Between Filth and Fortune- Urban Cattle Foraging Realities by Devi S Nair, An...Mansi Shah
This study examines cattle rearing in urban and rural settings, focusing on milk production and consumption. By exploring a case in Ahmedabad, it highlights the challenges and processes in dairy farming across different environments, emphasising the need for sustainable practices and the essential role of milk in daily consumption.
Can AI do good? at 'offtheCanvas' India HCI preludeAlan Dix
Invited talk at 'offtheCanvas' IndiaHCI prelude, 29th June 2024.
https://www.alandix.com/academic/talks/offtheCanvas-IndiaHCI2024/
The world is being changed fundamentally by AI and we are constantly faced with newspaper headlines about its harmful effects. However, there is also the potential to both ameliorate theses harms and use the new abilities of AI to transform society for the good. Can you make the difference?
You could be a professional graphic designer and still make mistakes. There is always the possibility of human error. On the other hand if you’re not a designer, the chances of making some common graphic design mistakes are even higher. Because you don’t know what you don’t know. That’s where this blog comes in. To make your job easier and help you create better designs, we have put together a list of common graphic design mistakes that you need to avoid.
2. ‘my brother jordan’
Context – This documentary was made over 8 years, this obviously lead to a change
in context perspective from the time it had begun production to the time it ended.
The documentary was released in a time where family was separated due to COVID-
19, which though not necessarily planned, does emphasize the message of how
important family are that’s portrayed in the documentary.
Style – The documentary is made as a biography, chronologically pinpointing
important events in Jordan’s life from birth to death. The style of documentary is
quite minimalist, focusing on a mix of interviews and found home videos. It’s
extremely impactful, the simplistic atmosphere makes it more immersive, and
makes the story of Jordan feel very real, like the viewer is part of the family.
Techniques – The documentary mostly uses found footage, personal to the family
from when they were growing up. It uses these to demonstrate the story of how
Jordan grew up, with a narration over the top. It’s very minimal, there isn’t any
‘fancy’ editing or graphics, it’s very simple and impactful. The use of home footage
mixed with interviews of those close to Jordan creates a more personal and
impactful documentary. It’s clearly not over done and ‘too professional’, it’s
obviously a very personal project that is demonstrated by the minimal techniques.
Content – The documentary centers around the main narrator’s brother Jordan. It
memorializes his life’s journey, starting from his older brothers birth to his eventual
early death due to cancer. Though it’s made clear that Jordan passes away right at
the start, the overall tone for content is quite light hearted up until the end,
overriding a stark contrast from Jordan’s life growing up to when he was diagnosed.
It’s incredibly emotive, the contrast really effecting how the audience thinks and
feels towards his passing, really emphasizing just how devastating it was.
3. Context – This video was made in a time when tensions in America over gun laws
and mass shootings were very high. This means that for those watching in current
time it may be more impactful because it’s a struggle people still deal with, where as
in a decade or so, tensions may have decreased and this documentary would have
less of an impact. It’s also made for YouTube and seems to be quite low budget,
meaning they uploaded this for the sake of getting the information out there rather
than to put on a big production.
Style – The style of this video is quite sombre and straight to the point. It’s very
simplistic and clearly focuses more on the narration than anything else. The only
visuals are the camera focusing on the woman talking and the fact that angle
changes every now and again. It’s clearly a story based project, and has very serious
tones to it as it’s handling a sensitive subject.
Techniques – This documentary uses very little techniques. The editing is minimal,
with occasional jump cuts to a different, stationary angle. The lighting has quite a
dark and modest vibe to it, with desaturated tones whilst highlighting red. The
documentary also uses text to provide a content warning to viewers at the start, as a
heavy topic is discussed. The editing is minimal and no ‘fancy techniques’ are used.
Content – The mini documentary focuses entirely on the narrator and her story
about how she and her sister survived the 2017 Vegas festival shooting. She recalls
the event chronologically, explaining what she did and how she was feeling at every
step from when it began to when she escaped. The video focuses on her as she tells
the story without including any images or videos, making it feel like she is talking
directly to the audience instead of to a camera.
‘I Survived The Vegas Music Festival Shooting’
4. ‘Inside The Tanks’
Context – This documentary came out in 2017. During this time, there were a lot of
protests to have Orcas released from captivity, or at least stop breeding new ones.
This means that in terms of context, people were aggravated by any arguments ‘pro
captivity’, which resulted in the documentary gaining a lot of traction. However, as
the video seems to have a bias towards ‘anti captivity’, it gained a lot of positive
feedback. A decade or so ago I imagine it would have had the opposite reaction, as
people were less educated and just liked seeing the Orcas.
Style – The style of this documentary is very educational. It was made for the sole
purpose of giving information about behind the scenes at marine parks, and
opening up the public eye to how the animals are treated. This video wasn’t against
the marine parks and wasn’t made as a campaign against them. Insead, it made
audiences aware to both sides of the argument, and worked purely as an
educational video instead of a biased piece.
Techniques – This documentary uses a variety of techniques. It incorporates both
found and filmed footage, including interviews with a specialist and the owner of
the marine park. It also documented the process of trying to obtain these videos,
showing the clear divide of how eager both sides of the argument were. T uses
voice overlay over footage of the whales to provoke emotion, and uses visual
evidence to back up vocal claims from the interviews.
Content – This video is a documentary portraying the behind the scenes of the
popular French marine park, Marineland, and how they treat their whales and
dolphins. The film follows a man touring the park and observing the animals,
interviewing both a marine biologist who is heavily against the animals in captivity,
and the park owner who supports the animals being in captivity.
5. Research summary:
I should include multiple things on screen as just a single video clip can become boring unless the story is really
interesting. It would also help to include found footage and interviews at would support my points as well as ac as
emotive for the viewers.
I should take into account the context and time period that my documentary is being released. I shouldn’t bring up
things from the past that have already been solved, as this would make me look like I don’t know wha I’m talking about
and people may not take it seriously. I should make sure my research on the subject is modern, and use interviews and
found footage that is still relevant in today’s context.
The style of my video will be educational, it won’t be too bright and happy in terms of atmosphere as it’s handling quite
a sensitive topic. It will have a desaturated tone and work as an emotive campaign, reflecting the thoughts around the
subject in the visual and audio aspects of the mini documentary.
6. Bibliography:
Inside The Tanks (2017) John Meah
‘I survived the Vegas Music Festival Shooting’ (2019) Buzzfeed Unsolved Network – Kacie Nicole Margis
My Brother Jordan – Documentary (2020) Justin Robinson
Editor's Notes
Context affects what is produced, how it is produced and who can produce it.
Technology is part of the context. Early fanzines were hand made because there was no InDesign or Photoshop. Web-series simply didn’t existing because the web didn’t exist.
People who don’t have access to jobs in mainstream media, to become journalists or editors, might produce work independently of that system.
People who don’t see themselves or their interests being represented in main stream media, might produce something that represents them or their social group.
The political situation will influence what someone decides to make. The cultural situation will influence what people make.
Every media text is a product of its environment, just like people.
Style: The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed. The combination of distinctive features of literary or artistic expression, execution, or performance
characterizing a particular person, group, school, or era.
For example, a podcast could be two people talking, it could be interviews and a voice over, it could just be a recording of a teaching session… how it is done, is the style.
Techniques:
How are these things being made? What methods are being used? Find out and also use your own experience. For example, is a fanzine being hand written or word processed? How do people making a web series set up their shooting spaces? The more you can find out about technique, the more you can get ideas for your own work.
Content:
The material, including text and images, that constitutes a publication or document.
What is actually in this product? Break it down. Is it interviews, monologues, reviews, instructions… Identify the different types of content in the items you research, to help your own ideas.
Context affects what is produced, how it is produced and who can produce it.
Technology is part of the context. Early fanzines were hand made because there was no InDesign or Photoshop. Web-series simply didn’t existing because the web didn’t exist.
People who don’t have access to jobs in mainstream media, to become journalists or editors, might produce work independently of that system.
People who don’t see themselves or their interests being represented in main stream media, might produce something that represents them or their social group.
The political situation will influence what someone decides to make. The cultural situation will influence what people make.
Every media text is a product of its environment, just like people.
Style: The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed. The combination of distinctive features of literary or artistic expression, execution, or performance
characterizing a particular person, group, school, or era.
For example, a podcast could be two people talking, it could be interviews and a voice over, it could just be a recording of a teaching session… how it is done, is the style.
Techniques:
How are these things being made? What methods are being used? Find out and also use your own experience. For example, is a fanzine being hand written or word processed? How do people making a web series set up their shooting spaces? The more you can find out about technique, the more you can get ideas for your own work.
Content:
The material, including text and images, that constitutes a publication or document.
What is actually in this product? Break it down. Is it interviews, monologues, reviews, instructions… Identify the different types of content in the items you research, to help your own ideas.
Context affects what is produced, how it is produced and who can produce it.
Technology is part of the context. Early fanzines were hand made because there was no InDesign or Photoshop. Web-series simply didn’t existing because the web didn’t exist.
People who don’t have access to jobs in mainstream media, to become journalists or editors, might produce work independently of that system.
People who don’t see themselves or their interests being represented in main stream media, might produce something that represents them or their social group.
The political situation will influence what someone decides to make. The cultural situation will influence what people make.
Every media text is a product of its environment, just like people.
Style: The way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed. The combination of distinctive features of literary or artistic expression, execution, or performance
characterizing a particular person, group, school, or era.
For example, a podcast could be two people talking, it could be interviews and a voice over, it could just be a recording of a teaching session… how it is done, is the style.
Techniques:
How are these things being made? What methods are being used? Find out and also use your own experience. For example, is a fanzine being hand written or word processed? How do people making a web series set up their shooting spaces? The more you can find out about technique, the more you can get ideas for your own work.
Content:
The material, including text and images, that constitutes a publication or document.
What is actually in this product? Break it down. Is it interviews, monologues, reviews, instructions… Identify the different types of content in the items you research, to help your own ideas.
Write down a summary of the key things you have learned in this research, that will help you with your project. Short sentences and bullet points are acceptable.
