Keeping Score - Summary

• Keeping Score Article 

SUMMARY:
Video games have changed over the years since it was first invented. An essential part of video games is the music, which provides a mood and atmosphere. Paul Levasseur, a student at University of Toronto is studying musical composition and wants to become a game composer. There are many audio programs for film sound and music but they far exceed in number than programs for game audio. Sometimes, game producers that attend audio-film programs do not get enough experience to prepare them when composing audio for games. The video game industries are setting high expectations every year yet audio composers who come on to the job are way below expectations. People such as Karen Collins want to see more video game audio programs in universities and colleges. Video games is a growing industry and they need suitable programs to prepare composers for the job.

Culture Jamming Project

Media Piece 
Here is my the final outcome for my own culture jam advertisement. (click for full view)

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
1. What aspect of your culture jam do you find most successful and why?
The aspect of my culture jam that I find most successful was the image of the culture jam itself of the Burger King as the Statue of Liberty. I spent a lot of time manipulating the King into the image and it turned out very well done. I tried to make it look like the statue was of the King originally.

2. What aspect of your culture jam do you find least successful and why?
 The aspect of my culture jam that I find the least successful is my message. My message wasn't very strong and clear. I wanted to convey that fast food is negatively affecting our lives but they are increasing in countries. I also wanted to say that corporate logos and fast food mascots (such as Ronald McDonald) are everywhere in society today that even children will be able to recognize them. It is hard to understand the message by just looking at the piece and that is why this is the least successful thing in my project.

3. If you could do this project again, what changes would you make to improve it?
If I could do this project again, changes I would make to improve it is by choosing a clearer image to represent my message. I did not put much thought into creating my message so when it was time to work on my culture jam advertisement, the two didn't go very well together. I would have chosen an image of something more easier to photo manipulate as well since the advertisement itself was very time consuming. My culture jam doesn't convey such a clear message. If I used images related to McDonald's then my culture jam would have been clearer and a lot more powerful.

Culture Jamming Project

 Pre-Project Analysis

1. This advertisement subverts the company McDonalds.

2. The McDonald's Big Mac is being advertised / subverted in this production.

3. Imagery such as heart monitor and surgeons in the middle of operating on a patient are used in the advertisement to subvert. The surgeons are frantically working on the patient. The waves on the monitor form the shape of the McDonald's 'M' which is known by almost everyone making it very effective.

4. The message "Big Mac Attack!" is used in the advertisement to subvert. They combined a life threatening situation of a heart attack and the McDonald's Big Mac sandwich into one line.

5. Some elements and principles of design used to convey a message in this piece are line, colour/hue, and contrast. Line, visible in the heart monitor that tracks the beat of the heart forms a curve of the McDonald's "M". Also, the chart in the background hanging underneath the patient saves that the person is gradually dying. Colour/hue is visible in this piece. The whole image is kind of saturated in blue which kind of makes the image very cold and eerie. Also, the contrast in this from the heart monitor's black background to the bright pink lines makes the "M" stand out a lot from the rest of the image.

6. The target audience for this advertisement is probably for teenagers and young adult, especially those who eat fast-food a lot.

7. This ad jam does convey a clear and successful message. It shows that eating from fast food restaurants such as McDonalds can be bad for your health and can lead to death.

8. This ad jam could be improved in some ways. The text for 'Big Mac Attack' looks like it's been placed there without much thought. The text could be a bit bigger for it took me a while to notice it. I think in the background with the patient that the surgeons should be more urgent and hectic. Overall, there is nothing much that can be improved on.

Public Space – Street Art

1. Definition of STREET ART:

An amorphous beast encompassing art which is found in or inspired by the urban environment. With anti-capitalist and rebellious undertones, it is a democratic form of popular public art probably best understood by seeing it in location. It is not limited to the gallery nor easily collected or possessed by those who may turn art into a trophy. Considered by some a nuisance, for others street art is a tool for communicating views of dissent, asking difficult questions and expressing political concerns. [External Website]

2. The news article I will be using is:

Graffiti: Street art – or crime? [Published by The Independent]

 SUMMARY:

The article talks about the rise of street artists and the widespread of their art work on street walls and other public surfaces. People, especially officials, are unsure if the graffiti on the walls today can be called vandalism or art. Many famous street artists, such as Banksy, have their works sold at very high prices or exhibited at art shows. Each person feels differently about the art they see in the streets. Some feel that they want to stop street art. They believe jailing them is not the solution. Others enjoy the expressive opinions and want street art to stay. The article also talks about how street art will be viewed as vandalism or not if the owner of the property deems it to be. The media organization of this is a British newspaper called 'the Independent'.

3. PHOTO 1:

  

•   The location of this street art is on a road in Geldern, Germany between a couple of residential buildings.
•  The street art contains many jagged lines from the rocks. It's a whole image of water and molten lava. There are a lot of reds and blacks from the lava and the rocks and shades of white and blue for the rushing water underneath.
• This street art grabbed my attention because this piece looked very realistic. The details on this one makes it look like it's actually happening right in front of your eyes.
• The street art is making me think that the end of the world, or apocalypse, is coming soon and it's going to be devastating.

PHOTO 2:

• This street art is located in Bethnal Green in London where the piece extends from the road, onto the sidewalk, then to a wall of a building.
• Images such as the flower and the man sitting with a paint roller can be seen in this piece. Shapes such as circles and flowing lines can be seen in this artwork. Colours such as white, and black for the man and yellow for the flower are visible in this piece.
• This street art appealed to me because it looks very simple and the way the piece starts out from the lines in the road and then flows to the wall is very impressive. The large flower grabbed my attention first and then I suddenly noticed the man sitting next to it. It also appeals to me because there is such a large contrast in size between the man and the flower.
• A comment this street art is making me think is that beauty can bloom almost anywhere even in the most unlikeliest places.

In Banksy's "Shop" section of his website, he encourages you to take anything from his site and make it your own but for non-commercial purposes. I think he does this because he creates his art out in the streets for people to appreciate or look at. He makes his art work an expression of mind and a way for his thoughts to be heard. He wants others to enjoy his art but not make money off of it.