We are members of a second-year IES course at Kansai Gaidai University in Hirakata, Osaka, Japan. In this class, we'll study literature, humanities, and English.
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We're writing movie reviews... Don't you want to know what films your classmates are reviewing? Aren't you interested in their recommendations? Let's share our movie reviews here on our class blog!
In the comments, tell us the title of your movie, whether you recommend it or not, and why. Of course, don't forget to sign your name!
Then, after you've read your classmates' suggestions, try to reply to at least one person. I'm looking forward to your suggestions for a movie!
In chapter four, the Turkish astronomer is introduced. As you probably remember, he is the one who first discovered the Little Prince's planet, B-612.
"On making his discovery, the astronomer had presented it to the International Astronomical Congress, in a great demonstration. But he was in Turkish costume, and so nobody would believe what he said.
Grown-ups are like that..."
The story goes on, and the Turkish astronomer presents his discovery again, and dresses in European clothing. This time, his discovery was acknowledged.
In this passage, we might say that ignorance of other people and cultures can lead to grave consequences. Perhaps if the scientific community mentioned here knew more about the Turkish astronomer's culture, this situation would not have happened.
Here in our class blog, we have an opportunity to interact with people who live in many countries. Since we have this chance, I hope we can share information about our cultures, in hopes of creating more understanding, and ultimately peace.
Students, please share one aspect of Japanese culture with our readers from other countries. Guests, in the future, I will ask you if you are interested in sharing information, pictures, and blog posts about your cultures as well.
Students, we're looking forward to learning about Japan and Japanese culture from you!
(Photo used for educational purposes only. Source
One important quotation from these chapters reads as follows:
"But he would always answer, “That’s a hat.” Then I wouldn’t talk about boa constrictors or jungles or stars. I would put myself on his level and talk about bridge and golf and politics and neckties. And my grown-up was glad to know such a reasonable person."
In this passage, the narrator is using his drawing to see if the adult he is talking to is able to look at things imaginatively. However, the narrator finds that nearly all adults respond with an adult's unimaginative perspective, and they are unable to see the drawing through a child's eyes.
After reading chapters 1-7 we could see many differences between the way adults and children look at the world. In The Little Prince, what differences between adults and children are described? Do you think the difference between adults and children is based solely on age, or is it based on something else? What else have you realize about this difference? Please make a comment on this topic and relate it to your personal experience, if possible!
This week we're watching and analyzing the 1979 film Kramer vs. Kramer, starring Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep. This was one of the first American films to deal with the topic of divorce.
You can find more information about the movie at
IMDb (Internet Movie Database)
Greatest Films at Filmsite
You can access "Tips for Filmviewing" and a Film Terms Glossary at Filmsite as well.
Each person has been assigned viewing responsibilities. In the comments, please share your findings about your assigned area: audio cues, costuming, dialogue, music, setting, characters, stereotypes, cinematography, or plot structure. If you'd like, please give a short opinion or reaction to the film as well.
Last week, each member of the class delivered an oral presentation and a written report on a book. A wide variety of books, from classics to short stories to modern movies were discussed. Let's wrap up this project by posting our book recommendations. In the future, when you are looking for a good book to read, you can check your classmates' recommendations.
In your comment, please tell us the title of your book, the genre, whether you recommend the book or not and why. Happy reading!
We are just getting ready to read our first book together this semester! We'll be reading The Little Prince by St. Antoine-Exupery.
About a month ago, on April 5, 2007, an article was published about an interesting discovery concerning The Little Prince. An original drawing by St. Antoine-Exupery was found in Japan! You can read the article HERE
After reading the article concerning this new link between the book and Japan, think about any connections you have to The Little Prince, which has been translated into numerous languages and has become popular around the world. If you have something to share, please post a comment.
Here are the answers to your questions about book cover design from Erika Fusari. You can access a portfolio of designs created at Erika Fusari and Lauren Graessle Design portfolio. In fact, Erika has even lived and worked in Japan! Please read her responses and leave a comment.
What kind of tools do you use to design a bookThank you, Erika, for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer our IES class' questions! We appreciate it very much.
cover?
i usually start with doing research from books
+ online resources, then i sketch out my ideas,
when i'm happy with some of my sketches i put
the cover together using an apple computer. the
programs i use are indesign, illustrator + photoshop.
How do you decide the design of the book
covers?
by reading the manuscript. sometimes the editor,
author or publisher has some ideas of what they
would like to see but mostly i will read all or
part of the story and then come up with concepts.
What colors or designs are most effective to
attract people?
not really, i think it's more about how you use
the color and designs to communicate something
interesting about that book, this in turn will
make people curious about its content. but it's
good to remember design is very subjective and
what appeals to one person may not to another.
How many people are needed for designing a book
cover?
usually just the designer, but sometimes there
is an art director who gives the designer a
direction to go in. in the end the design has to
be approved by the editor, author and publisher,
they may ask for changes, this really makes book
design a bit of a collaborative effort.
How long does it usually take to design a book
cover?
it can take 1 day to several weeks, it depends on
the deadline. also sometimes a designer may
immediately have an idea that will be successful,
sometimes it takes a while to get ideas and then
it's always nice to take time to printout designs and
look at them for ways to improve them.
today
January 2008
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