My Creative Inspirations - 1A

Inspiration can come from a lot of different things for a lot of different people. And its not just artists who have "creative inspirations"; anyone can have them and everyone is inspired by someone or somethings. For me, a lot of my inspirations come from people in the media field, because of my interest in film and video-games. And since these things have been a major part of my life and what i am pursuing as a career, I have come across alot of musicians,, films and video-games that have sort-of laid the foundation for what i wish to create. Some of them are more recent than others, but their impact on my creative thinking are still the same.

1. Hollywood Undead - Musician 

When I first started listening to H.U. in 2008, they instantly became my favorite band. Their first album, Swan Songs, was a mix of hard-rock party anthems with rap and screaming that i would jam to and songs that were about the struggle with depression, alcoholism, loss of loved ones and other sensitive subjects. I was amazed by this because there was such a contrast between the songs that it instantly grabbed by attention and showed that can be a truly versatile band that can perform well. A lot of their music is special because of the contrast and affinity between things. Their new album, titled "American Tragedy" succeeds in this contrast/affinity more than their previous album did in many ways. Songs like "Been to Hell"and "Comin' In Hot" and two totally different songs, where one is about hopes and dashed hopes one has when trying to make a name for yourself Hollywood, while the other is about partying and getting wasted. But song on the album really stood out to me in terms of contrast/affinity, and its called "Bullet". The song has a catchy, happy beat, yet its lyrics are dark and disturbing, depicting ones struggles with suicide. I loved it when I heard this, and this is a perfect example of how they try to merge a dark subject with happy tune. And its because of that, that it stands out to me, because suicidal thoughts aren't always in dark people; they can come to someone who seems completely happy and normal, which is why its so dangerous. H.U. versatility and deep lyrics in (some of) their songs have inspired me to be more versatile in my work, and that by coming two totally opposite ideas or thoughts can be better than just sticking to one.

2. City of God - Film

When i sat down to watch City of God for the first time, i wasn't expecting anything that good. My friend had recommended it to me and it was a foreign film, but i was bored and popped it in. After finishing it, i was blown away. It was and still is, one of the most traumatic, violent, saddening, engrossing, and best films i have ever seen. The acting was good, but what did it for me was the mood and tone of the whole film. From start to finish the cinematography was smooth and organic, giving me great and captivating shots of the action unfolding in front of me. One of my favorite scenes in this movie, and quite possibly ever, that takes place in a night club in the City of God in Rio De Janeiro.  One of the main characters is killed in a drug related incident, but the lighting in the scene is what makes it special. The way the strobe lights light up the club as the scene gets more and more tense really makes you feel like you're their and the climax of the scene is saddening and heart-wrenching. This film is loaded with great characters, lighting, violence and story that it makes a great tool for me when i want to know how my movie should look, feel, and engross my audience.

3. Uncharted 2: Drakes Fortune - Video-game

When i play a video-game, i'm usually entertained by it while i'm playing it, but after i finish it, i usually don't go back and play through again. Not a lot of games grab my attention and engross me for long periods of time, but there are a few exceptions. One of them is the PS3 game Uncharted 2: Drakes Fortune. Once i started this game, i couldn't stop playing. And even though i've beaten it twice, i still like to play through it because its so good. This game has big-budget movie set pieces, great voice acting, and lifelike and fluid animation. Its a great Adventure game that blends gunfights and puzzle solving to make a fantastic treasure hunt even more fun. But what makes this game special is some of the set pieces, and the tension and release i got from playing through them. There were a few scenes when my palms were sweating and i wasn't sure i was going to survive. One of them deals with a car chase where you are running for your life as a big tank of a car come barreling after you down a narrow alley way. When i played this, i was so frantic that after it was over i was sweating and wondering what the hell just happened. There are other scenes in the game that rely on this tension and release, like the first time you encounter a yeti and when you have to run across a crumbling bridge hundreds of feet above the ground. What these scenes have taught me is the right way to build up tension, whether it be over a drawn out period of time, or in an instant, and how it should make you feel as a player or a viewer in a game or a movie.