Screening: “Mission to Earth”

Discussion:“Mission to Earth”
















1)Using “Mission to Earth” as an example, note what is new or different about digital cinema compared to traditional filmmaking? Consider the story and appearance of the film.

The new or difference between traditional cinema and digital filmmaking:
The composition is different from the traditional one. This film shows different scenes on the screen at the same time. It is different from the old one because we only see one scene at one time in the past, but in this film, audience can choose which scene they would like to look at. Therefore, viewers can affect the development of the story. This is so special when compare with the old one.
Besides, the use of color is different from the old one. Since the traditional filmmaking can produce black and white movie only, but in this film, we can see different colors such as yellow , purple ,blue etc. are used. The use of colour has wider range than the traditional one.
For the story, the new one is not coherent, the film is composed of different sequences. But for the traditional one, each sequence has coherent relationship with the others.

2) What other art forms (eg film, digital art, painting, websites etc) does this film remind you of? Explain the similarity.

This film reminds me of the digital art. In the film, some geometric pictures are showed on the screen. These seem to be some digital arts that can be done easily by the use of some tools like photoshop. Also, these geometric figures are similar to some modern art paintings which combining some fields of colours or lines in the pictures.



                  

Josef Albers          

                                         
                                                                                       

                                                                                

Homage to the Square: Soft Spoken, 1969

Josef Albers (American, born Germany, 1888–1976)
Oil on Masonite

Josef Albers, Factory, 1925
Sanblasted flashed glass. JAAF: 1976.6.4
29.2 x 36.2 cm (11-1/2 x 14-1/4 inches)

Digital Photography

First-hand digital photo practice: using photoshop to alter a digital photograph in an artistic and creative manner


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Discussion





1) What are some photographic effects that can be achieved using digital or analog (darkroom, film, lights etc) technology?




Dodging and burning: both digital or analog technology can achieve this effect. This effect is aim to make a particular area become lighter or darker.

Color subtraction: Achieved by the digital technology.That some colour can be take away from the photo.Then the remain colour can be dominant in the photo composition.

Contrast enhancement(for digital technology): enlarge the contrast between two different colours.

2) What are some photographic techniques that can only be done using digital technology?

The editing of the photo can only be done by using digital technology
For example , use a funtion of White balance to edit the balance of the colours to create a photo with big colour contrast.
Also, Image sharpening can noly be done by the digital one too.By using the digital technology, people can change the texture of the taking photo, the whole photo can be sharpen.



3) What is the difference between analog photography and digital photography?

The former one have different new funtion for adusting the photo.For example,you can adjust the original colour of the photo or you can change the size of your own photo by setting different shotting effects .Therefore, to compare with the former one, the traditional one may have little possibility to crete different effects with photo.Thus, it is more creative for the digital photography.

HERE ARE OUR BEST PRO-WIKIPEDIA ARGUMENTS

Group members:Penny, Maggie, Kyra, Millie, Tina said:
1. Wikipedia can make immediate changes and correction.

>The founder of the Wikipedia tells a fact that a team of elites is always behind the Wiki system in order to monitor the Wiki anytime and anyhere. So, everything on Wikipedia is always work in progress.

evidence: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQR0gx0QBZ4&feature=related

>There is a great number of volunteers from all over the world who always ready to add evidence, links, proof and reference to issues.

evidence: http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Staff

2. The accuracy of Wikipedia is high.

>Wikipedia is more neutral. Because everyone can post what they know or think on the website.

>Encyclopaedia Brittanica may contains some biased information because Brittanica didn't display its rough draft and everything must be checked by a copy editor.

>Also, there are some unaccepttable and minor errors in Brittanica.
evidence: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2005/jan/26/schools.uk2

Imagine this... Wikipedia or Encyclopaedia Brittanica?

I will choose Wikipedia.

Because everyone can share information through Wikipedia.For example, some knowledge( the information about different cultures) may only be known by some small groups of people in the world. Through the function of  opening sources, the information can spread worldwide as everyone can share the information through Wikipedia.

Also, the  function of opening sources can  encourage the freedom of press as everyone can add their information in Wikipedia. Therefore, even we are under the ruling of the aliens, we can enjoy the freedom of  expressing our thoughts or preserving the valuable information.(because some information may be suppressed by the aliens or some definition maybe changed by them) With the using of Wikipedia, we can preserve our culture or languages.

Besides, Wikipedia can link all the people around the world as different knowledge like cultures can be known through searching in Wikipedia. This is a  good platform or a chance  to connect all the humans.Since Wikipedia is a open-source, everyone can get  updated information through accessing Wikipedia online. Therefore, no need to travel around the world, we can still connect the others and learn different cultures through Wikipedia .

Moreover, the operation cost is low, only some staffs are hired to maintain the operation of Wikipedia. It is known that most of the information is posted by the unknown people who using Wikipedia. Therefore, it is cheap to operate this online open-source. Also, everyone is free to access Wikipedia,  even the updated information can be received freely form this platform.

However, some people may argue that this kind of open-source lacks accuracy. Since everyone can edit the information in Wikipedia, these writers may not specialists, therefore no one can guarantee that these information is right to be posted . But, the function of opening sources allow everyone to edit the posted information, therefore some specialists or even the one who is not specialist can access Wikipedia to correct the information. Thus, the supervision of  the information can control the quality of Wikipedia.

Discussion : Evaluating the effects of the new technologies (Modern Times)

Modern Times 1936 - Charlie Chaplin (dir.)

1) What are the benefits of the new technologies (industrial machinery, feeding machine, closed circuit cameras) shown in the film? Who gains from these technologies?

For the whole production process, the use of these advanced technologies helps us to increase productivity. Since labour force is replaced by some  productive machinery which can create a more efficient production process . It is known that the owner can makes good use of the machinery which is more stable and easier to handle. The employer can maximize his profit by replacing the traditional labour force  with the new machinery . For the workers, their  works become simple and easy, they can easy to handle their works as the whole production process is divided into some small processes.It may not need any high qualified skill to handle thses works.


2) What is the effect of these technologies on the main character’s life/mood/body?

There are some negative effects towards the main character .For example, he faces mental illness as the working environment is stressful( he cannot stop working,he cannot control his body). Also, he lose his job at the end of the film since the position of the workers is replaced by the machinery.The workers are only trained to be skillful on some simple and easy works, they lack special ability to handle the others works. Thus, these unemplyed people may face life difficultities and hard to sustain their life since they only rely on the factory owners to provide they with jobs. Also, he works under the stressful conditon. The workers always monitor by the employer. Any mistakes are forbidden. So, this new production mode affect both mental and physical condition of the workers.


3)What effects does using computers and the internet have on your life/mood/body?

The use of new technologies helps us to work efficiently. For example, we can find updated information through the internet instead of  searching books in the library.Also, it is easy for us to use internet to contact with our friends and family like msn, facebook. Moreover, we can share our thoughts to the others through the internet, for example, we can set up some blogs to share our hobbies to the others. However, the overuse of computer may brings negative effects to our health.We may feel tired all the time .Also, the light from the computer screen will harm our eyes.

Hi~

Hi~ My name is Penny~ My Chinese name is Wong Ka Wai. I'm 21 years old. I am the year 2 student of Visual Studies. My hobbies are reading and drawing...