Winter Break

I had a really good break. I had a lot of fun but I think it was a little bit too short. I couldn't sleep at all last night because I kept thinking about how I had to go to school in the morning. I went to a few parties, got a few games for my Xbox 360 and I watched a lot of college football. I wasn't really disappointed that MSU lost because I was expecting them to lose. I did miss hanging out with my friends but I did enjoy sleeping in.

Fullscreen vs WideScreen

• When viewing a film in widescreen are the black bars at the top and bottom covering up some of the movie?

no, they are just put in to maintain the aspect ratio of 16:9.

• What happens to a movie when it is viewed in fullscreen?

It cuts off the edges of the movie so you see less of the picture.

• What % of the movie are you watching when playing a movie in fullscreen?

About 70%, especially for movies filmed in 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The center of the picture is bigger but the sides are cut off a little bit.

Visual Literacy task 2

This ad shows duracell batteries inside what looks to be similar to a fuse box. It says Caution Because the batteries have extreme power. This is clever because it suggests that duracell batteries have a huge amount of power compared to other brands.






This ad is for the BMW 7 series. It was released in 2002. The main part of the ad is a picture of a very nice beemer in the middle. The image is a medium shot, because it doesn't show all of the car. It focuses on the front of the car, which is probably the most appealing part of the car. The image isn't clear enough to read the text.


2. Develop

These add are both very clever and appealing. They are different because the BMW ad uses the car's appearance to appeal to readers. The duracell ad makes their batteries look like they have extreme power. The first thing I noticed in the Duracell ad was the Caution warning. I would say that this ad was effective. The first thing I noticed in the BMW ad would be the sleek and stylish beemer. This ad was completely effective because the front and the interior of the car is what really stands out in the car.

Visual Literacy Task 1

1. Research

• Define the objects and characters used in ads.

Objects used in ads--The object as an epiphany or the "here I come" type, The self-sufficient object or the "here I am" type, and The object as a quality or the attribute type.

Characters used in ads--I'm looking at you type, You are looking at me type

• Give an example of how each primary and secondary color can be used.

The primary colors have some type of meaning like some show passion while others show passion or religon. Even secondary colors have meaning. IE- black can symbolize darkness, depression, etc.

• Explain each of the 4 shots used in ads.

Long Shot-A long shot shows at least the entire figure with enough space at the top and bottom of the frame so that the people do not appear cramped

Medium Shot-A medium shot shows the people from his and her waist to above the head.

Close Up-A close up shows only the head and shoulders of the couple.

Extreme Close Up- An extreme close up isolates only a portion of the person's head and is used for dramatic visual impact. This cinematic version of framing can be adapted to the needs of the still photographer, especially when planning a series of photographs.

• Explain the zones of a picture

A picture, a photo is a way of shaping out reality and framing it in a format. Each medium has a specific format. A format is a world in itself, it has an horizon, the top part is the sky and the lower part the earth. The upper is the spiritual zone, the lower the material one.

• What is Z-Reading?

It is what the eye catches first on an ad and then it tells how companies should make thier ads

2. Develop

This ad is for Columbian Coffee. I think they are trying to say that they now serve their coffee on their planes. They have a picture of a man and a donkey on a plane, which adds a little bit of humor.

Web Publishing

What is typography?
Typography is a verbal and visual equation that helps the reader understand the form and absorb the substance of the page content.

Why do most graphic designers avoid using the standard heading tags in HTML (H1, H2, etc.)?
Most graphic designers avoid using the standard heading tags in HTML (H1, H2, and so on) because they lack subtlety: in most Web browsers these tags make headlines look absurdly large (H1, H2) or ridiculously small (H4, H5, H6)

When reading a book or magazine why are the columns so narrow?
because the font is in times new roman and it is a small font size

Which typeface is most legible on paper?
Times New Roman

What typeface was created to accomidate the computer screen?
Typefaces such as Georgia and Verdana were designed specifically for legibility on the computer screen

Why should words in all uppercase be avoided?
it is uncomfortable and significantly slows reading

When should italic, bold, and underlined texted be used?
they establish an information structure and adds visual variety to draw the reader into your material

What is anti-aliased type?
Antialiasing visually "smoothes" the shapes in graphics and type by inserting pixels of intermediate colors along boundary edges between colors.

Net Smart Safety Rules

Online Safety Rule #1: I will not give out personal information such as my address, telephone number, parents' work address/telephone number, or the name and location of my school without my parents' permission.

Ex:You might think that you're giving out personal info to a teenager but you can't make sure that he/she isn't lying about their age

Online Safety Rule #2: I will tell my parents or my teacher right away if I come across any information that makes me feel uncomfortable.

Ex: If you are in a chat room and someone is giving you messages that make you feel uncomfortable in any way, you should log off and tell someone.

Safety Rule #3: I will never agree to get together with someone I "meet" online without first checking with my parents. If my parents agree to the meeting, I will be sure that it is in a public place and bring my mother or father along.

You might think that you are going to meet another teen, but it could actually be a criminal or online predator.

Online Safety Rule #4: I will never send a person my picture or anything else without first checking with my parents.

ex: you don't know what that person will actually do with your picture. He/she could put it all over the internet

Online Safety Rule #5: I will not respond to any messages that are mean or in any way make me feel uncomfortable. It is not my fault if I get a message like that. If I do I will tell my parents right away so that they can contact the service provider.

Ex: If someone is picking on you, you should tell someone early so that the problem doesn't get worse.

Online Safety Lesson #6: I will talk with my parents so that we can set up rules for going online. We will decide upon the time of day that I can be online, the length of time I can be online, and appropriate Web sites for me to visit. I will not access other areas or break these rules without their permission.

Ex: I don't agree with this one, because this isn't the way it goes in my house. My parents trust me enough to let me have some freedom on the web. If I get a link to a website from a teacher, then it must be fine.

Internet Safety Rule #7: I will not give out my Internet password to anyone (even my best friends) other than my parents.

Ex: If you give out your password, someone can access your personal information or edit your account.

Online Safety Rule #8: I will be a good online citizen and not do anything that hurts other people or is against the law.

Ex: this would probably include online bullying and some people might take your comments way too seriously.

How do readers read on the web?

• They Don't

What are the "three S's"?

• search, scan, solve

What should you avoid to keep content scannable?

• Long paragraphs and very small text.

What does good writing consist of?

• consise, scannable, objective

Which would you say is the most important?

• scannable

Visit http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/ and write about one of the topics covered under Research on how users read on the Web and how authors should write their Web pages. Use the links provided for additional information.