Life is animation but....animation isn’t real, right? If animation were real it would be live action. Yet animation is real. Animation is life in the sense that it is based on realism and emotion in real life. This is what I have learned about animation. The real life aspect of animation comes from the communication to the audience of real life attitudes and situations. An animated sequence, film, or series does not take so long to complete to get the drawing right rather it is to get the communication right.
To get the right communication so many factors I had no idea about have to be put into consideration. To be a good animator one does not necessarily have to be the best drawer or know how to work the software. Walt Disney had animators animate his films for him but he understood how to capitative an audience, tell a story, and present “real” characters.
Animated characters become real to the audience because they can relate to the character and situation they are in. Their expressions evoke emotion that one can relate to or makes one feel a certain way toward a character. One feels emotion toward an animated character as if they were a real person. A fish can not talk in real life yet the audience feels bad for Nemo in Finding Nemo. He is a young fish who is lost and separated from his father. The real life aspect of family and family values is communicated to the audience throughout this movie. Thus turning Nemo into something real.
In the following clip in another part of Finding Nemo family is seen through sea turtles:
In the clip Nemo’s father is with a sea turtle and his son. His son just swam back into current by himself. This scene shows family again and communicates it to the audience through the little turtle’s actions. Coming back to his dad saying “did u see that, did u see me, did u see what I did” is a very relatable situation. It is a familiar situation to the audience. Whenever a child, boy or girl, does something on their own they want their parents to see it and they want them to know they did it. For example like riding a bike for the first time.
Animation is not successful unless it communicates something. Then it is reduced to a mere drawing. To give that drawing life, aspects of real life must be added. It is not about whether a character exists in real life. It is about how to make a character exist in the minds of the audience by giving that character a mind of its own. The mind of the character communicates to the mind of the audience.
Music is an animator. Even a better animator at times than a real life animator. Music can bring life to a character just as much as the animator who drew his actions. Chapter 11 of The Illusion of Life:Disney Animation speaks about music in animation. I found it interesting that music can be the personality in animation rather than the actions of a character. This is interesting to me because I overlook music and sounds in animation. Songs are part of story development and I think of them being made after the animation was complete.
Songs are written early. After reading the chapter this makes sense. Since music can add so much emotion it should be looked at early. Songs for animation are better if written to the story. Constant revisions are made back and forth through the music and animation to get the proper flow.
As discussed in the chapter a good song will pick up the tempo of the story, add emotion, and tell it in a different light. It will make the audience feel more toward the situation and characters. Music adds more power to a sequence. Music makes the sequence memorable. It can add emotion that an animator just can not fully achieve with expressions and movement.
The following clip is of the work or mouse song in Cinderella:
In the clip the mice feel bad for Cinderella and decide to finish her dress for her. The song adds much more emotion to the situation rather than the animation itself. The upbeat tempo of the song brings an upbeat tempo to the sequence which reflects how happy the mice are to do this for Cinderella. The song also brings the audience into the sequence rather than the animation itself. The audience would not be captivated by mice making a dress alone. The song brings a flow to what the mice are doing. All of the characters singing together also add more to the family dynamic of the animals in the house. The song too then adds more to the fact that these characters are the only ones who care about Cinderella.
When remembering all the Disney movies I have seen songs start to pop up in my head. These songs remind me of the movies but also remind me of the characters and themes of the movies. These movies would not have been the same without the songs. They gave the movies that “Disney magic”. The music gave the movies a whole personality. Music can turn a movie into its own character.
To be or not to be. To be real or not to real. To emphasize the real or exaggerate it. In The Illusion of Life:Disney Animation by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston two chapters seem to contradict themselves when discussing animation. Chapter 2 of the book focuses more on the caricature and exaggeration of the real while chapter 4 focuses more on realism. Walt Disney said, “I definitely feel that we cannot do the fantastic things based on the real, unless we first know the real.” I believe he means that to create realism in animation one must know the real. At the same time to create caricature one must also know the real. In the two chapters how much realism to put in animation differs.
Chapter 2 discusses the caricature of realism in animation. To move with exaggeration while still making it believable to the audience. Caricature better showed personality of a character. Base the action on the real but the action did not have to be completely real.
Chapter 4 was more about moving away from gags. A good story was most important and it has to be based on real emotion to bring the audience in. Artwork was closer to storybook animation and more real and real sounding voices were to be used as well. Realism was the foundation so the audience could understand and relate, situations were clear, and a character’s personality reminded the audience of real people in their lives. Little things could add enough appeal and emotion to a character. The chapter ended with saying a animated feature film “would not be a cartoon. It would be ‘theater’.” For “this world of fantasy would have to be a real world”.
To reconcile the two chapters I think one should see that both ideas from the chapters are based on realism. Chapter 2 just doesn’t stick as close to realism as chapter 4. In other words they both start or have the foundation of realism. They just went in different directions after that. Both chapters also discuss captivating the audience with emotion. Again they just went in different directions. Chapter 2 better showed emotion and personality with caricature while chapter 4 was about adding subtle, more real life action to show emotion.
In the following clip from Snow White, the ideas from both chapters are seen:
Caricature and exaggeration as well as realism are seen here. Caricature though the dwarfs and realism through Snow White. Snow White is drawn to look like a real woman. None of her features or movements are exaggerated but are more close to real life. The dwarfs on the other hand are exaggerated through their actions and facial features. All the dwarfs have big noses, cheeks, and eyes. The dwarfs actions as they ask Snow White about the prince before she begins to sing are exaggerated. There arms movements are extended as well as their hand and head movements. As they listen to Snow White putting their hands on their cheeks emphasizes how big they are. At the same time the dwarfs would not have captivated the audience if they were like Snow White. Caricature was the best way to show their emotion and personality. The dwarfs are based on personality, its how they got their names. Snow White on the other hand is better being more real because she is the beautiful Disney princess. In order for the audience to relate to her she had to be more like them and more subtle to evoke the sweet personality that she has.
From the clip one can see that both chapters discussed were right. Animation does not have to be exaggeration or more real, it can be both at the same time. As discussed before animation is based on realism in life as well as real emotion. There are different ways to show realism. One can put real live actors with animation if they wanted.
Think before one speaks and before one leaps. The body follows the mind as much as speech should follow the mind. Walt Disney said, “..the mind is the pilot. We think of things before the body does them.” We can see this in real life settings and also in the realism created in animation. Disney artists mean that action is based on the mind of a character. The action and movement in animation is based on attitude and personality of a character.
Chapter 5 of The Illusion of Life:Disney Animation by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston discusses this idea. The chapter describes when Walt Disney himself acted out Pluto and Norm Ferguson who drew Pluto observed his actions. Ferguson never drew Walt in Pluto but rather drew the expressions and attitudes that Walt was acting out. Pluto was also not so much about drawing a real dog but more about drawing what a real dog did. The mind being the pilot is seen here when the action of Pluto was based on real dog characteristics. Thoughts and emotion from the mind are the pilot. Animation is not about having mechanical or too real of a drawing.
Flexibility in character movement showed the mind of a character. Symbols like frowns or expression are signs of the body that show the mind of a character. Hamilton Luske was also an animator for Walt discussed in the chapter who was very organized. He knew the exact poses he wanted and did them with clarity, definition, and caricature. Caricature, clarity and definition of poses are also signs of the body that show the mind of a character. Every time Luske came across a weak action he turned it into a clear action with a strong accent. The strong accent too showed the mind of the character. Emphasizing an action, emphasizes a sign of the body, which in turn shows mind of character.
In the following clip from Space Jam, Lola Bunny’s signs of her body show her mind:
The way she goes up to Bugs Bunny and pulls him shows the confidence behind her character. Her walk was a confident one with a hand on her hip. The hair flip at the end also shows her confidence and that is showing up to Bugs was easy. She is not afraid or unassertive and this is shown by how close she gets to Bugs but she makes sure she gets his attention which putting her finger on his face. Her walk, hair flip, and actions toward Bugs showed the mind of Lola. She’s one assertive and confident female character.
The mind is the pilot is the sense that a character cannot be a character without a mind. This mind is shown through a character’s actions. The actions of a character are based on its personality and attitude, its mind. Movement and expression show the thinking and feelings of a character. Animation is not just a drawing. Just like the audience who watches him Bugs Bunny has feelings too.
To draw is not to animate. To draw with emotion that is animation. Animation or effective animation is more than drawing or creating animation with a computer. For an audience to enjoy and understand animation emotion has to be shown. This can be time consuming and costly if animators use detail to convey emotion.
In The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston they discuss emotion and these nine economical ways to build emotion.
Economical ways that animation can build emotions in the imagination of the audience:
1.Rear view- Rear view is when the audience sees the backs of the characters. Here feelings are better imagined and viewing the back of the character makes the audience feel with the character. This takes out the need to draw a character in detail.
2. Shadows- Shadows is when only the outline of characters are seen. Shadows naturally create suspense and drama and add interest to a scene. This again saves drawing in detail.
3. Shadows over the character- Shadows over the character is when there are shadows seen over a character. In reference to action, the action of a scene is seen through the expression of a character looking at the action and the shadows over the character rather than animating the action in detail itself.
4. Overlays- Overlays are overlaying some of the background over a character. This adds more emotion and emphasis to the scene adding the setting to the character. This saves to focus on the character’s body and face.
5. Dramatic layout- Dramatic layout is when the layout of a scene is bigger than the character. This makes the character look small and gives the emotion of loneliness. This saves to draw emotion in detail.
6. Pictorial shot- Pictorial shot is a big shot of a setting or place. If the pictorial shot is a shot of where a character wants to be the character looking at the shot provides the emotion of wanting to be there. This saves to draw that emotion of the character.
7. Effects animation- Effects animation is the symbolism of nature or what the character sees. Such things as colors, clouds and rain, and fire create feelings and emotions. There are colors associated with the seasons and feelings and emotions associated with weather and the seasons.
8. Held drawing with camera moves- Held drawing with camera moves is when an expression of a character does not move. The camera moves but not the expression. Sometimes movement of an expression would not strengthen the expression so camera movement is all that is needed. This saves to draw added movement.
9. Offstage sounds- Offstage sounds is when sounds build images. Hearing sounds will make the audience use their imagination and create feelings toward what they are seeing. This saves to animate the feeling of a setting.
In the following clip from Pixar’s Burn-E held drawing with camera moves, pictorial shot, and dramatic layout are seen:
Burn-E is a repair robot on a spaceship. In the clip he is trying to complete his task but gets moved from outside of the ship to back inside due to hyper-speed. Burn-E is a robot so that leaves little to animate on his face yet the audience still can see his emotion. In the clip held drawing with camera is seen when Burn-E is forced up against the ship during hyper-speed. His movement does not change but the camera goes to a close up on his face. This greater emphasizes his emotion of surprise and shock. Pictorial shot is seen when there is a shot of the entire spaceship. Burn-E is extremely small compared to the ship. Burn-E wants to be on the ship but mishaps keep happening. The pictorial shot shows the emotion of Burn-E’s frustration of wanting to complete his task and get back on the ship where he wants to be. Dramatic layout is seen when Burn-E is outside of the ship and space is around him. Space is infinite and being outside of the ship shows the magnitude of Burn-E’s dilemma. The ship is more powerful and in control of Burn-E therefore Burn-E is relieved that he at least does not fall away from the ship.
The other ways are not seen due to there being no shadows in the clip. Burn-E is not covered by the background in the clip therefore no overlays. There are no effects animation showing emotion. Finally there are no offstage sounds even though there are sounds in the clip the sounds do not make the audience imagine for themselves what is happening or add an emotion to the setting. The sounds went with what was seen happening.
To add to the discussion of emotion and animation there are these five points.
Five points to remember when animating emotionsdirectly from Chapter 17 of The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston :
1. Make sure the emotional state of the character is clearly defined
Do not confuse the audience. Use the right gestures, story, and graphic presentation to evoke emotion. Emotion makes a character believable. Without clearly defined emotion a character is more a drawing than a personality.
2. The thought process reveals the feeling. Sometimes it can be shown with a single, held drawing or a simple move. Other times there should be gestures, body moves, or full action. Determine which is best in each case.
An emotion or emotions can be shown different ways. Depending on the character and situation the showing of emotion can be simple or a more complex. A single aspect can involve the audience and grip their attention. At the same time a combination of aspects can greater emphasize an emotion. The right combination can intensify the emotion and build a greater bond with an audience. To determine which is best one must look at which better illustrates the emotion for that scene. To decide if less is more or more is needed.
3. Be alert to use of cutting and camera in helping to accentuate the emotion.
In reference to the above economical ways to show emotion not everything has to be animated. A still emotion accentuated by camera movement can be all that is needed to emphasize the emotion. Also certain parts of a scene can be cut out or may have to be cut out to avoid confusion to the audience. Cutting can also leave room for the audience’s imagination to go and greater connect with the story and character.
4. Ask yourself constantly:
What am I trying to say here?
What do I really want to show?
How do I want the audience to react?
If the animator is confused and lost than the audience will be also be. An animator must be clear on what emotions and feelings they want in a particular scene. They must also take into account how the audience will react and how to get a reaction from the audience. The story, graphic presentation, and animation or personality of a character creates emotion. The story and graphic presentation are what are said and shown. The audience reacts to both but gets more involved with the personality of a character.
5. Use the element of time wisely:
to establish the emotion of the character,
to convey it to the viewers,
to let them savor the situation.
Emotion should not be rushed or forced on the audience. Time can help to build a bond between the audience and characters. First the emotion must be clearly defined, then strengthened or emphasized, and then there must be time for the audience to react. In order to create emotion the emotion has to be created and the audience must have time to have a feeling toward the situation.
In the same clip as above all points are seen:
The emotional state of Burn-E is clearly defined. It is with the sounds that went with his movements and his movements themselves. The audience sees his want to finish his job, frustration, and gratefulness of not falling away from the ship. His movements and reaction to situation gave him a personality. In the clip more simple movements and gestures were seen. For one he is a robot which limits his range of motion but at the same time less is more in this case. To make a robot more believable they do not have complex movements. Emotion was seen with sound added to a simple movement. Camera and cutting was seen with the close up of Burn-E’s face and cutting quickly from different areas of the ship. The way the clip was cut made the audience follow along with what Burn-E was going through. For the forth point, the story, graphic presentation, and animation were all in the clip. It was said that Burn-E is being forced out and back in the ship. The emotion of his frustration, relief, and shock and size of the ship were shown. The audience is supposed to feel sorry for Burn-E and hope that he completes his task and stays on the ship. Lastly, even though the clip is short it need leave time for the audience to react to Burn-E. When Burn-E got up after holding on the light that part of the clip was not rushed at all. His emotion of relief was seen and he got back up slowly. Then, when Burn-E was trying to push the button to complete his task the action was very slow. This showed that Burn-E was so close to completing his task but he was pushed away. This allowed the audience to savor the situation of Burn-E almost completing his job but at the last second he could not. In turn this creates emotion for Burn-E as well as the audience who now feels bad for him.
Emotion and animation go hand in hand. There is so much more to animation than creating an image and movements. It is the storyline, how the story is being graphically presented, and the personality added to the characters that make animation. To make an audience react with emotion they must see emotion. When watching animation one is looking at images that are completely made up in the minds of other people. Audiences react with emotion to others’ imagination. The imagination of animators strikes up the imagination of audiences. Animators think of their own emotions and the audience’s so the audience feel the emotion the animator wanted to them to.
When does an animator stop animating? How did they start? No this is not a blog about an animator’s life but it is about their thought process. There are 12 principles of animation that add life to a character and scene. These 12 principles are the fundamentals of animation. Chapter 3 of The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston explains these “rules of the trade”.
Squash and Stretch-When a fixed shape is squashed by being flattened out or pushed together and stretched in a very extended condition without losing its original volume.
Anticipation-When a character does a specific move that prepares the audience for what they are about to do and what is about to happen. .
Staging- Presentation of any idea, be it a action, personality, expression, or mood, so that is it absolutely clear.
Straight Ahead Action and Pose to Pose- Straight Ahead Action approach is when an animator draws a scene as he goes while in a pose to pose approach actions are planned out and key drawings are drawn first before the inbetweens.
Follow Through and Overlapping Action- Follow Through is when a character’s movement has stopped but separate parts of its body or appendages continue to move while in overlapping action parts of the body continue to move as they were even when a movement stopped, overlapping movements.
Slow In and Out- Speed and closeness of inbetweens to key drawings to speed up action from key pose to key pose or slow it down.
Arcs- Keeping the line of action on an arc due to the fact that most movements in the real world happen in arcs.
Secondary Action- An action that is added to the primary action to give more personality and make the character more life like.
Timing- The number of key frames and inbetweens used in a move determines how long an action will be and the number of inbetweens gives new meaning to an action.
Exaggeration- To exaggerate an action or expression to bring it more to life, make it more convincing, and so it connects with the audience more.
Solid Drawing- Shape and outline of a character that must be more natural with no parts of a character doing the exact same thing and provides a shape that can be animated.
Appeal- Adding appeal to a character by a pleasing design, “fascinating quality” or “quality of charm” so that the audience likes to look at the character.
In the following clip from Pixar’s Presto, all 12 principles of animation can be seen.
Squash and stretch is seen when the magician drops the hat after being electrocuted. The hat stretch while it was getting closer to the stage, squash when it hit the stage, and then stretch make to its original shape after it bounced off the stage.
Anticipation can be seen within the first second of the clip when the magician bends down before he reacts to be electrocuted. It can also be seen with the musicians. Before they play they both raise their hands then play their instrument.
Staging is seen by the fact that the magician is on a stage in a theater, with a magician’s hat, looks like a magician from his outfit, the rabbit is a character with reference to the magician pulling a rabbit out of his hat trick. The setting and the characters make it clear that this is an magic show. Also by the fact that most of the scene is staged in a shot that keeps the magician’s body in the frame but nothing much else around him. The focus is on the action of the magician being electrocuted.
I believe Pose to Pose approach was used for this scene because it has clarity and happens as expected. The scene is set up rabbit electrocutes magician, magician reacts, magician falls down as a result of being electrocuted. I have never been electrocuted myself but I think that a person would fall after being electrocuted for more than a second. There is not so much spontaneity in the scene.
Overlapping action can be seen when the magician is being electrocuted and the top part of his body is still but his legs are moving in all types of different directions and each leg is moving a different way. Follow through can be seen when the magician’s body stops moving completely at the end of the clip but the smoke from his hair is still moving.
Slow in and out can be seen from the magician’s quick reaction to electrocution. The inbetweens were close to the key poses and sped up the action.
Arcs can be seen looking at the magician’s legs while he was being electrocuted. When they move out and away from his body they are moving in arcs. As well as when the magician falls his head follows an arc.
Secondary action is seen the people in the orchestra look at each other in shock and confusion as to what to do as the magician is being electrocuted. Instead of just beginning to play the secondary action of shrugging their shoulders is added to add to the confusion, “what is happening?”, “I don’t know” feeling.
Timing can be seen at the end of the scene when the magician falls down. It is not a fluid fall more of a hard fall. This is achieved by the use of less inbetweens that gives the fall a more harsh feeling.
Exaggeration is clearly seen by the magician’s reaction to electricity. His legs moves all over the place, his eyes are huge, his hair is straight up, and lighting is seen going through his hair.
Solid drawing can be seen looking at the rabbit. He clearly looks like a rabbit with exaggerated features and those features are “animatable” and not the same. One ear is longer than the other and one foot is bigger than the other.
Appeal can be seen also looking at the rabbit. The rabbit can be seen as cute but that is not what appeal is all about. The rabbit has an appealing personality for wanting to get back at the magician. Having the rabbit look at the audience while electrocuting the magician made the rabbit more appealing to me and adds more humor to the scene.
Animation is not just about making a character jump. Many different principles went into how that character was going to jump. We are so caught up in the story that even if one knew what the principles were, blink and we would miss one. Yet that shows that the principles are working. They are not there to be noticed but to better the animation and the auidence’s experience watching the animation. The clip had all 12 principles in a 15 second time frame.
When watching an animated movie do you ever stop to think that Mammoth doesn’t always speak so kindly to that sloth, but wait? Animals don’t talk to each other, talk period, and Mammoths don’t even exist anymore. So why do we enjoy animated films and relate to scenes that cannot happen in real life.
In The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, they say “conveying a certain feeling is the essence of communication in any form.” After reading Chapter One of The Illusion of Life, it became apparent to me how animation does communicate to an audience. The text discussed actions are not only seen as actions but show emotions, feelings, or fears. “Audience Involvement” is how animation remains to be successful. Communication is not so much speech. To communicate is to relay feelings and emotions.
We watch animation because we can identify with the storyline and thus we become involved. When watching a film like Ice Age we identify with the animated animals’ feelings of fear, emotions of loneliness and the feeling for the need to belong with some type of “herd”. The viewer’s response to animation is emotional. “We sympathize, we empathize, and we enjoy” animation because it showed something that is familiar to all of us. This can be an emotional reaction we all share, aspect of one’s personality, or a combination of things.
Looking at a clip from the Pixar short film Presto, the rabbit in the clip communicates with the audience due to his emotional reactions and the situation that he is in. The bunny is kept in a cage right next to a carrot he significantly wants. When the magician, his owner, lets him out of the cage he thinks he’ll finally get his carrot but this does not happen.
We all have had a time when we really really wanted something that was right before our eyes, literally but someone else would not let us have it. It could be when we were kids and we saw a cookie on the counter but mom said no cookies before dinner or when we saw food just like the rabbit in the clip when we were really hungry but had no time to eat it. Communication is based on emotion and connection. This clip communicates with the audience because it reminds the audience of a familiar situation and feeling. We sympathize with the rabbit because we know how it feels to want something we cannot have. Even though real life rabbits do not move and act as the rabbit in Presto, the situation he is in is human enough for us to understand. We also identify with the rabbits reaching out of his arms for the carrot and the magician pulling him away. Everyone has reached out for something they have wanted or reaching out for something in general is a sign of wanting something.
Although animation is not always based on realism we the audience make it real. A talking sloth or a rabbit that moves like kid is appealing for us to watch because they communicate to us. Animation plays upon a communication between the audience and the characters. We believe in a character because we relate to its feelings and emotions.
What's that I hear...or see? Bugs Bunny is speaking to you.
Who seems more real Donald Duck or a real duck? Seems like a silly question to ask but Donald may seem real due to the fact that one can relate more to Donald Duck cartoons than watching a real duck at a park. Donald Duck can be seen as a caricature of a real duck. Donald Duck is real in the sense of his emotions but a real duck in real due to the fact that it exists in reality.
Caricature is an exaggeration. It can be an exaggeration of a character’s body parts, personality, as well as their movements and actions in animation. I believe that realism is truer than caricature in the sense that realism is more true to reality. Reality is truth but caricature is more of an expression and exaggeration of truth. I believe one cannot have caricature without looking at realism first. To exaggerate something one must have a basis to exaggerate. For realism just look at reality but for caricature it is more about exaggerating reality.
Yet in animation caricature is greatly seen due to the fact that because of its amplification of reality characters better communicate to the audience. Feelings and emotions are better seen.
In the clip from Pixar’s Presto, I believe it relies on both realism and caricature. As discussed in Chapter Two of The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, Walt Disney wanted a catricature of realism. In order to capture the audience one must exaggerate but it must be believable at the same time. It has to feel real, be based on realism.
The clip is based on realism being that is involves a magician, a rabbit, and a hat. Pulling a rabbit out of a hat is a trick seen and heard about in reference to magicians. The magician looks like a human and the rabbit looks like a rabbit. The magician does not have unrealistic or too fluid of movements. The room that the characters are in, the setting, looks like what a real magician’s dressing room would look like. The cage that rabbit is in and the carrot he is longing for look like the real life things.
Caricature is seen in the clip through the rabbit’s movements and actions. Rabbits do stand on two feet at times but they do not move their legs in rotation as the rabbit was when the magician was holding him back. Yet that movement is needed to get the audience’s attention. The movement also evokes the emotion of the rabbit of desperately wanting the carrot and causes the emotion from the audience of sympathy.
Realism is more true than caricature if one references both with reality. Animation is not so much about being real but more about feelings that exist in the real world. One can draw or animate anything they want, anyway they want but that character is going to evoke real feelings that exist in the real world. Realism is already closer to reality. Emotion and feeling does not have to make it seem real.
Then again is something real as long as you believe in it?
There are no rules. At least not many in American cyberspace. One can Google anything they want. This is not the case in China. The Chinese government that already has the reputation of constraint, bans certain internet searches and sites. Should the U.S. government have the same right. I believe the government should have the same right but only on subjects of security.
Free flow of information is essential and a right to citizens. The internet is the largest source of information. One should be able to find information that is non bias or swayed. China has banned websites on a banned spiritual movement and pro-democracy websites. There have been 136,000 non-registered sites and 1.5 million pieces of information banned. More have probably been added by the day. There are even paid commentators who comment for the government on those who criticize the Chinese government. The Chinese are trying to guide their people toward one way of thinking and only expose them to what they want them to be exposed to. I believe one should have an open mind and not be swayed.
The only things I believe should be banned by the U.S. government on the web are information such as how to build a bomb or wiretap a phone. These deal with issues of security. Why would one want to know how to build a bomb anyway? The people who should know, perhaps a bomb squad, will found out in training. There is no need to have that information on the internet.
Wiretapping ones phone is an invasion of privacy. Sure there are big brother cameras now but they are not meant to invade. One should not have the information to wiretap another phone. Unless again, it deals with their job like the police. The government should not abuse their capabilities as well.
Certain websites and searches in schools should be banned for obvious reasons. The youth of this country do not need to know how to make a bomb. Elementary school students do not need to be able to search violent images or pornography.
America is based on freedom. Freedom should extend to the internet. Yet certain things should be banned to protect our freedom and Americans. No one wants a child to have a bomb in their backpack.
This is not nearly as serious as the Team Jacob vs. Team Edward debate but it is relevant in the world today. PowerPoints are used to teach students and used in the careers those students obtain after school. Team Tufte said “PowerPoint is Evil” in a Wired magazine article. Team Byrne wrote “Learning to Love PowerPoint” in the same magazine. I am Team Byrne for the fact that I see PowerPoint as a very useful tool. I learn best visually and with note taking.
Tufte made the argument that PowerPoint “elevates format over content” and needs many slides due to little information on each slide. This can result to boredom as a result of a slow and long PowerPoint presentation. Byrne on the other hand said with PowerPoint one can organize ideas, attach content, bend the program to ones needs, and then it runs by itself.
PowerPoint can be long but I believe that it can turn boring if the presenter does not present the information in a way that will keep ones attention. Tufte said that with little information on each slide more detail is needed for a better understanding of the content. The presenter of a PowerPoint is not restricted to voicing the bullets that are on a slide. PowerPoint is an outline for elaboration. Elaboration made with words or with content.
While in my Comm. and New Media class we watched a Scott McCloud lecture on TED.com where he discussed comics with the aid of a PowerPoint presentation. On the PowerPoint there were no bullets but rather visuals and pictures. His lecture was the opposite of boring and his visuals were part of his discussion and all he had to do was press a button to continue his discussion. The PowerPoint gave greater understanding to what he was saying.
Granted I do believe that PowerPoint can be too animation driven at times and drag on but used and presented cleverly and efficiently PowerPoint is very useful. A long boring PowerPoint presentation can be as boring as a long lecture with no extra content.
As simple and as everyday browsing the web is today; does anyone ever think about how it is put together? People browse the Internet on their phones, on their televisions, and it is used to teach. We know how to use it but don’t usually know how to create it. Taking a computer mediated class this semester I do not really know how to create websites.
Sure there was the craze of MySpace and Xanga before Facebook and Twitter where people created their own site with codes but most people did a copy and paste. I understood the codes for the most part and changed them to my liking but I could not build a whole website from scratch. I hope to learn codes better and learn to make a website in this class. I feel excited to learn code but at the same time codes for a whole website entails plenty of letters, numbers, and symbols in front of me. Yet one must know the basics to thrive.
