www.Changethis.com is the home to a recent article we read for class. The article is called "FREAK FACTOR: Discovering your uniqueness by Flaunting weakness" by David Rendell's.
This article gives nine ways to utilize your weaknesses. Rendell argues that weaknesses are what make people unique, and we shouldn't waste our time trying to fix them. Instead, we should focus on our strength, and act on those.
3. Flawless: There's nothing wrong with you
While reading this section I began to think of flaws in a whole new light. Rendell emphasizes that every negative in our lives also have a positive correspondent. Interesting. Thinking this way is like finding the silver lining. I like the idea of everyone having their own uniqueness, their own flaws. Rendell states that being well-rounded or flawless, is both undesirable and impossible. EVERYONE has their own issues and nobody is truly flawless. It was interesting for me to process this because I often perceive people as pretty well-rounded, some even seem flawless. But to know that that is not the case is almost a sigh of relief. Its nice to be assured that everyone has their demons, and its okay to have them.
4. Forget it: Don't try to fix your weaknesses...
I enjoyed reading this part of the article because I can relate to it, everyone can. Rendell recommends that we not try and eliminate our weaknesses, instead we deal with them. We deal with them because with each weakness comes a corresponding strength. I agree with this concept. I have tried for the past three years to narrow in on my weaknesses and conquer them. And although I have made some progress, the weaknesses are still there, and they are still weaknesses. It's a weird point when you realize that the way you feel isn't a phase, it's actually just who you have become. Trying to change who you have become will get you nowhere.
7. Find the right spot
This section clicked with me. It makes so much sense. Rendell discusses the importance of finding a spot that suits you. For instance, if you don't like being in the spotlight, then find a place where you can do your thing but still be out of the limelight. He encourages to find a place where you can capitalize on your strengths, but also abide by your weaknesses. This was relieving to read in a way because I thought I was weak for wanting to find a career that met the needs of my weaknesses. But what I didn't realize was that in turn my strengths would shine through. Rendell nailed it when he used Rudolph as an example. He was a freak until his nose turned into a strength. He found the right spot.
Its funny to try and note my own weaknesses, mainly because I feel like I have so many! I double think everything I do. I worry too much about what other people will think. I worry about assumptions I make that probably aren't even true. Sometimes I think I might be too calm. I rarely get angry, which seems good on the surface, but anger is natural....soooo? I don't like being in the spotlight. I feel I work my best when I am comfortable with my surroundings. I need to work on finding my spot and then take it step by step from there.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Game Presentation - Strengths and Flaws
For the most part, I was pleased with our game presentation. I think we did a good job in conveying the "feel" of the game and expectancy of the experience. The of the only things we did not convey well was the "item" part of it. In our racing game, much like other racing games, you can collect items and use them against other racers. We mentioned this to the class, but didn't go any deeper then that. This is partially because we didn't fully develop the items you can get. In retrospect I think we should have. Because throughout our presentation we were mentioning "firing weapons" and "collecting items", but didn't care to explain them further. That had to be some what confusing. Another issue was our actual presentation. If we presented it to a classroom, which we did, than I think we did well. But the point was to present it as if we were selling the game. We definitely did not do this, and for that we were deducted points.
While coming up with the concept for this game, it was mandatory to talk amongst our group. The synergy between our group was pretty good I thought. Everyone was open to everyones ideas and nobody really presented the "my way or the highway" mentality. I will say since our game was a racing game, it wasn't hard to determine rules, mechanics, and objectives. Because racing games often share similar concepts inherently. The only road blocks we ran into were developing the goals. We didn't want to complete rip off other games like Mario Kart or Diddy Kong racing, so we had to develop a different system. Emily came up with the idea of "mini-goals" within each race. If you complete the "mini-goal", than you receive an item. This was original because it was far different then just running into a balloon to get an item. Also, as a group we decided to have a point system for tricks. The more tricks you do, the more points you get. Once you get enough points, you can upgrade you vehicle.
I really like the idea for our controller. The center of the controller has a gyro ball in it, much like Golden Tee. In the game, when you go off a ramp, you can slap the gyro ball causing your character to flip all over the place. But, the user must also stop the gyro ball and level out the character so they can land correctly, and in turn earn points toward a new vehicle. I just thought this was a very original idea all around.
In the end I can't complain about my group. We worked very well together and everyone pulled their weight.
While coming up with the concept for this game, it was mandatory to talk amongst our group. The synergy between our group was pretty good I thought. Everyone was open to everyones ideas and nobody really presented the "my way or the highway" mentality. I will say since our game was a racing game, it wasn't hard to determine rules, mechanics, and objectives. Because racing games often share similar concepts inherently. The only road blocks we ran into were developing the goals. We didn't want to complete rip off other games like Mario Kart or Diddy Kong racing, so we had to develop a different system. Emily came up with the idea of "mini-goals" within each race. If you complete the "mini-goal", than you receive an item. This was original because it was far different then just running into a balloon to get an item. Also, as a group we decided to have a point system for tricks. The more tricks you do, the more points you get. Once you get enough points, you can upgrade you vehicle.
I really like the idea for our controller. The center of the controller has a gyro ball in it, much like Golden Tee. In the game, when you go off a ramp, you can slap the gyro ball causing your character to flip all over the place. But, the user must also stop the gyro ball and level out the character so they can land correctly, and in turn earn points toward a new vehicle. I just thought this was a very original idea all around.
In the end I can't complain about my group. We worked very well together and everyone pulled their weight.
Hero/Villian Analysis
Colin Mercer's Blog
Colin's superhero and villain were named Lightning Man and Puck. Lightning man was obviously the superhero, and Puck was the villain. At first glance, it isn't hard to determine who is good and who is evil. Puck's coloring completely describes the type of "being" he is. His brightness is much darker than Lighting Man. Lighting Man contrasts Puck with his bright red and yellow suit. Immediately when comparing the two drawings, the viewer can determine a designed mood. Puck looks sad, anger, ugly, and grimacing. His entire color scheme is different saturations of black. Lightning Man on the other hand is bright, colorful, and generally looks more friendly so to speak. I think this team did a good job in conveying who was who in terms of good and evil.
Mike Mytnick's Blog
Next I looked at Mike Mytnick's blog. His hero and villain were Icarus and Shadow Puppet. Right off the bat, the names give away the hero and villain. Iracus is the well-lit hero who shares an affinity of coloring with Colin's Lightning Man. Shadow Puppet on the other hand is...well...more shadowed. He has a dark black and purple color scheme and overall just looks evil. He just looks like he is full of despair. Icarus however is well-lit and mainly all yellow. Icarus can shoot light I believe, which helps convey his character. Light in general, along with the coloring of yellow, symbolizes "good" and "heavenly" to me. So when looking at these characters I actively decided that Icarus is the good guy. Again, Mike and Amanda did a great job of conveying there characters in the way they intended.
Chris Page's Blog
Lastly, I took a look at Chris Page's characters. His hero and villain are named Spark and Hotspot. When I look at these characters, I can guess which one is good and which one is evil, but I am not entirely sure. I would guess, based on the coloring, that Hotpot is the hero here. He is brighter, and thats about it. The characters look very similar, but Spark is much darker. I believe Spark can shoot lightning, however Hotspot I believe Hotspot can shoot fire. So going off of their superpowers, I'm not sure which one is "good" or "evil". Since I am going with the assumption that Hotspot is the hero, I would suggest giving him a happier expression. The picture of him looks like he is worried, which is uncharacteristic of a hero. But, from overall mood that I got from the pictures, I can say that I actively came to the conclusion Hotspot is the hero. So I suppose the design works if I am right....The drawings are really good though, just a few adjustments I think should be made to really make the hero POP!
Colin's superhero and villain were named Lightning Man and Puck. Lightning man was obviously the superhero, and Puck was the villain. At first glance, it isn't hard to determine who is good and who is evil. Puck's coloring completely describes the type of "being" he is. His brightness is much darker than Lighting Man. Lighting Man contrasts Puck with his bright red and yellow suit. Immediately when comparing the two drawings, the viewer can determine a designed mood. Puck looks sad, anger, ugly, and grimacing. His entire color scheme is different saturations of black. Lightning Man on the other hand is bright, colorful, and generally looks more friendly so to speak. I think this team did a good job in conveying who was who in terms of good and evil.
Mike Mytnick's Blog
Next I looked at Mike Mytnick's blog. His hero and villain were Icarus and Shadow Puppet. Right off the bat, the names give away the hero and villain. Iracus is the well-lit hero who shares an affinity of coloring with Colin's Lightning Man. Shadow Puppet on the other hand is...well...more shadowed. He has a dark black and purple color scheme and overall just looks evil. He just looks like he is full of despair. Icarus however is well-lit and mainly all yellow. Icarus can shoot light I believe, which helps convey his character. Light in general, along with the coloring of yellow, symbolizes "good" and "heavenly" to me. So when looking at these characters I actively decided that Icarus is the good guy. Again, Mike and Amanda did a great job of conveying there characters in the way they intended.
Chris Page's Blog
Lastly, I took a look at Chris Page's characters. His hero and villain are named Spark and Hotspot. When I look at these characters, I can guess which one is good and which one is evil, but I am not entirely sure. I would guess, based on the coloring, that Hotpot is the hero here. He is brighter, and thats about it. The characters look very similar, but Spark is much darker. I believe Spark can shoot lightning, however Hotspot I believe Hotspot can shoot fire. So going off of their superpowers, I'm not sure which one is "good" or "evil". Since I am going with the assumption that Hotspot is the hero, I would suggest giving him a happier expression. The picture of him looks like he is worried, which is uncharacteristic of a hero. But, from overall mood that I got from the pictures, I can say that I actively came to the conclusion Hotspot is the hero. So I suppose the design works if I am right....The drawings are really good though, just a few adjustments I think should be made to really make the hero POP!
Audio Response to The American Life
After listening to some of this episode about superheros, I got to thinking about what ability I would want. Realistically, it would be great to fly, be invisible, be immortal, but those are not actually abilities I would choose. Heres an example of the "superhero" who hold the powers I would want:
You are probably asking yourself why in God's name would I want to be anything related to Mel Gibson...well, let me explain:
You are probably asking yourself why in God's name would I want to be anything related to Mel Gibson...well, let me explain:
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Joke Video Analysis
For this project we had to make two approaches to the same joke. Here are the links to our jokes:
Joke One
AND....dun dun dun
Joke Two
Our first joke video, structurally, contrasted our second. Although the video looks primitive with the hand made props and such; we tried to focus line and shape. Our shots of Adam on the ground playing with the train were specifically designed to have put him amongst horizontal and vertical lines. The pillar behind Adam puts him within a frame. He is directly between two vertical lines. Additionally, the lines from the couch cushions and the lines from the trimming on the wall, all lead to Adam's body. Adam sticks out in shots for two main reasons:
Overall, I'm pleased with the videos. They were more or less nothing like our intended scripts, but it worked.
Joke One
AND....dun dun dun
Joke Two
Our first joke video, structurally, contrasted our second. Although the video looks primitive with the hand made props and such; we tried to focus line and shape. Our shots of Adam on the ground playing with the train were specifically designed to have put him amongst horizontal and vertical lines. The pillar behind Adam puts him within a frame. He is directly between two vertical lines. Additionally, the lines from the couch cushions and the lines from the trimming on the wall, all lead to Adam's body. Adam sticks out in shots for two main reasons:
- First, his clothing is much darker then his surroundings. His black shirt contrasts with the green couch, and again when he is sitting in the stairway (which is supposed to be his room)
- Secondly, Adam is one of the only curved elements in each shot. Everything Adam is surrounded by is essentially made up of squares and rectangles. So throwing in Adam, who is curved and not so right-angled (is that a word?), makes him stand out.
Overall, I'm pleased with the videos. They were more or less nothing like our intended scripts, but it worked.
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