COMM 344- Games played in class vs Pick 3

In class I played 2 games. The first being Trigger and the second game was called Ticket to ride.

The First game, Trigger, was a lot of fun to play. There was a lot of Player v Game interation because you had to think and respond quickly when presented with questions. Some of the questions on one hand were confusing and they did have a lot of double negatives, but that made it challenging and brought in some discussion with the other players helping the player v player interaction. Player to player interaction happened greatly when we all had to slap our hands down on top of each other to see who could answer first.

The Second game my group and I played was called Ticket to Ride. The first part that didnt help with liking the game was that we had to read the rules online, and that kinda put a damper on it, since some of the class mates have clashing personalities/ learn different ways. After reading the rules, I figured out that this game requires strategy. I feel as if I retained more information playing Ticket to Ride then I did Trigger because Trigger was so fast paced.

Furthermore, these games are more educational that the pick 3 games. Trigger was the most fun, it reminded me of the pick three games, but more fun and it had the most potential to be the best game if only the questions pertained to a certain more condensed subject. Then it would be perfect. As far as Ticket to Ride was not very educational, could have amped that up. The game was more strategic if anything. Over all they helped me learn how drastically learn how a game is successful and not.

COMM 344- Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego

Video games have become a “major segment of the entertainment business and children spend hour after hour playing and talking about them.” When children play video games they are completely engaged and they keep coming back to it, like they are addicted, so why not make a video game that children can learn from and they will come back to and play over and over again? “Computers are not judgmental, do not mind countless repetition and can provide a setting where scenarios can be explored with the fear of embarrassment”-Metacognition and Strategy Instruction Seminar. Using a computer game also creates a sense of comfort instead of learning in a stressful environment. “Game playing participants demonstrated focused attention and enjoyment and expressed reluctance to leave the computer labs after the gaming session had ended” (Ke, 2008).

The first game I would like to start out talking about is a childhood favorite of mine, Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego. It is an educational computer and video game. It also was a television game show. “The basic premise of the franchise lets the user or protagonists become agents of the ACME Detective Agency, who attempts to thwart and capture V.I.L.E. ringleader and former ACME agent Carmen Sandiego. The franchise initially focused on teaching geography and history, though it later branched out into mathematics, English, and other subjects.”

One of the main goals when creating the educational computer game was to get kids interested in geography, and trust me it worked. I would play that game for hours not even realizing that I was learning anything. I guess just like in my previous blog that’s where the word edutainment came in to play. Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego also aimed to teach kids about different world cultures and it helped kids use deductive reasoning to track and hunt down the villians. Furthermore, some of the clues that were given to find Carmen Sandiego were taken from the World Almanac. This game has been and continues to educate and entertain children. They have come out with many various forms of this game that deal with mathematics as well as history and time. The game was invented in the late 1980's and continues to be a popular childrens game, it even is on facebook!

COMM 344- Educational Game Research

For my blog I would like to focus on Educational games. I want to explore how games are designed to educate people of all different ages, depending on the game, about different subjects, cultural and historical events and how the effect the player. Then I want to explore the many different mediums used to educate people such as computer games, board games, and physical interactive games and so on.

I want to explore how videogame developers learn to balance the educational needs of their target audience with the appropriate amount of entertainment value. The developers of educational video games refers to the games as edutainment. “The hope is that the child will have fun and forget that they’re learning, but still maintain the knowledge they pick up while playing.”-adultlearn.com. Then I will look into the different and various types of boardgames and how they compare and differ to the video games. Then I will look into the games that have been made up and are played by children with out set written rules and regulations. Then to add some fun into the blogs I will be exploring the different kinds of games played by children from all over the world and how they can relate to the children from America as well as how the games are socially and culturally linked.

Comm 344 All play means something.

According to Huizinga "What makes us human is game play." Games relate to "war,poetry,art, and other essential elements of culture." One goal of game design is learning to create amazing game experiences for players which manifests into meaning; and meaningful game play is is the key to any successful game design. Play is based on how the players interact with the system of the game,context, and how the game is played. Interaction plays a key roll in games such as choosing to play the game, choosing what cards to discard in poker, moving game pieces and other moves such as rolling the dice. From these choices/actions durring the game it gives the game new meanings. From these actions comes feedback which is a key element because it communicates the outcomes of a given action. A keyword to keep in mind is Discernability. Discernability in a game lets the player know what the outcomes are of their actions. When I read about discernabilty i understood that with out seeing the outcome of your actions you might as well be mashing buttons like I used to do when playing Super Smash Brothers and would get angry because I couldnt see the results of my actions of smashing buttons. The next key word to keep in mind is Intergration because it lets you know how your actions will affect the rest of the game in the end result.Every action is essential to great meaningful game play.

After reading this chapter I understand better the concept of what makes meaningful game play. Another part of meaningful game play i neglected to explain until now because i am able to relate it to building a straw tower. As we got into a group of four the game was able to exemplify an unexpect social and strategic level of game play. It made us brainstorm together and have successful meaningful communication, which was a very nice and pleasant surprise.

A new life she has found (music video comm 333 - blog 6)

 I am doing a blog on the music video for the song Face Down by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.
The look of sound in this is reminds me of when i have had enough with people and im upset. It starts off on a slow steady beat matching her foot steps.The song begins to pick up tempo and become more intense as she looks at her bruseses. As she looks at the  photos of her boyfriend and herself the memories of what he has done to her becomes apparent as everything in the room is being thrown around and broken. In essence it shows that the boyfriend (without him actually doing it) throwing around all of the objects in the room as if they dont mean anything. This shows that the woman was an object that he didnt care of respect for. The throwing of the objects signfys the abuse from the boyfriend. The incorperated. Through the band playing their music, the lyrics, and the story telling there are endless amount of ideas per second being shown in the music video. The audience is anyone and everyone. The band itself would appeal to the younger angsty generation of teens and young adults. It deffinatly targets all the women and people in abusive relationships to be done with it and a message to the abusers about how the defenseless will rise up and how they will pay for their wrong doing.As the band is playing in the music video their performance is being amplified. The music video helps them clearly communicate the meaning behind the words and makes watching the band that much more intense.

Everything's Changing Music Video Production!

Over the course of the semester Meredith and I (Elizabeth) have been working hard going out filming and experimenting with stop motion as well as camera angles.We had never done it before so with my cannon camera we went out to the Rumsey monument and started practicing stop motion. For part of the movie she puts on animal mask. This part goes along with the lyrics "Everything's changing faces changing places"- The chorus is about everything from what is natural to industrialize. We show this idea by showing a woman dressed nicely with different animal faces changing. The animals haunt the girl and follow her around as a reminder of what is real. what belongs in its place.

On tuesday the april 26th we went down to a secret spot along the Potomac river, to film at the ruins.

The animals keep haunting her and calling her out to nature.The animals and scenes in nature remind the girl to appreciate what the world has to offer with out technology and material goods.

On thursday April 28th we edited our video from 2pm - 10 pm at night and got it finished.
On Friday April 29th we are working on the final touches. Directors commentary and exporting it out to youtube. 

Realism in Music vs Television!

Music Video is my life.

- Bruno Mars- The Lazy Song (Official Video)

Music Video has been a huge influence in American culture, especially for the youth of today. When I was in high school my life was fast paced and I was stuck in my own little world, which isn’t a bad thing. I did however have an outlet to the outside world. In the morning I would get up and watch MTV music videos. I would learn the latest trends from hairstyles, clothing and attitudes that the music videos would portray. I was able to understand why certain people who weren’t in my circle of friends did what they did. I was never big into rap but the kids who immersed themselves in it, were able to embrace that culture through music videos.

 As I got older I was able to see how MTV music videos didn’t just influence peoples attitudes, hairstyles, and clothing but our daily lives, as we know them now. Music Videos also reflect whats new and popular in our culture. An amazing example of this is Bruno Mars Music Video called the lazy song. In the lyrics the first part goes

“Today I don't feel like doing anything
I just wanna lay in my bed
Don't feel like picking up my phone, so leave a message at the tone
'Cause today I swear I'm not doing anything”

--I feel as if this part applies to many of the high school or college kids and even the adults with jobs. Haven’t you ever woken up and said those words? I know I have.

The next lines are as followed:

“I'll be lounging on the couch just chilling in my Snuggie
Click to MTV so they can teach me how to dougie
'Cause in my castle I'm the freaking man”

The snuggie was a huge hit in the advertising industry and almost became a joke.

 

Then Bruno talks about how they should "teach me how to dougie" which is one of the newest and most popular dance moves. Recently at Shep Fest. they had a teach me how to dougie comeptition and you cant go into a dance club with out hearing this song:

 the next lyrics are : 

"Tomorrow I'll wake up, do some P90X
Find a really nice girl, have some really nice sex
And she's gonna scream out"

P90X is a commercial that comes on MTV so naturally it has become a big hit. Its another workout DVD to get people into shape and its a joke when people talk about it but slowly people like my little brother have been influenced to try it out.Of course by having a great body women will flock to a man and the it insinuates that you will have sex with a woman if you are ripped and built. All i have to say is sex sells.

The next lyrics go:

"Yeah, I might mess around
And get my college degree
I bet my old man will be so proud of me
But sorry pops, you'll just have to wait"

Getting your college degree has become a huge part of our culture.From where i come from everybody tells you that getting a college degree is vital to moving up in the world and living a successful life. But the students can relate to this because they are being pressured to work so hard in school so that they can get their degree but sometimes we all just need a break. I feel as if by just this song alone we can see how well it merges with society as a whole. I would even argue that Media and Music Video is one of the dominant groups in our culture that dictates the social norms that we follow.

Importance of Interpretation

Why is it important to frame the class by spending a week talking about the art and science of interpretation? It is important to spend time talking about the art and science of interpretation in class because the three forms of knowledge (technical, practical and emancipatory) are deeply rooted in the human experience. When talking about cultural hegemony we come to gather an understanding that whatever ideas they think of become the social norms for the rest of the culture. People feel as if these ideals that are now the social norms benefit them when in reality it only benefits the dominant group that is in power.

            Furthermore, Cultural Studies is focuses on how the media is a hegemonic force or as I explained above, the dominant group. Media in my opinion is becoming the dominant group that helps steer people into choosing different political ideas and opinions that in truth are not beneficial to them. Media is everywhere. It is the dominant aspect in everyone’s life, unless you are Amish J. When you wake up the average person turns on and looks or listens to their television, radio, and cell phone. That’s why its very important to be able to interpret the media because with out a solid basis and idea behind your criticism and interpretation of media we wouldn’t be able to understand some of the social norms of human life in this age. In conclusion since media is the dominant group it determines societies social and economic classes.

Music Video

Orignially i was going to be producing a music video for my friends instrumental band but after a few weeks i found them un-reliable to send me the file to their songs in the correct format. So i have now joined forces with Meredith Lorenz. The song we are going to be using is called Everythings changing. http://soundcloud.com/blindlanguage/everythings-changing
Here are the lyrics:"Their laying new concrete over old concrete.
and I can feel the weight of history shifting under my feet.
I can't see the constellations at night
because they made the street lights too bright.


Everything...changes places
Everythings changing faces

I run into the woods I know the stars are here
and I let my eyes adjust to the dark I was taught to fear.
The roots are strong when a forest is old
But they will cut through the middle and the blue prints unfold.

Everything...changes places
Everythings changing faces

Time was a funnel after I left town
draining til the buildings I love became ran down.
Didnt know I needed light til the switch turned on
Didnt miss the music til I heard an old song


Everything...changes places
Everythings changing faces"

During the chorus the lyrics are: everything is changing places and everythings changing faces. We have some animal masks that we thought would be neat to take a picture of a person standing still and make a stop motion of the faces changing on the person..maybe even have a line of people and the faces are switching around but looks like they're all just in the same spot if that makes sense.Some youtube inspirational videos are : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVWeqAPQUXc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_HXUhShhmY
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVWeqAPQUXc 

Double Blog - Favorite program and character

Since being at college I hardly watch television and living in a dorm doesn’t help but on the nights when my roomates and I are bored we have been driven to watch the MTV show Teen Mom. Teen mom is a reality show about teenages who have given birth to a child and the hardships that they are faced with everyday.This shows young teens that having a child isn't sunshine and daisys. Its hard work,responsibility, and any type of fun they used to have is thrown out of the window.

This show derived off of a previous show called 16 and pregnant. MTV was then able to get the cast from 16 and pregnant and pick out the,now teen moms who would be able to keep the show entertaining to the audience.There is a second season but for this blog we will focus on the first. The mothers are Maci ,Farrah ,Catelynn and Amber.

Incase you don’t watch the show, here is an overview of the cast and story lines:

The firs teen mother we will focus on is Maci. She lives in Tennessee with her supporting parents. In highschool she was your average overachiever. She was a popular cheerleader and scholar with a handsom boyfriend. Then it all went away the moment she got pregnant. Her life then went into a fast pace and her dreams of going to college vanished. The plot thickened as she made plans to marry her boyfriend Ryan because they had a kid together, but from watching 16 and pregnant we knew from the start it wasn’t going to work out. She then started to see another boy to fill the emptiness she felt inside but that didn’t work either now she is focusing on her own goals to better the life of her son Bently.

Then we have Farrah. Farrah lived at home with both of her parents. A controlling mother and a laid back fathers who was always in and out of the picture. They eventually got divorvced. Farrah was a highschool teen mom who got pregnant by an off again on again boyfriend who tragically died before the birth of his daughter in a car accident. Farrah wasn’t very stable and this interfered with her mothering abilities and she felt that she could go out and do everything that she used to before her baby was born. That soon changed and she realized how hard it was to handle all the fun with the responsibility of raising a child and paying rent and food when she moved out of her parents house. The relationship with her family has always been very rocky and makes for a great character to watch.

Then we have Catelynn. In my opinion she is the best one of them all!!!  She had a baby with her boyfriend Tyler, they gave up their child to an amazing family. Catelyn’s mom is married to Tylers father ( her step dad). Tylers father  and Catelynns mother are not supportive of their children and yell at them. Its weird that they’re parents married and had their own child from that marriage. Im not sure how but Catelynn and Tyler are the  parents out of this show who have the best head on their shoulders despite how they grew up and the circumstances they have been put through. She has visited with her child and her adoptive parents and as we watched the show progress we watched her maturity levels grow as well.

The next mother is Amber. She is very selfish and physically abusive to her on again off again lazy ex boyfriend gary. She and Gary have a horrible relationship which intrigues viewers to ask “whats going to happen next?” Its an abusive relationship and if they don’t fix it soon it will mess up Leah during her life and the vicisious cycle of abusiveness will arise as she gets older.

The teen moms ( characters) all play a vital function in the show even tho they donts interact with one another, it creates all sides of society. Maci is the all American girl with supportive parents, Farrah is the cheerleader with the dysfunctional family, Catelynn who’s life is filled with lots of twists, and Ambers whos live is as abusive as she is. These girls were all picked to fill a certain fuction of society and to gain audiences because im sure one girl can relate to at least one teen mom making the show even more popular as the audience gets attached.

Character Functions

 

Then we could look at the semiotics of a character: from the way they dress,the colors of their clothes,the light in their world such as on their walls,or body or surrounding environment. 
Now lets take a look at the picture above. Coraline is dressed in bright colors signifying her as being good and  while her fake parents take on darker tones such as gray and red/black they signify evil. All the light is cast over her while the evil parents are in the back in the dark. The candles on her cake are pink and bright/cheerful while the candles next to her "parents" are gray and dull. The we can ask questions such as :Is the character static or dynamic?What type of person is the character? Is she good or evil? In what ways has society or the environment created the character? Is she happy with her home? Family? What kind of society does the character live in?This all plays a vital role into who the characters are and how they function within the movie.

Digital Videographers

I was asked this question, should everyone be a digital videographer? My initial reaction was no, but as i thought about it longer and dug deeper I believe that everyone should have the skills it takes to become a videographer. You don't have to be the best but i do believe you should be able to have the skills set behind the lens. I reached my decision though Bloom's Taxonomy pyramid and it applys to what you must learn to become and efficient videographer. 

  

It all starts with Knowledge  you need to be able to memorize and label and list duplicate and keep things in order. Just like a videographer you need to be able to meorize a movement, label a shot, duplicate the shot to pick the best one, and keep yourself organized and your shots in order.

 Then we move onto Comprehension - As a videographer you will need to be able to comprehend the scene be able to explain your thoughts behind it while you discuss and indicate your ideas. We then move on to application where you must choose and apply your thoughts on your scene and shot, interpret the meanings. As a videographer i have found that scheduling is probably the best skill to aquire if you can keep to your schedule then your production will stay on track. Next we will analyze the shots we took, categorize then and compare and contrast them to the duplicate shots that were taken earlier. Then examine the pictures and make sure that they make sense but dont be scared to question a shot if it doesnt make sense. Then we will go to the next level of synthesis, here we will assemble all the shots compose them together and begin to creat your magical creation. The next it to Evaluate. You will want to have finished your movie by now watch it and judge and finish the final scenes before letting the world see your creation. With out Blooms Texonomy pyramid i dont feel like people would have all the skills to survive in the business or work world and all these skill sets build a great videographer so i think everyone should be a videographer based on this.

To learn more visit : http://www.officeport.com/edu/blooms.htm

Music Video-Pioneer of video expression

"The ways we perceive the world we live in are translated into the ways we express the world through acts of communication (pg7. why i still want my MTV)" One way of expressing communication is through our bodies and through our bodies we can communicate via music or television. We have now started to combine both music and television through music videos. Music videos as i read are said to be expressive acts to understanding the world. There are very strong issues of dichotomy when dealing with music videos. According the dictionary.com dichotomy is a division into two mutually exclusive, opposed, or contradictory groups. One such group is women. In one video they will be wearing almost nothing and fawning over one man and in the next music video they will be singing of womens self empowerment. There are so many other music videos which are very contridicting to each other but that will never change, its what makes the world go round and it keeps the audiences interested.


Below are some example of music videos- The first one is by the artist Ciara and is dealing with how men and women are put on different pedestals and how women need to be more empowered and not let men walk all over them.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HKH7Emy1SY


The next one is a typical music video where women are throwing themselves all over the men.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2up_Eq6r6Ko