On The Desktop is devoted to information of 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.
SOUND BITES: NEWS AND INFORMATION
Neuron Network Goes Awry, and Brain Becomes an IPod. While doctors have known about musical hallucinations for over a century, they have rarely studied it systematically. That has changed in recent years. In the July issue of the journal Psychopathology, Dr. Aziz and his colleague Dr. Nick Warner will publish an analysis of 30 cases of musical hallucination they have seen over 15 years in South Wales. It is the largest case-series ever published for musical hallucinations. Source New York Times. Read Full Story (free registration required).
Swedes curb rampant downloading. (BBC) Sweden has outlawed the downloading of copyrighted movies, games and music in an attempt to curb rampant piracy.
About 10% of Swedes freely swap music, games and films on their computers, one of the highest rates in the world.
With no law banning file-sharing, Sweden had become a hotbed of piracy where films, music and software were readily swapped.
But experts believe the law will change little and that Swedes will remain rampant downloaders. Read Full Story.
Cell phone video first from the scene in London. According to a Reuters article, "a grainy cell phone video taken by a survivor gave viewers and law enforcement worldwide their first look at the London Underground bombing -- and shined a spotlight on a small but growing part of electronic news gathering." The article further notes," This is a parallel phenomenon to the blog world. In this case, cell and mobile phone videos have allowed people in the right place at the right time the ability to capture key events when no TV cameras are in sight. Read More. See sampling of mobile videos from the BBC.
Web Site Declares No Fear Of Terrorist Acts. The recent attacks in London has resulted in an outpouring of defiance on the Internet. The We Are Not Afraid web site has archive over 5,000 photographs submitted by people all over the world declaring their resistance to terrorism. This politically neutral web site is simple a place for people to make a personal statement.
Independent Lens focuses on Chavez Ravine. Urban renewal in its various guises swept through many American cities beginning in the early 1950s, and there are many who have not forgotten these experiences. Jordan Mechner, a filmmaker, has brought together the experiences of those who lived through the demolition of the Chavez Ravine community in Los Angeles for the Independent Lens series on PBS. The story of Chavez Ravine is quite complex actually, as it involves both the protests of the existing Mexican-American community that lived on the site, the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the mayor of Los Angeles during the period, Norris Poulson. The film explores much of the controversy surrounding this project, and also offers space for the voices of those affected by this decision. The site includes a brief overview of the film, an amazing photo album that features images of the Ravine in 1949, and a question-and-answer section with the filmmaker. Source: The Scout Report.
Cinemas set for digital revolution. Cinema is the last major entertainment industry yet to embrace the digital revolution, with movies still shot and displayed on celluloid film, but technology is finally set to change it. At the start of 2005, there were around 300 cinemas in the world with digital projectors. By January 2006, it will be 2,000, and this is anticipated to grow exponentially into the future. Source: BBC. Read More.
Amazon Theater Draws Big Audience for Short Films. Amazon gives filmmakers the chance to showcase their short movies online while providing customers a seamless entertainment experience through Flash Player. An article by Stefan Gruenwedel in Macromedia's The Edge Newsletter provides an informative overview of Amazon's initial effort at promoting indie short film makers. You can see recent winners of the first Amazon competition online at the Amazon Theater. Over 11,000 film makers submitted work.
Audi A3 (Apple QuickTime News) On May 3, three rising filmmakers set out on a three-week journey from Los Angeles to New York to document emerging trends in America in high
definition. After three weeks of editing on Apple PowerBooks and Power Mac G5 computers, each filmmaker submitted his or her distinct story.
Now you can sit back and view "Step Ahead with Audi A3: Personal Journeys with AFI FEST Filmmakers." Vote on your favorite 15-minute film. Those who cast a vote for the People's Choice winner may register to win a trip for two to Los Angeles to attend AFI FEST 2005 presented by Audi.
Radio Program Looks At Media.With generous support from The Bydale Foundation, The Ford Foundation, and a number of other organizations, the On the Media radio program provides insightful and substantive coverage of the wide world of media. Going far beyond the general witless banter of other media commentary programs, On the Media has most recently looked at the recent decision by the Supreme Court on Grokster and a recent report from the Pew Research Center that looked at public support for the press. Visitors can listen to each show in its entirety, offer comments on each program, and also read a complete transcript. Another nice feature allows users to download the program as an mp3 file, so that they might listen at their leisure. The site also contains archived programs dating back to 2001 and a place for users to sign up to receive the program newsletter. Source: The Scout Report.
UNESCO DigiArts Portal. One doesn't usually think about the United Nations when it comes to the digital arts. But, UNESCO's DigiArts Portal aims at researching and disseminating different practices in the field of art, design, multimedia and music through diversified networks: promotes exchange among institutions, artists, scientists and technicians from different cultures; and encourages the use of electronic software among youth. Read More.
Democratic Values in the Digital Age. Since its creation in 1995, the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) has worked "to promote democratic values and constitutional liberties in the digital age." The homepage contains thematic headings that will guide visitors to much of the important material here, and includes such areas as the CDT's Legislative Center, its Resource Library, and several of its most recent policy briefs. Perhaps the best way to begin learning about the work of the Center is by browsing through the Issues section on the homepage. Some of the issues visitors can learn about include the latest developments in the worlds of digital copyright, consumer privacy, and open government. The Resources area is also worth a look, as it contains full-text articles, recent Congressional testimony on a number of germane issues, and headlines in RSS format. Source: The Scout Report.
Sasser creator avoids jail term. A German youth has been given a 21-month suspended sentence after being convicted of creating the Sasser worm which crippled computers worldwide. Read full story: BBC.
Video Compression - A Practical Guide.(Apple News) Video compression is a method of shrinking enormous image and audio data files for fast transmission without significant loss of quality. It's the magic behind digital TV, video conferencing, DVDs and Internet
radio. Want to learn more about video compression?
After reading "A Practical Guide to Video and Audio Compression: From Sprockets and Rasters to Macro Blocks" by Cliff Wootton, you'll know how to prepare and distribute professional audio and video on any platform--including streaming to the Internet, broadcast on-air, storing in PVRs, burning onto CD-ROMs or DVDs, delivering by broadband and viewing in kiosk applications, PDA devices or mobile phones.
Vfxblog - a blog for special effects. As more and more films use visual effects throughout their running time, movie fans continue to clamor for more information about how the process of creating such effects works and what types of challenges might be encountered during such a process. In an attempt to offer a look inside this world, Ian Failes, an Australian lawyer, has created this Vfxblog, which is a weblog that offers interviews with people working in this field, along with updates on films that use such visual effects. Visitors will definitely want to check out the interviews, as they profile the work of persons such as Jeff Wolverton and Mike Elizalde on the recent film "Fantastic Four" and Paul Franklin's work on "Batman Begins". Overall, this site is a fine way to learn about both the art and science of working on such endeavors. Source: The Scout Report.
gX Summer 2005. "Graphic Exchange Summer 2005" is the third in the gX series of PDF
editions, which include QuickTime videos and web links. However, this issue represents the first cross-media magazine designed and programmed almost completely in a single application (Adobe InDesign), and its web-like interface shows off the future of PDF publishing.aIn this 77-page edition entitled "From Anyware to Anywhere," Graphic Exchange writers discuss digital art and technologies in photography, video, interactive media, digital publishing and archival printing.
In this 77-page edition entitled "From Anyware to Anywhere," Graphic Exchange writers discuss digital art and technologies in photography, video, interactive media, digital publishing and archival printing. Source: QuickTime News.
Break out those 3D glasses. You're going to need them for the IMAX feature "Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D," presented by Tom Hanks. Virtually explore the surface of the Moon and hear what it was like from the extraordinary Apollo astronauts. "Magnificent Desolation" features never before seen photographs, CGI renditions of the lunar landscape and previously unreleased NASA footage. Enjoy the trailer in high-definition H.264 video (QuickTime 7 required). Source: QuickTime News.
The World Wide Panorama site grows rapidly with every new themed worldwide photo shoot. For the latest event--shot on the week of the Summer Solstice (longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, first day of summer)--the theme was simply "water" and 260 participants contributed images from 46 countries.
The subject matter includes waterfalls, fountains, springs, rivers, lakes, dams, canals, waterworks, aquariums, boats, bathrooms, car washes, rain and swimming pools. Enjoy this fascinating collection of QuickTime VRs and keep posted for the next event. Source: QuickTime News.
Effective Educational Games. The August/September 2005 of Innovate's special issue on the role of video game technology in educational settings is now available online.
Jim Gee opens the issue with a key question: "What would a state of the art instructional video game look like?" Gee's response focuses on the commercial game Full Spectrum Warrior in order to reveal the "good theory of learning" that should inform the design of video games produced specifically for instructional purposes. In turn, David Shaffer elaborates a similar theory of situated and action-based learning with the concept of an "epistemic game," whose design integrates player interests, domain knowledge, valued professional practices, and assessment to generate motivation and deep learning. In the following article, Richard Halverson reinforces the argument that valid learning principles inform successful video games, and describes how they might be integrated in educational contexts.
Melanie Zibit and David Gibson report the work in progress on simSchool--a video game that prepares teachers for the complexities of classroom management by offering a "simulated apprenticeship" that prepares teachers to practice the kind of informed decision making required for success in their profession.
Kurt Squire's findings about the benefits of and obstacles to the implementation of video games in the classroom are based on his own attempt to use Civilization III in high school history classes. He argues that, rather than thinking about how to design good games for the existing K-12 educational system, we should focus our energies on how to design an educational system flexible enough to accommodate video games. In contrast, Michael Begg, David Dewhurst, and Hamish Macleod advocate a "game-informed learning" approach that would make conventional learning activities more game-like. The two medical simulations they describe immerse students in a professional identity and generate highly motivated constructivist learning.
In a provocative glimpse into the future learning landscape, Joel Foreman, this issue's guest editor, interviews Clark Aldrich, described by Fortune magazine as one of the top three e-learning gurus. The interview begins with the distinction between games and simulations and concludes with Aldrich's "20 simulations" approach to the reformation of education.
Stephen Downes wraps up the issue with his review of Apolyton, an exemplar site that provides both fodder for resourceful students and models for educators who want to cultivate new online learning communities. Subscription is free to Innovate at www.innovateonline.info.
Items from The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2005.
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