The Class Before Last

Ok, so the class before last was focused a lot on our own projects. We went through the hourclass blog as usual though.

We watched a video of guys running across and getting stuck in that gloop stuff. It was actually really amusing. It was not only a childhood dream come true to see a whole pool of that gloop stuff actually exist, but it brought back old memories of me making it in my Nana's kitchen when I was little, with my cousin.

After that, we pretty much worked on our final projects. I figured out all the parts and everything for the portable N64 project and even found a decent video to guide me through all the steps. I planned to meet with Gokey later that week depending on when two more of the parts came in and I felt like I was pretty much set.

Over the weekend I went out to Best Buy to try to buy the random batteries, transistors, resistors, capacitators, and so on, and so on. Upon asking the guy at Best Buy for parts he looked at me with eyes bugged out of his head and asked "Are you building a time machine?". So after that fiasco, I headed to Radioshack, where I luckily found most of the random electronic shindigs I needed. The only thing I was missing that was on my "to-buy" list was the special batteries I needed that are typically used in portable DVD players. So that's when I headed back to Best Buy. I made buddies with a guy named Tom who gave me what I could and told me if that didn't work then he would order another kind. He was really helpful and I was starting to really look forward to my project.

Then, everything kind of came to an awful halt. My screen still had not come in and the Texas Instruments company decided to notify me that my piece would be backordered until July 22. So as a back up I researched every nerdy website after that only to find out that they were all in the same position- there was no chip PTH08080WAZ that would be available for me to use anytime soon. I basically hated my life for a while when I realized I had to accept the fact that I would not be able to complete this project in time for the deadline. Then it was time to figure out my next project. To be continued...

Response to Kohn reading, "Studies Find Reward Often No Motivator"

Kohn's article, "Studies Find Rewards Often No Motivator" goes into great detail about how rewards often provide us with more consequences than benefits in the long run because they lead to bad quality, less creative, and less enjoyable work. Studies have found that rewards are actually more discouraging than helpful because they lead one's eye to be set on the prize rather than the actual work because than the work is viewed more as an obligation. Rewards only seem to work if they are restricted to to simple tasks that aren't apart of a continuous routine and not based on performance. The more complex a task is, the more it is hurt by the effects of a reward system. Even verbal support can be harmful and have the same consequential effects as any other form of reward. Human beings simply become uninterested in any task when there is a reward as an outcome because then the task is all about what one will receive after they get the job done and not doing the job itself. Rewards act as a destructive distraction.

Personally, as an art student, it is easy to agree with and understand the ideas behind the destructiveness of using reward systems. Its really hard to try to be creative as an art student when you are trying to follow so many guidelines and instructions to a project or artwork established by the teacher because they're the ones who grade you. It is hard to distinguish when I should go out on a limb and when I should strictly follow the guidelines because it can either have a really great outcome or destroy your grade in class. Personally, I feel that all the freshman foundation classes should follow a pass/fail grading scale simply because they're required courses to help prepare you for the ones a student will be taking in their future to actually pursue their major. The courses you take following those though, will use the average grading system. I feel that the freshman foundation classes should be more focused on experimentation in specific mediums then handing in projects and drawings for a grade. Freshman foundation classes are all about being a learning experience and not necessarily about creating flawless drawings and projects; therefore, having pass/fail grades for these classes will open up students minds and allow them to comfortably get more creative with their artwork.

A class of final projects, educational drunk histories, and critiquing animation projects

Ok, so basically yesterday I finalized decisions on my project. After hours of digging through Youtube and nerdy websites I decided that I didn't have too many references, or really any good ones at all, when it came to circuit bending the old N64. I just feel like there was too much of a chance of either nothing happening at all or just screwing up completely and not having anything to show as a final because the gaming consul broke or something during my test jobs. I considered circuit bending the cartridges instead but actually ended up deciding on changing my project into building a portable N64 instead. Today I'm going to look up what other parts I'll need and start figuring out how to go about it by going through blogs, websites, and more Youtube videos. I'm crossing my fingers this all works out and starting as soon as I can just in case all this backfires, which I won't let happen anyways, so I guess thats not a real concern.

In class we watched Drunk Histories on Youtube. I have no idea how it even came up or what lead us to watch it but I found it absolutely hysterical. I was telling people to watch it for the rest of the day. A majority of people I told about my new little Youtube kick already knew about it so I kind of ended up sounding outdated to all those people who are so up to date on what's cool on Youtube and stuff, but hey, its all good.

We also critiqued the animation videos in class. I feel kind of inspired to create a sequel to my Bunnies vs. Dragons video now that I heard all of those ideas that people in class threw out there. People had a lot of good ideas involving Peeps getting enlarged in microwaves, getting revenge on the dragons, and using more dragon fire. Perhaps you'll see Bunnies vs Dragons II: The Struggle Continues come out in the near future. Cross your fingers!

So thats about all, we watched some other cool videos too and stuff but I honestly can't remember specifics. I feel like there was something else that really stood out to me in class but I'm totally blanking out on it. Oh well. Check ya later.

Response to Vanderkam article "What Drives Us"

Vanderkam reviews Pink's book, "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us", and thoughts in her own article "What Drives Us". The old motivation system, of working for a reward, was successful back in the day when a majority of jobs were simple factory jobs where no thought process needed to be used and muscle memory could perform assembly line tasks. However, in today's day and age, it has been discovered that intrinsic motivation, which is when people are motivated to do their work because it is fulfilling to them, is the most productive for workers. Intrinsic motivation not only takes an employee's thought process off of the money they earn per task or hour, but also allows for people to be more creative and productive because they are working in an environment that encourages them to do their personal best. Yet, even though intrinsic motivation takes some focus off of the factor of money, money is still considered an external factor. Therefore, external and intrinsic motivators have to balance to some degree. For example, Google has "20 percent time" program in which its employee's have the right to work on a project of choice one day a week. All in all, people need to be placed in a motivational environment where they can feel free enough to come up with organic, creative, ideas, and where they don't feel the pressure of a reward being at stake, in order to be the most productive.

Last Class

Last week's class we had a guest artist come in to speak. I honestly don't remember his name, but his work honestly amazed me. His videos were made of different layers of objects in order to create one specific scene or representation of a work of art in which people could pop in and out of, walk through, and even move the objects around in order to strip the scene in which they were originally in. The whole process of his video and installation art was really interesting because I honestly just could not imagine my mind ever working the ways his did. I could never picture myself being able to build a scene made out of found objects, and place them as perfectly, as he did in order for my idea for work, which is the factor that made me truly admire him as an artist.

Following that, we started figuring out our final projects. Its been difficult to find instructional videos or even instructions at all for doing what I had planned on with an N64, most of them are geared towards the original Nintendo. I'd be willing to give the N64 my own try based on viewing videos for the original and figuring it out on my own. I feel bold and brave enough. The only concerns about this though involve safety being at risk or even having it not work at all. Another option for my project now is ROM hacking but, for some reason, it just doesn't seem interesting enough. Finally, another idea was to create a portable N64, which has multiple instructional videos all over the internet. I'll figure it out soon, I only have a couple of weeks left after all.

At the beginning of last class we talked about the negative effects of grades on students again. Statistically, students are more productive and creative with their schoolwork being graded. I can imagine art students even being a lot more daring with their projects if grades were not a concern. The next post will explain the details of Vanderkam's article "What Drives Us", about the excerpt from Daniel H. Pink's book "Drive, the Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us", in which Vanderkam and Pink examine the ignored issue.

My Animation Proj, The Next Possible Youtube Sensation?

Bunnies vs. Dragons: The Ongoing Struggle from Liz Kenny on Vimeo.

Animation and Last Class

So, I went to a little makeup sesh to catch up and figure out the whole animation project process. I learned all about the frame by frame type of filming. The program, Frame by Frame, is really helpful when it comes to stop motion animation because it gives you that whole onion shell view of the frame previous to the one you're filming. I also learned about how to go about retroscoping on Photoshop which I thought was mad cool. I really would like to try that out but I don't think it works into my idea for my animation project. Maybe I could use it on another project I guess. Also, I learned that whole trick to make little repetitive tasks go a lot faster, props to Gokey when the time comes to use that.

During my catch up sesh we started looking for videos of people messing around with N64 visuals, which is what I plan on doing a project on for my final. Most of the videos were for the original Nintendo though so I learned I'm going to have to start doing my research if I want to get this project done right. I just really want this project to work out because I think it would be super cool.

In actual class we watched some animation videos, covered the topic of chat roulette after watching Ben Folds and a Ben Folds look-a-like freestyle via piano about the random person who popped up on their vid chat. It was funny. The whole concept chat roulette thing is just amusing though because people go on it to talk to random people they don't know. I feel like chat roulette will be a mega topic on Oprah or something in the near future. I'll be on the lookout for that for sure. Oh, I also learned about how I can apply that whole disappearing image thing, like the one the guy used on bball videos, to my animation video which gave me inspiration for a story idea. I guess that made me more excited to work on the project and get it done since now I have an actual idea.

Its gorgeous out though, I'll be on my way to dance class soon, and then I'll be done with classes for my week. Sweet life. Check ya later.