This week in class we were required to collect footage around RMIT of various objects, settings or environments, each being 10-15 minute shots, in order to create a haiku video. Each member in our class uploaded their own footage to the G Drive once completed, and from there we were able to use any video in the folder to create our own video. Collecting this footage was definitely an unusual experience as we only had a short amount of time to do so, and it was challenging thinking of things to video as there were very few guidelines. This was a positive however because it left it to our imagination and caused us to really think independently about what we were actually videoing. Some of my footage included the fans circling around on the ceiling, traffic lights and cars and trams driving past on the road, all of which I see going to RMIT every day.

The reading for this week, Blood of the Gutter by Scott McCloud, grasped onto the aspect of closure, and how individuals often commit to it, ‘mentally completing that which is incomplete based on past experience’. It wasn’t until I read this comic that I realised just how much I personally to rely on closure. Before this, I never actually recognised it as being such a big part of life and the way we live. I noticed it more and more as I went about my daily activities. I found that personally I used closure as a way to do everyday tasks and visualise certain things to a faster extent, thus enabling me to be more efficient and productive with my time.

Although the media and technology is becoming more and more dominant within modernistic society, which I believe is an exciting aspect, there are many concerns and issues arising around the constant urge to be looking ‘down’ at phones, computers or any sort of device; consumerism. Seeing all these individuals, these ordinary Melbournians looking down at their phones completely detached from the world at that very moment, in their own little bubble of thought, made me wonder if whether or not this ongoing technology progression is a positive or negative. If having your head buried into a device becomes the norm, how will the future society be affected? Will they miss out on opportunities? What if someone completely walked past the love of their life without even realising because they had their heads down looking at their phones? How would we know? This video on YouTube is a perfect example of what individuals could be missing out on and how it could be changed ever so easily, by simply ‘looking up’.

 

Look Up

‘Media is everywhere’. Although actually quite straight forward and simple, I found this task to be quite challenging, as I assumed media to be everywhere but really when looking for it, it’s harder to find. Our location was the Melbourne Emporium next to Melbourne Central. As soon as we walked in, I instantly noticed the dozens of advertisements positioned at every corner possible, and outside shop windows. Obviously the adverts on billboards outside shop windows were tailored specifically for that particular product/ service within that shop, but there were still a few scattered around different floors advertising products completely irrelevant to where they were positioned. I found these ads to be the most exciting. Specifically, one of which was Fanta and it involved an interactive game where you press the giant screen and pop as many bubbles as you can in 30 seconds. I tried this game several times in a row and not only did I find it completely and utterly entertaining, but also realised how much of an impact it had on me. It was instantly retested into my brain that this ad was for Fanta, and I was able to consume this type of media as well as pay a really fun game. This was a fantastic example of creative advertisements, thus creative media.

A short discussion took place at the end of class involving how much of an issue the aspect of closure can be. We thought about the incredibly beautiful scenery and environment the land of Pandora had in the film Avatar, and how research actually showed (In America I believe) that more and more people were becoming distressed, even to the point of undertaking counselling, due to the disappointment that Pandora wasn’t a real place. These individuals were said to have been sad or even depressed when comparing Pandora to their home. Comparing Pandora with reality, certain individuals were disappointed that they couldn’t ever escape to this magical land and were instead confined to a boring, dull and unexciting environment in which they lived in. This research study is such a great example showing the power that imagination has on such vulnerable individuals within society, and how they are easily able to get so caught up in what is and isn’t real and idolising with the idea of (in this case) fantasy and imagination, no worries or cares in the world, so much so that some require professional sessions to bring them back ‘down to earth’, into reality.

 

Photo Source: http://cdn.pursuitist.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/DAK_AVATAR.jpg, date accessed 13/3/16

One aspect of this video clip that really struck me was how incredibly similar the theme was to Sia’s ‘Chandelier’ video clip.
The Chandelier video clip portrays a young girl in a skin coloured leotard dancing elaborately and emotionally to the song, aiming to portray distress, sadness and the extreme harshness in reality. Although the two songs are not similar at all, Love Yourself follows a similar style. Two individuals dancing with intensely structured moves aiming to convey messages of discomfort between the couple and distance that the girl brings upon the boy. These moves are incorporated into every day life; running in chronological order from the beginning of an ordinary day to the end – the entire clip based in their own apartment. Similarly, Sia’s Chandelier is based in the same apartment (from what is looks like).

The ‘Love Yourself’ video clip has some unique camera shots that are so simple yet so affective. Specifically, there is a shot that presented through the use of two iPhones next to each other, where the girl jumps through one phone to the next. This shot is so unique however so simple, and it’s surprising that (from what I know of) no other video clip has a shot quite like it.
Another aspect of the clip that is so interesting is how the whole thing is a book end. It begins in a black and white tone with the couple waking up in the morning, and ends in a black and white tone with the girl waking up in the middle of the night, however this time alone.

The video itself is so simple yet so powerful as the aspect of the girl loving herself’ is so easily portrayed without needing clarification. Likewise, the boys frustration at the girl and sorrow within the relationship is so easily identifiable, purely through the use of a few basic camera shots. The shots combined with the dance moves and facial expressions enable this to occur.

It is so utterly interesting how the Melbournian lifestyle can be so easily depicted and represented through the medium of photography. One picture really can say 1000 words, especially in this situation. For example, a photograph of a tram stationery at a tram stop with many frantic citizens running on and off could just be a simple photograph, however when time is taken to analyse it in depth, there is more to be found. It could be the different outfits worn by these citizens, immediately somewhat symbolising their personalities. Or it could be the different cafes in the background behind the tram stop, which in itself represents Melbourne in a different way as its known for its amazing and diverse coffee and food destinations, and within the cafe there could be even more individuals with their own stories to tell. Or it could even be the facial expression shown by the tram driver, representing the type of day he or she are having whether that be happy, sad, frustrated etc.

 

Photo source: http://accorhotels.com.au/files/MelbourneRiver_2400x1350_0.jpg , accessed 5th March 2016

Deep attention – characterised by high levels of focus and concentration on one thing at a particular time.

Hyper attention – characterised by engaging in several tasks at once with zero tolerance for boredom

Both hyper and deep attentiveness have their own pros and cons. Listed are some examples:

HYPERATTENTIVE

CONS:
– Much more difficult to finish tasks and even if finished, are done so inadequately
– Inability to retain information
– Lower quality of learning
– Harder to switch off
– Doing too many things at once
– Procrastination and distraction
– Stimulation overload
– Easily dismissive

PROS:
– Manage more than one thing at once, multitasking
– Time efficiency, due to skimming information rather than fully reading it, thus leading to increase productivity
– Increased alertness
– Aware of surrounding environment
– Adaptive

DEEP ATTENTIVE

CONS:
– Switching off is much more difficult
– Draining
– Longer periods of time needed to finish tasks
– Concentration levels are affected

PROS:
– Less/no distractions
– Ability to absorb information thoroughly
– Ability to retain adequate information
– Broader understanding
– Time management
– Quicker

Both hyper and deep attention are necessary for different fields/areas. In the media industry, specifically, both types of attentiveness’ are needed as they allow different tasks to be done.

Hyper and deep attentiveness depend on various aspects relating to the certain individual or activity. some of these include:
– Personality
– Levels of discipline to an individual
– Specific activity