Decoding Nazis

Alan Turing, yes, the Alan Turing we all know and love was a genius among men. Although he was not the most notable mathematician of the times, he did invent what is now thought to be the original "general purpose computer" (not personal computer). The Turing Machine, can write, read, and erase binary code. At the beginning of the second World War (1939), the Nazis employed a method of guiding its submarines with encrypted radio codes. This Enigma Machine used by the Nazis coded messages by jumbling up letters with a random pair. With different rotors used to increase security, the encoded messages were extremely difficult to decode by the Allies. Alan Turing was invited to be part of a group of cryptographers in England. He solved the Enigma code within his first few weeks. The Bombe Machine, which Turing created, simulated the Enigma Machine, and could manufacture all possible scrambler codes. Turing also implemented Euristics which could speed up the process, however, made the decoder increasingly less precise. The use of this machine is now thought to be partially responsible for the defeat of the Nazis in WWII. 

Turing believed that computers were capable of responding to things a user would input, much like having a virtual conversation with the computer. Turing thought that if the machine would be turned off, it was murder, thus giving way to machine intelligence (artificial intelligence).

Turing was prosecuted for illegal homosexual acts in England (he was only gay, he didn't do anything really illegal). After chemical castration (alternative option to prison) he died two years later because of cyanide poisoning. This concludes my synopsis of the great Alan Turing.

Just look at that jacket. 

Orange Rain

After pondering the reasoning behind the "Singin' in the Rain" scene for the last few days, I have come up with multiple plausible answers. Malcolm Gladwell famously performed the song during the rape scene of A Clockwork Orange, however, the song was apparently not intentionally used when first filming. 

I suspect that many would think the song was used to contrast the gritty-ness of the scene (because the song is typically used to appeal to bright emotions). Also, critics might agree that the scene had to do with the psychological change that occurred within Alex. After watching the clip a few times, my final conclusion is that the director told Gladwell to sing/ dance in order to add substance to the scene. Without the added performance, the scene would be an awkward montage of the goons tying up the contemporary couple. I do still believe there is a connection involving the Lucovico technique and showing of violent movies and cheerful music. Just don't blame the messenger, because I am still pretty lost on this movie. 

Look Who's...

My roommate showed me this video, it was part of another school's Campus MovieFest. This 5 minute video showcases different camera angles and mise-en-scene factors. Take a look, you might learn something.

Hugo Brought Me Here

The link provided on the class website appears to be down, so incase you are viewing this for ideas, the actual video A Trip to the Moon is linked below. This short film/ animation  was the first science fiction film (1902). I have seen the graphic of the moon with the face and the spaceship in its eye, however, I have not viewed the entire film. I am a huge sci-fi fan; anything from 2001 Space Odyssey, Star Wars, The 5th Element, to Tron are amazing. This film paved the way for these masterpieces, for which I am forever grateful. A Trip to the Moon is a classic, and you've got to respect the classics.  

By the way, the title of this post was one of the top voted comments on the YouTube video of A Trip to the Moon. 

Oh Technology, Why Can't We Seem to Get Together?

1) In this scene from Godspell, the actors used trampolines built into the stage. The extra height and novelty of the trampolines adds substantial effect to the scene. By grabbing the viewer's attention, this form of technology is a useful technique for bringing the show to life. 

2) In the beginning scene of Oliver! the townsfolk are walking in a snowy town helped by actual falling snow (or something white). The people are also carrying working lanterns. Both of these props add authenticity to the stage and make the audience feel as though it were real. 

3) In this scene from All That Jazz, there is a unique lighting fixture with a slightly transparent screen in the background. The spotlights and lights on stage all provide some pretty crazy appearances in a fairly simple jazz piece. 

4) The Addams Family uses a more indirect form of technology: makeup design. Most of the costume and makeup design used in this broadway adaptation uses technology. The complexity and precision of the equipment and products was only made possible by various form of technology. Without this technology, the characters would not resemble the original cartoon. 

5) Again, the lighting in Finian's Rainbow was a vital part in bringing this show to life. By using different colors, filters, and spotlights, the characters appear differently and become more prominent on stage. 

6) Another indirect form of technology on Broadway is set design. This beautiful piece in Phantom of the Opera is created thanks to some form of machinery (I wouldn't know specifics). Stage creations like the one at 0:34 could not be made (or at least not as well) without technology. 

7) This scene (0:56), along with others from Marry Poppins use the technology of wire suspension and acrobatics. Initially a children's book, the Broadway remake had to stay true to its roots, and this technology allowed to do just that. 

The B&L of O

According to the documentary, opera "burst explosively onto the scene." Opera was born in Florence, Italy, and was, and still is, considered a way of life. The combination of music and story can be a very powerful force which has drawn people to shows since its beginning. The Camerata were a group of artists and a culmination of various brainiacs. They first combined music with poetry and dance in 1598 with the Greek tragedy titled Dafne. Their second opportunity came up in a Royal wedding. Unfortunately, the setting was inappropriate for opera, so its explosiveness would have to wait. Luckily, 2 wedding guests, Vincenzo Gonzaga (Duke of Mantua) and his secretary, found it (the style of opera) to be worth exploring. Claudio Monteverdi then composed the third and actually popular opera, L'Orfeo, which is now known as opera's Big Bang. The story is about a musician who travels to the Underworld to get to his dead wife. This then sparked the growth of opera into what it is known as today. 

The film goes on to discuss how politics and nationalism have influenced and uplifted opera to the public. Opera is also known to have given rise to modern day musicals, however, they have not been abandoned. In recent years, opera has found more popularity and broad appeal to the world. American composer John Adams is widely considered, whose opera Nixon in China is massively popular. The emotional subtext of operas still invokes powerful feelings in all generations exposed to its beauty. 

A Distraction

As I was watching the Birth and Life of Opera, I got slightly distracted by this Disney animated short story, The Paperboy. If you have 6 minutes to spare, I suggest taking a look at it.