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Culture Jam Ad Questions

1.  What company does the advertisement represent/subvert?

Alcohol

2.  What kind of product(s) is being advertised? 

Absolute Vodka

3.  What imagery is used in the advertisement to subvert?

The company is using a morgue with a dead body to show that alcohol is related to deaths, especially fatalities linked to automobiles. It also shows how alcohol ads reach out thousands of times to teens before they hit the legal drinking age.

4.  What message (text, copy) is used in the advertisement? 

In this ad, they used “Absolute on Ice” to imply being in a morgue, and being killed. They spoof the actual Absolute ad, about drinking vodka on ice, yet they imply it more as a fatality, and dangerous. 

5.  How are the elements and principles of design used to convey a message?

In this ad, they use colours to make this more intense, that they wanted to make sure the viewer wasn’t happy when they see it. They wanted to make sure it was unpleasant, to make more of an impact. They also use the age 18 on the name tag, to signify it was a young person who was killed, by the use of alcohol. They put the foot in the center of the page, since it is the focus of the ad.

6.  Who is the target audience of the advertisement?

The target audience for this advertisement is young people, especially teens. They wanted to convey the message of underage drinking, and the consequences.

7.  Does the ad jam convey a clear and successful message?

I think this ad conveys a successful message, that excessive drinking, can be very dangerous, especially to underage drinkers.

8.  How could the ad jam be improved?

I feel like the ad could be improved by using something more to imply drinking and driving, since it has a fact on the bottom of the ad referring to underage intoxicated drivers.

1.  What company does the advertisement represent/subvert?

Fast food products

2.  What kind of product(s) is being advertised? 

McDonald’s food products

3.  What imagery is used in the advertisement to subvert?

In this ad, Adbusters uses the head of a skinned cow, to show the cruelty and the type of meat that goes into their fast food products. They wanted to show the inhumane treatment these animals go through in order for us to eat one burger.

4.  What message (text, copy) is used in the advertisement?

The ad says “Do you want fries with that”, to portray that people are buying their food without realising what is put into it. They want people to know what is going into their food.  

5.  How are the elements and principles of design used to convey a message?

With this ad, they didn’t want it to be a positive message, and they wanted the viewer to be disturbed by the image they provided. They used a dead cow’s head to show what really the food is made of. 

6.  Who is the target audience of the advertisement?

Anyone who purchases McDonald’s fast food products.

7.  Doe the ad jam convey a clear and successful message?

Yes, I think this ad is successful because it shows that people are ignorant to what is going into their food, and Adbusters wants more people to understand what goes into McDonald’s food, and what animals go through to just for us to have a cheap meal.

8.  How could the ad jam be improved?

This ad could be improved maybe by adding a few facts to the bottom of it, to make it more believable and impressionable.

Culture Jammer Brainstorming

For this project, i want to use an ad from Estee Lauder, and attempt to convey the viewer to understand their inhumane acts towards animals. This company tests does test their cosmetics, fragrances, and other products on animals. On their website, they stated that they do not test on animals, unless mandated by law. Yet even though they are against animal testing, and work with Peta, they still continue to sell their products to countries where animal testing is mandatory. Even though they say they are advocates against animal cruelty and testing, they still continue to supply to companies who test solely on animals. I want to use one of their original ads, showing the model with many infections, scars and bruises from the testing. I want to convey to the viewer that we have many people who are in prison for life, for murder, etc. We should be testing on them, not innocent animals. I also want to ad facts and sayings from Estee Lauder's website, to get the message to the viewer that they are not free of animal testing, that they are still the mother company of suppliers that do.

Culture Jam

What aspect of your cultural jam do you find most successful and why?

In my culture jam ad, I find the photo shopped model the most successful because it shows what animals go through in order for us just to wear makeup. I feel that the different burises, cuts, and other wounds create a more dramatic effect. By changing the emotion on her face, it makes us feel more sympathetic, and understand what animal testing really is, that animal testing isn’t simply putting lipstick and mascara on rats and rabbits.

What aspect of your culture jam do you find least successful and why?

I find the text the least successful, because I could have made it more impactful, and a little more motivating to the viewer to understand the effects of animal testing. I feel that the quotes I used do have an impact, but not sure if those facts and sayings would continue to run through the viewers mind. If I chose different sayings or facts, it may have had a greater impact to the viewer.

If you could do this project again, what changes would you make to improve it? 

If I were to do this project again, or re-complete it, I would have changed the texts on the side of the ad, some of the wounds on the models face, and made it blend more evenly, and more realisticly. I would have changed the light tones, to make it more of a negative feel, rather than positive lighting. The biggest thing would be to add more impactful texts to the culture jam ad.

3D Glasses Imagery Apocalypse Assignment

Michaela Niesen, Zombie Apocalypse, Photoshop, April 2, 2015.

Technical

When creating this piece, I used the elements of Photoshop to help bring the art together, make it flow smoothly, and attempt to tell a story. I found images online, than used the quick selection, crop, and lasso tools to select the parts of the images I want. I used adjustment layers to put overlays on each image, to make it work with the 3D imagery colour combinations. I changed the opacity and the intensity of the colours of each image to help keep the eye moving around the piece. I used the burning tool to help make areas darker, to help layers stand out, and avoid being ‘fuzzy’. I used a lot of different brushes, to help make repetitive images, and create a large amount of layers, showing depth, and making the 3D more intense.  

Idea or Concept

When creating this piece, I started off the idea of the cliché zombie apocalypse, but also using the mostly the idea of what it would look like, more than focusing on the zombies themselves. My idea did change as I progressed, but not too significantly. I added things that I did not originally plan, such as rain and clouds, but I feel they help the art tie together.

Influences

There was no artist that influenced my art significantly.

Composition

When creating this piece, I used symmetrical techniques to help balance out the images, so it’s not to content heavy on one side compared to the other. For example I have the man with the shotgun on the left, and a large building on the top right. To keep the image flowing, I left images out of the center, to keep the eye moving around the piece, so you don’t get caught up in one image. I also made the images large and small, opaque and transparent, to help keep the eye moving. It keeps interest in the piece, so the viewer doesn’t look at one corner and get bored of it. I used the colour combinations for 3D to help make it intense, keeping the important at the front, and compliments in the back. These concepts work together as a whole to keep the piece interesting, and not bore the viewer after looking at it once.

Motivation

When creating this piece, I had the personal motivation to show the viewer what could possibly happen. I wanted to get the viewer to understand the outcome of an apocalypse of this degree, how it would destroy our world, and what any survivor would have to live with, and share the new world with. I wanted the viewer to understand everything would be started from scratch, which people would now have to appreciate what they have, and be grateful for what is available to them. I feel that people don’t appreciate what they have today, and everyone would be in a big change if something like this was to occur.

Critical Assessment

I feel that the most interesting and successful parts of this piece are the rain and cloud layers. I like how these layers stand out on top, and show the distance and depth in the piece. I feel the way it sits on top of the piece helps it flow, and showing depth, that the rain is close, and other images sit in the distance. I was surprised with how the art came together, how it flows, even with the somewhat distracting smoke in the front. With additional time, I would have attempted to fix the smoke layers, and made more black sections to help things pop.   

STEM LOGO

Post-Apocalyptic World in 3D

What do you think could be a possible end of the world? How do you think this particular disaster would affect the physical environment? (Ie. Would there be a lot of explosions, charred buildings, etc.)

I think that a possible end to the world could be a zombie apocalypse. It is very cliché that this could happen, but I think that it is a possibly happen. I think it could happen due to brain diseases and parasites that could transfer from animals to humans, and eat everyone alive. I think this type of disaster would affect the physical environment because as the zombies would take over, everyday things would not be used, such as cars, houses, and other objects used on the daily. Things would begin to rot and decay, slowly, until they are completely dissolved.

What particular aspect do you think you would like to show in your piece of art? Ex. The Psychology of the survivors, the physical world and how it’s been rebuilt? Perhaps a more positive world, where we are ecologically and socially harmonious with the future landscape?

In my piece of art, I want to demonstrate the state of the world now, and what were and are the developing effects of the apocalypse. I also want to attempt to demonstrate the feelings and actions of the survivors, and what they are doing to survive as the takeover happens. I feel like it will be a fearful atmosphere, that there would be no positivity. I feel like the survivors would be very terrified, due to the limited resources, the lack of suitable living requirements, and the flesh eating monsters they are sharing the world with.

What are ten things that you think would survive the disaster that you would like to portray? Why do you think these things in particular would make it?

In this piece of art, i feel like only very durable things would survive. Specific things being like house foundations, old buildings, cars and other vehicles, different types of buildings and architecture, really anything that could stand up to long periods of time without being used. Since zombies are decay, they would not use things like a typical human. They would not drive, live in homes, use transit, eat food, etc. Anything that could not handle weather damage and other natural effects without maintenance would also decay.

What could serve as a symbol of hope in your picture?  

I feel that a symbol of hope could be a small picture of life, something like a small animal, or a piece of nature, perhaps a flower. Showing things like these would symbolize that there could still be hope for life in a world full of decay.

Take a look at the art or T&T (Tyler Brett and Tony Romano), specifically, Onward Future. What do you think about their art? What do you think makes their work appealing to others?

After looking at these styles of art, it really does not appeal to me. I do think it is creative, to come up with different things that people can use to rebuild or reuse, i feel that it is a good idea, and it generates thought to the viewer. Personally, i find this type of art unamusing, and not too interesting, but to others it is. It could make people think about what we may have to do in the future, once we begin to use all of our supplied resources, and we are left to use whatever we have available left for us to live with.  

3D Images

Low Key Photography

Best Photos, 5 Black and White, 2 Colour, 1 Colour Pop

Contact Sheet - Vertical and Horizontal

'The Invisible'

Michaela Niesen, ‘The Invisible’, Photoshop Montage, February 20^th, 2015

Technical

When creating this piece, I used different elements in Photoshop to bring it together and make it flow. I used cut and paste, to bring all of the pictures together. I used the quick selection and lasso tool to select wanted parts of an image, and I used the feathering tool top give the image a softer, less pixelated look. I used adjustments like Hue/Saturation, Colour Balance and levels to bring all of my images to the same shade and colour scheme. I also downloaded and used available brushes to help tie things together, and fill in any empty space. I did also use dodging and burning to darken shadows and whiten highlights.

Idea or Concept

When creating this montage, my idea of the supernatural having a voice did affect the production process of the piece. I was stuck on how I was going to present my ideas through images that have deeper meaning, and images that require people to think. As I started putting pieces together, my idea developed, and helped me think of ways that the supernatural may try to contact us, through things such as spirit boards, and mediums.

Influence

There were no artists that really inspired me to make this piece. I came up with the entire thing without any inspiration other than my own.

Composition

When creating this piece, I used symmetrical techniques to help balance out the images, so it’s not to content heavy on one side compared to the other. For example I have the ghost in one side, and a girl on the opposite side to even out the piece. To keep the image flowing, I put images in a circular motion to keep the eye moving around the piece, so you don’t get caught up in one image. I also made the images large and small, dark and light, to help keep the eye moving. It keeps interest in the piece, so the viewer doesn’t look at one corner and get bored of it. These concepts work together as a whole to keep the piece interesting, and not bore the viewer after looking at it once, and helping them think deeper than just what the immediately see.

Motivation

When creating this montage, I felt that people should understand that the deceased have a voice, even though these voices and ‘ghosts’ are invisible, we still have the ability to communicate with them. Through this piece I wanted to show that we can contact the dead, and that they do have a voice, even though to us they are ‘The Invisible’. I want people to stop stereotyping spirits into thinking they are all Satan; that they are all evil, because I believe that good spirits live on, and they can contact loved ones, and any other people that they left behind. I feel that the dead have a voice and they are willing to contact us.

Critical Assessment

I feel the most interesting and most successful parts of my piece is the picture of the ghost, its sound waves, and the girl looking through the plancette are the most successful because they flow, and they focus the most on my idea or concept of the piece. I feel like the way the piece came together, and how it flowed surprised me, on how it all tied together. I like how it didn’t just cut off, and get your eye stuck on one image. With additional time, I would have added more darks, and smaller images, to make the piece more dramatic, and have more depth. 

The Invisible - Brainstorming and Paragraphs

Assignment #1 “The Invisible”

What do I think of when I hear the invisible?

●     I think of ghosts, spooking things, demons and the paranormal

●     I think of sound, light waves, and science things

●     People who are under prejudice of the government and from other people

●     The environment, and the effects of pollution on the environment/world

●     Feelings, souls, and emotions

●     Children that are bullied and mistreated

●     Families in poverty

●     People who have been trafficked in the world

●     Children that sit alone at school, at lunch, have no friends, etc

●     God, Faith, and religions

                For this first assignment, in “I Want to Believe or The Invisible”, I chose the Invisible category. For my piece, I would like to get the viewer to understand everyone’s blindness to the pollution of the environment, and the side effects of us continuing to pollute. It is about time everyone woke up and worked as a group against the pollution. Being aware of its bad effects has to be more than enough to work on pollution reduction. No matter what the governments do, the main action should come from people. I want my art piece to reach out to the viewer, and make them understand what is going to happen to the environment if we continue to do the same harmful actions. I want people to understand how we are taking our world for granted, and we need to take more careful actions, and respect the world that is given to us.

                In my art piece, I would like it to act as a ‘wakeup call’ to the viewer. I want the piece to get the viewer to understand the effects of pollution by using emotional and upsetting images. By triggering deep emotions, it can make the viewer connect more to the piece, and help them think more deeply about the art. I want the viewer to feel like they are almost committing a crime by polluting. I want them to remember the images that are put into my art, and understand what happens, and what will happen in the future if the pollution continues. I want them to be emotional by looking at the piece, and think about the harm they are doing to the environment, the animals, and potentially themselves and their future, every time they decide to make a harmful decision.

                This idea and art piece is appealing to me because it is something I feel deeply about, and I worry about the environment, the things effected directly by pollution specifically, and the things that are helpless to stop it from happening. Things like nature and animals are powerless to stop our mistakes, and we need to realize the true effects of our mistreatment. It is appealing to me because I want people to understand what we are truly doing to the environment, and I want them to think about the things that we are harming, and what will happen in the future if we continue to do so. I want people to feel as vulnerable as the animals and nature that are receiving the side effects of our mistakes. If people felt the same way as the victims of our mistreatment, people may think twice before they decide to pollute our environment.

                

Duotone

Colour Balance

Blending Layers and Erasers