In the film Cinema Paradiso, there are different camera positions/ angles that was used to emphasize a character. Here are some of the positions that was used, first was the close up, it was used in the scene where in Toto and Elena where kissing intensely. For me the director emphasized the kissing scene because it's been a long time since Toto and Elena have seen each other that's why the kiss was like, it's to tell us how much they missed each other during the times they were away from one another. Second example is low angle position, it was used when Toto is with Alfredo at the window watching the movie from outside. The camera was positioned low to make Toto and Alfredo look bigger and higher compared to the crowd below. I can really relate reality in this certain movie because as we can see the ending didn't end like the way we expected it. It ended so real, why? Because for me life is more biased than films.


In discussing the elements of cinema, it is said that when we are watching a certain movie, that movie will take us to another world, a world where we've never been to. Well, do all movies have the capacity to bring us to another world?


The activity we did before we started our class really overwhelmed me. At first, i really didn't get what we're suppose to find, but after a few minutes i started understanding what's the game all about. It is about language, communication, and understanding each other. In films, the director must be very good in expressing what he/ she wants to let the viewers understand, because if it is not that understandable then like the activity the viewers wouldn't understand the real meaning of the movie.


"How can we define what a good director is if each and every one of us has it's own view of what is good and bad?"

"Living here day by day, you think it's the center of the world. You believe nothing will ever change. Then you leave: a year, two years. When you come back, everything's changed. The thread's broken. What you came to find isn't there. What was yours is gone. You have to go away for a long time... many years... before you can come back and find your people. The land where you were born. But now, no. It's not possible. Right now you're blinder than I am. "

One of the famous lines used in Cinema Paradiso by Alfredo. It is really a beautiful line, a line that can really make viewers ponder profoundly. Just like what happened to me, it really affected me. It's not just some pick up lines because it is seen in reality. That quotation has also something more behind it if we will really read and think about it deeply. It is not just some kind of quotation. To summarize what i said, it is a line that stopped me and made me think about important things in my life.

We finished watching Cinema Paradiso last Friday, it was really beautiful, we discussed about doing our movie critic, i'm really excited about it because i get to watch another movie and then to learn how to critic a movie. We also watched the DLSU-Chamber at Teresa Yuchengco, they are soooo good, i really enjoyed watching them i love the instrument that sounded like water, it's so cool and unique, it's the first time i saw that kind of instrument. I also learned a lot about music, it's an advantage for me because i play the piano and i also sing. Watching them play as a group, really soothes my emotion, as they play i started thinking of what we did in our synchronize swimming last term because it is somehow related for me, to be part of the group you must really know each other's gesture so that you will know when to start or to stop without making any noise. Another thing, when i was in high school i also play in an orchestra which is why i know some of the basic background in being part of an orchestra. I hope to learn more about what art is all about.

This week in HUMAART we watched Cinema Paradiso, I've never even heard of that before, but it felt like that I already knew it. There's something in the movie that relates me to it. The first part of the movie was quite boring, but the rest wasn't. I enjoyed watching it because it really made me think about what will happen next or if Alfredo really died because of the fire. There are scenes that really caught my eyes because it was something unusual for me. One example was when the teacher is harassing the student because he can't answer the problem correctly. For me, it was so wrong to do that to a child because it can damage him physically and mentally. Overall I really like the movie.

Toto is the kid who loves helping Alfredo in making the projector work. Toto is such a diligent and bright kid, he worked his way in being the new guy who's in charge of the projector. He did what he wanted to do even if there are many hindrances and barriers to it. That's why I can relate to him, because for me I believe that we have the right to do what we want to pursue in life as long as we don't hurt anyone along the way.

The first week of this art class gave me an overview of what to expect to this class. At first, i really didn't know that HUMAART is an art appreciation class even though it was obvious. when i first heard that it was an art class i was a bit nervous because i'm not a creative person that's why i don't like art classes, not that i don't like art itself, i know how to appreciate it but i don't know how to create one. We discussed about how to know if it's an art or not, i really surprised with it because since elementary i didn't know that it has to pass some kind of qualities to be called art, at least now i know. I really like this class because we interact well as a class. It's a two way relationship. I also learned a lot from the graded recitation because it widened my knowledge about how other people define what art is. Even if this section is not a block section we as a class is going along very well.

The presentation of the dingbats really amazed me. It really triggers my mind to think of the answers very well. For the 7up game, it is really fun and enjoyable because as everyone was having fun we get to review our math skills. The comic presentation really astonished me. It's really attention-grabbing because of the different ways to present a comic yet the same meaning.

Wrapping things up, i really enjoyed every session we are having in this class primarily because every session teaches me something new, something that i never though i could ever learn in an art class. I am also happy because our professor is someone who is very approachable especially when you have a problem about her class. I hope to learn more in our other seesions.