Critique 4

Though my response here is late, I chose to give a brief critique on Natasha's group project found here:http://mason.gmu.edu/~ahart9/Anime.html

Overall, I really enjoyed this project. I was once a huge fan of japanime in general, and especially Dragon Ball Z. I enjoyed the many videos you posted all over the site, along with the Japanese to English translation dictionary. My favorite part was the history section though. This helped me to understand more about the shows in general, and how they came about, etc. The drawings were really neat too, but I feel you should color them in!

In regards to what I don't think worked, I would mainly like to comment on the design. I feel that the main page is too "full" and it's almost hard to look at. The colors don't seem to blend well. I believe if the background were simpler, it would make for a more "professional" look. Also, I feel the videos could be better organized. Perhaps instead of posting them all on the main page, you could put them into separate pages and link to those pages. I feel this would make it more organized.

Lastly, some of the links on the bottom of the page are broken. In particular, the "Gohan - Remember The Name" (which I love that video, by the way!) does not work. Great work, though! I loved your project.

FINAL PROJECT

http://sites.google.com/site/goodbyegmu/

Manifesto 2.0

After having read my original manifesto for this class, I found many aspects of it that I would change. Though the language was actually quite beautiful and poetic in my opinion (just kidding, I’m full of myself), the substance of what I originally stated as opposed to what I have actually done is entirely different. I stated in my original manifesto that I would make poetry, new Japanese animation, and create mystery and science fiction works. Well, up to this point, I have failed to do any of that. After learning, studying, reading, and being indulged in the beauty of this course, I came to the realization that those were not my areas of expertise. Rather, I found that the increased video technology through Windows Movie Maker and other various tool as Photoshop, etc, were the tools of my designs. These designs have been videos primarily. I have also focused more on web design and informational approaches (such as the copyright site). My original suspicions of this course mainly revolved around the idea that I thought I would have to submit various "textual" works (as in other creative writing courses), but just on a computer. I was oh so wrong. Digital writing is a completely different, and more entertaining, field of creative writing. The options are unlimited, and you have so much more room to decide what you want to do, and how you want to do it. I would say that my original manifesto, as stated articulate and poetic, was fun to read, but lacked substance. I now say that I cannot give a specific example of what my works will be (especially the final project), because the options are unlimited. Having never been in a class such as this, I did not realize the vastness of options within digital writing. From here on out I will use all the tools and techniques I have learned throughout this class and relate them to my final project. The final project is the bulk of this class, and I plan on giving it my all. Effort, time, thought, prayer, workshops, etc, will all be used to help complete my final project. I’m thinking of doing a “choose-your-own-destiny” type story, somewhat like George Shry did in his group project. But I would like to add some animation, as well. I’m not saying this will be my final project, but it is a small possibility. Ultimately, I feel that my ideas for produced works have changed completely, and have taken a 180 degree turn in regards to substance. I did not produce any of what I originally set out to do, but I feel the work I have produced has actually been more suitable to my style of creative “writing.” Thus, I failed to accomplish what my manifesto stated I would do. I apologize.

Revised Manifesto

Hey guys, just lettin' you know I'll be posting my updated manifesto in the morning.  

GROUP PROJECT LINK

http://sites.google.com/site/eng344group/

Critique 3

The literary journal I chose to explore and critique was that of the Toasted Cheese Literary Journal found at http://tclj.toasted-cheese.com/. This literary journal caught my interest for the assignment due to the fact that it accepts numerous genres of writing. The journal accepts flash works, poetry, fiction writing, and even CNF (creative non-fiction). After browsing through the site for a good while and reading a few “Featured Writing” samples, along with a few of the “Editor’s Picks,” I found that the website generally contains interesting pieces of writing. Or at least what I have read this far has been interesting. I especially like the piece entitled, When a Porn Star Steals a Poet's Name, found at http://tclj.toasted-cheese.com/2009/9-1/moni.htm. The poem is clear and concise in my opinion, and the title completely caught me off guard. I had to read it.

Anyhow, in regards to the platform of the website, I feel that the platform is set up quite decently. On the home page of the website there are Editors Picks and Featured Writing samples which serve as a good introduction to the website. There are also archives of pervious works that I found to be a useful platform tool. This way, previous writing samples that are interesting and well done are not just deleted because new, crappier works will come in and take their places. I also found that the website was very straightforward and direct in its approach. It had listed on the left links regarding submission requirements, which is usually the first thing I look for when I visit an online literary journal. The forums were also great and very useful. Outside of that, I felt that the website design was a bit weak and could use some improvement. It was a bit, tacky, so to say.

Continuing, I feel that the literary journal takes advantage of the digital format for publishing creative works mainly because the works are posted quite frequently. Each quarter, March, June, September, December, new works are posted, thus giving a vast amount of new literary works to read, critique, and enjoy. Also, I cannot stress enough the community aspect of the website that is revealed through the forum and chat room. Forums/Chat rooms are a way of life when it comes to online journals, and really online life in all contexts. They are a way of communication. Each writer, reader, and any person just generally interested in the website or the works published can simply access the forum and/or chat room and simply engage in conversations regarding most any topic so desired. Thus, the online journal takes advantage of the digital format to engage all persons.

Lastly, in regards to whether or not I would want my work published on Toasted Cheese, I surely would. I love this website. I have read from it before, and would be honored to have my work published on the site. I think the works are very well done, and believe my work could be just as good if I put in the time and effort. Also, I think it is a great way to get your work noticed. If your work gains popularity amongst readers, it may further advance your chances of becoming well-known, and even help to get works published in hard copies. I really do want to take over their website design program though and teach that designer a thing or two about how to properly design a website!

My Group

Me, Amanda Whitten, Ryan S.

We are doing our project on copyright laws.

Critique - Georgivis

George,

I think this photo is really well done. I was amazed at the insertion of your fingers on the bottom of the image, and how it wasn't part of the original image. I also really like the crystal ball. I thought at first that the ball was surely part of the original drawing, but now that I look at it more closely I can see that is a bit more clear than the dragon. I think the clarity of the crystal ball is what really brings this image to life, which is what brings me to what I think could be edited / improved upon.

I think the only drawback to this amazing image is the fact that the crystal ball is clearer than the dragon and fingers. But really, with a little touch up in Photoshop, that would could be easily changed. I think if the entire image was the same sharpness / clarity, then it would seem more "real" and could easily be passed off as professional work. In regards to what I'm confused about, I'm really only confused about one thing. Basically, I'd like for you to add a bit more explanation on what you did in Photoshop and how you did it. Not being a Photoshop expert myself by any means, I love the changes you made to the image, but really don't come away knowing exactly how do to them myself. Maybe if you just add a little more commentary on that, it'd really help to better my understanding.

In regards to what I would change, I can honestly say I wouldn't change anything other than the clarity of the image. I love it. I love the images inside the crystal ball - that is just so amazingly well done. And basically, about what ideas / techniques I want to use: basically everything. I love the polishing techniques you used in Photoshop. Once I figure out how to use them, I will. Great job, George.

Remix Project

I couldn't seem to format this blog without having an error, so to read my explanation for the Remix Project, please visit the link below. Thank you.

Please click here

I'll try to paste explanation below.

Remix Project Overview The remix I chose to do for this project was that of making two music videos made through the combination of videos found on the blip.tv Creative Commons video search engine and Jamendo music, which is Creative Commons content as well. The project primarily consisted of downloading and editing videos on Creative Commons in Windows Movie Maker, followed by the addition of music and text to the background that flowed well with the video footage. I also manipulated the videos to portray something they were not; for example, on Video #2, I added a subtext to incorporate a story and thus further manipulate the meaning of the works. Sources The sources used for this project included both content and remix sources. The content was pulled from the Creative Commons website, the blip.tv search engine, Jamendo music, and Flickr image search. The remix sources included Windows Movie Maker, which was used in order to edit the video footage and incorporate additional media to the background, the Acez MP3 Wav Converter, a tool used to convert the Jamendo music types from MP3 into Windows .wav compatible types, and WinAce, a program that converted (or unzipped) the Acez MP3 Wav Converter from .zip to .exe so that it was compatible with Windows. There were no video converters used in this project simply because I only downloaded .avi files from Creative Commons, which are easily compatible with Windows and Windows Media Player / Movie Maker. Below are the original videos and songs used in the project: Video #1: Clip - "Hypnotic Hick" episode of Woody Woodpecker Music - "Dropping out of School" by Brad Sucks Video #2: Clip - "Robot Rabbit" episode of Bugs Bunny Music - "Chinese Drop" by Major Major Techniques The techniques primarily used in this remix project included the editing, cutting, and manipulation of video content. I will list a step by step process of how I edited the videos. 1) Firstly, downloaded the video file from the Creative Commons website, and the music from www.jamendo.com. 2) I opened Windows Movie Maker and loaded the saved video files. 3) I clicked on the uploaded media, right clicked, and used the technique "Create Clips" to separate the file into various parts, which made it easier to string together and edit. 4) I loaded the downloaded song, and then dragged both the music and video file down into the media timeline. 5) I proceeded to take portions of the video clips and have them coincide with the songs by shortening each "clip" created. Sometimes I would only use three seconds of a particular clip and then use three seconds of another clip right after it. In essence, I remixed the playing of each video file. 6) I used various tools and effects provided by Windows Movie Maker, such as “Fade in” and “Fade out.” 7) I also adding titles, subtext, and credits all found within the “Title and credits” section on Windows Movie Maker. 8) I finished editing the video to the music, making it so that certain clips of the film matched up well with the music. When the tone or beat of the music would change, I tried to have the video match up so that it flowed well. The process of these combined steps took about two to three hours per video. 9) I then proceeded to use the "Publish Movie" option on Windows Movie Maker, changing the project from a Windows Movie Maker file (.MSWMM) into a .wmv file. 10) After saving and publishing the file, I uploaded the video to YouTube so that I could embed it into my website for class. The upload took about 3-5 minutes per video, though the first attempt took fifteen hours, and then failed, simply because there was an unnoticed glitch. Purpose The purpose of these remixes was to mainly put together an entertaining music video that shows how digital manipulation can truly change the meaning of a works. As stated, by the many editing processes used, I completely changed the context of the Bugs Bunny video clip. The Woody Woodpecker clip, though not changed in meaning as much, was still manipulated and altered. Also the purpose behind this was to further enhance my skills in the Windows Movie Maker program. I have only made one video prior to this assignment, and had little knowledge of the program. Also, as I was informed by the professor, I found that the musical artist used for the Woody Woodpecker video (Brad Sucks) takes all remixes of his work and posts them. Lastly, the purpose of this remix project choice was to be creative! This is a creative writing class, and I felt that I could insert a small portion of text and add a story behind the Bugs Bunny video. Overall, this project was extremely entertaining and informative. I learned more about digital manipulation in this short frame than ever before. Licenses Each video used in this remix project were located under the Creative Commons search engines that allowed for works to be modified, adapted, or built upon. In addition, the music was found on www.jamendo.com, a Creative Commons music website that states it is "a community of free, legal and unlimited music published under Creative Commons licenses" that allows users to download and modify the work. The downloaded song from the band Major Major is under the Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. The downloaded song from the band Brad Sucks is under the Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license. Both allow for downloading, remixing, and adaption.

Tao - Critique 1

A REVIEW OF: "Tao" created by Reiner Strasser & Alan Sondheim (2004)
Critique by: Ryan Wood

The term "Tao" can be most clearly be defined as "the ultimate principle of the universe," according to Princeton's Wordnet database. Reiner Strasser and Alan Sondheim did not fall very short of clearly presenting this highly empowering word through their electronic "interactive cinematographic Flash piece," which puts forth a glorious visual representation of the religiously derived meaning. "Tao" is a virtual poem merely consisting of just under twenty words that reveal themselves as parallel video plays out. The poem is in essence being created as you read and experience the electronic interaction. Strasser and Sondheim incorporated powerful vocabulary to further accentuate the vastness and universal meaning of "Tao." Words such as "star," "earth," and "invisible" are such key terms that bring the poem to life. One may also argue that the poem itself describes the creation of the universe; the first stanza, which reads, "earth blown out to stars," may possibly relate to and depict imagery of the Big Bang Theory , the assumed event that took place when our universe (and eventually earth) was born. Easily enough, this verse could be read in an opposite nature which argues for the death of our planet, as the earth could be shown as exploding and thus ending it's existence. Despite how one may analyze this unique electronic text, the poem does not at all fall short of being deeply rooted in it's universal "Tao" presence.

Though this masterpiece at first glance may seem as if it is underdeveloped, there is a far more powerful meaning to each aspect of the electronic interaction. Firstly, there are two videos that are play while the poem is being displayed; each visual is taken from the viewpoint of a car passenger peering outside the windows. Each video shows some of the main aspects of our mother earth that depict life and creation, including a body of water, mountains, and clouded skies that look as though rain is about to fall. The second of the two videos though, also transitions from the earth into outer space, showing numerous stars and the engulfing blackness. Additionally, the electronic text has been set up so that there are two options for each video; an arrow is located beneath each video so that you can change the direction that the "car" is traveling in the video as the poem plays out. This may possibly represent that, despite the direction of humanity in this life, the outcome will inevitably end up the same. The video also includes a "flag" blowing amongst the wind as the car travels down the road; for most of the poem, the flags move at a steady pace, though in the second line of the poem, the flags abruptly move in a quick and fast pace, swinging rapidly as the word "earth" appears on screen. This line of the poem, which describes "stars blown down to earth by fast cars," is brought to life by the sudden change in direction and movement of flag as "earth" appears, thus serving as another aspect of user interactivity. Lastly, the electronic works also provides an option for the poem to be replayed after it concludes; when this button is clicked, located on the right of the screen, the poem does not simply start over, yet it rewinds like an old VHS tape. This interactivity includes the background music being rewound and played like a record spun backwards, each word of the poem being deleted letter by letter, and the path traveled by both the car and flag to return to their original start point. In essence, the readers do not simply "view" this poem; rather they become part of the poem and "experience" the universal qualities of "Tao."

In regards to my personal opinion upon this piece, I would say that I surely did find it to be a new and engaging experience. Though "Tao" did not quite include as much interactivity as I would have hoped for an electronic piece of literature, the scrolling text of the poem, along with the parallel video, were quite sufficient in their own sense. In particular, I liked the "reverse" or "rewind" aspect of the poem when it concluded and how it took all the media and rewound it in front of the reader's eyes. There was nothing about the poem I truly didn't like, though an additional interactivity feature could surely not have hurt the overall project. For a text to truly be an electronic piece of literature, it must be a transformed piece from print literature. Printed texts are merely words printed onto paper, with hardly any interactivity or accompanying them. They are standard and lack creativity, and have a far lesser potential of being unique as compared to electronic literature. In general, to truly be an electronic text, it must meet certain guidelines; for instance they must be on a computer, they must have some sort of interactivity, and must include either text or imagery created through source code. Strasser and Sondheim did meet all of these requirements in their textual piece, transforming common literature into modern art.

Lastly, I must say that I found the critique of this piece to be unique in itself, and sometimes it proved to be quite difficult as well. I have never before read (or experienced, I now say), let alone review, analyze, and critique an electronic text. Seeing how this is my first draft of a critique, I hope to learn from both my mistakes and mishaps in the next digital "experience."

Manifesto for the ages

This document has been set forth to inform my dearly beloved classmates that I, the leader of this artistic movement we call English 344, will create nonpareil and unrivaled pieces of electronic text that have never been known to man. You will all kneel and worship at my feet after having read my various works. Throughout this course I will not even focus on being unequaled, rather I will surpass all other humanoids and transform (not symbolically) into an illustriously divine figure and thus be the example set forth for all to learn. George Mason University professors and the university dean himself will be my apostles; for at one time I learned from them yet, verily I say unto you that I am now a Senior in my final undergraduate semester and no longer in need of education. I am education.

I tell you the truth; I will create art so dazzling and radiant that you yourself will climax after the experience, similar to when you experience a gained level or completed quest in the Warcraft that is so subtly labeled a "World." There will be mixtures of all genres; there will be mystery madness, science fiction that expresses technical writing, Japanese animation you've never seen, and poetry composed of the Ten Steps to Help You Write Better Essays & Term Papers, APA Version: I Wish I'd Had This When I Was in School by Neil Sawers. In truth, there are no limits to what I will create, but I assure you that you will have numerous media goodies to supplement the standard text. I will take advantage of literary technological advances, and thus my works will not only be accessible to all those who have access to the World Wide Web, rather they will be accessed by all those who have access to the World Wide Web. Google home-pages will be replaced by this. Yes, click on "this." It's a link. Continuing, my art will remix and contain pieces of literature you've never even heard of, but it will no longer contain absurd clichés that I loath. The cliché is my enemy; it is like Sabertooth to my Wolverine, the Joker to my Batman, or rather, and more honestly, it is like Space Jam to my Warner Bros viewing experience.

Steps to do this are not easy to conjure nor will be easily fulfilled. It will take time, focus, and discipline. The following guidelines are a mere outline of what I will do to achieve what I have stated:

1) I simply demand perfection. My works will contain numerous drafts that are edited, re-edited, and reviewed by creative writing professors at Mason.

2) Each day I will submit journal entries to an undisclosed web blog which will contain my every thought and idea in literary terms. These brainstorms will be printed out and interrelated each week in order to create such perfected digital writings.

3) I will submit more journal entries. For one to express is the only way to success.

4) Every word and definition will be memorized from Webster's and Oxford's. Dictionaries will read me.

5) I will listen to how-to-become-a-better-writer self-help cassette tapes in my sleep. Information soaks into your brain while you sleep.

6) Plagiarism will be avoided at all costs, so that my ideas and works will be original and unique, unlike most modern artists.

7) Again, clichés will be avoided! I cannot stress this enough. Any cliché that arises in my writings will be disposed of within seconds of reviews and edits.

For I tell you, the world will be a better place after you finish reading all that I create in this workshop (even though I am unsure as to whether or not I did this manifesto correctly, I can assure you its perfect). Authors and artists (we are all artists in our own way, now) from around the globe will flock to seek advice from yours truly, and will adhere to all that I say. In result, people will no longer be fired from their jobs, the economy will rise like never before, and there will be world-wide peace. My works will be like poetry that eases the mind and reunites mankind. Finally, I tell you the truth, by the end of this course you shall not live by bread alone, but by the Word of my artistry.

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