Evaluation about Unit 19 - Digital Graphics for Interactive Media

This particular unit was way too different from the rest. It was all about design. We also got to learn some basics of Adobe Photoshop CS 4; whilst whoever wanted to get to know more, the best way was to either follow some Photoshop tutorials which can be found on YouTube or else just simply experiment! Mainly the aim of this unit was to being introduced to basic tools and techniques of digital graphics soft-wares such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator for interactive media products.

In this unit, the tasks were all revolved around blogging too. We had to create our own blog (http://sephoracutajar1410.blogspot.com) on www.blogger.com in which we had to post twice a week. However, we had to make up for missed posts on other weeks.  Apparently, our posts have to consist on related research on MediaCAST and blog aesthetics and also anything related to media such as film trailers, reviews, and critics.

We were also asked to create a blog for MediaCAST. I teamed up with a group and begin to discuss things up. Firstly, everyone took his/her role and mine was marketing and researcher. Then we pointed out some crucial points. The colour scheme, the design of the banner and background and also gathering some information from other students.

To market our blog, individually, we had to create a set of three banners and three posters using our own pictures (in this case we carried out a photo shoot).

To conclude, any difficulties I might have encountered, was with the Adobe Illustrator as I couldn't get used to it but some practice had easily changed my difficulty, although I am still a bit green about this software. On the other hand, gladly, I really got used to Adobe Photoshop. Apart from the basics I got to learn from school, the YouTube tutorials were quite handy, indeed! I even got to have it installed on my home PC and often use it for my photography and whatever are the needs.


Other than that, what I would have changed could be the attitude (if possible!) of some certain people. Being told that you don’t anything when you’ve been working like a dog had totally frustrates the life out of me but anyway I take that as an experience for the future.

Banners for Task 3a

1. As a colour scheme, I took into consideration to keep the orginal logo of MediaCAST as told by our lecturers. So I used Black and White for the text. For the background, I used a colour scheme of purple, lilac, turquoise and blues. Then I added the lens flare filter behind the text.

2. This is quite simple. I used dark blue and black as the colour scheme. Also did the cloud effect to the         text to make it appear blurred.

3. As a colour scheme, I used red, orange, yellow, turquoise and purple for the background and then black and white for the logo. Then I added the swirl effect.

Posters for Task 3b

The MediaCAST Identity

Basically Media CAST is made up of students of who study Media within the Institute of Art & Design, in Mosta. Along with the students there are the lecturers. All in all, Media CAST is a one small family. Media CAST was raised during the last semester (2009/2010).

As a Media CAST, with the Higher National Diploma first years produced the programme “Int min Int?”. And Ian Attard and Eleonora Abela as the executive producers. The filming for “Int min Int?” started in January 2009.

Mainly, this is a cultural programme about art in all aspects.  They let the viewers extent their knowledge on what is happening in the world of art. In each programme they are interviewed many artists, getting to see exhibitions and many local artists/bands performing. “Int min Int?” is still going on but now it will be aired on TVM instead of E22.

Apart from the production, “Int min Int?” as a whole Media CAST they also filmed the budget 2010. Participated also in some short films festivals such as: The Malta International Film Festival (Tony Parnis), Golden Nights and also the Malta Cine Circle.

They also produced promos about Internet Safety for the client, Helen D’amato (Children’s Commissioner). Right now they are in the process of being chosen.

Media CAST was also involved with Circom (www.circom-regional.eu) in collaboration with PBS. Circom consists of several seminars in relation with journalism. These kinds of seminars are held every few months. The Irish, Michael Lally is the president of Circom Regional and also the Head of Irish Naucht (News).

Being asked, two students from the Higher National Diploma in Media Moving Image Year 2 shared their experiences they had through Circom. Apparently, Circom were doing a seminar in Malta and the Circom itself discovered determination, enthusiasm and ambition in these students that they were given the opportunity held by a “competition” to get chosen to go abroad. Once they were chosen and went abroad they were requested to follow some tasks, blog it, create stories and then choosing the best ones.

Reference:

• Flora Tanti and Claudia Cachia

      (Higher National Diploma in Media Moving Image Year 2)

• www.circom-regional.eu

Not an April Fool. NO!

PS. Edges around the cup needs to be more clean and refined. On the whole - I think I like it..I think I like it..I think I l-i-i-ke it..

Where words fail... music speaks!

Another banner....... 

Case Study Work: Audio Visual Production

Form
It is a realist narrative which tackles real life situations and it is a music video (and a song) which is linked towards life. One can also say that it is also stand alone as in some parts it is showing different people with different cultures and believes which gives the idea that whoever we are and where we come from we walk together the same 'thing' called life and facing the same situations in our everyday life.

Style: Very commercial indeed. The shots where the owl appears throughout some parts of the video can be so effective and most probably it's the first thing that the viewers notices.  It is also kind of dramatic in a certain way.

Codes & Conventions: The visuals compared to the song and the emotion in the voice of singer. This combination builds up the whole and message is being delivered crystal clear. 

Techniques Used: When there is featured a lot of different faces (showing different cultures) they are shown as jump cuts (but done on purpose) edited a camera flash look alike effect to combine with it.

Techniques
Hidden or Clear Messages: As I already stated before the whole message throughout this music video is being delivered in a clear and understandable way. It is surely adapted with the song in which they are both influenced from social affairs happening around us. It is also passing a message of diversity. Showing that each individual is unique and also letting us recognizing our individual differences as in race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious and politic beliefs or other ideologies.

Emotional Response: It gives the viewer a solution to a problem response in a way as it is giving the message of ''Walk With Me'' even if I have different religious beliefs for an example. There is also the concern and compassion impact on the viewer - that is automatically! There is the self-perception and social position. These two responses are quite obvious in this particular music video as that is the whole meaning and concept of it all. 

Asssociation: One can automatically associate the different people with different orientations featured with either the song or with the band, in this case, Airport Impressions. Another association of this video can be with the shots of owl shown in the beginning of the video and nearly at the end.

Celebrity Endorsement: Since it is a music video of a stablized maltese band there is obviously the celebrity endorsement element which is the band itself!

Characteristics
When it comes for the brand identity it is shown from the colours which are quite warm and easy for the eye. The music video has also got a life style appeal.

What does the role of researcher involve?

A researcher is somebody who performs research, the search for knowledge or in general any systematic investigation to establish facts. Researchers can work in academic, industrial, government, or private institutions.


The goal of the research process is to produce new knowledge. This process takes three main forms:

• Exploratory research, which structures and identifies new problems
• Constructive research, which develops solutions to a problem
• Empirical research, which tests the feasibility of a solution using empirical evidence

Research can also fall into two distinct types:

• Primary research (collection of data that does not yet exist)
• Secondary research (summary, collation and/or synthesis of existing research)

In social sciences and later in other disciplines, the following two research methods can be applied, depending on the properties of the subject matter and on the objective of the research:

• Qualitative research (understanding of human behavior and the reasons that govern such behavior).
• Quantitative research (systematic empirical investigation of quantitative properties and phenomena and their relationships).
• Exploratory research, which structures and identifies new problems.
• Constructive research, which develops solutions to a problem.
• Empirical research, which tests the feasibility of a solution using empirical evidence.

Research can also fall into two distinct types:

• Primary research (collection of data that does not yet exist).
• Secondary research (summary, collation and/or synthesis of existing research).

In social sciences and later in other disciplines, the following two research methods can be applied, depending on the properties of the subject matter and on the objective of the research:

Qualitative research (understanding of human behavior and the reasons that govern such behavior).

Quantitative research (systematic empirical investigation of quantitative properties and phenomena and their relationships).

Reference: Wikipedia (Research)

What does the role of Marketing involve?

Marketing is used to identify the customer, satisfy the customer, and keep the customer. It is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.

Product marketing deals with the first of the "7P"'s of marketing, which are Product, Pricing, Place, and Promotion, Packaging, Positioning & People.

Market research is any organized effort to gather information about markets or customers.

Market trends are the upward or downward movement of a market, during a period of time. The market size is more difficult to estimate if one is starting with something completely new. In this case, you will have to derive the figures from the number of potential customers, or customer segments.

Through Market information one can know the prices of the different commodities in the market, as well as the supply and demand situation. Information about the markets can be obtained from different sources, varieties and formats, as well as the sources and varieties that have to be obtained to make the business work.

Marketing research, as a sub-set aspect of marketing activities, can be divided into the following parts:

• Primary research (also known as field research), which involves the conduction and compilation of research for a specific purpose.
• Secondary research (also referred to as desk research), initially conducted for one purpose, but often used to support another purpose or end goal.

There also exist additional modes of marketing research, which are:

• Exploratory research, pertaining to research that investigates an assumption.
• Descriptive research, which, as the term suggests, describes "what is".
• Predictive research, meaning research conducted to predict a future occurrence.
• Conclusive research, for the purpose of deriving a conclusion via a research process.

Promotion is one of the four elements of marketing mix (product, price, promotion, distribution). It's the communication link between sellers and buyers for the purpose of influening,informing or persuading a potential buyer's purchasing decision.

Besides information about the target market, one also needs information about one's competitors, customers, products, etc. Lastly, you need to measure marketing effectiveness. A few techniques are:

• Customer analysis
• Choice Modelling
• Competitor Analysis
• Risk analysis
• Product research
• Advertising the research
• Marketing mix modeling
• Market information

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marketing)

Product Proposal

My product is The Definitive Guitar Handbook

Author(s): Rusty Cutchin (Editor), Paco Pena (Editor)

Publisher: Flame Tree Publishing (1st Jan '09)

http://www.flametreepublishing.com/

What are the benefits that it offers?

For anyone who wants to get to grips with playing the guitar. Practicle advices, guides, tips, step-by-step.

Its Unique Selling Propostion (USP) is:

It's going to improve your guitar skills.

Getting to know better your guitar and extending your knowledge on guitar gods (such as Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, David Gilmour, Brian May, Steve Vai... etc). Knowing different music genres (acoustic and electric, rock, blues, jazz, country and folk)

What are its advantages over other similar products?

Fantastic reference source. Easy to understand step-by-step handbook.

What are its disadvantages over other similar products?

There are many other books based on this same topic.

Does brand identity come into play?

Can be bought from online:

http://www.amazon.com/Definitive-Guitar-Handbook-Comprehensive-Acoustic/dp/1847863914

http://www.flipkart.com/definitive-guitar-handbook-rusty-cutchin-book-1847863914

How does its Lifestyle Appeal come into play to its target audience?

Anyone who is interested into the world of music and guitars.

Experimenting with Photoshop!!

During last weekend, I just WANTED to get more familiar with Photoshop. So I downloaded the trial version of Photoshop CS5 Extended on my home PC and then searched for some tutorials on YouTube and this is the outcome......

And YES! I used pictures of the Airport Impressions' guys - haha!

Here it goes.. another banner, my dear little fellow :)

Really liked how the colors came out!!!

Note to self :  Next time increase the measurements of it's dimensions, so they'll fit the banner area perfectly!

Infographic is ready. HALLELULJAH!!

And to compliment today's post :

Enjoy! :)

Information gathered for my infographic!

Pixels:

In digital imaging, a pixel (or picture element) is the smallest addressable screen element in raster graphics; it is the smallest unit of picture that can be controlled.  In color image systems, a color is typically represented by three or four component intensities such as red, green, and blue, or cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

Raster and Vector Images:

A raster image is a collection of dots called pixels. Each pixel is a tiny colored square. When an image is scanned, the image is converted to a collection of pixels called a raster image.

A vector image is a collection of connected lines and curves that produce objects. When creating a vector image in a vector illustration program, node or drawing points are inserted and lines and curves connect notes together. Vector images are object-oriented while raster images are pixel oriented.

Bit Depth:

In computer graphics, color depth or bit depth is the number of bits used to represent the color of a single pixel in a bitmapped image or video frame buffer. This concept is also known as bits per pixel (bpp), particularly when specified along with the number of bits used. Higher color depth gives a broader range of distinct colors.

Color Space:

A color model is an abstract mathematical model describing the way colors can be represented as tuples of numbers, typically as three or four values or color components (e.g. RGB and CMYK are color models).

Image Capture:

Is an application program that enables users to upload pictures from digital cameras or scanners which are either connected directly to the computer or the network.

Optimising:

When you optimise images for the web is a tricky business. You have to get the right balance between filesize and picture quality. There are three key areas where bytes can be shaved off your graphics: bit depth (number of colours), resolution, and dimension.

The process....

                        

                                



Adding the drop shadow FX!



Ready! 

First attempt using Photoshop!!

Basically, I did this by what I have learnt from school and from YouTube tutorials in which I found them quite helpful! Now I'm hoping that I find a way out on how to upload a banner here, on Blogger.com :)


Ready !

Designing an advert!

Well, my chosen client was Nadine Falzon :)

To get a brief idea of her likes/dislikes and what she wanted I asked her a few simple questions! 

They go as follows:

Favorite colors? White, Black and purple.

With graphics or without? Without.

Slim or bulky? Bulky.

Type of key? QWERTY (Plastic).

Shape? Big.

With flip or sliding? None.

An ideally spent weekend? Gigs, Camping and Bbq's.

The final design!

Getting familiar with Photoshop tools

The levels tool can move and stretch brightness levels in a histogram using three main components: a black point, white point and midtone slider. 


Adjusting the black and white point levels


When considering adjusting the black and white point levels of your histogram, ask yourself: is there any region in the image which should be completely black or white, and does the image histogram show this?


NB: Holding down the "ALT" key while dragging the black or white point slider is a trick which can help avoid shadow or highlight clipping, respectively.  

Adjusting the midtone level

Moving the midtones slider compresses or stretches the tones to the left or right of the slider, depending on whicbrighten or darken the midtones wh direction it is moved. Therefore, the midtone slider's main use is to ithin an image.

Information gathered from: Using the Photoshop levels

Volkswagen Polo Advertisement (Recreating Task)

Apparently, we had to choose an advert and recreating it again but this time it has to be TOTALLY opposite of what it was orginally. While I was doing my research, I came across this one:

                                        

    

Form: Anti-Realist Narrative
Style: Humorous

> In my opinion, it is fun to watch, easy to remember and the aimed message has been delivered to the viewers in the easiest and funniest way possible! Well done! :D

***

My recreation... This time for a Volkswagen Camper :)

My first attempt at photo retouching

We had just began learning Photoshop at school! Our lecturer introduced to our dear friends, Clone Stamp Tool and Spot Healing Brush ("They can do miracles!", said Sephora in a whispered voice). 



 Briefly, The Clone Stamp tool  paints one part of an image over another part of the same image or over another part of any open document that has the same color mode (Reference to Retouch with the Clone Stamp tool) while the Spot Healing Brush  quickly removes blemishes and other imperfections in your photos (Reference to Retouch with the Spot Healing Brush tool)

While Retouching...

Finished Retouching..

Spot the difference!  ;)

       

PS. I am getting to LOVE  Photoshop!

Info Graphics

- Information graphics or infographics are graphic visual representations of information,data or knowledge. These graphics present complex information quickly and clearly, such as in signs, maps, journalism, technical writing, and education. With an information graphic, computer scientists, mathematicians, and statisticians develop and communicate concepts using a single symbol to process information - 
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The color red has really caught my sight. Quite effective - indeed!

Found it ideally for children to explain by the usage of colors, pictures and information given.

A detailed one! Everything's organised and you can understand it pretty well..
Love the color scheme too!

For some other great examples of Infographics check out this site: http://theoatmeal.com/

Bicycle Thieves : Review

Rating: 6 out of 10


"Bicycle Thieves" is an Italian film which was released on November 24,1948. A neorealist film directed by Vittorio De Sica. Basically, the film is about a poor man searching the streets of Rome for his stolen bicycle, which he needs to be able to work.


The camera angles,shots and acting were quite good, but the storyline was far too simple to satisfy my tastes.I actually felt that the storyline was 'wasted' on a man searching for his bike. As simple as that!


Over all, let alone the storyline (in which I do believe it's a matter of tastes) I consider this film as a well made film, technically speaking (obviously!)


Trailer:

For more information regarding "Bicycle Thieves":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_Thieves 

Huge Success!!

Congratulations to me!! I have just managed to create my very first blog :) Basically, I am going to make use of this blog for education purposes and as part of an assignment. I will be posting information about our lessons and tasks given by our lecturers. Hope you will find my posts interesting and please feel free to comment!