COM109-Intro to Digital Media (HCC-Fall21-T)

       Since the final project was assigned, I have made 3 YouTube videos. The reason I took this class was to become efficient in making YouTube videos about gaming, so I figured any of the 3 videos would suffice. Each one contains multiple visual and audio edits in Adobe Premiere, Photoshop elements for the thumbnail, and voiceover recording (voiceover was recorded at the same time as recording). Although you may not be familiar with video games, check one of them out and try to at least appreciate the quality of the edits! I think my favorite one is the 3rd video, although it is the longest.  1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRyqSkSHr4A  (Explicit Language) 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0VHwdKBJVU   (Explicit Language) 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvNNxMPELaU

 For the final project I'm going to create a collage style animation using premier. Essentially I'm going to find a bunch of image files I can edit and give them all moving parts. The animation will be about American politics, specifically more current stuff like Covid and the past couple elections. The general idea is to have a person floating past all sorts of different weird abstracted imagery that I can create through photoshop. It will be kinda like a music video or a visualizer as I intend to have some form of sound track accompany it although I still haven't decided exactly what yet. I think my goal is to create sort of a caricature of America and really abstract and extenuate some of the recent hot button issues in the news. I'm not sure if there's going to be an overarching message that I'm trying to get at, I think I just want to draw attention to the absurdity of it all by making it even more over the top.  I'm making this my final project for bot...

With this final project I want to explore ideas related to femininity and female health. I would like to create a design using imagery that represents these concepts. This imagery will include the venus symbol and will likely be accompanied by naturalistic elements and female anatomy, among other things. I plan to use photoshop layers and composition with creative coding to create a GIF. My intention with this project is to create something meaningful and beautiful that also includes commentary about the current events relating to Roe vs Wade. I don't enjoy discussing politics, but to me, female health is not a political issue and should not be treated as such. I have several ideas of how I might represent this with my design but I have not decided yet. What I have decided however is to explore an important topic that I am incredibly passionate about.

 For my final project, I am going to create an album cover for an upcoming album being released by one of my favorite artists. Music is something that is very important to me and I think it will be fun to create the most important piece of artwork when it comes to music release. I will be using Photoshop and will be incorporating photo manipulation, composition, and layers into my design. My intention when doing this project is to really tap into the mind of the artist and make a cover that reflects on the music they release. Whenever I listen to an album, the album cover is what I picture in my head as I listen. That is why it is so crucial for the cover to be an accurate representation of the vibe of the album. I plan to do so through my design.

The idea I have for this final project is doing a series of 3 photoshop posters. I will be using glitch, layers and composition. I will also be incorporating  “stolen art works”' and meshing them together. I will be using photoshop to really show that anything can be new but nothing is original. What really inspired me to do this is a book called Steal Like An Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon. He states that “What a good artist understands is that nothing comes from nowhere. All creative work builds on what came before. Nothing is completely original.” My intention is to really show people that anyone can be an artist. I am really excited to see what I can create.

 I am going to explore where my passion for travel came from and why it is important to me. I want to make this a bit of tribute to my mother, who passed away from COVID back in April of 2020. It is from her that my sense of adventure came from. To her, experiences were far more important in life than money or doing what is expected of us. I want to touch on this idea as well as share an important lesson I have learned through my travels. That you should never let your fears control you or hold you back from doing what you want to do, in fact, I would argue that if what you are doing in life right now doesn’t scare you, then you are probably doing something wrong. Life is about facing your fears and overcoming them, nothing in life worth having comes easy. I have found that stepping out of my comfort zone is where I do the most learning, both about myself and about the world around me.  I also think I want to touch on the idea of cherishing the people in your life as much as y...

 Gavin Connors December 8, 2021 Introduction to Digital Media  My project is about Daffy Duck interacting with another Daffy Duck (loosely speaking). I have manipulated the clip in different ways by editing the clip with Premiere software. I also used Frame animation sequences (GIFs).  I will attempt to explain what audience the clip is targeted for and what it is advertising. I am doing this by using Premiere software and Photoshop. The reason why I am doing this is because I wanted to make Duck Amuck (a short film from the 50's) for digital software. I wanted to reimagine the short film in a different was by being playful and imaginative by manipulation of the clips.  

Garnier Skinactive Micellar Cleansing Water: The advertisement I chose is one for Micellar Cleansing Water by the brand Garnier. I think the target audience for this ad is women, likely those ranging from teenage to middle-aged.  The ad also specifically targets women who wear makeup and women who have sensitive skin, along with women who care about their skin but might be a little lazy when it comes to looking after it.  This advertisement includes three actresses of different ethnicities who have very different facial features as well as different color skin, hair, and eyes. I think the purpose of this diverse appearing cast is to get across the idea that this product will work for all, or at least many, different kinds of women. All the women, however, are very beautiful, have seemingly flawless skin, and appear to be in their 20s or 30s.  This ad demonstrates the power and effectiveness of the cleanser by using classic “before and after” images. We first see the women...

 Link:  https://d3npuic909260z.cloudfront.net/003/577/956/q6y4.mp4 This advertisement opens up with a large group of young adults, showing that the Oculus Quest 2, along with its popular game “Beatsaber” is geared towards people aged 18 – 28. This is a primary age range for people who enjoy video games and the pop artist Billie Eilish, as this Ad includes one of her songs as well as showing her name at the end. This suggests the ad is geared towards the same demographic as Billie Eilish's fans. Furthermore, the actors here are young, but also seem financially stable enough to indulge in a random hobby (such as playing VR with 20 other people in an abandoned dance hall LOL).       As the scene opens up, we see a dark and colorless dance hall with an older classic style, represented by chandeliers and a Victorian style. As our gamer dancers put on their VR headsets, light begins to creep through the windows before eventually everyone enters a portal full of n...

      AD: https://www.ispot.tv/ad/qtny/geico-theres-an-animal-in-the-atti      I choose the GEICO ad "There's an Animal in the Attic." It's a fun ad in which a couple are doing a fake customer testimony about bundling car and home insurance, but they revel that there's an "animal" in their attic. This animal of course being Animal from the Muppets and he's loudly playing drums annoying the couple.     I thought that this would be a good add to choose because it's pretty obvious who the target audience is. the couple who are supposed to be used as a representation of "the customer" are a big clue, they are giving us their testimony of owning the GEICO bundle so we can safely assume that this is how GECIO views it's customers who want to purchase this bundler, middle aged or older homeowners. This makes sense as that is the age demographic that can most likely afford to own a home and a vehicle that need to be insured. The p...

I chose the ad “This Unicorn Changed the Way I Poop” . It's probably one of the funniest ads I have ever seen and thought it would make for a good ad analysis project. The ad opens with the image of an animatronic unicorn puppet squatting over a conveyor belt of ice cream cones as it poops swirls of rainbow colored ice cream into each one. The commercial is narrated by an attractive yet douchey prince dressed in a whimsical prince’s outfit right out of a Disney film. The prince starts off by talking about how ice cream comes from the sphincters of magical unicorns then quickly changes the subject to the audience and their pooping habits. A toilet appears from below and replaces the cones that were once under the unicorn's butt. An illustration then imposes itself over the unicorn's rear end and demonstrates how sitting on a toilet makes it difficult to poop.  The prince continues his comedic narration and lists all the negative things pooping on a toilet can do to you like ...

The ad I chose for this assignment is a Glossier advertisement. Glossier is a makeup brand that focuses on enhancing your features instead of creating new ones with makeup. Starting off this ad we see a girl bare faced with the glossier logo covering the screen. She is wearing muted tones and is behind a grey background. This was most likely done so when the makeup is on it pops. The next clip shows the girl on a very pigmented red background and she is applying eyebrow gel. This was done so that one it shows that the products are pigmented and too it is so easy to apply. I also do not know if this was on purpose but she is also taking a snapchat video while applying makeup which would also infer that it is so easy you can apply on the go. The next clip shows her applying makeup and the product that she is using. Once again I think this was to show how pigmented it was as well on how to apply the product. The product that she was  applying just a second ago is called cloud paint so...

 Commercial:  Ring Alarm TV Commercial, 'Holidays: Reinventing Home Security' The commercial opens with a clear and crisp shot of the Ring doorbell. It is displayed in what seems to be a fairly modern and classy home. The homey feel of the opener welcomes in all types of viewers to learn about the Ring doorbell in the hopes to purchase it. We then see a clip of all the different accessories that come with the Ring doorbell set. This shows how accessible the doorbell is, making it functional for all different types of homes. There is a clip of a living room with the ring doorbell installed. When the control pad clicked in, a blue light flashed throughout the house, signifying that Ring was activated. This made the Ring doorbell seem so safe and comforting. The lights flashed throughout the house, making it seem like the whole house was under protection, which brings the audience a warm comforting feeling. The commercial then shows a montage of several different situations in wh...

 Gavin Connors November 4, 2021 Introduction to Digital Media The commercial is called "Get Your TV Together: Wonder, featuring Serena Williams and John McEnroe", and is about a couple watching television and they catch Serena Williams playing tennis, and then they switch to Wonder Woman, then back to Serena, then back to Wonder Woman, and then Serena becomes Wonder Woman. She sees tennis robots, they're attacking people, she deflects an attack with her tennis racket, and the robot is destroyed.  It is set in a run of the mill home, and it cuts from the couple watching TV to Serena Williams tennis match and then to Wonder Woman and then to Serena Williams and it flip flops between the two until she becomes one. It is composed of two different programs, and it was quickly paced. The tennis match had muted colors compared to the Wonder Woman movie which had very high contrast color. The home had monotone colors and they created a calm setting. The couple was wearing comfort...

  Sorry it's late. I understand if no credit. I'll be in class next week

 Gavin Connors October 14th, 2021 Introduction to Digital Media I thought it was very interesting that Hello World combined old footage with high tech videos. It was a variety of videos, and I thought it was good because it made me think about the history and the future of the computer. The computer can be used for so many different things such as information and creative art. However, it's only a tool. To quote from the video, the concepts and direction come from man. The video said that in the future artists will need new skills such as math, mechanics, engineering, and programming. It doesn't apply to every artist, because people will still paint and draw by hand.   To share the codes that these Processors are using is a good thing because people can use these processors and they will learn from the code and other ideas will come in, share their coding and ideas, and who knows where it will lead? In conclusion, Processing and sharing is a good tool but man still have t...

 

 

 

 

 

 

  This conversation of denotation and connotation is very interesting when you can clearly realize as the reader that these aspects can be recognized in many photographs. For example, the picture of Lewis Powell originally looks like it could be an advertisement for early hair products or a clothing company. Or, it could simply be a photograph of a young fellow from his College yearbook. However when text is added it becomes a much more grim photo, as we see the face of a man who was the accomplice of John Wilkes Booth. This is one of infinite examples of where adding a denotation to a photograph can completely change the connotation of that photograph. This presentation is full of example, but another interesting one is the OJ Simpson Time Magazine cover that included Simpson's mugshot. As old black and white photos of VIPs in newspapers have phased out of the modern day culture, this same mischief of publications exists in media. However, magazines and social media own this space...

     I thought the powerpoint on composition and manipulation was very educational. I am not very familiar with photoshop so this presentation was helpful. I did not know about the rule of thirds and the golden proportion which I can now implement into my photography and photoshop projects. The picture of Mussolini on the horse that was manipulated so he looks powerful I thought was interesting because the horse looks a lot bigger than the other photo due to proportions. The people back in 1942 could not have fact checked the photo online because it was in a newspaper and they didn’t have the ri ght technology yet to do so, so they probably would believe the propaganda to be true. Andrew Gursky’s composite photos feel almost overwhelming with bright colors and repetitiveness. I think art and photo graphy are supposed to make you feel something whether that is good or bad. The Haiti Controversy is upsetting to say the least to see all of those photographers most likel...

The slideshow refreshed my memory about the elements and principles of design along with the power of a composition and just how much the composition affects the photo in many different ways. Something from the slideshow I found very interesting is the use of image manipulation throughout history and the power that it holds. Image tampering alters the denotation of the image, what the image literally is, but more importantly, it can alter an image's connotation, what the image conveys. In the picture of Lewis Powell before his execution in the slideshow, the cropped and uncropped picture also create different stories depending on which picture you look at. In the first, he could be any young man during a work break or relaxing outside, resting against a building. With the added context of the chains, however, this illusion is dispelled and the previously neutral, nondescript man takes on a sinister, unnerving character. The photo tampering of Mussolini riding on a horse helps to pa...

      The presentation on composition and manipulation was helpful to explore. I already had a general understanding of the rule of thirds through my own experience with photography, but the golden proportion was new to me. I especially liked looking at  Henri Cartier-Bresson's uses of the golden proportion, how the images all have one focal point initially, like the man on the bike or the kid in the front of the line, but also everything going on in the space outside that focal point draws you back towards it , such as the railing of the stairs or all the other kids lined up behind the one in the front. Looking at the other images like Ansel Adams' and discussing what we thought was truthful about it was interesting as well. The practice of seeing an image and trying to discern what elements of it are truthful is very important because we live in a culture where the doctoring and manipulation of images is fairly common and almost all photography is edited in so...

  Although this topic we are currently working on in class is confusing for me as someone who has no experience with photoshop, it is also very interesting to learn about. I had no idea how much goes into image manipulation in order for the creators to achieve their perfect final project. When we were learning about the Amazon warehouse photos, it was very eye opening to see how much detail the creators put into the photos. By zooming in on the rows and seeing each individual item in high quality, it showed how much time and effort the creators put into their photos. On the other hand, this unit showed the behind the scenes realities of photography and how images can be manipulated to portray totally different ideas. When talking about the Haitian girl who was killed, it was unfortunate to see the picture of all the photographers swarming around her body. The lengths that some photographers will go just to get the perfect shot are questionable to say the least. Overall, I am excite...

 The presentation on composition and manipulation brought up some pretty interesting and important ideas. One thing in the presentation I was most shocked by and never really thought about was the way in which journalistic photographers manipulated and set up the scene of a dead Haitian girl's body. It is quite disturbing to think that this is how these photographers are doing their jobs in places that are suffering from natural disasters and war just in the name of getting a good shot that will attract the most shock value or attention. The work these people do is very important but I think there is a fine line they walk with the ethics of what they do. Images of war and people suffering in other parts of the world is something that is important for people to see, as it brings attention to these issues and will hopefully encourage people to help in any way they. I do not think moving around a dead body and setting up a scene that is not based in reality is not how journalists shou...

 Gavin Connors September 29th, 2021 Introduction to Digital Media I thought it was an informative presentation because it shines a light on how photography can be manipulated and how it can bend the truth. The golden proportion guides your eye through the subject of the photo and the background, the photo of the children blocking their eyes is a great example of how your eyes are guided through the photo. If I remember the rule of threes or the golden proportion, it will improve my photography.  Image manipulation is dangerous because it can warp the truth. It can also be social commentary. Gursky's 99 cent and Amazon warehouse are social commentary and are good examples of bending the truth. Harvest of Death is a horrifying photo that has been manipulated to warp the truth. Jerry Uelsmann's abstractions look creepy because they combine artificial and natural components.  The Haiti controversy was a powerful example of how different perspectives give you a totally differe...

 

 

 

  This is my first ever GIF. I do not have photoshop experience but this was very cool to create - Anna

 I have no experience with photoshop so this project was a bit difficult. I wanted to play around with this photo of the beach sunrise I took last summer and mess with the colors a bit. Let me know what you think!

I do have some experience with Photoshop so I tried to do something a bit challenging and make a GIF that looks like an animation. Please tell me what you think! 🐟 -Georgia  

 

I found the video assignments very interesting as we continue to learn the early stages of Photoshop and continue learning about how to glitch images. I enjoyed learning more about the different facets of data bending and the origins of the glitches. Something I find unique about glitch art is how it was basically founded through the fundamental workings of the technology we use, and instead of just being a literal glitch in the system, it can be used to create interesting and cool pieces of digital art. That was made clear in one of the videos we watched where the man in the video had brought up how the true act of a normal glitch is an error in programming while glitch art is when the glitch is purposely made in creating art. What I found the most interesting of all we watched in the videos was just the discussion around the programs we use and how we need to consider the world views of the makers at all times. It is just something I have never really considered while using different...

 This was a fun assignment! Never used photoshop and it was a great way to figure out how some of the tools work.

 I found Nick Briz' video essays somewhat interesting. It is cool how he encourages people to use computer programs in ways they are not meant to be used just to see what happens. I am still a bit lost as to what other programs you can use besides the text app we used in class to create glitch art though. I was also surprised to see that there is such a big scene behind this form of art. It is not something I have ever heard of or seen before. The aesthetic is not something I am really drawn to but the ideas behind it I do think are fascinating. The aesthetic does not even seem to be the main point of glitch art. It seems to be more about the process. Using software in ways it's not meant to be used. An image that is made to look like glitch art maybe through the use of a filters or photoshop is not technically glitch art because it was not created in the way glitch art is meant to be made. 

In Nick Briz' glitch art series, he says "computer's don't make mistakes, people do." This statement made me stop and think a lot about how unique glitch art actually is because we are using our knowledge of human error to make something great. Like Briz also says, glitch art is when an artist intentionally provokes glitches. In other words, it is when an artist makes mistakes on purpose. I have experience with both traditional and digital art and I am a bit of a perfectionist. Just the overall idea of glitch art is fascinating to me because it comes from taking a mistake, that would typically drive me crazy, and using it to create a new style of art. Briz also mentions in that glitch art is a way of reclaiming some power in your digital space. I think this idea that "there is nothing wrong with something wrong," could apply to traditional art as well and even other aspects of life. I also agree that definitely does help you reclaim power in a sense. It ...

  The video instructor begins to explain the difference between glitch and error. A glitch does not necessarily mean there is an error in the program. A glitch is an unexpected action in a program. Glitch art is when someone intentionally creates glitches in an image. Data bending is opening a media file in an application that does not normally handle those types of media files. The instructor implores the viewer to make glitching an everyday practice. His suggestion is not with intentions of just breaking apps or making glitch art each day, but instead to counteract the complacency we often feel when using media apps made for a simple consumer. Digital Literacy is an important concept throughout many of the videos, which is something that still confuses me a bit. I believe it relates to the underlying biases that many internet programs have. For example, some internet programs are biased towards English language speakers. Or, how PDF is similar to WWF (World Wildlife Fund), as ...

  The assigned videos we had to watch were very informative and helped me understand the concept of glitch art even more. One thing that stood out to me the most was during the politix video. It is apparent that politics are relevant in our everyday lives, but it was interesting to hear about certain apps we use during glitch arty and how those apps have their own politics as well. When Nick Briz was describing the different forms of a PDF file, he mentions a separate version called a WWF file. Briz explained that the WWF file is virtually the same as a PDF file, except it cannot be printed. This is because the organization that created it wanted the software to be environmentally friendly. With the WWF file not being able to be printed, it eliminates unnecessary paper waste. This all stems from the politics of the organization behind WWF. They view the environment as one of their main priorities, so whenever someone uses a WWF file, they are also prioritizing the environment uncon...

 Alex Colson September 17th, 2021 Introduction to Digital Media     I found the videos on glitch art very informative. Nick did a good job defining glitch art as something unexpected rather than an error or a glitch because the artists capitalizes on the unexpected nature of the glitch to create something new. I also found it very interesting when he spoke on the aesthetic of glitch and how as technology evolves, so will our perception of what a glitch is. The artifacts changing over time but the ethic being the same is really cool to think about, as long as we continue to test the limits of what our current devices and programs can do we will continue to discover new forms of glitch art. It's strange to get into a mindset of consciously doing things the wrong way but a lot of amazing art is created as a result of that. The topic of politics in glitch was good too. Apple saying the ipad can "be whatever you want" but in actuality it prevents you from doing lots of st...

  Anna Langevin Introduction to Digital media After watching all of the Nick Briz Videos, I thought the videos about Glitch Art were very interesting and I learned a lot. I thought it was fascinating how pretty much all art is reworking things that already exist. When I think of a glitch I think about an error like when something crashes but glitch art is done with a purpose. Databending for example is something everyone can do as long as you have a file format and open it with something that the file is unfamiliar with. In the copyright video where Nick explains copyright was invented so people could be controlled with what is seen. When making glitch art the artist is in control. You can use a picture and change it a little or a lot where it is almost unrecognizable. The art itself and the format is always evolving into something new. I also thought it was interesting that you can use other formats such as audio. 

 Gavin Connors September 15th, 2021 Introduction to Digital Media I enjoyed the videos because of the way they talked about glitch art. Databending can be like stepping out of bounds, stepping out of your comfort zone. Glitch art is not a medium because it's constantly evolving. Most people think of a glitch as a mistake or an error, but this new way, or Glitch Art, does not equal an error or a mistake because it's done on purpose, its deliberate, it's something that you do because you want to see what happens. I think computers define the age we live in, because we are living in a world where we can stay at home, and technology has adapted to allow us to work from home, to shop, to communicate, and bank. Glitch Art is contemporary, it's for today, but it's also for tomorrow. You have control, as a glitch artist, and there's almost nothing that you cannot present. It's a learning experience, and you are gaining digital knowledge. If you stay current with tec...

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 Hello everyone! I am very excited to begin the semester. I have no experience with photoshop or any other digital editing methods but it is something I have always wanted to learn. I am an avid traveler and have been all over Southeast Asia and Europe. I actually lived in Hanoi Vietnam for two years while teaching English online to Chinese children. My dream is to work remotely and travel full time with my boyfriend who actually lives in Germany. Doing travel content creation or freelancing a skill like writing or digital photo or video editing are a few ways I have thought could help me make this dream a reality. Look forward to getting to know everyone! 

 Hello! I hope that this class is fun, and I hope to learn to use Photoshop. 

Welcome to our course blog! Let's start by testing it out. Please create a new post, title it in the "Title" section, say hello (hopes, fears, whatever you wish), and click "Publish" when you're finished. A thorough "Technical Information" document with procedures will be posted to Moodle as the semester begins. I'm excited to get started with you all!