Friday, August 28, 2009

Sketchcast + Google Maps

Apparently Personas believe's the internet doesn't see me at all. I typed in my name...
Photobucket

and then this came up...
Photobucket

I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing? haha


Nowww - as required, I did a ca-uuutee drawing for you on sketchcast I'm sure you'll love it:


Now for google maps!... This is where 4 of my closest friends moved - at the end of their street is Suncorp Stadium which is prettty cool! check it out:


View Larger Map


I even got a street shot of thier house so you can have a geez:


View Larger Map

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Net Art Lecture - Interesting

Today's lecture was on the internet and all of the different sites and connections that it has.

It didn't really feel like a lecture though because Jason mainly showed us cool sites and funny videos and didn't have notes for us to follow or write down. I much prefer this type of lecture - i actually listen and concentrate because it's amusing.

The internet is crazy - the connection speed from here to another country across the other side of the world is a matter of milli seconds.

I thought the elf website was prettty funny - its kinda scary as to what kind of people would sign up to that, and the fact that there is so many of them.. wow! haha.

Apparently twitter will rise more although i have a twitter account and have had one for a while and i honestly forget to use the thing. It's so stupid and pointless. I don't really see how you can get in to it... but if Jason says it will rise - it will rise.

And the saddest part of the lecture was when he said facebook will die. Right now i feel like that is impossible, HOWEVER i never thought myspace would die and it has. Although I don't go on myspace any more, i still cant bring myself to delete it... It's sad i know but i like to keep it there in case. It's not even because there is people on there that don't have facebook that i want to keep in touch with, i just cant delete it. I'm really lame aren't I...?

Short films



I decided to add both of these videos because i thought they were funny. I would choose humour over seriousness in most cases so i thought i would choose two funny videos that share some similarities whilst still having differences. The first one is animated and mainly stays in the same screen shot as required.
The Jack Black film uses all types of screen shots to achieve maximum effect.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Treasure Hunt

1. What is the height of the world's biggest tree? How long did it take to grow?
The world's biggest tree is located in the Sequoia National Park. It is 275 feet high and it took between 2300 and 2700 years to grow that big.
Link: http://www.odditycentral.com/pics/worlds-biggest-tree.html

2. What is the best way (quickest, most reliable) to contact Madonna?
The best way to contact Madonna is by posting a message on her message board on her website.
Link: http://www.madonna.com/help/

3. What is the age of the oldest ever captive elephant? Is this older than the average wild age?
The age of the oldest captive Elephant was 82 years old. And yes it outlived the average wild age.
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant

4. a) How would you define the word 'glycomics'? In your own words, what does it really mean ? b)What does the term 'seagull manager' refer to?
a) The study of certain glycan structures from cells or organisms to determine the ingredients of it.
b)"A manager who flies in, makes a lot of noise, craps on everything, and then leaves."
Link: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=seagull+manager

5. What was David Cronenberg's most recent feature film? Which of his films Had 'Blondie' in it?
His latest festure film is 'Eastern Promises' (2007). Blondie played in his film 'Videodrome'.
Link: http://www.topix.com/movies/blondie

6. When was the original 'Hackers' released?
The original 'Hackers' Movie was released in 1995.
Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113243/

7. Why do phone numbers in Hollywood films start with '555'?
All numbers begin with '555' because the Telephone compaies in the 1970's began encouraging television and film makers to use the prefix for 'ficticious' numbers.
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/555_(telephone_number)

8.What is the cheapest form of travel from the Gold Coast to Cairns?
I DONT KNOW I CAN'T FIND ANYTHING AND I MISSED THE LESSON SO I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS GOING ONNNN!!!! I am going to say by plane because i saw flights from $88.

9. What song was top of the Australian Pop Charts this week in 1970?
In the summer time - Mungo Jess/The Mixtures
Link: http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1970/19700829.html

10. Which Brisbane band includes Stephen Stockwell on keyboards and vocals?
The Black Assassins
Link:http://web.revolutionrock.com.au/oral-hist/index.php?id=24

Thursday, August 20, 2009

First missed lecture and lesson for New Comm Tech

Today i was unable to make it to uni for personal reasons therefore I missed the lecture and the tute for New Communication Technologies. This was my first time i have missed it and it won't be happening again (hopefully).

Due to the fact that i missed the lecture, I tried to download the notes. I was unseccessful as the document opens as a one page file with nothing on it on learning@gu. I am not sure why it is doing that but i plan on taking it up with my teacher to find out what i missed.

As for the tute i am planning on following the online blog instructions and catching up over the weekend.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Screen language (shots) in action... [5 W'S &H]

In this weeks lecture we learnt about the different types of camera shots and how they are put to use to engage the audience most effectively. We were told to put these methods to the test on a show or movie of our choice. I chose to analyse an episode of Home and Away last night and this is what i noticed...

Each scene generally began with a Wide Shot/Extreme Long Shot to let the audience see the place/setting which answers the question WHERE.

Following that was a Mid Shot. This allowed the audience to see the character(s) in the scene and their actions which answers the question WHAT.

Once this has been done, a Close Up shot of the character is used to further relate the audience to the story by showing distinct expressions and gestures in their faces which answer the question WHO.

This shot was also used in other sections to demonstrate the WHY question.

The WHEN question was somewhat irrelevant in this sense as it it a half an hour show that has a continuous story. The time period in which it is set in, is assumed known. However the use of lighting indicates certain 'when' aspects such as day/night.

I found it very difficult to pin point the HOW in this show, however i do understand that shots can be used to show how something it done such as series of shots of someone waiting in a cafe, looking at their watch, then their phone, then the wall clock would indicate that person has been waiting there for a long time. It demonstrates how long.


Other shots were used throughout to suit the context of the story line.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Language of the screen



ELS/WS: Extreme Long Shot/Wide Shot
Extreme Long Shot (ELS) - see establishing shot: In this type of shot the camera is at its furthest distance from the subject, emphasising the background. Also known as an establishing shot.
Establishing shot. Opening shot or sequence, frequently an exterior 'General View' as an Extreme Long Shot (ELS). Used to set the scene.

LS:Long Shot
Long shot (LS). Shot which shows all or most of a fairly large subject (for example, a person) and usually much of the surroundings.

MLS: Medium Long Shot
Medium Long Shot (MLS): In the case of a standing actor, the lower frame line cuts off his feet and ankles. Some documentaries with social themes favour keeping people in the longer shots, keeping social circumstances rather than the individual as the focus of attention.

MS: Medium shot
Medium Shot or Mid-Shot (MS). In such a shot the subject or actor and its setting occupy roughly equal areas in the frame. In the case of the standing actor, the lower frame passes through the waist. There is space for hand gestures to be seen.

MCU:Medium Close Up
MCU (Medium Close-Up): head and shoulders.

CU: Close up
Close-up (CU). A picture which shows a fairly small part of the scene, such as a character's face, in great detail so that it fills the screen. It abstracts the subject from a context.

BCU: Big Close Up
BCU (Big Close-Up): forehead to chin. Close-ups focus attention on a person's feelings or reactions, and are sometimes used in interviews to show people in a state of emotional excitement, grief or joy. In interviews, the use of BCUs may emphasise the interviewee's tension and suggest lying or guilt. BCUs are rarely used for important public figures; MCUs are preferred, the camera providing a sense of distance. Note that in western cultures the space within about 24 inches (60 cm) is generally felt to be private space, and BCUs may be invasive.

ECU: Extreme Close Up
ECU (Extreme Close-Up):a particular facial object. The extreme close-up is used to show deep expression or detail to a particular object. For example an extreme close up may be of the watering eye.

The above image and text were all taken from http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/short/gramtv.html
(Chandler, D : 2001. P.1)

Internet Timeline

For an example of the Internet Timeline please follow this link
http://www.zakon.org/robert/internet/timeline/

Timeline of Computing History

This is a great pdf. file i found on google of a computing timeline.
www.computer.org/computer/timeline/timeline.pdf

If the above link does not work then please refer to this link instead:
http://nct09-gc.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Childhood flashback

It was approximately 10 years ago when i first experienced it. I didn't understand what it was, how to use it, or why it had a cord with a hemispehere shaped object attached. I hadn't thought of it since the newer versions had come about. Not until last week that is.

Last week in my thursday morning lecture i found it funny that the man standing before me had managed to create a childhood flashback in my head. He did this by mentioning the word IBM. It was then that i actually tuned in to what he was talking about.

I got my first computer approximately 10 years ago and it was an IBM. Last week's lecture got me thinking: I really cannot believe the technological change that has happened in the past ten years alone. The difference between my first computer and the computer i have now is enormous. Let's hope tomorrow morning's lecture finds a way of grabbing my attention as effectively as last weeks did.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Rollercoaster Ride

As I had the use of a mac I thought i would make the most of it and its effects and make a video of myself to upload as part of the 'extras' list.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Editing










I decided to edit the old fashion examples of convergent technology to suit the time period in which they came from. I did this by altering the colour and contrast of the photos.

4 examples of Technology convergence




1. MUSIC PLAYERS - Ever since music was invented everyone from all cultures and parts of the world have wanted it in their life in as many way shapes and forms as possible. The convertable music player has gone from a cassette tape player to an ipod touch screen holding thousands of songs.





2. TELEVISION
The television has been one of the most successful methods of entertainment ever made. Starting out old fashioned with black and white viewing, it has now technologically converged in to high definition LCD colour, flat screen with the monitors being made so thin that it can fit on a ledge or be hung on a wall like a picture frame.





3. TELEPHONE
Communicating with one another is essential in one's everyday life. With the invention of the telephone came the expansion of social interaction. The telephone has emerged from an old fashion hand held ear piece and winding, to a modern handset with the simple click of a button and dialing numbers to connect to someone.






4. .THE COMPUTER
The computer has merged from an old fashioned type writer in to a modern day monitor, maintaining the same keyboard set out. This is due to the fact that when the type writer was invited, it was figured out that the most frequently used letters had to be spread out to prevent the type writer from jamming. Therefore inventors came up with the 'QWERTY' style keyboard and it has remained ever since.



'Convergence in Communication' definiton

A trend in which different hardware devices such as TVs, computers and phones merge and have similar functions. (Chaffey. D, p. 1, - 22/05/2008)

Sunday, August 2, 2009

One week down...

After completing the first week of uni for semester two, i am beginning to realise that it is going to take me a while to get back in to the swing of things. With my earliest day being Thursday at 8am I am not looking forward to it however it is New Comm Tech that i have first which is a good thing as it is my favourite subject so far. I guess it could be worse...

Our tute last week was very interesting, and i see that i will enjoy the subject as i enjoy using computers, and blogging etc. The assignment seems to be something that is down my alley and the topics of the subject are of interest to me which therefore looks as though it should be a positive out come.