Final Project - Cut Up Method

The Westboro Baptist Church, and one of its leaders Shirley Phelps, are known to spread the hate of God. They believe that everyone is going to hell and that it is their duty to bring God's message of hate to the people. This church is not open to other religions, lifestyles, or ways of life. In this mashup I created, I decided to give Shirley Phelps a more positive view on life. I gave her the message of love instead of hate. Using her own words, she will now preach her new thoughts and views.

Watch on Youtube

Mashups

After using the cut up method for a project, it got me thinking of what else this method is used for. The use of mashups is in every day life. Here are just a few examples of what I found

Speech Mashup

Global Mashup

Pla(y)giarism

If you were to create a piece of art work and tell your friends that you got the base of your creation from another artist they would tell you you stole someones idea and that your work is crap. If you were to tell another artist the same thing, they might call it appropriation. My belief is that if you change something great enough, it's not stealing. If you were to give the art work enough of a change that it gives the piece a whole new meaning it seems appropriate that you can call this work your own. If the art work is available to you, then the original artist is almost giving you free range to do what you please. I know I would be upset if someone took my work and presented it as their own, but that seems almost silly to say that your work is your work only. If you don't want to create art for others to see and be inspired by, don't put it out there. Just keep art a hobby. We've talked about in class before how no creation is truly original. Ideas have been repeated over and over again throughout time. It's hard to say that your one idea is the only one that will ever be so grand that it doesn't inspire others. To me if there wasn't appropriation, then there would be no inspiration.

Cut Up Method

After reading about the Cut-Up Method of Brion Gysin I learned that the cut up method is practically everywhere. It talks mainly about film and writing. Film for example can have many different interpretations depending on how the film is shown. If you cut it up and rearrange it it can have a completely different message. It can go from advising teens not to smoke to showing that all teens grow up to be smokers. There is a point made that all works of writing are made from the cut up method. A writer doesn't sit down and instantly have a 300 page book in his head. Writing is just a collage of words. The cut up method is seen in everyday life. It ranges from movies, to commercials, to shows, to anything on the internet, books. It is everywhere and we are all influenced by it.

critique

Creating a website was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Since I turned my project in I was unable to receive any criticism. Clearly not having my project turned in on time effects my grade, but it also effects how I create work and hoe people perceive it. I can't just assume that people will understand my message. It greatly helps to have an outside opinion. Critiques are an important part of creating work and I missed out since I didn't turn my project in on time. I did however learn a few things through other students projects and understand different things about hyperlinks. The direction I can take my work now has more options.

project proposal

For our final project we have been asked to create a remix. I've done one of these before and was completely interested in it. I mixed together two of my favorite songs as well as about five music videos. This time the project is a little different. This isn't just learning about how a program works and creating an entertainment piece. We have been asked to use the "Cut Up Method" to create a video or still image that has a completely different meaning. Since I am a lesbian and embrace the homosexual culture I've decided to take bits and pieces of videos from members of the Westboro Baptist Church and piece them together to give them a new message of embracing homosexuals, all religions, and all people. The message that they claim to bring is love and warning, even though it is full of hate and ignorance. I plan on giving them the message of love and acceptance. I'm going to gather as any videos as I can to edit them together instead of just two or three videos. The end result I hope to show them in a good light with a message they should have been bringing all along.

Can we change the future?