I recently conducted two interview for my documentary and I need some feedback. So far I have made two different interview text graphics and I haven’t decided which one I like best. Should I go with simple or with a color scheme? The microphone I bought for the interviews worked extremely well and I think these interviews turned out excellent.
Earlier this week, I finished my trailer for my documentary. I published it on YouTube and I look forward to begin editing my whole documentary very soon. In the trailer you will get a sense of some of the topics that I will hit on in the documentary as well as some of the GoPro footage I caught. Sorry for the poor quality High Definition fans. For some reason when I rendered the trailer the quality was changed. I will not make the same mistake when rendering my final project. Anyways leave a comment and give me some feedback. Also, feel free to share it with your friends and colleagues.
To my surprise, the lectures today related to my documentary that I will be creating soon. First, Dr. Javier Gutierrez-Rexach presented the different types of components/conventions that society is used toseeing in film. He made a great connection between the story of Katniss, in the Hunger Games, and the story of Spartacus. They are characters whom are successful in fighting in gladiator type events and the most of the plot of the Hunger Games resembles Spartacus. I have seen many movies which use recycled plots and I find movies with their own originality much more enjoyable.
Dr. Micha Elsner introduced us to the topic of cyber detectives and what makes a good detective story. He explained that he was researching how to get computers/robots to come up with stories with an interesting plot without hard coding different main plot components into it. If someone figures out how to do this in the near future, I will truly be stumped. It would change the way films and video games are made. These random, original stories would serve as the bulk of the media were exposed to.
Lastly, Dr. Joseph Steinmetz talked to us about his 20 years of research in the psychology department. He taught us about the memory system of the brain and his different experiments involving it. He explained that he would have the subject wear special glasses that emitted air into the eye repeatedly over time, on a cycle. The subject would eventually be able to time the blinking of the eye, whenever the air emitted, thus preventing the gust from hitting the eye. When I realized that most mammals have the capacity to adapt that fast, I was amazed. His research was inspiring, and I hope I can figure something out as awesome he has in the future.
Throughout this week, I have honestly had a wonderful opportunity to listen to all of the professors lectures and meet new friends. I would like to thank Dr. Aldama, Dr. Lu, and Ms. Stephanie Fowlerfor giving me the opportunity to experience this breathtaking camp.
Today, we met Dr. Pamela Decker and Dr. Zheng Joyce Wang. Dr. Decker introduced us into a discussion centered around empathy and sympathy. I came away learning that sympathy is the action of feeling sorry for someone, and empathy is the ability to understand or relate another person’s feelings. I have definitely experienced both in my life and I feel that they are necessary for building strong relationships. During Dr. Decker’s presentation, we also viewed some works of the internationally recognized artist, Miwa Matreyek. She mixes animation, performance techniques, and video installation to display vivid messages to the audience. Personally, I thought her videos were very inspiring and brought out many emotions inside me. Her work is amazing and below is a link to one of the clips we got to observe during Dr. Decker’s lecture.
Dr. Wang’s presentation actually lined up pretty well with my project. She researches how emotion and motivation in multimedia impacts human cognition and the choices we make. I learned that the average human spends about 9 hours a day solely on technology. That number is astonishingly large and I know that this is too much time to waste each day. I want to see people live by the motto, “Carpe Diem”. It translates from Latin to “Seize the day”. It essentially means live every day to the fullest and make the most out of your time. Dr. Wang also took us on a tour of where she does her research and I even got to see her colleagues test other teens in the camp. We got to see where their eyes traveled (on the screen) during a clip of a video and also got to see heart rates as well as other vitals. I was amazed to see this kind of technology displayed in real time and I can’t imagine how it will advance in the next decade.
This morning, I got the opportunity to hear from Ohio State professors, Dr. James Phelan and Dr. Richard Samuels. Dr. Phelan taught us that most, if not all, detective/mystery stories are double narratives. It’s split between the story of the crime itself and the story of the detection(detective’s perspective). During these stories, it is often the reader against the detective(s) to solve the case first. Some authors give “fair play”, allowing the reader and characters access to the same evidence and details about a crime. The solutions are often unexpected, and if written well enough, the detective should beat you to the solving of the case. That will entice the reader to come back and read more novels by the same author.
Dr. Samuels spoke about two types of reasoning: inductive and deductive. Sherlock Holmes is almost always associated with using deductive reasoning which implies that he comes up with a series of true statements that lead to a conclusion. Holmes actually uses inductive reasoning, which is using probable inferences, to come up with a conclusion. Dr. Samuels also showed us different logical “if, then” statements with a series of choices. When first reading the statements, I got them wrong, but after I carefully reread the statement it made sense that only 10% of the subjects interviewed got the correct answer.
After the lectures we were free to go visit all of the different exhibits at COSI. My favorite exhibit is split between Progress. Progress shows the evolution of American society from the late 19th century to the middle of the 20th century. It’s interesting to go back in time and see an old diner or stable. When I was done visiting all of the different exhibits, we were able to participate in the Sherlock Holmes mystery exhibit. In the exhibit, someone was believed to be murdered and it was up to us to figure out the crime/suspect. It was pretty cool being a detective for an hour an a half, looking for clues and trying to crack a secret code. I had a fun time today, and would love to bring my family back sometime soon.
Today, we were introduced to Dr. Angus Fletcher and Dr. Zhong-Lin Lu, both professors at Ohio State University. Dr. Fletcher described why books that made the reader feel special, like the Hunger Games, aren’t good for you. He questioned that when reading a book and you are disturbed by another person, wanting to interact with you, is it right to become angry/annoyed at them. I agree and disagree. You can become immersed in pretty much any activity and you may be really focused in the moment. I can understand an interruption being annoying, but at the same time, I don’t think you should become too angry.
After his lecture, Dr. Zhong-Lin Lu explained illusions and perceptions. He talked about the curveball pitch, in baseball, and how when it “broke” (traveled upward quickly) after traveling downwards, it was just an illusion to our eye. It tricks our peripheral vision because it lacks the high resolution our central vision possesses.
After Dr. Lu’s lecture we traveled to the downstairs of Ohio State Psychology building and saw the MRI machine they have there. I had never seen one before and personally I thought it would be bigger. I also didn’t realize that it had such a powerful magnet inside the machine.
Tomorrow we will go to COSI to solve the Sherlock Holmes exhibit mystery, and it sounds like it will be a lot of fun.
Today, I was welcomed to Ohio State Brain Cognitive and Humanities Camp. We began with a 45 minute intro/lecture by the head of the camp Dr. Frederick Aldama. He gave a basic overview of the camp and what we would learn/benefit by the end of the week. After the introduction we took a tour of Ohio State’s Cartoon Library. It is the biggest Cartoon Library in the world containing millions of different comic books, graphic novels, movie template drawings, and newspaper comic clippings. It was very interesting to see all of the original copies of art being held in a top security part of the facility. I’d love to go back and look at the art another day soon.
After that we broke off into smaller groups and talked about how the short story, The Metamorphosis, (and many other articles) related to our lives. It was awesome to learn how the stories and our lives were intertwined.
Before my detox, I was curious to figure out what I would do during the times I used to watch tv and waste on the computer. I began brainstorming and these are 15 things that I came up with to overcome my boredom.
#1. Puzzles(Jigsaw puzzles, Sudoku, Rubix cube)
Puzzles are very time consuming and can cause you to become very focused. I found myself spending hours on a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle that I finished in 1 day. Surprisingly it was not boring, and I felt very accomplished when I finished it.
#2. Reading
Even if your not a fan of novels, you can read graphic novels or comics. They tell a story that can be just as detailed as a 400 page novel. I read two books and many comics when driving down to Dallas, TX. Reading can also help to pass the time.
#3. Drawing
I myself am not that great of an artist, but I always enjoy drawing people and landscapes. I used to draw so much as a kid and I guess I began to stop once I grew older. I want to get back into it, because drawing can be very relaxing and fun.
#4. Sports
Instead of staying inside and playing FIFA 14 or NBA 2K14, I went outside a lot to play soccer and basketball during my detox week. My friends and I played multiple games and I enjoyed it more than sports video games at home. We were getting good exercise as we were playing our favorite sports.
#5. Frolfing/Disc Golf
For all who don’t know, Frolfing is essentially golfing with Frisbee discs. There is a course about 10 minutes away from my house and it has 18 holes. It’s much faster than golf and can be very fun with family and friends. Most frolf courses are free also.
#6. Fishing
Fishing is another very relaxing activity that I participated in during my detox week. It requires immense patience and not very much skill. Eventually you will catch a fish as long as you have the right bait and patience.
#7. Board Games
My family and I played Sorry, Life, Scrabble, and Monopoly. We hadn’t played a family board game in about a year and it was fun to bond with them through this activity. We had much fun, and I look forward to continuing family game night in the future. My friend, Nick, and I also played some Chess and rediscovered why it used to be so fun as a kid.
#8. Work on Summer Homework
Next year is my senior year of high school and I am taking 4 AP courses. As a result, I had a lot of summer homework compared to my friends. During my detox, I continued reading, and completed math worksheets instead of moping around the house and doing nothing. I’m sure if my detox lasted the whole summer, my summer homework would be done in less than a month.
#9. Craft Anything
As you might have seen in one of my previous posts, my friend Nick, and I decided to try and build a bow and arrow made out of PVC pipe and other materials. We went to Home Depot and bought the necessary supplies and tried to create it back at his house. We couldn’t finish it because we didn’t have the right string. It was still fun trying to find the supplies and build it and if you have an idea of a creation in your mind, I advise you to try and create it.
#10. Complete household duties
If your really bored, you can most likely find something in your home to clean. Cleaning the kitchen and washing clothes may not be the most fun thing to do, but when it’s done you can cross it off your list of chores.
#11. Goto the Gym/Work Out/Swim
Stressed or worried about not using technology. Go to the gym and work out and I’m sure you will start to feel better. Running is something that I’ve learned that helps me to relieve stress. Working out/swimming not only helps you get in shape, but also doesn’t require technology while doing it.
#12. Cook
Come up with a new recipe or make your mom’s favorite dish. Cooking is always a skill that no one can perfect and is all about learning. The more you experience you have cooking a meal, the better it will taste in the future. Cooking requires a lot of time and no technology, unless you are detoxing from the stove, microwave, refrigerator, and oven.
#13. Create a Bucket List
Come up witha list (however long you want to make it) of things that you want to do or experience before you die. I am still working on mine and I encourage my friends to make one. It’s free, easy, and doesn’t require technology. All you need is a journal/paper and an imagination.
#14. Photography
If cameras aren’t on your detox list, take a camera and go take some pictures. It’s always fun to go on a mini adventure around town and get some pictures of anything. Buildings downtown, sunsets, the moon, and people are all great examples of what to snap a picture of.
#15. Write a script or lyrics to a play or song
If you’re into writing, I suggest you come up with your own play or song. You have to be very creative and have a
lot of time if you want to develop a good play or song. Once you are finished have your friends act out the play in front of you and/or sing your new song in front of your parents.
Ask.fm has blown up in popularity earlier this year and, as a teenager myself, I don’t know why. It’s basically an app where you can either choose to make an account or not and ask anyone who has an account any question you like. Anyone can see the question and the answer that the user posts. I honestly don’t know why this app has become so appealing because I feel that you can already pose questions on other apps such as twitter, instagram, and facebook. Those sites offer direct message systems that are private anyways. Why would you feel the need to pose many questions publicly to one individual. Personally, I think that Ask.fm is just an attention seeking app.
Below is an article that I stumbled upon today, which goes into more detail about why Ask.fm has a lot of potential danger.
It’s been a couple of weeks since I finished my project and I have noticed some positive changes in my technology habits. I watch television very minimally, only watch two or three shows that come on weekly. If I find that I’m bored, instead of watching TV, I’ll resort to drawing or finishing summer work. I no longer spend countless hours on YouTube looking through funny videos anymore and I really only use the computer when I need to. I also try to go outside for at least an hour every evening instead of playing Xbox. This project really helped me to become more productive and I feel like I accomplish more without all of my previous technology usage. My family and I recently went to Dallas, TX and instead of playing on my phone, I spent more time with my cousins playing chess and games like SORRY. I look forward to encouraging my friends and family to try their own detoxes soon.
Tech Detox 