Blog Samples
Throughout the semester we have written on specific topics for our individual blog. My Blog is at http://alogpile.wordpress.com. Samples from that blog are included below (I chose short ones).
Animated Video
I created the animated video on Xtranormal (www.xtranormal.com) after establishing an account. I found it fairly easy to make the video once I decided on a topic – I wanted to keep with the forest theme. I was disappointed that I could not find animal characters in the basic Xtranormal package and chose the closest I could find. I found that with this type of character the facial expressions and arm movements are not very distinctive. I found it fun to make the video and consuming to try various effects. I struggled with cameras and had trouble controlling the shots the way I wanted to, so in the end went with the automatic camera feature. Xtranormal made it easy to add the video to Youtube and so the video is both athttp://www.xtranormal.com/watch/13954952/teddy-speaks-to-litter andhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncVJlLZDuOg&feature=share&list=ULncVJlLZDuOg.
If I were spending more time on this, I would try adding a second character to add a comment at the end – like “Yes, please”. I would also add titles and try starting again to control camera angle. I may use animated video in the future – a very effective way to communicate a message.
If I were spending more time on this, I would try adding a second character to add a comment at the end – like “Yes, please”. I would also add titles and try starting again to control camera angle. I may use animated video in the future – a very effective way to communicate a message.
Art in the Cloud
My experience says that art on a computer or on a smartphone is no easier than art with a pad and pencil or with brushes on an easel. Much of art is in the eye and mind of the creator and that has not changed. Photography is an art form which requires no manual dexterity, but it requires the mind and eye to make it creative art. Although I have not seen such art, apparently serious art work has been created on Etch A Sketch devices. It boggles my mind that people are drawing serious pictures on smartphones, but after my initial shock, I am not surprised because of the challenge of doing so considering the pervasiveness of the device and hence the marketing opportunity. The difficulty of the digital medium is verified by the crude results of our own efforts with drawing and photo editing applications, and I must admire people who can create seemingly great pictures using such tools. I do not think that computer art makes us all artists any more that the fact we all have pencils and paper does – art is a very serious, creative and skilled endeavor regardless of the medium.
Along the same line of thought, I was amazed to learn in class of smartphone novels although I am not convinced that it falls into the same “creative” category as drawings on computer.
Along the same line of thought, I was amazed to learn in class of smartphone novels although I am not convinced that it falls into the same “creative” category as drawings on computer.