Category: Readings

Response to Weekly Readings

Week 8 – Shields, David. Reality Hunger: A Manifesto

This weeks reading is by David Shields who genuinely comes across as a bit of a weirdo. The reading covers a number of different thoughts that David Shields has about the idea of collage. Some that I agree with and some that I don’t, and some that I don’t understand.

Ones that I found most interesting

342 ‘The main question collage artists face: you’ve found some interesting material – how do you go about arranging it?

317 ‘The law of mosaics: how to deal with parts in the absence of wholes’

Some that i just completely didn’t understand

353 ‘I hate quotations’

362 ‘Nothing is going to happen in the book’

Week 6 – Soar, Matt. Making (with) the Korsakow System

This reading is outlined by one of the makers of the Korsakow system, Matt Soar and his thoughts towards the evolving area of new media. As the media forms expand with the depth and development in software tools new ways to create things are introduced, therefor creating a whole new platform on which ‘things’ can be assembled.

The section regarding the relevance of Korsakow and the number of other interactive documentaries for future art makers was very interesting and makes me think of what I personally believe will be the future of interactive documentaries. I believe that there will be programs (there sort of already is) out there that will be universally popular as interactive form of documentary. On this note, snapchat is one that just came to mind being quite revolutionary in the way that it allows the users to share videos as ‘stories’ that can be viewed as many times as the audience likes within a 12 hour time frame. Unlike Korsakow, a majority of the users aren’t making these stories with the intention of making a documentary however the concept is there! I personally believe that Korsakow is a interesting program however I don’t think that I personally achieve anything from making interactive documentaries on it. I’m sure there are people that like the ambiguity and quite abstract format that allows makers to create, however I have been moulded to be more attached to the traditional forms of film and documentary making.

Reading Week 5 – The Essay Film

Week 5 – Rascaroli, Laura “The essay film: Problems, Definitions, Textual commitments”

I generally found “The essay film” quite hard to understand as Rascaroli kept going between different theorists and such which made it hard to find out what was happening. Nora Alter explains well when she says “Unlike the documentary film, which presents facts and information, the essay film produces complex thought that at times is not grounded in reality but can be contradictory, irrational, and fantastic.”

The basis of the essay film inherits a lot from its literary companion while breaking free from the documentary, becoming a point between emotion and intellect. I have noticed that there has been a new wave of The Essay Film in the form of online forums on we sites such as Reddit. Television MASTERPIECES such as Breaking Bad and True Detective are two of the mostly sought into shows due to their very deep visual and intellectual cues. These breakdowns are more informal then what the typical essay film would be as a result of the platform on which they are viewed and submitted.

Personally what I believe is the main problem with the film essay is that although some arguments are backed with evidence from the film, there can still be underlying personal views and beliefs that influence the argument, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing although it makes it more of a challenge to know what you think is right and wrong. I guess the purpose of such essays is to challenge your thoughts and ideals, especially towards certain films, which when viewed impartially can be very informative.

Week 4 – Lists – Bogost

LISTS

Lists could definitely be considered a experimental approach to a K-film and has been a reoccurring theme in past K-films. ‘Lists refuse the connecting powers of language, in favor of a sequence of disconnected elements.’ I like the idea of lists as it allows the viewer to connect the elements without the use of language to connect it for them.

Bogost explains the idea of lists breaking down peoples natural obsession with continuity and smoothness that language offers, the use of lists helps this by forcing sometimes irregularity of words together to offer something completely fresh and unique.

Lists are considered as a way to categorise without using too much language. They are a way to convey messages more succinctly and  can also help allow much more interpretation from the audience. If you go on to right everything that you are thinking word for word the audience is going to take exactly that and not be able to do much with it. Lists can provide them with more space to think. Ambiguity is a nice thing.

Week 2 – Studies in documentary film – Sorenssen

The abstract proposes that the expanded access to digital film creates a easier more mobile way of filming thus motioning for a new structure in the film media structure. He draws attention particularly to the advances in cinematography and how these might further shape film as not only a entertainment medium, but also a medium that can be a tool for humans to communicate and interact.

Reading Week #10 – Database Race Face

Database Form – Is a form of information that has no real start, middle or end, rather it contains a range of substance that share the same level of importance as each other.

There is an exception to this idea of media being like a database, computer games, which is related more closely to me! It makes the point that video games are experienced as narratives by the players, there are certain motifs and tasks that help you get to the ‘end’ of the game. While this does not follow the database form of a CD-ROM or website, it still depends on the execution of an algorithm in order to beat the game. GTA V is a new game which arguably contains both the conventional database similar to that of the website and also the algorithm based motifs. You are able to simultaneously switch between a certain goal and the general outer environment. One that has no real extra substance, allowing the player to do as they please.

I also found the comment regarding database and narrative quite interesting stating that they are both natural enemies, both fighting for the same piece of land. “In computer programming, data structures and algorithms need each other; they are equally important for a program to work”

Reading Week #9 – Hotter Potter

There is a very prominent link between Technology and Culture in todays society. They pretty much co-exist, one does not exist without the other one making itself present. I read a story about a family in Canada I think that is attempting to live in the 60’s era having the technology only available to them that was around at the time. I can’t wait till one of them to make an insty post about the funny food they have to eat and get caught out!

I wrote a post a while ago about the dependencies that places like Bali have on technology, which was definitely something that I did not associate with Bali previously. I can’t see technology, (the contemporary meaning of it), ever diminishing which is not good or bad just a neutral thing for the time being. It is quite exciting, but also a bit scary!

Groooovy Batman

Reading Week #5 – Narratology Philosophy

Hypertext Narrative seems like a very dense topic and is one that I can’t fully grasp. There are a couple of forms of hyperlink narrative that i have picked up on including one that relies on hyperlinks to express further information. And others that use hyperlinks to solely provide sequence. Most hyperlink narrative nowadays incorporate the first form. Facebook for instance is a breeding ground for hyperlinks, its where hyperlinks go on vacation to meet other hyperlinks. Whenever someone writes a status or puts up a picture, most people are inclined to view the persons profile (picture hyperlink), and find out more about them. The Michael Joyce quote sums this up pretty well ‘the desire to create multiple stories out of a relatively small amount of alphanumeric text provided a major force driving in writing afternoon’. 

Twitter more so can be related to this as it has a word limit which forces people to try and tell their story through hyperlinks. I am sitting on the fence with my thoughts towards the idea of hyperlink narrative, it is something that i partake in everyday and i use it to great advantage but the concept of it being a necessity in cases such as twitter doesn’t really give you choice.

All in all the reading was difficult and I skimmed through it because i thought it went sideways a little but i still managed to write something up worth writing i hope

Also Ryan Gossling doesn’t want his breakfast

Reading Week #4 – Hypertext Express

This weeks Bolter reading was really in depth and had a bunch of examples that related to the different spaces of writing and how this has evolved over time. He makes a point about how ‘each culture and age’ have its own currency or economy of writing. This is a dynamic relationship between material and technique of the culture. This has become a more uniform relationship across the world as the internet age has kicked in. Hypertext allows people to transfer from internet space to internet space at the click of a button. The text is underlined, it highlights KAPOW!

I’m not really a super fan of reading but I tend to be able to read more efficiently when it is on paper. I don’t get distracted by all the other hyperlinks that can pop out of no where. The biggest problems I think with hyperlinks is that they can send you on a never ending tangent that you can sometimes never get out of. For instance, as i was writing this i clicked on a hyperlinked and was distracted for too long.