Month: May 2014

In the presentation, “Laws That Choke Creativity,” Larry brings up three different stories that I found to be very interesting. It was interesting to listen to his outlook on the balance between two factions. He expresses that the laws we have about copyright need to be changed in terms of remix to encourage creativity. With all the advances of digital technology, the media creation has been democratized, and now the tools of creation are accessible to anyone who has access to a computer.  I question what we can do to adjust the system to that people’s work aren’t getting taken away but also other people’s remixes are getting credit for their creativity.  With our tech savvy generations what way can we find a happen medium with this new remix culture but supporting the original?

The main thesis of the article, Computer Graphics: Effects of Origins, is about how technology and art have co-evolved and how they have influenced one another since 1945. “ … Old cultural patterns do not die. They may fade or become more evident; that is, they may be deemphasized or emphasized. Only as part of the general ‘non expert’ culture can such patterns contribute significantly to maintenance and or change” (Jones p. 21). I do believe that technology and art have come a long way because art is closely connected with technology. With technology and art being connected it has created a new outlook on types of art. It was interesting to read about how Jones described the connection between art, technology and culture.

In the article Jones provides three examples to support her ideas. One idea that I found to be most interesting was the work done by Ben Lapofksy and Herbert Franke. They were among the pioneers creating images and displaying them on oscilloscopes. In the reading, Jones mentioned,  “In the 1940’s analogue computers were used to generate the earliest computer graphics and display them on oscilloscopes. Ben F. Lapofsky and Herbert W. Franke were among the pioneers creating these images.  Franke’s graphics were phase forms, presented as events rather than as static imagery.” (Jones 22).  If thinking about this example in 2014 I would compare this to digital art. Art and technology have changed and merged together to be something that is connected. They were producing a different piece of art that was experimental computer controlled.

When I think about technology and art I think about programs such as InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator etc. Jones mentions in the article and talks about computer programs such as Photoshop and how it is has such an impact on the way we view art. Jones discusses how the new forms of computer graphics have been created due to the growing population and how technology boosts the graphics. I took a Commercial Design class for three years and I learned how to do some amazing things on the computer that were indeed art. It is pretty crazy that there is a tool that enhances any picture you take or edits any picture. I think that we lose sight of photography skills because we are able to use Photoshop.

I think article, “Digital artists are using game technologies to create bold new works,”  by Christaine Paul it supports Jones’s article when it quotes, “Digital photographs, films, and videos have been common in the arts since the 1990s; even paintings and sculptures are now sometimes produced with the aid of digital tools. But projects that use digital technologies as a medium in themselves–and that, like their medium, are interactive, collaborative, customizable, and variable–still occupy the margins of art institutions and find their audience mostly at new-media art festivals or on the Internet.” The reading talked about how the digital word has changed the nature of representation when thinking about painting, photography, and cinema.  Art and technology have taken a connection with video games because they are presented in a way that artists want to keep being creative in the art they use. Many people play video games so artists produce these games with different characters, levels, landscapes etc. It is amazing to think about the art that is used in technology and what technology would even look like without it.

 

Jones, B. J. (1990). Computer Graphics: Effects of Origins. LEONARDO: Digital Image – Digital Cinema Supplemental Issue, pp. 21-30.

Paul, C. (2008, February 19). Art Games | MIT Technology Review. MIT Technology Review. Retrieved May 23, 2014, from http://www.technologyreview.com/article/409557/art-games/

When watching the Jane McGonagall Ted Talk it was interesting to hear about her idea of game play with the idea of playing more games to solve more problems. I thought it was an interesting outlook to say that, “gamers are a human resource that we can use to do real world work”. The fact that we spend over “3 billion hours a week” cooperating, interacting, and fighting with each other shows that there is potential for solving real world problems using this time. I thought it was interesting to learn that we achieve more and are motivated to do more in games than in real life. We feel that we have to keep working harder to complete the level and we can’t give up. I thought her question to why do we feel overwhelmed, want to give up or something is too hard in real life but not in game life? I question how if we feel we can change the world in game life, what is going to involve in the real world? Are we making games too challenging where our audience is so focused on beating the level to where they are not focused on real life? Or do our games not motivate people to work as hard in real life as they do in game life? It is sad to hear about how much effort our society puts into gamer life than into real life. I imagine and question what our world would look like if we put the same amount of effort into life as we did in gamer life?

1. How do you define “spirituality”?

I define spirituality as a part of being religious. I feel that it can be expressed in religious practice or expressed through philosophical beliefs.  I feel that spirituality is about the relationships between ourselves and something larger. I also think that it is something that is very personal and differs greatly from one person to another. I believe that spirituality can also be something that is deep down inside of people that reflect their strongest and deepest values that represent who they are as an individual. I think that spirituality also is what you believe in and what you find to be a connection between you and your religion.

2. Does spirituality differ from religion?

I believe that spirituality differs from religion because I feel that religion is more of a collection of values, beliefs and ideals that make up a group of people and are practiced in their structured religion. I think that spirituality differs from religion because it is more on a personal level. It is what the individual is feeling and believing on a much deeper level. I feel that spiritualty focuses more on the individual and what that ever religion is being practiced. I do believe that people in the same religion may share some of the same spirituality but it also differs based on experiences, beliefs and ideals.

3. How do you define creativity?

I define creativity as someone’s imagination and beliefs. I think that people are creative in their own unique way that represents who they are as an individual. I think often times people are creative in a way that reflects their background knowledge. I think that in order to be creative, people need to view things in a new way or from different perspectives. Creativity is unique in its own ways because it connects with people’s background knowledge, experiences and beliefs. I believe that creativity is a huge part of people’s characteristics and skills. It is almost like creating a new idea and going out of the box to show your characteristics.

4. What is the source of creativity?

I think that there are many sources of creativity because there are many ways of inspiration that causes creativity to occur. If someone has an active imagination they can think of all sorts of new ideas that creates many different sources. I think one main source is imagination because it connects with your beliefs, experiences that portray you as an individual. I think with creativity and imagination there is a thought process for the individual to decide and figure out what steps they are going to take next. When being creative you still have to have a plan for what you are going to do and how you are going to be creative.

What stood out to me in the reading were the many kinds of success. “the second kind of success is when you have friends who appreciate your works and give you good feedback. We all need to feel that we have value and that someone understands or appreciates us and what we do.” (Grey p. 90) I like how the reading challenged their own idea with the idea that we do need a true friend who is an honest critic and understands your motives and capabilities and encourages you to continue and deepen your creative path. I found this to be relatable to my life because often times I feel that there are people in this world who are constantly putting you down or making you feel like your friendship is toxic. I also connected with the challenge because I have had friends who shut down when they don’t want to hear something or don’t want to hear someone’s advice.

Another part of the reading that I found interesting was about the section of art- ontext and meaning. “Viewers interpret a work of art through the filter of their worldview, the knowledge and experience conditioning their mind.” (Grey p. 102) I related to the idea we look at a painting and no nothing of its history or background and only appreciate its patters and colors. This is something that I challenge myself on to learn more about paintings and the insights to the artist’s message. The reading mentioned the importance of knowing the sociopolitical and art-historical context in which the work was created will lend deeper meaning. I challenge myself to connect with concept in the reading because then I will have more knowledge on artwork and a stronger appreciation for it.

 

Grey, A. (2001). Art as Spiritual Practice. The Mission of Art (1st ed., pp. 205-233). Boston & London: Shambhala.

 

In the article, “Why Do People Love Horror Movies? They Enjoy Being Scared,” it quotes, “the authors argue that horror movie viewers are happy to be unhappy. This novel approach to emotion reveals that people experience both negative and positive emotions simultaneously — people may actually enjoy being scared, not just relief when the threat is removed. As the authors put it, “the most pleasant moments of a particular event may also be the most fearful.” I found this quote to be similar to Carroll’s analysis that horror movies are about narrative of the story. Carroll shows that “horror story is driven explicitly by curiosity. It engages the audience by being involved in the process of disclosure, explanation… and confirmation (Carroll 279).” I found the connection between disclosure and curiosity in both articles when it mentioned how uncomfortable the audience gets but then again at the same time is enjoying the suspense. Carroll’s article connected with the other article on how the audience needs that explanation and then confirmation to what is happening in the film. I do believe that many people don’t like scary movies because they are scared and clueless but then once they have that reassurance they are able to go back to enjoying the film.

Carroll describes that distress and fascination bounded with curiosity arouse at the same time. What I found interesting from the University of Chicago Press article was drawing on the question that why people would voluntarily immerse themselves in almost two hours of fear, disgust and terror.  I never thought about the idea that the article brings up to why people pay for this and how it is enjoyable? The audience is experiencing positive feelings while still experiencing fearfulness. It connects with the Carroll reading when she states, “we are attracted to, horror fictions of this sort despite the fact that they provoke disgust, because that disgust is required for the pleasure involved in engaging our curiosity in the unknown and drawing it into the processes of revelation.”  (Carroll p. 284) I draw a personal connection to these articles because I do myself hate scary movies but still watch them with my eyes shut the whole time!

 

Many people have a love and hate feeling for scary movies because of the fear and excitement that comes from it. People pay attention to horror movies because the unique and unexpected scenes. They like unreal things that keep them on the edge of their seat. People enjoy watching movies that are unreal and cause this on edge feeling. In Carroll’s reading, “This fascination can be savored, because the distress in question is not behaviorally pressing; it is a response to the thought of a monster, not to the actual presence of a disgusting or fearsome thing.” (p. 288) Carroll talks about how the source of attraction in the genre too remote from the identifying emotion in the genre. In the article, “Why Some People Love Horror Movies, While Others Hate Them,” by Margarita Tartakovsky she mentions how some people can’t get enough of scary movies because the audience gets this sense of emotion that keeps them coming back. Tartakobsky mentions in her article, “According to Glenn Sparks, Ph.D, a professor and associate head of the Brian Lamb School of Communication at Purdue University, one reason for the appeal is how you feel after the movie. This is called the excitation transfer process. Sparks’s research found that when people watch frightening films, their heart rate, blood pressure and respiration increases.”

Tartakobsky also mentions in her article that some people may like scary movies because they enjoy the adrenaline rush of being scared while being safe. I never thought of people enjoying scary movies with this idea of being scared but also knowing that it is just a film. No one wants to encounter scary things that happen in these horror films but there is this relief that this is a film and none of it is true. I thought this was a great argument to make to why people enjoy these types of films and why they would pay for this kind of enjoyment. Carroll brings up the question,” Why are horror audiences attracted by what, typically in everyday life should and would repel them?” I think that Tartakobky’s view on the safety idea is a good way to bring that connection and answer Carroll’s question.

 

Tartakovsky, M. (2012). Why Some People Love Horror Movies While Others Hate Them. Psych Central. Retrieved on May 7, 2014, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/10/31/why-some-people-love-horror-movies-while-others-hate-them/

University of Chicago Press Journals. (2007, July 31). Why Do People Love Horror Movies? They Enjoy Being Scared. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 7, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070725152040.htm

Carroll, N. (2002). Why Horror?. In Neill, A. & Riley, A. (eds.) Arguing About Art: Contemporary Philosophical Debates (2nd ed., Chap. 17). New York, NY: Routledge.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Diegetic-  I chose the example of the when the demons take everyone’s voices away and Buffy’s friend is walking through the hall without any sound and then suddenly a man comes down the hall with a glass off water and it crashes on the floor. Since there was no sound at all and the crashing of the glass hitting the ground was a perfect example of diegetic sound. I can’t watch scary movies because of unexpected loud sounds like the crashing of the glass because it makes it even scarier. I liked this example because we learned that it is the voices of the characters, which was taken away and then sounds made my objects in the story, which was the glass.

Non -Diegetic sound- I chose the scene when Buffy is walking in the street looking for monsters and it is completely silent. There are no sounds or voicing occurring in the scene. The only thing that is playing is the background music with a fighting sound. The music gets more intense and louder as the scene continues and right before something dramatic is about to happen it quickly shuts off. The must puts the audience in a questioning, on edge experience because we don’t know what is going to happen or what to expect. I thought this was a good example because there are no other sounds in the scene besides the background music that is creating fear for the audience. It is doing exactly what we learned about, creating sound effects to make a dramatic effect.

Mise- en- scene- The example I chose is the complexion of the vampires. The creators dressed the vampires in dark suits and made them seem in a “darker” mood. Also their make up was extremely pale. The make up made them look like they were almost dead and the dark outfits really contrasted with the paleness of their skin. I thought this was a good example because of how the creators had to create these vampires to look real and actually scary. I thought they did a good job using the lighting, make up and attire to make them look like vampires. They did a good job with the costumes in creating something that needed to be scary to reach out to the audience.

 

I feel that a lot of the choices I make are because of how I was raised and how I carry myself. My parents have always raised me to make good decisions and to take care of myself. They have had high expectations with the way I present myself. Most of the time I make the choices I do because it is hopefully, in my best interest. I am a worry wart so I have to think about how this choice might affect me or if this is going to benefit me in anyway. I also believe that my personal beliefs and values are expressed by the way I carry myself. Most of the time I like to be presentable, but that it usually with jeans and a t-shirt. I like to buy myself nice things and treat myself to good quality pieces of clothing. As I am finishing college I have stopped buying “trendy” clothes and focused on more professional clothes. Since I am going to be a teacher in the fall, I need to start building my wardrobe to a more classy and professional look. My mom is a retired principal so her beliefs and values are that teachers are supposed to look presentable and classy. So her beliefs have influenced me to change what I want to buy and what I am looking for when I go shopping.

I feel that my style has changed of the years to where in high school I had to fit a certain stereotype and couldn’t expand from it. I wore blue jeans and Hollister and Abercrombie clothes mostly all the time. I guess you could say I went for more of the preppy look. As I have entered college I have noticed that none of that matters. I can wear a dress one day, a beanie another and then converse the next. I feel that my style has changed over the years but for the better because I feel that I can actually represent who I am. I work out everyday because it is something that I value, so you can find me in workout clothes 50 percent of the time. I love looking up new outfits on pinterest and online blogs. I love getting new clothing ideas from other people and then wearing it in my own way.

My core beliefs and values in my family were somewhat conservative because I was never allowed to wear something that was too revealing or too short. That being said, I had the freedom to wear whatever I wanted but I never choice anything that my parents wouldn’t approve of. My family is generally pretty happy so I feel that reflects in the way I dress because I don’t wear dark clothes or look sloppy. My family believes in presenting themselves in a manner that people would respect you in.  Also my family communicates in a manner that we all have the same interest in they way we dress and our body customization.  A core belief that my family has is to buy ourselves nice things but not to spend money on things that are unnecessary. We have an understanding where we can buy nice clothes but not to buy things that are way out of our price range. We aren’t the family that needs to buy flashy things to show off what we have. We buy things that we need and then we are done.

My community is very divided with how they portray themselves. There is one street that divides the two different types of lifestyles. One side of the street is all custom built houses and people who I feel really care about the lifestyle they live. They are always wearing name brand clothes and driving fancy cars. Most of the time you see them always working out and going on runs because they are very conscious with the way they look. While the other side of the street the families are in cooking cutter houses and kids are often taking the bus to school or walking. The kids that live in this neighborhood are often in sporting clothes and playing a sport in the street. It is very interesting to see the different side of beliefs and core values that are split up between my community. Many of the kids who live on the cookie cutter houses have lots of piercing and tattoos, which the other side of the street doesn’t. It is interesting to see the difference in the way each person carries their appearance and body customizes. I feel that my core values, beliefs, community and family that I grew up with really affects how I portray myself. I feel that I am who I am today because of the different influences that have expressed me as an individual.