Assignment Number One: Review three Mark Kistler shows from three different eras ( search YouTube) and post a five hundred word review on what makes them appealing. (20 points)
Due Date - June 17, 2008 - 6 pm
About Me
- David Baker
- A Media Producer, Animator and Educator whose lifelong mission is "Bringing Art to Life."
7 comments:
Mark Kistler is totally awesome! He rules! I can't believe how well I can draw now!
Mark Kistler is THE MAN with a pencil!
Justin Sinke Kistler Review
The first thing that I notice as to what makes his shows so successful is how each time he walks the viewer through something, he focuses on one thing at a time. That was the first thing to strike me in the first “Secret City” episode I watched. The entire focus of the opening lesson was symmetry, starting with making a link chain. Once on the path, he’d dissuade the viewer from straying. Though it is a natural inclination to shade completed portions, he kept telling the viewer to forgo that instinct for the meantime and focus on the lesson. That focus on a single aspect really drives a point home. Even later, when it moved to the other artist (I can’t seem to remember his name at the moment), he focused on props, the things that allow a viewer to identify a cartoon character for what it is without saying it. Again, focusing on a core concept, and one at a time, allows it to sink in with the viewer, and makes what at first seems like a daunting or impossible task something that seems actually quite easy.
However, even while doing so he does not become sterile. He takes frequent pauses in his work to talk to the viewer like they were good buddies. That very casual attitude prevents the viewer from feeling that their being talked down to or something. It also instills a feeling of “this really isn’t all that hard”. After all, when he casually talks to you, doing things one step at a time, it really doesn’t seem all that hard, and rarely is it ever as hard as it looks. That, and Cindy (if I caught that right) seems to pop in every now and then in “The Secret City”. It’s cute how all you ever see is arms, and she speaks in nothing but sounds unless it’s a name (at least I thought I heard a name). Her childish bearing is very kid relatable, especially when she acts in a way where her heart’s in the right place. Her appearances break up any stress possibly built up from trying to hard to make a drawing right, and as she exits, the instructor eases you back in, and again you’re in a good mood.
Even when he has a scheduled lesson, it is by no means set in stones. Every now and then, a little inspiration will strike, and he’ll mention that as he draws. This spontaneity shows young artists that it’s okay to deviate from the plan a bit, and do what feels like a good idea. This “permission” in a sense prevents the inhibition of creativity, because seeing a good artist deviate to incorporate a flash of inspiration allows them the freedom and the nerve to try it themselves, and in doing so allows everything to be their work, and when it’s their work, they feel good about it and want to do more.
It is hard to find an exact formula for what makes a show successful. It is a combination of many factors that all play off each other adding to the whole. With the series produced by Mark Kistler, there are several things that contribute to its success. The show has a simple and easy to fallow format that helps with connecting to its core audience. The shows also have a flow the keeps the viewer interested. Most importantly, Mark Kistler himself has an energy that brings the show to life.
The show is very easy to fallow long with. Mark breaks down each drawing step by step and shows the full process of creating the art from blank page to finished work. This allows the viewer to fallow along and see everything that goes into the work. Each step is clearly laid out as well as the reasoning behind it. He does not skip a step or jump ahead, he shows everything. He also continually reinforces lesions past allowing each episode to build on the next. This easy to fallow format keeps the viewers watching as each part continues into the next.
The show never stops moving. Throughout the entire show, Mark keeps things moving with stories, antidotes and information about the art. He keeps talking to the viewer, explain what he is doing, why he is doing it, and entertaining them at the same time. There is never a dull moment as any pause is quickly filled with another quip. This helps to draw the viewer into show as they work along with Mark on their art. He also does a good job of breaking up the seriousness with funny jokes and stories that help to keep the viewers attention, as well as, keep the show moving.
What really make Mark Kistlers shows work are the artist himself. His excitement and shier joy of drawing is what brings the viewer back for more. He continually complements and encourages the viewer to continue to work on their art. He takes time to show off work of students and always praises them and their talents. He relates to the view having a conversation as if they had known each other for years. He continually encourages the views to draw anything every day. The entire time, he has this joy in his voice that just grabs you and keeps you there.
The shows easy to fallow step by step instruction, the constant movement forward and the artist himself all come together to create a show that is greater than any one part together.
Its all in the interactivity. I watched this show growing up, and it was always about the interactivity. It wasn't just a drawing lesson. At some points, throwing in the 'ninja action lines' and yelling out “Hii – Draw draw draw!”. I can imagine how ridiculous I looked doing that, but at the time, it was pretty fun. It broke up the monotony of just sitting there with a piece of paper and trying to draw something.
Showing art from other students was always fun, especially if you watched every week. You could see the drawings that people did following along with the videos, just like you did, and see how other people did the same work...and how they changed or added to it.
Another major aspect was returning themes and characters. Usually throwing legs into a drawing and saying that it was his brother, linked the drawings to one another, and he usually would give a bit of a funny story as to why his brother is in that current predicament. Also the 12 Renaissance words were cool. They gave reasons behind why we did certain things in each drawing.
The last season I watched was when Mark donned a black shirt with red suspenders every episode. He had more of a full set, and it seemed more like a professional show, instead of Public TV....however, whether it was my age or what, I began to lose interest in the show. He would take a break to talk about different types of art (Masks come to mind from one I remember), and I would just walk out of the room and do something else until the drawing came back, and pick up there. I liked hearing about the different things, especially when they had different projects to do, but It felt a bit out of place, and I was in the mood to follow along, and I couldn't because the craft they were doing used stuff that I didn't have on hand, and wouldn't remember how to do later on when I could actually get it. (And I didn't record the episodes, so that was out).They could have worked better if at the end of an episode, he would have given a list of the items we would need for the art project for the next week, so we could assemble them before we needed them. I wasn't walking off from the video because I was bored, I was walking off because I couldn't do what they were doing.
The topics were always wacky and fun, unlike the art programs that proceeded him on PBS, as he did cool topics like space and dinosaurs, where the other art programs did things like boring landscapes (“Now, lets make a little tree.....right there”, and then you fall asleep). They weren't bad, they just were boring.
Overall, there were a lot of things that made the show successful, and a few things that didn't quite work. When I was younger, the show did keep my attention while it was on, and my parents like that I would sit still and follow it along instead of running around the house.
A large challenge that we are going to be facing with this internship is going to be set design. The auditorium is quite big, and we are going to have to add enough pieces of interest to not make it look as boring as it does.
Hey, what always resonated with me about the show was mark himself. He always brought enthusiasm and happiness to his show and his work!
Secondly his set was very up to date, In Imagination station the set gave you a feeling of another world, or outer space with the stars.
architecture within the set Is also important, I don't know whose design if any have been chosen, but it needs to feel like a piece of the Imagination Station, but still have a VERY modern look.
Space is a constant theme within his workings. I'm sure we can get some sort of theme going with our "non existant" budget.
yet another thing is how Marks presence is on stage, he needs ample room to go "crazy" like he does from time to time.
The show "Secret City" I loved the glass pain he worked on.
Hey, what always resonated with me about the show was mark himself. He always brought enthusiasm and happiness to his show and his work!
Secondly his set was very up to date, In Imagination station the set gave you a feeling of another world, or outer space with the stars.
architecture within the set Is also important, I don't know whose design if any have been chosen, but it needs to feel like a piece of the Imagination Station, but still have a VERY modern look.
Space is a constant theme within his workings. I'm sure we can get some sort of theme going with our "non existant" budget.
yet another thing is how Marks presence is on stage, he needs ample room to go "crazy" like he does from time to time.
The show "Secret City" I loved the glass pain he worked on.
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