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Humans to AI’s: Blog 8

In the past twenty years, society, culture, and lifestyle has changed more than ever. Technology specifically has taken a turn and caused a great shift in the way we think, act, and live our everyday lives.

When I was younger, I honestly could not even imagine technology getting more advanced than it was. When I was eight, my favourite activity consisted of going to the park, playing on the swings and monkey bars, and riding my bike around the neighbourhood. A little less than three years later, my concept of fun began changing. 

When I turned ten, my favourite thing to do in my pastime was play Nintendo or Tamagotchi as well as create my own iMovie’s. Maybe technology was making me lazy. My parents started sending me to kid’s interactive technology gym, where we would get exercise by playing Wii, Dance Dance Revolution, and other video games. Sounds quite futuristic, right?

Little did I know that just five years later, technology would begin taking over the world in a way that it never had before. Cars becoming driverless, etc. Life is becoming CRAZY! Life is changing!

I think it’s really interesting examining how much we’ve progressed as a society, and even pondering where our future technology will take us. There is truly no going back in time, and AI’s will soon become more prevalent in society. 

Should we be scared of what the future holds? Should we be concerned that we may be overpowered by robots? Where are we headed?

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Learning Adobe Illustrator: Blog 7

During seminar, Fleeta introduced the class to the application by the name of Adobe Illustrator. I’ve honestly never had so much fun playing around with an app, especially because it felt like I could press any button and not mess up. Ha ha.

Whenever I start off using a new application, I always tend to feel extremely intimidated. I am never sure what button to press or how to manage my way throughout the application. It felt that my initial experience using Adobe Illustrator was simple and straightforward.

When I first got on the app, I began messing around with buttons and started creating shapes. I used a tool to bend the shapes, causing them to shift into a more organic form. I tried to mimic the look of a puzzle, and even began incorporating words into one of the puzzle pieces.

I then used a reference tool in order to draw straight and precise lines and shapes. In this process, I was hoping to develop a figure that resembled a house! I began filling in the “windows” I created with a yellow filler.

Although I did not spend an immense amount of time working on Illustrator, I hope to go back and work on it in my spare time.

I honestly found Adobe Illustrator so much fun that I wanted to download it myself at home. Luckily, with the alternative software platforms that Fleeta provided us with, I will try to find something equitable to Adoble Illustrator!

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Alternative Tools: Blog 6

In lecture, Fleeta introduced the class to several free tools that can be used as alternatives to paid applications! This was the perfect lecture for a poor, uni student like me- so thank you, Fleeta.

For all of my video editing, I tend to use iMovie because I have a MacBook and the application came with my computer when I purchased it. Instead of iTunes, I use Spotify for all of my song storage because it’s convenient and I get a lovely student discount for $4.99 a month!

In regards to OpenSource apps, I plan on trying 3D Blender and Da Vinci Resolve.

In the past, I’ve needed and wanted to use photoshop several times in order to complete projects and even mess around. I downloaded an app called Photo Image Editor Pixelstyle which obtained a similar layout to Photoshop. I had good luck with that app and still loving using it here and there.

Alternatively to Microsoft Word, Open Office is a great tool. My brother’s friend in high school suggested I download it and I found it super helpful. I used it instead of word throughout high school and saved myself lots of money.

Last year (at my home University in California), I took a computer science class and learned how to create my own video games via Linux and Ubuntu. It was fascinating working on a different type of server.

Overall, this lecture was extremely informative and I plan on learning how to use these apps in detail.

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Images are more complicated than we think: Blog 5

Images are a lot more complicated than we think. To us, images simply capture the present moment. They pause a moment and give us the opportunity of looking back at our past. They allow us to reminisce, remember, and feel nostalgic. 

But aside from the emotion that images have the power of provoking in humans, images contain a side of them that is quite mathematical and scientific. 

Back in the day, analog imagery was the go to way of converting images to paper. I learned that analog imagery consists of random silver halide particles. This is ultimately formed between silver and halogen. In high school, I took a photography class and was given the opportunity of photographing a series of photos on a Canon Film camera and developing my rolls of film.

Nowadays, we are totally infatuated with the digital world. In order to convert an analog image to a digital format, the halide crystals are turned into bits. The four main colors- cyan, yellow, magenta and black- are combined with 256 different shades of gray to create a digital version of this particular color!

I find it quite interesting how easily our society has accepted the transition of technology, and how most people prefer looking at images digitally than in person. Our society has become so lazy because of it. Everything is completely accessible at tip of our fingertips. 

Sometimes, I like to ponder about where the future will take us. Soon enough, we will no longer need to upload or edit our own photos... it will all be done for us.

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In it’s entirety, I am confident that my client brief turned out fairly well. After weeks of lectures and seminars, I felt prepared to start my projects and express the artistic side of myself.

When I first began my client brief, I felt pretty overwhelmed. I had to create a digital story, create a digital animation through premier, and even develop a mixed audio track. In addition to the artistic aspect, I had to write out three pages worth of descriptions, but this all came to me more naturally than I had expected.

My favorite part of the client brief was definitely the animation. I spent hours going back and forth regarding what I should photograph for my animation, and finally came to my decision while sitting on the train to Gatwick Airport. I had my camera with me and decided this would be the best time to get a compilation of images.

I sat on the silent train, took a series of 14-15 photos, and immediately turned red as my camera shutter was the loudest sound on the train. I looked up from my camera to the faces of every person on the train staring at me.

I think the greatest thing about taking part in artistic projects is the fact that it creates distinct and vivid memories in your mind. I will always remember creating this art project on a train while studying abroad in London.

Overall, my client brief in it’s entirety was fun and unique!

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Using Typography to Embed Meaning: Blog 3

In this week’s lecture, I learned a lot about font that I never knew and never deemed as important. After listening to Fleeta’s presentation, I began understanding how font plays such a big role in what we are attracted to and what we buy.

The 1875 American Ad showed to us in lecture contained almost ten different fonts and sizes. When first looking at it, I wasn’t sure where to look or what to read first. It all felt so distracting and unattractive, I had absolutely no interest in even reading it.

This ad was a prime example of why we must know our audience, especially if we are trying to sell a product or event. If our information isn’t displayed properly or easily, the audience would rather give up reading than take the time to read it.

On the other hand, I found out that the fonts found on computers are physically sold to the computer companies such as Mac. This is something that I never knew and found extremely interesting! They even have an event called Typecon, where individuals and teams try to improve and sell fonts and types. Nowadays, you can think of anything and there is probably an event for it.

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How does social media affect you?: Blog 2

As a 20 year old living in the age of modern technology, it can be hard feeling accepted. Although we like our social media apps such as Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and Facebook, it gets tough pretending to be perfect all the time.

Growing up, one of my biggest struggles was feeling like I didn’t fit in. In high school, I always felt like an outcast, yet was too young to appreciate myself and love my flaws. I was consumed in a digital world where I yearned to be like my favorite actors and models whose lives seemed effortlessly flawless. Little did I know photoshop’s role in this, nor did I ever consider that these figures in society CHOSE to post the good things only.

I soon became conscious about my weight and food intake, and although it wasn’t an eating disorder, I know that I cared too much. And I still do. 

But social media has so many benefits, you may argue. Yes, it does. It serves as a platform for political and social change, and provides a way of spreading news in milliseconds. It allows for a quick building of relationships and connection. 

Let’s think about dating apps such as Tinder and Bumble. Social media has caused our society to become lazy. Organic dating is out of the picture.

It’s important to remember that with every negative comes a positive, and with every positive comes a negative.

What are your views on social media? How has it affected you and your growth as an individual?

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Reality Television: Blog 1

Within just the past ten years, our society has developed in ways we never could have imagined. We have access to almost everything we could ask for at the touch of our fingertips.

American reality TV shows such as Keeping Up With the Kardashians, The Bachelor, and Jersey Shore have created a sense of idolization within society. We love famous people for what they are known for; we love how “real” they are, how they don’t have a bad bone in their body, or just how their lives seem perfect. But how much do we really know about them? Their ever so perfect lives are edited by a camera crew.

In my Digital Media Foundations course, lecturer Fleeta Siegel mentioned that reality TV “can fool an audience into thinking a program or film is factual when it’s not”. 

Do celebrities and even normal individuals, like you or me, do things from the kindness of our hearts anymore or because we want to be made out as an extraordinary individual? Our values are slowing shifting, causing us to prioritize the way we are perceived communally over the value of who we are independently. Social media platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook allow for us to positively display our lives, sometimes projecting a false sense of self.

That being said, are we interested in unedited material on the web or is there something about a fake reality that draws us in? Do we like believing in somebody else’s so-called “perfect” life?