The End

Chat Primer for Second Life

Image! Click to enlarge.

Final Meeting Protocol

S E C O N D   L I F E

F i n a l  M e e t i n g  P r o t o c o l  D i g i t a l   M e d i a  I

OFFICIAL FINAL TIME : 10:15 AM -12:15 PM  .  MONDAY DEC 17.

By 10:15 AM . Be at the Starbucks coffee shop in Second Life we have discussed and looked at for the last two weeks. Official address in the top browser-

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Maemilkkot/153/165/54

After the final physical class meeting, I will be volunteering to teleport those who are not already there to the location. In addition, Thur and Sun (1-4) during final workshop times, I will be teleporting those who are online as well. I cannot send a teleport request to those offline. So be online if you wish to preemptively be there! That way, it will be a matter of just logging in to be present for the final.

And by the way, since it is a final in the digital world, you may access from anywhere. Though do ensure your machine is up to speed. It will not be wise to miss the final meeting due to lack of planning on your part. Four main rules-

1. Keep the text based chat civil during conversation! Speak as you would in class.

2. If the class is together in a location, please do not wander off.

3. Be with the final meeting until it is called off officially. Failure to remain in the final meeting for the duration (which should take no further than 30-45 minutes) is going to irk real life discrepancy from me and not just my inane avatar.

4. The sky is the limit. Your research and adventure into accessorizing your avatar will come into direct play in the meeting! Express yourself! Or rather, express the person who is not yourself.

FIRST HALF OF MEETING  (after all 18 of us assemble in the coffee shop and area) :

We will attempt to completely give the illusion that our 'fantasy selves' are having a conversation with one another. That is, text based chat will be initiated when we compile and you will not be your real self. I will call off this 'experiment' at a proper juncture of awkward!

SECOND HALF OF MEETING (after our artificial selves speak to another)

Our fantasy outfits remain the same, but we address another normally.

Here are some questions I will pose to you through chat you may think about prior to engaging in the final meeting. I will expect everyone to be polite enough to respond!

*What have you made art about in this class? (or) What do you want to make art about?

[Remember this was the very first question I asked at the very start of the class.]

*What do you think of Cory Archangel's Super Mario Clouds piece "now"?

[The recurring piece we looked at half jokingly-half intellectually in the semester.]

*What is the work you are most proud of that you made in the class? Why?

*What are separations and links between you and your fantasy self? How representative is it?

ENDING

I lead you all in flying off into the ocean. After that, HAVE AN AWESOME BREAK.

CLAIM ESSAY ARTISTS + Mixer Locations

Hello DM1,

Your YTM projects!

http://www.unr.edu/art/digital_media/student-work.html

You shall scroll below to where Dillon has placed them in partition to your own name. You can click on your name and link the webpage if you wish to show off in any manner.

IN ADDITION-

ESSAY ARTISTS (TWO OF THEM) CLAIMED.

BRIAN, 1.] RSG/Alexander Galloway & 2.] Davis & Davis
CARL, 1.] Stahl Stenslie & 2.] Terence McKenna
CHOHNNY, 1.] Maurice Benayoun & 2.] Diller Scofidio & Renfro
ELISSA, 1.] Annie Reichert & 2.] John S. Johnson III
ELIZABETH, 1.] Nullsleep & 2.] Robert Overweg
ELO, 1.] Aziz & Kucher & 2.] Doris Cacoilo
EMMA, 1.] Daniel Sklaar & 2.] Brooke Singer
ERIN MCMAHON, 1.] Bruce Cannon & 2.] Electroland
ERIN MEYERING, 1.] Jeff Krouse & 2.] Lindsay Howard
JENIE, 1.] Nova Jiang & 2.] Andreas Berne
KAITLIN, 1.] Nick Yulman & 2.] Matt Richardson
KATIE, 1.] Auger-loizeau and Alex Zivanovic & 2.] Melinda Rackham
LENA,
PRISCILLA, 1.] Mariko Mori & 2.] Kenneth Hung
SERINA, 1.] Aram Bartholl & 2.] Tabor Robak
SHAY, 1.] Graffiti Research Lab & 2.] Jean-Pierre Hebert
STORMY, 1.] Paul D. Miller & 2.] Paul Demarinis

ONGOING

I would choose concisely and quickly.

-Ben

Project 7 + The Final, A Digital You

★ ★ ★ ★

A S S I G N M E N T   7  +  F I N A L

"A Digital You"

e.g. A Creation of the Real You in Cyberspace

and A Creation of a Fantasy You in Cyberspace

                    

Stitches between a photo of one's self and the

digital self to assist in proving proper transition.

In a NUTSHELL... Before going on... This assignment will see you interact with the immersive, 3D world Second Life in direct ways-

1.) Opening up Second Life (in lab or @One Multimedia) create an account. Free!

2.) Change an existing template to match your own appearance! PHASE ONE.

3.) Save that outfit. Change appearance of that to become a 'fantasy' self. PHASE TWO.

4.) The date-time of our FINALS * meeting (DECEMBER 17 at 10:15 AM SHARP) we will meet in Second Life to perform a to-be-discussed adventure and parting conversation. Yes, that is right : The final in the digital class will meet in the actual digital world. PHASE THREE.

* FINALS DATE is separate from our actual, physical last meeting which is December 10th regularly in class. 

★ ★ ★ ★

DUE...

DECEMBER 3rd, CLASSTIME
(in addition to essays for some)

Brief sketch and/or plan for

how you want to render your

avatars. The real self speaks

for itself. More so interested

in the 'fantasy' self here.

Reference image for real self.

Also a screencap (minimum

of [1]) to prove you have

interacted with SL in some way.

Post ideas/sketch/image to your blog.

DECEMBER 10th, CLASSTIME
(in addition to essays for rest)
(WITH write ups for 1. Prospectives and 2. alt event)

1.) An in-progress showing of your work

under construction. That entails screen

stills of yourself in Second Life either

building the avatar(s) or just them posing

around. A minimum of [3] images.

Video is fine too if you can manage.

Even a live 'showing' in the program.

Show in class. Post media to your blog.

2.) A suggestion for a location of our

final class meeting in Second Life.

DECEMBER 17th, THE FINAL MEETING

MONDAY, 10:15 AM, MY AVATAR LOCATION

1.) Both of your avatars documented in

photo form (minimum [3] screencaps - angles

both) and posted to your blog. They are to

be complete at this stage! For our final

meeting, have ready the "fantasy self".

2.) You will send a friend request to my avatar.

I will of course say 'yes'. This is how I can

teleport you to my location for our 'meeting'.

My avatar name : DeBender of the Universe.

3.) When the whole class is together, through

voice chat/text chat/and actions, we'll take

a flight together in a digital world of our

choosing. We will have a conversation

together reflecting on the course and

what ideas have circulated throughout.

Consider getting there the hard part.

The 'meeting' will be a victory lap.

★ ★ ★ ★

 WORKSHOPS

Dillon. 11-5 MONDAY-THURSDAY EVERY WEEK.

Myself. SUNDAYS. 1-4. IN LAB.

★ ★ ★ ★

Part 1: First Self

Representational Avatar/Self
Sign up for a free account and get acquainted with Second Life. Go to http://secondlife.com/ and sign up! Your first steps are to create a representational avatar/self portrait in the online community “Second Life”. If your computer allows it (more than likely yes) you are free to download the program for yourself. Test that out excessively. Keep in mind 'the final'.

Follow these steps:
A) Start by changing your appearance functions to essentially create a self portrait in appearance and body shape as avatar. Either create or find clothing items that work for your self-portrait/avatar. Think of the tools available as a new type of drawing system – using this system to create the most realistic, representational depiction of the self.

 

Examples A1 and B1. (See below.)

Follow this tutorial. You'll learn a lot by 'doing', but this helps additionally.
http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Appearance_Editor

B) Once you have created an avatar (or you have one that your previously created as a mirrored self, great!), save this as an outfit. Now you will start working with the skin template in photoshop to create a more realistic representation of your face and head.

Follow the link below. You can download a template (Photoshop

file - layered) to stretch out a front and side portrait on to

map your own face into the Second Life world engine!

This is the link for the head template to import. 
http://www.annotoole.com/CMFF/ (you will need CMFF_Master_Template_Head.zip)

This is a tutorial on making and importing skin. In a nutshell, simply enter at the top BUILD -> IMPORT -> IMAGE. It will only let you do so for 10 L (dollars in game). Using the lab fees available, I will ensure you receive a good amount of money from the Digital Lab (from myself and Joe DeLappe) to spend on importing images to map your face with. May take more than one try. After you've imported, you can simply enter the edit appearance mode, body -> skin -> face and use image.
http://www.avatars-3d.com/tutorial-template-secondlife/273-second-life-how-to-use-a-skin-template

A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF CLASS NOV 26 WILL DEMONSTRATE THIS STEP BY STEP.

A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF CLASS NOV 26 WILL DEMONSTRATE THIS STEP BY STEP.

A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF CLASS NOV 26 WILL DEMONSTRATE THIS STEP BY STEP.

A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF CLASS NOV 26 WILL DEMONSTRATE THIS STEP BY STEP.

A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF CLASS NOV 26 WILL DEMONSTRATE THIS STEP BY STEP.

 So keep calm and stay digital.

Part 2 – Second Self

For the second part of this project, create a new avatar/self-portrait that explores the variety of possibilities available in second life to fabricate a completely imagined, new self. Be creative – consider issues of gender, skin color, explore obtaining new clothing items, etc.  One requirement of this project is that at least one of the items of clothing or objects used for your outfit are to be made by you using the build tools in SL. See the box man below for a brief example of this. You can build objects, or even "environmental objects (houses, sculptures, etc.)" out of blocky prims to compliment your avatar. Possibilities endless!

Examples A2 and B2. (See above, again.)

The sky is the limit with this imagined self as avatar.  Are you a superhero?  Want to be a movie star?  7 feet tall?  

We will go over this. And you will have fun.

My example real self. Benjamin Poynter. 24. From Oklahoma

City. Digital artist, indie game developer, and teacher.

My example fantasy self. Gavin Lee Felix. 33.

From Parts Unknown. Intergalactic Grappling Champion.

Interstellar Political Activist. Fashion Icon. Gardener.

★ ★ ★ ★

Additional Links

Build stuff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPrYPcuggBI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyrBXnbWjsE&feature=related

Embedding Texture Onto Object:

http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Video_Tutorials#Content_creation

Skin:

This one is done using a 3D paint program:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHQKQKQROyc&feature=related

Clothing Tutorial:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBOiPspH6vs&feature=related

Importing Textures:

http://collaborate.extension.org/wiki/Second_Life/Building#Importing_Texture

My Own Adventures with Second Life, To Give Perspective:

http://www.benjaminpoynter.com/ABOUT-THE-ARTIST.php

http://www.benjaminpoynter.com/pulp-machinima.php

★ ★ ★ ★

As a Reward For You Reading This Far...

Extra credit possibility. Optional.

Due by time of final date (17th).

Friend me on Facebook

with a newly created Facebook page

of your fantasy avatar self's profile.

Prerequisites of obtaining credit-

1.] Minimum of 10 images of your

avatar interacting with SL posted

somehow on your profile. Of course,

use best ones for profile - timeline pic.

2.] A decently thought out bio section.

Age. Race. Gender. Relationship.

History. Likes. Dislikes. THINK.

3.] A minimum of 5 friends acquired.

If you have an existing FB account,

that will count. Perhaps convince

classmates to band together?...

Friend me with these prerequisites,

and I will award you a bonus letter

grade to your lowest existing

assignment grade in Digital Media I.

...I probably don't have to tell you how to make a Facebook account.

Once more, WE WILL GO OVER EVERYTHING WITH A FINE TOOTH COMB IN CLASS.

A BLOG POST TUTORIAL WILL BE AVAILABLE.

But good luck. End is near.

★ ★ ★ ★

HTML, Helpful Links

Hello DM1,

Hopefully you are closing in on the finalization of the 'shooting' portion of your practice, as a few are/already are finalized. When you arrive at tackling the actual mixing part of the assignment (i.e. working with Dreamweaver, as demoed in class), here are some links and tips that should easily give you the edge.

http://www.webmonkey.com/2010/02/html_cheatsheet/

[This one recommended by Dillon himself, whom you'll be emailing the Dreamweaver file to before Sunday at 5PM. That email is dmcgillivrary@unr.edu . ]

This should be more than enough to help you complete the assignment plus some change. It teaches you in a flash the basic components of how HTML works plus unique things to do with it. Only requirements HTML wise of altercation (besides of course embedding the videos themselves in a fitting grid) are changing the background color and making/altering the title text on the page. Of course, you can go the extra distance and experiment with certain things. For example, you could draw lines to divide videos on the grid. Etc. It is all up to you. Though of course, not forgetting the importance of the assignment itself (the mixing of the videos). Use time wisely.

Of course too.

http://html-color-codes.com/

Cheat sheet for the colors. Invaluable for helping you decipher the perfect hues of your background and text (and more?) colors. If you're ambitious... You could even find a way to get an array-rainbow of colors implemented somehow. (e.g. the Prospectives '12 site)

http://v3ga.net/YouTubeMixer/

If you are ever at all curious or anxious of how two videos-sounds will interact with each other, go no further than this (or for that matter other) aggregate that can mix two Youtube videos together and see the result. Think of each of your videos as an choir, each of a different class (bass, soprano, alto, etc.). If you got all bass, it will just sound flat. Like music to the ears, it is comprised of different instruments and general pitches.

And once again, if you forgot-

This is how you find the embed code in the first place. If you are using Vimeo, it is very easy to locate as well (on the video itself, a 'share' button should come up if paused). Paste into your HTML view on Dreamweaver and on the actual view (preview of final result) it should pop up as the video.

And I know this will come up, so i'll iterate it again : <br> is a line break. Exactly like hitting Enter, except for HTML coding.

You have the tools! Dillon will be in the house during his usual hours. I will be too, 1-4 Sunday (workshop ending an hour before due time to Dillon!).

Good luck.

Homage to the Shallows, In Full

Congratulations.

Youtube Video Mixer Example (Real Version and HTML Version)

Y O U T U B E _ M I X E R _ E X A M P L E _ O N E _ / /

HTML EXAMPLE

(Though distorted from original

limited blog view)

CODE OF THIS

<body>
<h4>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: helvetica;">Y O U T U B E _ M I X E R _ E X A M P L E _ O N E _ / /</span>
</div>
<br />
<div align="center">
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="200" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qtAg21DDKsc?rel=0" width="200"></iframe>
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="200" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Dcn6OmGF5Rk?rel=0" width="200"></iframe>
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="200" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/W50RNAbmy3M?rel=0" width="200"></iframe>
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="200" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OOv-Ncs7vQk?rel=0" width="200"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: #ff3333; height: 15px; width: 300px;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: #006699; height: 15px; width: 300px;">
</div>
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="200" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cwwJkaT2PHM?rel=0" width="200"></iframe>
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="200" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ztYnr2MV3mY?rel=0" width="200"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<div style="background-color: #cc0000; height: 15px; width: 300px;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; height: 15px; width: 300px;">
</div>
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="200" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GlhOUyy4wbs?rel=0" width="200"></iframe>
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="200" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VtxG_qoMFTM?rel=0" width="200"></iframe>
<br />
</div>
</h4>
</body>

<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">HTML EXAMPLE</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">(Though distorted from original</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">limited blog view)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>

Project 6, "The Youtube Video Mixer"

★ ★ ★ ★

DUE...

NOVEMBER 18TH, 5:00 PM (AFTER 1.85 WEEK BREAK)

1.) Assignment 6 Completed. The Dreamweaver file/

your Youtube video remixed emailed to Dillion our

lab technician (dmcgillivrary@unr.edu). By time

designated. That is a day/Sunday before class.

NOVEMBER 19TH (AFTER TWO WEEK BREAK)

1.) HTML/Dreamweaver file in possession to give

to me. The mixers should be online, but this is

for archival purposes as well.

2.) The [final] reading in this course : 

MANOVICH. "What New Media is Not".

You should all have received an email of this.

TWO QUESTIONS over reading posted to blog.

3.) Make a detailed comment on a blog post

(which should be effective by end of class or near)

containing our final short film over The Shallows.

Include three things-

1. - Your favorite transition/editing trick in the film.

2. - What most struck you visually as loyal to the book/chapter.

3. - The separation between reading the chapter and "watching" it.

WORKSHOP TIMES

Dillon is available Mon-Thur

10-5 PM. Thursday is the most ideal

time to reach him as there are no scheduled

classes! The other days there are classes so

be wary which times. See him for issues.

I will be present in lab both Sundays leading

up to November 19th, 1-4 PM.

★ ★ ★ ★

A S S I G N M E N T   6

"It's the Youtube Video Mixer"

★ ★ ★ ★

"inbflat"

 You will be developing a webpage as a multichannel video/audio work inspired by the In Bb 2.0 as available online: http://www.inbflat.net 

Click on the "mixer" image for the link to INBFLAT.


★ ★ ★ ★

Your project is to have at minimum no less than 5 videos to mix. You can duplicate the format as in the "inbflat" project, using 20 videos or use no less than two videos to mix.

Examples:

You are making a video remix, net art project, imagine someone coming to your webpage and randomly clicking on your videos to create a unique, live montage of videos and sound.

There are a wide range of possibilities and variables to consider as you develop these pieces.  You are the director!  Consider all aspects of creating this piece.

This includes:

-change the background color (THIS IS REQUIRED)

-change the title text on the page (THIS IS REQUIRED)

-The shape of your grid?

-Color or tonality of your videos in the grid (all black and white, all towards one color spectrum, light, dark, day, night?)-Camerawork

 - all hand held?  All from tripod?  All zooming?  All panning left to right or up and down?  Or some combination?

-What or who is your subject and why? 

-What is the sound or sounds either repeated or different for each video? 

-Subject matter? ALL UP TO YOU.

- the video sources will come primarily from videos you create and upload to youtube.  These are to constitute no less than 2/3rds of your project.  You may use appropriated videos from youtube but these must be used sparingly - no more that 1/3rd of your videos may be from existing youtube sources.  (these are general guidelines of course, if you use 5 videos total, at least 3 must be of your making for example).  

-techniques - you will be learning some basic html coding with this project while using Dreamweaver for basic production.

-sound – for this piece you have you may have up to 20 audio channels interacting and mixing in real time! These can be all different or repeats of the same audio/video. Choose carefully as the mix of sound is very important to this project.

Youtube remixes are due emailed to Dillon by Sunday NOV 18 at 5pm! dmcgillivrary@unr.edu

In the form of a Dreamweaver file or a text file.

Follow instructions carefully BEFORE sending these to Dillon.

-CHANGE THE NAME OF THE index.html file that I will send to your name as follows: Save the file with your name on it EXACTLY as follows: John_Smith.html

He will upload these to the Digital Media area website from where you can link this to your blog. You must also take a screen grab of your entire remixed work and post this to your blog, link this image to your remix project once the associated web page is finished.

HELPFUL HINTS 

EXAMPLE - replace the highlighted code with the embed you cut from your chosen youtube vid:

You can paste that in your Dreamweaver file and create a

link to that video! Adjust parameters within the embed code

to change the size of the video!

Additionally!

http://html-color-codes.com/

You'll find THIS useful. Hexadecimal color shortcuts

for figuring out the whole "6 number/letter" color codings

more quickly when changing the color of text/backgrounds/etc.

I shall post more useful links as time rolls along in a matter of days!

Next post shall be an actual example.