First and foremost, I really did enjoy this brief. The concept of modern technologies is something that I think about sub-consciously quite often, (how it got to this point, where will we be in the future, imagine a world without it, etc), so my initial feelings of the module were positive. However I found that the physical learning process that we have encountered over the last few weeks gave a great deal of gratification in itself. It is the first digitally based project I have ever enjoyed being dictated to, and I genuinely found it very satisfying to walk out of tutorials having learned new skills that I have never come across before.
My initial outlook for the project was not to be overly ambitious, but not to aim low and just get by. I immediately discarded the idea of having a ‘descriptive’ website or dvd with regards to my opinions on individual technologies; I thought it would be too difficult to produce something that wouldn’t appear bog-standard or stereotypical having never encountered the software before. So I thought about trying to integrate my feelings of technologies, or a technology, in a different way, possibly a way that would physically show the pros and cons without having to actually describe my opinions or thoughts at all. I felt this would offer my website or dvd much more substance when it was finished, and would hopefully be less tedious and bland.
My hatred of Internet virus is quite an intense one, and was something that was 100% going to be expressed throughout the project in some way. As I felt exceedingly stronger about this than any other technologies that I came up with, I decided to try and centre the project around it, and work the other opinions around it where possible. I thought that a website would obviously more suitable to portray an Internet virus than a DVD so I took that route, and came up with the concept of building a website that would demonstrate the annoyance of their very being. The finished site didn’t really stray from this initial vision at all, and I’m absolutely chuffed with it! To tie in with the notion of ‘love and hate’, I based the actual function of the site around the worse place I have ever been to; Bognor Regis. Incorporating Bognor Regis and Internet viruses in the same piece of work; it would be nigh on impossible not to realise my take on the subjects, surely…
Although my personal style choices appear to be shocking, I did consider the contents of the site carefully! I wanted to convey the same ‘slap-dash’, bog standard, almost cheesy format that is apparent within online visitor guides of small British towns. This accounts for the very ‘try-hard’ font, block colours, stereotypical summer ice-creams as rollover icons, Butlins links, and the overly bad pop-ups that appear. Note that these popups actually convey other technological dislikes that I have, albeit subtly, to retain the same principle of physically showing the viewer as opposed to describing.
As I have said already, I took a lot from the physical learning process and the satisfaction of learning new skills that could be built on to quite an extent. Although initially quite daunting, I feel a strong basic relationship with Dreamweaver has been forged, and it is a piece of software that I would definitely want to try and build on in the future. The same goes for Final Cut Express; and with this I may hopefully have an even greater opportunity to expand with my Video elective. I have to admit that I pretty much disregarded DVD Studio Pro. The inductions to it I found extremely difficult, and the fact that I decided so early to go for the website, (and thinking that we had the choice of either) only tossed it to the side furthermore. It is shocking at best, slapped together on iDVD, has no substance, and doesn’t tie in with the nature of my project in any way, shape or form, which is quite obvious. However this is a piece of software that I am definitely going to try and learn to use within my work in the future, and I must reiterate that it only took less precedence as a result of the website based nature of my idea.
In all, I am extremely happy. I like it when I envisage an idea and follow it through, which is very true in this instance. Thoroughly enjoyed the learning process, and look forward to building on what I have learnt.
