Moving Up in Complexity

In the last half hour of today's class I learned how to make the motorcycle balloon. The first attempt turned out a bit disproportional, the second, much better and then this one just as good. Once I've memorized the sequence to making the particular balloon it becomes a lot easier and I can start to make adjustments in how much air I fill it with, the number of twists, spacing, stretching, etc. I didn't think it would come as easy that quickly but it did indeed, and now I look forward to learning how to make both the rose and the teddy bear balloons before this project is over.

The Heat Is On

I did some of the skits for the performance in my clown suit today, and I was sweating profusely. My body temperature rose which every activity I did. My back was completely drenched after I juggled the plastic bags because I couldn't control how far they separated from one another. I am thankful for the room being air conditioned, otherwise I probably would have passed out from the heat. I am extremely worried about having to wear the suit, makeup, and a clown nose the day of the performance. I hope the auditorium is air conditioned, because I do not know how I can avoid smearing my makeup and drenching my suit while performing for a room of about 600 students and faculty members.

Downtown clown practice to get ready to go on the stage soon

Today we  practice for the  Downtown clown  performance and it was so fun to wear are clothes  because we look so good   in it.  

Today we attempted to act out and coordinate the scenes we've come up with while wearing our costumes. After a good two weeks of work this is how my costume turned out and this is what I'll look like on show day- all that's left is makeup. We put our red noses on last because it simply requires more time and focus. On its own, without any tape or positioning, the nose might stick for a few minutes but in order to make it through the full show or even just the rehearsal, it needs to be placed precisely. It began to slip off and loosen a bit after having sneezed a few times but it managed to last the entire morning. I felt pretty comfortable and relaxed while practicing and setting up the set in our classroom, so I feel that everything should be fine for now, although with the pressure and heat from on stage I know it'll become a bit uneasy in this costume.

Chronicles of Narnia: No Lion, No Witch, Just Wardrobe

I finally have my complete set for the performance next Wednesday. All pictured here is what I will be wearing/using for the performance. The jacket and hat look great, the pants, shirt and tie are nicely frayed, the sneakers look fresh, the socks look patriotic, and the nose (not pictured) needs a little work. I am only worried about the heat and body temperature rising while I'm in my costume. I'm already sweating through my hoodie and I wonder how I will fair with a suit on me. Either way, I feel like the costume is done well and I can;t wait to do the show.

Sorry if the pun or reference is bad!

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 2: E.T. and Me

I learned how to make a balloon alien on Tuesday. It was a very difficult process with me popping various light green balloons in the process. I finally got my alien completed, as seen in the picture, and it was worth the effort. However, I doubt I will make any more of these after the project is over because I don't know where I can get a bag of alien head balloons, and I don't know if I have enough light green balloons left to keep making them. Still, it was a great experience.

Finally Getting Our Act Together

This week has been focused on organizing the act and figuring out how to choreograph each scene. Most of our morning was spent on the particular "archer scene" in which Maxwell is supposed to be using balloons for his targets. The 5 clowns holding balloons over their heads are the volunteers that Maxwell calls upon after having missed numerous shots.  I personally think this is one of the more humorous and entertaining scenes in our entire skit as opposed to some of the others that depict more drama and some other forms of thought provoking entertainment.

downtown clown class

Today we make in Downtown was a alien balloon and my came out kind a good because i just make some wrong with the leg so that why but i thing i did good for my first time do it.

CIA: Clowns In Action

2015 Downtown Clowns Costumes!

Big round of applause and a hearty congratulations to all of you on a job well done! You should be proud of all your hard work and of what you have accomplished!

Too Much To Be Serious

The class received our noses, socks and shoes today, which completes our clown outfit. I don't know if it's the shoes or the red, white, and blue socks that ruined my intimidating look from yesterday. The shoes and the socks definitely stand out against my black suit and pants and my shirt. It just seems so weird that person who is wearing a complete suit, despite the patches, would wear gigantic athletic shoes and colorful socks, rather than dress shoes that match the jacket. The red nose is just the icing on this ridiculous cake because it solidifies the correct assumption of me being a clown. My previous looks in the suit are gone as I venture down even further the clown path because of the complete suit, to the end point of me performing onstage with the other students in my project.

Downtown clown feel good in his clother

Today we   were wear are costume and to me it real feel good  because it make me look real like a clown so that why i like wear are costume today

The Downtown Clowns Godfather

My outfit came out great and I am happy with the patches I placed and the spray paint on the shirt. There were some mistakes I made like fraying the pants legs too high, which may cause people to see my bare legs. I feel like the outfit makes me more serious than I am supposed to be, especially with the hat. The hat makes me feel like I'm a portraying a mob/mafia enforcer or hit man. The suit exemplifies the feeling, but does give the effect that my boss is an actual clown or circus performer of sorts. Overall, I am proud with how my costume turned out and I can't wait to use it on stage.

Downtown clown costume done

Today i  finished my costume . It came out good .

Downtown Clowns cowboys

In the movie it was show people that was act like cowboys and i thought that was the part that i like the most it because it was show a funny cowboys that was real a bad guy  but people did not know that he was the bad guy so he would go out of the bar and pretend that people  were had guns point at them so then he came in with his hand up and was tell they to give the money to him in his hat late he came out side and pretend to scared them away but he have the money in his hat  so then the people thought  that the guy would  need some help so they call somebody  and he came to him so that what i think about what did i like in the movie .

Downtown Clown the part with the guy act in his job

I thing the part that i like in the movie was the one that have a guy act on the stage with a girl and he was pretend to give a ring to the girl  and it was real funny how he was do it to her and then he ask the dad if he could marry her and he said no to him and kick him out of his house but then later he was prank by somebody and he was to do his line one more time but he did not know that people prank him so that why i like in the movie.

Downtown Clown The Circus Lady

I pick this one because i real like how it was talk about all of thing that i thought that was good to me and the mean of the book it just about lady and she is a clown and it seed that she have a lot fun do it because it could be that she want to do it went she was litter because somebody did that why she did so she could make people laugh at was she did that was very funny to people  so that why i like it very much and i hope i could read more different story.

Downtown Clown balloons make in

Today we make a dog  out of a balloon  it came out good but i make my dog  look like a poodle  it was so fun to make it i hope i could do more.

Downtown clown costume make in

                                                                                                           

Today was a good day because we start on own  suits  the first thing that we did was to cut out thing from the suits then after we did that we then did to sew thing on the suits but we are still not done and that good because real fun to do. 

Downtown clown blog

Today in Downtown clown we were make balloons one was heart leave  and the other was dog hat and it was so fun to do it because my came out good for the first time ever that why i like about what we did today 

Downtown clown costume almost done

Today we were finally on the suit it was so fun because i make my back of my suit come out real good it because i make hole in my suit and that i sew the thing the suit and came out real good but i am not done because their still more to go.

  

almost done with my costume

Today we did in clown class was sew are pant and cut own tie and pack it on the tie  it is finally almost i just have to do my hat

Slowly Getting There..

  After all the time spent sewing and cutting out patches for my clown suit, I see that the tedious work may take long but seeing the results can be even longer. Today I just got done patching my jacket and have moved onto fraying the pants and though it took a diligent effort to get this much done I am still looking to catch up on days that I missed. I hardly feel the time go by when working on the sewing parts of this project because it requires precise actions movements and measurements. Although it's become a lot easier and simpler of a process. it is still very time consuming and a slightly intimidating task. I have to be taking into account that my thread not get tangled and constantly checking that I have not sewed certain parts together. I feel as though I'm moving at a much slower pace than the majority of the class and that I should pick up the pace a bit but at the same time I do not want to rush this work. I look forward to having my costume turn out successful and look very creative by the end of this week.                                                                                                       

My first flower 🌹

Crafty Hands for a Neat Creation

l

Here is a bear flower designed balloon that Israel Lema pieced together. Although this designed has not been taught to the class yet, clown class veteran, Mr. Lema, has combined a number of designs that he was shown with multiple balloons in order to form this neat creation. As of now, the little bit that I have learned and been exposed to is relatively easy and does not require a high concentration as it did before. However, a complex creation like this can clearly serve to show others the kind of art that clowning can be. Balloon inflating and tying, as a whole, does indeed require  much discipline and focus whether it be in using a pump, tying the knots, or even twisting and tying the design into what it will become. I like making creations out of balloons for the kind of art that it can be and by the end of this month I look forward to being able to shape such complex designs as this one depicted and many more.

Sew What?

I was so happy to finally finish the front of the jacket, which seemed like it took forever. The back side was easy to sew because I could just lay it out on the table, and did not need to worry about sowing two parts of the jacket together. I was proud of myself that I started and finished the back side of the jacket today. The pants worry me because I do not want to sew my pants legs together, so I probably have to put a book inside each leg when I sew them. My biggest worry is the amount of work that lies ahead. I still have to sew patches onto my tie, fray my shirt and tie, and glue patches onto my hat. I am very worried, but I am confident that I will get the job done.

Clown "Stomping"!

The only thing more fascinating than learning how to twist balloons is, well, this...sigh!

Me, Myself and Dog: A Tragic Tale

Rest In Peace
May 15, 2015 - May 15, 2015
Will Always Be Remembered

This Friday it was Clown Wars Episode 6: Return of the Balloon Animals, as we dedicated an hour to practicing inflating balloons with our own pumps. I must say it was very challenging as my balloons repeatedly were too soft because I did not following the proper inflation techniques. Eventually I was once again able to make balloon dogs dog hats, and learned to make tulips. Unfortunately, I am worried about making future creations like bears, motorcycles, flowers, aliens, and the complex bear in a heart flower holding a tulip and heart that Mr. Gallerani showed us. I still need to remember how to do the turtle for the babies if I ever want to make money off of this one day. I hope I manage to pull off these intricate balloon forms and remember them when the class is over.

On a more serious and sadder tone, my balloon dog and dog hat that I kept from Friday's class passed away shortly after class dismissal in a tragic accident involving a splinter. All that I have left is my balloon dog, who is all blue and full of tears from the knowledge that his comrades are dead.

A vigil will be held on Monday during class in the memory of those we have lost because of the splinters, as well as the mass casualties resulting from the Great Balloon Stompings. The attire are clown suits and big shoes.

Rest In Peace!

Stressing Out Over Sewing

After hours of sewing patches onto fabric, numerous needle pricks, and a few instances of sewing parts of the jacket together, I am proud to be more than half way done with my costume. I never knew how time consuming running a needle repeatedly in and out of fabric was, until I realized it took me 30 minutes at first just to sew one patch.I am just thankful that I only have about 2 or 3 left on the front and then I have the back. My only issue is doing this again with other parts of my wardrobe.

Fingers crossed that I don't sew both of my pants legs together!

Sewing class tied into circus arts?

Posing in the image above is Israel Lema in a piece of his clown costume that he has nearly finished designing. Patches among patches, we have been spent a number of hours today sewing them all on to our jackets. The idea of putting different color patches on our costumes is so that we can take on  more of a "downtown clowns" appearance. Yesterday was spent mostly fraying some of the edges of the jacket and today was entirely dedicated to sewing. The type of sewing that we have been learning to use on our suits is the whip stitch which has proven to be fairly simple. However, some things can become a bit tedious at times like tying the knot to the thread or sewing for a while and then realizing you need to start over because you've sewed certain parts together, as it has happened to me. Nonetheless, sewing has been relaxing and when done carefully I see how it can be very accomplishing and a work of art.

So today we had our first dive into the outfits for the performance. I must say, although it is challenging, it is very fun. We first began with the cutting of the sleeves and bottom. By doing this it gives that "hobo" clown look that we are portraying. Then we began one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. The sewing of patches all over the jacket. Being that this was first time ever sewing, it was something that was a bit of an obstacle for me. At first I thought I would never be able to do it, but after trying it I found that it was much easier than I first judged. When I finished my first patch I felt so accomplished. Tomorrow I cannot wait to continue sewing and see the finished product.

Getting a Feel for Our Clown Suits

Today we made our trip to the Salvation Army thrift store to pick out the different pieces of clothing that we would use to design out costumes. Seen here to the left are students Ignacio, Olubiyi, and Victor posing in their clown costumes after having tried them on. For the most part, all other costumes that were put together looked like these in terms of size and color. Our costumes are comprised so far of the four main parts to an outfit: shirt, tie, blazer, and pants all of which will later on be torn and sewed together and used with other props that will also be fashioned by us.

Dog Day Afternoon

I was kind of nervous when we started to make the balloon animals. All the twisting and tying of the balloons had me worried that I would pop one and it would hit my eye. As soon as I got the first one done, I was on a roll and kept making one after another. It was great learning how to make a dog and other creations and I hope to remember the steps if I ever want to make balloon creations for my young relatives.

Dog balloon hat_

Today in class, the students of the Downtown Clowns project learned how to make different creations out of balloons. This image right here is the "dog balloon" hat that I made for my class partner, Maxwell. In my opinion, of the 3 basic designs we learned today, this one was probably the most complex. The dog alone was the most simple design I would say, and the turtle bracelet the 2nd most simple.

Circus Animal Escapes_Almeida

Carlos Almeida                                                                                                                     May 8, 2015

When I originally read the sentence "There are animal escapes, and then there are animal escapes", I did not understand the difference the author was trying to point out. As I read further into the chapter, I began to understand the difference as I was shown the idea of animals escaping, but then attempting to return to their captivity. I previously assumed that animals escaped their cages because they could no longer handle captivity, and would destroy or kill anything or anyone that stood in its way. I read stories about animals who happened to escape their cage out of negligence by the professionals or out of its own curiosity, and the stories typically ended with the animal frightened or searching for its cage once again. However, there were stories that supported my previous belief that there are animals who want to escape their captivity and will stop at nothing to reach it. The chapter gave me a whole new perspective on the mental attitude of an animal who escaped the very cage they had been held captive for so long. Many animals may not want to leave their cage and are frightened to have freedom when they spent their entire life  taking orders and being cared of by others, just like humans who must become adults. I do believe I understand the concept of two different types of escapes. There are the animals who can no longer stand being cooped up and plan to leave their cage, and the ones who are freed from their cage by happenstance and feel like they could not survive if they do not return.

Today we watched The Red Skelton and he reminds me of Robin Williams (rip) by the way he acts and how he can impersonate different people. I do also like how it it's black and white. I did not however like the female criminals skit because it wasn't funny...

Red Skelton Review 3_Almeida

Carlos Almeida                                                                                                                     May 7, 2015

The segments from The Red Skelton Show I saw today had jokes that I understood, but failed to make me laugh. I understood nearly every joke told in the segments I watched today, but they were either jokes that I had already heard, or ones I just did not think were funny. One of the biggest disappointments were the skits with that episode's guest star. I did not find any of the skits funny and did not understand most of the jokes. The only parts of the videos that did make me laugh were the errors and moments where the performers broke character. It was hilarious how Red Skelton made references to mistakes he or the other performers made and how he would often laugh while others were doing the skit. One of my favorite parts was when the show's ending was cut short because the skit featured an actual tiger and Mr. Skelton  did not want to stick around and see it. Overall, the skits were the least funniest, but the errors made up for that.

Red Skelton Review 2_Almeida

Carlos Almeida                                                                                                                     May 7, 2015

The second set of videos I saw of The Red Skelton Show were much easier to understand. The skits with that episode's guest star were funnier and I laughed many times during some of the episodes. I understood most of Mr. Skelton's jokes, but I still did not understand why the audience was in such an uproar over every single thing he said. One of the most interesting aspects of the videos the class watched was Mr. Skelton's rendition of The Pledge of Allegiance. I never knew he would be that serious on his show. It was like a breathe of fresh air to see him be so serious and I wished there were more clips of him being that serious.

Red skeleton ch.2

          Maxwell Edwards

                     My favorite pars of the movie were particularly the bonus features. There were a couple of reasons i liked this scene/part and one of them is because it was in color. Any jokes or skits i did not understand so i just sat there. The other reason was the last skit we saw about Fred Kadiddlehopper(aka Red skeleton) getting accidentally getting recruited to a TV show. But all in all it wasn't horrible but it wasn't great either.    

Red skeleton ch.1

          Maxwell Edwards      

                     My favorite skit of red skeleton was Dead eye and the gunslinger. I laughed at some jokes but i couldn't understand most of them. Some i could not here and some were probably before my time. I liked the creativeness of the props and the characters.

Red Skelton Review_Almeida

Carlos Almeida                                                                                                                     May 5, 2015

I enjoyed the scenes where Red Skelton did skits with that episode's guest. Most of them I laughed at, but some were confusing because I did not think the joke was funny. My issue was that Mr. Skelton often spoke fast after a joke was told, so I did not have time to understand it. It was slightly difficult to hear his jokes in the opening monologue because of the roar coming from the audience after the previous joke. Most of Mr. Skelton's jokes I found unfunny and I did not know why the audience seemed like they were dying from laughter. Overall, the skits with the episode's guest star and some of Mr. Skelton's jpkes in his opening monologue were the only things I enjoyed.

Please post a blog about the Red Skelton dvds you will be shown in class. If you are unable to view the dvds for some reason, please blog a paragraph about the most interesting aspect of clown history you learned in your reading!