Comm 360 Final Thoughts

The question posed is "What 3 things will I take from this class for my future?", and, to me, that is a really easy question to answer.

I am honestly feeling like I have become a much better organizer, director, and light set-up person.
I organized all of the shows that were going on, who was going to possibly be working on what and made sure everyone had an idea as to what show they needed to have ideas for.

Outside of my own show (that I had to set-up, write a script for, and make sure I had outside talent for) I have to say my favorite project (that I really had nothing to do with minus being talent and setting up a list for) was the Do'Paul's Drag Race. It was a blast, and I got to experiment with new make-up techniques, and how to look like a guy with a rather curvy body. The whole cast had a blast and I don't think anyone could stop laughing through the whole thing.

This is what the cast looked like:

The other show that I enjoyed doing was "The Geek Life" with the motto "For the Geeks, by the Geeks, and with the Geeks". This show was written, starred in by, and created by me. I created a quick and easy zombie make-up that anyone can do at home. I would like to eventually do more for this series, and do more than just make-ups. I think that an extension of this would be more into "Geek Culture" and how it is becoming more "mainstream".

For the final show, a low grade level of "Reading Rainbow", I did the lighting setup. It was an easy, 3-point lighting in which the readers face was highlighted against a background, and a book was show cased. Again, fun, easy, and I enjoyed it.

All of these shows, and even more, I will take so much from because I would love to get more into this field. I wouldn't mind being an organizer, I'm good at it. Directing, that would be fun, but I don't think that it's my eventual goal. Lighting though, I could really get into the so-called "nitty gritty" of lighting and enjoy it.

But...I'm a psychology major with this as my minor, why is this important to me? Well, this whole production has helped me to realize that eventually I could use these mediums to help my clients with whatever problems they are having. Also, this could help me in getting the word out about what current issues are going on. I'm not talking mainstream and over diagnosed ADD, ADHD, BiPolar, etc. More hard-hitting and lesser known about issues are what I want to reach people about. How to deal with PTSD would be one medium that I could work with the film industry on.

Anyway, I'm rambling, and for that I apologize. I know that for sure the best things I will take from this class are: organization, lighting, and directing. They are all three essential in this field and I really feel that I've gotten so much better with them. I think the next step for me is to explore editing, sound, and camera work. I would really like to get into exploring all of those whether on a lower or higher end (materials or whichever).

Thank you for providing this class, it was a blast. I think I may take it again just to work in the other three areas I feel I need improvement on.

Internet Neutrality

When I first read the article on losing internet neutrality, all I could think was "Well, they (those who support such corporate greed) are at it again", but let's face it... if I make this a one liner for a blog article, it doesn't say too much about me as a writer or much about the article.

As the vast majority seems to have figured out, some companies are out to do good. Those companies help people and do the overall "Hey, love us, we're nice and aren't trying to screw you out of money" thing. Whereas you have the other companies that want your every last dime, nickle and penny. These are companies that either try to "White Wash" or what a professor of mine likes to call "Green Wash" (in a way to update how companies try to look good without being good). Then you have the other types. You have the sneaky companies going to Congress to try and dip their hands in the cookie jar legally or with loopholes.

The companies I speak about this time are AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and others who think it's a great idea to charge an added toll for Google and Yahoo! for users to get to them on their networks. Wait, aren't we already paying to use the internet, and now they want to jack up my bill so that I can get to Google and Yahoo!... tell me again what is fair about that? It's bad enough I'm already paying you to access your networks, now you want me to pay more... again... how is that fair?

Congress is going to consider this, but it looks like big business is going to win out either straight up or with a loophole or two. I mean, let's face it, where would Congress be if these companies weren't already helping to fund their careers as politicians? I mean, of course the American People should totally trust the Congress that has had two major shut downs in under 6 months sure, that sounds like a FANTASTIC idea...

Good luck on making me a believer on this one folks, but hey, who knows, maybe Congress will shock me and pull their heads out of the place of no sunshine and actually serve the People and not the Profit Margin.

*cough cough not a chance in Hades cough cough*

Hackers... Er... Yea....

When it comes to hacking, the NSA scandal and all of the "Big Brother" conspiracy theories, the people of the world think that they are either safe from all of this because the government will protect them and they have nothing to fear, need to start wearing their aluminum foil hats, or just kind of ignore the situation as a whole.

Personally, I think I fall under the last one. It's not that I don't care, but more of... I don't think they can do anything worse to me than I've already done to myself. Due to medical bills, college loans, and other "horrors", I have completely wrecked my credit score and I'm where most college students are... in the tank. I have no real assets, but that being said I just "Googled" myself. I wasn't doing this for pride, but research, and what I found... I don't know if I like what I've found.

First of all, I am the only person in the USA, with my full name. That could be a huge security risk for me... and it's kind of creepy. It makes sense as to why certain people that I don't want involved in my life are so capable at finding me. Not only did my social networking sites show up, but so do some of my aliases. Now, why would I want an alias? I'm a DJ, and I like having my codename, and with some of the other things I do, I like to be called different things. However, it wasn't just that. My family reunions showed up, people I was related to, and as close to my physical address as I am NOT comfortable with.

Other than that, I think that hacking people has gotten so much easier than when we had dial up. People didn't want to hack you when there was dial up unless there was a significant reason for doing so. Now that there are tablets, people checking in every 20 seconds to update their statuses, posting pictures of food, etc, it gets easier and easier to track a person's life.

I think we do it to ourselves. The more we login, make things less and less private and all around aren't "tip-toeing around the tulips", the more vulnerable we make ourselves to the outside world to do whatever they want to us.

Is that going to make me a paranoid mess and freak out? Nope, I'm going to continue my ventures in the online world, and try all that I can to make sure people are safe, but having fun. *Shrugs* It's who I am.

Apple is making its iOS free? Tell me again how it's the innovator.

Let's face it, the only reason people are excited that Apple is making Maverick free is because it's Apple.
Others had pioneered this before them. Look at anything that Android has done or Linux's Ubuntu or Fedora. These are all free systems with upgrades. Although, granted, Linux is not well known. It still makes it feel like Apple has become what people have deemed it over the years: nothing but a bunch of hipsters.
It also begs another question how well does this system work? I haven't had a lot of problems with free systems, but it worries me that Maverick will be Apple's Vista.
Microsoft is falling waaaay behind this year though. Not only have they started the release of the X-Box 1, but my prediction is that their decisions to not already allow their upgrades to be free is going to put the proverbial nail in the coffin.
However, Microsoft is super screwed this time. It was bad enough that they made the decision to release the X-Box 1 (which will probably only be bought by loyalists), the system does everything to invade in a person's privacy, and they have  but now that Apple has announced that they will no longer charge for their upgrades... Well, see ya Microsoft.

Oh Government, Why?

The NSA scandal...if you haven't heard about it, well, welcome back because you've either been living under a rock or been floating around in space for a bit, and that is NOT me being a smart aleck or jerk. I'm serious.

Everyone in the US and beyond has been freaking out about the NSA spying on the US citizens. *facedesk* For those of you who hadn't figured that out a long time ago, I'm disappointed. "But how could you have known?" some have asked me as I've scoffed at the conversations as to what needs to be done.

Well, have you been on a little site called "Facebook" lately, or Google, Bing, Amazon or any retail site before, a dating site, or, screw I could give you the whole list, but this is getting redundant. Since then, have you looked in your junk e-mail box, the side bar on Facebook, the "You might like this" on Amazon or even the other things that your search engines think you might like? I know we all tend to avoid junk mail, but the other things scream HEY!!! WE'RE SPYING ON YOU NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH BOO BOO and YOU CAN'T DO SQUAT ABOUT IT! WE'LL BOMBARD YOU WITH THINGS WE WANT YOU TO BUY BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
(Again, I'm not being a jerk here, just pointing out the obvious)

Anyway, so what is my solution? There really is none except to become a recluse, turn off all of our gadgets and go "off the grid". However, the other thing we, as people not just Americans, is to say "Excuse me, but get the Hell off of my internet" and pass new laws that protect from the government to get out of our business.

"But what if it's used to catch terrorists?" Yea, I'm pretty sure that when the NSA is checking out my Porn Stash or my shopping logs, they're really going to find a terrorist. Besides, when have you ever read the headline "NSA apprehends terrorists?" NEVER. Now, if those first two arguments have yet to convince you, let me direct you to this quote by Benjamin Franklin "Those who surrender freedom for security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.” Think about it, I know he lived a long time ago, but this is more relevant today than it has ever been. First we give up our choices as to what we can have on airplane and now drinks costs in the double digits, we can't carry nail clippers on board, and don't even get me started on other things that they should allow but don't. Next, the so-called "Patriot Act" is passed not long after the NCLB (for those of you who don't know, NCLB is No Child Left Behind). Now we're being told that we have to make sure that we're teaching a certain way, AND we're being told that the government can spy on us if we use certain trigger words. Uh huh...yea.... about that. NO! So, how about instead of sitting on our butts doing nothing we find a way to piss 'em off and screw with them so it's no longer a valid way of finding terrorists? I mean, really, we could all just put in searches for Napalm Puppies and be about our days? Sure, some of us might get harassed but eventually they'll find out that we're messing with them and find some other way to make a profit off of us. 

I would make this longer and start referring to V for Vendetta, but naaaah, I'm too hungry and tired to do more. Hope you enjoyed this, and enjoy being the new target for the NSA.

iPhone...Are You Really Necessary?

After going over the article based on the sales of the iPhone 5s, I sit back and wonder "Do we really need a new iPhone?". Not really, but then again, look at who you're talking to, I'm Android type. Apple and I haven't been friends since the original iBook, from like, 1988.
It's not that I have a grudge against Apple, but seriously, what makes your new iPhone so different from the old one? I also find it quite annoying that the American people are falling for it again. It reminds me of a great conversation that Kevin Williams was having based on Materialism and he argued that Americans are materialistic. If we were, we'd worship and keep our old technology and shun anything new coming in, but that is quite the opposite to what we do.

Instead of keeping our old objects we keep throwing them away in place of something new. It would be like saying someone is religious, but keeps wanting the deity upgraded. Now, I'm not saying all of this to make Americans look stupid or selfish, but it makes me wonder if Einstein's idea of the human condition isn't already here. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity." because think about it, people are freaking out over something "new and improved" and it's not just Apple, Android, etc, it is the people buying these products and throwing millions of dollars at the developers. 

I wonder what would happen if developers stopped...developing for a year... I can see it now...people having fits and withdrawal over not having the latest and greatest technology. I find at least somewhat amusing, but then again you're also talking to the person whose phone is as low-tech as an old flip phone.

TV and Studio Production

Being involved in a crash course for television studio production has taught me many things in less than a few weeks. For one, there are so many different layers that I never knew existed. As a former radio DJ, I simply thought, a couple of cameras, sounds and "poof" you are done. I was wrong, so very wrong. There are not just cameras and sound boards.

Everything that I have tried to understand from setup to actually shooting a piece comes down to the simplest basis: planning. First, you need to know who, what, when, where and how you are shooting. In the studio at Shepherd University the general ideas as to where and how is easy. We are in the studio using two cameras, a lighting setup that has three separate areas of focus with at least two lights each, and there are mics that can be used for just about anything. The who, what and when are tricky. Sure, we could do it all during a class period, tweak it during lab hours and re-shoot if need be assuming the subjects are easy to get a hold of.

The next trick is remembering that you are not just using two cameras, lights and mics. In order for this production to be television ready, there has to be a compressor, video monitoring equipment that allows for one camera to be in place as the other prepares its next move and so that they can be switched from one to another at any given moment. There is also sound board which allows they levels to be correct, light boards to make sure the lights look right and that subjects are lit properly, and then there are the computers that these are stored on so that editing can happen should there be any needed. In the studio at Shepherd, however, we are learning to make it so everything is live.

Here is our the overall setup at the studio, as provided by the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan. (Our setup is very similar, except for the sound board, compressor, lighting controls, etc are in a room off set but in the same room with a viewing window)



Although some of the jobs are a tad boring, there is so much to be learned. Personally, I love directing because you are always on your toes trying to bring this piece together, but being the director also allows for you to see how important it is to know how the other jobs work. Sure, sound bored can be a bit dull, but if those levels are off that person will know. Lighting fascinates me because it's all about mood. Camera angles, if you are even slightly off, people can and will notice. (To be fully honest, some of the things on the camera scare me because although you spend a lot of money on them, they can break) Speaking of breaking, that is one of the best things that I have learned. How to fix things! This experience is all about problem solving and how to not let certain things get to you, even if it means delaying something a few seconds in order to fix a problem.

All in all within just a few short weeks, this class has taught me more than most of my classes do in months. It has solidified my wanting to go into something with production or just something creative period. It has also taught me how very wrong I was when it came to production. It is hard work, trial and error, and growth at its finest.

Blog 3 for Computer Mediated Communications

As I began reading the article based on Harvard and MIT's research into artificial intelligence and making it less artificial, I started to think back to all of the science fiction that I have read or seen (on screen) based on these ideas. Then I also started to think about other things going on in the world of science that apply here, and it made me question the things that were in the assignment, and here is the overall reaction that I have:

Humans are ever evolving.

Within the last hundred years we have gone from hand plowing the fields to using mechanized vehicles that do it a tenth of the time. Not only do we have people trying to translate / transmit human thought processes onto an AI being of sorts, but there are nano bots being used to treat cancer. We have evolved so rapidly that I'm curious as to whether or not there is a stopping point that we could logically come to. If there is, where is the hand brake and can we just stop evolution at the drop of a hat or are we going to have to wait for the next great collapse?

Also, what are we trading for these technologies? Better advances in the treatment of the Earth, yes. Chances for the human mind to expand rapidly and think faster than ever before? Yes. At what cost though?

We've all seen the science fiction stories of how technology is going to ruin us. From Terminators to Tron, they say we're all doomed. Even in our everyday lives we are giving in to put technologies above ourselves. But are we really? Yes, it is possible that we are getting a tad over zealous by thinking that we can put human thought into an artificial brain in five years. At the same time, I do not believe this is going too fast.

However, holding on to the idea like nothing can go wrong is never the smart way to go. Yes, there needs to be caution, and should the money be put else where on problems that we're facing now? Almost definitely, but who are we to question those with crazy amounts of money that want to see AIs doing their dishes? Not I. Curing the world of hunger and poverty would be nice, but I'm not the one throwing my cash either. Are we already seeing some of the "doom" playing out already? Sure we are. Look at the NSA (AKA Big Brother 2.0), Wiki-leaks, and the older generations complaining about how the younger is so much more lazy.

With any new advances there comes a price, from freedom depletion to lazier students, we saw it coming eventually. Hopefully we are smart enough to figure out when we've given too much for an easier lifestyle though. I'm not saying technology is bad, probably the last thing I'm saying, but I am saying caution needs to be used.

Intro of Self for Comm 352

First and foremost, I'd like to apologize for the late hour in which this blog is being posted... I was in Massachusetts without WiFi... How that happened, your guess is as good as mine.

That being said, Hi! I'm Jeana! A 5th year at Shepherd who has been studying Psychology and Communications for 2.5 years. Before that I was into Biochemistry, but found out I am terrible at math.

Outside of school, I work at the Macy's Distribution Center in Martinsburg, and soon I'll be at the Den and Bistro at Shepherd. I'm a sports fan (DC Capitals, Washington Redskins, and Baltimore Orioles (although my boyfriend is trying to convert me into a New England fan which won't happen)). I love cooking, being a Renn Faire and Nerdy Con geek, and all things music and comedy. I like to travel in all forms, and I took my first jet ride over the summer. I have a crazy "Your's Mine and Your's" family that is all over the place.
Well, that about sums me up outside of my competitive streak which will be seen within our class when it comes to coding and design.

More to come, eventually,

Jeana