Trans-media projects are a unique and interesting medium that takes interactive media to a whole new level. A few companies have attempted to create worlds that effectively cross the boundaries built by individual mediums, but Collapsus takes it to an entirely new level. Stories like Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia began as books, were filmed as movies, and eventually made into video games while maintaining the structural integrity of the world and the characters. This was taken a step further by the world created in The Matrix, where they used movies, games, and comic books to all tell different parts of the same story. This was one of the first purposeful attempts to use more than one media to flesh out different parts of the same world. Through these different trans-media worlds, it became apparent that the worlds that can cross between mediums and maintain their structural integrity are much more powerful than those who are framed by a specific medium. When done right, it strengthens the settings and makes them more memorable and they last longer in the public eye. This concept is interesting and causes the audience to be much more active in interpreting how the pieces all fit together.
Collapsus steps up the game and brings the separate mediums all to one place. This, as far as I am aware, is an entirely new concept. It is fascinating to be able to switch back and forth between three pieces of a constantly developing plot line. The combination of fact and fiction is also new, which brings an interesting perspective that definitely affects how the player/viewer interprets the information given to them. It also does an excellent job of making it feel personal by weaving in the stories of several characters into the overarching plot of the energy crisis. By using these stories to make it feel real, it brings more credibility to the theories that are presented regarding the facts and news stories (or at least it seems like it does). Collapsus is a gripping example of the power of trans-media projects.
For the class, I wish I would have taken this perspective into it at the beginning. This type of trans-media project was not something that I had ever considered before, and it changes the way that I view individual media in terms of their potential. Now I see much more value in learning about multiple platforms and exploring the ways in which they can work together. If I had had this perspective coming into the class, I would have began with an eye open for ways in which they can be combined. In some ways, digital games are a combination of the many types of media that we study in the media school. However, new media experiences like Collapsus take traditional games and turn them on their head. It's experiences like these that will be the future of the media industries as designers explore new ways of combining the ideas we have with the technology we have harnessed.
This also has important implications for the future. When I enter the game industry professionally, media innovations will be what gives the leading companies their edge, and it is important for me to understand them if I hope to compete and succeed. Because trans-media applications are often more powerful than single-media applications, I will be searching for ways to create vivid worlds that can make an impact on the world we live in. The combination of fact and fiction is another innovation that interests me, because it shows that games and media experiences can be used to have an effect on the real world instead of just acting purely as entertainment that quickly fades into the background. This concept will undoubtedly shape much of the future of the media industries.
Monday, March 7, 2011
This American Life
This American Life
When daydreaming about superpowers, most people say they would like to know how to fly or be able to turn invisible. While these are nice, I would go for something completely different. If I could have a superpower, I would choose high intelligence and understanding of mechanical and electrical engineering, like Tony Stark who became Iron Man. This ability would be extremely useful in many ways. Because of the lack of supervillains, it would make more sense to apply it practically. Unlike most powers, though, superhuman intelligence is useful even without supervillains, which is one reason I would prefer to have this power.
One of the things I would build first is an inexpensive low-orbit shuttle built for commercial low-orbit flights. This industry is finally being taken over by relatively small private companies who are ramping up the competition and stepping ahead of NASA. My superpower would give me the means to take this industry by storm and create a hugely successful company that would benefit humans across the world. The next step for that company would logically be space flight and building space colonies. This would be useful to solve the world's overpopulation problem, as well as allowing us to retrieve and research new materials for new power sources and building stronger structures.
Another venture that superhuman intelligence would enable would be deep-sea exploration. With better technology, marine biologists and researchers would be able to search the most remote parts of our world and learn more about how ecosystems work in these unexplored areas. Undersea cities may even become possible, which would afford another solution for the overpopulation issue.
Finally, the third invention I would create to put this power to use is creating a type of technology that disables other weapons, somewhat similar to an electromagnetic pulse. Building arms is easy and continuously more destructive. Peace will never be reached by means of violence when it is in the hands of humans. This weapon-disarming system would be able to handle weapons of all types, from incoming ballistic missiles to mines that have been buried for decades and pose a threat to unknowing passersby. This tool could be the first step to the disarming of the nations' weapon systems and lead closer to peace.
I am not particularly drawn to Tony Stark, even though he has this power, mostly because of his character. He is arrogant and somewhat of a jerk, and not very wise. Anyone who thinks that they can take on terrorists on their own is doomed to reap the rewards of their own hubris. It is true that eventually Stark joins with the government in the Marvel Civil War and advocates for the registration of superheroes with the government, but his cocky attitude never leaves. For this reason I am not a huge fan of Tony Stark/Iron Man as hero.
When daydreaming about superpowers, most people say they would like to know how to fly or be able to turn invisible. While these are nice, I would go for something completely different. If I could have a superpower, I would choose high intelligence and understanding of mechanical and electrical engineering, like Tony Stark who became Iron Man. This ability would be extremely useful in many ways. Because of the lack of supervillains, it would make more sense to apply it practically. Unlike most powers, though, superhuman intelligence is useful even without supervillains, which is one reason I would prefer to have this power.
One of the things I would build first is an inexpensive low-orbit shuttle built for commercial low-orbit flights. This industry is finally being taken over by relatively small private companies who are ramping up the competition and stepping ahead of NASA. My superpower would give me the means to take this industry by storm and create a hugely successful company that would benefit humans across the world. The next step for that company would logically be space flight and building space colonies. This would be useful to solve the world's overpopulation problem, as well as allowing us to retrieve and research new materials for new power sources and building stronger structures.
Another venture that superhuman intelligence would enable would be deep-sea exploration. With better technology, marine biologists and researchers would be able to search the most remote parts of our world and learn more about how ecosystems work in these unexplored areas. Undersea cities may even become possible, which would afford another solution for the overpopulation issue.
Finally, the third invention I would create to put this power to use is creating a type of technology that disables other weapons, somewhat similar to an electromagnetic pulse. Building arms is easy and continuously more destructive. Peace will never be reached by means of violence when it is in the hands of humans. This weapon-disarming system would be able to handle weapons of all types, from incoming ballistic missiles to mines that have been buried for decades and pose a threat to unknowing passersby. This tool could be the first step to the disarming of the nations' weapon systems and lead closer to peace.
I am not particularly drawn to Tony Stark, even though he has this power, mostly because of his character. He is arrogant and somewhat of a jerk, and not very wise. Anyone who thinks that they can take on terrorists on their own is doomed to reap the rewards of their own hubris. It is true that eventually Stark joins with the government in the Marvel Civil War and advocates for the registration of superheroes with the government, but his cocky attitude never leaves. For this reason I am not a huge fan of Tony Stark/Iron Man as hero.
Hero/Villain Critique
Jordan Bond's Blog: http://jbond00777.blogspot.com/
Jordan's hero/villain combo begins with a strong contrast in color. The hero has two color forms, a blue and a yellow, both of which are bright and heavily saturated. The villain, however, has a very dark color palette, being mostly gray and black, with bits of darker color on its head and hat. His colors are much more muted, darker, and less saturated than the hero's colors. This contrast actively sets them apart in the viewer's mind by pointing toward different motivations and opposing alignments. This is due to the purity of the colors, and their hue. The hero comes across as more pure because his colors are pure and unmarred. In addition, his colors didactically show his state of being. This may not seem significant at first, but the transparency create a connection between the viewer and the hero that is missing with the villain. The villain's colors are much less bright, and therefore not pure, which conveys a dark intent. Also, they mask his state of mind, creating an uncomfortable disconnect between the viewer and the villain which creates negative feelings in the viewer toward the villain. The hero is actually somewhat complex in his color scheme because his color depends on whether he is awake or asleep. Each form is simple in color with heavy saturation, but the brightness and hue depends on his state of consciousness.
Cameron Brown's Blog: http://cameronbrown9080.blogspot.com/
On this blog, there is only one character posted, and it is very hard to determine what to make of it because of that. This is interesting because it shows that the meanings of a character's traits are completely relative to the the world in which the character exists. This character specifically is difficult to categorize because he is wearing neutral colors that could be used for a hero or a villain. The character's posture and expression would seem to point toward him being a hero, but the things he stands for would point me toward the opposite conclusion (probably only because of my own values). The fact that he is wearing complementary colors also points toward his heroic nature because their hues and medium brightness are somewhat calming. Apart from these observations, though, no conclusions can be made since there is nothing to compare or contrast with.
Hannah's Blog: http://summersymphony203.blogspot.com/
I was unable to find the hero/villain on Hannah's blog.
Jordan's hero/villain combo begins with a strong contrast in color. The hero has two color forms, a blue and a yellow, both of which are bright and heavily saturated. The villain, however, has a very dark color palette, being mostly gray and black, with bits of darker color on its head and hat. His colors are much more muted, darker, and less saturated than the hero's colors. This contrast actively sets them apart in the viewer's mind by pointing toward different motivations and opposing alignments. This is due to the purity of the colors, and their hue. The hero comes across as more pure because his colors are pure and unmarred. In addition, his colors didactically show his state of being. This may not seem significant at first, but the transparency create a connection between the viewer and the hero that is missing with the villain. The villain's colors are much less bright, and therefore not pure, which conveys a dark intent. Also, they mask his state of mind, creating an uncomfortable disconnect between the viewer and the villain which creates negative feelings in the viewer toward the villain. The hero is actually somewhat complex in his color scheme because his color depends on whether he is awake or asleep. Each form is simple in color with heavy saturation, but the brightness and hue depends on his state of consciousness.
Cameron Brown's Blog: http://cameronbrown9080.blogspot.com/
On this blog, there is only one character posted, and it is very hard to determine what to make of it because of that. This is interesting because it shows that the meanings of a character's traits are completely relative to the the world in which the character exists. This character specifically is difficult to categorize because he is wearing neutral colors that could be used for a hero or a villain. The character's posture and expression would seem to point toward him being a hero, but the things he stands for would point me toward the opposite conclusion (probably only because of my own values). The fact that he is wearing complementary colors also points toward his heroic nature because their hues and medium brightness are somewhat calming. Apart from these observations, though, no conclusions can be made since there is nothing to compare or contrast with.
Hannah's Blog: http://summersymphony203.blogspot.com/
I was unable to find the hero/villain on Hannah's blog.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Joke Video Comparison
Each of our group's joke videos utilized a different location, and thus the space was manipulated differently for each. In the color video, space was used deliberately to manipulate how the audience felt about the two characters. Medium and flat space was used to form a positive connection between the father and the son, while deeper space was used to cause separation between the viewers and the son. This contrast in space was intended to make the audience feel differently about each character. However, in the black and white video, space was not focused on in the composition of the shots. Medium space was used consistently through most of the video while other techniques were utilized to manipulate the audience's feelings. This consistency moved the audience's focus to the other techniques that were used to set the scenes in that second video.
The videos also used different kinds of rhythm. The color video had an irregular rhythm set up by the unique wall designs and the asymmetric arrangement of the furniture. This rhythm was used to keep the scene interesting, despite the lack of camera movement. It was also used to frame the characters to cause the audience to focus on them, like when the son was in time-out. The black and white video used a constant rhythm to frame the son which was created by the carpet. An irregular rhythm was used in the kitchen scene to frame the mother. This contrast was used to actively convey to the audience that the two characters were separated, instead of showing it didactically. This active separation was reinforced by the fact that the two characters were not shown in the same shot, whereas the color video used over the shoulder shots to capture both characters in the same shot many times.
The videos also used different kinds of rhythm. The color video had an irregular rhythm set up by the unique wall designs and the asymmetric arrangement of the furniture. This rhythm was used to keep the scene interesting, despite the lack of camera movement. It was also used to frame the characters to cause the audience to focus on them, like when the son was in time-out. The black and white video used a constant rhythm to frame the son which was created by the carpet. An irregular rhythm was used in the kitchen scene to frame the mother. This contrast was used to actively convey to the audience that the two characters were separated, instead of showing it didactically. This active separation was reinforced by the fact that the two characters were not shown in the same shot, whereas the color video used over the shoulder shots to capture both characters in the same shot many times.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Game Clip Critique
Bioshock is an intense thriller game that fully utilizes color to reinforce the themes and the feel of the game. This is the introduction to the game, which sets the stage for what the player is supposed to experience throughout the entire game.
The most noticeable attribute of the color in this introduction is the saturation. All of the colors are very full. This fullness makes the scenes all very vivid and striking to the player, especially because many of the colors are very dark. The goal of the game is to make the player uncomfortable and wary at any given point during gameplay. Heavy saturation is used throughout the entire game and it makes the environments seem surreal and alien. This is especially effective in the introduction because, as the game introduces the city of Rapture, the goal of the game designers was to create a sense of awe in the player. The obvious ways that this is done is through the scale of the city and the things used in the city. However, the saturation is effectively used to supplement this in a subtle way.
The hues used in this scene are used to create contrast among the various elements in the setting. The two strongest colors used are yellow and blue. These complementary colors go well together and create a contrast between a warm (inside the buildings) and a cool (in the water) feel. Within each of those colors, a variety of analogous colors are used to create affinity among the scenery and objects that are related. This is done to associate all of the interior buildings and pieces of Rapture with one another, and to contrast that with the water that surrounds it.
Finally, the brightness of the colors reinforces both the contrast between the hues, and the vividness created by the saturation. Bioshock is a mostly linear game, and so there is usually one direction in which the player should travel. In the introduction, the contrast in brightness is used to guide the player in the right direction. It separates the background from the foreground, and keeps the player's attention focused on a certain area. This is done in the very beginning with the ring of fire standing on the water. The brightness of the flames encircles the player and shows them that they need to stay in the safe dark water. It then herds them toward the tower, the only direction that any other bright color and light is coming from (the lamps on the tower and the moon are both in this direction). When the player enters the tower, the brightness first focuses their attention on the statue of Andrew Ryan in the foreground (a key character in the game). As it becomes time to move on, lights come on in the background and make the hallways further back more bright than the foreground, enticing the player forward. The brightness of colors is used consistently to guide the players eye to points of interest that reinforce the awe-inspired theme of the introduction, which then sets the stage for the feel of the rest of the game.
The most noticeable attribute of the color in this introduction is the saturation. All of the colors are very full. This fullness makes the scenes all very vivid and striking to the player, especially because many of the colors are very dark. The goal of the game is to make the player uncomfortable and wary at any given point during gameplay. Heavy saturation is used throughout the entire game and it makes the environments seem surreal and alien. This is especially effective in the introduction because, as the game introduces the city of Rapture, the goal of the game designers was to create a sense of awe in the player. The obvious ways that this is done is through the scale of the city and the things used in the city. However, the saturation is effectively used to supplement this in a subtle way.
The hues used in this scene are used to create contrast among the various elements in the setting. The two strongest colors used are yellow and blue. These complementary colors go well together and create a contrast between a warm (inside the buildings) and a cool (in the water) feel. Within each of those colors, a variety of analogous colors are used to create affinity among the scenery and objects that are related. This is done to associate all of the interior buildings and pieces of Rapture with one another, and to contrast that with the water that surrounds it.
Finally, the brightness of the colors reinforces both the contrast between the hues, and the vividness created by the saturation. Bioshock is a mostly linear game, and so there is usually one direction in which the player should travel. In the introduction, the contrast in brightness is used to guide the player in the right direction. It separates the background from the foreground, and keeps the player's attention focused on a certain area. This is done in the very beginning with the ring of fire standing on the water. The brightness of the flames encircles the player and shows them that they need to stay in the safe dark water. It then herds them toward the tower, the only direction that any other bright color and light is coming from (the lamps on the tower and the moon are both in this direction). When the player enters the tower, the brightness first focuses their attention on the statue of Andrew Ryan in the foreground (a key character in the game). As it becomes time to move on, lights come on in the background and make the hallways further back more bright than the foreground, enticing the player forward. The brightness of colors is used consistently to guide the players eye to points of interest that reinforce the awe-inspired theme of the introduction, which then sets the stage for the feel of the rest of the game.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Joke Videos
Video 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZJxsDM5xDQ
Video 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu-HUm8yr_g
Video 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nu-HUm8yr_g
How to Be Creative
MacLeod has quite a few provocative things to say in his manifesto "How to Be Creative." One of the most important ideas that he highlights is that of putting the hours in.
Ideas are wonderful and fun to come up with, but unless you follow them up with action, the ideas will remain ideas and progress will never be made. This means that nothing changes, including you, your audience, or the world. This is extremely important because without it, literally nothing happens. You may feel good because you have good ideas, but it doesn't help anyone else, and the good feelings it brings you will soon be overwhelmed by your return to mediocrity. Creativity is the foundation for good ideas, and hard work is the foundation for change that matters.
Another insightful point that he brings up is the idea that everyone is creative. In his words, "Everyone is creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten." This idea means that the excuse "I'm just not creative" is not an excuse at all. It is a waste of breath and it only means that you aren't willing to put enough effort in to make something worth creating.
Ideas are wonderful and fun to come up with, but unless you follow them up with action, the ideas will remain ideas and progress will never be made. This means that nothing changes, including you, your audience, or the world. This is extremely important because without it, literally nothing happens. You may feel good because you have good ideas, but it doesn't help anyone else, and the good feelings it brings you will soon be overwhelmed by your return to mediocrity. Creativity is the foundation for good ideas, and hard work is the foundation for change that matters.
Another insightful point that he brings up is the idea that everyone is creative. In his words, "Everyone is creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten." This idea means that the excuse "I'm just not creative" is not an excuse at all. It is a waste of breath and it only means that you aren't willing to put enough effort in to make something worth creating.
Several years ago a study was done that was created to find the percentage of children capable of what is called divergent thinking (which many postulate is closely related to being creative). The study showed that, in kindergarten, 98% of children were considered geniuses at divergent thinking. This implies that we inherently have the ability to think differently and be creative. However, the study was conducted repeatedly with the same children as they grew and were educated. The study showed that the number of divergent thinkers decreased dramatically as they were taught how to think in school. What does this mean for us? It means we can be creative. It may be buried deep down, but it's still there. If you want badly enough to be creative, you can reconnect to it and do it.
The final point I want to highlight that MacLeod brings up is that creativity now makes businesses profitable and competitive. This is something that resonates strongly with me. To expand on that, I would argue that this points to the uprising of smaller, more versatile companies within the marketplace. Because many (not all) large corporations are so steeped in bureaucracy and rules, they will be at a huge disadvantage when trying to compete with creative powerhouses. The large corporations that have existed and been successful in the last century are created on foundations that are nearly the opposite of the foundations necessary to foster creativity, and the major adjustments that they would need in order to embrace creativity set up an up-hill battle.
This means that smaller companies will have a much easier time building an atmosphere of creativity that will grant them success in the marketplace. Most larger companies will have no choice but to shift, however, because otherwise they will lose profitability because of their antiquated traditions and business models (like most big print newspapers).
Without creativity, businesses are doomed. But, embracing the chaos of the creative process and pioneering a new trail is far more effective and profitable in the current economy, and in that lies the key to standing out and making a difference.
Movie Commentary
This is an excellent closing scene to a well-made movie. It starts with an extreme wide shot to establish the airport as the setting. This shot uses deep space to make the viewer feel empty because Andrew is leaving and returning to his empty life in California. A steady rhythm is set because of the consistent vertical and horizontal lines. Here, the two main characters move left across the screen, showing Andrew moving away from his home.
The next shot starts as a wide shot and zooms into the two of them talking as the moment becomes more emotional. This is set against stairs which create flat space with a constant horizontal rhythm so that the audience will focus on the two characters without any distractions. Up until the final few scenes in the movie, Andrew has been wearing black, white, and gray to illustrate his lack of emotion. Finally, at the end of the movie he begins to wear bright colors to show his returning emotion. Additionally, in the final scene he wears red to show that he is in love with Sam who is wearing white because he sees her as being innocent. After they talk, Andrew moves up the stairs, which is understood to be the same direction as in the first shot, showing him moving away.
In the scene, Andrew's head is rounded by his hair style to show that he is gentle and caring, and Sam is a triangle head (with her hair down) to show that she is weaker emotionally.
As the conversation gets more intense, the camera changes from a medium shot to switching between close-ups of each character. In each of these close-ups the lines in the frames all point toward the character we are supposed to be watching. This is done with the stairs for Sam, and with the movement of the escalator that moves towards Andrew's head. While the shots switch back and forth, the connection between the two characters is still apparent because of the virtual lines created by each person's line of sight.
After Andrew ascends the escalator, the next shot utilizes very flat space because of a blurring effect that focuses the viewer on Andrew and his emotions. It also sends a message that shows him returning to his apathetic state of mind as he moves back toward his old life.
The next series of shots show each main character returning back to what their lives were like before Andrew was a part of them. This montage of medium shots illustrates how each character is alone with Andrew gone. Their movements are slow because without Andrew their lives are dull and boring.
After this, when Andrew is shown on the plane, he is in the center of the shot, framed by fast moving people on all sides while he is still. This continues to reinforce the idea that he is returning to a life that does not suit him and leaves him alone and without meaning.
Next, Sam is shown in a telephone booth that frames her within a rectangle and visibly shows separation because of the closed doors. Then, Andrew returns and opens the doors and reunites with her in the ending scene.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Framing the Picture
The original picture by Goossens (left) has a gloomy ambiance, reinforced by the colors and the composition. The rhythm is very distinct: one large beat formed by the house, followed by a small beat created by the man in the foreground. These two main beats are punctuated by the tiny beats of the cityscape in the background. This rhythm creates a subtext that makes the man look weaker because he is dwarfed by the floating mansion and he comes after it when the viewer looks from left to right. He is also grounded, while both the hawk and the house are in the air, perhaps suggesting a limitation of sorts. The
The reframed picture (right) has a completely different rhythm. In the foreground, the hawk and the man create a smaller and then a larger beat, and the cityscape is larger in scale, giving each building more weight in the overall rhythm. The man looks significantly more powerful because he is the largest part of the composition in this frame. Now he towers over the city and seems to be approaching it with determination instead of fleeing toward it. Because he is the largest thing in the foreground, the man’s line of sight toward the city communicates power and determination instead of fear and shame as in the original. The darkest parts of the sky are cropped out also, which gives the picture a brighter feel. Removing the house also changes the space in the picture from feeling very deep to feeling more flat because it acted as a contrast to the buildings in the distance, indicating their relative distance. Without that reference, the buildings look closer and the space seems smaller and more flat (not completely flat).
I chose to reframe the picture this way to give more emphasis to the man and to make him seem more mysterious instead of insignificant. I think Goossens framed the original the way he did in order to portray the journey of the man that is bigger than him. Placing him between a large house and a distant cityscape that are connected by long vertical lines on the ground gives this feeling. The gloom in the sky also makes the journey seem difficult and monotonous, whereas it seems less so in the reframed version because the darker parts of the sky are out of the frame. It's amazing how many different compositions can be taken from the same image.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Song Critiques
Andrew Widicka: http://awid7.blogspot.com/2011/01/song.html
Lena Al-Hashemi: http://lena229508.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-song.html
Adrian Andrade: http://adrianraves.blogspot.com/2011/01/this-is-my-song-that-i-composed-for.html
Critique Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKJXpD4ax3c
Lena Al-Hashemi: http://lena229508.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-song.html
Adrian Andrade: http://adrianraves.blogspot.com/2011/01/this-is-my-song-that-i-composed-for.html
Critique Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKJXpD4ax3c
Monday, January 31, 2011
Laying the Foundations for Creativity
Seth Godin's manifesto on changing yourself is full of insight on how we can reinvent ourselves. He posits that because we have the resources and the opportunity (via the internet) to make connections and change things, then all we need is the will to do it, and we can completely reinvent ourselves. This requires quite a bit of effort, but it is worth every ounce because it is the only thing that matters. We are trained in school (not educated) to follow orders, to be complacent. Complacency used to work, but now it is dangerous. If we choose to reject that and reinvent ourselves, then we have a chance at making a difference.
The first and biggest obstacle we face in recreating ourselves is our own survival instinct. Where it was once helpful, it now restricts us from doing things that matter. Steven Pressfield calls this the resistance and Godin calls it the lizard brain.
Either way, it is the part of our brain that is scared and causes us to be scared about taking risks. Risk management is its MO. Anything that could potentially backfire triggers the lizard brain and causes us to think twice about taking that action. The most important thing we can do in regards to this resistance is to stare it in the eye and then to walk past it and ignore its pleas for mercy as we go on to do exactly what it tells us not to. This is how we begin to make progress and make a difference.
Another obstacle is learning. Not becoming "educated." Learning something useful. Education was designed for a factory model of production used in the Industrial Revolution. This model worked for what was necessary and useful in that time period, but it is counter-intuitive to what we need now, and so it is broken.
You no longer learn what you need to know in school. You learn when you surf the web and read about what the world is doing. You learn when you work through communication challenges with a team at work. You learn when you have to balance things in your life every day, when you choose what to do and what not to do. Public institutions of knowledge can no longer be relied upon to give us everything we need to function in society, let alone make a lasting impact. We learn a few useful things in school, but now the responsibilities lies on your shoulders to figure out what you need to know and learn about it. And this is the first step to rejecting and ignoring the resistance that wants us to be safe and to keep quiet.
Seth Godin often talks about doing real work, doing something important. Assignments like this one are part of that real work that needs to be done. If we blow them off, they are useless (as with most things). However, if we put in the effort to make them worth our time, they give us a valuable opportunity to step back, analyze ourselves, and actually learn. In addition to that important learning, we also have the opportunity to put together a portfolio chronicling our thoughts and opinions as we develop our creative identities. The creation of that identity is the foundation upon which we will build careers and our lives. Whether we take advantage of these opportunities or not will be an indicator of how we will develop as professionals and as people. These assignments are the beginning of a long path that Seth Godin describes as necessary to reinvent ourselves.
Pictures from:
Lizard Brain - http://www.crystalinks.com/brainreptoid.jpg
Cartoon: http://interacc.typepad.com/.a/6a01053596fb28970c0133f28c7108970b-400wi
The first and biggest obstacle we face in recreating ourselves is our own survival instinct. Where it was once helpful, it now restricts us from doing things that matter. Steven Pressfield calls this the resistance and Godin calls it the lizard brain.
Either way, it is the part of our brain that is scared and causes us to be scared about taking risks. Risk management is its MO. Anything that could potentially backfire triggers the lizard brain and causes us to think twice about taking that action. The most important thing we can do in regards to this resistance is to stare it in the eye and then to walk past it and ignore its pleas for mercy as we go on to do exactly what it tells us not to. This is how we begin to make progress and make a difference.
Another obstacle is learning. Not becoming "educated." Learning something useful. Education was designed for a factory model of production used in the Industrial Revolution. This model worked for what was necessary and useful in that time period, but it is counter-intuitive to what we need now, and so it is broken.
You no longer learn what you need to know in school. You learn when you surf the web and read about what the world is doing. You learn when you work through communication challenges with a team at work. You learn when you have to balance things in your life every day, when you choose what to do and what not to do. Public institutions of knowledge can no longer be relied upon to give us everything we need to function in society, let alone make a lasting impact. We learn a few useful things in school, but now the responsibilities lies on your shoulders to figure out what you need to know and learn about it. And this is the first step to rejecting and ignoring the resistance that wants us to be safe and to keep quiet.
Seth Godin often talks about doing real work, doing something important. Assignments like this one are part of that real work that needs to be done. If we blow them off, they are useless (as with most things). However, if we put in the effort to make them worth our time, they give us a valuable opportunity to step back, analyze ourselves, and actually learn. In addition to that important learning, we also have the opportunity to put together a portfolio chronicling our thoughts and opinions as we develop our creative identities. The creation of that identity is the foundation upon which we will build careers and our lives. Whether we take advantage of these opportunities or not will be an indicator of how we will develop as professionals and as people. These assignments are the beginning of a long path that Seth Godin describes as necessary to reinvent ourselves.
Pictures from:
Lizard Brain - http://www.crystalinks.com/brainreptoid.jpg
Cartoon: http://interacc.typepad.com/.a/6a01053596fb28970c0133f28c7108970b-400wi
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Musical Dichotomy: One Song, Two Sounds
Katy Perry is an extremely popular artist that I must admit (grudgingly) that I listen to from time to time. Her song "Teenage Dream" is not something that I enjoy for its moral standards, but it is ridiculously catchy and has the makings of a fun party song.
However, this acoustic cover done by Boyce Avenue is an entirely different story. All of the catchy parts are gone and replaced by a more calm, soothing style.
Though they are both roughly based on the same things, these two variations are, in reality, two completely different songs. The groove of the cover is completely different, shifting from an up-beat, catchy rhythm to a slow, thoughtful tune. Because of this, the entire purpose of the song seems to have changed. No longer made for a party scene, Boyce Avenue has turned "Teenage Dream" into a meditative love song that has the opposite effect on the listener. The original song is a song for fast dancing, for getting adrenaline racing, and for having a good time.
It uses strong affinity, where most of the stanzas utilize the same techniques and sound to keep the energy high. The cover, however, is performed in a way that inspires one to think about someone for whom they have a strong, sincere love. Also, the climax of the song is in strong contrast to the first two thirds of the song, causing heightened emotions in the listener when the music goes from silence to a strong vocal solo.
The love theme is reinforced by the lyrics because the lead singer actually rewrites about half of them to change the feel of the song to a meaningful love song that is quite tender. The lyrics in the original song are shallow and very sexual, and Katy Perry sounds more interested in having sex than she is in carrying on a meaningful relationship. The cover, however, is the exact opposite. Alejandro expresses his feelings for the subject of the song eloquently and through that shows that he values her as a person whom he loves.
Through the lyrics, both songs are very didactic in the way they convey their meaning. Neither encourages much active listening, because they are both very straight-forward about their subject and their intent toward the subject.
The timbre of the song changes completely because of the change in instrument choice and the different vocal qualities of the two singers. Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" is much more noisy with higher-pitched vocals. Boyce Avenue's cover is more tonal with lower-pitched vocals.
Between the two, I strongly prefer the cover by Boyce Avenue because I think it is much more meaningful in terms of valuing people as people and not objects of pleasure. I also appreciate that the feeling behind the lyrics is much more apparent because it is coming from a deep love instead of a shallow lust. This dichotomy exemplifies the strong contrast exists between mainstream pop music and
other types of music that are less mainstream. Mainstream pop music usually aims for popularity in the party scene, where it can be popular with a large, diverse audience. It does this with upbeat melodies and driving baselines that take the focus away from the fact that the music itself has very little substance. Other genres, such as folk, acoustic, and indie, tend to do this less because they are aiming for a more niche audience instead of everyone possible. As a result, they have more substance in general, and more thought is put into the composition of the music and the lyrics. I find this more meaningful because when listening to music I usually do so because of what the song means to me. However, this means that songs like Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" have very limited significance in my life. It is encouraging to me, though, to know that even that song can be repurposed into a song with deep meaning and love.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
The Road to Redemption
The world we live in is deceptive. We are taught sayings like "better safe than sorry" and "better to keep your mouth shut and let them think you are an idiot, rather than open it and remove all doubt" are idioms to live by. What we are really being told is that taking risks is a bad thing, that living within safe, comfortable bounds is the surest road to success. The problem is, this is all a lie. There is absolutely nothing safe about the status quo. In fact, in the current state of things, it is actually dangerous. While the world around us is revolving, innovating, and changing, our insistence on remaining the same is foolish and will only hurt us in the long run. What we really need to do is not keep quiet, but find our voice.
The first step to finding your howl, which is what J. Flaum calls it in his article on changethis.com, is recognizing the lies we are being fed for what they are. The second step is the hard part. The second step requires us to do the opposite of what the tiger did in the story told by Flaum's friend Nick. The tiger, as told by Nick, was trapped in a cage at the zoo. However, because he was very powerful and could jump very high, he planned his escape from the cage. When he finally made his move and leapt out of the cage which had no ceiling, he landed in another cage that was adjacent to his own cage. No matter how many times he jumped out of his cage, he landed in another cage.
Just as the tiger discovered he could not escape the cages, we cannot escape the lies that we have been taught to believe because they have become comfortable, they have become our home. We cannot just run away from them and cover them up with new ideas because they are so ingrained in us. We must face them and push our way through them one at a time until we have destroyed the confines of our cages at their foundations and rebuilt ourselves from the ground up. We must in essence burn down the lives that we have created based on the lies we know, burning ourselves down to the very core. Only then can we begin to rebuild and find an authentic point from which we can truly speak from our hearts.
This video denotes a passage in the Bible that is very important to me because it allows me to do exactly what J. Baum talked about to find our "howl."
The first step to finding your howl, which is what J. Flaum calls it in his article on changethis.com, is recognizing the lies we are being fed for what they are. The second step is the hard part. The second step requires us to do the opposite of what the tiger did in the story told by Flaum's friend Nick. The tiger, as told by Nick, was trapped in a cage at the zoo. However, because he was very powerful and could jump very high, he planned his escape from the cage. When he finally made his move and leapt out of the cage which had no ceiling, he landed in another cage that was adjacent to his own cage. No matter how many times he jumped out of his cage, he landed in another cage.
Just as the tiger discovered he could not escape the cages, we cannot escape the lies that we have been taught to believe because they have become comfortable, they have become our home. We cannot just run away from them and cover them up with new ideas because they are so ingrained in us. We must face them and push our way through them one at a time until we have destroyed the confines of our cages at their foundations and rebuilt ourselves from the ground up. We must in essence burn down the lives that we have created based on the lies we know, burning ourselves down to the very core. Only then can we begin to rebuild and find an authentic point from which we can truly speak from our hearts.
This video denotes a passage in the Bible that is very important to me because it allows me to do exactly what J. Baum talked about to find our "howl."
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Leaping into the Void
The manifesto "14 Ways to get Breakthrough Ideas" is an excellent document that is brimming with wisdom. It can be found here. Each of his 14 suggestions has great merit attached to it. A few of them hit home particularly strongly with me. Approaching idea-generation is something that is, as Mitch Ditkoff succinctly describes, one part art and one part science. The more artsy, intuitive philosophy of Eastern cultures that involves tuning into the "powers that be" is just as valid as the cool logic of Western thought that encourages one to have mental discipline. However, as with many things, the strongest solution comes from a melding of the two. Taking techniques from each school of thought and figuring out when they are most effective is the best way to approach idea creation.
The first suggestion Mitch Ditkoff gives, "Follow Your Fascination," is an amazingly simple insight. In our world, I think that often times fascination is suppressed in favor of doing work. I think it's important to note, though, that often times this work is less productive than taking time to actually be fascinated with something. Checking email and rereading office memos rarely is as important as we make it when we check them seven times in an hour. At the very least, taking the time to think about what really fascinates us gives us some time away from the project we are struggling with in the moment. Ditkoff talks about this specifically in his 8th suggestion. At the most, thinking about what fascinates us can give us new insight into a problem that we would not have found otherwise. Having a healthy balance between work and play in your thought life is necessary to maintain effectiveness and to actually be productive.
The concept of fantasizing the way Ditkoff presents it is one that resonates with me deeply. As I stated in my previous post, I am a visionary and an idea person. The opportunity to sit back and fantasize about possibilities in life is one that I relish. The ability to fantasize is one of the things we can do that separates us from all other animals on earth, and we should be proud and excited about having that ability. However, often when I talk to others about ideas that I have, their immediate reaction is rejection. I can see in their eyes that thinking about things that break the status quo and challenge the rules they rely on is scary to them. They are letting their primal instincts dictate their lives and keep them in the safe realm of the known. This fear is paralyzing to the creative person. We must learn to conquer that fear and embrace the unknown if we have any hope of changing what exists currently into what could exist in the future. We must gather our courage and leap into the void where the rules we are familiar with are no longer rigid. This void is where the possibilities of the future come side by side with reality, but only if we are there to build the bridge to connect them.
When seeking to build these bridges, it is far more effective to work with others. Taking a nebulous idea and making it into reality is no easy task, and it is very helpful to approach it with a group brainstorm session. Brainstorming, when done right, can be the key to the success of the project. In a good brainstorming atmosphere, ideas are not critiqued or discriminated against until after the session is over. This allows for the propagation of numerous ideas, and the final ideas that are eventually chosen from this group will be stronger and more well-formed because of it. This phenomenon can be accredited to synergy. Synergy, as I see it, is the key to successful creative processes, and brainstorming is no different. Synergy describes the outcome of a group of people who tune into the same wavelength for a period of time and create something that is greater than the sum of what each person could create on their own. Synergy takes the best of each person and amplifies it in such a way that the output is even better. This is why brainstorming is effective and extremely useful, when done the right way.
To take this next step myself, I will focus on suggestion 6, which focuses on framing the question. One of the most inspiring, and most challenging questions that I face in my career as a game designer is this:
How can I create a game that is truly valuable to those that play it?
How can I determine what gamers want?
How can I determine what is valuable to people that play games?
How can I determine what is valuable to people who I want to play my game?
How can I determine what is valuable to humanity and how can I encapsulate it in a game?
How can I determine what is innately valuable to humanity and how can I encapsulate that into a game?
I think the real question is the last question. If I can determine what is valuable to humanity regardless of circumstance, then I have discovered what can bring my game to life in a way that resonates with gamers, hardcore and casual, wherever they are in life. That, in essence, is the quest I seek to complete.
The first suggestion Mitch Ditkoff gives, "Follow Your Fascination," is an amazingly simple insight. In our world, I think that often times fascination is suppressed in favor of doing work. I think it's important to note, though, that often times this work is less productive than taking time to actually be fascinated with something. Checking email and rereading office memos rarely is as important as we make it when we check them seven times in an hour. At the very least, taking the time to think about what really fascinates us gives us some time away from the project we are struggling with in the moment. Ditkoff talks about this specifically in his 8th suggestion. At the most, thinking about what fascinates us can give us new insight into a problem that we would not have found otherwise. Having a healthy balance between work and play in your thought life is necessary to maintain effectiveness and to actually be productive.
The concept of fantasizing the way Ditkoff presents it is one that resonates with me deeply. As I stated in my previous post, I am a visionary and an idea person. The opportunity to sit back and fantasize about possibilities in life is one that I relish. The ability to fantasize is one of the things we can do that separates us from all other animals on earth, and we should be proud and excited about having that ability. However, often when I talk to others about ideas that I have, their immediate reaction is rejection. I can see in their eyes that thinking about things that break the status quo and challenge the rules they rely on is scary to them. They are letting their primal instincts dictate their lives and keep them in the safe realm of the known. This fear is paralyzing to the creative person. We must learn to conquer that fear and embrace the unknown if we have any hope of changing what exists currently into what could exist in the future. We must gather our courage and leap into the void where the rules we are familiar with are no longer rigid. This void is where the possibilities of the future come side by side with reality, but only if we are there to build the bridge to connect them.
When seeking to build these bridges, it is far more effective to work with others. Taking a nebulous idea and making it into reality is no easy task, and it is very helpful to approach it with a group brainstorm session. Brainstorming, when done right, can be the key to the success of the project. In a good brainstorming atmosphere, ideas are not critiqued or discriminated against until after the session is over. This allows for the propagation of numerous ideas, and the final ideas that are eventually chosen from this group will be stronger and more well-formed because of it. This phenomenon can be accredited to synergy. Synergy, as I see it, is the key to successful creative processes, and brainstorming is no different. Synergy describes the outcome of a group of people who tune into the same wavelength for a period of time and create something that is greater than the sum of what each person could create on their own. Synergy takes the best of each person and amplifies it in such a way that the output is even better. This is why brainstorming is effective and extremely useful, when done the right way.
To take this next step myself, I will focus on suggestion 6, which focuses on framing the question. One of the most inspiring, and most challenging questions that I face in my career as a game designer is this:
How can I create a game that is truly valuable to those that play it?
How can I determine what gamers want?
How can I determine what is valuable to people that play games?
How can I determine what is valuable to people who I want to play my game?
How can I determine what is valuable to humanity and how can I encapsulate it in a game?
How can I determine what is innately valuable to humanity and how can I encapsulate that into a game?
I think the real question is the last question. If I can determine what is valuable to humanity regardless of circumstance, then I have discovered what can bring my game to life in a way that resonates with gamers, hardcore and casual, wherever they are in life. That, in essence, is the quest I seek to complete.
Portrait of a Creative
As a creative person, I am a visionary. I dream big and aspire to inspire others with my visions. My leadership skills compliment this well, because they enable me to communicate my ideas effectively and motivate others to join me in pursuit of bringing them to life.
I draw inspiration from many different sources. On the whole, I am inspired by things that help my mind to roam vast, vague landscapes full of possibility. This includes anything from house/trance music with the right beat to pictures of undiscovered territory.
One of my favorite songs to draw inspiration from is called "Valley of the Dying Sun" by House of Heroes. This song details a lifelong struggle of a man and his dark side, ending with his triumph over it. This song makes me think about the journey a hero must go on in most any fantasy story (similar to the hero's journey described in The Hero of a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell). This outline leaves room for my mind to wander and imagine what kind of heroes are interesting and what kind of heroes have potential to make a good story and a good game. This is the official music video which illustrates the struggle in terms of World War II.
This song makes excellent use of tension and release as it builds to the climax of the song, utilizing different melodies and tempos to affect the listener.
My current favorite artist to draw inspiration from is Caspar David Friedrich. Many of his pictures describe vast, unexplored territory that seems to be full of mystery. My favorite picture of his is called The Wanderer Above the Mists.
The mists prevent the wanderer from seeing what lies ahead of him in his journey, and to me, that evokes excitement at the thought of the possibility of discovering the truth behind it. This stands out to me as different from most popular art because it is encourages the viewer's mind to be active in determining what the picture means and what it portrays, instead of didactically telling the viewer what the focus of the painting is.
The third place I draw inspiration from commonly is from games. One of the best games I have played recently is Mirror's Edge. It's gameplay effectively draws the player in because all of the different game elements work together toward the same goal: a frantic, intense experience that keeps the player's adrenaline rushing. One of the techniques that helps this to happen is the strong use of color. The artists used contrast and affinity to make it clear to the player what was important in the game, and where the player should go.
This photo illustrates what the game calls "runner vision." The designers use consistent cool colors like blue, gray, and white to create the general atmosphere of the game world. To contrast this, the path for the player to take is bright red, the enemies are black, and hidden information packs are yellow. This simple color scheme makes it clear what is important to the player immediately and the player doesn't have to think about it. This technique makes the fast pace of the game flow very smoothly, making for an excellent game.
All of these things are inspiring to me for different reasons, but most lead to the same thing: helping my mind to wander the sea of possibilities to find ideas that are truly exciting and worth making into a reality.
I draw inspiration from many different sources. On the whole, I am inspired by things that help my mind to roam vast, vague landscapes full of possibility. This includes anything from house/trance music with the right beat to pictures of undiscovered territory.
One of my favorite songs to draw inspiration from is called "Valley of the Dying Sun" by House of Heroes. This song details a lifelong struggle of a man and his dark side, ending with his triumph over it. This song makes me think about the journey a hero must go on in most any fantasy story (similar to the hero's journey described in The Hero of a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell). This outline leaves room for my mind to wander and imagine what kind of heroes are interesting and what kind of heroes have potential to make a good story and a good game. This is the official music video which illustrates the struggle in terms of World War II.
This song makes excellent use of tension and release as it builds to the climax of the song, utilizing different melodies and tempos to affect the listener.
My current favorite artist to draw inspiration from is Caspar David Friedrich. Many of his pictures describe vast, unexplored territory that seems to be full of mystery. My favorite picture of his is called The Wanderer Above the Mists.
The mists prevent the wanderer from seeing what lies ahead of him in his journey, and to me, that evokes excitement at the thought of the possibility of discovering the truth behind it. This stands out to me as different from most popular art because it is encourages the viewer's mind to be active in determining what the picture means and what it portrays, instead of didactically telling the viewer what the focus of the painting is.
The third place I draw inspiration from commonly is from games. One of the best games I have played recently is Mirror's Edge. It's gameplay effectively draws the player in because all of the different game elements work together toward the same goal: a frantic, intense experience that keeps the player's adrenaline rushing. One of the techniques that helps this to happen is the strong use of color. The artists used contrast and affinity to make it clear to the player what was important in the game, and where the player should go.
This photo illustrates what the game calls "runner vision." The designers use consistent cool colors like blue, gray, and white to create the general atmosphere of the game world. To contrast this, the path for the player to take is bright red, the enemies are black, and hidden information packs are yellow. This simple color scheme makes it clear what is important to the player immediately and the player doesn't have to think about it. This technique makes the fast pace of the game flow very smoothly, making for an excellent game.
All of these things are inspiring to me for different reasons, but most lead to the same thing: helping my mind to wander the sea of possibilities to find ideas that are truly exciting and worth making into a reality.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Do What You Love
"Do what you love."
Growing up, I heard that phrase over and over when I talked to adults about my future. Whenever we talked about it, they would encourage me, saying things like "follow your dreams," and "if you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life." It was great.
However, as the decision-making time came closer, those encouragements faded. I was told to be "practical" and "realistic." It's taken me a while, but I finally realized that most people have two mindsets about the future: the fun, daydreaming mindset and the pessimistic, "realistic" mindset. When something is far off in the future, they allow themselves to dream big and fantasize. However, when the time to make the decision rolls around, they forsake all of those big ideas for something that is small and safe (what they rationalize as being "realistic").
When I came into Ohio University my freshman year I was a business major. I was surrounded by people who were safe and loved to think inside the box. I hated nearly every moment of it. Finally, after several revelations, I changed my major to Game Design. I did so because I was tired of being surrounded by pessimists and structure. I was also tired of lying to myself by dreaming big in my mind and acting small in real life. Changing my major was a statement of defiance and a promise to be true to myself. From now on, I'm not just thinking and talking about big things. I'm doing them. As they say so succinctly in Zombieland, "Nut up or shut up."
Growing up, I heard that phrase over and over when I talked to adults about my future. Whenever we talked about it, they would encourage me, saying things like "follow your dreams," and "if you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life." It was great.
However, as the decision-making time came closer, those encouragements faded. I was told to be "practical" and "realistic." It's taken me a while, but I finally realized that most people have two mindsets about the future: the fun, daydreaming mindset and the pessimistic, "realistic" mindset. When something is far off in the future, they allow themselves to dream big and fantasize. However, when the time to make the decision rolls around, they forsake all of those big ideas for something that is small and safe (what they rationalize as being "realistic").
When I came into Ohio University my freshman year I was a business major. I was surrounded by people who were safe and loved to think inside the box. I hated nearly every moment of it. Finally, after several revelations, I changed my major to Game Design. I did so because I was tired of being surrounded by pessimists and structure. I was also tired of lying to myself by dreaming big in my mind and acting small in real life. Changing my major was a statement of defiance and a promise to be true to myself. From now on, I'm not just thinking and talking about big things. I'm doing them. As they say so succinctly in Zombieland, "Nut up or shut up."
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