Season 2 | feministtheology

Season Two: Letting Her Speak for Herself

Step One: Pick a Goddess, Female Diety, or Female Religious Figure

Reflect on prominent female figures in Western Religions. If you feel more comfortable with reflecting on female deities/figures in Eastern Religions, or more obscure religions, feel free!

In Christianity, you could focus on Eve, Mary Magdalene, the Virgin Mary, Elizabeth (the mother of John the Baptist) or other females in the Bible.
In Judaism, you could focus on Sarai/ Sarah, Esther, Jezebel, Delilah, or others.
- For more information on female figures in Judao-Christian traditions, got to www.womeninthebible.net. The 'New Testament' section will not be as applicable to Judaism, but the list offers an extensive overview for both religions.
In non-Canonical Biblical works, you could focus on Judith. In regards to Catholicism, you could focus on female saints.
- For a more extensive list of female saints, go to www.catholic.org/saints/female.php.
If you want to focus on women in the Qur'an, you may reflect on the wives and daughters of Muhammad.
In Greek mythology, there are many goddesses and female deitites from which you may choose. You can focus on Aphrodite, Athena, Persephone, etc.
There are countless other goddesses you can choose from! Celtic, Egyptian, Greek, Hindu, Nordic, and Inka traditions all incorporate Goddess symbols within their religions.
- For more information, go to www.goddess-guide.com/.

Project Overview:

In this particular video project, learners will take prominent female figures in religious systems and offer them a voice (especially those that often are not privileged with having their voices heard). Participants will write scripts, inhabiting the female goddess, deity, or religious figure of their choosing. They will imagine what that figure might say about how she is represented in art or history. Using lip-synching animation software, learners will record their scripts and have the ability to make their figure appear as though she is speaking.

Project Example:

Above is an example of my project. I animated Mary Magdalene from the Bible. Essentially, My script gives her a voice and lets her speak. She discusses her feelings concerning the way art history has represented her and she details her role in spreading Christianity.

To view my script, click on this icon:

Step Two: Give a Voice, Write a Script

Once you have chosen a Goddess, female deity, or major female figure in a certain religion, ponder over her attributes.

Is she autonomous?
Are there images of her?
Do these images perpetuate problematic beauty standards?
Is she consistently young?
Is she a mother? Could women who are infertile relate to her?
What is her purpose?
Would she like the way she is portrayed?

Now, give her a voice! Imagine if she could talk!! What would she say? Develop a voice for her and write out a script of what she might say if she was allowed the opportunity to speak.

Step Three: Animate Her

Open CrazyTalk v.8 software and click on the 'Create New Actor' feature (located beside the 'File' and 'Edit' features in the toolbar at the top). Then click on '2D Actor Type.'
Find an image of the Goddess you have chosen and import it into the CrazyTalk v.8 software. (Tip: For optimal affect, choose an image in which the Goddess is looking straight on at the viewer. Close-ups of faces work best. Profile views and three-quarter views do not work as well). Tutorials of how to use CrazyTalk are located below.
The pop-up guide will inform you and guide you step-by-step of how to position facial feature markers. The guide will lead you, but I will be able to help!
Once the animation features recognize the face markers, you can record the script you wrote in step two. CrazyTalk v.8 allows you to record your own speaking voice. If you are male and wish for your voice to be higher (perhaps more appropriate to the figure that you chose, come find me! We will raise the pitch of the recording in Audacity software and then import the audio back into CrazyTalk v.8.
Once the audio recording is integrated, the software will annimate your figure's mouth and facial expressions. She will appear as though she is speaking the words to your script!!
Export the video into desirable format (.mp4, .flv, .m4v, or others may work, but I suggest .mp4).

CrazyTalk v. 8 Resources

CrazyTalk 8 - Facial Animation for 2D and 3D Talking Heads

Time: 4 minutes 26 seconds

CrazyTalk 8 Work In Progress - Part 1

Time: 3 minutes 33 seconds

CrazyTalk7 Tutorial - Actor Creation - Face Fitting

Time: 8 minutes 51 seconds

CrazyTalk 8 Tutorial - Basic Lip Sync Editing

Time: 15 minutes 20 seconds

You do not necessarily have to watch these videos in full. Just have a clear concept of how to use basic features within the program.

The image from which I made the Mary Magadalene video is from a painting by Jan Tysiewicz.

Jan Tysiewicz (1815-1891)
The Penitent Magdalene
signed and dated 'J. Tysiewicz./1842.' (lower center, on the table)
oil on canvas
39 1/8 x 29 3/8 in. (99.3 x 74.6 cm.)

http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/paintings/jan-tysiewicz-the-penitent-magdalene-5649967-details.aspx

Season Two: Letting Her Speak for Herself

Step One: Pick a Goddess, Female Diety, or Female Religious Figure​

Reflect on prominent female figures in Western Religions. If you feel more comfortable with reflecting on female deities/figures in Eastern Religions, or more obscure religions, feel free!

In Christianity, you could focus on Eve, Mary Magdalene, the Virgin Mary, Elizabeth (the mother of John the Baptist) or other females in the Bible.

In Judaism, you could focus on Sarai/ Sarah, Esther, Jezebel, Delilah, or others.

For more information on female figures in Judao-Christian traditions, got to www.womeninthebible.net. The 'New Testament' section will not be as applicable to Judaism, but the list offers an extensive overview for both religions.​​

In non-Canonical Biblical works, you could focus on Judith. In regards to Catholicism, you could focus on female saints.

For a more extensive list of female saints, go to www.catholic.org/saints/female.php.​

If you want to focus on women in the Qur'an, you may reflect on the wives and daughters of Muhammad.

In Greek mythology, there are many goddesses and female deitites from which you may choose. You can focus on Aphrodite, Athena, Persephone, etc.

There are countless other goddesses you can choose from! Celtic, Egyptian, Greek, Hindu, Nordic, and Inka traditions all incorporate Goddess symbols within their religions.

For more information, go to www.goddess-guide.com/.​

Project Overview:

Project Example:

Above is an example of my project. I animated Mary Magdalene from the Bible. Essentially, My script gives her a voice and lets her speak. She discusses her feelings concerning the way art history has represented her and she details her role in spreading Christianity.

To view my script, click on this icon:

​

​

Step Two: Give a Voice, Write a Script​

Once you have chosen a Goddess, female deity, or major female figure in a certain religion, ponder over her attributes.

Is she autonomous?

Are there images of her?

Do these images perpetuate problematic beauty standards?

Is she consistently young?

Is she a mother? Could women who are infertile relate to her?

What is her purpose?

Would she like the way she is portrayed?

Now, give her a voice! Imagine if she could talk!! What would she say? Develop a voice for her and write out a script of what she might say if she was allowed the opportunity to speak.

Step Three: Animate Her​

Open CrazyTalk v.8 software and click on the 'Create New Actor' feature (located beside the 'File' and 'Edit' features in the toolbar at the top). Then click on '2D Actor Type.'

The pop-up guide will inform you and guide you step-by-step of how to position facial feature markers. The guide will lead you, but I will be able to help!

Once the audio recording is integrated, the software will annimate your figure's mouth and facial expressions. She will appear as though she is speaking the words to your script!!

Export the video into desirable format (.mp4, .flv, .m4v, or others may work, but I suggest .mp4).

​

CrazyTalk v. 8 Resources

​

Step One: Pick a Goddess, Female Diety, or Female Religious Figure

For more information on female figures in Judao-Christian traditions, got to www.womeninthebible.net. The 'New Testament' section will not be as applicable to Judaism, but the list offers an extensive overview for both religions.

For a more extensive list of female saints, go to www.catholic.org/saints/female.php.

For more information, go to www.goddess-guide.com/.

Step Two: Give a Voice, Write a Script

Step Three: Animate Her