The Freak Factor

www.changethis.com
1. What's Your Problem?
     What's Your Problem asks us to think about what it is that an employer or a parent might say about us that they would consider a "weakness."  In a typical job interview you will be asked what your weakness is.  Usually things like messiness, impatience, and short attention spans are all pin pointed.  The Freak Factor asks us to think about these things differently.  Instead of thinking of them just as bad characteristics, think of them as the opposite trait to your strengths, such as creativity, energy, and being outspoken.  To be good at being creative, you probably are going to be a little stubborn, a little controlling, and probably prefer to work alone.  You cannot cut out these "negative" characteristics to be a more "well rounded" individual.  We need to stop trying to attain this.  Be good at what your good at, and forget the rest.

2. What's My Problem
      This point describes how the author realized his weaknesses were clues to his apparent strengths.  He realizes that you can be successful with a cluttered desk.  Function however you function best.  The author was described to have the weaknesses of talking too much and being too hyperactive.  He took those things, and became a professor.  He now gets paid to stand, and talk, the two things that were his apparent downfalls.  This is helpful because the person who isn't a good team player works alone in the real world.  The person who doesn't like authority becomes an entrepreneur and runs his own business. Take your weakness and mold your career to where it helps you be a better you! Your "weakness" is now a strength.

3.  There's Nothing Wrong With You
        In this point we read about a drug addict of 15 years loses everything that mattered to him and was homeless.  He completely turned his life around and is married with 4 children and has a successful non profit organization and a best selling book.  We learn that he did change his life, but he's still an addict.  He just changed what he is addicted to.  He is now hooked on Ironman triathlons.  We can learn to do this in our everyday lives as well.  Take your negative features and apply it toward career oriented things or goals.

Through working with others throughout my relatively short creative career I have learned the typical "creative person traits" apply to myself.  I have come to terms with the fact that I am controlling when it comes to MY creative work.  I am also a perfectionist with my work. I love to talk, and talk a lot, with people I don't know.  And, yes, sometimes I do enjoy being the center of attention.  So, in a way, I suppose I have already applied these pieces of advice toward my life.  I like attention, so I became a DJ.  I love being in control of my work so I compose my own pieces in my bed room. However, I am practicing on my work with others.  It takes time learning how to create with others.  My strengths are all similar to my weaknesses. I do love to talk to people, so I'm a networker. I am controlling with my creative pieces cause I know what it needs to sound like or look like in my head.  I have vision and direction and I just try to adhere to it.
      

Collapsus

In my opinion, the "interactive storytelling" like Collapsus is fascinating.  However, to me it seems to be just novelty.  Much like our current obsession with touch screens and iPads.  I do not see the interactive storytelling ever really being fun.  For users to really be immersed into the action one needs to either be just playing, or just listening. These mixtures of didactive and active learning are confusing.  Especially for young video game consumers.  No children will have the patience to stick with the intellectual work of understanding such elaborate storytelling.  Trans-Media has not impacted my own creative work.  This class has reminded me how exciting it is to share your work with others.  In the long run, interactive media, and any media for that matter is just about sharing your creative ideas with others.  As long as interactive media delivers intricate ways of sharing these ideas, it will have a niche market.

Video Game Reflections

With our Concept of a "Wheel Chair Rugby" sports game, most of the main points were easy to convey.  Certain details probably could have been conveyed a little clearer.  Things like how online multi-player may work and the controls of the actual game play may have made the presentation clearer.  Strong points in our presentation were details about the different game modes; Exhibition Mode, Career Mode, and Dynasty Mode. Another strong point was our menu layout.  Thanks to other sports games we had models to follow for the most effective interface.

Rules and Mechanics were the hardest concepts to convey.  Wheel Chair Rugby is not widely popular, so explaining rules of a foreign sport concisely is difficult.  Mechanics of how the game will actually play, controls, and how fun the game will feel is also difficult because no other game like this exists.

Hero/Villain Critiques

http://firstday-chad.blogspot.com/
Chad used a lot of color to direct our attention toward his action.  The Hues used offer many different varieties for your eyes to watch.  The Brightness makes the viewer want to watch what is going to happen next.  Parallel Movements are used with the arm movements of the stick figures.
http://willcrowthermdia203.blogspot.com/
Will's animation has all black color, this to me creates a unique mood.  No color is used until the end when he utilizes a bright red hue to exaggerate the symbolism.
http://musingsofmdia203.blogspot.com/
Ryan shows weight, by allowing the bright red saturated balloon to float into the air.

This American Life

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/178/superpowers

I have always been drawn to Batman.  My cousin and I would search for hours to locate the nearest safety pin to hold our towel capes around our necks.  Once this objective was achieved, we would then tumble around the house as if we were Batman and Robin fighting crime.  In my solo ventures, I had numerous chest plates, black masks, and silk capes for my own Batman get ups.  The chest plate was necessary to make me appear shredded, like Batman’s impeccable physique.

                The question is why Batman.  Well, Batman is a unique super hero.  Batman does not have any super powers.  Batman is a man who has virtually unlimited resources because of his wealth.  With his unlimited time and resources, he can afford to be in shape, technologically superior, and trained in the best combat training known to man.  As a kid I always knew the abilities that super man had were horribly unrealistic.  But Batman, he just had a utility belt, state-of-the-art car, and a lair with a butler named Alfred.  The things Batman could do with his utility belt are enough to make any kid want a grappling gun or a net gun.  Batman could rush into the city at any sign of need, and round up any villain.  Any damage Batman might take could easily be repaired by Alfred.  Also, the best thing about Batman was at any sign of trouble he had an uncanny ability to escape.  With a smoke bomb or two and a flash of his cape, Batman would be zip lining to another sky scraper away from an impending capture.  This ability to escape was always fascinating to me.  The ability to conquer any situation with the items you have in your possession is one that excites me most about Batman’s abilities.

Hero/Villain Animation

Video Projects

                In the first joke we used stuffed animals to convey the action.  With stuffed animals we get to utilize line and shape more dramatically because stuffed animals are exaggerated figures.  Lines are created when the stuffed animals are set up with OTS shots and making eye contact.  Obviously they cannot really make eye contact because of the lack of life, so we can make it look like they are with lines.  The shape is important because the different animals draw your eyes in different ways.  The figure of the pig can be metaphorically used as the corrupt economist, thanks to shape.

                In the second joke we employed movement quite a bit.  Starting with the interviewer, we made her awkward.  Each interviewee after that had their own unique movements.  Each interviewee frustratingly left the room after their interview; each frustration being utilized with movement.  Lines were used with the awkward eye contact made between both the interviewer and interviewee.

                The joke script we chose conveniently uses tension and release.  The joke creates a tension by making you watch one interview after another.  During the first two interviews you do not where the joke is going.  You finally get a release at the very end after the punch line is delivered.

                The videos are similar in that they both utilized similar dialogue with similar shots.  They are obviously very different with inanimate objects in one and real actors in the other.

Video Game Critique

How To Be Creative

http://changethis.com/

Audio Commentary Critiquing Favorite Scene

Reimagining Visual Framing

            I was drawn to this image for perhaps obvious reasons.  I was fascinated by what looks to be a 13 year old girl smoking a cigarette.  The original image is a medium 3 shot with what looks like another young adolescent girl to the right, and a stilted figure to the left.  I re framed the image to focus on this young girl with her cigarette with a somewhat troubled look on her face.  Emphasizing the cigarette and the young girl, you can see that she looks as if she has been smoking for years; but the elegance of her young face and white dress suggest differently.  The original image takes advantage of the rule of thirds with some kind of bazaar figure on stilts in the left quadrant, the smoking girl in the middle, and the friend in the right third.  The original images create depth with lines that extend from the smoking girl, back to the stilted figure, and even beyond that into the woods following a dirt road.

            An affinity is created between the girl’s innocence of her face and white dress and her smoking cigarette.  They seem to be relatable because you immediately notice her pretty face and white dress, then you jump to the cigarette.  This creates an uncomfortable tension when you look at it.  After looking at the cigarette closely it does not appear to be lit or smoking.  So we can only hope it is make believe.

             

Change This

http://changethis.com/

"Acknowledge the Lizard"
Acknowledge The Lizard describes how our prehistoric brainstems hate to be laughed at.  Because of this, we fear being creative, and surprise our art.  This is described as "the resistance."  The Resistance is the little voice in your head that keeps your head down and makes you follow instructions.

"Connect"
Connect describes to us that we have endless possibilities in who we network with.  Just a few years ago we could only network and work with the people around us; our family, friends, and co workers.  Now we can connect with virtually anyone.  As long as you use the social utilities to their full potential the possibilities are endless.  If you are looking to see how many new posts you have, or how many facebook friends you have you may be using them for the wrong reasons.  Instead you should be seeing who you can connect with on a professional level that you could never have before.

Acknowledge the Lizard and Connect, both apply to me on a creative level, and to this blog.  Acknowledge the Lizard applies to getting over the fear of people reading your work.  Which, for this class, is all you do on your blog.  Everyone can see every piece of work you do.
Connect applies to me creating a professional body of work in this class.  I will eventually be connecting with industry professionals and I will have this blog of works to show them if needed.

Song Critiques

http://maddsmedia.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-garageband-song.html
http://csoergel.blogspot.com/

Soundscape Critiques

Kramer Lewis- http://kramersblog26.blogspot.com/
Michael Stephens-http://mikstep.blogspot.com/
Juliette Rocheleau-http://heytherejuliette.blogspot.com/

Song/Music Project

Mark & Tanner's Soundscape

Find Your Howl

Find Your Howl

            In Find Your Howl a wolf has been kept in captivity so long that he has forgotten how to hunt, howl and be a wild beast like he is supposed to be.  Upon trying to hunt a deer, the deer spoke to him.  The deer asked him who taught him how to hunt, Mumon answered that no one did.  He just knew how.  The deer continued by telling him his howl was the same.  Mumon the wolf caught the deer and ate him.  After finishing his meal he felt guilty for have eating the deer.  But now the deer was apart of him and he took pride in knowing that he had become his old self again.  He could now go back and lead his pack the way he was supposed to.

A quote that I found to be very meaningful for the media industry is this:

“Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.”
William B. Sprague

This quote inspires me to continue trying to network, and perfect my craft.  It reminds me that no one at any time will come along and give me what I wish to have.  I have to make it happen on my own.  Set back and disappointment is inevitable and will happen almost every instance.  However, I only need to work hard for one opportunity.  By striking the iron and making it hot I can create my own opportunity.

Who Inspires You As a Creative Person?

As a music composer, DJ and musician; I strive to make creative works that will be remembered by you, the listener, later on in your day.  I try to avoid creating just another piece to be lumped in with the audible clutter of today’s creative hodgepodge.  My pieces are driven by bold melodies that invoke some kind of emotional response.  If a musical piece that I have put hours and days into doesn’t move me in any kind of way, I scrap it, and move onto another project.  I challenge myself to make chorus melodies more powerful than the project before, with equally catchy counter melodies for accompaniment on the verses.

            My favorite music producer, that in my mind does all of these things the best, is Jim Jonsin.  I’ve been drawn to Jim Jonsin’s work from the time I first started listening to hip hop.  Jim Jonsin is a music producer/songwriter that has multiple number one singles, and a Grammy.  In my mind the things that make his music so successful are things that we don’t consciously think of when listening to music.  For example, Jonsin’s musical numbers are always dominated by a bold melody that throws itself into your head.  Your brain doesn’t have to think about what it is that it is hearing.  No piecing together abstract sounds and unorganized chord structures.  Just aggressive drums with heavy kick drums and snare sounds that crack in your ears.  In a way you receive very didactive music, the chord progressions Jonsin uses are simple, but powerful, your brain seems to know what chord is going to come next yet you would have never thought to create the same progression yourself.  This strange interaction while you’re listening connects you to the music, a resonation begins.  The chords of the music stimulate emotions in your head that you can only express by bobbing your head to the beat.

           

An affinity is created between a creator and a listener when you can produce this kind of action when audiences hear your work.  This is what I aspire to achieve in my music every time I sit down with creative inspiration.  As an artist I feel like anything less than this is a creative failure.  

Blog Assignment, Cover Songs

(Top) Phil Collins-In the Air Tonight
(Bottom) Non Point- In the Air Tonight

The song “In the Air Tonight” is one of legendary music composer Phil Collins’s most famous hits.  From the 1981 album Face Value, “In the Air Tonight” has been a timeless hit for decades now.  The song has had such success because it sounds like it hasn’t aged at all.  Collins really was ahead of his time with the production and sounds he used for the song.  The song almost certainly couldn’t sound any better, but then a band named Non Point came along and made the song even more intense than it already is.  Non Point’s cover was so good that it was featured in the film “Miami Vice” with Colin Ferrell and Jamie Foxx.  Both versions are great in their own right, but they both have unique sound characteristics also.

            “In the Air Tonight” is a song that revolves around tension and release.  The original version begins very slow with quiet and haunting sounding instruments.  The intensity is very high, but strangely enough the feeling is created with very soft and suspenseful sounds.  I have always been drawn to this song because it draws you in.  The timbre creates this very spacey atmosphere as if you are wandering around in darkness looking for something.  I think this is what Collins was trying to achieve in the arrangement of the song.  There is an uneasy tension; to me this is the wandering feeling, as if I’m looking for something.  Later on in the song we find what we were looking for, which is a much faster and louder Rhythm brought to the forefront by an epic drum fill in.  At last our ears have found the release they were anticipating.

            In Non Points cover, all the original emotions are simply amplified with a much louder intensity and slightly more chaotic musical organization.  Non Point managed to take a song and add to it without hurting the original mood and feeling of the song.  Everything remains the same, except the excitement our ears were waiting for in the Phil Collins version is there from the beginning with heavy drums and distorted guitars.  Non Point successfully added modern rock features to this timeless classic.

            I personally really enjoy both.  I almost listen to them as if they were two different songs.  Even though they both have the same lyrics and melody the moods are very different.  The original is mysterious and you could almost relax to the sound of it.  The Non Point cover is very aggressive and angry; almost surely to excite your brain and raise your heart rate.  If I had to listen to the song over and over again, I would probably choose the Non Point cover for the previous reasons.  I enjoy the constant excitement without having to wait and wait for the release.  For all of these characteristics “In the Air Tonight,” regardless of the version, is guaranteed to be a radio classic forever; just as it has been since 1981.

Blog Day 1

Hello I am Tanner Simmons, aka DJ Tanner. I am an audio production major, DJ, and drummer.