Response 1 – Kaleb Traverso-Penn

Kaleb Traverso-Penn

NMD 206

1. What is New Media?

The hallmark characteristics of New media are technologies that have helped or assisted the evolution and growth of the human existence. The reading talks about talks about transportation media. He first talks about land media: things like carts, chariots, carriages, and bicycles. All things that the human existence has constantly evolved to keep up with the new medium. Same goes for those that are in water, from a raft to submarines.

All that these technologies are new media’s, which have to do with the way that we modify our lifestyle. New Media in a way, is how human beings have evolved on how to make our lives easier and better. By inventing technologies to help us live better, more people now are driving cars, and soon cars will be driving themselves. That within itself is a new media. If you go back at least a couple hundred years ago cars weren’t a necessity. It would be either a horse and buggy or carriage. Technology back then wasn’t close to having cars available for the average person. To answer the question New Media is technologies that make life easier ie transportation, clothing, etc.

2) New Media Strategies

Ian Larson wanted to help preserve the Passamaquoddy language from extinction.

Problem: A Disappearing Language

Solution A:  Create a task force from a select group of Native American language experts, and ask them to write down a dictionary of words and their definitions. Enter these definitions into a database and build a Web site that allows anyone to search for terms and hear their pronunciation. Hire a high-profile Web designer and marketing firm to ensure that as many people as possible learn about this resource.

I chose this for a solution because by doing this you create a task force going out to the Passamaquoddy to not only write down and learn the words. But when they build the website the examples given to them will make the dictionary more interesting because like most dictionaries there are examples given at the end of the meaning of the word or phrase. So it would give the reader more insight to what they are reading. By doing this the task force creates a one to many media! And with the dictionary being involved your creating a file sharing process which will give create a new communication media “many to many”.

Evan Habeeb wanted to make people aware of the beauty of abandoned buildings 

Problem: Neglected Ruins

Solution B: Assemble a film crew and visit abandoned homes, factories, and other buildings. Bring lights to illuminate these spaces dramatically, and record ambient sounds like dripping water. Edit the footage onto a DVD to create a compelling account that documents these relics for posterity, and distribute copies to historical societies across the state for their collections.

I chose this solution because its the best way to distribute to these societies because you don’t have to worry about using software to project what historic artifacts were displayed in the building or area. Rather than have this elite crew come together and record to produce what the environment in which they entered in to hopefully give the view or listener the same experience is  better than computer animation. With computer animation you have deal with reality vs animation. What you can produce as animation to make real and what you can make animated to seem animated. No matter how you try to make something real only so much of it can you try and produce as real. Which brings this to be a better solution where you can record audio and video and make it come together to produce an organic feel to watching how and where the history comes from rather something that was produced inorganically.

Problem: Misunderstanding Computer Animation

Ryan Schaller and Jason Walker wanted to help people understand the many layers required to create a computer-animated film, including wireframe, textures, and light effects. As a case study, they created an animation depicting a cartoon archeologist digging for ancient artifacts.

Solution B:  Create an iPad application that documents each stage of the animation process, using stills from the archeologist film as illustrations. Explain techniques such as ray tracing, motion capture, and morphing. Include links to companies that create animation software such as Autodesk.

The reason I chose solution B even though solution A was pretty good is at least for me it does me no good of going back into layers to see what other people have done. Instead to watch and see what they did and how they did, so that I may mimic what they did or try and to take what I’ve learned and apply it to my own illustration. And if they are a beginner its better for them to watch either by teacher or video to see professionals show and explain to them how to use these techniques. And then after applying what they’ve learned hopefully they will be able to go out and figure out what they have done in other programs like Autodesk.