Chapter 11 in Culture and Technology was titled Articulation and Assemblage. Reading this passage for the first time was actually very confusing to me. It was in fact not until the lecture in class where I began to understand what Slack and Wise (the authors) were attempting to express.
The way I now understand the denotations of these words is “articulation” is single groups or points. Assemblage is the overall group that links the articulations into a cohesive web of reality. This whole process is what the authors call the “actor-network” web.
For example, in class we talked about guns. The articulations would be the NRA, liberals, conservatives, military and law enforcement and hunters. These were just a few of the examples we listed, however one can get the idea. We then linked each articulation by what affects other articulations. For instance we linked NRA with conservatives. Even though this is a generalization that does not always hold true, however one can establish the connection there. We then linked all other articulations to finally for one large assemblage about guns.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Favorite / Strongest Paper
We have written three major paper and one video presentation. Today's blog was assigned to discuss our favorite and or strongest paper we have written during the class.
The paper called "Mmm, Mmm Organic" I felt was the strongest I have written. However, the paper I received the most enjoyment from was the paper entitled "I'm Italian, and Not a Mobster; How Can This Be?"
Naturally I found this to be enjoyable, because I was able to research about my heritage and discover many aspects I was unaware of. I had the opportunity to discuss this problem with other Italians (mainly in my family) and receive other viewpoints. Having a strong sense of Nationalism lend to a strong feeling or pride as I wrote about my heritage as well. I also feel that it lead to increased motivation and stronger paper. However, not as strong as "Mmm, Mmm Organic."
The paper called "Mmm, Mmm Organic" I felt was the strongest I have written. However, the paper I received the most enjoyment from was the paper entitled "I'm Italian, and Not a Mobster; How Can This Be?"
Naturally I found this to be enjoyable, because I was able to research about my heritage and discover many aspects I was unaware of. I had the opportunity to discuss this problem with other Italians (mainly in my family) and receive other viewpoints. Having a strong sense of Nationalism lend to a strong feeling or pride as I wrote about my heritage as well. I also feel that it lead to increased motivation and stronger paper. However, not as strong as "Mmm, Mmm Organic."
Monday, April 23, 2007
Television
I started my homework assignment on Television and actually realized how expansive the web of television expands. At first I thought about entertainment aspects and how many hours are spent in front of the tube in my dorm alone. Now think about all of wilson. Now All of MSU. All of Michigan and finally all of the world. It is truly an amazing thought to comprehend how many eyeballs are constantly tuned into the pixels of television screens.
However then I thought about the news outlet forum. I thought how much of a tool the television is as an informant. To think that I get a majority of my daily news from television programs. The moon landing was broadcast on the television. Presidential elections announced on TV. Sporting events are remembered by the images sent over the airwaves. Tragically also, images of horrific events are put into the houses of everyday Americans. Visions of 9/11 are easily recalled to most because of television, and even more recently the Virgina Tech Massacre was displayed on TV. It is actually the outlet that I was informed about this tragic mass homicide.
There are numerous amount of anti-TV enthusiasts who blame TV for many of today's problems but really if you step back and view it as a tool, it is an extraordinary device.
However then I thought about the news outlet forum. I thought how much of a tool the television is as an informant. To think that I get a majority of my daily news from television programs. The moon landing was broadcast on the television. Presidential elections announced on TV. Sporting events are remembered by the images sent over the airwaves. Tragically also, images of horrific events are put into the houses of everyday Americans. Visions of 9/11 are easily recalled to most because of television, and even more recently the Virgina Tech Massacre was displayed on TV. It is actually the outlet that I was informed about this tragic mass homicide.
There are numerous amount of anti-TV enthusiasts who blame TV for many of today's problems but really if you step back and view it as a tool, it is an extraordinary device.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Italian Media Portrayl
This coressponeds with the video below...
Following my paper entitled “I’m Italian and Not a Mobster; How Can This Be?” I produced a video that included my testimonial reinforcing the point of the constant negative portrayal of Italians in American media. In my video I also included stories and interviews supporting my point from fellow Italian family members. I made this video to enhance the fact that Italians are portrayed as mainly mobsters in media, giving the illusion that all Italians are connected to organized crime.
The way I decided to shoot the piece was very basic documentary styling. I wanted to utilize home backgrounds to show Italians in a much more realistic setting. I was hoping to show the people in the video, my family, as everyday family people. I wanted them to wear clothing that was nothing out of the ordinary. Finally I wanted to shoot them straight on and approximately at eye level to not hint being weak or powerful, but rather everyday persons. For the lighting I wanted soft natural light, and utilized as much sunshine as I could. I used my interview as the main source of information, but complemented it with pictures and other stories from my father and uncle. I interviewed others as well but their answers didn’t fit into what I was going for. As for the beginning I showed pictures alternating between the two biggest contributors to the problem: The Sopranos and The Godfather. I added movement to the photos to add a certain entertainment factor. The interlude to the actual interviews, is a famous clip from the first Godfather. I felt that this clip accurately shows what these characters are famous for and also is a great scene all together. Finally, the last piece to the puzzle, which is my video; the music. I decided on a classic old Italian favorite of mine, Stornelli Amorisi, by Claudio Villa. I feel that it complements the overall “flavor,” as well as providing a good backdrop for the entire video.
What I learned from filming this video, is that some people from my own family feel that this stereotype is not all that bad. They enjoy these films and feel that it is purely entertainment. However, they do recognize that it affected their parents and grandparents. I found out because of the negative effects that occurred to them, my grandparents hated these films and shows.
I feel that I had an adequate performance on this project. I finished the job, but feel that it was not up to my usual standards of my videos. There were a variety of reasons that it did not end up as a superb production. First off I had to learn and adapt to using iMovie. I have never used a video-editing program that was this basic. I usually use Final Cut Pro, which is the high-end version of Mac editing software, or AVID, which is the industry standard. I had to manipulate many settings and techniques to achieve my ultimate goal for the visual product. Other video projects for class intruded on the editing and filming time, along with restricting the amount of for interviews to be filmed. I also help produce a sketch comedy show here at MSU, and was required to put my time into the because of looming deadlines. The snow outside added to the distractions, because my other film shoots were scheduled for outside, and needless to say were cancelled and pushed back into this projects time. The answers I received, were not what I wanted or expected, therefore rendering them almost useless for my video. This added an element of trouble, because what I had originally planned out had to be changed in the editing room.
Overall, I am happy with my project. Is it my best project? No, but it meets the requirements and sends the message I wanted to express. The changes I would have made if I had extra time, would be to work on editing, but mainly focus the majority of my time to additional interviews. I wanted to interview the Italian language professor here, along with my grandparents or other various Italians in the community. However, without these extra interviews and editing time I still feel that it told the story that I wanted to tell.
Following my paper entitled “I’m Italian and Not a Mobster; How Can This Be?” I produced a video that included my testimonial reinforcing the point of the constant negative portrayal of Italians in American media. In my video I also included stories and interviews supporting my point from fellow Italian family members. I made this video to enhance the fact that Italians are portrayed as mainly mobsters in media, giving the illusion that all Italians are connected to organized crime.
The way I decided to shoot the piece was very basic documentary styling. I wanted to utilize home backgrounds to show Italians in a much more realistic setting. I was hoping to show the people in the video, my family, as everyday family people. I wanted them to wear clothing that was nothing out of the ordinary. Finally I wanted to shoot them straight on and approximately at eye level to not hint being weak or powerful, but rather everyday persons. For the lighting I wanted soft natural light, and utilized as much sunshine as I could. I used my interview as the main source of information, but complemented it with pictures and other stories from my father and uncle. I interviewed others as well but their answers didn’t fit into what I was going for. As for the beginning I showed pictures alternating between the two biggest contributors to the problem: The Sopranos and The Godfather. I added movement to the photos to add a certain entertainment factor. The interlude to the actual interviews, is a famous clip from the first Godfather. I felt that this clip accurately shows what these characters are famous for and also is a great scene all together. Finally, the last piece to the puzzle, which is my video; the music. I decided on a classic old Italian favorite of mine, Stornelli Amorisi, by Claudio Villa. I feel that it complements the overall “flavor,” as well as providing a good backdrop for the entire video.
What I learned from filming this video, is that some people from my own family feel that this stereotype is not all that bad. They enjoy these films and feel that it is purely entertainment. However, they do recognize that it affected their parents and grandparents. I found out because of the negative effects that occurred to them, my grandparents hated these films and shows.
I feel that I had an adequate performance on this project. I finished the job, but feel that it was not up to my usual standards of my videos. There were a variety of reasons that it did not end up as a superb production. First off I had to learn and adapt to using iMovie. I have never used a video-editing program that was this basic. I usually use Final Cut Pro, which is the high-end version of Mac editing software, or AVID, which is the industry standard. I had to manipulate many settings and techniques to achieve my ultimate goal for the visual product. Other video projects for class intruded on the editing and filming time, along with restricting the amount of for interviews to be filmed. I also help produce a sketch comedy show here at MSU, and was required to put my time into the because of looming deadlines. The snow outside added to the distractions, because my other film shoots were scheduled for outside, and needless to say were cancelled and pushed back into this projects time. The answers I received, were not what I wanted or expected, therefore rendering them almost useless for my video. This added an element of trouble, because what I had originally planned out had to be changed in the editing room.
Overall, I am happy with my project. Is it my best project? No, but it meets the requirements and sends the message I wanted to express. The changes I would have made if I had extra time, would be to work on editing, but mainly focus the majority of my time to additional interviews. I wanted to interview the Italian language professor here, along with my grandparents or other various Italians in the community. However, without these extra interviews and editing time I still feel that it told the story that I wanted to tell.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Geraldine's Paper
In class a few weeks ago I was reading Geraldines paper and was genuinely intrigued. The paper talked about the misrepresentation the country of Zimbabwe gets because of this American projected image of bushmen in huts with little to no clothing on.
This stereotype holds true for all of Africa, but this paper pertained to strictly Zimbabwe. Geraldine is from Zimbabwe and is a white female who can speak english and wears "normal" American attire. How can this be?
She discusses in her paper how actually many parts of Southern Africa and Zimbabwe are populated by white citizens. This is because much of this continent at one time was a British Colony. She attended boarding school and lived in an environment where there were houses and "civilized" culture.
What does America portray this region of the world as though? A poor nation, who is populated by black bushmen killing animals that run wild on their land. We as Americans, and myself included until reading Geraldine's paper, heard Zimbabwe and thought of lions, giraffes and hyenas running in the vast dry plains of Africa.
It is amazing how wrong I was.
This stereotype holds true for all of Africa, but this paper pertained to strictly Zimbabwe. Geraldine is from Zimbabwe and is a white female who can speak english and wears "normal" American attire. How can this be?
She discusses in her paper how actually many parts of Southern Africa and Zimbabwe are populated by white citizens. This is because much of this continent at one time was a British Colony. She attended boarding school and lived in an environment where there were houses and "civilized" culture.
What does America portray this region of the world as though? A poor nation, who is populated by black bushmen killing animals that run wild on their land. We as Americans, and myself included until reading Geraldine's paper, heard Zimbabwe and thought of lions, giraffes and hyenas running in the vast dry plains of Africa.
It is amazing how wrong I was.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
iMovie...complicated
I have come to the realization that iMovie is actually not all that is cracked up to be. I have never used it before, usually using a program that is more sophisticated Avid Pro, Final Cut or Adobe Premiere. However, trying to use it for the most recent project from WRA in effort to adhere to the requirements and to experience myself in a new application of video editing.
However, what I am dissapointed in, is that iMovie is very difficult to perform very basic tasks. The organization is confusion of clips and pictures. Also it does not allow for a clip to be editted without removing it from the "saved clip" files. This means that if you decide to edit a clip it will be removed forcing you to use the edits that are originally constructed. Also editting still frames or photos are difficult and require a preset "ken burns" effect to be enabled to allow for movement. However this feature does not allow for rotation of the still frame. I would much prefer to use a more sophisticated program, because, believe it or not it is more user friendly than iMovie is.
It comes as a surprise really, but a fellow Apple product, Final Cut Pro, is easier to manuever and edit than iMovie. However, the capture of raw footage is considerably easier to perform in iMovie.
In the end, it is harder to use iMovie in my opinion and also leaves you with a product that is not as "glossy" as a movie editted in Final Cut Pro. Either way, I will attempt my best to edit a video for class.
However, what I am dissapointed in, is that iMovie is very difficult to perform very basic tasks. The organization is confusion of clips and pictures. Also it does not allow for a clip to be editted without removing it from the "saved clip" files. This means that if you decide to edit a clip it will be removed forcing you to use the edits that are originally constructed. Also editting still frames or photos are difficult and require a preset "ken burns" effect to be enabled to allow for movement. However this feature does not allow for rotation of the still frame. I would much prefer to use a more sophisticated program, because, believe it or not it is more user friendly than iMovie is.
It comes as a surprise really, but a fellow Apple product, Final Cut Pro, is easier to manuever and edit than iMovie. However, the capture of raw footage is considerably easier to perform in iMovie.
In the end, it is harder to use iMovie in my opinion and also leaves you with a product that is not as "glossy" as a movie editted in Final Cut Pro. Either way, I will attempt my best to edit a video for class.
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