Michelle S


Bio

Michelle S

@oatsnbows

mxs118430@utd.edu 

 

Tool Reviews

Include links to your tool reviews (including to the page for the previously-reviewed tool for undergrads)

 

Google + Read Response

My favorite response was on October 22nd. 

 

Free-writing

 

9/10/13

How does digital text (language) convey meaning?

 

Digital text/ language conveys meaning in any form that the author intends, and perhaps sometimes doesn't intend. For example, language is a very culturally subjective tool. Where as someone who is a native English speaker could mean one thing that seems very black and white to them, someone who is from another country and has english as a seconds language (thus not as well practiced) could think that they're conveying one idea, but if the word choice is incorrect their point will not get across. The same goes for any author... it greatly depends on how the reader interprets it. 

 

10/15/13

Important class themes so far-

 

What I have gotten out of the class so far is mostly that the medium is a message. Doing my portfolio project now both with text and image, I've been able to see it first hand and I also feel like it's a theme that often comes up during the class and in our readings.

 

I also feel like the question of "is this art?" or "is this literature" often comes up in the class. Such as with the Alice in Wonderland visual text where all of the text was in a large spiral we asked ourselves, is this visual? Or is the literature? 

 

10/22/13

 

Sounds signifies by being able to evoke emotion. We were able to hear these sounds and identify if they were scary, childish etc. Something fast can feel rushed, and something slow can feel calm. This is why we can just hear a song and feel happy or feel sad. 

 

11/5/13

 

Sound affects digital textuality in ways that image, text, and moving can't necessarily do for each person. Personally I feel as though sound is very strong memory trigger for me. When I hear the Gilligans Island theme song I feel like a child watching it again more so than when I look at a video of myself from that time. Things like visuals tend to mean different things to different people, such as body language can be interpreted different. However, sound tends to be a little bit more universal. A sad violin just SOUNDS sad. An Alfred Hitchcock movie theme just SOUNDS scary. Perhaps this does tend to vary within cultures and by person to person, but I feel like it's a relevant point. 

 

12/3/13

 

What are the most important aspects of digital textuality? Obviously, all that we have studied here are all important aspects... sound, image, moving image, text. These all work in conjunction. However, I feel like accessibility is what makes digital text so unique. No longer do we ALWAYS have to pay for a book, a movie, a song... the digital realm makes this all more accessible and therefore, important. Without the ease of accesiblity among mediums, digital text would not be what it is. 

 

Homework

 

Portfolio

 

 

First Versions 

 

 

images retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_C._Burbank(astronaut)  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle (inside shuttle) http://www.how-to-draw-funny-cartoons.com/cartoon-microphone.html (microphone) http://www.clker.com/clipart-arm-hand.html (arm)

 https://soundcloud.com/mscan91/scandurasound

 

sound retrieved from: freesound.org, http://freesound.org/people/Spleencast/

 

 

 

 

Final Versions

Include a brief explanation of what you revised.

 

Text- http://themeowfronteir.tumblr.com/post/69920361793/jan-7th-2014-dear-america-i-am-a-cat Rewritten entirely. 

Still Image-http://themeowfronteir.tumblr.com/post/69607979310/http-en-wikipedia-org-wiki-daniel-c-burban-ast reformating and the omission of one image. 

 Sound- https://soundcloud.com/mscan91/the-meow-frontier Marching band sound added.

Moving Image- http://youtu.be/qmRUHpFUjVU Second shuttle launch scene added, as well as a new crowd cheering scene and a marching band.

 

Final Paper-

 

Michelle Scandura

 

Dr. Kim Knight

 

Digital Textuality

 

Digital Text

 

            Throughout the course of this semester, we have studied the different mediums within digital textuality and have certainly learned that the medium is a message. Part of the struggle with digital textuality in general that we have all experienced while developing our portfolios, is that because sound, image, text, and moving image all do have such unique affordances, it can be difficult to portray the same message through all mediums. All mediums that we have worked with throughout the semester are indeed important; I pose to make the argument that still image is the most impactful and important element in digital text for a myriad of reasons.

            In order to truly understand the role of still image in the context digital text, we need to understand still image before the time of digital text. Scott McCloud writes “"the picture-story, which critics disregard and scholars scarcely notice, has had great influence at all times, perhaps even more than written literature."(McCloud p.201) Given that this is merely McClouds opinion and ones opinion is always subjects to biases. However, I have to agree that while reading McClouds book where the still image was predominately doing the signifying, I did find the read easier, more enjoyable, and it left a longer lasting impression on me than any thing else I read during the semester just because I was so amazed by how the still image made a difference in my reading experience. I feel as though the rest of the class agreed with me.

            One reason that still-image is such a successful element in digital text is because it is so eye catching and quick to view. Working in social media marketing I have come to find that text posts often get the response of “tl;dr” even if it’s a mere paragraph, and movie image just takes up more time. A still image is quicker to process and preforms better in terms of online marketing in my own experience.

Another reason that it is so impactful is because nearly any amateur can do it. This is controversial when we speak to a professional photographer that does not appreciate a twelve year old with an iPhone and a photo filter taking pictures that could possibly rival their own professional pictures. However, one of the unique affordances of digital text in general is that the accessibility makes it so anyone can participate.  According to the Hochman and Schwartz reading, “Picture-taking has never been easier. We now use our phones to snap photos and instantly share them with friends, family and strangers all around the world” (Hochman, Schwartz p. 6). Because of the fact that it is so easy, it’s less inclusive, and more impactful just by the numbers of pictures that we take on our smart phone and share per day.

            It is overwhelming obvious that being an iPhone photographer is a trend right now. However, the Cruz and Meyer reading tell us “it is interesting to note that the iPhone ́s camera was (and remains) clearly technically poorer than much of the competition” (Cruz, Meyer p. 11). So if the quality is poor in comparison to the competition why is it such a trend? Perhaps its just that? A trend? It begs the same question of “Is Starbucks really the best coffee?” or is it just the trendy Starbucks cup that draws us in. Not only are iPhones trendy, but they are fun, easy and accessible. Thus, in conjunction with my previous statement, iPhone still images are impactful because of the massive numbers.

            For the reasons discussed that still image is more accessible, it takes up less time to experience it, it is trendy, and it simply can be more enjoyable, I believe that still-image is the most impactful element in digital text, as well as within my own portfolio. 

 

Cruz and Meyer, “Creation and Control in the Photographic Process: iPhones and the emerging fifth moment of photography” from Photographies. (p. 11)

 

Hochman and Shwartz, “Visualizing Instagram: Tracing Cultural Visual Rhythms” from Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence Technical Report WS-12-03: Social Media Visualization. (p. 6)

 

McCloud, S.  "Understanding Comics" (p. 201)