The Internet plays a big part in our everyday lives and also is continuously changing the way we consume media. Different forms of media give us content in the matter of minutes upon release because on the Internet popular content can spread like wildfire.”The process may start with any media channel, but a successful product will flow across media until it becomes pervasive within the culture at large – comics into computer games, television shows into films, and so forth” (Jenkins). Different cultures or “scenes” all appreciate things differently and technological convergence plays a big part in this because it allows the exposure of media they like in many different forms, and even new narratives. It also produced ways to allow the consumers to know how to be the creators of media.
As people started to have the power to become the producers or creators of products the balance of power between them started to shrink. Having access to resources that people usually didn’t have gave them the power to question the interpretations of their culture and even tell their own stories. They could create rough edged, low budgeted, and authentic parodies and spoofs that really show the true filmmaking that goes into amateur made films and express the love for filmmaking and help mold the minds of future film producers. Other “scenes” that sort of go by this approach would be the underground music scene. Bands start off in garages and play basement shows, which show the real meaning and love for music. They create low budgeted albums recorded on laptops and are produced for only a couple hundred bucks. It doesn’t compare to the big name producers and bands, but it is the foundation of becoming one and without it there would be no future in that scene. Media created by people or fans, as I just mentioned, is the foundation to the future of filmmaking because without the creative ideas of amateurs, our imagination would not think in a manner to express thought beyond what were told.
So far for our final project we have came up with the overall idea and we now all envision it to look fantastic and really give it that game show feel from the 70’s that we are aiming to do. As we get closer to filming I’m working to get the script done so that we basically know how it will go with the storyboard and the dialogue needed to get the point across while also being fun. I obtained access to the focus 2, so we now have an idea what to base our questions off of and which ones we think would be good to implement, giving the viewers the idea that the focus 2 really does help you find out what your interests are and what major or career really appeals to you. With this being the main focus of the video, it is important to do it correctly. Two parts that we are coming up to is filming, but picking a location is going to be hard and we are really going to have to make sure the location works well with our idea. We are thinking about finding a room in the library to film, because we would have access to some props while also having access to a room to shoot in. The last part of the project we need to do successful is using the correct props and wearing the right attire. I don’t think this should be much of a problem, but we will have to think it out before hand because when it comes to shooting a game show, a formal attire is required. I do have high hopes for us, and think we will do a fantastic job in producing a great quality film that abides by our main focus.
The first component that I included was a photo of a comedy club that looks like it could fit the time period of our video and also possibly introduce the set in the beginning. I thought it would be kind of a funny idea but if no one else does we don’t have to use it or if anyone finds a better picture that fits there, let me know. The next link that I added is an audio clip of music that might suite the ending of our film. It is positive and makes people want to move around and not feel afraid to talk to each other, while also still providing that end of show type music. I picture the end of the show being the host and contestants talking while the credits roll and we start to fade away as the camera zooms out. I also provided another link with game show music that might come into use if what we have so far doesn’t fit or due to any other problem we could have. When it came to finding a video clip to use I had no idea what to look for. We already found the clip we wanted which was an audience clapping and that was hard enough to find. I personally think with our idea for the video, there is no need for other clips to be incorporated and if we do add some, it may take away from the overall message or it just won’t fit in well. Everything else we provide as a group is definitely beneficial to creating a great video that also gets the point across.
During our storyboard process, for the most part we all just contributed a couple slides for the storyboard and inserted them as needed. I wouldn’t really say we had to many changes during the storyboard process, but I think when we start to film that maybe we will change a couple then but nothing to drastic. Looking at them now I think they all look great, but as I said, since I’m acting in it I might want to change a part of the video cause it is a better scene or can be done better to fit the subject matter. My overall vision of this is to produce a video that actually looks like a game show or at least close to it. I would hope that we are going to have good props and also even maybe have a costumes to make our characters fit the set of the game more. Also, I want the message of the video to come across as effectively as it can so the audience understands what they are watching and why it would benefit them.
The creative direction that our group is taking is using a video plot that is like a game show to explain and show off the features the Focus 2 provides for students. If you have ever seen the movie Mallrats and remember the dating game show that goes on in the mall that is put together by the main characters girlfriends dad, then you could expect it to be some what like this. The production and acting may be a little different but I think our group will try our best to make it professional. I personally like this idea just as much as our other ideas we brainstormed and can see myself and our group having fun with while making it great quality. Our story board will reflect what we are going to produce because it will be detailed and show each scene with the props and set already in place. The storyboard may change a bit as we start and continue to work and film it, but for the most part it is the blueprint to our video. The storyboard will also help me as an actor because I will know beforehand what I’m going to do and if I don’t like it, we can change it before even filming. I really think our video will turn out how I envision it in my head.
Just reading the title of this blog had already captured my interest about what you could be making it geared to. Once I realized it was about making and the designs of fish tanks, I actually found myself reading through your blog thoroughly. If I was actually considering designing my own, I would use your blog as a starting point. I don’t know anything about fish tanks and this seems like a good place to start. Also, I like watching Tanked and think the designs that those guys create are just fantastic. After watching that show I can see how aquariums capture your interest. Even the layout of the blog was great and wasn’t taken over the top.
If you are looking to build a PC, I would recommend stoping by this blog. It has some good builds on it, and whether you are looking for power or just a computer that would run great this site has it. Also, it takes price into account too. It lists an AMD build, which are generally cheaper and a build going the route of Intel, which is usually more expensive. What ever your taste is, this will quench it. I really like this blog because not only does it list PC builds, even pictures are included to show you exactly what that build will look like and part of making a good PC is knowing that all the parts will function together and fit together. You don’t want to end up with a graphics card that doesn’t fit in your case. So stop by here and maybe you’ll see your future computer.
I had to include this in my top 5 because this is my frustration of everyday life and it was just comical to see this blog done correctly by using clips from your dashboard camera. Here in New Jersey, no one knows how to drive and you displayed it brilliantly. The first video I watched on your blog already covered something I hate when people do and that is not stopping at the line or inching their way up until the light changes. People have no patients and I could never understand how two more feet up would make a difference. Just stop at the white line! I would say that you should come visit this site, so one, you understand how to not drive like a moron and two, so you can enjoy the humor of others not knowing how to operate a vehicle.
This blog came in at number four and this is because I personally like the idea of the blog. I actually just recently went to a basement show here in New Brunswick to see Alex Calder, who was a member of another band I really like. To see that someone would put the time into informing others about New Brunswick shows is great. New Brunswick has brought up some great musicians and bands that I love to listen to and even some of my friends bands played here. If you are truly into the atmosphere of the underground music of New Brunswick, I would certainly pay this blog a visit and you might just say your favorite musician playing a show a block away from you. Hearing news like this can make a day go from bad to the best one you had in a while.
This blog came in at number 5 and this is because I can tell that they put time into the content they included on their blog. Just like I did, I included many posts to give it more of a feel that it wasn’t created yesterday and that I have been working on it for a while, which I did and I’m sure as Ebere did. There isn’t to much going on, but as I said, it was more content driven then driven by appearance and when I view a blog, I’m going to be more interested into reading what they have to say. This blog is good for those with curls to come and spark conversation and even gain some insight on ways to go about styling your hair with product reviews. It’s funny cause as soon as I saw this blog, I thought of my brother who has extremely curly hair and gets ragged on about all the time, in good humor though. Those with curly hair should stop by this blog whenever they get the chance because it will certainly be worth it.
When going about the design of my midterm blog, I really was just looking to make it something that wasn’t overboard, rather something more clean and simple because the content I was covering didn’t require a blog with an extreme amount of visual content. Instead, I wanted the audience to focus more on the content of my posts and leave having learned something new or to just keep themselves informed in the field of astronomy. What was really hard to brainstorm though was a video idea. I went through many ideas that I thought would relate to my audience until I finally thought of the idea to make a video about some of the largest known things located in our universe. This was a good idea since the audience I wanted to attract were more of astronomy enthusiasts rather then professionals in the field. An astronomy enthusiasts like myself will read and watch any video having to do with astronomy, so I figured why not make it one that I would love to watch and that others with my same interest would like to watch as well. The video came together pretty well and I do wish I had a little more knowledge on video editing prior to making the video. Overall, when it came to making posts, I figured they needed pictures, so I would try to pick pictures that suit the topic at hand within the post. So if it was about the Mars rover Curiosity, I would try to pick a creative picture of it like one drilling into a rock, rather then it just sitting in the lab before they launched it. I enjoyed the time making my blog and would rather do that for a project then most other assignments I get here at Rutgers.
My experience with this project was the most difficult so far. It was not so much the video editing or figuring out how to use the screencasting site, that part was easy and only took me a bit of time to do. What really had me stumped was uploading it to YouTube or Vimeo. At first neither of then would work. When I would click upload it would do nothing for both of them and then I had to troubleshot, which also didn’t go so well. It just didn’t want to work and I was seriously frustrated. After about a hour of trying to figure it out I finally got it to upload simply by publishing it to Vimeo through Windows Movie Maker, which actually didn’t work the first time. I was so happy it worked and was ready to put it up onto my WordPress but then I realized it won’t be fully uploaded for about 45 minutes. I wasn’t to mad though because at least I got it uploaded for the most part. With this skill now, it can really help me out later down the road. A way this skill my be useful could be that if a job wanted you to create a tutorial on how to use a new software so users don’t get frustrated, you now have some of the knowledge to complete that task. A creative project that this could be used for could be running your own channel on the internet like on Twitch. Screencasting is the main use behind Twitch, since it is just broadcasting what you are doing on your screen. Many people this days broadcast video games online and make a solid amount of money from doing so. This is from donations and ad revenue. The skill of screencasting is very useful and could potentially improve your wallet or even your job position with the use of this knowledge.
Altogether, I think my podcast turned out pretty well. At first it was hard to choose two songs to to go together and then after that, I wasn’t sure what to speak about in my Intro. So I basically just explained what my podcast could be about if I continued to make them. It didn’t take me to long to get the whole thing together, but I did run into some trouble. When cutting out the first song, I accidentally kept deleting the whole project instead of the selected parts. I felt dumb after watching a YouTube video and realizing I had to hit delete instead of cut. Other then that, downloading the codec to export the video from Audacity was the last thing that took a second to realize how to do. Even though a window pops up informing you where to go for the download, you still have to decipher which one to use out of a list of them, since the link sends you to a site with multiple downloads on it. Almost forgot but uploading from SoundCloud to WordPress was also a stress. After that though, everything went great and I was honestly surprised with my work. In the future I can see pod-casting being great for a business to use to discuss new products and even give specs or reviews on other products, especially in the computer industry. There is always new technology coming out and listening to discussions on what to get and what to avoid is great for consumers and can increase revenue. If I owned a business relating to the IT and computer hardware industry I would definitely implement podcast. Overall, I enjoyed re-learning audio editing and can use it to my advantage in my future.
To make my blog look more appealing I added a new header image that I designed myself. Designing my header on Pixlr turned out not to be that difficult. At first I ran into some problems, but after a quick Youtube video I was back on track. I would crop the background picture first so it could meet the width and height requirements and then import the picture for the second layer. When I imported that picture, its dimensions were messed up too. To fix it, I just imported both pictures at the same time, then resized them. After learning techniques in class, getting the second picture to overlap with the background came naturally. I edited it, and placed it into a fitting spot of the background. Then using the brightness and contrast feature, I made the picture look like it was part of the original background photo. Learning how to edit photos was a technique I learned in High School, but have never used since. Using it once again shows me how much of a perk it is to know how to edit photos. I can now create my own blog on my own time and incorporate many photos I take and edit myself. I could also maintain others blogs and even create memes. Memes are a huge thing in society now and creating serious and humorous ones would be fun. “Internet memes are viral images, videos, and catchphrases under constant modification by users, and with a propensity to travel as fast as the internet can move them” (Coleman 109). They usually incorporate trending topics and even trending pictures. As mentioned, the internet makes them spread like wild fire and after a couple weeks, millions of people could have seen your creation. That would definitely be a rewarding feeling. Overall, designing and editing pictures can add a nice visual appearance to your blog if done right.
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