IC3MPRS

The first day being the first of the semester felt like a drag. I had a discussion with a few other students based on their object. Most objects seemed to be of importance to each person and represent some kind of milestone or story in their lives. Clint presented a piece of obsidian that was past down by his grandfather. I myself have been looking for an object of that quality.

This was boredom at its finest. So I made this. My inspiration was the recent POTC poster (Dead Man Tell No Tales).

My visual essay is a poster highlighting the consequences of violence and most notably domestic violence. Each image represent different outcomes of violence. From getting arrested to family separations, these are the main parts focused on within my poster.

Doing this assignment, I’ve learned that I needed a lot of research in order to have an understanding of what violence is. But aside from research, a better understanding would come from different experiences and point of views from people who’s experienced this certain crisis. Growing up, I’ve always known about violence (and most commonly domestic violence). This knowledge led me to think about what kind of things I can input into my visual essay in order to not only have an impact the youth, but also our community as well. Growing up, the police wasn’t (and still isn’t) the most liked people in the world; that is why I had red and blue as the main colors for my poster. Next, I examined different fears and or negativity that us as humans have. What I’ve come upon was the fear of death, losing those you loved and being alone. That is why I have images that represent each of those aspects within my poster.

My poster is not only meant to impact teenagers and adults but also children as well. I do assure you that my intentions are good and not meant to scare, but to me that is the harsh reality of it. I’ve learned that this generation is more vulnerable and exposed to technology as well as the media and all its ugly truths. That is why my poster is bluntly exposing the truth about violence. Hopefully the people of not only New Zealand, but the world would see this and come to a realisation that we need to change for the future.

[1] Agre, P. 1997 Toward a Critical Technical Practice: Lessons Learned in Trying to Reform AI.

[2] http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11634543

Quick understanding of “Toward a Critical Technical Practice: Lessons Learned in Trying to Reform AI” by Philip E. Agre (1997)

My comprehension (simple summary)

Technology has become a norm within different societies used and integrated into day-to-day activities. Computers being the most common, those who design them give them the main functions of virtually recreating everything we do in our daily lives (well at least the hassles). Of course not everyone has the same mentalities (causing confrontations and arguments), in which some people prefer manual labor and or different methods. So in order for societies to advance, people must come to an understanding of having a mixture of both technological and physical work. One must also be accepting of change (AI most likely) for it will create future conveniences, opportunities and advancements.

Violence in Auckland

violence

1. behaviour involving physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill someone or something."violence erupted in protest marches"synonyms:brutality, brute force, roughness, ferocity, fierceness, savagery, cruelty, sadism, barbarity, barbarousness, brutishness, murderousness, bloodthirstiness, ruthlessness, inhumanity, heartlessness, pitilessness, mercilessness;

Statistics New Zealand has mapped 2015 police crime data, released to Newshub under the Official Information Act, to show the areas with the highest number of assaults, sexual assaults and robberies in public places.

The crimes include anything from rape to being beaten up or being robbed of your cellphone at knife-point.

Three of the five most violent city areas (precincts where there are more than 3000 residents) are in Auckland's CBD.

I would like to say that I’ve enjoyed my time in making this video, but I didn’t. There was so much stress and a lot of disappointment with the process. The whole idea of learning from your mistakes comes into mind but I have a feeling that this won’t be the last time I’m going to make them. Still, the project itself was very interesting to say the least. It helped me open my eyes to larger issues that are currently plaguing the world. I do believe that with enough time and prototyping, there will be a permanent cure or solution for these issues like depression.

Whilst I’m on the depression note, I’ve also realised something really crucial about the problem. Being depressed is seeing the world from a different perspective. Sure its a darker one, but still a different perspective. It made me think about seeing the world from a new point of view  and whether or not if we can create a device in which can help to nullify the effects of depression. Now that I think about it, it sounds like I’ suggesting brainwashing. Anyways, I being a crazy bastard would love to see life from a whole new pair of eyes, even if it is dark.

After a frantic run around to jog the memory, I’ve sat down and finally re-edited the whole video. Why you might ask! Because I done a rookie mistake. I saved the draft file over the final file. After realising what I just done, I rushed home and restarted. Anyways, the editing has finally been redone and I would say that I do like it more than the original. The only problem is that I feel like I’ve lost some sentimental value from the video due to the new edit. Again, there’s nothing I can do now beside from wait for the verdict. The edits were very tedious and annoying. Hopefully I’ve learned from this mistake.

P.S. I am running on no sleep at all. No caffeine. And no food. Welcome to the university life I guess.

I need to add a bit more realism into my short film. In order to do that I need to make a script that is a mixture of different perspectives of depression. Here are two that I’m taking into consideration.

- Some people with depression are withdrawn and can't look anyone in the eye.  They say, "Go to the party without me . . . you'll never have a good time if I come."  Others are pretty aggressive and critical, and make it clear that everything that's wrong is your fault.  Some swing from one mode to the other and back again. 

- “ I am depressed.  It never goes away.  It is how how I look at our brief existence on this planet.  I can't turn off this type of thinking.  I wish I could but I can't.  I can stop the circular thinking that leads to a downward spiral but I cannot stop the one time thoughts of how I perceive the world.  How I perceive the world I will not tell but I challenge the person willing to think deeply what life really is and where it is going.”

Reference:

- Tomorrow should be my last day for shooting before I bring everything together and edit the final. I still need to find some stock footage of a city scenery. That’ll cut down the amount of filming I have to do.

- My soundscape is ready and I’ve got a version where there is no background music. The version I’ve submitted originally has background music to it. The song itself is good, I just don’t think it’ll fit in to what I wanna create. I can cut down and edit the song during the overall editing process. So I don’t have to worry about editing it now.

- I’ve encountered some problems while filming. I’ve realised its really hard to focus the camera during night time. So I’m worried that when I get the videos from the camera, they’re gonna be so out of focus and impossible to use. I’m trying to come up with a contingency plan if that’s going to be the case. So far, I’ve only come up with the idea of dowsing the footage with a shit tonne of effects and hope for the best. Of course I’m going to make it look natural, but blending the footage is my only idea so far.

The other problem is that I don’t have people to film. I’m still looking for some actors and actresses to be in my video. My friend said to hire some people. “Yeah, if I had enough money to pay all of them”. He means well.

For the first scene, I chose to shoot during night time so the video can have a variety of transitions for the setting of the scenes. The scene will have the subject sitting there while the camera pans around him. I switched the order of the first two scenes because it seemed to have more of an effect. I will finalise these changes during editing but for now it will stick with the change.

FIRST SCENE (swapped with 2nd scene):

SECOND SCENE (swapped with 1st scene):

IMAGES FROM SHOOT:

We filmed in an alley way at Aotea Square because it gave more of a lonely sort of vibe (even though there was so many people around XD). The colors suited the scene perfectly unlike our original setting which was in front of Aotea square. The front of Aotea square had different colored lights everywhere and it just didn’t give of a sense of melancholy unlike the bland colored alleyway. I also told the subjects to dress in a one-colored way for more emphasis.

Because my film is based on depression and asking for help, I done some research based on depression, it’s symptoms, worst case scenarios and solutions.

“ Depression is a serious mental illness that can interfere with a person's life. It can cause long-lasting and severe feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and a loss of interest in activities. It can also cause physical symptoms of pain, appetite changes, and sleep problems.” (visit http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/314071.php)

From my point of view, depression is seeing the world from the most negative side of life. Everyone in society gets so caught up in trying to create a paradise that they forget reality. Those who have depression see the world for what it is, and though they do not mean to, they forget that sense of hope they once had.

But then again, everyone experiences depression differently.

“The world is not all candies and sprinkles”

Okay, this is basically the base of my film. Keep in mind the mid shots of the subjects are the guidelines of how I’m going to film the shots. The mid shots and close ups won’t stay as the same angle shown on the storyboard as well as the establishing shots. Some of the establishing shots might be stock footage I’ve downloaded (creative commons). Here’s the main part of the storyboard

WARNING: PLEASE EXCUSE MY BAD DRAWING SKILLS & HANDWRITING 

First Scene (showing subject)

- (Opening scene) Fade IN

- Mid shot

- Sound FX: Background Music & Soundscape

- Zoom OUT

Second Scene (Showing subject)

- Close Up shot

- Sound FX: BG Music & Narration

- Zoom OUT (slightest)

Third Scene (Scenery)

- Establishing shot

- Sound FX: BG Music (& narration)

- Panning or Zooming OUT

Fourth Scene (Subject (with friend))

- Mid shot

- Sound FX: Background & Soundscape

- Zooming IN (slowly)

Those shots will be repeated depending on how many subjects there are in the film. The last scene will be faded into a black screen containing the message “IT’S OKAY TO ASK FOR HELP” as that is the purpose of the short film.

ISSUE:

- I need a camera (and tripod if possible) for the shooting.

- Aside from the equipment, I also need subjects. Most preferably 3 or more.

- I need to book a day that's okay for the shoot.

CURRENT SONG PLAYING:

Pirate of the Caribbean Soundtrack 3: At wits end

These past few weeks, I’ve had a bad habit of not sticking to my blog posting schedule. I really need to get back into it. So to start it of, I’ve honestly fallen behind without realising it. I’ve gotten into habits that shouldn’t be there in the first place. I need to focus. So the final project is due in less than 3 weeks. I guess 2 weeks to be more precise. My current idea is to create a short-film that’s at least 2 to 3 minutes. I’ve already got the soundscape, now I just need an actor or two, a camera, and a solidified purpose or concept for the actual film itself.

The current idea for the film was supposed to be about depression and the point of views that people (who are affected by it) have. My idea was a simple yet complicated one based on the fact that its okay to ask for help. I’m still leaning towards those ideas and those values but then again, I could change a few things to make it a bit more meaningful than it already is. Maybe add something that can make me as well as the audience more empathetic towards the idea.

Just a quick edit of Hanzo and Genji Shimada                            (Characters from the video-game Overwatch)

Editor: IC3MPRS

So my idea for my final project is to use my soundscape to create a short-film. Because I created my soundscape with a movie concept in mind, it makes sense to follow it up with some sort of film/video. The whole tone of the film is set to be really dark and gloomy. The colors will be based on the theme as well as the purpose/situation that is being presented in the film. The main purpose is to see the world from a darker/depressing point of view. I want to create something that says its okay to ask for help.

At first, I thought the idea of blogging was a bit of a step back. The whole notion of writing or typing down your ideas was a bit too “old fashioned” considering the fact that we now live in a multimedia based future. I at times did start to doubt this grading system, but as time progressed, I grew quite fond of it. The only problem was that everyone else blogged as well and I truly doubt that someone would actually sit there and read through scriptures of blog posts about how someones day went or how some things are truly unjust and needed fixing. Anyways... back to the point at hand.

In my opinion, creativity is everything. So in saying so, I don’t think its possible to teach someone how to be creative. Creativity isn’t a skill, its a choice and I feel that it is something that is just taught to anyone at anytime. I find that the thing about creativity is that you don’t have limitations; and without limitations, you have endless possibilities to do whatever you want. Your potential goes as far as the limit of your creativity.

The act of critical self-reflection to me is biased. In one hand, you have the freedom to judge yourself without the fear or anxiety of someone judging you constantly looming over your head. The other thing that comes with it is the self-doubt that's always at the back of your mind.

I would need to express that my blogging procedure hasn't definitely changed from when I initially began. I've understood that I'm beginning to acquire stretched out learning of how to adapt or adjust to the current circumstances and join it into my blog composing. I thought that it was vital to blog about the present condition of how a specific task was being kept yet at the same time keep up an individual yet somewhat casual style to it. I would state that the way I blog can relate back to me in the way I think more than physically and verbally convey what needs be. That was my log style. Since the Cards for Play task, the main thing that has truly changed is the length of my logs and how much detail I put into them. Be that as it may, on the other hand, I was never one for delaying the clarification of a specific matter. I'd like to simply come to the heart of the matter. Quick and painless. Through close examination, I've seen that the length of my blogs relied upon how much I've enjoyed or completely comprehended the genuine assignments. Lets be realistic here, its less demanding to blog about something you like and get. I don't know about the lecturers procedure of marking, but rather I simply trust that toward the end, its based around quality over quantity.

My ‘individual participation/ progress and reflection’. I feel that I have done a fairly average job if I base my blog back to the criteria of self-reflection. I wouldn’t say that I am fully satisfied with my current state of blogging because there is always room for error and change. With my current and past blogs, there isn’t much words, but keep in mind, it still has what needed to be explained. The way that I think is that, my work isn’t meant to have too much words [unless there’s a certain amount stated in the criteria]. You just need to get straight to the point.

I’m starting to realise how important it is to always have an open mind to everything [even if you find the ideas some what absurd or stupid]. Keeping an open mind can open multiple opportunities and create new and exciting ideas leading to bigger things. Originality is a hard thing to find these days, that’s why I think that with some creativity, anything can become original. Like I said, I’ve now gained the knowledge of adjusting to any situation thrown at me. That is a plus side of keeping an open mind.

Final Script:

BREAKING NEWS MONTAGE/BACKSTORY INTRODUCTION

We introduce the story through a montage of breaking news footage (stock footage) with voiceovers for each one to vaguely explain the backstory and setting of the short film. The montage will transition from references to the prelude of the Third World War and lead into current world events happening near 2050.

1st footage

“The first intercontinental nuclear missile strike was launched against the USA. Are we on the verge of a Third World War?”

2nd footage

“Death toll rises to 400,000 with the environmental damage escalating to…”

3rd footage

“After 3 long years, North Korea and China finally laid down their arms in an uneasy ceasefire.”

4th footage

“The demand for nanotechnology has reached an all-time high signalling a strong wind of change in global technological markets.[1]”

5th footage

“Studies confirm that technological advancement has reached an all-time high with processors doubling in power every 3 months.[2]”

6th footage

“The African, Asian and European governments along with the World Bank have begun addressing USA’s involvement in the ‘e-waste’ crisis.”

7th footage

“After years of debate, the USA has promised building over a thousand recycling factories around the world estimated to be built within the next 10 years.”

Fade In: (revise)

MUSIC CUE: Flight Man of Steel Theme

EXT. ABANDONED WAREHOUSE – DAY

A car enters the scene and abruptly stops. An AGENT exits the car and makes his way to the trunk along with AGENT 2. They get the PRESIDENT out of the car with a hood covering his face. The camera then tracks the PRESIDENT along with the AGENT and AGENT 2 escorting to him to a garage door where the GUARD knocks and it is lifted open. When the interior is shown, we see a lone chair in the middle of the room.

INTERCUT HALLWAYS

Three figures are seen making their way into a series of hallways. All three are shot together from different angles that show them walking and exposing their full figures but not their faces.

MUSIC END

MUSIC CUE: Doors Open from Both Sides

INT. ROOM (DARK)

The PRESIDENT is tied up to a chair in the middle of a dark room. Three figures make their way in front of the PRESIDENT and introduces themselves.

FIGURE 1

“Greetings, Mr. President.”

PRESIDENT

“What is the meaning of this?”

FIGURE 1

“We only require a short moment of your time. Let me introduce myself: I am the AMBASSADOR OF AFRICA. To my right is the AMBASSADOR OF EUROPE and to my left is the AMBASSADOR OF ASIA.”

PRESIDENT

“You know this will not end well for you three.”

AMBASSADOR OF EUROPE

“Mankind is on the verge of extinction with several countries being severely affected by the dumping of e-waste.”

AMBASSADOR OF ASIA

“Asia has also suffered from mass increases of e-waste dumping within the past decade. My people work tirelessly to sort through your e-waste are dying from it.[3]”

AMBASSADOR OF AFRICA

“Tell me, Mr. President. Are you truly aware of the damage e-waste has caused?”

PRESIDENT

“I am fully aware of the damage e-waste is causing in developing countries and around the world. But I was certain that our aid and relief programs had it all under control.”

AMBASSADOR OF ASIA

“With all due respect, the reason you’re here is because YOU made US that solution. Our countries realized that e-waste was only a catalyst that brought to light the more important issue: Human Life.”

PRESIDENT

“As the President, it is my job to make the hard and cruel sacrifices to ensure the progress of man. But what must be understood as well is that it’s for the survival of MY PEOPLE. We must also understand that the sole chance of survival and progression of mankind as a race is understanding that the future will have capabilities…”

AMBASSADOR OF EUROPE

“And risk further suffering for them to inherit?”

AMBASSADOR OF ASIA

“For some time now, we have secretly amassed weaponry that will rival the technology of your government.”

AMBASSADOR OF AFRICA

“The damage caused by your government’s actions can no longer be ignored. If you do not end the e-waste dumping in our nations, we will declare THE FOURTH WORLD WAR.”

PRESIDENT

“Why would you go through all this trouble if you already had weapons of mass destruction at your disposal!?”

AMBASSADOR OF AFRICA

“Because we want to offer this world a chance to experience TRUE restoration. Soon, you will be handed the e-waste partnership bill. We strongly advise you to reconsider signing it.”

PRESIDENT

“…and if I refuse?”

AMBASSADOR OF AFRICA

“Then mankind will rest in the grave it has dug for itself.”

MUSIC END

Black Screen and Fade Into:

INT. ELEVATOR/CORRIDOR

We see AGENT coming from the ELEVATOR and making his way down the corridor.

Cut to:

INT. PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE – DUSK

The PRESIDENT is seen sitting with a desk in front, two glasses of Black Heart rum with the bottle, a laptop and an open window of view of the city. The AGENT is seen presenting himself in front of the PRESIDENT and placing the partnership bill towards him. He asks:

AGENT

“Are you sure about this?”

PRESIDENT

“My decision is final.”

AGENT

“Very well.”

The AGENT then exits the room when the PRESIDENT provides his reply. The scene cuts to the bill being signed shot in first person view.

It then cuts to a scene showing the PRESIDENT staring through the window.