A lot of ideas which had been storyboarded for the movie didn't end up being completed. This was mainly due to the complication of the animation process, as I already had established a specific look and concept, deviating from that would of distracted the overall impact of the film. The final project consisted of over 100GB of data to give you a bit of a background into the complexity of the animation.

After effects was used in adding any additional ellements for the final project, for example animated text and colour correction.

Premier was the final piece of software I had used. This is where all the different medians including audio was brought together for final production and compression.

All animation has been done with cinema 4d R13 using the native rendering engine.

Security surveillance sequence which is starting to take shape. 

Guest user logging in.

VIT upclose, didnt get around to finishing this scene but was going to have a virtual space filled with these. The centre was going to display varying movies depicting visual archiving in the virtual space. 

 Users passing through a VIA Australian security portal which allocates user privileges. 

Seamless digital landscape indicating the idea of an endless arrangement of spaces designed around users preferences.

This was a bit of a an off shoot which inspired me to pursue the evolution of technology.
As you can see the rate of change is quite considerable in terms of the increasing amount of detail in the gaming experience. The realer the experience the more popular a game becomes. So what if we could create a console which allows the user to be completely be emerged in a game without the need of using hand held controls or displays. This I see as being an evolutionary step of things to come.

Final panel for DAB810

Virtual Intelligence Agency (VIA)
Humans have never been content with what is now. A flux of digitalised evolution has blurred the physical connections of our ancestors. No longer tied to living united within one world, the ever increasing popularity of the virtual playground has expanded to a multiverse of reassignment.
Augmented minds find programing reality too difficult. The physical world no longer holds it wealth, a material desert. This shift has led to the ability of separating the mind from its body. God’s image spawns new life to the multiverse leaving behind its mortal remains. Immortality is now possible, but like all programs, minds alike become superseded. Increased brain activity can become too great. Defragmentation and execution is common amongst users.
These worlds our made up three types of users.
Guest
Registered
Admin
Guest choose to coexist with the real world using such portals, no more than the predecessor of the virtual world the Internet. They associate with registered users but are not dedicated in developing the programs. Coined surfing, they surf the digital landscape in pursuit of knowledge and entertainment.
Registered Individuals reside in artificial realities, and virtual domains. Dedicated in the further development of such worlds these users are made up of mainly those that their physical presence could no longer support them in the physical world.
Virtual Intelligence Agency (VIA) was established under Australian law as the administrator for users that connected through the Australian portals. They monitor content within these worlds, and create networks for users to collaborate and archive information of national wealth.
Up to this point, we have had no alternative to life, besides death. As our bodies fail us. We now have the choice between life in the “real world,” or an existence in the virtual realm.
Every human brain contains an immense wealth of information, memories, experiences and relationships. Every time a human brain dies, that incredible, unique wealth of knowledge dies with it, and is forever lost.
Various programs have been installed into this environment to preserve such knowledge.
The arts and innovation has now a new backdrop for exploration.
Drug addiction and those suffering from terminally ill diseases are able to be rehabilitated in a drug free environment.
cleansing of the mind has given mentally ill patients a fresh start in the real world.
“they who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream by night”
Edgar Allan Poe

This would of been interesting if I was able to find more information on the results from the program on Augmented Minds

The convergence of AI, nanotech, and molecular biology (both natural and synthetic) are allowing for technologies which make the human body an integral part of the internet of things. These technologies challenge current legal, ethical and social assumptions about privacy and identity. At the same time, the interfaces to some online social networks allow automated avatars to interact directly with human users. These avatars may have capabilities beyond those of unaugmented human users, and create privacy challenges. Moreover, it may be useful to consider an online social network itself as an augmented mind, including both its technological components and the collective knowledge of its users. There have been some glaring mismatches between the capabilities of these augmented minds and users privacy assumptions.

In all these cases, technological advances are enabling the creation of augmented minds which challenge current legal and technological positions on privacy protection.

There is already a literature that discusses practical and ethical issues of augmented minds. However, it is not in the fields of law or computer science, but of folklore and science fiction. Zombies, cyborgs and vampires are creatures of human-like aspect with more-than-human powers, and in some cases less-than-human moral responsibility. In this session we will discuss privacy issues of augmented minds, from both a legal and a technological point of view, using these creatures as metaphors.

Wiebke and Shawn will outline some legal and ethical challenges that newly evolving cutting-edge technologies such as implantable ICTs and brain-computer interfaces make to concepts of privacy and identity. These technologies potentially allow the creation of zombAIs, brains that are part-human, part-AI.

Lilian will talk about succession to digital assets, in particular focusing on recent Facebook changes promoting post-death memorialisation, and what they saw about privacy and choice for the deceased versus rights for heirs and families. A possible first stage to zombAIs is post-death avatarization in social networks, as an alternative to passing on assets to heirs.

Miranda will discuss Twitter cyborgs, which are automated or partly-automated Twitter accounts designed to send large volumes of Twitter messages, typically for marketing purposes. Twitter cyborgs can be disruptive even when their marketing is opt-in only. There are implications for privacy safeguards in online social networks populated by a mixture of cyborgs and unaugmented human users.

Caroline will discuss the extent of the patent/web standards 'problem' and will critically consider, post-OOXML, whether the current web standard/patent legal policy debate accurately captures the real patent issues for web standards, with particular reference to issues of data privacy.

Judith will look at individual attitudes to privacy and transparency taking the various methods of "mind-reading" in vampire stories like the Twilight saga and True blood as a starting point. She will analyse these attitudes in the context of the ethical complexities that arise from forms of voluntary and enforced "transparency" on social media and the way in which knowledge and disclosure of information by one person affects the individuals to whom that information relates.

Andrea will moderate as well as raise questions about the legal and privacy implications of the emergence of the "corporate cyborg" -- today's corporation which simultaneously strives to be progressively more internally mechanized, yet externally human.

Virtual technologies has lead us to the ability of separating the mind from its body. 

This has enabled our minds to be uploaded into the virtual realm. 

Identity, thoughts, memories have been altered as zeros and ones. 

Individuals now reside in artificial realities,and virtual domains, physical restraints has become obsolete 

A new form of AI has been created. 

neural prosthetics in the real world facilitate the functions and components of the human brain to function which is reflected in the digital landscape.

This world has been created not as a game or for those that seek an immortal existence, its been programed to create a better wellbeing for those existing in the real world by furthering human intelligence beyond its physical capabilities. 

Every human brain contains an immense wealth of information, memories, experiences and relationships. Every time a human brain dies, that incredible, unique wealth of knowledge dies with it, and is forever lost.

Various programs have been installed into this environment to preserve such knowledge. 

The arts and innovation has now a new backdrop for exploration.

Drug addiction and those suffering from terminally ill diseases are able to be rehabilitated in a drug free environment.

cleansing of the mind has given mentally ill patients a fresh start in the real world.

Virtual intelligence has the ability to upload the mind, where it can be, stored, copied and distributed, to help improve quality of life.  

External life extension has proven to be the largest population of users.

Up to this point, we have had no alternative to life, besides death. As our bodies fail us. We now have the choice between life in the "real world," or an existence in the virtual realm. Over the next couple of weeks you will see in more detail how you may experience this Virtual reality.

Virtual Extended Life

When our bodies fail us

Brain dump of ideas for agency

• Singularity agency for resolution (resolve issues in government through advanced technology)

• external life extension (when our bodies give up, living beyond our body in a virtual environment, trashing the flesh cage,)

• Computer spawned life (for example create a seed plant it and be able to grow)

• Digital Memory Agency (bank of your entire memory, this could further our knowledge as knowledge would not be lost)

• Human machine intergration (Humans merge with machines)

• Virtual Rehab - Virtual healing - Virtual shock agency (virtual junkie epidemic, virtual treatment for mental illness and ill patients, scare campaigns virtually)

• Mind cleanse (suicide, traumatic experience) 

• Promoting arts and innovation

• Visual Spatial Learning (Our language is holding us back)  

• Minds in Sync 

"I specialise in a very specific type of security. Subconcious security"

hE SHitS ME but an example of the shift in thinking that needs to be done.

left or right side of the brain test. 


Here is a left or right side of the brain test. Have a go and post your results.
TEST


My results 
Left Brain  Right Brain 
29%          71%

a vision of the lack of right side of the brain in government.

RANT (father)

Today we have the longest prolonged period in politics where on all sides cannot find any leadership candidates worthy of meeting the needs of the community. Parties are ruled by faceless factional interests who are only motivated by personal self interest.

The people have little if any influence on leadership. Parties are so divided that their policies are reactionary and have no clear plan for the future.

This lack of leadership has confused the voters in who they support. Support for parties is unstable and unreliable with the net effect of parties opposing each other on any issues in the hope of eroding opposition support.

The nations interests are being ignored to the extent that we as a whole are wandering aimlessly into the future with no confidence in present and potential leaders.

Any decision are delayed when released and are so poorly planned that often they fall over before implementation.

Politicians seize on so called reliable economic statists that imply everything is ok. In fact the everyday citizen consistently sees that they need a reality check.

The Reserve Bank and government or opposition members  translate the current “Resources Boom” into prosperity for all. Why then are businesses discounting and having Xmas sales that have lasted for the past 9 months.

The industries that prosper in good times like the tourism and hospitality are on their knees with many venues closing and job losses are high. The building industry in popular locations in Queensland, NSW and Victoria has almost come to a complete standstill.

Credit card spending is falling, bank savings are rising. This is a sign of lack of confidence in what the future holds for us.

Poor leadership is what is driving this uncertainty and lack of trust. Self interest, division and lack of good candidates at all levels of politics has left us in an unfamiliar period which we have not experienced in recent decades. No matter what side of politics or level you supported in the past there have been strong leaders like them or not.

Today no party can claim a stable and consistent support base. Elegancies are complex with people now not being taken for granted.

That’s me from my soap box.

Breaking the House Rules
The design and architecture of our built environment is stupid. Inertness of thought and practice has been prompted by inertness of product. Currently, designers traverse rocky ground between the fluidity of the concept sketch and the discernible parameters of construction. They are forced into choices from an incredibly limited pallet. If for a moment we consider the brick, we can see that many of its perceived advantages are intellectually unsustainable. Its merits, we are told, include its wide range of colours, its human scale, simple going methods and ease of procurement - but not its capacity to keep out water. Brick buildings must there fore incorporate many preventive measures, such as damp proof courses, or even a second wall to stop water penetration and allow space for insulation. A house with a house is a silly idea for the of the twentieth century. 


The hand is gloriously adaptable, holding pens playing instruments, picking the noses are among the many skills in its infinite repertoire. Which tool the hand becomes is determined by the mental software run on it. But it is a biological machine, a meat tool; it cannot change topological form. What hopes have we in a real space and real time of escaping material stupidity? Is it possible to design materials that can change their innate qualities and topologies? The answer, perhaps, lies in nanotechnology.


(Digital Dreams. Neil Spiller) 

Trashing the Flesh Cage




Technologies are becoming better life-support systems for our image than for our body. IMAGES ARE IMMORTAL. BODIES ARE EPHEMERAL. The body finds it increasingly difficult to match the expectectations of its images. In the realm of multiplying and morphing images, the physical body's impotence is apparent. THE BODY PERFORMS BEST AS ITS IMAGE.


(Digital Dreams. Neil Spiller) 

Spaces of Indeterminacy


In reaction to a capitalist economics and its effect on the social, cultural and political domain, some people have chosen to resist by living outside the mainstream. Others do not have a choice: they live "outside" because society has rejected them. In cities, this exclusionary phenomenon has a spatial inscription, the dropouts occupy excluded spaces where they can deviate from the accepted 'norm'. Escaping from the planning authorities' control.

Indeterminate spaces are difficult to quantify because of their inherent heterogeneity and although the speakers at the Architecture and Indeterminacy Theory Forum gave many examples of such places, their location, physical characteristics, use and users, there was no single definition of such a space. Several speakers, including Gil Doron, described the nature of these zones, which are the consequence of the subdivision of cities through modern planning practices. This has created 'edge spaces' also known as 'gaps' or 'interstitial urban places',1 whose tricky ownership rights and physical characteristics (not easily accessible, too small, have irregular shapes), have made them difficult to utilise through the common means of architecture and urban planning. Thus, they are excluded from the planning process. Doron called them "an outside within the inside"2because they still have a "symbiotic although unrealised"3 relationship to the rest of the city. They can be found between industrial and residential areas, between tower blocks, under bridges and on pavements. However, they are difficult to map as they undergo constant change, making them unreadable.

These spaces have no assigned function but many informal uses, usually unofficial and illegal. They are mostly occupied by marginalised groups: squatters, subcultures, the homeless, prostitutes, cultural minorities and drug addicts.

Temporality is another key aspect of these spaces, which can be described as 'dead'4 at certain times of day or night but not at others. What is more, the lifetime of these 'out-of-control zones' is limited - these are transient spaces. According to Dougal Sheridan5 some indeterminate spaces disappear with time whilst others are formalised.

Through scanning underground Cavaties a digital mapping offers description of indeterminacy.

(3d Glasses required)

Things of interest (But does the fucker actually float)

WeatherField located in Abu Dhabi, is a shape-shifting energy generation park. The idea is to respond both efficiently and creatively to the climate. This form of energy generation is a public spectacle that is dynamic, reactive and interactive. When the weather is calm it remains calm but when the weather turns it is stimulated and competes with natures performance.

If we can't convince the general public of the benefits of existing natural energy resources, what better way to encourage them by providing the fucks with entertainment. 

                                                                                     

Panels submitted for first crit for DAB810 

Virtual scare tactics

Could the virtual world be used for government scare tactics that we currently see in the media. These could be controlled systems which gives the viewer a real world experience to discourage from future practice.

Lucid Dreaming


Lucid dreaming is the ability to become aware that you are awake whilst you are still within your dream. It is an experience like no other. The ability to have a lucid dream can be taught.


So what about if your dream world where anything is possible, was to be captured and programmed into a virtual environment. Could elements of this dream turn into reality, by means of innovation and creativity from a world not constrained by our existing code.

Metaverse
The Metaverse is a fictional virtual world, described in Neal Stephenson's 1992 science fiction novel Snow Crash, where humans, as avatars, interact with each other and software agents, in a three-dimensional space that uses the metaphor of the real world.

A play on semiotics

Telling the mind one thing in text but showing the opposite in imagery. 

Understanding semiotics through visuals

An interesting thread at which I have noticed images through the internet have again changed it meaning or should I say dynamic conversation associated with it's environment. This has its effect from factors such as comments between bloggers, the caption associated with certain images and the freguency of imagery occuring in search engines.

Semiotics is code for sending messages via signs & symbols. Semiotics is also how the receiver interprets the message. The swastika is commonly referred to Adolf Hitler and his time in power with the Nazi's. Many people instantly portray this a 
sign of hatred. However a Hindu, Buddhist or Jainism where
the symbol originated from would believe it is a symbol of
love and piece.

Semiotics is used a lot in advertisement. This is a clever tactic as the viewer then has to engage with the product to understand the hidden language that the image is trying to get across. The example to the right is insinuating that the cat after drinking the 
Pepsi is now skinny enough to fit inside the hole.

Possible future agencies

• department of sustainable national spending
• department of sustainable population 
• promoting arts
• public service un-productivity
• department of government accountability 
• visual-spatial learning

Seeing before reading

We see documents before we read them: this initial encounter evokes an aesthetic response but one with immediate practical consequences. Since seeing precedes reading, the reader’s first glance influences the information processing that follows. The balanced arrangement of visual elements on the page, the contrast among these elements, the efficient use of space—together these create a unified visual display that predisposes the reader to respond favorably (or unfavorably) to the information in the document.

Gifted people have a preference for visual spatial thinking because it faster and most powerful than auditory sequential thinking. visual-spatial thinking is approximately eight times faster than auditory thinking. It is rich, textured, creative, problem finding and problem solving. 

The implementation of a virtual experience in government could then in fact return greater results amongst those that are able to visualize and create solutions in a more dynamically open ended environment.

Reality is not real,
only reflected reality becomes true loosing its physicality,
so it is objective.

verbal imagination 
"Many have no happier moments than those they pass in solitude, abandoned to their own imagination, which sometimes puts sceptres in their hands or mitres on their heads, shifts the scene of pleasure with endless variety, bids all the forms of beauty sparkle before them with every change of visionary luxury."
(Samuel Johnson)


"To every place of entertainment we go with expectation and desire of being pleased; we meet others who are brought by the same motives; no one will be the first to own the disappointment; one face reflects the smile of another, till each believes the rest delighted, and endeavours to catch and transmit the circulating rapture. In time, all are deceived by the cheat to which all contribute. The fiction of happiness is propagated by every tongue, and confirmed by every look, till at last all profess the joy which they do not feel, consent to yield to the general delusion, and, when the voluntary dream is at an end, lament that bliss is of so short a duration."
(Samuel Johnson)
http://www.samueljohnson.com/delusion.html

The powerpoint dilema



In the last 15 or so years, people started replacing articles and diagrams with powerpoint presentations riddled with bullet points, geared purely towards the speakers knowledge of the topic. The problem is one which we as students can all relate to. No detailed analysis or consise documentation. In result creates misunderstanding, misinterpretation, miscommunication.


How could this be done better?
Virtually may hold the answer, recorded live speeches and presentations which not only captures the tone but also the body language of the speaker which when reflected to that of an actor is just as important.


Could then this ideal be represented somehow in a government department for users to freely visit to obtain a better understanding of unclear topics.




POWERPOINT, your cruel reign is over. You're too boring - even for Switzerland

A Swiss political party, the Anti-PowerPoint movement, wants to ban the presentation software for the good of man kind.

According to the party's founder, Matthias Poehm, PowerPoint teaches people very little and actually alienates audiences from the presentation.

“The fact is that the average PowerPoint presentation creates boredom," he says on his website.

Mr Poehm believes too many workplaces rely on PowerPoint presentations instead of talking to their employees.

"Companies, conferences, schools, universities should no longer have to justify using PowerPoint," he says.

Mr Poehm estimates that Switzerland could save up to 350 billion euros ($479 billion) a year by banishing the software and going retro.

Flip charts – a whiteboard with a pad and paper fixed to it – are "not only much more emotional, but also much more pleasant and more interesting to watch", he says.

The Anti-PowerPoint Party needs 10,000 petition signatures in order to run candidates in the next election. So far only 300 people have signed up to the cause.

So it seems that, for the time being, Switzerland will remain PowerPoint-neutral.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/technology/swiss-political-party-wants-to-ban-powerpoint-presentations-from-public-speaking/story-e6frfro0-1226124179378#ixzz1Wty6FtPX

Virtual reality definition 

Virtual reality is an artificial environment that is created with software and presented to the user in such a way that the user suspends belief and accepts it as a real environment. On a computer, virtual reality is primarily experienced through two of the five senses: sight and sound. 

The infographic about Iranian bloggers


An interesting look into a political movement that Iranians are using to unite against their government. This could be said to happen more into the future.

RANT (girlfriend)


As an ex public servant I see so much injustice in our government public service system. Having worked in four governments departments and seeing my friends and family work in numerous other departments, the disparity in pay packets between hard working private sector employees and unproductive public servants really shows how much of taxpayers dollars are being wasted by the government. 




The problem also has nothing to do with the party in power. It's the APS (Australian Public Service) culture that has a unproductive, unaccountable disease. The amount of money is wasted on public servants that have very little work to do is shocking. People from outside Canberra and the APS system would have no idea just how very little work is being done for pay packets 30 - 40% higher than salaries in the private sector. 


Some may say if you can't beat them then why don't you join them, but the fact of getting up everyday to do 7.5 hrs of no work or looking like doing work is just depressing and the main reason why I have given up a fat pay packet. To be a productive member of society. That is exactly what I have done, lowered my pay considerably, worked my butt off, but now get the satisfaction of being a productive member of society. 

Rant
Being such a new developing country, I believe we have been able to learn from others and therefore have established a society where anyone can create success for themselves. Equal opportunities arise if we are willing to commit. 

One of the problems in all this is that Australians seem to react to situations like that of an only child. We have been nurtured by our government and expect nothing less and in doing so created a heavily law enforced, angry and frustrated society limiting us of our once prided freedom. With each rule that has been enforced, another one is added, more laws equal more expense. What does this all mean? 

From talking amongst travelers who have visited Australia, they first of all say how beautiful our country is and how friendly we all are, immediately followed by how expensive it is and the lack of entertainment, that is freely accessible.  

This is concerning to me in terms of our relationship between countries for the future. Are we are somewhat limiting our potential due to a culture driven by mass consumers. We live in a country were the every day person wants one of everything.

We have been gifted with a special place in the world. I think those values of freedom that we have all been drummed into believing is slowly being taken away from us. Individuality seems to be fostered for non profit, creativity appreciated but not of monetary worth. For us to compete with the ever increasing Asian markets innovation and uniqueness is of the up most importance. What can we bring as a nation to the world. 

Visual-spatial learning

The visual-spatial thinking and learning style is very powerful. Visual-spatial learners are excellent visualisers and must visualise in order to learn. Visual-spatial learners think primarily in pictures not words - either “still” like  photographs or “moving” like videos. They need time to translate their pictures into words and should not be hurried to provide answers to questions.

Their thought process is random abstract pattern recognition rather than sequential and they have problems following sequential material presented orally.  They need to translate words into pictures in order to think and while they are translating they can miss incoming content material. This means that they may have gaps in their subject knowledge. Because of their need to translate their thoughts/pictures into words, they often do poorly in timed tests.

Gifted visual-spatial learners thrive on complexity yet often fail at simple tasks e.g. they can learn abstract, complex mathematics and yet have difficulty with the times-tables. They can create complex and detailed stories but cannot write them down. They tend to be global and divergent thinkers. Because they focus on the larger picture, they often don't know how they have arrived at a conclusion or solved a problem.

Writing can be particularly difficult for visual-spatial learners, because it requires considerable effort and well developed visualising skills to translate words into pictures in order to be able to think, translate the pictures back into words and then hold them still in their head while they writes them down. This process requires constant effort which is physically exhausting and mentally draining.

They tend to be disorganised and have difficulty meeting time limits. This is not a behavioral issue but a significant difficulty for which they need assistance to develop appropriate strategies and skills. They need structure and predictability, clear limits and time frames and assistance with project planning. It is important that they are praised for their effort rather than concentration on achievement as it takes considerable time for them to develop organisational strategies and skills.

Personally I suffer from the ability to decipher static text, the only form that seems to stick is that of poetry because it has the ability to take its own form. The implementation of a virtual agency within government would increase my overall understanding of the issues we face and would better my opinion and input on such problems.