Proscenia Newsletter - On The DeskTop

On The Desktop is devoted to information of specific interest to those working in the fields of TV, Film, and Multimedia. It includes commentary, news, tips, publication links, announcements, and other resources that have recently come across the editor's desktop.

Commentary: By Gary Ferrington

During the industrial age the sweat of the worker's brow was the driving force behind the economic development of Europe and America.
As factory jobs became mechanized the need for manual labor was replaced by the need for structured, organized thinkers of the Information Age. This evolution shifted the economy from that of manufactured goods to knowledge based industries and services.
Today, those jobs of the Information Age which required linear, logical, and analytical skills are being exported to countries in Asia and elsewhere. Any job that can be reduced to a set of rules is at risk. This migration of jobs has futurists asking what is next?
   Daniel H. Pink, author of the new book "A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age", notes that, "We've progressed from a society of farmers to a society of factory workers to a society of knowledge workers. And now we're progressing yet again - to a society of creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers, and meaning makers."
   Pink suggests that we "... need to supplement our well-developed high tech abilities with aptitudes that are "high concept" and "high touch". "High concept involves the ability to create artistic and emotional beauty, to detect patterns and opportunities, to craft a satisfying narrative, and to come up with inventions the world didn't know it was missing. High touch involves the capacity to empathize, to understand the subtleties of human interaction, to find joy in one's self and to elicit it in others, and to stretch beyond the quotidian in pursuit of purpose and meaning."
  What Pink argues for is an emphasis on right-brain thinking which includes the more creative functioning of the brain from a neurological perspective.
For those working in media design this shift of emphasis from left-brain to right-brain thinking suggests that the creative industries may become more influential in the nation's economic development in the future.
   The creative industries are those which originate from the skill and talent of individuals who are engaged in the generation of unique ideas that follow few rules and encourage experimentation. Creative industry jobs include film, video, TV, radio, visual arts interactive software and games, performing arts and music, publishing, advertising, and architecture to name a few.
Those individuals who are skilled as conceptual designers, creative thinkers, problem solvers, and who envision new realities will be in demand in the Conceptual Age that Daniel Pink predicts. Learn More: (Wired Feb. 2005)

The In-Box:

PBS Web Site Offers Cinema History. (Scout Report) The PBS Great Performances web site provides an informative cinema section that is a good place to browse and learn about filmmaking with a behind-the-scenes look into the 1961 film "The Misfits" and a special on that legendary animator, Chuck Jones.

Teacher Institute 2005: Storytelling and the Visual Arts. The 2005 Teacher Institute will focus on storytelling and the visual arts. Until the twentieth century, art was largely narrative. Whether their subjects were religious, mythological, or literary, paintings and sculpture were vehicles for storytelling. Recent research suggests that learning also follows a narrative structure and that stories are fundamental to making meaning. According to Roger C. Schank, founder of the Institute for the Learning Sciences at Northwestern University, stories are at the core of human intelligence. This six-day seminar, to be held in July, will explore the connection of storytelling to learning and the ways in which teachers can use art objects with storytelling activities in the classroom. For more information access the National Gallery of Art web site.

Apple Offers Free Workshops. (Apple News) Beginning next month, you can attend free seminars on Final Cut Express HD and Logic Express at Apple retail stores and Apple authorized resellers. If you're ready to tackle more advanced filmmaking or musical projects, you'll definitely want to attend. When is a free seminar coming to your local store? Find out here.
   Apple is also offering an online editing seminar which may be of interest to those doing in-the-field production work.
   According to Apple, "Whether you are a journalist or videographer in the field, an ApplePowerBook and Final Cut Pro HD can help you tell more compelling stories by giving you the freedom to capture and edit video anywhere. You can't choose where events happen but you can be prepared to cover them.
   Join the online Mobile Field Editing seminar, in which Dr. Bob Arnot willshow you how he captures some of the world's most exciting events as they occur." Register to participate.

Factoid - Kids and Media. On average, youth ages 14 to 18 watch television for about three hours every day and listen to music or watch music videos for another one to two hours. Young people use the Internet and/or surf the Web for about two hours at least four times a week. Source: Advocates for Youth.

Factoid - Computers in class. (Educationworld.com) According to the National Center for Education Statistics' April 2000 report, 99 percent of U.S. teachers have access to computers somewhere in their schools.
The report found about 66 percent of teachers use computers "a lot" for classroom instruction, 39 percent frequently use them to create instructional materials, and 7 percent use them often to communicate with students or parents.

Artists Share Sketchbook Project. (Scout Report) The Web has proven to be a facilitating resource in the exchange and dissemination of creative and innovative artistic collaborations. The BOOK project is definitely one of those projects worth a look. During 36 weeks, a sketchbook was sent in random order among four artists. Two of these artists were in Brooklyn, and two of them were in Belfast. The process started in June 2003, and by the time the project was completed in February 2004, the book had logged over 60,000 miles. On the site, visitors can view hundreds of images from the finished product, and listen to the artist's commentaries as well. The artists profiles are quite nice as well, and visitors also have the opportunity to take a look at related products created to celebrate the work's completion.

Making Long URL's Shorter. Ever had to put a link in an email (or worse, an article) that contained far too many ampersands, percent signs and other junk for it to make any real sense? TinyUrl.com turns any long URL into something much shorter and easier to disseminate. It's free and can always be used.

What Do Media Designers Earn? According to the Illinois Department of Labor media design specialist earn approximately the following annual salaries.

• Multi-Media Artists and Animators - $40,182
• Graphic Designers - $40,800
• Producers - $60,310
• Technical Writers - $49,500

This information is from an informative web site, Information Technology Job, which provides a variety of data about careers in the IT field with specific material related to careers in interactive media. You can learn more about specific careers and career stories of those working in the field.