"Safe Text"

Safe Text is a new service that was recently launched and it is very similar to normal text messaging, but has one major difference. When you send a "Safe Text" the system allows the test message to self-destruct as soon as it has been read. The creator, Ogilvy Advertising, says that “one day, everyone will have a facility like Safe Text.” This new system will open doors for celebrities and allow them to text freely to anyone and not have to worry about the media finding out. Wired magazine has created a promotional offer which will allow people to sign up and get 10 free anonymous messages each day. I text a lot and sometimes I prefer to keep some texts. I understand privacy is important, but do we really need this system. This new system can attract a lot of druggies and adulterers, since the texts self destruct after the first read. I understand this new system is meant for celebs and their social lives, but if you need this service why are you texting anyways? If the messages you receive are that scandalous, why not delete them yourself? In my opinion this is very lame.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/mobile-phones/7635860/Safe-Text-brings-self-destructing-SMS-to-mobile-phones.html

If Nothing Happened (Music Video)

I came across this music video by a band called PaperDoll and I think it is very original and unique. Instead of displaying the band collectively in one frame, they're sectioned off into 4 equal rectangles which take up the whole screen. Bright coloured back drops are placed behind each member and they wear clothes which contrast. I think this goes well because it helps make them stand out. Still, the video does a good job on keeping everything in harmony. I found this very original and well performed. This must have took a long time to rehearse and edit. The overall video looks professional and well shot. Even though they are fairly new, I think they are going to be a huge success in the future.

Update On Our Project

We have been filming a lot these days and we plan to shoot our party scene this coming Saturday. This scene will take a lot of work because we need to gather a lot of people and a lot of people I asked so far said no. But I think we will manage. This scene is going to contrast the characters social life and how they react in a group. I will be filming this particular part and I have different ways on approaching our message. I plan on adding a lot of cut scenes showing how both characters are communicating with their peers. Neeraj is going to be very active and will be shown enjoying every minute. However, Naeem is going to be arriving late and will be sitting around, minding his own business. The one thing I hope to improve in the lighting because I have noticed in my previous shots a lot are dark. I plan to re-shoot those or try and edit it to enhance the contrast. But yeah, I am looking forward to shooting day.

Oil, Oil, Oil.

A video simulation produced by ABC News showed that the size of the slick has tripled in size in just a few days (simulation starts at 1:25):


There has been a disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. It has caused a lot of damage and the oil spill has tripled in size in just a few days. BP is trying out a new system where they will lower 74-ton concrete boxes to the surface to help capture the oil. This will take about another six to eight days to get it to the surface. This oil spill has also shut down over 6,800 square miles of federal fishing areas. Marine life has suffered since this disaster took place.

There is a lot of chaos around the world due to oil. One example is America and how it has gone to war to find oil since it is in high demand in the world today. The world relies on cars for transport and disregard the environment. I think gas stations are slowly going to bump up the price since a lot has been spilled. Makes me wonder if this disaster was a sign, that maybe it was done on purpose to show all the damage the world goes through for oil. I understand it takes people a long time to switch to environmentally friendly vehicle since it is costly. However, in the long run, you will be helping yourself out when there is no more oil left. In conclusion, I hope BP manages to clean up the oil and repairs all the damage it has caused so far.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/03/oil-spill-tripled-in-size_n_560883.html

Existentialism Assignment - Critique

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyA7zpAyFJM&feature=player_embedded

Obscure Heroes

Marvel is known for Spider-Man, X-Men, and The Incredible Hulk. I know there are plenty more heroes, but I can't name of all. Marvel is in production of Captain America and The Avengers. The article I read recently talked about how Marvel is planning on making short films on heroes who are not so popular. This is a hard decision to make, but if i recall Iron Man wasn't so popular before the first movie release. So this might mean Marvel might have a chance. Marvel is willing to pay $20-40 million dollars per movie to make unknown characters such as the Iron Fist, Dr. Strange, Power Pack or Moon Knight. Not only the heroes will be unknown, but they are also willing to let new directors take on there own original adaptation. I don't think its a good idea to let a fresh director make a movie where several million dollars are being used. Then again you can never underestimate someones talent. I think Disney/Marvel should take time and review there character list before jumping into another production.
http://screenrant.com/marvel-movies-heroes-characters-kofi-55631/

No Hands

Transportation is getting easier and easier. The lastest line-up for Volvo include new features such as cameras, sensors, and radars. The sensors allows drivers to hit one button to access high-tech cruise control, which changes a car's speed to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front. They have also added a self parking system. This allows the car to park on its own. Volvo is aiming to make the car much safer to drive on the highway. "Smartway," is a system built into cars such as Volvo notifies a warning to a driver when he/she gets too close to the vehicle in front. Nissan and Toyota are also looking into Smartway. I believe sooner or later cars will be controlled automatically. This will be great because it will relieve a lot of stress when driving Ekmark says, "We are now entering an era in which vehicles will also gather real-time information about the weather and highway hazards, using this to improve fuel efficiency and make life less stressful for the driver and safer for all road users. Our long-term goal is the collision-free traffic system." I understand this is a fantastic way to help people cut back on stress, but we should try a lot harder on making fuel efficient. Also, oil is not here forever, we need to find an alternative source of power. Hybrid cars are still a bit pricey and this is why I think a lot of people don't tend to by them. In todays society, people tend to go for small compact cars because they use less fuel. Purchasing a car also takes a lot of time. Technology is always improving, there is no end.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20627542.100-look-no-hands-cars-that-drive-better-than-you.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news

Tron Apparel

When the trailer for Tron Legacy (2009) was released people went crazy. The trailer was first revealed at Comic Con 2009 in San Diego. The release date is still not finalized, but sometime in 2011. On a website called www.threadless.com, artist Rolf Nelson created a new design "My Other Ride Is a Light Cycle," just for the movie. At moment there are Tron tees and zip-up hoodies. The overall product looks appealing, but the best part is the designs glow in the dark. Since the designs glow in the dark, you get the whole Tron look as seen in the trailer. The only down side is that maybe when a movie releases, people might wear these clothes. Since movie theater is dark it will be hard to pay attention to the movie when people around you are glowing.

Speeding Tickets From Outer Space

Since the police can't be everywhere all the time, there is something new which can track down your km/h from space... "The SpeedSpike System." This form of tracking speeding cars is kind of drastic, in my opinion. I understand there are people who speed race or just enjoy going fast, but still its kind of invading someones privacy if you know where they are all the time. This system is being tested in London. There are cameras placed in areas where people are tempted to speed the most which is assisted by a satellite hundreds of miles up that can calculate your average speed between two points. Sooner or later people will become aware of where the cameras are located and will just avoid speeding there. This system still seems gimmicky, but on the bright side it will help out the police forces and they can deal with more important crimes. The installment of "The SpeedSpike System" is fairly cheap. The world is coming up with new simpler ways to enforce laws and I hope in the future this system will be up and running.

The Expendables, "Best Action Movie Ever."

April 23, 2010 will go down in history. I am a big fan of action movies and a movie which casts Stallone, I am going to see it no matter what. But wait, who else is in this movie? When I first saw the trailer, I was amazed. Stallone's The Expendables casts not only himself, but also Mickey Rourke, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Forest Whitaker, Jet Li, Randy Couture, Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger and many more. The cast is not always the most important thing you look in a film, but the plot has to be equally as good. Without a good plot it doesn't matter how popular or attractive the star cast is, overall the movie will suffer. Yesterday I went to go see Kick-Ass with a couple of my friends. The movie was amazing by the way. The star cast wasn't the best, but the plot and storyline was well done and directed. During the previews, I saw a lot of action film trailers. Within those 20 minutes, I knew which one was the best. Not only did I, but from what i heard the audience were on the edge of their seats when Stallone's The Expendables trailer was on. There are some people who only go to see movies since their favorite actor is in it and don't care how the movie will turn out. I understand their fans but still, you have to recognize the good movies where the actors and production team put a lot of effect into making it a success. From reading the synopsis, this movie sounds awesome and I hope it does well in the box-office.
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/theampersand/archive/2009/01/07/stallone-lundgren-and-now-mickey-rourke-get-ready-for-the-expendibles.aspx

Thank God For Sick People, And Science

Today I came across a very interesting story about boosting your immune system. I thought the only way to that is to eat healthy or drink a lot of vitamin c. But apparently, there's another way. A group of researchers at the University of British Columbia say, by looking at pictures of sick people you can boost your immune system. If science says so, it must be true. They made test subjects watch slide shows which pictured images of people sneezing, coughing, and with diseases and rashes. During this process they took samples of their blood, before and after. After all the tests and labs were complete, guess what? It worked. I know it seems like a stupid way to prevent sickness, but if you think in depth it really isn't. When I or millions of others feel sick what do we do? We go running to the kitchen cabinet and pop two Tylenol's. Even though it works, it's probably not the best solution. Taking these drugs helps at first, but in the long term it well create side effects. These huge corporate companies such as Tylenol or Advil make a lot of profit, but how? By drugging us. Science is helping us understand that there are alternative ways to prevent sickness, and sometimes even for free. I know this sounds crazy, but next time you feel down take a look at sick people.

Where's The Bread?

The first words out of my mouth were, "wow, are you serious." This monster totals 460 calories, 23g of fat and 1430mg of sodium. I just can't believe what the world is coming up with. Its not yet available in Canada, but it's making a lot of people happy across America. An article stated it might be a April Fools gag, but no its true. The thing that bothers me the most is people now know a lot about the effects of obesity, but still they choose to fill themselves with this crap. Its not like I don't make a McDonald's stop here and there, but I know my limits. To some it might look appetizing, to me it looks like somethings missing. By removing bread (two buns), they managed to add another chicken fillet. This was probably the stupidest idea KFC ever made. I just hope Canada stays away from this "Double Down."
http://consumerist.com/2010/04/kfcs-bacon-sandwich-on-fried-chicken-bread-kills-people-everywhere-on-april-12.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/pointofview/2010/04/kfcs-double-down-would-you-try-it.html

Update On The Existentialism Assignment

So we began planning what we were going to shoot yesterday. We all thought this part was shot well. The scene was displaying Naeem and his mother who is played by Spruha Vaishnav. In this scene, Naeem has a conversation with his mother which is brief and short. We chose to keep it this way because it shows his relationship with his parents. Talking is necessary in a successful relationship, but Naeem's mother is extremely busy and can't talk much or doesn't really pay much attention to her son's life. This scene also foreshadows Naeem's life at school with his peers. We are also thinking of contrasting Neeraj's life. We will show how his life is much different and his relationship with his parents. We were also thinking of changing the ending of the movie. This yet has not been decided, but we are planning on meeting up after school for discussion.

Women Interested In Gaming?

The stereotypical gamer is a 14 year old boy who plays Halo or Call Of Duty on his 360 or PS3. According to WomenGamers.com, "38 per cent of console gamers and 43 per cent of PC gamers are women." I own a Playstation 3 and on my friends list I only have 5 girls. Most of my female friends rather go shopping or study. Gaming is never an option. When I read this article i was shocked. Women these days are getting into the gaming world since it helps them understand new technology in today's workforce. "Games are a good space for women to grow more comfortable in being assertive decision makers and leaders," says Laura Staniland, co-founder of CivicsLab LLC. In the future, gaming is going to become easy and simple for the whole family to enjoy.
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/03/31/f-forbes-women-gaming.html

300,000 is a lot...

Apple's iPad was a big hot during its first day sales in LA. Customers also purchased over 250,000 ebooks and over 1 million apps on the first day. At the cost of $499, I don't think i will be buying it. I rather purchase a Macbook or a laptop if I'm already spending that much. I understand that new technology is fascinating and cool, but if your going to buy it for school work it makes no sense. This device is basically designed to make internet browsing much easier. I don't think browsing the web on a normal desktop is hard, unless your new to computers. You can also check your mail, look through photos, and much more. The main thing is the iBooks store. The Apple iPad is competing against its rival, Amazon Kindle. The ebook craze is very iteresting. Not to mention environmentally friendly. I do own Apple products such as the iPod Touch. But hey, if you got the money why not.

3-D or no 3-D?

Why are so many movies 3-D? Maybe because people enjoy the insane visual effects and wearing the stylish glasses. Clash of the Titans was supposed to be a non-3-D movie, but it was converted into a 3-D movie for more money since 3-D movie tickets are much more. It made $61.4 million the first weekend. i think if it wasn't in 3-D, it would have made a lot less. People in today's society enjoy watching 3-D movies since you get to experience more and it make you feel like your in the video. It also make me think if Avatar was in regular 2-D format, would it have made $2.7 billion worldwide? I'm starting to believe every blockbuster movie which will release in the future might just be in 3-D.
http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1635421/20100405/story.jhtml

Lights, Camera, Action?

For our existentialism project, my group and i started filming with a Nikon D90. Since the camera had no audio device in-put, we were unable to attach a boom mic. We decided to test out the sound quality on the Nikon built in mic just to see if it was legit. Turned out the quality was not so great. Now since were using the Canon GL2, the boom mic is compatible and the quality is top notch. We have planned out when we are going to shoot according to the group members availability. We had sum practice shots and some rehearsals a few days ago. They all seemed to be running good and finally we now just have to meet up and begin our production.

Post-it Stop Motion

When I was looking through some stop motion videos on Youtube, i came across one which i found interesting. Its called DEADLINE post-it stop motion by Bang-yao Liuwho is a student at Savannah College of Art and Design. I think it was clever to use post-it notes as the main component since many people use them by writing reminders and posting them somewhere noticeable. The video shows what goes on when a student has to finish his/her work. How they get distracted and the programs they use. This video does a good job it displaying what goes on when a student is required to meet a deadline, and how get off track and become lazy.

Google ftw.

This commercial was aired on The 2010 Super Bowl. Commercial for Super Bowls tend to be short considering the price it take to air them when 106.5 million viewers watched it on February 2010 worldwide. It became the most-watched television program ever. I think Google had a hard time coming up with the idea, since its hard to come up with a original commercial which people will like. The basic story is a man meets a women in Paris and then he falls in love and marries her. I believe the concept was simple but Google made it clever by showing how he used their search engine in his everyday life. It shows the viewers that life is simple since in the world today you are able to find the answer to question or problem you face when you use Google. This commercial makes me realize how often i use Google in just one day. When I do home work, game reviews, finding online stores, etc. It basically shows the world how easy life can be.

Brainstorming

For our Existentialism project, my group and I decided to do a video. Our main story is going to be about to male students who have two completely different lives. Basically about how a character who doesn't know what to do or who to hang out with since he doesn't even know who he is and where he belongs. For the dialogue, we still haven't decided what the actors are going to say. We are planning on meeting up so we can work and finalize it. For equipment, we are using a Nikon D90 with a 18-105mm VR lens and we are also planning on editing or material using Adobe Premiere Pro. Our movie will involve a lot of work since our idea is a bit complex, but we don't plan on slacking off. My roll is going to involve filming most off the movie. I am excited to see what we come up with and I hope to gain more knowledge of different camera angles and shots along the way. Right now we are still in pre-production, but we are going to meet after school and on weekdays and weekends to plan and film.

Earth Hour

Saturday, March 27 was Earth Hour where 120 countries including Canada switched their lights off at home between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. I believe this was a great way to raise awareness about environmental problems the world is battling right now. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have not advertised as much. I only watched a commercial in the movie theaters and recieved a Facebook event invitation from a friend. They should try and advertise more, this way a lot more people will take notice and spread the word. Also, they can try and do Earth Hour more often, because the environment today isn't really stable and an hour flies by real fast. It feels good to know your helping the world and I hope WWF continues to help the environmental problems.

Stop Motion

I was on Youtube awhile back and i came across a stop motion video. Its called T-SHIRT WAR!! (stop-motion music video). It has already gained over 2 million hits and is rated 5 stars by over 50, 000 people. I enjoy this video because I also enjoy making stop motion videos. All the sound effects for this video were done by mouth. They also used over 200 t-shirt designs made by one of their friends to complete this vid. I believe it was a clever idea to do a stop motion on t-shirts. I also watched how they made the video and you can see how much work and effort goes into filming and editing the final piece. I found this video to be different and interesting.

link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKWdSCt4jGE

God of War III

For my birthday I received God of War III from a couple of friends. Sony Santa Monica were very successful with their first two parts, God of War I and II, back in 2005. The debut of part III for Playstation 3 was released March 16, 2010, and I believe it was worth waiting for. But why wouldn't anyone be amazed, it did take 44 million to make. On the first day of sales, it made 33 million worldwide. I still haven't completed the game, but right away you're amazed at the visuals. The first battle with Poseidon was insane. I was stunned at how realistic the water looked. I also think the narration is well produced. The story is typical, just a long journey and along the way you have some crazy boss fights. Overall, I would give this game a 9/10 and I can't wait until I finish it.

image from: http://rockgame.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/god_of_war3_boxart_face.jpg
statistics from: http://www.playfire.com/a/forum/god-of-war-iii/thread/71490

Techno Jeep

I enjoy watching all sorts of videos on Youtube, but one of my favorites is Techno Jeep made by a director/actor named Julian Smith. This video is interesting because instead of using a computer or instruments to create music, they use a Jeep. I found this very original and well performed. This must have took a long time to rehearse and edit. The overall video looks professional and well shot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFybwg4wadI

Polystyrene Cups

I was looking through the blog of David Arias and found a interesting piece of art. The artist, Cheeming Boey, uses recycled cups and draws an original design directly on them. I choose this piece because they're simple polystyrene cups, but are transformed into a beautiful works of art. Also, instead of drawing his designs on a piece of paper or using Photoshop, he helps the environment out by recycling something which will sooner or later be garbage, and turns it into modern art.

Website used: http://www.ariasblog.ca/