This is a short response to Twitter. It's cool for cool people, but not for me. YET.
Like Tumblr, I used to blindly hate Twitter as well, and for the same reason, it looked stupid, hard to understand quickly, and it seemed only good for popular people or celebrities of some type. However, Twitter was even farther out in left field for me than Tumblr. If I did not sign up for my Intro to Computer Mediated Communications class, I most definitely would not have taken any interest in Twitter unless I got famous in some way. I was always under the impression that it was just a popular person thing.
After a couple months of using Twitter, I began to see the relevance of it. It definitely is not just for important people and others of the like. It's also a great way to communicate with your friends. Same as Facebook. You can even connect the two together, so when you make tweets, they will show up as posts on Facebook, killing two birds with one stone, even though there's only one bird here. (Hahahaha, get it, because Twitter has a bird logo? Greatest pun ever.)
Anyway, Twitter ended up not being a complete waist of time. I also follow a couple of people that inspire me to do greater things, such as the voice actor Steve Blum or animator Max Gilardi or even singer, song writer Al Yankovic. Twitter is a great social tool.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
A Response to Skype
This is a response to the computer program Skype. I take it for granted so much.
The program Skype, for those that don't know, is a program that allows you to chat with your friends or acquaintances you know. Way back in the day, I got a Skype account, but never had anyone to chat with, and didn't think much of it. Later, when I gained more friends, it became more relevant. I started to type to them all the time when out of school. Then, I learned that it also has a voice and video chat option. I was completely blown away at the time. It was a genius invention that I was glad I had on my computer. In college, it lost it's relevance, because all of my friends were close by, so I didn't really have a use for it anymore. The account sat unused for a while. Then, when I started to play online games and gain more friends through that, I found that they also had Skype accounts. Eventually, the use of Skype became almost completely necessary for us as a group to play games such as League of Legends. We all talked, strategized, and attacked as a team all with the help of this program. Just recently, I took a step back and thought about all the stuff I take for granted. Most of the things happened to be on my computer and my computer in general, but the biggest chunk I thought about the most was Skype. I knew people all over the states, even in Australia and Sweden, all because of games, and Skype made it possible to become real friends with these people. I've had many fun times with these people all because of Skype closing that gap between us. I love Skype. I wonder if they have a donate button on their site... They at least deserve some money for what they've done.
The program Skype, for those that don't know, is a program that allows you to chat with your friends or acquaintances you know. Way back in the day, I got a Skype account, but never had anyone to chat with, and didn't think much of it. Later, when I gained more friends, it became more relevant. I started to type to them all the time when out of school. Then, I learned that it also has a voice and video chat option. I was completely blown away at the time. It was a genius invention that I was glad I had on my computer. In college, it lost it's relevance, because all of my friends were close by, so I didn't really have a use for it anymore. The account sat unused for a while. Then, when I started to play online games and gain more friends through that, I found that they also had Skype accounts. Eventually, the use of Skype became almost completely necessary for us as a group to play games such as League of Legends. We all talked, strategized, and attacked as a team all with the help of this program. Just recently, I took a step back and thought about all the stuff I take for granted. Most of the things happened to be on my computer and my computer in general, but the biggest chunk I thought about the most was Skype. I knew people all over the states, even in Australia and Sweden, all because of games, and Skype made it possible to become real friends with these people. I've had many fun times with these people all because of Skype closing that gap between us. I love Skype. I wonder if they have a donate button on their site... They at least deserve some money for what they've done.
A Response to Tumblr
This is a response to the website Tumblr. Blind hate turned into love over time.
When I first heard about Tumblr, I thought it was just another blog site and there was nothing to get excited about. One day, I decided to give it a legitimate look, but I ended up leaving it because I was too lazy to put time into learning how to use it. I let it it be for a long time. Then, this semester, I gave it another look, but this time, it all made sense to me. Besides the crazy amount of it that's just reblogging, a way of sharing other people's blog posts, I enjoyed using it. I started to make my own, dedicating it to posting all of my voice acting stuff. Demos that I do, random comic voice overs and so on, all of that goes there. Then, when I wanted to dub something that is semi popular, a tumblr posted comic called Woonastuck, I started taking the necessary steps to do so: looking for another voice actor to help me, telling the author about the plan, etc. After contacting the author and after she made a post about my looking for another voice actor, I was bombarded my some of her followers asking to audition. I was already gaining followers. I didn't think gaining followers would fee that good. Seeing comments pop up, having some of my stuff reblogged, it was all a collective feeling of bliss and happiness. Soon, I will choose my other actor, or actress I should say, and we will start recording the comic. Once it's out and I notify the necessary people, I'm sure I will gain a lot more followers. To sum this up, Tumblr is a great place to put your stuff, and if others like it, you can get noticed pretty quickly.
When I first heard about Tumblr, I thought it was just another blog site and there was nothing to get excited about. One day, I decided to give it a legitimate look, but I ended up leaving it because I was too lazy to put time into learning how to use it. I let it it be for a long time. Then, this semester, I gave it another look, but this time, it all made sense to me. Besides the crazy amount of it that's just reblogging, a way of sharing other people's blog posts, I enjoyed using it. I started to make my own, dedicating it to posting all of my voice acting stuff. Demos that I do, random comic voice overs and so on, all of that goes there. Then, when I wanted to dub something that is semi popular, a tumblr posted comic called Woonastuck, I started taking the necessary steps to do so: looking for another voice actor to help me, telling the author about the plan, etc. After contacting the author and after she made a post about my looking for another voice actor, I was bombarded my some of her followers asking to audition. I was already gaining followers. I didn't think gaining followers would fee that good. Seeing comments pop up, having some of my stuff reblogged, it was all a collective feeling of bliss and happiness. Soon, I will choose my other actor, or actress I should say, and we will start recording the comic. Once it's out and I notify the necessary people, I'm sure I will gain a lot more followers. To sum this up, Tumblr is a great place to put your stuff, and if others like it, you can get noticed pretty quickly.
A Response to League of Legends
This is a response to the game League of Legends. LoL is best, huehuehue!
League of Legends is a MOBA game, meaning multiplayer online battle arena. There are 3 game types, Summoner's Rift, Twisted Treeline, or Dominion. In the most common type, Summoner's Rift, two teams of 5 champions fight each other in order to eventually destroy the enemy's nexus, the base at the opposite end of the map. Over the course of the game, you battle in lanes filled with "creeps" or little minions that come from your nexus. You kill these minions for gold to spend on items to make yourself stronger, and once you are stronger and feel up to the task, you can start to poke and jab or even full on fight your enemy on the other side of the lane. But you have to be careful for other champions on the opposite team roaming around in the jungle and the river. In those respective areas, you cannot see them until they come out from it, and when they do, they are probably trying to team up and get the jump on you to kill you. This surprise attack is called a gank. So this goes on for about 30 minutes or so, and then things start to get interesting. Team fights become more frequent, 5 on 5 battles all over the area of the map, and the gold from the kills starts to rack up. Sometimes the fights are really intense and drawn out, but whenever I play, it always seem to end up with one team completely stomping the other team. Meaning, one team "feeds" the other team kills, and the kills give you a lot of gold.
This game is a great game for one good reason: even if I'm playing and my team gets stomped, if I'm playing with the friends I usually do, it's fun anyway. This is definitely a game that is 100 times better when playing with friends. So get a friend or 4 and try it out sometime! Just watch out for trolls and Brazilians. (I'm being serious. Brazilians are douche bags in online games, hence the huehuehue. It's a laugh. Try saying HUEHUEHUE as loud and obnoxiously as you can. So annoying.)
League of Legends is a MOBA game, meaning multiplayer online battle arena. There are 3 game types, Summoner's Rift, Twisted Treeline, or Dominion. In the most common type, Summoner's Rift, two teams of 5 champions fight each other in order to eventually destroy the enemy's nexus, the base at the opposite end of the map. Over the course of the game, you battle in lanes filled with "creeps" or little minions that come from your nexus. You kill these minions for gold to spend on items to make yourself stronger, and once you are stronger and feel up to the task, you can start to poke and jab or even full on fight your enemy on the other side of the lane. But you have to be careful for other champions on the opposite team roaming around in the jungle and the river. In those respective areas, you cannot see them until they come out from it, and when they do, they are probably trying to team up and get the jump on you to kill you. This surprise attack is called a gank. So this goes on for about 30 minutes or so, and then things start to get interesting. Team fights become more frequent, 5 on 5 battles all over the area of the map, and the gold from the kills starts to rack up. Sometimes the fights are really intense and drawn out, but whenever I play, it always seem to end up with one team completely stomping the other team. Meaning, one team "feeds" the other team kills, and the kills give you a lot of gold.
This game is a great game for one good reason: even if I'm playing and my team gets stomped, if I'm playing with the friends I usually do, it's fun anyway. This is definitely a game that is 100 times better when playing with friends. So get a friend or 4 and try it out sometime! Just watch out for trolls and Brazilians. (I'm being serious. Brazilians are douche bags in online games, hence the huehuehue. It's a laugh. Try saying HUEHUEHUE as loud and obnoxiously as you can. So annoying.)
A Response to Battlefield 3
This is a response to the game Battlefield 3. Shoot 'em up.
Oh Battlefield 3, where do I begin with you? Lets start with the single player campaign. Not really much of a story. It's a pretty predictable ending too, also filled with quicktime events. Not that quicktime events are always bad, but in this game, they are indeed bad. Anyway, you are any old military man, and wouldn't you know it, you've been blamed for treason. You recall the events that got you to the dark, dank, interview room in the for of levels in the campaign, each very different from the next, besides the large chunks of run and gun, which are actually still enjoyable. Anyway, you finally recall everything there is to recall, you realize the main bad guy is in town and about to nuke New York, so your buddy and you escape to the subway to kick his ass once and for all. Which, after a subway car battle, some sewer shooting, and a car chase that ends in you beating the bad guys head in with a brick, you definitely kick his ass. However, your entire squad is deal, but you've saved a million lives. Good job!
Now for the real meat of this game, the multiplayer. The multiplayer has almost 100 different weapons, each with attachments to put on them to fit your game play style and how you want to shoot. Then there are the classes, so you can choose exactly what you want to be doing in the game, whether that is healing your teammates and bringing them back from the dead, or showing the enemy's presence on the radar with your MAV. There are so many different ways to combat your enemies and fight back, however, the game is not perfect. To be fair, the only things making it a slightly annoying game to play are the instances where your team is trapped in the spawn area or when the enemy is exploiting the glitched weapons. Despite all the bad that can arise from a game to make you rage quit, my roommate Adam and I still come back to it almost every day. This game is good, and a great change from all the Call of Duty, even though it's essentially the same thing, just more played out and fine tuned.
Oh Battlefield 3, where do I begin with you? Lets start with the single player campaign. Not really much of a story. It's a pretty predictable ending too, also filled with quicktime events. Not that quicktime events are always bad, but in this game, they are indeed bad. Anyway, you are any old military man, and wouldn't you know it, you've been blamed for treason. You recall the events that got you to the dark, dank, interview room in the for of levels in the campaign, each very different from the next, besides the large chunks of run and gun, which are actually still enjoyable. Anyway, you finally recall everything there is to recall, you realize the main bad guy is in town and about to nuke New York, so your buddy and you escape to the subway to kick his ass once and for all. Which, after a subway car battle, some sewer shooting, and a car chase that ends in you beating the bad guys head in with a brick, you definitely kick his ass. However, your entire squad is deal, but you've saved a million lives. Good job!
Now for the real meat of this game, the multiplayer. The multiplayer has almost 100 different weapons, each with attachments to put on them to fit your game play style and how you want to shoot. Then there are the classes, so you can choose exactly what you want to be doing in the game, whether that is healing your teammates and bringing them back from the dead, or showing the enemy's presence on the radar with your MAV. There are so many different ways to combat your enemies and fight back, however, the game is not perfect. To be fair, the only things making it a slightly annoying game to play are the instances where your team is trapped in the spawn area or when the enemy is exploiting the glitched weapons. Despite all the bad that can arise from a game to make you rage quit, my roommate Adam and I still come back to it almost every day. This game is good, and a great change from all the Call of Duty, even though it's essentially the same thing, just more played out and fine tuned.
A Response to Voice Acting
This is a response to voice acting in general. My favorite pastime.
Voice acting, if you didn't know, is one of my favorite hobbies and something I would love to grow into a profession. I cannot describe how fun it is to step out of yourself for a while and act the personality of a character. It is more difficult than you might think, mostly because of the developers of the project you might be voicing. You might be one of the best actors in the world, your acted emotions may be pure, and you might even be able to manipulate your voice to sound like how you please. However, if the developer does not think you "Fit the character", then you don't have a chance. Sometimes even the best does not fit. Like for example, if Steve Blum tried to audition for the little awkward teenager with his usual voice, chances are, even his fame would not get him that part, unless the developer is a HUGE fan, in which case, I guess I would be out of luck for that part.
One thing that people can get mixed up with voice acting, or rather assume of it, is that it's all silly voices and spastic emotions, being silly for every line. It's not. You have to actually act to get a part. You can't walk into an audition, do a goofy voice and dance around and expect to get the part. If that's all you're going to do, go make internet parodies.
However, that is actually a good place to start, on the internet. Before you can do anything serious, you have to have a couple demonstrations of your voice in other works if you hope to get as far as say, working for Funimation. If you don't have a good demo reel of your work, you might as well give up.
Voice acting, if you didn't know, is one of my favorite hobbies and something I would love to grow into a profession. I cannot describe how fun it is to step out of yourself for a while and act the personality of a character. It is more difficult than you might think, mostly because of the developers of the project you might be voicing. You might be one of the best actors in the world, your acted emotions may be pure, and you might even be able to manipulate your voice to sound like how you please. However, if the developer does not think you "Fit the character", then you don't have a chance. Sometimes even the best does not fit. Like for example, if Steve Blum tried to audition for the little awkward teenager with his usual voice, chances are, even his fame would not get him that part, unless the developer is a HUGE fan, in which case, I guess I would be out of luck for that part.
One thing that people can get mixed up with voice acting, or rather assume of it, is that it's all silly voices and spastic emotions, being silly for every line. It's not. You have to actually act to get a part. You can't walk into an audition, do a goofy voice and dance around and expect to get the part. If that's all you're going to do, go make internet parodies.
However, that is actually a good place to start, on the internet. Before you can do anything serious, you have to have a couple demonstrations of your voice in other works if you hope to get as far as say, working for Funimation. If you don't have a good demo reel of your work, you might as well give up.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
A Response to "Digital Nation"
This is a response to a video called "Digital Nation" It's very digital.
Yet another video I've seen a couple of times. Although I do like the guy narrating the video, so it's always pleasant enough to watch. This is basically the same as the other video, it even comments on it and brings in clips of it from time to time, further proving his point of the digital age is growing larger and larger with every passing year, becoming a huge, unified digital nation that will soon envelope the entire world.
Yet another video I've seen a couple of times. Although I do like the guy narrating the video, so it's always pleasant enough to watch. This is basically the same as the other video, it even comments on it and brings in clips of it from time to time, further proving his point of the digital age is growing larger and larger with every passing year, becoming a huge, unified digital nation that will soon envelope the entire world.
The
narrator repeatedly switches between the good and the bad of the
coming digital nation, talking about how our kids will be changed and
how that could be good or bad depending on how we as future parents
handle them, how our relationships with each other will change,
seeing as how a lot of us communicate mostly through electronic
means, and so on.
All
this rolls down to is we need to be careful about the next coming
generation. We need to raise them to appreciate the technology but
also teach them how to live without it. We also need to keep our
distance from technology from time to time, even now. There are days
where I will realize at midnight that I have been on the computer for
the entirety of the day and have not left my apartment. Those days
make me feel bad, physically and mentally. Even if it's doing
homework or something, I do need fresh air and a walk or something
and I know it. I also enjoy it as well. So in the next decade, just
be careful with technology and don't let it completely envelope your
life.
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