Well, after a tough week thanks to having all four of my wisdom teeth removed at once, I'm back to work, filling out my blog.
Since both lectures were a little more basic than previous ones, I decided to include them both here together.
Lecture 4 gave us a great timeline regarding the history of movies, film and television.
Here's the timeline based on what was given in the lecture.
1895 - Birth of cinema (first moving image).
1906 - First feature length narrative film about Ned Kelly.
1927 - First sound film (live music) 'The Jazzsinger.'
1929 - First all colour movie 'On With The Show.'
1933 - Drive in theatre is introduced.
1937 - Disney releases 'Snow White' the first all animated/colour/sound movie.
1939 - TV is introducted at the New York Trade Fair.
1952 - 3D movies are introduced.
1955 - Hollywood sells movies to TV stations and studios.
1956 - Ampex makes first VCR/VTR.
1959 - 'The Tingle' introduces Perceptovision in that audience members receive a mild electrical shock in order to enhance tension. Also Smellovision emerges (also known as Aromarama).
1963 - Ampex releases consumer VCR for only $30, 000.
1967 - Sony introduces VCR and portapack - used to record images with a camera.
1970 - Screens are getting smaller - so IMAX debuts.
1972 - Pay TV is introduced.
1985 - First Blockbuster video shop opens.
1986 - First Fully CGI short 'Luxo, Jr.' by Pixar is made.
1995 - First full length CGI film blockbuster is made, 'Toy Story' by Pixar.
1997 - DVD video is released.
2001 - BMW hires multiplle directors to create short films for a character known as 'The Driver.'
We also watched a humorous parody of both 'Cops' and 'Star Wars' known as 'Troops.'
I have embedded the video below for your enjoyment.
That was basically Lecture 4, next, obviosuly, is Lecture 5.
Lecture 5 consisted mostly of Jason Nelson screwing around.
Firstly he showed us speedtest.net, an interestign look at the time it takes to communicate with computers all around the world.
He then went on to explain the Dot Com Crash which you can read about here Dot Com Crash.
Essentially everyone was putting their money into .com stocks, only to be screwed over in the end when it turned out the internet was not yet a very profitable tool.
Our buddy Jason went on to show us archive.com which takes screenshots of all kinds of major websites over the years to show their visual evolution. Basically we got to see the sad beginnings of myspace in which it looked little more than a boring bland, student project (which it sort of was).
Amusingly, we were told myspace got sold for $1billion only for facebook to supercede it making the buyers very upset. After examining Social Networking trends some more we took a look at some obscure social networking sites such as 'elftown' and the anti 'Twitter' known as 'Woofer.'
Jason then showed us Google Maps and how we could make our maps and pinpoint hotspots, which is in fact a task we have been assigned (I'll get on to it).
Then we got a gander at sketchcast, a tool that converts you and your online drawing into a video - very interesting. In this instance we saw a video of a Lady and a Hotdog.
Finally, we took a look at a popular video known as United Breaks Guitar. I have embedded the video below for your enjoyment. Essentially, this man travelled United Airlines only to have them break his guitar while packing, when they didn't compensate him, he swore vengeance. He made a filmclip, and due to its over 5 million views, actually had an impact on the people travelling United Airlines, and thus the vengeance was succesfful.
That was more or less Jason Nelson's amazing and enjoyable Lecture 5. He showed us so many unique and interesting websites and tools it would be too much to go on about them all. I look forward to any lecture we may have with Jason in the future.
Craig Out.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Research - Tutorial 4
This week we went on an online 'Scavenger Hunt' in search of the answers to obscure questions. The catch? We could not use google or wikipedia. So, instead I opted to use the search engine www.ask.com for the majority of my search.
P.S.
To avoid repetitive referencing, unless otherwise stated, I have in every instance copied the question into the www.ask.com search engine and acquired my answer from the list of results.
1. What is the weight of the world's biggest pumpkin? How long did it take to grow?
BigPumpkins.com congratulates Joe Jutras on his 1689 pound pumpkin weighed at the Topsfield Fair GPC weigh-off in Topsfield, MA on September 29, 2007. Joe grew this monster on the 998.6 Pukos 2005 and crossed it with 1225 Jutras 2003. 
Source: Bigpumpkins
"That pumpkin grew in 87 days. It was an average of 20 pounds a day. I went on vacation for three days and came back and it was huge."
Source: Salemnews
2. What is the best way (quickest, most reliable) to contact Lilly Allen?
I asked a girl (who wishes to remain nameless) what the answer was seeing as I was having no luck using www.ask.com. She replied that the easiest way to contact Lilly Allen is via Twitter as she kept hearing on the news and in the media.
And so using my communication skills I acquired the information.
Source: Twitter
3. What is the length of a giraffe's tongue?
Funny enough, the search engine popped up a blog from several years ago that had been given a similiar set of 10 questions, with 3 being identicle. Man I love the stream of information.
Source: Emaleighsblog
"I found on Altavista that an adult giraffe's tongue can be up to 27 inches long. I also found out a theory behind why a giraffe's tongue is black, and that is to prevent it from being sunburned. I also found out that Giraffes sleep no more than 5 to 30 minutes in a 24-hour period. There is so much I didnt know about Giraffes."
4. How would you define the word 'glycomics'? In your own words, what does it really mean ? What does the term 'seagull manager' refer to?
“Glycomics,” the scientific attempt to characterize and study carbohydrates, is a rapidly emerging branch of science, for which informatics is just beginning.
My understanding is that Glycomics wishes to study and define carbohydrates more precisely.
Source: Ploscompbiol
| Definition of Seagull Manager: |
| transient, highly critical manager: a manager whose interaction with the workforce consists in arriving, criticizing everything and everybody harshly, and leaving again ( slang ) |
Source: UKencarta
5. What was David Cronenberg's first feature film? Which of his films Had 'Blondie' in it?
The first feature film David directed was 'Transfer; in 1966. The first film he acted in though was 'Into the Night' in 1985. 'Blondie' appeared in a film he directed called 'Videodrome.'
Source: IMDB
6. When was the original 'Hacker's Manifesto' written?
The original Hacker Manifesto was written in 1986 on the 8th of January. It was written by a person via the alias 'The Mentor'.
Source: Mithral
7. Why do phone numbers in Hollywood films start with '555'?
The answer lies 30 years ago or more when the use of exchange names as part of the telephone number was still popular in the USA. Dials had letters as well as numbers and the first 3 letters of the exchange name were dialled followed by numbers. An example might be CENtral 78978. You dialled CEN 78978 or, using all numbers, 236 78978.
It so happened that 5 on the dial corresponded with J K and L and you can’t make any English place names using any combination of J, K and L as the first 3 letters. So the 555 code was allocated to service levels such as Directory Assistance, Operator, Repair Service, etc.
Due to the "low fill" of the 555 code, Hollywood was encouraged to quote 555 numbers in their productions to prevent real subscribers being harassed by members of the public trying out the numbers quoted on the screen. Generic and satirical advertisements and commercials often used 555 numbers. In the early days of exchange names the prefix KLondike-5 was used as this exchange did not exist.
Source: Telephone Collecting
8. What is the cheapest form of travel from the Gold Coast to Sydney?
$103 travelling Virgin Blue airlines.
Source: Airfaresflights
This is infact the cheapest form of travel as a bus costs $123.
I couldn't narrow it down to a specific week, however I did find this song which topped the Australian Pop Charts back in 1965.
RAY BROWN & THE WHISPERS
Fool, Fool, Fool
(Rudy Clark)
Australia 1965
#1 Sydney #4 Melbourne #2 Brisbane #1 Adelaide #1 Perth
Chart-topping Sydney band that originated in the surf music scene as The Nocturnes. After acquiring Ray Brown as their lead singer, they went on to become one of the most popular Australian bands of the British Invasion era. See full history at Milesago.
Source: Poparchives
10. Which Brisbane band includes Stephen Stockwell on keyboards and vocals?
Stephen Stockwell was in the punk band called "The Black Assasins". This information is from
Source: Bdins2.wordpress
Completing Tasks
As of right now I am posting to catch up on work and show my understanding of the course and the relevant materials.
First up is a youtube video link showcasing a great Griffith Uni related video made by some friends. In this instance I have used the embedding code in order to link to the video.
Secondly I have uploaded a video of my own just to prove I can. In this instance I have uploaded the video directly from my own computer.
A task required us to show before and after images from pictures used in our post on
convergence of devices. However until now I had always been saving pictures I found and
uploading them directly as I often find that pictures you link to can disappear so it is more
sensible to upload them directly yourself.
However, for this task I shall link directly to the 'before' images and upload directly my new
'after' images using entirely new images.
Before
After (I altered the width attribute of the original image, changed the colour hue, and flipped it horizontally, using Macromedia Firefox.)
Before
After (Again I altered the width attribute, decreased the image's size, inversed the colours and added both a blur and a sharpen effect using Macromedia Firefox.)
Lastly, we have a task that requires us to watch a movie or television show and
explain the who, what, where, when, how and why as outlined in Lecture 3.
I decided I would do mine on an episode of Malcolm in the Middle, A - because it was on the computer so I could write as I went, and B - that meant I could also take screenshots in order to
better illustrate my point and finally C - Malcolm in the Middle often manipulates the rules of screen language for comic effect. (Keep reading, you'll see what I mean.)
This episode opens with a Close-Up of Stevie and pans across to Malcolm also using a Close-Up.
The Close-Up, as usual answers the question, who, and the background shows students walking about and sitting, it appears they are also sitting. These general observations suggest they are in school, although one familiar with the series would immediately assume that, but also, the fact they are in school suggests the time of day, the fact they are sitting means it is probably around lunchtime, and so thus where and when are also answered. Malcolm is staring transfixed at a girl, describing her intently, however, as it cuts to her we see neither who or what as there is no focus within the frame.
What we get instead is a Medium Long Shot of various people walking and are left with no idea whom Malcolm is interested in. This goes to show that a Close-Up is infact vital when answering who. However, this is not a result of bad framing, no, this show is hilarious.
This trend continues throughout the episode. Malcolm starts dating the girl he was interested in, he explains how verbally, he simply asked her out. The shots continue though, refusing to show her face leading to an alienation effect as Malcolm becomes more and more paranoid within the relationship, but continues to refer to how beautiful she is.
But we literally never see her face, all we ever get is an angle, and in the one instance where it actually gives us a midshot of her it is only for a fraction of a second and her face is purposely blacked out. Thus the show refuses to answer why Malcolm is attracted to this girl for comic effect.
Perhaps a televison series wasn't the best example, but it goes to prove that most questions who, what, where, when, how and why can be answered through much more than just framing and shots. That being the case, Malcolm in the Middle uses framing and shots to put a focus on bizzare comedy rather than answering questions that we already know the answer to. In that sense it puts more of a focus on creating tension and manipulating dramatic elements than telling a story.
This is the end of my studies for tonight. I hope my work was enjoyable.
First up is a youtube video link showcasing a great Griffith Uni related video made by some friends. In this instance I have used the embedding code in order to link to the video.
Secondly I have uploaded a video of my own just to prove I can. In this instance I have uploaded the video directly from my own computer.
A task required us to show before and after images from pictures used in our post on
convergence of devices. However until now I had always been saving pictures I found and
uploading them directly as I often find that pictures you link to can disappear so it is more
sensible to upload them directly yourself.
However, for this task I shall link directly to the 'before' images and upload directly my new
'after' images using entirely new images.
Before
After (I altered the width attribute of the original image, changed the colour hue, and flipped it horizontally, using Macromedia Firefox.)Before
After (Again I altered the width attribute, decreased the image's size, inversed the colours and added both a blur and a sharpen effect using Macromedia Firefox.)Lastly, we have a task that requires us to watch a movie or television show and
explain the who, what, where, when, how and why as outlined in Lecture 3.
I decided I would do mine on an episode of Malcolm in the Middle, A - because it was on the computer so I could write as I went, and B - that meant I could also take screenshots in order to
better illustrate my point and finally C - Malcolm in the Middle often manipulates the rules of screen language for comic effect. (Keep reading, you'll see what I mean.)
This episode opens with a Close-Up of Stevie and pans across to Malcolm also using a Close-Up.
The Close-Up, as usual answers the question, who, and the background shows students walking about and sitting, it appears they are also sitting. These general observations suggest they are in school, although one familiar with the series would immediately assume that, but also, the fact they are in school suggests the time of day, the fact they are sitting means it is probably around lunchtime, and so thus where and when are also answered. Malcolm is staring transfixed at a girl, describing her intently, however, as it cuts to her we see neither who or what as there is no focus within the frame.
What we get instead is a Medium Long Shot of various people walking and are left with no idea whom Malcolm is interested in. This goes to show that a Close-Up is infact vital when answering who. However, this is not a result of bad framing, no, this show is hilarious.
This trend continues throughout the episode. Malcolm starts dating the girl he was interested in, he explains how verbally, he simply asked her out. The shots continue though, refusing to show her face leading to an alienation effect as Malcolm becomes more and more paranoid within the relationship, but continues to refer to how beautiful she is.
But we literally never see her face, all we ever get is an angle, and in the one instance where it actually gives us a midshot of her it is only for a fraction of a second and her face is purposely blacked out. Thus the show refuses to answer why Malcolm is attracted to this girl for comic effect.
Perhaps a televison series wasn't the best example, but it goes to prove that most questions who, what, where, when, how and why can be answered through much more than just framing and shots. That being the case, Malcolm in the Middle uses framing and shots to put a focus on bizzare comedy rather than answering questions that we already know the answer to. In that sense it puts more of a focus on creating tension and manipulating dramatic elements than telling a story.
This is the end of my studies for tonight. I hope my work was enjoyable.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Lecture 3 - Summary (Cine-Speak)
Our third lecture consisted of an overview of the language of cinema – something we all enjoyed researching the previous day. Now, personally I am a bit of a film expert, I’ve done multiple film classes and I’m a movie buff. Yesterday I didn’t know what I was looking for, but when it was out in the open it was clear I was in the zone.
Our lecture entitled Cine-Speak gave us an overview of all the shot sizes as follows:
VLS/WS: Very Long Shot/Wide Shot
LS: Long Shot
MLS: Medium Long Shot
MS: Mid Shot
MCU: Medium Close Up
CU: Close Up
BCU: Big Close Up
ECU: Extreme Close Up
For a more indepth look into what each shot represents as well as a number of other film definitions, visit the following link.
http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~engl377/film.html
Or see http://www.mediacollege.com/video/shots/ for specifically detailed shot definitions.
Our main focus was on what each individual shot means and what question it serves to answer whether it be who, what, where, when, how or why? Though the relation between shots and questions was liquid it was said that a Close Up indicates who, a Mid Shot explains what, a Long Shot covers where, a Wide Shot or Close Up could indicate when, an Extreme Close Up can explain why by showing us some facial movement, thought or emotion, and finally a Medium Close Up or series of Close Ups can explain how.
While there was accuracy in these relations it was referring to in general. There are rules in cinema but it all comes down to the story a person wishes to tell, and framing shots (like building with lego blocks) is simply the most effective way of achieving the desired result.
The next major consideration in regards to framing was that the subject has enough headroom within the frame. However, it isn’t as simple as simply keeping the subject in the center of the frame without cutting off their head, talking room must also be taken into consideration. Talking room means the subject shouldn’t be too close to either edge of the frame, but in order to look effective should be moved slightly to the right of the center frame. This is so that when the character is speaking it comes across as natural and not as though they are talking to thin air. The rule of thirds also helps us position a subject by fitting the character’s focal points into cross-points within the shot.
Next we went over the 180 degree rule which suggests an invisible line between two subjects that the cameras may not cross between shot to shot without distorting people’s perception of space within the film.
Lastly it was discussed that every shot in a film must be justified, whether it provides additional information in or outside of a scene or whether it drives the narrative forward or not. Unless a shot is answering one of the several questions who, what, where, when, how or why, then it does not belong.
The images provided come from the lecture’s presentation; they illustrate perfectly all the rules described.
I’m looking forward to when we start doing some filming.
Our lecture entitled Cine-Speak gave us an overview of all the shot sizes as follows:
VLS/WS: Very Long Shot/Wide Shot
LS: Long Shot
MLS: Medium Long Shot
MS: Mid Shot
MCU: Medium Close Up
CU: Close Up
BCU: Big Close Up
ECU: Extreme Close Up
For a more indepth look into what each shot represents as well as a number of other film definitions, visit the following link.
http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~engl377/film.html
Or see http://www.mediacollege.com/video/shots/ for specifically detailed shot definitions.
Our main focus was on what each individual shot means and what question it serves to answer whether it be who, what, where, when, how or why? Though the relation between shots and questions was liquid it was said that a Close Up indicates who, a Mid Shot explains what, a Long Shot covers where, a Wide Shot or Close Up could indicate when, an Extreme Close Up can explain why by showing us some facial movement, thought or emotion, and finally a Medium Close Up or series of Close Ups can explain how.
While there was accuracy in these relations it was referring to in general. There are rules in cinema but it all comes down to the story a person wishes to tell, and framing shots (like building with lego blocks) is simply the most effective way of achieving the desired result.
The next major consideration in regards to framing was that the subject has enough headroom within the frame. However, it isn’t as simple as simply keeping the subject in the center of the frame without cutting off their head, talking room must also be taken into consideration. Talking room means the subject shouldn’t be too close to either edge of the frame, but in order to look effective should be moved slightly to the right of the center frame. This is so that when the character is speaking it comes across as natural and not as though they are talking to thin air. The rule of thirds also helps us position a subject by fitting the character’s focal points into cross-points within the shot.
Next we went over the 180 degree rule which suggests an invisible line between two subjects that the cameras may not cross between shot to shot without distorting people’s perception of space within the film.
Lastly it was discussed that every shot in a film must be justified, whether it provides additional information in or outside of a scene or whether it drives the narrative forward or not. Unless a shot is answering one of the several questions who, what, where, when, how or why, then it does not belong.The images provided come from the lecture’s presentation; they illustrate perfectly all the rules described.
I’m looking forward to when we start doing some filming.
Lecture 2 - Summary (A Small History of Computers)
Our second lecture consisted entirely of a historic overview of the most quintessential innovation in technology, the computer. Hosted by none other than Course Convener himself, Dr Stephen Stockwell, the lecture kicked off with a rehash on the conversion of devices. While computers certainly evolve and add new possibilities the way in which they operate does not change.
Back in the 19th century Charles Babbage was the man who started it all by developing a blueprint of how computers would function before creating the computer itself. As it turned out, his design was a perfect prediction. This creation called the Difference Engine made to calculate and print mathematical tables was in fact a computer however it was entirely mechanic possessing no electronic elements.
(Fully operational difference engine at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA)
Something good came out of World War II as Alan Turing rallied a team of professional crossword solvers in order to develop the first functioning computers. Turing himself had a solid background in quantum mechanics and had written a paper examining the computability of numbers that would be key in developing the first computer. While the first developed computer only served to break German code it was simply the beginning, serving as the cornerstone for the computers we all use today.
It wasn’t until the 1950s when a group called IBM decided to release computers commercially. However, people that complain about the size, speed or cost of computers today literally would bash their own heads. These first computers were chunky, slow and all the same luxurious, not affordable by the general public. Fortunately, a man named Gordom Moore predicted that the power of computers would double every eighteen months, a concept that prevails to this very day.
It wasn’t until the 1970s that computers started to become accessible to the general public. In 1975 Bill Gates began to develop the first version of Windows forming the basis of the interface people still use to this day as well as popular software like word, powerpoint, paint and games.
The next big step in computing was the coming together of the Steves. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak met at a Home Brew meeting and teamed up to create Apple. Though they didn’t have much success back then, they survived and eventually came to develop the popular Ipod and the Mac computers that slowly seem to gradually be taking over the world of computers today.
However, back in the dark ages, as computers were still a foreign concept, IBM developed a partnership with Bill Gates who provided the necessary software in order to develop a user friendly computer for use in the home.
Later down the track in 1991, a man named Linus Toryalds also created a homebrew operating system known as Linux and enjoyed some success, but no one ever really talks about Linux and not being a nerd myself I don’t have any friends that use it, so I guess there isn’t a lot to be said about him. The only real interesting aspect about Linus and his exploits is the fact that he offered his operating system for free over the internet and through the collaborative efforts of many people perfected his operating system.
Going back to the past for a moment, the U.S. government wanted to use computers for war and so developed the precursor to the internet and world wide web we all use today. The first creation was email, a means of sending information into cyberspace, these messages could not be intercepted as only someone with the correct password could read the email. This popular war technique caught on so much that we incorporated it into our day to day society.
I guess despite war being a terrible happening, it forces people to get creative. The soldiers may fall, but we get cool new playthings for their trouble, nice.
Thanks to these warmongers efforts we now have things like Instant Messenger, Social Networking Sites, and even Email which is still used to this day. Along with popular forms of computer communication there are also other forms such as File Transfer Protocol (FTP) a means of sharing files, Internet Relay Chat (IRC) similar to Instant Messenger but where generally one talks with particular groups of people from all over rather than their select friends, also Discussion Boards and Forums which are like Social Networking Sites too but hold the same principle as IRC where mostly one interacts with strangers from around the world.
So ultimately, anyone who says nothing good comes out of war seriously needs to buy a computer.
For an indepth history of computers with amazing photos, follow the link below.
Computer History
For a simplistic timeline of the history of computers, follow the link below.
Computer History - Timeline
For a simplistic timeline of the history of the internet, follow the link below.
Internet History - Timeline
Back in the 19th century Charles Babbage was the man who started it all by developing a blueprint of how computers would function before creating the computer itself. As it turned out, his design was a perfect prediction. This creation called the Difference Engine made to calculate and print mathematical tables was in fact a computer however it was entirely mechanic possessing no electronic elements.
(Fully operational difference engine at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA)Something good came out of World War II as Alan Turing rallied a team of professional crossword solvers in order to develop the first functioning computers. Turing himself had a solid background in quantum mechanics and had written a paper examining the computability of numbers that would be key in developing the first computer. While the first developed computer only served to break German code it was simply the beginning, serving as the cornerstone for the computers we all use today.
It wasn’t until the 1950s when a group called IBM decided to release computers commercially. However, people that complain about the size, speed or cost of computers today literally would bash their own heads. These first computers were chunky, slow and all the same luxurious, not affordable by the general public. Fortunately, a man named Gordom Moore predicted that the power of computers would double every eighteen months, a concept that prevails to this very day.
It wasn’t until the 1970s that computers started to become accessible to the general public. In 1975 Bill Gates began to develop the first version of Windows forming the basis of the interface people still use to this day as well as popular software like word, powerpoint, paint and games.
The next big step in computing was the coming together of the Steves. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak met at a Home Brew meeting and teamed up to create Apple. Though they didn’t have much success back then, they survived and eventually came to develop the popular Ipod and the Mac computers that slowly seem to gradually be taking over the world of computers today.
However, back in the dark ages, as computers were still a foreign concept, IBM developed a partnership with Bill Gates who provided the necessary software in order to develop a user friendly computer for use in the home.
Later down the track in 1991, a man named Linus Toryalds also created a homebrew operating system known as Linux and enjoyed some success, but no one ever really talks about Linux and not being a nerd myself I don’t have any friends that use it, so I guess there isn’t a lot to be said about him. The only real interesting aspect about Linus and his exploits is the fact that he offered his operating system for free over the internet and through the collaborative efforts of many people perfected his operating system.
Going back to the past for a moment, the U.S. government wanted to use computers for war and so developed the precursor to the internet and world wide web we all use today. The first creation was email, a means of sending information into cyberspace, these messages could not be intercepted as only someone with the correct password could read the email. This popular war technique caught on so much that we incorporated it into our day to day society.
I guess despite war being a terrible happening, it forces people to get creative. The soldiers may fall, but we get cool new playthings for their trouble, nice.
Thanks to these warmongers efforts we now have things like Instant Messenger, Social Networking Sites, and even Email which is still used to this day. Along with popular forms of computer communication there are also other forms such as File Transfer Protocol (FTP) a means of sharing files, Internet Relay Chat (IRC) similar to Instant Messenger but where generally one talks with particular groups of people from all over rather than their select friends, also Discussion Boards and Forums which are like Social Networking Sites too but hold the same principle as IRC where mostly one interacts with strangers from around the world.
So ultimately, anyone who says nothing good comes out of war seriously needs to buy a computer.
For an indepth history of computers with amazing photos, follow the link below.
Computer History
For a simplistic timeline of the history of computers, follow the link below.
Computer History - Timeline
For a simplistic timeline of the history of the internet, follow the link below.
Internet History - Timeline
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Research - Tutorial 3
Another week another tutorial. This week we were ordered to research the following terms ECU, WS and MS. My first assumption was that these would all be computer related terms, however, upon a quick search it became apparent each could mean any number of things.
ECU made me think of Electronic Cooling Unit for some reason. So I typed ECU into the search engine and a number of sites in order to see what came up. I was only more confused, ECU stood for a lot of things.
Like the European Chess Union for example.
http://www.europechess.org/
Among others I found:
The complete article can be found at this site: http://www.ecu.edu/news/newsstory.cfm?ID=1086
Still unsure whether or not I had uncovered the intended definition of ECU I continued to search , however, no matter what I seemed to fine my searches kept coming up with East Carolina University. So from this day onward I declare East Carolina University the sole partner to the abbreviation ECU.
My next task was to uncover the truth behind the letters WS.
But at this point I had just been informed that ECU actually stood for Extreme Close-Up... All of my research for nothing. I should have figured the answer all along, being a film student and all.
Back to WS, my first guess was Waylon Smithers, from the popular animated series The Simpsons, however, I suspected this may not be the correct answer.
According to the internet WS does infact stand for Wii Sports. A popular game for the Nintendo Wii home console.
It then occured to me that in terms of communication the term probably was reffering to WS FTP, a File Transfer Protocol client. An FTP is a program that allows people to upload and share files from anywhere around the world so that other people using the program can access them.
More information can be found at: http://www.ipswitchft.com/
My final assignment was to explain MS. And of course every one knows MS refers to Multiple sclerosis, a chronic, inflammatory, demyelinating disease.
An MRI scan shows the damage.
Finally, as I finished up, it occured to me. Extreme Close-Up (ECU) was the correct answer... the other answers were probably related... that meant WS stood for Wide Shot and MS stood for Mid Shot. I had wasted a lot of time following false leads, however, I had uncovered the truth.
According to www.mediacollege.com/video/shots/ in terms of 'The Language of Screen' an Extreme Close-Up gets right in and shows extreme detail, in a Wide Shot (WS) the subject takes up the full frame, and The ECU gets right in and shows extreme detail.a Medium Shot (MS) shows some part of the subject in more detail whilst still giving an impression of the whole subject.
Examples of the three different types of camera shots can be seen below.
Extreme Close-Up (ECU)
Wide Shot (WS)
Mid Shot (MS)
ECU made me think of Electronic Cooling Unit for some reason. So I typed ECU into the search engine and a number of sites in order to see what came up. I was only more confused, ECU stood for a lot of things.
Like the European Chess Union for example.
http://www.europechess.org/
Among others I found:
- East Carolina University, a university in Greenville, North Carolina (USA)
- East Central University, a university in Ada, Oklahoma (USA)
- French écu, the name of several French coins
- Ecuador, which is abbreviated to contain the first three letters: ECU. (ECU)
- Edith Cowan University, a university in Australia
- Electronic control unit, in automotive electronics
- Engine control unit, an electronic system controlling aspects of an engine's operation
- European Currency Unit, a former basket of the currencies of the European Community, precursor to the euro
- Extensor Carpi Ulnaris, a muscle of the forearm
- Extreme close-up, a cinematographic term
- ÉCU, the European Independent Film Festival (Paris, France)
As it turns out the a group called Scottish Rite Masons is raising money for the East Carolina University Speech Language and Hearing Clinic. Their goal is to aid communication by helping children with language and hearing disabilities. As the article explains "Speech and language services are provided by faculty and graduate students in the ECU Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders in the School of Allied Health Sciences. The Scottish Rite program specializes in diagnostic evaluations for children and adolescents who are suspected of having or have been diagnosed with a language-based learning disability including problems with pre-reading skills, reading, writing, understanding speech or expressing themselves."
The complete article can be found at this site: http://www.ecu.edu/news/newsstory.cfm?ID=1086
Still unsure whether or not I had uncovered the intended definition of ECU I continued to search , however, no matter what I seemed to fine my searches kept coming up with East Carolina University. So from this day onward I declare East Carolina University the sole partner to the abbreviation ECU.
My next task was to uncover the truth behind the letters WS.
But at this point I had just been informed that ECU actually stood for Extreme Close-Up... All of my research for nothing. I should have figured the answer all along, being a film student and all.
Back to WS, my first guess was Waylon Smithers, from the popular animated series The Simpsons, however, I suspected this may not be the correct answer.
According to the internet WS does infact stand for Wii Sports. A popular game for the Nintendo Wii home console.
It then occured to me that in terms of communication the term probably was reffering to WS FTP, a File Transfer Protocol client. An FTP is a program that allows people to upload and share files from anywhere around the world so that other people using the program can access them.
More information can be found at: http://www.ipswitchft.com/
My final assignment was to explain MS. And of course every one knows MS refers to Multiple sclerosis, a chronic, inflammatory, demyelinating disease.
An MRI scan shows the damage.
Finally, as I finished up, it occured to me. Extreme Close-Up (ECU) was the correct answer... the other answers were probably related... that meant WS stood for Wide Shot and MS stood for Mid Shot. I had wasted a lot of time following false leads, however, I had uncovered the truth.According to www.mediacollege.com/video/shots/ in terms of 'The Language of Screen' an Extreme Close-Up gets right in and shows extreme detail, in a Wide Shot (WS) the subject takes up the full frame, and The ECU gets right in and shows extreme detail.a Medium Shot (MS) shows some part of the subject in more detail whilst still giving an impression of the whole subject.
Examples of the three different types of camera shots can be seen below.
Extreme Close-Up (ECU)
Wide Shot (WS)
Mid Shot (MS)
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
4 Slice Toaster
I am baffled. People seem to be under the impression that their 2 Slice Toasters are enough. Now, I might not be a toast doctor, or dietitian if you will, but I know that when I'm having toast for breakfast or even a snack I want 3 to 4 slices. Why! Why I ask, is it, that everywhere I go, every person I meet is operating one of these prissy machines?
It just means you have to wait longer for your full allotment of toast. What kind of crazy breakfast person would want to do that? It is a crime I say. I have always owned a 4 Slice Toaster and I simply can't fathom why know one else I know neglects to acquire one of these amazing devices.
It just means you have to wait longer for your full allotment of toast. What kind of crazy breakfast person would want to do that? It is a crime I say. I have always owned a 4 Slice Toaster and I simply can't fathom why know one else I know neglects to acquire one of these amazing devices.
Convergence of Devices
(IMPORTANT NOTE: I have included altered and edited versions of other photos in a later post. I hope this reflects that I have the necessary skills and completed the task although not specifically for the pictures of convergent communication technology. If the later pictures aren't satisfactory, I will edit the ones in this post in order to complete the task properly, please let me know should that be the case.)
"Technological convergence is the trend of technologies to merge into new technologies that bring together a myriad of media. While historically, technology handled one medium or accomplished one or two tasks, through technological convergence, devices are now able to present and interact with a wide array of media."
(Taken from: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-technological-convergence.htm)
The internet is the prime example of technological convergence. Every entertainment technology you can think of us been integrated within, including radio, television, video, games and even books all of which can be accessed online.
Nowadays, our ability to communicate has evolved... However, the creation of most modern technology is more useful than original. Each and every form of modern communication is merely an upgrade or collaboration of old devices.
For example, nowadays everyone has a mobile phone, a device that not only lets you communicate orally or send messages from anywhere to another individual, but is also packed with additional features including internet access, messenger, images, movies, games, clocks, radio and any number of things.
Mobile phones, while amazingly innovative have been around for years. And before them was the telephone which started it all. Fortunately, the mobile phone has decreased in size and now generally fits in the palm of ones' hand.
Not every creation in communication is necessarily amazing, however, many devices go overlooked, just because they aren't as necessary as the mobile phone.
Though not something used by everyone, when the situation calls for it, a megaphone is a great communication device, amplifying oral or audio presentations in order to reach across a crowd or large gathering of people. Basically, the funnel like megaphone as seen above, was the precursor to devices like the microphone which electronically alter the pitch of the speaker and allow for the same effect as the megaphone except it can be combined with speakers to reach all kinds of other areas.
Other convergent communication devices inclyude the internet which originally started with only email, but nowadays has evolved into a crucial icon of pop culture with its countless social networking sites. Social Networking sites create a newer more detailed experience and act as a quick way of sharing files and information.
In terms of technology advancing and helping communication it is clear that advancements are vast and intricate in their development. Communication has certainly evolved, and that is all it seems to be doing as all aspects of communication being textual, visual, audio, oral are being melded together as computers in our homes, as mobile phones to carry with us. There is no longer any need for anything but our computers. Instead of newspapers we can simply access the internet and read news feeds, instead of books we can explore online encyclopedias, instead of television we can stream videos online. Where will the future of communication take us? Who knows. Surely technology will continue to evolve, but will there be anymore creative additions to the world of communication, or have we already reached our peak?
The following video shows some insight into where technology is at presently and where it might be going in the near future. Enjoy, I'm going to go on Facebook and communicate :)
"Technological convergence is the trend of technologies to merge into new technologies that bring together a myriad of media. While historically, technology handled one medium or accomplished one or two tasks, through technological convergence, devices are now able to present and interact with a wide array of media."
(Taken from: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-technological-convergence.htm)
The internet is the prime example of technological convergence. Every entertainment technology you can think of us been integrated within, including radio, television, video, games and even books all of which can be accessed online.
Nowadays, our ability to communicate has evolved... However, the creation of most modern technology is more useful than original. Each and every form of modern communication is merely an upgrade or collaboration of old devices.
For example, nowadays everyone has a mobile phone, a device that not only lets you communicate orally or send messages from anywhere to another individual, but is also packed with additional features including internet access, messenger, images, movies, games, clocks, radio and any number of things.
Mobile phones, while amazingly innovative have been around for years. And before them was the telephone which started it all. Fortunately, the mobile phone has decreased in size and now generally fits in the palm of ones' hand.Not every creation in communication is necessarily amazing, however, many devices go overlooked, just because they aren't as necessary as the mobile phone.
Though not something used by everyone, when the situation calls for it, a megaphone is a great communication device, amplifying oral or audio presentations in order to reach across a crowd or large gathering of people. Basically, the funnel like megaphone as seen above, was the precursor to devices like the microphone which electronically alter the pitch of the speaker and allow for the same effect as the megaphone except it can be combined with speakers to reach all kinds of other areas.Other convergent communication devices inclyude the internet which originally started with only email, but nowadays has evolved into a crucial icon of pop culture with its countless social networking sites. Social Networking sites create a newer more detailed experience and act as a quick way of sharing files and information.In terms of technology advancing and helping communication it is clear that advancements are vast and intricate in their development. Communication has certainly evolved, and that is all it seems to be doing as all aspects of communication being textual, visual, audio, oral are being melded together as computers in our homes, as mobile phones to carry with us. There is no longer any need for anything but our computers. Instead of newspapers we can simply access the internet and read news feeds, instead of books we can explore online encyclopedias, instead of television we can stream videos online. Where will the future of communication take us? Who knows. Surely technology will continue to evolve, but will there be anymore creative additions to the world of communication, or have we already reached our peak?
The following video shows some insight into where technology is at presently and where it might be going in the near future. Enjoy, I'm going to go on Facebook and communicate :)
Monday, August 3, 2009
Last Week
So last week I started Semester 2 in my Bachelor of Arts course. I had selected four classes being: New Communication Technologies, Great Book A, Creative Writing I, and the compulsory Introduction to Social Enterprises. Despite any doubts I might have had at first, all of these classes look to be enjoyable and interesting.
So, aside from my contentness with uni, what did I get up to?
I gotogether with some of the coolest kids I know, Jon and Luke Harriss and we hit up some movies.
First up was The Hangover. I didn't have any real expectations for this film, I expected a typical sex romp, gross-out humour style movie. However, I had been hearing people say good things about this film, and I didn't know any of the actors which nowadays is a good thing. I enjoy watching something fresh.
Overall it was a pretty enjoyable film. It didn't even feel excessively stupid, of course, many situations involved were implausible, such as stealing Mike Tyson's tiger. However, the actors managed to deliver their dialogue with a lot of realism and this did the movie and lot of justice. All up, I liked the film, except one thing...
I have a habit of checking online before, or after seeing a film in order to see what others thought of it. My source is generall www.imdb.com and currently, The Hangover has a rating of 8.2/10 putting it at #181 in the Top 250 movies of all time.
Now, of course this list is very subjective as it is not an entirely universal opinion, nor is it necessarily made up of critics or intelligent individuals. I believe its time on the list will be temporal, but this does suprise me. It was a good film, and really, I can't say it was amazingly funny, just, that there were very few bits if any that were actually bad - so it does deserve that credit over similar movies.
The Hangover was on Wednesday, Thursday, like it did most weeks, came next. Truly, if there is one day at uni I dislike, it is this day. I must arrive at uni at 8:00 a.m. and stick around until 6:00 p.m. Fortunately, in the dreadful final hour I received a call from Jon and Luke. "We're seeing Public Enemies with Johnny Depp." I thought, anything to not have to catch a bus home.
So before I knew it we were at Aus Fair and ready to see this film. Except it didn't start for another 3 hours. We spent the time killing time. We even discovered one of those machines that asks you 20 questions and guesses what you're thinking of. This particular one was a The Simpsons model.
Unbelievably, asking the most stock questions, the device managed to guess 'Jebediah of Springfield's Silver Tongue' and 'The Inanimate Carbon Rod' two obscure Simpsons objects that have only ever been brought up once, now that was impressive.
Finally, the movie started and it was just too long 2 hours and 20 minutes of uncompelling story and a lack of characterisation or any form of romantic tension between Johnny and his gal. Despite some decent action scenes and cheesy one liners, this movie simply wasn't up to scratch. Unless you're one of Johnny Depp's groupies, in which case you've probably already seen this, DON'T!
I'm Craig Thompson and that was my Wednesday and Thursday last week.
So, aside from my contentness with uni, what did I get up to?
I gotogether with some of the coolest kids I know, Jon and Luke Harriss and we hit up some movies.
First up was The Hangover. I didn't have any real expectations for this film, I expected a typical sex romp, gross-out humour style movie. However, I had been hearing people say good things about this film, and I didn't know any of the actors which nowadays is a good thing. I enjoy watching something fresh.
Overall it was a pretty enjoyable film. It didn't even feel excessively stupid, of course, many situations involved were implausible, such as stealing Mike Tyson's tiger. However, the actors managed to deliver their dialogue with a lot of realism and this did the movie and lot of justice. All up, I liked the film, except one thing...
I have a habit of checking online before, or after seeing a film in order to see what others thought of it. My source is generall www.imdb.com and currently, The Hangover has a rating of 8.2/10 putting it at #181 in the Top 250 movies of all time.
Now, of course this list is very subjective as it is not an entirely universal opinion, nor is it necessarily made up of critics or intelligent individuals. I believe its time on the list will be temporal, but this does suprise me. It was a good film, and really, I can't say it was amazingly funny, just, that there were very few bits if any that were actually bad - so it does deserve that credit over similar movies.
The Hangover was on Wednesday, Thursday, like it did most weeks, came next. Truly, if there is one day at uni I dislike, it is this day. I must arrive at uni at 8:00 a.m. and stick around until 6:00 p.m. Fortunately, in the dreadful final hour I received a call from Jon and Luke. "We're seeing Public Enemies with Johnny Depp." I thought, anything to not have to catch a bus home.So before I knew it we were at Aus Fair and ready to see this film. Except it didn't start for another 3 hours. We spent the time killing time. We even discovered one of those machines that asks you 20 questions and guesses what you're thinking of. This particular one was a The Simpsons model.
Unbelievably, asking the most stock questions, the device managed to guess 'Jebediah of Springfield's Silver Tongue' and 'The Inanimate Carbon Rod' two obscure Simpsons objects that have only ever been brought up once, now that was impressive.
Finally, the movie started and it was just too long 2 hours and 20 minutes of uncompelling story and a lack of characterisation or any form of romantic tension between Johnny and his gal. Despite some decent action scenes and cheesy one liners, this movie simply wasn't up to scratch. Unless you're one of Johnny Depp's groupies, in which case you've probably already seen this, DON'T!
I'm Craig Thompson and that was my Wednesday and Thursday last week.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Lecture 1 - Summary
Our very first lecture consisted mostly of an overview of the course and assessment. Following this we listed and discussed in brief the various forms of communication.
Starting from the most base form of communication we expanded the list and examined how communication had evolved and advanced from its humble beginnings.
The three most base forms of communication are as follows: oral, written and visual.
From these base forms we have created such forms of communication as television, radio,
newspapers, magazines, the telephone, and mail.
However, these days we have entered a new age and far succeeded these forms of communication through a piece of technology so innovative our generation has been named after it. We are the internet generation.
Though most communication features of the internet are based off of old forms, what makes them an advancement is the speed at which information can travel. Mail now exists in the form of email allowing a person to send information including text, images and video in an instant. The internet is also home to forums and discussion boards where people all over the world can contribute their opinion and provide insight. The internet is essentially the perfect combination
of audio, visual and text based communication allowing for all possible types of communication.
Finally, the mobile phone supercedes the telephone, providing nearly all the same features as
the internet as well as allowing phone calls from any location.
It's hard to imagine just how much we can improve technology as it seems that we are able to transmit nearly any piece of information in an instant to whomever we desire. I look forward to this course as it is very applicable to myself and my generation. Who knows, we might even learn a thing or too along the way.
And at some point I'm pretty sure I heard we'll be playing PS3 in this course. Sweet.
Starting from the most base form of communication we expanded the list and examined how communication had evolved and advanced from its humble beginnings.
The three most base forms of communication are as follows: oral, written and visual.
From these base forms we have created such forms of communication as television, radio,
newspapers, magazines, the telephone, and mail.
However, these days we have entered a new age and far succeeded these forms of communication through a piece of technology so innovative our generation has been named after it. We are the internet generation.
Though most communication features of the internet are based off of old forms, what makes them an advancement is the speed at which information can travel. Mail now exists in the form of email allowing a person to send information including text, images and video in an instant. The internet is also home to forums and discussion boards where people all over the world can contribute their opinion and provide insight. The internet is essentially the perfect combination
of audio, visual and text based communication allowing for all possible types of communication.
Finally, the mobile phone supercedes the telephone, providing nearly all the same features as
the internet as well as allowing phone calls from any location.
It's hard to imagine just how much we can improve technology as it seems that we are able to transmit nearly any piece of information in an instant to whomever we desire. I look forward to this course as it is very applicable to myself and my generation. Who knows, we might even learn a thing or too along the way.
And at some point I'm pretty sure I heard we'll be playing PS3 in this course. Sweet.
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