Assessment #3 Blog Post

During this semester we have covered many things in MPI104 (Introduction to Multimedia). These things have included but are not limited to learning the ins and outs of social and sharing websites such as Flickr, Delicious and Blogger. We also learnt the basics of web editing through the use of HTML and CSS. All in all it was a relatively positive learning experience.

I primarily used Flickr as an easy repository for images of mine that were relating to my VFX101 (Introduction to Animation) Assignments. Each frame of my storyboard used in my second animation have been posted there, as well as concept art etc.

Delicious, the link organisation and sharing site, was for me used to keep track of many things games related, as I’m sure you know is quite an interest of mine. Although of late it becoming much less prevalent in my life, with university absorbing much of my free time. I also have quite the man-crush on the renowned actor Liam Neeson, to the end that I have also created a stack of links related entirely to the great man.

Blogger has been an outlet for some of my feelings over the last few months. Whilst it does take some integrity away with the fact that it is all assessable, the things I have said and topics I have written about are no less genuine than if I were not being held at gunpoint.

Having learnt some basic HTML coding last year I found it relatively easy to pick up the concepts being taught regarding our website creating. I did learn a useful thing or two about CSS though which I was fairly happy about.

All things being considered, this semester has been a good learning experience and I will probably continue to use Blogger personally after it is done.

The Wonder of Beards.

For as long as there have been men to populate this world, there have been beards. Resting on the chins of these men, beards warm the face of the beholder and promotes them to a status of respect and dignity. They come in many shapes and sizes but one thing is certain. Beards are awesome!

Throughout history there have been many successful and notable men who wielded beards. For example:

Abraham Lincoln

Qui-Gon Jinn

Jesus Christ

Lions

To reinforce my feelings on this matter, feel free to watch the YouTube video below. It is the perfect amalgamation of my thoughts into the form of a beautiful song.

(Above video: The Beards - "No Beard, No Good")
A link to The Beards' website here.


Although this has been a rather shorter blog post than usual, I feel that I don't need to say many words for my idea to come across. As a wise person (who probably had a beard) once stated, "Don't use many words when less will do." This resounds most with the topic of beards. Beards are amazing!

From a gentleman to you all: Have a nice day, and have a nice beard.

Me and my Beard, enjoying a moment.

The Halo Universe - Explained!

Today I'm going to say a thing or two about a topic I am quite passionate about. It is the Halo Universe!

Ok, so this is quite a large subject to cover so I'm going to give you the condensed version. Halo all began with Halo: Combat Evolved a game for the original Xbox, released in 2001. It blew people away with its innovative gameplay and paved the way for first-person shooters to come.

Combat Evolved is set in the twenty-sixth century, with the player assuming the role of the Master Chief, a cybernetically enhanced super-soldier. Master Chief lands on strange ring world called "Halo", which was created by an ancient race called the Forerunners. The Forerunners were a very advanced civilization, coming to power after the destruction of another race, known to them as the Precursors.

They eventually died out when they were forced to activate seven halo rings to save the universe from being taken over by "the Flood". (The Flood being a parasite that feeds on sentient life, and is a common enemy of all throughout the universe.)

The main pretext of the first three Halo games is that Master Chief and the rest of the human race are trying to stop "the Covenant" (a religious hegemony made up of many alien species that controlled a large portion of the Orion Arm in the Milky Way galaxy) who have waged a genocidal campaign against Humanity until they were defeated due to many factors, the most crucial of which was an internal conflict.

There have been six video games and nine books made about the universe of Halo. There was even a series of animated short films made by various companies.

For a more in depth explanation of the Halo universe, visit Halo Nation.

That's all for now folks.

Review - Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition

Well I boast being a games enthusiast but I haven't really talked much about them in my blogs. So I suppose I might as well tell you about a game I've been playing recently. Minecraft. More specifically, the version available on Xbox Live Arcade Marketplace for 1600 Microsoft Points, released on 9th of May.



Minecraft is an internet sensation, beginning on the PC as a free download on 17th May 2009. It was then in its alpha stage and was later rereleased in its beta. It was finally released as a full version on 11th November 2011 and has continued to receive updates periodically.
The Xbox 360 Edition of Minecraft is in sync with the 1.6 beta version of the PC but it does improve on many issues of Minecraft PC. This includes a tutorial section where you are taught how each element of the game is done. The PC version is devoid of a tutorial, forcing player to rely on trial and error or searching the internet for answers. Another great addition to the Xbox 360 version is local split-screen multiplayer. On PC, one would need a server and have friends log on at the same time on their individual computers. But now anyone can drop in and out of gameplay with up to four players on at the same time.
Besides this, most of the content is still the same, albeit the beta 1.6 content, but the developers have assured players that eventually it will be in sync with the current PC version. For a full review of the PC version of the game read Gamespot's review here. All in all, Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition is a game staying true to the PC version and with great use of the Xbox controller is easy and fun to play with or without friends to play with. It gives way to so many possibilities of creativity and exploration that it will have you hooked from the moment you step into the world.  Stay tuned.

Assessment #2 Blog Post - Website

Ok, so for my second assessment in MPI104 I have constructed a beautiful website with the power to impregnate women, cure cancer and regrow the limbs of young children with leprosy who were orphaned at the age of 5 when their parents were viciously murdered by rabid shotgun-wielding chicken-man hybrids. You’re welcome, world.

Down to bizzness! (See how trendy I am.) My website is themed around popular culture with regard to my personal tastes as a bearded gentleman. This consists mainly of video games and movies with individual web pages for a couple of my more preferred topics. From each website I have included plenty of links to external websites of interest that anyone can visit to read more on the subjects. This helps to broaden the mind and really backs up all of my ludicrous statements about how awesome everything is.

From a design standpoint, I went with a simplistic look so people don’t get too distracted by it all and instead are focused on the content. I let the content do the talking (don’t look into that statement too much).

I’m fairly happy with the graphics on my title page, that of all my favourite pop culture “thingy-mi-bobs”, as well as the beautiful and illustrious collage of Liam Neeson. If those don’t get you going, I don’t know what will. Other than that it was fairly straightforward. I had already learned the basics of HTML last year at work and I was able to expand on my knowledge using W3 Schools wonderful expertise. I guess if I had learnt anything else it would be that I shouldn’t leave things so last minute, but I’m sure you all know what that feels like.

Disclaimer: Website doesn’t actually have the power to impregnate women, cure cancer and regrow the limbs of young children with leprosy who were orphaned at the age of 5 when their parents were viciously murdered by rabid shotgun-wielding chicken-man hybrids.

Animation!

So it's been a while since I last posted and I thought what better way to bring it back than to talk about animation, which you may or may not know is what I am currently studying at university.

So the AIAF (or Australian International Animtaion Festival) for 2012 was on last weekend and it was quite impressive. Sure there was some films that I thought were rather boring, pointless or just plain wrong, but overall I think it was a success. A couple of my favourite films were during the Late Night Bizzare.

• Bear-Horse
• Dr Breakfast

And as for my course, well I do have an animatic of how I imagine my animation to eventually run like.

Hope you enjoy it. That's all for now.