Reflection

Reflection

From the whole process of this course, I have learnt a lot in this subject. First of all, I learnt from this group project is try to fit myself into different discipline groupmates’ shoes, I gained the experience of working with other discipline people, their knowledge, and their way to work and some technical skills for making a website.

My strengths are hard working and responsible. I will try my best to do everything on time. For myself, my weakness is I find it very hard to communicate with people and too negative about what people think about me. If people give some opinion about me, I may take it wrong way. Lucky, over all, all our groupmates are very nice and understandable. Working with different people, it is normal to have communication problem, but the thing is depend how you deal with it. I think our groupmates work quite well for these parts. Because we think communication is the core part of this project, so we have meeting every Wednesday to understand each of the groupmates’ working process, share ideas and listen what the others think about it. Sometimes, other groupmates has different point of view of what you have done.

During the process, I have done my role to try to use an advertising way to shape our website as what we want to be. For example we have history of Melbourne street art, pictures of street art in Melbourne, lots of interview from different field of people, slang of street art, the web site its more for beginner who are trying to know more about street art. Moreover, I felt the most excited time that I was taking the role going out to interview people because usually I’m the quietest one in class, but I mostly took the role that to interview people, so every time I went out to interview with Queenie and other groupmates. I feel like I have the confidence to talk and telling myself that “I can do that!” And I learned how to set up camera for interview. I feel that’s excited to stick all out flyers everywhere in RMIT and even on the street. I feel like we are doing something “big”. I feel like this is the biggest project that I have ever done.

On the other side, Because of the functionality of the web page, for the “shop list” part, we did find out few art shops, Based on my curiosity, I just wanted to make sure whether they selling spray cans and material for doing street art. I did actually go to every shop to double check whether they sell cans, spray that kind of stuff. As I expected, some of the shop aren’t really sell spray cans, but only sell paper, clothing material. Now, those shop lists on the web site you can found out it sell spray cans. I satisfy of what I have done.

However, I m not good at communicating with people and I’m not the one who speak much in the group. This is good to write about my feeling in a very honest way. I worry about how people think about what I have said. Thus, talking to different discipline groupmates is one the biggest challenge for me. And sometimes I worry about I couldn’t explain it well; unexpectedly my groupmates give me lots of support that I have more confidence of what I have done.

During the whole process, we have lot of technical problem that we didn’t expect that. Firstly, the previous layout wasn’t clear enough to make button, we suggest changing the whole layout to solve the technical problem. In the lecture that we have learnt what are the features and benefits for making website by using HTML and Flash, but I think lecture should contain and tell s more about the detail problem and I enjoy the most about lecturing the communication problem happen in a team , it helps me a lot to understand different people.

There is some experience I can learn from another groupmates. Perry, Yuki and I take the role to do the website. Besides, the Wednesday meeting, we have regular meeting between Perry, Yuki and I for the website developing. We separate our roles that each of us took 2 to 3 pages. Yuki is the doing the main page and linking all the pages together,contact us and the interview part, so I took the rest of the part, because I know that linking pages is a very complicating stuff to do by seeing the process of what she did. However, I felt a bit upset that Perry didn’t participate much in the whole developing website process so we have to spend extra time on it; As we are just a flash beginner, we do lots of research on how to make the “magnifying glass map”, “clicking the thumbnail images for gallery”, and “scrolling bar for history”. The easiest part is the definition part, and the hardest part is the forum; Yuki and I couldn’t find out how to make forum in flash, at the beginning, we were trying to make a “handwriting” forum, let people have their tagging in our forum; however, those handwriting can not be saved in our web page. But finally we only can link it to yahoo group to have our forum there.

In the process, I didn’t expect it is that hard. I download all the action script from Internet, sometimes thing just didn’t go well, and even “a dot” in action script can affect the whole page. The hardest part is the “gallery” part; I spend whole night to figure it out. I got so frustrate by doing it whole day. I did try different version of action script, but it just not going well. Lucky, Yuki was helping me to find out the way to solve. Perry is taking Flash online course; he also didn’t have any idea for that. I understand that he has lot of assignments to do but I guess he should put a bit much time to participate in our web development. I think it’s about time management and responsibility; I try to put my major subject assignment to a side, making the web page as a priority assignment. Because this group assignment, I don’t want things happen like because of my irresponsibility, it affected the whole group as I took the role of making the website. Honestly, I know not much about Flash, but I believed that as long as I try my best to do. Finally I found out the way to do that. It wasn’t as good as I expect, but I won’t feel guilty about I didn’t do anything. One more thing that which is making me more upset is he was telling people that he did the website and giving himself a very high mark in the peer assessment.

Overall, our web site, it looks simple, but actually it’s not easy to make. I feel like this web page is kind of “my baby”. It’s not a perfect web, some of the video could not viewed in html, I asked for another group’ groupmates, Vicky, she is good at Flash, she told me about Flash website problem, such as our problem is often happen in different server because different version of server can cause different problem but at least we have done our best to do. I feel sorry to Yuki that I couldn’t find the way to solve the interview problem for her. 3rd Nov, at night she told me that she could sort out one of the problem. I was really happy about that because I know she was trying so hard. At the same time we did two flyers at the same busy time, we design the layout and stick them everywhere in uni and street. I feel like the workload is too much for two of us but I learn a lot of flash action script in this short time of period.

Woking with different field of people, problems comes up as I expected. I think I should care more about my time management. For instance, for the reason I upset about Perry, maybe I should understand his situation a bit more. Richelle is morning person, she prefers to have meeting in the morning, the time she has to work and have class. I feel sorry to her that sometimes I was late for meeting; I guess she wasn’t happy about that. Because we normally stay in the lab to do our work until 2 or 3 o’ clock in the morning, sometimes didn’t go back home sleep for few days; we even bring our toothbrush in knocker. I understand that it is hard to tell people that about what problem we are facing, they might not actually feel what we feel. And I do not want them to think this is just an excuse for that. So I feel even more sorry, stress and want to do it better. But I really feel so sorry for her and Queenie who attend every meeting. Anyway, this is a group project, its much more stress than an individual project, because what you have done will affect the group.
Eventually, this project is going to be finished. Excitement, go big, nice groupmates, considering, happiness with a bit of upset, that’s all containing in our website. It might not be a professional website, but it’s like our “baby”. I hope people can enjoy it and we will do it better next time.

Week 12 Tutorial

In week 12, the tutorial we showed our web pages to the class and receive feedback from David and suggestion from my fellow classmate. The overall feedback is good and David point out some grammar mistake in our web pages and do suggest the title of button should make it more bigger and let viewers more easy to follow in the web. David also give us suggestion an idea about the forum pages was it is good to people tagging the comments on the wall. This is good suggestion but I am lack knowledge of web pages design by Macromedia Flash. So, Yuki will try to do this effect/function in our web pages. Yuki is the most good in using Flash in our group. Thank you Yuki.

The professional framework of the advertising discipline

The lecturer of the professional framework of the advertising discipline, I found they are lot of students in the tutorial feel interesting in advertising industrial and receive more information and understand the process in the advertising industrial. I feel happy and good that I being study in advertising program. My course coordinator is Ms. Jill Powell.

She showed a lots of the power or great impact of advertising campaign in the lecturer and demonstrate to the class that how advertising works in the industry. Before the lecture I actually attend many similar class like this, but this time I can receive the Ms Jill Powell speech about advertising work in the industry and the opinion from her. This is useful and good opportunity to receive more information about advertising industrial before I graduate and work in the industrial. It’s reflected to me.

The most of the styles that I like is graffiti

During the research for street art I can understand more about street art and different styles and aspects of street art. The most of the styles that I like is graffiti. A number of words and phrases have come to describe different styles and aspects of graffiti. Like all slang and colloquialisms, the phrases vary in different cities and countries. Example below:

Back to back

Graffiti that covers a wall from end to end, as seen on some parts of the West-Berlin side of the Berlin Wall. Similarly, trains sometimes receive end to end painting when a carriage has been painted along its entire length. This is often abbreviated as e2e. End to ends used to be called window-downs but this is an older expression that is falling from popularity.

Black book
A graffiti artist’s sketchbook. Often used to sketch out and plan potential graffiti, and to collect tags from other writers.

Bomb
To bomb or hit is to paint many surfaces in an area. Bombers often choose throw-ups or tags over complex pieces, as they can be executed more quickly.

Bite
see nick.

Buff
To remove painted graffiti with chemicals and other instruments, or to paint over it with a flat color.

Burner
Typically a large, more elaborate type of piece. The piece could be said to be “burning” out of the wall or train-side. Because they take so much time and effort, burners in downtown areas are more likely to be legal pieces, painted with the consent of the property owner. However, the great early writers of Melbourne also did burners illegally on trains, and adventurous modern writers sometimes still do epic-scale illegal pieces in heavily-trafficked areas.

Crew
A group of writers or graffiti artists. Some crews are members of gangs, or are associated with gangs (sometimes for procurement of art materials or for protection while painting), but many crews are unaffiliated with gangs.

Etch
The use of acid solutions intended for creating frosted glass, such as Etch Bath, to write on windows.

Giraffiti
A giraffiti is any kind of graffiti in a high or otherwise hard-to-reach place.

Film interview

The whole process in the film interview for street art, I feel enjoying and grow my knowledge in different interviewing include – Melbourne street artist – Mr. Phealix and Ms. Deb, lecturer – Mr. Geoffrey Hogg and Ms. Irene, art students and Melbourne city council staff. I can learn different the opinion of street art, they point of view in street art and the meaning behind for them. Even some art students they actually not painting street art but they all also got personal suggestion about street art and they can recognize some cool art painting around the city and suburb.

In Mr. Phealix interview, I get trill for what he has done before and current art painting. It’s so good and he experience in painting street art. He also tells us some interesting story about street art, such as one of the New York street artist do painting in the wall beside the train road and get fire burn on the wall and finally get die in front of he street artworks because he actually do painting on the wall for few hours, the situation is full of gas around him and suddenly there are one train cross over the artist and the electric from the train connecter to the gas, so the artist get fire burn. This is one of the real and dangerous stories about street art.

Beside that, He can even differentiate the brand of spray can by his nose and he shows how to do stencil art painting on the wall and demonstrate the process in step by step.
(Appendix Melbourne street art website – interview category) I learn how to do stencil arts on the wall and the paper material for doing stencil. He provide the hand drawing by marker in writing our groups name, so that I can put it in our web contact us pages. Thank you Mr. Phealix.

Feedback

From the whole process of this course, I have learnt a lot in this subject. I learnt from this group project is try to fit myself into different discipline groupmates’ shoes,  I gained the experience of working with other discipline people, their knowledge, and their way to work and some technical skills for making a website.

Eventually, this project is going to be finished. Excitement, go big, nice groupmates, considering, happiness with a bit of upset, that’s all containing in our website. It might not be a professional website, but it’s like our “baby”.Thanks for Richelle that checking my grammar, and giving some good ideas for the website, thanks for queenie about supporting me all the time and show me how to set up camera and set up a communication way (blog)for us, thanks for Yuki that helps me a lot in flash, thanks for perry that being my groupmate. I’m not good at talking, but i really appreciate that to work with you guys. I hope people can enjoy it and we will do it better next time.

Thanks for Yuki~

Overall, our web site, it looks simple, but actually it’s not easy to make. I feel like this web page is kind of everyone’ “baby”. It’s not a perfect web, some of the video could not viewed in some computers, I asked for another group’ groupmates, Vicky, she is good at Flash, she told me about Flash website problem, such as our problem is often happen in different server because different version of server can cause different problem but at least we have done our best to do. My friend reply me said he couldn’t fixed the problem, because he is not so familiar with the controller function, he gave us some suggestion is convey the movie files not using controller function but then set all the files as “pause” before the movie start. I feel sorry to Yuki that I couldn’t find the way to solve the interview problem. 3rd Nov, at night she told me that she could sort out one of the problem. I was really happy about that because I know she was trying so hard. You have done a great job~

the most memorable interview

Street Artists Interview 1

 

Kwake TSF: K                        Loretta: L 

L: How long have you been involved in street art? 

K: O, I’ve been painting trains for 10 years 

L: Why did you start? 

K: Coz life is too boring, it’s better than using drugs….Melbourne’ Graffiti is nice, then feel like to do it. 

L: What is your favorite style of street art and why? 

K: The real Graffiti only paint on trains, no street…only painting on trains is real. Graffiti started on New York Subway train carriages; therefore I believe that only graffiti on trains is real.  

L: Where do the ideas and reasoning behind your art come from (is there is any reasoning behind it?) 

K: um.. Drugs, alcohol, girls, thrill, boredom 

L: Have you ever been caught by the police for ding illegal street art? 

K: No, invincible!! My friend did got caught, he beat the charge by a GOOD lawyer with $5000 

L: Have you ever had a permit to do street art? What do you think about illegal street art? 

K: No, I only do illegal trains. I like the excitement of doing stuff illegal. If street art become legal, I won’t do it, I will try to find something new. 

L: How do you go into the fence and paint those train? 

K: I got the key of train station fence; they use the same key for every fence, so it’s easy to get in. 

L: Where are the fences locations? 

K: They are in North Melbourne, Burley, Spencer, Camberwell and Glen Waverley. It’s easier to paint in Japan, coz there are no fence. 

L: Can you tell us one particular story that sticks in your mind about your experience of street art? 

K: I cut off my finger coz the cop started yelling some emotional shit.  

L: Do you mind telling me more detail? 

K: I wore ring, climbed on the wire, then my ring stuck in the wire, the cop started yelling at me. I pulled out then it cut my finger off. 

L: Are there any graffiti group in Melbourne? 

K: Yeh, there are 3 big groups. They are KSA, CKA and my group TSF. 

L: Is their name stand for something? 

K: Yeh, TSF is “The Subway Freaks”, CKA is “City Krime Art” and KSA is from dangedong. They are all my friends. 

L: How many people in your group? 

K: About 20 people in TSF, we have some connection in Sydney, New York. We are going to New York in this holiday.  

L: Do you have any advice for budding street artists? 

K: Don’t get bashed. 

L: Thank you for your time.  

K: Not a problem! 

 

This is the most memorable interview I have ever done because he is the only one doing illegal graffiti in all interviewees.  

His group, TSF is a famous group in
Melbourne. You can see lots of his work near train station. He only does train graffiti because he believes that only train graffiti is the REAL one.  

His group and he did lots of illegal stuff. He showed me about a video that he took from his mobile phone, used a bottle to break someone car’ door and filmed it. And some of his groupmates are in jail. He is a bit evil but in a way that he is nice. He provided his illegal DVD for us. And I have the picture of his finger got cut and the picture of the key to access the train station gate.  

I really have to be careful by not showing any information about him. I really do not want him to get in any trouble. 

lecture about advertising

In week 10, lecture is Ms Jill Powell who is my course coordinator. She showed us lots of successful advertising campaign. Demonstrate to the class that how advertising works in the industry. For instance, what’s containing in creative strategy. There are seven main points in a creative strategy such as Generic, preemptive, USP, Brand, Positioning, Resonance and Emotion.  

Each of the brands give people different feeling, such as Porsche gives people a feeling of speed, BMW gives people a feeling of technology, Mercedes Benz gives people of a classic feeling, Volvo gives people a feeling of slow, Jaguar represents excitement, Land Rover represents rough and tough, and Volkswagen represents cute. Those brands are successful because they are unique. They have their own personality. For example,
Toyota’ personality is the car in front have never been so affordable.  

I found out all of these knowledge can help to develop our website. What we want people to think about our website, we want to make our website become unique, we have to find out our website’ personality. Such as our website is for beginners who are curious about street art, we have a category about “Slang of Street Art”, we have “History of Melbourne Street Art” and we have the “Process of making a piece of street art”.  

This is what I have learnt about this lecture and use the knowledge into our website.

interviews

During the whole process in interviewing, I enjoy doing the interview the most, because I’m not good at talking, taking interview people is a big challenge for myself. Especially interview some professional lectures, it made me more nervous. I worries so much about my grammar mistakes. For instance Mr. Geoffrey Hogg, Coordinator of Public Art, he told us the story behind the “painting wall of RMIT” behind building 24, and Ms. Irene Barberis, a lecture of drawing. Felix and Deb were the most comfortable two that I did for interviews, because they are similar age with us and this is out of my expected that they are very nice to tell about their story probably because they have been doing in a legal way. We went to Wall to Wall exhibition, we found Deb’ piece is amazing, by interview her we found out she is just a beginner of street artist, but she is doing very great. In Felix interview, we found out he had lots of experience in graffiti field. He can even differentiate the brand of spray can by his nose. He even showed us how to do a quick spray (Interview and “how to spray” is available in our webpage). 

By doing all the interview, that’s great that to hear and know so people in
Melbourne, they actually want to keep this urban subculture.