Breaking and Entering: Art and the Video Game

Cory Arcangel had an installation titled Breaking and Entering: Art and the Video Game. As I looked through the photographs of his different compositions I could not help but wonder what exactly it all meant. Maybe I just don't have the depth it takes to understand his works, but in all honestly they leave me baffled. The only thought that came to mind was perhaps a reflection upon how medias like video games have literally broken into our homes today and in some ways even keep families apart. That could be one possibility considering his other exhibition grouped with Breaking and Entering was The Young Art Fair. One can see how children get sucked into video games and become alienated from the family around them.

Glossary 2

Working Glossary of New Media Terms

web video: short video clips that maybe downloaded onto and viewed over the web.
viral video: Typically amusing online videos that generate tremendous buzz and circulation, thanks to viewers who use email, blogs and web forums to send the links or the files themselves to friends and colleagues. Many viral videos are amateurish consumer-generated media, but several companies have also cashed in on this phenomenon and won some free publicity.
user-driven video: Video created by ordinary people who use blogs, web forums and media-sharing portals to post original creative works and commentary.
web-based VOD: Video content—most commonly feature films—which subscribers can request at any time of their choosing, and view from beginning to end and can be accessed online.
broadband television: A high-speed internet connection. Broadband connections available to home users through DSL and cable provide sufficient bandwidth for most new media applications and can all be viewed an used on a TV screen.
vcasts: Type of podcast that features video content. Content providers create XML syndication links from which podcast clients automatically download videos for onboard playback or for transfer to portable video players. Subscribers can then play back this video on demand.
vlogs: Type of blog that features video content instead of photography or simple text. Due to video’s greater bandwidth load, vloggers keep their videos fairly brief—or should they choose to spotlight lengthier content, they simply link to the file in another location.
video podcasts: Video content distributed regularly via XML syndication feeds—such as RSS or Atom—that subscribers download automatically to podcast clients. Subscribers can play back podcasts directly from the client, or transfer them for future viewing onto iPods and similar portable media devices.
mobisodes: Video content edited and encoded to play on a wireless phone or PDA. A mobile episode is typically short in duration—often an abridged version of movies or TV shows that function as promotional trailers.
Webisodes: An episode of a television show that airs initially as an Internet download or stream as opposed to first airing on broadcast or cable television.
Diavlogs: A video blog in which two people participate.
custom interactive video: Analyzes recorded video from a video camera to identify camera and object motion in the recorded video. Keyframes representative of clips of the recorded video are displayed on a user interface that allows a user to manipulate an order of the keyframes. Editing rules are then applied to the keyframes to intelligently splice together portions of the representative clips into a final output video.
embedded video ads: Advertisements that appear in an online video, such as something off of youtube.
mashups: A web application that combines data from more than one source into a single integrated tool, thereby creating a new and distinct web service that was not originally envisaged by either source.

Strange and Interesting Websites

While surfing the net you can come across a number of oddities, these are just a few of the ones I came across.
Most of you have probably seen or heard of Homestarrunner.com but I could not resist the chance to write about it. Its a pretty funny site. Within the site you can email the cartoon characters that reside within it, view cartoons, view characters' reactions to your emails, play games, and go to an online store. The humor is somewhat odd, but if you're still somewhat young at heart you will enjoy it. My favorite character on the website is Strong Bad. Usually every week they post a new cartoon and emails are answered on a fairly regular basis, a couple times a week.
Another site I came across was mefeedia.com. This website primarily focuses on displaying artistic videos. There are also online tv shows that do not appear on tv within this site. Members can go and watch these shows and videos and rate them. The site also keeps a running log of the most recent actions of its members.
Lastly, somehow in my wanderings I came across a website that photographs mattresses once people have thrown them out, streetmattress.com. One man runs the site and takes the photographs. After he uploads them to his website he comments on them and why he took them. Viewers can go in and categorize the photos in a drop down window that appears under the picture. I just thought this was a completely random site.

Tropisms

Probably the most unique site I've ever seen, Tropisms seems unlike anything else. What I didn't realize in class was that not only does the site have videos, but it also has written commentary. I truly appreciate the corroboration of written word and video...I just think it adds depth to the site as a whole.
I understand that the whole site is a commentary on current life around the world, and that they purposely try to guide you to some conclusions without coming right out to say what that conclusion should be. However, I still wonder at times what messages they're really trying to get across.

Digitize Me

Although dated through its continual references of films produced in the early to mid 90's, I found Manovich's essay "What is Digital Cinema" very provocative...and extremely true. Despite some long and arduous passages in which Manovich spews forth endless digital and cinematic dialogue, I enjoyed reading this essay, and for the most part understood nearly everything he discussed (a rarity while reading about digital media).
One of the most interesting points that I found while reading had to do with the amount of labor used in cinema as it has evolved. In the beginning to create moving images, producers and artists hand painted and drew each frame. Then with the evolution of the camera manual labor was cut down as images were recorded. However, now with the age of digital cinema directors and producers find themselves back to the point in which they labor and "paint" each frame. It seems now that digital cinema has evolved and advanced people must put more labor into producing a film. Of course this labor is optional, but because of advancement people realize the possibilities they can reach with each frame to create an overall more meaningful and cohesive product- interesting. Manovich discussed the use of loops in detail...and it seems that the evolution of cinema yet again demonstrates loops in terms of man's physical involvement with creating a film.

The Medium Is the Memory

Florian Brody praises digital media in his essay "The Medium Is the Memory". He states that unlike other mediums such as film and video, digital media has the potential to replace books. He asserts that lovers of books do not truly digest and analyze the contents of books, but actually replay lovely phrases in their minds instead of taking away the story. He claims that the book is strictly connected with the body, because we think of it as a physical thing- information stuck between two covers. Electronic text however, brings text back to our mind, something that has not been done since before the printing press.

As I read through these elegant phrases and metaphors, my mind absolutely revolts. Yes, I am an English Major, so I do have a love for books, literature, etc. However, I do not think that the book is purely physical. When I curl up with my book in bed or on the couch, my mind drifts away to whatever distant time and lands I am reading about. The words on each page guide my mind to create their own visual version inside my head of whatever it is I am reading. At each turn of the page my mind advances more into each story. When I read a book my body is stagnant, but my mind careens with thoughts and visions. When I read a play or a piece of literature on my computer I am constantly blinking away the irritation in my eyes, having to exit out of pop ups that show me some program that has updated itself. On the computer there is a barrage of all kinds of digital updates, advertisements, and virus scans, that cause my mind to reel away from what I am reading. So, no Florian, digital media will never replace books, or become the new book. It may be an alternative at times to books when one cannot find the book he is looking for at the store- but he will never find someone curled up in front of the fireplace reading a fantasy, mystery, or romance novel on a computer.

New Haven Independent Juxtaposed to...

While looking at the New Haven Independent one cannot help but be astounded by all the local news articles. In fact it is hard to find a news article that really effects people outside the New Haven circle. The site is rich with photos and is easily navigable. When compared with some other "hyperlocal" journalistic sites, the New Haven Independent seems to be at the top of the standards.

Sandiego.com is also easy to navigate through. Though it does have some fairly international news it does have some soft and hard news that primarily targets people of the San Diego area. Unlike the New Haven Independent, Sandiego News seems to have some advertisements. Although they may be sponsors, they look relatively like advertisements for San Diego hotels and resorts.

The Huffingtonpost.com has an entire side panel of the first page that is dedicated to bloggers. There appears to be no local news stories, all the news is international...and hard news. One can navigate easily through the site. Rich with photos, Huffington Post appears very visually pleasing and even has a few videos. However, its lack of local and soft new stories is disconcerting for the hyperlocal journalism world.

Of all the sites, the New Haven Independent definately makes local news its top priority.

Hypertext as Collage-Writing

Reading this article I get all kinds of ideas. In some ways it scares me slightly because I am an English major and I thrive on words...and would never want to permanently replace them. However, overall this idea of Hypertext as Collage-Writing is absolutely brilliant. All kinds of light bulbs and fires are going off in my brain...this could be the most creative way of writing both non-fiction and fictional pieces. Using hypertext could open all new doors to ways of telling a story...satisfying people of both the written world and visual world. All I can say is, "Cool!"

Cybernation to Interaction

ERkki Huhtamo discusses the evolution of automation and machinery as well as humanities reaction to each. Again, we are talking about alienating people from "doing" from senses. In the 1970's the idea of auto-pilot came out. People were comfortable with this idea as long as there was still an actual flesh and blood pilot there to monitor. The word "automatic" had bad connotations at that time; people immediately connected "automatic" or "automation" with only machine...no human interaction. In reality people feared they were being replace by machines; however, the case with "automation" is that people simply have a new role of monitoring and decision-making. One can almost see this fear played out in the movie "The Matrix" where the machines actually take over earth and recreate a new reality in the minds of people.

This new concept of interactivity seems to have a much friendlier affect on people. Everyone can groove to the concept of someone clicking away at a computer interacting with programs and giving commands. In reality all of these programs have self-automation aspects to them. I guess over time people have become more comfortable with the idea of "automation" simply because of a change in word play...interactivity. It reassures everyone that no matter what they will have a role to play in the future, and for most people that's all they really care about.

Replacing Place

In Mitchell's essay "Replacing Place" he asserts that online communities will soon take over and replace coffee shops and college quads. Although his essay is dated, he makes a valid point. Every day online communities are growing and spreading across the nation. Online communities allow people from New York to mingle and mix with people from India or Serbia if they so desire; eliminating the feeling of distance between nations and peoples. However; I do not believe that online communities will ever fully eliminate "places" such as coffee shops. Although people are enamored with online communities, it is human nature to desire physical touch and smell. We cannot deny our senses, so it is inevitable that we will continue to meet in places like coffee shops, and continue to satisfy our senses.

Hyperlocal Journalism

Q's for Alan Appel:

I noticed that your site was one of the non-profit websites. Since you don't necessarily have a reliable flow of incoming money coming to your production, do you find it difficult to keep the few writers that you have on staff?

As I surfed your website the past few days I noticed that not everyday do you have different stories, in fact from yesterday to today on the opening page there was only one new story; so do you and the other writers just post a new story whenever you get tips and finds that you think really appeal to your audience...do you not feel the pressure of constantly posting new items since you're not a traditional news source?

Lastly, when I was reading Citizen Media, some of the comments you and the writer made had to do with being disheartened with the traditional newsroom. What was so disenchanting about the traditional newsroom, and what is it about hyperlocal journalism that has reinvigorated your journalistic interests.