1. The primary thesis is that computer graphics have changed and developed over time, which can explain many cultural and historical changes.
2. “The group also produced one of the first interactive environmental pieces, called Automatic Painting Machine No.1. It consisted of a painting mechanism, control unit, paper-tape reader and a happening zone. Four types of input were used to control this device: manual, paper-tape program, light-sensor input from happening zone and sound sensor input from this zone” (Jones, 53).  She explains that the individuals who worked on the project were not artists but engineers.  It also proves how different types of technologies can come together to make one invention that could change the face of its subject.
3. One technology that has been pivotal in today’s news is our advances in space exploration. Within the last couple of years, we have put a rover on Mars to discover if there are other life forms. We will be grounded for about 2 years and hopefully we will have a better understanding of the planet. Information about this mission have been posted in newspapers and online everywhere. It is truly amazing to be able to see the pictures that are taken on Mars by the incredibly advance technology and then interpret the information here on Earth. I read the article NASA: Mars rover snapped pic of rocket stage crash, which provided details of what the rover has captured thus far. It seems that we have learned a lot and will continue to receive helpful information. It is hard to believe that computers, televisions, phones and high technology resources have not always been available to us and there are so many things we could not possibly know without these inventions. Our generation has been fortunate enough to have these technologies available to us. In the article it states, “Seconds after the car-size rover parked its six wheels in an ancient crater, a tiny camera under the chassis snapped a picture revealing a smudge on the horizon.” It is interesting to see how much of our technology has come together.  Each day we are learning more and we will continue to invent new ways to learn more about space.

Change, A. NASA: Mars rover snapped pic of rocket stage crash. 10 August 2012. < http://news.yahoo.com/nasa-mars-rover-snapped-pic-rocket-stage-crash-175835573.html >. 24 November 2013.

The TED viedo of Jane McGonigal makes the point that some video games may help solve real world crises.  She uses many examples about how gamers feel accomplished and try things that they never knew were possible.  They often get reassuring feedback that they are successful when there is a positive outcome from their game.  There have been many debates about the harms or benefits of children, teens, and even adults playing video games that are sometimes violent.  Do you think there is any truth to the idea that video games can help people solve real life problems?  Do you think that technology, as a whole, will give people more skills to be successful in their own lives?

1)    I think of spirituality as the coming together of religion, values, beliefs, and traditions.  It is nearly impossible to define but it is the essence of each individual.  We each have had different upbringings that have led us to have the values that we do.  I believe that spirituality also affects our attitude and outlook on life.  I think in most case, people with good morals and who live positive lives have a healthy spirituality.

2)    I definitely think spirituality differs from religion.  Religion has a set of rules and beliefs in which followers abide by.  Of course there is room for interpretation, but in general, the beliefs are outlined for you.  Spirituality is freer.  People are able to decide their own values and morals that dictate how to live their lives.  Religion is not specific to the individual but spirituality is.  However, I do believe that religion plays a huge role in creating someone’s spirituality.

3)    I define creativity as someone’s ability to be inventive and different.  Someone who is creative is able to take ordinary ideas and make them extra special by adding their own style.  I have struggled with a lack of creativity my whole life.  However, I do not think one necessarily needs to be a good artist of some sort to be creative.  I think a large part of creativity is having a unique style and inserting it into different projects.

4)    I think that creativity can come from a number of different sources.  I do believe that creativity is sometimes a trait someone does or does not possess.  However, I also think that creativity can come from any inspiration.  We are inspired by our spirituality, our friends, our family, art we see and many other sources.  I wish I could key into my creativity more but most of my family is not very creative.

The idea of spirituality resonates differently for each individual.  I believe that our values, traditions, and religion make up one’s spirituality.  I have definitely struggled with defining the word “spirituality” because of my upbringing.  Spirituality does affect the way in which people view art.  When observing a piece of art, each person brings with them their values and what is important to them.  In Grey’s article, he states “There is a vast difference between looking and seeing- a difference which is fundamental to the artist’s experience” (72).  There are people who have difficulty appreciating art and the meaning that is behind it.  This could be because art was not a key element in their upbringing or their values do not align with the artists’ vision.  Looking at a piece of art is different than seeing the message and understanding a piece of art.  Grey talks a lot about the creativity and inspiration for artists.  They must be inspired from some idea or object, and then create it to make a strong relationship for viewers to appreciate.  One quote that related to all of these ideas is by George Washington Carver.  He stated, “If you love anything enough, it will speak to you” (85).  I feel that this quote applies to art as well as every other aspect of life.  This relates back to the difference between looking at art and seeing it.  If a piece of art speaks to you, you will understand it and appreciate its worth.  I believe that this quote also encompasses spirituality as a whole.  Everyone picks what is important to them and derives their values and beliefs upon that.

The first article that I read in relation to the horror film genre is called “Horror Movies: Why People Love them” by Leslie Fink.  To people who do not enjoy horror movies, it does not make sense to go to a theater and pay money just to be scared.  Fink address why the horror film genre is so popular and why viewers continue to go next.  The articles was written in November and states that after Halloween, so around this time, people want to continue the thrill and go see scary movies to get that feeling again.  One of the most crucial reasons why viewers love horror films is for the pure suspense.  This incorporates the objective of this unit, which is to learn about the ways in which sound is used.  The different sounds used in horror films most definitely add to the suspense that keeps audiences coming back.  She also brings attention to the fact that most scary movie viewers are male and from the ages of 15 to 45.  This is most likely because they enjoy the elements that come along with going to these movies.  They often get an adrenaline rush and enjoy the other emotions that they feel from the thrill.  There is a sense of excitement from viewing scary situations yet being at a distance that you know it will not actually harm you.  The article that we read for this assignment discusses very similar ideas.  Carroll writes, “Many people do seek out horror fictions for the purpose of deriving pleasure from sights and descriptions that customarily repulse them” (Carroll 275).”  If anyone were to see someone being murdered in real life, it would be a life-changing experience for the viewer.  However, going to the movies allows us to see these acts and not feel the extremely terrifying repercussions. We enjoy going to these movies that heighten our senses and keep us on our toes.  There is also a sort of comfort in the idea that these horrific scenes are not actually happening in the viewer’s life, but are still observable.  I personally do not enjoy scary movies.  I do not like to be scared and afterwards, I often have trouble sleeping because of the graphic images.  I do see the appeal and I understand why people go see horror films, I just cannot relate.

The second article I read is called “Why Do People Enjoy Horror Movies? They Enjoy Being Scared” by Eduardo Andrade.  This article also investigated why people spend money to be scared for two hours.  One theory is that people want to feel the excitement that they get from horror films.  The second theory is that viewers like the sense of relief that they get once the movie is over and there is a better outcome.  Andrade also brought attention to the fact that audiences are able to feel unhappy and happy at the same time throughout the course of a scary movie.  Carroll writes that when a horrifying event is produced in an aesthetically appealing way, “…the predominant feeling response, in terms of pleasure and interest, attaches to the presentation as a function of the overall, narrative structure” (Carroll 277).  Viewers appreciate the events that are portrayed in horror films because they keep our interest and are displayed in a creative way.  We are able to be scared without the events actually applying to our lives.  There are many people who are simply disturbed by these events and do not see the appeal or enjoy the effects that come from watching a scary movie.  I am one of these people.  I enjoy getting adrenaline from activities other than being scared.  However, the horror film industry is immensely successful and movies continue to make millions of dollars to scare their audiences.

Fink, Leslie.  “Horror Movies: Why People Love Them”. Live Science. Retrieved 8 November 2013. http://www.livescience.com/7949-horror-movies-people-love.html.

Eduardo B. Andrade and Joel B. Cohen. “Why do People Enjoy Horror Movies? They Enjoy Being Scared.” Journal of Consumer Research: August 2007. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070725152040.htm

Non- Diagetic sound:

In the beginning, the girl fell asleep in class and there was a loud sound used to wake her up.  This added a great deal of dramatic effect.  This part of the episode followed a very creepy scene of a child singing a song in the hallway.  The song can be defined as scary because of the low, creepy tone that the girl was singing in.  In horror films especially, music is able to intensify scary or calming scenes depending on the goal of the director.  This can be considered mood music.  During this episode, there is intense music playing while the actors are sleeping and a white cloud is coming from them.  The music becomes even more intense when the man who is collecting their voices is shown.  This added to the horror of the episode.

Mise En scene

This video is set in a normal, everyday setting.  Sets include homes, offices, and even casually walking on the street.  They are wearing average clothes that could be worn any day of the week.  The actors were portrayed as any ordinary person doing their daily routine.  One example of this is when Buffy and the man she is interested in see each other.  They are wearing normal clothes and seem to not have any voices.  I believe that in horror films, the producers try to show their actors as normal people.  I think that this adds fear into the audience because it makes them feel like it could happen to them and not just in Hollywood.  It makes the aesthetics seem more real.

Diagetic Sound:

I was able to find the use of diagetic sound in the scene where the two men are in a lab and talking about Buffy.  It was easy to head sounds like them climbing the ladder, a golf cart, and loud voices in the background coming through the speaker.  These sounds, as well as the characters talking, are all examples of diagetic sound.  I chose to use this scene because it comes right before the part where the characters lose their voices.  Background noises that are subtle but most definitely present add to the horror aspect of films.  Any small noise can keep an audience on the edge of their seats.

My style has changed a lot over the years.  Now that I am in college, I am trying to dress in a more sophisticated manner because I will soon be in the business world.  In high school, I was more concerned with what I wore because I felt it was necessary to fit in.  Having good style was a key element to being grouped with “the popular kids.”  Looking back, I realize how caught up I was with changing myself, style included, so that my friends and boys would like me.  Now that I am in college, I am less concerned with changing my appearance for other people and more concerned with how I feel about myself.  I go to class dressed for comfort, usually in sweatpants or workout attire.  I think that because I grew up in Los Angeles, I felt the pressure to be more stylish and wear more expensive clothing.  Living in Eugene has made me more down to earth, which has definitely impacting the way I dress.

Currently, I do not have any tattoos or out of the ordinary piercings.  Having tattoos is fairly frowned upon in the Jewish religion.  Although I am not extremely religious, this factor has stopped me from getting tattoos.  My parents were also very against me getting a tattoo both because of the religious aspect as well as the unprofessionalism.  Four years ago, my ten year old cousin passed away from brain cancer.  After her passing, my mom got Alexa’s name tattooed on her wrist.  Even though it is against our tradition, my mom felt it was appropriate in this situation.  Ever since, I have wanted to get the same tattoo.  I have not yet, but I plan to in the future.  I think this proves how close my family is and how special each member is.

My family has instilled many values that have stuck with me throughout my life and that impact my dress.  Both of my parents are very hard workers and they have made sure to raise me in that manner.  They have also made sure that I am a respectful and confident person.  I try and dress that way both to please my parents as well as keep a good reputation.  People judge others by their appearance on a daily basis and it is important to be aware of that.  I would not want to be dressed in a provocative manner because on any given day, I could meet someone who could potentially have a big influence in my life; for example a future spouse or business associate.

I surround myself with friends that have similar values as me.  I have joined a sorority, which has helped me to associate myself with people like myself.  In addition, our sorority has helped to instill its own values in us.  My favorite line in our symphony is “to be womanly always.”  This is my favorite line because it is applicable to any aspect of life.  I believe that it definitely applies to that way in which one dresses.  Each individual could choose to dress in a “trashy” way but that is not womanly.  When we go to chapter, we are always in on our best behavior and wearing conservative, professional attire.  In other settings, my friends and I are usually dressed in comfortable clothes that allow us to be comfy in class and not distracted.  Comfort and class are definitely two values that influence the clothing that I choose.  I also try to never be too over the top.  I really value simplicity, so I never wear too much make-up and when I do wear make-up, it is usually natural tones.  I think that most of my friends share this value with me because no one is ever dressed in outrageous clothes or covered in make-up. I think my community in Los Angeles is more interested in fashion than the Eugene community.  Just in the range of 15-20 minutes of my house, we have four major malls that are always busy.  Since I live in a town pretty close to the beach, many people wear dresses and cute skirts.  I noticed that those types of clothes are extremely popular and people want to look cute and fit in, so that is what they wear. I think my community’s values are similar to mine. If I evaluate my group of friends and what I think their values are, I would assume family would be their number one as well. Everyone is extremely family oriented in my community and it allows people to keep their values in check.