So, we're done?

Oh the joy TGJ 201 has brought this year. No, really, I enjoyed this course! All the tasks we embarked on this year were interesting and new to me. Each unit had required much thought, application of skill, test of ability, and a creative element that we could let shine through. As I stroll down memory lane, I take the opportunity to think about trials, errors, strong component and the though process behind them.

Multiple Exposures

We started off easily with our multiple exposures. So I was a little apprehensive at first about taking on this project because I simply could not think of a cohesive idea. This was the difficult part of the assignment. I've learned to crop with precision using a variety of tools available on Photoshop. Many will agree when I say, bless the Magic Lasso tool. Add in a few masks and it was easier than I thought! Eventually I pasted together a "masterpiece" involving multiple pictures of myself as if I had split personality. Lurking in the corner was an eccentrick quirky Sonya, a vain Sonya looking in the mirror with her fashion magazines, a version of myself "arting out" with a camera while another social Sonya poses for the picture. A struggle I had with this was getting the images to blend and fit well together. The lighting in my room changed through the shoot and some versions of myself just wouldn't blend it. I tried adjusting the overall colour levels and saturation which helped with this.

The Circus

For this assignment I created a circus with me being at the centre as a ring leader. I used a cornucopia of personal pictures to create a collage with a variety of colours. Many of these images were cropped, re sized, re-coloured, and edited using Photoshop. I tried to encompass large parts of my life into this collage such as my family, friends, and favourite things. It took about 6 hours to complete this piece and to make sure each image perfectly fit together. I feel the strongest component of this work is the relevancy of the images used, and the way in which they were edited to become cohesive. It was difficult to create a collage of the circus that surrounds me while maintaining the circus theme, so I tried adding a circus tent background to help with this. Overall I found the project to not only be relatively easy, but I had a lot of fun copy and pasting the Comm Tech way. (NOTE: When saving as a .jpeg the image turned blue as it was originally done in CMYK for print use)

The Pattern

At the suggestion of others, I used three objects in combination to create my patter. Though hard to tell I used a telephone receiver, lip gloss, and a red pump to create my final pattern. I vectored these objects till perfection using Illustrator's pen, zoom, fill, and eye dropper tools (primarily). This was an extensive project due to complications with saving. The file was often to large to save it onto my desktop with these computers, but after several trials I finally finished. I was both surprised and proud of the outcome. I didn't think I would be able to create a pattern out of my vectored images. It was hard to imagine how those items would come together, and after a couple attempts, and much cropping and rotating, I created my pattern. The strongest component was the way I arranged the thumbnail image to be pleasing to the eye and not straining.


The Eccentrick Inspiration

For my eccentrick inspiration, I channeled the multi-talented David Macklovitch. Using my pattern as a background fill layer, I vectorized all the highlights in white to create my final image. Due to complications I had to do the whole project twice. In the second time I made the error of not getting the pattern to tessellate perfectly. Overall I am still happy with the result. The strongest component is the minuscule details I made sure to vectorise. David Macklovitch has reached a level I aspire to be. Not only is he an accomplished musician, but he also expanded his works to running a business, producing, remixing, and getting a PhD in French literature. The photograph originally used was eccentrick, and I feel I did his personality justice.
Weccentrick Video

This had to be the funnest project to date. Working with my zealous partner Samantha, we went back to our childhood roots and created PLAY! This original video echoed our eccentrick attributes in a fun and playful manner that everyone can relate to. We had a lot of fun with our 5 hours of filming in different locations, and 6 hours of editing the videos. We put forth a lot of effort to finish our video in time for the art show as we were really keen and showing it to the world (or at least the Mary Ward community). We strived to shoot and experimented with angles and different types of shots. Much planning was also involved before we set up our tripod to shoot. I feel a strong component of our video is the cohesiveness and variety we provided. We stuck to our child like aesthetic and used a variety of firming shots to provide contrast and an int resting display. We did have errors along the way, but we went back to fix them as soon as we saw it needed it. We worked well together and hope you enjoyed PLAY!, and our personalities shawn through.

(NOTE: Cover done in CMYK)

Eccentrick at Ward? Oh my!

Mary Ward's Art and Technology departments certainly kicked it up a notch for this years art show. The theme was Eccentrick, and boy was it ever! Students put aside their units and stopped by the basement to truly experience it. I for one, found myself there for several hours wondering around, winding in between displays, or sitting in a room watching some fabulous videos. An art show at Ward really is an experience. It is an interactive gallery that lets you view the creations of those in your school. You get the chance to finally see all the creative talents Ward has as they strive to impress just in time for the show. A lot of the time, these displays involve some interaction which is always a plus. Some may say an hour is all you need, but that really isn't enough time to take it all in. Students work so hard throughout the year, so noticing every detail or reading all the associated text is worth it. Photography, drawings, installations, paintings, stuffed animals, jewelry design galore. The works featured this year by all students were quite impressive, and there are a few worth mentioning.

The senior design students all had fantastic designs to share. As a future design student, seeing what others are capable of makes me hopeful. In particular, I loved the February 14th collection. The fabric choices were exquisite and construction was impressive also. The senior video students also made some very entertaining videos. I was sad I didn't have the chance to see all of them, but I was impressed with the ones I did. Another memorable piece was the grade 10 art student's Eccentrick circus train. Each train caravan was something different, and really did reflect the artist. I felt this piece best brought out the Eccentrick theme. I loved its diversity, complexity of thoughts put into it, and the detail work. I have seen a few friends struggle with their clay pieces working on it, and it definitely paid off!

Congratulations to Ward for putting forth yet another fantastic show. I personally enjoyed it, and I sure am excited for next year.

Exuse me while I attend to my cellular device

Cell phones have come a long way since the big bulky phones as seen on favourite sitcoms from the past. They dominate the hands of many and are arguably the most innovative piece of technology we use daily. Nowadays, everyone pulls out a cell phone to check the time, make a call, send an email, or even snap a picture. Cell phone usage in public places are inevitable and almost unavoidable. While this is a normal part of life in 2009, some forget that manners are applicable. Enter cell phone etiquette (the not so sacred laws) that some may or may not follow. Fear not, for I have conjured up simple rules to keep in mind. My five cell phone commandments are as follows:

1. 
   Thou shall turn off phones in movie theatres - Cell phones are common noise polluters in public places, but nothing is worse than hearing a colorful ring tone go off in a movie theatre. This rule generally applies to most public places where alien sound is not permitted such as museums, plays, theatres etc. The least a person can do is put it on vibrate. This rule is important as not only can it cause a nuisance but the interruption to a train of thought, movie, or anything is just plain annoying. This can be a safety issue as well.
2. 
   Thou shall return all text messages - Generally when someone takes the time out of their way to type up a text message for you, they are awaiting your reply so you can answer their question or tell them how much you enjoyed their wit with an "LOL". Unless you possible cannot reply, it is common courtesy to reply or give them a callback.
3. 
   Thou shall excuse themselves when a call interrupts - If you get a phone call you must absolutely answer, be kind and excuse yourself. Stopping mid conversation with someone to answer a call is impolite. Excuse yourself and ask permission to take the call or step aside.
4. 
   Thou shall not be text crazy – If you find yourself at a social gathering, avoid sitting in a corner texting. Do not cut yourself from social interaction beyond the SMS world. Others who wish to talk to you will feel as if getting your attention isn’t worth the effort.
5. 
   Thou shall not yell – Whilst on the phone, use your indoor voice. Unless of course you are outside in a very noisy area in which the person on the other end cannot hear you.

"Everything is Amazing and Nobody's Happy"

The video clip featuring comedian Louis C.K is not only humorous but also insightful. Society today is endowed with technologies that are far less appreciated than in the past. Louis makes a good point in discussing how technology has developed throughout the years and how individuals now have become so accustomed to such incredible machinery that when there is a lack of it, the world almost seems impossible to live in. I found the entire clip fascinating but I particularly enjoyed his personal experience with technology when he was a kid. Louis stated that he used rotary phones and how he found it difficult dialing a number especially the zeroes. Now, society uses cell phones that have speaker phone, touch-dial, Bluetooth, and are voice activated yet we still complain when the phone is slow in loading and such. This is a perfect example of how technology is so amazing, yet we are still not completely satisfied. Due to the fact that technology is so accessible, we take advantage of it, however, we must learn to appreciate it.

Technology is a very important tool in my life. Without it, I would have a harder time communicating, learning, expressing my creativity, entertaining myself, and living in general. My life everyday consists of technology whether it is getting woken up by my clock radio, brushing my teeth with my electric toothbrush, calling my friends using my cell phone, educating myself through the Internet encyclopedia, or relaxing in front the television. Technology brings ease and imagination in my life and although, I sometimes forget to show my appreciation, I am so thankful for the amazing technologically-savvy world we live in.

Technology is advancing at such a fast rate that when baby boomers were growing up, they would have never imagined machinery and electronics progressing to such a level. When my parents were my age, they played records and cassettes whereas now we are introduced to iPod’s and digital tracks. There was no convenient way of banking, shopping or doing ones taxes whereas now we have online banking, shopping and tax software. Communication during my parent’s time consisted of conversing in person or on a land line phone but today we communicate through online instant messaging, wireless phones, social networking websites and webcams. It is mind-blowing to see how far technology has come and how fast its advancing. It is quite difficult to imagine that one day even our iPohones will be outdated.

First, there was Pong...

Since the dawn of time video games have been an infatuation with the youth, and not surprisingly but controllers and hand held devices can be found in the palms of many adults. Well the dawn of time is a bit of a stretch, but since the coming of Pong, the video game frenzy spread through teens, and is still going strong. They allow people to take the role of someone else, and truly have an adventure or get the adrenaline rush they can’t in the real world. It is something fun to do for most teens. I personally believe video games are a great way to pass time. Now more than ever some may argue that the negative effects of video games are a growing concern. While this may be true in part, video games can have a rather positive effect to an extent.

A common stereotype is that video games isolate kids from their peers. In fact, video games bring people and friends together, even from all the way around the world. You can play and compete with others online from where ever they may reside. Snow storm and you need to find out who is better at Rock Band? Don't fret, you can still play and get your time to playfully taunt. As well many video games are multilayer which is great for when friends are over or even to do some sibling bonding. Video games don't cut you completely off from your social calendar, in fact it can even be a part of it. The important thing is to know when to put down that controller and perhaps pick up a text book.

Despite another common stereotype of wasting your brain cells away gaming, video games can be very helpful as well as super fun. Certain games exist that are educational, and helps stimulate the mind at any age. Games designed for young children contribute to a proper mental and physical development. It helps with hand eye coordination, and reaction times which are skills young children should be building. Games such as Brain Quest can help keep your mind finely tuned at any age. Math games are also quite common august the educational video games, but the spectrum is not limited there!

However, as to all good things, there is a limit. If gaming interrupts things like showering, eating, school work, social activities or any important event for a prolonged time there is a problem. While this may be a problem for some hardcore video game players, not all are guilty of neglect. So if you indent on buckling down for a 2 hour game of Sims 3, don’t forget you do have a life beyond the virtual world.

Wazzzup Obama!

Months after the election, I am still elated to know that Barack Obama is in the oval office as president of the United States of America. His victory marks an important historical event, a beacon of hope, and is a significant change to the United States. His victory didn’t come without a strong campaign trail. He targeted more than one generation, and brought the relevance of politics to many for the first time.

Ridding on the popularity of the memorable Budweiser beer commercial in which the phrase, “Whazzzup?” is heavily used, Obama created a somewhat of a follow up to reflect the change he wants to bring with his political platform. In a comical, interesting, and clever manner Obama manages to shed light on several American issues that need to be dealt with. This includes the increasing concerns with unemployment, the downturn of the economy, the war in Iraq, the struggle citizens face with expensive health care, and the handling of disastrous weather conditions. Through this commercial Obama tries to relate to the American people and provide a perspective similar to their outlook on the troubles they face. Obama as well shows himself as being a beacon of hope and change for a country that is currently suffering. His message to the people is that change can happen if he is elected, and he will work to address these issues and help solve the problems.

This particular ad campaign was extremely effective. Two attributes that helps with the effectiveness of the advertisement is its ability to connect to the people, and the memorability it has that made it so popular worldwide. The images displayed in the advertisement are things all citizens can recognize as they feel the impact the issues leave in their lives. With the contrasting positive image of Obama bringing forth change and hope, Americans feel more optimistic about the future which could possibly have resulted in their vote for him. The fact that this was a follow up and plays on a previously loved commercial helps its popularity. The comedic aspect of it, and it being a “sequel” contributed to the widespread of the viral marketing. I personally enjoyed it very much, and thought it was a clever move on his part.