ART 214: Intro to Time-based and Digital Media

everybody's web projects

2006-12-12T21:49:00.000-05:00

everybody's cyborg animations

2006-12-03T19:01:00.000-05:00

LINK to animations from both sections of our class.

image maps

2006-12-03T11:36:00.000-05:00

As some of you work on your sites, you may find that controlling your design with tables and html is too limiting and you can't always get things to look the way you want. I want to remind you that another way to make links is to use Dreamweaver's IMAGE MAP function, described in the tutorials.

The sites below have a hand-made feel because the creators created images in an editor like Photoshop, saved as 72 dpi JPG, and then used Dreamweaver to designate areas they wanted to serve as links. NOTE: This does not work well for long blocks of text, but it is good for making small things with fancy fonts.

http://www.larahoke.com/
http://www.busboysandpoets.com/

schedule for the end days

2006-11-30T11:08:00.000-05:00

I'VE MOVED THE SCHEDULE TO THE TOP SO IT'S EASIER TO FIND.
Remember you can use the links on the side bar or the search function to find older posts.

Tu 22 November:
HW: do lynda.com tutorials and WWW exercise
IN-CLASS:
- group assessment form
- screening of more net art
- What is a site map?

Th 23 November:
give thanks

Fr 24 November:
BUY NOTHING DAY

Tu 28 November:
final project site map on paper (no digital files)

Th 30 Nov:
HW: work on tutorials
in-class: demo + work session

Su 3 Dec
NEW: EXTRA help session added: 4-6 pm. ROLLOVER DEMO
COME EARLY, HANG OUT WITH THE 214 GANG, WORK ON YOUR PROJECTS TOGETHER!

Tu 5 Dec: LAST CLASS SESSION BEFORE THE CRITIQUE!
- ROUGH DRAFT of project due for feedback. This means at least 2 of your pages should be designed and ready for viewing on the computer. You don't have to post them to your blog or server space. Just save to disk and we can view the page locally from the desktop.
- individual meetings with Fereshteh

Th 7 Dec:
class cancelled, FHT in Michigan to install and art exhibit at UICA

Su 10 Dec:
special help session with FHT in lab from 4-6 pm (note new time)

EXAM WEEK
final critiques with potluck!
PM section meets 7:00 - 9:15 PM TUESDAY 12 DEC
AM section meets 9:00 - 11:15 AM WEDNESDAY 13 DEC

THURS: links from class

2006-11-30T08:20:00.000-05:00

tinyURL redirects long URLs to shorter ones

http://www.256pixels.com/ : daily favicon contest

favicon library (it might take a while to load)
http://www.degraeve.com/favicon/ : favicon generator
http://www.chami.com/html-kit/services/favicon/ : favicon from pics and animated favicons

CSS examples here

in-class screening

2006-11-28T09:07:00.000-05:00

On the federal grand jury investigation of an artist from the Critical Art Ensemble:
Critical Art Ensemble Defense Fund
CAE on MSNBC (.mov file)

how to buy nothing

2006-11-25T18:05:00.000-05:00

http://www.wikihow.com/Buy-Nothing

Junk Mail Tank

2006-11-25T18:04:00.000-05:00

the news item comes on after the ad, just wait a sec.

net neutrality video + resources

2006-11-21T14:47:00.000-05:00

Here is the link for the documentary video we watched in class:
Humanity Lobotomy

See also: http://www.savetheinternet.com/

Here is a RESOURCE LIST from Mark Cooley, an artist who will be visiting campus for a lecture next semester:

WHO OWNS THE MEDIA?
Media concentration, also known as media convergence or media consolidation, basically comes down to the fact that fewer and fewer companies own the media. Mediachannel.org has created a comprehensive chart of exactly who owns what. http://www.mediachannel.org/ownership/chart.shtml

Colombia Journalism Review provides a clickable list of the major media companies and their holdings. This web guide demonstrates the exceedingly far reach of these companies.
http://www.cjr.org/owners/

This is a clickable chart of the ten largest media companies in the world, current as of Dec. 20, 2001 (it is important to note that media concentration is not only an American problem). It includes US companies such as the Walt Disney Company and AOL Time Warner, as well as international giants Bertelsmann and Vivendi Universal.
http://www.thenation.com/special/bigten.html

A graph of media ownership shows the number of corporations in control of US media plunging from 50 in 1983 to only six now. It is followed by a really useful list of links, which includes the major media reform advocacy groups.
http://www.corporations.org/media/

As FAIR explains, "Almost all media that reach a large audience in the United States are owned by for-profit corporations--institutions that by law are obligated to put the profits of their investors ahead of all other considerations. The goal of maximizing profits is often in conflict with the practice of responsible journalism."
This brief introduction to corporate ownership of the media is followed by a number of links to resources on the topic, including Normon Solomon's columns.
http://www.fair.org/media-woes/corporate.html

EXAMPLES OF A DECLINE IN MEDIA QUALITY
Print and broadcast media in the US have severely cut back foreign news coverage, leading to a poorly educated American public. This may be one of the reasons that Americans were so shocked by the events of Sept. 11--they have little to no knowledge of politics, ideology, and religion in the rest of the world. Meanwhile, coverage of crime, violence, sex and scandals has greatly increased. http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/0927-03.htm

FAIR answers the question "What's Wrong With the News?" with a clickable list of very short introductions to the following issues:
- corporate ownership
- advertiser influence
- official agendas
- telecommunications policy
- the narrow range of debate
- the PR industry
- pressure groups
- censorship
- sensationalism
http://www.fair.org/media-woes/media-woes.html

DEREGULATION SPEEDS CONCENTRATION
This is an excellent and brief summary of the new push for deregulation of the media industry by the FCC. Generally, a source like this might be expected to take a sympathetic view toward any efforts to deregulate, but this article is surprisingly skeptical. It is particularly useful in briefly critiquing the almost utopian hopes of web advocates. Websites may be relatively cheap, but good (or at least flashy) content costs money, and the big media companies have used this fact to insert themselves as the dominant presence on the web.
http://www.moveon.org/r?11

This article discusses the FCC's move towards deregulation in more detail. Deregulation is based on the perspective that the media is a product only, a "toaster with pictures." There seems to be little or no recognition of any need for policies that maintain a diversity of opinion, thus serving the interests of the public as citizens; rather, the public is regarded only as a group of consumers. The results of this deregulation will most likely be an even more acute concentration of the media into the hands of a few big corporations. However, there is still time to fight it, and the article includes information on writing to the FCC. http://www.democraticmedia.org/issues/mediaownership

FCC Chairman Michael Powell is currently the driving force behind the continuing trend of media concentration. Nor does he seem very concerned about the creation of media monopolies. According to Powell, "Monopoly is not illegal by itself in the United States. People tend to forget this. There is something healthy about letting innovators try to capture markets." And what about diversity? Well, Powell believes that "[d]iversity and all that stuff is very important, but it's hard to get a consensus on what it is, other than that the goals are worthy."
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/10.03/mergers.html

Other resources:

http://www.mediastudies.com
http://www.prwatch.org
http://www.fair.org
http://www.mediachannel.org
http://www.znet.org
http://www.disinfo.com

examples of net art (& some others)

2006-11-19T22:08:00.000-05:00

They Rule
Horde of Directors
McSpotlight
The Whirled Bank
RTMark
Free Range Grain
Black People Love Us
Rent a Negro
Blackness for Sale on Ebay
Preparing for Emergencies
Cyborg Web Shop
The First Male Pregnancy
The Intruder
Tuesday Afternoon
My Dad's Strip Club
Coffee Shop Delocator
Oil Standard
Cult of the New Eve
Disappeared in America
Iraq War Coalition Fatalities
Media Blackout check out the links here!

The Yes Men movie

2006-11-17T17:20:00.000-05:00

The entire movie is available for viewing on Google Video. LINK.

examples of image links

2006-11-17T16:19:00.000-05:00

Fuck you - Fuck me is an internet art site for a fake product. It makes use of tables and each image is a link to a larger version of the image.

Biopower Unlimited is an internet art site that uses small images to link to other pages in the site.

WWW exercise for Tuesday 20 Nov

2006-11-17T10:05:00.000-05:00

Research your topic (see below) & make a webpage created in Dreamweaver. Check out the tutorials for "site control", "the basics", "linking", and "tables". Your page should serve as a start for your final project for the semester. Think about ways that you can share information that you have discovered in a creative, funny, or surprising way. Upload your files through FTP (Fugu app) and then post a link to the URL to your blog.

Your page should have:
-at least one table
-images that serve as links (these can be to external sites or other pages in your own site).

DON'T FORGET TO DO "defining a site" in Dreamweaver.
IMAGES should not be larger than 72 DPI and should be saved as JPGs or GIFs.
Your file structure should look something like this

free trade

2006-11-15T23:49:00.000-05:00

"This is what free trade's all about," said Schmidt. "It's about the freedom to buy and sell anything—even people."

FINAL project

2006-11-15T23:44:00.000-05:00

This image is not a spoof!
To follow up on the energy of the campus visit by Reverend Billy, your final project asks you to create a piece that REVEALS important information about consumer or corporate culture. Many of you enjoyed Rev. Billy's sermon, but were skeptical about his methods or wanted more information about particular topics. What's wrong with Wal-mart, McDonalds, Starbucks, or other big brand names? What kind of information do you want to know and share with other people about living in a capitalist society? How can you do this in an interesting and provocative way?

1. For your EXERCISE you will create a webpage with a table and image links. For the FINAL PROJECT you will expand on this site to make a full website about your topic with at least 3 pages and one form of movement (rollover, flash, or animated gif). Choose a topic for your project from the list below and use the links as A STARTING POINT for your research. You will need to hunt for more information.
- network neutrality
- who owns our media?
- WTO
- starbucks + ethiopian farmers
- mail-order catalogs + victoria's secret
- wal-mart
- diamonds

links to art:
- The Yes Men meet the WTO (again!)
- Exxon Energy
- order nothing from this website
- Cloaca is a sculpture by Wim Delvoye that eats food and excretes waste.
- brown dress = 365 days. one brown dress. a one-woman show against fashion.
- Starbucks Faulty Logo
- McDonald's Interactive
- big box mart jibjab animation
- consumer support group

other inspiration:
- no-logo blog... great book and super resource about consumer culture
- freeware/shareware
- Buy Nothing Day
- anti-smoking campaign

CYBORG animation critiques

2006-11-15T19:06:00.000-05:00

PREVIEW your animation before Thursday to make sure it is playing properly. Please bring 3 versions of your project on removable media (CD-R, flash drive):

1- original .FLA file
2- exported .SWF file
3- exported MAC PROJECTOR file - We will be using this to watch in class.

If you are using video, bring an uncompressed Quicktime (.MOV or .DV) file on disk.

links from Blithe Riley's talk

2006-11-13T21:23:00.000-05:00

- The Experimental Television Center has residencies for artists to use historical analog audio and video equipment. There's a fun summer workshop for students too.
- Creative Capital gives grants to artists
- Video Data Bank distributes independently produced video art and documentaries, including the On Art and Artists series
- the marketing technique that inspired the methods for Blithe's Belief-Objects interviews
- documentation of Shaker, Crawler, Wall
- Belief/Objects website
- Blithe was the founding member of a group called Pink Bloque

Blithe Riley lecture TODAY

2006-11-13T11:27:00.000-05:00

Please post a response to today's artist lecture on your blog as homework for class tomorrow.

Blithe Riley artist lecture
LIBRARY 321, 4:30 PM

Check out her recent project, shown above, at this link:
Shaker, Crawler, Wall 2005

SHOPACALYPSE NOW!

2006-11-06T14:40:00.000-05:00

REVEREND BILLY AND THE CHURCH OF STOP SHOPPING

Performance: Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir
Thursday Nov 9, 8pm, Monty 25 (where the music recitals are held)

Lecture: Bill Talen and savitri d of Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping will lecture on their work
Friday Nov 10
10am-11am
Boyden Gallery

Workshop: learn how to be a retail interventionist!
Immediately following the lecture
Friday Nov 10
11am-12pm
Boyden Gallery

FIELD TRIP details

2006-11-06T12:36:00.000-05:00

If you have not completed your permission slip (for those under 21) please do so ASAP and submit to me or Carrie Patterson.

We will meet at 8:30 in front of the ATHLETICS center. Bring money ($20 is recommended) for lunch and possibly the metro.

We will meet any others in front of the glass pyramid (IM PEI) in DC. 214 students are on your own but if you want to stick with the group, here is the schedule:
- National Gallery will be the first stop
- Colby and Carrie - Hirschhorn
- Cristin - Sackler

I will be going to the Corcoran before lunch and you can join me to hear a sound piece by Janet Cardiff (but this is not free and not on the mall so we would have to take the metro).

Meet back at the Pei Pyramid at 2:45

Cyborg Special on Discovery Channel

2006-11-02T15:21:00.000-05:00

I thought you all may be interested in seeing this special about cyborgs. Saturday @ 8pm on the Discovery Channel (channel 38 on campus) there will be a showing of :
"Robo Sapien: The Secret (R)evolution" - What if you could think faster? Remember more? Wirelessly connect to the internet without a computer? Robo Sapien puts you on the cutting-edge of Neuro-Engineering where scientists are seeking ways to interface our brains directly with machines.
~Kimbrey

3 READINGS for Thursday 9 November

2006-11-01T08:17:00.000-05:00

Investigate Jesper Just's website
His work "Something to Love" is showing at the Hirschhorn Museum.

TEXT 1 : Passionate Glances - Role-play and masculine identity in the works of Jesper Just
Kristine Kern

TEXT 2: Nam June Paik - Video Flag
also on view at the Hirschhorn Museum.

Read Reverend Billy's website.
TEXT 3: Listen to an interview with Rev. Billy on Democracy Now! MP3 is here

line rider

2006-10-31T22:52:00.000-05:00

line rider was created in flash by a Slovenian student.
Try it out yourself HERE.
or check out other users creations:

more inspiration about CYBORGS + art

2006-10-30T14:30:00.000-05:00

http://www.medienkunstnetz.de/themes/cyborg_bodies/

Cyborg Manifesto

2006-10-26T19:17:00.000-04:00

For Monday 31 October, read A Cyborg Manifesto (1985) by Donna Haraway
and post a response to your blog.

You will be working in teams to create an animation in response to a quote from this essay.
note the corrected dates:
Tu 7 November: bring storyboard for CYBORG animation: FHT meets with teams
Th 16 November: CYBORG animation due:

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: YOUR TEAM WILL CREATE a 1-3 minute animation with sound, using a quote or other text in response to Haraway's Cyborg Manifesto (this does not mean your animation can be about how impenetrable the writing style was!) Take this opportunity to use animation to muse on the notion of the CYBORG. Research other art about cyborgs, or come up with your own MANIFESTO!

The program you use to create the work is unimportant: Flash, Framethief, Image Ready, or any video program, but it should be something you and your team can execute with the limited skills you have. Keep it simple, concentrate on the ideas, and HAVE FUN. We will also do peer assessment so that you can provide feedback on your teammates.

There are 2 reasons I am asking you to work in groups for this assignment:

1-The Cyborg Manifesto is a challenging reading and I do not expect you to understand everything Haraway discusses. Talking it over with your peers as you decide on a creative response will allow you to also gain new insights on a very dense text.

2- In the world of media production, no one ever works alone. Collaboration is crucial even for people who prefer to work as singular artists. 2 heads and 2 pairs of eyes and hands are better than one!

AM TEAMS:
Liz & Shannon
Nemtsa & Amy & Sara
Val & Veronica

PM TEAMS:
Brooks & Jess
Kimbrey & Rachel
Scott & Anita
Sean & Ya Haddy

31 Oct - 16 Nov schedule

2006-10-26T18:34:00.000-04:00

Tu 31 Oct: ADVISING DAY, no classes
blog: reading response, see CYBORG MANIFESTO, above

Th 2 Nov
HW: Lynda.com tutorials: Shape Tweening & Libraries, Symbols and Instances
in-class: screening and work on tutorials
bring headphones to work on Lynda.com: Motion Tween & Audio

Tu 7 November
HW: meet with your team to create storyboard for CYBORG animation
in-class: teams meet with FHT to discuss storyboard
ONLY CLASS WORK DAY FOR CYBORG ANIMATION

Th 9 November : class cancelled
-Rev. Billy/Paik/Just readings: this blog entry has been omitted :)
but please read links (TBA/posted next week)
-DC art field trip 8:30-5
-Rev. Billy performance 8 pm, MH 25

Fri 10 Nov
Lecture and workshop on retail interventionism by Rev. Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping
10am-12pm Boyden Gallery

Sa 11 Nov noon
-blog: response to Rev. Billy performance on Th/Fri and/or DC art field trip & artist readings

MONDAY 13 November
artist talk: Blithe Riley 4:30 LIBRARY 321

Tu 14 November
post response to Blithe Riley talk

Th 16 November
CYBORG animation due

stop-motion videos we made in class

2006-10-26T17:32:00.000-04:00

AM SECTION:

PM SECTION:

FrameThief

2006-10-26T12:25:00.000-04:00

FrameThief is the software we used in class today. It is only for Macs.
You can download a free trial for 30 days!

But there are lots of other options too. Check out this site for descriptions of software and more info on producing stop-motion animation.

You will need a digital video camera and a 4-pin to 6-pin firewire cable or other cable for connecting your camera to your computer. A tripod is also a must. All these items can be borrowed from Media Services.

Download this PDF for tips on the settings you should use in Framethief, or you can check out this site.

DC field trip Thursday 9 November

2006-10-24T17:08:00.000-04:00

still from Jesper Just's
Something to Love, 2005
Let me know by class time on THURSDAY whether you will go on the field trip to DC on Thursday November 9th. We will leave promptly from the parking lot in front of the rec center at 8:30 am to go to the Hirschhorn Museum together to see some moving images! We will return no later than 5:00.

Folks who don't go to DC will need to go to the Reverend Billy performance at 8pm Thursday in lieu of the trip, so you will need to choose one or the other (I recommend both!)

You will also need a waiver slip which is signed by your parents if you are under 21. If this is a problem for you, please contact me... Don't let this hold you back from going on the trip.

in-class tutorial

2006-10-24T09:20:00.000-04:00

Put the following .fla files inside your frame_anim folder:
onion skin
properties
frames

animations on vinyl

2006-10-21T10:41:00.000-04:00

Check out this link about optical toys (like a praxinoscope) printed on old children's records.

say no to Cyberduck

2006-10-19T18:00:00.000-04:00

From now on, please use "Fugu" to FTP to your web space. It is available in the ProLab. You may also use Fetch, CoreFTP, Terminal, or any other way to FTP. Just don't use Cyberduck.

Any files uploaded to your server space from Cyberduck have a lock-down on permissions, so you will not be able to delete or alter them... they may have to sit there indefinitely.

But any new files you upload from a different FTP program will be fine for editing.

schedule for 24 October - 2 November

2006-10-19T09:02:00.000-04:00

TUES 24 October
-Convert your print images to 72 DPI JPGs and post to your blog with a description.
-Visit the gallery and write a response to the exhibit there, choosing one or two pieces as your focus. The gallery is open Mon-Fri 11-5

THURS 26 October
EXERCISE: Make a frame animation using word(s), either your name or something else, using Flash and its drawing tools. Save as .swf file on to disk. Consult the Lynda.com tutorials for info.

TUES 31 October : NO CLASSES, Advising day
reading + response in blog

THURS 2 November
TBA

gif animation web page

2006-10-17T11:25:00.000-04:00

Look at this sample link for help:
http://www.smcm.edu/users/ftoosi/toosi_anim4/index.html
Go to "View > Source" and look at the code to see the tags we reviewed in class and to see how I made the page.

HERE is the class blog link about how to FTP.

Create a GIF from your ImageReady file (remember, use 4-up and then go to "Save Optimized As..."). Make a project folder with yourname_anim, as indicated in the project description from last week. In that, create an index.html page using TextWrangler. Your page should have the following features. Feel free to add more if you like:
-a link back to your blog page
-a background color
-your gif, centered
-a caption and a brief description in VERDANA
-once you are finished with your site, upload to smcm.edu and make a new post linking it from your your blog

You can see web color codes here: http://www.w3schools.com/html/html_colors.asp
Or, use the color picker in Photoshop.

If you want to know more, .html resources can be found here: http://www.w3schools.com/html/html_intro.asp

image alteration

2006-10-17T00:13:00.000-04:00

about grades on Blackboard

2006-10-15T15:49:00.000-04:00

A check-mark for some items only means that the grade has been input, it does not indicate whether or not you did the assignment.

Even if you did not do a particular blog entry and received a 0, Blackboard will still indicate a "check". It is your repsonsibility to make sure you are posting to your blog by the appropriate deadlines.

Image Sequence: animation demo by S.Rigg

2006-10-11T16:12:00.000-04:00

+++ DUE: Thursday 16 Oct +++
THERE WAS A TYPO EARLIER, PLEASE NOTE THIS REVISION WITH THE CORRECT DUE DATE!

For this EXERCISE, you will create a .gif animation and place it in a simple web page.

Using Image Ready (the web partner to Photoshop) create a 15 frame drawn animation that transforms one object to another as discussed with the examples in class. You may use any of the drawing tools in Photoshop or ImageReady. See the PDF below for full directions of the technique covered in class.

Your animation should be sized between 300 px and 800 px in width and between 200 px and 600 px in height. Resolution: 72 ppi.

Your final animation should be exported for the web and placed in a simple HTML file. We will view your animations in an internet browser. We will discuss how to do this in class on Tuesday. The final file structure for hand in should include your html file and your .gif images (saved as in the image below). You will create a link to your web page from your blog (NB: THIS IS A REVISED HAND-IN GUIDELINE... YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BRING FILES IN ON DISK)

Your file structure should look like this:

Complete directions for using ImageReady for this project can be found in this PDF.

Link to an on-line tutorial with images.

Science of Motion PDF (written for Flash, but has good general info about animation)

Examples of animation:

Ricardo Miranda Zuñiga: A Virtual Landscape
Julian Opie
Vuk Cosic: History of Art for Airports
Kim Collmer
Stop Motion Studies
Pleix.net
iamthejackson.com
Nina Paley
Random Motion
Muybridge horse
Mary Ellen Bute
the gif show
Jim Duesing

PRINTING

2006-10-05T13:24:00.000-04:00

Click on image to enlarge.

Link to the PRINT project description.
+ NEVER print .PSD files!
+ To use your own paper, you must load it in tray 1, the bypass tray (it's the one above) that folds out. If you don't know how, ask me or get the lab monitor to help you. Always make sure it is LASERJET paper.
+ Print each image to a separate piece of paper. Don't forget to choose orientation and paper size as well as the printer in the Print & Page Setup options boxes. You should print a proof to the B&W printer to check for mistakes before printing your final draft in color.

Directions:
1- Finish your image and save it as a .PSD
2- Go to Layers > Flatten Image (Omit this step if your file has text).
3- Go to File > Print with Preview
4- Click on checkbox "Show more Options". Pull-down menu should be set to "Output".
5- Choose "Encoding: ASCII" (not Binary)
6- Click PRINT.
7- Click "Save as PDF"
8- Save the PDF copy of your file to your project folder.
9- Open the PDF and print it in Preview using "Print with Preview".

Turing

2006-10-04T20:50:00.000-04:00

(no class on Tuesday)
REVISED DEADLINE: Please post your response to this article by
11 pm Wednesday 11 October

Computing Machinery and Intelligence - Alan Turing, 1950

Alan Turing was one of the first thinkers to develop the concept of software and computer science. Learn more about him here.

3-17 October schedule

2006-10-04T19:48:00.000-04:00

TUES 3 Oct
HW: proposal for PRINT project and sketches: bring hard copies to class or post digital sketches to blog
in-class: share proposals & feedback

THURS 5 Oct
HW: prepare your in-class demo of a photoshop technique from the LYNDA.COM tutorials
in-class: demos from class members, mid-term evaluations

TUES 10 Oct
no class, reading day
HW: read Turing article and post response to your blog by WED at 11pm (revised deadline)

++ WED 11 Oct ++ 4:45 PM ++ library 321 ++
mandatory lecture by artist Siobhan Rigg who teaches in the digital area at the George Washington University

THURS 12 Oct
HW: response to Siobhan Rigg artist talk posted to your blog

TUES 17 Oct
3 PRINTS due for hall-walls show. There will be no time to print in class.Link to project description for further details.

PS contest winners

2006-10-03T16:56:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Amy in the AM section and Kimbrey & Ya Haddy (a tie) in the PM section. Rewards are coming next week...

propaganda poster re-mixes on Worth1000

2006-10-03T12:46:00.000-04:00

Worth1000.com is currently showcasing re-mixed propaganda posters, just like one of the PRINT assignment themes. Contest is open for voting now, check out the entries here.

no DRM day

2006-10-03T12:14:00.000-04:00

TODAY is International Day Against DRM, organized as a protest to the anti-copying technology known as Digital Rights Management. Link

PostSecret

2006-10-03T12:06:00.000-04:00

People create postcards of their secrets and send them to this blog. Check it out to see how folks use collage and montage, and also for the secret pleasures of voyuerism.

Amy and Sara's Scanned Images

2006-10-03T10:54:00.000-04:00

Amy and Sara's scanned images

We found a bunch of pink flower blossoms, a red leaf, a gumball, an acorn, a branch of holly leaves, crushed soda cans and a wrapper off a fruit drink.

The two photos on the top are still images of the various nature items found outside of Monty.

The two photos on the bottom are ones we manipulated to create a ripple/water effect of the 'colorful trash' (left) and 'natural objects' (right).

We did this by rapidly moving the items around with our hands as they were slowly scanned into the computer.

do you know Malena?

2006-09-28T16:54:00.000-04:00

She has a blog project in which she posts scans of her belongings.

how to FTP

2006-09-28T16:08:00.000-04:00

Using FUGU, or any other File Transfer Protocol program (aka FTP), you can access space to store your files. Later we will use this to publish some simple websites, but for now we are using it so that you can make a link from your blog to your MP3s.

You must use "SFTP" (don't worry about this in Fugu) to the HOST www.smcm.edu.
USERNAME: smcm system username
PW: smcm system(email) password

For more information, consult the SMCM Tech Resources site.

Flower Child by Brooks, Rachel & Lil

2006-09-28T15:37:00.000-04:00

<3 Brooks, Rachel & Lil

Extreme Crop Action by Brooks, Rachel & Lil

2006-09-28T15:26:00.000-04:00

This is our original image

And here it is with EXTREME CROP ACTION

<3 lil, brooks and rachel

Anita, Sean Scan of a ROCK

2006-09-28T15:25:00.000-04:00

This is the crop of a large rock that we moved while it was being scanned. There is also some dirt, enjoy our fantastic masterpiece of nature. We have also included the original scan of the rock, the pinecone, and Anita's fingers.

Ya Haddy & Scott

2006-09-28T15:20:00.000-04:00

This is the extreme crop of the image below.

This is a piece of plastic, rope fiber, four leaves, a twig and some pine needles. The plastic and fiber are waved back and forth to create a water ripple effect.

Scans Liz, Nemtsa, Veronica

2006-09-28T11:32:00.000-04:00

We picked things that were shiny (except for the lace in the first picture).

Scan 1: soap, lace
Scan 2: goggles, shiny tape
Scan 3: glitter, earring, shiny tape (moving)

PRINT project

2006-09-28T00:04:00.000-04:00

DEADLINE: TUES 3 OCT: sketches and proposal due
TUES 17 OCT: bring finished PRINTS for critique and hanging of the hall-walls show

- You must have your images printed BEFORE the start of class. Do not wait until the last minute, as things will inevitably go wrong. Do not roll these up, store flat in a folder, protected from dirt and spills.

- Bring your .PSD file (with layers) for each completed images, as well as .TIF files from your scans or digital photos. These should be in a project folder with your name. I will accept these on CD or you can transfer them from your flash drive to my computer.

CHOOSE one of two options:

OPTION 1:
Create a triptych: a series of THREE 4" x 6" montages for ONE of the following:
1- fruit + architecture
2- vegetable + machine
3- misplaced historical monument(s)
4- re-version of propaganda poster(s)
The images used will include only your own photography and/or scanned work from objects or print media. This means no images from the internet! Avoid cliches and overused imagery.

OPTION 2:
Create an entry for the SMCM student photo contest sponsored by the Center for the Study of Democracy:
The theme of the contest is: What do you think Democracy looks like?

To fufill the requirements for this class, you will create TWO 5" x 7" montages. You will receive feedback from class memebers to help you choose the piece to submit to the contest. The images used should include only your own photography and/or scanned work from print media. This means no images from the internet! Avoid cliches and overused imagery. This means no flags, no lady liberty, no red white and blue, or maps etc.

Requirements from the contest hosts:
This contest is open to all students of St. Mary’s College of Maryland. One entry per person. You must submit a digital and/or hard copy of your photograph, a title for the image, and a brief summary. Digital entries should be submitted as a jpeg file no bigger than 600 x 800 pixels. Each entry must be clearly labeled with participant name and image title. Winners will be announced October 30, 2006. For more information regarding contest submission please contact Abby Meatyard via e-mail ammeatyard@smcm.edu or by phone at extension 6432. Submission deadline is October 20. First Place: $75.00, Second Place: $50.00, Third Place: $25.00

sample blog entry for photo contest

2006-09-26T11:13:00.000-04:00

For next class, upload a photo of your contest entry to your blog with a description and a link to the contest so that your class members can vote for you.

Here is a sample of what your entry should look like, from your classmate Shannon.

examples of photo alterations

2006-09-26T09:10:00.000-04:00

photo hoaxes

media photo retouching on female model

digital tampering timeline by cs professor at dartmouth

link to interactive files from the reading

2006-09-24T23:10:00.001-04:00

All materials referenced in the reading for Tuesday, including the interactive exercises, can be found at this link. Click on "Chapter 2" of the "Primer" section for options which include a link to the PDF of the reading, as well as the following:
# Sampling & Quantizing in Digital Images (interactive)
# RGB Color Cube (interactive; RGB values shown in a 3D cube)
# Color Picker Demo (interactive)
# RGB to HSV (QuickTime movie)
# Color Value Appraisal (interactive)

sit-in blog address

2006-09-20T21:17:00.000-04:00

Some of your fellow students are sitting in President Maggie O'Brien's office in solidarity with the workers of St. Mary's College who are seeking respect and reasonable pay in negotiations with the administration. Visit their blog to learn more.

19-28 September schedule

2006-09-18T23:32:00.000-04:00

check this post again, as it will be updated with details and revisions

19 September
HW: AUDIO VERSION 2 due, burned to CD

21 September
-HW: read Nelson (PDF is posted to BLACKBOARD), consider the following questions and post a thoughtful, critical response to your blog. Consider your own experience and interactions with computers... How are Nelson's ideas applicable today, and how have things changed since he wrote this in 1974? How does human-computer interaction today embrace or reject Nelson's notion of fantics?

26 September
-HW: Read imaging info, pg 2-17 (until figure 13) of this PDF and be prepared for a quiz. You should be able to answer the review questions 13-23 that are listed in the back of the Chapter.
-in-class: demo 2, work on Photoshop contest

28 September
-HW: Enter a contest on Worth1000.com. You will be able to link to your entry once the contest voting begins. Contests are rated by level of difficulty, so choose one that is appropriate to your experience. Contests have deadlines so don't wait too long to submit your entry and make sure you enter BEFORE the start of class today! You will have more to choose from if you start working early. Top score from each class will receive a prize next week. Save one version of your image as a PSD, and one version as a JPG to your USB/flash drive. Post the JPG to your blog with a caption and comments.

Sonny Bono is Dead: a call for entries

2006-09-15T21:36:00.000-04:00

This project encourages artists to liberally sample from works that would have fallen into the Public Domain by the year 2004 had the Sonny Bono Act failed. Artists are also encouraged to create new works by sampling Sonny Bono's output (or other artists who embraced the notion of copyright lasting forever). Link to the project site here.

Audacity tips and best practices

2006-09-14T12:36:00.000-04:00

CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE.

1- BEFORE you open Audacity, trash your preferences. This means that you will remove any settings and configurations from previous work sessions, so that you can start with a clean slate every time. Go to your HOME directory > LIBRARY > PREFERENCES > audacity Preferences. It is a stand-alone file. Send it to the TRASH! (See above screen capture image for an illustration of the path).

2- Open Audacity directly from the applications folder, not from the dock and not by double clicking on your project file. Then open your .aup file through FILE > OPEN.

3- Don't forget to set your scratch disks to go to your project folder (see earlier blog post) before you begin a work session. You may have to restart the program, but you will not have to re-set the scratch disks until the next time you log on.

4- Save early and often.

5- If a sound you've imported doesn't play back properly, it's probably at a sampling rate that is too low. Try finding a new sound effect that is at the right rate for your project (44100 Hz).

6- Check the forums for advice

cut-up VERSION 2 : revised requirements

2006-09-14T09:12:00.000-04:00

:: cut-up VERSION 2 is due on 19 September at the start of class ::

Alter and revise your first audio piece, thinking more critically about the content, ideas, themes, and reasons behind the choices you make.

HOW?

1- by adding sounds that you recorded yourself, either vocals or concrete sounds. Use the recorders during class or borrow equipment from Media Services in the library.

2- mix in other songs, pre-recorded concrete sounds, vocals, and/or special effects.

VERSION 2 technical requirements:

If you choose to record your own audio:
1-at least 1 (one) 20-second sample from 1 (one) of the 3 contest songs provided
2-at least 10 seconds of audio that you have recorded yourself

If you choose not to record your own audio:
1-at least 2 (two) 20-second samples from 1 (one) of the 3 contest songs provided
2-at least 30 seconds of audio that you have imported in WAV/AIFF (watch out… most audio on the web is MP3 or AAC, so you may have to import something from CD)

-Samples do not need to run consecutively,
for example, 20 seconds can mean 4 5-second samples.
-Final mix-down for all should be at least 2 minutes long.
-Export to WAV or AIFF and burn to CD.

Since we probably won’t get server space permission until later this week, I will show you later how to compress your files and upload them to the web.

searching for sound on the web

2006-09-12T08:10:00.000-04:00

Find Sounds is a search engine that will allow you to search by file type and size.

Sound Dogs is an online sound effects library.

SoundTransit is a collaborative, online community dedicated to field recording and phonography.

Archive.org is a giant library of all kinds of media, including audio, video, and text.

The Freesound Project is a collaborative database of Creative Commons licensed sounds.

John Cage: Speech

2006-09-12T00:01:00.000-04:00

This was originally from 1955, long before the Flaming Lips' parking lot and boombox experiments.

life saving techniques

2006-09-07T14:34:00.000-04:00

the top 2 rules for working with digital media:
1-always save to a folder on the desktop...
never save directly to your flash-drive or g-drive
2-back up your project in at least 2 different locations

What this means:
-When you begin working on a project, create a folder that serves as a container to hold your project files. Set scratch disks (see post below) to save to that folder.
-When you finish working for the day, COPY THE FOLDER FROM THE DESKTOP to your flash drive AND g-drive, CD, or other media.
-When you return to work another time, insert the flash-drive into the computer and DRAG THE WORK FOLDER ON TO YOUR DESKTOP.
-Always eject your flash-drive, do not just yank it out of the USB port.

sound art links

2006-09-07T00:48:00.000-04:00

William Burroughs sound cut-ups
William Burroughs film cut-ups
Yoko Ono - Cough Piece 1961/63
John Lennon - Radio Play
Milan Knizak - Broken Music Composition, 1979
Laurie Anderson - Two Songs for Tape Bow Violin, 1977
DJ Food - Raiding the 20th Century, 2004
Gregory Whitehead - various
DJ Spooky - Radio Radio
Steve Reich - live concert, 1970

Beachles

2006-09-05T19:31:00.000-04:00

re-mix album of the Beatles and the Beach Boys

re-mixing Paris Hilton

2006-09-05T19:24:00.000-04:00

CDs were "shop-dropped" back to the music stores by UK artist Banksy

setting your scratch disks

2006-09-05T15:54:00.000-04:00

CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE.

Before working in Audacity, EVERYTIME YOU OPEN THE PROGRAM, you need to set your scratch disks. This process tells the program where you will be storing your work files. Go to PREFERENCES > DIRECTORY and choose the FOLDER that you created on the DESKTOP for your project.

sound basics : tutorial links

2006-09-05T10:37:00.000-04:00

1-sound as a wave
2- converting analog to digital: weigh the puppy!
3- sound fundamentals
4-sampling, quantizing, dynamic range
5- impact of sampling rate and bit depth on audio quality & file size

4 Sept

2006-09-05T00:13:00.000-04:00

-cut-up scavenger hunt
-check in with everyone's Blogger account... are you up and running?
-intro to audio SLIDE SHOW
-sampling and quantizing (please see above links)
-the Audacity interface

12-21 Sept schedule

2006-09-04T18:51:00.000-04:00

Tu 12 Sept
HW: VERSION 1 DUE, saved as WAV to disk.
in-class: share exercises, recording demo

Th 14 Sept
HW: post research/response about Angela Davis and/or the contest songs. Gather sounds for VERSION 2.

Tu 19 sept
-VERSION 2 due and posted to YOUR blog with response

Th 21 sept
-Borges response posted to blog

audio exercise and project 1

2006-09-04T18:37:00.000-04:00

The first exercise and project work off of one another, so you will be creating 2 versions of the same piece. For one of my personal projects I'm hosting an audio re-mix contest and I'd like you all to enter. Please click on this link for directions and more information.

DUE DATES:
9-7: read the contest criteria and do the Simpsons AUDACITY tutorial. Unless you are working from home on a PC you can skip the part about installing the program.
9-12: cut-up VERSION 1 - an audio cut-up using 2 or more of the 3 songs available for download on the contest website.
VERSION 1 requirements: final mix-down will be at least 1 minute long, with at least 2 tracks of audio.
9-14: Post research response about the songs and/or Angela Davis to your blog. Gather vocals or other sounds to add to your cut-up.
9-19: cut-up VERSION 2 - alter your VERSION 1 piece by adding sounds that you recorded yourself, either vocals or concrete sounds. You may also add other songs, pre-recorded sounds, and/or special effects. Anything goes now. VERSION 2 requirements: at least 1(one) 20-second sample from the 3 contest songs provided and at least 10 seconds of audio that you have recorded yourself. Final mix-down should be at least 2 minutes long.

Audacity HELP

2006-09-04T17:45:00.000-04:00

The Audacity HELP page contains manuals and user’s guides for the free Audacity sound editor.

your blog vs. class blog

2006-09-04T16:43:00.000-04:00

hi sara and everyone in 214!

you will notice that sara has posted to the class blog. her response is great, but actually, for the reading response i'd like you to post your writing to your own personal blog, the one you created in class the last week.

i'll let you all know specifically when i want you to post to the shared class blog.

sorry if this has been confusing, i'll explain more in detail to everyone in class tomorrow.

fht

sara's response to burroughs article

2006-09-04T16:35:00.000-04:00

Sara's Digital Imaging

(9/4/06) My response to William Burroughs' article:

At first, I found William Burroughs' article, The Cut-Up Method of Brion Gysin, to be a bit confusing; that is, I didn't fully grasp what Burroughs ment by a 'cut-up method'. However, after reading through the article for a second time, I began to understand and even appreciate the art of creating new meanings and visuals through the simple act of literally cutting up and then re-arranging pieces of paper. I found it particularly interesting (and even a bit amusing) that Burroughs spent the whole article praising the 'cut-up method' for being an act of spontaneity, yet it was clearly stated in the introduction that "this very article was substantiually revised and expanded by Burroughs between 1961 and 1978..."; talk about irony! On the third page, I really liked the juxtaposition of the 2 example paragraphs, (the passages on the left being the original and the passages on the right being the 'cut-up' version). I was convinced that the passages on the right would make absolutely no sense, but was surprised to find that in fact, after being cut-up, the sentences flowed in a very nice, almost poetic way. In all, I found Burroughs' article to be an enlightening look at the 'cut-up method'.

KEY COMMANDS YOU SHOULD KNOW

2006-08-31T16:52:00.000-04:00

Command-O Open
Command-S Save
Shift-Command-S Save as
Command-P Print
Command-W Close Window
Command-I Get Info
Command-D Duplicate
Command-Delete Move to Trash
Command-E Eject
Command-F Find
Command-Z Undo
Command-X Cut
Command-C Copy
Command-V Paste
Command-A Select All

And there are lots more, check it out here.

31 August

2006-08-31T16:40:00.000-04:00

What we covered today:

-short quiz on syllabus
-We set up our Blogger accounts. Everyone should e-mail me their class blog link and sign up to be a member of this blog!
-review of computer/Mac media storage and hardware: monitors, USB & FW ports, compact flash disk drive, the headphone jack, the audio input, how to eject/insert an optical disk and external devices, the ethernet cable
-avoid daisy-chaining your hardware... some USB flash drives do not work when inserted into the USB drives on the keyboard
-demo of Image Capture to open photos from digital camera (instead of iPhoto)
-review of the Mac OS: hierarchy of the HD, shortcuts/aliases, the dock, system prefs, minimizing windows, the dashboard, list/icon/nested view, key commands
-making a bookmark in the toolbar of Firefox browser

-questions that came up:
Can our machines take DVD+R?

weeks 1-2 schedule

2006-08-31T15:49:00.000-04:00

Tues 8-29
-make sure you can access Blackboard & log-in to MACs!
-in-class: Q&A, lab intro

Thu 8-31
-HW: be prepared for quiz on the syllabus
-in-class: hardware and OS basics, set up blog

Tues 9-5
-HW: read William S. Burroughs article, write a thoughtful response (at least one full paragraph) on your blog, make sure you have purchased your storage media (USB jump drive), reply to e-mail to become a member of the class blog
-in-class: Audacity demo, intro to project & exercise 1

Thus 9-7
-HW: Audacity tutorial at http://www.edhsonline.org/other/audacity/
-in-class: work on exercise 1, audio cut-up