Week 8: Video Project Proposal- Jikai, Kimmy, and Adam

For our video project, we plan to take three characters’ contrasting morning routines and reveal how they may feel and do things differently even though it’s all happening at the same time. We want to emphasize the disparities between certain individuals: the early bird, the late waker, and the one that doesn’t show up at all. We have the idea of filming three people’s daily commute with the ideas of landscape and portrait filming techniques.

Our source of interactivity may be different choices to change the plot of the story and/or using the hover function to change certain aspects of the scene such as sound or animation. For example, if you hover over a person wearing headphones, you’ll be able to hear some songs play. Also, to entice viewers to gravitate towards objects to click or hover over, we will illustrate or animate those objects with some simple drawings.

Pre-production, we will write the script, or in some cases, just actions of the characters. Then, we will film all the scenes as soon as possible. These first two steps will require the most teamwork and scheduling. On the other hand, post-production will include tasks such as video-editing and coding the website, which allows for more individual work.

Week 7: Audio Project- Jikai Zheng

Link to our project: originalremix

The name of Evan’s and my project is called: Splish Splash.
Our inspiration was the natural sound of water around us, because it’s something that we often overlook. Everyone encounters water on a daily basis. So, all our sounds, including the music in the remix combines the sound of water. The focus and goal of this project was to create an interactive but also audio-centric webpage. In fact, we created two, but in the process, we weren’t able to link them to each other. At first, I tried to use the code for linking images from an older assignment.

Continue reading “Week 7: Audio Project- Jikai Zheng”

Week 7: Response to “The Danger of a Single Story”- Jikai Zheng

Chimamanda Adichie’s TED talk on “The Danger of a Single Story” was one that I have already watched before. Viewing it the second time taught me something new: bias is ever-so-present in media today, from books to television to the internet. It is up to the creators, producers, and educators to not turn a blind eye to bias. Bias is formed easily when there is not enough diverse representation of people’s beliefs. As long as people have lived, we’ve categorized others into stereotypes. Some stereotypes do have a function; they can almost be representative of a collective. However, we should not let that stereotype pervade into our entire judgment of a person, community, or culture. We need to realize that there are many exceptions, and it is up to us to represent and acknowledge those exceptions.

Now that we, communication lab students, are media creators on the internet, we must also adhere to some guidelines and standards on how to present our creation without slipping into holding our own bias. When Adichie gives us the anecdote of her roommate being amazed at how great her English is given that she grew up in Africa (which is a continent, not a country!), we should use that as a lesson to not assume things or underestimate people. The beauty of life is that we can learn and correct our mistakes. As content creators, we’re given a very heavy handed tool, one that needs to be level and fair for everyone.

Week 6: Auld Lang Syne- Kenny G – Jikai Zheng

Transcript: 

“The first words I spoke in the original phonograph, Mary had a little lamb. Its fleece was white as snow. And everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go.” 

“The Distinguished Flying Cross upon Colonel Charles A. Lindberg.”

“Today, panicked investors ordered their brokers to sell at whatever the price in the stock market crashed.” – the Stock Market crash

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” – President FDR

“Horrific place, ladies and gentlemen, the smoke and the flames now, ooh, the humanity”

“Now, with the help and support of the woman I love.”

“Urging the people to evacuate the city as Martians approach.”

“Never to go to war with one another again”

“. . .Juden. . .” – Nazis?

“This country is at war with Germany.” – World War II

“December 7, 1941, (the Japanese have attacked Pearl Harbor) a date which will live in infamy.”

“This is Bob Command Performance Hope telling each Nazi that’s in Russia today that,

“Crimea doesn’t pay.”

“I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” 

“President Franklin D. Roosevelt stricken late today.”

“Who’s on first.” “Yeah” “The fellow s name” “Who”  

“The world will note that the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.”

“Who Is on first.” “What are you asking me for?” 

“Reports from the new Germany tell of horrors leading to the total extermination of the Jews of Europe.”

“An iron curtain has descended across the continent of Europe.’

“Jackie Robinson goes to bat for the first time in a Major League.”

“Old soldiers never die. They just fade away.”

“Lucy” “Ahhhh!” 

“It was a little cocker spaniel dog, and our little girl, Tricia, the six year old, named it Checkers ” – Richard Nixon

“Are you a member of the Communist Party?”

“Oh, a cop, eh. Woo, woo, woo.” 

“Or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?” 

“A blast from the past! A blast from the past! A blast from the past!” “Baby, you re the greatest.” 

“From Sun Recording artist, Elvis Presley”

“I’d like to thank all, all the wonderful folks, and I’d like to thank you, too.” 

“Three young singers were killed today in the crash of a light plane.”

“American bandstand. And now, here he is, the star of our show, Dick Clark.”

“Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” – President JFK

“They’re standing up, waiting to see if Maris is going to hit number 61.”

“Godspeed, John Glenn.” 

“Happy birthday, Mr. President.” -Marilyn Monroe

“Wondering how and why Marilyn Monroe died.”

“Something has happened in the motorcade. President Kennedy died at 1p.m. Central Standard Time” 

“Lee Harvey Oswald was shot.”

“I have a dream (Really?) that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” – Martin Luther King

“And I say segregation now, What we have foremost in common is their enemy, segregation tomorrow, the white man, and segregation forever, he’s an enemy to all of us.” 

“I have a dream” – Dr. King’s speech, from two seconds ago.

“I am about to sign into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964.” 

“The Beatles!”

“And today I ordered to Vietnam the Air Mobile Division. Additional forces will be needed later and they will be sent.” 

“I have very sad news for all of you. Martin Luther King was shot and was killed tonight in Memphis, Tennessee.”

“Senator Kennedy has been shot. Is that possible?”

“As he said many times in many parts of this nation, Some men see things as they are and say, Why? I dream things that never were and say, Why not? ” 

“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” – Neil Armstrong’s first step on the moon

“It’s a free concert from now on.”

“We must be in Heaven, man” 

“Four persons including two women were shot and killed in Ohio today. Hundreds of students were involved as National Guard”

“There, l’ll be a killer and a thriller and a chiller when I get the gorilla in Manila.” – Muhammed Ali

“I have concluded an agreement to end the War and bring peace with honor in Vietnam.” – President Richard Nixon

“There’s a drive into left-center field. That ball is gonna be, out of here. It’s gone. It’s 715. There’s a new home run champion of all time and it’s Henry Aaron.”

“Well, I’m not a crook” – President Richard Nixon

“Here’s Johnny” 

“I shall resign the Presidency effective at noon tomorrow.” 

“An absolute pardon unto Richard Nixon.” 

“My name is Jimmy Carter, and I’m running for President.” 

“Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night.”

“Elvis Presley died today at Baptist Hospital in Memphis.”

“John Lennon was brought to the Emergency Room. He was dead on arrival.”

“Today marks day number 64 in the hostage crisis in Iran.”

“I, Diana Frances take thee Philip Charles Arthur George” – Diana, Princess of Wales

“To my wedded husband.”

“To my wedded husband.” 

“A disease striking primarily in the gay community called Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.” – people during this time slandered the gay community with the misinformation about AIDs

“The liftoff of the 25th Space Shuttle Mission, and it has cleared the tower. Rock and roll, Challenger.” 

“We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, as they prepared for their journey and waved Goodbye, and slipped the surly bonds of Earth to touch the face of God.” 

“I have as much experience in the Congress as Jack Kennedy did when he sought the Presidency.”

“Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy.” 

“Mr. Gorbachov, tear down this wall.”

“I don’t think it was wrong.” 

“We did not trade weapons or anything else for hostages.” 

“I think it was a neat idea.” 

“Everyone on Sesame Street is always talking about love. Yuck”

“Hundreds of Berliners from East and West, standing atop the Wall, with chisels and hammers.” 

“The skies over Baghdad have been illuminated.”

“Read my lips.” 

“We, the jury, in the above-entitled action, find the defendant, Orenthal James Simpson, not guilty of the crime of murder, a felony, upon Nicole Brown Simpson, a human being.”

“Princess Diana died of injuries suffered in a car accident”

“I’m Ellen and I’m gay.” – Ellen Degeneres

“Yeah, baby.”

“There it is, 62, folks, and we have a new home run champion, Mark Mcguire.”

“Welcome, you ‘ve got mail.”

“I did not have sexual relations with that woman.” – President Bill Clinton

“This vast right-wing conspiracy conspiring against my husband.” – Hillary Rodham Clinton

“Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat” 

“Indeed, I did have a relationship with Miss Lewinski that was not appropriate. (Again!) In fact, it was wrong. I need to go back to work for the American people.” – President Bill Clinton

“The young killers of Columbine High School do not stand for the spirit of America. We can rise up and we can say ‘No more.’” 

“Let the word go forth from this time and place, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans.” – President JFK  

Personal Thoughts:

I found this video very reflective of that century and it’s definitely a retrospective outlook on a time where many social and political changes were occurring. The quotes added a grounded timeframe to the song, which would have otherwise been less meaningful. Pairing these quotes with the instrumental sounds added a historical context and purpose to the video/recording. The pace of the quotes was rather quick, which made it hard to get the transcript completely right without pausing the video quite a few times. This made the exercise less relaxing, but that may be dependent also on my dislike of transcribing interviews or recordings.

Week 6: Yoko Ono Interview – Jikai Zheng

In Yoko Ono’s interview, Hans Ulrich Obrist, the interviewer, touched on an array of art subjects including that of music, conceptual art, and sound art. The first bit that fascinated me was when Yoko Ono mentioned the word, “static,” stating that “the paintings or the sculptures did not have to be static” and Static life seemed innately false to [her]” (2). This brings me to the point about how Yoko Ono’s desire for positive change and differences has allowed her to transcend into the avant-garde. She yearns for people to participate and adhere their thoughts onto her projects, such as her Grapefruit book or her unrealized “Freight Train” project. 

When Obrist brings up the do-it-yourself aspect in which Yoko Ono invites people to add/subtract to her art, involving evolution of an art piece, I realize that this really goes against her perfectionist outlook that she mentioned at first. Perhaps, it takes a lot of self-discipline to allow visitors their own freedom in changing your work, even though this is also the same way with the internet. When Obrist questions whether “the internet could be/have been a kind of partial realization of the utopia of the 1960s?,” (4) Yoko Ono wholeheartedly agrees. She even relays how the “human race will keep finding ways to survive,” (5) relating to how internet may be part of the avant-garde notions at the time.

The last thing I wanted to touch base on is, when Obrist defines “utopia” without the totalitarian tendency many people associate it with, Yoko Ono also brings up her own anecdotal story of being immigrants to the US, and wanting to surrender to Peace instead of fighting for Peace. Her and John Lennon’s make-believe Nutopia is a free conceptual country that everyone belongs to. Ending on that, I think it’s a wholesomely positive albeit whimsical outlook, and Yoko Ono definitely has made an impact on the world of sound art through her act of allowing others to participate within her own creation.