Digital Media & Me!

This is it my friends!

My last unofficial post in to the world of the 'blogosphere' (I'm sure I'll continue to blog here and there after this date)!!

- Wikipedia.org
(Random, but I like the way this device looks!)

Over this Spring/Summer semester with this Independent Study class (while attending Delta College), I've really come to learn the intriguing realm of blogging. Where, Why, What, When and How to blog!
It's been pretty darn sweet, to be honest!!

Through this 'blog'ging' experience, I've had the topic of: "Music Editing & Exploration: In, Out and Around Film"!

I really hope that I've been entertaining to everyone out there that has had the glorious and most wonderful chance to bestow themselves upon my blog!
I also really hope that I've fulfilled the requirements for this Independent Study class and that I did a nice job of sticking to the general topic of the 'main topic' that I started with. I hope that I was able to fulfill myself in keeping true to my original topic and branching off of that.
That I was able to use my topic to branch out and broaden the horizon of that 'broad' topic that I choose (with interesting topics and intriguing information).
In turn, through my posts, show everyone that had the chance to read my words - what music, editing, photography and film meant to me - & what I think those things mean to the world. What I think those things mean to the future - & the future of 'Digital Media'!!

Media as in music, film, film editing, photography, etc. - & since it's the 21st century - everything is going digital: 'Digital Media' (this is more of my own opinion)!

I've truly had fun with this class, and I really think it has not only helped me to learn some things about myself as a writer & a blogger, but this class has also taught me many things about myself in general. Who I am, Who I was, and more importantly, Who I am going to be!
The future is important to me, just like (I'm sure) it is for most people!!
Through the blogs that I have written, I've learned where I am at with my future, and specifically, where I need to go - to achieve my goals and dreams!!

Before I go, I would like to leave you all with a great quote that I believe in, entirely: "All the great things are simple." - Winston Churchhill

Good times and great oldies as I always say. :)
Keep it real, keep it classy and keep it goin'!

Take er' easy and have a good one!
Later & Peace out!!

The movie: "August Rush"

As I say to anyone that has not seen this wonderful movie:

"If you even have the slightest passion for music, I think you'll love this movie!"

Now granted, this movie does get a little slow at parts and does seem a little dry (especially with the humor). Alas, this flik delivers a message that is one of the most powerful that I have ever seen coming from any other movie.

A message of hope, love, and most importantly, the power of music.

I do also believe, just as the little boy believes (whom of which is one of the main characters), Evan Taylor (or 'August Rush') , that music unites us, brings everyone together, and allows us to free ourselves of worry and doubt. In turn, filling our souls with love, joy, peace and happiness.

It's a powerful message with some powerful music along with it (in the movie), and this is why I simply fell in love with this film.



August Rush, directed by Kirsten Sheridan and written by Paul Castro, Nick Castle, James V. Hart, and produced by Richard Barton Lewis. - Wikipedia.org

Released in November of 2007, I ventured to the theaters the next month to see a movie that I was not expecting, to be so good. I'm not going to lie to you, I actually cried at the end. Now, I am quite the masculine man and believes in poker, beer and cigars on a Friday night. Alas, the message and the emotion gathered up in to a ball and released right at the end of the movie - was too much to handle. So I broke down in wonder and love for this movie that I had bestowed myself upon.

Therefore, I am promoting and inviting everyone who is out there to go out and rent, heck, even buy this movie. Again, if you have even the slightest passion for music, you will find love in this movie and I hope that you understand and capture the true meaning and essence of this film.

One thing that I found especially amazing, was a quote by the incredible actor, Robin Williams. In this movie, he played a man named, Maxwell Wallace with the alias, "Wizard". In the movie, he says, "You know what music is? God's little reminder that there's something else besides us in this universe; harmonic connection between all living beings, every where, even the stars." - imdb.com

This quote my friends, is awesome - because simply, it's very true. Harmonious connection between all living things on this Earth. Even between the stars in the sky to the people down below. Every one, every where!!

Beautiful, just beautiful.

(If you would like to get general information or specific information about this movie, go to the links provided. Also, if you would like to visit the official, "August Rush" website, click the link provided!)

:)
Till' next time!
Peace!

It's bugged. "The new iPhone3G"

Twice as slow. "Half the price."

A little false advertising, I think.

Recently, the newest edition of the highly anticipated iPhone series has been released - with many bugs attached!

This has irked, frustrated and aggravated many buyers.
An article from The Huffington Post (on-line) from New York states one man's frustration from these bugs, "It's such grief and aggravation". This was said by, "an insurance broker in Whitman, Mass., after spending two hours on the phone with Apple and AT&T Inc., trying to get his new iPhone to work."

Looks like this new iPhone is not worth all the hype!
Friday, July 11th, 2008. The iPhone was released to everyone in the world - problem was, on this day - the release of the phone - most customers could not get their phones to work. The issue was with the servers and the actual, "activation" of the phones - so that people could do normal things, like: browse the Internet, check 'YouTube' and other programs that involve AT&T usage.

Peter Svensson from The Huffington Post stated that, "A spokesman for AT&T, the exclusive carrier for the iPhone in the U.S., said there was a global problem with Apple's iTunes servers that prevented the phones from being fully activated in-store, as had been planned."

Since the release date, many of the bugs have been worked out. The kinks have been undone and most of the holes have been filled. There still are other issues. For example, the SMS Typing on the new iPhone3G is 'laggy' (for texting)!

Word! This was an interesting and slightly disappointing fact that I came to find out about! Never the less, I will most likely buy the next iPhone to come out (assuming the next will not have any bugs or major issues (especially on the day it is released!))!!



Alas, if you are interested in the current version of the iPhone, you can buy two types. The first is the 8GB (giga-byte) black in color, for only $199. The second is the 16GB black or white in color, for $299.
If you would like to check out the store, feel free!
If you would like to check this device out through AT&T and also find out the nearest place near you where you can purchase one, feel free!
(here's the article that I got the info. & quotes from!)

Best Buy is always a great place for Apple merch as well (in your town or on-line)!

Awesome! :)

Till' next time, peace!!

Brett Trafford Photography

Hey now, lookie' here!
Right as I'm on the topic of photography - I find a forty-one year young photographer!

This is cool because this is the first time that I've blogged about someone else or even made a reference towards someone else's blog - plus, this man is in to the same stuff that I am in to right now (aka: photography!)!

His name is Brett Trafford, and I find his work to be very creative, intriguing and just really good!

I like photography, he likes photography - we seem to have the same personality traits (patience, seeing the beauty in simple or small things (elements in life that others wouldn't usually notice), both have an interest in the media/photography - we also both enjoy taking photos of similar things (nature, animals, simple stuff!)!

For example:
- Brett Trafford Photography

A flippin' sweet looking bird - well done on the lighting and amazing focus on the detail of the face!! Love it!

Something that caught my eye in a recent post (by Brett) made me really think - & the interesting thing is, it reminded me of myself (my personality) and the kinds of things I enjoy capturing on camera!!
First, here's the photo:
- Brett Trafford Photography

The title of this photo is, "This Way". The amazing this really is, the message he had, before presenting the picture. He says, "Today’s photo, just an old sign post, most people would rush past looking for the path, but if you stop and look around for a moment there’s beauty everywhere."

Wow. Okay, wow! This is not only a great photo, but the message, the message is so deep and makes so much sense. I really think this is America today. I could go on longer and deeper about this, but. So many people in today's society are just rushing, all the time to get from point A to point B - non-stop, all day! They never take the time to just stop, take a moment and, "look around for a moment - there's beauty everywhere". Exactly!
I believe in this whole-heartedly - there IS beauty everywhere you look, in everything - with a bit of optimism and positive vibes, I think everyone can acheive this outlook. It's truely a blessing to just stop, and not only smell the roses, but to notice the beauty in everything.

After all, this is God's green earth, he created everything we see (basically)! The not-so-natural things that he didn't create, well technically he did - because he created every human being on this Earth (technically speaking) and these humans have created these, 'not-so-natural' things. Like buildings or plastic or garbage cans - God didn't make those - but he made the humans that made them - sooo it's like a desendant of God's creation, a second party if you will!!

;) I hope you guys enjoy that theory/perspective - mind you, this is only what I think - I'd like to believe it sounds somewhat coherent, but ya know, it's all good - makes sense to me!

Anyway, back to the photo, it is truely beautiful. It represents beauty in simple things within our life! Also, his perspective (the quote I used) reminds me of myself and my personality - *chuckles* that quote is like something that I would say - I guess because I beleive in that statment and perspective 110%!!

Well, through looking around his blog, I've learned a lot about who he is, about photography and actually, a bit about who I am! I can vouch to say, that this was definitely an enjoyable experience!! :D

If you are interested in finding out more about Brett Trafford Photography - click on this link!!!

Till' next time,
Peace!

Photography & Me!

It's good to know that there's more to life than TV, a nice 'lazy-boy' and some sour cream with potato chips..!

PHOTOGRAPHY!!
Yes! Life has photography and photography has life (with many images of, well, endless possibilities)!

This type of media is one that I have slowly, but surely grown fond of over the past twenty-one years. This type of medium continues to grow, in:

• Popularity (& no, I'm not in to this because it's the "COOL" thing to do!!)
• Style
• Equipment
• Etc.

It's an ever-changing, ever-growing, always evolving type of media. And this type my friends, intrigues me.

I've always enjoyed taking photos of things, anything really. When I was younger though, it was more family photos more than anything. Although, I would always enjoy taking the picture and sometimes capturing people at weird, but unique and crafty angles.

Then, stealing from my Mom, I would grab her film-camera and just take photos of things up, inside and out, plus around the house. Then all the way to about three years ago, I got my first digital camera!
-usa.canon.com
This camera is still the one that I use today!

It is a Canon - PowerShot A540!
-This link will allow you to check out the 'specs' of the camera and a general overview with other specific specifications!

This is a very easy to use, versatile, quality camera that delivers - more BANG for your buck as I would say (and I do say!)! 6.0 mega pixels of ULTIMATE power!

Capturing moments, capturing life!
Love it!

Nature, landscapes, just natural things -- These are my favorite things to capture and photograph!

I believe those three things are the most beautiful to photograph in this world!!

Traveling around the world or just in my own town - being outside and capturing things out in the bright, beautiful sun - is So much fun!
Thus, my love for photography is growing and growing!!

Now, I believe it's time to save up for a better camera, better lens, just better equipment - once I have acquired these things, the skies the limit!!!

That's all for now!

Later & Peace!

KNOLS

I ran into an interesting little piece about knols. I think we will be hearing a lot about this in the coming weeks and months.

A newer form of researching, the knol will help people who are looking for specific information find an authoritative article about a specific topic. We can attribute the knol to none other than


who launched the knol very recently.

By the way, Knol, short for "knowledge," is essentially a cross between Wikipedia and About.com.

Knol's distinctions from Wikipedia are that authors are identified by their real names (and verified), and that they can share in ad revenue if they choose to. The service initially features a lot of medical articles, which is interesting considering that Medipedia also launched today. This medical wiki is backed by Harvard's and Stanford's medical schools.

Here's how it works as explained on the website of

"An enormous amount of information resides in people's heads," wrote the company in its official blog. "Knol will encourage these people to contribute their knowledge online and make it accessible to everyone."

Each entry will have an identified author (or group of authors). The site also introduces a collaborative feature that will allow readers to make suggested edits, which the original author may then choose to accept, reject or modify.

People also can submit comments, rate or write a review of a knol. Authors also can choose to run ads through Google's AdSense program, sharing the proceeds with the company.

Sounds like a cool new addition to the Internet.

Check out a sample:


Knowledge is power!

Go Google.

Bye for now.

WALL-E

Last week I went to see the new Pixar movie, Wall-E, and I must say, it is one of the best animated films I have ever seen. It is so full of heart it hurts.

Easily one of Pixar's best (It's up in the air between this and Finding Nemo for me), WALL-E stars a lovable little trash compacting robot called by his model type: WALL-E. This little robot has been tasked with cleaning up the trashed remains of an Earth forgotten. By himself. Somehow, all the other little WALL-Es are not functional, but I don't ask why because this one that still works is just so darn cute! Through his thousands of years, functioning on solar power and the drive to follow his programming, the little guy developed a personality. He gained a sort of child-like wonder about the world around him, stocking up on just about anything he finds interesting, from Rubix Cubes to jewelry cases.

Just this part of the movie alone is wonderous. It has that little touch of something unique, something special. You know from the start that this is not going to be some run-of-the-mill Disney flick. It's almost impossible to describe, and it has to be seen to be understood. Just the fact that there is no dialogue in the first 30 minutes of the film has to mean something.

The film also makes a statement. But it doesn't do it pretentiously, and is never preachy. Some republicans will say this movie is evil liberal fascist propaganda, but those people are also dumb and have no imagination.

This story takes you somewhere else. It takes you to a future Earth without humans, just trash. And one lonely robot to clean it all up. It takes you into outer space, to a spaceship filled with the rest of the human race, then back to Earth again. Seriously, see WALL-E. It is an amazing movie. Not for a very long time has a film brought out that sort of childlike wonder that transports you into a different world. You'll be smiling the entire time.

Internships Will Enhance Learning

On the importance of interning . . .

Right now, the job that puts money in my pocket is working for the Great Lakes Loons for the summer as a program seller. Last spring and into the summer, though, I started with the Loons as a Production Intern. Since this was the first season for the Loons in Midland, everything was quite new and exciting. As a Production Intern, I was able to work closely with the Video Production Manager and the Assistant GM of Marketing and Promotions. There were about eight interns who were working with the Production Department.

As a Production Intern, we assisted in the day-to-day operations of the production team for the Loons. We did video shooting, editing, graphic design media archiving and sometimes assisted in off-site productions. On game day, we actually did the shooting of the game either on one of the cameras, or we helped with editing. The equipment was absolutely state-of-the-art; the video board which came from a company called Daktronics was unbelievable. It is one of the largest video boards in minor league baseball.

It was a great experience working with the crew that I did. We learned a lot about working in a fast-paced environment; we learned how to use all of the equipment and learned production software in non-linear editing and graphic design. I was proud to be associated with the first group to work at Dow Diamond. The whole arena of Minor League Baseball in Midland has created a lot of excitement and revenue in the community and the counties around here too.To be able to go to my "job" and have it be at a premier baseball stadium filming minor league baseball was a great experience.

This is definitely an experience that I would recommend to anyone who thinks they'd enjoy the pace and enjoy watching the baseball games!

I'm thinking this won't be my last internship. These internships really show you what's up out there as far as the equipment being used and let you see it in action.

For now,

Peace to all & go Loons!

Adele on the Horizon of Incredible Sound

The other day, my brother introduced me to a new artist on the horizon. Her name is Adele Adkins. The CD is Adele 19. It is outrageously unbelievable. Her voice is like no other. The first cut on the CD is entitled "Daydreamer" - the lyrics are incredible. She goes up and down the ladder of sound and weaves you around until you are dizzy with delight. I highly recommend this CD to you if you think you might like an English jazz singer.


Adele Laurie Blue Adkins was born in 1988 in London. This year she received the Brit Award's Critic's Choice and is being hailed not as the new Amy Winehouse, but just as good if not better. Now, I like Amy Winehouse, but Adele isn't the trainwreck Amy Winehouse is.

I like her outlook on life in general. She is on the larger side (wears a 14-16), but says she will consider losing weight if it affects her health or her sex life.

Take a listen if you are interested in new amazing talent.

Gotta go - gotta get -

Peace out

Thanks to my brotha -

D

What's Happening in 2008

A person can't get away from the day to day headlines, commercials, conversations etc. about what's going to happen in the election this year. That being said, I though, why not blog about it too? I received an e-mail asking me to join in on the Obama campaign recently. This website is quite informational. The issues are capsulized in his "Blueprint for Change"--Change We Can Believe In.

Over the early part of the summer, I took a government class and an economics class through Delta. I couldn't have taken those classes in a better year. The relevancy of taking government and economics in an election year is obvious. But, even more so, the instructors were really good and demanding which, although really challenging at times, pushed me to learn a lot more with a lot more depth of understanding. My government teacher was very careful not to become preachy about either of the candidates, but I was pretty sure I knew which side she would vote on in the election. I am fairly certain we share a liking and belief in Barack.

One of the things we talked about in discussions is the lack of participation in voting on the part of young people. Maybe they get discouraged with the way the world is today, or maybe young people are disillusioned and cynical about government and the leaders today, but still, we do need to believe that our votes and our opinions count. I personally will be trying to make sure to have my friends register to vote - in fact if you haven't yet, click on the Vote 2008 and follow the information so you can get set up to vote! VOTE 2008

I may have to check out McCain's website one of these days too.

Peace and positive change for the future!

Moving On in Life

What's down the line---

So, after my graduation from the local community college in December, I will need to move on to a four-year institution so I can get a four-year degree. When I move on from Delta, I will have an Associates Degree in Electronic Media Broadcasting, but I still want to get the four-year degree.

I have been doing some investigating of various possibilities and pretty much have narrowed it down to

Central Michigan University
Ferris State University
Full Sail University (Winter Park, Florida)

My parents and I visited Full Sail a few years ago, and I was totally excited about the programs they have. In fact, they offer a degree in Film! However, the cost to going there and staying down there is totally high - the tuition alone is over $60,000 for the program I am interested in. This sure makes the cost of going to Delta a bargain! Anyway, you should check this school out if you are interested in something that is state of the art. They say that Steven Spielberg recruits from there. Their website is amazing as well. Of course, since it is a high-tech university, the website should be amazing. There are scholarships available too, so I may still take a look at that - and being down there right outside of Orlando wouldn't be a bad way to be! Decisions, decisions!

Then, there's CMU--right around the corner from where I am. The main issue with CMU is that they do not accept the courses I have taken at Delta directly into the program. The "articulation" between the schools has yet to be totally established. CMU has a Cinema and Broadcasting program which does look interesting--I'm just not sure if I want to repeat a bunch of classes just because they don't feel Delta's classes cover what theirs do. Decisions, decisions!

When looking at Ferris' program, I really got pumped about what they offer. They have a program called Television and Digital Media Production plus they have a smooth articulation agreement with Delta which all of my classes from Delta fit into perfectly. They also offer a three + one program if someone wants to save a lot of money and go with an extra year at Delta, you can do the Macrao agreement, go three years, transfer to Ferris in the fourth year, and get a four-year degree without paying the "arm and the leg." This is looking pretty good. I see they also have a couple of internship requirements and practicums which is great.

Ferris promotes this Television and Digital Media Production program saying that graduates can get employment in television and digital media production, broadcasting, cable, with major corporations in their audio/video areas, manufacturing facilities, hospitals, professional sports venues, independent production companies, post-production firms, education, and government. This sounds like the best deal to me so far. But, decisions, decisions!

Later - peace!

Traverse City Film Festival

Music and Film Lovers Unite!

July 29 - August 3 there will be an event in our great state of Michigan up in the north country specifically in the city of Traverse City. The 4th Annual Traverse City Film Festival is coming upon us.

60+ movies for film lovers of all genres will be made available. You need only check out the following website to get all of the details of the five days of fun in TC.

http://www.traversecityfilmfest.org/

This film festival is the brainchild of Michael Moore (who most people have some opinion about). This information came to me in an e-mail, and I am sharing it because this is really a great thing to happen to Michigan. And, if you happen to like Madonna, she is one of the drawing cards of the whole festival.


Tickets sales, FOR FRIENDS OF THE FILM FESTIVAL ONLY, begin at noon on Monday, July 14. Friends can purchase up to four tickets perscreening per membership. Tickets can be purchased by three means:

1. Online at http://www.traversecityfilmfest.org. Friends should follow the links and enter their Member Number and Password. This information was mailed via snail mail to Friends on Monday, and it will also be emailed later this week.

2. In person at the film festival box office in the Art Center at 300 East Front Street.

3. By phone at 231-929-1627.


In addition to Madonna, talk show host Phil Donahue will be there presenting his feature documentary "Body of War," - if you take advantage of the link and read what this is about, you may want to go just to see and hear about this!

Check it out - you still have time to get ready and go.

Later & peace to all

Fruity Loops Studio 8?! Yes Please!

Whoa. These people just don't know when to stop!!
& this is a good thing, believe you me!

As Bo Burnham would say, "Fo' sho'!"

Holy wow, check this out!

-flstudio.com

Looks quite sexy to me!!

Cannot wait to dabble and take a test drive on this monster of a program!

Woot!!

For additional information about anything Fruity, go here!

For additional (and amazingly radical and sweet) information, all about the up and coming, new - Fruity Loops Studio 8 (!!!), go here!!!

Awesome! :)

Till' next time, see ya later!!!

Peace to you.

"Cubase Essential 4"

This looks quite facinating.

Compared to the generic-looking Cubase Studio 4, this product/software/program looks quite ingenious and sounds to me like it offers more in general for the user. More bang for your buck, if you will!

-steinberg.net

*This "Personal Music Production System" is quite unique. According to Steinberg.net, Cubase Essential 4 is, "Bringing to your desktop powerful tools for composing, recording, editing and mixing, Cubase Essential 4 is your entry-level ticket to the world of Cubase. Cubase Essential 4 shines with the same user interface and award-winning Audio Engine as Steinberg’s flagship Cubase 4. And that means when it comes to audio quality and intuitive handling, Cubase Essential rivals its bigger brothers. Any way you choose to use it - as a sequencer for your home recording studio or a multi-track recorder for the band rehearsal room - with Cubase Essential 4 you get the real deal at an unbeatable budget price."

Some quick/cool features that are in this piece of software include:

• Audio + MIDI Recording and Mixing
• VST3 Plug-In Set (including HALion One and Guitar Amp Simulator)
• Professional Technology (32-bit Audio Engine, 24-bit/96-kHz Recording)
• Powerful Editors for MIDI and Audio Processing
• Media Bay database for sound management
• AudioWarp realtime time stretching/pitch shifting
• Cross-Platform: Windows and Mac OS X Universal Binary (compatible with PPC- and Intel-based Macintosh computers)

-Steinberg.net

Also, an interesting subject to note, new features!!
*As it says on the page describing this program: "Cubase Essential 4 (formerly Cubase SE product line) sets a new standard for personal music production software offering powerful editing tools, a new set of plug-in effects, the HALion One Sample Player instrument, a great-sounding guitar amp and more than 60 other new features and improvements. With a new Arranger Track, linear and pattern-style arranging is now seamlessly integrated. New AudioWarp realtime time stretching and pitch shifting makes working with loops and tempo-based audio easier than ever."

Sounds amazingly cool, and if I have the chance, I will definitely try this sucker out, for sure!!

For additional information about this program/software, go here!

That's all for now! :)

Peace to you.