Week 5 Tute Exercise- Culture Jamming. Planning Process

Culture Jamming...a term I've grown to really appreciate, and have a whole lot of fun with!

For this particular exercise, we've decided to delve into the clubbing scene and mess with the minds of young, naive club-goers by convincing them that famous Hollywood rapstar, Jay-Z is making a special guest appearance at popular Gold Coast nightclub, Sin City.

Why did we choose to do this?

Because the target audience is way too easy a target. All of these young hollywood-obsessed superficial adolescents seeking any chance to make their brush with fame...Why wouldn't we do it? I think that this will be a relatively easy Culture Jam to pull off as Sin City is notorious for having special celebrity guest appearances without much advertisement about it at all. And the youth of our nation tend to be the ones who overlook the fine print and forget to read into the facts. In other words, they'll believe ANYTHING as long as it comes off as somewhat legitimate. And what better way to promote this 'special event' then through the very portal which our youth depends on for communication and information: Facebook! Through not only Facebook, but also Twitter, we have created fan pages masked as actual 'Sin City' Fan Sites. Through these social networks we will post legitimate information about the club and its upcoming events. To create a subtle approach to the Jay-Z Appearance, we'll ease into it by posting 'hints' each day and simply starting off by just stating that a 'special celebrity guest' will be appearing for Sin City's 2nd Birthday next Friday September 10. Eventually once the final hint has been revealed, we will distribute flyers announcing the appearance of Katy using one of Sin City's own flyers but simply altering it and adding Jay-Z's name onto it. 

We're hoping that by promoting this event, we can prove that Culture Jamming IS a very common and successful form of false promotion. We're planning on rocking up on the Friday to monitor how many people actually show up to see Katy. We will also monitor the success by the responses that we receive on both Twitter and Facebook. Let's hope it all pulls through, for the sake of a good giggle!

Week 5 TuteSpark- Culture Jamming

Culture Jamming has proven to be a very effective form of damaging and exposing companies through their own ad campaign designs. Some examples of these are as follows:

The most damaging Culture Jam: 

Ipod: IRAQ Culture Jam- a very clever and also damaging recreated version of the very popular iPod advertisements:

"The most effective and disturbing of the images above is the iPod subvertisement. The well known colorful background, black silhouette of a person jammin' out, and what looks like iPod headphone cords remains the same as the actual iPod advertisement in order to initially appear to be ad itself. When examined further, the viewer will see that the person is a replica of the famous yet haunting photo taken of an Iraqi detainee at Abu Ghraib. It portrays a man being physically and psychologically tortured by being made to think that if he were to move from this stress position he would be electrocuted. This gives us the message that Americans spend too much time concentrating on consuming and obtaining physical "things" that we cannot even recognize the horrific, torturous, inhumane acts some of our soldiers are carrying out overseas. "
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_c8BLgIFPhn8/SwLmO8RQlMI/AAAAAAAAACk/MiHsteTkz3k/s1600/abughraib.jpg)

I believe that another one of the most damaging would have to be the Burger King and or McDonalds Culture Jams. Designed to influence people to STOP eating junk food, these Culture Jams are incredibly damaging to these large fast-food corporations.

These Culture Jams have created a very effective and informative way of making a statement about certain brands/people/corporations that are believed to be in some way manipulating or misleading. Culture Jamming is an excellent for of exposure and continues to be used throughout society to convey very strong political statements.

Week 4- Tute Exercise: Video or Film Online.

Question 1: 1.Where and when did usable online video start?


Usable online video first started in 2002. This is when Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Warner Bros. established the much anticipated MovieLink. 


Question 2: What recent innovations are being used to lure us into the movies? What are they luring us from?

Examples of technological innovations used to lure audiences to watch movies and television series include: Online Movie and Tv Trailers found on websites such a YouTube- This allows internet users to acces YouTube and view the full-length movie of episode trailer. These trailers are used to show parts of the movie or show (usually the parts that show the most funny lines or the beginning of the climax) that attract the viewers so that they are left NEEDING to see what happens next.  These trailers are also aired on television, at the movie theaters prior to a movie commencing and nowadays, these previews can also be accessed via telephone through mobile internet.


Question 3: Are short films still being made? Why? Who pays for them?

Short films are indeed still being made in modern society. This is made apparent by the large number of Short Film Festivals that are still being held in honour of the short film industry. Such festivals include the Sydney Film Festival and the world's largest short film festival which is TropFest. Short films make money from festivals such as these through prize money. Another way that short films make money is through the internet. 


Question 4: The term viral is thrown about a lot but what does it mean in film/movie arena?


The term 'viral' refers to a film/show/videoclip that is made popular through the process of internet sharing. These videos can be shared via email or video websites such a YouTube. The popularity of these videos is often determined by how many 'hits' it makes: in other words, how many views it has by the public. A great example of one of these videos is the ever popular YouTube hit "David after Dentist" which since it's release one year ago has received 66,416,848 views!





Question 5: Online video distribution isn't limited to the short film format. We are now starting to see television styled shows made solely for internet release (webisodes). Find an example of this style of content and discuss how viewing television content in this way can positively and negatively affect the viewer's experience.


3 examples of online webisodes include:
*Fred
*Smosh
*Red vs. Blue


All of these online tv series are found on a website called mashable.com. I believe that the invention of these online webisodes can be negative and positive depending on the user. For people who have little access to the internet or simply have a very slow internet modem, it can be very hard to access and download such webisodes. In the case of someone who has very easy access to fast internet, I think this is a great way to air series as it is easily accessible and can be watched whenever one pleases as opposed to having to wait for a certain time when a show airs on normal TV. 

Week 4 TuteSpark- Big Screen to Small Screen

SHORT FILMS ONLINE


Short Film #1: Lovefield By Mathieu Ratthe


Lovefield combines elements of HORROR, SUSPENSE and DRAMA to create a story that takes the audience on a roller coaster ride of emotions. It is an excellent example of a short story with a twist. What makes this short film so successful is it's use of music, setting and lack of dialogue until the very end of the film. The biggest element used to make this film such a success is the incorporation of the crow, screeching and crying and then going silent as the climax of the film builds up. 





Short Film #2: The Black Button By DarkHeart Productions


"The Black Button" is an excellent example of a short film. It presents the story of a man faced with the decision: 10 million dollars at the cost of another's life, or to simply walk away. What makes this such a successful short film is the way in which it was filmed with such simplicity, yet conveyed it's story, discourses and theme so well in such a short amount of time. The use of a plain white set with only a desk, chair and the button present focuses the viewers attention on only what is going on between the man at the desk and the man who has to make the decision to press the button or not. The use of dark, ominous music also helps to set the scene. 





Short Film #3: Intended Consquences By Jonathan Torgovnik. 


Intended Consequences tells the story of the 1994 Rwanda genocide. An event in which 800,00 Tutsi people were brutally slaughtered over 100 days by the Militias, most of these vicitims being women who were repeatedly raped resulting in the birth of 20,000 children. As a result, many of the women and children were effected by HIV AIDS, a scar of the war which destroyed the nation and most of the lives of the Tutsi people. What makes this such an effect short film is the use of not only video documentary but also photographical documentation of the victims which has been incorporated into the video. The swap between video and photographical story-telling creates a more artistic story, and therefore creates a bigger impact on those viewing it. 
This short film, along many others is a part of the now incredibly popular website, Mediastorm.com. Mediastorm.com was created to provide photojournalists with a space to post photo-documentaries that they have created. It's openly viewable by all internet-users and has proven to be a successful form of advertisement for the works of those who post their work. 

In Rwanda, in 1994, Hutu militia committed a bloody genocide, murdering one million Tutsis. Many of the Tutsi women were spared, only to be held captive and repeatedly raped. Many became pregnant. Intended Consequences tells their stories. See the project at http://mediastorm.com/publication/intended-
consequences

Tute Spark Week 3- Digital Devices

Examples of Digital Devices that are not electronic: 

The Telegraph:

The Type-writer:

The Pianola:

Definitions: 

Digital: Describes electronic technology that generates, stores and processes data. Relating to, or resembling a digit.

Analog: The continuous transmission of information to our senses.

Communication: A process whereby information is enclosed in a package and is channeled and imported by a sender to a receiver via a medium.

Electronic: Of, based on, operated by, or otherwise involving the controlled conduction of electrons or other charge corners.

At first, I found it incredibly difficult to distinguish the difference between electronic and non-electronic digital devices as all of the science side of things especially in the digital world tends to fly straight over my head. But from the information that I collected and the definitions that were found, I'm hoping that I have finally submitted three correct examples of digital devices that are not electronic! These examples include, the original telegraph; the long distance transmission of written messages without physical transport of letters, the type-writer; the first mechanical device used to process written documents and lastly, the Pianola. At first, I was convinced that a normal Piano would have sufficed as a correct answer for something that is a non-electronic digital device, but after more thorough research it has become apparent to me that a regular piano is indeed not considered a non-electronic digital device as it is evidently NOT digital, but the Pianola indeed is. 

References:

http://searchcio midmarket.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid183_gci211948,00.html

analogue: http://www.techterms.com/definition/analog

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_electronics

WEEK 3: Who came up with these Questions anyway?

1. What is the weight of the world’s biggest machine? How much did it cost to build?

(link:http://www.geekologie.com/2008/08/worlds_largest_digging_machine.php)

The world's biggest machine is a giant trencher built a couple years ago by German manufacturer Krupp. It took more than 5 years and $100 million to design and manufacture.

The trencher is almost 95 meters high and 215 meters long (almost 2.5 football fields in length) with 45,500 tons in weight. Maximum digging speed is 10 meters per minute and it can move more than 76,000 cubic meters of coal, rock, and earth per day.

2. What is the best way (quickest, most reliable) to contact Ozzy Osborne?

(link:  http://famous-relationships.topsynergy.com/Ozzy_Osbourne/Contact.asp)

The quickest and most direct way to contact Ozzy Osbourne would be through his manager, his wife Sharon Osbourne on 310-859-7761 or through his agent Ari Emanuel on 310-248-2000.

3. When and what was the first example of global digital communication?

(link: http://www.arrl.org/learning-morse-code)

The first form of global digital communication was Morse Code which was first initiated in the 1840's but wasn't extensively used until the 1890's. 

4. What is the cheapest form of travel from the Gold Coast to Melbourne?

(link: http://booking.tigerairways.com/skylights/cgi-bin/skylights.cgi)

The cheapest form of travel from the Gold Coast to Melbourne would be to grab a cheap flight through Tiger Airways.

Flight Details: TT 5507 OOL 21:45 hrs MEL 23:59 hrs Lowest Fare $78.95 AUD

5. Who is Hatsune Miku? What company does she belong to? What is her birthday?

(link: http://www.japanfiles.com/spotlight/vocaloid)

Hatsune Miku is the first installment in the Vocaloid2 Character Vocal Series created by Crypton Future Media and the most popular and well-known Vocaloid, released on August 31, 2007 (also considered her birthday). The name of the title and the character of the software was chosen by combining Hatsu (First), Ne (Sound), and Miku (Future). The data for the voice was created by actually sampling the voice of Saki Fujita, a Japanese voice actress.

6. Find a live webcam in Antarctica. Find a place to stay in Antarctica.

(link: http://www.aad.gov.au/asset/webcams/mawson/default.asp)

There is currently a live webcam at Mawson station which is updated every 10 minutes with still images, the current temperature, time and current activities..

if planning to embark on an Antartic expedition, the stations that are available for accommodation and research include: Casey Station, Davis Station, Mawson Station and Macquarie Island station.

7. What song was top of the Australian pop charts this week in 1980?

(link: http://aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts.htm)

On the week ending August 10th 1980, the number 1 song on the Australian pop charts was "Stars on 45 Medley" by Stars on 45.

8. How would you define the term 'nano technology'? In your own words, what does it really mean?

(link: http://www.nanotechproject.org/topics/nano101/)

Nanotechnology is the art and science of manipulating matter at the nanoscale (down to 1/100,000 the width of a human hair) to create new and unique materials and products. In my words, this makes no sense to me whatsoever. 

9. What type of camera is used to make ‘Google Street View’?

(link: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-9724604-1.html)

The Google Street View camera that is used today is called a Street View Trike which is a pedal tricycle with a 4th generation camera mounted to capture images where cars cannot reach.

10. Translate these questions into Klingon.  

(link: http://www.mrklingon.org/)

1:  nuq 'oH [the] [weight] vo' [the] [world’s] [biggest] [machine] chay' 'ar ta'ta' 'oH [cost] Daq chen

2:  nuq 'oH [the] [best] [way] [quickest] HochHom [reliable] Daq [contact] [Ozzy] [Osborne]

3: ghorgh 'ej nuq ghaHta' [the] wa'DIch [example] vo' [global] [digital] [communication]

4: nuq 'oH [the] [cheapest] [form] vo' [travel] vo' [the] SuD baS [Coast] Daq [Melbourne]

5: 'Iv 'oH [Hatsune] [Miku] nuq [company] ta'taH ghaH [belong] Daq nuq 'oH Daj qoS

6: tu' [a] yIn [webcam] Daq [Antarctica] tu' [a] Daq Daq [stay] Daq [Antarctica]

7: nuq bom ghaHta' [top] vo' [the] [Australian] [pop] [charts] vam [week] Daq

8: chay' [would] SoH [define] [the] [term] ['nano] [technology'] Daq lIj ghaj mu'mey nuq ta'taH 'oH [really] [mean]

9:  nuq [type] vo' [camera] 'oH [used] Daq chenmoH [‘Google] [Street] [View’]

10: [Translate] Dochvammey [questions] Daq tlhIngan

Waiting for Romance...

This photographical sequence tells the story of a young girl waiting for her prince to come and sweep her off her feet. Due to his tardiness, she is forced to wait and consequently is left heartbroken, as is the boy when he finally arrives only to find that she has already left.
When creating this project, we found the process relatively simple. The only thing we would have done differently is perhaps have transferred the photos into iMovie as opposed to iPhoto and sped up the sequence so that the photographs flowed a bit better. But all-in-all we were very pleased with the outcome and believe that our theme was successfully and effectively conveyed.