Be My Poker Buddy? Third Meditation on Media

I’ve recently been absorbed into online poker. Don’t worry, it’s nothing dangerous. It’s only a minor addiction and I have found a site where I can play for free. It’s called Zynga Poker and you can link to it right off Facebook.

The real appeal of this game is only half in the poker. When I first played I was given $1,000 in chips but my total reached $20,000 is about a half hour. No, I am not that brilliant of a poker player. The real amount I made was merely $600 in chips; the rest was given to me for free.

But what is the appeal of playing a poker game that gives you ships for free? Well, it’s the achievements of course. The free chips seem like a lot at first but after you have gained all the beginner achievements you mostly on your own. The fight from $20,000 chips to your first $100,000 is much, much harder. The achievements are more specific and their total reward is less, but somehow they are still just as rewarding.

Poker, combined with achievements that you can post on Facebook, combined with experience levels makes for a game that’s really hard to put down.

Here is a little sample of what the game play looks and sounds like:

 

Just hearing those chips fall makes me want to play. If you want to join in, look up Zynga Poker on Facebook, or follow this link to their site directly.

Triune Brain:

Zynga Poker engages my neo cortex like a puzzle would. I must actively think about each bet I make. I have to evaluate my hand and the possible hands of my opponents in order to make good betting decisions.

The limbic part of my brain enjoys the interaction the game provides as well as the aesthetics of the game. The jingle of the chips as they hit the table excites me now as I am trained to expect high winnings. The sounds of the chips actually changes when more are placed on the table.

The reptilian brain throws my heart into rapid beatings when my raises are matched or re-raised. A panic reflex I feel that tells me I need to run away. The threat may be only that I have lost my hand but my reptilian brain equates the dangers in poker to real life threatening dangers.

Eight Shifts:

By the fact that this game can be played as an extension of Facebook is an example of a personal shift. The game allows you to invite and play with all your Facebook friends easily and it even gives you the option to send your friends a random amount of free chips everyday.

An aesthetic shift is occurring because the lines between Facebook and outside applications are fading away. IT took me no effort at all to jump into this poker game with my Facebook profile and automatically get a list of all friends playing. Poker and social networks are no longer separate entities, but are merging into something larger.

Seven Principles:

Reality Construction/Trade-offs – Zynga Poker is fun, but I was a little worried when my profile was imported from Facebook. Not everything was imported, but I didn’t feel like some things (location and what networks I was a part of) needed to be shared over the poker table.

Value Message – The message I get from Zynga poker is that I should get more friends and I should get them to send me free poker chips. This game encourages you to play with your friends and it makes it easy to do with the Facebook hookup.

Pacing – This is a tough one to deal with for a game that deals in turn based play. Fortunately there is a nice feel to the pacing. Each player gets a timer for their turn and it is not too short and not too long. This keeps you from getting bored while waiting for the next hand. The hands come so rapidly, in fact, it keeps you from finding a good place to stop.

Persuasive Techniques:

Symbols – The universal symbols for c a card game are used, the heart, diamond, club, and spade. Zynga also has a dog silhouette as part of their logo, which I like.

Flattery – this game sends you gifts for all the achievements you get and makes you feel good about yourself even if you are loosing in the long run.

Group Dynamics – This game enforces group dynamics by tailoring everything to involve your friends or Facebook page. They want you to tall everyone else about what you are winning.

Diversion is employed in a way to keep you from seeing the losses you are accumulating. While you may loose, you still can gain achievements and feel like you are doing well.

While this game does suck up all your time if your not careful, it is one of the best free poker game’s I have tried. However, I have not tried many.  Maybe we will see each other at the tables. Look for “Javier Butler.” I am always looking for new poker buddies.

P.S.

Got this flop the other day:

Photosynthesis? Not Quite: Second Meditation on Media

Photosynth is less of an actual media than part of the medium. This technology features a new way to interrelate collections of photos. When this technology is introduced to the internet, its pool of photos grows and something really unique emerges. Photos are linked in three dimensional space on a grand scale.

If you have seen Jeff Rutenbeck’s introduction speech as a new Champlain student, you may already know what Photosynth is. When I had a class of his three years ago I showed him a video on the technology as it was developing. That technology in now a reality and is being integrated into programs like Photoshop.

To really understand what Photosynth does you need to see it in action:

 

Cool stuff, right? Now here comes the better part. You can play with Photosynth online. Just follow this link.

Because this is something that will change the way we relate to photos, events and locations, I though it would be proper to meditate on it as a new media.

Facts:

Well, it exists and it’s fun to use.

Triune Brain:

The neo cortex part of your brain will love Photosynth. It allows you to explore places in detail through your photos or the photos of others.

The limbic part of your brain can be pleased by the fluid transitions between the photos as Photosynth turns and stretches them in three dimensional space to fit them together. This helps make you spatially aware of the places these photos are of.

The reptilian brain may not be engaged until you find something you were not expecting, like a face in a photo or change a rapid change in season (for those outdoor places).

Eight Shifts:

Photosynth is a highpoint of the technological shift. Photos have become digital, and now we can take that digital information and relate it to a network of information. Photos now can be something more than their sum when placed together. Now entire replications of places can be made through photo collections.

There is an Aesthetic shift occurring with photos. Now there is more of a reason than ever to bring your vacation photos onto the web to share. Have some pictures of Notre dam? Add them to the online collection and watch as they become part of a nearly perfect recreation of the real thing.

This leads to a cultural shift. Now instead of sharing your photos with friends you are now a collaborator in a collective project. Any photo now has more meaning that what it means to you. It may be possible in the future to navigate entire cities through photos exclusively.

Seven Principles:

Reality construction/trade-offs – Photosynth technology can bring the reality to anyone. Real people take photos of some place and then anyone can view it. When there is an event involved, lets say the Olympics, it can bring an inside look at what happened. The trade-off to this is a loss of privacy. If everyone became involved there would be no public place that your face could become a part of. This may be good, this may be bad.

Ownership comes into question when a company hosts a tool like Photosynth. While no one person can claim ownership on a collective project, who controls it and who makes decisions for it? This is all part of the flimsy copyright laws that we have to deal with in the internet age.

Individual Meaning – While everyone brings individual meanings with each of their photos, another meaning can be garnered from the collective experience. You can view other people’s photos of the same location and find meaning in them for yourself.

Persuasive Techniques:

While this technology doesn’t speak to itself there are some techniques that can be seen.

Simple Solutions – Photosynth technology provides a simple method to interrelate your photos. While your photos can become part of a larger scene they can also pick up meta-data from the collection as well. All this is handled automatically.

Plain Folk – The collections of photos that make Photosynth work over the web are all taken by plain folk like you and me. That fact makes me willing to use the technology and see what it can really do. It feels like a corporate venture and more like a group project in an after school program.

Nostalgia – This one is hit home with anyone who holds some place special to them. If you visited Notre dam and really enjoyed it, you can visit again through other people’s photos.

Group Dynamics – This one is easy. Everyone is becoming a part of a collective and it’s time for you to get involved too.

Photosynth is only one of the new emerging technologies that uses photos in a new way. There is also Seadragon, which changes the way photo data is loaded and displayed, and there is content-aware photo resizing technology that changes the way photos are scaled.

The Death of Death: A Media Meditation

Across the street from where I live, in a place called the monkey bar, a band named Rough Francis played. Here’s what the show was like in case you couldn’t attend:

This in itself might not be worth mentioning except that the members of this band have been playing punk since before punk was even punk. Most of the songs Rough Francis still play were written by Bobby Hackney Sr. and his brothers David and Dannis back in the ‘70’s When they were assembled as the band, “Death.”

Death was up and coming in Detroit between 1974 and 1976 with a sound that a little blues and a lot of punk. This was at a time when punk music wasn’t well defined. When death signed on to a record deal the higher ups wanted them to change their name. When the band refused it was all over—at least for 30 years. Their efforts switched to self promotion, but when Disco was just taking off, they found it hard to find any play time on the radio.

Death died, but music never left the Hackney family. This band has recently been rediscovered and now they will finally have their original albums’ released.

You can read more about this band in a NY Times article written last year.

The following YouTube videos showcase a few of the songs on their first album, all of which date back to 1974.

Okay, let’s get down into the nitty-gritty.

Facts:

When it comes to music there are few facts, at least within the music itself. The facts really don’t matter in that way. But taking a wider look at the band, death, offers some very interesting facts. This band had tapped into the emerging punk movement as it was happening. They were producing punk music before anyone else had really found it. The fact is it was at least a decade before it’s time. It really is a shame that their punk nature (name) did not settle well with the execs and they never took off.

Triune Brain:

The neo cortex is very engaged when consideration is given to the path that this band has taken to get where they are now. They are not famous, but they should have been. I am still amazed that they were playing just across the street from me when they were making great music all the back to the 1970’s.

The limbic brain is always best soothed with music, but punk acts a little differently. It evokes a more animalistic emotion with its sharp tones and uneven melody. I think this is one of the major appeals of punk rock.

The reptilian brain is engaged in a similar way to the limbic, but it is on a different level. Punk music is loud and jagged and this may cause some panic flags to appear in the brain. This is also one of the appeals. As your brain is on attention for possible danger you are more awake and receptive to the music.

Eight Shifts of Media Culture:

Because of the personal shift in our media culture, more and more bands can find followings. IT was because someone found the demo tape in the Hackney’s former house that anyone even knew of the band, Death, at all. Now many people can access the internet, listen to their music, and decide for themselves if they like it or not. Before, it was all about what played on the radio.

An economic shift has also helped create a consumer climate that would now allow for a name like, “Death” to survive. Corporations have changed and so had the music industry. Now it’s all about being creative and unique when before it was about not offending anyone.

The economic shift blends right into a cultural shift. The economic shift is most likely a product of shifting culture. As the masses become more individualistic, there needs to be more creative content to satisfy them. This has allowed for us to have the number of niche bands that we have now.

Seven Principles:

Value Message – Death refused to give up their name because to them it meant thinking about death in a better way. They never broke out to become famous because they refused to give up that idea.

Ownership - When they ran into problems with the record labels they attempted to self produce, taking ownership of all parts of production. While it must have been hard back then to get anyone to listen to your recordings, now it it much more viable to self produce.

Persuasive Techniques:

This is a little hard to point out for music. But let’s see what we can find here.

Timing – I’m going to say that timing played a big part in Death’s music. Although they had the chance to really break out 30 years ago, there is an aura that surrounds them now because of what they could have been. In a way this makes them far more interesting. It could be a tradeoff of being one of the first influential punk bands, but it’s something.

Group Dynamics – When Death is talked about today, it means something for everyone who is a fan of punk music. It is like finding buried treasure, and it is an item of interest for all those who would call themselves one of these groups.

Nostalgia – This one is limited in scope to those who can remember the music scene of the 1970’s. IF you can, hen Death may inspire some feelings of nostalgia just knowing that it was that era Death’s music was written in.

Plain Folks – One of the appeals that I see for this band is that they are just about the plainest, almost-famous people I can imagine. They played in the bar across from my house and yet they have this great unknown legacy.

I think this band really had/has something going for them. I don’t own any of their albums yet, but I will be looking for one in the future. I'm curious to see what everyone else thinks of this band. Do you think they would have been accepted in the 1970's as a punk band? And what do you think of their music now?

Church Arsonists? Scripting for News.

This is the third exercise on scripting. Instead of a commercial, this time I used a news story on CNN about the recent church arsons. Writing for news is very similar to writing copy for advertisements, but there are some key differences. While news is trying to convey as much (if not more) information as a commercial is, news uses longer shots and steady speech to do so. Much like commercials, news will always have a visual element to appeal to the lower functions of the brain, but unlike a commercial, news will not resort to use visual tactics to grab attention alone. The final and most definitive difference is that news is dealing with truth and reality while commercials are structured to build a fantasy around an item or service.

The actual video I wrote the script on is below:




And here is what the script looks like:
(As always, the script is written with video cues in CAPS, audio cues is italics, and dialogue in bold.)

CNN – Dallas

MID SHOT – ED LAVANDERA IN FRONT OF CNN DALLAS BACKDROP
ON SCREEN - LOWER BANNAR: ED LAVANDERA CNN DALLAS
ED LAVANDERA: For almost 2 months, church fires have horrified local residents and clergy men across east Texas, but now authorities have arrested the two men responsible

CUT TO: CHURCH FIRE TAPE
ON SCREEN - LOWER BANNAR: FILE
VO: Ten churches torched across east Texas since January first and…

CUT TO: SIDE BY SIDE PHOTOES OF CHURCH ARSON SUSPECTS
ON SCREEN: COUTESY OF SMITH CO., TEXAS JAIL / FACEBOOK.COM
VO: …these two men are accused of burning them down. 19 year old Jason Bourque and 21 year old Daniel McAllister.

CUT TO: CHURCH FIRE TAPE
ON SCREEN - LOWER BANNAR: FILE
VO: They’ve been charged with one count of arson so far, but authorities say more will follow.

CUT TO: KYTX PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR MCCRRAW INTERVIEW TAPE
ON-SCREEN-LOWER BANNAR: STEVEN C. MCCRAW, DIRECTOR, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
STEVEN C. MCCRAW: We’re confident that these individuals were responsible for it and, but the investigation needs to continue.

MID SHOT: ON SCENE - CHURCH FIRE REMNANTS: ED LAVANDERA HOLDING MAP
ON-SCREEN-LOWER BANNAR: ED LAVANDERA, CNN TYLER TEXAS
ED LAVANDERA: This is a map of northeast Texas and I wanted to give you a sense of where these church fires have happened.

ZOOM IN ON MAP
ED LAVANDERA: We’re here is the city of Tyler where there have been two. Three more have happened outside the city limits. Another three down here in Henderson County. There have been two here in Van Zandt County. The first thing we’re going to do is visit one of the pastors of these churches.

CUT TO: TAPE OF CLEAR SPRING CHURCH ENTRACE
ED LAVANDERA: This is the entrance to Clear Spring Missionary Baptist Church and this…

MID SHOT: ED LAVANDERA WITH PASTOR BRANDON OWENS
ED LAVANDERA: … is Pastor Brandon Owens. You’re going to show us around?
PASTOR OWENS: Yes sir.

MID SHOT: PASTOR OWENS WALKING THROUGH CHURCH REMNANTS
PASTOR OWENS: If you look down here…

ZOOM TO GROUND WHERE PASTOR OWENS IS MOTIONING
PASTOR OWENS: … A book like that could have been one of the bibles.

CLOSE ON: BURNED PAGES IN ED LAVANDERA’S HANDS
ED LAVANDERA: To see a bible like this, or part of a bible-

MID SHOT: PASTOR OWEN AND ED LAVANDERA LOOKING AT BURNT BIBLE PAGES IN ED LAVANDERAS HAND
PASTOR OWEN: Never would have imagined it, man, never.

*This script ends here but the news report continues. *

If you would like to know more about these church arsons, you can follow the link below:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/02/11/texas.church.fires/index.html

Fridge Surprise! A Scripting Excercise.

Here is another exercise in writing commercials. I’ve broken down an ad from the 2006 super bowl that I found particularly funny. Here is the original video:



Like last time, the script is written with video cues in CAPS, audio cues is italics, and dialogue in bold.

SCENE #1: ESTABLISHING SHOT: APPARTMENT 1 – MAN 1 IS ON HIS HANDS AND KNEES WITH HIS HEAD UNDER THE SINK, MAN 2 IS SITTING AT A TABLE, WATCHING A SPORTS GAME ON TV.
A sports broadcast can be heard from the TV.
MAN 1: Pliers.
MAN 2 HANDS HIM PLIERS WITHOUT LOOKING AWAY FROM GAME.
MAN 1: Can you hand me the screwdriver too?

SCENE #2: COSE-UP: MAN 1’S BACKSIDE – HIS HAND IS REACHING BEHIND HIM TO RECEIVE THE SCREWDRIVER.
The sports broadcast can still be heard.
SCREWDRIVER IS PLACED IN HIS HAND.

SCENE #3: CLOSE-UP: MAN 1’S FACE, UNDER THE SINK – HE IS POKING AT THE WALL OFFSCREEN.
The sports broadcast continues.
SFX: Pop, then the sound of a metal plate hitting floor.
MAN 1: I’m in.

SCENE #4: WIDE, PANNING SHOT: CAMERA MOVES FROM APPARTMENT 1, ACROSS THE DEVIDING WALL TO THE ADJACENT APPARTMENT.
BETWEEN APPARMTNETS A CROSSECTION OF THE WALL SHOWS MAN 1 CLIMBING THROUGH A HOLE.
The sports broadcast fades out.
APPARMENT 2 SHOWS A REFRIDGERATOR IN FRONT OF THE HOLE AND A WOMAN WALKING TO THE FRIDGE AND OPENING IT.
Quiet, easy listening music fades in.

SCENE #5: MID-SHOT: FROM THE LOWER SHELF INSIDE THE FRIDGE.
SFX: glass bottle jingle in the fridge door.
WOMAN: (screams).

SCENE #6: CLOSE-UP: MAN 1’S FACE CAN BE SEEN INSIDE THE FRIDGE, POKING OUT OF A HOLE IN THE BACK. A SIX PACK OF BUD LIGHT SITS ALONE ON THE SHELF IN FRONT OF MAN 1’S FACE.
WOMAN – OFF SCREEN: (screaming continues).
MAN 1 LOOKS FROM THE BUD LIGHT TO THE WOMAN OFF SCREEN.

SCENE #7: ESTABLISHING SHOT: APPARTMENT 2 – WOMAN CLOSES FRIDGE AND MAN 3 CAN BE SEEN IN BACKGROUND STANDING UP FROM HIS SEAT AT THE TABLE.
WOMAN: (Screaming continues).
WOMAN WAVES HANDS IN PANIC.

SCENE #8: MID-SHOT: POV FROM HOLE INSIDE FRIDGE - MAN 3 OPENS FRIDGE DOOR AND LOOKS IN.
WOMAN – OFF SCREEN: (Screaming continues).
MAN 3: (Begins screaming).

SCENE #9: WIDE SHOT OF APARTMENT 2: WOMAN STAND IN BACKGROUNS, MAN 3 IS LOOKING IN FRDGE.
WOMAN: (Continued screaming).
MAN 3: (Continued screaming).

SCENE #10: CLOSE-ON: EMPTY BUD LIGHT SIX PACK INSIDE FRIDGE.
WOMAN: (Continued screaming).
MAN 3: (Continued screaming).

SCENE #11: CLOSE-ON: BUD LIGHT CAP – CAP EXPLODES OF THE TOP OF A BUD LIGHT BOTTLE. BUD LIGHT BEER POURS FROM BOTTLE.
ANNOUNCER: for a great taste that will never fill you up…

SCENE #12: MID-SHOT, ZOOMING OUT TO WIDE SHOT: MAN 1 AND MAN 2 SITTING AT TABLE IN APPARTMENT 1 WATCHING TV. BUD LIGHT BOTTLES SIT ON THE TABLE IN FRONT OF THEM.
A sports broadcast can be heard.
ANNOUNCER: …And never let you down,
MAN 2: We’re out of dip.
MAN 1: Pliers!
MAN 1 MOVES FROM HIS SEAT TO UNDER THE SINK.

SCENE #13: CLOSE-ON: BUDLIGHT CAP – CAP RETURNS TO TOP OF BOTTLE TO REVEAL BUD LIGHT LOGO IN A REWINDED SEQUENCE.
TEXT ON SCREEN: MAKE IT A BUD LIGHT.
TEXT ON SCREEN: www.budlight.com
ANNOUNCER: Make it a bud light.

Script Exercise: Go Daddy Go!

Here is a little exercise in script writing for television. What I’ve done is written out the script for a GoDaddy.com advertisement that meant to be aired during the super bowl. This script has been adapted into a modified format to fit in blogger.


Here is the actual ad:


The script is written with video cues in CAPS, audio cues is italics, and dialogue in bold.

SCENE #1: ESTABLISHING SHOT: OUTSIDE LOLA’S MANSION - DANICA, LOLA, AND CAR.
Cheesy 70’s music.
DANICA: Meet Lola
LOLA: Mmm, mmm, mmm

SCENE #2: CLOSEUP: LOLA’S FOOTBALL PORTRAIT.
Cheesy 70’s music continues.
DANICA: The day he retired from football…

SCENE #3: MEDIUM SHOT: DANICA IN FRONT OF PORTRAIT.
Cheesy 70’s music continues.
DANICA: …Lola stated chasing his biggest dream:

SCENE #4: WIDE SHOT: INTERIOR OF LOLA’S MANSION – LOLA, FASHION DESIGNERS, FASHION MODELS POSING.
Cheesy 70’s music continues.
DANICA: A business of his own.
LOLA: Mmm, mmm.
DANICA: Lola’s first step?
LOLA: Mmm, mmm. (Kiss)
DANICA: He built his website…

SCENE #5: MEDIUM SHOT: LOLA
Cheesy 70’s music continues.
DANICA: …with Go Daddy dot com.

SCENE #6: MEDIUM SHOT: INTERIOR – LOLA IN FRONT OF A COMPUTER, DANICA IN BACKGROUND.
Cheesy 70’s music continues.
DANICA: And, with go daddy’s easy to use e-commerce tools…

SCENE #7: CLOSE UP: COMPUTER SCREEN – LOLA’S WEBSITE.
Cheesy 70’s music continues.
DANICA: …Lola was soon selling his own line to the world.

SCENE #8: CLOSE UP: LOLA
Cheesy 70’s music continues.
LOLA: Ooh-wee.

SCENE #9: WIDE SHOT: MANSION EXTERIOR – POOL PARTY, LOLA ON RAFT IN POOL, DANICA IN FOREGROUND.
Cheesy 70’s music continues.
DANICA: Lola dreams big…
LOLA: Ah-ha.
DANICA: …and who’s to argue?

SCENE #10: TEXT ON SCREEN: DISPLAYED ON BLACK BACKGROUND: “SEE MORE NOW at GoDaddy.com”
GoDaddy.com theme music.
DANICA: See more now at Go Daddy dot com.