1/124 Surf Parade

Broadbeach, Qld 4128

1

To whom it may concern,

I am writing to apply for a position within your workplace.

I have recently completed a

·        Journalism and Communications degree at

·        Griffith University  and believe that I have the suitable skills and experience to be a

·        valuable asset to the future of your company. During this degree I have completed subjects in: New Communications Technologies, Cyber Studies, Digital Production, News and Politics, Culture, Media and Society, and Creative Writing

Please find attached a copy of my resume.

Should you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Mr. Peter Walsh

I experienced no major difficulties completing the exercises. I have previous experience with word programs, which is probably why I found it so easy. Word is the best program for me to use with university. It’s a simple and effective way of processing assessment tasks (essays, etc).

For me the major difference was that a 3D environment with Avatars as your physical representation delivers a more personal way of communicating on line. Mail seems as impersonal as a phone text message to me. The virtual world experience is a whole new way of either meeting people or just keeping in touch with friends. Seen as these virtual worlds are designed to mimic real life, it isn’t really a chat-based method of communication. I say this in the sense that you can still speak to friends on line, but there is the option of exploring the world together by maybe going to one of the nightclubs, or for the girls (at risk of sounding ‘gender biased’ lets call it) you could go shopping at one of the virtual shopping districts, where you can use real life money to purchase items for your avatar or for yourself.

Virtual worlds may have been suggested as the new wave of on line communication, but they do have a major drawback for me- they are too tiresome to bother with. This is my personal opinion I must say, and many people may disagree, but I would much prefer to login to Face book than go through, I say again, the tiresome effort involved with navigating a whole virtual world just to find my friends yet alone finding some place to ‘hang out’so to speak. Not wanting to contradict my opening statement about 3D worlds being a more personal method of communication, but I just didn’t enjoy them enough to use them in the future. With Face book you have a personal profile with pictures I can upload in place of an avatar, and speaking to friends is as simple as clicking chat if they are on line, or leaving a message on their wall, which they can reply to at a later date. Simple and trouble free- this is for meJ

1501 ART NEW COMMUNICATION

TECHNOLOGIES

ASSESSMENT ITEM 3: ESSAY

VIRTUAL CULTURE: THE ADVANCEMENT OF ON-LINE VIRTUAL GAME WORLDS AND THE FUTURE EFFECTS THEY MAY HAVE ON REAL LIFE CULTURE

INTRODUCTION

Virtual culture. A relevant topic for the 21^st century. With the advancement of computing technologies and a drop in prices on p.c’s and notepads, more and more people are exposed to a virtual element of life in one form or another. On-line communication is still on the increase through popular websites such as Face Book, My Space, or basic Hotmail types. And gaming is now more than ever a booming industry, especially for console games.

A combination of these two elements (on-line communication and gaming) is what we now are seeing as virtual culture, arising through programs such as ‘Second Life’. This I will discuss further in my chosen topics on this subject.

THE FUTURE OF ON-LINE GAMING

The future of on-line gaming holds limitless possibilities. Today video and computer games can be found in almost every household. With the expansion of console gaming through heavy competition between rival companies such as Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo, the quality of gaming is increasing at a rapid rate. To say that this competitive market has made these consoles and games more affordable would be a lie as you are looking at a hefty price tag of between $600-$900 for a new release console from the leading suppliers. This does argue a point though, that if we are prepared to pay these prices (and you may be surprised by how many people have done) is the allure of escape to a virtual realm more exciting than real life? Is it a possibility that, in the foreseeable future, a new generation could spend their 9-5 or equivalent in the virtual world of an on-line society?

The new consoles available are beginning to focus on on-line gaming as well as one or two player modes, with the inclusion of Internet capabilities now emerging on consoles. PC games are directly marketed toward on-line multiplayer gaming, as this has become the preferred choice of users. This trend lends to the fact that gamers are craving more interactive freedom from their gaming experience. ‘The player has no true agency’, thus ‘is not able to form any intentions within the dramatic world that actually matter.’ (Mateas, 2004).

  The boundaries and constraints presented in games are becoming a bore, so we could soon be seeing a dramatic change in the design of games in the years to come. Sony has just released a free program for their Playstation 3 console entitled ‘Home’. This is a very similar program to ‘Second Life’ (p.c only). It encourages owners of Playstation 3’s to interact socially on-line. However, ‘Home’ is a much smaller program with limitations of just one central precinct to explore.

IS THERE A FUTURE FOR BUISINESSES IN WORLDS LIKE SECOND LIFE AND HOW CAN THEY BENEFIT FROM IT?

Second Life is the leading program for on-line virtual culture, offering the user an endless gaming experience, a ‘Second Life’. It is a game world where you and anyone from across the real world can meet and co-exist in a virtual society. It mirrors real world life in social culture, be it work, play or fun, by offering the same experiences in a new and exciting way.

As a source of income, you can work for real world money, open a business, buy and sell land and properties, play the stock market, etc. Many items are available for retail purchase- clothing and accessories for avatars holds a large market, the real estate buisiness is booming. This has led to an interest from major ‘real world’ companies who can smell an opportunity lurking. Any smart businessman knows that to maximize profits, you must keep an open mind towards all potential markets, and the sooner you get in on it the more money there is to be made. In saying that, some companies have deemed this virtual industry as too risky, being an unpredictable market compared to the real world market. But logically we shall see a change in this, as more and more people become members of the virtual community, leading to an increase in both the amount of businesses investing in the virtual market, and an increase economically as a result of stronger on-line trading. ‘Second Life

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF VIRTUAL WORLDS AS A MEANS OF SOCIAL INTERACTION

In everyday life we use many different technologies as a form of communication. The Internet has taken its place alongside mobile phones as a preferred method, with email, blogging, facebook, my space, etc., becoming part of a daily routine. The ability to stay in touch with family and friends, near or far, is at the touch of a screen or the end of a phone. However, with the exception of web cams and video calling, these are all impersonal ways of conversing with others. This is one of the interesting points worthy of note that Second Life (and other programs like it) presents us with, in that communicating face to face, if only with avatars, provides us with a much more personal experience.

Although, communication of this type is not the sole reason people are joining up to be part of these virtual societies. Many people are using virtual worlds as a form of escape from real life. Says Harold Thimbely ‘the total number of players is expected to reach 40 million by 2020’. Users not only communicate with friends, they are replacing their real world social interactions, with on-line virtual living. You can go clubbing with friends or maybe see a band. You can go shopping or (for the older members) even visit ‘red light’ districts so to say. These are just examples of how easy it can be to replace our real life with an on-line virtual life that we don’t even have to leave our seats to experience.

CONCLUSION

As a result of my research I have come to the conclusion that there is bound to be an increase in the popularity of virtual societies in the type of ‘Second Life’, but not significantly enough to have any major effect on how we communicate and interact in real life. Any notion otherwise seems to be an over dramatized, Hollywood esque opinion. The preferred method of on-line communication, as of now, is still via email or the above mentioned ‘Face Book’ or ‘My Space’ type programs. As their popularity is still on the rise, I think this shall remain the most commonly embraced method for many years to come.

Research:

Jan Simons- Narrative, Games, and Theory

http://gamestudies.org/0701/articles/simons

Terry Harpold- Screw The Grue: Mediality, Metalepsis, Recapture http://gamestudies.org/0701/articles/harpold

John Wills- Digital Dinosaurs and Artificial Life: Exploring The Culture Of Nature In Computer and Video Games http://dx.doi.org/10.1080%2F1362517022000047334

Virtual Worlds, Virtual Economies http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_18/b3982010.htm

Art either online or created digitally by computer is diminishing the work of artists and their particular field of art. It is cheapening their profession and lessening the value of their work. As some artists rely on their works a form of income it ( if a little over dramatic) is having a profound effect on the industry.

No, in my opinion, a photoshopped image is not authentic. The only way it would be is if nothing has been added to the image, but it has beened cropped and adjusted so as to enhance a particular part of the image. That’s my personal opinion anyways. Not that there’s anything wrong with that..

In his terms I would say no to this, as he has noted in his lecture that he feels digital ‘things’ are causing a decay of the real life image or object’s ’aura’ as ‘seen by the unarmed eye’.

1. The creator of the lovebug virus is onel de guzman- source was http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061206122723AAObIMr

2. Johan Valeer invented the paperclip- source was http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blpaperclip.htm

3. The Ebola gets its name from a river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where it was first recognized- source was http://ebola.emedtv.com/ebola-virus/from-what-place-did-the-ebola-virus-get-its-name.html

4. Chile experienced the largest recorded earthquake- source was http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/world/events/1960_05_22.php

5. This is the method I found for working out the answer. 1 Terabyte = 1024 G = 1024² M = 1024³ K = 1024⁴ bytes . There are 1073741824 kb in a terabyte- source was http://www.dis.unimelb.edu.au/staff/tanya/hwtute/How_to_measure_data/measure.htm

6. Ray Tomlinson invented email- source was http://inventors.about.com/od/istartinventions/a/internet.htm

7. The storm worm is a virus that spreds via email. It is a trojan downloader virus- source was http://antivirus.about.com/od/virusdescriptions/p/storm.htm

8. 

Parliament House Contact

PO Box 6022
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Tel: (02) 6277 7700
Fax: (02) 6273 4100

I am not a member of facebook but most of my friends do use it regularly. This is something I would already be using if I didn’t have concerns about the privacy of my personal information. A lot of my friends are from overseas so facebook is a cheap and easy way to keep in touch, yet I am still reluctant to use it.

Email is something that I have started using much more regularly since starting at uni, as I have on campus access to the net. In most cases I use it for formal communication but, of late, I have started using it to keep in touch with friends and family more often. Again, not having access to the net at home obviously restricts useage, but I could see it becoming a regular part of how I communicate in life.

Blogging! Now this one I had never even attempted before starting uni. I wasn’t even quite sure what having a blogsite was all about. Never the less, blogging is a curious way of socialising, yes? If you have constant contact with friends through blogs, then I can’t see any difference between email, myspace or facebook. Where I could see a use is for communicating with specific interest groups. I made that term up, so to explain, I mean that if you are checking out a site on a band you like, then you can chat to others about them, ie- news, downloads,etc.

So as a relative novice at using the net as a method of communication, I can see myself becoming more accustomed to, and maybe even preferencing it in the future.

Introduce myself!

I’m Pete. I’m studying a bachelor of arts. My majors are digital video and writing. New communication technologies is a prereqiusite for digital video. I began at griffith here last year during mid year intake. My plan after completing this course is to further my studies in the film production area.

I am a muso at heart, which is probably why I have such a great interest in creative writing and film.

Short stories and screenwriting, are the areas in writing that I am focusing on at the moment.

My experience in relation to this particular course is limited, to an extent, but that should be more of a challenge than a hiderance.. I hope! I’m also enrolled in ‘writing for the web’ this semester. So hopefully these 2 courses will compliment each other in a way that what I have learned in one class, will help/apply to the other.

Anyways I am a bit boring so this week’s blog will have to be a bit shorter than the ones to follow.

High Key: This type of lighting seems to be used predominantly throughout the film. Many of the scenes have been shot either outdoors or during daylight hours, which would require a high key approach for appropriate lighting effect. Of course for outdoor shots a natural source of light would be used.

Low Key-: Though for the most part this film requires the use of high-key lighting, the low-key elements have been used to proper effect during scenes such as the ‘party’, and outdoor night shots. For the party scenes, it helps create a sort of mood reflective of Halloween, which is the theme of the party.

Outside shots at the party use natural light to effect events taking place, such as the shady meeting between his new lady friend and an unknown character. The use of a streetlight is the major source of light, as they are so far from the house that no light from the party would be visible in a real life scenario.

  Narration is ‘synch to picture’ throughout the film, with the exception of Metatron’s booming self-introduction as he first appears on screen.  Practical music is used in three of the scenes that we saw. Background music at the train station to create a realistic atmosphere is one instance. Another is the church organ as the new statue of ‘Buddy Christ’ is revealed. The lighthearted, almost comical style of music being played, is to employ the churches ‘hip’ new approach to promoting religion through the Buddy Christ symbol.The last instance of practical music is at the abortion clinic. A contrasting style of music is used here. As anti abortion protesters are heckling a staff member, instead of a serious tone in the music, the opposite is used, which reflects her mocking attitude towards them. This music carries over to the next scene as music from a radio in the office. Extraneous is predominant through the rest of the scenes and is tied in with a lot of effects to create an appropriate mood. As Loki and Bartlebey enter the train, after discussing their plan of a massacre, music suggesting a mischievous intention between them changes to an epic, heavy impact tone as the movie title appears.Effects such as the sound of flies for any appearance of the 3 demons, or evil screaming noises added for introduction of Azrael, help define these characters the evil villains of the film. Another time that a more epic tone in the music is used is as Metatron is introducing himself. Along with this, his voice is echoed to make him sound mighty, and flames/fire sound effects are added to help define his character- a holy messenger of God.   

Heat: Lighting

 A combination of high key and low-key lighting is used. There is a prominent use of natural light. Apartment- the source of light is from the windows, coming from behind the actors in both the bedroom, the bathroom, and the kitchen when Natalie Portman enters room. The unknown ‘shady’ characters have natural light on one side of face while the other side is darkened for effect. They are kept in shadow when possible. Vehicles have been hidden from light prior to heist scene. The truck used to ram the bank van only enters into light at the point of impact. Dampened light used inside the van to reduce glare off of the smoke from the explosion. Any natural light is fading quickly due to time of day. In the car park only overhead lighting is used. At the crime scene, light sources come from flashlights, streetlights, and a main light overhead, positioned to side of the actors to cast slight shadows on their faces. The bodies in complete shadow cast across them by the van. Elephant: Lighting 

Natural light used in opening scene. We can see the reflection of trees on the car windscreen at all times. Again only natural lighting was needed for the following scene in the park. Even though it was an overcast day, natural light suits the mood and the accompanying music. Background characters under trees are in shadow to enhance the main actor.

Reflective and natural light can be seen in the hallways and stairwell of the school. Reflection of the surrounding environment is visible in the glass door as he heads outside.

All shots are so far from behind the actor till this point. Sharp light on the actor’s face when he turns around, then fades back to shadowed (natural).

Patches of bright outside light can be seen under the classroom blinds. Actors fade in and out of light and shadow through unlit hallways, which again means using only natural light.

 Sin City: Lighting 

The black and white colouring used throughout the film is to recreate the effect of Frank Miller’s original comic book series. This means relying heavily on low-key lighting and background lighting. We could also be seeing ‘day to night’ lighting used in this film for some scenes.

Most overhead lighting is added digitally.

Headlights are very bright – low-key.

Focused lighting on important objects – low-key.

Bruce Willis is lit from the sides but not the front. The background is well lit to enhance scenery.

Shadow cast of the captor of girl victim to be the main image in the unlit room- high contrast. This character comes out of the shadows when he first enters the scene for dramatical effect.

A flouro colouring is used for blood- high contrast.

Water is reflecting background light in a ripple effect light. Heavy overhead light for the end of act one on the pier- low-key.

We first see Marv as a shadow, looking from outside the window, making the light of his room predominant- high contrast.

Goldie’s hair and the bedspread are coloured. Strong light on her hair to further enhance the colour, which is important for her character (Goldie).

The killer’s glasses are completely white whilst his body is shadowed, giving an impact of how scary and dangerous his character is. Backlight is used for killer to further enhance his glasses.

The white of the band-aids on Marv is very strong whilst his body is shadowed to enhance them.

Any colour used throughout the film is only for special reason, to focus on only 1 or 2 items in a scene.

 Jaws: Lighting 

Underwater opening scene shows ripples of light from a natural source (sun/moon)- high key.

Firelight- low-key, is supposed to be the only light source on the beach apart from moonlight, but it seems other light sources may have been used.

Moonlight is the only source used in the attack scene (for mood lighting), apart from the fading sun, which is almost completely down and is only used as a back shot of the girl when she stops swimming.

Natural light is coming through bedroom window. Windows on different sides of the room cover actors from all angles, also casting shadows of the window frames over the room. Light through windows casting shadows of frames over room.

Light from the sun shadows the inflatable raft for the second attack scene- high contrast for effect of what the shark is seeing. The murkiness of the water changes the mood to the shark’s world, adding a darker feel, a sense of dread and suspense to the scene for the impending attack.

The opening scene is actually set at the end of the film. This is to pose the question of how did he come to be in this situation? As mentioned in the lecture, we can see the effect but we won’t find the cause till we return to this scene in the final act.

From her the film cuts to an earlier scene, then back again to an even earlier scene. So far the timeline of the film has gone from the final scene, to a scene that would usually be towards the end of the first act, and finally back to the start of the story.

During the office scene, you see a flash shot of Tyler that is barely visible.  This is a sign of his descent into schizophrenia.

With the support groups, they cut from one group to another in quick succession- continuity cutting.

During a group session, they instantly cut from his face to Marla’s lighter as it sparks, going back and forth each time. This would be to focus in on his frustration and growing infatuation with her