Workshop project, weeks 1 – 4

The first project we had for our Digital Media workshop was to design a digital publication for viewing on an iPad.

Of course, we immediately went ahead and, as a group, decided to do a technology magazine.

The publication had to be created on Adobe InDesign; a program that works well enough once you get used to it, but can be a pain to work with at first. Especially considering it’s not really like anything I’ve used before.

However, I feel we did a fairly commendable job on our project overall.

Below is an image of the introductory page of my article. In retrospect, it may look a bit bland; and the font was not the best choice (although I do have an excuse for that). AND there’s too much text at the bottom.

The introductory page of the article we had to each create.
The introductory page of the article we had to each create.

Still, I’m fairly happy with the way it turned out. I was inspired to use one large image as the background, due to:
a) Having trouble making hard colour and gradients look nice and blend together.
b) I’ve seen it done this way in magazines such as National Geographic and Focus. It’s something I’ve always enjoyed.

The idea of designing a digital publication in InDesign was to get all these little interactive elements that are impossible in a conventional print magazine – Scrolling text boxes, interactive image galleries and video embedding.

I have an example of all the elements just mentioned on one of the pages of my digital article, unfortunately Adobe doesn’t believe I have renewed my CC subscription. So until that’s sorted, I’m afraid I’ve no example to show. I’ll update in time.

Digital Media Lecture Notes – 20/10/14

Interactivity 

The ability of the viewer to directly manipulate and influence his/her experience of media.

 

Use in — Games, sports, arcade games, Video Games.

 

The Internet – Various links. Browsers. All Interactive.

 

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“The Avant Garde” – People began thinking of things in terms of movement and being able to touch them, utilise them, making them move, etc.

 

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Norbert Weiner – coined “Cybernetics”

Messages from Humans to Machine, and machine to machine.

 

J C R Licklider: researched Man-Computer symbiosis. Creating networks that would be safe from nuclear attack.

 

Douglas Engelbart – Human Augmentation

Developed the mouse, word processor. Helped develop the personal computer.

 

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“Art should embrace the technologies of technological society.”

 

Examples of responsive environments – Presented as the basis of a new aesthetic medium.

Look at: (Myron Krueger – Video Place – 1989)

 

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Alan Kay – Interface

Interactive game of ‘Pong’

It’s been a while – Lecture catch-up

Just some notes from the lectures we’ve had the past 3 weeks.

2D animation – 19/09/14

History has several stories:

– Of Representations
– Of Stylizations
– Realisms
– Surrealisms
– Expressionisms
– Anthropomorphisms
– Idealisms/Romanticisms.

Pre-animation
– Cave paintings
– Greek Vase W/ decorative paintings on the side
– Far-east puppetry
– The Bayeux Tapestry
– Lucretius’ “On the Nature of Things”.
– Book of Kells
– Voynich Manuscript.
– Flip books in 16th century Europe
– Zoetrope, 1934
– 1890s; comic books
– 19th century optical + kinetic toys

James Stuart Blackton, 1875-1941. “The father of American animation”
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dRe85cNXwg
(Humorous phases of funny faces – 1906)


(Emile Cohl – Fantasmagorie – 1908)


(Winsor McCay – Gertie the Dinosaur – 1914)

In 1914, J. R. Bray patented celluloid sheets.

Disney’s Snow White was the first full-colour feature-length animated feature. (1937)

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2D Animation, form and technology – 06/10/14

Notable names:
– Oscar Fischinger
– Walt Disney
– Robert Clampett
– Yuri Norstein
– Mary Blair
– Caroline Leaf

During the early years around the 40s and 50s, as animation was becoming increasingly popular – two dominant animation studios held sides of the US. Disney dominated the mid-west USA, while Warner Brothers held the north-east.

in 1941, Disney animators went on strike, wanting more recognition for their work.

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13/10/14

“Equipment just gets better”

Motion Sensory input devices:
– Infrared
– Optics
– Radio Frequency
– Sound
– Vibration
– Magnetism

“analogue meets digital”

I was advised to watch the program “How it’s made”.

D.I.Y. Projects: http://www.instructables.com/