Video Art Piece

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1sf7ksID1Y

People come into your life and people go. But it's comforting to know that the ones you love are always in your heart. And if you're very lucky, just a plane ride away!

Sight Video

This video art was amazing. I can actually see this happening in 15 years from now. It was so well executed and perfectly performed. My favorite part of this video was when the guy opened the fridge and saw what he had left and when he started to cut the cucumbers. I think that would be so practical nowadays. It is scary to think that technology will own our lives but at the same time I can't help feeling excited about this new virtual world.

Video

Golan Levin Website

In Levin's website he has displayed most if not all his artwork. It was amazing to see all the artwork and  by looking at them you could tell he has spend his whole life coding. I really liked interactive faces and eyes synchronized to the person who was in front of the camera. For what I saw in the website he has been working around the computer field since almost 20 years ago. I think he is really experienced and I would love to take one of his classes!

Golan Levin Interview

Levin addressed main points and gave advices to all undergraduate and graduate students in the media or digital art world. I'm even starting to worry that I do not know how to run a processor but I guess I will figure it out along the way. I also think he had a good point when he said that when computers or electronic devices become cheaper, people start experimenting them in numerous ways. I think that's what makes the device even more rich and powerful. I am really excited to try the sensor machines and  hopefully 3D printers and all this new stuff with be handy by the time I'm still working in the field because I would love to be able to print and present 3D projects. Technology in art is definitely something that advances at the speed of light!

5 Artists

GIRL POWER- BEYONCE
Beyonce has been a feminist since she started her career. She started with her song Survivor in her group Destiny's Child to today's latest album BEYONCE. I attend one of her concerts and in her concert she mentions that all musicians in her band and dancers are women because women are capable of doing anything without men.

This is the link to her video of one of her latest songs: Flawless
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x18dx0p_beyonce-ft-chimamanda-ngozi-adiche-flawless-explicit-official-video_music


LATIN WORLD- FONSECA
Fonseca known by his last name only, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. His started small in his country but he has become a big influence in many Latin countries and nowadays in the U.S. His style comes back from his home country which is a mixture of cumbia and vallenato.

This is a link to one of his most famous and oldest songs : Te Mando Flores
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oLBY9QqTAQ

HOUSE- SWEDISH HOUSE MAFIA
Swedish House Mafia is a group composed by three of the best djs Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso. They first joined in 2008 and last year in the Ultra Music Festival in Miami they gave their last  performance as the group. They play house music and have work with many other artists such as Pharell Williams, John Martin and Tinnie Tempah.

This is a link to one of their last hits: Save the World
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXpdmKELE1k

DUBSTEP/ELECTRONIC- ADVENTURE CLUB
Adventure Club is a new Canadian group that is becoming famous now with the electronic festival trends. It is composed by two Christian Srigley and Leighton James. They are now touring in Coachella 2014 and for the ACL in October.

For those that don't know Coachella is a music and arts park located the valley of Colorado.
This is a link to a short preview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQE9BrHSBuA

This is a  link to an Adventure Club's hit : Gold
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxiwWqWAa2I

NINETIES- TLC
TLC is an American group that was very famous during the 90s. The group is composed by Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas, Tionne "T-Box" Watkins, and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez. I include them in this group because when I listen to this song it reminds me of the nineties and it was on the radio all the time.

This is a link to their biggest hit : No Scrubs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrLequ6dUdM

Video Arte

Video Art is sooooo cooollll! I absolutely love watching the ideas people come up with, it's an entertainment and art at the same time. Because of these types of videos is why I chose to minor in digital arts. I think it is so interesting to learn this because it is in our future.

In the page videoartes.com there is pretty much everything but these three were the ones that caught my attention the most.

http://vimeo.com/channels/staffpicks/7189740

This one was probably my favorite. It has so much happening and the way the newspaper is torn and wet is amazing. The effects on the little animations in the characters as well. I completely love this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw4cc-Bq0RY&feature=player_embedded
This video was more of an informational and documental but I think it is cool and something I could do with my country as well.

http://vimeo.com/13362364
Absolutely amazing! My second favorite.

Massive Attack

I think I might have heard of Massive Attack before but I obviously did not pay close attention to download their songs. I think they have a really mellow and calm flow in their songs meaning that they are very relaxing. I liked their music and is something I would listen to because I really like this type of relaxing music. Although the lyrics and music videos are kind of creepy, I would say they are a great group that still has potential to win more awards today.

Performance Art Critiques

Bryan- I think Bryan was brave enough to stand in that vulnerable position half naked. His idea of computers and technology taking over humans was very interesting and related to today's reality. The only thing his missed was the hidden camera to get more reactions.

Spencer- Spencer's video was the best because it was well executed. You could see so many reactions and the funniest part was when the manager or staff member kept staring at the two people that were talking on phones. He also did a good job in decontextualizing his major.

Katelyn- Katelyn's project was also very cool and can be used as a research method to see who actually pays attention to the sign she had instead of the advertisings that were around. The only thing she missed were the reactions that you couldn't see because of the people in cars.

Kirby- Kirby's project was really cute. She outlined a person on the sidewalk and was able to get the attention from a staff member in UT. She also did a good job decontextualing her major.

Ralph- Ralph's execution was mind blowing. I still can't figure out how he created that sand shark but it was truly a work of art. As for his video I just wish there were more reactions to it but it was definitely a cool idea.

Marveen- Marveen's work was also a cool idea but as we all agree the camera should be hidden and the meditating would have been better if it took place in a noisy crowd. People would have definitely been more creeped about it.

Leah- Another cute project. She managed to have a happy and fun day along bayshore. This was so relaxing compared to what she studies that it made it work for her. It would have been better if the camera was hidden but still a great approach to the idea.

Kyle- I think Kyle's was the best project out of all. It was so much fun to see him semi naked working on his laptop and a printer in UT's iconic fountain. He might not been able to get any reactions but people obviously reacted to the point where he was even posted on instagram. Very cool idea and the best setting.

UK Underground Music + Smiths

It is so cool to know how these underground movements come up to us at any time. Obviously every popular music has its reactions but we are not always aware of them. This became popular in the mid 1970s but it has been active until today. I think this is awesome because younger generations can still experience the movement and it is most likely that it has been hard for them to conserve this.
The Smiths were a total hit because like the underground movement it was a controversial side to what was popular at that time. Artists and bands that do this type of controversial movements might or might not make it to the top. Luckily the Smiths did, and they were on the top chart of Britain.

Roland TR 808

These are three songs that include the Roland TR 808:

Graphene

People always wonder what will technology bring to us next? As I read this article on the new material called graphene, I couldn't be more excited. This is the solution to my every day problem! My phone always dies in the middle of the day but with graphene it could last a week. I really can't believe this!! Aside from the battery life it can also bend which means it will be easier to carry around and better yet it is cheap! Sincerely, what could be better than this? I can't wait for the market to create new cellphones, computers and screens that will be twice as better as what they already are. Graphene is the future for those who hate cellphone battery!

Propaganda vs Advertising

Propaganda and advertising are two terms that might crossover one with another. The difference is that propaganda is something that promotes false or exaggerated information such as yellow journalism. They are both exaggerated and scandalous to catch people's eye and attention yet, they are not necessary reliable or true. Propaganda was used during WW2 and during the Vietnam War. Germany like the U.S were providing false information to the audience so they could choose their side. On the other hand, advertising is used to market and sell a product. Because it can also be exaggerated, it can be confused with propaganda, but advertising is different because it is designed to sell and market.

Xerox Project

This shirt is a direct result from the Dadaist Movement. The hands represent the dadaists trying to get their message and voice to the people. The mouth represents that voice that needs to be heard. 

Xerox Comments

Gina- I thought her skirt was really cool and it would definitely be used nowadays. It's also incredible how we both came up with fashion items.

Holly- Holly's collage was very interesting and there was also an idea of the Good or the Bad. Practically it is something that all of us deal with as college students but not necessary think about it, so it was a great topic to include in the project.

Leah- Leah's map was very cute but I think it lacked a little bit more of pictures. Her picture throwing a kiss was the best one.

Ralph- Ralph's idea of the strange fruit was awesome and he also had perfect execution.

Marveen- Marveen's african masks were very cool as well. He managed to put a little touch of his culture into this project which made it more engaging. 

Katelyn- I think Katelyn went further with the project by trying to create a study. She actually wanted to see if her dog responded to her Xerox copies and he did. Aside from the project side, this is something we all wonder, so I think it was nice for her to figure that out.

Bryan- Bryan's toilet look very peculiar but it lacked more of the form and part of the execution.

Kirby- Kirby's did a spiritual creature without even knowing. I don't remember what her original idea was but the octopus and Hindu theme surely filled her piece.

Spencer- Spencer had the coolest idea of incorporating language on to his piece. Although it was sign language, he was able to get across his message thru his visual as well. I really liked the quote "when one door closes another one opens."

Kyle- Kyle's hat was very cute. I like that he actually made the hat instead of just glueing the Xerox copies onto an existing hat.

Video Mapping

3 Examples of video mapping

I think this is an experience of a different level. Technology in art manages to surprise me all the time. Honestly, I always think there isn't something that could be better than what we already  have, but there is always something better, bigger and newer. These are three cool examples of video mapping. Enjoy!

Video Mapping

3D Video Mapping

Performance Art

This performance art was inspired by the Yves Klein piece Anthropometries. He used naked women's bodies as the brush to paint on the canvas. In this project I used my body as a canvas so people could paint on me, since I am an creative advertising major. People were writing their favorite slogan on me. I really enjoy this project, it was fun.

I wish to say by Sheryl Oring

I think there was a variety of letters in this project. Some letters were powerful, others were of gratitude and others were just cute. My favorite part are the  stamps in every letter "confidential,"
"urgent," "important,"etc. I truly think that one of the major problems addressed in most of the letters is the shortage of electricity in Arizona, that is definitely a problem that should be fixed by the President. Some people haven't been able to move forward because they have no power and this is from 2004, which means not too long ago. Hopefully they have power by now. The kids writing letters to the President are too cute, I really enjoyed those. And one letter I thought was really powerful was from the  unemployed veteran that is blind and has many injuries in his body because of the service he provided. These letter are very touching and moving but it is almost impossible for the President to read all of them because he is clearly busy enough but at least they are trying to get their message across someway. I think this project aids people into letting their frustrations and actually doing something about their every day problems.

Dada Manifiesto

The Dada Manifiesto was quite confusing but a different type of confusing, it was more of an interesting confusing than a boring confusing. Dada was born as a need for independence, Tzara said. I think even though the word Dada doesn't mean anything, these Dadaists gave meaning and became a united group that fought for independence. They did not live through a theory, they just wanted to express what they felt at that time. Most of the time Dadaists were exaggerated, humorists, creatives and   bizarres, but as they describe this was like their medicine to a disease, a monetary system to a government or a rehab center for the crazy. In other words, this movement was like a positive solution to overcome every stress, fear and frustration this Dadaists had. Although the article was somewhat confusing it definitely serves the purposes of explaining the depth of this word and movement.
 

Grid Art Project

This project was inspired in the Keyboard Grid-made Celebrity pictures. My favorite singer and celebrity is Rihanna, so I chose her to be in my project.

Persuasive Games

The Persuasive Games has many interesting games that caught my attention. The first one I look through was Colorfall. I was intrigued to read more about this game because as an Advertising Major, I have to deal with many colors and I think it is very cool that you can take a picture of your own color until you match the rainbow. The other one I looked into was the FatWorld which is actually a game to persuade a person to stop eating junk food because obesity is among the most popular diseases in America. I was really interested by this one because being an International student at UT, I have gained so much wait and maybe this game could help me figure out how to lose some although it isn't directed to that specific subject matter. It is more to create awareness of obesity in the U.S. The last game I stumbled on to was The Arcade Wire: Xtreme Xmas, the game that relates to shopaholics, again me. I really love to shop so I'm thinking I would  be go for this games. It is incredible how you can choose games that fit your personality or interests from such a small list. Games are now part of our everyday life and I think most of them are very helpful!

The Video Game Revolution

In this video, an old man along with video game creators explain the origin of video games. They mention that the average game player is around 29 years old. Video games can now be played anywhere, in computer, game consoles, cellphones, arcades, and also can be played on your own, with friends or with strangers. It has now become a dominant form of entertainment. The first game was created by Rusel deMaria called Spaceboard but it was too expensive. Nolan Bushnell was the genius that created Pong in 1972. Pong was placed in taverns and bars and people would have their beers while playing. Ralph suggested making games in a television set. Odyssey was the first video console in 1974 followed by the home version of pong. Although the most successful console of that time was Atari. It had many games such as Sims2 and Breakout invented by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Atari had its moment until it was sold to Warner Bros. After that came the revolution of Asteroids and Amco or Puckman today known as Pacman. Pinball machines created by Marcus O'Farrell were also a big success. After all this boost in the video game revolution the business started to die. They needed a new idea so this is when they tried to be more family oriented and targeted games that could be played at home. The rise of the Famicom or the family computer home console by Nintendo which had many games such as Don King Kong Jr., Super Mario Brothers,  and Zelda, all created by a japanese man with the name of Shigeru Miyamoto. He was the father of game design. Later in 1989, Nintendo's Gameboy was a boom because it was portable and along with it came the popular game Tetris. Japan was and still is a massive market for video games. In 1992 Mortal Combat arrived, and it received high rankings but also high complaints. Mortal Combat is a violent game and because there was many complaints the gaming industry decided to create their own ratings and warnings. After all that bad taste, in 1994, the revolution of the PlayStation by Sony arrived. Games like Nancy Drew and Tomb Raider became popular and began to target the female audience. Girls are also part of this industry even if boys do not think so. The military and the US army were also an audience to video games. In USC they created games to train them and the more real they were the more effective the training was. In 2000 and 2001, 3 products changed the video game revolution: the PlayStation2, the Gamecube and the Microsoft Xbox. I can still remember when these products came out. I used to have the Gameboy Advance, PlayStation2 and the Gamecube. These last consoles did make a change for video games, the graphics were amazing and they was a variety of games for each one. Lately the consoles have evolved, there is now the PlayStation3, the PlayStationPortable, Xbox live, Wii and more. All of these games are first tested by a group of people to calculate if the audience will or will not like it.  Although this has been a dominant entertainment it has its pros and cons. Games challenges minds and allows the gamer to learn without he/she knowing. The audience likes to learn but doesn't like to be taught as they mentioned in the video. Not all games are violent and many of them are used to teach, but there is also the downside to gaming. Some games are too violent. or can be considered as soft porn which to me should be prohibited to kids under 16. Technology is making today's society to grow so much faster but I think everything has its own time and violent games or movies should not take away a kid's childhood. Even though kids will eventually learn the bad things in life I do agree with that starting anywhere before 16. Addiction and obsession are also things that parents or guardians should watch out for because anything in great quantities can be harmful. 

Triumph of the Nerds

Triumph of the Nerds is a documental that takes us back to when the personal computer or PC was first created. It honestly is a win for the nerds because they were able to accomplish many softwares, chips, models, etc. that make today's technology all possible. Cringley, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, John Sculley, Paul Allen and more nerds were part of this amazing adventure. It was funny to hear how they just had pizza and coke, didn't have to take showers or personal relationships because they were too busy inventing, creating and coding. They did not sleep for days and their work hours were continuous.

In part 1, Cringley mentions that personal computers are one of the three largest industries in the world. It also made clear that this was all an accident. These were nerds that shared the same dream and that instead of having a social life they put their minds into creating. Everything happen in Silicon Valley in San Francisco, California were six Stanford Graduates shared the dream of making the first PC. Computers used to be the size of humans and they work on a system of binary codes of 1s and 0s. 1 was on and 0 was off, they also had a set of instructions which was called program and these were like a set of commands so the 1s and 0s could add, subtract, multiply or divide. This was also known as the machine language, where you had to switch buttons to give these commands. Steve Wozniak fell in love with the 1/0s and started to see how he and his partner Steve Jobs would take from that. Computer's data was first processed by vacuum tubes which was why the computers were so big but Intel invented a chip that allowed the main frame computer million transistors. Intel was a company that also work every day and night. Intel didn't not have offices only cubicles. They launched this chip but only for calculators and traffic lights they did not see the future of the chips in a PC. The first PC was launched in January 1975, on the magazine Popular Electronics, it was called the Altair 8800. Altair 8800 was not available for sale because it was more of a computer quit than an actual computer. The Altair 8800 was a panel with switches but the main problem was that it didn't have any connections to a monitor, printer, or keyboard. Paul Allen, a 19 year-old boy that listened to acid rock and watched action movies, solved this problem. On the other hand, Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs worked in a garage creating the Apple 1 which was a total failure. Two years passed, and they came up with the Apple II which was a total success. It had the spreadsheet of Visicalc and by 1980 Apple became a billion dollar industry until the rise of IBM.

In Part 2, these inventors explained that all these were creations for fun, none of them taught it would actually be a business. IBM became the largest computer company in the world of american industry. It's founder Tom Watson and his son hired conservative hard workers and enforced a strict dress code. For the PC IBM wanted a language system with and operating system. Bill Gates, Microsoft was willing to provide the language system and Gary Nutt had the operating system. Gary refused to give their operating system but Gates bought that operating system from a local company owned by Tim Patterson. Bill Gates was a wealthy yet competitive teenager that wasn't going to miss the opportunity of IBM's deal. In 1981, the IBM PC was developed in Boca Raton, Florida with a new spreadsheet call Lotus 123. IBM thought they had already won the battle, little did they know that all companies started to clone IBM PCs by adopting the strategy of reverse engineering which was to create something that worked the same way. Compac was one of the companies that hired virgin people in the field to clone PCs and sell them a little bit cheaper. Intel sold the microchips to all these companies so they could clone the PCs. Microsoft was with IBM through all of this because they thought that if they were in their side it will also lead to their success until they came up with the Windows program. IBM took Windows as a threat from Microsoft and they decided to break off.  Later on, in 1984, Apple created the first Macintosh computer. 

In Part 3, they give a brief history on the Xerox company and how they were able to revolutionize the PC in 1971, but they didn't see it. Speaking of Apple, in 1976 Jobs wanted the Macintosh to be the best computer. He even made a parody game called the Macintosh Dating Game in 1983. Bill Gates participated in this game and Jobs didn't not realize that he was about to become his number one rival. Macintosh was the first affordable personal computer but there was a problem. The computer did not print what was on the screen so Apple bought Adobe systems created by John Warnock. This allowed the Macintosh to create graphic designs and desktop publishing. Although all of this sounded great, Macintosh computers were not selling and Jobs was incapable of seeing that. With that said, John Sculley fired Steve Jobs. In 1990, Microsoft created the Windows 3 program which sold over 30 million copies. Apple sued Microsoft because they said that the fonts and designs were the same as the Macintosh. Apple lost the demand. In 1995, Microsoft created even a better and updated software Windows 95 which was the first software I used as a kid. Later on, Larry Ellison created Oracle and he truly believed that the PC was a waste because isn't of saving everything into a floppy disk, they should be saved into the Internet. Nowadays there was been many more softwares and devices invented such as the iPhone, iPad, Tablet, Android, iPod, iCloud etc. It is ironic to think that this started with a bunch of nerds that had coding as a hobby. 

Alan Turing - Pardoned

Alan Turing was a very intelligent man that contributed in the decoding of Enigma code. Mr. Turing uncoded many important messages that allowed the U.S troops decipher where the Nazis troops were. This provided the U.S troops and intelligence a great advantage during World War II. Sadly, later on in 1952, the US government found out that Mr. Turing was gay and at that time  homosexuality was a big taboo without mentioning that it was also against the law. Mr. Turing was giving the choice of being in a prison or being chemically castrated and he chose to be chemically castrated. He was also fired and his services were no longer used by the government. He died and later on he was giving a royal pardon by the British government. I think this is ridiculous. Mr. Turing was part of the key to winning War World II and his sexual preferences have nothing to do with this work. I honestly think he was a savior at that time. It doesn't really make a difference if he is pardoned after his death. If Mr. Turing would have been pardoned before he wouldn't have killed himself and he would probably had become an inventor of great things.
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The Mother of all Demos

Douglas Engelbart was an incredible early computer pioneer. In the article and in the video he is presenting the new software called WYSIWYG which practically works and looks very similar to today's Excel. What made this so amazing was that at that time computers were for military and government use only. This software was more for personal computers or "PC" because as the first example that Mr. Engelbart made, it allowed women or men to create lists for the supermarket or any to do list. It also allowed categorizing and organizing everything like an outline. With this software there was also the copy and paste text or more commands that would help. I think the presentation was amazing as I was watching it, I can't imagine how shocked people were at that time when it first launched.

Link to video

Raymond Kurzweil and Mark J. Stock

Although my generation takes computers and technology for granted because we have always had it to our reach, researching on these two men actually made me appreciate and value more the inventions they came up with. Raymond Kurzweil is an American inventor, futurist and creator. He was the one who invented the flatbed scanner which is the one we use today to scan documents and import them to the computer. He also came up with the speech to text for people that were blind and were not able to read. This even helped musicians such as Stevie Wonder. Kurzweil's inventions also include the music synthesizer and the text to speech synthesizer. His inventions have definitely helped many people in need and have also contributed to the future of all technology.
Mark J. Stock is more of an artist with coding and visual images. He has created beautiful digital art work and has been active in shows and exhibitions since 2000. Stock's works consists on various images that look like DNA but they definitely stand out and can be appreciated most by those who know how difficult coding is. His career has just started and I think he is off on a great start.

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Steve Jobs' 2005 Speech at Stanford University

Steven Jobs also known as Steve Jobs gave a speech at Stanford University in 2005. The speech was about three short yet deep stories that gave everyone a message. The first one was about why Jobs dropped out of college to pursue his dream. He thought that college was a waste of money and time because instead of taking courses he was interested in, he had to take required courses which are pointless. I kind of feel the same way about this. Instead he dropped out and took a calligraphy class that helped him develop all types of fonts which he included in the Macintosh computer. So the lesson of this story was to follow your instincts and feelings to pursue what you truly love, so later in life you can connect the dots when you look back.
The second story was about loving and losing. He invented the Macintosh along with some people he taught were smart and ambitious, but he was then fired by that same people he hired. At the time he felt that he lost the company he created but then he started looking at the positive side of being fired. This is when he developed neXT and Pixar Animation which is the biggest animation company in the world. He later realized that being fired got out the best of him instead of getting the worst. I can totally understand how anyone can apply this to the everyday life and in fact, I think everybody has without even realizing it. Every time you fail to accomplish something, you can learn from the mistakes and make something even better than with what you started.
The third story was about death. Jobs was detected with a tumor in his pancreas and there wasn't a cure for this. He was told that he would live only 3-6 more months. He was shocked about the news and sticked to the quote "Live everyday as if it was your last one." This is probably a quote that we have all heard of and I think it is motto which all of us should live by. I think you start being happy when you realize that being sad, angry or frustrated is not worth it. Every minute you are angry or sad are 60 seconds of happiness you will not get back. So I truly believe that Jobs did the same thing and that is what everyone should do. Jobs' speech was definitely very touching and inspiring for those college graduates and for anyone that watches it. He was definitely a legend.

Electroacoustic Music & Multimedia: Mark Snyder feat. Becky Brown and Paige Naylor

This concert was very different from the concerts I usually attend to. I really enjoy classic music though and this music was perfect because it was acoustic and peaceful. Most of his tunes started at a slow paced and ended in a faster pace. Mr. Snyder also explained where he got the inspiration to make these tunes. My favorite piece of his own was Messy, which he played with the clarinet and electronic music. I liked this one in particular because you could feel that everything was a chaos and it was very fast paced. Although Messy was really cool, my ultimate favorite was Owee because I had never seen someone play the harp live. It was amazing and touching to listen and watch Becky Brown play the harp. I really really loved this one, I can definitely picture myself listening to it a million times. I enjoyed the concert, Mr. Snyder was very prepared yet nice.

Flipbook

Flipbook Link

This flipbook was inspired by a true love story. Each item represents something special in the relationship.

Night/Day: The transition from the night to the day means that everything happened suddenly. It also means that the couple was going to go through many nights and days together.

Bicycle: The bicycle ride represents all the times the couple rode together to different places.

Rose: The rose represents all the dozens of roses the boy gave to the girl; red, because red roses were her favorite.

Balloons: Balloons represent all the birthday parties they celebrate together and the parties they attended together.

Dinner: The couple dining at the table represents all the times they ate together. The broken vase represents the times they did not get along while eating.

Love birds: The love birds represent the birds the boy got the girl for their first valentine's day together. 

Pink hearted necklace: this necklace was actually made out of three types of gold: gold, white and rose gold. This necklace was given to the girl on their third valentines day together.

UT acceptance letter: The letter the girl reiceved for UT, which changed everything for the couple.

Thunder: The lighting represents the storm of feelings the girl was feeling at that time she got the acceptance letter.

Broken heart: They both felt broken and it hurt so much it bleed.

Ring: The ring is a promise for the future that they will be together again.


Flipbook comments:
It was very entertaining to see what everyone came up with in the flipbooks. Bryan's flipbook had a great idea since it was about multimedia history, but I think the drawings lacked structure and color. Gina's flipbook was about nothing in particular but the outstanding moments of the fish jumping out of the water, the rocket launching and the shooting star caught my attention. Leah's flipbook was practically about the life cycle of a caterpillar which made it interesting. Holly's flipbook was also abstract and I think it's best moments were the dragon blowing fire and the plane flying through the pages. Katelyn's flipbook did not have color but the rope and the character were pretty creative. Kyle's flipbook to me was one of the best ones because  it had a main theme and even though there were many words it was different from the rest. Kirby's flipbook was very femenine. Ralph's flipbook was very well elaborated, the colors were perfect and the position of each image through each page was also flawless. Spencer's flipbook had great transitions and it reminds us of the things we do for the everyday life. All flipbooks were good but I think Kyle's and Spencer's were the most outstanding because they had an idea all of us could follow. I'm not against improvising but I think the theme of nature was almost in every book and after seeing so many, there were almost predictable. I really enjoyed this assignment and I think I was happy with what I made but at the same time I wasn't completely satisfied, if I would have had the time, I would definitely make it better. 

War Of The Worlds Radio Broadcast

I think this radio broadcast was very interesting. Every time I listen to the radio I listen to music or news and this was like a news type recording expect different. I noticed that the language they used to describe what was happening was very descriptive and detailed. People believed this was all real because at that time that was their only news source. I feel like this broadcast can easily be classified as exaggeration and fake now, but because we are in a different era with many communication mediums. It is also funny how they changed location with no proof, what if they were all recording in the same place? People wouldn't know that at that time or wouldn't even think that is possible. I think this is mind-blowing!

Singing in the Rain

The original song Singing in the Rain in Singin in the Rain movie was launched in the 1950s. At this time people were conservative and had traditional values. The topic of sex was a taboo and this is why the song Singin in the Rain is romantic, yet appropiate for the time. On the other hand, this same son was also used in the movie Clockwork Orange in the 1970s. The director had a total different approach on this song since the song is used in like a rape scene, in other words, nothing romantic. It is also used as a form of a joke or derision. I think this was because 20 years after, sex was not a taboo and feminism was growing. This denigration to the woman was seen as a joke to men that were against feminism. At the time sit-coms were also around and sexual scenes were combined with comedy.

Stop Motion

The first video that caught my attention was Ten Thousand Pictures of You. This stop motion was amazing! I still can't imagine how much time it took to produce that video. It must of had million frames and all the work put into the pictures and ads also took time. This was definitely one of the coolest stop motion videos I ever seen, especially because it had people in it because it is usually about drawings.
http://vimeo.com/2554266
The second video I saw was Scintillation by Xavier Chassaing. The preview of legs glowing makes you want to watch this clip immediately to figure out what it is about. The colors in this art work were awesome. I'm supposing he projected these flowing wallpapers onto the flowers, the ceiling and the frames which is such a great idea. Honestly, it looked like an avatar world. The legs glow were amazing I still can't figure out how he did that. This is definitely creativity at its finest!
http://vimeo.com/3114617
The last video was This is Where We Live. This video was inspired on the paper cravings that have become a trend in today's world. It was really cool to see every building, tree, sidewalk, lights, bicycles etc. made out of book paper. The whole city was made out of paper and the music that accompanied the video was also remarkable because it made you feel as if this was a typical day in your life. I really enjoyed this video too.
http://vimeo.com/2295261

A Trip to the Moon

A Trip to the Moon

This mini clip was quite hilarious to me. At first, when the men are gathered around trying to figure out how is it that they are going to go to the moon, these guys looked confused and frustrated. I think that it was so funny to see them argue about it, because even know we can't hear what's going on, the actions in the scene speak for themselves. I also enjoyed the background music, it is such a known song that I do not get tired of. I also like the hand paintings and the humorous style Mr. Melies attempted to do.

Stage Door

As I explored Angel de Quinta's blog, I read the first paragraph of each post and the one that interest me the most was the first one. I'm addicted to fashion and so as to quotes, and I think Coco Chanel has both of those two combined. I believe the play was a total sucess and I totally agree with the quote never mesdames, always mademoiselles, which is translated to todays "never trashy, always classy."

Dr. Jono Vaughan

Dr. Jono Vaughan's art work is spectacular. The artist manages to connect every piece of art with life while she also commented that it has been a tough rode which allowed more inspiration in the artist's art work. She also  said she compares herself to half creatures such as swans or bulls. My favorite art project was the Project 42 which is not fully developed, but I think it is a great idea that Dr. Vaughan  takes her art to another level. Project 42 consists of sending a dress to 42 transgender victims of murder. Dr. Vaughan is not only creating nice dresses but also giving hope to all of those who feel threatned by their sexual preference. I think this was such an incredible idea and will definitely allow Dr. Vaughan to go bigger in art and in life.  

Behind the Scenes Wicked

I have never seen Wicked before but the video was quite informing on the preparation it took for the cast members and directors to release this Broadway Show. I was in a dance school while I was in high school and we used to perform on stage each December and June. It took a lot of collaboration  for these shows to go on, I can imagine the preparation for this Broadway Show was as twice as stressful and time consuming. I would really want to see Wicked because their prompts, the costumes, the scenes, everything looked amazing in the video. As they mentioned in the video, the audience learns from these shows and they seem to care about the characters as if it was real, this is because the experience of a Broadway Show could be even more powerful than the one of a movie, since everything is happening in front of you. I have only attended to Lion King but I would definitely want to see Wicked.

Coca-Cola Big Game 2014 Commercial Ad

The first time I heard about this commercial and it's scandal was meanwhile I was skyping with one of my best friends. She immediately told me that people were going crazy on Twitter because of the different languages used to sing the song of this ad. People posted things as "I'm never going to have another Coke,""America is for English-speaking people only,""Nice to see that coke likes to sing an AMERICAN song in the terrorist's language. Way to go coke. You can leave America." Sincerely, this is what is wrong with people in America and many other countries. We are all part of the same planet, therefore we are all equal. America is also composed by three sections, North America, Central America and South America, which is something that Americans do not understand. As how they don't understand that America does not have an official language and if they would, it would be both english and spanish. I did not get offended by any of the comments even though I am an international student in the US. I just feel sorry for those people that do not understand diversity and its acceptance. Other than the scandal, I liked this ad because it gives the message that we are all one regardless the ethnicity, language, religion, race and sexual preference. 

Oculus Rift

I honestly do not share a passion for gaming but I feel that the Oculus Rift is an idea that will be even more elevated and developed for more things as they mentioned in the article. Media such as film and television will also enjoy this wonderful idea. Although it has not been released, sounds like many people are working and fundraising this Rift. It is incredible how technology is advancing, when I taught that there wasn't more to invent but there actually is. I can not wait for this Oculus Rift to come out so the viewers will experience a more realistic  interaction with their TVs and games. My brother is a total gamer, I will definitely share this with him because he will be even more excited than I am.

Madama Butterfly

I taught the animation of Madama Butterfly was a little bit disturbing at first, but after you end up knowing it is only a tragedic story since the captain takes her baby and leaves her. This animation was very creative and explained the problem in a perfect way, without the usage of words. I think the best part was the ending when Madama Butterfly destroys her own body because that is how anyone would if that would happen: torn apart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E387c5RAhK4

The Birth and Life of Opera

My first thought when someone says the word opera is about people in antique costumes and big dress singing for 3 hours, but this documental changed that and showed me the importance of opera.

 Most of all I liked two phrases that were mentioned in the video to describe opera. One was when he said that opera was the music form that expressed excitement and passion the most, and the second was when he said that opera was a way of living. I honestly haven't though about it that way but as you think of it opera is actually the most exciting and passionate because everything is happening live, the music, the acting, the singing, etc. This is an experience that not even movies can give and that's what makes it so amazing. The second phrase was that opera was a way of living and I truly believe in that because  I used to be a dancer. As I dancer I felt like dancing was a way of living because every time I dance I felt happy and distressed and maybe an opera actress or actor feels that same way when they are playing their part on stage. It is also discussed as a way of living because it portrays real life scenarios that include politics, ideas, love, death etc.

Opera was extremely important and became controversial to the point that some operas where even banned. It is fun to see how The Mariage of Figaro was banned because they were treating their employees as slaves but now sex scenes in movies seem normal. This makes me think how things have evolved and how it all really began with opera.

3 examples of Deus ex Machinae

Deus ex Machinae can be defined as the miraculous solution from an event, person, weapon or cure to an unsolved problem.

One example of deus ex machinae can be found in the movie Armageddon. The NASA becomes aware of an asteroid that is about to crash the human world because of random meteorite pieces that have fallen all over Earth. To solve this problem, the NASA prepares a mission to land on the asteroid, drill it, and install a bomb so the asteroid splits and doesn't pass through Earth. The team faces some struggles but manage to make it possible in the end.

Another example of deus ex machinea is seen in the movie World War Z when Gerry Lane finds the cure to save humanity. He discovers that if people are infected with a disease they are not a healthy host for the zombies to attack. People start injected non-threating diseases that had cures, so they could save the planet.

In the movie Troy there is also an example of deus ex machinae when the Odysseus comes with the idea of The Trojan Horse to defeat Troy. In the end all the Greeks hide inside the Trojan Horse which allows them to penetrate the walls of Troy's kingdom and attack.

Raul Cuero

Dr. Raul Cuero's interview was very inspiring. His ideas of overcoming the prejudice and predicaments are something that have and will continue to put into practice in my daily life. Many people discriminate international students or "aliens," as some people call us, but as Dr. Cuero said, one should always look at the positive side to overcome discrimination. This is actually worthy because you become a stronger person and even if you don't manage to get what you want, failure is part of the process of being succesful. I really enjoyed his story and can definitely relate to it.

Juan Carlos Delgado

Juan Carlos Delgado's work is very impressing. I had never seen such a creative invention with sculptures as the ones he made. The roses and angel looked beautiful when they were all frozen. This is an example of Multimedia because it is time controlling tools in synergy, meaning that the roses and angel are changing through time or, in order words, they seem "alive." I really liked this idea Juan Carlos had; it is quite unique. I think this is the definition of being creative and thinking out side the box to create something beautiful and that is something I have learned since the first day in this class. This class is going to be quite challenging because it will require all students to put the same thought as Juan Carlos did in his scupltures.

First Class

In my first class, I felt overwhelmed with everything that was explained in class. Yet, I'm still excited for what is coming up, especially for the flipbook. I'm an international student and really enjoy art and working with computers, so I think this class will be a good one. I also believe that making connections is important as the professor mentioned in class, and I hope I will be able to know more people after this class. I'm definitely looking forward for next class.