Creative Market

Finally the Final Project

2007-11-05T19:13:00.001-08:00

I have finally finished my final project.
It toom a while to get everything together and I found myself adding more stuff everytime I edited the webpages. I think it's because I really enjoyed the concept behind my project. True, it is a little vague and my articulation skills are minimal, Postmodernism is a subject I do enjoy critiquing.
I attempted to put my half-failed preloader into the splashpage but that did not work out too well. At least I tried it...
I think there is a very cynical perspective of my artwork in this case. Although it is very unlike me, I did enjoy it immensely. It was inspired by the film Reality Bites (Ethan Hawke's caharcter Troy's cynicality) and Aldous Huxley's Brave New World which is the way this world is moving towards, I believe.
Because human mannerism and psychological behaviour is something which fascinates me I could not resist putting in my observations into the project (see Observation). Humans truly are fascinating...

My friends answered the questionnaires and found that a little part of themselves was in fact revealed throughout the process. Also, they realised that half of the things they do is for fun and for no real in depth purpose because, let's face it, life without fun is....pointless.

Preloader

2007-11-05T02:25:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I thought I'd try and make my own preloader using one of the many web tutorials there are. Unfortunately, it did not work as well as I had expected. I thought these things were supposed to make life easy for us! Well, guess I was wrong on that one too!
When I tried to play it as a Movie Clip it didn't work. However, while in the TestMovie section and I selected "Simulate Download" and it worked! What the hell??!?!?!?!?!
I truly despise technology!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is unbelievably frustrating!!!!!

Pointless Postmodernism

2007-11-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

I have drawn a blank on the idea frontier. I have been sucked dry of all creative blood in my body and find myself to be a rotting corpse with flies buzzing around me whilst I sit at my computer writing this.
I have decided to stick with my box/questionnaire idea because it is simple, to-the-point, and low-budget.
It will be a critique about postmodernistic values: how we do everything to entertain ourselves, to stop ourselves from thinking and being bored. I guess you can say it was partly inspired by Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.
The idea behind this is the pointlessness of 30% of our acts. It will consist of the viewer/participant to fill out a questionnaire which they will then place into a box. I think that the questions will consist of silly things like: how tall are you? if you won a Panasonic LSD Plasma TV would you donate it to charity? Do you have a pet? Really 'blah' questions.
However, I'm not sure if anyone would actually do the project, so would there need to be an ulterior motive behind it, such as the possibility to win an X-Box or something? Would that grant the appeal? Would that attract more people? Would it add meaning to the project??

The setting would be simple also. A plastic box ideally in a professional space to add a 'win the draw' effect or a shoe box in a low-class/private space (because I don't have the money to buy a plastic box). The installation would be kept on display for a about a week, or until the box is full.
It is easy to move around and can be universal. The only true item which needs to remain the same are the questions.

Ideas for Final Project

2007-10-30T16:44:00.000-07:00

Although nothing has come to me yet and my research has in fact been minimal, Susan told me about hers and it seemed particularly interesting. She wanted to send out some "White Elephant" flyers and have a website at the back and see how many people would go onto the website.
I had an idea the other day but for the life of me I cannot remember what it is! It is quite frustrating.
Anyways, I will update once ideas flow...

Week 12 - blissful silence

2007-10-15T21:23:00.000-07:00

Jason can't talk this week which is bringing me endless enjoyment!

I'm still searching for ideas for my final project. The search is not very successful at the moment. I can't seem to wrap my ehad around what I need to do and what it is I want to do!
All in due time I suppose.
A few ideas which did seem interesting were: creating a treasure map for people to interact with, take them onto a next clue, but the question is what would be at the end? Plus, this idea has already been done by someone in previous years.
I think I could do a bunch of videos on different screens all switched off and have people switch the TV on and the video would play. Again, not too sure what it is the idea behind it would be and what the end product would enveil.

More research must be undertaken!

Feedback of Project 2

2007-10-09T22:20:00.001-07:00

Jason seemed fairly pleased with the project. It would appear I am not as useless as he thinks I am. I got some good feedback. The first and second video didn't work in the begining but he looked into the script and found out what the problem was.
I also needed to change the file size of my flash anime in my splash page as it was way too big. Although I will probably never be making another website in my life, I guess it is a good pointer...you know, just in case.
He also suggested I put a preloader on the splash page, unfortunately I didn't exactly have time to complete it. Now that I think about it, I reckon it will just take away the concept of 'dodginess' and 'high school notebook' from my project.
We talked about the blog too. Again, he seemed more impressed that I do actually do work.

I do have a few ideas for my final project. Althought the initial one was to do an interactive maze (like in my first project, but physical), I think keeping the project simple might be the better option.
My idea is to create a questionaire box. People would have to fill out a questionaire given to them and slip the paper into the box. The purpose of this would be to show poeple how absurd it is to fill out questionaires which are, in fact, completely pointless! How many times do we fill out our details in hopes that we will win a car at the Airport Duty Free? How many times have we gone on the internet, filled out a questionaire of 'how tall are you?' for any reason but for our own amusement?
Isn't what all of this is about anyways: the pointlessness of the things that we do. How many administrative papers have we filled out exactly the same way and all asking exactly the same questions every time?

Project 2

2007-10-08T01:19:00.000-07:00

Hypertext essay:

I have completed my hypertext essay, finally. I has only taken me forever to do it but it's all good.

I did manage to do some experiments and interview people, no matter how puzzled they seemed. My analysis of sugar got changed through the process: I found out that sugar buzzes are actually more extreme when caffeine is put into the equation. Caffeine actually causes high blood sugar levels and results in hyperactivity. In moderation it is ok, but too much of it can result in death because the heart can't take that much pressure. It's all very fascinating.

Joeli was my case study because he is the epitome of sugar highs and student productivity!

He reacted in a typical way which made the analysis alot simpler and efficient.

A few difficulties arose, like being able to post the videos onto Dreamweaver, but in the end I managed with some help from an I.T. guy.

week 10 flash

2007-10-02T05:44:00.000-07:00

Today we had to use a digital text in flash. Although I tried my best, I failed, once again, miserably at it. I can't seem to figure it out. I figure I just need so more practice at it.

Jason and I talked about my first project - Feedback:
It was bland, not well thought through and un-representational

In all honesty, he is right. But, in my defence, it took me ages to do a simple task and this class isn't all that I think about.

Interesting things to take in though were the art sites concerning grant applications.

Random idea for essay: use a paper background like the high school booklets.

Late entry for hypertext essay

2007-10-02T05:29:00.000-07:00

Certain ideas which seem quite interesting to include in the essay are videos and animations.

I will be doing an analysis on sugar and it's effects on students' creativity and productivity. Although my research leads me to all of the obvious topic: Sugar is BAD for us!!!

However, I beg to differ and will attempt to prove that sugar in fact hightens educational performance (no matter how short a time).

I think I will need to interview people and record their eating habits during stressful exam periods as well as their grades and their own views on the matter.

My roommate is a medical student and has a few concrete facts about sugar which may be beneficial as my process unravels itself.

Things to think about: font, size, background, flash and videos.

I want the text to be highly visual based, but I assume that I will have a concrete introduction and conclusion.

I already have an animation done for the project as well as a title page. (for some reason the video won't upload)

I will be using Peggy and Joeli as case studies for the sugar buzz theory: High amounts of sugar enables creativity and educational performance.

Thoughts on up-coming essay

2007-09-04T18:24:00.001-07:00

what if I did an argumental essay about marshmallowes? I like marshmallowes...
can incorporate video, web-text etc... HYPERTEXT essay.
Should be fun.
Maybe talk about chocolate and student's study methods....simple and effective. Can even interview people....

Week 7 - Presentations

2007-09-04T18:19:00.000-07:00

Today we had to hand in our projects.
It was fun while it lasted. I had a bit of a problem transfering the project into the FTP file but it all turned out ok in the end. (the .jpeg +.gif were in capital letters and had to be minimised - gosh technology is complicated)

In all, this project was interesting. I know that my project is not as glamorous and high-tech as most people's but in my defence, I have never used Dreamweaver or even thought about using any form of technological programs in any of my assignments. I guess I did learn a few skills and did manage to do an OK job of it.
The project is nothing great in comparison, but it is a start...

Week 6 -More Flash

2007-09-03T22:19:00.000-07:00

We were told to work on our projects. And so we did.
I ahve most of mine done by now.
I have the images I want to use....and I've narrowed by 'place of interest' down to only our apartment as the U.V. would be too complicated to completely do and it took me AGES to simply do 3 pages on Dreamweaver (many thanks to Orli for helping me out too)

I still don't have any images for the cubic page (the images I have are too big apparently) so I plan on looking for some small images on the net (royalty free ones).
I still need to take images of the apartment for the index to link the rooms to a story-line in each room.
I decided to use a party theme and in different rooms, at different times, different things are happening.

Homework from week 5

2007-09-03T19:34:00.000-07:00

Wow....there's alot here.

1. Explore http://www.turbulence.org and write about three of the artworks there. Discuss the interactive elements, how well they do or don’t work etc…

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http://www.takeo.org/nspace/ns022/ns022.htm MICHAEL TAKEO MAGRUDER's like Monolith[s] and {Transcription} both seem to be the most aesthetically pleasing to me. I like the changing characters in {Transcription} but it would ahve been cool to understand what they mean and if, as they changed, the image progressively changed as well.

Monolith[s] reminds me alot of one of the scripts in http://www.dhteumeuleu.com/. The simplicity of it makes it appealing: images which change and a text underneath it which explains it each of the images.

http://transition.turbulence.org/studios/horvath/boulevard/ Boulevard by Peter Horvath has a aesthetically pleasing narrative. The images look like still from a movie and seem to interconnect as the story is revealed. There is also a few (what appears to be) videos. As a whole it seems to work well as a linear narrative.

http://transition.turbulence.org/spotlight/Zeno/ This piece confuses me. I'm not sure if it's because I have zero-patience, but it seems to be taking forever. It would seem like all I have to do is watch... or do I click? I don't know (note to self: in project say what must be done onto images) I does have a point in turning 'public' space into a 'personal' space through the zoom though. Where is the boubdary between private and public spaces?

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2. Write about the process of creating your first interactive assignment. What works and what doesn’t? What kind of technologies/web techniques and gadgets etc… did you use and why? Heck just tell me everything.

3. Explore http://www.dynamicdrive.com or http://www.dhteumeuleu.com/ and write about how some of these technical tools could be used to creative interactive artworks.

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I've already talked about my process...a little bit. I've decided to use Dreamweaver as my Flash skills still seem to be below the average understandimg of it. I will use the dhteumeuleu.com scripts as they seem bearable to manipulate (I can change the images...that's all I know about it) I really like the book one as it is simple and to the point and still retains a story-like narrative (but in a visual form). Although alot of them are overwhelming and great to look at, only a few really take my fancy when thinking about a narrative structure: the fractal (I could not stop) and the diaporama (Infinte loop).

As said in my other blog entry, I will try to recreate the University Village and make a narrative from then on. I'm not sure if I want to use Profile cards to link all of the people together just yet. I want to explore my options. (see image above).

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4. Think and write about the interactive stories inherent in public places, such as malls and churches and grocery stores etc….give me some examples, and be creative with them!!!

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We interact with people every simgle day. If it's on a computer, in a grocery store or even just with a TV, there is always interaction. We might not always see it..eg: TV is interactive because of all of the people watching a same show and reacting differently to it. In a grocery store, imagine all of the people who pick up a can of tuna for example. Each of these people have a similar likeness because of the tuna but live completely different lives. What about in a local neighbourhood? Each person is interconnected in some way. The children may all go to school together, one mother may have had an affair with her friend's husband.

A bus stop is interesting because everyone waits for a bus to get to their destination, and for a few minutes (or half an hour depending on the bus timings) people have something in common.

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5. Write about exploring macromedia flash and other more dynamic software packages. What could you use it for? Where are the best resources? Write about the process of exploring the software and the difficulties of learning it.

6. While we are concentrating on interactive stories/artworks, the same concepts could be applied to a wide variety of content and in a wide variety of net based sites…..write about how they could be used in other situations.

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I hate technology in general. I understand how useful it is and how it has made the world a better place (or so we tell outselves) but it annoys me to the core. I get frustrated with a word document. And now I have been asked to explore programs. Although seeing a Flash document is fun, funky and amusing, I cannot use it to save my life. All of the buttons confuse me and, as being a perfectionist, not getting it right is frustrating. However, I think it would be fun to have a series of little flash projection around a gallery space.

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7. Look at movie websites…and review three of them for their interactive functionality.
8. Write about your ideas for your real space interactive project.
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I guess that Farenheit 9/11 (2004) can be an interactive film as it gathers a bunch of information from all over and speaks almost directly to the audience....then again, documentaries are supposed to do that.
Love Actually(2003) and Crash (2004) are two movies which count the lives of different people and who are all interconnected through one particular theme: love and violence.
Elephant (2003) too is a movie which has an interactive and non-linear ring to it: about the Colombine shooting, it recollects each person's actions during the day before and while the shooting is taking place.

I guess to have a real-life interactive project would be interesting. I guess that it could be performance based....let's say you could write something in a space and people could write their thoughts on it. Or, the statuesque like people who move when people give them money.

Week 5 - Flash

2007-09-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

I was unable to make today's class as I was jacket-up on pain killers because of my ankle and fell asleep like a rock!
However, Victoria did give me the 411 on the class. Apparently, we were being taught how to use the Flash program and then people just did some work on their project.

There is also some homework to do....

I thought about my project again. I'm still a little bummed about my lack of computer skills. I really widh I could be like a wizz and make awesome web-pages and even computer games and the maze idea I had before. In my head it looks fantastic....argh! I hate being a perfectionist.

I tried my hand at Dreamweaver with the sheet that Jason gave us... I failed miserably at least twice. Then I got frustrated and wanted to hit my computer (poor thing is taking so much abuse lately).
I'm still not getting it. But, I did check out the websites we were given with the web-sources. I think I'm getting the hang of it. Strange how I find it a little easier to do then the actual linkage in Dreamweaver.

Flash is something I'd like to try out. But, I already have an animation program that I like....can't remember the name of it but it's fun. I did one of my Cultural projects with it. It took me ages but it was fun.

Project 1

2007-09-03T15:59:00.000-07:00

Alright. So, my ideas have turned to dust. But, I do like my initial idea of the interconnectivity of my people on Facebook as well as of the people in the University Village. We all know each other, have friends in common, have had relationships with each other and share classes together. We're a regular Melrose's Place fpr students. We should actually put a video camera in our houses and film our lives. True, it would be boring for the most part, but at least it would be fun and funny.

Anyways, so I was thinking of recreating the U.V. I think if could be a good idea and fun to start off with. K.I.S.S!!!!

Week 4 - Photoshop

2007-08-17T19:29:00.000-07:00

We discussed a number of projects and how certain ones seemed more compatible rather than others. There was this one which seemed particularly interesting: Taking a picture of somehting and retracing the life of each element in that picture. For example, with a picture of a wooden cabin we would retrace the cabin to wood, then to the actual tree, then its growth, then the person who planted it etc...

It got me thinking about my own project. I have a strange fascination with mazes. In a nutshell, I think they're awesome! And what I would have loved to create was a virtual maze where u need to find your way out but through that process going through a set of question like: What is your favourite colour? Who would you rather be stuck in an elevator with? etc. And, as you scavanger your way out of the maze a story text pops out at the finish line with all of the elements you would have chosen through your journey in the maze.
I looked for some sites to help me create a maze but they all crashed and burned miserably. Also, my technical skills are minimal on a mobile phone let alone a computer program. So, I might need to scratch that idea and find some other inspirational things to work with.

We also touched on Photoshop during class.

Ideas for Project 1

2007-08-10T20:14:00.000-07:00

I was browsing through Facebook (yes, I am addicted and sad) and found a wheel of friends. All of these people are interconnected in some way which makes the process fascinating and complex. This made me realize about the Uni Village's networking system. We all live in the same place, go to the same uni and all have a history - however big or small - with each other or not. I think I'd like to do a web-site type thing with profiles for each unit and see who is connected to another person, has a class with someone else, have similar friends outside of the village etc. It could be quite interesting and non-linear.
I would use pictures of people, maybe even have a little flash animation going on with a few people, but I'd imagine it would be mostly text-based as there are so many of us.

Week 3 - Dreamweaver, piece of shite

2007-08-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

We had to creative a narrative using dreamweaver with the story-lines we did the previous week. I got really frustrated with the computer as I was not understanding anything. Gosh do I hate technology. My attempt to create a web-page failed miserably, but luckily I have a friend who is willing to help me out with it. Man, do I wish I were more computer savvy.

We also touched on our assignment due in week 7. Do we need to use Dreamweaver???

week 2 - exercise 1

2007-08-06T00:57:00.000-07:00

Pick an object, word, action

Locket
Comb
Hand shake
Public toilet taps (sink) → a sink in a public girl’s bathroom!
Computer room chair
Dollar bill
Keyboard
A sneeze
A gameboy
A bench at the coffee cellar

Associations
Itchy
150 km/h speed
Contacted muscles
Epidemic – contagious SNEEZE
Different sounds
Allergies

soapy
Smell of alcohol, cigarettes
Gossip
Usually dirty
Crowded (around the mirror) Public Girl’s bathroom sink
Porcelain basin
Cold water
Immobile
Hard/cold to touch

PUBLIC GIRL’S BATHROOM SINK : Cleaning lady/Soapy/Cold water/Gossip/Drain

1) Soapy
Sinks are soapy after being used a lot and not being cleaned, can be gross, bad tasting, slimy feel to fingers.
- The sink in the girl’s bathroom in the university library is often soapy. Girls are in a rush and often grab soap but it falls short of the sink and the water flow can’t reach it. It’s a pinkish colour and feels slimy. It leaves a ‘lavatory’ smell in the room.

2) Gossip spot
-In the bars or nightclubs, girls go to the bathroom in flocks to gossip. They usually hang around the sink where the mirrors are. They redo their makeup and make sure the girls they are with are feeling alright and having a good time.

3) Cold water
Sinks generally flow out cold water. If clean, you can drink it, wash your face, dab water onto clothing when dirty, and do laundry.
- I remember feeling ill one day and I rushed to the bathroom to dab some cold water on my face to cool me down and wake me up. The texture of the water on my face was refreshing and pleasing.

4) Drain
People lose things down drains all the time. Girls especially: earrings, necklaces, contact lenses, rings, a gold tooth (!?!??) etc.
- Drains are filthy with gunk and bacteria. However there are thousands of little treasures in the rough spots.
Extension: a plumber unblocking the drain and finds hundreds of dollars worth of possessions.

5) Cleaning lady
Sinks need to be cleaned on a daily basis, especially public ones. Imagine all of the disgusting materials left in the bathrooms: gunk, needles, hair, makeup, wet towels, etc.

Select a new association
1) Being in a rush
2) Broken heart? Emotional Injury? (seeing girl crying or yelling)
3) Pregnancy
4) Findings
5) Life of a….cleaning lady? Druggie?

1) We are often in a rush. We seem to have no time on our hands to do all of the things we want to do. We rush through the grocery store and buy things which are convenient rather than healthy. As a result, our body is under enormous amounts of stress and we die prematurely.
2) Having an emotional injury is as painful - if not more painful – than a physical one. Emotional injury is a permanent scar which needs to be dealt with by family, friends and partners. Sometimes it can lead to madness and special psychiatric attention is needed.
3) Being pregnant can be both a curse and blessing. So many young girls fall pregnant and need to leave school, and/or give up their initial dreams for new ones. Pregnancy can feel like an imprisonment to some girls.
4) Finding a buried or lost treasure is one of the most exhilarating feelings a person can have. A child who has lost their teddy. Eventually as the child grows older they get bored of the cuddly toy but still keep it hidden away in a safe spot. My cuddly toys are in my childhood treasure box.
5) Needles are horrible inventions. Druggies use them, share them and leave them around. I remember walking in the streets of San Francisco and my dad found a bag of used needles on the street. He was disgusted and carried them for about two blocks until he found a rubbish bin to dispose of them…

A new association
Grocery: There are so many brands of different products in a single grocery store. Twenty-six different bottles for milk on a single shelf…However, I love riding around in a shopping cart with my friends pushing me and having cart races up and down the aisles.
Psychiatric Ward: There is an eerie feeling which always comes upon you when you walk into a psychiatric ward – running or abandoned. It reminds me of scary movies all the time with a serial killer ghost which is out to get you.
Imprisonment: Visiting South Africa and Nelson Mandela’s cell. It was one of the most pivotal moments of my life.
Buried: in the sand, burying my friend and making sand castles and waterskiing.
San Francisco: When we are 50, a bunch of my friends and I are going to road trip around the US on Harley Davidson’s.

two ideas for possible interactive stories/narratives and two net based venues where those or other stories could go..

2007-08-05T23:40:00.000-07:00

I thought alot about what on earth could be considered a form of interactivity...It actually took me an entire week to figure it out... (*shame*)
Two possible stories/narratives:
1) The 'pay it forward' concept - the movie with Kevin Spacey - was uses by a lady in the US (she later went on Oprah which is where I heard the story in the first place). She made it a task to do a good deed for a complete stranger and ask them to pass that deed on to another person but she would also get feedback from these people who were involved.
2) now that I mention it, I guess that talk shows are a form of interactivity because of the stories being told by the guests.
3) hotel or shop guest books. people write down what they thought about the place - some have great stories to tell and it is all set in a realxed environment (a hotel) during a specific time frame (let's say august or december when it's the holiday season)

Two net-based narratives:
1) Online quizzes about your friends. like http://www02.quizyourfriends.com/quizpage.php?quizname=070805051600-479567 a quizz about my friend to see if I know him as well as I think I do. It's a pretty sneaky thing and quite intersting. And you can create your own quizzes and send them to your friends.
2) online video games? forums? Oh right, we said that already...
3) I don't know....I hate technology - it raddles my fragile little mind!

Lonelygirl 15

2007-08-03T21:10:00.000-07:00

I watched a bunch of the YouTube 'episodes' about Lonelygirl15. Although my favourite one was 'Boy Problems..' if I hadn't been told that it was all a scam I would have believed this experiment to be authentic. It is quite ingenius to have come up with such an amazing concept and simply put it out there. In some respects it really opened up my eyes about how we perceive the internet as a 'bible' and almost agree with everything it tells us.
The interactivity between Lonelygirl 15 and her boyfriend over the internet was an interesting, childish and extremely public. It was a great form of interactivity on the net despite how public is was.
I read a few of the forums too. There was one comment which particularly intersted me: it was suggested to make the 'min-series' into a DVD box-set. In some respects it is a great idea - taking the series genre to the next level, however the lack of interactivity with the audience through forums would dismember the charm of the entire process that is Lonelygirl15.
It is incredible though how a simple project grew to an enormous proportion of gullibility and recognition to all of the viewers it absorded.

Lonelygirl15 article by The New York Times 13/09/06

2007-07-30T00:09:00.000-07:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/13/technology/13lonely.html?ex=1185940800&en=ee8e1125b3ba953c&ei=5070

The Meeting

2007-07-29T22:57:00.000-07:00

My first day was a total experimental happening. I finally have Jason Nelson as a tutor/lecturer/dominatrix/nutball which is a great relief and exciting event.
I arrived late to class hungover, hungry and jetlagged but in all I think it was pretty much what I expected it to be.
1. Introductions
2. Course Outline readings
3. If you could do anything for a week, what would you do? (pretty simple yet quite difficult as the imagination limits itself to the real and we were caught off guard) - most interesting ones were vomitting skiittles and eating the Cadbury Chocolate world.

Left early...