WOW! What a semester it has been. I have learned a lot about the internet, gaming, computers in general, the infrastructure of our network, blogging, tweeting, podcasting, remixing, mashing, and EVERYTHING in between!
http://sites.middlebury.edu/littleepstein/2010/03/10/paper-project/
Starting with my first project, the Paper Project (makes sense that we began with it since we progressed through technology from there on out) I saw the limitations and also the possibilities that paper brings to the table. I had a great time working with Hannah and Guillaume and produced the project that I am very. From the creation of the tangible design to the folding to reveal new characteristics of it, we really utilized the medium to come up with a great final product. It is funny because it is easy to share all of the other projects since they are on the internet but not this one! In terms of making changes, I really think that I would keep it the exact same. We got our point across well and were able to create something that we all felt good about.
http://sites.middlebury.edu/huehunter/2010/03/08/audio-projekt/
What came next was the Podcasting project. I think that Molly and I worked well to try to see what we could do with audio and we came up with a creative idea that showed that. I wish that we had been able to spend a little bit more time adding some subtle commentary to it but I was having a hard time not using Final Cut! I like the message that it sent because it is definitely not something that we use for news broadcasts or presidential speeches as much today.
When Liya and I started the Remix Video, we weren’t exactly sure where we were going to go with it. I had a vision in my head from the word remix of doing a music video mashup but I quickly realized that I could come up with much better to fit the criteria. I think that our message comes across but that if we had been able to fin more clips to use in both of the videos in different ways that we could have made our message even more clear to the viewer that didn’t know what the point of the project was. SO if I were to do it again I think that we would have spent more time on the development of the clips and the overall feeling of the two opposing arguments and what they present. I am definitely satisfied, but as always know that with more time could have come more precision of our message.
The gaming video that Hannah and I did turned out to be just about exactly what we had envisioned in the beginning. The whole process of capturing footage and using machinema was very interesting to me and opened up a whole new world of video capture and cinema. I think that one thing I would have liked to include would have been the character dying at the end and then cutting to me standing up and powering down the console so to show that no matter how into the game you get, it isn’t going to affect real life in the same way. Otherwise, I am super happy with this product and am glad that we collaborated to make such a fun project!
Last but not least is our final project. What we were going for here was to show how a person can almost get sucked into the “reality” of video games and digital/online personalities. Though it is just Shane in his room for most of the time, in his mind he is playing at huge stadiums, jamming at a concert, snowboarding some of the biggest mountains etc. It is easy to get wrapped up in games and to develop different persona’s as Ian has for example in World of Warcraft. I think that we communicated it well and that it shows a fair amount of what we have learned about during the semester. We chose that genre of media specifically because we think that it is pertinent to our lives at the moment and the people who are growing up at the moment as well. All in all GREAT TIME.
Thank you for sharing your insight with us during the semester Prof Mittell and Joe, I had a great time and am taking a lot away from the class.
Best,
John Hunter Nolan