Robert Tidwell
A video collage of 24 clips of cable news represents the 24-hour news cycle. It insists on obsessiveness. In our current political climate, everything is a controversy and a threat. We are given to believe that at any moment the constant stream of talking heads will provide us with answers, but as we feed the beast and our obsession grows, information is lost. The droning of the cable news networks, right, left, and conspiratorial, become indistinguishable. There is nothing to learn.
After deciding to disconnect from cable news for two weeks, I began to see the world through different eyes. My political anxiety ebbed which is expressed by images of beauty, wonder, sensuality, intimacy, spirituality, and compassion mixed into each other which leave the viewer feeling detached from the chaos as they explore a rich, colorful, and soothing experience. On the audio channel a new kind of anxiety pesters us, a fear that we are too disconnected. “What are they saying?” runs through our minds as we struggle to translate the Russian words which represents a constant desire to succumb to the world of cable news.
All videos are appropriated. The first half come from MSNBC, Fox News, CNN, and other news sources, while the second half were taken from users thesickrose, marie bee, chrissyregler, and chaneleywelly on hitrecord.org. The audio loop features a friend of mine reading a tweet by Donald Trump in Russian.
Danica Resurreccion
I deprived myself of the Weather App for a month and I am never doing it again! I am the type of person who likes to plan things ahead of time and the weather is something that I always keep in mind when doing so. Every night, I would check the weather app to prepare what I am going to wear the next day and any extra items I need to bring in order to be prepared for the weather. So what happened in February? It rained. A LOT. I don’t even think it ever rained that much in Irvine. Throughout my deprivation, I questioned myself, “Why did I decide to do this on the rainiest month ever?” I only knew what the weather will be like the next day when I ask my roommate or my boyfriend for advice on what outfit should I wear the next day (a loophole that I found!), when I overhear conversations about the weather, or opening my windows in the morning which never really works. I chose to write a song to represent the highlights of my deprivation experience. I have only written a song once before this project so it was quite challenging, but enjoyable at the same time. Despite my ongoing dependence on the weather app, one positive habit that I hope to retain from this experience is to continue to be observant of my environment and anticipate unexpected events.
Alec Santos
My choice of digital media to deprive myself of was text-based communication. To the best of my ability, I avoided texting using written words and tried to call whenever possible. It was mostly impossible — urgent involvements that used group chats necessitated written communication, but in all other aspects, I will prefer to call rather than text from this point on.
An audio-only performance seemed most appropriate: this is a spoken word piece entitled “Talk To Me.”
Hello Robert. When I watched your video, I felt very overwhelmed by the amount of noise that was coming from the news station. I think that that was your attempt. However, the rest of the video, I’ll be honest, I was very confused on how it related to the first segment about the news. I am curious to how you created the second part as well as how you got your inspiration on creating it.
Hi Rachel, at first I didn’t quite understand how to explain how I felt seeing the video with all the news feeds coming at us at once. However, you have clearly explained that sensation of this art piece and what I believe it was trying to convey is that without technology look at all we are missing out on, and if you take a step back and actually put it all together it is an overwhelming amount of information and noise coming at us at once that we need to put down every once in awhile.
Alec, to be frank your piece kinda freaked me out in the beginning – I was kinda shocked when hearing your smooth/sultry voice and felt immediately uncomfortable by it. But as I continued to listen on, I found that that was the point. Through this piece, you exposed to us the sadness that is our reliance on text messages rather than voice-to-voice conversations, something that sometimes can feel as uncomfortable as your intimate voice made me feel. This is something I’ve always felt unsatisfied with, but because of your piece and how it highlighted the importance and significance of voice communication, it’s made me want to change the way I communicate with others. Thank you.
Hi Robert,
I found your project to be fascinating. When I first watched it, I honestly was not too sure what I was looking at. I definitely felt overwhelmed and felt like I was having sensory overload. But after multiple viewings, I started to see where you coming from with your project. I really appreciate you take on a form of digital deprivation I would have never even considered! Great work!
Hi Robert!
For the longest time, I tried to distance myself from politics, and I refused to talk about it with other people. However, that all changed when I got into college. Your project was the perfect representation of why it was so hard for me to talk about politics with other people. Everything that has been happening has been so overwhelming and approaching it is so intimidating. However, being disconnected is also scary because we try to go on with our lives even though there is an underlying problem in the world we live in, and that is a reality that we cannot ignore any longer. Thank you for creating something that is so relevant in today’s society.
Hi Danica!
I think depriving yourself of the weather app was a fantastic idea for the deprivation project! I always find myself inadvertently checking the weather app, sometimes multiple times a day! It has become a part of my daily routine, now I don’t even think about when I do it. I can only imagine how the experience was for you! Of course, you gave everyone a good idea with your project. I thought your song was so cute and a great, unique medium to express your experience about your deprivation.Your singing is beautiful, and the lyrics to your song are well thought out and funny! I thought your project was very creative, and it was one of my favorite projects.
When Robert’s project was played in class, I wasn’t really sure that I understood it that well, since it wasn’t really elaborated on. However, after he explained it and after reading his artist statement, I thought that his piece was really good! The video does a perfect job of expressing what he was feeling: from the way he made the video collage that shows the overwhelming number of news stories, to playing the beautiful visuals and soothing sounds of the Russian words with everything else muted. I agree that the news can be overwhelming and may be a cause for panic, especially because of how the media portrays things. All in all, I really liked his project, and I thought it was very creative!
Hi Danica,
I like singing and playing the ukulele as well, so your choice of medium was really enjoyable to watch and listen to! Writing lyrics is also a really daunting task, so I give props to you for writing a really witty and happy song for a gloomy deprivation project. Choosing to deprive yourself of the weather app was something I was also considering of doing, but I didn’t want to risk getting sick if I didn’t prepare for the day properly. Especially in California, you have to check what the weather is going to be like every other hour because it could change in the blink of an eye. Lately, the weather has been really flip floppy in how it’s really hot during the day (which seems like a good idea to wear a cute sundress) but gets really cold around 6 or 7 pm (which makes me regret my decision). Overall, your project was one of my favorites and thank you for creating such a great project!
Alec, I can’t imagine depriving myself from text- based communication like texting because texting is just so much more convenient than calling (esp in class, right?). When we were watching your project in class, I didn’t understand why you volunteered to read your artist’s statement but then I understood that your voice made your “Talk To Me” piece much more intimate and humorous too! I had a good laugh partially because I sat a few rows behind you and I could see you cracking up at your own project. Overall, great job!
Danica, your project rocks!! This was personally my favorite project because you showcased your deprivation by singing a song (so cute!!). AND you wrote your own song!! Like WOW it’s actually a really cute song and you have a good voice! Also, I commend you for depriving yourself of the Weather App for a whole month because checking the weather is so necessary especially in SoCal. Weather is something else over here– could be hot and sunny one day and storming the next!! Lastly, you have a cool last name! Great job you on your project!
Hi, Alec,
I like your idea of creating a creative audio like this. I agree with you that our interpersonal communication is somewhat ruined by text-based communication. I would also choose to talk face to face, a meaningful way to communicate.
Hi, Danica,
I love your song, it is so adorable. I like the cheerful tone of this song, although it was talking about an experience may not seem too cheerful to look to.
Alec, I too do not like the texting medium but unfortunately we are well into that era. I don’t think it’s going to change either. I think people would just be too scared to receive a phone call as barely anyone calls anymore. I like the choice of the recording, but I am going to say it put me out of my comfort zone.I think that was the intent of the video. Hearing someone over the phone is just something less and less used. Good work!
Robert, as a Political Science I definitely know what you are talking about. The media pushes all of these stories meant to cause rift into the public. They only put select stories and the ones that they want people talking about. I like many others was trying to figure out what the saying was. I knew it was Russian and it was a very interesting language . Considering the U.S. history with Russia, I understand your choice.
It hurt me a little to watch Robert’s video because there was a huge overload of sounds and things to look at; I can understand the point that he was trying to make that so much media causes confusion and disorientation. It can be so overwhelming and cause a lot of anxiety- especially in this political climate we live in today. After that initial part, I felt myself straining to understand what that person was saying before I even realized that it was in another language.
Danica’s song was really adorable and pleasant to listen to! February was an extremely horrible month for weather, and even though I didn’t ditch the weather app for the project, I always find myself forgetting to check it and look at the window. Looking outside can be very misleading, and you can never know when it would suddenly start raining.
At first, I found Roberts piece a little scary. The intro scene made me feel just slightly uncomfortable because I did not really know what to focus on or what the emphasis was. As the video progressed I found it soothing.. The repetition was interesting because it sounded distorted. At one point, there were sounds of the ocean and it made me feel nostalgic. The video had an eerie feeling and I found it extremely interesting. Thanks!!
Hi Alec,
In fact I think texting is very useful in our daily life because sometimes when you are not convenient to answer the phone, texting is a good way for communication. And I don’t prefer calling somebody unfamiliar because sometimes I feel awkward when speaking with strangers and texting makes me more comfortable. It seems that texting offers me some me some kind of safety. So I think texting is very important in daily life, although calling may be a more direct and convenient way of communicating.
When I heard the audio of Alex’s video is made me feel a bit uncomfortable, but then I was reminded of how we have become to accustomed to texting. Even today, when I have to make a phone call, I get a bit anxious because it requires more intimacy than have that option to text (and therefore be a hidden). Initially I was confused as to why it was to intimate, but then I realized it was for that exact reason – we have lost that connection and intimacy with others when we phone call due to text options. Beautifully done.
Alec’s* not Alex. Apologies.
Robert, I agree with the your statement that information is lost, as multiple news channels broadcast constant flow of negative information to people almost everyday. I felt the video was very strong as the constant droning of news chatter abruptly stops and transitions into scenes of expressed beauty, wonder, and sensuality, however I do not understand the point of your friend reading a tweet in Russian and felt that it was unnecessary as a repeated loop in your scenes of emotions without news.
Hi Jimmy,
Similar to you, I’m not quite sure why Robert has his friend reading a tweet in Russian looping throughout the video. However, the way I interpreted it was that the looping of the tweet represented the droning of the news, and how in the end, everything is just muddled together, and our obsession with news grows stronger.
Hello Alec,
Your project reminded me of a time I went to a summer camp about leadership. In it, we were told to be in groups of 2 and turn around and try to communicate. Seems like an easy enough task but it was very confusing. There was a lot lost just by not facing each other. The instructor then alluded how texting is even worse. Sure, we can add smilies and emojis but nothing can replace body language, intonation, and facial expressions. Your idea of giving up texting is a very good idea and the voice has less lost in translation between a conversation. Your delivery of your piece was very intimate as well and I commend you for your good work!
Hi Jonathan,
I agree with your comments and it’s interesting to see how much language has changed within the last decade. It’s easy to text something to someone and pretend to be enthusiastic in our text but on the other side, we don’t express our emotions. I forgot how intimate it is to talk to someone on the phone and to hear the emotions in peoples voices. Alec’s project reminded me of how intimate a person’s voice can be and how texts can be expressed differently.
Hello Robert,
I felt a big urge of curiosity about what was being said over and over during your video in class. When you said that it was a Donald Trump tweet, it all made sense. I like how open ended your project is and it’s very open to any interpretation. If that isn’t art, then I’m not sure I really get what art is.
Joby
Hello Alec,
Your deprivation was very unique on how you gave up text-based communication. I’m pretty introverted, that would have been very difficult for me to do. Having to call someone if I needed everything all the time would be tough for someone like me now that I’m so used to text-based communication. I’d also imagine that most people wouldn’t actually want to talk on the phone and would prefer text based anyway, which probably makes it harder. The audio is a great fit for what you must have been feeling as a project and in content. Great job on the project.
Danica ‘s song was especially great because the platform she did it in entertains just as much as it educates. Her simple chords and enchanting voice and melody piques the audience interest at first, then the lyrics shine through and establishes a connection for people to relate to. Overall, this was one of my favorite projects in the class.
Hi Danica,
I really liked your song. It has a great message as knowing the weather can be very impactful on how you go about your day. Especially considering how the weather fluctuated so much during February. That song really pulled it all together as the message was a wonderful depiction of your message, but still being a very catchy song. Wonderful project.
Hey Robert,
Your project of the news was very interesting. It actually got me thinking more about what the world outside the United States thinks about our news, especially those that don’t speak english and how it is translated to them. I don’t watch a lot of news because lately it just makes me a bit sad because it mostly shows the negativities of the world rather than the good, but I’d imagine it all sounds the same depending on the station. The part with the person talking in Russian is a great representation of what is probably sounds like to others who might actually be interested the news here.
Hi Alec
I thought your project had a very powerful message. Nowadays it is much easier to text people instead of answering phone calls. However, I believe using words and your voice shows more interaction than text. You can hear and feel the emotion when you use words and your voice. It is much more intimate. Our phones have become a tool where instead of calling, like it was meant for, we are using it for social media, games, and etc. I was able to feel your emotion through the audio by how and what you were saying. Overall, I really enjoyed you project.
Hi Danica
I thought your song was cute. It takes a lot of confidence to compose a song and perform it. I enjoyed how even if it was a cheerful sounding song, the lyrics weren’t as cheerful as one would expect it to be. The musical composition and the lyrics almost seem to clash at each other, and that’s what I like about it the most.
Hi Alec!
I thought your project was very interesting. You explained that phone calls were a more intimate way to communicate and I thought you represented that perfectly in your project. When we were listening to it in class, I was actually a bit uncomfortable because your tone was very intimate, like you were speaking to your girlfriend and the whole class was eavesdropping. Your medium, I felt, was a perfect way to represent your deprivation period. All in all, you did amazing.
I agree with everything you said Myca, couldn’t have said it better myself! In general I do agree with Alec’s statement of how verbal communication is a much more intimate way of communicating. I myself don’t text much and always would prefer to speak to verbally communicate my ideas and feelings as I feel its much more effective at conveying what it’s supposed to.
Hi Danica!
I think out of all the projects, your’s was my favorite. Not only was what your content said was super relatable to me but you also did it in such a fun and happy way. Your amazing voice was definitely a plus that made this whole song even better! You made an upsetting experience into something upbeat which shows that art doesn’t always have to be so serious and could just be for engagement.
Hi Robert!
I thought your art project was very different. I personally did not understand it much and didn’t sense the feeling of wonder, intimacy and sensuality that you were intending it to be. I actually thought of it as a bit scary and weird and almost uncomfortable. But then again, art can instill different emotions to different people and doesn’t mean that it’s bad. The fact that I thought it was uncomfortable is not a bad remark on your project because art has to be uncomfortable sometimes. Either way, I thought you did a great job.
I understand exactly where you’re coming from Myca! The project did evoke that sense of uneasiness within me when I first saw it as well, but, in the end, I actually appreciated it because his work was able to accomplish something that is not easy which was create an emotion within myself.
Alec’s project makes me think of how normal it has become to text instead of call someone yet we also have AI like Siri and Alexa that people willingly talk to. Speech to text technology is also quite common because some smartphones will write down what a user is saying into a text and send it. Technology is the middleman between this communication and it’s interesting to see the different ways we have manipulated it.
Hi Amanda,
I completely agree. It’s strange how we find it so difficult to interact with peers face to face yet through text or instant messaging we are able to carry a conversation with increasing fluidity. I find Alec’s project incredibly reflective of the growing sense of discomfort among younger generations who have come to associate interactions with a mobile or digital intermediary. It reminds me of the Black Mirror episode shown at the beginning of the quarter where the removal of a widely accepted form of technology completely altered a person’s experience with the world.
Danica’s project really reminds me of how this is the age of information. Our lives are often driven by knowing the information that we can so easily receive from the Internet. Our smartphones can access apps which can tell us what the weather is, wheres the closest In n Out, how many hours it will take to get through LA traffic today. This is all information that has now been made readily available to us and we take it for granite. Like before smartphones, people watched the news to know what the weather was. I mean my mom still does that today even with her phone. God bless her heart.
I love how Robert’s project makes you feel uneasy and uncomfortable because that’s exactly these news channels want to make people feel. These news outlets purposely make politics intense, with the music playing in the background and the imagery they show. They do this so that people are overwhelmed and lose interest. I also love how the Russian audio also relates to American’s paranoia towards Russia and xenophobia. I think this project shows how with our technology has allowed political news to extend its reach and be displayed everywhere and become unavoidable for some people.
Hi Robert,
The opening to your video really reflects how I feel when I turn on the news these days because I feel bombarded and overwhelmed with different stories and yet I don’t actually take anything from them. I also feel that the Russian tweet that you inserted if really effective because it really nags at you throughout the video making you want to know what it’s saying. Even now as I’m righting this comment I have her voice still stuck in my head.
Hi Alec,
Of all the projects, I think yours might be my favorite. Listening to it at first, your project stood out to me for how unique in it’s style it was and how it is not what I expected at all. It felt very intimate and being able to hear every possible audible noise originally made me feel uncomfortable but is something I oddly did not mind. Great job!
Hi Danica,
I really liked how lighthearted your song was despite how you must’ve felt during your deprivation. I also thought the lyrics were very clever to clearly explain what was going on during your deprivation. You have a lovely voice which I believe added to the irony of having to go through days with the wrong clothing.
Hi Alec, I really enjoyed your deprivation project! I think it was great. I also think that verbal communication is better than texting and brings you closer to people, but sometimes the occasion is the decisive factor in which form of communication we use. I feel like sometimes it is easier to express my thoughts through texting, but when it comes to storytelling it’s because you can’t really reenact the experience through text like you can through a phone call. Your voice gives out more feels than a text.
Alec,
It’s interesting how truthful and intimate your deprivation project is. As a person who would rather text than call, I found it very forward but also thought that the sound clip was a nice choice seeing as it directly correlates to talking to someone over the phone.
Robert,
I found your deprivation project very overwhelming. It was interesting how in the second half most of the video is something natural or something other than news, and yet we still hear a voice in the background that we don’t understand. It is as if we’re trying to make out what the voice and every news channel is trying to say despite wherever we are or whatever we’re doing. I liked how you chose to show the constant rattle of news all at once since it seems we never get a break from hearing or seeing it, whether on TV, the internet, friends, or even family.
Hi Danica,
I really like the song you wrote which is adorable and creative! I like music too but I am too shy to sing in front of people. From your song, I can see your dependency on the Weather App since you are need to know the weather to plan tour day. Unlike you, I seldom use the weather app. That’s why I always do have a umbrella with me when it is raining.
Hey Danica,
I agree with Wei too your song is so adorable. I understand how addicting weather app can be because I am addicted to it too. One weird thing I do is when it starts to rain or the weather unexpectedly change, I open up the weather app to see if the app is the showing the right weather. I guess I am doing that to see how trustable the app is which also shows how dependent I am on the weather app because I use the app so much that I have to make sure it is right or not. I think I check the weather at least five times a day so I know how you felt when you deprived yourself from the weather app and the song is so adorable and expresses your feeling so well at the same time.
Hey Danica,
Your song is very cute and adorable! I love how you took the time and effort to write a song as your project because writing a song and coming up with the lyrics is not as easy as it seems. I found it interesting how you deprived yourself from using the weather app because I, myself, cannot let go of the weather app! I am constantly checking to see how the weather will be like during the week so I can prepare myself with what to wear. I also love how your lyrics are spot-on with your deprivation experience as well as the satirical tone in your voice. I don’t know if you posts videos of your talent on social media, but you should definitely do so because your voice sounds so lovely. If not, then just keep singing and playing with your ukulele.
Hey Robert,
I really think your project has a very interesting point of view because you deprived yourself from a form of technology that didn’t even cross my mind which was not deprive yourself from looking through the news. From my point of view, I find it sad how I actually do not keep with any form of news nor do I put an effort because I’ve become really busy with juggling around school and work all the time. I love your video from start to finish, but I really loved the most is the incorporation of the phrase “What are they saying?” in Russian. I feel like this phrase affects a good majority of people who do not keep up with current events in the news, especially the political ones – until now at least.
Hey Danica!
I really enjoyed the song you made for this project! I fact that you made such an up beat song for such a horrible experience is probably what made this video so enjoyable to watch. The lyrics also work very well with conveying your message effectively.
Dear Robert,
I understand how people can feel constantly bombarded by information, especially those that are political, however I feel that for those that live on-campus at this University may not exactly feel this type of constant bombardedment of info. mostly because I feel that in todays’ society we don’t really watch TV as much… With netflix, hulu and other things to watch, we stay more-so on our computers than seeing the news. Personally, I don’t see too much political stuff unless it’s been shared via Facebook. i feel that the point of all this information is extreme because it doesn’t feel like there is news multiple times a day, maybe a few times a week and then it just gets talked about differently for awhile.
Hi Robert,
I do believe that distance from the cable news of current politic is a good choice. I believe there’s too much controversies that draw our attention away from the little things around us.
Hi Danica,
I think your project is very interesting, and your voice is wonderful. Opposite to you, I rarely use the weather app before this month, but who knows there’s so much rain last month. Right now I have a habit of checking the weather before I go out!
Hi Robert, watching your project was actually quite frustrating for me. It’s the same feeling I get when I’m trying to interpret other video art in museums. Not being able to make out what I’m looking at, and not being able to hear or understand the Russian in your video was very frustrating and I think that really reflected the “What are they saying” that you were aiming for.
Hi Alec,
Your project was something that really stuck out to me because of how I like to communicate to people too. I personally would like to call and speak to someone because it’s just a much more more efficient way of conversing. Texting takes too much time because conversations can drag on for a long time. So I thought that depriving yourself of text-based communication was a very creative choice. I’m not going to lie, I thought that your tone and softness of voice made me a little uncomfortable, but I thought it was funny. Creative choice and good execution!
I also agree with you Kevin. I am someone who doesn’t like to text often because I would rather talk to the person I need to communicate with either in person or through the phone. Also, I feel like some text messages can be taken the wrong way based on the tonality of the message or from the wording of the message.
Hi Veronica,
I agree with you about how text messages can sometime get lost in translation because you can’t read it in the tone of the person who sent it . With making phone calls, it takes that possibility away and avoids any possible uncertainty or problem that might arise.
Hi Danica,
I really love your voice! As of late, I have been listening to a lot of island music and I wish I could add this to my playlist! haha I will admit that I forgot I was listening to something that was for a project, so when I first listened to your song, I wasn’t even processing the lyrics sung but instead listened to the lovely combination of your voice and the ukulele (something that I wish I could do myself. I play the ukulele as well, but have troubles singing and playing at the same time). Back on track: when I really listened to what you had to say in your song, it was actually quite ironic how you were singing about something that never want to do again, but in a very lighthearted and uplifting way. So I like how you did that! This made it relatable to me because after I take a shower, the Weather App is one of the first things that I check to make sure that I wear the right clothes. All in all, your work kind of spoke to me and related to my life. Great job!
Kevin
Hi Danica,
Your deprivational experience on the weather app is well done. The song is great and it really reflects your experience and message from your experience. What I found interesting is your way of trying to find out what to wear. As you deprived yourself, your observation of your surroundings increased and I found that interesting. From my experience as well, my observation of things around me increased and I feel that the more we deprive ourselves of something the more we compensate with something else. I just found that interesting. Well done!
Hi Kenny
I agree that when we deprive ourselves of one thing we end up trying to compensate in different ways. I found it funny that Danica ended up relying on her friends and family just as much as she was relying on the weather app itself, and yet they probably were not as effective.
Alec, I like your way to express the feeling of the text-based communication. Simple and unique. honestly, since I spend more time on texting than speaking, I barely call someone by phone now. If someone sends me a voice message, I would rather reply by text message. Your expression is strong and impressive, giving me a sense of introspection.
Hey Alec,
I really like your deprivation project. It reminded me the days when it costs certain rate for every minute we talk on the phone, my parents used tell me to talk on the phone with important topic only. It feels like conversation that I had on the phone back then are more valuable and meaningful than now that we just text our feelings and thoughts instantly, almost limitlessly.
Hi Robert,
Your deprivation of cable news is really interesting. I really enjoy the video as it shows the explosion of auditory senses from the vast recordings of various news programs on politics and the transition to silence with then leading up to russian dialect that most people can’t understand. The idea of wanting to know what is said in russian language is really well done as it keeps repeating through imagery. Good Work!
Hi Danica!
I think your project was really well done and thought out. I really enjoyed your singing and the song that you have made yourself. It is a very creative approach that shows us your deprivation of the weather app which is also a unique topic for deprivation because I do not really think about how this certain app will affect us. Even though I’m not a frequent user of such an application, it was eye opening to see how this app affected your life.
Hi Alec,
Your deprivational experience on text based communication is really neat. Your audio recording of your voice is really well done as it shows the need for vocal communication within our text-based culture. The fact that the voice is intimate and pervasive in our privacy really shows our disconnect from other people during a on-screen text communication. I think this piece is effective and well done.
Danica,
I thought you were really brave and creative in singing a song about the weather app. It was a different approach because probably no one else or not a lot of students would be comfortable and I thought your song was really funny and to the point.
Alec,
Your project was so weird in a very very cool and unique way! I thought it was so creative of you to have an intimate sounding voice for this project because it really shows how calling someone on the phone is so much more personal and intimate than texting. For example, I love when people call me for my birthday instead of text me, it really shows me the person who’s calling cares and that we have a bond, as weird as that may sound. I loved your project, great job!
Danica, you are so brace for even considering writing a song and performing it on camera, knowing that it could be picked as a winner and the whole class would see it. I would have NEVER done that. I couldn’t help but smile watching your video, because it’s so true the weather app is my life. This California weather is so crazy so I seriously check it all the time. I also thought it was funny that the song was so upbeat, yet your singing about wearing the wrong shoes in the rain. Too funny. I really enjoyed your project! You have some great confidence girl! You go!
Brave*
Hi Robert,
I especially loved your project because it is essentially the same thing I did. I deprived myself of Facebook, not realizing that I would consequently deprive myself of the news. I follow every news page imaginable on Facebook and I’m really interested in those hot media stories. My deprivation was so hard and irritating because I realized how much I valued the news. I also realized though how much I’ve given myself to the media bullcrap but it’s actually pretty addicting and I can’t help myself. I connected with your experience on a personal level and I loved it.
Alec,
I found your project to be very funny! I’ve always thought that calling somebody instead of texting them is a great way to communicate with my friends and family. To me, it just seems more meaningful and I’m glad to hear that you felt the same! The tone of your voice in your final was also really good.
Hey Alec! When I had initially seen that your project was an audio recording, I was curious to see how you managed to represent it with just audio. You did a great job! It was something very unexpected but entertaining. I also agree that we should not just rely on texting as a form to communicate with others.
Hi Danica, firstly, I must say you are a good singer. You creatively make this video, I never thought the experience of these days could be made to a song. For a people who used to plan everything, I understand the feeling when you cant use the wether app. We are so reply on the wether app now, and we become more prefer to trust the app instead of people who we know.
Danica’s song was so cute I couldn’t help but smile during class when it played. However, I almost never used the weather app until this year, when the rain started to get crazy. I often relied on friends telling me or dressing in layers. Hearing about her struggles during a time when the weather was unpredictable made me realize the convenience of having weather apps right at our fingertips.
Hey Alec,
I thought your project was very interesting and new (as in the medium that you chose to represent your experience). I agreed with you that it is more intimate when people talk instead of texting, and I can definitely felt the intimacy in your audio. You inspired me to quit text-based communication for a week and see how my relationship with my friends will be like.
Alec’s project is creative, which deprived himself from text-based communication. Text-based communication becomes so common, and we even do not realize that the verbal communication is obsolete, and texting also take the place of handwriting today.
I like Danica’s project. The song and the lyrics are really cute and expressive. We rely on weather apps a lot today. Before doing car wash, or going outside, I always check the weather apps on my iPhone first.
Hi Alec,
It’s crazy how today, texting/messaging have become so common that actual verbal communication is almost obsolete and inefficient. I agree that at the end of the day, talking is much more meaningful than texting, but can definitely be less convenient. Your piece was excellent because it portrayed the subtle flaw in our technological world in which people are no longer physically communicating, but instead only digitally communicating.
Hi Danica,
I absolutely agree that weather apps are super helpful to predict the day and how to dress. I like how you were resilient throughout the deprivation and expect to be more observant and prepared for the future, even with the weather app back in use. Your song was outstanding and your tone while singing really captured your emotion and attitude towards the deprivation – great job!
Hello Alec,
This is a very interesting project presentation. In the 21st century, I really agree with you, it is impossible to only use handwriting instead of texting.
Thanks for sharing.
Hello Danica!
I loved your song! You are an amazing songwriter and I think that you were able to create a song that gave off that feeling of frustration with the weather but also gave it a light-hearted feel and I thought that was the greatest part. I think this past rainy season was the worst we had in so long that you would have never been able to predict that it would have rained that much. It must have been the worse experience ever. I am glad you could look back to that experience and laugh.
Alec: Since your project was the last to be presented I had great expectations. I know it wasn’t arranged in order but I still believed the best was saved for last. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. At the time of the presentation, I felt your project was the weakest because it lacked everything. From the content to the statement, it just seemed like this was done last minute. I did enjoy it however because although it was uncomfortable and a little unsettling to listen to, I found it amusing. I agree that it is rather impossible to communicate without text-based media and technologies. I feel that we lose our humanity when we communicate in text because text does not capture unique emotions we give out. An exclamation mark will put emphasis on our statements but will not calculate how excited or how frightened we are. Although your piece was a bit disappointing, the more I think about it, the more I see it. I can also say I see less because your piece is minimalism at its finest. With such little and vague content, minimalism art are often criticized and ignored, but yet still maintain to be powerful at times. This is how I see your piece. Yes it’s uncomfortable, but isn’t art supposed to make you uncomfortable? We rely and look at what makes us comfortable because it’s easy. We’re afraid to look at what’s uncomfortable because we’re afraid to question ourselves and leave the norm.
I appreciate your comment, Sherwin, because you are correct about everything you said! It was written and recorded last minute – as much as it pains me to give excuses for my work and as much as I am still proud of the product I ended up creating, I definitely wish I put the time and effort into it to make a piece I am more proud of (at the very least in terms of audio quality). Despite the lack of time I actually spent on the project, the minimalist approach is the one thing I thought about very deliberately and envisioned from the beginning of the project/deprivation experience. I definitely am of the opinion of letting the art speak for itself, and so I was against writing a long piece/statement from the beginning. I am grateful to see it didn’t go unnoticed!
Alec,
I thought it was clever of you to use an audio platform to communicate your deprivation of text-based communication. The way you executed your audio project in a steady and calm voice made it feel more intimate- in many cases, verbal communication should be more intimate than text-based communication. I felt like your project righteous depicted your deprivation of text-based communication as you portray to your audience the importance of communicating without a medium of technology such as messaging apps.
Robert, I personally feel your project had one of the deeper meanings to it. I also find myself consistently watching the news and feel like there is so much at one time. The images you showed in your video were able to be interpreted in many different ways and that is what I feel makes a great art piece. Everyone could see a different message and it was really well done.
I agree with you. I think Robert did a very good job at trying to show that we have so much information thrown at us daily that sometimes we get lost and forget about the matters that make us who we are or that make us happy. I especially like the beginning clip with all of the news channels. This was very creative and made me realize that there were somethings that I tend to take for granted or some news articles that I just accept as true because it came from the news. It made me think that maybe I need to do things for myself sometimes.
Hi, Danica!
Your project is one of my favorite projects! I like the lyrics you write. You’re really expressive. The whether apps you choose for deprivation is a new way that quite different from others. Also, you focus on details in your video. I like the part that you shake your head and whisper “never” toward camera.
Danica, your project was one of my favorites. I was able to tell that you enjoyed creating your art. Little details that you added was what made it so good for me. Your facial expressions just added another dimension than if you were just singing. It added humor to your message and it obviously got everyone in class to pay attention.
Hello Alec,
Your work is the most creative one in all of the works that I’ve ever seen. This can be much much more than my expectation and I feel that it is kind of amusing but gives us a great chance to think about what we should do while facing to such a modern world. Moreover, the voice that you use in this project is slow and deep, which is a really really great skill to give the audiences more time to actually think about what you are talking about. In conclusion, I am totally impressed by your great work.
Hi Robert,
I thought your project was very creative, although when I watched the video in class the first time, I felt so confused and anxious wondering what the audio was talking about. Now that I have read your artist statement, I understand that was your intention and you successfully instilled anxiousness in me, as you wanted your audience to feel. That was such a different and unconventional way to approach a representation of news deprivation. I feel this was very effective though and I completely understood how you felt without having access to news for two weeks. Not knowing what is going on in the world is terrifying, but I agree that it can be quite peaceful. Ignorance is bliss after all.
Robert,
I love how you incorporated the chaotic sound of multiple news reports. It honestly does feel like that today, where media is involved with almost everything we touch. Thank you for expressing that through your work.
Commenting on Alec’s project I’d like to offer up another alternative even rather to calling in place of texts/messages. it is a trend that has not really seen itself in western countries and i mostly only see it used on WeChat but What’sApp, Messenger, and most messaging apps have these features now. It is voice recording as messages. I am not talking about voice to text(which is something I use daily) but rather you send a playable message in reply to each other basically having what I would like to call a phone call that is convenient at anytime. Just a thought but loved the project.
I really enjoyed Robert’s project. I am also completely absorbed in the news to the point where it is probably a negative thing. Regardless, I thought Robert’s idea was very unique and the news clips really did show how (rightfully) obsessed many people are with the news. It showed me that even if it is good to keep up with the news, taking a break from the craziness of the news cycle every day could be a positive thing for many of us…
Hi Danica,
I thought your project was super cute and I loved how creative your lyrics were. This was such a good and unique representation of your deprivation with the weather app. Your voice is also really good and I think it was so thoughtful of you to use your voice to represent your experience. Excellent job!!
Roberts project was actually one I considered howwever I ended up taking a slightly different route it still has the basic premise that I enjoy. If I had already not basically given up the constant surrounding noise that is the news and media I absolutely would have done this myself. I have experienced through my travels though that it is difficult to truly get rid of news and media only because everyone else has not done so. you will always end up in a conversation with “have you heard…” which in the end i guess is the way social movements and other things get done. But it would be nice to truly free ourselves no?
I think something interesting to point out about Robert’s project are the contents of each news broadcast. If you can notice a pattern, and I’m not sure if it was deliberate or not, but they are all very political in content. When we turn on the news, I think we have trained ourselves to expect something in the realm of politics and nothing else. I still remember those days when news organizations would broadcast some local hero, or a scientific breakthrough, or some random new study done. I’m not sure if Robert also aimed to point this out in his project but it was just something I had noticed.
Hi Danica,
Such a unique consideration and I really like your song and statement. Personally, I rely on the Weather App daily. Every morning of the day, I will check the Weather App not only my surrounding areas but some of other cities like Big Bear, Lake Tahoe. I can’t image my life without it.
Thank you for sharing.
Danica，
Your song is very sweet and creative. You expressed your ideas and thoughts in your song. You said you never do that again and you don’t like your deprivation experience. I love this song so much.
Hi Robert,
Very interesting project. I really like the transition from the combination of different news report TV scenes to other lives scenes. People care about economics or politics because we are part of our countries. But sometimes, we over-showed out consideration, and ignore the lives surrounding us. Thank you for sharing your project.
Danica,
I really liked your song. It was definitely a fun and creative way to describe your deprivation experience. I rely on the weather app all the time and it’s pretty impressive that you went without it for so long. I loved how light and happy the song sounded despite it being about how you did not like your deprivation experience. Overall, I thought it was a great project.
Hey Alec,
Your project really stood out to me. It reminded me of the ASMR video clips you would find on youtube. To be honest, I was a bit uncomfortable when I heard it; it was a bit too sensual to me and sounds like something you would listen to with headphones instead of in a large lecture hall with hundreds of people. I could easily see your piece in an art gallery, where visitors put on headphones to listen though. I actually listen to ASMR myself, but I like the ones with natural sounds like the sounds of the tide at the beach or a fireplace crackling. I personally think the human voice is pretty distracting, but for many others, I think you really encapsulated the feeling of your deprivation.
Thanks for your comments, Danny 🙂
That’s actually interesting because I joked with a friend at the beginning of the quarter that my piece of art could be an ASMR recording – maybe it was subconscious, but how coincidental that it ended up giving a similar effect to some people. I definitely do intend listeners to experience my piece with high-quality headphones on, I was actually surprised at how good it sounded in the big classroom but that is not how it was intended.
Hi Alec!
Kudos to you for giving up texting! I am not sure that I would have been able to do that. I appreciate the fact that you elected to speak more slowly with deliberate pauses. Ultimately, this emphasized your goal.
Although I do enjoy texting, I do believe that there is nothing more comforting than actually hearing a person’s voice. Word enunciation and voice inflections convey true intentions. On the other hand, texts can be greatly misinterpreted.
Hey Robert,
I really liked your piece. I could tell that you have a good in video editing with the use of morphing and fading collages. The auditory experience I think, was the most compelling part about your project. I enjoyed the unsettling vibe that the piece had in its first portion, with the multiple news broadcasts shown side-by-side, which surprisingly carried on in the second portion even though there wasn’t any real noise other than the repeated russian phrase. I think the contrast between the two scenes worked very well and brought on a very interesting atmosphere.
Alec, I like how your project was different from the rest in that it was only audio and it fit your deprivation really well. Not only that, but you addressed something that many of us do not think about in the modern age where we are all dependent of our cell phones: actual in person conversation. What you did was something that any college student would have found difficult, since the people I know mostly just text when it comes to day to day communication, not call each other; unless of course it is really urgent. All in all, excellent execution of your project!
Danica,
You have a very pristine and relaxing voice; I enjoyed listening to your song. I like how you used music to describe your deprivation experience. You lyrics really brought to life what you went through as you refrained from using the weather app, and even though I didn’t do it, your song helped me visualized how it was for you. Great job, this was definitely one of my favorite projects.
Danica, I really liked your project because it was definitely a big risk. With the weather being so unstable, you really do not know what to expect. Being a person who looks at the weather app every morning to determine what to wear, I would have found this project very difficult to accomplish, but you did a great job of pulling through. Also, I found your song great. Your lyrics were very creative and flowed well. I really loved the last part, it definitely made me laugh.
Rajvinder,
I wrote this song in parts so I had a lot of trouble mushing it all together into one song and which verse comes first and which. I was getting frustrated alot about the flow a somg, but I am glad that it all worked out in the end!
Alec, I thought your project was really creative. Being a person, who strongly relies on text-based communication, I would have found this deprivation really tough to accomplish. However, your project brings to light a very good point, we are so reluctant on text-based communication that people hardly even talk anymore. We are so invested into our phones or computers, that intimate conversations have become rare.
Danica,
I absolutely adored your project! In addition to it having a nice melody and beat, it thoroughly expressed your feelings during the deprivation project. The weather was indeed pretty unpredictable last month, so bravo for being willing to do that. I definitely give a quick look at the weather app each morning.
Alec,
I really loved your project. I thought it was really creative to talk about. For myself, Talking on the phone is always better than texting personally because you could actually feel the emotion of way others talk. But sometimes texting is really necessary and convenient
Alec,
Loved your project, it was super creative and intimate. it brings up some really good questions about the reality and authenticity of a relationship developed through texts rather than words. This generation and the ones to follow will become more and more dependent on text based communication via email, chat rooms, text messenger creating a literal boundary between themselves and others. This boundary allows them to contemplate and rewrite themselves through their response essentially misrepresenting their true personhood. Great content, and overall great project.
Hi Alec,
I absolutely love your idea of deprivation. It must cause a lot of funny and interesting moments during your deprivation of text-based media.
I agree with you that hearing others’ voice is better than texting since we aren’t able to see or hear their expression clearly. However, as you stated, under many conditions calling is extremely inconvenient and even embarrassing. For many people, a abrupt call is unexpected and sometimes can be annoying. Therefore, before knowing a person well, texting is also a better choice in my opinion.
By the way, your voice sounds really cool.
Hi Danica,
I love the song! It is just so fun and joy to hear. It is true how important it is nowadays to look at weather report. I can not even imagine myself sleep till noon and rush out to class but find out it is raining outside without an umbrella with me. Weather report helped human us many ways. Fishers look at weather report to decide if it is safe for them to go out fish. It would be really dangerous if they don’t know ahead of time.
Hello Danica, right off the bat I thought it was pretty clever in how you made your project based on the weather app. I would have never thought of depriving myself of that because I usually don’t really on it. To be honest, I just look outside and hope for the best, even though it doesn’t always turn out the way I intend it to be. Aside from the basis of your project, I also thought the idea of making a song was also brilliant because none of the other projects took this approach.
Danica, I really love your voice when I first heard it in class. You’re so talented and gifted! The slight humor you put into your self written lyrics was also really clever and made the class laughed. Thanks for sharing you art :^)
From what Robert expressed, I felt the same. There are too many political opinions out there to interrupt our own thinkings. As Trump become the president of United States, there are many negative things happened in this society. What news reported is the most attracting eye news to attract people’s attention. People all have different political positions, but from news we are just knowing negative effects Trump brought up. It is not rational enough for people to judge a person or a thing by it. So, have your own opinion and not being affected by others is important.
Hi Yue! I do agree partially with you that in fact we heard some negative views from Trump and sometimes one might complaint that he/she does not get the whole picture. However, unfortunately we live in the era that we are pushed to think from someone’s view, and they are all biased. All the news we read are not objective because it is an Eurocentric perspective. Therefore, instead of avoiding them as much as possible, I think the best way to interpret something in a neutral way is to read as much as possible from different opinions, the only way we can elaborate and understand a true outcome of an event.
Robert,
The beginning of the video really made me disturbed because of all the noise. All of a sudden, it all turned very quiet, which made me annoyed too. But these two parts really contrasted each other and emphasized the chaos caused by all the political news.
Danica,
I would have never thought of depriving myself from a weather app because I rely on it everyday. Your song was so cute! It’s nice to listen to your song after seeing more “serious” projects.
Dianca
You know what. when I heard your song, I felt so comfortable. I also like how you presented the relationship between your song and weather app. It is very creative.
Alec,
I think your chosen choice of media for your project really fits your deprivation of text-based communications. As someone who texts constantly, I applaud you for having the capability to restrict yourself. Your project was really intimate and I could feel the emotion through your voice. Texts are more distant and can be misinterpreted due to lack of emotional expression compared to actually talking so I understand why you would prefer calling instead.
Hi Danica,
I really liked your song! And deprive yourself from weather App is really creative, and you choosing to express it in the form of music is very brave. You used very delightful and cheerful way to express something that seriously annoyed you.
Dianca
I love how you connect the weather app with your song because it’s really creative and unique. Your voice is so amazing that I would like to listen to the song again and again. The humour and satire of the lycris really catch my eye because I am the person who always need to check the weather app to decide what to wear everyday in my life.
Robert,
Your project is unique. When we saw it in class I was a bit confused, as to what it was trying to say–which I love. You have to take time and reflect on your work, to find the meaning. After rewatching it, I see the juxtaposition between the first half of the video–you can hear, see, and feel the anxiety in the video trying to distinguish the words, being overwhelmed by everything going on–then it all just stops. You transition us into a more relaxed, soothing environment; and having the Russian speaker, does exactly what you wanted the viewer to do. In class, I questioned if it was English, then I realized it wasn’t and “what is this saying” ran through my mind. Very brilliant work.
I really likeDanica Resurreccion’s projecy, it is really impressive. The form of music is kinda new since lots of us use photos or video as a form of project. I really like her work.
Hi Danica,
I loved your project because it was creative, communicative, and realistic 🙂
Even though you had a negative experience of being deprived of the weather app, i wouldn’t say you failed to put yourself away from the technology.
Since the weather app is definitely important in our life and is something not additive, i believe it is completely fine to think you cannot live without the weather app impacts.
Hey Danica,
Your video project was super cute and funny, you really put your self out there. I applaud you for sticking it out through the rainy season without using the weather app. I think we can all relate to how reliant we are on technology and how helpless we are without it. Even something as minimal as the weather holds a huge significance over our lives. Its great that you chose such an optimistic tune to your song to describe such a terrible deprivation experience way to stay optimistic! Awesome work and thanks for the song.
Victoria,
I agree with what you say here, it is really surprising how reliant we all are on technology apps or devices that we sort of take for granted. I did love the song and style of it all, very creative and fun, but it actually made me think of how only a few decades ago people lived that way, we could touch a screen and find out what the weather would be (even if ours isn’t always so correct), but it was just an interesting thought.
Danica, I really enjoyed your song and I thought it was a very creative way to show your deprivation. I can really relate to this because for my deprivation project I did the Weather App. I can see that it was really a struggle for you and I relate to the struggle. The song really drew me in and it made me carefully listen to what you were saying so I could get the whole details from your deprivation.
Hi, Danica
I really like your song. you are a very creative and brave girl. Your voice is beautiful and when I first listen your song in class, I enjoy it.
Robert, at first I was a bit confused when I watched your video in class, however, now that I watched it on my own I was able to fully soak in everything that was going on and actually appreciate every aspect of the video. I loved the compilation of all the different news networks in the beginning, and also the ambiguous repeated saying throughout the video. I was surprised that it was one of Trump’s tweets translated in Russian, it was a very nice little touch to the video that made it stand out that much more. Nice work!
Hi Danica,
You have a very interesting and unique way to present your deprivation experience. Even without paying attention to the lyric, I was still attracted to the song. I also like how you have a very bright and happy song but the lyric sounds frustrated. I also use the weather app to see if it’s going to rain so I know how it feel to not have an umbrella during the rain.
Hi Danica!
I loved how light hearted your piece was. This made it stand out the most to me. I also think you have a calm and soothing voice and you should definitely keep singing!
I’m going on a trip for spring break and I honestly wouldn’t know how I’d survive if I didn’t know the weather for where I’m going. Thanks for this entertaining song!
That was an interesting deprivation. Weather forcast gives us current information so that we can plan to make our arrangement of the day. Since California has changable weather, it is unnecessary to live without a weather forcast learning from your project.
Hi Danica,
I loved your project! I think you have a great voice and am glad that you used it to portray your feelings about the weather. I think that it was really funny as well as informative about what would happen if someone every forgot the weather app.
Hi Robert,
Your project really confused me, at first it was really clear that it was going to be about politics, but then you didn’t go on to further discuss it. I felt confused I wanted to see more about politics but all I got was you trying to express your politically anxiety, but I really didn’t understand it. The ending messed it up for me.
Hi Alec,
Although I liked your spoken word, I felt a little bit confused and weirded out because of your slow voice, I get that you were trying to make it intimade but I felt creeped out, it was really funny tho I just wished you talked at normal speed.
I felt that Robert’s project did a great job of conveying his political anxiety. By clustering up multiple news outlets of medium and adding the looping audio, it felt like I was watching/listening to propaganda. It gave the illusion that they were trying to tell you something important but it is really just “noise”. Something to stir up the public for no apparent reason.
Alec, I thought your response to the deprivation was the most appropriate but you also did it in what I think was the best way. Your choice to talks slowly instead of quickly created the intimate aspect. It really emphasized the fact that spoken word is much more intimate and genuine than text-based communication. Further, your choice of words was simple similar to what we text. This also emphasizes that the same words we use in text and voice conversation are different when they are spoken.
Hi Danica,
The weather app is definitely something new that I wouldn’t have thought about! The song was really nice and the lyrics had a lot of meaning. I am the kind of person who checks the weather all the time to see what works for my days outfit and you illustrated how important a weather app could be on such days that I consider bipolar especially from all that we have confronted so far. From sunny days, to cold days, to even rainy and stormy afternoons you really did nail it. You were very cheerful and sweet even through the struggles you went through but managed to stay happy. Great job 🙂
Robert,
After reading your deprivation experience and watching your video, I have to admit I was able to understand it much better than the first time I watched it and I sort of think that this was precisely what you aimed to do with your audience. At first glance, the video was overwhelming and as it progressed I was overcome by confusion and frustration as I tried to understand the words being said. I definitely think that media does that to us. It tries to provide answers to thinks we hope to know but we become overwhelmed with the various opinions that every broadcasting network provides.
Hello Alec,
Great work on the voice audio. It was a new approach and something I would have not expected at all. At first I wasn’t too sure of what you have deprived yourself. But then after listening to the recording further into its context it made a lot of sense. The message you aimed for with regards to talking in person was very powerful. It’s not the same to talk to someone via email, text or any form of digital communication. Back then communicating with anyone was common, face to face was how life worked. Now life is filled with looking down at a message or more likely as a screen with sentences filled with emotion that one cannot understand truly. The pauses, the words that were chosen were great so nice job on this art project. 🙂
Hey Danica,
I just want to saw first you had an awesome project. You turned something boring like not having a weather app into a pleasant and funny song that really explained what it would be like to not have that piece of technology. Also your project was very unique compared to the many text based projects so it was a refreshing and creative idea. Also, you are a really talented singer so it really helped to pull it all together to be a pleasant but informative experience. Great job!
Hi Alec. I could never imagine myself giving up texting when it’s what I do most of my day. However, I totally understand that emotions can not easily be shown through texting and that phone calls are much more meaningful. I think people tend to show these connections by adding in emojis and though it’s not as effective as a phone call, it still displays a small part of that emotion. Overall, I like the dramatic effect of pausing in between the audio recording because it makes the message even stronger.
Alec,
Giving up text messages is something that I would not have dared to do. I feel like a lot of us have been accustomed to text messages which aren’t necessarily a good thing. Even though it is convenient I think a phone call conveys a lot more, by the way, a person speaks and there are more emotions involved. Text messages miss a lot of that and many a times we try to figure put what is actually going through the other person’s mind. This becomes a lot more evident in a phone call if not completely obvious.However, if there a situation when the thing I am trying to communicate is not the most comforting for either of us, I feel like texting is an easy way out that a lot of stick too. Again this might not be the best thing, but many of resort to texting than contacting the other person by a phone call
Danica!
I love how you decided to deprive yourself from the weather app. I myself, use the weather app constantly, so I can only imagine how difficult the deprivation would have been, especially with California’s crazy weather. I also really enjoyed the overall media you choose to represent it! Not to mention, I loved how the song itself was adorable and cute while the lyrics totally contrasted the overall theme.
Hey Robert at first when I saw your project I was confused and I couldn’t really understand anything but then when I realized that was supposed to be the point it became interesting. I was amazed at how you could display your work and get the audience to feel your intention
Hello Alec
I really like the idea that you chose to deprive yourself from text-based message. In today’s society, it is a common that many people are afraid of calling others. Not using text provides a great way to heal this kind of problems. As I have the same problem, I think I should try what you did.
Hello yuxin,
I actually have a different thought about today’s society being a text-based one. I think only millennials, in the U.S. and Western Europe, are the one’s who are text/message-based faction of today’s society. Looking at my parents, or any older generation group, they seem to me that they prefer calling over the phone rather than texting. This might be due to age difference and not being acquainted with technological advancement, though, I think texting has created a new fear of speaking to people, whether over the phone or just engaging in one-on-one conversations amongst each other.
Robert,
I thought your piece was presented so well and it really drew me in. I love how you began the video with the collage and then slowly faded them out and then incorporated the dancing person in the back. I thought adding the voice recording really brought it all together and added a nice eerie feeling, which I think really enhanced the point and purpose of the video. I also agree with your statement, I too cut myself off of social media (news pages) once in a while to just calm my nerves and help me be a little optimistic about life. I am a Muslim and the things going around right now have really affected my overall health because Im constantly on edge and just afraid for my life. I wanted to go back home this summer to see my family overseas but now I’m afraid if I go, I wont be able to return to America. All I ever see on my Facebook feed are politics related to Trump and his administration and what new policies they’ve created to make our lives hard. Sometimes cutting myself off and just ignoring all forms of news gives me an opportunity to pretend life isn’t actually like this, hate doesnt exist and people are not suffering because of it. Just for a moment, I feel calm.
Danica, I was surprised at your deprivatoin experience. At first, the turn and the song made it feel like the deprivation was a good thing, but once I listened to the lyrics, I realized what you were truly singing about.
Danica
You are talented singer lol. It’s a nice song. However, I didn’t notice what you were talking about until later. It might be a good idea to show the lyrics in the video so that it’s clear from the beginning what you want to talk about. Great job tho!!
“Danica Resurreccion” | Danica
I really liked your project as it was actually something that I was thinking about doing for my deprivation project. I chickened out due to being worried about the weather, but it was fun to kind of hear form you what it was like and get ones perspective. I think your project is definitely funny and hopefully now that you can use your weather app again, you can plan for the upcoming weather haha!
Alec Santos
I agree voice is such a strong tool in conveying a message. There is so much you can miss over a text. It is for me so easy to tell something over a text and not have to face the situation head on. I agree with others it was awkward and uncomfortable, but honestly its okay. I think this project will definitely challenge me to be more deliberate to speak out.
“Talk to Me” | Alec Santos
Definitely listening to your project during class and again, trying to listen to your lyrics was something I found to be very awkward for obvious reasons as even our TA nervously laughed when presenting your piece. However, I think it was good to see as it showed that your piece touched a majority as a whole , and enough so to elicit a response. I myself have noticed how different it can be when not just slouched and typing out texts but rather calling, as this year a lot of the new peers that I have met through my classes do prefer to call over text or instant message. Like you display, it can be very awkward, but I definitely understand that it does give you more intimacy as you are able to pick up on things that you may not be able to over text. Loved it!
Hi Kiyomi,
I had the same response to his project as well. I personally don’t like calling, at all. I think it’s extremely awkward and I sometimes get way too nervous and end up babbling or something. For me, texting gives me an opportunity to articulate my thoughts into a comprehendible sentence to avoid further questions. But when Im talking on the phone, I find myself clarifying my statement more often than I should. But I really appreciate the project and the point of it, I would definitely want to try it someday, but for now, I’ll stick to text and email haha.
Hi Robert,
I really liked the meaning behind your project. When I first watched it, I was very confused. I was annoyed by the fact I could not understand what each of the news videos were saying, angry I couldn’t decipher the Russian words, and anxious that I couldn’t actually paint the silhouette of the pictures. I think your description perfectly describes how we as an audience sometimes feel detached with the constant bombardment of news.
Your project also made me think that there is so much going on in the world and news is depicted in millions of ways, that sometimes we don’t know what the truth is. The truth of media is masked thus why you decided to make your project inaudible. Great job!
Hi Lauren,
I like your interpretation of it. I understood the point of the project but you bring up another great point I didn’t realize earlier is that we dont know who to trust nowadays. I find myself going through video clips with misleading titles or information and it makes me very angry. There are so many media outlets out there and anyone can pretend to be anyone and give out false information. I think it’s obvious that news channels such as FOX create hate amongst people and are only dividing the country even more. Not to get too political, but that’s a serious problem and I think it’s getting too out of hand.
Lauren – I agree with your comments about being initially confused when you first watched the video. I was also unsure of how to make of it, but after reading Robert’s explanation of his motives, I had a clearer grasp on the project’s meaning.
Robert – I appreciate how you decided to incorporate 24 clips into one and kept the audio from all clips on. The confusion and inability to hear what each announcer was saying directly correlates to the effect cable news brings onto us – even more confusion, chaos, and distraught of all the evils of society. Your creative decision to include a Russian phrase from Trump added to the eeriness of your entire video. Overall, I thought your project stood out and it might take a few times of rewatching to make meaning of it.
Danica, I loved your song! You have a great voice, I think your choice of writing a song was very creative and difficult! I know writing songs can be very hard and you did it perfectly!
Danica,
Your song is so cute! At first I thought the lyrics were going to be bubbly because of the beat but when I listened to them and found out that the deprivation wasn’t a positive experience I was a bit shocked. However, I think it’s a great way to express yourself.
Yo Alec, cool idea in creating something that was simple yet something that really conveyed a lot in regards to the message you were trying to achieve. The emotions and what not that can be expressed really reflected the effect that actually talking to someone verbally has over texting someone.
Danica,
As a dependent user of the weather app myself, I believe I would have come to the same conclusions as you. Although pitiful that we feel the need to know the weather whenever we touch our phones when you can just walk outside and test it for yourself, there is something about knowing in advanced how the weather will change throughout the day. We feel comfort in knowing what will happen later that day just as we find it content to be able to plan out our day to our convenience.
I really enjoyed your play on words with the song and its connection to the weather app. I’m a person that checks the weather everyday. It was fun to see a project that showed what the struggle would be like if I were to get rid of the app completely as you did.
Likewise, Danica I thought your project was really fun and had a quirky side unlike the other projects. Your song was not only relatable as many of us check the weather app to plan our OOTDs, but also rather enjoyable. The tune was catchy and you surprised me with your voice, as I was rather shocked that you sang because I know that could be really nerve racking. I’m glad you had the courage and spunk to pull off a project I would never have dared tried.
Maia,
to be honest, I was really nervous when my song was playing in class! I was hoping, but not expecting to be one of the exemplary proj so I had a mini heart attack!!
Hello Danica,
I’d have to say that your piece was my favorite from the 9 showcased. You have the YouTube voice that is very appealing. Your video reminds me of Youtuber “Nix // uuuuuuuukewithme .” I am impressed by the wit in your lyrics and would honestly support your music! If you’re reading this, do you have other compositions?
Joby
Jonathan,
Im happy that my project is your favorite! Thank you thank you 🙂 As mentioned, I have only written one song before, however, I do covers from time to time 🙂
Hi Alec, I found the audio for your spoken word project to be very artistic and funny. What I liked about your project, is that you directly linked it to your deprivation. As a lack of texting, it was very clever that the medium you chose to do your project on was an audio recording. It really shows how you channelled your deprivation into something very unique. I also liked that even after the end of the project, you had a very positive experience and now even prefer to speak on the phone as opposed to texting. It makes it clear that your passion for the topic is greater than this project.
Hi Alex,
I entirely agree with the points you made on Alec’s project! In addition to all of the points you made, I enjoyed how Alec’s tone seemed a bit exaggerated during the recording to exaggerate the satisfaction of using phone calls over texting.
Hi Andy!
I also agree with you that his tone seemed quite exaggerated and actually quite slow. I think his tone helps depict his deprivation experience in the sense that it’s always his voice that he hears rather than the people he’s actually talking to. This was quite clever as towards the end I was able to empathize with him and understand the negative emotions with his deprivation.
Hey Danica, I thought that it was very creative for you to not only create a song, but post a video of you performing it! I thought that it was also interesting how you were able to share your experience/journey through your lyrics. It really communicates your struggle and I particularly like how in the very end you said that you would never do it again. I think that part provided comic relief. For your deprivation, I also thought it was very unique. I did not think about even giving up the weather app. The weather has been hectic lately and it was amazing that you gave up something that not only you rely on, but something that many people in general rely on too. Overall I thought your project was very well executed!
Robert,
Your video was really impressive with all the effects, blurring in and our of focus, multi screens, disorienting sounds, and clear and concise use of repetition. I hate the news for what it has become today, it is so annoying and most of the content is meaningless anyways. Your project perfectly illustrates the anxiety we feel when watching it. I remember in class you mentioned your friend was speaking in French or Russian? But, her voice synchs in harmony with the eerie chaos that is unfolding around it. Love it, great job!
Robert Tidwell
I think out of all the projects selected, yours stood out to me because it was difficult for me to understand because it was so ambiguous. Art is not something that I feel like I have a good grasp on and so other than the aesthetics of art, I think I have a harder time finding a perspective and the intended meaning for art pieces despite artists wanting you to come up with your own interpretations. This was something I definitely felt while trying to decifer your piece. Despite this, the message of being bombarded with constant news updates, and cutting all that out was something that I was able to take away from your project. I think your piece was very unique and was really able to captivate my attention that way.
Robert,
Your video was very enlightening. The media has so much control in our society today. They can persuade hundreds of thousands of people towards an opinion. They can show people the “truth” that only they want others to see. The media likes to talk about stuff that would benefit them or their funders, but will avoid talking about information that can potentially hurt them. It makes sense. The media is a corporation. This is very important for people to realize so that we can decide what information we should or should not take out of the media.
Alec the audio you had I can relate so much too. People nowadays rely so much on texting to communicate rather than talking to you in person. It does get kind of annoying. For example, my roommates we always talk through texting but at home we seem so antisocial. The two is just so weird to me as people appear more social when they message each other but not in real life. To me that is sort of a problem. We should put our devices away and instead talk to each other in person, face to face, as we have always use to do.
I agree, Ryan! Your point that people are able to appear as somebody different with different characteristics through text messaging is astonishing and quite frightening. You receive a totally different notion through spoken word and feel that these rare face to face conversations are more valuable to knowing somebody rather than very frequent text messages. Alec portrayed this phenomenon perfectly with his monotone voice and enunciated words.
Robert your video was pretty mesmerizing. I like it because it was raining a lot these few weeks and I could look back and be like yeah he used the weather to make his project. The colors were intriguing as well and the opacity of the fore and back ground to display 2 messages at the same time was a creative way to relate two things together.
I definitely agree with Ryan. Your video was really mesmerizing. I used to (and still do occasionally for my job) film and edit videos, so I really could appreciate the videography and editing techniques that took place in your video (especially the overlapping of clips because it adds to the euphoric and mesmerizing feeling of being happy and independent).
Danica your song is very good, but also super funny! On how you went without the weather app. For me, the weather app is pretty useful right now especially since the rain appears to come and go randomly. One day I would think its not gonna rain, but then the next day it would. It kind of sucks to not have the weather app because the weather is really inconsistent with itself lately and I feel your struggle. I admit to having to use it about 3 to 4 times this week just so I know if I should wear a sweater or bring an umbrella as I get to class. Your singing was really great by the way! You have lots of courage to do something like that. I like it a lot and good job on your project.
Hi Alec
I just enjoyed how intimate you made your spoken word sound. Really shows the importance of how speaking can correctly convey how a person feels. Texting can sometimes be difficult when conveying one’s feelings. Sometimes if you really want to tell someone how you feel, you need to talk to them. Although texting is still pretty convenient when you’re just setting up some meetings or whatever.
Hi Danica!!!!
I really really liked your video! You have a really nice voice and it was very soothing to hear! I did not realized how important the weather app was until I heard your song and your struggles. Sucks how it rained when you were doing this project. Great job though!!!
Danica,
Your song was adorable and very well written and sung. As Alex discussed in class, I love how you would think the song is an upbeat one because of the melody, but when you actually hear the lyrics, they’re actually explaining how you were struggling with your deprivation experience.
Danica,
I LOVE your song! It was fun both listening and watching you sing the song, it was just so adorable. I think you were really creative in composing a song to represent your deprivation experience through the lyrics. It was fun to see how the melody is so upbeat and happy while the lyrics are not. Great Job!! 🙂
Danica, I also loved your song! It was so sweet and fit your deprivation so well. If I was to sing about the weather I’d want it to have a similar melody — especially during a rainy season!
Danica,
Your project was really fun to watch and was creative. You made an upbeat song about how much it sucked without using a weather app. I can understand your struggles of not having a weather app. I don’t use a weather app so I always wear the wrong things when I go outside. I would look at the weather and think that it won’t rain, but then it starts pouring later and I am only wearing shorts and a T-shirt.
Alec,
I thought your project was very creative as I would not have thought to do my project in an audio only format. Nowadays, I find myself using text-based communication all the time and sometimes phone calls seem weird to me. Talking seems awkward and inconvenient a lot of the times, but this takes away of the point of communicating. Your project, for example, did make me feel awkward and uncomfortable. It was almost as if it were conveyed a sexual meaning; however, I think that it was trying to get the audience to understand why talking is so important. Hearing another person’s voice gives communication a sense of intimacy and feeling which we are deprived of using text-based communication. Overall, I thought your project was intimate yet enlightening (and potentially a little NSFW– LOL just kidding).
Danica,
I thought your project was funny, creative, and cute all at the same time. I am the type of person to rely on the weather app as well because I don’t like dressing inappropriately for a situation, as it might be too hot or too cold for the clothes I am wearing during the day. I am sure that your deprivation experience must have been extremely hard in February since the amount of unexpected rain was ridiculous. It did make me think about how we often don’t appreciate these apps that are so easily accessible to us until we actually don’t have access anymore.
Robert,
Your project to me was actually quite scary, yet I did get the message that you were trying to convey. News as well as social media is always in our faces and we indulge in what they’re saying, never really knowing what’s true or not anymore. I feel that cutting all of these outlets out would definitely give you a different perspective on the world as you are not trying to keep up with what others are trying to put into your mind. The Russian words really made the project scary to me because I didn’t know what she was saying. I guess that shows how scary the media can be as well because often times we don’t know what they’re saying is true or not.
Aside from it being scary, though more or less suspenseful, I think inserting the Russian words triggered a fear for most people who watched the video as they were not able to understand what is happening.
I have to agree with Dylan; your project did initially scare/concern me when it was played in class, but I understand your method of portraying your project like that. It created a level of intimacy that not only is lacking in text messages, but also shows how we are so accustomed to not having that level of intimacy in our conversation because our initial reaction was to laugh and be uncomfortable.
I agree that it was a little frightening. But I like the way you portrayed your message. I myself always go to social media when I want to learn about the latest buzz. And several times the information was misleading. The addition of the russian words was interesting because for a while I was trying to learn it, sadly I didn’t understand anything that was said. However, this feeling of confusion is how it is most of the time because we never know if the media is telling the truth or not.
Alec,
If I could describe your spoken word poetry in one word, it would be “Addicting.” I’m actually quite upset I’m no longer able to replay the poem anymore. Not sure if it’s just a problem with my computer, or something went wrong with the audio file not this page. Either way, please post it on social media, youtube, or something and LET ME KNOW! I want to share it with everyone, but I can’t and it’s seriously a dilemma. This project was meant to be shared. When it was first played in class, I will be honest, I blushed. It gave me chills down my spine. I felt uncomfortable. I remember thinking, “….. is this even appropriate?” The interesting thing is, nothing about this poem was explicit. Nothing! So what was it? What caused me to shift uncomfortably in my seat, what caused me to avoid making eye contact with anyone in the room, what made me so embarrassed? One word: intimacy. Intimacy makes people uncomfortable, especially in this day and age when communication is all through the text and computer. People no longer have to learn how to keep a conversation. An internet warrior on social media may be the most awkward hermit in real life cooped up in his/her room all day. We fear intimacy because we no longer have to experience it anymore. Your voice in this poem, even though it came from a file, made me feel as if you were sitting right in front of me, face to face, speaking. It was so powerful. Great job; this is one of my favorites this year.
P.S. Please upload your project onto Youtube. It will be a hit!
Robert,
As I scrolled down through the discussion posts, I noticed that you took the time to thank every one for their comments! Shows that you truly do care about your project and people’s feedback on it. What a guy! Anyway, when the video first started playing in class, I was quite confused. I saw videos upon videos of Trump and his political team. The Russian voice in the background was very unorthodox as well. To be honest, I thought you had actually added a recording on accident. I did not expect what was to come. It was such an interesting and colorful video. Your message speaks the truth. Our news today focuses on one thing, Trump, and why? Because he generates a ton of controversy and attention, and consequently, views for the news station. The media focuses on the most ridiculous things, too. Ie. Donald Trump’s wig fell off in public. That’s probably not true, but hopefully you get the message. Like you said, it’s just a bunch of noise that we’ve become so focused on. Sometimes, we just need to take a step back and enjoy the other things/the beauty in life.
Alec, great spoken word! I find it interesting how your piece is called “Talk to Me” and when I was listening to it, it was like YOU were talking to ME. It must have been extremely difficult to cut yourself off of text-based communications like you said. Nowadays, that’s how almost everyone communicates with each other. From friends and family to professors, text-based communication is essential. However, this doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have to be used all the time. I’m glad this is the start to you making more phone calls rather than texting! I personally prefer speaking through the phone rather than texting as well. Great job!
Robert, WOW your video was a journey! I’d have to say you caught me off guard with the transition from a cluster of cable news to colorful images in silence with an occasional Russian voice. You were right, I was definitely trying really hard to understand what she was saying. At first, I did not even realize it was a different language and I just thought my hearing was just bad. Is it weird that I found it a little creepy since the whole room was quiet with her voice coming on? I felt like there was going to be a scary pop-up. Great job depriving yourself of cable news! You make a really good point when you say there is nothing to learn since news are filled with a lot of indistinguishable information. Very nice video editing skills!
Danica, I really enjoyed your song! It was funny how your song sounded so happy and you were playing all major chords but the lyrics were meant to be sad and played with minor chords. Huge props to you for depriving yourself of the Weather App for a WHOLE MONTH! I would hate to come back home with wet socks/shoes because I did not know how the weather was going to be like.You have a nice singing voice, good job!
Danica, I thought your song was amazing, I can’t believe it’s only the second song you have written. Despite the lyrics describing a negative experience, your joyful tone and expression when you sang created a feeling of happiness and positivity. Personally, I don’t use the weather app too often, but after watching your video I can see its importance for people who like to plan ahead. I have to say, it was really bad luck you gave up the weather app during a week when it rained a lot.
I really liked Danica Resurreccion piece. I really love music and her project was a great combination of how she felt and was a great way to express herself. I totally relate to how she felt about the weather app. I myself use the weather app religiously and look at what to wear or bring in case the weather prior to leaving my house especially since the past couple of weeks the weather has been very bipolar and it looks warm but ends up raining. Her lyrics captured the emotions of mystery and apprehension about not having the weather app really well.
Hi Chelsea,
I absolutely agree Danica’s lyrics really did capture a sense of mystery and apprehension of her deprivation from the weather app.
Alec, very well composed! Amen to you dude, phone calls are so much more efficient than texting. I love how your piece emphasized the ambiguity of texting. Time aside, emotions can really be toiled with due to miscommunication and you communicated that beautifully.
Danica, you’ve got huge guts singing for this project! I play the sax and guitar but never would I think of performing as a response to an electronic deprivation project. I’m curious to know, though, what your piece would have been like had our part of the world not been in el Nino!
Robert, you are so correct in your artist statement. Obsessiveness, controversy and hostility – I never watch TV anymore but even in passing at on-campus locations where the news is streaming, that’s all I ever see. There’s just so much noise and none of it good. This compilation deserves much more recognition, especially in these next four years.
Hi Ryan,
I agree with both of you about the feelings regarding disconnecting yourself from social media. I felt a sense of calmness and tranquility not knowing what is going on around me. Although it is important to understand the climate of the world around us, I think we should all take a break once in a while to clear our minds and give our bodies some rest.
Sandy, the execution of your piece is flawless! Congratulations! When I first saw the pile of phones inside the coffin, I immediately knew that you deprived yourself of your own phone for some time – a terrifying feat. Having done that on my own for fun over the summer, I too know how socially detached the experience can be. At the same time, your piece is also a beautiful reminder of the monetary expenses which comes with our social dependency on phones. Every few years (or months for some people), an upgrade must be made to stay up to date with current software and hardware. This upgrade comes at the cost of hundreds – hundreds of which we now spend out of necessity, not even desire.
Bravo!
Please ignore. I entered in the wrong text.
Robert,
I thought your video was so compelling to watch, and it really did make me wonder “what the heck are they saying??” I think this is such an accurate representation of how the news is constantly talking but nobody really knows what they are saying. You really built up that tension and anxiety as the voice recording sped up towards the end, and it illicited such a great response. I think people forget that they should be critical of the news and not just take everything they say for granted.
Alec,
At first, I was a little bit weirded out by the audio playing in class. However, what caught my attention is how intimate your voice is in the audio. It sounded very demanding!! Perfectly represents your deprivation experience.
Thank you for all the feedback! This is extremely overwhelming! I am glad that I am not alone and that a lot you have realized your dependence on the weather app after watching my project. I was not expecting my project to be as eye opening as it is. It is interesting that some of you have shared your personal experiences with the weather app 🙂
Danica. Your voice is truly amazing and your song is really good too. I can’t believe that it is actually a second song that you have ever written. Also your positive tone in the way you sing is amazing as well.
Hi Danica!
I thought your song was hysterical and so beautiful at the same time! I thought it was especially cool that you were able to tell us a troubling story through a joyous tone haha. Your project was definitely unique and I was totally not expecting that! Very good job.
Alec’s spoken poetry gave listeners an idea of what he wanted from them, the intimacy and personality of one’s voice. I feel that there can be some disconnect between the personalities of what we interpret from text and the personality that shows through in someone’s voice. His project makes us remember that there is comfort in hearing someone’s voice and that we shouldn’t leave sensitive topics up to text.
Danica,
I loved how cheerfully you spoke about a negative experience. I think you were extremely brave in your deprivation experience, I considered doing this but was afraid since we had so much rain this quarter. You sounded amazing, and I can’t believe this is only the second song you have written. I think your deprivation experience really shows us how dependent we’ve become on technology that predicts the whether. We hear this info on the radio, news, and everyone with a smartphone has access to it–and it’s something we might not realize that we’re so dependent on–especially like you said, for those who like to plan ahead.
I completely agree with your point, I also thought it was clever how she told us about her negative experience in a happy and sweet tone. I enjoyed her piece a lot!
Danica Resurreccion’s Fall in Drops was according to me extremely innovative. Depriving one self of using the weather app is an ordinary idea, but to describe the experience using such an interesting song is an extra ordinary one. It was nice to see that you put in a lot of effort in writing the song which I believed was very well written. It was intriguing to see such a sad experience represented by composing such a happy song. Great effort!
Hey Robert, your project is definitely something unique and I have not seen before. I like how you try to showcase the effect news has been having on people and how it can be both a good and bad thing to constantly have. I liked your mashups because most of it focused on the Trump administration which I feel has been turning our news into a circus because the news has become so focused on trying to prove if Trump’s accusations are true or not. Majority of the time whatever he says is not even true, or the claims he makes have zero evidence, yet new stations waste time talking about it rather than focusing on something else. I really like your deprivation experience project because it shows how we all follow the news to find out whats going on in the world and without media’s like this is is rather hard to stay up to date with current events.
Danica’s song was by far my most favorite of all the exemplary projects chosen! I loved the way how the juxtaposed her negative experience with a happy song, like how the TA pointed out during class! I thought the lyrics were extremely well thought out and witty, and it seriously stood out amongst all the projects. It was extremely creative and giving up the weather app was also very unique as well. Great job!
Hey Isaac,
I definitely agree that the way Danica composed her song and selection of lyrics really made it stand out ! I initially wanted to deprive myself of the weather app but I didn’t know how to present the project and this was a very great way.
I agree! Danica’s song really showed the juxtaposition between how negative her deprivation experience was and how joyful her song was. It is very creative of her to write a song and to deprive herself of the weather app. I like how at the end she says she’s never gonna do it again which also reiterates how she feels despite the happy tone of the music.
Hey Danica I really like how you created a song to showcase your deprivation experience and how hard it was for you to live without the weather app. Technology has really made things in life easier that it is hard to remember a time when we didn’t have it before. I think that is the goal of this final project is to get us to realize the hold technology is has on our lives and that it is not always necessary for us to have these things. We survived before without it, so giving it up should not be too hard. Your melody is great and was entertaining to watch.
Hey Danica! I really enjoyed your project and the thought you placed into it. The lyrics were very original and creative. I was so caught up in the melody that I did not really realize that your lyrics were about how much you hated the deprivation project. It was definitely a really cool experience.
Hey Alec, when the professor played your project in class I thought it was funny because we actually did it on the exact same thing and both created an audio file for it. I really like the points you made and I it correlates to the realization I found in my own deprivation week how humanity has succumb to text based communication rather than hearing a real person’s voice, which in my opinion is a bit sad because in text messages we subconsciously create a voice in our head rather than actually wanting to feel and hear the person’s emotions. Although texting can be fast and easy, it robs us from an interactive experience and possibly building a strong relation with that person because there is always a strong possibility that we can misinterpret a text and make matters worse. Whereas on an actual phone call we can hear if the person is joking and whatnot. Overall, I really like your spoken word poetry, it feels like you put a lot of thought and time into your project. Great job.
Couldn’t agree more with you, Raymond! Well done, Alec!
Alec, I think that your monologue really captured how you feel about talking face-to-face with people. It’s good to hear that people still enjoy doing that, with the rise of text-based communication.
Hey Danica,
I thought that your piece was really creative, a very good use of your ukelele and singing talents! The ending of the video was really funny and a great way to talk about your experience doing the deprivation.
I agree with you Sean that Danica’s project was really creative and showcases are abilities well. At one point I forgot we were suppose to be trying to figure out what she deprived herself from because of her talents. Utilizing humor into the song at the end was a great way to finalize her artwork and show to the world the trouble she went through for her experience.
Totally agree! Danica’s song was so creative and fun to watch. I had to go back and really listen to the lyrics in order to understand her experience but I’m glad I did! This was a cool way to express one’s feelings about the deprivation period that I never would have thought of. I can relate to this too because I always check the weather in the morning so I know what to wear before leaving the house. I’m not sure if I would be able to permanently stop using the app either!
I really like Robert’s project and share similar opinions on the relaying of news and quality of news. I think it’s important that we can step away from the news and realize that although information is being relayed to us, it has been presented in a certain manner. It is important for us to come up with our own interpretations of the news and not rely on one source but at the same time not get caught up in the many sources. It is really overwhelming in today’s society with all the different news stations and ways of presenting the news that the original message becomes distorted. I think a deprivation from the news can be very helpful for many because it allows them to clear their minds of the many paths that this information takes to convey itself.
Conner, I agree with you about being able to step away from the news. It’s sometimes hard to know which news sources are reliable and which are not, making it difficult to form your own opinions.
Great points, Connor. I agree that the media can definitely have a significant impact on the public and the way we think. It is important to remember that we don’t get every part of the story and that perhaps we should step away from bombarding ourselves with news information. Like Robert, I find myself being overwhelmed by the intensity of the current media coverage and am often more into the drama of the stories rather than the actual facts I should know. The audio of the person reciting the tweet in Russian was an ironic and extremely powerful part of this project. Awesome job, Robert!
Alec, you have a special way of expressing your deprivation experience and I think it’s very effective. I like how you paused and emphasize a certain words to make your message strong. Unlike you, I have always prefer calling over texting because it’s so much more convenient and easier to communicate. I’m glad that you have a positive experience after doing this project and prefer calling over texting from now on.
Hi Danica. Your video was so cute! I never realized how much I depended on the weather app until I listened to your song. I open my weather app everyday before I choose what to wear and I don’t think I could ever deprive myself of that.
Danica, I never really thought about how much I depend on the weather app on my phone too. I just consider it a normal part of my morning routine when I automatically grab my phone to check the weather. I thought your song was really fun and creative.
I also relate with Danica relying on the weather app in the morning before deciding what to wear and bring to school. It’s quite coincidental that Danica deprived herself of this during the month with the worst rain storms in socal. I think the song was very fun to watch, and expresses her deprivation experience very well. She also has a great singing voice!
Same Michelle. Danica’s way of expressing this her deprivation experience was very unique.
Hi Danica!
I really liked your project because it was unique in its medium as well as what you deprived yourself of. I had never realized how much I used the weather app until I heard your song. I feel like it should be easy to just go outside and check the weather but the weather app is so convenient so it makes people just commit to the app. I hope you continue making music because you did a great job.!
To piggyback off Rijul, I also didn’t realize how often I would look up the weather everyday. Being able to know what the weather will be like and how to plan your outfit and day is something that pretty much everyone takes for granted these days, and I can’t imagine going for more than a couple days without it, let alone a whole month. I also really liked product of your project; making a song is something that is pretty cool, and I loved it all. Overall, great project!
Alec, I found a nice connection between our works as I too made my work in the form of an audio file. I’m impressed on how you decided to deprive yourself of something which almost everyone can’t refrain from doing anymore. Even now we all have to communicate to you over a text based system and it’s just surprising to see how we’ve actually suppressed ourselves from using one of our most basic and oldest forms of communicating with each other. Your decision to only have us listen to your voice really does emphasize your views as a result of your deprivation.
Robert, I was very impressed when I saw your work. It reminded me a lot of other work which deals media and use multi channel views. It was also very interesting to see how you introduced us to the chaos of nothingness and then took us on visual journey which leaves you in awe and wonder. I felt like I could actually dive in and explore more about the thoughts which you put into your work.
I agree with Jonathan about Robert’s work. I find the topic very relatable to today’s politically fueled culture. The beginning of the video illustrates what it’s like to immerse one’s self in cable news — it can become an obsession with information overload and, in the end, the viewer gets nothing out of it. I like how Robert is able to recognize this by taking a step back during his deprivation. I also enjoyed how the artist created a work that depicts his world after distancing himself from the news. It was quite hypnotizing and soothing; however, the voice in Russian does create a feeling of uneasiness throughout the video. I really like how this voice symbolizes the anxiety of being too distanced and disconnected from what’s happening in the world, as Robert says in his statement. I think that a balance in absorbing a moderate amount of news is healthy, and I believe that Robert’s project conveyed this very well.
Hey Robert,
I have the exactly same feeling as Jonathan watching your work. It must have been really hard to disconnect yourself from watching cable news for two weeks. This means that you do not know what is going on around the world and I could feel exactly how you felt in this two weeks by watching your video project. Your confusion and hardship of not knowing what is going on around the world.
Robert,
Your project made me think and decide what you are trying to say which made your art piece special. The idea of shutting off all the noise and the confusion that the news try to implement in our lives and just enjoy the silence and the lights around us is what we are need nowadays
Hi Alex,
I also deprived myself of text based communication because it is something I heavily rely on throughout the day. My experience was quite different from your’s because I prefer to text only because it is convenient. I felt like calling people was inconvenient because we are all on different schedules so either I wouldn’t answer or they wouldn’t answer. Also, texting allows you to type whatever you want, when you want. When you call someone, you can’t call them 20 times a day to tell them the little things like you can do with text. The two things I enjoyed about having to call people was it was faster to communicate and it was a more personal experience than texting because you can hear the sound in their voice and the way they are saying it.
Hey Jeanny, you are right that calling seems inconvenient and there is the chance that the person might not even pick it up, however, I think that if ever there is an emergency, calling is the best way to get a hold of another person. Also, texting seems a bit informal and doesn’t really show concern or anything. There are definitely advantages from texting, however, after depriving myself from text based communications I found it better to call people because it is more intimate and you can play off each others reaction’s better. There are somethings you can not really enjoy through text, and sometimes there can be miscommunication with the other person that could leave to a falling out which is why I prefer calling better.
Oh god. Alec’s project is hilarious. When the professor start the audio in class, I was like …. WTF … this is so creepy. But then, I think the project is one of a kind since no body could ever think of using such a medium to express their deprivation process.
Alec,
I think it was a very smart idea when you decided to record this. I agree that spoken conversation is way more valuable than a text which is missing the expressed feelings. Sometimes, I get misunderstood when I text someone especially when it comes to sarcasm as a text can’t express that. At the same time, texting made it more convenient for us o the daily basis as it isn’t effected by the different schedules
I also believe that the spoken word project is very fitting of Alec to do in response to his deprivation of text-based communication. I think that the spoken word audio contains elements of a valuable spoken conversation — more of a personal connection, intimacy, and being able to truly hear the person’s voice as well as tone of voice, which can be misconstrued in a text conversation. I can only imagine how hard it would be to communicate in college with solely spoken conversation. I depend on text base communication with so many of my peers, especially for group projects. I think that Alec did a good job and I can tell that his message comes from a genuine place by listening to his work.
I also think that face-to-face and/or voice communication is more valuable than texts. It is so common nowadays that messages, no matter how simple, can be misinterpreted and conveyed the wrong way. Alec’s audio recording was slightly uncomfortable for some of us to listen through but it just shows how we are not used to simply hearing someone’s voice anymore. I, myself, can admit that I prefer sending a text than talking over the phone because I feel that a phone call may be too uncomfortable or inconvenient for me. Thanks for bringing up this conversation with your project, Alec!
Hi Danica!
You’re such a good singer! Same as you, I rely on the weather app daily to help me figure out what I am going to wear for the day. I sometimes even check the app multiple times a day because I want to be sure that I am dressed correctly. With all the rainy days that happened in February, I can’t imagine how you felt when you were not dressed for the weather. I enjoyed your project a lot because you put your personal touch to it by singing and writing your own lyrics to express how you felt.
Danica,
You are very talented. I loved the song and how did you decide to express a negative experience in such a joyful way. I do agree that Technology nowadays made it so convenient for the available services like the weather, stocks, calculator, or even the camera app. they are all available for us in couple touches.
Hi Robert!
I thought your project was different with the mash up of different news stations. I feel like more recently, we all have been more invested in the news to see what is happening to our country as the days go on, without the news we are not caught up. I personally check Yahoo or Google a lot for news because I don’t have cable. Without any connection to news, we would have to go to people and ask them what is the recent news and after a while, this can be very inconvenient.
Hey Jeanny, paying close attention to the news has always been a staple in one’s life because it helps you learn about events that are happening around the world. However, lately, it seems that the news has been covering unimportant issues rather than following actual news, or trying to prove if Trump’s accusations are real or not. It is because of this that I feel that the news stations have been losing focus on the real issues that matter. I like how you say that without any connection to news, people would have to go up to others to figure out whats happening, which is rather inconvenient, which shows how much better our world has become thanks to technology.
Raymond,
Why do you think engaging with other people in a discussion is inconvenient as a source of obtaining news; or being informed? I actually disagree with you about technology making our world “better” in regards to people connecting to each other. I think, due to globalization, we have become so interconnected which is resulting in being over sensitive and the constant seeking of safe space, especially here in the U.S.
Hey Jeanny, I also go to the internet for the news, and not so much the tv, which is why I liked this project alot. It must have been a lot of work to compile all those news source, and then transition to something totally different, a feeling and vibe that was very different from the bombardment of new casters. I think it was a very interesting to deprive yourself of and you did a great job!
Hi Danica,
I absolutely love your song and your voice. You are such a talented singer!
Even though I did not choose to deprive myself of the weather app, I could totally understand your feeling. I am also the kind of person who always checks the weather ahead of time in order to save myself, since I am extremely afraid of coldness, from freezing days. Although many people say that we rely too much on technological goods, I have to admit that it is brilliant to invent smartphones with so many genius and convenient apps. The development of smartphones really do provide us a lot of convenience.
I also understand the feeling of not having the weather app. Especially yesterday, when I mistakenly assumed it was going to be sunny, but it began to rain. Because of this I also think the development of smartphones is convenient and genius. But I remember a time when we didn’t have these phones and we had to either use a website or check the news. I think we’ve become appreciative yet dependent.
Robert: The use of an audio loop created an emphasis and importance to the theme of your project. News in general is privatized which causes news to be lost and also the controversy you were talking about. These days, the best news are the most controversial as it grabs the most attention.
Thank you so much!
Dancia: I enjoyed your project where you creatively chose to convey your experience through the ukulele. I personally believe that going out without prior knowledge of the weather could be truly regretful, especially with the random weather occurrences lately.
Danica: Your song was amazing! I loved how creative and different your medium was. Deleting the weather app was something I had also considered for this deprivation project, and listening to your song actually gave me a pretty good feeling of what it would have been like to delete the app. I loved your work, great job!
I also love Danica’s project, I think her song was really good, her voice is even better. In addition, I also admire how she have the courage to video herself and upload so that the whole class could see. This is something that I would never have the courage to do. Great Respect.
Hi Matt, I agree that the song really captured by attention and exposed me to her experiences without going through them myself. I wouldn’t want to deprive myself of the weather app after thinking about it!
Alec: Your representation of what you felt during your deprivation experience was awesome. I love how unique it was. The speech was worded very well, and executed perfectly. It captivates the listener, and feels almost intimidating. It feels as if you are actually speaking to the listener, even though it is a recording that can be heard by every one. I also love the repetition of the phrase “talk to me,” it really drives home the point.
Hi Matt, I completely agree. Her signing is very informative but it feels like a conversation!
Hi Danica,
I absolutely loved your song. In all honesty, it was the only art project that was presented in class that really stood out to me and that I genuinely really enjoyed. Besides the fact that the song tune itself was very catchy, I love how depressing and sad the song was meant to be, despite the happy melody. The whole song itself was really well written and I thought it was a very, very accurate representation of this deprivation assignment. Another thing I really liked about your project is that it isn’t abstract so that non art majors like myself could understand it and truly enjoy it.
I agree! The lyrics were really well written too, and I liked the simplicity of the project as a whole. 🙂
Hi Melissa, I totally agree with you. Danica’s project was great her song was creative and really well written. I also agree that her project was a really great representation of her deprivation.
Hi Robert,
I really enjoyed your project and the way you chose to express how the news is altering our perception of the things happening around us. I agree that the recent election has definitely been influenced by social media and technology. All these mediums through which we receive information has altered our views and influenced us to think a different way. No one goes and looks for information on their own anymore, we are broadcasted information through the radio and news outlet and people choose to accept whatever is presented to them with no thought on the biases of the view. The second half of the video where you cut out all the noise and chose to see the world through your own perception is really interesting and I really loved the way you presented it!
Thank you, I’m glad you liked it!
Hi Danica!
I can relate to your song, because I too check the weather app daily! I thought that your satirical portrayal of your deprivation was very unconventional, upbeat, and enjoyable. In fact, the tune was quite catchy and your words were very meaningful. Kudos to you for putting a fun spin on a difficult deprivation!
I can also relate and really enjoyed the project. The weather is something I check before the week starts and when I wake up in the morning. I think the song was very clever and creative. The music had a nice Rythm and the lyrics were catchy.
Hi Alec,
Listening to your project in class was a lot of fun and I thought your idea was very clever. It made sense to create an audio clip since you used phone calls rather than texts to communicate. It’s really cool that you now prefer to call rather than text people after completing this project. I’ve personally always favored phone calls too because you actually get to hear the person’s voice and there is less room for misinterpretation. I feel like a lot of people aren’t aware of these distinctions and your project communicated these points in such a way to get people thinking about them.
I agree. Your audio was very interesting and very true. I think a lot of people only want to text and chat online. I think there needs to be more actual communication and talking instead of texting. It is very different to read a text than actually talking to that person and listen to their voice.
Although I’m not a huge fan of calling people, I often get frustrated by the lack of immediacy in texts. A lot of my friends tend to be slow to text back, and a lot of the time i find it just easier to call them if I need to know something quickly. It’s kind of nerve-wracking to call people, though, because texting takes away the responsibility of controlling the way you speak.
Hey Robert,
I thought your project was interesting. I love that you give a lot of reason and meaning to the parts in your video. I thought it was interesting that in the beginning you had all those news stations playing at the same time which creates a lot of confusion, but after some time it fades away and we are given, like you said, a soothing image to look at. What i found most interesting was that you decided to include the trump twitter spoken in Russian. The way i see the russian speaking throughout the soothing part of the video is that while you can turn off the news and ignore it, you will still have something to remind you of what is going on with the world.
Thank you for commenting. I agree with your interpretation of the Russian portion. It was kind of just random and I thought it would be weird but it really does create this reminder of the political world.
Hi Danica,
I think you idea of deprive yourself from the weather app is very creative. Actually we pay much attention to the weather everyday but few people could come up with the same idea as you. I think the weather app is very important to us because we have to know about the weather everyday to decide what to wear. Otherwise, we might get sick, especially in Spring when weather is very changeable.
Danica, I feel like you made a brave choice to go without the weather app. I’m also pretty dependent on it, so I get where you’re coming from! Your idea to use a song to convey your feelings about the deprivation experience seemed very fitting, and I really liked it.
Danica,
I love your song. Its so good. I listened to it a couple of times. it reflects the nature of the project but it also is so like catchy and musical too. I could never compose a song so I am really amazed at artists who can. Personally though i dont think the weather is too bad in California its always pretty nice in my opinion, but of late it has been a but wack. But neverthless, I really enjoyed your song!! Keep singing!!
Hi Alec,
I really liked your piece for this project. For my own project, which was an artistic video illustrating my deprivation from the Instagram app, I was seriously considering doing a voice over as well, one where I would explain the social media dependency our society has grown accustomed to in terms of acceptance and self confidence. However, at the very last minute, I wasn’t exactly satisfied with the outcome, simply because I thought that it came off as too dramatic, and somewhat intimate. Ultimately, I decided to not use the voice over because I thought it would make my intended audience uncomfortable. Seeing the class’s reaction to your project was what I was afraid of within my own project. But, I admire that you took the route I was to afraid to take and like many have already mentioned, the tone within the audio performance only added to the piece of work it self. Overall, you were able to execute this theme and I especially love how your media of choice connected to your deprivation.
Thank you very much for your comments, Melissa!
I honestly felt the exact same way but I figured it was too late to back out, and I didn’t want to regret sharing my piece. I do admit that I didn’t expect the audience’s reaction to be laughter! I only hope this encourages you to not be afraid to share (as long as you are comfortable with it!) whatever you create because I for one am interested in the path you originally chose to take 🙂
Hi Alec,
The choice of an audio-only project is smart and probably the best way to deliver the message. The reaction during the lecture was a proof of your passionate and amazing performance.
Alec,
I was a little worried when I chose to present your project that the class may react with laughter, but I realized that oftentimes laughter is a coping/defense mechanism for feeling uncomfortable. And that was what I saw as being part of the point of your project. Hearing someone’s voice so intimately can cause one to feel uncomfortable, and that is why we often resort to just texting. There is a wall or barrier between you and the other person in written communication that you can hide behind. Alternatively, there is nothing to hide behind when you are speaking with someone in person or on the phone, you are a lot more vulnerable. In your spoken word piece you highlighted this intimacy and vulnerability by you yourself creating intimacy and vulnerability with your voice in order to represent how those things are valuable to you. Well done!
Alex
I particularly enjoyed Alec’s project in this batch because of it’s uniqueness and exemplary execution. On the surface, it may seem like he just talked into a microphone with speech at the side and him reading it, but being somewhat familiar with how voice work is done, it must have taken multiple takes and some time editing to get his project to it’s final version. I also admire his deprivation experience. I honestly prefer texting as it releases the sense of urgency as in a regular conversation., but it must have conflicted with how friends get in contact with him. It’s gotten to a point where it is extremely awkward to call someone. Heck, I don’t ever leave voicemail cause I’d rather text them what I was going to say.
Hi Alec,
I would have never thought of making an audio-only performance as a medium for this project. One can really feel your passion through your voice. I for one usually prefer texting over calling, but I must admit this has encouraged me to try and talking in person or calling more.
I agree! I think that a lot of the meaning behind our communication is lost without actually hearing the other person’s voice.
Yes. The responses may be realer than a text message since there is not a lot of time to prepare. Texting provide a cushion to rethink and filt some of the message, which can be good in some scenarios. Also, a different tone can send out more information. Alec’s performance sent out extra information that he’s probably talking to someone special.
Danica,
Your project is one of the art projects that I enjoyed the most. I love how simple yet meaningful your lyrics are. Like what our TA mentioned in class, the lighthearted atmosphere and the opposing sad lyrics about your deprivation made it really enjoyable to watch. That contrasting element adds to the distinctiveness of your art project. It made me, as an audience, unsure if you truly hated the deprivation experience or if it was a satirical depiction of how people would expect you to hate that experience.
Danica,
I really enjoyed watching your video. The song you wrote is really fun to listen to even though it was about depriving yourself of your weather app. 10/10 would listen to again.
Alec,
I like the artistry you’ve displayed in making an audio only project. There is no doubt a lot of emotion within your recording, your voice notes of disdain, sadness, and a longing to be lose to someone. Bravo.
Hello Alex,
Thank you for sharing your project with us. I really like your song. It is beautiful. I can see how much effort you have put into this project. Your project is great.
Hello Alex,
During class when we heard your audio, I really enjoyed the seductive voice/tone that you used during the audio because I felt that it got across your point of talking instead of text messaging people. I personally, don’t like talking on the phone unless they’re family or a very close friend of mine. I really enjoyed your voice and good luck with your project. Talk to me 😉
Hi Alex,
Your project was powerful and strong. When you spoke your poem ,you can feel a blanket of silence cover the room. It definitely invoked a lot of emotions in the room. I like how it showed how we have a somewhat intimate connection with people through technology and I thought you portrayed that really well.
Danica – I really appreciate how you were very specific and chose one non-social media app to be deprived of. Your choice as well as your creative project was unconventional and succeeded in the end. Beautiful voice and lyrics! Also really love the irony between your lyrics of disapproval and your upbeat tune.
Danica, I really like how you took the time to create your own original song. I thought it was very creative and your lyrics went well with your deprivation experience. I loved the relation between your lyrics and the upbeat tempo of the music. I thought it was funny when you described your experience not being able to use the weather app, but sang it in such a upbeat, energetic way.
Hi Danica,
I really loved your project. First of all, you have an amazing voice! Second of all, I loved how you were able to create such an ironic song. It was so upbeat and fun, yet the words expressed how distraught you were when you couldn’t use the weather app. It was very creative and something that you want to watch again.
Hi Robert,
I thought your project was definitely one of the more deeper and dark projects. News surrounds us all the time and depriving yourself from it can invoke a lot of emotions, but the way your portrayed made a lot of people feel a certain way. It was powerful very memorable.
Thank you Nicole! I’m glad it left an impression!
Danica, I loved your project! It was so adorable, and made me really happy even though I don’t think you were very happy about your deprivation experience. You are actually extremely talented, so you should apply to perform at Soulstice next year! I can’t even imagine giving up my weather app at such a strange period of time for our weather. It literally rained like crazy to the point where trees were falling down, and then it was so hot right after. I didn’t understand it at all even though I had my app. I applaud you for dealing with our weird weather minus knowing what it was going to be like! Thanks for sharing your experience with us!
Hi Rusteen,
I wholeheartedly agree with your comment about how the song was adorable and had a happy tone to it. I loved how the lyrics of the song seemed to illustrate how not having the weather app had a negative experience on your daily life, but yet you illustrated the deprivation experience in a positive tone! In addition, I can see how not having the weather application earlier this quarter could have had some negative effects on your day!
On a completely unrelated note, like Rusteen said, I also agree that you have tons of talent! You should definitely think about applying to next year’s Soulstice!
Hi Alec,
Thanks for sharing your project with us! I really liked how intimate your project was. I really came to understand your project after you explained it and we discussed it in class! I thought the idea was super unique and really artistic. Also, your deprivation experience must have been really challenging! I know how many things you are involved in, so I am sure not being able to communicate through text on group chats was probably really hard. Thanks for sharing your project with us, and I really enjoyed it!
Danica, I thought that your song was so cute and creative. I like how you made a sad experience into a happy song and not a typical sad song, it totally worked!
P.s you have a really nice voice!
Hi Alec, I’ll be honest, I didn’t really understand the reason you were talking that way in your project at first and it made me really uncomfortable. But after when we discussed it further in class, I realized that was what you were trying to achieve. I believe that it was a really clever way to use your voice for your project since it was related to your deprivation.
Hi Danica, I loved your project. Your song was so cute and I think that you did a perfect job of explaining your deprivation through your song. I also think that choosing the weather app was a good choice. I didn’t really realize how much I relied on the weather app until after I watched your video.
Robert, your video was very interesting! The montage of all the news channels was a bit overwhelming, but I think that’s the point–the news and what’s happening in the world right now IS overwhelming. The second half of the video was actually super confusing for me… and I feel like because I could not make sense out of the meaning it was supposed to convey… I couldn’t really formulate an opinion on it… but there was a portion where there were all these hexagons/octagons of blue and yellow light and I just thought that was so beautiful.
Thank you so much! I think the second part should be looked at as a collage of disconnected bits of what it means to be human. It’s about beauty and life. There’s a tendency to want to put video into a narrative and this is more organic. Thank you watching and I agree that one part is really pretty.
Hi Robert,
Yes, there is definitely a general tendency for film to follow a narrative, and I loved that you didn’t do this. One of my favorite film directors is Terrence Malick and he is well known for using a technique called “verticality” in his films, which often lack dialogue, narrative, and almost have an ethereal and dream-like feeling to them. The landscape you wove in this film through your use of montage and overlaying of images was incredibly beautiful and reminiscent of Malick. I felt a sense of calm and wonder when viewing it as well as mindfulness in the moment as I took in these soothing, emotion-laden images. Well done!
Alex
Alec,
I really liked your idea for the project! I wish I did something like that, depriving myself of texting to see how my experience would be. I do like talking on the phone but I don’t think it’s always the most practical thing to do in all situations. But I really liked the message you expressed and it was a great idea to use spoken word as a medium for your particular project. We discussed this a little in class, but talking on the phone or face to face is so much more intimate than texting, so the intimacy of spoken word did a perfect job of portraying that.
I really loved Danica’s song and project! I actually check the weather forecast everyday as well and just thinking about going into the February we had blindly seems stressful. I actually told my roommate about this project and song as we were walking home today and he also found it interesting. I agree with Alex that it’s funny that the song sounded so cheerful, but the actual lyrics were not. Beautiful voice and playing as well!
Danica,
I also deprived myself of the weather app! I seriously rely on it so much and I understand your struggle with all this rain and bipolar weather throughout February. But your project was really creative and fun! I’m very impressed with the song you wrote (you’re a great singer) and all the thought you put into it. I really enjoyed how you made your frustrations into such a cute song.
Robert,
I am with you on getting really absorbed into the news. It’s nice to know what’s going on in the world, but sometimes I feel like I’m just listening to it to listen to it and most of it goes right over my head. I really like the russian that you put in the background. Overall very creative and unique project
Thank you! And yes, exactly!
Alec,
I loved the way that your project even without visuals made the listener feel very emotional. The tone of your voice really added to the mood of what you were trying to portray about the importance of actually hearing someones voice when talking to them. good job
Danica,
the irony of your song was hilarious. I loved it. The weather app is definitely something that I check on the daily as well and I think it has become a very essential part of my life. Without knowing the weather, it kinda sorta really sucks when you’re stuck in the wrong clothes. Great singing. Kudos to you for making your own song
Alec,
Your project was very interesting and I enjoyed listening to it, especially because I really identified with the lyrics. Kudos to you for being able to deprive yourself from written communication. I think this is something everyone should attempt to do sometime during their lifetime to really understand the difference verbal communication makes.
Hi Robert
Your video is really especial. I was totally attracted by the scenes you provides in it. Everyone of them is beautiful. I was a little confused on the first time I heard the Russian, But as the teacher explained later the meaning of it. Things became more clear, and even more attractive.
Thank you so much!
Hi Danica
It is a lovely and great song. I really like it. The irony you put in it was also impressive. You were so happy and the melody was pleasant while the lines were used to express how much you hate it. It is one of the most unique and lovely project I had ever seem. Thank you for providing us such an adorable song.
Alec, your project was very creative. At first it was weird to hear how calm and slowly you were speaking, but you could actually feel the emotion of disconnection you were conveying. I like how you were able to depict your deprivation through audio instead of visually because it made me actually listen and pay attention to what you were saying and how you were saying it.
Hi Alec,
When I hear your piece in class I was full of emotions. Your work rejuvenated my perspective of how talking is soo important over texting. It brought up someone real close to me where I have probably neglected and didn’t talk to enough. I always thought texting was enough to satisfy the relationship, but I now understand the heartfelt side of someone who wants to be more connected.
To Danica, your video was so cute! I can definitely agree with your sentiments about the weather app. Like you, I also check the weather app every morning. Because I’m mostly at school throughout the day, I need to be prepared on what to bring/wear (umbrella, jacket). Aside from that, I just want to say you have a really nice voice!
Robert,
I love how you had a voice speaking in Russian, a language that many of us probably do not understand. Nonetheless, it reflects our self-centered American fears towards the international community or virtually anything that we do not understand or relate to, especially in news media business.
I hadn’t even thought of the self centered American view point! I think you are right. It definitely does that. Thank you so much!
Hey Alec, I’m not going to lie by at first I thought your project was a little weird. But after a while, I understood your experience and was able to empathize with your deprivation. In addition, I think this was important to note that phones are actually being used for other uses nowadays! Many of us use phones to text/game/or scroll through social media, instead of it’s main function to call.
Danica,
Like Alex mentioned in class, the beat of the song you wrote is so happy and cheerful, yet the lyrics are sad. I think it was really creative how you showcased your deprivation experience by writing your own song. I give you props for being able to deprive yourself of the weather app especially since the weather in Irvine has been fluctuating a lot lately (80 degrees one day, thunderstorming the next). You also have an amazing voice!
Danica,
I absolutely loved your project! An old friend of mine used to play her ukulele throughout the halls of my old high school, so this provided a nice little nostalgic moment. I love how you utilized the month of love, February, to showcase your dependence on the weather app. This piece was especially relatable to me, personally, because I use this app frequently as well. Given that I commute to UCI and the weather in Irvine is the complete opposite of where I live (sunny on campus, but raining at home), selecting an outfit that is appropriate for both becomes a challenge each morning. Such an amazing composition Danica. Well done!
Hi Danica! I really enjoyed your art project. It was nice to see something not digital but rather a typical/established medium of art like your song/music for a change. Though you said your experience was not that great, I think it was interesting to see that your song was actually very cheerful and upbeat. Thus, I think you actually has some positive emotions come from it! Surprises can also be nice and to be able to wake up to a sunny beautiful day would be a great experience I feel like.
Hey Robert! I think your project was actually quite eye opening to many of us because of the political climate as of now with Trump as president. Many of us only get our information about politics from the news but many of us don’t understand the bias that may impact what is said. In addition, Trump is trying to ban media outlets. Without news, it may give us a whole new perspective and I think your project was able to achieve this
I think you are absolutely right. It’s a hard balance of trying to figure out which is more important, being informed or being happy. Thank you for watching.
To Alec,
At first I was confused to why you made your project as a narrative, but as I continued to listen to it and actually understand what you were saying I could relate. Your idea was very creative and original. I too like the connection and emotion of talking to somebody rather than text messaging them.
I agree with you Barbara! With texting/messaging becoming a lot more popular than calling nowadays we become to just listen to our own voice! This could relate to how when we go to a friend’s house, no one rings the doorbell anymore but rather just text to tell them we’re here. I think your project Alec, was able to 100% capture the deprivation experience and how we are shifting to just listening to our own voice, rather than actually normally socializing with people.
To Danica,
I really enjoyed your project. It was very creative, original and fun! I liked how you were able to make fun of your negative experience without being able to use the weather app.
Hey Danica! I thought you had one of the cutest projects! I really like how you made a song out of your deprivation. Just wanted to say good job!
To Robert,
Your video was so intense and abstract. It wasn’t anything I’ve ever seen before. I want to know how you went about creating this or even thinking about it because it was so different compared to all the other works.
Hello San! I am not really sure how I thought this up. I tend to think politically and about the presentation of media so I think this was just something my mind was wired to do.
I used a program called davinci resolve which is a very indepth video editing and color correction software that’s free. For the second half i used a layer mixing technique called “difference” and chose different short clips and played them two at a time.
Thank you for the question and for watching it!
Hey Robert! My project is actually similar to yours in the sense I combined numerous video clips into one. What I found when making it was how much our society is obsessed with what we gave up, i.e. politics. I think you can clearly see how much effort you have put into your project and it is safe to say that your project is able to depict your deprivation experience really well.
To Alec,
I think your piece was the most emotional and heart touching out of all of them. When you chose to read your own statement in class today, really brought home your message, of wanting to hear others and be heard. To make a spoken word poem was the perfect fit for your deprivation experience. This piece was so beautiful and it applies so much to everything and everyone around us.
I definitely agree. I fell that we live in a world now where all we do is communicate behind a screen or cell phone. It is sad that not too many people want to communicate in person nowadays.
I agree with you. His spoken word poem is really full of emotions. And I think his voice and the pauses he used cooperated very beautifully
Hey Danica,
Your song was so cute ! Your voice was also really amazing ! I didn’t know that a weather app would make such an impact but that’s probably because I rarely check the weather. I was wondering why you chose this app though? You said you liked to plan everything ahead, so is there any other apps or such you use to do this?
Danica!
I also use a weather app too! I would have never thought that someone would deprive themselves of it…But I definitely like the creative approach you took. Great job!
Danica-
I think your song was amazing! At first it seemed like you had a good experience from your deprivation as your song was very cheery and uplifting. You have a true talent for songwriting and it was definitely enjoyable to watch.
Danica! The song that you wrote was great!! I never really thought about it, but without knowing the predicted weather, a lot of plans that you make can go very badly! This song made me realize that just knowing about the weather is greatly beneficial, and without it, so many things would go wrong. I went snowboarding recently, and without my weather app, I would not know if it was going to snow or rain or be sunny which is huge because they may close the mountain or require chains. If I got all the way to the bottom of the mountain and could not even go up, that would be the most dreadful thing! I am glad that you were able to survive a whole month without the knowing the predicted weather!!! Great song!!
I also want to piggyback on what Tanner said. It was a really great song: catchy tune, good lyrics, great instrumentals. Even though I don’t use the weather app myself, I know many of my friends who do, and I feel that they can all relate to how you feel. Out of all the exemplary projects showcased, this one caught my attention the most. Great job Danica!
Danica,
I really enjoyed your project as well! I would be so lost without weather predictions. I wouldn’t know how to dress of tell if its worth washing my car.
Danica:
I quite enjoying your creativity here. Like Alex mentioned in class, I love how you share your challenge without a weather app in such a positive, up-lifting way. Furthermore, throughout your experience I see how technology really associates for me personally and how closely we are associated with it. Good work 😀
I’d like to add that your project was the only one in which I didn’t need the artist statement to figure out the deprivation. Your project was very clear and definitely worked well contrasting a horrible experience with such a happy song. Good job Danica!
Danica-
I found it truly amazing that you wrote a song for your project. As a musician myself, writing songs and performing is not as easy as you made it look. Great work
Alec,
As someone who dislikes calling people I’m not very close with, I found your piece to be relatable to how I would feel when I have to talk to someone face to face: uncomfortable. Texting and emailing is much more convenient, but they do have some disadvantages, like having to wait for a response for hours. How you made your voice sound intimate was interesting and I think it helped deliver your message more.
The project that I most related too was Alec’s it was such a great idea to do a voice recording. The slow and emotional nature of the recording made it relateable and funny. I really enjoyed this project. It makes you really reconsider how impersonal texting is.
Danica,
Depriving yourself of the Weather App for a month is impressive! I don’t think I could last even a week without it. I also like to plan things ahead so I understand your frustration when things would go unexpected, like when it was raining a lot in February as you said. Your song is enjoyable to listen and I like how ironic it actually is.
I thought the singing video was really brave and cute. Only because I would never have the guts to sing in front of other people and then be in the audience haha.
I live and breathe the weather app too so I thoroughly understood the struggle.
Danica I liked your project. As discussed in class, I liked how your song melody was cheerful and bright but your lyrics were saying how you did not like your deprivation experience. It was ironic and creative
Alec: I like the diversity of your project. Although it was a bit short, it was straight and to the point. I agree that hearing someone’s voice is much better than reading their words in a text. I would much rather have a face to face interaction or have a conversation on the phone rather than texting. Hearing someone’s voice is more intimate and texting takes too long when you want to have a deep conversation.
Alec, at first your piece made me a little uncomfortable but it was well spoken and presented a powerful message. You’re right you feel more emotion through words and voice rather than a text based message. And you’re right having people answer a phone call is much more of a struggle than shooting a text. Maybe people will one day fall back into the habit of calling…but I highly doubt it. Text is of convenience.
I agree, Maia. When we first heard it, I felt a bit awkward and uncomfortable… but as it went on, the voice, the pauses, the words really made the message strong. I really liked the pauses and emphasis on certain words.
I felt the same way too! At first, I was unsure as to what was going on because I was conflicted by the tone and mood of his voice. I originally thought that that was they way his voice originally sounds, but after a few seconds into the voice recording, I realized that he was going for a passionate tone to express the message on what he wanted to say. I too believe that his speech was very powerful and emotional.