dieciocho

Another Experimental Short Film by Nhat Minh Nguyen  Presentation After the 2 film projects I had in ART240, I was very interested in film and motion picture media since it involved so many mediums and components that effectively evoke emotion as well as delivering messages. This time, with the new book of Image, Music and Text, which are the three things I have been experimenting with in the 240 class, in which the two movies had thoroughly planned set with each component has its meaning, which tied into the imagery and aesthetic. The music in both short films that I made was used to carry the film's narrative and the text was experimented with bold in the scene or complete absent of it. This time, with the further analysis on the types messages of image ( The Linguistic Message, The Coded - Iconic Message and the  The Non Coded - Iconic Message) I look forward to further experiment and enhance the media's message deliveries by using different methods and juxtaposition of Ima...

blank link In this project, I took my time to reflect, reply, to the one word that triggered me most in the book, the word made by McLuhan himself, "Allatonceness". The word, if you look carefully to it, it is " All-at-once-ness", in which McLuhan referred to the effects of digitalization. Before the creation of camera, it was texts and papers. This medium allow readers to translate the texts to imagery memory in their own, I think this medium of trans make the activity of consuming the media the least passive.  Then McLuhan continue to introduce the "hot" and "cool media", while many points was made in the book, I find it true that the hot media (movies, theatrical performances) still allow audiences to focus on a specific topic, maintain a line of emotions to have deeper thoughts, while cool media (TV, Youtube, Reels) provided a constant and immediate informations that hinder us from maintain a line of focus to seek deeper connection.  However,...

Building on McLuhan’s idea that "everything we do is music," I started to explore the idea of language itself as a kind of music, a rhythmical, tonal performance that is often overlooked. In Vietnamese, the accents and inflections are so much more than just linguistic tools. They shape the way we express ourselves, giving our speech a musical quality. Each word, depending on how it’s spoken, can carry a melody. I wanted to capture that essence the natural music embedded in the way we speak. So, I focused on the sounds I make when I speak, the subtleties and nuances of the voice (in this sound track, I took the idea of making the word or sound that I say/ make a lot whenever I tell a story, "uhm"), and translated that into a soundtrack as the low base and the rhythmic beating drums serve as a foundation, representing something fundamental and constant, much like a heartbeat that drives the pace of conversation. The heartbeat, in this sense, isn’t just about life, but...

Photobook 01  In creating this photo book, I explored several narrative approaches through the lens of imagery. Initially, I tried to blend inside and outside scenes, starting with external architecture, then transitioning into hallways, shops, and finally the people. However, this narrative didn’t allow the photos to align in a way that created a smooth, continuous story, as I had envisioned. I then shifted my approach, grouping images that evoked similar feelings, weaving them into a journey that unfolded across the pages. It was during this process that I realized the consistent composition across my photos allowed color to become a key emotional trigger. I structured the photo sequence around this idea: beginning with black and white, followed by a gradual transition from warm tones to the cooler blues, and then to the deeper reds, almost like a rollercoaster ride. I later considered labeling the photos but found it difficult to assign titles without influencing the viewer’s ...

Collage - College Album "Education must shift from instruction, from imposing of stencils, to discovery — to probing and exploration and to the recognition of the language of forms." Education is not merely about the transmission of predefined knowledge; it should be a process of discovery, where students are encouraged to explore, question, and create.  Especially in schools of Liberal Arts, as the quote from McLuhan suggests, the focus must shift from rigid instruction and standardized methods to a more dynamic approach that encourage curiosity and critical thinking. Only in this process of probing and exploration that students can begin to understand the deeper language of forms, the structures and patterns that shape our world. This change would also turn students to be active participants in their learning, engaging with ideas and concepts in a way that is personal, meaningful, and transformative. In this photo album, I explore the angles at Lawrence University that illu...

To respond to McLuhan's idea that "time becomes the new space as we march backwards into the future," I’ve created a short film to explore this concept. While the video below follows a linear narrative of a couple, I chose to place their past experiences and memories above the main storyline. This choice intentionally blurs the lines between past, present, and future, allowing time to unfold not as a strict sequence, but as a fluid, simultaneous experience. (This idea was inspired by Wes Anderson’s approach.) My goal is to not just convey a sense of simultaneity instead of linear time, but to also evoke the feeling of looking through a rearview mirror—a constant reflection on what’s been, as we continue to move forward. "We look at the present through a rear-view mirror." - McLuhan The piece is titled Pomme , which means "apple." Why an apple? This detail was inspired by the idea that love and gravity are two forces capable of traveling through spacet...