolab.org/story/91569-memory-and-forgetting/

            I have never listened to an audio program before, so this was quite an experience. I mean, I have listened to NPR on occasion, but never for a full hour and never without being in a car. Nowadays my generation doesn’t have time to sit down and listen to an audio program. I would never give it my full attention, mostly because my generation was never brought up with radio. My earliest childhood memories involved a television set. My idea of engagement is with both an audio and visual component. By taking away the visual aspect of an hour-long program, it creates a struggle to continually listen. My mind almost needs a visual component, which should be my imagination, but since I’ve been brought up with watching programs that have such a tight integration between their audio and visual components, I doubted that I would be able to sit through an entire program and be entirely involved in the process.

            However, audio programs seem to be way ahead of me. Because the programs rely solely on the audio, the programs are very complex in terms of their setup. Regular NPR broadcasts are very monotonous and basic, with one or two voices that run the broadcast throughout the hour. During RadioLab’s program, the audio was different and engaging. If I closed my eyes, I would think I was watching a documentary about the mind and its memory. The audio is so complex that it feels like it has been directly taken from a documentary. My mind automatically fills in the visual gaps that I believe should be there. There is never a moment long enough where the audio stays the same; instead the program continually changes in order to keep the listener active, whether that is by adding in a new voice, adding in an effect or even complete silence. The effects in the audio programs help stimulate the mind to go along with the audio program, which is actually in some aspects more appealing than watching a set visual component. The different voices help add a new sort of depth to the program, helping move the narrative structure along without boring the listener.

            Overall this experience was very exciting. Audio programs like these are very cool to listen to because they are so complex but yet so simple. My mind is able to get lost in the program and relax without having to rely on a visual component, which is nice for a change. The different voices and audio effects help move the program along and keep the listener like myself very engaged throughout the entire hour.

Breaking Point

Breaking Point from Sahan Jayawardena on Vimeo.

Working Title, Rough Cut - First Scene

Working Title Rough Cut First Scene from Sahan Jayawardena on Vimeo.