Copy Grounds

I don’t mean to be overly sentimental but I am especially proud of my students this semester. They are all awesome and I can’t wait to see how much trouble they get into in the years ahead. This post includes a sampling of the various media projects they produced during the spring semester. There were more but some technical glitches prevented me from posting everything. Hopefully I will get some more of them posted during the summer break. Below you will find video games, documentaries, mashups and remixes, short films, and 3D models and animations—all produced by students from our Introduction to Digital Media course. Enjoy!

First up is Melody Bolton’s Hipster Rex, a video game using Melody’s own hand drawn art and 2D Flash animation. Think of it as an avatar builder at the outset of some groovy MMO. Click the dino to check it out!

Next we have a beautifully done stop motion video put together by Olivia Debeck. continue reading…

SXSW 2011 has been a wild ride!  I have seen between 30-40 bands, met at least 2 legends, filmed quite a few up and coming artists, and managed to get some sleep! Here are a few clips! Watch them!

This is now one of my favorite bands, Doomtree! They are only a few of the awesome musicians that I got to see from Minneapolis. There must be something in the water there! One special thing I dig about them is Dessa, a very talented female lyricist!I met 90% of Doomtree, and they were super nice and love what they do!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toELT1uWDKU&feature=related

I saw Eatliz perform at the Ritz, they played in sync to their own digital creations (one of the guitar players created a really amazing digital video called HEY). The production value of their videos is enormous! You can check out their animated videos on Youtube or on Eatliz.com. I filmed their show 2 days after SXSW, I filmed their entire set, but this is just a taste… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0eALYfK6Dg

And finally my short documentary, its less than 9 minutes, just watch it! It played in the Reel Women SXSW Showcase, this was a huge honor for me! It is about a research project directly out of the University of Texas by Dr. Straubhaar since 1999. The research topic touches on the history of segregation in Austin, and how people are affected by the digital divide, even in a growing technological center. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uLnY-08QIM

During the festival, I got tons of footage, but copyright only allows me to use a copy of it 6 months after the festival. You’ll notice I recorded that Eatliz show two days after SXSW, and I am still living in fear of being questioned!

All in all SXSW was a awesome experience, I am looking forward to next year!

As young Americans, we have our hands on technology and we use it for many purposes. Things like  entertainment, communication, and education, but what are we doing to make a difference towards a greater good? In what ways can we use this benefit to empower others? I would like to study the possibilities of the blogosphere and its uses in the political parameter. The data is amazing, showing a polarization of beliefs but the goals of either side still aren’t very clear. I would like to learn more about the intricate ways that blogging can bring about social change and mobilize people from all over the world, to fight for their rights as human beings, and not just argue about political beliefs.

Here are a couple of links that I have come across that are really interesting. When I first saw this a few months ago, the site was less plain and now it appears to be flooded with advertisements. The content is created by a blogger in Mexico who tries to report the news as it truly is. He loads graphic footage and citizen reports to inform the public. The Mexican government and the Mexican drug traders are pissed! There is an option to translate the blog on the main page.

http://www.blogdelnarco.com/

This is a new subject for me, but a lady I know is involved in the uprising in Tunisia and I am going to meet with her to discuss her blog use. I am curious about how their group uses blogs and the internet to arm people with the knowledge that everyone needs to know.You have to scroll down and click on the titles in English to read the content,

http://almiraatblog.wordpress.com/

here is the origianl link

http://www.atunisiangirl.blogspot.com/

Hope ya dig!