Week #10 – Film & Video

44 thoughts on “Week #10 – Film & Video”

1. Yes, I was familiar with the Artist “Banksy”, before seeing this short documentary. I learned about Banksy in high school. I came to know that street artist Banksy’s artwork has been displayed all over the world and has fetched millions of dollars at auctions. Banksy has never revealed his true identity, and his art is frequently shrouded in secrecy. Banksy typically asserts ownership of new works of art through his official Instagram profile or page. His works frequently make strong political remarks and center on contemporary socio-economic challenges. I think the documentary was great! This film was detailed and very informative. When it comes to the filmmakers’ approach and delivery of showcasing the artist’s work, they did an excellent job. The film depicted amazing moments in Banksy’s art history. The information presented was great because I learned about different kinds of artworks. When it comes to what role public art plays in exposing and shaping an opinion or mindset on various issues, I believe that public art can reveal to us what people’s true perspectives on the news are. I think this is definitely journalism. It’s a way to share different ideas and feelings about a particular topic with the general public, primarily through art rather than words, and it still conveys a message. This is significant because it could inspire other artists to share news through their work rather than simply words.

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   1. Hello, I have learned a lot about Bansky and what his work is like. It’s amazing how he hides his identify. I’m sure that there might be people out there who try to take responsibility for his art.

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2. Before this film, I have never heard about the artist Banksy. This documentary was well put together, as it shows his life’s progress. He was very detailed about the information they gave out. This work had a huge impact on how people viewed current issues. This artwork was informative and sent messages to its audience. A documentary is a radio program, or a movie, which shows real events or provides information about a particular subject and this fits all the characteristics. the film-makers approach and delivery of showcasing the artist’s work was very straightforward and blunt. They went straight to the point with the information they shared. It reflects and reveals our society, adds meaning to our cities, and uniqueness to our communities. Public art humanizes the built environment and invigorates public spaces. It provides an intersection between past, present, and future, between disciplines, and between ideas. Art acts as a collective memory of society. Through expressive outlets such as paintings, sculptures, music, literature, and other art forms, artists preserve life as we know it even better than historical fact-based records. Art expresses how it felt to exist at a particular time. Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people. So I can rule this as journalism

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3. 1.Were you familiar with the Artist “Banksy” before seeing this short documentary?
   – I was not aware of Banksy before the short documentary.

   2.What do you think about the Documentary? Is this a documentary or something else? What do you think of the film-makers approach and delivery of showcasing the artist’s work?

   – The documentary really open my eyes to the significant art plays and the important of self actualization in terms of originality. It’s really cool to see him step out side of the box as an artists and express himself when it comes to his vision with little to no care of negative backlash. However he is fortunate enough to be welcome with little criticism from his outspoken work of art. The video really brought up some great points. For instance the topic of people following the hype which is profound to me. Hype can really lead people astray but in this instance it actually has brought people together and has allowed people to look with in and question things instead of sweeping important topics under the rug. I wouldn’t necessarily call this video a documentary I would call this video a statement peace. This video has a strong message that might go over some people heads. However, individuals that are awake and not asleep hear and see the message loud and clear. We the citizens need to take back some control because are freedom and intellectual thoughts/property are at stake. Banksy knows are society is under threat and under strict surveillance this is why I think he likes to be discrete and low key when it comes to his identity but bold and outspoken when it comes to his work of art. It’s commendable to see someone so bold and not willing to live in fear from the powers that be that are crippling our society. The film maker illustrated the artist work in away I think Banksy would approve based on the snippet of his personality that was showcased.

   3.What role does public art play in how exposing and shaping an opinion or mindset on a various issues?
   – It reflects and reveals our society, adds meaning to our cities and uniqueness to our communities. Public art humanizes the built environment and invigorates public spaces. It provides an intersection between past, present and future, between disciplines, and between ideas. Public art is freely accessible.

   – Probably the oldest purpose of art is as a vehicle for religious ritual. From the prehistoric cave paintings of France, to the Sistine Chapel, art has served religion. For centuries the Church was the primary patron of artists. In traditional societies even today, the primary purpose of art is religious or ceremonial.

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   1. Hi Cynara, I agree, the documentary was really informative. Banksy is just amazing. You are right Cynara, Banksy really knows society is “under threat” and “under strict surveillance” and as a result, his identity has not been revealed. I like how you said despite this, he is very bold and outspoken when it comes to his artwork.

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4. I was familiar with the artist “Banksy” before seeing the short documentary, I actually heard of this artist growing up, and I learned of him throughout the famous girl with balloon artwork, it appeared in the news channels here and there but not as often as online news outlets. I heard of the speculation of who he was as well, Robin Gunningham. I like how the documentary started with the beautiful video of the painting being shredded, although it is an interesting thing to have heard myself that the price went up, it was still satisfying seeing the video because in the moment it was a statement made by the artist, he’s not in it for the money at all, its more of a statement about different matters happening around us, it being political or not. I do appreciate that of him, because his art is his expression of his freedom, of his emotions, thoughts and so on, this is his way of communicating how he feels, and it’s through his gifted artwork. It is a shame that companies and the algorithm make his work more objectifiable, the statement he might be trying to give is given at its fullest because of different interruptions of others trying to manipulate the statement, others being companies, not actual people. This is journalism, it’s a form of communicating different thoughts and emotions of a certain subject to the public, yes it’s not so much with words but more so with art, and the tools are still sending out a message and that’s very impactful because it might encourage other artist to do the same, to share news through art and not just words.

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   1. I do remember now seeing a girl with the balloon art work but I did not know the artist behind the art work. I glade I learned about him through this video.

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   2. Hey Jeffery, interesting that you knew about Banksy prior to this class. this artist is new to me and I learned a lot about him. really enjoyed learning about this art, I love that it was informative and sent messages

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   3. Hi Jeffrey, great response. I was also familiar with the artist Banksy. I learned about Banksy in high school. And it was great, his artworks are so amazing, and they depict a lot of meaning about things that happen in society. In other words, his artworks are focused on societal issues.

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5. Before watching the documentary, I did not know who Banksy was. The documentary gives us an understanding of how his paintings and art had an impact on today’s society. My perspectives on craftsmanship in galleries contrasted, believing it’s generally expected to have popular workmanship exchanged among galleries and different spots. The narrative introduced what it resembled and how Banksy’s profession was effective and unexpected inside the craftsmanship domain. The narrative is great, and I’m utilized to it since I watch numerous recordings that utilize this arrangement when I have extra energy. A significant number of these recordings have equivalent or preferable quality over a few web-based features and television narratives.

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6. I was not familiar with Bankey until I saw the video. At first, I thought the arts, such as the ones within the video, were something many people tended to do from the start. My views on art differed, thinking it’s common to have famous art traded between museums and other places. The documentary presented what it was like and how Bankey’s career was impactful and ironic within the art realm.
   The documentary is good, and I am used to it since I watch many videos that use this format when I have free time. Many of these videos have equal or better quality than some streaming services and TV documentaries. A lot of people would recommend speaking of specific topics by being independent.
   I believe that public art can express more than just how it looks and means. It’s about how the artist critiques their work which is why Bankey’s career is ironic and meaningful since many people didn’t know what was happening until it was entirely out to the public. Yes, I believe this video was journalism since people investigated and took the time to find out what was happening, which is what journalists do. Small groups or one can be well researched and be told to the public.

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7. Unfortunately, the society we all were raised in moves so fast that all we know is a world of hustle and bustle, we are not allotted the time to stop and look at a news article or take the time to watch the news and current events. But this artist blatantly displays his opinion in the form of street art and shows his view to whoever notices. His actions have allowed the average working person a perspective and creates a conversation about what is being displayed.
   I wonder are we more interested in him because he hides his identity? which also gives him more of the power to speak out on issues that plague the world without too much of any scrutiny

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8. I was familiar with Banksy before watching the documentary. I learned about him in art class in high school when learning of famous artists. I always thought it was cool we never knew who he was and risked a lot in bringing art to the public. I think this documentary was very made very well. Youtube has become so much more advanced in terms of making movies and documentaries. The quality is great because they add who Banksy is and what he stands for. I found it interesting when learning about his beginnings because many artists also have humble beginnings. I think that is what makes them stand out because people like to root for an underdog. Most artist come from nothing or even money and let their art speak for themselves and gain fame and frotune. Well art exposes the truth when you look at it. It’s able to make you think when you look at it from different perspectives. It also allows to criticize without revealing who you are unless you claim credit. I think this is journalism because art allows you to see how different life is from what people make it seem. Art can show you that everything is different and will never be the same.

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9. I was familiar with Banksy before seeing the documentary. About 5 or 6 years ago, I first saw his artwork on Facebook. Through his artwork, he had an effect on society. One of Banksy’s most well-known images is Girl with a Balloon. A powerful gust of wind is blowing the child’s hair and clothes as she reaches out to a red heart-shaped balloon that is just out of her grasp in the picture.The public gets to read meanings into these works of art. “Stop and search” is another of his most well-known works. In the documentary, they discussed Banksy in general as well as the extent of his influence. The documentary video discussed his humble beginnings and the extent of his artistic development. Public art plays an invaluable role in our society and our life. Our changing culture and public history are distinguished by the public art that exists today. It portrays and illuminates our culture, gives our towns and cities purpose, and gives our neighborhoods their own distinctiveness.I think the public art offers a point of junction for the past, present, and future, as well as for disciplines and ideas.

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   1. Hey Sudipta,
      I wanted to add that artists with humble beginnings makes there art interesting. Because, we see they made it on their own without connections. Just like Banksy which is so impressive because he only lets his art speak.

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10. I was not familiar with Banksy until I saw the documentary. Before the documentary, I saw the Girl with Ballon as another high-art stunt that a lot of people tend to do in that realm. I think a lot of my opinions on the work before were based on my view of the art world, specifically how museums and the aristocrats that traded these works of art, redefine them through how they are viewed and traded. The trajectory of Banksy’s career can only be described as heavily ironic and very similar to many artists who obtain notoriety.

    I think the documentary is good, it’s very familiar since I view a lot of videos like this on YouTube. I think a lot of YouTube videos have become equal in quality to a lot of the Documentaries we see in cinemas, TV, and streaming services. In fact, I’d argue that they are better since being independent makes them free to discuss the topic however they want. That can also serve as a detriment if they strongly implement their agenda into their work and have it affect the way they tell a story but aside from the strong human bias I’ve always seen these videos as a stronger alternative to traditional mainstream media.

    I think Public art can help us understand what people truly think about current events. As said before, Banksy’s career is truly ironic because the high society and elites he critiqued in his work adopted his work, whether it was because Banksy’s work was highly exposed which increased its value it was adopted by elites as a way to show that they were progressive and not fully out of touch with the public. That initial popularity was due to the fact that it spoke to people and critiqued a system that went against a lot of people. Art is a form of expression and it is especially used as a way to express discontent which is why a lot of countercultural movements use it.
    I think that this video is journalism. I have always considered YouTube videos like this and even social media platforms like Twitter as “The New News” because independent parties like small groups or even one person can make a well-researched, highly informed video to communicate current events.

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    1. Excellent! Indeed, love the “new news”!

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    2. hey ethan,
       I agree youtube has really grown in terms of production value. Youtubers have grown to make great content such as short films and documentaries with great information and great hd quality.

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    3. I 100% that art can help us understand events because it gives us history through a picture and has meaning.

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    4. Hello Ethan! I really enjoyed reading your response, it was a very insightful post. I also feel that documentary was good, I also view a lot of videos formatted like so and I really enjoy them and prefer viewing because they get the message out in a more creative way. I haven’t thought about your statement before, on how the message in these videos can also come off a certain way to continue with an agenda, I will keep that in mind with the videos I continue to watch, but I feel for the most part you can tell when a person isn’t being bias, and that’s when there’s argument, pros, and cons, for both sides of a story not just one. I also agree with your statement about how public art helps understand what people think of current events, and at points we don’t even have to draw it ourselves but reflect on a past art piece and use it as an example of how you feel about the current events. You’re absolutely right on saying art is a form of expression and I agree that the video is a form of journalism. Again I absolutely enjoyed reading your response, really good stuff!

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11. Before seeing the documentary I was familiar with Banksy and how much he had an impact on society with his paintings and art. I appreciate his messages and how often he likes to call out world leaders and politicians. Banksy also calls out society as a whole and we should be doing better in this life. While watching the documentary I was thinking that they talked about Banksy as a whole and how much of an impact he had. The documentary video spoke about his humbling beginnings and how much he had grown as an artist. These art pieces show how the public can perceive certain events and take certain things as messages. Banksy’s work can show people how to do certain things and send them a message that they can’t decline. Art has a way of doing that. Overall Banksy’s art pieces can count as journalism as they tend to combat and tell people a story of what’s going on in social events. One of the most recent events he did was when he painted in Ukraine to send a message to stop the rampage that’s going on in that country. Banksy is overall an amazing artist and I fully support what he is doing. Banksy is making a change in his own way and making pieces to send out messages as to what is going on. I fully support banksy and he is doing great things in this world.

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    1. Thank you! Well said, the newest pieces in Ukraine are great powerful messages, public art can speak volumes and the Internet its medium of light speed!

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    2. Hi Ray, I agree with you as you mention Banksy is enacting change in his own unique way and creating works that convey messages about what is happening. As we saw one of his most recent actions was painting in Ukraine to urge an end to the rampage that is taking place there.

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    3. hey ray,
       I agree it is so cool that banksy calls out leaders with no fear for reprecussion. he prefers to call out instead of staying quiet.

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12. I’ve never heard of Banksy but his art is work I’ve seen before. I would consider this a documentary as it does talk about Banksy’s life and rise to fame. I think the film maker did an excellent way of showing Banksy’s work, through a chronological order. He went into detail about the different landmarks of Banksy’s life and shows how it only just builded up on one another. Banksy’s work made a really good impact on how people viewed things both in the political world and real world. His artwork showed messages and highlighted things that were wrong and was able to really communicate with his audience. The fact he had a whole artshow when he talked about poverty over the world really sent a message. His art on the apartheid wall in Bethlem was one of the first art pieces to be displayed on it. With his initial art work, he was able to encourage thousands of more artists and people to display their own work and kind of start a movement of the crimes happening there. He really started a movement that enabled people to show their own criticisms of the world through their art. I have never visited the wall, but I do have close family friends that have and every year they’ve shown me the wall and how much art is on it and I’m glad to know who started it now. I am actually visiting England this winter break and I will definitely make time to view his work.

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    1. Excellent! You can find a few maps of “banksy” works online for various places he has been! Many of them are longer in place as they have been removed or stolen, but there still are many!

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    2. hey jeinine,
       i agree it is so cool that banksy has changed the art game. he has started a movement where people can use art to call the hypocrisies of people. he was not afraid to stand up for what he believes in.

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13. I actually thought this was a great documentary about Banksy the artist. I was not familiar with this artist before this documentary. I do think it is a documentary because Jake depicted Banksy’s actual life and art. I believe Banksy would’ve approved this documentary because it seemed unbiased and true to what Banksy represented. I appreciated how much Jake focused on the art and what it represented and did not try to focus on trying to figure out who Banksy was. With that being said, it was great to see that even though Banksy’s art went against popular culture it still became famous because of what it stood for. When he said that capitalism had a place for even its enemies I realized his sentiments. Although he was vandalizing public property which was clearly illegal, now that he has become popularized his “artwork” was selling for millions even though he didn’t own many of them anymore. Even the fact that he went from running from the police to the police protecting his art spoke volumes. Personally, I appreciate an artist like him whose sole mission is expression. Being able to go against popular opinion and being able to monetize it is always an amazing accomplishment to me. Lastly, even though he became a multimillionaire, the fact that his mind state did not change speaks volumes. When he said “I started out wanting to save the world but now I don’t know if I like it enough” surprised me because I thought he would be satisfied with the outcome of the popularity of his artwork. Being true to his mission I believe he would’ve rather people interpret his message for change and understanding rather than just being sensationalized.

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    1. Excellent! I agree, documentary based on the artist and his life. The final quote was also rather interetsting, as you mentioned – and makes me question if it contradicts some of his work? Is that on purpose or am I Im reading it wrong?

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    2. I agree with you in the fact that banksy did not change and the fact that he likes to send his messages to people through his art. Banksy is an amazing artists and he just wants people to see what is going on in the world.

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    3. I agree Banksy has a lot of great messages such as his quote about the world is possilby not worth saving. There is so much corruption going on that it has to be a group effort and multiple people need to take a stand for the right cause.

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    4. Do you think an artist’s status and popularity can change how their work is interpreted?

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    5. hey marshall,
       i agree that documentaries should be told unbiased. we need to know what information is out there and not the one with your opinion in it. it should have clear information that reframes from choosing a side and only speaks truth.

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       1. I agree as I stated, once we finish running our lives, we can take a moment to see what is new in current events, and when an artist takes the time to make a statement about world affairs through his displays of art, we tend to listen more and pay attention, I know I do it allows me to engage and want to give my opinion.

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14. I had never heard of Banksy before seeing the short documentary about Aritis, Banksy’s work/history. I did, however, recognize a few pieces of his artwork. This was a very interesting piece of documentary. It really caught my attention. It is undeniable that the artist’s presentation of his work is a masterpiece. The general public is also attracted to it because of the way it attracts their attention. This film felt like a short, yet detailed and informative film in a short amount of time. The Youtuber did an amazing job capturing the amazing moments in Banksy’s art history, very informative to his audience. The information presented was very detailed, and I learned about several artworks, the artist, and even the background of how the artist and his artworks became so famous. The role that public art plays in exposing and shaping an opinion or mindset on various issues is key. It is possible to share opinions, facts, and an artist’s point of view without saying a word about situations they agree with or disagree with using public artwork. “A picture speaks a thousand words.” To add on,
    Throughout the world, artists contribute creative, intellectual, and emotional insights to society as a whole, by conveying the power of their creative ideas to the masses. There is no doubt that art helps cultures unite and is a powerful catalyst for economic growth. This is because art is a prettier, better, and happier place to live. This piece can definitely be viewed as journalism. This is because the creator of this film was able to gather an abundance of information about the artist and his work. He created a very detailed and informative film.

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    1. Excellent! Thank you! More to come from Banksy for sure, as well as the power and crwativity of the modern YouTube journalist!

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    2. Do you think that YouTubers can change the landscape of journalism?

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15. Before watching the documentary, i was not aware of the artist Banksy but while watching i did recognize his piece called “The girl balloon.” which i was never knew who the artist was and the impact he has had. I really enjoyed this documentary because it was completely different than I thought it was going to be. I really enjoyed seeing how different and rebellious he is. It felt raw and he was relatable yet very intelligent in the way he goes about his art. The creator of the documentary did an amazing job keeping it entertaining yet informational. I would definitely call this a documentary. It captures and documents Banksy’s life through interviews,images, dialogue and much more. According to nicelysaid, a documentary is a film that contains subjects,purpose, form, Production method and technique and Audience experience. This definitely checked all the requirements. I love the way the film-maker went about building it. Everything he included was very relevant and tied in together fluently. Public art portrays and might even expose societal issues that go on in current,past and even future issues. It is a very inexpensive way to gain exposure on what’s going on around the world. If by piece you are referring to the film I would say this is journalism. Its reporting news from a film perspective. If we are referring to if his art is journalism I would still say yes because it’s journalism without words. It again captures societal issues without having any words attached to it.

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    1. Hi Deborah, I agree with your response 100%. The creator’s outstanding skills captured this artist’s best moments, talent, history, and even art pieces. I too agree that this short film can be seen as a document because the YouTuber presented us with many facts and personal and informational information about the artist. A documentary is only alive because of the story it tells. Banksy is truly a talented artist. I honestly wonder how Banksy came up with his brilliant ideas and what were his inspirations.

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    2. Excellent, great points here!

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    3. I also think this was a good documentary. I feel like he portrayed Banksy’s artwork how it was supposed to, especially to a new audience like us. It was great to see someone like Banksy take the risk just to express himself about social issues. I’m pretty sure he won’t, but I wonder if he will ever reveal himself to the world so that everyone could know who’s the face is behind the artwork.

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    4. Hey Deborah,

       Reading your comment made me realize I actually forgot to answer the journalism question, and since you described it well I’ll add to it. Yes, both the documentary and Banksy’s art is considered journalism. I actually like the way today’s world is taking a different approach to journalism. The new approaches through art really leave it to people to interpret it differently. This obviously isn’t the most ideal as everyone will get a different meaning from it but at the same time, it will be interesting to see how different perspectives can form in others. Thank you for sharing and sorry for using your post haha!

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    5. There are a lot of painitings Banksy did that we didn’t realize and after finding out who the artists was made it all the better.

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    6. hey deborah,
       i agree it is so interesting that banksy is into being different and rebellious he does not fit into one box. he has made his own league of doing what he wants without caring what others might say.

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