Meeting Roundup for 20/5

I’m scribing.
Down at the library.
Time progressed, roughly two hours.
4.30pm – 6.30pm

The team discussed various aspects of the presentation tomorrow and asked each other different questions that may or may not pop up during presentation. Justin showed the team the trailer today, it was done quite well, and showed the concept that we had in mind. Issues of vectoring were cleared up between Wiing and I already.

That is all covered today.

Signing off,
Loucifer

Closure

When we think of graphic novels, or in fact, any form of sequential art, closure comes to mind.

Since my semester was postponed, I’ve had time to place my focuses on streamlining my studies(I know that the Art and Design students have studied closure as well) and have come across this when I was studying comics as an artform.

Closure, is when the mind covers the gap from one image to the next. That gap, is what we call the gutter, a divide that separates the pictures. In-between two static images that differ slightly, when viewed alone, they have their own meanings, however, when juxtaposed, the mind would create a link using prior experiences to cover the lost time, space and events between the two images.

I found this to be extremely fascinating and wish to experiment with it. What if the gutter is expanded or contracted? Does it matter if there’s a gutter space? What happens when scenes go off-border? What if there’re no borders?

This, is definitely worth pondering and experimenting. Team, what say you?

Signing off,
Loucifer

Meeting roundup

I’m scribing.
Down at the library.
Time progressed, roughly three hours.
5pm – 8pm
13/05/08

Filming Part 2

Location for the second half of filming:
Republic Polytechnic Study Block’s Exit Stairway(s)
E1 Conference room (I’m checking for the availability)

Talents to be confirmed for the second half of filming: Jonathan (Cale), Randy (Reception Guy), James (Agent), Gary (Clumsy guy)

Date of filming would be on the 15th of May, Thursday
1). 11.50am -12.30pm (Fel, Justin, Cheryl, Wiing)
2). 4.00pm – 5.30pm (Fel, Justin, Cheryl)

Equipment we need: Dedo lights, one Panasonic Camera, one DSLR camera.
15th May, Thursday.
Justin will be calling David on the 13th of May to clear the necessary paperwork.

Itinerary: Wiing will be submitting the itinerary by tonight for the next filming.

Mid-point Presentation

1. Our Blog

2. Trailer for our Mid-point presentation (Deadline by 19th May Monday) (Justin and I would be handling it.)

3. Meeting on 20th May Tuesday 5pm Library

Hopefully, that will be all. On a side note, we’ll be pushing the Oral Defence to an earlier date I suppose, will be checking with David ASAP to confirm the date.

Signing off,
Loucifer

What is New Media?

I’m sure this question has been on everyone’s mind lately.

What exactly is new media? Do special effects count as new media? Differences between new media and ‘old media’?

Wikipedia states: “New media is a term describing media that can only be created or used with the aid of computer processing power. It is a form of media that includes some aspect of interactivity for its audience and is usually in digital form. “

So the Wiki itself, is a form of new media.

However, our advisor, David, said that to him, ‘new media is about new techniques and experimentation, something to set it apart from the old media.’

I believe it’s a little bit of both.

To me, new media is a chimera of sorts, taking bits here and there and merging to become a beast with no true form, nothing and everything at the same time. You have a traditional medium like film, and you have new media in the form of Youtube, which builds on a traditional medium but gives the user a sense of interactivity, participation and opportunity to change how the traditional media is used.

Comparing it to a Japanese site called Nico Nico Douga, which allows members to post comments in real-time and sync them with the video they’re watching, upping the ante on interactivity as well as entertainment value.

It’s saved on Youtube by and I gleaned it from Wired.com. I don’t think I could embed the original even if I wanted to.

But my emphasis is not on the interactivity, rather, the twisting, adapting and modifying the medium into something different, a fresher experience.

I could go on all day on what I see as new media – machinima, webcomics, games, Oekaki forum boards/panels, interactive LCD screens, etc. The list goes on and on.

Ultimately, it comes down to your intepretation.

So tell me, what is new media to you?

Signing off,
Loucifer.

Behind The Scenes

Signing off,
Loucifer

Sparked

I know I’m double posting, but I think I’ve got it, two words.

Graphic.

Novel.

Watch this…

A Scanner Darkly.

I gotta thank my laziness to keep this DVD. It laid there, on my desk and I stared at it for a minute or two before it hit me.

We have webcomics, we have comics in book form, A Scanner Darkly was a film done entirely in vectors. Why can’t we have a graphic novel as a film? Noone has done it yet I believe. Metal Gear Solid Digital Graphic Novel simulated interactive comic to retell the tale of the first game of the Metal Gear Solid series, one of my favorite game franchises. This, is a new way of dealing with an old media, in other words, new media.

I may have just found our answer.

So why can’t we make something like it? FYP mates, what do you guys think?

Signing off,
Loucifer

Doorways and overview

Doorways, doorways and more doorways.

The only thing running through my mind when I was writing the script. Remembering that worn yet spunky keymaker from the Matrix trilogy, I wondered how he managed those doors, then again, he was a program (or a crack in my opinion).

Which brings to mind something that struck me when I started the script. Throw someone who knows nothing of the Matrix, the Programmes or the Agents. I wonder how would this person react. Shock? Horror? Fascination? Confusion?

But what if he was apathetic? Or rather, naive and stubborn?

Much to ponder indeed, but I did get cracking.

This is a story of a boy, a young man if you will, working as a courier. On the way to deliver a letter, he stumbles into a glitch, subtle enough to go unnoticed, well, unnoticed to him only. Various interactions between the different characters will try to help him shed light on the situation, perhaps confuse him even more, you’ll see.

Can’t let the cat out of the bag can I?

However, I feel film seems so out of place for something like this. It lacks oomph, I’ll go think about it.

Signing off,
Loucifer

Inspiration amongst other things

Inspiration.

Often it comes from prior manifestations of thought, or sometimes, born from nothing at all.

A few weeks ago, I was playing The Matrix Online on the computer. I always knew the world of The Matrix was a vast one, consisting of both the virtual realm and ‘reality’. What attracted me, particularly, was the fact that in that virtual realm, how code merges seamlessly with the perceived world, built to a twisted form of perfection.

I was drawn in, the next thing I knew, I was watching the Animatrix shorts and devouring whatever information I can glean from the different stories and the raison d’etre of the various characters. In my head, I played with what-ifs and why-nots, focusing on an aspect from Final Flight of the Osiris, where the female lead, Jue, sends off a package, a metaphor for e-mail (a metaphor in itself really, but I shan’t digress).

I have tinkered with this idea and drafted a short script from the rough ideas. Slowly the script developed and by March, it was done. More on the development next week.

Signing off,
Loucifer