Pacman

I looked around at chris.com/ascii some more. This is exactly what middle school kids used to be obsessed with, especially with those super annoying “send to all of your friends or you will never find your true love/you will die a horrible death” forward messages. My friends would send me characters made into the shape of flowers, hearts and all sorts of funny little things. I remember wondering who actually had the time on their hands to do this. It actually is pretty cool though because the whole picture is just composed of small different characters.

Next, I checked out the History of the Internet, Internet for Historians online. I saw an external link titles “An Atlas of Cyberspaces” I really liked this website. I also felt like I am really computer illiterate. From here I found myself in a subsection titled “MUDs (Multi-User Dimensions) and Virtual Worlds” this page talked all about how virtual worlds are created and people can access and play in this worlds. Maps are produced showing the geography of these 3D role-playing games. One such game is “Ever Quest.”

These classes have been both interesting and boring for me. Boring in the sense that it is hard for me to grasp the mechanisms as to how the machinery is made/works therefore I have a hard time keeping up. I constantly am trying to think even in the most rudimentary ways in which these things actually work! However, on the other hand I am very interested because I grew up around video games and I can appreciate the societal meaning of these technologies.

Super Computer

I had no idea the power struggles that occurred due to the invention and enhancement of television or “radio television.” It is incredible that a fourteen-year-old boy thought of the original idea of how a television would function. The battles over a Patent were very interesting. Here, the deciding factor was thanks to Farnsworth’s grade teacher who copied down his formula. I never thought of all the glitches that probably arose from television, for example when we watched the segment about the hot studio lights and how they overcame that it made me think of the beginning of audio. When audio was first being played in movies they needed to overcome technical problems as well. It seems like this kind of process is similar as to how we have come to perfect and improve our technological creations.

I took a look at MZVT.com and focused my attention on the pioneers of TV and on Marilyn Monroe. I thought during class the short talk about “Norma Jean” was interesting. We think of her as a major icon who was flawless, it is very funny to think of Marilyn Monroe as once a person who ever got nervous of the limelight. I thought it was also interesting than at this time TV was not the best medium. However, since her death we see other areas that she performed in in partly thanks to television.

Next I went to the website to look at the History of Computing Science. I read about he Abacus which seemed to set the stage for all other computing devices. I loved reading more about ENIAC. It is fascinating to think about how large these machines were, and how small the computers of today are. Yet there are also those Super Computers that we took a look at in class that need so much coolant because of the sheer heat they emit. Looking at some of these slides on the website is like looking at a complete different language to me. I cannot even begin to think of how smart the inventors of these machines are. Even smarter and more creative are the ones who build upon those original inventions.

Flip Book & More

I have developed carpal tunnel due to this flipbook. Joking, but it was more work than expected. I am relieved that it is completed and I think it turned out neat. I tried to think of a general plot line and as I went along noticed that my ideas changed and I was able to accommodate these different ideas into the animation. I tried to keep the drawings relatively simple because I know I can easily become obsessed. This isn’t always a bad thing but I didn’t want to get frustrated with this project. So I planned out to do about 30 pages a day, for a week. It was time consuming but I am proud of the finished project and the process. I think everyone’s came out awesome and I liked how we were able to view our classmate’s work.

So first of all I went for a bit Friday to listen to Tom Igoe. I only stayed for about an hour but what I heard was interesting. He is involved with Interactive Telecommunication devices. I think that devices that use the human body and then can communicate with other decides such as the Wii remote are really cool. I would never be able to do something like this but I am grateful and respect those people who are able to create like this. As technology progresses we see the need for highly interactive communicating devices. I thought it was really awesome when he noted that “we tend to take legacy with us.” This tied directly into our lectures and our study of the history of art and technology. We see that technology is built upon one another. Borrowing and molding different ideas shapes the technology of today. New ideas of course can form but we must always be aware of the ideas that are precedent.

I listened to The Shadow on otr.com. “Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of men..hahah the shadow knows.” There was a brief commercial break right after this introduction statement and I didn’t even know it was a commercial until a few seconds in. Probably because I think our commercials now are so LOUD and annoying. I thought these radio broadcasts sounded more like books on tape, which I used to love. These radio stories allow for your own imagination just as if you are reading a novel plus the extra sounds and music. I would love sitting around the fire listening to these stories over the radio during this time period. You can be in the comfort of your own home while being entertained for free. It was funny listening to the differences in time period, for example the question was asked: “Do you have a good car,” the answer was:“ Yes I can guarantee up to 80.” I really had no idea about these radio story broadcasts and think it is pretty quaint sounding, and see how radio really spurred the mass communication and communication across a large distance forward.

Teddy-Bot?

Just wrapped up my flipbook project. Wow, that took a long time. I am proud that it is complete though! During this past class we watched clips from various films showing how the fourth wall was and is being broken down. The fourth wall is the audience’s security net, it separates reality from entertainment. However, it is scary and exciting to think about what would happen if we could no longer distinguish between what is real and what is merely on the screen. Also scarier to think what are the implications if one day we are able to create robots almost identical to humans, and if there will ever be a scientific breakthrough to create emotional feelings. Could consciousness and emotions be programmed somehow into robots so they experience the world similar in functioning to our brains? What would this mean for humans, how would we interact with technology then? Would robots have rights or would they just be property and machinery? Some of these questions have been posed in some of the film clips we watched such as Blade Runner and Artificial Intelligence. Personally, this class raised the most questions. I really enjoyed it.

Milk Drugs and Honey

Stanley Kubrick’s “A Clockwork Orange” is bizarre. Is this movie merely an augmentation or dramatization of true society? Perhaps this movie acts as both a mirror, a warning for the future and a product of the past. Is it possible that a film could combine all of these elements? I believe in this case, “A Clockwork Orange” takes history, the present and leaves room for a warning to future generations. The film weaves all of these aspects together very creatively.

“Singin’ In The Rain” presents a time with no worries, pleasant speaking people and the emphasis of the overall goodness of mankind. However, twenty years later this overall goodness in mankind maybe doesn’t compel the audience. Yet the irony of “A Clockwork Orange” is that the audience understands that this ultra violence is a by-product of once happy, wholesome times. The brutal raping and killings have evolved out of the cheery sounds of the song Singin’ In The Rain.

Film builds upon itself, it can transform into dark and evil messages too. As technology evolves, the plot of film changes as well. “Singin’ in the Rain” explores the problems and wild success of using audio to enhance motion picture. The audience feels the complete happiness when the famous song is sung. This feeling of joy is what we have conditioned our response to be whenever we here this song. That is why it is so odd for the viewers of “A Clockwork Orange,” the simple cheerful feelings soon become distorted.

The irony of watching brutal killings while hearing such a bubbly song is rather odd. It is as if the visual and audio are out of synch. As mentioned before in class this type of irony is only made possible due to the advancements in technology; using two different levels of information of audio and visual. As Santiago mentioned these different levels don’t always need to be emotionally connected. This dissonance between picture and sound is remarkable because it provides the feeling of innocence in parallel with atrocity. It is clear to see the changes in society which have tainted our happiness, and twisted its meaning. However, the ability to layer audio and visual separately really allow us to use this layering of information to either magnify the emotional reactions of a film or in this case to cause dissonance and irony.

I'm Happy Again

I have never been able to watch a scary movie and I now understand how pathetic I truly am. I was scared watching “Nosferatu”, embarrassing, but his nails and funky rat teeth put me over the edge. It is very interesting to see the progression of art through the clips shown each class. I feel like watching clips from this particular class felt much more relatable than anything we have previously been studying. The camera angles, the movement of the camera, close-ups. Editing really has served a huge purpose while making films. I never have paid attention to how the audience witnesses different viewpoints because it seems natural that there should be camera cuts and switches of perception. However, I now see that film had to go through a long process without this ability of editing and how editing evolved. So glad we got to watch a little of “Singing in the Rain” I forgot how funny it is, also watching it now that I am older I can appreciate the historical context more.

MOTO

Creepy that some of the “daguerreotypes” first subjects were the dead. It does make sense completely however, because I cannot think of many people who can hold a pose for over thirty seconds. Unless you are of course an equally creepy living statue performer. I remember going to a children’s science museum when I was younger and looking through a zoetrope of a man riding a bicycle. Now I know what that “spinning thingy” is actually called. Also an interesting fact from last class was the origin of Nickelodeon. Drake Arnold’s flipbook was so catchy, cute and odd at the same time. It had a very innocent yet disgusting plot line. The whistling was stuck in my head the rest of the day, but I loved it. MOTO was out of control good. I cannot wrap my head around the idea that someone took the time to complete this. I would go insane because the work must be so meticulous. It is absolutely amazing. I was slightly disturbed by the bodies, but it was so cool. I enjoyed this class the most so far because I am really fascinated by this kind of fram by frame movie making. I loved seeing Windsor McCay’s cartoon animation.

Broadway

This class makes me realize how much I do not know about my own country’s history. It’s okay though, I am beginning to appreciate the evolution of art forms and how technology aids in this process. This class on Broadway was enjoyable because it demonstrated how the combining of cultures really effects expression and how performances are truly a mirror of the times. I wonder what our art will be conveying to future generations. I wish I could be able to witness firsthand what it was like to go to a speakeasy or go to Tin Pan Alley. Florenz Ziegfeld seemed to find his niche and give the people what they want. It’s odd to think of these periods in time being filled with sexual messages but they were there and even then captured an audience. George White’s dance moves should be brought back!