One point in our video game presentation that might not have come across is how each level of the game would be a different difficulty you had to face, the difficulties being something from Charlie Sheen's life. I think we could have made this part of the presentation stronger by actually laying out what some of the levels would be. We did give a couple of examples, but maybe not enough.
Another weak point was the use of sounds and how they would be incorporated into the game itself. We couldn't figure out to rip the audio from a Charlie Sheen soundboard into the powerpoint, so we had to follow a link. The website was acting funny and I think it definitely detracted from the presentation. I don't necessarily think there was anything that we could have done to fix that and make the presentation stronger, but maybe we could have taken the audio from a Youtube video and used that.
As far as the gaming concept that was most easily discussed with others, I would have to say the mechanics of a game. Everyone (or just about everyone) has played one or more of the popular consoles (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, etc.), so when talking about the mechanics of a game like which buttons on the controller do what, everyone is on the same page. They know the layout of the controller and which buttons are which.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Visual Framing
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| Original For this assignment, I used a Salvador Dali image of what appears to be man escaping from a womb/globe of Earth. I was drawn to the image initially because of the abstractness of it. A man is escaping from a womb-like globe of Earth with a woman and child standing and pointing. In the edited image, all you can see is the the globe and man climbing out. It shares the affinity in this way, as well as the fact that the woman's arm pointing towards him is still partially visible. The way it contrasts from the original is that the child and the figure above the globe cannot be seen. Also, it goes from being a 3-shot extra wide to a wide shot with only the man visible in the frame. Both images still make use of the same lines, both actual and virtual. In the first image, there are virtual lines with the woman and child looking toward the man, as well as the hand pointing and the actual line of blood dripping from the globe. Also, there is implied movement of the man escaping the womb. This movement is to the left with his foot pushing out and his hand pushing down. I think Dali framed the image the way he did to get the full effect of the mother and child viewing the man breaking out. It's important to see the direction of their eyes looking toward him. |
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| Re-framed |
Monday, April 25, 2011
Brainwashed
Brainwashed - an article by Seth Godin
Acknowledge the Lizard
One of the seven layers of the article is about the prehistoric brainstem that exists in all of us. The part of us that worries about safety and being embarrassed. This is something that shuts down our ability to take risks and be original. Godin says that we have to acknowledge this part of us so that we can ignore it. That is the only way to do important, original things and be successful.
Fail
Another layer, one that I find to be very important, is to have the ability to fail. The reinvention of yourself demands the ability to fail, over and over again and not be set back by it. You must take risks to succeed, and in taking risks there is a large chance of failure. It goes back to "Acknowledging the lizard," where you have to ignore the part of you that is safe and not be afraid to take risks.
I think the way these layers are connected to the blog I've be making this quarter is that when creating blogs, you can't be afraid to put what you really think or believe out there, regardless of what others may think of it. You have to ignore the prehistoric part of your brain and not worry about failure. As far as whether these exercises make me a better artist/person/student, I can't really say. I think it does help somewhat to get my words out there. I think the main part of this course (assignments like the soundscape, song, etc.) are the most important part and should remain to be.
Acknowledge the Lizard
One of the seven layers of the article is about the prehistoric brainstem that exists in all of us. The part of us that worries about safety and being embarrassed. This is something that shuts down our ability to take risks and be original. Godin says that we have to acknowledge this part of us so that we can ignore it. That is the only way to do important, original things and be successful.
Fail
Another layer, one that I find to be very important, is to have the ability to fail. The reinvention of yourself demands the ability to fail, over and over again and not be set back by it. You must take risks to succeed, and in taking risks there is a large chance of failure. It goes back to "Acknowledging the lizard," where you have to ignore the part of you that is safe and not be afraid to take risks.
I think the way these layers are connected to the blog I've be making this quarter is that when creating blogs, you can't be afraid to put what you really think or believe out there, regardless of what others may think of it. You have to ignore the prehistoric part of your brain and not worry about failure. As far as whether these exercises make me a better artist/person/student, I can't really say. I think it does help somewhat to get my words out there. I think the main part of this course (assignments like the soundscape, song, etc.) are the most important part and should remain to be.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
My song
For some reason my song exported as an mp4 instead of an mp3 so I'm trying to figuring out how to get it on here. (It won't let you upload mp4's onto podsnack)
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Ben Harper covers "Under Pressure"
Last year, Ben Harper and Relentless 7 covered one of my favorite songs, "Under Pressure," originally performed by Queen and David Bowie.
Here is a video of the original:
Here is a video of the original:
And the cover:
The two versions both have the same lyrics and melody, but Ben Harper added his own style into the song by using acoustic instrumentation and his unique singing voice. In the intro, the original uses a hat and clap, while the cover uses a hat and some kind of box snare. The piano part of the original is replaced by an acoustic guitar, which also plays the electric guitar part of the intro. Also, the guitar in the original has some kind of chorus effect on it to sound fuller.
I would say the biggest difference is in the style of singing between David Bowie and Ben Harper. Harper hits the highs of Freddie Mercury, but softer. Harper sings much differently than Bowie, however.
Overall, the original version is much fuller, mostly because of the instruments used. Queen and Bowie's version was recorded in a studio with electric guitars and was mastered and edited. Harper's version was much more raw as it is a live studio take. I would say Harper's version is softer and drier, while the original is fuller and more produced.
I think I like the original better just because it is such a timeless song. It still sounds like it could be on the radio today, not just on classic rock stations. That being said, Ben Harper is one of my favorite artists and his version certainly deserves merit. He sings with so much emotion that you know he really connects with a song.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Soundscape
Monday, April 4, 2011
1B. Response to Mitch Ditkoff's "14 Ways to Get Breakthrough Ideas"
"14 Ways to Get Breakthrough Ideas" was written for the people who struggle coming up with ideas or just get stuck. After reading the article, which can be found here, I feel that anyone can spark their creativity by trying some of the things Ditkoff mentions. Many of his techniques are simple things that can help anybody get creative. Of the fourteen ways, there are three that I will respond to.
1. Follow your fascination: GOOD SUGGESTION I think this is a great way to come up with ideas. It seems almost obvious that you will come up with better ideas with something you're passionate about than something you have no interest in. That's why I chose to major in music production rather than something boring like Finance or Pre-Med. I have a passion for music so I will be able to come up with ideas in this field more easily than the others.
10. Hang out with diverse groups of people: GOOD SUGGESTION This is also a fantastic way to come up with new ideas. Being with a diverse group of people means a diverse range of views and ideas. This will definitely help you come up with ideas you may have never thought of yourself. The way I would apply this to making music would be to listen to a wide range of artists and genres when trying to come up with ideas. You can pull different ideas and instruments from each style and make it your own.
12. Look for happy accidents: BAD SUGGESTION It's not that this is an awful suggestion, it's just that it isn't really a way that someone can do anything about. An accident is just that- an accident. There aren't really any contributing factors to it that you can actively work toward- it's just going to happen...maybe. Bottom line is that as far as a way to come up with ideas, this shouldn't be included.
PROMPT: At the end of number 5, Ditkoff offers the reader this prompt: Think of a current challenge of yours. What would a fantasy solution to this challenge look like? What clues does this fantasy solution give you?
A current challenge in my life is keeping my grade point average at a 3.3 or higher to keep my scholarship. A fantasy solution to this challenge would be me going to every class, taking great notes, and not procrastinating on projects and homework. Some clues this gives me is that maybe I should start keeping an assignment book to keep track of my work that needs to be done. I believe this will help me stay on top of my work and not get behind.
1. Follow your fascination: GOOD SUGGESTION I think this is a great way to come up with ideas. It seems almost obvious that you will come up with better ideas with something you're passionate about than something you have no interest in. That's why I chose to major in music production rather than something boring like Finance or Pre-Med. I have a passion for music so I will be able to come up with ideas in this field more easily than the others.
10. Hang out with diverse groups of people: GOOD SUGGESTION This is also a fantastic way to come up with new ideas. Being with a diverse group of people means a diverse range of views and ideas. This will definitely help you come up with ideas you may have never thought of yourself. The way I would apply this to making music would be to listen to a wide range of artists and genres when trying to come up with ideas. You can pull different ideas and instruments from each style and make it your own.
12. Look for happy accidents: BAD SUGGESTION It's not that this is an awful suggestion, it's just that it isn't really a way that someone can do anything about. An accident is just that- an accident. There aren't really any contributing factors to it that you can actively work toward- it's just going to happen...maybe. Bottom line is that as far as a way to come up with ideas, this shouldn't be included.
PROMPT: At the end of number 5, Ditkoff offers the reader this prompt: Think of a current challenge of yours. What would a fantasy solution to this challenge look like? What clues does this fantasy solution give you?
A current challenge in my life is keeping my grade point average at a 3.3 or higher to keep my scholarship. A fantasy solution to this challenge would be me going to every class, taking great notes, and not procrastinating on projects and homework. Some clues this gives me is that maybe I should start keeping an assignment book to keep track of my work that needs to be done. I believe this will help me stay on top of my work and not get behind.
1A. Who influences me as a Creative Person
I'm not sure what kind of creative person I am, but I know that my favorite thing to do is listen to music. And I mean really listen. I like to break down the song and listen to each instrument individually. I've been doing it as long as i can remember and it really helps get me in a creative mood.
An artist that really inspires me to make music is Beck. His style of music is so original. He uses such a wide array of sounds and styles and uses everything from samples and drum machines to live instrumentation and sound effects.
In "Missing," Beck uses mostly live instruments such as acoustic guitar and strings, although the drums are probably sampled. This song is a good example of Text and Subtext. In the song, he sings, "And the guns of her mind aim a line straight at mine to a heart that was broke." Taken literally, the line makes little sense, but the audience knows the subtext is that she dumped him and broke his heart. Also, the title of the song is mentioned in the chorus and the last line of the song is "Someone's missing." The audience knows he is referring to the person that broke his heart.
This is an example of Contrast and Affinity. It is the same song as above remixed. So, obviously the affinity is that it is the same basic song in key and lyrics. In this remix, Beck chose to use more electronic sounding instruments an samples, in contrast to the natural sounds of the original. He actually did a whole album remixing a previous albums songs, which just makes me realize that there are so many possible ways to do something creative.
This song is an example of Tension and Release. From 0:00 to 0:19, the song sounds like a retro video game of some sort. Although it is pretty catchy, the audience is waiting for the real song to kick in, which it does around twenty seconds into the song. Tension and release are an important part of music as well as television/film. When making music I will try to leave a void and then fill it later in the song.
Beck is considered by many a musical genius in the way he combines different sounds and instruments. He is definitely someone who I would like to mold myself after musically.
An artist that really inspires me to make music is Beck. His style of music is so original. He uses such a wide array of sounds and styles and uses everything from samples and drum machines to live instrumentation and sound effects.
In "Missing," Beck uses mostly live instruments such as acoustic guitar and strings, although the drums are probably sampled. This song is a good example of Text and Subtext. In the song, he sings, "And the guns of her mind aim a line straight at mine to a heart that was broke." Taken literally, the line makes little sense, but the audience knows the subtext is that she dumped him and broke his heart. Also, the title of the song is mentioned in the chorus and the last line of the song is "Someone's missing." The audience knows he is referring to the person that broke his heart.
This is an example of Contrast and Affinity. It is the same song as above remixed. So, obviously the affinity is that it is the same basic song in key and lyrics. In this remix, Beck chose to use more electronic sounding instruments an samples, in contrast to the natural sounds of the original. He actually did a whole album remixing a previous albums songs, which just makes me realize that there are so many possible ways to do something creative.
This song is an example of Tension and Release. From 0:00 to 0:19, the song sounds like a retro video game of some sort. Although it is pretty catchy, the audience is waiting for the real song to kick in, which it does around twenty seconds into the song. Tension and release are an important part of music as well as television/film. When making music I will try to leave a void and then fill it later in the song.
Beck is considered by many a musical genius in the way he combines different sounds and instruments. He is definitely someone who I would like to mold myself after musically.
Friday, April 1, 2011
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