Montagnard Documentary on Dance

     For our final project in Digital Media, we were asked to choose a topic of interest in the Montagnard community and create a documentary. I chose Montagnard traditional dances. The Montagnard dances are traditional because they tell stories of survival and perseverance. They are unlike most dances that we see regularly today.
     My video turned out exactly the way I wanted it to. I am very happy with my final documentary. At first, I wasn't sure how I wanted to start it and how I was going to do it. There are so many different ways. So I sat down and picked out a video clip that I really liked  of the Montagnards dancing and then added some background information to it.
     I really liked all the explorations I was able to do with this project. I learned so much and I enjoyed the process very much.
     Thank you Bob King for making this all possible for us and for being so helpful with the process.
Oh, and P.S: HAPPY BIRTHDAY DUDE!!!!!!!!!! :DD

Is Digital Media Bad for Us?

So I was asked the question "do I think digital media is bad for us." Come on, you're asking a teenager this question. Of course I'm going to say that I love my computer, cell phone, and Ipod.

Okay, on a more serious level, I guess digital media can be good and bad for us in a sense that, yeah, we have the luxury of being able to surf the web anywhere, and call anyone whenever we want to, but also that, kids especially, are getting a little too addicted to it and parents don't know how to handle it. I watched this video in my critical perspectives class and it had a story about a mother who sent her son to a boot camp for kids who play too many video games or watch too much t.v. She was talking about how it's breaking down their family. Really? No. She just doesn't know how to handle her child. She is the mother, she has control, use it. Set limits on how much time he can spend at the computer or at the t.v a day. I think it showed a lot about her lack of parenting skills.

As a dancer and choreographer, I love having music at the palm of my hand at all times. I also love the way choreographers are using digital media in their pieces. It adds an extra flare to a work. All in all, I don't see a problem with using digital media. The world is evolving, so we should go with it. :)

Traditional Vs Contemporary

So this is my remix video. We were asked to compare traditional and contemporary art work. I chose dance. My video started out with a couple ballroom dancing. I viewed this part as old fashion party dancing. You know when you watch older movies, when there is a party scene, they are always formally dancing. Then it changed to more up to date music from today, a song called "The Wop." That is the kind of music most kids listen to at parties these days and that us how we dance most of the time. That was my first example with the ballroom dancing being used as traditional, and the hip-hop song used as contemporary.

I used ballet as another comparison. I started off with your classical ballet company doing a section of Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker." I then changed it to a contemporary version of the Waltz of the Snowflakes, called "The Hard Nut" which was done by Mark Morris. This is a perfect comparison I think because it shows the differences between classical ballet which is on Pointe, and then contemporary ballet which is sometimes on Pointe, but in this version, some of the dancers dance bare-footed.

I personally had a lot of fun remixing my own video. I got the chance to use Camtasia, which I had never used before, and I learned how to post things onto YouTube. I honestly had no pre-requisite as to what I wanted my remix video to look like. I am completely happy with it though it was definitely a challenge.

Digital Art Controversy

It seems like everyon today likes a little drama in their lives. I'm going to talk about some big controversies going on the with digital art today.

So this NPR video on Issa is all about how people everywhere now get their music online, illegally mind you, instead of actually buying the album from the store. Well, to be perfectly honest, I totally do that. It's just easier to me to just download it really quick instead of going all the way to the mall, looking for it, and then buying it. Yes, I realize it's illegal and not really fair, but, I'm not too worried about it.

I loved the Atomic Tom Band video. It's so cool to see how a group of people who had their instruments stolen can bond together and form an electronic band through their Iphones. It was almost like striking about the fact that they got their instruments stolen, but in a more humorous way instead of being angry and causing a scene. I thought it was funny and creative. I personally would have stood up and started dancing to it or something.

Society today is very out in the open. People like to post their thoughts on blogs, Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and YouTube. Everyone wants their thoughts to be heard and the video on the ingredients found in cosmetics proves that perfectly. I will admit that I post a lot about myself on Facebook and Twitter, but there are some things that I see people posting that makes me think, "Too much info dude." I don't know, I just don't feel it necessary to let everyone know when you are doing small things like going to the bathroom (cool, don't care) or buying a drink from the gas station (couldn't have lived another day without knowing that).

So there is a controversy on Wikipedia about whether or not remixing videos should be considered copyrighting. I am kind of on the fence about this one because I think remixing videos is really cool. I like to see what people can do with video clips. You can change the audio and match it to different things, yeah, it's just really interesting. But at the same time, I totally see how someone would get offended if their video was remixed and all the credit was given to the person who remixed it. I think that if the person who remixed it asked or gave credit to the original person who made the video, it shouldn't be a big deal. But that's just me. A perfect example would be the controversy over the Disney video by two remixers, Justin McIntosh, and Pogo. They are being sued for producing a remix video about Disney. Hmmm, kind of harsh, but to each his own. Either way, the video is amazingly done. I enjoyed every part of it.

How Creativity, Influence, Ownership, and Art Coincide with the Digital Age

"There is nothing in cyberspace and the screened technologies of the virtual that has not been already performed in the stage." - Matthew Causey

I feel like digital media has to have creativity, influence, ownership, and art. If it didn't, using the internet wouldn't be interesting. No one would want to get on the internet and read about anything because everything would look the same. Art and creativity are the two things that make digital media so intriguing. Using pictures and videos while presenting important information, draws the reader in and makes them want to read more. I know that when I see pictures especially, I will definitely read more.

Influence and ownership go hand in hand with digital media because if the author can convince the reader that what they are reading is important and interesting, they will have done what they set out to do, which is reach out to the people.

I remember reading this really long documentary on the internet in high school and it had absolutely no illustrations. It was all words and lines. Black and white, no color. Ask me if I wanted to read that. NO!!! It was really boring and did not connect with me, the reader, at all.

Traditional Montagnard Dance

Dance is one of the most common things one would recognize as “traditional.” I remember watching old western movies or movies about Indians, and they always had dances. Most of what I remember would be around a campfire. Even in cartoons, a good example and one that completely sticks out in my head would be the cartoon version of Peter Pan. When the brothers joined the Indian tribe, there was a scene where they all danced around the fire and chanted some noises. I don’t know why I remember that.

           Either way, I am very interested in the Montagnards traditional dances, how they were started, and what they represent. I think it would be really awesome to speak to someone who knows or remembers the traditional dances and can give me some background information on them.

           As a dancer, I am exposed to many different styles of dances. Most are known all over the world, which is why they are taught. I just never get learn about cultural dances. I think it would be really beneficial for dancers to be knowledgeable on as many different styles of dancing and as many different cultures of dancing as we possibly can. It broadens our horizon and shows that there are more dances out there than just ballet and modern.

Framing; Around What's Real

"Framing is the most ordinary thing to do."- George Lakoff.

                                                                                          Everybody frames their life and their surroundings. Most do not know it, but they do. You can't escape it, it's a natural thing to do and if it didn't exist, everyone would be the same and the world would never grow or change. Framing to me is almost like brainwashing how we think. It’s interesting to look back on how we felt about certain situations when we were younger and compare them to how we feel now. I do believe that framing has a lot to do with ones surroundings. When I was younger, my parents raised me to believe that men were meant to be with women. That’s the way they were raised, and this topic is still a major social issue in society. So when I was younger, I believed what my parents told me. As I got older, I realized that I am entitled to my own opinions and society is changing, slowly but surely, and the idea of homosexuality is not as big of a deal as it once was. That was me framing the rights and wrongs of sexuality because that’s all I knew. Now I frame it in a whole different way.

 “Framing is done in the basement of the mind.” This means that framing is done subconsciously. It’s hard to notice how much and when we frame things and how they affect our lives. You never know when you are framing things. I believe that fully. People frame things in their everyday lives and don’t think twice about it. Most people actually live their whole lives without knowing what framing is or why they do it. 

Let me introduce myself

Let’s just get this out of the way.



My mother and I



Me and my brother wrestling. As usual



The name is Jake Patrick Hunter Sochaski. Yeah, I know, weird, I have two middle names. Well in Canada, where I’m from, most people do. It’s not uncommon, I swear. So here’s my story. I’m 18 years young. I was born in Ontario, Canada, and lived there until I was thirteen. Then I moved to Cartersville, Georgia, where I went to high school. I have a little……. Well, younger brother. He’s a year younger than me. I hesitate to say little because he is twice my size. He plays football. My mom was born in the US and moved to Canada to go to college. My dad was born and raised in Canada, in the same town as I was born in. My dad now works for a tool and mold company. He designs all different kinds of parts for cars and everything. He has a very cool job that requires a lot of thinking. My mom is an executive assistant for a financial company. My parents are very family oriented. They LOVE spending time with my brother and I. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very lucky to have them care so much, but as a teenager, I definitely wanted my space at times. When I lived in Canada, I played hockey. I loved it, still do. I am very thankful for the move we made to Georgia because that’s where I was introduced to dance and theatre. If I still lived in Canada, I’m not sure what I would be going to school for. Oh yeah, I go to school at The University of North Carolina School of the Arts where I am studying Contemporary Dance. It is my one true love and the only thing keeping me sane in this “hell hole” we call society.



My passion





 I definitely think the main problem in the United States is lack of open mindedness, especially for teens. I just think that most are so closed off because of what the church says. Don’t get me wrong, I am not anti church. I actually enjoy going to some churches. I just do not like the ones that tell us to only believe what they say and that’s it. Who ever believes otherwise is going to hell. No. That’s bull shit. For the most part though, I don’t judge people based on their beliefs. I don’t necessarily agree with them, but who am I to tell them they are wrong.

Pictures of my life

Digital media in my life is very prominent. I am not afraid to admit that I am completely dependent on social networks like facebook and twitter to keep in touch with my friends who I don’t see everyday. I also use Email a lot to keep in touch with family members who live in Canada. I am also very attached to me phone and ipod. I love the luxury of having my music on hand at all times. If I ever need an escape from listening to my surroundings, I can just pop in my head phones. My phone is my connection to the world. It is natural instinct for me to check my phone and answer a text or call without even thinking about it twice. I always make sure I have my phone with me.

I have actually never been involved in growing food. I did help my cousins grow a vineyard to make wine one year. It was so cool to see how it was done. The process took a very long time. I really have no interest in growing food. I mean, it’s just not something that seems appealing to me.



Speaks for itself



New teenagers coming to the United States just need to be open to different things and different people. We have so many people that are all unique, and new people coming in just need to be open minded. Enjoy every experience you can and have as much fun as possible.

I have traveled to Mexico for a vacation with my family and some friends. I learned a lot on that trip. It was super hot and no one spoke English. That was a little difficult. I learned a lot of Spanish and tried some new foods. It was a really cool experience. I have never really been exposed to race issues. I’ve always been in multi-cultural areas. It just made it easier for me to be open minded and not closed off to one specific cultural.

To me, truth matters most. I find truth in my art, and I am a very honest person. I do not like liars or fake people. I do not deal well with people who say one thing and do another, or people who say they like you and really don’t. Yes, the world is full of lies, but it's possible to find truth in most anything. It makes me believe that there is still hope for society to turn itself around.

So that's me. Jake Sochaski. 100% True, Unique, Open Minded, and Passionate. :)