Category: Readings

Participation Week 5

Reflect on reading for the week and pose thoughts on Symposium question

http://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/features/deep-focus/video-essay-essay-film-some-thoughts

In view of building a more expansive perceptual arsenal in understanding film framework, I have chosen an article that attempts to dissolve the ambiguity proposed by film essay theorists  (such as Rascaroli’s reading excerpt) by proposing a form of definition that is grounded by the fact of its functionality. The article is ‘Video essay: The essay film’ and is written by Kevin. B Lee.

Lee attempts to clarify the very definition of the film essay supported by the week’s reading through the words of Hans Richter. What Lee claims confounds the clearness of the definition is the ambiguity of Hans’ description of the film essay as anything that ‘transgresses the parameters of traditional documentary, granting imagination free reign’. To Lee, this covers anything that differs from normalized cinema in any context hence providing a very ambiguous definition to the term.

As such, Lee works to conclude that a Film essay can be defined based on the characteristic that the work facilitates the process of thinking by explicitly reflecting on the material it represents. By breaking down the identification and misallocation of various different film essays and identifying particular polemical issues with original discourses on the matter (such as Rascaroli’s excerpt), Lee comes to a functional conclusion of the film essay holding the pragmatic end of its purpose as a means of investigation and knowledge into the various different spheres of our existence; A function that determines its nature as a Film Essay whilst also standing as the motivation that drives it inherently.

Provide progress report on ongoing Konstraint work an Filming

With the coming weeks towards submission, I have begun forming the concept of thematic connection for my Korsakow Film. Having completed the Konstraint tasks, their thematic and technical limitations have allowed me to find synonymous patterns within the work that allow their grouping and linking.

As such, based on the thematic limitations of the Konstraint tasks, I have decided to structure my Korsakow film around these key three themes:

-Light and Shadow

-Squares and Circles

-Perspective and Objective

Utilizing each one as a key theme, I plan to break down each theme into two keywords. As such, my filming has allowed for equal proportionality of all 6 subdivisions hence allowing for a neutral keyword network. I personally feel this works great with the overall intention as it has allowed me to equally subdivide clips for each section, hence ensuring a equalized exposure to these themes to an audience.

Personal Assessment Matrix

Personal Assesment Matrix (Total Grade for Matrix is Sum of points= Total % weightage)
WEEK Analysis Execution Reflection Learning Total
5 5 4 4 3 16

 

Providing Multimedia Link

Having had practice with the interface this week, I have decided to include a link to a video that explains the essential functions and design of the Korsakow program. Understanding that it can generally be a confusing program to use, I realized after watching this video that providing a visual aid showing the process of development helps register better as it proves more engaging. Much like the film essay, the engagement of the author to facilitate the thinking process can prove as a tool for learning.

Participation Week 4

Publish a review of a link to an article or academic writing related to week’s topic

http://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com/2011/05/01/narratives-in-the-21st-century-narratives-in-search-of-contexts/

For this week’s link, I will be reviewing an article by counsellor Jackie Gernstein called ‘Narratives in the 21st Century’. In the article, Jackie draws upon the current generation’s rapidly evolving user-based media technologies. As such she points out to the rise of the 21st century narrator who tells his/her story through the context of various different platforms and user-based medium such as twitter, Facebook, Foursquare etc.

The bigger implication she draws from this established notion is the idea of how this advancement is indicative of a new type of user-made narrative in the 21st century where the key focus is for others to find ways to deliver their own story and find an audience.

She draws upon the importance of such a system for this generation and how its integration and continued use can be seen as a viable tool for the overall progression and development of society. Utilizing her background as a counsellor, she shows this a medically imperative perspective that further supporting the topic of user-based platforms as narrative mediums by society as a whole.

Reflect on reading for the week and pose thoughts on symposium question

This week’s reading is an excerpt by Ryan Marie-Laure on Defining Narrative and is a discourse by the author into defining the semantics the determine the narrative and the notions by which it can be determined distinctly amongst the fora of various media that exhibit similar characteristics.

The first distinction Ryan draws in structuring this definition is the difference between story and narrative purported by H. Porter Abbott as the story being the sequence of events and the ‘narrative’ as being the order it is represented in. Ryan critiques this first notion by pointing out its relative objectivism and applicability to a variety of mediums thus rendering its generality in proposing a distinct definition. However, he trumpets the positive implication of such discernment as it works as a functional characteristic in describing narrative.

In further detail, Ryan determines key semantics, much shadowing Bordwell and Thompson’s explanation of cinema narrative which are:

-Spatial Dimension

-Temporal Dimension

-Mental Dimension

–Formal and Pragmatic Dimension

These criterions help further filter the definition of Narrative towards larger constraints. However not fully disclosing narrative texts, its proposes various criterion that help further determine rubrics by which the ‘narrativity’ of a text can be realized.

In general, these 8 criteria (with the speculative nature of the 8th) seem to point to the indication of effective narrativity based on a text’s aversion from the inclusion of natural causality and change forces, implementation of causal connectivity between constituents of a text and lack of use of over-arching concrete objective grouping of narrative subject matter (i.e. the entire human race, Mother nature etc)

What can be deduced from Ryan’s excerpt is the idea that he attempts to distinguish strongly between the notion of story and narrate by identifying the essential element of codification that occurs in narrative work. Seing as a story may depict a series of events or a particular event sequence, a  narrative holds distinction in the tapering of these story elements in a structured progression with valid material codification subject to the nature of the text at hand (E.G Cinema, Fictional Book)

Symposium question

Bordwell and Thompson state that after watching Rail Road Turnbridge a person “cannot see bridges in the same way” thus experimental films are not just art for arts sake. Can/are Korsakow projects art for arts sake, or can they effect the way people see things? Or like Rail Road Turnbridge are they both at once?

I like to see the question particularly as two implications of the same initial action. However, what holds interesting is whether the initial action was designed with the intention of the first, being ‘art for art’s sake’ or the latter which is to affect the general perception of art in the public sphere. The synonymous link between the two however is the fact that experimental film itself finds its name due to the fact that it challenges mainstream norms of the medium. Much similar to the example of Rail Road Turnbridge pointed forth by Bordwell and Thompson, can seeing a medium a different way be inherent enough to push forth a change of societal perception.

If so, how does Korsakow have an ability to do so? Is it simply ‘Art for Art’s sake’? Relating back to my approach to the matter, i feel anything that technically and/or thematically varies from normalized perception of  a medium automatically can constitute as something that changes perception. However, much like the bridge example, the greater determinant I feel that sets a piece’s ability to change perceptions is driven by the reliability it has to norms while proposing an alternative. Something can only change people enough if enough people are able to see it. This concept entails that this greater determinant is dictated by a critical mass. As such, viewing the relatively new idea of multi-linear filmmaking, the degree to which I feel Korsakow can affect public perception is invested the relevance it will have to the general sphere of media attention. Despite being a technical change to the text, which can be argued to be a deciding element of changing perceptions, I feel the greater extent to which it truly acts as a culture changing medium is the point at which its use effectively garners the right amount of attention which ultimately decides its ability to shape the perceptions of people.

Personal Assessment Matrix

Personal Assesment Matrix (Total Grade for Matrix is Sum of points= Total % weightage)
WEEK Analysis Execution Reflection Learning Total
4 5 4 5 3 17

Provide a Link to form of MultiMedia

For this week’s link i will be providing a link to an interactive narrative created by James Mellers. James Mellers is known particularly for his website Thismanslife.com and his portfolio of photo narrative projects.

Given the week’s topic, I decided to present a form of Narrative for my Multimedia link that challenged a sense of convention using the experimental medium photography narrative that is inherent in James Mullers work. Whether it is convention shattering or ‘Art for art’s sake’, it is definitely very cool.

http://www.thismanslife.co.uk/newstart/

 

 

Participation Week 2

Publish a review of a link to an article or academic reference based on weekly topic.

http://computationalculture.net/review/review_of_networks_without_a_cause

For this week’s article, I will be publishing a review link to one of the prominent figures in the discourse of networked media and its affiliated field of user-based journalism. In view of the Astruc’s discourse of the changing face of documentary filmmaking, the article examines a commentary on Geert Lovink’s position of the current age of user-based media and its implications on the current taxonomically organized system of journalism production based on his book “Networks without a cause”.

What lies interesting in this article is Geert Lovink’s statement of how the inclusion of Web 2.0 is promoting a more decentralized approach to the dissemination of information with the rise of the web documentary and decline in popularity of the traditional documentary production model. As such, Geert proposes a new shift in the industry that is calling such established production means to action in either embracing this new shift of less-centralized and time-orientated journalism with a more sporadic and efficient reporting that will start to match the new user demographic of web-based platforms.

Additionally he comes to outline how such news agencies and journalistic powerhouses chose to incite or provoke a response through their presence disallowing a more naturalistic observation of situations which he proposes occurs through the simple phenomenon of a user-made video. Such an example would be the dissemination of current affairs through users in the twitter-sphere. Such a situation illustrates a paradigm in which the conscientious user creates content through continuous accessibility to user-media tools.

 

Reflect on Reading for the week and pose thoughts on symposium question

This week’s reading ‘Digital Video and Alexandre Astruc’s Camera-Stylo: the new avant-garde documentary’ by Bjorn Sorenssen comments on Alexandre Astruc’s postulated theory of a de-centralized era of mass-media production empowered by the general public rather than capitally empowered corporations or organizations due to mass accessibility of media production tools. Bjorn first addresses how this so-called ‘prediction’, which was initially intended to foreshadow the changes to the industry via the introduction of 16mm Film format,  mirrors very closely the developments to media production that have come about from the past few decades from the initial introduction of the VCR and Camcorder to the more sophisticated tools and platforms we have today such as mini cameras on iPhones to the accessibility of open hosting platforms such as Youtube.

Bjorn goes further into this theory to discuss how this breakthrough of digital production and distribution of documentary films has truly lived up to Astruc’s prophecy. Ultimately using a Youtube user ‘Geriatric1927’ as a case study and point of comparison, Bjorn relates to Astruc’s theory of a democratic media sphere through usage of ‘Geriatric1927s’ videos exemplifying it as a perfect example of a form of individualized documentary.

The key list of criterion Bjorn states in summary of Astruc’s vision are as follows:

1)New Technology Provides new means of expression. The development of the film medium from being exclusive to becoming a commonplace form of expression

2)Resulting in more democratic use of medium (film in this case)

3)Hence opening up new possibilities and different forms and usage (the birth of a contemporary use of medium and experimental use of medium)

Bjorn attempts to link these criterions through the reflection of video communication technology and its developments over the years. Concurrently, Bjorn also addresses the many fears and issues Astruc actualized in his prophecy of this supposed ‘new-age’ of mass visual media production and distribution.

Raising the VCR and Camcorder as the first successful frontier of mass-media production (with consideration of the 16mm’s potential but costly implications that failed its mass-distrubtive success), Bjorn also considers the fear of dilution in the general quality of distributed work which was carried through Astruc’s words. He shows this indicative through the notion of how most individuals who did acquire the Camcorder had less awareness of cinematic techniques and aesthetics hence still distinguishing it far from its more professional, corporate powered film theatre counterparts. As such most videos were depicting of the home environment and related spheres, holding little interest for the general viewership of Television.

Another core concern raised by Astruc was the formation of segmented social groups he feared would occur in the public space. He had suggested how despite the enabling nature of such technology, there will be individuals who identify to certain values due to pure embracement of a particular aesthetic. Bjorn evaluates this on the current scale of media production, wherein which he relates to the common youtube user Geriatric1927. Using Geriatic1927 as an example, he illustrates how the very personal commentary carried forth by the user and its following support and fandom are indicative of rather the converse, in which individuals are truly and more openly connected due to the realm of user-made content and the Web 2.0.

Ultimately, Bjorn associates the paradigm shift in documentaries from a entity-centralized genre (exemplifying industry documentaries on one end) to a more egalitarian paradigm in which the genre is now more decentralized (Holding a user like Geriatric1927 as and example of the other). As such, the following implications such as the quality of the work and the idea of widespread dissemination of information VS structured media focus come to follow. Bjorn comes to show how ultimately holding both its positives and negatives, the shift is nonetheless a new foray into documentary making and individual film expression that brings the camera as a pen to the everyday individual.

Symposium question for the Week

1. Documentary as a ‘project’ in regards to definition is becoming very broad – so, does it need to be redefined or broken up into categories? Does a taxonomy of definitions need to be created?

This question poses great relevance especially in regards to the reading which handles the issue of taxonomy. As outlined by Astruc, The defining parties of documentary films have always been placed in a position to dictate the genre’s developments and positions as it lies natural in the fact that they are the dictating powers at hand. Such with the inclusion of Web 2.0 and user made content, the diversity and variety of new forms of genre expression are changing the definition of a documentary making. So the ideal is the notion of a ever-changing genre. However, if one was to dictate a system of Taxonomical identification, it can be argued that it will hold limited relevance in a position of time due to the genre’s ever expanding nature. As such, a counter argument would propose that such taxonomy is void of function as the dynamically evolving genre of documentary film making is reaching new heights from day to day.

Personal Assesment Matrix (Total Grade for Matrix is Sum of points= Total % weightage)
WEEK Analysis Execution Reflection Learning Total
2 5 4 4 4 18

Provide a link to form of MultiMedia

Given this week’s topic, my multimedia upload for the week is going to be about the one and only ‘Geriatric1927’.

 

The concept of Design Fiction, explained by Bruce Sterling (Week 2.1 Reading)

As described by Bruce Sterling, Design Fiction is the use of ‘diegetic’ prototypes to suspend disbelief about change. Essentially it means using ideas that project very closely towards objects and services that people can relate to in a manner that has them speculating about the potentiality of its existence.

Diegetic- A type of storytelling that presents the detail of a story’s interior world. As such design fiction would fall as something diegetic as it attempts to tell a story to individuals through the design of narrative, more likely physical, artifacts within the world of a story.

From an interview with Bruce Sterling, one of the biggest proponents of design fiction, we come to understand more about this new conceptual genre of
fiction that has been gracefully propelling itself in more intricate ways.
In his conversation with editor Tori Bosch, he explains how the ideal, effective use of design fiction is by showing people the interaction of services and objects with seemingly normal activity.

So no avatar-like heroes, as Bruce describes, but rather something along the lines of this:

From here, Bruce further goes onto explaining the essential quality of design fiction is the fact that it relates more to technological advancements hence working effectively as a neutral interest that anybody could hold fascination to regardless of their standpoints and opinions.

He makes the distinction between Hollywood’s purpose and design fiction as something that CAN correlate, but not necessarily to replace one another, primarily to the fact that elements of designed fiction can be used in support of purporting a potential technological story world rather than replacing the qualities it has.

Using space odyssey as a example, Bruce demonstrates how the object such as the Ipad like idea which was used in the film shows the success of a diegetic artifact that was, and has become acutualized, as a relatable protoype, being the Ipad.

 The Bad

Further into the interview, the points Bruce Sterling makes towards bad design fiction builds a clearer picture of the rubric he sees the genre through. As he describes, a concept with a lack of aspiration towards inspiring others to imitate. With the example hes given of a guy thinking of ‘flapping’ his arms to get to the moon, he shows that it is imagination that lacks a compelling factor.

As such, it can be understood from Bruce Sterling that successful design fiction would have to attain a compelling quality, or rather, an ability suspend disbelief about change with its success as a piece of design fiction determined by the extent to which it can do so effectively.

(Im sure Bruce Sterling wouldn’t be too approving of something like this, [picture credits to www.organizationalphysics.com])

Bruce wraps up by commenting on design fiction’s presence as a new set of tools society has at hand to engage the world with. Despite uncertainty to whether it is something  that will lead the economy (as implied jokingly by Bruce), it certainly raises interesting ideas and implications, or perhaps thoughts toward a practice that will more intricately be able to fortell the potential future.

With creative thinking and visualization becoming a common meme of society, especially with more user-based outlets of expression, it is interesting to see how far contributions to design fiction will go and how much people are able to stretch the perceived boundaries of this new ideation.

However, Matthew Ward continues where Bruce stops and looks further into the possible implications of this concept and how it be stretched beyond the aspect of literature.

 

Understanding of theories of action, double loop-learning and organization learning (Week 1.2 Reading, Chris Arygris)

 

In this week’s reading, our networked media students have learnt to understand concepts of thinking and action associated with organizations and people presented through Chris’ Arygris’ perspective in his blog “Theories of action, double loop-learning and organization learning”

Theories of action: Theories in use and espoused theories

Chris arygris has proposed that individuals general hold two value of theories related to thier actions. The first being espoused theory, and the latter being the theory they have used. (Agyris, 2012). Espoused theory relates to the theory they present to other individuals regarding their course of action in a hypothetical situation

For example, when someone is asked how he/she would behave in a certain circumstance, they may give a supposed theory of behaviour whereas their course of action might be completely different in the actual situation itself.  (Agyris, 2012)

Understanding this distinction allows us to question the extent to which an espoused theory of action truly reflects our actual behaviour and furthermore asks us to question the extent to which an espoused theory can be utilized

As such, delving into further attempting to bridge the gap betwen esposued theories and theories used, Argyris has indicated three key elements that work in identifying the aspects involved in the process of action(Argyris, 2012):

  • Governing Variables: the values and variables that people intend to keep within acceptable limits that are affected by the carrying out of an action
  • Action Strategies: The plans and moves used by people to keep their governing variables within an acceptable range
  • Consequences: The unintended or results of a person’s actions

Through these elements, it can be understood how individuals go about carrying theories of action. Ultimately, their action can result in a mismatch of their initial desires (I.E Their espoused theories of action and its intended consequence) or a match between their intention and the outcome, validating their theory in use. (Argyris, 2012)

As such, Argyris proposes two responses to correcting this mismatch which are:

…

Double Loop and Single Loop Learning

In view of learning from the result of an action, an organization may view the result of their action and change their Action Strategies to accomodate a better Consequence or result. Arygris defines this as Single Loop Learning

However in the event that an organization reflects on the result and rather changes its Governing Variables (this could be policies, regulations, standards), this as defined by ayrgris is double-loop learning.

As such organizations can use either mean of responses to adapt their theories of action in providing their desired consequences and results.

The power of Blogs In Our Lives (with assistance from Adrian Miles) (Week 1.2 Reading)

With the start of the new year, my introduction to the world of Networked Media has been, to say the least, interesting. However i express my thoughts regarding that in another post.  In this post, i attempt to unravel the seemingly simple but enigmatic world of blogging with the help of RMIT’s own Blogging expert, Adrian Miles and his perspective through his written work ” “Blogs in Media Education: A Beginning.”

In this writing, Adrian has expressed the functionality of blogging, its benefits and how it works in the world of social media and in an education field such as our course Networked Media. By understanding what a blog is first, we can attempt to unravel the mysteries that follow the process and technology.

What is a Blog?

As explained in detail by Adrian, A blog is a web-based publication consisting of entries of varying length submitted by an individual (Miles, 2006). However, not limited to its functionality of showcasing published works, a blog works as a networking tool allowing individuals to provide web links and references to other spheres of media publications and concurrently, other bloggers as well. As such, a blog can help work as a platform in giving the world accessbility to your inner sphere of opinions and thoughts, it is the ideal platform for canvasing your personal views and ideas. Futhermore, the system of a blogroll, which allows you to create tags and related categories, allows the organization of your posts and as such allows others to search for ideas and thoughts that you have posted in relevant categories.

See, its simple. Your write posts, other people can read it.

So what?

Honestly how much of a difference can that make in my life?

These were the thoughts that iterated through my mind when I first encountered the world of blogging because honestly, what more can blogging do.

However, when i read more of Adrian’s work and relevantly looked into understanding the networked world of blogging and its implications, I started looking at it through a different lens.

With that, I introduce to you the concept of Online Identity.

Online Identity

Ever since the early commerical emergence of the internet through the 90s, the web has become a vastly inter-connected network between various individuals. However, in the past there werent many tools for people to express their opinions, thoughts and ideas in various ways with only internet facilities such as messaging boards and relay chat at hand. With the initiation of ideas such as the blog, and earlier social networking sites such as myspace, this need was further catered to, however not as detailed as it could have been at that time.

Enter, (Drumroll), WEB 2.0! A concept many people referred to as the pivotal point at which each and everyone of us hooked up to the web could have a say and expression of their opinions through various forms of media. This started occuring with a critical prescence of  websites catering to uploaded user-videos, picture sharing platforms and multimedia messaging boards, user based media. This welcomed the world to the idea of a user-based web, which has now become the imminent reality

As such, this user-based wild web west has given rise to the concept of this, Online identity.  With each of us possibly holding access to social-networking services, blogs and user-uploaded media, we are in a sense, representing aspects of ourselves virtually through the uploads that we make. Through the use of a search engine or a provided link, another individual with no apparent connection to us is able to build perceptions about our personality, tastes, interests and lifestyle. This brings about a sense of online identity, in which our online activities and shared information are essentially representative of who we are as well. At times, it may not necessarily be the case as people are different and some might perhaps even share things they normally wish not to express in their normal lives.

However, regardless of what the nature of our intentions are, what we put online ultimately reflects back on ourselves. As Adrian had detailed, information disseminated through our online prescence allows others to make judgements and understandings about our personality, such as a prospective employer who is looking to understand who they are hiring (Miles, 2006). As such, it proves necessary for us to understand the concept of online identity and the implcations that it can make to our personal lives.

A key thought would be understanding how this may serve as a double-edged sword. While having an online prescence may prove great in selling yourself to a prospective employer, a picture of you smash drunk passed out on a club speaker sitting publically in Facebook may not.

(Credits to thepeoplescube.com, Taken from site)

We have to understand that without a foresight of the potential areas in which user-based content can affect our presentation of our online personas, it can at times work against our favours. With that comes the sensibility of understanding the added ‘weight’ our uploaded publications have both within a social and moral context of representating ourselves (Miles, 2006)

Education and Blogging

As explained by Adrian, the use of blogging in a networked course environment (such as this) brings about great implications and benefits to students With an ability to share information, fellow students are able to understand their peers better and share insights or ideas with one another (Miles, 2006). As a consequence, we are given an enhanced ability in adapting and learning by reflecting on our peers and even helping in validating their opinions (Miles, 2006). This even reaches out to relevant teachers and lecturers who can derive understanding from their students and provide their own inputs in helping further guide and assist students in their learning. Ultimately, its a networked system that allows educational groups to share thoughts and ideas and catalyse the learning and understanding between themselves and the subject they are studying.

On an ending note, I’d like to leave you with some inspiration on how detailed a blog can be. Here are some links to some of the most  accredited blogsites (some of which you’d be shocked to realize was a blog in the first place 😀 ). It simply shows the true potential of what blogs really could be and how far their visual and conceptual design can be extended to create a vast network on connected thoughts and opinions.

1.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

2.http://www.lifehacker.com.au/

3.http://www.gizmodo.com.au/

I hope you enjoyed this post and look forward to sharing more with you in the days to come. Be a true clint eastwood and operate through the wild west of social media like your backyard.

(Credits to www.ew.com)

In a similar vein, fellow Networked Media classmate Vanessa has a great post regarding SEO and how to help boost the your page ranking.

http://www.mediafactory.org.au/li-wen-ho/