Major Assignment 4 Revised Post

I chose to upload my video to YouTube.  The audience that I was trying to reach with my project was not only my classmates, but also others in the public who have or had struggled with “tough times” in their life.  I wanted to reach a mass number of people and YouTube was the only outside source that I was familiar with enough to upload a video onto. 

Trying to get the word out about any project is a challenge.  To reach the masses these days it seems that the only way is to get an insane number of views (on YouTube) or by a light speed word of mouth.  To advertise my video I decided to start with the people closest to me.  These people were the people that I have added on Facebook.  I linked my video from YouTube to my wall.  My hope was that the people who could view it through Facebook might like it enough to link it to their friends who might link it to theirs and so on.  The sort of advertising I was hoping to achieve was word of mouth.  Except now in a Web 2.0 era it could almost be changed to word of keyboard.

In an excerpt by Henry Jenkins titled, Why Participatory Web Culture is Not Web 2.0: Some Basic Distinctions, Henry Jenkins states, “…Participatory cultures, which may or may not be engaged with commercial portals, and Web 2.0 which refers specifically to a set of commercial practices that seek to capture and harness creative energies and collective intelligences of their users…Web 2.0 is a business model…”  The previous is Henry Jenkins’ definition of Web 2.0.  Tim O’Reilly defines Web 2.0 as such in a web article titled What is Web 2.0: Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software as a concept that harnesses collective intelligence and includes a rich user experience by user interaction.  He includes a diagram of Web 2.0 and on the diagram there are lined connecting to sites such as Flickr, Gmail, and Wikipedia.  

YouTube has millions upon millions of videos on the site.  Some of these videos generate money and some YouTube stars become partners of the site.  Under the Terms of Use section, there is a blurb about addressing payment and refund.  It states:

YouTube accepts payment by credit card, Google Wallet account, and any other form of payment that we make available to you. You agree to (i) pay for any Pay Content that you order through the Service and that YouTube may charge your credit card or other form of payment that you indicate for any Pay Content ordered, along with any additional amounts (including any taxes), and (ii) abide by any relevant Terms of Service or other legal agreement…

Henry Jenkins’ stated that Web 2.0 is a business plan and it is apparent from the terms of use on the site that YouTube is a business plan that is generating income from the creative intelligence of others.

While Henry Jenkins believes that Web 2.0 and the term participatory culture should not go together, every Google search result includes both Web 2.0 and participatory culture in the titles of the links.  Web 2.0 is participatory culture.  In a slideshow presentation by Martha Hardy and Nicole Theis-Mahon from the University of Minnesota reiterate that Web 2.0 is a collaboration among users.  They also include O’Reilly’s fact that Web 2.0 includes rich user experiences. 

 Participation is defined by Dictionary.com as,

 — vb  (often foll by in ) to take part, be or become actively involved, or share (in)

Collaborations are the work of at least two or more people and user experiences mean that others have become involved with a site.  Web 2.0 is participation.  Under the YouTube Community Guidelines page one of the heading titles is YouTube is a Community.  A community means that a group of people interact with each other and their surroundings.  They participate.  YouTube allows users to participate by allowing comments and video responses. By calling the site a community, they are implying user participation.

YouTube may have an motive to generate an income, but they also have millions of users and videos.  For this reason alone I decided to upload my video onto their site.  I felt that it was the best platform to reach a large public audience and I believe that YouTube is a helpful site that is an easy example of Web 2.0 and a participatory culture.  I hope my audience enjoys my video.

Major Assignment Three Link

"Dream Machines" by Will Wright

First off, yay! A reading assignment from a person who I actually know of.  Will Wright created The Sims which is my favorite game of all time.  I think that everyone has that one game that they will always enjoy playing and for me it's The Sims.  I've been playing it since the very first edition came out so about ten years.  Sadly I haven't had the money to buy the third edition and my computer is breaking down, so when I get a new computer I can't wait to buy the third edition.  It's a fantastic time waster.

Now on to Mr. Wrights article.  To me he is arguing in favor of video games by using simple logic.  He says that video games are not just mind sucking time voids, but rather they inspire creativity and imagination.  I completely agree with him.  For example, playing The Sims allowed me to become more creative in how I build my houses.  I started off just using the pre-designed houses that are available, and then I moved on to changing those models, until finally I started messing around with landscape and different structures to create my own designs.  A video game allowed me to think of new ways to change something.  My creativity was tested and improved because I would get tired of the same decor or style so I would have to create new designs and think of new places to lay out furniture.

I believe that the reason why society only sees the negative effects of video games is because there is a big focus on our youth.  Almost every child from a young age knows how to use some digital device because we are living in a thickly populated digital age.  Video games have a way of taking up something called free time.  When a child has free time and they start to play a game that they are enjoying the world fades away.  I used to play The Sims right when I got up and then finally at midnight I would be turning it off to go to sleep in the same clothes that I slept in the night before.  When interest is entertained, time does not matter, especially to younger people. 

Our world is becoming obsessed with controlling health and the youth.  Some see video games as nothing but crap that needs to be destroyed.  Those people are so focused on control that they lose their creativity and imagination because they only see a square box instead of a square box that is actually a house with pillars and fire places and a fantastic kitchen.

"Art Form for the Digital Age" by Henry Jenkins

Video games are art.  So says Henry Jenkins.  Just how the cinema is art for the old eras.  Jenkins states that some people do not consider video games to be artwork.  I say psh.  Do they have any idea how much time and dedication have to go in to create a video game?  Would they consider a Disney-Pixar film (such as Finding Nemo) to not be art?  Look at all of the contrast and lighting and shading that had to be done to create that masterpiece.

I can honestly say however that I am guilty of looking at video games as just video games.  I never did think to see them as a piece of artwork even though they should be. Truly.  A point that Jenkins makes is that video games are starting to become the new thing for this generation.  Cinema was the fad back when it was starting out.  And while video games have been around for a while, they have only recently (in the 2000's) started getting better.  Jenkins states that video games help contribute to the demand of faster computers and better graphics cards.  I think that everyone should be appreciative of video games and try to not only see them as games, but art like the Point Jenkins is stating. 

Besides, what else is everyone hearing about that is true art.

The Oatmeal Is Taking on FunnyJunk and Copyright

**The below statements are reiterated from other sources.  The opinions are all my own.  All external information is linked below.  I choose not to list the link to FunnyJunk because I do not support them in anyway.  If you want to learn about them more then type their name in a search browser.**

After having a segment on copyright and fair use, I've become more interested in copyright policies.  Yesterday I was watching a sxephil video on YouTube about an update on a lawsuit that is trying to get filed against The Oatmeal from FunnyJunk.

From what I gathered, FunnyJunk is a website where users can upload pictures from other websites and then they can edit over and create almost memes. There original artists of the pictures are not credited. FunnyJunk makes money off of adds.  So The Oatmeal asked for them to take down his comics that are on their sites because they are making money off of his comics.  He created a comic that called out FunnyJunk on their copyright problem.  However FunnyJunk stated that they do follow DMCA rules so if they hear a report about copyright infringement, then they will take down the picture and block the user.  However there were a good number of The Oatmeal comics and others (including Hyperbole & a Half and Cyanide and Happiness) that were/are still up on FunnyJunk's site.

FunnyJunk filed a lawsuit against The Oatmeal stating that he created slanderous comments that harassed the site and they requested $20,000 from him for the harassment and money that they lost from having to take down his comics which were never credited to him.

The Oatmeal's reaction was perfect.  He created a comic addressed to FunnyJunk and their lawyer that he will not pay them $20,000 but instead he decided that he was going to raise $20,000 and give half to The American Cancer Society and the other half to The World Wildlife Federation.  The Oatmeal raised the money in an hour and now he has raised over $100,000.  And now, the lawyer is filing a suit against The Oatmeal saying that the money he raised for CHARITY goes against some law.

To me the whole thing is ridiculous.  I agree with The Oatmeal and his actions.  FunnyJunk's request of money from him is just insanely stupid.  They want money from an artist who was not credited, and they made money from his comics (and also other comics).  I lawyer who took the case is getting a lot of flack including emails and phone calls from people who support The Oatmeal.  However, The Oatmeal never stated anywhere to his followers to call and harrass anyone.  He stated in a comic that he just wants to create regular comics and not comics that are addressed to the whole possible lawsuit.

Overall, when I heard this I was blown away by the reactions and actions of FunnyJunk as well as their users and their lawyer.  I hope that this whole ordeal brings light to misinformed people on what copyright is and how it works.

Here is the link to The Oatmeal's page.  He includes links to other comics of his that address the ordeal as well as the letters from FunnyJunk's lawyer Charles Carreon.

Also, donations can still be made to Operation BearLove Good, Cancer Bad.

Web 2.0 by Tim O'Reilly

Web 2.0 is a term that is completely unknown to me.  In the beginning of the web page Tim O'Reilly gives examples of what past digital media or Web 1.0 would be present with Web 2.0.  Personal websites are now called blogs.  Okay that makes sense...blogging seems to have become more popular lately than in the past.  There are other examples such as double click which is Web 1.0 but now the Web 2.0 term is called Google Adsense.  The other examples that the author included to try and clear up what Web 2.0 is, are completely foreign to me still.  

After the first page...I'm still thinking, "What the heck is Web 2.0?"

Tim O'Reilly includes a diagram with a box in the middle that states how the web is our (audience or public) platform.  Above he includes boxes with blogs, Wikipedia, and some other modern terms such as Flickr.  So now I am starting to wonder...is Web 2.0 a way to categorize modern websites and modern digital terms that the new generation (like people my age) are saying and using?

The author says that Web 2.0 is a new era...an era...so I'm starting to believe that Web 2.0 is not a term for with one definition.  It is a term that is an umbrella for modern digital terms and web sites.  It is a categorical term.  Web 2.0 also includes participation from the audience that is participating.  From what I gathered, Web 2.0 must include trust from the creators of sites as well as a collective team effort from users.

Participatory Culture and Web as Told By Henry Jenkins

How is the phrase "Do It Yourself" a reflection of self expression?  You are not creating an idea yourself, instead you are simply following someone other person's ideas.  I disagree with Henry Jenkins on his belief that the phrase allows people to fall back into a void of self expression.

Just a side note, how can Henry Jenkins call himself a true scholar on female-centered science fiction in the 1990's?  From his picture he seems to be a male so how can he consider himself truly knowledgeable on such a topic when he could not have a true experience that only a female can have.  Going along with his whole idea of participatory culture, it seems that he may believe that he is an extremely knowledgeable source because of his academic work and the participation that he may have experienced from the presence of other females.  Maybe he gained some knowledge of the culture of female-centered science fiction through the participation of other females since he is so obviously male.

After reading his blog entry I still do not understand the difference between participatory web culture and Web 2.0  I'm hoping that this reading can be cleared up in class.

"Streams of Content" by Danah Boyd

Danah Boyd stated in her draft of "Streams by Content" that the flow of information is not about perfect attention, but being aligned with the information given to us.  We have to cut through the obscene amount of bull crap (my words, not hers) information that is given to us so that we can get to the information that matters.

She stated that in the 1950's everyone received their news from one news source.  This meant that not only was everyone receiving the same news but they were learning about new information at the same time as the rest of the population.  She says that broadcast media is a centralized source that controls the means of distribution.  I took this to mean that the nightly newscast was the distribution of media and by having only one, then it assured that that station received the most attention.  I believe that centralized sources also control what information is given out to the public.  If there are only a few centralized sources of information, then it is more assured that only certain information is reported.

Blogs are a non-centralized source of information.  Danah Boyd has a line which states, "There were always folks willing to share their story but the Internet gave them a pulpit on which to stand."  I believe that it is not a past tense, but a present tense situation.  Blogs are the platform for the common folk.  It allows anyone who has a two sense and wants to advocate it to get their information out to the public.

She states that there are four core issues with streamlined content information.  Under the core issue of democratization, she states that a person might think that people will give their attention to what is best.  She states after that this is not true and then proceeds to use language as a counter example.  I believe (again with the believes.  It's starting to sound like a Journey song in here) that people will first give their attention to what is most interesting to them, and then they will give their attention to what is best or whatever the point was that Danah Boyd was trying to make with the language example.

Major Assignment Three Paper

For major assignment three, I decided to create a video with the major argument being about survival.  I wanted to create a visual message to my audience about the importance of living no matter how hard situations get.  Survival and living is a daily challenge for some people and I’ve had personal experiences so I knew that the rhetorical situation I wanted to address was this.

            My purpose was to convince my audience that life is important and survival is worth the hardships.  There are two main audiences for my project.  The primary audience is my classmates and my professor while the secondary audience is anyone who views my video through YouTube which is the source that I chose to upload my video to.  My video was created with both audiences in mind.  I wanted to leave an air of ambiguity with my video so that both audiences could create their own interpretation of the piece.  I feel that by leaving the monster in my video a mystery it makes my video more relatable because the audience can create their own monster. 

            Bitzer states rhetoric as such, “A mode of altering reality, not by direct application to energy to an object, but the creation of discourse which engages reality through the mediation of thought and action.”  In my video I tried to create a sense of fear and urgency through the choice of music as well as the action of the two characters.  I kept the monster’s face hidden because I want my audience to create their own idea of what might be chasing my main character.  This is creating a rhetorical situation through action (the action of the two characters) and thought (allowing the audience to create their own monster).

            Concerning the content of my video, I wanted to create a simulation, as Jean Baudrillard would say, of fear.  I wanted to layout the buildings of urgency and fear to help my audience feel like they were really frightened and panicked.  I was trying to avoid giving every detail to my audience because I really wanted them to create their own interpretation.  I feel that this way it makes the video content interesting and more relatable.

            Because my video was originally presented in a university setting, my video does not contain anything profane.  Even though most university settings are accepting of almost anything I also had to think about the secondary source where my video is being presented.  YouTube is an open setting and some viewers may not be as accepting of certain content.  I tried to avoid anything that might ruffle some feathers whether it is in the classroom or online.

            I hope that the context of my video is received well.  The ambiguity of my project is to help make the audience relate better.  It does not apply to the message.  I tried to make my major argument clear as well as the rhetorical situation that I am addressing which is simply the importance of living.

Sources Mentioned:

The Rhetorical Situation by Lloyd F. Bitzer
Simulacra and Simulations by Jean Baudrillard

Major Assignment 3

IT IS DONE!!!!!!

All rights to the music belong to Florence + the Machine as well as Island Universal Records.

Enjoy :)

Major Assignment 3

User Testing

Major Argument
1 Thing Done Well
1 Constructive Criticism

Alex Saari
MA:  There is an immense amount of detail that goes into tattoos.  And yours appear to have meaning.
Strength: Great job with editing the tattoos!
Improve: Is there any way with the program that you are using to smooth out the transition of the tattoos disappearing/appearing?

Chris Cena
MA:  What is control?  Are humans always in control of our surroundings?
Strength: Great job showing video clips that go along with what you are describing. Also the music is sort of depressing, but it goes along great with the idea of your video.
Improve: Maybe create a more memorable conclusion.  The video sort of just ended.

Craig Suydam
MA:  Montages can help accomplish goals.
Strength: I loved it.  I liked that you chose to make a comedic video.  It was really funny.
Improve: Fix the glitch that occurs on the high def. format.  If you can.

Steven
MA:  The world is full of nothing.  If you go looking for something you will never find it.
Strength: Your editing was superb.  I can tell that you make videos often.  The quality was fantastic.
Improve: Increase the volume of your voice when talking.  It was hard to hear you speak

Ronnie
MA:  People have different sides and personalities.  They see themselves one way, but they are different from what they see.
Strength: Great job showing the dynamics of personalities.
Improve: Cut down on the swearing.

Greg
MA: Inform viewers of the site on recent copyright laws and actions.
Strength:  Great job at describing SOPA and the other pages.  I was confused on some of the information before hand and now it makes more sense.
Improve: This is just an aesthetic suggestion.  Could you make it so that the top circles which lead to the different pages move when a person hovers over them instead of on their own?  It’s sort of distracting while reading a page when the top is switching.

Kay
MA:  Children are adorable and every moment matters, especially kindergarten.
Strength: Great choice of music.  I like how you didn’t pick some fufu music instead you chose rock.
Improve: On some of the video in the beginning, there’s the address and phone number for the elementary school.  Since it’s on YouTube, maybe edit it those out for safety reasons.

Kyle
MA:  A resume where employers can see your skills and contact you.
Strength: Great layout.  It’s apparent that you worked hard on the design. It looks very professional.
Improve: There is a useful link box on your homepage and some of the links look professional, however you have NHL and deviant art, which doesn’t really seem to fit with a resume web site.

Jifu
MA: His clan kicks butt in the video game world.
Strength: Great choice of music and also screen shots.  The music goes along great with the action.
Improve: Cut out some of the couple scenes in the beginning where it’s you and your clan running around.  It’s a little dull. Don’t forget to site music.

Converting .WMV to .MOV

How do I convert my video which was made on Windows Live Movie Maker to a format that is viewable on QuickTime?

Those Darn Roadblocks With My Project

Well my project for my Digital Media class certainly came with problems.  I had asked a cousin of one of my friends to be the main character for my video because her style was spot on for my main character.  I sort of got the feeling that after I asked she was going to back out and she did.  I don't hold it against her because I would not want anyone to feel uncomfortable.  So to get around this roadblock, I was my main character.  It's going to be hard to sit and watch my classmates' reactions to my acting.

Another roadblock that has come up is music.  I have very specific songs that I want to use in my video and so I emailed the record company.  To this day I have not heard back from them.  I asked about this issue during class and I received great suggestions for dealing with the copyright.  After discussing it in class it does not feel like an issue.

I wanted to use this assignment as a chance to learn more about Mac computers.  I have a goal for myself which is to become more proficient with Macs because I've always only used PC's.  So I was excited to mess around with Final Cut Pro.  However, I couldn't even get the darn program to open up.  I tried on multiple computers in the lab and it wouldn't open.  So I became defeated and gave up.  I decided to download Windows Live Movie Maker instead.  I had high hopes of creating a professionally edited video, and then I couldn't open Final Cut.  But, I am using Windows Live Movie Maker to it's full potential.  There are some new effects that I really enjoy.  It's certainly not an amazing editing software, but it is a program that I feel comfortable with.

Design Plan for Major Assignment 3

Statement of Purpose:

The idea for my project is that there is a girl alone in a forest.  She is enjoying time to herself, when she is suddenly frightened and begins to run.  There is something chasing her, but the face of what is chasing her is kept hidden throughout the video.  She keeps tripping and falling, when finally she doesn't get back up.  As she's lying on the forest ground covered in dirt and crying, she finds a piece of paper with "Live" written on it.  After reading the piece of paper she manages to pull her strength back together and continues to run and to fight for her life.

 I want to convince my audience that life is important.  I want to move them visually while leaving them with things to ponder.  Survival is important no matter how hard the situation is.  My audience will be my professor and classmates while my secondary audience will be anyone who views my project on YouTube.  I expect questions from both my classmates as well as YouTube viewers.  My project will be shown in class to my classmates while my professor will most likely view it first in her office alone.  Because I will be showing this video in a college setting it will not contain any obscene language or material.  It will however be powerful and moving.  For my project, I hope to communicate the importance of surviving.  I want the audience to realize that no matter how hard life is, they have to keep living.  I hope that my audience will be entertained by my project, as well as moved.  The message in my project can be interpreted many ways. Some people may think that the character is going to be murdered, for others their first thought may be that she is getting raped.  I want my audience to assume whatever comes to mind for them.  I want my piece to be an open canvas where they can project their interpretation while figuring out my message of survival. The best outcome would be that my audience can clearly understand my major argument.  The worst outcome would be that my audience is bored with my video or they cannot understand what my major argument is.  I want to make a piece that will move the audience as well as motivate them.

Strategies:

I plan on creating a video that will move my audience and allow them to make their own interpretation. However, I want to emphasize my major argument which is survival.  I plan on using dramatic music and sounds to help create a scared and urgent atmosphere.  I believe that music and sounds create a piece of video.  If the music and sounds are taken away, the overall feeling of the piece is lost.  I will also keep the face of  the monster hidden.  This is so that the audience can make their own assumptions about what is chasing my main character.

Choice of Medium:

I wanted to create a video because I feel that I can get my message across well.  While a picture would have done the same, it would not have allowed me to tell the full story that I want to tell.  I can also add music to the video so that the sounds reflect what the main character is feeling.  The sounds and music will create the atmosphere of my video and give a sense of urgency and empowerment.

Arrangement:

I plan on beginning my video with fast clips of the tops of trees as well as a quote about survival.  I would like to add shots of the main character as well as shots of the monster before it starts its pursuit.  I would also like to go back and forth between the monster and my main character quickly while they are running.  For the middle of my video I plan on getting the camera close to the ground so that the audience can view the situation through the main character's eyes while she is struggling with survival.  I feel that ending the video suddenly as she is running will allow the audience to make their own assumption on whether or not she was caught.

Production:

I plan on using a flip camera borrowed from the HDMZ lab to film my video.  I would like to mess around with Final Cut  Pro or some other video editing software on a Mac computer because I would like to become familiar with Mac software.  If for some reason I cannot figure out those video editing software, I will resort to the good ol' windows movie maker because I am most familiar with that program.

Testing Communication

To test my communication during production, I plan on showing my project to my boyfriend and other friends as well as maybe one or two classmates to see what their opinions are.  I really want to keep my project a surprise to my class.

Revised Statement of Purpose

I want to convince my audience that life is important.  I want to move them visually while leaving them with things to ponder.  Survival is important no matter how hard the situation is.  My audience will be my professor and classmates while my secondary audience will be anyone who views my project on YouTube.  I expect questions from both my classmates as well as YouTube viewers.  My project will be shown in class to my classmates while my professor will most likely view it first in her office alone.  Because I will be showing this video in a college setting it will not contain any obscene language or material.  It will however be powerful and moving.  For my project, I hope to communicate the importance of surviving.  I want the audience to realize that no matter how hard life is, they have to keep living.  I hope that my audience will be entertained by my project, as well as moved.  The message in my project can be interpreted many ways. Some people may think that the character is going to be murdered, for others their first thought may be that she is getting raped.  I want my audience to assume whatever comes to mind for them.  I want my piece to be an open canvas where they can project their interpretation while figuring out my message of survival. The best outcome would be that my audience can clearly understand my major argument.  The worst outcome would be that my audience is bored with my video or they cannot understand what my major argument is. I want to make a piece that will move the audience as well as motivate them.

Statement of Purpose for Major Assignment 3

Senses of Purpose:

For my project, I hope to communicate the importance of surviving.  I want the audience to realize that no matter how hard life is, they have to keep living.  I hope that my audience will be entertained by my project, as well as moved.  The message in my project can be interpreted many ways.  I want to make a piece that will move the audience as well as motivate them.

Audience:

The primary audience for this assignment will be my professor and classmates in Intro to Digital Media.  I am creating this project for them.  The secondary audience will be anyone who views my video online.  We have to upload our project to an online source, I plan on uploading my video to YouTube. Any person who views my video through YouTube will be my secondary audience.  I imagine that the majority of the viewers of my project will be younger college students.  Most of the people in my Intro to Digital Media class are creative and intellectual.  I expect them to dissect my project.  The worst possible outcome is that they dislike my video so much that they completely dissect it with many many questions or silence with no questions.  The best possible outcome would be that they like my video and gave me compliments.

Context:

I will be showing my project in class.  For this reason, it must be appropriate.  While creative freedom is generally wide in college,  I will try to make my video appropriate for a college audience.  This means that there will be no foul language or obscene material.  I will be present when I show my project.  Because I will be present, I assume that my classmates will try to be polite even if they dislike my video.

Statement of Purpose:

I want to convince my audience that life is important.  I want to move them visually while leaving them with things to ponder.  Survival is important no matter how hard the situation is.  My audience will be my professor and classmates while my secondary audience will be anyone who views my project on YouTube.  I expect questions from both my classmates as well as YouTube viewers.  My project will be shown in class to my classmates while my professor will most likely view it first in her office alone.  Because I will be showing this video in a college setting it will not contain any obscene language or material.  It will however be powerful and moving.