Blog Compare March 30, 2009
Posted by angelacrilley in Blog surfing, Film.Tags: Blog Customization, Deltora Quest, Emily Rodda, Film, Production Project A
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So no lecture week 5.
Gave me a little – although much needed – time to carve up the world wide web and begin our Production Project A. I’ve decided to create an online exhibition, mainly because this particular task interests me the most of all the options. But I also feel that the learning outcomes of this option will be most beneficial to myself and I will enjoy doing the project more. I hope. And if someone enjoys doing something they produce better results. That’s how I’m looking at it anyway. I’m just using ‘tumblr.com’ as a base and creating a few extra pages under one account. It’s not much to look at at the moment, but it’s a work in progress. My exhibition will be about archery, it’s a more alternative subject, which I wouldn’t mind learning more about in this process.
I found during the tutorial this week when we looked at everyones blogs individually and gave constructive criticism was a great opportunity to observe how everyone else was going with the unit. Although I’ve had a few peeks already at others pages, there were quite a few points I wasn’t aware of could boost or enhance your page, so now I feel I’ve got something to work off and improve on. I found a few other people’s blogs browsing the net that have really interesting and creative design styles applied.
I wasn’t exactly searching or concerned with specific content, more the basic layout and structure of the page, hoping I might come across a style that appealed to me and I could maybe mimick or apply a few of its features. The customization of the blogs listed on this page are all very diverse, and some of them seem to have unlimited gadgets and widgets which is food for thought.
I was also just browsing through some of my old childrens books last week and came across my beloved Deltora Quest Series. Don’t know if too many older people have read them but they’re basically a fantasy series which I’ve always thought would make an amazing film. I even wrote into the author, Emily Rodda, a while ago suggesting that, only to be dismally rejected.
But searching through youtube I found a few clips where the book has been made into a video game, and the graphics used are brilliant and really capture the characters as I would have imagined them. The voiceover is in Chinese or Japanese (not really sure) but I just thought if anyone who may have read the books has ever thought the same thing. I don’t think I’ll ever dismiss the idea of wanting to see the books on the big screen, either animated or with actors.
CSS for beginners… March 23, 2009
Posted by angelacrilley in CSS.Tags: beginner coding, CSS
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I found an AWESOME website that is for beginners at css coding. It’s got plenty of headings grouping into ‘how to’ for backgrounds, margins, text, etc. All you need to do is click what you want to generate or edit, and it comes up with the complete coding, and gives you the opportunity to edit it and see what the results would be! So good. Clears things up a bit.
API’s March 22, 2009
Posted by angelacrilley in API.Tags: API, pipes
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Really. APIs. API sharing. I understand what they do and the outcomes. I think they’re brilliant. Especially the main example we’re being shown about Flickr APIs. It’s like the modern day style for cheating and copying someone elses notes, except it’s legal…with proper consent of course. Sharing is caring. And it saves time usually wasted unecessarily typing in extra and css codes. Why wasn’t I told this before.
But it’s like the process of coca cola. I know the understand it provides an amazing taste and the end result is a quenched thirst, but I’ve only a basic understanding of how they get there or the process. I get as far as combining soda water and syrup. That’s it.
The ‘pipes’ program we looked at in the tutorial, had a bad attitude towards me – or maybe the other way around. In theory, the program worked great. Possibly it was just my computer, but I seemed to have a lot of technical errors going on and the page not registering what I was entering. So frustrating! Does anyone else ever have the desire to personify their computer and start abusing it – sometimes verbally and physically?! As I’ve already started, and hoping I’m not the only one…
Just on my mind…I wonder how many directors or film makers get on set, look at the script, and change their mind about a million times, before deciding the burn the script and wing it because nothing seems to be working. I think that would give a film more impact. Be more spontaneous. And if the mood on set is genuinely tense and confusing, or the actors were scared by the insanity of the director, this could be utilised for the greater good! More directors should do this. Take true emotion and punch it out on film. Agreed?
HTML & CSS March 15, 2009
Posted by angelacrilley in CSS, HTML.Tags: CSS, filmmaking, HTML
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It’s true. Everything, however complex, can be described in some way, shape or form to seem inexplicably simple. On realistic terms though, more often than not it is simple to the describer, not the person who is it is being described too. Or it seems simple in theory, but in practise takes on a whole new level of complexticity.
I find this theory applicable to the construction of html or css coding. I was back in the day a Myspace junkie, and somehow found the time and patience to teach myself pretty basic html codes that altered the appearance of my page. I obviously did this so I had the most whiz bang ’space’ of them all. Looking back, it didn’t seem useful at all at the time, but it taught me the basic principals of html and how using tags and placing them specifically changes the appearance of text, images, margins, etc. I wouldn’t say this prior experience (I don’t know if I’d even classify it as experience) made the lecture seem simple, but it definetly helped me partially break down what was being said.
Although in the lecture the difference between html and css was explained, I didn’t truly understand what the difference was. Being literally shown one second the html with a css style sheet applied and then the next second it completely withdrawn or edited, demonstrated much more clearly the differences between the two as it was physically shown to me, as opposed to explained. The construction and setup of a website is alot clearer, now being aware that html is content and css is the way it is presented.
It seems transitioning from a beginner to an intermediate or pro is the process of memorisation of tags and codings, and knowing what goes where how it should be listed. All the information is accesible, as I’ve found from doing what everyone does, Google-ing it. It’s just a matter of experimenting and in the process learning how things work. Although I haven’t sunk my claws into attempting anything yet, I know I will be overwhelmed at the start but sheer persistence and hopefully with some luck, something that can maybe constitue as a web page will be the end result.
I’ve also been doing a bit of blog surfing, and been browsing for some blogs that discuss filmmaking or directing. I found one written by a man name Peter D. Marshall, a Candian filmmaker who’s worked in film and television, assuming multiple job positions. His also got a website and a monthly magazine so it’s a regularly updated blog with useful information from someone in the industry.
I’ve also subscribed to his blog via RSS.
Blog #1 March 7, 2009
Posted by angelacrilley in RSS.Tags: Networked Media Production, RSS, Tropfest
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I go by Ang. I’m studying Networked Media Productions and I’m a first year at UC. I’m doing a double degree in Arts/Media Arts and Productions and would ultimately like to be working in the film industry as a director or editor. Preferebly a director. Only over the past few years have I developed an intense interest in this area, and become actively involved in pursuing.
As discussed through lectures, the internet is obviously a continually expanding and growing resource for publishing and marketing all sorts of media via various websites such as ‘YouTube’, and having said this learning a little about the industry and how it works seems completely relevant to myself and what I want to achieve. This unit has already given me knowledge that prior to commencing I was oblivious – well maybe not totally oblivious but not well informed. Unawares to tools such as RSS and blogospheres, I’ve already found their uses gratifying. Unless you count myspace or facebook, I am a ‘virgin blogger’ and have found this new phenomenon rewarding already. Blogs seem to encompass news, interest and entertainment, amongst all the other thousands of categories available on the net, with more personal views and opinions that can link back to direct sources.
I’ve found a few blogs that I’ve already subscribed too, and a few random web sites that have some interesting things on it. The film clip above is the winning short film for the 2008 New York Tropfest Competition. ‘Mankind Is No Island’, it’s good. I like the simplicity of it, and the complimentary contrast between both Sydney and New York.
