Brainwashed

I read an article recently that had some interesting thoughts and discussion topics. The article was titled "Brainwashed" by Seth Godin. Follow this link to read the article "Brainwashed".

In the article there were layers described to keep you from being brainwashed by society. One layer that I found interesting was the layer titled "Connect" which talked about how the world is being more convergent with art since the introduction of the Internet because there are so many outlets to show your art and creativity to others. All you have to do is connect with others and share your art which will allow that art to spread through a channel of people connected to each other. They gave the example of Shepard Fairey who posted a picture of Obama which spread throughout the web to billions of people and because of this he doesn't have to look for a job again because people will look for him instead. This actually is true in many accounts because sharing your artwork with other people especially over social networks allow you to get out there and introduced to new people and possibly future employer but this can also be very bad for the person. The reason it could be bad is that jobs now-a-days monitor your social accounts and restrict you from saying things about the company. Another layer that was described in the article was titled "Create Art". In this part of the article they explain that everyone should create art regardless of whether people see it or not. Art is described as something made by someone which causes a connection between the viewer and the artist. Creating art is very important because it shows creativity which is slowly dying in today's education and society. Art that you create could be shown to others or kept under wraps either way your expressing yourself which is expressing creativity and that artwork that is kept can lead to future inspiration causing more creativity. Those pieces of artwork can still be shown to others which expands connections between your art and possible buyers or employers. The blogs we had to do for our MDIA 203 class can help this out. It shows our artwork and our creativity which could be seen by others which expands the social network of your artwork expanding it to others around the world.

Exploration of Cover Songs

The song that I chose is Smooth Criminal originally recorded and performed by Michael Jackson. Alien Ant Farm covers the exact same song.

Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal

Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal

The songs have some similarities and differences between the two versions. The differences between the two songs are in the musical quality. In the cover song by Alien Ant Farm, the rhythm is changed up to a faster tempo than the original song performed by Michael Jackson. The speed in the Alien Ant Farm’s cover of Smooth Criminal is faster than the original song performed by Michael Jackson. The difference is in how fast the tempo is which allows the lyrics to come out at a faster pace. The organization of the songs is different. The song by Alien Ant Farm uses more rock based instruments and is more of a rock song where the original song by Michael Jackson is more of a pop song with lower pitched instruments. There is more tension and release in the original song over the cover song. In Michael Jackson’s version or the original song the pace of the song is slow with lyrics said along with the rhythm and after awhile the songs goes to a break from lyrics but starts up right after leaving some tension and release but a very small release. In Alien Ant Farm’s version of Smooth Criminal the contrast and affinity is very definitive because the lyrics are sung at a fast pace but the song was sung with a slow tempo which shows a contrast in the song but there is affinity in the lyrics which allows the tempo to line up with lyrics.

I like Alien Ant Farm's version better because of its faster tempo and the rock melody that comes along with the song. 

Songs/ Music

Here is the link to a playlist of my song along with Eric Eaton's as well. Enjoy and sorry for the late post.

Songs

Soundscape

Sorry for the late posting  of this....

The emotion was longing for those of you still going to critique it.

Where My Creativity Stems From

I would describe myself as a confined creative artist. What I mean by that is that I have all these ideas built up in my mind with no real way of expressing these ideas. I can write them down and convey them to other people but I can not create a full length movie, design my own video game or some of my other creative endeavors. That is why I choose to continue on with my education so I can learn about programs  and ways to design these ideas that I have stored up so I can create them and share them with the world. I base many of my creativity on life examples and what I see and learn from others' examples. One person who inspires me greatly would be Cliff Bleszinski, the lead game designer behind the popular franchise Gears of War, Unreal Tournament Franchise, and the newly anticipated game set to release in February 2011 Bulletstorm.

Gears of War

(Earth's last hope lies with an elite force of COG soldiers who face off against hordes of Locusts bent on the annihilation of the human race)

Unreal Tournament

(A head-to-head FPS shooter, based around combat in a tournament scenario where you face-off against evil bots)

Bulletstorm

(Two former members of Dead Echo try to survive through the mutant onslaught in a unknown paradise located in very depths of space after being exiled there)

I get most of my creativity from Cliff Bleszinski because he does a great job of using many of the methods to make the player draw attention to the game and cause a certain reaction from the player. Cliff uses more importantly three different binary terms:

1. Contrast and Affinity: This is utilized in many of his games. Most notably in the Gears of War franchise, which uses minimal color in the story mode to give a dark depressing outlook on the world since it, has been taken over from the Locust horde. The contrast is shown between the darkness of the darkness of the enemy and COG army compared to the level, which the color varies from level to level but keeps a constant dark color. The contrast is very noticeable in levels where you try to survive against the krill, bat-like creatures that attack on in the shadows and are harmed by the light. The level starts out with the sun setting and the krill being released which means the characters must stay in the light at all times. The contrast is noticeable between the darkness of the surroundings and a flickering light set to protect you from the onslaught of krill. Affinity is somewhat used but not as much as contrast. Affinity is used with again the krill that are black but a little brighter compared to the darkness of the night or a darker black.
2. Tension and Release:  All of the games designed by Cliff embrace Tension and Release much like other video games.  The Tension stems from the actual game play where characters take control and fight the enemy hordes. There are parts in his games that seem to go on longer than others which the tension comes from taking the player from their comfort space, or in this case doing nothing and putting them into a situation where they have to fight back by killing all of the enemies to survive. The Release comes in when the character completes the mission and a cut-scene happens furthering the plot and the story-mode. It releases the player back into the state of them being neutral and just enjoying the scene.  This happens in all of his games but is really put to the test in the horde mode of Gears of War 2. In this mode the player is confronted with many enemies all at once and must kill them all to proceed to the next wave. After the player kills all the enemies the round is over and there is a release from the tension from the previous wave of enemies and then there is more tension, as the next wave starts right after.
3. Objective and Subjective: The use of objective and subjective in the franchises designed by Cliff Bleszinski are similar in that they use objectives as a way to move the character through the story mode to complete the mission. This is like a helping hand or a guide through the game. Guiding the player through the story mode so they can successfully complete the mission without dying. The subjective side comes from the character analysis. Introducing the character’s emotions about certain things, character’s background or life story does this. One subjective part of one of Cliff’s game would be Gears of War 2 where Dom, one of the main members of Delta Force, is searching for his wife who he got separated from after the Locust emerged up from underground. This shows another side of Dom rather than the kill to survive person that he is perceived to be. It is with these two terms that he creates an emotional response to the characters while keeping the flow of the game continuing.

Finding Your Howl

"Finding Your Howl" by Johathon Flaum is the next article discussed in my blog. You can access this article by following the link  "Finding Your Howl" and downloading it by clicking the download button.

The article described two different stories but similar in ideas and the meaning behind the stories. The first story described how the red wolf was almost completely extinct and as a desperate measure the last of red wolves were taken into captivity until the population was restored which eventually happened after awhile. The problem was that after the red wolves were released into the wild from captivity they did not have the howl they once did which allowed no wolf to lead and causing the wolves to become scared and timid.

Mumon never appreciated the captive life where he was fed regularly on a set schedule and relied on others for nourishment. Mumon ventured off from the group to find his howl. He came across a deer much wiser than himself Mumon’s instinct caused him to chase the deer and eventually catch it and Mumon ate the deer nourishing himself with food. Mumon then met a Raven who is also wiser than him saying that the howl has always been within him. Mumon then took off running with the energy of the deer inside of him until Mumon encounters a farmer who shoots Mumon where Mumon enters the spirit world and finds his howl which later turns out to be the real world on a rock with a moon in the background. The meaning of this story is that everyone has it within himself or herself to become what he or she want to be and to be great they just have to overcome the obstacles in front of them and inside of them. Only after you “die” can you re-emerge and become the person you were meant to be. This is how you will find your howl by embracing the obstacles and learning from the people around you who are much wiser than yourself.

This would have been uploaded on audio but I had some difficulties so I apologize but here are some lyrics from the song I Believe I Can Fly by R. Kelly

See I was on the verge of breaking down
Sometimes silence can seem so loud
There are miracles in life I must achieve
But first I know it starts inside of me, oh

If I can see it, then I can do it
If I just believe it, there's nothing to it

I believe I can fly
I believe I can touch the sky
I think about it every night and day
Spread my wings and fly away
I believe I can soar
I see me running through that open door
I believe I can fly

Hey, cause I believe in me, oh

This song speaks to me a lot like in the way “Finding Your Howl” by Johathon Flaum did. It is a reminder that if you believe in something hard enough you can make it happen and you can achieve it. You must first believe in yourself that you have the capabilities to do it. Everyone has it within them to achieve any goal they set in front of them.

Ways to Get Ideas

Recently I read an article titled " 14 Ways to get Breakthrough Ideas" by Mitch Ditkoff and found it rather interesting. Here is the article if you are interested in reading it, just follow the link "14 Ways to get Breakthrough Ideas" and simply download the article for your enjoyment.

Mitch Ditkoff brings up some very valid points in his article about ways to get ideas through other ways than the typical thinking and feeling strategies followed by many people in the workforce. The article is broken up into 14 different techniques or ways to acquire or get breakthrough ideas:
1. Follow Your Fascination
2. Immerse
3. Tolerate Ambiguity
4. Make New Connections
5. Fantasize
6. Define the Right Challenge
7. Listen to your Subconscious
8. Take a Break
9. Notice and Challenge Existing Patterns and Trends
10. Hang Out with Diverse Groups of People
11. Brainstorm
12. Look for Happy Accidents
13. Use Creative Thinking Techniques
14. Suspend Logic
Ditkoff does a great job of backing up his claims with factual evidence and examples as well. For example, in the idea labeled Brainstorm there were examples such as Bill Gates and Paul Allen for Microsoft, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak for Apple, Sergey Brin and Larry Page for Google. Ditkoff explains that these men named above used brainstorming to achieve their success and come up with breakthrough ideas.

Three ideas that I am particularly intrigued in are the ideas labeled Brainstorm, Immerse, and Fantasize.
• Brainstorming caught my attention because it explains a technique that many people have used at least once in their lives, whether it was recently or in school. Brainstorming described by Ditkoff is gathering a group of people together to come up with ideas if you are stumped or just need inspiration. Ditkoff explains that if you can’t think of something you more than likely know someone who can. In my opinion, this is a great idea. It utilizes group work, which is not always necessarily a good thing, but in this case it is. With a group you can inspire each other and discuss creative terms and ideas, which allow for inspiration. That inspiration can lead to a great breakthrough.
• The next way to get a breakthrough idea is immersing. Mitch Ditkoff defines immersion as "the act of becoming completely involved or absorbed in something—engrossed, enthralled, or preoccupied.” Ditkoff later goes into the importance of allowing yourself to immerse yourself not only into what you are trying to come up with but also allow yourself some time to immerse yourself into something completely different than what you are focusing on. Ditkoff lists examples of Google who allows their employees to spend 20% of their time immersed in projects that have seemingly nothing to do with their day job. This is another example of a good idea to utilize when trying to create a new idea or concept. I found this important because immersing yourself in your idea or project at hand is important but allowing yourself time to immerse in other activities such as a hobby allows your brain to come up with different ideas and relax. Too much strain on your brain will eventually cause serious damage to your brain. Many people throughout college or even high school work a part-time job, play a sport of some sort, join a club or are involved in school related activities. Those students are shown to do better in school and classes because they learn to regulate time more effectively. So allowing yourself to immerse in your work as well as a hobby allows you time to recharge and allows creativity to flow.
• The last idea deemed interesting to me is fantasizing. Ditkoff describes this as how many breakthrough ideas are started by using your imagination. Ditkoff notes the relationship between the words fantastic and fantasy which both stem from the same word which means to “use the imagination”. Fantasizing is a good idea in some cases but in others not so much. Daydreaming while trying to focus on let’s say a project causes problems later when there was that delay in time when you daydreamed which causes you to get behind in your work. Fantasizing can be beneficial though when coming up ideas fantasizing or visualizing the idea helps the creator come up with ideas. Fantasizing is limited, as we grow older since it was primarily used when we were children during playtime when we came up with many ideas and thoughts to escape and have fun.

The ways listed in the article also include little exercises or activities that the reader can do to engage themselves as an example of that certain way. I will do the brainstorming activity, which asks me to answer the following questions:
What is the topic of your next group brainstorm? Who will you invite? Who will facilitate? When?

The next topic of my next group brainstorm will be discussing the Soundscape project with my group member. I will invite my partner Colin and both of us will facilitate the meeting by agreeing when we both are available to meet and when we will meet depends on when we both can brainstorm and collaborate on the project together.

Introductions

Hello My name is Christopher Page, I am currently a sophomore enrolled in Ohio University's Scripps College of Communication. I am majoring in Digital Media: Special Effects, Animation, and Games with video games being my major focus. This blog will be mainly focused around the MDIA 203 class and the questions asked from me by my instructor.

I originally had a later lab set up for my schedule before I started scheduling, unfortunately, the class was full when I tried to enroll in the class. The 8-10 a.m. lab was the only one that would fit in my schedule without conflicts. In fact this is my first 8 a.m. class I have attended at Ohio University but I look forward to using many of the programs described in the syllabus and hope to make the best of this lab.