Final Reflection

Digitizing Comments on the Digital

This documentary was my first attempt at stringing scenes together into a cohesive story using a movie making software. I specifically used Windows Movie Maker for my project as I am a PC owner. I originally would have liked to have been able to use iMovie since that is the software with which we practiced in class; however, after a rather unsuccessful attempt at converting video clips on iMovie, I figured it would be simpler to proceed with Windows Movie Maker. Captioning was kind of challenging at first, especially just figuring out the technical aspects of how to time it so that I can begin a new caption, but once I got the hang of that, the process was rather simple. It was only time-consuming, which is my only complaint, since I had to listen, pause, type and repeat that process. I quickly learned that the captions don’t have to match the audio to the exact second though it wouldn’t be good to have the captions too off. I feel that would not only be distracting to those watching and reading at the same time but also sort of deceitful to an audience with disabilities and who relies on the captions to provide an experience closest to the original as possible.

The production process consisted of me outlining the components I wanted to include in my video where image stills figured largely into it. Part of my preparation involved gathering the screen shots that corresponded to each piece of information that I wanted to present. I also wanted to include clips of professional dancers, so I collected that as well. Finally, I thought it would be a cool introduction to have myself do a simple and short combination of ballet steps. I was lucky to have a friend be able to film in my room so I didn’t have to bother much with tripod settings and constantly adjusting it for the right angle. The lighting in my room was ideal without being too bright or too dim for shadows. It had a nice, quiet ambient that was perfect for the slower ballet music. One of my aesthetic aims for this video was to keep in line with the slower, fluid, and melodious aspects of ballet and the music.

My target audience was students of dance and/or anyone interested in digital culture, particularly how non-digital discourses intersect with the digital realm. Keeping this in mind has influenced me to present the kind of information I did and in the way I did, which was supposed to be a logical, easy-to-follow progression punctuated by certain choices made purely for aesthetic reasons. In other words, the rhetorical reasoning behind including the dance clips and interspersing them throughout the video rather than just including it all at once at the end was to keep the flow of the video tied to the idea of dance. I also felt like it broke up what could have potentially been a tedious string of voice-over clips and thereby serve to engage an audience of dancers more. Plus, considering that one of the intended tones for my video was to be educational, I felt seeing beautiful performances would inspire students at the same time.

While the dance footage itself served to create the pathos for the message for its artistry and inspiration, the screen shots coming from reputed websites such as DanceAdvantage.net and theballetstore.com contributed to both logos and ethos. The credibility of the websites built my own video’s credibility in relaying the information I did while providing a logical and informative basis. Seeing as my aim was to direct students to actual helpful resources, using popular sites with substance was obviously of utmost importance. Offering a concise summary for each of the screen shots so that it is most accessible to the dancer audience helped to build logos. Perhaps it was this choice that may have made my logos appeal a bit weak to the more academically-oriented audience who would typically be interested in more in-depth analysis than what I ended up offering in my video. Furthermore, the clip of me doing a simple dance combination helped to boost my credibility by showing me engaged in the actual art I intend to discuss in my video so there is physical evidence that this is something I do and enjoy.

Based on what I originally intended for my two general audiences and what I actually ended up creating, I have to say that my video really seems to be of more value to one audience than the other, that is, dancers moreso than academia. It is true that my rhetorical choices lean more heavily towards dance and musical aesthetics and a rather basic offering of information. I wish I had spent more time developing how I could make my video useful for scholarly discussions as well. Some suggestions I can think of in retrospect are including clusters of information relating to certain umbrella topic, as in “community,” and using more of the digital studies terminology we spent class time discussing. So if I were to revise this video, I would perhaps include “fandom and online community” as one area of analysis, make that heading explicit, and have included more than Facebook as an example. This would also mean cutting back on some of the clips and really only using them to exemplify another category of digital culture under which YouTube would fall (interactive platforms and/or digitizing entertainment).

Nevertheless, part of what is inherently challenging about serving both audiences is that their interests really are divergent. I doubt most dancers looking for helpful, go-to information would care to stop and analyze the scholarly aspect of what exactly they wish to access online. In this regard, I feel my video was at least somewhat successful in directly addressing the needs of one audience. At least this project was a lesson that a very specific message can really be delivered to one type of a specific audience, and that trying to meet the needs of two very different audiences requires a careful balance of moderation.

Because the topic I chose is a traditionally non-digital discourse, I feel like this project really challenged me to applying knowledge from class in a different context. Other than using the practical software skills we explored in class, such as video editing, this project was really an opportunity to isolate certain subtopics relating to new media, which in my case included the larger notion of fandom as including dancers (or practitioners of a certain art) and how they may engage in their fandom (or art) online. 



image courtesy of: http://www.iteclansing.org/digital-media/

Ballet in the Digital World: Final Project

Hey there! Check out my documentary commenting on an aspect of digital culture!

Redefining Delivery for Digital Rhetoric

I would just like to take a moment and just share some of my impressions of Porter's article that we had to read for class on Monday. I've been rather fascinated by some of the theoretical studies we have been doing on the art (or techne) of rhetoric in this course, and it's very useful and relevant information to know for those aspiring in fields that really require a refined knowledge of effective communication. Well, this article is no exception to broadening that understanding especially in the context of web-based or digital communication.

Basically, delivery can be summed up as having five general components in the digital realm. They are body/identity, distribution/circulation, access/accessibility, interaction/interactivity, and economics. What I really got out of studying these concepts is a greater awareness of how I might utilize these theories to my advantage for any future digital projects I might choose to embark on. In fact, in addition to some other concepts we have explored in this class regarding effective presentation, such as the visual arrangements and tropes, I feel a solid understanding of the basic concepts in this class, as well as the softwares we have dabbled with, equip us with a variety of creative tools to use. I've never been strong in the visual and technical areas as I somehow never really had an affinity for them. However, I'm glad to have had the exposure in this class to be able to think more critically about the visual and technical aspects of any project to at least come up with a good vision for any project.

In the end, you can always hire someone else to do the step-by-step work which is what people hire web developers, programmers, and artists for. But if you at least have the power and ability to conceptualize the overarching idea, then more power to you!

Ranking Documentaries

1. Nature Documentary

2. Autism Reality

3. It's In Your Hands

4. Ken Burns' Civil War

5. My class project documentary

6. Ghost Hunters

7. Borat

8. Surveillance Cameras

9. Parks and Recreation

10. American Idol

11. Jersey Shore

12. Pirates of the Caribbean.

I would group both the documentary I am making as well as the one I viewed last night within the top five group as being all documentaries of some sort based on the set of criteria established in Juel's article. I ranked "It's In Your Hands" above the civil war documentary just because of its relevance to our time and the fact that it was shot with live footage versus a narration/account of a historical period where it is impossible to capture live footage of the actual events being discussed. I suppose by these criteria I could have ranked my own documentary above the civil war one as well, but mine being made by a total amateur, I didn't feel comfortable to personally make that call! Nevertheless, mine will definitely address reality as it is rather than follow a script of fiction.

Let's Define Documentary

I guess I never realized how not quite straightforward the definition for documentary is after considering the debate Juel brought up in his class. The simplistic and overarching definitions seem accurate enough, but really only demonstrate a single aspect of documentaries out of many to consider. The whole issue with using ethics, politics, and aesthetics as the basis for evaluating a film's genre really is that these characteristics cut across genre lines. Any dramatization of a story can include these elements yet it will remain exactly that--a dramatization. Which leads into another issue called propaganda, or an exaggeration of truth in bias towards a specific ethical or political stance. Propaganda is a characteristic Juel clearly explains to not be a goal of a true documentary.

What I personally feel after evaluating many of the criteria described by Juel is that documentaries really have to strike a balance between pure realism on one end and specific aesthetic goals of the producer/director on the other end. Like Juel himself mentioned, surveillance videos are depictions of the real world and real people without acting to a specific script, yet this could hardly be called a documentary. Even a reality T.V. show could not be called a documentary and there is still some purpose behind them, if only entertainment. I feel while documentaries have to be engaging and entertaining enough to keep an audience, their ultimate purpose of highlighting or showcasing reality trumps entertainment. On the other hand, a film like "Pirates of the Caribbean" is a fictional story whose purpose is to entertain even if it draws inspiration from historical fact.

In the end, it's not even style that counts so much as the purpose and premise. There are fictional films for entertainment filmed in documentary style i.e. the YouTube horror series "Marble Hornets," "The Blair Witch Project," and even the 1970's version of "The Last House on the Left." To me, a documentary seems to be a balance between reality and aesthetics, with a specific goal in mind, but also based on very current and relevant premises.

Shakira on Facebook

Facebook uses a pretty standard layout that is common to most profiles and pages. So there isn't anything too unique about singer Shakira's Facebook page. Her profile's layout is definitely very simple, though it does use the new "timeline" layout (it is still pretty generic in terms of overall color scheme and background).

As for contributing, there are thousands of comments for each of her status updates, as would be expected for a celebrity! I'm not sure if I'm particularly keen on contributing because I feel a little turned off by the sheer massiveness of the community.

Also, I guess I'm not heavily into following celebrity lives and updates really all that much. Once in a while I just like to poke around out of curiosity. One benefit of the page is pure amusement as one can see more personal photos of Shakira and thus get a glimpse into her personal life a little more. It's always interesting to see such a huge public personality on a more modest and moderate level like the rest of us. Nevertheless, the posts are still related to the more high-profile activities, such as a meeting with Bill Gates regarding social justice activism.

Humor in the Personification of Nations

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imMmlEx4eWI&feature=related

Personifying stereotypes of different countries, the anime “Axis Powers Hetalia” started as a webcomic by Hidekazu Himaruya and soon gained momentum and popularity for its refreshing and endearing wit. The story primarily follows three countries, or rather, young men, named Japan, Germany, and Italy as they band together to strategize for World War II. Set against the backdrop of a hopeless ploy by the Axis Powers to take over the world, a number of other countries, also characterized as people, are thrown into the mix for a hilarious portrayal of international relations that makes light of real-life tensions between countries, past or present. Following its internet sensationalism, “Axis Powers Hetalia,” has generated a large fan following fed in large part by a host of related memes, from official clips, fan-made videos, and special catch-phrases from the show itself. In particular, the ending theme “Marukaite Chikyuu,” remains one of the most popular of Axis Powers memes captures its audience through a child-like, innocent musical and humorous appeal.

The Japanese song literally translates to “Draw a Circle, That’s the Earth” and fosters a sense of unity while playing on a particular country’s stereotypes. There are a variety of versions, each sung from the point of view of a different country/character and articulating the respective stereotypes. Broken down, the song follows a sequence of addressing one’s mother and father and recalling a memory of a special food and/or drink, all specific to the country who is singing, and leading into the refrain of drawing a circle to represent the earth. It ends with an emphatic declaration of how fabulous the world is and a line that characterizes a commonly known stereotype of that country.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giDkDri0JXw&feature=related

In its largest sense, “Marukaite Chikyuu” is an example of fandom where one of the key features is informality. In general, informality is what enhances a meme’s appeal, particularly to a youth audience. Especially in the case of such an anime, the laid-back approach to a topic of considerable study and fascination, World War II, creates an interest surrounding one of the saddest historical episodes of the 20th century.

In general, memes typically produce the effect they do because of the power of informality and fandom to cause their “going viral,” or gaining a massive momentum of popularity on the web. A variety of characteristics and rhetorical techniques may contribute to this effect, all typically some form of colloquial language that most effectively relays a message or attitude with which the audience can readily identify. Generally speaking, a meme focuses on an everyday experience that may be particular to a specific community or it may simply hold a universally emotional message.
With respect to the idea of informality, one rhetorical appeal stems from reducing a complex and emotionally-charged subject matter to a playful and child-like innocent level. The song does not follow a complicated sequence; rather it follows the sort of a sing-song rhythm a child’s rhyme typically would. It is important to note that this particular series of anime shorts deals with controversial issues regarding World War II, each nation’s role in the war, and the often strained, even violent, relations between certain nations today. The theme song can be interpreted as indirectly making light of this situation by finishing each episode with a seemingly nonsensical “flourish” so to speak, as the repetition of “Draw a Circle, That’s the Earth” seems to suggest.

However, the overall simplicity as well a phrase in the song praising “the wonderful world” seem to reinforce unity and positivity in cross-cultural discourse. The humorous, child-like, and light-hearted attitude that is the hallmark of this meme seems to suggest that we all take a step back, examine who and what we really are (humans), and laugh about our tensions and friction with each other. Whether or not this is sound advice for navigating the intricacies of diplomacy and transnational conflict is another question. However, as far as memes go, this one certainly accomplishes a similar goal as many other memes, that is, to poke fun at some issue and thereby relieve some of the tension surrounding it.

Another rhetorical appeal of this meme is the presence of universality in a highly contextualized framework. Specifically, the universal concept of parents and childhood foods are packaged into the context of a specific culture, depending on the version of the song. Each version of the song opens along the lines of “hey papa, hey mama, I can’t forget that (culinary specialty)!” An interesting twist is using the colloquial word for mother and father specific to said culture. Nevertheless, the universality is still present. One resulting effect is diminishing cultural barriers that would otherwise exist in cross-cultural discourse and thereby bringing the audience, regardless of background, closer to being able to relate to the culture being represented at hand. In spite of the stark differences that exist amongst cultures, this opening marks a profound message regarding the different human cultures and lifestyles that exist in our world. In a simple, quirky, and humorous way, the song sets the stage for fostering international unity.

As evidence of its popularity and significant fandom, this meme has mutated into other fan-made memes involving the characters personifying specific countries in their interactions with each other. Also more directly related, fans have gone on to create versions of the ending theme song for countries that haven’t been officially featured in the theme song. Turkey, for instance, is one such country whose fan-dubbed song has been created by a Japanese fan and can be found on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h27xdJWHXQs&list=FL9PC4tMuTVT18PbMjnIOSfA&index=8&feature=plpp_video

As a personal contribution to the fandom of this fascinating and hilarious comedy, I add my own animation sequence inspired by the anime in general as textually detailed in the script below:

(Enter Germany, Japan, and Italy, holding hands, into a white screen. They smile, hold their clasped hands up, and background scene changes to a picture of the earth against black background)
Germany: hey hey Italy, hey hey Japan. Tell me what you had for dinner last night.
Italy: PASTAAAAA!!
Japan: ehh…excuse me, but you may not know what this is, and I will (wirr) try my utmost to explain (expurain)—
Italy: PASTAAAAA!!! (Italy does cartwheels across the scene while Japan still contemplates his explanation. Germany looks annoyed).
Germany: That is wunderbar, Italy, but I would really like to hear Jap—
Italy: PASTAAAAAA!!! (tomatoes instantly drop down from top of the screen into Italy’s arms and he cradles them)
Germany: Italy, you are starting to get on my nerves!
Japan: so sashimi is kind of like (rike) this
Italy: pasta pasta pasta taste sooo good with good wine!! Especially a’red wine’a.
Germany: (clenching his jaw) WURST!!! DU WURST!!
Italy: (hugging Germany from behind around his waist) I a’love you Aleman! You are my best’a friend in the whoooole wide worrrrrrld.
Japan: and we add the miso to boiling pot and garnish with some ginger
(Italy still squeezes Germany out of whose head smoke steams out while Japan continues to recite his explanation to thin air)
Germany: (slowly losing his cool) HALT everyone! It is time for the training of the Axis Powers and you will do EXACTLY as I so NOT ONE mistake, AM I CLEAR?
Italy and Japan: (in unison) YES SIR!
(Italy and Japan march off obediently following the commanding Germany exiting to the left of the screen. The Earth is seen rotating on its axis a few times).

Works Cited:
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/marukaite-chikyuu
http://hetalia.wikia.com/wiki/Marukaite_Chikyuu