Comments

Eunize: http://euloveme-dia.blogspot.com/2010/12/ms-jackson-outkast.html#comments


Abigail: http://funbloggintimezwithabi.blogspot.com/2011/05/blog-entry-4-from-spray-can-to-light.html?showComment=1307125394805#c7573411394692822584


Kristina: http://kristinuh.blogspot.com/2010/12/look-at-music-videos.html#comments


Robert: http://robertsmediablog2.blogspot.com/2010/11/keeping-safe-on-internet.html?showComment=1307125363750#c6178717735022784781


Jalen: http://causingrambunctiousmedia.blogspot.com/2010/10/social-networking-sites.html?showComment=1307125636210#c7669668644419622842


Emily: http://emuhleetee.blogspot.com/2011/02/logo-parodies-that-speak-truth.html

Logo Parodies that Speak the Truth

1. Describe the logo using the language of the Elements and Principles of Design.

This logo contains contrast. There is a contrast between the bright green BP sunflower and the black and white earth and trash can. The BP sunflower acts as a background but because of its bright color, it is not missed or forgotten about. The black and white trashcan is the foreground which stands out because of the bright background. I chose this logo because the contrast between the bright vivid color of the BP sunflower and the black and white trashcan was very eye-catching, and because there weren't too many objects on this logo, i thought it looked neat and was easy to understand.


2. Describe the symbols used in the logo. Why 
did the graphic artist use such imagery?


The symbols in this logo is the BP sunflower, oil, the earth and a trashcan. The graphic artists used such imagery to emphasize the  effect of the oil spill on the earth. A trashcan is place where you put waste. Because of the oil spill which is the black part on the earth which is also representing the its waters, our world is not only going to waste but also the BP company. The oil seems to be almost dripping into the trashcan. The BP sunflower can be represented as the sun. But despite its vivid color, the black oil dripping into the trashcan which represents both the waste of the earth and its resources and the BP company itself, is the foreground that catches the viewers attention. 


3. What does this logo say of BP's corporate identity?

This logo is saying that because of the oil spill, not only is the worth getting wasted but as well as the BP company itself. Although the sun may rise everyday, the oil spill continues to have negative effects to the earth. The earth is mostly covered in water which is represented by the color black because of the oil spill while the white represents the land. The oil is dripping into the trash can almost as if there's too much oil on earth that it's "drippping" off. The foreground of this logo is the earth in a trashcan for a reason. It is telling us that the oil spill the BP corporate caused not only wasted the earth and its resources but also caused their company to go to waste despite the efforts they made to fix everything because the oil spill continues to have its negative effects on earth.

Digital Actors

1. Is this acting or is this animation?

I think the movie Avatar is both acting and animation. The characters of the movie do not come alive without the acting skills of the actors and with the help of computer animation, the makers of this movie were able to add aline-like characteristics to the actors. Director James Cameron incorporated a new technology that combines human actors with computer-generated animation to create the blue, 10-foot-tall creatures who are the heart of the movie. It took great animation skill to ensure that the characters performed exactly as the actors did. The goal was to stay consistent with the emotions created by the actors during the original capture which was what animation as well as acting was for. The very essence of acting was still there but because of the animation used in this movie, the appearance of the actors were enhanced to 10-foot aline-like creatures.

2. Do you think that animated characters should be eligible for acting awards?

I think that animated characters should be eligible for acting awards because the animation of this movie only changes the actors' physical appearance, enhancing them to look like something that's not from this planet but their own acting skill is the same. Animation does not change how one acts. The acting skill of an actor playing a character in the movie is not changed by the computer-generated animation but only enhance their physical appearance so it suits their role for the movie, therefore, their great acting skills should be eligible for awards. 

3. Do you think that human actors will ever become obsolete? Why or why not?

I think that human actors will ever become obsolete because directors still need the great actings skills of an actor to create a successful movie. Although they may be a chance for human actors to lessen and computer-generated animation to increase, I believe that you still need the essence of human actors to create a great movie.“Actors ask me if we’re trying to replace them,” says James Cameron,  “On the contrary, we’re trying to empower them, to give them new methods to express themselves and to create characters, without limitation.  I believe animation will be used more to enhance physical appearances of actors and to help express themselves but human actors will still be needed to bring life to the characters in a movie therefore, i do not think human actors will ever be obsolete.

From Spray Can to Light: Graffiti Revisited

STREET GRAFFITI

This image is your typical street graffiti done in the streets using spray paint. If you look closely, you can notice the garbage bins that were also spray painted on to blend in with its surroundings. The vivid colors along with a surrounding we see everyday makes this graffiti so eye-catching. The whole side of the wall is covered in graffiti. In this specific piece, words are transformed into jumbled, bubbly and yet sharp cut shapes and are made into intriguing shapes. Sometimes we don't even know what they stand for but the meaning is still present. In a way, the images in this graffiti is sort of abstract; we don't really know what they are but we enjoy looking at them. Overall, i really liked this piece because of its vivid colors and because it makes the viewer use their imagination to capture the 

true concept and meaning of the graffiti.

LIGHT GRAFFITI

This light graffiti was done by German duo Cenci Goepel and Jens Warnecke. These two are famous for creating stark imageries that bring a ghostly quality to the beauty of nature, turning striking natural setting into backdrops for glowing forms made of moving light such as this piece. This subtle use of light painting in the snow-covered fjord of Norway makes the illuminated forms seems to blend in with their background in a way that brings the mind to unfamiliar landscaped on some far away planet. This white light orb blends in with the winter scenery. Overall, i think this piece is beautiful. It's amazing how the artists were able to blend the light painting with the snow-covered fjords. It's simplicity at its best.

COMPARING AND CONTRASTING

I think the only difference between light and paint graffiti is the equipment that it used. In street graffiti, spray paint is usually used while in light graffiti, some sort of light source is used. The two images I chose share the same concept; creating art and adding elements to a familiar background or scene and making it seem like a whole different place. Both images contain forms of art where the concept is unclear but the meaning is still present. It would mean a different thing to every person. Both artists express themselves through these particular pieces, therefore beauty in art is found through expression.

Mashups and Copyright Law

The Mashup I have chosen is A Fair(y) Use Tale created by Professor Eric Faden of Bucknell University. The Mashup consists of numerous Disney cartoons to highlight the American Copyright Law in a comedic and ironic fashion. 
1. What is this mashup trying to communicate? Is it technical experiment, social or political commentary, a comedic parody, or an abstract work of media art?
Bucknell professor Eric Faden has taken the subject of copyright and made a truly humorous video mash-up explaining what it means and why it's (not) important. It is a comedic parody used to explain the Copyright Law and Fair. This mash-up consists of classic Disney movies such as; Tarzan, Toy story, Aladdin, Beauty and the Best, Pinocchio, Mulan, The Little Mermaid, Lion King, Monsters Inc, Dumbo, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Lilo and Stitch, and Finding Nemo just to name a few.


2. Did its creator follow or break copyright laws in its production?
I think its creator broke copyright laws in its production. Eric Faden used Disney videos that did not belong to him and put them together making the message of each movie undistinguished while he portrayed the unimportance of copyright laws in an ironically humorous way. I believe the movies belong to Disney and he should not have used their movies to create his video. This wrong but comedic parody broke copyright laws despite its humorous message.



3. Do you think that mash-up like this requires copyright permission. Why or Why not?
I think that mashup like this requires copyright permission because Eric Faden used Disney movies, which he did not own, to create a comedic parody to explain the unimportance of copyright laws. The ironically humorous mashup consisted of a poor message that was present in a comical way. Overall, i think the video was great but despite it's success, i still believe that this mashup requires copyright permission from Disney to use its videos for Faden's comical parody.

A Criticial View of Music Videos

The music video for the song "Sleepless Nights" was released on December. 12, 2008. This song was written by a Canadian Pop punk band named Faber Drive.


Initial Reaction: My first thoughts about this song was that it would about a relationship between a girl and boy with a sour breakup causing them to have restless nights. As I listened to the lyrics and watched the video to the song, i realized that this song was about the challenges a child and a mother face when they have an abusive father and husband. I found this video powerful because it captured the violence and cruelty of the husband and father and the emotional pain the mother and child unwillingly faced.

Analysis and Interpretation: The musical group created this video to show what some families experience in their everyday lives together. Having an abusive father is very difficult for the mother as well as the child. The song is told through the child's eyes. We are taught to stand up for what we think is right. The child hears and watches his mother get violently beaten  by his father but it's very difficult for him to do so because he is afraid. The theme of this video and this song, is to respect women. The father should put himself in her position and realize what he's doing wrong. We see the father yelling at the mother during breakfast because she accidentally gave him spoiled milk. The child just watches his helpless mother because he knows he can't do anything about it.  The message of the song is aligned with Christian values because we are taught to respect one another. "So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them"(Matthew 7:12). The golden rule tells us that we should treat other people the way we want to be treated. We should put our self in their position before we think about doing something to them.

Consideration of Cultural Context: Many families encounter being in a abusive relationship. It is very difficult to cope with because the mother and child becomes traumatized by these events. The video shows that it can be stopped. Everyday of your life, you watch you father violently beat your helpless mother because of her small mistakes. You wish to stand up to him one day, but you're afraid. The video shows that there's hope. At the end we see the mother and child leaving the father. There is no need to be afraid anymore. They can start a new life and leave hard-life and fears behind them.

Expression of Aesthetic Judgment: The storyline is very simple. A family is in an abusive relationship. We see the struggle and trauma the mother and child face because of the father. The lyrics state "If I had my way, I'd corner him and say. Put yourself in her position. All she needs is recognition". We see the boy looking through the crack of the door watching his mother get beaten. He says that if only he could have the courage to stand up and protect his mother, he would tell his father to ask himself "what if that was me?". The visuals affect my admiration to the song because the setting and acting was very realistic. They made it as realistic as possible to reinforce the fact that an abusive relationship in a family is a very serious topic that many families face.

Ongoing Reflection: This song has a lot of deep and serious meaning to it. We often forget to put ourselves in other peoples' shoes long enough to realize our selfish decisions that can affect others. This song serves as a reminder to treat people the way we want to be treated. Often we wonder why people treat us badly. We disregard the fact that maybe we treat people the same way. We can look at this song in a different perspective. Abusive relationships within families are traumatizing. The father should respect the mother and vice versa. Respect for others begins with respect for yourself and respect towards in your home. Overall, I think this song was well done and the message was accurately portrayed through the video as well as the lyrics.

Privacy in Social Networking Sites

MILLIONS of people log on to social networking sites every day. Of course, all these sites provide settings for us to help protect certain things we don’t want other people to see. Not utilizing the privacy settings these sites provide us can makes you an open target for online predators. Once you have posted something in the internet, it is always going to be there whether you delete it or not.  With the internet being a world-wide social network, anyone could have simply saved or copied what you have uploaded in the internet.  Protecting your privacy in social networking sites is crucial. With millions of people eyes from all over the world being able to see everything you post about you, how you look like, where you live can be very dangerous so BE CAREFUL and be aware of the fact that ANYONE can see whatever you post.
There are many ways you can protect your privacy in social networking sites. It would be smart to never post your age, where you go to school and sometimes even putting you first AND last name can be very risky.  You should never reveal personal information to anyone on social networking sites. Facebook provides a setting that lets you choose who can see your profile. Personally, I set mine to “just friends” because I know I don’t accept friend requests from people I don’t know or have never met. Keep in mind that YOU decided what information about yourself to reveal, when, why and to whom, so think twice about what you’re about to put on the sites. Remember that just because a site demands or asks for personal information from you, it does not mean you have to give it. Also, when you’re sending anything to anyone whether it’s through Facebook inbox, msn, or e-mail, avoid sending personal information because you never know where it could end up.  Just imagine random strangers from the other side of the world looking at EVERYTHING you just wrote about yourself. Pretty creepy right? Protect your privacy, BE INTERNET SMART! :)…because you never know who’s hiding behind those other screens…
BYEJ