Final Proposal

Final Project Proposal – Blake Romenesko

The idea I'm most leaning toward is the People's History of the Twin Ports. Where I would create an interactive map showing sites linked to local history of the Anishinaabe, people of color, and the working class. When the user clicks on a site they will see historical images as well as my own photography.

Tools-Google maps is the obvious choice, but I want to look into other interactive map programs. The long term goal would be to create my own interface like the Dijital Pasaj project and even make into a phone app.

Timeline plan of action-

This week I want to get in contact with some people I know. One person I know is well versed in local labor history, another person knows local history about people of color. About six months ago somebody did a presentation at the Duluth Public Library about Anishinaabe sites in Duluth. I think I have the network to find that person. From there determine sites.

Next Week would be to photograph sites and organize map.

3 examples-

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/A-Before-and-After-Look-at-Americas-Great-Cities.html

http://www.worldology.com/Europe/europe_history_lg.htm

http://www.mapsofwar.com/ind/history-of-religion.html

Interactive Media Responses and What-Not

SAM HAGEN'S PEICE
I thoroughly enjoyed Sam Hagen's piece at the Tweed. I interacted with it by deciding which column to stand by which played a different note. Also I played with my distance from the column which caused the note to change pitch. Sam was probably playing with the relation between human and computer. The columns communicated with each other as humans communicate with themselves, which can be commentary on relations.

WILD IDEA

REALISTIC IDEA
I'm actually not sure. Right now I am learning how to code Python which is an app coding language. After I finish my Codacademy lesson(I'm about 1/3 done) I can see what skill I possess to create something in my skill range. 

Links

How to get leap app development kit.
https://www.leapmotion.com/developers

How to learn basic coding
http://www.codecademy.com/dashboard

Duluth Locative - City Hall

Where you are now standing at is Duluth City Hall. It was built in 1928, and is one of four buildings in the Duluth Civic Center Historical District. Throughout the 1930's local farmers, the unemployed, and Communists held rallies here. First Street on the lakeside of the building was also the site to a major labor struggle which led to violent events brought on by the local police.

On April 4, 1938, news workers represented by the Newspaper Guild went on strike for recognition, a union shop, and a union contract. During the strike other union workers associated with the CIO joined the Newspaper Guild in pickets in front of the newspaper offices(where they are still located today.) On May 23, 100 police in riot gear stormed out of City Hall to disperse the pickets with clubs, guns, and tear gas.

Farmer-Labor Governor Elmer Benson supported the striking workers and sent the Minnesota Guard to protect the workers from any further violence from the police. The strike ended in victory for the workers. 

Interactive Media: Myron W. Krueger

Blake Romenesko

Myron Krueger is seen as a pioneer in digital art, augmented reality, and interactive art. His work dates back to 1969; a period before internet, Atari, and arcade machines. During that time he began some early experiments in virtual realty using a system of sensing surfaces and video cameras. Eventually he teamed up with a number of artists and engineers came a variety of pieces that changed the relationship between the viewer and art.

His work generally consists of using a system of censoring surfaces, video cameras, and projections. Very often Krueger uses hardware and ideas from a previous piece to further explore in a new piece. He even continues to work on a single piece for over twenty years to change it with newer technology and new ideas. The timeline of his works demonstrates a fluid evolution. He is also interested with the human-computer relationship as well the human-human relationship via computer. Also he plays the idea of a "composed reality."

Videoplace(1970) is most likely Krueger's most famous piece and biggest contribution to both digital arts and interactive media. The piece was a result of three smaller experiments. It opened as an artificial reality lab at the University of Connecticut and was seen as a pioneering curiosity for both art and science. And now the piece is on permanent display at the State Museum of Natural History at the University of Connecticut. 

Videoplace:

About of Krueger's early experiments Glowflow(1969):

http://www.artelectronicmedia.com/artwork/glowflow

Small Planet(1993) works as the viewer uses their arms to fly around the planet

http://www.iamas.ac.jp/interaction/i97/artist_Krueger.html

*Disclaimer

I need to use this blog for a class, so you are going to start seeing some weird posts that might seem random. You'll notice up above there's a tab called "Interactive Media" as well as posts labeled "Interactive Media." These are posts more for my class rather than the general Zenith Perspective reader. 

The Mystery of Clough Island

In 1946 the government received unusual radioactive signals coming from Clough Island in Duluth. Professor Whiteside of Chicago got hired by the U.S. Government to inspect the island. According to recently declassified documents he found the ruins of a lost civilization and a strange machine. During the investigation he disappeared and was never seen ever since.

Reflection:

Moviestorm is a pretty neat program. It has a number of both pros and cons. The program allows you to do things most student filmmakers would unable to do such as special effects, large sets, and large casts.  However it can be restrictive on some things as well. The Moviestorm avatars often don't have the same liberty that the human body does. The human face can do an infinite amount of expressions that the avatar can not. There were other specifics that I had to manipulate Moviestorm to do that would be easy in real life. The program is great to create humorous and/or magical scenes, but less efficient in much more.