i decided to make the layout of my room (as seen in previous posts), and the basic spooky garden,
this is only the product of about 5 mins, just to test out the different props that i can aquire, however, if i was to use this software more often to do a more detailed project, i would have to use a faster computer, and have a good mouse, as my laptop one makes it really difficult to position the objects.
i like this software, however, i have only been doing simple things on it, my attempts at making detailed objects were shocking. im going to spend some time watching tutorials on the internet to see if i can get the hang of google sketchup.
I have decided im totally un motivated about my final project for this module, and its proberebly because i find reality quite boring and uninteresting. Its difficult to photograph or film the jorneys i take, because to other people they are totally un interesting, the reason they are interesting to me, is because they hold memorys, and i see the memorys, not whats physically there. the first piece i did, walking down a road that to me, i cant really photograph or film how i want the person watching it to understand, its quite frustrating.
I think the best way to resolve this is by creating something imaginary, a story that isnt real, because this way it would be interesting for others to watch rather than just pictures of me walking and a few trees.
Most of my favortite storys are animated, and also aimed at the child demographic, however one of my favorite animators, david firth, creates short twisted storys that are definatly aimed at adults.
i dont find it as disturbing as i did when i first discovered these cartoons, i think the main attraction was the fact i was 13 and a group of us would hack the computers at school so we could get on the ‘fat-pie’ website (created by david firth)
i love how there is no real story, its how the story is presented that captivates you.
i thought about doing a stopmotion, because i can have more of a story and do little tricks to make it interesting.
to brain storm my ideas i used PREZI, a brainstorming presentational device, which made it really interesting to flit from idea to idea.
this is my first attempt at creating a basic 3d virtual reality, in google sketchup, i found it really simple to star, and downloading the small things and putting them in place seemed really difficult, i am going to have to look at more tutorials to get the expieriance to make my 3d sketched better.
used by archetects to create a virtual reality, it uses a different metaphore, you can create curves, solids, animations, walkthrus (loke in games) you can also add these models to google earth, map the model in 3d,
simple to use (youtube tutorials) animational walks in the software
sketchup.youtube.com
you can create a game that bridges the virtual with reality
you can model it efficiently and optimise textures so you can produce something that workd in google earth enviroments
3d used to be preserved for high end programs. the learning and development time is incredibly low.
IBM, ‘many eyes:
a way of layering and telling a story thru data.interactive and visualised data
GAPMINDER WORLD
PREZi, presentation
bored by bulletpoints
looks at a different way of telling a astory.
narrative and layering
POWER OF 10 THINK
PROTON/NEUTRON
INSTALLATION?
OBJECTS THRU MY LIFE THAT ARE STILL AROUND SPLIT SCREE?STOP MOTION
One of the ways that interactivity has developed in gaming is in online role playing games. One of the main popular online games is Warcraft, in which the player, takes on the persona of a charecter, in another world. The player chooses a side, horde, or alliance, and in this alternate world, they gain status, i researched by asking a player about the game:
notes from converstaion (ill narrow down later and evaluate)
?
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:38):
everyone hates eachother
, suzi . says (11:38):
so its not social interaction?
i thought there was like horde and alliance
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:39):
yeah theres sides
, suzi . says (11:39):
so you have a community then
like
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:39):
kinda yeah
, suzi . says (11:39):
your part of a team over all
whats the narrative thou?
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:39):
your either on the allaince side full of kids and idiots or horde side full of 40 year olds and people who think they are cool
, suzi . says (11:39):
like what do you do when you get better
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:40):
brag
, suzi . says (11:40):
is it just like to gain respect
lol
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:40):
you can do more once you get better
, suzi . says (11:40):
whats the war about thou
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:41):
racism
, suzi . says (11:41):
surely theres like, eventually gunna be a winning side?
and then what
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:41):
nah there ownt be
, suzi . says (11:41):
or is the players motif just to fight cus of the gore
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:41):
no gore either
, suzi . says (11:42):
to piss other players off
like a release of anger
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:42):
feels good killing somone
then hididng in a bush witing for them to get up and doing it agian
, suzi . says (11:43):
woudl it be less good thou if it wasnt other people you were playing
liek if you were playing against a computer
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:43):
im playing against a comptuer right now its both
, suzi . says (11:44):
so your interacting with the computer and other players
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:45):
yeah
im fighting the computer right now
talking to two other players sortign a group out so we can go do a dungeon
, suzi . says (11:45):
lol, sounds quite primal
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:46):
it is lol
im hitting half bear half men people with an axe
, suzi . says (11:46):
ahahah
, suzi . says (11:47):
thankyou tom this will look like ive done research
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:47):
lol
jsut play the game
, suzi . says (11:47):
FUCKKKKKKK
, suzi . says (11:48):
the game
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:48):
dont play that anymore its poo
, suzi . says (11:48):
i cat help it
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:48):
ghan ow bears are hitting mewith axes
, suzi . says (11:49):
ghan ow?
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:49):
gah now
, suzi . says (11:49):
ahah
, suzi . says (11:50):
oh watch the film UP, its actually amazing for a disney film even ask tommbie
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:50):
if you wana get super extra uni points say the community is alot stronger on the role play servers
, suzi . says (11:50):
oooh thankyou
im putting stuff on my uni blog ow
now*
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:51):
lol
and guilds are like the pinicle of community
, suzi . says (11:52):
how would i say that thou
im basically summing up wow
and why players use it
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:52):
its hard to sum up lol
, suzi . says (11:52):
and the interactivity
ill give it a try
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:52):
community dont matter in it really
i can go days without talking to anyone
it doesnt affect the game
, suzi . says (11:53):
but its still there thiou right?
like
if you were fighing and saw someone from the opposite team
or someone from the same team
youd feel different towards them
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:53):
depends
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:54):
Im on a role play server so we cant attack eachother unless we both have player vs player on or they walk into a territory thats not theirs
but most of the time they can be friendly
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:55):
its more about mutual respect
i wont kill you if you dont kill me
, suzi . says (11:56):
so it is a bit like a primative state
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:56):
yeah
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:57):
the higher the level you are the more respect you get to
, suzi . says (11:57):
so its a bit like a representation of society
hmmmm
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:57):
yep
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:58):
we have citys where we can congrigate and bars to drink in
or we can go out and murder the other side
or just follow the million of storylines and mind out own buissness
, suzi . says (11:59):
so people can get addicted because they can be drawn into the world, like a reality, where they have a higher social status than in real life,
like the mad japaneese
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:59):
yeah
, suzi . says (11:59):
that play for days
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (11:59):
its a role play game
you can be whatever you want and do watever you want in it
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (12:00):
without the real world being a factor in it
you could be a ugly one legged mute in real life but playing you could be a beautiful elf with working legs
, suzi . says (12:00):
you can push boundrys mroe than in real life because of no death
like fight like you couldnt in real life
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (12:01):
yeah
, suzi . says (12:01):
basically a virtual reality
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (12:01):
and be more social
yep
you control somone else
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (12:02):
and that somone else can be everything you arnt and want to be
im overly athiest but in the game i love to play extremely religious characters
, suzi . says (12:03):
huh, so its more than just a fighing game
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (12:03):
yeah
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (12:04):
the main point is it do quests which usually involve killing to progress
, suzi . says (12:04):
kinda like life then
before modernisation
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (12:04):
yup
its just medieval but fantasised
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (12:06):
currency still counts for lots to
enough for people to make real money by selling pretend money
, suzi . says (12:07):
so effectivenly you could just live on warcraft
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (12:07):
yep
people out there get paid pretty well to play it
selling gold is illigal tohugh
, suzi . says (12:08):
hmmm
interessannnt
, suzi . says (12:09):
can i copy and paste bits of this
only my lecturers will really see and course ppl
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (12:09):
yup
, suzi . says (12:09):
chuuurrrs
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (12:09):
youve really gota play it to see though lol
, suzi . says (12:09):
id get addicted
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (12:10):
yup lol
, suzi . says (12:10):
it sounds like the sort of thing ill just live on lol
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (12:10):
so do it
do it
get iiiiittt
, suzi . says (12:11):
ahah i tryed
its fate telling me not too
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (12:11):
no your jsut poo with computers
, suzi . says (12:12):
true
Tomverge – Our bodies are temples, Temples of doom says (12:12):
come play with meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
We have developed genre to define certain types of film. As an audience, we can be catigorised into particular groups and film makers and advertisers use genres to understand who they need to aim their branding at etc. Understanding the narrative, and storys we like to hear, and see, has made film makers deliver what the audience wants, which is why genres have become broader with the changes in society, we will now have mixed genres, such as romantic comedys, with elements of horror or science fiction for example, because it is more entertaining, and appeals to a wider audience.
what constitutes genre is:
1. a set of codes and convetions, what the film looks like visually and the reactions the film provokes
2. a way to collectively classify the audience, for advitisers and companys to aim their media at
3. a way for the audience to know what they enjoy in a film, and what films to watch to satify their wants.
narrative, narratology ad genre
Narrative structures can be seen in all types of media production’s. Online roll playing games for example, set up the narrative that place the gamer in a situation, there will be disruption to the status quo, and danger and fighting will spark enigma, till the end of the game where an enhanced equilibrium is formed, ie. the game is won.
in Soaps, there is constant storylines, and as each disruption is resolved, there will be a new disruption to bring enigma to the new equlibrium. This runs in a cycle with slightly different disruptions and charecters.
The basic storyline in alot of media forms, is boy meets girl, or girl meets boy, there are many variations on the ways that this happens, and effects and disruptions, such as, ‘boy realises theres something missing, falls in love but shes in love with a villian, then realises her true love’, the boy meets girl story can be seen through all types of story such as:
film, soaps, games, celebrity gossip, popular songs etc.
Narrative theorists.
there have been many theorists of narrative structures, and the main that are referenced and applied to in modern day film studies were discovered in the beginning of the last century by Russian Formalist students.
Vladimir Propp
(1895-1970)
Propp was a Russian Formalist student who had a keen interest in the folklaw story’s that were passed down through the russian peasantry (that were passed around during the harsh times of poverty before the russian revolution) There was strong influence in social division of the rich and poor, and ‘Fairy tales’ reflected this.
Propp analysed the principle elements withing the folk law, or fairy tales.
the function of charecters:like the villians, helpers, victims, heros, princess, king, donor, dispatcher etc. importantly aswell that they could have more than one role.
stability- disruption-enigma-resolution
Since modernisation established post 1915, studies have suggested that film makers have established the rules and conventions in storys, and applied them to their films for the perposes of entertainment, to create, ‘classic realist films’
His findings were similar to those of TODEROV,which suggest that the structure of a narrative is:
1. A stable world/situation is disrupted by an enigma. The equilibrium will set up the space and time, of an ongoing life, or situation, and then when the audience is familiar with what is the status quo, there will be a disruption, in the form of either action, comedy, a situation, or an event that will need a resolution, or a puzzle that will need solving.
2. disruption
3. chain of cause and effect, a stream of entertaining circumstances, different withing genres, for example, in a comedy, it will be sub-plots, like comic sketches, in a horror it will be moments set up to provoke suspense.
4. resolution, the matter is resolved, an enhanced status quo is formed
5. the charecters will go back to an ongoing life. untill the sequel…
Fabula and syuzhet (plot and story)
Understanding the divide between plot and story can help us to understand narrative structure in films better.
the FABULA, is the non materialistic element in narrative structure, it is the story, which we create in our own heads. the linear we have that forms logic between the plot. its what makes us jump, its what makes us in suspence. its the pattern that we form from watching the plot unfold.
the SYUZHET (the plot) is the materialised events that are layed out in front of us, the actual arrangement of the fabula, the system.
the things that relate the plot to the story:
Narrative ‘logic’
when we construct the fabula in our imagination/heads, we percisve a set of event and construct the relation between them, for example, its our narrative logic, that when we hear a creaking footstep, we are in suspence, the fabula will generaate the suspence, and the syuzhet is the event that causes the response.
Time
the organisation of time in a film can help thenarrative, for example, it can form montages, to show the development of the plot over a certain space of time, (parodised in team america, with the montage song)
Time can also be used in the narrative of a film, with falsh backs and flash falwards, (analapsis, prolepsis). flash backs are used in tv shows like LOST to confuse the audience, and show a story develop in a jumbeled up time fashion, creating audience loyalty through entertainment value.
Bullet time slow motion has been used in films such as the matrix, to create a more intense action sequence, made realistic and percievable to the human eye, by filming 1200 frames per second in contrast to regular celluloid film which is around 24 fps.
We have a week to produce a 1min piece, in which we have to record a 1km walk that we are familiar with, and at every 100m record visualy what we see, and construct a narrative of the walk.
A walk i am very familiar with, that i have seen in all seasons, throughout my life is a long strip of country road outside my estate, that leads to coombe abbey country park, its a route that i would walk when i was younger, all through my childhood, and even now, i walk to work down that road and go jogging, or to meet friends and have BBQ’s. Its a very busy road at certain times of the day, and it can be a very quiet road too, theres alot of symetry, and it can look quite abstract.
I am hoping to find things on the way that i can interact with, and show how the route can have very different ambience at different times of day, i have photographed it in all seasons in the past because of its apperance, i am thinking of including these images, the road can be very intimidating at night time, because its so dark, you can feel quite lost, theres been alot of accidents along that road, with deaths, so it can hold alot of history that can play on paranoia if you are on your own. it can be very quite, and with not alot around you can feel really apart from the city.
In the summer thou, its a totaly different road, with lots of colour and sounds, the fields have bright green and yellow fields, and as you approach the country park you can hear familys and friends having partys.
To give the piece a narrative i am going to show it as a series of point of view shots, what i see when i walk around. I always listen to my ipod when walking or jogging down the road in the day time, so i will lay over an audio track from something i would listen to that would go with the ambience.
I will show interacting with the route by showing my hands and feet in the shots, depending on what i come across i can interact with.
ill upload them to my flickr in the side bar as i take them.
There are many ways that we can interact with technlogy and eachother in modern times, with social networking sites, realtime blogging, games such as MMORPG’s touchscreen technology, google maps, wikipedia etc. In this module we are aiming to see how far we can construct interactivity, and to what extent we are interactive.
