Fall 2021 12th Grade Multimedia
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Three Channel Video Installation
Final Project
In this seven week collaborative final project, students used Ableton Live and Adobe Premiere to create a three channel sound and video installation. In these short video art pieces, students conveyed the importance of a contemporary lens on historical events.
LA burned: The 1992 Riots
Damian Quihuis
In this piece, I created a soundscape with Ableton Live and original video footage of the 1992 riots after the acquittal of the LAPD officers who brutally beat Rodney King. This was the first case of police brutality to be caught on camera and used as evidence in a court of law. The soundscape reflects the fires that burned throughout South LA and the voices of people that were enraged by the result of the verdict.
The piece also contains my own captioning feelings of the verdict.
Damian Quihuis
In this piece, I created a soundscape with Ableton Live and original video footage of the 1992 riots after the acquittal of the LAPD officers who brutally beat Rodney King. This was the first case of police brutality to be caught on camera and used as evidence in a court of law. The soundscape reflects the fires that burned throughout South LA and the voices of people that were enraged by the result of the verdict.
The piece also contains my own captioning feelings of the verdict.
The Power of Money
Isabella De Luna
Patrisha Avila Hernandez
Lorenzo Calderon
In this project, we show class inequality in the U.S. and what it looks like today and we hope to destigmatize homelessness. In Patrisha’s research paper, she discusses examples of the history and causes of homelessness, issues such as social class inequity, racial inequity, and untreated mental illness.
In our video, we included three people: two celebrities, Kylie and Kris Jenner, and a 22-year-old person who is houseless in San Diego. We chose these particular celebrities because these two women are well-known. Both Kris and Kylie are tremendously wealthy, with multiple cars, extravagant wardrobes, and enormous houses. We compared the day-to-day lives of these individuals to show blatant class inequality.
The United States from its inception was divided by class. Today we see it most clearly with the top 1% and those who are houseless. The 1% being billionaires and those making $32,793 or less are considered poor, unable to live comfortably in California, something that Kylie and her mother Kris have the luxury of. Due to COVID-19 the cost of rent sky-rocketed and many people recently have been evicted and forced to become homeless. With the wealthy spending extravagantly, this is unjust.
With this piece, we wanted to show the severity of class inequality in the U.S., something we should be doing more about.
Isabella De Luna
Patrisha Avila Hernandez
Lorenzo Calderon
In this project, we show class inequality in the U.S. and what it looks like today and we hope to destigmatize homelessness. In Patrisha’s research paper, she discusses examples of the history and causes of homelessness, issues such as social class inequity, racial inequity, and untreated mental illness.
In our video, we included three people: two celebrities, Kylie and Kris Jenner, and a 22-year-old person who is houseless in San Diego. We chose these particular celebrities because these two women are well-known. Both Kris and Kylie are tremendously wealthy, with multiple cars, extravagant wardrobes, and enormous houses. We compared the day-to-day lives of these individuals to show blatant class inequality.
The United States from its inception was divided by class. Today we see it most clearly with the top 1% and those who are houseless. The 1% being billionaires and those making $32,793 or less are considered poor, unable to live comfortably in California, something that Kylie and her mother Kris have the luxury of. Due to COVID-19 the cost of rent sky-rocketed and many people recently have been evicted and forced to become homeless. With the wealthy spending extravagantly, this is unjust.
With this piece, we wanted to show the severity of class inequality in the U.S., something we should be doing more about.
The Separation of Lands
Elias J. Preciado Andrade
This short film is based on the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. In this Multimedia and English collaboration, we answered these essential questions: How does the narrative around a historical moment evolve with time? What are the specific factors that lead us to look at history differently in hindsight?
My film aims to show the effect the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo had on the U.S and Mexico separating them by building a wall between the two countries. I also wanted to show the fight between the U.S and Mexico.
The film challenges the audience to see this event differently from the narrative of the U.S. being victorious and acquiring a massive amount of land to expose the loss in Mexico.
I used Adobe Premiere and my own stop motion and cutout animation footage with some aerial views of landscapes from National Parks. I used Stop Motion Studio for the animation. I also created a score in Ableton Live. The relaxing sounds used for the start of the film was from the music artist Bjørn Lynne.
The first scene of the film begins with a slideshow of beautiful footage of landscapes in the desert. Then it goes on to show a group of bricks dancing around and eventually building a wall and the wall travels over the landscapes. I wanted to show how the U.S. separated Mexico from these lands joyfully, but this was not at all joyful for Mexico.
The next scene shows the U.S flag pushing out the Mexican flag from an outline of North America at different angles with transparent landscapes. This represents the U.S.’s hostile takeover of Mexican territory. The last scene of the film is puppets of Mexico and the U.S. which are fighting over the states of California, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, and some parts of Texas. This section of the film represents the U.S. fighting for Mexico’s land and the land being taken away. This is shown as a cartoon representing the oversimplification of this event in U.S. history.
The centre piece is supported by two additional films on each side to create a three channel video. In the beginning, both side films show the beautiful landscapes in the desert and the life within it just like the centre film. In the next scene, it shows the border being built, and then the U.S. flag on one side and the Mexican flag on the other. This represents how both Mexico and the U.S had a part in building that wall. In the end, both side films show an overview of the border representing the damage done by the separation of the lands.
My film is an experience about the effect the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo had on Mexico showing the divided lands. This beautiful land was stolen.
Elias J. Preciado Andrade
This short film is based on the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. In this Multimedia and English collaboration, we answered these essential questions: How does the narrative around a historical moment evolve with time? What are the specific factors that lead us to look at history differently in hindsight?
My film aims to show the effect the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo had on the U.S and Mexico separating them by building a wall between the two countries. I also wanted to show the fight between the U.S and Mexico.
The film challenges the audience to see this event differently from the narrative of the U.S. being victorious and acquiring a massive amount of land to expose the loss in Mexico.
I used Adobe Premiere and my own stop motion and cutout animation footage with some aerial views of landscapes from National Parks. I used Stop Motion Studio for the animation. I also created a score in Ableton Live. The relaxing sounds used for the start of the film was from the music artist Bjørn Lynne.
The first scene of the film begins with a slideshow of beautiful footage of landscapes in the desert. Then it goes on to show a group of bricks dancing around and eventually building a wall and the wall travels over the landscapes. I wanted to show how the U.S. separated Mexico from these lands joyfully, but this was not at all joyful for Mexico.
The next scene shows the U.S flag pushing out the Mexican flag from an outline of North America at different angles with transparent landscapes. This represents the U.S.’s hostile takeover of Mexican territory. The last scene of the film is puppets of Mexico and the U.S. which are fighting over the states of California, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, and some parts of Texas. This section of the film represents the U.S. fighting for Mexico’s land and the land being taken away. This is shown as a cartoon representing the oversimplification of this event in U.S. history.
The centre piece is supported by two additional films on each side to create a three channel video. In the beginning, both side films show the beautiful landscapes in the desert and the life within it just like the centre film. In the next scene, it shows the border being built, and then the U.S. flag on one side and the Mexican flag on the other. This represents how both Mexico and the U.S had a part in building that wall. In the end, both side films show an overview of the border representing the damage done by the separation of the lands.
My film is an experience about the effect the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo had on Mexico showing the divided lands. This beautiful land was stolen.
Enough is Enough
Rebeca Perez & Rafael Medina
In our project, we focused on the Black Lives Matter Movement. This topic began with our research essays on the movement, how it originated, and where the protests are now. For this piece, we shifted our focus and wanted to show the impact of police brutality.
Enough is Enough is about those who were murdered by the police in the United States. Our film shows the names of those killed by the police between January 2020 & November 2021.
This is a silent piece, and we wanted the viewer to feel that silence.
Rebeca Perez & Rafael Medina
In our project, we focused on the Black Lives Matter Movement. This topic began with our research essays on the movement, how it originated, and where the protests are now. For this piece, we shifted our focus and wanted to show the impact of police brutality.
Enough is Enough is about those who were murdered by the police in the United States. Our film shows the names of those killed by the police between January 2020 & November 2021.
This is a silent piece, and we wanted the viewer to feel that silence.
Erased
Samra Aldulaimi & Isaiah Han
In this project, we created a short film to convey our interpretation of the effects of the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Indian Removal Act on our country today. Both were American building blocks for systemic issues that Asian and Native Americans face every day. Our goal was to demonstrate how the lives of Asian and Indigineous peoples changed during, and after these racist acts were passed. Not only does it make the viewer sit face-to-face with issues that may not affect them, it also gives the audience a glimpse of hope in how to resolve these issues.
We wanted to use our art to educate people about the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Indian Removal Act. The racist ideology that came from both these acts started the issues that affect the Asian and Native American community today, such as stereotypes, systemic poverty, and hereditary health issues. These lasting effects also strip Asian and Native Americans of their cultures and history.
We chose to create a short film revisiting the acts as well as the effects it had on the U.S. then, and now. We tried to depict what life Asian immigrants and Indigenous people had in the U.S. before the acts were passed, then leading up to the acts the violence and discrimination. These issues are rarely talked about, especially in schools. The importance of this short film is to help people in our community understand how crucial these topics are to learn in order to resolve and unite our country.
We hope the use of symbolism in this short film allows the audience to connect it to the real historical events. It is our goal that the audience try to make sense of the emotions and images we convey, rather than simply reading statistics off of a screen.
Samra Aldulaimi & Isaiah Han
In this project, we created a short film to convey our interpretation of the effects of the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Indian Removal Act on our country today. Both were American building blocks for systemic issues that Asian and Native Americans face every day. Our goal was to demonstrate how the lives of Asian and Indigineous peoples changed during, and after these racist acts were passed. Not only does it make the viewer sit face-to-face with issues that may not affect them, it also gives the audience a glimpse of hope in how to resolve these issues.
We wanted to use our art to educate people about the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Indian Removal Act. The racist ideology that came from both these acts started the issues that affect the Asian and Native American community today, such as stereotypes, systemic poverty, and hereditary health issues. These lasting effects also strip Asian and Native Americans of their cultures and history.
We chose to create a short film revisiting the acts as well as the effects it had on the U.S. then, and now. We tried to depict what life Asian immigrants and Indigenous people had in the U.S. before the acts were passed, then leading up to the acts the violence and discrimination. These issues are rarely talked about, especially in schools. The importance of this short film is to help people in our community understand how crucial these topics are to learn in order to resolve and unite our country.
We hope the use of symbolism in this short film allows the audience to connect it to the real historical events. It is our goal that the audience try to make sense of the emotions and images we convey, rather than simply reading statistics off of a screen.
Astral Projection
Nick Zaragoza & Lily Tyson
Humans have long been fascinated with the cosmos, both scientifically and spiritually. We look to the stars to explain our lives on earth and our purpose. We aim to portray the similarities and differences between space exploration and astrology.
We created an abstract piece to show time, space, and people with footage from the 1969 moonwalk, press conferences, and everyday life in the 60s and 70s, as well as footage of the moon’s surface and other heavenly bodies.
Astral Projection was a multimedia journey between the two of us. Our research papers combined became an abstract and nostalgic auditory and visual experience. Nick researched the history of tarot, and Lily researched the 1969 Moon Landing. For our piece, we scoured YouTube for vintage and archived footage of past life, the stars, and nature. Nick composed the music in Ableton and Astral Projection went through many stages. The critique we were given was to lean into the vintage aesthetic, adjust the frame of the clips to be that of an old camera, to add subtitles to guide the viewer through the experience, and adjust the pitch of the audio.
We hope this piece conveys the ethereal, evolving, and heavenly aspects of life on earth and in the stars.
Nick Zaragoza & Lily Tyson
Humans have long been fascinated with the cosmos, both scientifically and spiritually. We look to the stars to explain our lives on earth and our purpose. We aim to portray the similarities and differences between space exploration and astrology.
We created an abstract piece to show time, space, and people with footage from the 1969 moonwalk, press conferences, and everyday life in the 60s and 70s, as well as footage of the moon’s surface and other heavenly bodies.
Astral Projection was a multimedia journey between the two of us. Our research papers combined became an abstract and nostalgic auditory and visual experience. Nick researched the history of tarot, and Lily researched the 1969 Moon Landing. For our piece, we scoured YouTube for vintage and archived footage of past life, the stars, and nature. Nick composed the music in Ableton and Astral Projection went through many stages. The critique we were given was to lean into the vintage aesthetic, adjust the frame of the clips to be that of an old camera, to add subtitles to guide the viewer through the experience, and adjust the pitch of the audio.
We hope this piece conveys the ethereal, evolving, and heavenly aspects of life on earth and in the stars.
Monitor
Dany Reyes
Julia Lopez
Landon Peterson
Pedro Guillen
Sebastian Oliva
For our project, we decided to focus on exploring how surveillance has been integrated so deeply in our lives that we no longer recognize it as surveillance. We started from the topic of COINTELPRO, seeing it as a catalyst for how surveillance in the modern age is implemented. Established in 1956, the U.S. implemented a program to “Discredit, Disrupt, and Destroy.” We wanted to capture how surveillance in the U.S. has transformed through marketing to consumers. Constant monitoring of our day-to-day activities has become so normalized that we no longer recognize it as an invasion of privacy, but rather something to rely on for our own peace of mind.
What is so malicious about surveillance like the kind that takes place in the U.S. is the fact that it encompasses every aspect of our lives, making it almost an everyday occurrence. We wanted to show how present and malicious that presence is by cutting footage taken from major surveillance camera manufacturer, Nest’s, own youtube channel to a droning, eerie soundtrack. In addition, we used footage we filmed to communicate the disturbing fact that we are watched at almost every point in our lives. We also chose to include sound bites from separate sources of notable linguist, author, and philosopher, Noam Chomsky talking about surveillance and what its utility is to those who utilize it.
Ultimately the goal of our project was to put the audience in the role of the monitor to better understand how invasive surveillance is for the monitored.
Dany Reyes
Julia Lopez
Landon Peterson
Pedro Guillen
Sebastian Oliva
For our project, we decided to focus on exploring how surveillance has been integrated so deeply in our lives that we no longer recognize it as surveillance. We started from the topic of COINTELPRO, seeing it as a catalyst for how surveillance in the modern age is implemented. Established in 1956, the U.S. implemented a program to “Discredit, Disrupt, and Destroy.” We wanted to capture how surveillance in the U.S. has transformed through marketing to consumers. Constant monitoring of our day-to-day activities has become so normalized that we no longer recognize it as an invasion of privacy, but rather something to rely on for our own peace of mind.
What is so malicious about surveillance like the kind that takes place in the U.S. is the fact that it encompasses every aspect of our lives, making it almost an everyday occurrence. We wanted to show how present and malicious that presence is by cutting footage taken from major surveillance camera manufacturer, Nest’s, own youtube channel to a droning, eerie soundtrack. In addition, we used footage we filmed to communicate the disturbing fact that we are watched at almost every point in our lives. We also chose to include sound bites from separate sources of notable linguist, author, and philosopher, Noam Chomsky talking about surveillance and what its utility is to those who utilize it.
Ultimately the goal of our project was to put the audience in the role of the monitor to better understand how invasive surveillance is for the monitored.
Bang
Blaise Ley
The piece explores the normalization of violence in the United States today. It depicts explosions in areas that would normally be considered peaceful. Shown in the film is footage of desert, forest, and jungle landscapes along with more immediately familiar areas such as High Tech High Media Arts, and the city of San Diego. These backdrops that have nothing to do with the explosions in order to show absurdity.
We are normalized to explosions in film and media with the over saturation of violent occurrences. Bombs are glorified in the U.S. military. Avengers: Endgame made 2.7 billion dollars in the box office. This piece brings attention to this love for violence. The soundscape and video footage work to emphasize how odd it is to have explosions in these settings.
Another aspect of the film is the audience's reaction to it. During each in-class critique, many laughed. The audience's reaction of laughter futhers the argument the piece makes in the ways violence is normalized.
Blaise Ley
The piece explores the normalization of violence in the United States today. It depicts explosions in areas that would normally be considered peaceful. Shown in the film is footage of desert, forest, and jungle landscapes along with more immediately familiar areas such as High Tech High Media Arts, and the city of San Diego. These backdrops that have nothing to do with the explosions in order to show absurdity.
We are normalized to explosions in film and media with the over saturation of violent occurrences. Bombs are glorified in the U.S. military. Avengers: Endgame made 2.7 billion dollars in the box office. This piece brings attention to this love for violence. The soundscape and video footage work to emphasize how odd it is to have explosions in these settings.
Another aspect of the film is the audience's reaction to it. During each in-class critique, many laughed. The audience's reaction of laughter futhers the argument the piece makes in the ways violence is normalized.
Trip
Kailee Nakhonthap & Nick Zaragoza
In this project, we wanted to show that throughout history, the use of Psychedelic mushrooms has tremendously changed. People once viewed Psychedelics as deadly, but scientists are now beginning to view them as life-changing help for a variety of things including: neuro-divergence, cancer, and addiction. There have been numerous positive outcomes with the use of psychedelic therapies. In fact, according to researchers at NYU, psilocybin, a compound found in Psychedelics can be more effective in treating PTSD than antidepressants (NYU Langone’s Project).
Psychedelics have been used for centuries in various cultures and were often used in Eastern medicinal practices.
With this video, we hope to create a soothing environment and experience where you can challenge societal stigmas. The video footage was cut and edited in Adobe Premiere Pro, and Nick wrote a score for the piece to give it an ethereal feel.
Kailee Nakhonthap & Nick Zaragoza
In this project, we wanted to show that throughout history, the use of Psychedelic mushrooms has tremendously changed. People once viewed Psychedelics as deadly, but scientists are now beginning to view them as life-changing help for a variety of things including: neuro-divergence, cancer, and addiction. There have been numerous positive outcomes with the use of psychedelic therapies. In fact, according to researchers at NYU, psilocybin, a compound found in Psychedelics can be more effective in treating PTSD than antidepressants (NYU Langone’s Project).
Psychedelics have been used for centuries in various cultures and were often used in Eastern medicinal practices.
With this video, we hope to create a soothing environment and experience where you can challenge societal stigmas. The video footage was cut and edited in Adobe Premiere Pro, and Nick wrote a score for the piece to give it an ethereal feel.
Exploring Cultures in San Diego: Convoy
Sara Lau
Sarah Marquez
Mikel Sanchez
In our project, we showcase culture in San Diego, as we believe this city to be an incredibly diverse place.
Along with the prominent Hispanic/Latino culture, San Diego also has many other cultures as it has been a refuge for many immigration populations. For example, Mira Mesa is heavily influenced by Filipino culture, Hispanic cultural influences in Barrio Logan, Portuguese cultures in Point Loma, and many more.
We spent many days exploring the Convoy district of San Diego filming the streets, people, and businesses. Our project highlights the diverse mix of Asian cultures in the Convoy district specifically and shows only a fragment of what can be discovered in this cultural hub. We decided to document our trip in a ‘vlog’ style to capture the day-to-day journey of indulging in the food of different cultures. During our exploration, we dined at Chopstix, an authentic Japanese restaurant, Bing Haus, an east-Asian inspired cafe, and Tapioca Express.
With our piece, we hoped to provide a cozy and calm atmosphere, providing the audience with a meaningful experience. Our video features original lo-fi-inspired music and Reins by Krynoze.
Overall, our video serves as a sneak peek of a prominent cultural center in San Diego county.
Sara Lau
Sarah Marquez
Mikel Sanchez
In our project, we showcase culture in San Diego, as we believe this city to be an incredibly diverse place.
Along with the prominent Hispanic/Latino culture, San Diego also has many other cultures as it has been a refuge for many immigration populations. For example, Mira Mesa is heavily influenced by Filipino culture, Hispanic cultural influences in Barrio Logan, Portuguese cultures in Point Loma, and many more.
We spent many days exploring the Convoy district of San Diego filming the streets, people, and businesses. Our project highlights the diverse mix of Asian cultures in the Convoy district specifically and shows only a fragment of what can be discovered in this cultural hub. We decided to document our trip in a ‘vlog’ style to capture the day-to-day journey of indulging in the food of different cultures. During our exploration, we dined at Chopstix, an authentic Japanese restaurant, Bing Haus, an east-Asian inspired cafe, and Tapioca Express.
With our piece, we hoped to provide a cozy and calm atmosphere, providing the audience with a meaningful experience. Our video features original lo-fi-inspired music and Reins by Krynoze.
Overall, our video serves as a sneak peek of a prominent cultural center in San Diego county.
Weapon of Misogynistic Intent
Alex Tugend & Jeremy Dominguez
The Salem Witch Trials were a supported trend that fell out of fashion. Centuries later, we have realized—thanks to all of the feminist movements—that the trials were not an attack against witches but instead, against women. In this short film, we display that attack, and the fear women faced while being hunted down during the time of the trials.
With a seemingly suspicious man walking into the frame with his dog, the tone of the film is immediately set. The underlying music adds intensity to this moment. Cutting back and forward from scenes where the man is stalking the feminine figure crossing a river. We wanted the viewer to feel that this is a never ending loop, constant running, constant fear.
When will violence against women stop?
We created this film using two programs, Adobe Premiere and Ableton Live to illustrate this moment of fear both in the Salem witch trials through to the present.
The rights to individual women’s reproductive systems are being threatened and in places nearly eradicated. The first female Vice President in 2020 was a step in the right direction, but breaking through a political barrier older than the United States will take far more effort.
Be it sexism in politics or stereotypes about gender roles, feminists continue to battle the dehumanization of women, as manipulated histories such as the Salem witch trials are brought to light. There will always be some version of the trials, but now society has the skills and awareness to combat it.
Our installation explores this idea of the past, to inspire revolution in the future.
Alex Tugend & Jeremy Dominguez
The Salem Witch Trials were a supported trend that fell out of fashion. Centuries later, we have realized—thanks to all of the feminist movements—that the trials were not an attack against witches but instead, against women. In this short film, we display that attack, and the fear women faced while being hunted down during the time of the trials.
With a seemingly suspicious man walking into the frame with his dog, the tone of the film is immediately set. The underlying music adds intensity to this moment. Cutting back and forward from scenes where the man is stalking the feminine figure crossing a river. We wanted the viewer to feel that this is a never ending loop, constant running, constant fear.
When will violence against women stop?
We created this film using two programs, Adobe Premiere and Ableton Live to illustrate this moment of fear both in the Salem witch trials through to the present.
The rights to individual women’s reproductive systems are being threatened and in places nearly eradicated. The first female Vice President in 2020 was a step in the right direction, but breaking through a political barrier older than the United States will take far more effort.
Be it sexism in politics or stereotypes about gender roles, feminists continue to battle the dehumanization of women, as manipulated histories such as the Salem witch trials are brought to light. There will always be some version of the trials, but now society has the skills and awareness to combat it.
Our installation explores this idea of the past, to inspire revolution in the future.
Jailbound
Jennay Dean
Natalia Armenta
Noa Wright
Analise Tiongco-Roshell
In this project, we were tasked with reframing historical events through a visual piece. Our group’s topics consisted of sex worker rights, the Stonewall riots, the War on Drugs, and the institution of slavery. We were able to draw a connection between all the topics through their shared history of systemic oppression and criminalisation.
In our video, we showcased the importance of each topic through brief flashbacks of their eras, uplifting the voices of said groups that were criminalised or incarcerated. We used Adobe Premiere to create a video consisting of a collection of films connecting to our topics, still images, a contemporary art piece and our own footage from the old San Diego police headquarters jail. In the intro, there are flashes between children and people who have been incarcerated. This goes to show the absurdity of children in jail, connecting to a brutal, unjust and oppressive system where marginalised communities are criminalised. Moreover, a stigma that is attached to our identity, profession, and livelihood. Throughout the video you will see flashbacks between different eras and movements going through a jail.
As we move through the decades, we can rewrite the history of how topics like ours are told. Along with our central video, we have two other screens simultaneously playing. The reflected digital art piece played on the left & right screen is a singular representation of our overarching theme of discriminatory laws. The digital art piece is a collection of images correlating to each topic to highlight how society has categorised minorities and said groups by putting them in boxes. Our main intention is to challenge the audience’s perception of the justice system by illustrating people being put into a box. Ultimately, our project investigates how past and present movements are binded by the outdated ethics of the justice system.
Jennay Dean
Natalia Armenta
Noa Wright
Analise Tiongco-Roshell
In this project, we were tasked with reframing historical events through a visual piece. Our group’s topics consisted of sex worker rights, the Stonewall riots, the War on Drugs, and the institution of slavery. We were able to draw a connection between all the topics through their shared history of systemic oppression and criminalisation.
In our video, we showcased the importance of each topic through brief flashbacks of their eras, uplifting the voices of said groups that were criminalised or incarcerated. We used Adobe Premiere to create a video consisting of a collection of films connecting to our topics, still images, a contemporary art piece and our own footage from the old San Diego police headquarters jail. In the intro, there are flashes between children and people who have been incarcerated. This goes to show the absurdity of children in jail, connecting to a brutal, unjust and oppressive system where marginalised communities are criminalised. Moreover, a stigma that is attached to our identity, profession, and livelihood. Throughout the video you will see flashbacks between different eras and movements going through a jail.
As we move through the decades, we can rewrite the history of how topics like ours are told. Along with our central video, we have two other screens simultaneously playing. The reflected digital art piece played on the left & right screen is a singular representation of our overarching theme of discriminatory laws. The digital art piece is a collection of images correlating to each topic to highlight how society has categorised minorities and said groups by putting them in boxes. Our main intention is to challenge the audience’s perception of the justice system by illustrating people being put into a box. Ultimately, our project investigates how past and present movements are binded by the outdated ethics of the justice system.
The Injustice of the Iraq War
Emiliano Villa
In this piece, I explore the Iraq war’s death toll, cost and the ways those things continue to affect the U.S. and Iraq to this day. This piece also exposes Abu Ghraib, a prison, where torture was conducted by U.S. military officials.
The text-to-speech audio in the video imitates and critiques the monotone voice often found in documentaries discussing war. Through this project I hope to inform the viewers on the atrocities this war demonstrated.
Emiliano Villa
In this piece, I explore the Iraq war’s death toll, cost and the ways those things continue to affect the U.S. and Iraq to this day. This piece also exposes Abu Ghraib, a prison, where torture was conducted by U.S. military officials.
The text-to-speech audio in the video imitates and critiques the monotone voice often found in documentaries discussing war. Through this project I hope to inform the viewers on the atrocities this war demonstrated.
Misunderstood Heroes
Fatima Lopez & Jessica Andrews
In this project, we showed the unity the Black Panthers had while fighting for equality. The topic was inspired from Jessica’s research essay. In her research, she explained how the Black Panther Party was seen as a group of criminals in the 1960’s and 70’s compared to today's society where they are now viewed as heroes of the Black community.
We wanted to highlight these heroes with this piece.
In Premiere pro, we combined two separate videos. In both of the videos, members of the Black Panther Party are chanting at protests. Throughout the video, we have important pictures of the Black Panthers flashing during the impactful parts of the chants.
Our intention with this video is to uplift the Black Panthers and their positive impact on the community.
Fatima Lopez & Jessica Andrews
In this project, we showed the unity the Black Panthers had while fighting for equality. The topic was inspired from Jessica’s research essay. In her research, she explained how the Black Panther Party was seen as a group of criminals in the 1960’s and 70’s compared to today's society where they are now viewed as heroes of the Black community.
We wanted to highlight these heroes with this piece.
In Premiere pro, we combined two separate videos. In both of the videos, members of the Black Panther Party are chanting at protests. Throughout the video, we have important pictures of the Black Panthers flashing during the impactful parts of the chants.
Our intention with this video is to uplift the Black Panthers and their positive impact on the community.
The War on Drugs: Block Edition
Benito Velez & Joseph Spencer
In this project, we hoped to reframe The War on Drugs. We created a video that illustrates the way people of color are arrested and incarcerated in contrast with how white individuals are not for similar crimes. The goal of the video is to expose the fact that the War on Drugs had an agenda against people of color. Police in particular played a large role in arresting those of color. We aim to challenge the audience’s perception of The War on Drugs by showcasing a script in which a situation like this happened. We showcased the harsh reality people of color faced.
We created The War on Drugs Block Edition using Adobe Premiere Pro, stop motion animation and GarageBand. The materials we used to create these videos were simple, but we felt that they tell a larger story. We originally planned to create a skit with people, but we chose to do inanimate objects instead.
Ultimately, our goal is to expose The War on Drugs for being an outlet of discrimination towards people of color and bring awareness to a situation that still affects people now.
Benito Velez & Joseph Spencer
In this project, we hoped to reframe The War on Drugs. We created a video that illustrates the way people of color are arrested and incarcerated in contrast with how white individuals are not for similar crimes. The goal of the video is to expose the fact that the War on Drugs had an agenda against people of color. Police in particular played a large role in arresting those of color. We aim to challenge the audience’s perception of The War on Drugs by showcasing a script in which a situation like this happened. We showcased the harsh reality people of color faced.
We created The War on Drugs Block Edition using Adobe Premiere Pro, stop motion animation and GarageBand. The materials we used to create these videos were simple, but we felt that they tell a larger story. We originally planned to create a skit with people, but we chose to do inanimate objects instead.
Ultimately, our goal is to expose The War on Drugs for being an outlet of discrimination towards people of color and bring awareness to a situation that still affects people now.
War is Hell
Hector Gonzalez
In this project, I displayed the horror of the Vietnam war as best as I could in an Audio/Visual style project. I aimed to portray the war as truly horrific and non-glorious. To do this, I used news footage from the 1960s and photos taken during the Tet Offensive which led to the anti -war protests of 1969. For the audio portion of the piece, I recreated the song “Last night I had the strangest dream” by John Denver. To make this piece, I used Ableton Live along with a piano and guitar. My piece is designed to be an overarching view of the 1969 Vietnam war.
In this piece, I show the viewer how the Vietnam war was seen from the ground as the troops saw it. I hope to make the audience question how they see war as a noble thing and show them the reality of war as hell. I highlighted the first unifying movements in America, the anti- war protests which show how so many were against the war. In the end, I hope that most people will see this as an anti-war piece and take away that Vietnam was truly a nightmare.
Hector Gonzalez
In this project, I displayed the horror of the Vietnam war as best as I could in an Audio/Visual style project. I aimed to portray the war as truly horrific and non-glorious. To do this, I used news footage from the 1960s and photos taken during the Tet Offensive which led to the anti -war protests of 1969. For the audio portion of the piece, I recreated the song “Last night I had the strangest dream” by John Denver. To make this piece, I used Ableton Live along with a piano and guitar. My piece is designed to be an overarching view of the 1969 Vietnam war.
In this piece, I show the viewer how the Vietnam war was seen from the ground as the troops saw it. I hope to make the audience question how they see war as a noble thing and show them the reality of war as hell. I highlighted the first unifying movements in America, the anti- war protests which show how so many were against the war. In the end, I hope that most people will see this as an anti-war piece and take away that Vietnam was truly a nightmare.
The Culture of Community
Christopher Austin
Henry Klam
Samir Meija
For our project, we found a greater connection between our three research topics: baseball, lowriding, and skateboarding. We used the common theme of community, and agreed to create three separate videos to showcase supportive communities through a shared passion.
Chris:
In my video, I explore the many aspects of community through the lens of my own: baseball. I chose clips to convey the knowledge, capabilities, and habits of baseball players and their fans. Although my video did not focus on this exact topic, it connected to my research on the evolution of societies’ view of Jackie Robinson. My video showcases the culture of baseball players and fans. I hope my video brings people a newfound interest in baseball.
Henry:
My video depicts the community of skaters, which I have only recently become involved with, while also displaying several famous skaters who I believe are a staple to the skating community. Skating has introduced me to a variety of talented individuals who have pushed me to step out of my comfort zone. This community also made me more creative and passionate about style and art.
Samir:
My video’s composition showcases my research, and its connection to the greater theme of community through the culture of lowriding. I displayed the unity, family, and lifestyles of lowriding, and its history of negative perceptions in society. People often make stereotypes about lowrider culture, connecting it to gangs, violence, and drug dealing.I hope this video helps you hit the switch on lowriding
Christopher Austin
Henry Klam
Samir Meija
For our project, we found a greater connection between our three research topics: baseball, lowriding, and skateboarding. We used the common theme of community, and agreed to create three separate videos to showcase supportive communities through a shared passion.
Chris:
In my video, I explore the many aspects of community through the lens of my own: baseball. I chose clips to convey the knowledge, capabilities, and habits of baseball players and their fans. Although my video did not focus on this exact topic, it connected to my research on the evolution of societies’ view of Jackie Robinson. My video showcases the culture of baseball players and fans. I hope my video brings people a newfound interest in baseball.
Henry:
My video depicts the community of skaters, which I have only recently become involved with, while also displaying several famous skaters who I believe are a staple to the skating community. Skating has introduced me to a variety of talented individuals who have pushed me to step out of my comfort zone. This community also made me more creative and passionate about style and art.
Samir:
My video’s composition showcases my research, and its connection to the greater theme of community through the culture of lowriding. I displayed the unity, family, and lifestyles of lowriding, and its history of negative perceptions in society. People often make stereotypes about lowrider culture, connecting it to gangs, violence, and drug dealing.I hope this video helps you hit the switch on lowriding
Sounds of the Universe
Bjorn Labrum & Arany Ramirez
In Sounds of the Universe, we wanted to fully immerse the audience as if they were in space or on the surface of another world. We combined real audio collected from NASA and space probes of the electromagnetic emissions from different celestial bodies, and footage of them to hear what they would sound like if space was not a vacuum. We also created our own interpretations of what each surface/atmosphere looked and sounded like. We aimed to take the viewer on a planetary journey throughout the solar system, that shows them the beauty and vastness of just how amazing different planets are.
We created the film using Adobe Premiere Pro to format all of the footage and special effects, and we used Photoshop to create the surfaces and atmospheres of the planets/moons/dwarf planets.
Ultimately, our project explores the wonders of the solar system through an out-of-this-world visual and audio experience.
Bjorn Labrum & Arany Ramirez
In Sounds of the Universe, we wanted to fully immerse the audience as if they were in space or on the surface of another world. We combined real audio collected from NASA and space probes of the electromagnetic emissions from different celestial bodies, and footage of them to hear what they would sound like if space was not a vacuum. We also created our own interpretations of what each surface/atmosphere looked and sounded like. We aimed to take the viewer on a planetary journey throughout the solar system, that shows them the beauty and vastness of just how amazing different planets are.
We created the film using Adobe Premiere Pro to format all of the footage and special effects, and we used Photoshop to create the surfaces and atmospheres of the planets/moons/dwarf planets.
Ultimately, our project explores the wonders of the solar system through an out-of-this-world visual and audio experience.
The Sounds of Games
Alexander Aguilera
Gambling is a concept that has a long history that dates back to almost prehistoric human civilizations. Almost every major civilization in history partook in gambling and created their own games to further the culture of gambling. Ancient Egypt is credited for the creation of the game Senet, which was prevalent in Egyptian culture. It even played a part in some of their mythos. In one of their myths, the god of the moon plays Senet and gambles one seventy-second of the lunar year.
Gambling was also prevalent in other ancient civilizations. Ancient Rome, for example, outlawed gambling for almost every occasion; however, when they did gamble it was a festive affair in which sometimes even the emperor would take part. Gambling then slowly grew and changed, obtaining new forms along with the expansion and advancements of human civilizations. The Chinese gambling game fan-tan is a bank style gambling game that dates back as far as 2,000 years and was eventually introduced in the western hemisphere of the world in the second half of the 19th century by Chinese immigrant workers who came to the United States.
This piece was created to show the evolution of gambling over time. To create this installation, I used sounds from the internet as well as ableton to recreate gambling games. The music in the background is an original track I created to be of vague origin. I hope to create misunderstandings in the listener.
The images of the different gambling games are accompanied by the sounds you would typically hear when playing the currently pictured game. The piece was created as an audio experience, so the images are pixelated.
Alexander Aguilera
Gambling is a concept that has a long history that dates back to almost prehistoric human civilizations. Almost every major civilization in history partook in gambling and created their own games to further the culture of gambling. Ancient Egypt is credited for the creation of the game Senet, which was prevalent in Egyptian culture. It even played a part in some of their mythos. In one of their myths, the god of the moon plays Senet and gambles one seventy-second of the lunar year.
Gambling was also prevalent in other ancient civilizations. Ancient Rome, for example, outlawed gambling for almost every occasion; however, when they did gamble it was a festive affair in which sometimes even the emperor would take part. Gambling then slowly grew and changed, obtaining new forms along with the expansion and advancements of human civilizations. The Chinese gambling game fan-tan is a bank style gambling game that dates back as far as 2,000 years and was eventually introduced in the western hemisphere of the world in the second half of the 19th century by Chinese immigrant workers who came to the United States.
This piece was created to show the evolution of gambling over time. To create this installation, I used sounds from the internet as well as ableton to recreate gambling games. The music in the background is an original track I created to be of vague origin. I hope to create misunderstandings in the listener.
The images of the different gambling games are accompanied by the sounds you would typically hear when playing the currently pictured game. The piece was created as an audio experience, so the images are pixelated.