Video Games: Virtual Reality vs. Physical Reality

The idea of video games and the persona of those who love them have never appealed to me. I have sat idly by, watching people ignore their own reality in place of one that is presented in Dolby Surround Sound and a flat-panel television. Growing up I remember watching my brother and his friends sit for hours playing video games in our living your: I never felt the need to join in. I guess I would rather be taking part in physical activity with my friends. But still, there are millions of people spending the better part of their day tapping buttons and interacting with a computer program instead of another human being.

This semester we were assigned to play the online game, “Second Life.” This game is a simulation that has been created as a network that spans the globe, connecting people from every culture, or at least cultures that have high-speed Internet capabilities. While most of the features of the game did not interest me, I find the appearances of the avatars to be interesting. I seemed to take a fantasy approach to my avatar. I created a character that looked nothing like me, and then I continued to alter her appearance, sometimes making her quite outlandish. However, I it found interesting that many others in class were trying to make their avatars resemble them. In fact, some people even named their avatars after themselves. This got me thinking about the need to represent our physical selves in virtual reality.

In the past people were content taking on the role of an Italian plumber or a speedy hedgehog. However, nowadays with advancements in gaming technology people are able to put themselves in the game, by creating characters that resemble them. The newest addition to gaming technology, the Wii, even advertises a feature in which you can create your character and use that character for various games. Interestingly enough, in the commercial the people playing the game create characters that look like them. While “My Space” and “Facebook” are not video games, I would still consider them as part of virtual reality. Even within these online networks people still feel the need to be connected to their physical selves. Members of these communities often post a picture of themselves to represent their physical selves in this space. I guess my question is: is virtually reality becoming so integrated into our everyday lives that we are no longer satisfied with fantasy, and we feel the need to make a connection between virtual reality and our physical reality?

Project Progress Update

Megan's reflection:


The flier I constructed is designed to get women thinking about their health. The puzzle pieces are scattered randomly throughout the flier and will include provocative questions in order to get women thinking about their health and their medical history. The logo is centered because it will help to draw the eye in. The website address is at the bottom because it will direct women to a place to go to get more information.

In the constructing phase of the flier I surveyed another student in another class what she thought about some of the layouts I had made and what kinds of things she would respond to on a flier. She gave me some good advice and I implemented them into the flier.

Although the flier is simple, it does what it is supposed to do, which is to get women to think about their health and question the warnings on their medicine.



Katherine's Reflection:

The website should answer the questions on the website or at least talk about how to find the answers to the questions (asking your family about their history, researching personal risk assessment). I've got the basic layout taken care of but I'd like to try to have some kind of snazzy attention-getter, like a Flash animation or something. I'll be the first to admit that my web design skills are lackluster...over spring break I'm going to do some research (first of all to have some information content for our website!!!) on health websites with similar missions to see what types of visual cues they use to spark peoples' interests. Right now the layout's degree of intricacy and layout says "freshman year e-portfolio project" to me, and I'd like to make it look more like something a graduate student would do.

We're using feminine colors but are being careful not to be offensively stereotypical with the feminine imagery. We want to keep this design simple yet effective.

The logo we've come up with (the puzzle pieces together) implies that each puzzle piece is a bit of information about a woman's health; the missing puzzle piece represents unknown information that could affect someone's health. The website stands to serve as a resource for women to know their own bodies and health and family history.

We started to only focus on the adverse side effects of oral contraceptive use but that topic was too narrow and seemed like an attack on the product. Now we'd like to have documents that communicate the importance of "owning" your health and being your own health advocate.

Kasi's Reflection:

The pamphlet I’m working on is designed to supplement the website. It contains information on why women should think about their health, things about their personal health to consider, and tips to help them keep track of their medial and their family’s medial history. The idea is to get women to think about how medication and medical practices may affect them due to their medical history. The pamphlet will also encourage women to ask questions about their health and to be aware of the side affects different medication may have.

The logo will appear on the cover, so that it is easily seen. Images of puzzle pieces will be place throughout the pamphlet, keeping with the theme of our campaign. The web address will also be included, so the reader will Know where to access more information. I plan on the pamphlet providing enough information to get our message across, but I don’t want it to be too text heavy that the reader loses interest. The pamphlet will be organized into sections, so it easy to read and appealing. Though the pamphlet will be simple, it will provide the web address. The website will then elaborate on the information provided in the pamphlet.

Second Life Interview

Ella Sandell: What was your reason for joining Second Life?

Morgan Reiter: I work for a media company and we were investigating it. We were thinking about representing the company on the site by hosting events, forums, etc.

Ella Sandell: How long have you been in Second Life?

Morgan Reiter: About a week.

Ella Sandell: What types of places do you travel to in Second Life?

Morgan Reiter: I checked out Sony's Island, the newbie place (I forget the name), Studio 54 Disco, Coyote Ugly Bar, a store someone brought me to where I got some cool-ass clothes, and I mostly float around, randomly
clicking the map.

Ella Sandell: Do you talk with other people in the game?

Morgan Reiter: Yes.

Ella Sandell: What was the nature of those conversations?

Morgan Reiter:"How do I stand up?" (I was sitting at the time.) "Where are you taking me?" "What are you looking at?", "I'm new. How about you?", "How do I
dance?", "Click what?" This is pretty much how my conversation with the other newbie went.

Ella Sandell: What features of the game do you like?

Morgan Reiter: That anything can be invented and sold. It's so interesting that it operates with its own currency and is really successful.

Ella Sandell: What features of the game do you dislike?

Morgan Reiter: The search part - it was hard to find places to go. There's no real search engine. I was trying to find Sony's island but you can't type Sony into the map and get there. You have to know the place's specific name. (Which I got, luckily, from someone I met who'd been there.)


Ella Sandell: What is you overall impression of the game?

Morgan Reiter: Interesting. I don't think I'd call it a game though, it's more like MySpace next generation, social networking. I'd rather drink a real beer
than pay two Lindens for one in SecondLife, theirs don't have a buzz.

Ella Sandell: HaHa. So, do you think the game could be used for more than just entertainment?

Morgan Reiter: Sure. I think it would be great for marketing/ publicity. I hear classes teach inside here. That's interesting. I wouldn't want to attend class here every day. Human interaction is still more
interesting, I think.

Ella Sandell: Well. Thanks for answering some questions.



For my interview, I interviewed Morgan Reiter. It was interesting to talk to with her, because she had joined Second Life for work. She was to investigate the Second Life world to see if her company wanted to use it as a marketing tool. I asked while she was in the game what kind of places she visited. She said she went to the Sony places. This makes sense, since her company is looking to market themselves in Second Life; they should look to see how other names are using it as a marketing tool. I also asked since she was relatively new to the game, what her she felt about it. I asked her likes and dislikes. She brought up some valid points, which did not occur to me. When I referred to Second Life as a game, she said that she didn’t think of it as a game, but as an online community like My Space. The more I think about this, the more I think she might be right. The community allows you to develop your character, but also to create a real life profile for yourself. You can add friends and chat online through Second Life, similar to My Space. However, the game has a variety other features; you can hang out with your friends in a virtual space. Overall, it was interesting to get another person, who has experienced Second Life, perspective.

Cartoon Discussion: Far Side

Though Gary Larson, the creator of the Far Side comics, has retired, Far Side remains one of my favorite comics. I enjoy the simple, yet animated drawings. The comic is typically in black and white, though sometimes it appears in color. The characters have human qualities, but maintain a classic cartoon quality. The one-panel comic provides enough detail to get the message across with out becoming elaborate. Far Side demonstrates timeless humor. Since the comic is often based on real life situations, often those of an embarrassing nature, it is easy for the audience to relate to them. Though some of the Far Side comics depict bizarre and unbelievable events they still make me laugh, mainly because they are still grounded in reality. Whether it’s a talking dog or a human character, the Far Side comic has the ability to make us look at ourselves and the world around us and laugh at the absurdity of it all. Far Side cartoons continue to appear on mugs, t-shirts, calendars, etc. I will continue to enjoy these comics and giggle each time one appears.

This polar bear comic is the perfect example of Far Side humor. The polar bears eating the igloo makes me laugh, because it remains me of two people sitting over a box of chocolates discussing the candies. Though the drawing is simple, it provides enough detail to support the text. We can clearly see that the bears are in the artic. The igloo is clearly outlined. We can see the one polar bear has taken a bite by the crumbs falling from his mouth and his stuffed cheeks. Also, you can tell from the human footprints entering the igloo that someone is inside, which is what the polar bear is referring to as the chewy center. So we can infer the polar bear is eating the person and igloo like candy.

Second Life Avatar

Though I’m not really interested in the other features of Second Life, I do enjoy being able to shop and change my appearance. I have experimented with different clothes and hairstyles with my avatar. I like the fact that you can change anything about your avatar appearance, even their skin and body shape. I like the fantasy element to this feature of the game. Your avatar can look as outrageous as you desire. I think the reason I enjoy this aspect of the game so much is because when I was younger I experiment with my own appearance. During my teen years, I changed my hair color and style often. I have had everything from black to purple hair. My hair has been really short to really long. Also, I would straighten my hair or let it go curly. Also, I was very into fashion, in high school I would wear different outfits all the time, and I never wore the same outfit twice. However, the days of combat boots, fishnets, and pink hair are long behind me. Nowadays I am more hesitant to alter my appearance or wear more outlandish outfits. I think I enjoy changing my avatars appearance in Second Life, because it allows me to explore this aspect of my personality without the commitment.

Movie Title Discussion: SCL PUNK

Salt Lake City (SLC) Punk is a movie about two punk kids in Salt Lake City, Utah and their quest to bring about anarchy in this conservative city. The main characters put their peers into groups: punks, preps, mods, natizs, and rednecks. They dislike anyone who isn't part of their group: the punks.

The movie begins with a solid black screen. Blue letters appear in the middle of the screen displaying the names of the Production Company, producers, and director. There is soft music playing in the background at this point. Then the screen goes solid black and there is a voiceover of the main character. He says, "The thing about me and Bob, and pretty much all of us, was we hated rednecks more than anything else, period. Because rednecks for us were American carnate. And American, huh, well fuck America. " The screen then flashes to a scene where two "rednecks" are getting out of their truck. The main characters appear out of nowhere and begin beating the "rednecks" with bats. The main characters then throw the bats down and begin running. It appears as if they are running towards you, the viewer, in slow motion. There's another voice over by the main character, saying, "What could I say weren't much more than a couple of young punks." The screen then fades as if the movie reel is coming to an end. The screen goes black again and the title of the movie appears on the screen. The "SLC" appears almost as if it were stamped there. You here the sound of a spray paint can being shaken up, and "Punk" appears as if it were spray painted there. You hear punk rock music playing in the background as what looks like punk album covers with the names of the people involved in the making of the movie appear on a black screen. After everyone is introduced the movie starts.

I think the title of the movie introduces the main themes explored in the movie. The scene with rednecks introduces the theme of violence and stereotyping which are present throughout the rest of the film. The punk music and album covers were important because they introduce us to the lifestyles of the main characters. Music was and remains to be an important and defining part of the punk lifestyle. The spray paint affect also plays into the punk stereotype, for at the time period depicted in this movie, graffiti was associated with punks and anarchist.

The voiceovers were important, not only because they introduced us to the main character, but because they began to explain the views held by his group. I think by having a black screen during the voiceover really makes the audience listen to what is being said, simply because there is nothing happening on the screen to distract them. This only stress the importance of the message being presented.

My Font

The font that I picked to represent me is called Pepita MT. I feel that this font best represents me because it’s simple, yet a little different. I feel that I am a pretty simple person. I don’t need a whole lot, and I don’t require a lot of attention. I feel this font represents that. It’s not bold or elaborate. However, this font is still different, like me. I have always been unique, and feel it’s important to be yourself. I have never fit in with just one group. And, I’m sure some would say I’m a little off. I feel this font also represents that aspect of myself. It’s not your standard straight up and down font; it’s unique without being complicated. I like that fact that it can be considered different without being showy.

First Project Proposal

The purpose of our project is to alert women of the dangerous side effects of takingbirth control (blood clots and related issues such as stroke and heart attack). Although there are possible dangerous side effects listed on the packages, mostwomen do not pay attention and therefore do not know they could be at risk. Eventhough there are few, if any, ways to test if someone is more at risk than anotherfor these adverse outcomes, we want girls to know the factors that put them athigher risk than others (smoking, other health conditions). Our group wants to tryand create something that will grab their attention and make them pay attention,hopefully pushing them to see their doctors more often and create a dialogue abouttheir risks.

We intend to build a website that is based on a Public Service Announcement with arecognizable logo and/or slogan that we create in order to help spread theawareness. The PSA will air on local television during the most popular shows thatcollege-aged girls watch. At the end of the PSA we will provide a URL for ourwebsite where they can go for more information. Also we will create flyers to poston the back of bathroom stalls in ladies’ restrooms, and possibly brochures to putin Redfern. If time permits we would like to make refrigerator magnets or someother free giveaway to distribute on campus as well.

First, we will need to know what women do and do not know about the dangerous sideeffects (for this we will develop a survey). We will also need to know what theywould like to know or see that is sometimes hidden in the small print on thepackages. We will need to create a logo and/or slogan that is catchy and thatpeople will remember and recognize when they see it. Then we will put all of ourresearch into a website in order to raise awareness, highlighting specific tidbitsof information for the PSA and print media.

Our deliverables will be the website, the PSA, flyers and brochures, and possiblythe magnets. Our goal is to make the website very visual, but we will also need toinclude some detailed text in order to further alert women of the dangers.

The end result will be that more and more women will increasingly become aware ofthe dangerous side effects associated with taking birth control. We also intend forwomen to be able to recognize warning signs of problems and help themselves preventthese problems by going to see their doctor when things do not seem right. We wantto “scare” them enough into wanting to take better care of themselves and talk totheir healthcare professionals more than they already do; however we want to empowerthem with the knowledge that they can reduce their risks by leading healthy lives.

Photo Discussion

A good friend of mine, who worked at a national park in Alaska, took this picture. The landscape and sky are reflected in the lake, which gives this picture a mirrored affected. The colors in the picture are of high contrast. The contrasting colors not only create interest, but also give the picture depth. The light colors of the sky seem to appear closer than the dark shape of the mountain and trees. Depth is also created in this photo by the use of space. On the left side of the picture the mountain range appears larger because it is closer to viewer; the trees and the mountain in the background are smaller so they appear further away.

The shape of the mountains and the trees are quickly recognizable to the viewer. The fact that they appear black in photo makes them stand out even more. Since, these shapes are reflected in the water and divide the colorful portion of the photo, the picture seems to have an abstract feel.

I feel this picture also provides an example of implied movement in a still photo. The ripples in the water help to create this illusion. In addition, the shape and position of the clouds may also give the illusion of movement.

However, I feel one of most effective elements in this picture is the color. Not only does it help to create depth and form, but also it is visually appealing. The use of warm and cool colors creates contrasting moods. The dark images are looming and mysterious. In contrast, the lighter colors of the sky, particularly the light blue, are calm and soothing. The shades of orange and pink are warm, and I feel give the feeling of hope to the picture.

Movie Discussion: Run Lola Run

The movie I will use for this discussion is Run Lola Run. Though the purpose of this discussion is to analyze the visual elements of the film, I think is necessary to briefly explain what the film is about to better understand how those visuals enhance the film. The film follows a young woman, Lola, on her quest to find 100,000 dollars in 20 minutes to in order to save her boyfriend's life. However, the film goes through three different scenarios of what would happen depending on the slightest discrepancy in time. Each scenario offers a different outcome. The film not only shows how time affects the main characters but how it impacts the people she comes into contact with.

While there are many interesting visual elements in this film, I will only concentrate on a few. The first I would like to discuss is in the opening credits to the film. The film starts with camera moving around a crowd of people; however, some of the people appear in brighter colors, illuminated if you will. The illumination of these people is our first introduction to the important characters in the film. Illuminating these characters seems to say, " Look for us, we will be appearing again later." In fact, each illuminated character contributes to the story line. Also, in the beginning of the film a clock is shown. The camera zooms in on the clock, and then appears to take you inside of the clock. I feel that the clock is in important image and extremely relevant, since the film is so focused on the issue of time. Thus, the image of the clock helps to set the tone for the movie.

Another interesting visual element appearing in the film happens at the beginning of each new scenario. Each scenario begins as animation, but then returns to the real characters. The animation I feel helps intensify the beginning of Lola's journey and also lets the audience know that they are restarting form that particular point in storyline. The change in animation I also feel allows the audience to focus on what happens to the character, which will later change the time at which she reaches different destinations in the film. When showing scenes that happened in the characters past the film switches from color to black and white. This visual clue may help the audience determine what is happening at the present in the film and what has already occurred. When showing scenes of Lola and her boyfriend together in the past they appear cast in red light. I think this not only helps to distinguish the difference in time, put also puts forth the idea of intimacy.

However, one of my favorite visual element of the movie comes when Lola passes someone on her quest. At these points in the film, you see snapshots of what will happen to that persons life, and depending at what point Lola crosses their path their future changes. Though at no point in the film do they verbally address the future of the characters, the snapshots give visual clues as to what will happen. The interpretation of these points in the film relies strictly on the visual elements presented to the audience. I feel like this an interesting way to incorporate the lives of other characters without having the in the dialog.

There are many visual interesting and creative visual elements in this film, which all contribute to the overall feel. I could write pages and pages analyzing these visuals. Here, I have only briefly looked a few, but I feel that these discussion, though brief, give insight in how visuals play an important role in this film and help to convey the storyline.

What is Visual Communication?

I think the way we define visual communication depends on the context in which it is being discussed. In general, I feel that visual communication is the transmission of messages through visuals. Therefore, films, television, advertisements, photography, logos, graphic design, body language, personal appearance, non-verbal communication could all be described as visual communication.

However, I feel that if were discussing visual communication in relation to interpersonal or group communication it would be more about how we communicate with others using only our person. This would include non-verbal cues, body language and facial expression, which are used to convey messages visually. Non-verbal communication is a way of communicating without using words, thus it relies heavily on your audience being able to interpret visual messages. Along, with non-verbal cues, such as body language and facial expressions, I also feel that our personal appearance is a form of visual communication. We express who we are by the way we dress. Therefore, others who are looking at us can interpret these visual cues.

In addition, if we were discussing visual communication in terms of professional or technical communication I feel the focus would be on visual created by a person for the audience. Here, we would discuss the different products of visual communication, such as film, photography, advertisements, graphic design, etc. Visual communication here would be more concerned the elements used in creating visuals and how those visuals affect the intended audience.