After watching the TED talk by Larry Lessig about laws that choked creativity he relates his research to the music industry. He used examples from edited video to make funny music videos to express ones creativity. He stresses the idea of remixing by taking and recreation others people works so that they can express a new idea on their own. With the uses of this digital technology, there has been a lot of conflict. I feel like this is a difficult issue to take side upon because one person is stealing the work of another. Though this is wrong the use isn’t exactly the same so people should take that into consideration. I believe that people should be able to express to others whatever they feel like is appropriate.
Monthly Archives: May 2014
Art, Games, and Technology Research
The primary thesis described in the article Computer Graphics: Effects of Origins is that technology has been constant changing over history. It is becoming more and more advance each year. People are constantly creating new technology ideas and they are entering the market every year. The article shows the “origins and practices of computer graphics from 1945 to the present are examined to reveal cultural patterns embedded in their material and symbolic form”(B.J. Jones pg 23). This means that different cultures have had different ways of using technology in their daily life. Though with all these technologies there has start to become growing tensions between people. A historical statement that Jones uses to illustrate her thesis was the example with the early years of computer graphics. In the 1940’s was the first introduction of computer graphics. The first introduction was presented and displayed on an oscilloscope. The introducers of this computer graphic display were by Ben F. Lapofsky and Herbert W. Franke. He was able to create this kind of imagery by producing drawings by pen movements and table movements. After this point the computer imagery industry has sky rocketed up. It is now extremely advance compared to what it uses to be. An alternate source that as describes the advancements in computer graphics in the current century. Ever since the 1990’s there has been an introduction of 3D graphics. The 3D computer graphics that “utilize a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images”(ScienceDaily). This had a huge impact on the computer graphic world. There was a tone of movies during the 1990 that changed what people though of computer graphics. Movies like Toy Story was the first full length computer generated animated film. In todays society 3D graphics have be advanced beyond what anyone could have imagined. Anything can now be created through the use of computer graphics.
ScienceDaily (2014) by ScienceDaily, LLC or by third-party sources
Art, Games, and Tech Discussion
In the TED talk presentation by Jane McGonigal brought up some interesting ideas regarding video game play by people. The 3 billion hours a week the world spends on playing video I feel like is a ridiculous amount. Even though the Jane feels like it is a good thing to play video games, I see it as a bad thing. I don’t like the idea of living a virtual life instead of real life. I believe that people need to get outside and interact with other real people. Playing a sport outside can be just as fun as in a video game. The whole idea about achieve that epic win is still present. I also feel that it is important to know that there are no do over in the real world, if some one fail they normally are unable to make up for their mistake.
Creative Spirtituality Reflection
1. How do you define “spirituality”?
I define spirituality, as something that I feel is real even though I cannot see it. It is very hard to describe what spirituality is because it isn’t a fiscal thing that some one could see or touch. Spirituality comes more from a belief that something is important and sacred to oneself. I personally feel like spirituality is something that does always have to be religious. People that do not have firm religious beliefs can use it. Spirituality is more like a mind set that someone has toward things.
2. Does spirituality differ from religion?
In most cases I would say that religion and spirituality is very similar to one another. Spirituality can be defined as a state of being dedicated to religion, god, or prayer. The Catholic Church enjoys using the term spirituality to define all of its values and believes. Though there is a strong argument that suggests that they are different from one another. Spirituality isn’t complete defined by religion because anyone can become spiritual. All spirituality does is create a mindset that some one believes and follows.
3. How do you define “creativity”?
I define creativity as something that everyone poses. It is the imagination that someone has that makes him or her there own person. Creativity can be a number of things from art to a dream or idea. The possibilities are endless for what creativity is. I personally feel it is something that shy’s away from normality. Creativity has to be something that some can notice and express their feeling to. If it doesn’t meet these criteria then is can be considered creative.
4. What is the source of creativity?
The source of creativity comes from a persons mind. It is whatever a person can think of and some how express it to other people. The source is located in each human’s brain and it can be see when someone expresses it physically. Everyone has a source of creativity locked in his or her mind. The hard part is trying to find a way to show it to people. Creativity can come in all kinds of forms such as art and music. I really has a endless of possibilities than it can come from.
Artifact 8: Creative Spirituality Discussion
Original Discussion Post:
After reading the chapter of deeply seeing in the The Mission of Art, I have realized that there is a lot to seeing and understand than one thinks. There is a difference between seeing and deeply seeing. For example people don’t really notice how important one thing is until it is gone. This is especially true for injuries that one can never recover from. An example would be say that a person played sport all their life without ever getting hurt. They probably think that the last thing that could happen to them is getting a severe injury. All of the sudden they tear their ACL and boom. This injury will never allow that person to play sports the same way. This is when a person full notices how important ones legs are. When you are unable to run let alone walk, it makes you appreciate your legs more than you would if the injury had never had happened. This is an example that I feel like the author is trying to illustrate in this chapter. Grey stresses that “There is a vast difference between looking and seeing, a difference which is fundamental to the artist’s experience”(grey pg 72). In order to become a good artist one must master these two attributes. If a artist losses the ability of seeing, “meaning is lost, and all life seems ever more meaningless”(grey pg 73). I find this to be very true because they use of sight is very important to an artist. It is useful for an artist because detail is one of the important aspects of art. Without seeing it is almost impossible to be able to create detail in art. The uses of seeing can be said to be a spiritual influence to the artists. By seeing they can create spiritual aspects of art that express art in a greater form. This is different from religion because it doesn’t have to do with believing like religion, it is a form of seeing something. Religion is a set of rules by which someone lives their life. Spirituality is more a way of seeing things that you find to be inspirational and important. Overall I would agree with the things that Grey had to say in the readings. I do believe that be need to focus more on what they see so they can have a greater sense to detail. If this is done people will truly realize how beautiful our world can be.
Reflection:
The purpose of this assignment was to become familiar with ways in which spirituality influences artists, discuss the differences between spirituality and religion, examine spirituality as a generative force and a well spring for creativity.
In this reflection I talked about how their is a difference between seeing something and deeply seeing something. Most people don’t understand all the things they have until its gone. I used the example of hurting one self and not being able to walk. People don’t understand how important walking is until its gone. Though Grey was talking about There is a vast difference between looking and seeing, a difference which is fundamental to the artist’s experience”(grey pg 72). I feel like an artist experience of seeing is not that much different. It is important to see and understand the full picture of life.
A creative spirit I feel is still different then a religion because religion isn’t just seeing something. Religion has many qualities that make it up. Religion is more of a guide line to become a better person. Though seeing is involve, I still don’t believe that they should be compared to one another.
Future:
In the future I do think it is important to constantly have a different way of thing about life and what you do in your life. It is important to see life as being beautiful and important becasue it goes by fast. If you don’t stop and enjoy your surrounding you aren’t living life right.
Bibliography:
Grey, A. (2001). Art as Spiritual Practice. The Mission of Art (1st ed., pp. 205-233). Boston & London: Shambhala.
Artifact 7: Enjoying Horror Research
Original Discussion Post:
After reading Noel Carroll article about why horror we see the usages of why people enjoy horror even though it can be brutal and terrifying to watch. For some reason people enjoy being scared by watching horror film. The fact that people are becoming scared by watching something on a TV is very intriguing. It is also in most cases unexplainable why people feel this way. Many people have done research on the situation and have come up with some answers to why people enjoy fear and horror. Noel Carroll believes the horror stories are “driven explicitly by curiosity. It engages its audience by being involved in processes of disclosure, discovery, proof, explanation, hypothesis, and confirmation” (Carroll, N pg 279). What this is saying is that the whole aspect of being entertained is what make horror so appealing. It is able to full grab one’s attention in ways that other film cannot. Suspense is used by a lot of horror films. I has the effect on people to the point that they are jumping out of their seat.
One of the articles I chose to support and go further in to detail about what Noel Carroll wrote has to do with the psychology behind fear and grief. The title of the article is called Can fear and grief be pleasurable? In this article the author mentions how horror can be consider pleasurable because the person watching is totally safe. Since they feel that aspect of the horror they can then enjoy watching it instead of feeling pain. The author states “The crucial thing, according to theories of aesthetic distance, is that the audience identifies with the players, and feel their emotions, but at the same time realizes that they are safe in the theatre” (Scheff). I would definitely agree with this statement because no one would actually enjoy feeling life horror that is depicted in horror movies. The way Scheff describe the aesthetic distance makes a lot of sense to why people can enjoy watching horror.
Another article that I found to be useful in relation to Why Horror? was from the horror film history article. This article was called Horror Films: Why We Like To Watch and it also brought up some interesting points about why people enjoy it. The article states that horror movies “deliver thrills by the hearse load, as well as telling us stories of the dark, forbidden side of life and death”(Wilson). This means that most human in one way or other like watching death in some aspect. They also like to see how other would react if they were in a real life horror story. Even though these story’s normally aren’t true that, people like watching supernatural terror that should be possible in real life.
I find it funny how people enjoy watching horror movies. I enjoy watching horror movies now but when I was younger I hatted these kinds of movies. As a little kid I would have trouble sleeping after I watched a horror film. This isn’t the case for most people, but horror story seem to always stick in my mind like it going to actually happen. I couldn’t watch people tortured, for some reason that just drove me crazy. Now I enjoy horror movies that have good plots. i don’t like to watch the corny movies becasue they just seem stupid to me. If its a good horror movie like the The Exorcist.
Reflection:
The purpose of this assignment was to explore the psychological and emotional curiosity for and impact of horror art on individuals and society
After reading the previous post about horror I realized that I am very picky about the kind of horror film that I actually enjoy. At my current i can enjoy a good scare becasue it is a change in pace throughout my normal life. When I was a child that wasn’t the case. I didn’t enjoy watching theses horror film becasue I would have nightmare of the film coming to life. The reason that people enjoy horror film will always be a mystery becasue I don’t know anyone who would want a horror story to actually happen in real life.
The article that I looked up tried their best to explain how people love to watch horror films. One article I feel like gave a pretty good example of why people enjoy these films. The article stated, “The crucial thing, according to theories of aesthetic distance, is that the audience identifies with the players, and feel their emotions, but at the same time realizes that they are safe in the theater” (Scheff). This assignment was very intersting to write about becasue I never really thought about why people enjoyed horror film so much. Now I have a better understanding of what is going through peoples minds when they see a horror film.
Future:
For the future I will continue to enjoy horror film even though it will probably be the first movie I would choose to watch. It is fun to watch these kinds of movies with other people becasue it is funny watching everyone’s reactions. Hopefully, Hollywood will continue to make classic horror movies that can become classics.
Bibliography:
Scheff, Thomas. “Can Fear and Grief Be Pleasurable?” Psychology Today: Health, Help, Happiness + Find a Therapist. N.p., 16 Feb. 2010. Web. 11 May 2014.
Wilson, Karina. “Horror Films: Why We Like To Watch.” Horror Film History — Introduction. N.p., 11 Aug. 2008. Web. 11 May 2014
Artifact 5: Horror Discussion
Original Discussion Post:
In the Video Buffy The Vampire Slayer we see the uses of Digetic Sound, Non-Digetic sound, and Mise-en-scene through out the episode. The beginning of the episode starts with Buffy daydream an interesting affects when she dreams of kissing a man. This was a good example of Mis-en-scene because the whole scenario of a classroom completely changes. The lighting in the classroom become darker and the classroom become completely empty. The entire set of the episode begins to change from a classroom to some sort of church looking place with a statue in the background. Lastly when the man touches Buffy’s shoulder his costume changes into a vampire. The costume change definitely contributed to the aesthetic of horror because it came out of no wear.
We see the use of Digetic Sound near the same scene of the Mise-en-scene when Buffy hear the sound of some sort of instrument that is playing down the hall. This shows that music is represented as coming from instruments in the story space. We later find out a little girl voice sing some sort of scary song. This is where the sound presented as originated from source. Also the sound of the girl started off screen and later on became on the screen. This was not as scary as the Mise-en-scene because the girl seemed to be harmless though she did say some pretty disturbing things.
Lastly we see the use of non-diegetic sound when the characters are sleeping and there are sounds coming out of the people’s mouths. When the little box become open we hear voices whispering coming from people who are sleeping. This is an example of non-diegetic because the sound isn’t visible and it is coming from the outside story space. This does add some sort of aesthetic of horror because the voices aren’t coming from anywhere.
Reflection:
The purpose of this assignment was to explore the psychological and emotional curiosity for and impact of horror art on individuals and society, analyze the unique aesthetic qualities of horror art, an understand and utilize some basic principles of film and television analysis. After learning the terms mise-en-scene, diagetic sound, and non-diagetic sound I noticed that sounds and images play a big role in make suspense in a horror film. The purpose of adding these traits in to a film is what keep people so attracted and intrigued.
I typically love horror movies because it always keeps me on the edge of my seat when I’m watching. It is very hard to explain how ” the pain of suspense and the irresistible desire of satisfying our curiosity, when once raised, will account for our eagerness to go quite through an adventure” (Carroll pg 278). I found the episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer to me very useful and accurate in the description of the three terms. In the very first scene of the Buffy episode, one can argue that they were able to include are the aesthetics of horror into the first 5 minutes.
Future:
In the future, When I watch any horror film I will now constantly notice the art of using mise-en-scene, diagetic sound, and non-diagetic sound. When these qualities are brought up in a film I will be sure be on the edge of my seat because I will know that something crazy is a bout to happen.
Bibliography:
Artifact 6: Personal Adornment Reflection
Original Discussion Post:
After looking through my wardrobe and seeing all of the clothes that I wear when I go out, I noticed a couple of patterns that could reflect my personality and how I act. There are many personal beliefs and values supported and expressed in the clothes that people wear. The same could be said about ones body adornment. One of the personal values and beliefs that I noticed was the clothing of sport teams that I am a fan of. I enjoy watching and playing sports so I am a huge fan of football, basketball, and baseball. My favorite football team would be the Oakland Raiders. My family and I have been Raider fans ever since I was born. We have had season tickets to every game for longer than I can even remember. I choose to be a raiders fan because I have grown up rooting for them and watched them play every football season. I have been a fan since the day I was born and will continue to be a fan no matter how bad they are. Now the Raiders have been known as having a bad reputation compared to other football teams. They are seen as being a ghetto team. This is mostly due to the fact that they are located in Oakland, which can be a somewhat dangerous city. No matter though my family and I still believe and root for the team. I own a Raiders jersey, hat, and some tee shirts. The same could be said about my other favorite sports teams, which are the Oakland Athletics and the Golden State Warriors. I have apparel from all three of these teams. Another personal belief and value that I notice in my clothing is all the Nike athletic gear that I have. Since I live in Oregon I a very use to see and wearing Nike brand products. This probably has to with the fact that the Nike headquarters is located in Oregon. Other than that I enjoy wearing the Nike product because I enjoy going to the gym and working out. I would say that I go to the gym around five times a week. I personally believe that going to the gym is important for ones body. I enjoy working out and making my body look and feel stronger. I never really noticed it but I care a lot about my body’s adornment. I would hate the feeling of being fat and out of shape. In my personal opinion I believe that everyone should be in good shape because it is important for ones body. My opinion about working out and being in shape has existed ever since I started my freshman year of college. In high school, I didn’t not work out nearly as much than I do in college. Part of the reason for this was because I play Lacrosse my freshman year of college. My lacrosse coach made me work out and practice all the time. Ever since then I’ve been having the constant routine of always going to the gym and working out. These same core values are also shared throughout my family. Both my parents and siblings enjoy going to the gym just as much as I do. They also enjoy wearing Nike gear just as much as I do. The same can be said about the community that I live in. My friends and roommates all enjoy going to the working out and going to the gym. We all strive to be in shape and have a nice looking body. I believe that this is also their core belief about working out. Finally the last piece of clothing that I found appealing in my wardrobe was the dress clothes that I have. I believe that it is important to dress nice when in certain environments. This would include a wedding celebration, job interview, or just going out to dinner. I believe the way someone dresses in dress clothes really says a lot about that person. Looking clean and being well dress show a lot of class and maturity to other people. I make the choice to dress nice because I believe that you gain a lot of respect from other people. Wearing a suit and tie gives off a demeanor that other clothes just can’t match. I would say my style of dress clothes has change a lot throughout the years. When I was young I had a hard time wearing dress clothes because I felt like it was uncomfortable and I looked like a fool. I hated tucking in my shirt and having to wear a belt. I cannot say the same thing about dress clothes today. Feel like dress clothes required a belt and tucking in ones shirt. Without this a person just looks like a fool. My family also follows the same values about dress clothes. My parent’s jobs required them to dress nice every day. I feel like the community around me would also agree with my statement how dress clothes make people look classy and very mature.
Reflection:
The purpose of this assignment was to take some time to reflect on how you dress and customize yourself. Consider and respond to the following questions. Are there any personal beliefs or values that are supported and expressed by your dress or body adornment? Why do you make the choices you do? How has this changed over the years?
I chose this article because I really enjoyed how I was able to go through all my clothes and see the different clothing I have worn since I began college. I am a person that takes a lot of pride in my clothes. I can’t really describe why I love clothes so much except that i enjoy getting complements from people on my clothing. I also like the history and experience I have through wearing clothes. Since my freshman year my clothing have dramatically changed. I can see how much i have matured from the clothes I had to the clothing I have now.
Its like my personality and style has completely changed. Though I do enjoy how I have change, I do miss the personality that i had when I was younger. Back then i didn’t care as much in the clothes I wear. Another funny thing that I notice was how much I dress like my dad. I noticed this because a lot of the clothes that I have now came from my dad. We happen to be the same size so I wear some of his clothes. I have realized that my dad and I are very similar to each other in many way from our life style to the sports team we root for. I am happy to share the same core beliefs as him because I look up to my father.
Future:
For the future, I hope to continue to grow and create many more memories through the clothes that I wear. I feel like my values aren’t going to change much in the future, though anything could happen. Hopefully I continue to grow and create my own identity as a person.
Bibliography: