Interactive Media

This is a picutre i took of my Xbox Live dashboard which is an interactive menu to get from talking to friends watching films, buying music and of course playing your games, one of the most used interactive media's amount the younger generation but also widely used by older ones too

Literal:
Xbox dashboard with skyrim in the cd drive

Abstract:
Many menu's to pick from to try to keep you interested to stay on the interface and becoming interested in other things for sell

Cultural:
relates to modern society and is used by many cultures

Im pretty sure this counts as interactive media as you must interact with the media on the screen to be able to exccess your account on a cash machine i think i just answered my own question.

Literal:
A picture of the interfaced used on todays cash points ( ATMs )

Abstract:
A small hole in the wall which a piece of plastic can help you obtain your digital money from anywhere

                                                      Cultural:
                                                      relates to modern society and is used by many cultures

The biggest interactive media craze since sliced bread.. even tho i don't really understand that saying im sure it fits i picked this because well as i have one i do think it deserves a place on my blog as a Key change to how interactive media is used today this phone can do everything.... but most of all empty your pocket !
Literal:
Photo of the front, back and side of a white iphone

Abstract:
Iphone stood along side its self is the only contender in this picture and has no rivals

Cultural:

The iphone has been a big trend setting in culture of

today by getting people easy uses of internet whenever
where ever at high speeds

Proof that the Wii fit can be sold to anyone ! i think this is also a key interactive media of today as everyone wants to be fit all of a sudden its the cool thing to do so here is the example why go running when you can do it on your wii..... smart the because all tho its just a game it makes you feel your doing something good for yourself

Literal:
an old granny stood on a wii fit board trying out Wii Fit

Abstract:
even the old farts can enjoy playing games

Cultural:
proving that any age can enjoy console games not just the younger generation

This is the website that got me in to interactive media the most in my childhood even since Flash games become real big new grounds had them all from big names to people in there bedroom making the you could play them all for free and i always enjoyed the design side to them more then the actual game

Literal:
Screenshot taken off the homepage of a interative media website
Abstract:
a resting place for creative people who enjoy playing and build interative games
Cultural:
i think this is very aimed at the modern culture where everyone has internet at there finger tips

Scientific Images or Optical illusions

I think this picture is very witty and the meaning is very to the point and ironic as it says use only what you need and is only taking up a small part of the billboard aka " using only what the sign needed"

 This isnt really a illusion but i think it does make you look twice to think which a massive part of the billboard is missing

Literal:
A billboard with a poser on it that only takes up about 20% of the actual space which is " only what they need"
Abstract:
a cheaper way to fill the space and get a point across at the same time
Cultural:
showing todays cultures, how much of everything we waste even when it comes to a big billboard like this one

this one also is very witty but really does get its message across by proving its point within the billboard, i think its a very smart picture as it really makes you read what little part you can see due to the light and once read makes you understand the meaning.
Literal:
smartly used billboard where only one of the four lights which reviles the only message on the board which states " use Electricity wisely "
Abstract:
Controdicing the first picture which only use what you need by wasting the whole billboard to just show a light message
Cultural:this message is aimed at the modern culture of today who uses way to much electricity then we all need too

Yet again a awesome example of opitcal illusions the picture looks like the man is pulling the corner away with his mouth this is adverting a toothpaste to make teeth stronger

Literal:

an illusion of the a man who is in the picture apon a billboard is pulling the side of the billboard away from its stand using his teeth

Abstract:

showing the pure strength of the tooth paste they are trying to sell as being super stong

Cultural:

Brokes the boundary's of the poster

When i first seen this image i did actuality think there was two vans in the back of a lorries trailer making the optical illusion clearly a really good one because it fooled me, i don't see what the meaning behind a FedEx carrying UPS vans is but I'm sure its something to do with FedEx saying they are better.

Literal: The picture is of a lorry with a illusion of UPS trucks to seem as if they were inside the trailer
Abstract: the way i see this picture is that Fedex is so big that it Carry's the smaller company UPS on its back
showing leadership
Cultural: i think the cultural side to this picture is of how much the mondern world using delivery services so much that even other companies will have to deliver the smaller ones

I think this one is also brilliant because its saying life's to short for the wrong job as if this machines have people working in them for you as you can see in the picture, this is obviously an illusion but also a very smart propaganda

Literal:A cash machine showing an image of a man doing all the workings behind the machine
Abstract:What a cash machine would be like if technology wasn't around and was still run by personal interaction
Cultural:i think the cultral side to this image is that we take machines for granted and that people are being replaced by technology

Media, Advertising and Propaganda

                                                                                                   

This advert is clearly for Youtube but in an old fashion style of posters kinda like the old propaganda pictures for the war i think this poser is trying to say youtube is last the times and might as well have been from back around the time the poser is trying to be.
Literal: an advert for Youtube
Abstract:showing that pretty much anyone can use youtube and enjoy its contains
Cultural: the poser is in the style of odd propaganda posters which were around in the war times 1940s but this image shows a man using youtube set in that time which is i think is to show that if the internet was widespread like it is today then this is the sort of posers you would have seen

in this advert the uses of cool colours is key to the product showing that you cant get a colder beer then cools light and the styling on the bottle subjects then too


Literal:Poster showing Cools Light beer
Abstract: showing that there beer is so cold that it can change anywhere in to ice caps and snow
Cultural: aimed at people who enjoy there beer ice cold promoting that there beer will be the coldest you were try

i think this is brilliant even tho i don't like star wars the way it looks like one of the old propaganda posers from the Germans and the fact that Darth Vader is symbolising the enemy aka the Germans asking for people to enlist in the war.

Literal: darth vader in an old style propaganda poster
Abstract:a poster trying to get people to join the darkside and fight the jedi which is done in an old army " needs you " style
Cultural: Some people believe that jedi is a real thing and this is aimed at them sort of people which has a strong messange that darth vader can't do it alone and needs YOUR help

I think this is really smart advertising making a zebra crossing in to the fries of a McDonald's pack of fries, the reason i think this is smart is because your bound to look at it as your pass it weather you want to or not you will which means you will look at the logo and think of McDonald's

Literal: Image painted on the floor of a busy town
Abstract: i think this shows how much people are controlled by fast food and the easiness of it that is has even become part of the world in the sence that they used an image of fries to make a zebra crossing
Cultural: Todays cultural is very much involed in fast food as everyone seems to always be busy and by this image being on a place most people will cross the road it will set the idea in there head that they maybe hungry and they will think of this image and head over to Mcdonlds for something to eat which im guessing isnt to far away from this image.

Examples of design

I thought of this design because most people will know it and is a pretty simple logo of a bat on a yellow back ground which is meant to show light and the black is a shadow
Literal: An image of the Batman logo
Abstract: very bold image of a bat on a yellow background which shows the light source to help the image stand out
Cultural: Popular Western cultural of the super hero world more recognised in the US

This example is someones design of a tattoo but clearly based around angel wings mixed with tribal the idea of them both together doesnt really go but this design has really shown that it is possible
Literal: A tattoo design in a tribal style
Abstract:i think this picture has a darkside to it even tho its of angel wings you can see a face in the middle with evil horns and i think the tribal style gives it a darkside
Cultural: The image is in a tribal design but isnt the normal type you would see which dates back a long time this has a modern twist to it

Here is design i did myself and is of an idea i had for my sisters tattoo which she does now have going down her right side ill upload a picture when i get it
Literal: A drawing of a tattoo i designed for my sister

Abstract: The abstract side to this image is to show new life can be held in a small thread and should be looked after

Cultural: I guess this is a modern cultural as i drew it myself and it was something to show new life

Coca Cola properly once of the most widely known logo and design which can be found all over the world which is simply a text font which goes to show not everything has to be detailed to become well known
Literal:Picture of the well known Coca Cola logo
Abstract:the image only needs to contain the products logo to make people think of it and most likey want it for themselfs
Cultural:this image is very well know in many countries and is a big name brand which can be found almost everywhere

Properly some of my most favourate designs but maybe not so much for the logos and text fonts but more for the product :) as the photo is taken in my room infront my xbox

beside that you can see with there designs that the black backround and bright colours are to grab your attention and inviting you over to see what this product is.
Literal:two cans sat next to an Xbox 360
Abstract: i think this shows the extent of what some people will go through to play xbox they will need extra enegry to continue playing games for long periods of time
Cultural: this is what the world has came to in resent years where people will spend more time infront
of a console then they go outside which makes products
like enegry drinks a lot more popular to assit them in there
obessions

Artworks

Taken from the internet this artwork is of an anime gilr angel i picked this because its one of my favourate types of art and goes to know that you dont have to be overly detailed to have a decent result

This is concept art for a game called Crysis 2 this little picture doesn't give it Justice the picture is so finely detailed that it almost feels like a real picture

Another famous Banksy picture which had to get in the Artwork section because all his artwork are creative and have such big stories behind them in this picture the balloon is to symbolist the little girls love as you can see its heart shaped and has you can see its far from her reach.

This is actually an in game photo from Skyrim which i think still falls under artwork even tho its a moving 3d world lots of people have put there time and effort in to designing it which in turn makes it a massive load of artwork in one picture

Again with the anime but this time taking its a little futher then the first picture because of the little bit more detail but the clearly 18+ feeling to it alot of anime is aimed more to adults then children making them cartoons for adults

Urban Signs and Symbols

This picture was taken just outside the college and i think really shows the background of bristle when ever a blank canvas is put up its only a matter of time till Urban artwork is painted on it

Literal: Graffiti on a wooden fence
Abstract: i think this brings so much colour to what would be a very boring dull street
Cultural: this picture is taken just outside my college in Bristol and Graffiti is very much the cultural of bristol so this fits right in






I Just had to add this one mainly because it is genus its a tranfer stuck over the top ov a ticket machine with only the hole for the ticket showing but it is made to look like a human head spits the ticket out, i think this is to show that the old and wise and eating our money with things like parking tickets and what not.

Literal: Ticket bos with a image of a mnas head wraped around it
Abstract: i think this is to show the sort of people that are controlling how much we have to spend on things like tickets and how they are just spitting " costs " out of there mouths all the time
Cultural: the world to today is only interested in things that catch there eyes which most things today just a way of trying to sell you something i think this is brillant in showing that we are all a slave to someone we dont k

i dont know where this was takening but the story i see in this picture is showing how dull the world is againest all these colours without them this picture wouldnt be a massiveness of grey and depression

Couldn't do a section on urban art and not add a banksy picture, Banksy is a very famous unknown artist from this Bristol area and almost very one of his pieces have a big story behind them usually political.
In this piece i believe that the meaning is that everything is just sweep under the carpet as such but this shows her sweeping it under a wall i think the wall symbolist the county and how we hide behind it

Literal: A image of a lady swiping things " under the carpet "
Abstract:this is showing that everything we do gets swep under the backgroud and that we dont see whats right in front of us sometimes because were to busy hiding things
Cultural: this i believe is very much against cultural its a image to show freedom of speech but in art form and i think it does it really well you can make your own meaning for any of banksys art work 

Basically picked this photo because i think its very smart using normal day things like a drain and changing it to look like something else like here a rabbit's mouth eating a carrot

Literal: a Drainage system with a rabbit drawn over it
Abstract: are we just flushing away stuff that could still be used or eaten?
Cultural: i dont believe there is any cultural side to this picture other then someones wanted to express there art somewhere other then on a blank page

                                                      

Historical images

This could have been put in both historical and propaganda as it shows that if you were to volunteer to be a sailor then you would get a good looking girl when you return
i like this poster because its to the point and it also for a good cause with a thrown in bit of humour

Literal: A sailor hugging a lady
Abstract: Showing that if you join the sailors you will most defiatly pull and pretty girl afterwards
Cultural: A image of an old poster to try and get more people to join the submarine services using proprganda to try to get people to join by saying they will get a girl if they have served in the navy

                                                       This is an old picture from the egpytian times done on papaius paper which gives it that tea stain look to it making things look old before they maybe are,i think the colour used in this picture is to outline the wealth of the hunter and to promote him


Literal: Old picture from the egyptian times of a man on his carrage
Abstract: a colourful warrior of great weath
Cultural:the egpyians believed that the more colourful you were the more rich and poular you became

Some of the oldest artwork found is the cave paintings this one i like alot because there is a story withing the image showing how they would hunt deer years and years ago
 i also like the uses of only two colours im sure this isnt done on purpose but due to lack of materials but it gives it, its own feel.

This is the famous piece of Jesus' last supper i dont believe in all that but this picture does show fellowship and friendship all shared around a table of " equals ".

Literal:The last supper
Abstract:the leader sat in the middle of a table showing his leadership and everyone around waiting on his every word
Cultural:

                                                                           This is a picture of an old geek status I'm not to sure if it is made by the geek or is a replica of a piece from that age the reason i say that is because it is in perfect condition you can see the size of it due to the man stood next to him

I really like all the old geek art had a mystic feel to it and was very creative

Literal: Amzingly detailed status
Abstract:This status is Huge to show the power he controls the bigger you are the more powerful you become
Cultural:dates back to the geek times where they believed in gods to feel safe and by showing them to be massive makes them feel more safe in his presents

Unit 4

Activity 4 - Research Images and Meaning

In this activity you will research a range of images and add them to a post entitled "Research Images and Meaning" in your blog for this unit. You may need to access images from a variety of sources so you may need to access a scanner to complete this task. Any image can be included and aim to be as creative as you can.

You should research images under the following headings:

• Historical images (between prehistory and 21st Century)
• Urban Signs and Symbols
• Artworks
• Good examples of design
• Media, Advertising and Propaganda
• Scientific Images or Optical illusions
• Interactive Media

Once you have collected a range of images under these headings you should describe each one using the following headings.

• The Literal meaning of the image - what is contained in the image
• The abstract meaning of the image - what is hidden in the image
• The mood or feeling of the image - what the image makes you feel
• The scientific effects of the image (you may only be able to answer this for optical illusions)
• The social, historical or cultural context of the image - how the image relates to culture and society, whether modern day or historical