My first assignment for my Frame by Frame class was to recontextualize the meaning of an image through the use of Photoshop and After Effects. The photo I chose was of a cool tattooed man that was watching the West Indian Parade. Vanity requires me to use a photo that I took myself, naturally. His tattoo really makes it a striking photo, but when you think about tattoos, the problem is that they do not move or change. The point is that the message they contain is supposed to be permanent. However, what if tattoos could come alive and say something? What if they could move, and breathe, and take on a new meaning of their own? I think that if tattoos were not permanent, and if they constantly changed, their meaning would be completely different altogether. In the case of my animation, something the man feels triggers and brings his dragon tattoo to life. It spews forth flames, and they both fade to black. To me, the animation of a tattoo that is supposed to be static completely alters the purpose and context of its meaning. It is no longer permanent, immutable, and inert. Instead, it is alive, vibrant, and explosive!