Monday, April 27, 2009
Manifesto 2.0
Though it may be a little further passed the dawn of a century I am still striving to leave footprints towards the future in the name of what many hope is progress. I am one, just one lone wolf but now I think I am better equipted to allow my voice to compete in todays world of growing technologies. It seems I might be more of a cybertronic wolf then one of natures tools. I believe I have something to say because I take things approach what I see happening around me and apply a different perspective, and I believe that I can write. I am a product of my upbringing at the heart of Fairfax County.
I carry the beliefs that as a writer it is my duty to express myself whenever I have the urge to do so. These expressions will not necessarily display the way I feel about people things and occurrences but may just be the result of a creative mind at work. The end result can mean whatever to whoever as long and as long as it stimulates the mind in some way I will consider that work to be a success. I still maintain an interest in philosophy and in dealing with love life and loss but because these subjects are so broad in perspective my interests widen to religion and the controversy that results internally and externally. Within these parameters the spontaneity of youthful love as well as long lasting connections between individuals is where the heart of my poetic style is derived. That being said I will have to continue to discover new ways to make my work as innovative as possible because I know have the knowledge that these central themes drive a lot of individuals and the thousands and thousands of venues for creative works are not necessarily all original.
I can now see how possible it is to manipulte others already established works and utilize them to create something very original and effective. Though there will be no mysteries, no gimmicky ploys to add a level of entertainment unless it is uniquely fulfilling for some reason or another because It is not my style, typically, although when there is a good opportunity to add humor then these types of work can be entertaining and I think this type of thinking is necessary in todays world of famines and wars. I have a strong disgust for sappiness, and therefore fairy tales will die with my adolescence but the themes and reminiscience will live on and obviously must affect my thinking in some way. This is because I know that words of the past breed the words of the future and it is my primary objective to ensure that my ideas in the future breed ideas in a further future always building so that at some point someone can achieve a nirvana of enjoying an absolute wisdom that might not be achievable. But we must try. I demand it as I demand things from myself. I will stretch even more so in attempt to not be restricted within a genre or level of technology.
I have now peered through a window of a tech savvy world full of growing technologies and new ways for people to express themselves creatively. There is no denying the push towards the internet but I think it is important not to get caught up in this "net", losing the nolstagia of the texture of pages between fingers with a book you can't put down would in my opinion be a tragedy. Through the work completed in this class I think I have managed to demonstrate how I see life in certain instances, as I remain curious and insistant on yours and that seems like a fair trade.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Critique 4 Animation
I selected the group project on animation to do my critique on. At first glance the website is visually stimulating. There is a lot going on and I am unsure whether this works well with the theme of the website. Although I might argue that having the links filed down the left side of the site may make sense for a simplistic feel I think it leaves a lot of empty space apart from the one big image of the teddy bear on the right side of the screen. I think the stars and the set up in the end is more distracting then useful and the same chronological scenerio of screen shots with captions with links could be applied in a side scrolling and stacked manner rather then one narrow collumn.
That being said, I'm not the one who should criticise lay outs considering the difficulty I've had creating websites. The site does do a good job in educating people in regards to animation in a simple and effective way. I do think that much of the site relies to heavily on wikipedia as a source however. Although the extracts from Youtube adds a level of depth to the site, the historical animation is my favorite section of the work. The background is less distracting shades of brown that work well. I think the background of th main page should have something similar in the background. I wish there were more pages linked from the main page like this one.
I DO appreciate the section dedicated to computer animation as it seems that venue could have easily been ignored. Similarly the concentration on Anime and its popularity is an important inlusion as well. Overall the site does well to inform and has a lot of information on animation and delivers it in an easily accessible way. Outside of some visual layout alternatives I think the site is well made.
That being said, I'm not the one who should criticise lay outs considering the difficulty I've had creating websites. The site does do a good job in educating people in regards to animation in a simple and effective way. I do think that much of the site relies to heavily on wikipedia as a source however. Although the extracts from Youtube adds a level of depth to the site, the historical animation is my favorite section of the work. The background is less distracting shades of brown that work well. I think the background of th main page should have something similar in the background. I wish there were more pages linked from the main page like this one.
I DO appreciate the section dedicated to computer animation as it seems that venue could have easily been ignored. Similarly the concentration on Anime and its popularity is an important inlusion as well. Overall the site does well to inform and has a lot of information on animation and delivers it in an easily accessible way. Outside of some visual layout alternatives I think the site is well made.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Critique #3 Online Literary Journals
For this assignment, I decided to take a look at the online literary journal called 2RIVER. This is becuase it focuses on not only novels and short stories but allows submissions of artwork and poetry, which both stimulate my interests. After navigating through several pages and taking a look at a few pieces I've concluded that the benefits of a free online journal such as this one far outweigh the negative aspects, however free online journals pose a problem for the future of the industry.
Firstly, the layout of the website is not particularly visual, however I believe this is an understood sacrifice to allow easier navigation through the many accepted submissions. The main page displays recent publications that the site has chosen to highlight, alongside a tool bar that provides links to specific categories ofpast publications. You can navigate through just poems are art pieces for example, as aspect I find particularly useful to students or people with a passion for one genre over the other. The way this website takes advantage of technology is by allowing free emailed submissions to the site making it easier to submit works to get published easier then other venues.
However with the growing publictions online, there is less room for other venues to gain profit from their own publications. There will be less drive to subscribe for any fee whatsoever to online as well as tangible literary journals as the possible venues for publications increase. In one hand sites like 2River are helping to get more peoples creative works publicised and with that the invaluable gowth of common knowledge which I think is a great thing for all writers. Still, the industry itself is struggling to get a grasp of how to profit from online publications and as the increase of online journals continue, the number of journals printed quarterly or monthly decrease.
In comparison to other online journals, 2River seems to put the focus on the works themselves. As seen in the layout of the site as well as the number of accepted genres of work. The pieces are easily accessed and the site does well to share as many works as possible in the simplest way concieved. There are links for relevant articles and even a venue to publish cards. These are both innovative applications used by 2River to set it apart from the other spreading online literary journals.
Firstly, the layout of the website is not particularly visual, however I believe this is an understood sacrifice to allow easier navigation through the many accepted submissions. The main page displays recent publications that the site has chosen to highlight, alongside a tool bar that provides links to specific categories ofpast publications. You can navigate through just poems are art pieces for example, as aspect I find particularly useful to students or people with a passion for one genre over the other. The way this website takes advantage of technology is by allowing free emailed submissions to the site making it easier to submit works to get published easier then other venues.
However with the growing publictions online, there is less room for other venues to gain profit from their own publications. There will be less drive to subscribe for any fee whatsoever to online as well as tangible literary journals as the possible venues for publications increase. In one hand sites like 2River are helping to get more peoples creative works publicised and with that the invaluable gowth of common knowledge which I think is a great thing for all writers. Still, the industry itself is struggling to get a grasp of how to profit from online publications and as the increase of online journals continue, the number of journals printed quarterly or monthly decrease.
In comparison to other online journals, 2River seems to put the focus on the works themselves. As seen in the layout of the site as well as the number of accepted genres of work. The pieces are easily accessed and the site does well to share as many works as possible in the simplest way concieved. There are links for relevant articles and even a venue to publish cards. These are both innovative applications used by 2River to set it apart from the other spreading online literary journals.
Monday, March 16, 2009
CRITIQUE #2 Being Short with Short, a Look at Remixed Children's tales
I had some trouble trying to figure out how to bet visually represent my work with this project. Therefore when it came time for my review of a peers work, I was drawn to the sites who were most visually stimulating. Christina Short's remix project doesn't dissapoint in this regard. She chose to add her own influence to the cover artwork to four popular children's stories. It is organized with a main page having four colorful images meshed together with a link to the four individual stories.
When clicking the link you are taken to each stories individual page, so her work with links is efficient and you can easily navigate between pages. The individual pages are set up similarly with pictures lined up like tiles making up the background of text. The text I came to understand was the original stories in full and I was unaware of any changes made within the stories themselves, however that was not a requirement of this project considering she remixed the artwork well. I think the overall presentation of the work serves the project well.
However, I would like to see more of her influence and creativity applied outside of just the visual aspects of these works. Even the the design and layout itself demonstrates more than adequate creativity in this individual.
When clicking the link you are taken to each stories individual page, so her work with links is efficient and you can easily navigate between pages. The individual pages are set up similarly with pictures lined up like tiles making up the background of text. The text I came to understand was the original stories in full and I was unaware of any changes made within the stories themselves, however that was not a requirement of this project considering she remixed the artwork well. I think the overall presentation of the work serves the project well.
However, I would like to see more of her influence and creativity applied outside of just the visual aspects of these works. Even the the design and layout itself demonstrates more than adequate creativity in this individual.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
CRITIQUE # 1 A Look at Inanimate Alice
I have little experience with this genre of story telling so it was interesting to gather some knowledge from the numerous websites available from the link given in class. Among the different sites I chose to look at one in particular in depth and provide my own critique. I chose to analyze the site created by Kate Pullinger entitled "Inanimate Alice". The site used flash animations for the most part to tell their story.
First in foremost I think it is important to consider why I chose this site to review. Simply enough it was because the image provided amongst the many icons stood out, with a captivating drawn image of a cartoon face. The image in the end had little relevance to the story however creating the urge to look there rather than the infinite options available on the web is of the utmost importance and therefore demonstrates its value. The main page was essential for two purposes. Primarily to instruct the viewer how the story works as well as provide a little context for the protagonist of the story. The theme I have taken is that this was a story regarding a girl that shows how over whelming technology can be and how a little girl can be so emeshed within it. Although I think the title page works well, visually it is weak in comparison to the rest of the site, its color scheme isn't consistent with the main pages and I think there is room for improvement.
Upon beginning the actual story line I saw a lot of qualities within the piece that highlighted the central idea behind the plot. There are a lot of chaotic sounds, voices, and images provided beneath the cover of static flow, in and out, while pushing the narrative forward. The interactive segments with the phone taking photos while on the road is unique and effective, especially when considering this character is taking pictures of flowers while she is looking for her lost father. The list of things I would like to be doing is also comically effective in that it drives the central idea by listing physical activities passively, the irony is obvious and I found myself asking why she isn't out actually doing the things she is listing. The attribute that ties all the sounds and images together are the words themselves.
The words pushing the narrative forward I felt were weak in comparison to the other qualities of the piece. Certain word choices felt like something was lost in translation, the impression I got was that the author might not have had english as their primary language. However the story holds together relatively well, and when considering the piece focuses on the technology, it is utilizing the words are not meant to not be simple and too much emphasis on the written words would have undoubtedly taken away from the overall appeal of work in the end.
First in foremost I think it is important to consider why I chose this site to review. Simply enough it was because the image provided amongst the many icons stood out, with a captivating drawn image of a cartoon face. The image in the end had little relevance to the story however creating the urge to look there rather than the infinite options available on the web is of the utmost importance and therefore demonstrates its value. The main page was essential for two purposes. Primarily to instruct the viewer how the story works as well as provide a little context for the protagonist of the story. The theme I have taken is that this was a story regarding a girl that shows how over whelming technology can be and how a little girl can be so emeshed within it. Although I think the title page works well, visually it is weak in comparison to the rest of the site, its color scheme isn't consistent with the main pages and I think there is room for improvement.
Upon beginning the actual story line I saw a lot of qualities within the piece that highlighted the central idea behind the plot. There are a lot of chaotic sounds, voices, and images provided beneath the cover of static flow, in and out, while pushing the narrative forward. The interactive segments with the phone taking photos while on the road is unique and effective, especially when considering this character is taking pictures of flowers while she is looking for her lost father. The list of things I would like to be doing is also comically effective in that it drives the central idea by listing physical activities passively, the irony is obvious and I found myself asking why she isn't out actually doing the things she is listing. The attribute that ties all the sounds and images together are the words themselves.
The words pushing the narrative forward I felt were weak in comparison to the other qualities of the piece. Certain word choices felt like something was lost in translation, the impression I got was that the author might not have had english as their primary language. However the story holds together relatively well, and when considering the piece focuses on the technology, it is utilizing the words are not meant to not be simple and too much emphasis on the written words would have undoubtedly taken away from the overall appeal of work in the end.
Monday, February 2, 2009
It is soon after the dawn of a century leaving footprints towards the future in the name of what many hope is progress. I am one, just one lone wolf in the vast forest that is the world but I have not and might not tread far from the beaten path. This is my introduction. I believe I am a writer. Not only a writer but a young writer aged 23 years and a product of my upbringing at the heart of Fairfax County, and I carry the beliefs that as a writer it is my duty to express myself whenever I have the urge to do so. These expressions will display the way I feel about people things and occurrences and may be intended to be supportive or aimed at ripping my subject to pieces as well as the span of responses in between those extremes. I have a particular interest in philosophy in dealing with love life and loss. Because these subjects are so broad in perspective my interests widen to religion and the controversy that results internally and externally. Within these parameters the spontaneity of youthful love as well as long lasting connections between individuals is where the heart of my poetic style is derived. The end result will be numerous attempts to analyze and qualify the subjects that seem to evade and remain a mystery to common society. There is a necessary emphasis on attempt.
Though there will be no mysteries, no gimmicky ploys to add a level of entertainment unless it is uniquely fulfilling for some reason or another because I feel it is belittling to all those authors who demonstrate similar passions on a quest for wisdom. I have a strong disgust for sappiness, and therefore fairy tales will die with my adolescence. Although a constant respect for old stories and mythology will always be maintained. This is because I know that words of the past breed the words of the future and it is my primary objective to ensure that my ideas in the future breed ideas in a further future always building so that at some point someone can achieve a nirvana of enjoying an absolute wisdom that might not be achievable. But we must try. I demand it as I demand things from myself.
Firstly, I will stretch, in attempt to not be restricted within a genre or level of technology. I have only worked with things intended for print, short stories, poetry and creative nonfiction. But primarily they are intended to be seen and therefore a bond with technology as a venue to display my thoughts can serve as an effective tool. I won't settle for a piece I am not content with, however I will strive to understand that nothing is perfect and can always sound better look better or be adapted to serve a different or more efficient purpose. I will learn how visual concepts can implore people to follow ideas and implement them. Lastly I will look for influence but not be deterred from my self.
I only have one lifetime to complete these tasks but the beauty in these concepts is that the worlds will remain long after the flesh deteriorates. As time passes even a time lord would tell you that everything has a place and everyone at some point will die. This may ring true however thoughts and concepts may fade out of the limelight but stay immortal by nature. Although things can wither away adding to the emphasis and importance where you put your thoughts to be seen. I will ensure survival by fulfilling every scenerio, eventually every technology. This is because as the paper fades to brown and crinkles as the world overlooks the aging libraries while turning their heads towards a screen my mind could theoretically be pieced together via several sources and the knowledge gained will make the world better. This is not because what I have to say is the most brilliant or innovative but because I undoubtedly have knowledge or experiences that is different from the 5.999 billion other people walking this Earth and can add to the seemingly infinite pile of knowledge that should and will be shared as others ideologies have been shared with me. Join me in this gathering of minds and see how I see life, as I remain curious and insistant on yours and that seems like a fair trade.
Though there will be no mysteries, no gimmicky ploys to add a level of entertainment unless it is uniquely fulfilling for some reason or another because I feel it is belittling to all those authors who demonstrate similar passions on a quest for wisdom. I have a strong disgust for sappiness, and therefore fairy tales will die with my adolescence. Although a constant respect for old stories and mythology will always be maintained. This is because I know that words of the past breed the words of the future and it is my primary objective to ensure that my ideas in the future breed ideas in a further future always building so that at some point someone can achieve a nirvana of enjoying an absolute wisdom that might not be achievable. But we must try. I demand it as I demand things from myself.
Firstly, I will stretch, in attempt to not be restricted within a genre or level of technology. I have only worked with things intended for print, short stories, poetry and creative nonfiction. But primarily they are intended to be seen and therefore a bond with technology as a venue to display my thoughts can serve as an effective tool. I won't settle for a piece I am not content with, however I will strive to understand that nothing is perfect and can always sound better look better or be adapted to serve a different or more efficient purpose. I will learn how visual concepts can implore people to follow ideas and implement them. Lastly I will look for influence but not be deterred from my self.
I only have one lifetime to complete these tasks but the beauty in these concepts is that the worlds will remain long after the flesh deteriorates. As time passes even a time lord would tell you that everything has a place and everyone at some point will die. This may ring true however thoughts and concepts may fade out of the limelight but stay immortal by nature. Although things can wither away adding to the emphasis and importance where you put your thoughts to be seen. I will ensure survival by fulfilling every scenerio, eventually every technology. This is because as the paper fades to brown and crinkles as the world overlooks the aging libraries while turning their heads towards a screen my mind could theoretically be pieced together via several sources and the knowledge gained will make the world better. This is not because what I have to say is the most brilliant or innovative but because I undoubtedly have knowledge or experiences that is different from the 5.999 billion other people walking this Earth and can add to the seemingly infinite pile of knowledge that should and will be shared as others ideologies have been shared with me. Join me in this gathering of minds and see how I see life, as I remain curious and insistant on yours and that seems like a fair trade.
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