“Leave Brittany Alone” Blog Questions

“Leave Brittany Alone” Blog Questions:

a) How many viewers are estimated to have watched the you tube video?

41,922,064
 

b) How would you rate the video?

 3/5

c) Is it of high quality in technical terms? Is it interesting aesthetically e.g. camera angles, use of light, the narrative, and so on?

 the video is not high quality. i think the camera angles is good because it can narrow the distance between the guy in the video and  the audience. 

d) Does it raise interesting socio-cultural issues?  

i think it raise people discussing in leisure time instead of  interesting socio-cultural issues

e) Do you think deserved the attention that it received from the Internet community?

i don;t think so since many comments show that people don't understand the video.

d) Briefly describe the video

A guy talking and crying sadly. But seem not many people know what he is talking about. 

e) Find at least one interesting video, based on Crocker’s or Bus Uncle, and upload it to your blog

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv4Hpz-GI3g

f) Report some positive and negative comments about this new ability for computer users to make and widely distribute and respond to online films (such as the above three videos). (eg see Leadbeater, We-think, xviii;  Burgess and Green, Youtube, Cambridge: Polity, 2009, 10…, 21-30).  

positive

1) get social attention and encourage positive and meaningful discussion, like Bus Uncle, parents who let their baby boy to drive a car.


2)encourage people to make mini film since upload the video is so easy and convinence.

Negative

1)copyright issue,like many people put fan made video of some film of tv programmer, however, the scenes in the video are having copyright.

2)lack of supervise, people can upload any thing they like, even impure mv or deleted movie scenes.   

internet and digtal media

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZwNb11n9zk

•         What is the primary source of news for you?

Internet

•         Do you think that ‘mass media’ will some day be totally replaced by digital media / internet?

I don't think so. Since not everyone is used to read the new on internet, like why electronic book cannot be popular because some people are prefer to hold a book to enjoy it. Some people like holding a newspaper and some like listening to news reports. Maybe 90's enjoy the convenience of reading news on internet, but mass media still has market.

presentation

topic : is it worth to be a digital actor?


Outline

1. Background of digital animation

2. Major technique in  digital animation
- CGI
-motion capture

3. CGI + motion capture
-example and trend

4. Question : is it worth to be a digital actor?
-article
-case study
-my view

5.Key references


PPT:

 Digital Animation - Digital acting
Tabitha, Li Cheuk Wing
1102776

What is digital animation ?
can be produced on a computer

an extension of classic stop motion animation
What is CGI?
Computer-generated imagery

specifically 3D computer graphics and special effects in many fields
 E.G. art, video games, films, television programs, commercials

created by computer software


Movie -

Motion capture
recording movement

translating on to a digital model

Animate digital character models in 2D or 3D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCnjG23fu50&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL392F795745F19961

CGI + Motion capture

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within

The Polar Express

Key quote – Computer facial animation
The modeling of human facial features is both one of the most challenging after elements in computer-generated imagery. Computer facial animation is a highly complex field where models typically include a very large number of animation variables.
Key quote- The Crazy Tech Behind James Cameron’s Avatar
“The way we developed the performance capture on ‘Avatar’ is we have our virtual camera, which allows me to hold a camera in real time ,in my hands and point it at the actors and see them as their CG characters,” ……

“This amazing ability to quickly conjure scenes and images and great fantasy capes that is very visual…When you are doing performance capture, It’s very hard to imagine what it will look like. But if you can see it, if you can have a virtual image of what is it going to be like, then you are there.”
Case study - Avatar: Motion Capture Mirrors Emotions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wK1Ixr-UmM&feature=related
Uploaded by: DiscoveryNetworks
Date: 2009-12-24
Description: Avatar's new performance capture technology could revolutionize the way directors, actors and animators collaborate to create whole new worlds on screen. Director James Cameron explains the process.

Key quote – New Oscar Rules Deem Motion Capture “Not an Animation Technique”
    In a statement on its official website, AMPAS , “Motion capture by itself is not an animation technique.” ……

This decision not only renders fully motion-captured movies like Disney’s A Christmas Carol is ineligible for the top award but also shuts out James Cameron’s Avatar or or Michael Bay’s Transformers 3 from elbowing their way into the category.
Is it worth to be a digital actor?
Key quote - Do the ‘Avatar’ actors deserve recognition?
Director James Cameron had many reasons to be happy the morning that this year’s Oscar nominations were announced: His blockbuster movie “Avatar” tied for the most with nine, including best picture and best director. But he was dismayed that his cast, was shut out.

“The academy has to come to terms with where performance capture goes,’’……

Animators have to work very, very hard with the motion-capture data. After the performance is captured, it’s not just plugged into the computer which spits out big blue people. It’s a hybrid.”
Key quote-Academy Needs An Oscar For Digital Acting
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which gives out the Oscars,……it is shown more willingness in recent years, adding a category for Animated Feature Film.

Given their new-found willingness to adapt with the times, I would petition the Academy that it’s time to add another category to keep up with the way technology is changing movie-making: digital acting.
Key reference
Computer facial animation by Frederic I. Parke, Keith Waters 2008 ISBN 1-56881-448-8 page xi

The Crazy Tech Behind James Cameron’s Avatar by Hollywood Reporter, http://screenrant.com/crazy-3d-technology-james-cameron-avatar-kofi-3367/

Academy Needs An Oscar For Digital Acting from http://www.helloindianapolis.com/commons/pages/articles/opinion/academy_needs_an_oscar_for_digital_acting/237518/

Do the ‘Avatar’ actors deserve recognition? By Richard Verrier,http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/sc-ent-0224-avatar-actors-20100224,0,1272757.story

New Oscar Rules Deem Motion Capture “Not an Animation Technique” by Dominic von Riedemann, http://www.digitalacting.com/2010/07/13/new-oscar-rules-deem-motion-capture-not-an-animation-technique/

Wikipedia

1) What is a brief history of the encyclopedia? 

An encyclopedia (also spelled encyclopaedia or encyclopædia) is a type of reference work,provide summary information of a branch of knowlegde or a particular branch of knowlegde

2) What are some key features of that encyclopedia

     a) according to Wikipedia 

Four major elements define an encyclopaedia: its subject matter, its scope, its method of organization, and its method of production:

• Encyclopaedias can be general or specfic
• aim to provide true and reliable informtion
• userfriendly organization in order to be a reference work
• easy to get the information

     b) according to Encyclopedia Brittannica

3) Which encyclopedia was most useful for this research?

 Wikipedia 

4) Can you trust this encyclopedia (the one you used) 100%? Why or why not?

It canot be trusted because it is free for us to edit the content. 

Gamer Revolution

According to the film, what are some pros and cons of playing video-games for individuals and societies?


According to the film, playing video-games can help us to make more friends from Internet. Also, they can freely express themselves and start a new life in virtual world. Hence, playing video games can be a professional jobs nowadays. People with the talents of playing video-games very well can make money for living. Moreover, some video games contain educational purpose, namely, The Sims. Also,  some army use video games to train the soldiers.

However, video games that contain killing and shooting can make teenagers become more aggressive. In serious, teenagers who play video-games to much may have anti-behaviour to the society and they may finally break the social order.

According the film, is there any evidence that digital games can encourage aggressive values and anti-social actions in the real world? Do you agree?

According to the film, the feel of like really hold the gun and shooting scenes in first person shooter games make gamer become aggressive. In the film, some professionals try to use medical way to study the brain activity when gamers playing violence video game. And the result show us that they are aggressive when playing violence video game.

It is believed that those violence images can affect people harmfully. May be this is answer why there are so many shooting and anti-social behaviours of nowadays. When gamers keeping doing shooting and killing in video games for a long time, they may do this in real world impulsively because they merely able to distinct the real world  and virtual world.

Should governments have the right to ban certain games? Why or why not?
I don't the government need to ban certain games. This is because shooting video games also have upsides. Like it can train the co-coordinate of our  hands and eyes. What the governments should encourage teenages to try different video games in order to have a balance. Like ''The Sims'' can teach us how to solve conflicts. Also, the government can  encourage producer to add different elements in a games instead of focusing on killing.

Digital photography

1. What is the difference between analog photography and digital photography?

-Analog camera provide a bigger light covering than digital camera

-Analog camera have a better quality than digital 

-Analog photography needs to deal with potential problems fear of film exposure and worry about wasted frames. However, digital cameras store the images they capture on rewritable storage cards
-Analog photography generates less mistaken photo than digital because films are expensive.
-Analog photo cannot be review immediately but digital can.

2. What use is digital technology to photographers? 
 Digital technology allows photographers review the photo in the built-in LCD screen. And photographers can store and edit some effects on their photo in computer. The huge storage of memory card allows photographers to take a lots of photos.

3. Is photographic truth at an end? Has it every existed? 
 http://www.pbs.org/ktca/americanphotography/features/digital_essay.html

I think that photographic is still truth at an end and it always existed. No matter is analog photography or digital photography, the moment that photographers push down the button to have a shoot is recording the truth. The shoot is real in that moment. All the editing is in the computer rather than shooting. And the moment of shooting is unable to edit. In the past, when digital technology is not popular, it is hard for us to edit the photo. So, photo contains realistic and truth. However, photo is editable no matter is stored in computer by digital camera or shot by analog camera. When photo can  scan in to computer, all kind of photo can be edited by computer's software, namely, Photoshop. Therefore, I think that photographic is truth due to the moment of shooting. However, digital techology harms the realistic of photos.

Animation and CGI in Cinema

• What are the Pros and Cons of Computer Generated Imagery?
pro-
CGI can enlarge the boundaries of the process in creation. Since it can makes impossible things in the past become possible at all. For example, the Avatar shows us a beautiful and mystic planet and the war scenes and creatures in The Lord of the Rings are so remarkable. So, CGI allows creator to be more creative. Besides, CGI helps producers to save money. This is because CGI can generate realistic setting and makeup.

A computer generated house image.

cons-
Although CGI  can generate a amazing virtual world, it is still virtual. Not every one, previous generation, like CGI movie since it is not real. Beside, actors' health may be harmed by CGI. This is because sometimes actors need to act like a animals or some special creatures, like apes in ''Rise of the Planet of the Apes'' and Gollum in ''the Lord of the Rings.  
   
 

• Will Computer Generated Imagery make actors obsolete? Yes or No? Why?
I don't think so. This is because CGI needs actors to make the movie more realistic. Although the actors in ''The avatar'' nearly all become another creatures and acting in a virtual world, I won't treat this film as cartoon and totally animation movie. Actors makes movie that using CGI become more real. And computer cannot brings us this feeling since actors are really real things and computer cannot generate real things . If there is only CGI in a movie, it is hard to make people enjoy in it.

A high-resolution active marker system with 3,600 × 3,600 resolution at 480 hertz providing real time submillimeter positions.

• Should digital characters be nominated for acting awards competing with humans?
I think they should not competing with human because it is not fair. Our decision may affected by the fantastic CGI since not every can be totally objective . Besides, it is hard for us to design who have a better performance between a actor and an apes which acting by a human.




• What are the advantages and disadvantages of motion capture?
Advantages-
ie is easy to create complex movement and realistic physical interactions. It also can deal with a large amount of animation data in a given time. So, it is effectiveness. It is easy to make everything digital, including the actors who just need to stand in front of the bluescreen in order to capture their movement.


Disadvantages-
There are specific hardwares and special programs are required to process the data. Besides,  the performance may not translate on to the computer model as expected.

• Should animation strive for photorealism?
I don't think  animation should strive for photorealism. Although many producer think that the ideal of animation is as real as real things, I believe that it is a irrational pursuing. There are different attractive elements in reality movie and animation film. Like animation always show us some amazing but virtual thing and make people have imagination. Animation should keep this attractive selling points instead of strive for realism irrationally.

Mission to Earth

a) What is new or different about this example of digital cinema when compared with a) traditional ways of telling a story b) and constructing a film? 

In tradition, we are not part of the film since we cannot be a creator but only a viewer. But, since the software in soft-cinema is relied on the use of databases, and the database is programmed. So that the story is almost never the same. It allows human mind to create a story for themselves, as each scene is going to require a unique interpretation. 

In constructing a film, traditional film usually use one camera to get one scene and use different cameras to have multi-angles. However, in soft cinema, the software in soft cinema controls the screen layout, the number of windows and their content, we can see that soft cinema enlarge our view since it allows us to have diiferent angles of views in same time.

b) What other art (film, digital art, painting etc) does this film remind you of?                         

 It remind me video art. Since this film is dtfferent from traditional film, so I cannot treat this as a film. However, it does remind about video art because it is produced by digital technolog and it is using video way to present some ideas.

c) Wrap up- central question for Manovich –what can this new medium do?

I think this new medium can encourage people to present their own idea. This is because it makes producing a film become easliar. People do not need to take filming courese and know many theories of making film. They can feel free to use this new medium to voice out their views. 

Modern Times: pros and cons of new technologies

Modern Times is a 1936 comedy film by Charlie Chaplin

In ''Modern Times'', Chaplin was a factory worker who employed on an assembly line. When the factory put in more and more modern technologies, Chaplin became only need to do one step over and over again in assembly line, the seat is fixed and he cannot run away from the assembly even the speed of the production line is not suitable for him. This made him became very depressed. 

Besides, he cannot smoke because of  he was under surveillance by the CCTV system. This reflected the fact that new technologies exploited his freedom and privacy. 

More over, the ''eating machine'' also made Chaplin controlled by the machine rather than himself. Finally, Chaplin suffered from mentally breakdown and needed to send to hospital. We can see that new technologies bring a terrible life to Chaplin.

Many people say that new technologies bring us convenience but extending the distance between people. Indeed, we barely cannot live without technologies, like using smart phone, wi-fi, USB. However, every time we enjoy the convenience from the technologies, we also put our privacy in to danger. Hence, although technology reduce the distance between two places, like we can use web cam or skype to chat with friends that live in oversea, it increase the distance between people in daily life. Since nowadays everyone use their digital devices to communicate with others instead of face to face communication. 

 

a brief introduction

I'm Tabitha. I live in Hostel A and I love movies and musics. Also, I'm interested in using Photoshop to design things, namely, poster, banner, name card, booklet.