Week 5 of New Comm Tech (Tutorial)

For this week's tutorial task, we have to make a film of a some kind that has a relation to a culture jam that was our own original idea. My group came up with the idea of a girl called Jessica Blaas being killed by a crocodile in Main Beach. In the report, we say why the crocodiles were further south and this was because of global warming.

This video was filmed at Main Beach and Project Room in the university. Filming and editing of the movie didn't take too long and wasn't particularly hard. On a further note, I had fun creating this project and faking a attack =)

Week 5 of New Comm Tech (Lecture)

For this week's wonderful lecture objective is.....answering more questions!!!!! YEAH.... This is so awesome, can we relate to music please??? That would be lovely =)

Anyway, first question! What is considered the first Culture Jam?

Well, from the information I gathered from the wonderful source of wikipedia LOL Wiki says that culture jamming can be traced back to the 1950s. One of the first particular influential active groups in Europe were called the Situationists and was led by Guy Debord. Their main argument was based on the past idea of how humans dealt with life and consumer market directly. They argued that spontaneously living was slowly disappearing because of the new modern way of life. This culture jam saw everything from television to radio as a threat to their cause. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_jamming#cite_note-Lasn-2)

Second question, Who is the most influential Jam?

From my own point of view and musically, I think Gorillaz can be considered as one of the most influential culture jams. With the audience they have gained through their music, they have opened a culture jam called the "Reject False Icons." This phrase was formed a short time before their short album was released. According to the guitarist, Noodle, he states " Reject False Icons means many things. Think for yourself is one of them."

This phrase expanded into "Respect false icons, reject false icons." This phrase was also created to show people to appreciate things such as music and media, but not idolize them as they would with God or religion. But ma

ny Gorillaz fans thought the phrase represent to descrive any "poser" artist or ones they do not like as a false icon and continue to worship Gorillaz, thus destroying the whole meaning of the phrase. The Gorillaz promoted their Reject False Icons campaign with their video, Rock It. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorillaz) (http://gorillaz.wetpaint.com/thread/1107630/REJECT+FALSE+ICONS)

Third question, Who is the most damaging Jam?

This advertise is probably a good example of bad culture jamming and bad placement of advertising. In my opinion, this is a bad influence and an awaking to the public in a way. Childhood obesity shouldn't be taken lightly and parents should take better care of their children instead of allowing them Mcdonalds for a "healthy and fulfilling" meal which would up their chance in getting obesity in their life. If parents wish to feed their children Mcdonalds then fine but as long as the children are granted enough exercise to burn off the processed fat and food. This is same for teenagers.

=)

Week 4 of New Comm Tech (Tutorial)

For this weeks, tutorial exercise we had to question the following questions below =)

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

Online video use began around 2005 - 2006 when the spread of Internet becoming easily to access globally. Since then online video clips have become very popular. By 2006, there was tens of millions of video clips available online as new websites began springing up focusing on purely on offering free video clips to users and many of those particular sites established and corporate sites by adding video clips to their own sites.

It was also then when individual sites began creating online vlogs for the public. Youtube was not the first online video website, it was just easy to work. Youtube was created in 2006 and is growing more and more popular every day. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_videos)

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?

Some recent innovations that try to lure people into going to the cinema is effects such 3D and 4D viewing of the movie. They are also making bigger screens in particular cinemas such IMAX to make the movie more effective. Furthermore, in some cinema places they place effects on the seats so that they will vibrate or shock you when the movie becomes action filled. But these are some of things business do to lure us in.

But in luring us in it lures us away from simply things that probably everyone does. One of the things we get lured out from is downloading, which I'm sure most people do instead of spending our money on watching the movie at the cinemas. Also, it influences us to go out more instead of staying home and probably on facebook or the couch watching TV. But in luring us into going out, we can socialize face to face instead texting or calling or basically relying on technology to catch up with people.

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

Short films are still being made in today's industry. Short films have expanded to advertisements and including the music industry within the video clips for the release of singles of artist's songs. But other than that area of the world, short films are becoming popular with college/university students and within the independent film industries. Also, some major companies are producing short films along with their major films such as Blur Studio and Disney.

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

The term, viral, means caused by virus or spreading by word of mouth. This term can mean in the film/movie industry that certain products or advertises can be spread really quickly through the use of technology, it can spread like a virus. An example of this would be Old Spice, CoverGirl, Pringles etc. CoverGirl is one of the industries that sky-rocketed and became a worldwide sensation within the cosmetic industry. Pringles is widely sold throughout many countries such as the US, UK, Australia, Canada etc.

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.

In today's society, there are now video shows/ online blogs throughout the internet. A online entertaining TV show that is example of this is the "What The Buck Show" on youtube. The show is more based on the gossip and making fun of celebrities but still entertaining for many viewers. This content can be seen positively for the viewer and the blogger as there is more a vast audience and it can be convenient to the public. Negatively, this type of public content being shown can influence and be easily accessed by younger teenagers and kids. Furthermore, if anything is said wrong or is abusive, it can be deleted off the net.

http://www.youtube.com/user/WHATTHEBUCKSHOW

Week 4 of New Comm Tech (Lecture)

In this week's lecture task we had to find three short films over the net. The first short film I found was:

This short film fascinated me as I always like a good cartoon short film cause it reminds me of the old days of Cartoon Network with shows such powerpuff girls, tom and jerry, the jetsons, the flintstones etc. Furthermore, the title captured me attention as it was called "Elephant Dream" and I wanted to find out what the film was about.

The second short movie I found was:

Again, I know with the cartoons! But there are so funny =) And quite creative. Plus, I think you can tell I'm into childish things thats why I like cartoons like these that are made by Disney, Pixar, Blur Studio etc. Those are the reasons I choose this short film.

The third short film I choose was:

This short film I found particular cool. Especially with the two screens in one and how the day can be planned out different through the course of time and actions we do. This short film shows a good example of this. =)

Week 3 of New Comm Tech (Tutorial)

The objective for this week's tut*sparks is to answer the following questions with photos and links. Fun-ness!

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

The world's largest digging machine machine weighs 45,500 tons. It took five years to design it and it is at a cost of around 100 million dollars. The machine is 95 meters high and 215 meters long. (http://www.swapmeetdave.com/Humor/Workshop/Trencher.htm)

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

The best way to contact Ozzy Osbourne would be to have his agent or manager's contact number or email address or home address. However, there are several sites that try to spam people into believing their information on their fake site. The sites sometimes also make you spend money or have your contact your details and send you spam mail. But this is all based on my personal opinion and the knowledge I have on the music industry.

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

The first sample of global digital communication was in December, 1979. This was when the first phone system was sold to the network. One year later in February, the first phone system was installed at Danville Family Practice. This was only the beginning of global communication. (http://www.digcom.com/digihist.htm)

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

The cheapest form of travel from the Gold Coast to Melbourne would most likely be on a plane. For example, with virgin blue flights, it can cost up to 88.00 dollars to catch a (economy) direct flight to Melbourne.

(http://www.zuji.com.au/site/travel/flights/transport-results.html?skin=enau.zuji.com.au&mondial_auto=true&DPSRT=FA&DPNOC=0&DPNOA=1&DPNOI=0&DPLOC=en_AU&DPNOS=0&DPHSI=0&date_in_month=8&DPXCP=F&DPFSI=0&DPCID=0&DPXAL=F&DPTRT=flights&DPSFT=&DPXTR=F&DPTTT=O&DPBFT=False&DPXCH=T&DPXMG=F&DPHEI=7&failureURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.zuji.com.au%2Fsite%2Ftravel%2Fflights%2Fflights-search-error.html&DPDAP=OOL&DPBFE=False&DPXIN=T&DPCLS=Y&DPPID=5005&date_out_month=8&DPFEI=9&TRANS=ViewTransportationSearchBox%2CdoSearchForTransportation&DPSAC=Z03&date_out_day=24&DPDCC=AUD&DPIDT=0001&DP1WF=1&DPFIT=&DPODT=0001&DPAAP=MEL&DPAIR=NONE&date_in_day=31&DPDIR=

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

Hatsune Miku is one of the first characters installed into a program called the Vocaloid Character Vocal Series. This program is unique as it is tuned to create J-pop songs heard in anime and no other genres can be created this way. The company Hatsune Miku belongs to is Yamaha Corporation. Her birth date is the 31st of August. (http://myanimelist.net/character/7156/Miku_Hatsune) (http://www.vocaloid.com/index.en.html)

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

Isolated and cold Anatartica may be but you can still find tip-top place to stay. One of the places you can stay is at the Polish Antarctic Station Arctowski. This place includes airport pick-up, gym, bar and many other fine hotel qualities. (http://www.geckogo.com/Lodging/Antarctica/South-Shetland-Islands/Polish-Antarctic-Station-Arctowski/)

A live webcam is placed at the Scott Base. The camera has been placed in the Hillary Field Centre briefing room with White Island in the distance. (http://www.antarcticanz.govt.nz/scott-base/webcams)

7. What song was in top of the Australian pop charts this week in 1980?

The top two songs in the Australian pop charts during this week in the 1980s was "Alone Again" by The Shamen and "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles. (http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=30648)

8. How would you define the term 'nano technology'? In your own words, what does it really mean?

In my own words I would define nano technology as a matter of controlling a small atom or molecular. Furthermore, it would involve developing materials within that smaller size. (http://www.zyvex.com/nano/)

9. What type of camera is used to make ‘Google Street View’?

The camera used to make Google's Street View has a 360 degree image taking projection. The camera is used by Immersive Media for Google's Street View. (http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-9724604-1.html)

10. Translate these questions into Klingon.

(1) nuq 'oH [the] [weight] vo' [the] [worlds] [biggest] [machine] chay' 'ar ta'ta' 'oH [cost] Daq chen

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

(3) ghorgh 'ej nuq ghaHta' [the] wa'DIch [example] vo' [global] [digital] [communication]

(4) nuq 'oH [the] [cheapest] [form] vo' [travel] vo' [the] SuD baS [Coast] Daq [Melbourne]

(5) 'Iv 'oH [Hatsune] [Miku] nuq [company] ta'taH ghaH [belong] Daq nuq 'oH Daj qoS

(6) tu' [a] yIn [webcam] Daq [Antarctica] tu' [a] Daq Daq [stay] Daq [Antarctica]

(7) nuq bom ghaHta' [top] vo' [the] [Australian] [pop] [charts] vam [week] Daq

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

(9) nuq [type] vo' [camera] 'oH [used] Daq chenmoH [‘Google] [Street] [View’]

(10) [Translate] Dochvammey [questions] Daq tlhIngan

(http://sites.google.com/a/klingonword.org/klv/klingon-translator-and-dictionary)

Well, that last question was weird and it was kind of difficult not using google or wiki to research and find answers for each question. But I tried at least and thats what I'm glad about. I don't really care if they wrong or right. I tried at least =)

Week 3 of New Comm Tech (Lecture)

Righto, in this week's lecture. We learnt some history on the computer and the internet. We also learning how to define analog and digital technology. To me, I would define it as a way we listen or see and it has some value. Furthermore, we also learnt the difference between the "then" and "now" technology. Looking back into the music transformation with technology, there have been quite a few leaps and bumps but in the end, inventor back then succeeded in building their work.

We also got ask to include in our blog about three devices that are digital devices but are not electronic. Totally makes sense right? But let t

he research begin.

1. The first digital device I found was the Tinkertoy computer. It is purely made out of tinkertoys, a brick, a piece of string and a sharpened pencil. It was built by MIT students around 1975. (http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~cfs/472_html/Int

ro/TinkertoyComputer/TinkerToy.html)

2. The second device I found is inexpensive controllers which can be found in some washing machines. Inexpensive controllers use mechanical logic and can be created manually and be eco-friendly. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_electronics#Non-electronic_logic)

3. The third device would be the hydraulic press. This device is based on Pascal's principle which is when fluid completely fills an object and a pressure is a applied to the object at any part of its surface. The pressure is then transmitted equally throughout the whole of the enclosed fluid. The hydraulic press includes a cylinder, piston of large diameter, pipe, forcepump, valve and a tank. (http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/browse/GH.HTM) (http://www.amddental.com/hydraulicPress.html) =)

Week 2 of New Comm Tech (Tutorial)

The tutorial, this week was actually fun. Even though, half the time I was with my group running campus taking photos. It was still fun. Our job in this weeks tutorial was to create a slideshow with 30 pictures based on storyline or subject. My groups subject was "The Late Assignment."

Brainstorming was the first thing we did. We though of ideas that would affect an assignment becoming late such as missing the bus, getting the assignment wet, computer breaking down etc. Our actress was quite funny creating this character. She had great facially expressions.

But technology failed us near the end of the lesson. When we went to upload the photos onto the computer. The computer didn't seem to like our phones and didn't connect properly to two of the phones in our group. In the end, as I had all the photos on my phone, I had to bluetooth them. One by one, to other member in our group and then upload them, one by one as well. It took time to get them on the computer. But that shows you shouldn't entirely rely on technology.

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This is our video called the Late Assignment.

Technology finally pulled through in the next tutorial and we finally posted our video. We made it short, sweet and quite funny with the use of facial expressions. In the last moments working on the video, we edited a few photos, added music and played around with a few effects. =)

Week 2 of New Comm Tech (Lecture)

This week in the lecture for new communication technologies, we learnt about cine-speaking. This is learning about the language of cinema. Included in this lesson, we also learnt about different shots and angles, such as wide shot, long shot, medium long shot, mid shot, medium close-up, close-up, big close-up and extreme close-up.

Shots can represent words as well as contribute to the factors of who, what, when, where, why and how within the film. But each factor can be shown only through particular shots. For example, who can be brought forth through a close-up shot and where can be shown through a long shot as it would establish the scene. This was basically our lecture this week.