FINAL :]

So it failed to upload a few time ... but I managed to get it to go through fine somehow :]

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LiunwWTlRY

Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/24708037

Enjoy!

ART 220 - DAY 15 - May 16 - Dreams

Today we watched a film on netflix.com on Akira Kurosawa's Dreams which is compromised of cerebral and mind-bending genre and theme to it. There in the movie is a collection of eight enchanting short stories. For the most part, majority surrounds themselves around Japanese folklore. I usually watch a lot of animation made from Japan, so I was able to recognize some of the themes and stories I have heard before, not to mention understand a bit of Japanese. When we started the movie, I instantly remember the fox wedding stories I've heard so much. I was a little curious to what happened to the poor little boy. I wonder if he died or did the foxes forgive him? Who knows...! I'm not very familiar with the peach story but I have seen those dolls that were portrayed in the beginning. It's known that Japanese little girls often have those collection of dolls in their room. As for the Peach Blossoms, I was not too sure on the idea but I do have the idea to the connections of spirits and gods where they get upset at people for doing something wrong. The third story I am pretty familiar with the idea of a dark tunnel. Dark tunnels are usually linked to the spirit world and often sometimes travelers do cross them out of now here and usually a message needs to be told to them or they are suffering from some guilt with death involved, and in this case, he is the commander and had lost his team. The dog however, I am unsure that it is there to take him to his soldiers, so that he could rest with them. The blizzard has got to do with not giving up and continue to try, although we might not know exactly would happen to them, because storms can still be a big problem aside from avalanches. The rest of the stories that were presented were a bit confusing and I was at lost for them because the room got really cold. For the most part of these "dreams" can play a huge imagination factor on what one could or could not do. In your dreams, I believe that stories that one that comes up with, come in life in dreams, versus reality where there are boundaries we cannot cross. But even dreams all come from an idea and an idea is where most stories start.

Johnathan Coy - Guest Speaker - May 12, 2011

Johnathan Coy

818 849 6208 - John@jmcoy.com

For this presentation, I thought I would just have made in time but it turns out that there were some technology difficulties that needed to be sorted before actually starting the presentation. A little brief history about him is that he was the first AIGA President and has always been doing work from the beginning with his hands and now currently using the computer to make his works as well as collaborating with others in the direct field that he likes to work with, which is the fine arts. While the students were trying to fix the computer problems, John Coy decided to take some questions on what exactly did students like us wanted to get out of it. One of the questions were referring to students such as ourself who are going to graduate and how they should present themselves in the professional field. Throughout his presentation, he talks about how he is constantly learning with each and every different crowds that present themselves to him. There is a direct change between the old and the new type of styles to make art work and it has a lot to deal with the technology today. He believes that one should learn about themselves and then paths would open up for them, especially students who are passionate about their work and want to make work. He says that the portfolio that they present should represent them and create a sense in idea on what the person would really be when showing portfolio to directors or clients. Although we do live in an environment that is mostly competition, it does really make it hard for people to get out there in the professional world. He says that people who have sense in their ideas and the concept as well as the desires to translate it to the media in order to show the final product to the world. He was the one that created the Washington Bank logo, at what he claims use to be his junior creations. He leaves it at the importances to there be No ONE way for things, be in tune and trust in yourself as well as believe yourself and you will be on your way.

ART 220 - DAY 14 - May 11 - Final Brief

Today, we thought it was a joke that Professor Moss was out sick for the day. We were wondering what he caught as students. Regardless we did spend quite a bit of time to discuss about the creative brief for our Final. Hopefully it was enough to be a brief that is understandable to the students. Afterwards, we signed in on a paper and turned in our assignment.

ART 220 - DAY 13 - May 9 - Creative Brief

Another tiring morning! So class started and Professor Moss explains that he'll be mostly lecturing for the day. He then proceeds to ask if there a comfortable seating style that would be comfortable for all of us to understand and listen to his instructions. So he decides to organize everyone by height. In my brain, I'm registering.. short? Oh I'm probably the first one.....cause wow.. i am short. As I go up to the side where all the short people are at, I forgot that there was someone else in my class that also as short as I was, or maybe even shorter. I sure got a surprise though.

Afterwards, Professor Moss went over a few creative briefs that were from real companies and firms that were getting paid to do. All in all, as he was reading them, they all sound very professional and in a way where someone else could understand what was instructed or what is asked to be done. I was thinking pretty hard when he was reading about the one about the Winchester Mystery House. It's sad that I actually read up on that and totally forgot about the house and didn't even come to a conclusion that it could be a possibility, especially since I like reading up on those things and watching things like Ghost Adventures and other affiliated shows that center around the mystery side of after death.

So after hearing our examples, we were to create a brief for our final project and include all the information necessary. It is roughly only one page and hopefully all the details necessary for someone to understand it.

ART 220 - DAY 12 - May 4 - Presentation

So during class, after the morning talk, Professor Moss had students go look at the game board presentations and see which one they thought connect to them. What exactly is a good design? It is really hard to say due to the interests to each and every audiences' eyes. For every presentation, there is a certain way to present something, especially when you want to work on the board. The way one talks and the way one interacts with the audience is shown by body language. As a designer, we must be able to speak about and able to connect or explain whatever you need in order to make the audience understand what you want to explain to them. What is the pitch of your tone? How does the presenter convey their body language? How does the audience convey their message? A few of the students that went up were nervous to some degree and some were clear and confident. I liked presentations that involve the presenter looking and having eye contact with the audience. I like it also when they stand behind their boards so that it will be easier for the audience to see since it is really distracting to me when the presenter turns around to the board. I also like it when the speaker speaks clearly and has a good idea on how they want to explain their idea to the audience in easy words that they can understand as well as going at a good pace so they do not lose the audience. As for myself as an audience it usually takes awhile to get my interest and usually when the presentation board is organized, not messy, and the use of color is important to me. No matter, I think if the idea is good and presented well and clearly, and the audience gets it, then it will be a good presentation.

ART 220 - DAY 10 - April 27 - Game Day

Today in class, it was stated that we are going to play games and I ended up playing Connect Four and Monopoly. Connect Four was relatively easy enough to comprehend. I mean the instructions are easy, just to place the chips into the spot that is desired and try to connect four of the colors you got. There are only two players, and I do not think if you can play with more. I had actually won quite a bit, until I started to just space out and try to see to play by random and see if I would win. Different methods of course made it different but of course this game sometimes does make someone think at least a few steps in advance. For the second game, Monopoly, Sandy is EVIL! This game makes people turn against each other, as well as a bit of humor when we each land at each other's properties. It does have a bit of chance into it when rolling the dice and that pretty much determines how one could possibly win or react to the game board. Otherwise, it was a pretty fun day. We didn't get to to finish the game but all and all, we all enjoyed the research. I personally think nine ideas is quite fun but too many might just throw me off. Although I would rather just have one detailed idea rather then nine quick ones. I will see what is up and see how it will turn out. Overall, this will be fun!

UNDERgraduate2011artEXHIBITION

April 25-May7 Opening Reception: Monday, April 25th 4-7 PM

Location: Fine Arts Gallery

Hours: Monday - Thursday 12-5PM

Saturday 12-5PM

These are the days were I wished I had my DSLR to take some photos. I had actually dropped by before the opening reception to check it out quickly before going to my class at 4:20PM. Pretty funny but Professor Barry Markowitz actually had the other students and I come down to check it out. Refreshments were yummy (Pita Bread. Hummus. Bomb). I had actually got to see familiar work I have seen in my other classes previous before from other peers. Two of my classmates I believe have been graced the opportunity of their works to be displayed. I was surprised only because this was something our class turned in and did not discussed. Well designed and organized! I actually had a few favorites there... the large oil painting of a girl... familiar video ads from my previous class from ART 181 made by Gus, Daniel, and Andrew, a student's glassware project with human remains from Richard Wearn's class, and so much more. The large newspaper tree was impressive as well. It's bigger then me! I also got to check out another friend's work that was displayed as well for animation course, very impressive. I know he's been slaving away in a lab somewhere working on his piece. There was also a mixed media piece of a caged bird that was gorgeous. Otherwise, all the works displayed were very impressive from the undergraduates. I need to go back with a camera.....!

ART 220 - DAY 9 - April 25 - Game Theme

In the beginning of class, we were asked to flip our chairs around to the other side of the desk. "Oh my...." I thought, my eyes are going to burn and hurt, which it did. I had to pick up my folder and block my eyes and crumble and hide away. Just kidding, but it was a funny response from everyone else who probably agreed with me on the whole, "It's bright!" After discussing and listening all the games we could think of, we discussed on the them of the game or what was the point of it? Honestly I am not all too familiar with board games, except for the classic popular board games such as Monopoly and Uno. Seriously, being an only child makes it hard for you to actually play games with anyone, except for other relatives on family day (which is rare unfortunately). I am more familiar with system games though.

After discussing about the games, we talk about the seven deadly sins. I am more familiar with the seven sins as Wrath, Greed, Sloth, Pride, Lust, Envy, and Gluttony. It was funny because I was instantly reminded of an anime show that Japan produced called Full Metal Alchemist. After looking around the class to see what the others had chose, there were some that were similar. We were asked to flip the similar arounds and then Professor Moss states that no one is very original with their ideas on the assignment. I honestly thought the all Family Guy one was pretty funny. There were some that were hard to figure out though, or at least I could not comprehend what it was actually being portrayed as.

Pretty much that was it! Game day next! I'm not sure which games I have at home. I would have to dig them out. Creating a game eh... sounds like a plan! Off to the drawing board!

The Design Process: Stage 3 - Conceptualization

conceptualize |kənˈsep ch oōəˌlīz|verb [ trans. ]form a concept or idea of (something) : we can more easily conceptualize speed in miles per hour.DERIVATIVESconceptualization |kənˌsep ch oōələˈzā sh ən| nounconceptualizer noun
The key objective of this chapter is to help identify your design problem as well as be able to explain one's ideas to the client with proper responses to relate on what you, as a designer, is thinking. There are, however, rules that are meant/should be followed. This chapter very much reminds me of mind mapping your ideas, except when coming up with an idea, to organized your plans and thoughts as far as it can go as well as jotting down as many one could possibly create in order to keep the idea organized and from being lost. Aside from taking down as many notes as possible, there is also something to consider as well. Time. Setting a time limit or restraint will cause a designer to formalize their plans better and contain their creativity to a limit so that it would not go out of control. Granted, you could always set aside the ideas one has in a book of course for another project.
At times though, one could get lost in all the thought process and should be reminded on what exactly what they did before and how they could re inspire themselves. Take a flash back and revisit the main reason on why one would be creating something in the first place. It does really help because I think it would make thoughts be more cleared and refocus the designer to the plans or ideas they had initially started with to get them back on track.
From all of the ideas and brainstorming, presenting them is another matter. I honestly think when explaining ones idea that they should be very organized and easy for someone else to remember. Clear explanations as well as easy to see visuals will also help the viewer see where you as a designer is coming from. It is by all means very crucial for someone to understand where you are coming from, especially if you are working with others. There the author also states some things one shouldn't do and one should do. Aside from the usual presentations, I think the "Law of Prananz" was interesting. Why? It sticks to the idea of how an individual experiences would perceive things such as things seen in the world for example and how it would make sense in our eyes to understand something. I honestly thing that people in this world do not open their eyes to such things. Perhaps they do, but not many of us pay attention to things nowadays. It's too fast paced to the point where we forget to look around once in awhile, which is why the law caught my attention. I mean, aren't designers people who set the ideas that make the world what it is today? If we are to perceive something this way or that way, we usually think "how do we improve this or make it something to the point where it could help others." That I usually would think is the goal of all designers. It is good to open our eyes to look. It's actually a good start for an idea.

ART 220 - DAY 7 - April 18 - Story telling

So we start off the usual question of how was everyone's weekend. Someone shared about a little bit of the Laos New year traditions and how they go to a Buddhist temple and have a festive celebration with food and snacks after they pray. Someone also mentioned about a hiking trip and it was nice and sunny this past weekend. I thought it was on Sunday but Saturday was pretty brutal with the heat coming in. Feels like summer to me!

So after the little discussion, I wished I shared my weekend, I had a few interesting things that happened. So Professor Moss has a class exercise and we were to arrange everyone in order by birthdays. Being a September baby, I ended up trying to guess where I was before spluttering where's the September peoples? I was glad to see that Dustin took the rope and actually being a leader about the situation and help put the class in order. After our little change in order, Professor Moss lectured a bit on storyboards and had put us in a group to create at story with 2 items that each had brought out. We were given ten minutes to do the exercise. I picked my usb drive bracelet and my little robot toy thing that allows me to hook up to headphones to share music with. There were so many ideas that it came to the fact that had to cut down the items to a few just so that we could settle on a story as well as the items that we all chose. My group was blessed with a wonderful story teller whom I would say did an brilliant job of remembering all the ideas we came up with and used terms were even myself couldn't understand, especially the ones that related to something scientific. I was just as impressed as I'm sure the rest of my group members. I think regardless of the story, you could easily get hooked if there is a good story teller to catch one's attention.

I must say that I think after the whole going through our homework assignment. I'm a little disappointed that most of us didn't do it correct. Lesson learned though. was on the same impression that the 10 pictures were harder compare to the 10 terms. Until next week, we all shall try again. Hopefully it'll come out correctly.

The Design Process: Stage 2 - Identification

Identifying a design does not just start with you, it could also be requested from a client or to improve something else that already exists. I have pretty much been in situations where people have asked me to design something, improve a logo, and of course have ideas that just randomly come up and I want to work with but can't do to the lack of time and money. Despite the designs and ideas that come up, there is a point driven in the drive of one's work to stop and find the limit where they can say it's just right. There however are constraints that do exist within designs that designers have to go around and about to find a way to solve the issue. Aside from recognizing these constraints, there is also the issue where a designer would be able to work with these problems and go about it with a willingness and enthusiasm effort. I remember the times where I would frown and get annoyed with the person I was designing or because they simply were very picky or I was not getting what the heck they wanted. I mean it really is hard when you're working with clients who don't agree with each other. Regardless I've been patiently putting up the effort to wait for them to approve of the ones I've designed and just re-edited every time they did not approve. So therefore what is design exactly? In the book it states that "a design project is a problem that needs to be solved and explained by a designer", which is true because that is what it is. The problem however, can range from being simple to complicating and other things as well. It just depends on how the outcome is. I personally do not believe that design has a specific law we follow. Perhaps there is a basic structure we follow to get there and who knows, maybe I am wrong and that design does have laws to follow. I do however agree that designer must pay attention and into care that they do not design something that would end result loosing the object's purpose or usage, which is termed as inherent constraints. For imposed constraints, it is the idea where the design wants to be a certain way but does no exist. However, there will always be design constraints throughout the design and it will always cause a shift in the progress of the design. Aside from constraints, designers must also be aware that they cannot assume that what is right or correct for "us" does not mean it directly be okay for "others". By others, I mean people in different culture, religion, and in the media that they use their senses to understand or accept something. And of course, safety is also an issue concerning in design because no one would want their work to hurt anybody for the matter.

Designers must keep in mind of the constraints for themselves such as information, time, materials, and budget. Communicate in order to get the information needed to complete a project. Keep in mind how long one has in order to plan correctly and make sure everything comes out on time. The materials that are needed to be used as well as the budget to the material and if the material would work well together in the end result. Everything must be planned and checked back accordingly so that no mistakes are found and end in a failure.

I notice it seems that time is the most constraint on most designers. Like myself, I could never get anything done on time because I either didn't like the design or I didn't agree with it and in the end had to chalk up to get it done fast. It's just something I personally need to work on. Which is good because I know how to recognize what needs to be done, especially when something is assigned I prefer to know the information correctly so everything gets done efficiently and correctly.

ART 220 - DAY 6 - April 13 - Word Changes

Another morning scheduled in a way so I can get to class on time. When we started class, majority of us had to start the standing critique for our homework assignment. Homework was getting a black or grey presentation board (15''x20'') and splitting it to a top and bottom concept idea. The bottom being a picture choice from a magazine or media based image (from the Internet), and the top being a placeholder for where we place our 10 different words to describe the image. For the assignment to work, the image that was chosen by us had to correspond to the terms being used in order to relate to the image in question. It had to be terms that would shift the meaning of the picture that was picked. So for the standing critique, I ended up having my assignment starting off. I chose a picture of a little boy drawing on the floor. If I remember correctly, I used the terms: Artistic, Scheming, Hardworking, Future, Concentrate, Mute, Shy, Imagination, Anti-social, Troublemaker. A few of those however were actually something else before they became what they were. For example, for scheming, I had actually started off with planning first, then it changed to plotting, and then finally became scheming, because I wanted something to mean a little more sinister or make a dramatic shift. The one I thought was the most successful was mute. I had actually had started with shy first but that was a more positive effect. Later it then went to quiet, and somehow I was thinking a very negative choice word which was deaf, and I changed it to mute instead. Regardless, both would of been very effective and would have shifted from something such as artistic to mute. That's pretty deep. No I joke but it did cause people to think. The child would seem playful or a troublemaker since he is drawing all over pictures and papers, but instead I wanted a really big shift to something extremely negative as mute. My classmates responded with how it made some of them feel sad or think that perhaps this child could be affiliated with some health issue. Regardless I thought my choice in picture was successful with also the terms. After quite a long line of critiques and matching word to picture, we had a break and later Professor Moss brings a bunch of pictures of advertisements. There were many ads that made me laugh and be amused such as the breakfast egg out of it's shell, or the one relating to the wife and husband's first. I also thought the "Z" becoming an "N" for the coffee (netscape...? nesquick...? I forgot...) ad was impressive as well.We all ended having a one big discussion relating to a Hulk-like hand with a band aid on the thumb. The little child crying was also amusing as well... I mean 35% on sale? Seriously? He's so happy that he cries. Maybe I'm reading it on a whole new different level compared to my fellow peers. Who knows. In the end, we started to talk about this one big ad against the wall concerning a highly detailed structure green hand with a band aid on the thumb. Others "think" it is the "hulk" simply because we know the character to be green with a bulky structure and big hands, so we would relate it in that sense. I mean I thought of hulk once I saw it, even though I didn't see the face. I could be wrong. It could be intended to be someone else that even I don't know about. Some say it relates to a more classical sense, where the structure of the hand is more in depth and detailed and almost too perfect. Some also related to the Sistine Chapel where the painting of Adam and God about to touch each other and how the hand almost looks like the same structure. Imagine the slogan could be "Even tough people can get hurt as well." That was the impression I got out of it, but who knows, if they slapped on a word or phrase, it could of changed to a whole different level in it's approach to the viewer.

ART 220 - DAY 5 - April 11 - Stories to tell and meanings

Just another morning, and I was running later then my usual schedule of leaving early from my home, but regardless I still had time to spare and be there on time. So Professor Moss asked if anyone had a good and/or interesting weekend where I proceeded to mumble I did and he asked what happened. So I ended up telling my little story of what happen during the week where the guy I was dating's relatives came over unexpectedly and I had to rush to get ready due to the fact that was pretty much bumming in pajamas when I had came over in the morning. Also I mentioned a gallery event I attend at Nucleus. If you guys don't know where or what Nucleus is, it's a little bookstore off on Main Street and holds gallery shows once in awhile. If you're interested, you can get info here (CLICK HERE). If you're curious and you like Edward Scissorhands, there is an exhibition coming up soon, I believe this upcoming Saturday (April 16,2011), will be the opening reception. It's free and it's pretty fun if you get into it and see what is store. I'm probably most likely will be going and might want to try this little dress up get up impression thing for fun. The last time I went to a dressing up gallery thing was "Zombies in Love" (also have pictures from that album) and I was a Zombie for the night.... walking the street and terrorizing citizens. Why? They had an opening reception where we did a walk from a good 3-5 blocks down to the gallery itself. Pretty fun stuff. Also if you were curious about what I saw at the Inkbomber's Event that I went for Twisted Kingdom, I have the pictures up on my facebook photo gallery. You might have to add me before you can see it though... maybe? I'm not sure.

Back to class! So what happened? We then ended up getting into a decent discussion about Disney and how they capture children's appeals, based on story and character personality. Why does it appeal? Obviously you would not want to scare children and things like kissing is not portrayed very sexually, just simply an endearing kind of quick kiss that one would see, such as a quick peck. Professor Moss then proceeds into saying that the only place where companies and brands could not have influence over is the freedom of creative expression. He talks about how lots of people take some elements of a theme or well known idea that exists and renders it to a parody or something else to give it mean. Beginning with my story I told in class... he uses the examples and leads into the lecture for the day about storytelling.

We start off by doing a class discussion on answering in key points listing what makes a story. Some answers were Beginning, Middle, End, Setting, Plot, Mood, Characters, and so on. It was long enough to fill out one page of paper of writing for me. Professor moss asks what is the difference between life and made up stories? At the time the class did not proceed to answer the question or they simply did not hear him ask the question but I believe that the difference in the concept is that there can be imagination put into a story that is made up. While we do have experiences and can also be a way to tell a story, we can twist it in a way where we can also exaggerate and do much more in an imaginary world when creating a world in storytelling. Afterwards he introduces three interesting individuals named Amy Tan, Elizabeth Gilbert, and Jakob Troll where we watch from TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design).

Amy Tan -

"The value of nothing, out of nothing, comes something." I really like this quote. Why? Because as a designer myself and as many other artists, we can create. Amy Tan talks on TED about creativity and how it becomes what it is. In the beginning of her lecture, I got a kick out of her TED commandments making a familiar reference to the ten commandments that people follow today. Quite humorous I would have to stay to begin a lecture. Regardless she introduces her creative process which she states has to connect with Nature, Nurture, and lastly, Nightmares. She starts with nature in how people are functioned in a sense to muse (absorb in thought) and imagine and that it is something we are perhaps maybe born with it, if not then we would get the resource elsewhere through history, yet she introduces the factor where we might have an identity crisis and how we question on how we are suppose to be and question on who are we, yet living and being alive we nurture who we are and start to create oneself. For example, she states during when she was young where she had been nurture through expectations where we develop in life such as her case was with piano and the toy her parents gave her to become a doctor. She then starts on discussing about "everything happens for a reason" where she discusses about how death was involved and how her mom always believed that one day she'll be next aside from her mother. She goes into asking and talks about...her questions.. Why things do things happen? How do things happen? and How does oneself make things happen? She states it is a good way to think that way because during the time of working on something such as a story, it helps oneself ponder on situations during a story. It was her cosmology (theory) on her stories when making her stories. Then she goes into her discussion on how she works. From certainty in creativity and the ambiguity where she is uncomfortable to her, and how things become ironic where it involves choices we make. I remembered in her lecture she mentioned the term serendipity which reminded me of a movie my friend showed me and made me laugh because her lecture spoke of about how things happen for a reason, which was kind of funny because it reminded me of situations that made no sense to me and it just happened. The whole idea on things happen for a reason and sometimes it really does happen because my friend and I have had discussion on how it lead to a point on how we met, to how we were always with someone else, and to how we got connected again as friends, because throughout the years since my sophomore year in high school when I first met him he was a senior in high school and I was a sophomore, he then graduated and we had no number exchange on contacting. Later on when I started college, we ran into each other and hung out a couple of times, again no number was exchanged. A good year passed again and I ran into him where he worked, which was where he gave me my first job (he became my manager) and we still had no contact except work affiliations. Then another year or two passed and I ended my relationship with my ex boyfriend and he found out through my best friend when they ran into each other in Vegas through her boyfriend. Surely that was not faith that he just happen to be there at a good time? Who knows. Maybe it happened for a reason and somehow things just connected. But regardless it reminded me of the movie and her discussion connected to the term with the whole luck and chance that just connected to my story.

Elizabeth Gilbert -

Again, another writer who is discusses her connection to her career. She talks about her book "Eat. Pray. Love" and how people treat her as if she was doomed and people asks her the whole thing on being afraid or it might be the last she worked. She brings up the term humiliation and failure, and of course fear would be instilled with such questions that one asks themselves. I agree with her on this because as such a career everyone should be worried and fear it, especially in the field of creativity. She talks about people connect creative people to mental problems and suffering, which I believe is true. Many of creative people somehow always die young and by their own hands. She wants people to encourage people to keep the younger creative people to live and she goes into how one should not lead down the path of depression. Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome she discusses and she states that people back then believe creativity came from a daemons who brought creativity to them instead of coming from oneself. The term Genius was a spirit and be an assistant such as "Dobby" from "Harry Potter" for example to shape how things would happen. Now people put people in the center of the world and that people's creative company have to take the expectation from other people (society) that they are "geniuses" and how the pressure is placed on them where they cannot take it in and hence causes them to kill themselves. Gilbert believes that is the reason why there is so much anxiety and pressure and how one would feel that way when something one creates is so popular or well known that they are expected to make something better next to the point where they question "What if I fail?" "What if my next piece is not up to pare?" It's funny because many of us could relate to that, especially when it comes to expectation. That would always be there because growing up, parent's have a level of expectation from their children and I would connect it to myself. Growing up I was always a good child to my parents. I listened to them and I did the things I wanted to do to be good. I joined choir, track and field, and student council at a very young age in my old elementary school. I was a pretty successful child and on my way to be great person. But as I moved to a new school, I noticed that the things I did back in my old elementary school, it was not offered or the same as my new school. Then growing up the expectations from my parents grew. Granted because I was an only child, their hold on me (still today) is still high and great. It really bothered me that no matter what I did, they would just shrug it aside or complained that I should do better. For awhile my parents were against my career choice in art instead of something like being a lawyer or a doctor, and still today I am sure they are wondering if I am making a correct choice. Since they think that way, it makes me think and ask myself those questions myself. What if I am not making the right choice? But here I am sticking to what I want to do because it is after all my life. The expectations might be great but I believe that if one is truthful to oneself and do what one believe, they could get anywhere. The choices one makes is what influences one's life. In Gilbert's discussion, I had the chuckles when she stated about her song writer friend who had a great idea at the moment (where it comes out of no where *dislike those moments*) but he was driving and he cannot writing and instead of panicking, he looked up to the sky and said, "Excuse me, can you not see that I am driving? Do I look like I can write a song right now? If you really want to exist, come back at a more opportune moment when I can take care of you, otherwise go bother somebody else today." I got a good laugh out of it because it would be a good way to relieve the stress on oneself and to let go when one is stuck. Since the lecture was helpful, maybe next time I could use this idea to help myself not stress about my ideas.

For Jakob Troll, we did not get to this individual because we ran out of time to discuss about it, hence we did not watch it. Otherwise, the two lectures that were shown in class was useful and I believe it is a good way to connect to the world as well as other individual's ideas.

Scott McCloud - Comic Research

So we were told to do a little research on things we didn't understand or know in Scott McCloud's lecture on comics and I chose to look up Moore's law, hypertext, and durable mutation.

Moore's law - (source) - , which is used as a term to describes a long-term trend in the history of computing hardware . The capabilities of many digital electronic devices are strongly linked to Moore's law: processing speed, memory capacity, sensors and even the number and size of pixels in digital cameras.^[3] All of these are improving at (roughly) exponential rates as well (see Other formulations and similar laws). This exponential improvement has dramatically enhanced the impact of digital electronics in nearly every segment of the world economy.^[4] Moore's law describes a driving force of technological and social change in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.^[5][6]

^{Personally I have noooooooo idea but just the gist of the idea of Moore's law. Honestly a law for computing hardware? I would never understand, but a last I do get idea on the structure of it for the technology, seeing how technology changes... so fast, that it is ridiculous.}

Hypertext - (source) - is text displayed on a computer or other electronic device with references (hyperlinks) to other text that the reader can immediately access, usually by a mouse click or keypress sequence. Apart from running text, hypertext may contain tables, images and other presentational devices. Hypertext is the underlying concept defining the structure of the World Wide Web, making it an easy-to-use and flexible format to share information over the Internet.^[1]

Now the I have heard of hypertext but I didn't know it was the underlying concept defining the structure of the world wide web, but I suppose it is the same idea as text when using to create webpages and such. Hyperlinks I know is a term used to be the link to get to the source, such as an address.

Durable Mutation - (source) - This was an early collage comic by a fellow named Jason Lex. And notice what's going on here. What I'm searching for is a durable mutation -- that's what all of us are searching for. As media head into this new era, we are looking for mutations that are durable, that have some sort of staying power.Now, we're taking this basic idea of presenting comics in a visual medium, and then we're carrying it through all the way from beginning to end. That's that entire comic you just saw is up on the screen right now. But even though we're only experiencing it one piece at a time, that's just where the technology is right now. As the technology evolves,as you get full immersive displays and whatnot, this sort of thing will only grow. It will adapt. It will It will adapt to its environment: it's a durable mutation.

Here's another one I'll show you. This is by Drew Weing; this is called, "Pop Contemplates the Heat Death of the Universe." See what's going on hereas we draw these stories on an infinite canvas is you're creating a more pure expression of what this medium is all about. We'll go by this a little quickly -- you get the idea. I just want to get to the last panel.(Laughter) There we go. (Laughter) (Laughter) Just one more. Talk about your infinite canvas. It's by a guy named Daniel Merlin Goodbrey in Britain.

Why is this important? I think this is important because media, all media, provide us a window back into our world. Now, it could be that motion pictures -- and eventually, virtual reality, or something equivalent to it -- some sort of immersive display, is going to provide us with our most efficient escape from the world that we're in. That's why most people turn to storytelling, is to escape.But media provides us with a window back into the world that we live in. And when media evolve so that the identity of the media becomes increasingly unique. Because what you're looking at is, you're looking at comics cubed: you're looking at comics that are more comics-like than they've ever been before. When that happens, you provide people with multiple ways of re-entering the world through different windows, and when you do that, it allows them to triangulate the world that they live in and see its shape. And that's why I think this is important.

It was really hard to look up this term as only used from McCloud himself. Staying in power and the structure of the comics seeing how it was very limited to a piece of paper versus using the idea of technology of the monitor as our computer screen shows us the image and expanding it in a sense where we can view the comic on bigger scale of things and to make it unique.

ART 220 - DAY 4 - April -6

In the beginning, all of who were early to class had to move the tables and chairs around so that we could gather in the middle in order to see the project. After settling in, we had a guest speaker named Renee come in and introduce us to GAUGE. A student organization on campus dedicated to designers. I have personally heard of GAUGE for the longest time I have been here on campus, but not until now have I recently gone out to the events. Anyways, he talks about the organization and how it is free for certain events and that students would benefit from coming out to the events in order to network and discuss about art related topics.

So after Renee waited about for a sign in sheet paper to be returned to him, Professor Moss then starts to introduce the idea of Mind Mapping. Mind mapping is actually quite the process. I mean sometimes and once in awhile one's mind will end up solving and asking itself questions but it is quite the first time for me to make up a question and try to dissect and make a process of it. What was there to expect from it and did it fulfill what was all needed?

I really liked some of the designs and ideas made from the samples in class. I got a good laugh and entertaining laugh with the alien in my bed or killer carrots. Sometimes it's just funny how people can just think. I wonder what I'll be able to make for the homework assignment. I might just use the one I did in class. I remember walking around the classroom looking at the samples and examples from other peers as well as our thirty minute in class exercise on our own question to ask and mind mapping image. I forgot who was the one that did one that totally threw me off and confused me on his piece. It was funny though at the ones I did read. I got a good laugh then too. Mind mapping, is a pretty good way to sort out something on one's mind.