Digital Media Design & Development @tortoisedmdd - Tumblr Blog

References for PlayStation 5 Podcast

Free Music Archive. (n.d.). Retrieved December 15, 2022, from https://freemusicarchive.org/search/?adv=1&search-genre=Electronic&duration_from=0&duration_to=5&music-filter-public-domain=1&pageSize=20&sort=date&d=0&page=2

Pocket-lint. (2022, November 23). Over 25 years of PlayStation: Consoles and Accessory history. Retrieved December 15, 2022, from https://www.pocket-lint.com/games/news/playstation/131907-years-of-playstation-the-consoles-and-accessories-that-changed-gaming-forever

Power City AD Ireland 1996/1997. (2022, January 04). Retrieved December 15, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1zJ65uB_vY

#digital culture

Digital Culture - Blog 6 - Nanotechnology

The Ethical Implications of Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is defined as “a branch of engineering that deals with the design and manufacture of extremely small electronic circuits and mechanical devices built at the molecular level of matter (Chen, 2002). Nanotechnology can be very beneficial for humans, particularly in medicine, industry, electronics, energy and aeronautics (Ferreira & Filipe, 2021). There are a few applications of nanotechnology happening right now in the world. In electronics, carbon nanotubes are being used instead of silicon to create microchips. In energy, nanotechnology is used to manufacture solar panels that work more efficiently than current solar panels. Nanoparticles have been used to attack specific cancer cells without causing damage to other cells in the body. Nanoparticles have also been added to sunscreen (Iberdrola, 2021).

Much like the Nuclear Arms and Space Races of the past, nanotechnology has also gotten the attention of countries in both the Eastern and Western World. China and the United States are viewed as two nanotechnology giants who are front-runners, competitors and collaborators in the field (Dongab et al., 2016). The National Institutes of Health in the USA and the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, China, were both set up in the individual countries for the purpose of nanotechnology (Dongab et al., 2016).

Although there are many benefits to nanotech as listed previously, hearing that the US and China are competitively involved in anything scientific can seem terrifying as is, without considering the dangers of nanotech. Nanotech could potentially be utilised by the military or terrorist groups to create miniature weapons or explosives. Additionally, armies could develop “disassemblers” to attack physical structures or even biological organisms at a molecular level (Chen, 2002). Personally, the idea of using disassemblers to get rid of the junk in my shed does sound appealing, but what happens if you lose control of the disassembler and they gobble up your house and surrounding neighbourhood? This is what is known as the “Grey Goo” scenario - where those disassemblers would start to disassemble every molecule it encounters (Chen, 2002). This is completely hypothetical, however I have found a CGI animated short film of what this may look like below:

Other dangers of nanotechnology include surveillance, such as tracking and monitoring (Chen, 2002). Although you may think that this is not that terrifying as your phone already listens to you and websites track you, I don’t enjoy the idea of potentially being bugged with molecular-sized GPS trackers, cameras or microphones.

I believe that nanotechnology does have the power to be really helpful within medicine and the environment. However, I do think that there should be strict laws governing the uses of nanotechnology. It should be viewed like nuclear technology, based on how nanotech can be used for dangerous purposes and can become volatile if not controlled.

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References:

Chen, A. (2002, March 3). The ethics of nanotechnology. Retrieved December 15, 2022, from https://www.scu.edu/ethics/focus-areas/technology-ethics/resources/the-ethics-of-nanotechnology/

Filipe, J., & Ferreira, M. (n.d.). Analysis of nanosciences and nanotechnology and their applications [Abstract]. Www.scopus.com.

HaiyanDongab, YuGaoa, J.Sinkob, P., ZaishengWua, JianguoXua, & LeeJiaa. (2016, March 02). The nanotechnology race between China and the United States. Retrieved December 15, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1748013216000165

Iberdrola. (2021, April 22). Nanotechnology: A small solution to big problems. Retrieved December 15, 2022, from https://www.iberdrola.com/innovation/nanotechnology-applications

#digital culture #Youtube

Digital Culture - Blog 5 - Sophia and Saudi Arabia

Would the Saudi Arabian government hold Sophia to a higher standard over human citizens?

Sophia was created by Hanson Robotics to help humans, particularly within medicine and education as well as assisting AI research (Hanson Robotics, 2020). Sophia is a realistic humanoid robot combining science, engineering and the arts to showcase the future of Artificial Intelligence and robotics (Wevolver, N.D.). Like many other robots (Alexa, Siri, etc.,) that help humans with their daily lives, Sophia was created with female characteristics - paired with white “skin” and makeup on. It is said that Sophia was modelled after Audrey Hepburn and Amanda Hanson, the wife of Sophia’s creator David Hanson (Greshko, 2021).

In October 2017, Sophia was invited to speak at the Future Investment Institute in Saudi Arabia. While the event was focused on on AI and robotics, Sophia was introduced to showcase talents such as recognising faces and maintaining natural conversation with humans (SPA, 2017). While watching the speech at the FII, the video cut to the Saudi Arabian audience, mostly made up of men. It showed them watching in awe, smiling at what they were seeing, and recording videos on their phones. It begs the question that if this was a female human speaker, would they have the same interest or excitement?

At the end of the speech, the interviewer announced to Sophia and the audience that Sophia had just been granted Saudi Arabia’s first citizenship for a robot. Would this robotic citizenship mean that Sophia would need a man’s permission to carry out certain tasks unsupervised?

This announcement by the Saudi government raised the same questions as above all across traditional and social media. Ali Al-Ahmed, director of the Institute for Gulf Affairs, asked why Sophia was still granted citizenship despite being non-Muslim. Al-Ahmed also mentioned that women in Saudi Arabia have taken their own lives as a result of not being allowed to leave the house, but Sophia could roam the world freely (Maza, 2017). It was also noted on social media that Sophia was granted citizenship before hundreds of thousands of migrant workers who work in Saudi Arabia with little money and no rights (Maaza, 2017).

To conclude, it seems like the decision to grant Sophia citizenship was an ill-advised one. It could be argued that it was a gimmick or a publicity stunt to change the media and world’s view of Saudi Arabia and modern technology such as AI and robotics. Perhaps their public image as a kingdom would be improved if they had invested as much money into human rights as they do into technology.

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References:

(n.d.). Retrieved December 14, 2022, from https://www.spa.gov.sa/1673447

APBSpeakers. (2017, November 14). Speaking at the future investment initiative - sophia. Retrieved December 14, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdn3lRwbrYc&t=299s

Britishcouncil. (n.d.). Should robots be citizens? Retrieved December 14, 2022, from https://www.britishcouncil.org/anyone-anywhere/explore/digital-identities/robots-citizens

Greshko, M. (2021, May 03). Meet sophia, the robot that looks almost human. Retrieved December 14, 2022, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/article/sophia-robot-artificial-intelligence-science

Maza, C. (2017, October 26). Saudi Arabia gives citizenship to a secular robot. Retrieved December 14, 2022, from https://www.newsweek.com/saudi-arabia-robot-sophia-muslim-694152

Sophia. (2020, September 01). Retrieved December 14, 2022, from https://www.hansonrobotics.com/sophia/

Sophia: A realistic humanoid robot. (n.d.). Retrieved December 14, 2022, from https://www.wevolver.com/specs/sophia-a-realistic-humanoid-robot

Staff, T. (2021, August 25). What women can and can't do in Saudi Arabia. Retrieved December 14, 2022, from https://www.theweek.co.uk/60339/things-women-cant-do-in-saudi-arabia

#digital culture

Digital Culture - Blog 4 - Reddit & 4chan

Reddit vs. 4chan

There is one thing that makes 4chan special - anonymity. Although the idea of complete anonymity on the Internet might make you imagine a kind of hellscape, there is some hope in the form of 4chan moderators who monitor the content within each board. These moderators are also anonymous themselves. There are only a maximum of 10 web pages available in each board. There are various boards to choose from - spanning from the innocent “Animals and Nature” to the not-so-innocent “Yaoi” - Be warned before Googling!

I first heard about 4chan when I was 16 from a friend at a sleepover - she showed me the “man door hand hook car door” meme and after we both laughed about it I asked her where it came from. She spoke of 4chan as if it was illegal, admittedly it did freak me out and I never used 4chan but I have enjoyed some of the memes that have come from there through other social media channels. The controversies that have been birthed from 4chan is also why I am aware of what it is - One controversy that springs to mind would be the Habbo Hotel raids.

The Habbo Hotel raids occurred on July 12th 2006 when a group in the /b/ (random) board, who called themselves “/b/lockers” joined Habbo Hotel in great numbers creating avatars of men with dark skin and an afro. The group started to form swastikas virtually and began to actually block access for other users. This raid is said to have been carried out by Anonymous as a protest again the supposed racist tendencies Habbo Hotel moderators had when banning users based on the skin colours of their avatars (Know Your Meme, 2020).

On the other hand, you have Reddit - a website that has vast “subreddits” that can be created by any user, however you do need a username to sign up so the anonymity you find with 4chan is not there. Moderators and rules exist in each subreddit, much like the boards. Similar to 4chan, there are nice subreddits like r/cats, and grim subreddits like r/Rule34 (Again, this is not for the faint-hearted). You could say there is something for everyone on Reddit, unlike 4chan. I’m fairly sure it doesn’t exist any longer, but once I did venture on a “Red Pill” subreddit. For those of you that don’t know, Red Pill is a term coined from The Matrix, basically a subreddit filled with misogynist, involuntary-celibate men. They discussed men’s rights and how to pick up and manipulate women. This kind of dangerous rhetoric is something that can be really harmful to society, and although Reddit is much more user-friendly and not anonymous, it can still encourage groups like these to grow and spew further hate.

Personally I use Reddit almost daily, mostly for pictures of cats, the Ireland and Cork subreddits and on occasion some pop culture stuff. I don’t really depend on it for my news but I feel like there is a really nice community aspect, which I don’t think is really in 4chan. The fact that there are usernames on Reddit, you can give people awards, and message people are nice aspects that connect people, unlike the cold “Anonymous” from 4chan.

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References:

C., A. (2022, October 05). Man door hand hook car door. Retrieved December 1, 2022, from https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/man-door-hand-hook-car-door

Ezvidinc. (2018, September 14). The difference between Reddit and 4chan. Retrieved December 1, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXOKItVakq0

Marche, S. (2016, April 14). Swallowing the red pill: A journey to the heart of modern misogyny. Retrieved December 1, 2022, from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/apr/14/the-red-pill-reddit-modern-misogyny-manosphere-men

Pool's closed. (2017, February 11). Retrieved December 1, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp2EZbbuMa0

Pool's closed. (2022, November 06). Retrieved December 1, 2022, from https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/pools-closed

#digital culture #Youtube

Digital Culture - Blog 3 - Internet Freedom

What are the Pros and Cons of Internet Freedom?

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) believe in a right for a free flow of information via the Internet. This agency has been continuously investigating the rapidly changing world of the Internet space in order to provide UN members with information on policy recommendations to encourage an environment of Internet Freedom (UNESCO.org, 2021). The UN has also adopted Article 19 which welcomes “the promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights on the Internet" - This is led by 5 countries and co-sponsored by another 70 countries (article19.org, 2021).

Pros of Internet Freedom that come to mind include: freedom of speech; censorship of inappropriate content; access to extensive knowledge and information; access to entertainment; social media to connect with others; ability to protest and fact-checking. With regards to access to knowledge, the ‘Flynn Effect’ is a phenomenon that over time average IQ scores increase - approximately three IQ points per decade (Megdy, N.D.).

In Flynn’s book, he finds that the most of the gains in IQ have come from tests which included abstract thinking - supporting the idea that the change in how we live has driven IQ increases (Megdy, N.D.).

It is evident that without Internet freedom, there are blocks on how modern society can organise protests - which is a fundamental part of living in a democracy. Two examples of Internet shutdowns in order to enforce dictatorship include Myanmar and Zambia - Internet access was shut off during a military coup in Myanmar and during a heavily contested general election in Zambia (United Nations, 2022). It could be argued that one of the reasons for these shutdowns was to ensure that the public could not communicate to protest the government in power.

One of the most controversial cons of Internet freedom is censorship. Much like freedom of speech, it can be classed as both a pro and a con. Censorship can protect those who are vulnerable from being exposed to inappropriate material and can prevent trolling and abuse of users of the Internet. Censorship could also be viewed as control on what you are allowed to say - Where exactly would censorship stop? If blanket censorship was enforced, democracy would be threatened - Imagine if you were unable to watch a TV show or film that went against the ideology or message your government wanted to spread - Would you be happy with this kind of censorship?

You might think that this kind of censorship and control only applies to third-world countries like Myanmar and Zambia, but even the Irish Government spends money to “monitor monthly logs and summaries of Twitter and Reddit”, mostly related to opinions on government policy (Moore, 2020). Blindboy Boatclub of the "Rubberbandits" reported on Twitter that he was on a government watchlist for criticising Direct Provision.

This information was revealed through Freedom of Information requests themselves - even though the Irish government are spying on users of the Internet, they can’t exactly hide it from the public.

In my opinion, internet freedom is a great thing when it is used in moral and ethical ways. Entities that would manage censorship / freedom of speech should be a worldwide organisation such as the United Nations and not the individual government of each country. I don’t believe that this will happen any time soon, but one can dream.

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References:

(n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/third-world-countries

Activists: Internet shutdowns violate human rights. (2022, August 19). Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2022/08/activists-internet-shutdowns-violate-human-rights

Adam. (2022, October 19). Internet censorship pros & cons: Why internet censorship is important. Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://www.netreputation.com/internet-censorship-pros-cons/

Boatclub, B. (2020, November 12). This is the second government watchlist I've been put on this year, along with others. the first was for tweets highlighting direct provision, and for supporting anti DP charities. it feels strange, and authoritarian. https://t.co/2rufvrcplu. Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://twitter.com/Rubberbandits/status/1326834719393259520

Moore, A. (2020, November 12). Aoife Moore: Government using your money to watch you (and Jurassic Arse). Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/spotlight/arid-40080368.html

Nagdy, M. (n.d.). Intelligence. Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://ourworldindata.org/intelligence

UN: Human Rights Council adopts resolution on human rights on the internet. (2021, August 11). Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://www.article19.org/resources/un-human-rights-council-adopts-resolution-on-human-rights-on-the-internet/

UNESCO series on internet freedom. (2020, November 27). Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://en.unesco.org/unesco-series-on-internet-freedom

Why internet freedom should be at the top of the global democracy agenda. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2022, from https://www.openglobalrights.org/why-internet-freedom-should-be-at-the-top-of-the-global-democracy-agenda/

#digital culture

Moving Image & Sound Assignment 2 - Live Video for Social Media - Mindmaps

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Digital Culture - Blog 2 - Animal Crossing and the "Third Place"

Would Animal Crossing New Horizons been classed as a third place during the Pandemic?

“A Third Place” was a phrase first coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg in 1989 (Butler & Diaz, 2016). It is viewed as a place that is not found in your home or workplace, but is somewhere that you can meet or mingle with a community outside of the stresses of your working/home life. Within these communities you can develop relationships with others and engage in conversation (Oldenburg, 2002). Examples of third places include the gym, a coffee shop, the pub, etc,. Third places can also be found in virtual spaces - via social media, forums and video games (Butler & Diaz, 2016). It can also be argued that third places could offer psychological support to individuals and communities (Oldenburg, 2002) - something which was definitely needed during the lockdowns of 2020.

During the Pandemic of 2020 in Ireland, many rules were imposed on the public - working from home if possible, no visiting other's households, exercising outside within a 2km radius and supermarkets being the only place other than your house that you could visit. Living alone in a small 1-bed apartment and working in an IT company at the time - my second place became virtual. Zoom calls and Skype chats replaced in-person meetings and chats in the smoking area. I also lost access to my third places during the pandemic - unable to meet my friends for a coffee or head on a night out to the pub. In a matter of a few days, how I had spent my time completely changed. Luckily I had pre-ordered Animal Crossing New Horizons on the Nintendo Switch before the pandemic hit. I enjoyed playing the game as a child and wanted to experience the same nostalgia. I booked a few days off of work to really immerse myself into the game.

I had added a number of friends on ACNH - a game which runs on a real-time clock where you decorate your own island, can have friends visit and vice versa. I caught up with friends over voice call and had them visit my island to take a look around, went on an Animal Crossing date with my boyfriend, and even visit museums with friends. I have added pictures of my own experiences below:

My birthday was in April, and unfortunately I could not have anyone over. Family visited by putting presents on my doorstep and chatting to me from the required 2 metres away. I still had a nice birthday, but a cute touch was the fact that Animal Crossing had a party for my birthday with all the villagers in my island.

It was refreshing being able to update clothes and hair to express yourself in the game, especially as clothing shops and salons were closed until further notice in the real world. Others around the globe were also soothed by Animal Crossing’s release, including those recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. A former heroin addict, Mr. Gorordo, spoke to the New York Times about having clients and friends to his island to have a mini support meeting (Khan, 2020). Gorordo stated that they were able to support others via the game in a way that was not possible due to being self-isolated and in quarantine (Khan, 2020).

From my own experience, and from reading about others, I believe that Animal Crossing New Horizons could be classed as an adequate third place during the Pandemic - One thing I would say that is lacking would be conversation, I preferred to have a voice call over social media while visiting my friends’ islands, as the only other method of communication was short lines of text that took time to type out. I’m not sure if Animal Crossing is still used as the same kind of third place now as restrictions have been lifted, but it is nice to know that I can seek solace in the game should any lockdown be imposed again.

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References:

Butler, S., & Diaz, C. (2017, August 22). "third places" as community builders. Retrieved October 28, 2022, from https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2016/09/14/third-places-as-community-builders/

Khan, I. (2020, April 07). Why animal crossing is the game for the coronavirus moment. Retrieved October 28, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/07/arts/animal-crossing-covid-coronavirus-popularity-millennials.html

Oldenburg, R. (2001). Celebrating the third place: Inspiring stories about the "Great Good Places" at the heart of our communities. New York: Marlowe &.

Moving Image & Sound - Stock Footage References

References:

Download Free Stock Footage and HD Video clips; Videvo offers a large selection of HD video clips, motion graphics and free stock footage.

Free stock photos & videos you can use everywhere. Browse millions of high-quality royalty free stock images & copyright free pictures. No a

Digital Culture - Blog 1 - Facebook and Zuckerberg

Facebook and Zuckerberg – Good or Bad for the Global Population?

Is Facebook good or bad for the global population? Some may say it is good in relation to connecting with old friends, finding people with like-minded interests, and keeping up with family. A lot of people I personally know, including myself, believe that Facebook is a tool which could be used for more bad deeds than good.

Facebook has been the centre of a plethora of controversy in recent years – the Cambridge Analytica scandal, tracking Facebook users’ web-browsing habits (Lomas, 2018) and Facebook’s very own CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, publicly testifying on Capitol Hill following further privacy scandals (Wong, 2019). Facebook changed their brand to Meta in October 2021 – coincidentally after the above-mentioned scandals. One may view this rebrand as a way for Zuckerberg and his company’s scandals to be forgotten in the public eye. If one were to mention “Facebook” a lot may pop into your mind. If the word “Meta” is mentioned, there is not as many negative connotations. Zuckerberg had hoped to achieve a “metaverse” when he announced the change from Facebook to Meta (Curry, 2022).

While controversies also haunted Facebook, Zuckerberg was being labelled as a “robot” during the Capitol Hill hearings (Canales, 2022). One main factor in his robotic movements was his water drinking during the hearing (Mark Zuckerberg "don't forget to drink the water, humans like water".

Zuckerberg has also previously asked if he was a lizard during his first Facebook Live Q&A (Locker, 2016). Mark Zuckerberg Says He Is Not a Lizard Person | Inverse

When you hear about the potential Messenger monitoring (Solon, 2017) and democracy-threatening fake news/propaganda spreading through Facebook like wildfire, it is hard not to image Zuckerberg as a dystopian alien put in charge of one of the world’s biggest social media companies to affect the human species.

Despite this, Facebook has some positive uses. For my last birthday, I was able to fundraise €200 for Marymount Hospice. I could choose the charity myself and Facebook ensured that the Hospice would receive the money directly. Something that could potentially take a bit of time and paperwork to organise was made much easier by Facebook. Zuckerberg has also deployed amber alerts to rescue kidnapped children, as well as features like safety check which helps loved ones connect during or after disasters (Solon, 2017).

In my opinion, Facebook was not intended to be used for bad, but can be used as a potential tool for those who do not have the best intentions. Facebook/Meta should work in the future to protect the privacy and safety of users and concentrate less on extracting data from their users. Perhaps a new CEO who seems less robotic may be a better look for their image than an entire rebrand too.

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References:

Canales, K. (2022). Mark Zuckerberg responds to memes calling him a robot, tells Joe Rogan that Senate hearings aren't set up to 'accentuate the humanity of the subject'. Retrieved 7 October 2022, from https://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-responds-robot-memes-drinking-water-joe-rogan-experience-2022-8?r=US&IR=T

Curry, B. (2022). Facebook Changes Ticker To META From FB. Retrieved 7 October 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing/facebook-ticker-change-meta-fb/

Locker, M. (2016). Mark Zuckerberg Confirms That He Is Not Actually a Lizard. Retrieved 7 October 2022, from https://time.com/4369956/mark-zuckerberg-lizard-jerry-seinfeld

Lomas, N. (2018). Facebook's tracking of non-users ruled illegal again. Retrieved 7 October 2022, from https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/19/facebooks-tracking-of-non-users-ruled-illegal-again/?guccounter=1

Mark Zuckerberg "don't forget to drink the water, humans like water". (2018). [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaY3xXj_nyY

Mark Zuckerberg Says He Is Not a Lizard Person | Inverse. (2016). [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiudBq7z8wk

Solon, O. (2017). Mark Zuckerberg pens major Facebook manifesto on how to burst the bubble. Retrieved 7 October 2022, from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/feb/16/mark-zuckerberg-new-facebook-manifesto-letter

Wong, J. (2019). The Cambridge Analytica scandal changed the world – but it didn't change Facebook. Retrieved 7 October 2022, from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/mar/17/the-cambridge-analytica-scandal-changed-the-world-but-it-didnt-change-facebook

#digital culture

Moving Image and Sound - Moodboard

References: https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/how-to-create-mood-board-for-film/ https://www.canva.com/colors/color-palette-generator/ https://www.cufonfonts.com/zemin/collection/cinematic-fonts https://www.befunky.com/create/collage/

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Moving Image & Sound Storyboard Process

I used Procreate on iPad to do a rough sketch of the storyboard. I used https://www.storyboardthat.com for the digital storyboard. Captions can be found under rough sketch of the storyboard.

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Moving Image & Sound - Assignment 1

Perhaps The World Ends Here by Joy Harjo

The world begins at a kitchen table. No matter what, we must eat to live.

The gifts of earth are brought and prepared, set on the table. So it has been since creation, and it will go on.

We chase chickens or dogs away from it. Babies teethe at the corners. They scrape their knees under it.

It is here that children are given instructions on what it means to be human. We make men at it, we make women.

At this table we gossip, recall enemies and the ghosts of lovers.

Our dreams drink coffee with us as they put their arms around our children. They laugh with us at our poor falling-down selves and as we put ourselves back together once again at the table.

This table has been a house in the rain, an umbrella in the sun.

Wars have begun and ended at this table. It is a place to hide in the shadow of terror. A place to celebrate the terrible victory.

We have given birth on this table, and have prepared our parents for burial here.

At this table we sing with joy, with sorrow. We pray of suffering and remorse. We give thanks.

Perhaps the world will end at the kitchen table, while we are laughing and crying, eating of the last sweet bite.

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I chose this poem as it struck me as a simple object - the kitchen table. When reading through the poem, I got a wave of different images that could be conveyed should I use this for my assignment. It provoked a sense of nostalgia when reading - nostalgia for home, family and youth. The poem resonates with me because it has clear imagery and a clear story to tell. Inanimate objects, such as tables, can be so omnipresent in your life but go without ever being truly noticed or appreciated. Personally, I have felt this when I moved out of my first apartment, where I lived alone in my early twenties. I did not realise the significance of what each part of the apartment meant for me until it was time to leave. I still think back fondly to that apartment and will always remember the lighting, the flooring, and even the smell of the apartment and how those things made me feel.

From reading the poem, the table demonstrates the one constant in one's life. It is always there for you to drop things onto after a long day, or as a support for you while you cooking meals. A lot of your life can be centred around something as simple as a kitchen table, and even generations can grow throughout their lives using the same table.

I found this poem on Poetry Foundation. I started the process by looking at a few different poems, including 'I heard a Fly buzz—when I died' and '"Hope" is the thing with feathers', both written by Emily Dickinson. I have loved "Hope" for many years, even dedicating a tattoo to it a few years ago. It was the first poem to pop into my head upon hearing of this assignment. Upon reading "Hope" with the idea for the assignment in mind, I did not find the words conveying any kind of moving imagery - only still imagery. I took a look at some of Samuel Beckett's poetry, and then I noticed an article for poems titled 'Poems of Hope and Resilience' curated by the editors of Poetry Foundation. Upon finding 'Perhaps The World Ends Here', I realised that this is the poem I wish to use and have already started thinking of moving imagery to accompany it.

I have yet to create a storyboard and moodboard to accompany my assignment, however I am imagining the kitchen table being the focal point of the video. I may use my own video footage for this, and wish to portray an autumnal, dusky setting for the sadder points and a lighter setting for the happier points mentioned. I would like a sort of time lapse in the filming, so it looks like there is movement from the people in the shot throughout.

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Source: The Woman Who Fell From the Sky (W. W. Norton and Company Inc., 1994)

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