https://twitter.com/Apple_tyh

For this sketch, I used twitter, to upload screenshots of the game and place them together in a sequence to see if I could create a highlights reel out of nothing but images. Highlights reel are parts of footage in a game that showcase certain events or moments within that session that viewers may find entertaining.

By using just images from found footage, we are dissecting the game, however, we’re trying to put the puzzle pieces together to form a type of narrative out of it by structuring a  highlights reel from the screenshots. As Basset said in her reading of “ANTI-NARRATIVE: GAMES, BLOGS & OTHER NON-LINEAR FORMS”, Games typically do not have a narrative to it but when you try to add form, like what Bordwell and Thompson’s define ‘narrative’ as in regards to how relations are organised between shots then organising the screenshots together to create a highlight reel is a narrative.

The only downside to this concept of a highlight reel is that it’s difficult when you want to screenshot the moment during the game.

 

In most games, we’re limited by the amount and type of content we observe, hence we’ve decided to move from the linearity of games such as Counter Strike and onto a much more diverse, open world game – Grand Theft Auto V.

In this sketch playing with our theme ‘manipulation’, I did a voice over for a silent game video

This sketch is a simple one, I’ve tried to use the environment in the game and see how i could manipulate the video by adding a voice over to it. This sketch also looks at the idea on how we look at ‘planning’ within a gaming video, how we can utilise the way the game is made to be played and see if we can create something else rather than what is given to us.

1. Select a highlight and upload it to Vine or another online service, does it work better as a microvideo than a short facebook/youtube video?.
2. Try making a ‘highlights reel’ using the Vine app, how does the 6 second constraint effect the creative process?
3. Convert a short highlight to a .gif file and upload it to a website such as 9gag that supports .gif files – how does this change the way the video feels? are .gifs more suitable for showcasing this online video example?
4. Using twitter, take screenshots of the game and place them together in a sequence, see if you can create a highlights reel out of nothing but images? 
5. How does changing the context of a highlight effect it? Select a highlight and see if you can add music or change anything about it that could potentially make it something completely different – if you can, explain what the video has become if not a highlight?
6. Experimenting with sound on how the context of the video will be changed by it.

 

For this sketch I’ve decided to experiment with how music changes how a vine is potrayed.

In this sketch I’ve placed music track over the original footage to see how it would affect the structure. Thankfully the music was provided freely iMovie. Rather than exploring how I can apply this to a Vine-like structure, I decided to see how music affects the footage.

First of all, the choice of music I made falls into an “action” sound effect as do many other action movie when running away from baddies, they play similar sounding music in them I believe this is because the music is fast tempo, general that really work well with the sudden change in content within the video. I’ve also learned that in order for a video like this to really work, you’ll need as much time as you can get which doesn’t really I find doesn’t really seem appropriate for a Vine. The reason for this is because footage like this takes time to build up so as to make a larger impact.

 

Music was taken from the playlist iMovie provides.

Sketch 3 Idea:

How would it look like if we were to record a simple 6 second video everyday for a couple of days combine them in the end?

For this video, i explored a little more on the aspect of “dragging out of content” from sketch 2 and try to work around my limitations, aka time. As you can see each scene is all very short in order to fit as much content within a short time frame.

What work for this video was that the narrative, even though random, the narrative that it is  video looking into the life of someone because of the many different content in the video. what did not work, i  feel was that each scene is too rushed, and in one part of the video i tried to do it several times to prolong the scene but it looks messy.

In this sketch, i’m attempting to essentially ‘drag out’ a Vine video, similar to the whole ‘micro-series’ concept however, rather than splitting it up, drag it out, extend the duration probably to a minute or more; this is done while keeping the whole format of how a typical Vine video is structured. 

Still working within a ‘short-video’ time frame, I’ve decided to drag out footage and see how I can work with more content in a Vine. Unfortunately, dragging out content means more time will go into each scene therefore it was impossible to do it on Vine itself due to the time limitation.

In terms of dragging out content, it was difficult to do it on vine as i mentioned above, vine does not allow me over 6 seconds. Hence, the program I’m used to film was Snapchat where you can record 10 sec micro videos and combine them into a long one with no limitation to time. And  to record this footage is on the Snapchat app – it’s video quality is the same as vine, and the file sizes are not too big so essentially it just a longer vine on a different software.

What I felt worked in this sketch was that by dragging out the content of the video, I was allowed much more time to work with because i do not have to limit myself with just a nanosecond of footage and it gives the video a different concept a little less rushed, so people can actually understand what they are watching. However, what could’ve made this piece work better is if i manage to do it on Vine instead of another software.

Sketch 1 Idea:

Specifically working with a microvideo, what if we combine a series of microvideos to create in a sense a ‘micro-series’?

In this video what i did was to combine three separate vine videos and join them together to form a “series” in the style of a Vine being mainly focused on expression and reaction cut together rapidly during editing. The only flawed area in this sketch is that, it has not met the duration of a Vine.

The individual vines were taken by phone, mainly because i needed the Vine app to produce a vine, specifically because if you take a normal video on your phone, it does not allow you to save after each small segment you made onto the device and continue when you want to.

The technical side of things were fairly easy to deal with, in order to get the simple close up i just had to bring my phone closer to the subject and as for pausing in between shots, Vine has a “save for later” function, so each time i’m done with a scene, i save the scene and continue after the necessary arrangements. as for combining the videos together, i used iMovie as i’m more familiar with it to just join the individual vines into a the video you seen above.

What I found could work better in this video was perhaps the duration of it. I’d either have to make the scenes a lot shorter and straight to the point and find a way to post it on vine rather than Youtube.

 

Miles (2007) describes network literacy as the ability to participate in peer groups that are involved in the burgeoning knowledge network that have resulted from the use of the internet. It can also be described as an understanding of how networks work as described in the video below;

Double Click to launch the video     (Rheingold, 2011)

 

Miles (2007) argues that having network literacy should not only entail knowing about it, but should also involve doing it. In his article on network literacy, Miles gives an analogy of a student searching for a book from the library and gives a number of activities involved in print literacy. He argues that the student needs to have knowledge about how the library operates and has to use this information in order to get the books she is looking for. Similar to print literacy, network literacy requires that one have an understanding of what it is and at the same time be able to put that knowledge into action.

As a future media maker, it is important that I know some of the things that make up a network. Agarwal & Tayal (2009) argues that some of the things that one need to know about networks includes the fact that network rely on protocols some of which are technical and which includes http, imap, pop, ftp and smtp while others are social like flaming, spam, attachments and quotation. Other information includes the fact that the internet has a different mode of communication which may have different types of social protocol, which emerge from the users and are also negotiated by them. For example, there is blog etiquette which is the protocol observed by people who use blogs. In Protocol, Alexander Galloway (2006) argues that the founding principle of the Net is control, not freedom, and that the controlling power lies in the technical protocols that make network connections (and disconnections) possible. He does this by treating the computer as a textual medium that is based on a technological language, code. Code, he argues, can be subject to the same kind of cultural and literary analysis as any natural language; computer languages have their own syntax, grammar, communities, and cultures. Instead of relying on established theoretical approaches, Galloway finds a new way to write about digital media, drawing on his backgrounds in computer programming and critical theory.  It is also crucial to be aware that different tasks within the internet are performed using different tools. One has to use a variety of different social and technical protocols in carrying out the different tasks involved in media making.

There is a need to realize that the code used in making most of the media that goes into the internet are textual in nature. One of the most commonly used codes used on the internet is HTML. The text is acquiescent, reusable, rewritable and discoverable. Moreover, it is important to realize that most of the structures that are important are emergent, they keep on changing with time. Miles (2007) points out that it is possible for different websites to communicate with each other. Communication between different websites is managed through two virtual languages called RSS and XML. XML helps in publishing information in a way that it would be possible to share it. On the other hand, RSS helps in sharing of information in different services. Such capabilities of the internet allow for communication of internet services amongst themselves while at the same time allowing the internet users or the media makers who place some of the information on the internet to put vital content in different locations but be able to merge them as one publication in one location.

The different information about how the internet operates will largely influence the way I make media. Knowing that the information provided on the internet should be textual in nature is very important. Text here does not only imply words, but it also implies graphics, sound, images and pictures. I will use this information to make media that include a sequence of all the elements. All the different elements will be used in communicating different information to the society. Most of the media that I will make will be advertising. For this reason, I will make use of subtexts.

Subtexts in this case are elements of a piece of media that cannot be seen or heard, but rather they are the interpretations that a person has on a piece of media. I will ensure that though the subtext of most of the graphics will be influenced by my own knowledge and experience, they should be able to elicit almost the same interpretation from most of my audience. A good example of an application of this will be in the advertisement below. The graphic shows an hp laptop with features like Intel i3 core processor, vivid color in HD. There is also information about saving up to $170 and an extra $250. The features of the laptop are represented in text. The subtext for the advert would be a quality laptop or a fast laptop.

The different elements to include in making the media will be placed in disparate locations on the internet and then integrated through different technologies to appear at the same location on the internet. This will enable me to explore the different tools in the internet. Further, since the media will appear in different communication channels including blogs, twitter, Facebook and Youtube, I will customize each of the media to ensure that it follows the social and the technical protocols set by the user of the different channel. Sometimes, failure to do this may cause the media not to communicate the intended information to the audience. It will also influence the choice that the communication channel chooses for the various media made. I will have to access the communication channel that has the largest number of users and use it to pass information.

Additionally, the different elements that will be used in making the media will be made in such a way that they follow the different internet protocol that are in use today. For the advertisements that will need to be passed to the audience as files, they will be made in a way that follows the ftp protocol. For those that will need to be sent via emails they will follow the smtp protocol. For advertisements that will need to reach many people, some social protocols like spam will be used.

Network literacy involves some peer being involved in sharing knowledge over the internet. This information is crucial because it will affect the way the media I make will be consumed by my target audience. An advertisement targeting a group of young people will be shared with other young people through different mode of communication. For example, information released through a social media platform like Facebook may end up being shared with other social media like Twitter. O’Guinn, Allen, Semenik and Scheinbaum (2014) argue that one of the advantages of using the internet as the medium of sharing information is the fact that it allows for interactivity. The consumers of the media that I will make will be in a position to interact with one another in the process of sharing information. James (2010) posits that there is a huge number of people that have access to the internet and that the popularity of the internet continues to increase. For this reason, it means that applying network literacy in my media making will ensure that the information I release into the internet is accessed by a huge number of people. In other words, applying network literacy will allow the media I make to reach to a large target group.

Hanson (2007) argues that the internet allows people to work 24/7. It allows for people to have access to information anytime and anywhere. This means that the media I will make will be consumed throughout. It will also be consumed over a wide geographical area.

Especially for print media, because print media are moving on to online media. The move to a digital-only edition will enable  Magazines and newspaper to cut printing and distribution costs, though by the look of its online-only issue, publishers won’t be skimping on the production value of its front covers. In Newsweek’s first digital-only edition (below right), the cover features a stunning portrait of author Tom Wolfe, expertly shot by portrait and magazine photographer Platon.

On the other hand, when young twenty-something readers compare the cover price of e.g.Cleo and Cosmopolitan over getting that sort of content free online, it’s a difficult argument on what do these titles offer to their readers that they can’t get anywhere else?The same can be said for our daily newspapers. Just how long will it be feasible for Fairfax to publish weekday editions of these papers when all the content is all available online it seems people are much pro smart devices to catch the news these days.

Besides influencing the way the media is consumed by people, applying network literacy may also influence the way the media will be used. An advertisement meant to advertise a particular product to a group of consumers may end up being shared with a non-consumer. For the consumers, the information may be used as a source of information, as a way of making them buy the product as well as a way of making them be aware of the product. However, for non- consumer, the same information may be used as a form of entertainment, especially for adverts that may be funny.

Network literacy may also change the way information is distributed over the different form of communication channels on the internet. The change in distribution is influenced by the fact that different channels have different protocols that the users have set. Any information disseminated through a channel should be distributed in a way that it respects the social and technical protocols set for that channel.

The use of internet in communication keeps on changing over time. The digital tools used for media making keeps on changing and new ones keep coming into the market. Sometimes invention of new tools renders old tools obsolete. The implication of this for media makers like me is that we should ensure that we embrace a culture of constantly learning new and different tools and ways of sharing information over the internet. Media makers should also learn the different tools of media making to ensure that the media we make continue to be relevant into the future. Another implication is that there is a need for media makers to be flexible enough to be at pace with the dynamic world of the internet.

It is important for people to have network literacy. However, most importantly, it is important for one to be in a position to make use of the literacy. Information about network literacy can be applied by a media maker in making media. Applying such information influences the way information is consumed, distributed as well as how it is used. As a media maker, it is important to be aware of the changes in the tools used for sharing information on the internet as well as the changes in the different tools that could be used for sharing this information. Some of the information that a media maker would need to know about network literacy include the fact that networks use protocols like http, smtp and ftp. It also uses texts which include video, graphics, words and sounds to represent a message. One can learn about these changes by constantly learning about networks and applying their critical thinking in the application of the knowledge gained.

 

 

 

Reference List

Agarwal, B., B. & Tayal, S., P. 2009. Computer Network. Laxmi Publications: New Delhi.

Galloway, Alexander R. Protocol: How Control Exists after Decentralization. The MIT Press, 2006. Print.

James, K., . (2010. The Internet: A User’s Guide. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd: New Delhi.

Miles, Adrian. 2007. “Network Literacy: The New Path to Knowledge.” Screen Education        Autumn.45.  24–30.

O’Guinn, T., Allen, C., Semenik, R. and Scheinbaum, A., C. (2014). Advertising and Integrated   Brand Promotion. Cengage Learning: Stamford.

Rheingold, H. 2011. Network Literacy Part One. Retrieved from            <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6UKWozzVRM>

Hanson, J. 2007. 24/7: How Cell Phones and the Internet Change the Way we Live, Work and     Play. Greenwood Publishing Group: Connecticut.

Wyk, S.V, 2013. End of an era, start of a new one – how print media will evolve in 2013 Retrieved from <http://cdn.marketingmag.com.au/wpcontent/uploads/2013/01/Newsweek.jpg>

This symposium I appreciated how Adrian related everything that we learnt back in with Networked Media, and explained that everything is constantly changing.

He said the 8 years ago there was no such thing as a vlog, now all of a sudden look where we are in terms of technology and the Internet, Imagine in another 8 years time.

He used an example of the camera operator, in the future, all they will be doing is working from a joystick. Maybe there will be cars that need no driver, they are capable of doing it themselves. It would be more beneficial to have had this talk at the beginning as well as the end of the course, because it puts in perspective what we have learnt and why.

Why is everything important that we have studied and why the subject keeps changing. Another example was how an app will come out and by the next week there will already be an update.