I don’t really play a lot of games online but I did like console games a lot in my youth. I played some single-player games like final fantasy but for the most part I loved to play games such as Mario party, Super Smash Bros., and Mario kart. My family enjoyed Mario Party in particular and we purchased all versions up until the wii came out. The thing about Mario Party was that it was multi-player and really much more fun the more people you played with. While I loved the story line and graphics of games like final fantasy, I found that after playing too much of it I tended to feel a little weird and isolated because it is an RPG and you are sort of swept up into the world. I guess it was sort of immediacy that I recoiled from and if I thought about it long enough it was also strange that I was interacting with people who were not actually people in the game, that it is essentially a solipsistic world created for you to explore alone.
However, when playing Mario Party it’s really no fun if you play alone because many of the games require partnering. Playing with my siblings was really enjoyable because I could spend time with them doing something that we all enjoyed. Also I didn’t necessarily feel that disconnect that I did with other games. I could play video games and be interacting with the screen and still be interacting with people around me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH9_bGc95Fs&feature=related
Monday, July 27, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Answer to Crystal's questions
What is your take on the notion that immediacy depends on the cultural context? (i.e. Africans v. Westerners looking at a photograph) Do you agree or disagree that immediacy to some may look like hypermediacy to others? Explain or give an example of how this applies to you.
I think that immediacy does depend on cultural context because of the way different cultures have developed relationships with media. With media I think immediacy comes from something that may seem hypermediated to others because we are constantly exposed to that media so that we may get used to looking passed the medium. For instance while watching a video online may seem by now a very immediate media for people in a highly technological society, in a culture that has little to no knowledge of computers it is hardly likely that they would be able to ignore that seemingly magical device that allows them to view video. Even if we are talking about like a film, it is pretty much understood that certain media products have more cultural relevance in one culture than it would in others, and for the other cultures to view this film it would be a reminder that this was not created for them. It is not a natural experience for them and would seem very far from real or authentic.
I think that immediacy does depend on cultural context because of the way different cultures have developed relationships with media. With media I think immediacy comes from something that may seem hypermediated to others because we are constantly exposed to that media so that we may get used to looking passed the medium. For instance while watching a video online may seem by now a very immediate media for people in a highly technological society, in a culture that has little to no knowledge of computers it is hardly likely that they would be able to ignore that seemingly magical device that allows them to view video. Even if we are talking about like a film, it is pretty much understood that certain media products have more cultural relevance in one culture than it would in others, and for the other cultures to view this film it would be a reminder that this was not created for them. It is not a natural experience for them and would seem very far from real or authentic.
1. Bolter says (with reference to Keller)that the argument in most cultural studies is that film and tv have embedded social and economic ideologies that we should learn to recognize and combat. Do you believe that we are being indoctrinated by the media we watch?
2.Bolter says that rock music does not offer anything beyond the experience, the medium and that right wing religious Americans cannot accept the music because of that...are there certain people you think that are predisposed to allowing themselves to participate in such a hypermediated experience?
3. Bolter mentions the male visual gaze. What are some instances in which you have felt that the gaze in some media has been implicitly male?
2.Bolter says that rock music does not offer anything beyond the experience, the medium and that right wing religious Americans cannot accept the music because of that...are there certain people you think that are predisposed to allowing themselves to participate in such a hypermediated experience?
3. Bolter mentions the male visual gaze. What are some instances in which you have felt that the gaze in some media has been implicitly male?
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
1. Media plays a huge role in our society, would you say that media adapts to the cultures and society or is it vice versa?
I would say that both are happening, media and technology are of course hugely affected by the cultures and societies that we live in because often times they are created to fill perceived needs that our society might have. These needs are not always cross-cultural. A technological example of that might be that in Japan they have many cultural etiquettes regarding noise in public places so that they have developed pens that click softer or phones that are more accommodating. Television as well, MTV in the U.S. has different feel than MTV in other countries. And society is definitely effected by media and technology. We often pick up slang and jokes from tv and movies and use this to communicate with each other. For instance how many people have you seen doing an impression from the movie anchorman? It was everywhere when the movie had just come out and i hadn't even seen the movie so I was left out of that communicative frame as a result. If we look at technology, we have start to communicate differently as a result of texting.
I would say that both are happening, media and technology are of course hugely affected by the cultures and societies that we live in because often times they are created to fill perceived needs that our society might have. These needs are not always cross-cultural. A technological example of that might be that in Japan they have many cultural etiquettes regarding noise in public places so that they have developed pens that click softer or phones that are more accommodating. Television as well, MTV in the U.S. has different feel than MTV in other countries. And society is definitely effected by media and technology. We often pick up slang and jokes from tv and movies and use this to communicate with each other. For instance how many people have you seen doing an impression from the movie anchorman? It was everywhere when the movie had just come out and i hadn't even seen the movie so I was left out of that communicative frame as a result. If we look at technology, we have start to communicate differently as a result of texting.
1.Do you believe that a work can be so hypermediated that you will be able to see it as unmediated? What does that mean for our society if that is possible?
2.Bolter talks about how older media can remediate itself based on newer media (like tv and the internet) how have you seen this happen?
3.Bolter suggests that media cannot stand alone but requires other media because it is mediation of mediation, do you think that there is any media that can stand by itself or do you agree with Bolter?
2.Bolter talks about how older media can remediate itself based on newer media (like tv and the internet) how have you seen this happen?
3.Bolter suggests that media cannot stand alone but requires other media because it is mediation of mediation, do you think that there is any media that can stand by itself or do you agree with Bolter?
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Answer to Nick's Ede questions
1. Do you think that a more collaborative environment would be beneficial to the college educational system? Why (not)?
Personally it's hard for me to say either way because I don't think that I have been made to do that much collaborative work during my college career. I have done collaborative work with professors and I have to say that it was very educational for me just even in terms of keeping everything organized (which I am not in the least, organized that is). I think, however, it is difficult to do collaborative work with people you do not know because there is the trust issue. With many successful collaborations it is because the vision and style of the authors match so they can work together without worrying about how the other people might complete work. Also the competitive environment of college will make it harder to do more collaborative work because students will always be looking for ways to distinguish themselves.
Personally it's hard for me to say either way because I don't think that I have been made to do that much collaborative work during my college career. I have done collaborative work with professors and I have to say that it was very educational for me just even in terms of keeping everything organized (which I am not in the least, organized that is). I think, however, it is difficult to do collaborative work with people you do not know because there is the trust issue. With many successful collaborations it is because the vision and style of the authors match so they can work together without worrying about how the other people might complete work. Also the competitive environment of college will make it harder to do more collaborative work because students will always be looking for ways to distinguish themselves.
1. The article presents many different viewpoints on collaboration do you feel that collaboration is something that can produce something as good or even better than you could on your own?
2. The structure of this article is interesting as it is composed as a series of quotes. Do you think that this is an effective way to communicate what they were trying to convey? or is it just distracting to the reader?
3. More than one of the quotes brings up the issue of the honorary credit sort of given to senior professors, Do you think this is an entirely negative thing given that having an established name on your work might garner it wider readership?
2. The structure of this article is interesting as it is composed as a series of quotes. Do you think that this is an effective way to communicate what they were trying to convey? or is it just distracting to the reader?
3. More than one of the quotes brings up the issue of the honorary credit sort of given to senior professors, Do you think this is an entirely negative thing given that having an established name on your work might garner it wider readership?
Monday, July 13, 2009
Answer to Dan's Question
When Hampe speaks of Miss Darling, he says "there was no way I could use the footage we had shot to communicate to an audience what I had seen and felt." Even if one can capture this evidence and make said person once again feel what was seen and felt, how can you guarantee that an audience will have the same experience? Is there a common ground where everyone can feel a feeling or are there certain things that may be interpreted differently?
I think that to some extent that there are some films where most people feel the same as the filmmaker. As humans learn to read other humans emotions through facial changes or body language I think this sort of stuff would come through film that is well shot and edited. Most people don't need someone to tell them that someone's upset when they are frowning, that is visual evidence. We might not all have the same personal emotional response to that evidence but I think many people are able to recognize it. This also may have to do with socialization, we associate certain visual evidences with certain events in our--society Fireworks with Fourth of July, which would not work as well in Britain. I think it is the responsibility of the filmmaker to take these things into account when considering their audience but I do not think that visual evidence can be universal, at least until we have like complete globalization.
I think that to some extent that there are some films where most people feel the same as the filmmaker. As humans learn to read other humans emotions through facial changes or body language I think this sort of stuff would come through film that is well shot and edited. Most people don't need someone to tell them that someone's upset when they are frowning, that is visual evidence. We might not all have the same personal emotional response to that evidence but I think many people are able to recognize it. This also may have to do with socialization, we associate certain visual evidences with certain events in our--society Fireworks with Fourth of July, which would not work as well in Britain. I think it is the responsibility of the filmmaker to take these things into account when considering their audience but I do not think that visual evidence can be universal, at least until we have like complete globalization.
Questions Hampe
1. Hampe advises us to forget what we were trying to shoot and see what we really got, does that mean that the raw footage should determine the direction in which your argument might go?
2. According to Hampe, if you turn off the sound and can understand what's going on you have strong visual evidence, does this mean that sound evidence is unimportant or maybe even weakens your message?
3. Hampe illustrates how filmmakers can manipulate the editing of footage to convey biased messages. How might we as the audience deal with this possibility when viewing documentaries.?
2. According to Hampe, if you turn off the sound and can understand what's going on you have strong visual evidence, does this mean that sound evidence is unimportant or maybe even weakens your message?
3. Hampe illustrates how filmmakers can manipulate the editing of footage to convey biased messages. How might we as the audience deal with this possibility when viewing documentaries.?
20 things
1.The back courtyard of Busey Evans Dormitory by the back stairs and under the tree-the brick is a little broken and the stairs are a little worn down. This gives a very interesting mix of sort of natural erosion and beauty.
2.In the Back of the English Edgerow Bistro- this is a parking lot with sort of cement and asphalt paired with the cracked white paint of the building. There is a patch of really luscious beautiful purple and white flowers which is charming.
3.By the Art and Design building-there's this really nice courtyard with sculptures that is very neat and cultivated with stone benches and paths filled with rocks. The unique sculptures and the the clean aesthetic construction of the gardens give it a slightly foreign feel.
4.Behind the Art and Design building- Another coutyard garden, there are benches and tree that gives really nice shade, it has a more natural feel.
5.In the Main Library in the Education and Social Science library- In the back room where the S-Collection or Children Books are stored it's a small room that's lined with shelves and huge windows that look into a enclosed courtyard. It gives a relaxed feeling with the sunlight coming in and with the sturdy wooden tables as well as the book shelves it has a sense of history.
6.In the Main Library Lobby, it gives a very large and expansive feeling. It seems very formal with the paintings of distinguished people hanging on the walls above nice wooden benches. Chandeliers hang from the ceiling. It would be a nice place to film if you want a formal or 'academic' setting'.
7.In the courtyard behind the Architecture Buliding and David Kinley Hall—there is a really interesting geometic fountain surrounded by benches and flower beds. It's a very peaceful setting and romantic judging by the couples I have seen cuddling on the benches.
8.In the courtyard behind the Alumni center there is a huge fountain. This is a really elegant and stately setting that really gives a luxurious feeling (I have seen wedding parties taking pictures by this fountain).
9.The Architecture building- the metal stairs are very cool, they are sort of retro and edgy and elegant at the same time. I think the spiral is sweeping and gives the staircase some grand scale.
10.In the Architecture building the room with the sculpture of the gates to paradise with the wide airy space and the piano in the corner gives off a very European feeling.
11. The statues in front of the Main Library are somewhat gothic feeling, at first they blend in with the Library but as you get up closer it seems creepier because they are bent over as if in mourning. The effect is somewhat ominous especially on a sunny day.
12.Atop Krannert Art Center the amphitheater is really austere and structural. It's a blank stage but you can see the buildings across the street. It feels almost like it was plucked out of Greece or Rome and just put right on top of Krannert. I love the steepness of the seats and the view at night time.
13.On top of Krannert there are these stairs that go on top of the roof of the main level. Having those stairs there is very interesting placement to me, as if going someplace out of the way. But in the end the space on the roof is very wide and open.
14.In Smith Music Hall – The spiral staircases are amazing with the sculpted ceilings and beautiful moldings. It's also a very old european-like space. Very elegant and rich feeling.
15.The molecular Biology Building- The glass walls are very clean an simple feeling. It seems somewhat futuristic to be able to have glass walls and see the cyindrical art piece with the changing colors on the inside.
16.The huge statues in front of the Molecular Biology Building almost look like playdoh. It has a very fanciful feeling with the bright colors and strange shape and almost seems to have been designed by or for children like in an amusement park or playground something that they could climb over.
17.A house that I passed on Windsor Road (I think) – It was being sort of reconstructed and was broken down. It had an industrial feel to it with the fencing and building equipment but also a feeling of decay.
18.The small cemetery on Lincoln avenue is actually sort of strange and eye catching because it's just a small plot of land that has all these old tombstones on it. It's sort of across from and next to some buildings and you can almost miss it if you pass by quickly.
19.The inside of the Coco Mero store on Wright St. has a very fun playful retro futuristic look to it with the overwhelming white, seemingly space engineered chairs and sparse décor.
20.The outdoor seating part of the Espresso Royale on Oregon and Goodwin is very sort of earthy with the brick and the plants. It could from certain angles look like part of a European cafe maybe in france or spain,
2.In the Back of the English Edgerow Bistro- this is a parking lot with sort of cement and asphalt paired with the cracked white paint of the building. There is a patch of really luscious beautiful purple and white flowers which is charming.
3.By the Art and Design building-there's this really nice courtyard with sculptures that is very neat and cultivated with stone benches and paths filled with rocks. The unique sculptures and the the clean aesthetic construction of the gardens give it a slightly foreign feel.
4.Behind the Art and Design building- Another coutyard garden, there are benches and tree that gives really nice shade, it has a more natural feel.
5.In the Main Library in the Education and Social Science library- In the back room where the S-Collection or Children Books are stored it's a small room that's lined with shelves and huge windows that look into a enclosed courtyard. It gives a relaxed feeling with the sunlight coming in and with the sturdy wooden tables as well as the book shelves it has a sense of history.
6.In the Main Library Lobby, it gives a very large and expansive feeling. It seems very formal with the paintings of distinguished people hanging on the walls above nice wooden benches. Chandeliers hang from the ceiling. It would be a nice place to film if you want a formal or 'academic' setting'.
7.In the courtyard behind the Architecture Buliding and David Kinley Hall—there is a really interesting geometic fountain surrounded by benches and flower beds. It's a very peaceful setting and romantic judging by the couples I have seen cuddling on the benches.
8.In the courtyard behind the Alumni center there is a huge fountain. This is a really elegant and stately setting that really gives a luxurious feeling (I have seen wedding parties taking pictures by this fountain).
9.The Architecture building- the metal stairs are very cool, they are sort of retro and edgy and elegant at the same time. I think the spiral is sweeping and gives the staircase some grand scale.
10.In the Architecture building the room with the sculpture of the gates to paradise with the wide airy space and the piano in the corner gives off a very European feeling.
11. The statues in front of the Main Library are somewhat gothic feeling, at first they blend in with the Library but as you get up closer it seems creepier because they are bent over as if in mourning. The effect is somewhat ominous especially on a sunny day.
12.Atop Krannert Art Center the amphitheater is really austere and structural. It's a blank stage but you can see the buildings across the street. It feels almost like it was plucked out of Greece or Rome and just put right on top of Krannert. I love the steepness of the seats and the view at night time.
13.On top of Krannert there are these stairs that go on top of the roof of the main level. Having those stairs there is very interesting placement to me, as if going someplace out of the way. But in the end the space on the roof is very wide and open.
14.In Smith Music Hall – The spiral staircases are amazing with the sculpted ceilings and beautiful moldings. It's also a very old european-like space. Very elegant and rich feeling.
15.The molecular Biology Building- The glass walls are very clean an simple feeling. It seems somewhat futuristic to be able to have glass walls and see the cyindrical art piece with the changing colors on the inside.
16.The huge statues in front of the Molecular Biology Building almost look like playdoh. It has a very fanciful feeling with the bright colors and strange shape and almost seems to have been designed by or for children like in an amusement park or playground something that they could climb over.
17.A house that I passed on Windsor Road (I think) – It was being sort of reconstructed and was broken down. It had an industrial feel to it with the fencing and building equipment but also a feeling of decay.
18.The small cemetery on Lincoln avenue is actually sort of strange and eye catching because it's just a small plot of land that has all these old tombstones on it. It's sort of across from and next to some buildings and you can almost miss it if you pass by quickly.
19.The inside of the Coco Mero store on Wright St. has a very fun playful retro futuristic look to it with the overwhelming white, seemingly space engineered chairs and sparse décor.
20.The outdoor seating part of the Espresso Royale on Oregon and Goodwin is very sort of earthy with the brick and the plants. It could from certain angles look like part of a European cafe maybe in france or spain,
Thursday, July 9, 2009
answer to Crystal's questions
2. Have you or a friend ever gotten great footage on video for the purpose of making a point, but it didn't play back the right way or couldn't be edited without desroying the original footage altogether? What made you realize the evidence simply wasn't there?
I have definitely gotten footage that I thought was way better than it was or simply did not say what it was supposed to. i think many times it was actually because the difference between what I had shot and what I had seen was different. Working with video makes you realize how hard it is to capture a moment and feeling. I think the camera work is so important, if you are changing angles, moving around faster versus staying still or panning slowly will give the viewer a different idea of what is going on. I had a time when I took footage of interview and I realized what the interviewee's facial expression sort of didn't match up with what I thought she was saying. So I ended up cutting alot of that to avoid confusing my audience.
I have definitely gotten footage that I thought was way better than it was or simply did not say what it was supposed to. i think many times it was actually because the difference between what I had shot and what I had seen was different. Working with video makes you realize how hard it is to capture a moment and feeling. I think the camera work is so important, if you are changing angles, moving around faster versus staying still or panning slowly will give the viewer a different idea of what is going on. I had a time when I took footage of interview and I realized what the interviewee's facial expression sort of didn't match up with what I thought she was saying. So I ended up cutting alot of that to avoid confusing my audience.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
POdcast
link
For my podcast project, I actually encountered many difficulties along the way which proved to make the completion harder than I anticipated. The first problem was really the lack of a coherent idea. I had several ideas that I wanted to use but after trying each I sort of felt that none of them were working out as I would have liked. I decided to cut my losses and only have myself speaking in my podcast, which was the last thing I had wanted. For my previous ideas I had sort of similar ideas of being a fan so I kept that in and decided to build my podcast around the theme of obsession and being a fan. I rewatched the Ira Glass videos at this time to to sort of see how I might go about doing the writing. I was not sure really how to write the essay to be honest because I know my own tendency to sound stiff and freeze when I go off a scrip. I made an outline more than an essay which kept the structure and narrative of the essay as well as detailing the important points but leaving me enough freedom that I could talk freely and thus more naturally. When deciding what anecdotes to include and how to structure the project, I chose to go for a chronological approach—sorting starting in my childhood and establishing sort the foundation of my obsessive qualities and then tracing that through my life. I even had a section about how I had been influenced by my mother's own obsessive tendencies. I realized I needed a point, something to make it all meaningful so I decided to make the point about how everyone is and can be a fan and how obsession can be a positive thing. Armed with a theme and stories I went into the recording phase,which turned out to be arduous, because, as I suspected, as soon as I saw the mic I kept freezing. However even if I stuttered for a few seconds or lost my train of thought I just let the recording go on because I knew that I could edit out the bad parts. This was actually very helpful in making me more comfortable so that I could talk when I was ready rather than scrambling to fill in the silence. As for music or sound effects I was not sure how to use them without being cheesy or taking away from the tralking so I decided to use only a couple music clips and have them far apart in the clip. As I started editing, that was when I really started feeling the time constraint. I had listened to an episode of This American Life right before I started so that I might get a feel for the editing and pacing. That whole episode had been dedicated to one story and that was 51 minutes long versus 5 minutes. I really did not want the pacing of my podcast to be affected by my length of time so I decided to make it simple. I cut a lot of good stuff but I realized that I had to keep it to only a couple of points in order to keep it balanced and unrushed. I had a little difficulty with editing because I was pressed for time and there are parts where I feel the transitions could be smoother, however, all in all I think it is an interesting piece that appeals to a wide audience and has a more universal message.
For my podcast project, I actually encountered many difficulties along the way which proved to make the completion harder than I anticipated. The first problem was really the lack of a coherent idea. I had several ideas that I wanted to use but after trying each I sort of felt that none of them were working out as I would have liked. I decided to cut my losses and only have myself speaking in my podcast, which was the last thing I had wanted. For my previous ideas I had sort of similar ideas of being a fan so I kept that in and decided to build my podcast around the theme of obsession and being a fan. I rewatched the Ira Glass videos at this time to to sort of see how I might go about doing the writing. I was not sure really how to write the essay to be honest because I know my own tendency to sound stiff and freeze when I go off a scrip. I made an outline more than an essay which kept the structure and narrative of the essay as well as detailing the important points but leaving me enough freedom that I could talk freely and thus more naturally. When deciding what anecdotes to include and how to structure the project, I chose to go for a chronological approach—sorting starting in my childhood and establishing sort the foundation of my obsessive qualities and then tracing that through my life. I even had a section about how I had been influenced by my mother's own obsessive tendencies. I realized I needed a point, something to make it all meaningful so I decided to make the point about how everyone is and can be a fan and how obsession can be a positive thing. Armed with a theme and stories I went into the recording phase,which turned out to be arduous, because, as I suspected, as soon as I saw the mic I kept freezing. However even if I stuttered for a few seconds or lost my train of thought I just let the recording go on because I knew that I could edit out the bad parts. This was actually very helpful in making me more comfortable so that I could talk when I was ready rather than scrambling to fill in the silence. As for music or sound effects I was not sure how to use them without being cheesy or taking away from the tralking so I decided to use only a couple music clips and have them far apart in the clip. As I started editing, that was when I really started feeling the time constraint. I had listened to an episode of This American Life right before I started so that I might get a feel for the editing and pacing. That whole episode had been dedicated to one story and that was 51 minutes long versus 5 minutes. I really did not want the pacing of my podcast to be affected by my length of time so I decided to make it simple. I cut a lot of good stuff but I realized that I had to keep it to only a couple of points in order to keep it balanced and unrushed. I had a little difficulty with editing because I was pressed for time and there are parts where I feel the transitions could be smoother, however, all in all I think it is an interesting piece that appeals to a wide audience and has a more universal message.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
youtube conversion websites
http://www.flv2mp3.com/ (no download)
http://vixy.net/ This one converts youtube video to mp3 but also avi, mov, mp4, 3gp (no download.
http://vixy.net/ This one converts youtube video to mp3 but also avi, mov, mp4, 3gp (no download.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Shipka Questions
1. Shipka acknowledges the difficulty of many people in recognizing whether her students' works are 'academic' or play. She seems to view composition as a process not a moment. What is your idea of how composition should work?
2. Shipka seems to suggest that the final product may not be the most important component in a project but that authorial intent must be taken into account? However, many people might only see the final product and not know the authorial intent. Do you agree with Shipka? Or do you feel that without knowing about the author the audience does not get the entire experience?
3. Do you feel that multimodal composition is something that can be graded?
2. Shipka seems to suggest that the final product may not be the most important component in a project but that authorial intent must be taken into account? However, many people might only see the final product and not know the authorial intent. Do you agree with Shipka? Or do you feel that without knowing about the author the audience does not get the entire experience?
3. Do you feel that multimodal composition is something that can be graded?
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Podcast Analysis
For my analysis I listened to an episode of NPR: Pop culture podcast; this podcast was originally released on May 10, 2009 and had four separate segments, two of which dealt with Star Trek. The first segment was from the point of view of a critic who seemed intent on convincing all listeners that Star Trek is indeed going to be pleasing to new and old viewers. This is interesting as the second segment turned out to also be about Star Trek but done by a reporter and is about how older fans of the original star trek feel alienated by the commercials using phrases such as 'this is not your father's star trek'. I think this is interesting in that it sort of contradicts the argument of the critic in the first segment, which shows that NPR is not necessarily averse to showing differing opinions. The third segment is a review of a stage show called 'lucha vavoom' which has lucha libre wrestlers and burlesque dancers. The fourth was about viral advertising and its impact in the recession. The interesting thing that I especially noticed was how they weaved in sound bites from the movies or from people that they interviewed. I felt like that required them to give a lot more context to the listener as opposed to if we were viewing it because we are missing the visual component. It strangely reminded me of integrating quotes in a paper.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Image Essay Critiques
Sushmita
I felt that there was a strong sense of chronology especially with the pictures of clocks and times and days. I got feeling of camaraderie in the pictures of the game as there are alot of smiling faces. Sometimes it seems to get tense as the expressions become more serious but at the end it goes back to smiling faces.
Rasheena
The essay evoked a feeling of the everyday with the couch, bed, cups normal objects. I liked that there was a strong rhythm to the piece and sort of the juxtaposition of adulthood and childhood. I was curious though as to why she used similar objects--bed and couch, plastic cup and paper cup, and wall and poster. I liked the use of color and black and white.
Raquel
I definitely got a sense of traveling over a distance especially down green st. away from Wright. I was not sure what the overarching theme was besides sort of buildings. I thought it might have something to do with construction or renovation since there were many pictures of construction signs and machines. It seemed like there was alot of pictures.
Nick
I liked the photographs especially of the construction site. The one with the sign that has graffiti on it is very compelling. I did not really see the theme as strongly as I thought I would but since we heard what Nick's point of view was I was able to see a connection. I like the sense of decay.
Hyung Kyoon
Very strong message. I thought the pictures of people starving paired with the models starving for 'fashion' really was strong. I liked that you could tell what his theme was right off the bat. I think the fact that he had picture off the internet that showed very specific situations helped with this.
Dan
I felt like the very blurry pictures were really confusing and even a little bit confrontational to the viewer, which might have been the point. Like the picture of the page with words that are just a little too blurry to read kind of reminded me of how I see the world without my glasses, a little frustrating. I am not sure about the random one because I thought the order of the second one does not have an explicit order but still the second one was better because i felt that you did get a sense of some underlying current.
Crystal:
I really liked the different signs that were in the front of the album I thought it felt really restricting and then the pictures following were very compelling. The starvation picture with the chocolate was strong because chocolate is a luxury food, but people often call it a 'necessity'.
Aaron:
I really enjoyed the pictures because they were sort of light, very pretty pictures of a beach. I almost got distracted by the prettiness of the picture. Having the shots so artistically framed did not get across to me sort of a critique of people's attitude towards the beach. I did feel like the tv and bottle were interesting but I think a couple more gritty pictures of trash on the beach might have helped cement the point.
I felt that there was a strong sense of chronology especially with the pictures of clocks and times and days. I got feeling of camaraderie in the pictures of the game as there are alot of smiling faces. Sometimes it seems to get tense as the expressions become more serious but at the end it goes back to smiling faces.
Rasheena
The essay evoked a feeling of the everyday with the couch, bed, cups normal objects. I liked that there was a strong rhythm to the piece and sort of the juxtaposition of adulthood and childhood. I was curious though as to why she used similar objects--bed and couch, plastic cup and paper cup, and wall and poster. I liked the use of color and black and white.
Raquel
I definitely got a sense of traveling over a distance especially down green st. away from Wright. I was not sure what the overarching theme was besides sort of buildings. I thought it might have something to do with construction or renovation since there were many pictures of construction signs and machines. It seemed like there was alot of pictures.
Nick
I liked the photographs especially of the construction site. The one with the sign that has graffiti on it is very compelling. I did not really see the theme as strongly as I thought I would but since we heard what Nick's point of view was I was able to see a connection. I like the sense of decay.
Hyung Kyoon
Very strong message. I thought the pictures of people starving paired with the models starving for 'fashion' really was strong. I liked that you could tell what his theme was right off the bat. I think the fact that he had picture off the internet that showed very specific situations helped with this.
Dan
I felt like the very blurry pictures were really confusing and even a little bit confrontational to the viewer, which might have been the point. Like the picture of the page with words that are just a little too blurry to read kind of reminded me of how I see the world without my glasses, a little frustrating. I am not sure about the random one because I thought the order of the second one does not have an explicit order but still the second one was better because i felt that you did get a sense of some underlying current.
Crystal:
I really liked the different signs that were in the front of the album I thought it felt really restricting and then the pictures following were very compelling. The starvation picture with the chocolate was strong because chocolate is a luxury food, but people often call it a 'necessity'.
Aaron:
I really enjoyed the pictures because they were sort of light, very pretty pictures of a beach. I almost got distracted by the prettiness of the picture. Having the shots so artistically framed did not get across to me sort of a critique of people's attitude towards the beach. I did feel like the tv and bottle were interesting but I think a couple more gritty pictures of trash on the beach might have helped cement the point.
Response to Crystal's Questions
1. What does the author mean by describing silence as a 'present absence?' Would you agree or disagree that silence is a presence and not an absence?
I think the author means that silence just doesn't mean that you are not hearing any sounds but itself is a significant aural experience. I think the idea that silence is a presence not an absence is absolutely valid. It reminds the listener that in silence you should not just focus on the sound that surrounds it but the 'sound' of silence as well. Silence is not always the default state. in fact, in this day and age think about what it takes to get absolute silence, it's definitely harder than making noise. We are constantly bombarded with ambient noise and go to great lengths purchasing sound canceling headphones or soundproofing our walls just to get what everyone views as 'default' or natural. In music, silence can be the most profound thing that you hear in a piece, after a cacophonous roar of instruments a measure or two of silence can 'sound' just as 'loud'.
I think the author means that silence just doesn't mean that you are not hearing any sounds but itself is a significant aural experience. I think the idea that silence is a presence not an absence is absolutely valid. It reminds the listener that in silence you should not just focus on the sound that surrounds it but the 'sound' of silence as well. Silence is not always the default state. in fact, in this day and age think about what it takes to get absolute silence, it's definitely harder than making noise. We are constantly bombarded with ambient noise and go to great lengths purchasing sound canceling headphones or soundproofing our walls just to get what everyone views as 'default' or natural. In music, silence can be the most profound thing that you hear in a piece, after a cacophonous roar of instruments a measure or two of silence can 'sound' just as 'loud'.
Questions
1. Do you agree with Copland's idea that there are three planes on which a listener hears music? Do you find yourself listening to certain kinds of music in different ways?
2. McKee expresses her own frustration at describing sound and music through the medium of writing, this reminds me of the phrase, 'a picture is worth a thousand words' Do you think that words could ever equal a picture or a sound? If so, how many words would that take?
3. McKee touches on the new meanings attached to silence? Can you think of a time when you have really noticed silence being intentionally or unintentionally in a significant way?
2. McKee expresses her own frustration at describing sound and music through the medium of writing, this reminds me of the phrase, 'a picture is worth a thousand words' Do you think that words could ever equal a picture or a sound? If so, how many words would that take?
3. McKee touches on the new meanings attached to silence? Can you think of a time when you have really noticed silence being intentionally or unintentionally in a significant way?
Picture ESsay
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| Picture Essay |
Picture Essay
When I first began this project I was at a loss for an argument that I felt I strongly wanted to convey so I started from the pictures that I wanted to use. I was looking through some pictures that I had taken before and stumbled across some beautiful photos that I had taken last month at Allerton Park. I felt that those pictures really showed the irreplaceable beauty of nature. From that sprang my idea I wanted to express a juxtaposition between the indoors and the outdoors emphasizing the juxtaposition between nature and man-made structures. I looked through my pictures and found a couple from the architecture building that I thought were fitting and went took out my camera to take more pictures. I really did not know what I was looking for as I went along because I only really had a sort of theme rather than a narrative that I was looking to tell. So I just took pictures as I walked around my apartment building
. As I took the pictures I realized that I was taking a lot of photographs of doorways and exit signs. I came up with a story as I was going along and also reviewing the pictures I was taking. Generally I wanted to express a sense of confinement in the man-made structure, my apartment building, and of the freedom of being in nature. For a narrative I decided to go with a bit of the fantastic to connect the two parts of my essay, in and out, so I decided since I was photographing so many doorways, that one of those doorways would be a sort of magical door that would lead to a sort of nature paradise. I really felt it was important to not just take pictures that suited the story but learn how to use pictures to make the story, so the only purposeful picture I took was the one of my hand on the door slightly pushing it open. I did not want to use the pictures in some chronological order so I l put together pictures from different angles and from various distances. I wanted close up shots juxtaposed with distance shots. I thought that my pictures of the camera and the temperature control were really interesting and indicated really the controlled nature of the building—we are being watched and our environment is being controlled. I realize that we are not supposed to show any text and I really did not mean to include exit signs in so many shots, but in reviewing my film I realized that they are everywhere in my building and seeing them really promotes this feeling of being trapped having to find a way to get out so I felt it was important to my story. I tried compose my slide show in a way that moved forward, such as putting the photos with exits signs closer together so that at one feels like they need to escape and then having the allerton pictures come up.
For the Allerton pictures I must admit I did not really know how to put them in order so I just tried to put different shots together so that statues might be followed by trees. I included the statue photographs because even though they are man-made, they are outside and more integrated with nature, sort of a happy balance. I do not believe altogether that people might get a strong sense of the story from my picture essay but that they might understand the general feeling of the theme. I cannot help but think that including a soundtrack might help express my story in a clearer way.
Monday, June 29, 2009
In the Vocabulary of Comics and from the video's on Ways of Seeing, we are shown how we associate meanings to pictures directly with ourselves. This reflects onto recent online parlance with the popularity of User-comments and ratings by others on websites, blogs, videos etc. Why then (mostly in academia) are we constantly asked to be objective about viewing art, news, advertisements, movies etc.?
I don't know how we are constantly asked to be objective about viewing art, news....etc. I guess we are asked to give a certain perspective in academia that is not based solely on our feelings or instincts about certain things. However, even in academia people usually tend towards topics that they like. I think that we are asked to look for evidence rather than feelings in order to communicate with other people. The idea of objectivity sort gives the idea of credibility and universality, so that it is relatable to other people.
I don't know how we are constantly asked to be objective about viewing art, news....etc. I guess we are asked to give a certain perspective in academia that is not based solely on our feelings or instincts about certain things. However, even in academia people usually tend towards topics that they like. I think that we are asked to look for evidence rather than feelings in order to communicate with other people. The idea of objectivity sort gives the idea of credibility and universality, so that it is relatable to other people.
Questions
1. What is one way in which you feel that an inanimate object has the power to transform your identity?
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Response to Raquel
Question
On page 125 Wysocki states "But reading in our time is changing." I think that it changing in the way that we don't have to physically turn a page if we are reading on line, but I think the act of reading or how we read things is the same whether on print or online. Do you think our reading is changing?
Response:
So I think that reading is constantly changing because literacy does not always mean the same thing. I am sure that compared to societies hundreds of years ago we are able to read faster and more comprehensively. While before education may have relied more on memorizing and an oral component, we have come to rely heavily on the written word so that we do not have to actually memorize as many things since we can easily reference. I think that one interesting thing is the different types of reading we have developed. I really don't know the history of reading but at some point we decided to have different types of reading: pleasure reading, academic reading, analytical reading, skimming...etc. Wysoki definitely touches on how typeface changes our attitude toward reading but what I think we are seeing now is a move towards skimming. We are constantly on the internet, looking things up on wikipedia, and if we are really lazy we won't even read the whole article but go immediatley to a section and read only that and these readings don't stay in our memory. As Walter Ong points out, literacy affects memory. Oral stories are not only entertainment but shared cultural memory banks and literacy changes the way we memorize.
On page 125 Wysocki states "But reading in our time is changing." I think that it changing in the way that we don't have to physically turn a page if we are reading on line, but I think the act of reading or how we read things is the same whether on print or online. Do you think our reading is changing?
Response:
So I think that reading is constantly changing because literacy does not always mean the same thing. I am sure that compared to societies hundreds of years ago we are able to read faster and more comprehensively. While before education may have relied more on memorizing and an oral component, we have come to rely heavily on the written word so that we do not have to actually memorize as many things since we can easily reference. I think that one interesting thing is the different types of reading we have developed. I really don't know the history of reading but at some point we decided to have different types of reading: pleasure reading, academic reading, analytical reading, skimming...etc. Wysoki definitely touches on how typeface changes our attitude toward reading but what I think we are seeing now is a move towards skimming. We are constantly on the internet, looking things up on wikipedia, and if we are really lazy we won't even read the whole article but go immediatley to a section and read only that and these readings don't stay in our memory. As Walter Ong points out, literacy affects memory. Oral stories are not only entertainment but shared cultural memory banks and literacy changes the way we memorize.
Questions for Wysoki
1.In the article Wysoki talks about how important the visual presentation of the page is in terms of how the reader is informed by it. How do you think the reader is then affected by the hypermediated characteristics of a webpage that is fluid and changing?
2. Wysoki makes the point that there was much less literacy in the middle ages and perhaps even a different kind of literacy, which would cause people to contemplate each word more deeply. How do you think that literacy affects the way we think?
3. Wysoki references some works that subvert audience expectation, what sort of effect do you think that this has on the genre?
Graffiti Project
The idea for my stencil really came from this video. I spent a lot of time thinking about what problem I would like to address and I just stumbled upon that parody and I thought it was hilarious. It might not be as 'serious' as I would have liked but I think it is still important and relevant because 'Twilight' is such a cultural phenomenon today and teens AND adults go bonkers over it. I have to admit that I was curious so I read the book and watched t he movie and both fell flat in my opinion. On the other hand I loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I realized that the missing component is humor. Buffy had a self-effacing humor about it that made the angst easier to stomach while Twilight just takes itself and its angst way to seriously. The fans, in my opinion, take it to seriously too. Thus I wanted to incorporate humor into my shirt.
For the picture I really decided to go with flipping the traditional picture of the girl being ravished or attacked by a vampire so I wanted a picture of a girl about to stake a man. I spent a good couple hours on the internet looking for a picture that I could make into a stencil and since I couldn't find one I decided to sort of compose my own. I imaged searched a cowering man and then searched something like 'aggressive girl' I found two pictures that I felt I could use-one was of a cowering business man and the other of a really aggressive looking girl softball player. I used the online image editing app at pixlr.com and put the pictures together, adjusting the size to make the girl a bit bigger and changing the contrast and brightness as well as saturation to make good stencil material. I printed out my picture which looked like this:
I made the necessary adjustments with pencil like adding a cape for my vamp and deciding where to cut.
Cutting out the stencils was really the most time consuming part and it took hours, especially the words which I had in a Buffy font.
It lead to some casualty...
I think the finished project looked great:
In terms of the words I really was stumped about what to do because I knew I wanted it to be clever but not too long as to avoid having to cut out all those words. I came up with 'Angsty Vampires (can't) suck!' I don't know if it's really that clever but my roommate thought it was funny. With the picture and text together I was really aiming at a specific fan audience, I guess the one that likes to wear t-shirts that say 'BITE ME EDWARD' on them. I guess the message is to lighten up.
In terms of environment or audience, as I just stated, I would be aiming at sort of a Twilight audience since it is such a big force really in pop culture today. I put my graffiti on a t-shirt because it is in someways more commercial and spreadable than putting it on a wall. I guess since twilight is such a commercial franchise I would be putting my message in a similar medium. T-shirts are also something that you can wear to specific places and venues, so while putting your message up on a wall might have a lot of people see it, the lack of context might confuse them but to wear it on a t-shirt to maybe a gathering of twilight fans or something would definitely get the message across.
For the picture I really decided to go with flipping the traditional picture of the girl being ravished or attacked by a vampire so I wanted a picture of a girl about to stake a man. I spent a good couple hours on the internet looking for a picture that I could make into a stencil and since I couldn't find one I decided to sort of compose my own. I imaged searched a cowering man and then searched something like 'aggressive girl' I found two pictures that I felt I could use-one was of a cowering business man and the other of a really aggressive looking girl softball player. I used the online image editing app at pixlr.com and put the pictures together, adjusting the size to make the girl a bit bigger and changing the contrast and brightness as well as saturation to make good stencil material. I printed out my picture which looked like this:
I made the necessary adjustments with pencil like adding a cape for my vamp and deciding where to cut.
Cutting out the stencils was really the most time consuming part and it took hours, especially the words which I had in a Buffy font.
It lead to some casualty...
I think the finished project looked great:In terms of the words I really was stumped about what to do because I knew I wanted it to be clever but not too long as to avoid having to cut out all those words. I came up with 'Angsty Vampires (can't) suck!' I don't know if it's really that clever but my roommate thought it was funny. With the picture and text together I was really aiming at a specific fan audience, I guess the one that likes to wear t-shirts that say 'BITE ME EDWARD' on them. I guess the message is to lighten up.
In terms of environment or audience, as I just stated, I would be aiming at sort of a Twilight audience since it is such a big force really in pop culture today. I put my graffiti on a t-shirt because it is in someways more commercial and spreadable than putting it on a wall. I guess since twilight is such a commercial franchise I would be putting my message in a similar medium. T-shirts are also something that you can wear to specific places and venues, so while putting your message up on a wall might have a lot of people see it, the lack of context might confuse them but to wear it on a t-shirt to maybe a gathering of twilight fans or something would definitely get the message across.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Response to Rasheena's questions
Question
1. Do you think that this negatively affects people living in these neighborhoods considering the effect that language can have?
Rasheena made the point about language and signs in poverty-stricken neighborhoods having very powerful and very intentional meanings beyond the face value. I do think that the type of language that the residents see on their signs in their streets does affect their perceptions of their neighborhood and themselves. Already, poorer areas have been portrayed in the media in a largely negative light, as the news reports mainly on crimes that have happened in the area. Signs like 'stop the violence' seem to tell the residents that they first of all, have the power to stop the violence, which is usually not the case as many people really are innocent bystanders, and second sort of pinpoint the residents as the origin of the violence. So basically the signs put the responsibility on the shoulders of the residents. The blue flashing police lights also tell the residents that they need to be policed constantly and that they are dangerous in some way.
1. Do you think that this negatively affects people living in these neighborhoods considering the effect that language can have?
Rasheena made the point about language and signs in poverty-stricken neighborhoods having very powerful and very intentional meanings beyond the face value. I do think that the type of language that the residents see on their signs in their streets does affect their perceptions of their neighborhood and themselves. Already, poorer areas have been portrayed in the media in a largely negative light, as the news reports mainly on crimes that have happened in the area. Signs like 'stop the violence' seem to tell the residents that they first of all, have the power to stop the violence, which is usually not the case as many people really are innocent bystanders, and second sort of pinpoint the residents as the origin of the violence. So basically the signs put the responsibility on the shoulders of the residents. The blue flashing police lights also tell the residents that they need to be policed constantly and that they are dangerous in some way.
Graffiti Assignment
I found these at the art and design building in a stairwell. There seems to be some tags as you can see in the bottom left two pictures. this would indicate that these graffitti have been someone who has legitimate street cred or is recognizable to people who know graffiti. However, taking into account the location of the graffiti as being the art building, we might be tempted to think that the graffiti is an art project. Thus this graffiti in particular plays with the notions of graffiti as vandalism or being illegal and what constitutes art. Perhaps it is both, so that while the graffiti artist did not mean for his art to be taken a certain way its merit was recognized by the viewers and preserved
Questions for Drucker and Elkins
1. James Elkins says that seeing is a "soundless activity" and that "it happens best in solitude" however do you think it is possible to get the full meaning of visual objects without using your other senses as well?
2. Drucker tells us that 'only language tries to tell us what we see' in Drucker's concept of language how do you think pictures fit in? Is there a difference between a picture and letters especially taking into account pictographs?
3. In the article Drucker touches on how the form or register of a language creates meaning and also reveals the intent behind the sign, however, how do you suppose that the audience, who is meant to understand these signs, affects this transaction?
2. Drucker tells us that 'only language tries to tell us what we see' in Drucker's concept of language how do you think pictures fit in? Is there a difference between a picture and letters especially taking into account pictographs?
3. In the article Drucker touches on how the form or register of a language creates meaning and also reveals the intent behind the sign, however, how do you suppose that the audience, who is meant to understand these signs, affects this transaction?
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Blog Response
Question From Nick
So my question is about the ideas of media within the introduction. What makes us so convinced that this expansion of information and sharing is a good thing? They talk about "like TV only better," but is that necessarily a good thing? It seems like our society is collapsing on itself in the entertainment industry anyways, so how is an exponential expansion of it necessarily good?
Response
I think that what may be happening is the transformation of entertainment and the 'entertainment industry altogether. Yes alot of the media that is coming out today seems to be pointless and inundating but with the proliferation of technologies the concept of mass-media is changing altogether. With youtube, garageband, imovie..etc. media is being put in the hands of the consumer. Expansion means more choice for the consumer and while the burden of that choice might feel overwhelming to us it also signifies a new type of freedom. And we can choose what to and what not to watch. So as we have seen in the case of some viral videos that corporate sponsorship or industry backing are not as necessary for the person who want their works to be spread. I think that it is true that this massive expansion of available media might reach a critical point one day but technology and media are not a new development as the article points out. The concepts of hypermediation, immediacy, and remediation have histories reaching back further than the internet. People have learned how to deal with the constantly changing world of media and I think that we have the capacity to deal with the next stage.
So my question is about the ideas of media within the introduction. What makes us so convinced that this expansion of information and sharing is a good thing? They talk about "like TV only better," but is that necessarily a good thing? It seems like our society is collapsing on itself in the entertainment industry anyways, so how is an exponential expansion of it necessarily good?
Response
I think that what may be happening is the transformation of entertainment and the 'entertainment industry altogether. Yes alot of the media that is coming out today seems to be pointless and inundating but with the proliferation of technologies the concept of mass-media is changing altogether. With youtube, garageband, imovie..etc. media is being put in the hands of the consumer. Expansion means more choice for the consumer and while the burden of that choice might feel overwhelming to us it also signifies a new type of freedom. And we can choose what to and what not to watch. So as we have seen in the case of some viral videos that corporate sponsorship or industry backing are not as necessary for the person who want their works to be spread. I think that it is true that this massive expansion of available media might reach a critical point one day but technology and media are not a new development as the article points out. The concepts of hypermediation, immediacy, and remediation have histories reaching back further than the internet. People have learned how to deal with the constantly changing world of media and I think that we have the capacity to deal with the next stage.
Reading 1 Questions
1. The article talks about technologies moving towards a more 'authentic' representation. How are peception and authenticity tied together?
2. On page 22 Bolter says that a in a virtual reality system "the viewer is given a first-person point of view, as she gazes on s graphic world from a station point that is always the visual center of that world. This gives the viewer a sort of increased agency in that they may even change their view point. What does this mean for human relations and interactions? Is this in support of a sort of Solipsitic perspective?
3. On page 48 Bolter talks about how the goal in Disney's Toy Story is to make the computer disappear and appear as human-like as possible. Does this suggest an acceptance by society of the concept of artificial intelligence?
2. On page 22 Bolter says that a in a virtual reality system "the viewer is given a first-person point of view, as she gazes on s graphic world from a station point that is always the visual center of that world. This gives the viewer a sort of increased agency in that they may even change their view point. What does this mean for human relations and interactions? Is this in support of a sort of Solipsitic perspective?
3. On page 48 Bolter talks about how the goal in Disney's Toy Story is to make the computer disappear and appear as human-like as possible. Does this suggest an acceptance by society of the concept of artificial intelligence?
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Let me introduce...myself
Hey! My name is Megan and this is my blog for my Writing Across Media or WAM class INFO 303. I am currently a senior at the University of Illinois hoping to finish my degree at the end of the summer. My major is World Literature in the Comparative and World Literature department and my (tentative) minor is in Asian American Studies. I am originally from the north Suburbs of Chicago and besides my parents I have two brothers and one sister. I love music and I have played violin and piano for a while now. In terms of sports I cannot play any sport that has the word ‘ball’ in it. I do Kumdo, which explains my weird profile picture.I love to watch TV and surf the internet and sometimes I combine those and watch TV on the internet. 
On the internet I like to go to: Ninjavideo , D-addicts , Allkpop, Rootforum1, CNN, IMDB, Youtube, and Pandora.
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