Kfilm interface design

Published on May 27, 2010 in Integrated Media One. 0 Comments Tags: , .

The other information to check out is on the IM1 website where there is a growing amount of korsakow and design tips.

DESIGN – INTERFACE; SCREEN

With the use of the applicaiton opened up in this assessment task there is notes on design in regards to the interface. On the Some Interface Design Steps webpage which follows the video knotes. In the video knotes there is sections on the interface and thumbnails. Here Adrian reinforces making a number of versions and prepared to adapt the interface as part of the iterative process of design and production. Reading Adrian’s notes provides some insights into what does and does not work. Reading between the lines it seems it is better to do as much as you can in PhotoShop as the interface editor in korsakow are reasonably basic. Also be carefiul playing in the CSS Cascading Style Sheets of the index.html for the exported site. Editing the index.html is discussed in the screen notes. Sticking with simple name, text changes seems to be a safe bet. In the notes on the screen again in relation to design. In here there is a facility to include one sound track over the top of the work.

There is also some readings on layout and design. And a link to tutorial on Grid systems in Web Design.

Grid systems in Web Design | Website design’, Tutorial Blog [accessed 11 May 2010].

Introductory as it just provides links to other places discussing the use of grids.

Nielsen, Jakob, ‘Usability 101: Definition and Fundamentals – What, Why, How (Jakob Nielsen’s Alertbox)’, Useit.com: Usable Information Technology [accessed 11 May 2010].

Nielsen is an information architect guru. His views are sometimes severe – usability comes before pretty much any other consideration, but this is the person you read to understand usability. Then you can play with breaking some of the rules (because you know them and the consequences).

‘Creating Effective Web Designs Through The Use of Grids’, Lilo: Web Design London [accessed 11 May 2010].

Short, basic but to the point and perhaps the most useful. Provides rule, guidelines and the sketch of an explanation.

The art of the SNU

Published on May 27, 2010 in Integrated Media One. 0 Comments Tags: , .

STRUCTURE (The art of the SNU)

The other major thing that is beginning to emerge is notes on the structuring of a kfilm. The annotation process of adding keywords to each video clip. In Adrian’s notes ‘Making Squared’ there are some strong points on responding the video material recorded, I would argue from the perspective of documentary-making. This mean if you are not making a drama as described in these notes you need to develop the skill of looking at the material you have and working with SNUifying in a similar way to how you would work with editing a linear documentary. In other words you need to look at the material and see what it is offering rather than prescribing a pre-determined script that remains fixed. In a documentary edit depending on the process used towards recording material the script can change substantially.

In these notes the making of a song is used as an example in terms of how something is built up. It is all about looking for patterns and finding ways to represent those patterns simply using a framework that repeats and becomes familar for the user. Adrian makes the point that defining rules or a framework gives the user a structure to follow and get used to. This is not that different from a documentary edit were the viewer is early on in linear narrative provided with a structure that then falls into the background underneath the content. The focus moves to grappling the content/subject not the structure.

Repeated rules are covered in the Korsakow Tips and Tricks notes.

10. Start simple. Complex structure is created by the repeated application of simple rules. Use this when thinking about keywords. Don’t use 20, use 4, build, export, test. Then think about what changes you might need.

14. Complexity comes from the iteration of a simple structure (or rule). You build complex structures (patterns) in a k-film not by using a lot of keywords but by defining and applying a simple set of rules, consistently.

IM1 final week

Published on May 27, 2010 in Integrated Media One. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

There is a lot happening as we come into the last week of the course Intergrated Media 1. There is the participation exercise to complete. If you missed a lab this week it is all here on the Mog.

PARTICIPATION

Starting with the participation notes on the IM1 website. Quoted from the Mog post A Participation Protocol

2. write a blog post that has links to:
i. your participation criteria from earlier this semester
ii. that discusses and provides evidence of this participation through your semester (evidenced by things in your blog)
iii. identifies at least one main activity that most influenced you as a *learner* this semester

3. this blog post also needs to
i. discuss what you have learnt to do well (just one thing)
ii. discuss what you have learnt to do better (just one thing)
iii. discuss what you could have done better (just one thing).

4. you need to send an email to Seth with the url of this blog post and the mark you are giving yourself for participation. This mark is fail, pass, credit, distinction, high distinction, and you can qualify it with low, mid, or high (eg “high credit”). DO NOT INCLUDE THE MARK IN YOUR BLOG.

the main thing that your blog post MUST do for your mark to be valid (ie recorded) is to be able to demonstrate a) whether or not your participation criteria were relevant to you being able to learn and b) providing evidence of change through the semester. This is from your blog, as blogs are not assessed in Integrated Media One, but they are the place in which your participation is documented.

MAJOR PROJECT

Then we move to finalsing the major project. The first thing to check out is the assessment criteria so you have a good idea of how the project will be assessed. Remembering there is an individual assessement component and the group component.

ESSAY

With the essay part look closely at the contextulaising section as it very specifically covers what is expected in the first part of the essay. In the reading section look closely at the part on using the project itself or the theory to dicuss the project you made.

PROJECT

In the project assessment section keep an eye on the connections that need to be made between the video clips and the project concept. This could be spelled out in the first part of the essay. Again, in relation to the interface design look at including this in the discusson on aesthetics in the essay (part 1) section. The other really important aspect to consider is the ’stucture and pattern’ of the project which is an area that has been covered extensively this semester in the lectures and readings. In the essay (part 1) stucture and pattern is covered as part of the assessment so make sure you cover this in the essay. Remembering your essay will be providing a lot of context for assessing the actual project.

KORSAKOW TIPS

The other information to check out is on the IM1 website where there is a growing amount of korsakow and design tips.

DESIGN – INTERFACE; SCREEN

With the use of the applicaiton opened up in this assessment task there is notes on design in regards to the interface. On the Some Interface Design Steps webpage which follows the video knotes. In the video knotes there is sections on the interface and thumbnails. Here Adrian reinforces making a number of versions and prepared to adapt the interface as part of the iterative process of design and production. Reading Adrian’s notes provides some insights into what does and does not work. Reading between the lines it seems it is better to do as much as you can in PhotoShop as the interface editor in korsakow are reasonably basic. Also be carefiul playing in the CSS Cascading Style Sheets of the index.html for the exported site. Editing the index.html is discussed in the screen notes. Sticking with simple name, text changes seems to be a safe bet. In the notes on the screen again in relation to design. In here there is a facility to include one sound track over the top of the work.

There is also some readings on layout and design. And a link to tutorial on Grid systems in Web Design.

Grid systems in Web Design | Website design’, Tutorial Blog [accessed 11 May 2010].

Introductory as it just provides links to other places discussing the use of grids.

Nielsen, Jakob, ‘Usability 101: Definition and Fundamentals – What, Why, How (Jakob Nielsen’s Alertbox)’, Useit.com: Usable Information Technology [accessed 11 May 2010].

Nielsen is an information architect guru. His views are sometimes severe – usability comes before pretty much any other consideration, but this is the person you read to understand usability. Then you can play with breaking some of the rules (because you know them and the consequences).

‘Creating Effective Web Designs Through The Use of Grids’, Lilo: Web Design London [accessed 11 May 2010].

Short, basic but to the point and perhaps the most useful. Provides rule, guidelines and the sketch of an explanation.

The Collection

Published on May 27, 2010 in Integrated Media One. 0 Comments

This post is reblogged from Mog.

 

This post provides links to the bits and bobs needed for the final project.

Tags: ,
[From The Collection]

 

Burning the project CD

Published on May 19, 2010 in Editing Media Texts. 0 Comments Tags: , .

This video tutorial covers the file types that need to be submiited for the project assignment in editing media texts, 2010. Also, there is a demonstration on how to burn the files onto a CD on a Mac.

Remember to make a BACK UP second copy, check all your files can be transferred to the desktop from the CD to the desktop and they can be opened up for assessment.

and name the front of your CD – full name and student no.





Play Quicktime version

iMovie export – .mov file

Published on May 19, 2010 in Editing Media Texts. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

A video tutorial on exporting the video work (a .mov file) in iMovie 09′. You will need to make sure it is 1 minute in duration.





Play Quicktime version

Sound export – MP3

Published on May 14, 2010 in Editing Media Texts. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

A video tutorial on exporting the sound work (a .MP3 file) in garagband to 1 minute in duration.





Play Quicktime version

Sound into iMovie 09′

Published on May 13, 2010 in Editing Media Texts. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Here is a video screencast on getting a video from YouTube via Keepvid and then extracting that sound from that video and exporting it into a .aif sound file that can be added to video clips in iMovie 09′.





Play Quicktime version

imovie 09 backup

Published on May 13, 2010 in Editing Media Texts. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

This is a screencast video on how to back up iMovie 09′ projects to your USB or external drive. Compared to the 06′ version iMovie 09′ refers to the original video files rather than taking them into the project itself. This means you need to keep all your folders together – content (media assets) and the project files. Both (IMOVIE PROJECT; IMOVIE EVENTS) need to be backed up on your USB and external then returned ONLY to the MOVIES FOLDER in your home directory, when you need to work on your video mashup on a computer. It is also important not to move folders and files around. (Click on the image below to learn more)





Play Quicktime version

week 10, editing media texts

Published on May 10, 2010 in Editing Media Texts. 0 Comments

Week 10 is the second week of the video block.

Lecture
The lecture this week will feature some scenes from the DVD documentary ‘The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing’ with a focus on the concept of the gap in those selected scenes.

Lab/studio

Due from week 9:
Bring in drafted and finished versions of creative works for hat critique. (image, sound, video)

In week 10:
Troubleshooting iMovie
Demonstration on how to make the verbal responses as video commentaries for the project task submission (in IMovie).
Discussion with students interested in script feedback from ABC TV.
Coloured hat critiques.

Readings: All for the 3 week video block:

Timothy Corrigan, Patricia White, ‘Chapter 4, Relating Images: Editing’, The Film Experience: An Introduction’, Bedford St. Martins: Boston, p. 110-118

(hardcopy supplied) Walter Murch, In the Blink of the Eye, Australian Film, Television and Radio School, Sydney, 1992, p. 9-25

Jay Leyda, Zina Voynow, ‘The Montage of Film Attractions’, Eisenstein at Work’, Metheun: London, 1982, p. 17-2

iMovie workshop

Published on May 3, 2010 in Editing Media Texts. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Context:
Wikipedia iMovie overview – notes changes in interface to 08′ version late 2007.
Criticism of the review in NYT (2007) – Apple Takes a Step Back With iMovie ’08
MacWorld review (2006) – useful overview of changes which help with thinking about how to make connections between this application iMovie 09′ and the concept.

The bottomline is that this version of iMovie places the emphasis on a simple well conceived idea that can be implemented without to many complex effects. The quick cut and paste nature dictates a certain type of approach towards a video mashup. For example, remember something like the Costello Yellow example on the ABC mashup website in Tony Jones’ top picks.

Apple has online tutorials that cover aspects of the application. These are good starting point for learning through using the application.
Trimming
Adding music

hardvideo, softvideo

Published on May 3, 2010 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Softvideography lecture Adrian Miles, wk 9 Integrated Media 1.

Hardcopy Softcopy
Miles extended Diane Balestri’s softcopy concept (1988) to include video. Balestri instigated this concept mainly around writing. The concept tends to focus on output. Looking at working with text on a computer have been (quote) ‘naturalised’. A critique of the concept of ‘naturalised’ is that these characteristics have been developed over time- in other words they become ‘naturalised’ over time and through practice.

Miles then ran through a number of these qualities. For example:
Inserting images into text
Changing the format and size of a document…
Editing – cut and paste – moving paragraphs
Spell check

Has the computer made writing easier? The slow writing movement contradicts the move to writing on a computer, for example. Once writing is published and printed to paper all these qualities are lost. Softcopy presumes the end point is the computer, not paper. The example of a bibliography being set to being alphabetical becomes irrelevant on a computer as the authors can be searched.

Screens
We are no longer working on pages, we are working on screens, we are working with numerous computer windows. There could be a number of applications open on your computer at any one time and we work across these from one to another. Multi-tasking. Also, pages are not constrained within one size. They can go off in varying directions infinitely. For example, a web page and scroll down. (Quote) ‘The screen does not have an edge, edges are accidental’

Malleable
The pages (windows) are always malleable – i.e the page size can be scaled up and down. (Quote) ‘The typography can be changed by the reader.’(Quote) ‘It is hypertext – it works on the assumption that nothing is ever fixed.’

Distance
Distance is irrelevant. No matter where the location the web pages are equally far apart. Bolivia to Shepparton, Victoria, Australia.
Front pages or a starting page is irrelevant. (quote) ‘Every page is equal.’ Order is up for grabs as the reader can alter the order of the web pages. Multiple views can be created on the same content. i.e. the varying views available in the application Tinderbox.

Equal rights for the user
There are tools that producer/creator/writer can use like the font type which are not made available to the user/reader.
(quote) What happens when the user is given the same rights? Wikipedia is one example as anyone can edit a page. Users have the same rights as the producers. This is a publishing system that anyone can edit. A wikipedia is an example of softcopy – it is malleable. A softcopy environment brings up questions of how much control is given to the user.

Miles briefly covered in this argument video content being made with the computer in mind and therefore being responsive to these qualities. This is the filmmaker giving up control of the content with the user being able to make changes to that content. (quote) ‘Treating the computer as integral to the work.’

Relationships:
The objective shifts to setting up relationships with users. Miles used the strong analogy of parents and their children as an example, were parents do not own their children. Instead they guide them to have relationships with others.

Softvideo:
In a k-film the sequence is defined by the user. (quote) ‘Activating a link becomes an edit.’ In the softvideo environment attention becomes arbitrary as other things may occur at the time of viewing. This effects the way the producer envisages the outcome.

Potential characteristics:
Multiple screens
External links
Separate parts – multiple video clips that exist independently online.

Notes from examples shown in the lecture:
The video scales up and down
Variable speed
Differing shapes – the fixed rectangular frame no longer applies
Compression can change – noise, artefacts can appear
Things/parts (separate objects) can be turned off and on (i.e. like text)

Frame speed – out goes 24 fps…
Even frame speed is not set on a computer. All these qualities that are fixed in cinema can be altered. A direct example of softvideo demonstrated. In quicktime a still image with a sound track has no frames per second (ZERO) as the image is held separate of the sound track, which plays independently.

Readings:

http://vogmae.net.au/intmedia/readings/Readings-Softvideo.html

Miles, Adrian, ‘Softvideography’, in CyberText Yearbook 2002-2003 (Jyväskylän: Research Center for Contemporary Culture, 2003), pp. 218-236. Available at: http://vogmae.net.au/research/thinking/Softvideography/

Miles, Adrian, ‘Softvideography: Digital Video as Postliterate Practice’, in Small Tech: The Culture of Digital Tools (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2008), pp. 10-21. available via: http://vogmae.net.au/research/thinking/Softvideography-Digital-Video-as-Postliterate-Practice/

Miles, Adrian, ‘Media Rich versus Rich Media (Or Why Video in a Blog is not the Same as a Video Blog)’, in Blogtalk Downunder (Sydney, 2005) . Introduction and outline available via: http://vogmae.net.au/research/thinking/Media-Rich-Versus-Rich-Media/

Miles, Adrian, ‘A Vision for Genuine Rich Media Blogging’, in Uses of Blogs (New York: Peter Lang, 2006), pp. 213-22. Available via: http://vogmae.net.au/research/thinking/Vision-For-Genuine-Rich-Media-Blogging/