TuteSpark 4

We have to find 3 short films made for internet distribution.

The iMac's at uni allow me to embed the videos into my blog, but my pc at home doesn't, so I apologise for the links.
I don't know if the computer of the security settings or what not (I am not computer savvy), but I do apologise.

Short Film One:

Black Button

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrKnhOJ-R80&feature=search

This video is I think personally awesome. The message it had was pretty impacting.

Once again, due to my no-computer-skills, I originally found this short film on a website, but typically, I lost the web address and couldn't find it again, so I resorted to ol' ye faithful YouTube.

The short films main pitfall was that I think they dragged the beginning out too long, as it was getting boring and I was tempted to close it, but the ending was extremely good.

It won't become popular, I think, because it is drawn out so long.

Short Film Two:

Llamas in Hats

http://www.filmcow.com/movies.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZUPCB9533Y&feature=search

Llamas in Hats.

By far, my favourite short film ever. And with its sequel as well.

This is an ideal example of short films, made for internet, gone viral. It became so popular it was amazing.

It is simple, yet effective. People love the voices and the quotes.

Just, what I thought was the perfect example.

Short Film Three:

Signs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy0HNWto0UY&feature=search

This one is pretty awesome I thought. It was like a movie, had a storyline, an introduction, complication, climax, resolution. Real story like.

It was cute too.

This would be really awesome to become popular, because it really is a short version of a movie. It would be awesome if it became huge. I like it!

Short Film Four:

Hands

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQDjynOzgCk

I don't know if this actually qualifies as a short film, hence why I didn't put it as my top 3, but I just thought it was pretty awesome. And it is something that will become popular and has a point to it. It probably is made for television, although I wouldn't know, I don't get to watch it often. But it is funny, clever and has a message, so it will be successful.

This subject really is teaching me how to use the internet.

Apologies

Hello.
I got emailed about a "HTML issue" for the post titled 'Treasure Hunt'.
That is the reason it is so ridiculously spaced out, so I am sorry.
I would also like to ensure that is it correctly hyperlinked, as for question ten it does link you to my reference.

I used this website
Mr Klingon.org, last updated March 2010,
http://www.mrklingon.org/
Accessed 10th August & 26th August 2010

TuteSpark Week 5

Culture Jamming

A colloquialism referring to a species of media activism usually presented in the form of a fraudulent mass media event.

(www.thebookman.wordpress.com/2008/03/01/postmodern-terms-absence-to-curtain-wall/, Accessed 25th August 2010)

To me, it is making the unrealistic, realistic.

Rather than the rest of our world, that is so scared of offending everyone and stepping on people's toes, culture jamming breaks down the barriers and shows the truth. It is a reality check in this world that covers up the real issues at hand. Culture Jamming can be demonstrated in numerous ways, not just by edited pictures. An example is a video Fall Out Boy did a few years ago to help make people aware of child soilering in Uganda.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAgbZdrWiN4

First Cultural Jamming:

It is hard to pinpoint the "first" instance of cultural jamming as it can be argued it started in the late 1800's or the 1950's. I vote, it started to became a confrontation in the 1950's. (Studies in Art Education, 2004, http://thedepartmentofaesthetics.org/VisCultJAM.pdf, Accessed 26th August 2010)

Most Influential Jamming:

An extremely good example of influential culture jamming was the iPod mock posters of the Iraqi war that is currently an issue. In America these posters kept showing up on billboards and across many. (TUAW, http://www.tuaw.com/2004/06/11/more-ipod-iraq-mock-posters-showing-up/, Accessed 27th August 2010) It caused necessary alarm. It caused a lot of attention because the iPod advertisement is such a popular and well known one. People would look at the picture to the left and not even realise the mock posters were embedded unless they took another look. The picture on the right (>>) demonstrates four of the pictures that were being displayed, especially around New York City and LA.

This personally was my favourite example of culture jamming as well. Bringing the realistic into the unrealistic world.

Most Damaging Jamming:

Cultural Jamming is a very powerful tool. In the case of Nike, using slave and child labour to manufacture their shoes was a huge example of how powerful culture jamming is. It erupted in 2001. Pictures were posted on billboards, sent through emails, and in the newspapers. Documentaries were made and schools were taught in Geography and Social Science subjects about how Nike was abusing the lives of children, and underpaying those less fortunate. It again erupted into a worldwide known issue in 2004 and 2006 as it was seen that Nike had not fixed their child and slave labour issue and the appalling conditions of their working environment.

(Not My Tribe, http://notmytribe.com/2000/slave-labor-in-modern-times-89.html#more-9, Accessed 27th August 2010)
(Child Labour, http://ihscslnews.org/view_article.php?id=32, Accessed 27th August 2010)

Lecture Summary Week 5

In this weeks lecture we learnt about "Production and Consumption".

Points I learnt-->

• In order to consume, someone needs to produce.
• The media has a huge role in society and watches and influenced what we watch.
• The news we se, isn't all the news that happens.
• Citizen Journalism- what is it?

Citizen Journalism appeared to be an important factor-

Positives-

• Every individual person has the ability to have a voice
• We can see news events that we may not have been able without a news crew- Eg Boxing Day Tsunami and 911

Negatives-

• Ruining the quality of journalism
• People could manipulate a photo or story and no one would know
• People can start rumours- like actors dying
• Bias

Tute Exercise Week 4

1. Where and when did usable online video start? (provide some refs. and an example if possible)

According to Dembot site, usable online video started ten years ago and we are now “celebrating” ten years of online video. (http://dembot.com/post/310798115/a-decade-in-history-of-online-video, Accessed 18/8/10) Although it wasn't a convenience to watch these videos until the creation of broadband, which was 2004 in America, and then populated across the globe.

There were many sites of course, pre-youtube.com but youtube.com is globally and most popularly known for people to be able to watch, access and download videos and parts of films. The domain name "YouTube.com" was activated on February 15, 2005 (http://www.articlealley.com/article_1482289_81.html, Accessed 18.8.10) and ever since has been the most popular website for the general public.

2.In the lecture we heard about technological innovations that were used by the studios to lure audiences (mostly to combat the popularity of TV). What recent innovations are being used to lure us in the movies? What are they luring us from?

The movies are using the same method that they attempted to do in 1952, which was creating everything in 3D. Companies and cinemas also try advertise heavily and also make the premieres of movies seem so much more appealing by having special guests. Cinemas are also known to have a 'cheap day' like Cheap Tuesday, to bring people in on a day that wouldn't normally bring people in. Any method to save money in recent times, people are gullible. They will fall for marketing techniques if they believe that they are saving money.

The cinemas are trying to lure people to come to the cinema, purely because they do now want to lose the company. The internet and downloading free or cheap movies has become such a popular phenomenon that it is a constant fear and risk of the cinemas. Why pay for a movie when you are going to have to sit through ads, be accompanied by screaming children, uncomfortable seats that you actually paid for, when you could watch a movie in the comfort of your own home for free or cheap? You can pause or rewind it whenever you want and you are watching it as the same time or before it is released. The cinemas are aware that this is reality and they have to combat it.

3. Are short films still being made? Why? Who pays for them to be made?

Short films are still being made. They are most of the time cheaper to make, as one person can afford to put the debt on a credit card, opposed to many, like an independent film maker would. Short films are made because people have ideas and want to demonstrate them, but large companies don't listen. So a short film may be an achievement, or it may be like a prototype to advertise their films which they want to make into a feature.

Short films are also great for advertisements. To get a real message across it appears that ads use the short film technique to make it really impacting. Some examples are Chanel no.5 perfume ad, Old Spice Ad and a UK Seatbelt Ad.

Short films additionally are great for "before" feature films. Pixar uses this technique before every movie. Example. It helps people get into the mood of the film and is some funny entertainment.

Most short films are self-funded, hoping to get picked up by a studio.

Airlines also use them to advertise the country and introduce the culture, nationality, etc.

4. The term viral is thrown about adhoc but what does it mean in film/movie arena?

Viral is the worldwide spreading of a video/ film/ etc. It is spread by word of mouth, people talking about it due to popularity, sending links, social networking, etc.

Examples are like Llama in Hats, Perez Hilton, Lazy town, and even the Old Spice ad that was shown above.

5. Online video distribution isn't limited to the short film format. We are now starting to see television styled shows made solely for internet release (webisodes). Find an example of this style of content and discuss how viewing television content in this way can positively and negatively affect the viewer's experience.

An example of a webisode would be 'The Awkward Man' which is a 9 part TV show for the web. http://www.theawkwardman.com/

A lot of anime would be distributed this way, as so many people enjoy it, but not enough to distribute on television.

There are positives and negatives when viewing television this way.

Positives- People can watch shows that they like.

Negatives- People will not watch programs pointlessly, and therefore the TV networks will suffer.

Week 4 Lecture Summary

Well practically everything that was said in this lecture was something I learnt this week. I was clearly oblivious to the history of television and the cinema.

I watched a documentary a couple of months ago called The Brothers Warner,

(http://www.warnersisters.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1:the-brothers-warner&catid=13:the-brothers-warner&Itemid=20)
clearly about the Warner Brothers, so I knew of their many achievements in the cinema, but outside of their world, I had little knowledge of the history.

What particularly amazed me what the fact that it was 1952 that they created 3D movies. I thought that it was a recent phenomenon created in the last 15 years.

But looking over this history, it shows that history does repeat itself. even within the century. In 1952, according to our notes on learning@griffith they created this 3D television to avoid losing the battle against television. This issue that was occurring in 1952 is happening again in 2010. The television industry has bought out the '3D television'.

Therefore movie cinemas are feeling the ridiculous pressure to bring out a majority of movies out in 3D now, which is in my opinion stupid. I liked the idea of 3D being a treat but now it is just part of 'the movie experience'. But the movies have also gone from being made for 3D to just being able to be in 3D.

Example: I saw Toy Story 3 in 3D and to be honest I am so glad that I didn't pay for my ticket... It had absolutely no need to be in 3D. I also saw the movie in 2D and the experience was exactly the same. The movie had nothing popping out at me, it was hardly any different. The only real difference was that the background had more depth of field. But other then that, it was only a money making scheme.

Week 3 Lecture Summary

Week 3 Lecture

What did I learn?
I learnt that the internet is not just hte www (world wide web), as that is only a small portion.
I thought the www was all.

We also watched this video http://apple2history.org/ watching how slow the computer screens used to take to load. It makes you extremely thankful that thye have sped up, because otherwise assignments and researching would take a lot longer than it does now...

I also learnt that Bill Gates was a university drop out and that there was originally a Steam Powered Calculator that was created in the 1800's!

treasure hunt

So, we aren't allowed to use Google or Wikipedia. Who doesn't use Google -_-

1. What is the weight of the world’s biggest machine? How much did it cost to build?

Answer:

Large Hadron Collider

27kms long and weighs more than 38 000 tonnes

It cost 2.6 billion pounds to build.

Process:

So I tried searching through Yahoo.com, but it was mega frustrating so I tried AskJeeves.com

Both of the search engines are ridiculous and come up with the weirdest information.

I found this article, http://www.bukisa.com/articles/40463_worlds-largest-machines-ever-built

but it didn't appear to be very helpful, although it was at least on the right track and had big machines on there, unlike the one that came up on Yahoo which was about boys and their toys (cars).

Anyway. on ashjeeves it came up with this device called the 'Large Hadron Collider'. So I am on the right track. So I come up with this page http://www.lhc.ac.uk/ and I got everything from there.

2. What is the best way (quickest, most reliable) to contact Ozzy Osborne?

Answer: The best way to contact Ozzy would be through contacting his manager, his Sharon Osbourne on 310-859-7761

Process:

On Ask Jeeves I found this website:

http://famous-relationships.topsynergy.com/Ozzy_Osbourne/Contact.asp

3. When and what was the first example of global digital communication?

Answer: Telegraph in 1832

Samuel Morse, a Yale Graduate, built the electric prototype, but with the help of Joseph Henry, former New York Uni student and Alfred Vail a mechanic, the working telegraph system came together by 1838

Process:

Ask Jeeves and got http://www.fi.edu/learn/case-files/communication.html

4. What is the cheapest form of travel from the Gold Coast to Melbourne?
Answer: Plane.

Process:

Yahoo.

Plane- $72

http://www.flightcentre.com.au/fcweb/flights/domestic/

Car- $198 for a 4 cylinder car

http://www.carsguide.com.au/site/tools-and-advice/petrol-prices?referrer=gtail&colseo=n&gclid=CPTdxJXosqMCFQMjbgodBF4K3w

5. Who is Hatsune Miku? What company does she belong to?

Answer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBZOlipfjkQ

Process:

Youtube.com, type her name on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBZOlipfjkQ

6. Find a live webcam in Antarctica. Find a place to stay in Antarctica.

Answer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07ZoFkzX5zU

Intrepid Cruise and then you stay in the cabin.

Process:

Youtube.com

I found this site, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07ZoFkzX5zU

Nothing came up when I typed in Hotels in Antarctica so I went onto Virtual Tourist, http://www.virtualtourist.com/hotels/Antarctica/Hotels_and_Accommodations-Antarctica-BR-1.html, a review sight to find out available cruises and then type then into askjeeves.com. I couldn't find a hotel as such and the huts they stayed in I couldn't find a name for, so I thought to get the closest thing to. http://www.intrepidtravel.com/landing/antarcticaship/index.php

Question 7:

What song was on the top of the Australian charts this week in 1982?

Answer: I Ran- A Flock of Seagulls

Process: Took forever! I went to Ask Jeeves, Yahoo Answers, Peoples search engines and then I went back to AskJeeves and found it on this website.

http://www.thisdayinmusic.com/birthdayno1

Question 8:

How would you define 'nano technology'? In my words, what does it mean?

Answer:

Definition:
A basic definition: Nanotechnology is the engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale. This covers both current work and concepts that are more advanced.

My own words. Mmm well nano metre is a billionth of a metre. So nano technology is working with technology that is that small. (Good English...) It is samller then a cell and has up to four atoms. This technology can be really beneficial or really dangerous. It has the ability to by used for medical robots...or dangerous weaponry. Scary thoughts.

Process: Ask Jeeves. Nano Technology Definition and the site came up after clicking on four. The other ones were not basic enough for me to get my head around. So I used this website, http://www.crnano.org/whatis.htm, Accessed 10th August 2010.

Question 9: What camera do they use for Google Street View?

Answer: The Dedoca 2360 Camera made possible by Immersive Media. The camera is available for the reasonable price of $45000! If you want to stalk you friends and family by taking 360 degree photos with this camera that has 11 lenses and is in the size and shape of a softball.

Process: Ask.com

http://www.ehow.com/facts_5295795_google-create-street.html, Accessed 10th August 2010

Question 10:

Oh why did you put this question in! It is the most frustrating language because they hate our English words! By the way, whoever made this translation site...way too much time on their hands! Haha.

Translate all ten question into the made up language of Klingon!

Question 1: nuq ‘oH ‘ugh vo’ qo’ HochHom Dun vum ‘Iv chenta’ ‘oH ‘ej qatlh

Question 2: nuq 'oH [the] [best] [way] [quickest] HochHom [reliable] Daq [contact] [Ozzy] [Osborne]

Question 3: ghorgh ‘ej nuq ghaHta’ wa’DIch qo’ chu’ Hol

Question 4: nuq ‘oH HochHom mach Huch Daq tlhap vo’ [Gold Coast] Daq [Melbourne]

Question 5: ‘Iv ‘oH [Hatsune] [Miku] nuq vum ta’taH ghaH vum vaD nuq ‘oH Daj qoS

Question 6: tu' [a] yIn [webcam] Daq [Antarctica] tu' [a] Daq Daq [stay] Daq [Antarctica]

Question 7: nuq bom ghaHta’ HochHom QaQ vo’ [Australian] bommey vam jaj Daq

Question 8: chay' [would] SoH [define] [the] [term] ['nano] [technology'] Daq lIj ghaj mu'mey nuq ta'taH 'oH [really] [mean]

Question 9: nuq ‘oH chenmoHta’ vetlh vum Daq chenmoH [Google] [Street] [View]

Question 10: jatlh Dochvammey mu’mey Daq tlhIngan

Thankyou http://www.mrklingon.org/!!!

And it is overrrrrrrr!!!!!

TuteSpark in the Tutorial

Mission:

Write 3 examples of digital devices that are not electronic.

We have to define- digital, analogue, communication and electronic first to help us find these examples.

So first off, we have digital:

digital, n. and adj.

Relating to or operating with signals or information represented by discrete numeric values of a physical quantity such as voltage or magnetic polarization (commonly representing the digits 0 and 1); designating a signal or information of this kind.

Discovered from: Oxford English Dictionary, http://dictionary.oe

d.com.librarypro

xy.griffith.edu.au/cgi/entry/50063921?single=1&query_type=word&queryword=digital&first=1&max_to_show=10, Accessed on the 11th August 2010

Digital is also in opposition to analogue, which comes next...

analogue, n. and adj.

Relating to or operating with signals or information represented by a continuously variable physical quantity, such as voltage, spatial position, etc., which in the case of measuring instruments can be displayed on a dial or other fixed scale. Also: designating a signal represented in this way.

Discovered from: Oxford English Dictionary, http://dictionary.oed.com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/cgi/entry/50007887?single=1&query_type=word&queryword=analogue&first=1&max_to_show=10, Accessed on the 11th August 2010

When looking at the definition of 'communication', I didn't find one I particularly liked. But they used worlds like 'exchange' and 'transmission'. So paraphrased in my own words, communication is the exchange or transmission of information, knowledge, body language, etc. with another being or digital device.

Discovered from: Oxford English Dictionary, http://dictionary.oed.com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/cgi/entry/50045213?single=1&query_type=word&queryword=communication&first=1&max_to_show=10, Accessed on the 11th August 2010

Electronic- Of a device: opera

ting according to the principles or methods of electronics, such as a transistor, microchip, or electron tube; operating by means

of or employing such devices

Discovered from: Oxford English Dictionary,http://dictionary.oed.com.libraryproxy.griffith.edu.au/cgi/entry/50073038?single=1&query_type=word&queryword=electronic&first=1&max_to_show=10, Accessed on the 11th August 2010

Now the TuteSpark. In my previous blog I posted about the abacus, which is one of the non electronic communication devices I thought of.

The second one would be: Morse Code.

Morse Code was a device used before internet, and telephones to transport messages to one another. It used a small device in which you enter a certain amount of taps, and that would spell out a word, and then of course a message.

Not something that would be easy to have a long conversation with I can imagine.

The Third One would be a Musical Instrument.

A musical instrument could be classified as a stretch, but it is one something in which can communicate to people. It has the ability to release emotion and feeling without using words and it uses a logical method to sound good.

TuteSpark3

Task: Find a non-electric computing device.

ABACUS

The abacus is a non electric computing device because it uses logic to get answers. The answer does not have to be typed in.

http://www.liamalexander.com/lessons/students/computing_history/

^^
This is a website that displays the history. zbut this device has been around, even BC era.

TuteSpark 2

This week in the lecture we learnt "Cine-Speak", which is the language of cinema...

In the lecture we went through the different types of shots that are used when shooting. We went through how different shots have the ability to create various emotions or explain different things that other shots can't.

Additionally, the TuteSpark was to compare how different mediums, like television and film use different techniques. I was aware that directors do use different shots to create different emotions, but what I wasn't aware of was the "Rule of Third".

Anyway, using this homework as an excuse to watch TV, I watched Arena's "Project Runway" and discovered that they use this technique frequently. I couldn't find a picture of it, but when they do the personal interviews they have the actors placed on one side, using the "Rule of Third" and placing the focal point on two of the spots.

Now, we got told to regard the techniques being used differently between television and film. I found this task actually quite difficult.
Comedy televisions shows neglect using the CU often, because they usually aren't trying to draw out too much emotion. They usually appear to use the MLS or the MS, because they are focused more on the gesture and body language more so than the facial expressions and emotion on the face.
To me, it appears more what genre of television show or movie it is as to what camera techniques they use.
It would appear that for a dramatic show or film, like "The Notebook", they use a lot of CUs and MCUs as it created more emotion between the characters. Then when a sense of loneliness was created they camera would use LS or MLS, showing a lot of headroom and space around the character.

Gesture:Verbal Ratio

In the lecture, it was mentioned about the gesture: verbal ratio.

I found this very interesting, and thought I would just copy a paragraph of some further reading I did about it.

http://www.psychologistworld.com/bodylanguage/

80 percent of your human communication is body language while only 20 percent is verbal. I find this amazing that this would be the case.

But I was thinking...

I am a real chatterbox. And with someone who talks so much, I couldn't imagine the statistic working for me. But as I thought more about it, I discovered it was probably right.

I may talk a lot but I also talk with my hands and body. When I talk, I don't stand here just moving my mouth, I use gesture, body language and hand signals to help explain and give emphasis on what I am saying.

On the other hand, my friend who is extremely shy and avoids talking doesn't use hand signals and uses minimal gesture to communicate. But then I realised to understand how she is feeling and what she is thinking you read her facial expressions and body language, therefore not actually having to speak.

I also find it amazing that even just the eyes are enough to explain so much as to how you are feeling. They have the ability to express so much, and they are just one part of the body!

I just thought this was all rather interesting...

Mad Dash!

So my tutorial today was extremely fun.
I had the opportunity to make new friends, and tell a story through pictures.
We had 45 mins and it was a mission.

We got the headline
"Oh no, not him!"

So, as we are three girls (my group) who truly are looking for decent males in the world we decided to take that spin.
We were on the quest to look for the "perfect" male. And we couldn't. Until the end where we found

This was the end result.
Although, we were not too proud of it because we didn't know how to use the program.
None of us were iMac savvy.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doEwh4gVhwk