tutespark 5 - culture jamming

Culture Jamming - is a form political communication which plays with branded images and icons of consumer culture as an attempt to subvert and sensationalise how our everyday lives are saturated in direct and indirect commercialisation.

information sourced from - http://depts.washington.edu/ccce/polcommcampaigns/CultureJamming.htm
(accessed on 3.9.10)

"The phrase "culture jamming" comes from the idea of radio jamming: that public frequencies can be pirated and subverted for independent communication, or to disrupt dominant frequencies."

Some of the most common demostrations of culture jamming include billboard modifications and modifying slogans to create political statements.

First type of Culture Jamming was in 1968 came from the group called Situationist International, when it proposed the use of guerrilla communication within mass media to sow confusion within the dominant culture.

reference - http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Culture_jamming

This culture jam has recently become one of what I would consider the most influential culture jams at least in our day. It is a message to the ignorant and overly communist. This is not only an anti consumerist culture jam but a eye opener if you know the other half of the story behind this picture. By using the well know theme of Apple ipods which seem to be absolutely everywhere these days, the creator/s of this culture jam brings light to the horrific treatment of detainees.

The Fat Tax

The reasons behind the delay in the construction of the light rail on the Gold Coast revealed....

The doors on the already manufactured light rail carriages need altering to accommodate for larger patrons because the door width does not meet standard size measurements. Current train fares have been increased in order to fund these alterations.

week 5 lec response

So this week we had a guest speaker; Adam Muir. He spoke about "social media" even though he disagrees with the fact that they are called "social media." His beef with this term is because technology is "the scientific study of mechanical arts and their application to the world," and then he explained that technology becomes media when it "is used for social or cultural communication." He then went on to say that if you look at the definitions of "technology" and "media," then how can "social media" be called such if media is technology when it is used socially or culturally? Meaning it is already social, so therefore he feels like when you say "social media" you are really saying "social media media." HAHAHAHA!!! He was very passionate about this idea and tried to explain it the best he could but it's a difficult concept to explain, which is why you are probably scratching your head trying to wrap your head around what i just wrote.

Adam also talked about the virtual community and individual identity.

He spoke about the features of Web 2.0 - folksonomy, the idea of 'user generated content,' and open API. He also discussed the three main types of "social media," - weblogs/blogs like this one, social network services like facebook of course and myspace and content sharing communities such as flickr and youtube.

week 4 Tutespark

Ok so our tutespark for this week was to find 3 short films that were made solely for internet distribution/viewing.

1. Meat Locker - a short horror film, filmed on a farm in NSW, starring some local drama students and actors

view it here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrQ5cYwOBso

2. Who wants seconds - a comedy

view it here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mD_bIegv658

3. Touch the Ash - a short film about the complexity of relationships and how computer can be bad

view it here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV6pq1W-I4g&feature=pyv&ad=5067467668&kw=short%20films&gclid=COi8_ZDZ6KMCFQipbwod5G0m3A

activities for week 4

1.Where and when did usable online video start? (provide some refs. and an example if possible)
 
Youtube was founded in  February in 2005 and began an internet video viewing and sharing frenzy. The website fast became the leading online video destination for both viewers and those who post videos. It allows consumers to search and view online videos quickly and easily whilst allowing people to upload their own videos for free and with ease.

info sourced - http://www.youtube.com/t/company_history

Youtube has proved to be a successful medium for self publication, being the source of celebrity for individuals such as Justin Beiber, Trent from punch bowl and Corey Simpson.





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtR6m-w5vaY

2.In the lecture we heard about technological innovations that were used by the studios to lure audiences. (mostly to combat the popularity of TV)
What recent innovations are being used to lure us in the movies?


- vmax cinemas with 3d viewing - vmax cinemas have big leather chairs with extra seat space that are more comfortable than the standard cinema chairs fitted in standard cinemas, the screen is bigger than standard cinema screens, there are small tables and lots of leg room.

sourced - http://www.eventcinemas.com.au/WhatIsVmax- other attempts to lure customers include having 3d sport playing in cinemas instead of films - see more more information - http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/blogs/the-vulture/see-the-really-really-big-men-fly/20100517-v76l.html

- Gold Class cinemas - How many times have you been in a cinema and wanted to strangle the teenagers and children talking throughout the ENTIRE movie!!!!!! I have to say i get this feeling almost everytime i go to the cinema. So as an attempt to lure adults to the cinema, Gold Class was created. This means no people under the age of 18!!!! woop woop! Alcholic beverages are available as well as hot food and seats that recline. A personal waitor can also bring you food during the movie.

sourced from - http://www.villagecinemas.com.au/Cinemas/Gold-Class.htm



- other international attempts to lure customers include - http://www.topnews.in/vienna-cinema-starts-monthly-doggy-day-attract-customers-219184

What are they luring us from?

Cinemas and film production studios are attempting to improve the cinema experience by bringing in new features such as 3d experience and both vmax and gold class cinemas. This is an attempt to get people out of the house, away from the Television and into the cinemas and generate profit.

3.Are short films still being made? Why? Who pays for them to be made?

Short films are still being made. We were shown a fantastic short film called "mankind is no island," made by a person in Australia and a person in New York who filmed the entire film on their cellphones. It won the annual Tropfest competition. I found it really touching and have been showing it to all me friends and family. Short films like this one are atill being made because people with a talent for film making are wanting to create and share their thoughts, ideas, passion and observations with the world. The internet acts as one of the easiest mediums utilised by the producers of short films to share their work.

Alot of the time short films made today are funded by the artists/film makers themselves. Because they are short films and alot of the time they dont star HUGE celebritites in them they are alot cheaper to produce.


4.The term viral is thrown about adhoc but what does it mean in film/movie arena? Give some examples.

The term viral, according to dictionary.com means "of, pertaining to, or caused by a virus." So this does not apply directly to "viral videos" because they dont become viral due to a virus, they become viral because they become extremely popular over a short amount of time and spread like a virus would/does.

According to the viral video chart - Eminem's new music video "Love the way you lie," featuring Rihanna is the number one viral video in the last 24 hours with 57, 263 shares in the last 24 hours. Of course these change as new videos are uploaded and viewed.

ref - http://viralvideochart.unrulymedia.com/now

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.


Happy tree friends is an example of a show solely for internet release.


pos + There are no ads
pos + You can watch these at anytime appropriate to you, where as television is scheduled

neg - Viewing tv content in this way is usually undergone by one person at one time, therefore resulting in antisocial behaviour.
neg - this is not possible for those without internet and can use up way too much internet data for those who only have a limited amount of internet data 

Tutespark - week 3

Ok... the week 3 task is to find at least 3 examples of digital devices that are not electronic. Preferably, communication devices.

Ok well... first we will have to define the key words - digital, device, electronic and communication.

Digital - adjective


1. of or pertaining to a digit or finger.
2. resembling a digit or finger.
3. manipulated with a finger or the fingertips: a digital switch.
4. displaying a readout in digital form: a digital speedometer.
5. having digits or digitlike parts.
6. of, pertaining to, or using data in the form of numerical digits.
7. Computers . involving or using numerical digits expressed in a scale of notation to represent discretely all variables occurring in a problem.
8. of, pertaining to, or using numerical calculations.
9. available in electronic form; readable and manipulable by computer.
Device - noun

1. a thing made for a particular purpose; an invention or contrivance, esp. a mechanical or electrical one.
Electronic - adjective


1. of or pertaining to electronics or to devices, circuits, or systems developed through electronics.
2. of or pertaining to electrons or to an electron.
4. of, pertaining to, or controlled by computers, or computer products and services.

Commmunication - noun

1. the act or process of communicating; fact of being communicated.
2. the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information by speech, writing, or signs.

sourced - http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ on 23.8.10

Ok... so if we put all of these together to form a definition of digital communication device we can assume that a this device is: a thing made for the particular purpose of imparting or intechanging thoughts, opinions or information that resembles a digit or finger, which can be manipulated by a human finger or by a computer is the information is in an electronic form.

Therefore digital devices that are not electronic or also known as analogue could include:

1 - an abacus - which has movable counters that are manually moved by a person's fingers, it communicates numbers and values and assists in making mathematical calculations.

2. an analogue clock - communicates time with numbers

3. smoke signals - are able to communicate a message over a large distance. Most of the time smoke signals are used to signal distress - like in Lord of the Rings, when Gandalf gets Pippin to lift the beacon of Gondor to send Rohan a distress message so they will come to Gondor's aid.

4. Morse code - is a code made up of long and short pulses or "dots and dashes." This code can be communicated by sound and light.
sourced - http://www.omniglot.com/writing/morsecode.htm

treasure hunt for week 3

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


Liebherr T 282B: is the Largest Earth-hauling Truck in the World

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/40463_worlds-largest-machines-ever-built#ixzz0wRuavtR3 
(accessed 13.8.10)

The Liebherr T 282B is the world's largest earth-hauling dump truck. It was designed by a German manufacturer in 2004, when it became the largest earth-hauling truck in the world. This beast of a truck is driven by a 10.5 ton, 90 liter disel engine, producing 3650 horsepower (2700 kW).Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/40463_worlds-largest-machines-ever-built#ixzz0wRvrBugg

Features:

Weight: empty - 203 tons; maximum capacity - 365 tons; maximum operating weight - 592 tons

Length: 14.5 m long

Height: 7.4 m tall

Wheelbase: 6.6 m

Top Speed: 40 mph or 65 kph

Costs: US$3.5 M

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

Ozzy Osbourne's Manager:

Sharon Osbourne

Sharon Osbourne Management

9292 Civic Center Drive

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Phone: 310-859-7761

sourced from - http://famous-relationships.topsynergy.com/Ozzy_Osbourne/Contact.asp
(accessed 13.08.10)

3. When and what was the first example of global digital communication?
Digital communication is the "electronic transmission of information that has been encoded digitally (as for storage and processing by computers)."

sourced - http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/digital+communication (accessed 1.9.10)

Morse Code is one of the earliest forms of digital communication because it was a form of communicating via a specific code (which could be a message or information) that was transmitted over a distance via the electric telegraph which was invented by Samuel Morse in 1836.

reference - http://www.omniglot.com/writing/morsecode.htm (accessed 1.9.10)

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

Jet has Jest saver flights with carry on luggage only for $89 from Gold Coast to Melbourne.

 sourced on 1.9.10 -http://travel.webjet.com.au/webjettsa/home.aspx?flight_search_action=http%3A%2F%2Ftravel.webjet.com.au%2Fwebjettsa%2Fhome.aspx&TripType=OneWay&CityFrom=OOL&DateOut=2010%2F9%2F1&CityTo=Melbourne&DateBack=2010%2F9%2F9&TravelClass=ECONOMY&NumAdult=1&NumChild=0&NumInfant=0&EntryPoint=Flight&RequestFrom=Outside&x=57&y=12


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

this is Hatsune Miku

Miku Hatsune (初音ミク Hatsune Miku) is the first product in the Vocaloid2 Character Vocal Series created by Crypton Future Media. It is considered as the most popular and well known Vocaloid. The name of the title and the character of the software was chosen by combining Hatsu (初, first), Ne (音, sound), and Miku (未来, future) thus meaning "the first sound from the future."^[2] The data for the voice was created by sampling the voice of Saki Fujita (藤田 咲, Fujita Saki),^[3][4]a Japanese voice actress.

Other names	初音未来 (Unofficial name in Nico Nico Douga Chinese broadcast)
Developer	Crypton
Release date	August, 31 2007
Gender	Female
Age	16
Height	158 cm (5'3")
Weight	42 kg (92.4 lbs)
Optimum genre	Pop idol, pop dance
Optimum tempo	70 ~ 150 BPM
Optimum range	A # 3 ~ E # 5
Character Item	Negi[1]

sourced - http://vocaloid.wikia.com/wiki/Miku_Hatsune (accessed 13.08.10)

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

sourced - http://www.awi.de/NM_WebCam/neumayerT.last.jpg (accessed 1.9.10)

As far as I know there are no types of accommodation physically on Antarctica but you can stay on a ship which is close enough.

Polar Star

Converted Ice-Breaker for Expedition Cruises in Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctic Peninsula & Weddell Sea, Antarctica

Ratings:

5 out of 5 (1 votes)

The M/V Polar Star is an ex Swedish icebreaker and was converted in 2000 specifically for expedition cruising. She is an Ice 1A* class vessel, is 4998 GRT and has a fleet of 10 Zodiacs. She is owned b...

Price from:

A$1740 per room

Spirit of Enderby

Spirit of Enberby Ice Breaker in Invercargill (East Antarctica Embarkation), Ross Sea, Antarctica

Ratings:

5 out of 5 (1 votes)

The Spirit of Enderby spends most of her year voyaging around the Polar waters of Antarctica and is perfect for Expedition Travel, carrying just 48 passengers in very comfortable accommodation (r...

Price from:

A$3094 per room

http://www.addictedtotravel.com/accommodation/default.aspx?regionid=12 (accessed 13.8.10)


















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


Funky Town by Lips inc.  - It was number 1 on from the 4th til the 11th August.

 - 4 August Lipps Inc Funkytown 2 weeks


 - 11 August Lipps Inc Funkytown 2 weeks


sourced - http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/List_of_number-one_singles_in_Australia_during_the_1980s#1980_.28Kent_Music_Report.29

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

Nanotechnology is the science of working with, producing, or using materials that are the size of or smaller than a nanometre which is a 100 millionth of a millimetre. This means working with materials that cannot be seen by the naked eye.

reference - http://www.greenfacts.org/en/energy-technologies/glossary-energy-technologies.htm

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

The Google Maps Street View Camera

Google licensed shots from Immersive Media, a company that specializes in 360-degree videos, in order to fill out their coverage in cities like NYC.

As you can see, IM mounts a 11-camera contraption on top of their vehicle as they drive in order to capture the 360-degree view you get on Google Maps. 

sourced - http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/office-voyeurism/the-google-maps-street-view-camera-264972.php


10. Translate these questions into Klingon.


Well since there is no translation for the word "questions" in Klingon, I translated the words "these words"  which translates to: "Dochvammey mu'mey "


sourced - http://sites.google.com/a/klingonword.org/klv/klingon-translator-and-dictionary

Look out below!!!!!!!!!!!!!!