Def Poetry: Sarah Kay

Beautiful use of poetry and new media.

Skittles Touch: Cat

Well here is an interactive video, sort of, for anyone who is reading this! Follow the directions, it will pay off. Kind of a creative way of advertising for people with computers.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication (Video)

This is one of my favorite bands, and they have been around for years.  It is weird to see how they are now middle-aged rockers, but they still are staying contemporary with the times.  This video isn't a real game, but kind of looks like the game Grand Theft Auto. It looks fun though-- wish it was real!

"People I've Seen On Public Transport" Tales Of Mere Existence

Youtube did a feature on this guy a year ago or something on Valentine's Day. I think it is a very interesting way of combining uses of New Media and paper. I wish I could do doodles like this.

TV.

I think everyone kind of gets sucked into the same things.  It is weird to think about how far technology has come-- my parents were so reluctant to get a DVD player at first, and cable, and now that I have it, it is so hard to get away from.  They were right to shelter me a bit from those things and DVD collecting because now it is all so worthless, both financially and mentally.  I liked Angie's comment about reality TV being like crack-- it is so ridiculously addicting, but then after the show is done I could care less about where that person is or what they are doing.  In the back of my mind I realize how scripted and monitored the show is,  yet I still watch it and sympathize with the characters, similar to how people do with regular characters on drama shows.
I really want to get into the whole netflix thing, but I am not sure that I could get my parents to pay for it since I already have cable in the dorms, and they want me to focus on my grades. I think TV is something that I will have to cut out of my life when I graduate, at least when I am starting out. It seems like such a small thing, and something that every one of us has grown up with, but it really is a time-consumer and useless mostly.
Another interesting point is how everyone talked about the two most popular shows at the time being really affected by the writer's strike.  You had the two powerhouses-- Lost and Heroes, and they were generating huge amounts of weekly viewers, but then without the good script behind them, people were just completely tuned off.  Lost was able to regenerate and complete the season, but as far as I know, Heroes is still going on, and has yet to truly go anywhere.  They really lost their audience with all of the twists and turns in every episode; it became too confusing and dumb.

Chapter 8.

1. I think we are only getting deeper into the wasteland.  I have to turn off the TV, because I get caught up in these reality shows, tuning into them every week instead of going out and living my life.  I think people are becoming content with living through and imitating these "characters" on TV without realizing that these thing are scripted and consequences are real and different for every situation.  While there are some shows that are definitely worth watching and give insight into things, mostly it is used as a useless filler.  Most milk the cash cow for all it's worth, shows like LOST get viewers wrapped into long running airings, but lose steam and meaning along the way.
2.  If I had to buy a TV I would get a projection one with TiVo?  I am not sure, I suppose... The way that technology runs, even 4 years of having something is ridiculously long.  Phones are updated every one or two years, and turn to crap after mere months, and computers on average last for 2 years before being overrun with viruses and slow down and crash.
3. I think it would be really cool to see the interactive TV thing work out again.  I know that TV over the internet is getting popular, and to have like a choose your own path thing could be a big hit, more like a video video game...
4. I rely on TV for creating ambiance and noise when I am alone in my room.  Rarely do I sit and do homework and not turn on my itunes or TV as a filler.  Only when I read do I turn everything off. I love finding a new show that is well written-- Avatar: The Last Airbender was one of my favorite shows ever.  It had 3 books and stuck to the plot throughout, weaving in lessons to be learned and adventure; the show was just incredible and well-crafted.  Now they are doing a spin-off because the show was so popular.  This both excites me because I miss the show and have to rely on reruns, and disappoints me, because I would rather that those terrific writers spend their time developing a different show for a different demographic.
5. I have thought about making videos before, and if I was going to do it, I would do hair how-to's and product reviews.  I think there is a lack of reviews for females who are looking for the latest and greatest in the beauty industy-- but the problem is that with every skin type and body type, not every product works for every person the way that other products do.  For example, what works on my hair, might not work on Betty Sue's hair, but a video game is pretty straight-forward. Of course, if I did my job as a good reviewer, I would be able to explain and describe who it would ideally be for.

Chapter 7.

1. It shows that the film industry relies heavily on making sure that they can own and distribute everything. They want complete dedication and privacy to their causes.  They are slowly releasing everything to Itunes, but on their schedules, in hopes that this will cut some costs for them.  However, will it cut their revenues is their main concern.
2.  Video games are adding more and more short videos that are well-made and informative for the gamers into their games.  I can potentially see advertisements of some sort being placed into the short clips, like product placement.  As artistic, perhaps an awards ceremony will begin to credit those who make gaming videos, if they don't already have them.
3. That is a hard question to answer.  I don't know how things are leaked in the first place, but if they found the source of leaking, that might solve some problems.  They have already come out with movies in theater in demand at home, but for around $50-70 dollars a movie.  I think perhaps if they made this a more affordable option for a single person watching that movie (this is more ideal for a group), it would gain popularity fast. They can also start pressing more charges like the music industry does, or having special things that only work in theaters that would entice people to go to the movies again, such as giving away dinnerware.
4. Yes. I think a lot of it is just plain disgusting and sadistic.  It becomes less of an art form when it's been done a million times, the series of Saw and Halloween are good examples of this.  They have all of these spin-offs, and they lose the meaning, if they ever even had one to begin with.
5. Yes, I think it can be if done in the right way.  I feel like with a book, it is designed to foster imagination and the ability to do anything and travel anywhere, but with a film it is a person's idea of what they see, so with the help of CGI and special effects they can achieve the idea that they have.