Spring Sensation Research Ideas

This is an example of the fractal which we would be using to accompany the piece. Due to practicality and effectiveness ours would be in black and white. The fractal would be used at varying speeds depending on the speed of the song. We liked this idea because it not only looks really good but also because it relates to our concept ideas which will be discussed later. 

This is something that we would use for another portion  of the video. Our idea is to create a large number of small, medium, and large rorschachs. We would then scan or take pictures of them all and have them go by frame by frame very fast (according to the speed of the song) to create the illusion of movement. We thought this was a cool idea again because it looks visually aesthetic and it relates to our theme. 

We decided, that because the fractal is a visual representation of basic but consistent math formula and the rorschach visually represents psychological or mental illness, that both of these together would visually represent the piece. Since both these mediums visually represent things that we cannot physically see but know exist we thought they would relate to the piece because together they work to visually represent the piece. Also the song is very calculated and precise almost mathematic in its execution which also describes the fractal and the rorschach. The fractal is literally mathematic formula, and the rorschach is a way of evaluating what you see when you look at completely abstract images. 

Spring Sensation Process Ideas

This is an example of a fractal. Our inspiration for using this kind of thing for the piece is that it visually represents a simple math formula. Much like the piece "Palladio" which is very calculated and precise in its execution, the fractal is very mathematic and could work with the song well if used properly.  We thought this would be cool because as the song builds up the fractal would be building up as well, in terms of the design and speed.

This was another idea we had which was a visualizer. This was a cool idea because we could do almost anything to represent the piece. It had a lot of freedom which ironically would inhibit us in terms of concept and relationship between the medium and the piece. This was the third idea we came up with. This would have been an interesting thing to use because we could have created a number of different ways to approach the piece in terms of representation. 

Shaun of the Dead Movie Trailer Remake

This is the original trailer for Shaun of the Dead

This is the remade version of the same trailer. I chose to create a more serious rendition of the comedy movie. Although the plot would be relatively parallel, the mood has been drastically changed. I managed to achieve this by using a distinct soundtrack behind my chosen clips, the song being Karma Police by Radiohead. I concluded that if I put it on Youtube I have a chance of being reported for copyright infringement on the basis of the movie, however I am certain that Radiohead would not try and remove my audio as well. Regardless, I decided to choose the scenes that I chose simply because they were the most realistic considering very few parts of this movie were in any way real. I debated on doing a voiceover but due to my pre-mature voice I decided it would be best not to. This choice ended up working better as the lack of narration and pure music engages the viewer and helps convey the mood that I was aiming for. I would have to say that I am satisfied with the outcome although I am aware it would have been preferable to also change the plot more significantly. Since this is my first experience with editing clips and audio I can only say that I am proud of my finished product and I hope you enjoy it. ;)

Love Lines

I stumbled across this video and found it so well thought out, incredibly organized and neat, and so well orchestrated that I immediately decided I couldn't withhold it from my blog. The video comes from the self-named Youtube account Aisha Zamm. There really are not a lot of words to describe this video other than simply outstanding, even the execution of the song along with the video and how at certain parts it seemed to me like they synced perfectly. I love the song playing during this video and I find it amplifies the meaning/message. On the visual side, her illustrations are impeccable and the way she can transform a whole image by merely flipping and bending the page is wonderfully creative. I can't find a lot of anything I don't like about this video the only thing I can point out is that, in my opinion, I don't particularly like photographic animation, however, I'd be a liar if I said it didn't work well for this video. This is an excellent example of creative genius and spare time combined to make something incredibly fascinating, enjoy.

Life is Still Life

 This is my still life project entitled "Life is Still Life", it features a stuffed rabbit and the skull of a coyote. The conceptual design for this was to place the objects close to the bottom and right portions of the paper, leaving the fabric to draw your eye inwards on the top left portion. I tried to use a mixture of shades to create depth in my image. By making certain parts darker and certain parts lighter a feeling of realism is achieved, I feel, and by creating purposely darker shadows outside of the objects it makes them pop and come out more. Seeing this finished product I would have decided to focus more on the shading rather than trying to create the objects I saw, as I now realize shading is a very important tool for creating both depth and realism, especially in pencil. I could have done improved shading by being more patient with my fabric instead of trying to fill it in faster, this would have made it look less scratchy and more like actual fabric. I am pleased with the result and I feel it was a good effort on my part because I learned more than I knew before starting. I enjoy doing projects where I don't entirely understand certain parts because then in producing the error it gives me an opportunity to effectively learn from what I did "wrong". Most importantly though, I enjoyed doing this project and I look forward to creating more works which I can look back on when my skills have further increased.

Help With Drawing

This is a website I found that has helped me improve my drawing skills. The videos are easy to follow although they are not step-by-step, there is also a wide variety of different things to choose from. If you are looking for something fast and easy to help you understand a few parts of a drawing you might be missing then this is a good link for you. However, if you are looking for a more detailed tutorial you might want to look elsewhere. The website is called draw23.com and I hope it helps you as much as it helped me.

A Little Nostalgia Here and There

I stumbled upon this retro game player and found it extremely interesting. It plays any 8bit console and non console game, such as Donkey Kong, Dr. Mario, Pokemon, and many many more. It's really cool that someone took the time not only to convert all these games into computer playable versions but also that they jammed them all into one easily accessible place. The gameplay, as expected, doesn't quite match up to the original games but it is nonetheless still a joy to play. Whether you enjoyed, or even played these games, should give you incentive to check this out!

Okay Button

have you ever felt like life is getting you down? Do you feel like your very best efforts result in nothing more than a mere clap of the hands?  Well then consider this your chance to rejuvenate your mind and soul! The make-everything-okay button will relinquish those terrible thoughts from your skull and replace them with the tranquil idea of happiness. If you need a boost in self esteem try this free diagnostic here.

The Art in Everything

I thought this was really great creativity, not only the way it represents two pixelated characters from two of the most epic video games ever. It also has a certain minimalist feel which I love in art. I hope you thought this was as creative as I did. 

Fading Text in Flash CS4

This was another helpful tutorial that assisted me in learning how to effectively fade text in and out for my kinetic typography assignment. Again, it may be useful to anyone else desiring this or a similar effect in their work. Its pretty simple to understand and he goes over it slowly enough for it to be helpful. 

Music in Flash CS4

This was a helpful tutorial that taught me in a few easy minutes how to add music into my kinetic typography flash project for Tech. I thought it may be useful to anyone else who was struggling with this problem as well.

The AGO; Inspiring Works of Art

Art is a valuable tool for conveying one's very unique emotions and characteristics. Yesterday we went on a class trip to the Art Gallery of Ontario to learn more about different styles of art. I learned that you do not need to draw something amazing or detailed just to achieve a message. Art is about the message not the image; just because your work may be extremely detailed and looks very good doesn't necessarily make it art. Adversely, a work that is very minimalist may have a significantly stronger message while still maintaining a certain degree of visual pleasure. Discerning art from doodles on a page is a lesson in futility. The artist may feel they have captured the soul of art in one of their works, where the viewer may look at the same work as a group of scribbly lines with no structure and beauty. To me art is a mixture of visual effects and knowledge but perhaps more importantly it's the way it makes you feel. When you look at art if all you're feeling is, "wow, that looks cool." then in my opinion it's not really art it's simply a good drawing. Art provokes thought and with that thought comes many more thoughts and from those you get an idea. This idea has been inspired, not only by what art you've just seen but also by every single thought is has just provoked in you; art is a living thing. Art is what you feel and how you show it; it's inside you. 

This is a piece by Mary Pratt, I found it inspiring not only because of its contents but also by the title. "The Service Station" accompanied by the gruesome image of skinned and gutted cow hanging by its hind legs and missing upper body. Seeing this almost makes me want to become vegan, although I won't because I lack significant willpower. It makes me wonder, though, how accurate is this to the way livestock is treated. As humane as the human race wants to feel, there are many things we continue to do that are outright barbaric and, as they are, quite inhumane. The true intentions of this piece remain solely in the mind of Mary Pratt, however those are just some thoughts that were provoked by this piece. 

The Service Station-Mary Pratt-1978

This piece is entitled "Slaughter of the Lamb" and is a healthy mix of sanity and surrealism. There is, actually, a lamb's head in this painting. Although this piece is abstract, there are little pieces of realism. The lamb's head is dead center yet evokes movement in the blood splatter across the canvas. I felt inspired by this as well but for evidently different reasons. The color and the way it looks so nice without creating an actual image makes me appreciate surrealism and abstract art more as opposed to seeing it as a bunch of blobs and lines. 

Slaughter of the Lamb-Jack Chambers-1961

The Font That Changed History

WWI was a pivotal ordeal for the world, changing not only the way people lived but also the fonts that were used. In the years leading up to WWI, something called Modernism was in the making. Modernism consisted of clean lines, simplicity, and grid-like appeal. Following WWII Modernism really took off, serving as a worldwide rebirth from the atrocities of the Great War. Leading this rebirth was Helvetica.

Helvetica has been the center of typeface debate for over 20 years, with some people believing the sans-serif font is a godsend and others interpreting it as an overused tool designed to instill fascism and perpetuate conformity. 

"Don't confuse legibility with communication. Just because something is legible doesn't mean it communicates and, more importantly, doesn't mean it communicates the right thing." - David Carson

What Carson is saying is just because the font can be easily read doesn't mean it is easily understood or that it is being used effectively. Helvetica is a typeface that can fit into a wide array of different subjects and still be considered appropriate, however, is appropriate the highest standard for conveying a message or marketing a product.

You cannot look around without seeing Helvetica being used somewhere. It is no secret that the miracle font is constantly doing its duty to employ neutral and humanistic qualities to companies, products, ideas, and other forms of social media. Regardless of if the user is actually as good as Helvetica makes them look, once you see it your mind is made up and has no choice but to assume that they're friendly because Helvetica tells you that. Whatever you think is your choice is actually the world shaping you into what you're supposed to be. When you see Helvetica you immediately have a sub conscious intrigue towards it, whatever it may be, you may not act on it immediately but it draws you in. A marketing tool that is used to persuade you into consuming and believing that your purchase (product or idea) was entirely worth it. Humans are critical thinking machines and, personally, I find consistency and routine extremely dull. I prefer variety and contrast; seeing or hearing something being overused becomes very unpleasant just like playing a song you love over and over until you hate it. Whether or not Helvetica is what it is is entirely personal, although it brings a certain identity to our culture that was simply non existent preceding WWI and II.

World History; Crash Course

This is a video by a man named John Green which explores our world's history in a humorous and informative manner. He uses a variety of tools and tricks to make his videos appealing. I think the show is well written and is more than effective in generalizing information without depleting it entirely of relevant facts and knowledge. If you enjoyed this video you will be glad to know there are many more where that came from, click here to see John's extensive Crash Course in World History series, or if history isn't your thing and you prefer a deeper look into the science of living things try the Crash Course Youtube Channel here. 

The One That Got Away

This is my print making idea entitled "The One That Got Away" which features two robins highlighted by eccentric red color and contrasting black and grey. I originally intended to have four colors, including eyes and legs but due to printing malfunctions and visual aesthetics it was decided that less color was better. Especially basic colors such as black and red which accentuate very well I found. The blobs of color speckled around the page were also a desirable accident, they were produced by the tips of the carved away material during printing. Another thing I liked about this was its post modernism appeal and the way the grey appears to have texture almost feather-like (also accidental). This print making process taught me that even mistakes can have desirable outcomes.