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.