Making Frames, Drawing with lights

When I started cinema and tv,  I took a short course called "Introduction to Audiovisual" in Balmaceda Arte Joven. There, I learned how to make scripts, to use the camera, put the lights and draw a storyboard. The thing that I most like, was the camera and script. So when I get in university, i had a little advantage of knowledge about those techniques. I would like to major in photography and script.

I feel that two things are so important in an audiovisual work and they are complement each other.  A good script is unusable if it doesn´t well narrated in the screen. In this sens, I like more the image than sript. Although an incredible image (photography) is unusable if the script is a garbage. But, how I said before, my first experience with cinema was with the camera, so I like more that side of the cinema.

I would like to work filming movies and be related directly with actors or common people if the work is a documentary. I enjoy making difficult and strange frames. I would like to work as Director of Photography too,  bringing colors, tonalities and life to a scene. I like painting bodies and structures with lights. The good side of work in movies, is that you don´t need to work the month complete, and as a director of photography, you can earn a lot of money.

I would say my strengths are a really good pulse with a handheld camera, my enthusiasm and the rigour that I have doing my job. My weaknesses are sometimes I am a little obstinate about an idea and I don´t hear other suggestions. I must improve that aspect in my life, because communication in a team, usually enrich the results.

Best new year`s party ever

In new year I always eat with my family before to go to party. On December 31th of 2005 I think, after dinner and bring and get the tipycal hugs, I went with my brother to an unknown guy house to a party. That was the beggining of the long night.

In that house there were so many friends and we drank and had fun. Then, some people said that there was another party not so far from there, so we walked to the next stop. On the road, we bought more beers and we went drinking and making jokes. When we finally arrived to the place, we didn`t know specifically where the house it was ubicated. So we stayed in street a long time untill we saw a group of guys that went to another party. Those strangers invited us to a house for have fun, so we didn´t reject that glorious invitation and we decided go with them.

I remember we were in the backyard and there were hanged clothes. So one of my friends took a big brassiere and he stoled. That situation made me laugh very much.

When the night was longer, in fact it was dawn, we all were drunk in street and laughing about the barssiere my friend had stole. Then we walked to a square and we bought the last beers of journey. There we talked with old people that were in a similar situation and we shared beers a few time. I think bought that last beer it was not a good idea, because I fell sleep in a near square and I waked up all sunstroked.

Environment practices

I don´t know a lot  information about environment practices. Sometimes I have the natural practice of throw garbage in baskets or clean a space after I use it. Things that you learn in your home or in school, but sincerely I think that is not enough for really helping the environment. The problem is the few information about ecological practices, but also the few interest of the people for searching that kind of information.

 

I haven´t  incorporated recycling very much into my habits. Actually, I often buy and use disposable products. Things that I have done is recycle clothes,  making or fixing other clothes. Also I sell it or I give it but I never throw it out. About recycling garbage, I would like to have different bins for different kind of trash; plastic, paper and glass. I would like to make a vegetable garden, but living in a building is more difficult.

 

I usually use my freestyle bike to travel, but when the distances are too long, that kind of bike is not too usefull. In that case I have no choice but to use the public transport, one of the things that I hate the most. Besides, Santiago is lack of cycle paths to promove its use. With that thing I could reduce my carbon footprint and to do more sport.

 

I haven´t joined an eco-organisation maybe for the few freetime I have last time or because I am bussy with another things. It sounds like an excuse but it is true. A thing I would like to do again, is quite eating meat. I was about 3 years beeing a vegetarian and I return to be carnivorous like 1 year ago. I would like to leave the animals in peace.

CONTRA

When I was 8 or 9 maybe, my parents bought me and my brother, a game console called Creation. In that game console you could play nintendo and super nintendo video games, and games that the Creation had integrated. So my brother and I played lots of hours a video game called Contra, that was one of the integrated games. It was very entertaining playing it, because we could play in the same time. I always was the Player 2, because I was the younger brother, and sometimes I could finish the stage with him. Most of time I died before that.




The video game is very simple. Contra is about one or two soldiers that run killing enemies. On the road you can change your kind of ammo and be more lethal. In the end of each stage, there was a big enemy that you must defeat.

Playing Contra in pair, it was more entertaining and easy, but we never could complete all the stages. We always were in the same point, and we couldn't finish the stage.

Pakistani journalist shot dead

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2012/oct/03/journalist-safety-pakistan

In Pakistan, on September 29th of  2012, Abdul Haq Baloch, was shot dead in the city of Khuzdar, Baluchistan province. This murder hapenned when he was leaving the Khuzdar press club and nobody has claimed responsability for the murder. Bob Dietz, Asian coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists, said that they condemn the murder of Abdul and that the authorities must research the situation. Besides, another two journalist were killed in Baluchistan before Abdul. 

Anyway, isn't a surprise those kind of facts. In all the world, people that want to say or show something dangerous, they are risking their lifes. And example about weight of information and the fight of interests that carry on.

Beyond the authorities statements, I think journalists aren`t the only guilties. They don`t go for fun or for their whishes. It exist people that think over they.

 I think  journalist's bosses never think beyond  feelings that cause the sensantionalism about a picture or  a controversial new. They don´t think about the insecurity that surround journalists when they go to report a "new" on risky situations. Those people only think in profits that a new  would to generate. They only matter the controversial reactions. So, all turns around money and impact that a information would to cause.

Abdul is another example about the unbreakable subordination and the little common sense which some people act.

Banksy

Well, I don´t know much about a painter as an art expert, and talk about Dalí, Picasso or any famous painter, it would be a cliché. So, I going to write about a important figure in street art: Banksy.

This guy is famous in stencil style, that is about paint in streets or walls using a template or "stencil". About this guy, nobody knows anything about where he studied, where he lives or his true name. Some people says that his real name is Robin Banks, but this could be a joke trying to say "robbin (or stealing) banks".

Out of this information, no really important, his work is something amazing. With his works he makes lots of critics to authorities, the society, multinational companies, militar actions, etc. He always act hidden, and sometimes he breaks private properties to make controversial pictures. I like so much a character that he sometimes paints: one or lots of rats. Rats sometimes say or do something forbidden or funny, but always with a clear intention. So, the style, contents and the way how he acts, are the things that I most like of Banksy.

There is a painting that he made, that I like for the place where he did it, and for what it represents. Is about a painting on Wall of Gaza that shows two childs painting a hole in the wall. From the other side, you can see a beautiful landscape. So, you have to make your own conclusions.

Spain and Europe

A time ago, I had the intentions to travel to Spain. I wanted to study cinema in there, but just wish isn´t enough. Money and another kind of requirement did it was not possible to travel. 

I think that in spain and europe generally, exist another kind of thought that permit to live with a little more of freedom. Freedom to say and do things related with arts, specifically with movies and all its movements history.

I would like to visit El  País Vasco or Basque Country, Cataluña and Barcelona, except Madrid because i think that in this city, there is lots of racism and neo-nazis groups. Opposite with Barcelona where the okupa and libertarian movement is very strong, although very repressed too. I would like to know this situation from inside, and make a documentary. I would work in something related with audiovisual work in the best case, or do something self-managment. But now, in this moment, economic and social situation in Europe is very critical, so it would be a mistake go now.

Another reason to travel to Spain, is the proximity with other countries in Europe. Only a train and you are in France, then Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherland, etc. I hope one day I could travel to those countries.

Study trip

In December, 2005, I went with all my classmates to the south of Chile. This kind of travel in Chile is so tradicional and it called "Gira de Estudio" or "Study Trip", although nobody go precisely to "study", but for get fun and visit another place.

In my case I visited Puerto Varas, a very beautiful place in Region de Los Lagos, a southern city. It has a volcano called Osorno and a lake called Lago Llanquihue. It has a really beautiful landscape. We stayed in a little hotel next to the lake shore. Is something that I never will forget.

In the past, this place was a german colony, so you can see lot of people with that descendant.

Then, we went to Bariloche, an argentinian town ubicated in the south of this Country. So, it was my first time out of Chile, so I remember my classmates and I, were so excited. In that place we knew lots of beautiful places and interesting people. 

So, I don´t know if that trip was my best holidays, but I enjoyed it so much. Besides, this trip had a really special moments with people that I saw for a long time at school. But now I don´t see they so much, but often I remember very comical situations that happened in that trip, and I laugh alone.

Making television

In the first term, I had a subject related with the way to make television programs. Before that subject my point of view about television, was really bad. On one hand, the quantity of "trash" programs with none important content, promoted the bad vision about television, that created alienated people. And for hte other side, the mision of television like a very important mass media, use that power to scare and to molde the people conducts. But, in this subject I realized that it can be programs with  important  contents for people.

Beisdes, one thing is the editorial of the programs and the technical things that the programs required. So, this last subject it was very usefull to learn, and very funniest to do.

Another aspect that I have to live, it was the move of house like one week ago. I moved from Maipu to Santiago centro, and that was pros and cons. The good part is that now I live closer to the university and downtown. I have more public trasport during all day, but I think that a bike will be the solution to the transport problem (about money and confort). The bad part is that I´m surround of police and noise pollution.

Blogging

I never did a blog site before, except for one time that I had to make a blog in a really boring subject. So that experience it hadn´t much importance.  A few months ago my experience with a blog site, it was more interesting, because I could wrote in there things that I like. So I enjoy it more than the other one. I could upload videos and pictures of movies, social information, books, music bands, etc.

I think a blog is a very useful tool to express and spread ideas and information that you want. In my case, this blog helped me to write in English stuffs that I like. I hope to express those kind of things in speech, but anyway it´s more easy to me write than speak in English. I know, it´s a lot of practice to speak very well, and I think that writing is useful to improve the speech. That is a big advantage of blogging in a English class.

The disadvantage of blogging in the English class is that you can distract very easily because of Internet. But in general, it was a very productive exercise.

 Finally, this experience taught me too, to value a very useful tool of communication that more people should use it.

Classmate interview

Today in english class, I had to give an interview to a classmate. His name is Diego Salazar, and he is studying journalism in Universidad de Chile.

He live in Maipu near to Las Parcelas subway station, and he arrived there when he was 3 years old. I live in the same ubication, but I arrrived there just like a 10 months ago.

 Diego likes to play football, and although he never played in a professional team, actually he plays in an amateur team called Chimbombo F.C. "Chimbombo" is a nickname to the plastic and oval white wine container. It's not the best wine but is popular in the young people, not for the taste but for the low price and its crazy effects. This team (Chimbombo) became the last champion of the "La copa del Rey", a faculty baby-football championship. A great success!

Besides, he told me that he has a relationship since five months ago, and  from what I've saw, he is happy with her. Is just a supposition anyways.

When I asked to him, what thing he likes about his career, he told me two aspects of Journalism, radio and word press. Diego would like to work in a magazine or a newspaper when he will finish the career. Personally, a very few times I wondered myself about that situation. I think I will have to make me that question seriously...Not really. When I decided to study Cinema and Television, I knew that it would be difficult find a stable work. It will be a hard life in the future, but I don't complain because I like the career. It`s all what I need.

This interview, makes me to know a little more to Diego and his life story.

HOMMODOLARS

Hommodolars is a chilean website that brings not official and critical information. There are notes, audiovisual and photographic material that shows events or situatios like protest, people in jail for politics reasons, farces, social demands, etc. The kind of work of this website is related with a popular journalism that rejects the way which operates the official or traditional journalism. That kind of journalism that scares to the people and in the same time, entertains and alienates them from the important facts in a society.

There is a section called "Notices under categorys" where there are War class, Genus, Working class, Prisioners/Fight against the prison, Native people, Capital Conflict/ Work, Education, Analysis, News in chronological order  and The history of Class Fight. Besides you can find sections like Humor, Documentarys, Books and Videos.

Sometimes I visit the website, when I have time, and read news which catch my attention. I like this website because I can find information that exists in a very few places, and I like it because it brings a critical visions that changes the way we understand that happen in our society.

Here is the link if you want to visit hommodolars.

www.hommodolars.org

"El Tunel"

When I was studying in the school, I had to read a book that I read it again a few weeks ago because I remembered that it was a really good book. It is "El Tunel" by Ernesto Sabato.

The story is about a painter that tell us about how he murdered the woman he loved. Everything is related to the way that Juan Pablo Castel, our protagonist, is progressing about how he feels and thinks about Maria Iribarne. I like this book because it shows a very pessimistic way of thinking about life, art, and love. He represents , in a certain way, the anti Hero of the love novels. There is a moment that I hated the character because he falls into a moralistic way of thinking about everything. He's a very insecure person, and his head is really messy.

Here is a little extract from the book.

"This unespected trip to the field awoke the first doubt. As it always happens, I started to find souspicious previous details that I hadn’t notice before. Why those voice changes on the phone yesterday?. Who were those people that “came and out” and that didn´t let her to talk naturally?. Besides, that proved that she was capable of feign. And why did that woman hesitate when I asked for Miss Iribarne?. But specially a sentence had engraved in me with something like acid: “When I close the door they know they shouldn’t bother me”. I thought that many shadows existed around María."

Here is a review from Amazon.

 One of a kind April 12, 2003

By JAMES TRAVIS

Format:Paperback

This is the only piece of fiction I have read that has grabbed me to the point that 'I could not put it down'. Juan Pablo Castel is obviously insane ---- but then why do I keep reading his confession? This is 115 pages and it just does not stop. Don't bother trying to categorize this work. It is one of a kind

No more comments, just read it.

Stone throwing

I like to see pictures about unknown people that represents the injustice which act some governments. This one, is a picture taked by Musa Al-Shaer in a riot at Gaza Strip in 2001. The picture shows a little palestinian child when he is on the point of throw a stone against an Israeli tank on front of him.

There are a lots of pictures about this conflict between Israel and Palestine, but I choose this one because it represents the difference about their arms and power. The first country is attacking with a huge militar vehicle, while Palestinian people reply that with stones. A worthless way that Israel have to demostrate power to this little and poor country.

Is a paradoxical situation about the jewish people and their history. First of all, is a people that was expeled from various places and discriminated by other cultures (even murdered because of the hate of other races).

And now, that the same people is acting with the same process (sometimes even worst wich they suffered), I think is ridiculous. They haven´t learned too much.

Anyway, this type of practics of repression, isn't new about the way that the current democracys act to supress other cultures and demands, including that ones inside their territories.



 

Human Evolution Timeline

1. About 800,000 years ago, FIRE was controlled by early humans.

2. About SIX million years ago most early human species became bipedal.

3. The Homo Habilis used to live in Eastern and SOUTHERN Africa.

4. About 12,000 years ago, humans managed to control the growth and breeding of some PLANTS and animals.

5. The SAHELANTHROPUS TCHADENSIS is the earliest human species from the timeline

A great movie

Around 6 years ago I saw a short film from a spanish director called Luis Buñuel. The video is called "Un chien Andalou". Then I don´t understand anything about the symbolic images that i saw, but reading some articles, I could see the meaning of lots of them. Buñuel´s filmografy is absorbed in a vanguard style called Surrealism, that express the activity of the subconscious in humans being and the consecuence  in their actions. Buñuel also made hard criticism to bourgeoisie and the catholic church, thing that i like so much from his movies.

But the movie that I present now isn´t that short film. The movie is "Belle de Jour" (1966), a film that present us a burgeoise woman unhappy and repress about her way of life and the social class pressure present in everything that she did. Because of that, Severine (performed by Catherine Denevue), a married wooman, was interested in the Prostitute´s life. I like this film because represents to me, the agony that suffer a member of a high social class, and for the other side, the excess of free time of a burgeoise woman, that gets in this world.

Check to this film and the director filmografy. I Absolutely recommend you!

  

For call and listen music

The favourite piece of technology that I like is my simple cellphone. I don´t like i-phones or smartphones because I think this type of technology cause people to be absorbed in that little machine.

Because of that i like simple cellphones which I can call, receive calls, send text messages and in the better of cases to have got music in mp3 format. This last feature is the best thing that can has a cellphone because it makes travels more fun, and you can use your computer to pass music from there. I got my cellphone like 4 months ago and I assured that had music storage. I use it everyday when I go to the university or to my home for listening music (and for call too). I like it because I don´t need to have a mp3 player. 

 Now, when I am in any place where there isn´t music, I can reproduce music that I like from my simple machine.

February, 13th 2007, Estacion Mapocho

I´ll never  forget the second concert of Deftones in Chile. I was 18 in that moment. I remember that I
couldn´t went the first time and I wouldn´t let that oportunity pass. I remember that I didn´t listen that kind of music anymore ( I was more inclined to punk rock music), however,  I never left listening to Deftones. In that oportunity I was alone and I bought a beer can outside before the show and wait sitting. Once inside the Estacion Mapocho, I couldn´t be very close to the stage, so I climb the security fence and saw the show with a very nice sight. I sang as high as I could, and when they played "Knife party" I closed my eyes  and I felt so high too. It was so memorable!

I remember too that i felt a little older because i saw many boys with a style i hated (pokemon style) that listened aggro metal in that time. However, a detail that didn´t take me off the placer and extasis of listened a fantastic group that i like very much until now.

Here a memory of that moment.

A Basque punk rock band

All begins in 1979 in the Basque Country or "Pais Vasco" in spanish, when a group of discontent guys make a music band called "La polla records". A controversial name because "polla" in spain is a vulgar way to say penis. I  like this band because his vocalist, Evaristo Paramos, has a ironical way for refer to everything he wants. He is called the poet by many fans of this band. La Polla Records is a punk rock band that makes hard critics to capitalism, religion, society, patriotism and daily stuffs. The fact that their origins are basques or "vascos"( people repressed for the spanish state who denied its selfdetermination and conform the anheled Basque Country) makes this band even more interesting. They have an album called "La polla en tu recto", a 1998 live record, that makes a route of their long trajectory until that year. It´s inspiring!

There is a song of this band, between a lot of songs that i like, called "La solución final" like the final solution implemented in the nazi´s empire, which i like very much. It`s about the way the order and capitalism have everything in its hand and how everybody asumes these way of life without realice it. Because of that, the song proposes  "a gas chamber with politics inside". Ja ja

Here I let you with a great video of this awesome band.

I like / don´t like Maipu because...

A few months ago I arrived to live in Maipu, a sector in the northwest zone in Santiago of Chile. There are lots of things that make nice to live here. There are lots of stores near to my house where I can buy things that I need. There is a little park on front of my house where I can relax and have fun any times that I want. There are many friends that live near to me. There is many  transport to everywhere in town. There are lots of  fields where I can to play soccer. And there is a subway station very close to my house.

But the bad side (like everything in the world has a bad side) is for example that there aren´t banks or administration offices near. There are many cars that cause a terrible noise pollution. There are many districts far away what takes me lots of time in travel. And finally there aren´t places where an up and coming music band can have a chance of play.

Auto Biography

Hi there, my name is Arlen.I was born in 24 of December of 1988. I´m 23 years old and i live in Santiago, Chile. But i lived during 10 years in Viña del Mar. There i studied in Hugo Errazuriz School. After that, my family and I went to Santiago at my grandparent´s house, a place where we only lived arround a year. Then i went with my mother and brother to Concepción. The "City of Rock" taught me precisely that kind of music. There i learn to listen good music, and to know a  band that i love from then to now. I´m talking about Deftones.

Ten years ago, i went to live to Santiago with my father again, my mom, brother and little sister. Now i´m living with Fernanda, my girlfriend in Maipu, arround 8 months ago.

I like punk rock music, play drums, play soccer and go out to party. Also i like to watch movies and because of that i´m studing audiovisual communication in Universidad de Chile. Actually, i´m working in a multinational fast food enterprise, wich is something that I dont brag about myself.

I like animals, but in this moment i don´t have any pets. I like to know  people and worry about social and            unknown problematics..