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Project 1 – Process, Concept, and Thoughts

aaron516 — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:32:40 +0000

My phase 1 project for FACS2930 Electronic Landscape class is an html/css/javascript project where we research into a topic of our interest that must have connections with the arts and technology, and from this we have to gather a collection of quotes which relate to the topic of our choice, then lay them out into a meaningful layout through codes and stylesheets.

Now I’m fascinated with everything video games and it is one of my hobbies and interest. I am a gamer and I’m proud to say that. There’s nothing wrong with loving and enjoying video games, from the playable contents which we all love all the way back to the creation process of a game. Video games in general can and are often compared to other art forms and this in and of itself is a heated argument that has been discussed back and forth by quite a bit. Nonetheless, I am still interested in this topic which is why I picked it as my phase 1 project concept: “Video Games as Art”.

The idea behind the way I laid out my project 1 pages was that I wanted to present the topic of video games as art as neutral as possible, because I feel that there in this topic, there are different perspectives from which you can look at it from and all of these perspectives are neither correct or incorrect. Each and every one of these perspectives will have their own bias, which is why I feel it is better to look at this topic as a neutral observerer and have the viewer decide for themselves whether video games are art.

FACS2930 Introduction Post

aaron516 — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:54:00 +0000

So I’m kinda reactivating this blog now for my FACS2930 Electronic Landscape class. The last time I used this blog was the end of last year for Time Based Communications 2 class, I figured I’d blog more over the summer but I guess procrastination triumphs once again. Anyways, I’m catching up on all my blog posts for the class now, hopefully I can stay more on track from now on. I’ve actually finished my phase 1 assignment and I’ve already uploaded it, I’ll post more about it and the process for it on the next post.

MLG TV Commercial Bumper (Type in Motion)

aaron516 — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 05:10:24 +0000

This was a project created in Type in Motion class where we had to create a short TV commercial bumper that is less than 30 seconds in length. I chose to take a different spin on the usual 3D techy fonts flying in and out from the usual sports/gaming bumpers and instead give it more of a educational video feel to it.

Project 1 – “Limbo”

aaron516 — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:36:13 +0000

A short film shot for Time Based Communication 2 course. The intent of the video was to create a sense of attachment and unwillingness to let go of something. The viewer takes on the perspective of a child that is moving to another country with his father, but he misses everything that he is leaving behind so he is in a “limbo” like state.

Technical Exercise 2 – “Blue Murder”

aaron516 — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:59:37 +0000

Project 3: Object Narrative (Final)

aaron516 — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 23:01:53 +0000

Here it is, the final version:

Project 3: Narrative

aaron516 — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 20:11:57 +0000

Here is the narrative:

I was displeased with the recording with my own voice, so I decided to use the text-to-speech voice from Mac instead. The quality turned out better than I expected! Now, onto the animatics!

Project 3: Script (Revised)

aaron516 — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 08:09:48 +0000

Boys and Toys

On any typical friday
I would look back at my miserable week of mindless inputting of data entries that has absolutely zero relevance to my life.

I would desperately look at my watch,
waiting for each agonizing moment to pass for the moment I could leave my cubicle.

Today is different.
I look at my watch knowing that each second that ticks away
is one second closer to what I have been waiting for the past several months.
The one thing that I had been looking forward to every single day for the past 86 days, 12 hours, 23 minutes and 55 seconds.

A brand new computer system.
fully loaded to the core,
with every single part upgraded and fine-tuned to provide the ultimate entertainment experience.

But I also can’t help but remember all of the old toys that I still have in my closet.
Like Jerry.
My old teddy bear that I had when I was 6,

or Optimus and the transformers crew I had since I was 10,

Lenny, my Playstation gaming system that I got when I was 14.

and the first laptop I bought when I was 18.

It saw my eyes and I saw its price tag.
I loved it so much,
that I even named it Kerry.

I would watch movies and play my favorite games on her wide LCD screen,

and it would have my undivided attention for hours on end,

something that my girlfriend can only dream of.

I would have candle lit dinner of freshly heated canned food from the microwave in front of it,
as I read up on my favorite comics.

Perhaps I will marry it one day,
and it will still be at my side
when I am old and grey.

But with the addition of my latest computer system,
I do wonder when I will ever be satisfied with what I have.

Perhaps Its like they say,
boys never grow out of toys,
they only get bigger ones as they grow older.
Bigger, shinier, more complex, AND… more expensive!

Don’t mind the weird paragraphing, its cut into sections that way so it fits more closely to how I would say each line, and although I posted this, this is still subject to change and further refinement.

10 items in my life

aaron516 — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:34:17 +0000

1. My laptop

I bought this laptop during Christmas of 1st year in University and ever since then, it has probably become one of the closest things I have in my possession to me. It wouldn’t be outrageous to say that it has become a good partner in my life. It helps me organize my life balancing between school, daily life and everything else. It entertains me when I would be bored out of my mind. My parents may even say that I spend an unhealthy amount of time with it! But it has undoubtedly become an important part of my life.

2. Photos of my dog

I still keep photos of my old dog Chow Chow. She was a very special part of my childhood and she gave me many good and happy memories. She only passed away about two years ago, but it only seemed like yesterday that I took her out for walks or rubbed the back of her neck. These photos that I have of her reminds me of her as an old friend that I would like to remember forever.

3. My watch

I’ve had many watches in the past, but this particular one is special because it was given to me by my brother. Even though we are in two different continents, through this watch I am reminded that he still pays attention to his little brother, and everytime I look at the time on the watch, I am reminded of him.

4. My long coat

This isn’t the only long coat in my possession, but it has certainly become one of my favorite piece of clothing . It keeps me nice and warm during the cold trips between my house and the school campus yet at the same time it looks nice and gentleman like, just the style I prefer. In a way it has become a part of my identity nowadays since I enjoy wearing it so much.

5. My iMac

A new recent edition to my family of computers. Because she is brand spanking new, I handle her with delicate care and almost baby her. I recently bought her because of my growing need for video editing and motion graphics creation and she certainly handles those processes much better than my old boy Acer laptop. It will most likely become a close part of my life just like my laptop has.

6. My glasses

The item which I cannot go about my normal daily life without. Yes its hard for me to say it, but I think this object probably ranks even higher than my laptop and computers on my list of important objects. I’ve had these particular pair of glasses since my sophomore years in high school and I have grown accustomed to them. Its shape has been bent to the curves of my face and has pretty much become a necessary part of my life.

7. My old transformer figures

I’ve had a lot of toys in my life, from childhood and up until now. My old transformer figures is a particularly piece of my memory that I cherish because I remember a time when I was very enthusiastic about collecting each figure, from buying them from the store to opening up the box and figuring out how each figure would transform. The transformation was really interesting to me and was the reason why I liked collecting each of the figure, because each one of them would transform differently and figuring out that process was intriguing in itself.

8. My photo album

The object from which I put together pieces of my memory and I would return to it from time to time to remind myself of all the precious moments in my life in the past. It acts as a place I can rely on and retreat to and it is grows as I become older, even if I may not spend as much time opening it up anymore, the times when I do return to it, I would have lots to add into its pages.

9. My old bear that I had since I was little

My old bear is one of those objects in a kid’s life where it becomes his best friend that he simply cannot part with. I got this little old bear when I was still back in Hong Kong and as far as I remember, a large part of my childhood was attached to this bear. It was with me through happy and sad times, when I go to sleep and even now I keep him in a special place because he has become an inseparable part of my memory.

10. My old Disney VHS tapes

Like many of the other objects in this list, my old Disney VHS tapes was also a part of my childhood that was special. Before I was into computers, these tapes used to entertain me with their classic Disney stories, and I would watch them together with my parents so it represented a part of my life when I had actually frequently bonded with my family. These tapes remind me of all those good times I had with them.

10 Second Aciculation – Project 2

aaron516 — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:34:38 +0000

Wow this was a super delayed post (sorry David!) I’ll try to get back to date on my posts for this. So we’ve finished our 10 second Academy Leader video this past week and personally I found myself changing my concept for the video quite a few times. My very first idea involved filming an argument between two people, but I decided to scrap that idea at the end because I just couldn’t picture myself putting it together in a well executed way.

My second concept was working with an Etch-n-Sketch and drawing each of the numbers out. It seemed like a good idea at first, but after trying to put the concept to execution I just couldn’t get the hang of drawing with it so I ultimately had to give that idea up as well. However, seeing all those sample videos David had shown us from past students was a huge help so I wasn’t entirely stumped. Eventually I ended up choosing a concept involving drawing the numbers by hand, but I thought I’d spice my concept a little different than the example works by using the typeface I’ve created for Typeface Design and create the numbers with them.

This decision gave me some interesting factors that I didn’t forsee at first. One being that it became slightly more difficult to make out the numbers when they are created by letters. Two being that because my typeface was a blackletter, it made it even more difficult to identify the numbers. So with these two problems in mind I had to becareful with all of my shots and the angles that I take them in. Overall it was more difficult than I had first thought because the video ultimately required the help of another person with me being the one who is drawing the numbers and I had made the choice of not using a tri-pod so that the video will have a hand-held feeling.

Unlike in the first project, the sounds were added on after the video was laid out, but I would say that it would be difficult to create the sounds first in this case because everything had to be well controlled in this project.

Oh the video is called 10 Second Aciculation because the name of my typeface is Acicula which means something that is needle, crystal or spine-like. So Aciculation means making something needle-like (even though its not in the dictionary defintions).

Here is the video: