Media 111 – Module 8 – Weekly Essay

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The Animation That Changed My Life

An animated video that I believe enhanced my life would be one that I found on YouTube from the American Museum of Natural History when I was younger where the camera is focused on Earth, but then zooms all the way out to the edge of the observable universe. I was completely blown away by this! I was absolutely fascinated.

I grew up going to church on and off with my parents. I can’t say I was as devout as others, but I believed that there was a God who was watching and listening to us. As I became older, I started to question that more. I started to wonder why there wasn’t any physical proof of something that so many people were convinced existed. After watching this video, it really made me wonder. It made me realize just how insignificant we really are in the grand scheme of things. Our planet is essentially a speck of dust in an overwhelmingly vast sea of nothingness, yet some of us claim that it was all designed and built around us, for us, by some divine being. There are billions of other galaxies out there. Each one of those galaxies contains billions of different stars, which can all have their own solar system and planets.

Watching this animation got me interested in science and space. I then discovered people like Richard Dawkins, Neil Degrasse Tyson, Lawrence Krauss, Christopher Hitchins, and Sam Harris. Today, I fully identify as an athiest. I strongly believe that religion and deities are things that humanity has fabricated ourselves due to the inability to go through life not knowing why we are here or where we go afterwards .I have a different line of thinking. I think as a species, we naturally tend to think too much of ourselves. We cannot imagine our existence without there being some meaningful purpose or reason for it. I can imagine that. I also don’t have a problem with it. I am perfectly okay with all of this happening by some random chance and just making the best of it while I’m here on this planet. I don’t need to believe in a magical being or a place in the afterlife in order to have a moral code and behave while I am alive.

When it comes down to it, I am glad that I have the views I have today. They are liberating. It’s quite possible that I wouldn’t have the views I have today if I hadn’t have watched the aforementioned animation.

Media 111 – Module 7 – Weekly Essay

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Movement in Film & Video

You learn something new everyday! I had no idea that Vincent Van Gogh, the famous artist, struggled with mental illness. Not only this, but he incorporated something into his works of art that nobody else had done before, probably without even realizing it! He was able to display fluid turbulence in his paintings. This baffled many brilliant minds for years to come. Van Gogh wasn’t anybody special. Some of his most famous work was created while he was a guest at an asylum! This shows that anybody can go on to be produce great works, no matter what your story is. This is definitely inspirational. If I was trying to create content that inspired and moved people, I would try to create unique works of art.

The same goes for movement in film and video. The viewer is given a chance to see that anything is possible if you put your mind to it and great things can happen sometimes to any one of us if we are willing to put in the effort. Those great things can even happen by accident as well! The story of the invention of the Post-It note was a great example of this. Go out there, be yourself, and inspire!

Media 111 – Module 6 – Weekly Essay

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Babel Fish and Moore’s Law

The good ol’ Babel fish! Little did Douglas Adams know that this fictional piece of technology he came up with would be a very real and useable technology in the future. I wonder what he would think about this if he were still here today! This awesome tech comes in many forms. You can get yourself a handheld instant translation device, headphones or earbuds that translate right into your ear (not as painful and uncomfortable as putting a fish in there), download apps for your smartphone that translate audio of one language into another in text, or even go online to Google translate in a web browser and type in what you wish to be translated. This technology has a beautiful impact on society. It helps remove the language barrier between different peoples. This is especially important for someone like myself who as a content creator, have a responsibility to ensure that all of my productions and works are easy to access, navigate, and understand, no matter what race or ethnicity you are. 

According to the article provided, Moore’s law implies that every 2 years the amount of transistors per square inch on chips doubles. This law has held true for quite some time now. However, they are beginning to think it may be taking 2.5 years for the doubling of the transistors. I feel that this essentially means that the limits and capabilities of technology are doubling every 2-2.5 years. That is mind-blowing to say the very least. 

Handheld translating device: https://www.amazon.com/Language-Translator-Jarvisen-Languages-Translation/dp/B07RFTLWN1/ref=asc_df_B07RFTLWN1?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80814185082047&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584413740500371&th=1Links to an external site.

Translating earbuds: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=timekettle+wt2+plus+ai+real-time+translator+earbuds&adgrpid=1331510200561409&hvadid=83219643785736&hvbmt=bb&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=67589&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=b&hvtargid=kwd-83220382096359%3Aloc-190&hydadcr=11868_10977521&tag=mh0b-20&ref=pd_sl_5z0mv3qaxz_bLinks to an external site.

Translation app for smartphone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/translate-me-live-translator/id1231853258Links to an external site.

Google translate: https://translate.google.com/

Media 111 – Module 4 – Weekly Essay

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Bad Photoshop and Star Wars Innovation

Right-wing propagandist view of Biden's America vs. Trump's America
Right-wing propagandist view of Biden’s America vs. Trump’s America.

Influence via Photoshop – 

First off, I would like to begin by saying that I am a very non-political person and am not taking any sides here. I consider myself to be a centrist. I personally feel like using Photoshop to influence individuals to vote a certain way, is completely inappropriate, biased, and unfair. I would go as far as saying this photo is right-wing propaganda. For starters, I feel like we have seen events from both sides of the image happen under both of the different presidents’ tenures. I remember a time when cities were on fire under Trump. I also know there have been happy times under Biden. Both of these individuals have their ups and downs, pros and cons. Something else that really stands out about how this was photoshopped is how the “artist” manipulated colors and levels. You can see on Biden’s side it’s very dark and gloomy, while on Trump’s side it’s very bright and warm. This work of art sends a biased and one-sided message. I feel like biased and one-sided messages can influence people in negative ways.

How Art Advances Technology – 

Art advances technology. In the case of Star Wars, it would appear that the brothers, John and Thomas Knoll, came up with the desire and drive to create Photoshop because they needed a program that would better and more efficiently help them express their works of art. Over the years, as Photoshop is used more and more, other artists find areas that are lacking or come up with new ideas of features to add to the software that would help them with their art. I am just using Photoshop as an example here. I would say that this concept applies to innovative technological advances in the arts as a whole.

Media 111 – Module 3 – Weekly Essay

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Color Use and Challenges

For starters, the infographic provided on this page really helped me compare UX with UI in a whole new light, but yes, color absolutely makes a difference! The whole idea behind universal design (UD) is that there be ease of access. The product should be developed with everybody in mind. Anyone should be able to access it and use it without hitting roadblocks. The goal is to make it as easy to use as possible.

One of the things that makes it easier to use is using colors properly. There a decent percentage of people out there who have some form of colorblindness. This makes it harder or them to distinguish between different colors. We want to keep that in mind when drawing up our color palettes for projects. We want to avoid using colors that are commonly associated with colorblindness right next to each other because they can blend with each from a colorblind individual’s perspective. We also want to make sure that we also use a high contrast color palette. This makes it easier for the user to read and see information.

It sounds like the UX contributor would be more responsible for the basic framework of the product while the UI contributor would be more in charge of the graphic design portion. Therefore, the urgency of color usage is probably more pertinent to the UI professional, but is still important for the UX designer to keep in mind. The proper use of colors in the interface design also help create and embolden a company’s branding identity and make the product more appealing to the user. This creates a more memorable experience, therefore could lead to the consumer recommending it to another potential user. 

Colors can have meaning or messages of their own. Especially in the aspect of product and company branding. I feel that the GPP of a robot could relate to it’s color because it may influence their general overall attitude and moods. For example: if the robot was gray or blue, maybe it would have a depressed personality? If the robot was red, maybe it could be angry or dangerous. If it was green, it could be happy and go-lucky. Maybe not. Maybe I’m wrong about that and there is a better answer to that. You be the judge!

Media 111 – Module 1 – Weekly Essay

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The Bauhaus

I found an interesting page on History.com that talked about the Bauhaus. I found this to be very intriguing! I had never heard of the Bauhaus before this class. I learned that not only is it a place, or a school if you will, but it is also an artistic movement that can still be seen everywhere around us to this very day.

The Bauhaus was a school that opened in Germany in 1919, where students and instructors of all walks of life came together and worked in tandem to create abstract works, with little emotion. They combined artistry with architecture and craftsmanship to produce things like household furniture. Their designs were renowned and mass produced. This school also offered women a chance to pursue their artistic endeavors, considering that this was hard for women to do in Germany, especially during the reign of the Nazi regime, who eventually forced the school to close in the year 1933. The Nazis of course viewed the teachings of the school as being embedded with Soviet Communist values, so the Nazis insisted that they replace some of the staff members at the school with Nazis. The faculty refused this and was forced to shut down the Nazi regime.

Media 275 – Module 10 – Weekly Essay

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What Has Changed For Me?

I can’t say that a whole lot has changed for me since I started this course. I feel like I had already put in a lot of the work in my social media effort before this class. However, I feel that my knowledge has been expanded and my skills have been refined. I have learned how to use new social media platforms that I had no idea how to use before. Learning how to use these new platforms will help me expand my social media presence and audience.

During this course, I have also learned how to engage my audience and connect with them on a more effective level. I have learned new tools and techniques when it comes to my social media endeavors. I have learned that there is a difference between marketing and advertising, and what that difference is. I learned the importance of creating meaningful content for my audience instead of always trying to sell them something.

I must say that I learned a lot from the required textbooks for this course. I still have lots of reading to do in them both, but I have already learned how to use a template when creating a social media marketing strategy and how to build a unique blogging site with the power of WordPress. I am very thankful for all that I have learned in this course from the instructors, the classmates, and the readings!

Media 275 – Module 9 – Weekly Essay

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Hermann Brothers & Community Events

As the social media manager for Hermann Brothers, there are some types of community events that appeal to me and the company. I will cover three of them.

The first is parades. The parades give us a chance to showcase our equipment. It gives the community a chance to see that we keep our equipment updated. It’s helpful for potential new drivers to see what kind of a truck or trailer they might be using if they were to apply with the company. If it is a newer, faster, cleaner, and well taken care of truck, they are much more likely to apply.

Secondly, job fairs! Job fairs are a perfect place to not only hope to encounter current CDL holders and educate them about the company. Of course, most people attending the job fair will likely not have a CDL. This is perfectly okay, though! This gives us an opportunity to educate people about how to go about obtaining their CDL. This could be looked at as an investment on the company’s part.

Lastly, an open-house type of event. We could host an event where we use social media to advertise and invite potentially interested individuals to come look at our equipment and speak with company representatives about working for Hermann Brothers. We would also have current drivers there to share their testimony with attendees.

Media 115 – Module 8 – Weekly Essay

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Red Dawn’s Motives

The propaganda piece I chose is John Milius’ 1984 film, “Red Dawn”. This fictional film is about a hypothetical invasion of the United States by Russian and Cuban soldiers. While the events that take place in this film are not completely impossible, the chances of them actually happening are slim to none. This film was used to incite fear of Russians, Cubans, and anything or anyone who was affiliated with communism in right-wing conspiracy theorists.

The creators of this piece obviously had a biased view and agenda when making the film. This becomes apparent in a variety of ways. One of these ways is how the invading soldiers are portrayed. We definitely see the invading Russian and Cuban soldiers being cast as unprovoked villains. There is also a part of the film where captured American civilians have been put into a detention camp inside a drive in movie theater where they are shown a propaganda piece themselves in an effort to convert them.

It is obvious that the director had hoped to stoke the tensions and fears of individuals who were already scared due to the Cold War era, and prey upon this with every opportunity in this unrealistic and purely fictional film. I feel that they probably succeeded with their targeted demographic, but flopped with others.