Last week we finished up working on designing audio in Adobe Audition. I had trouble finishing everything on time; however, I was able to finish everything by the time we started the new unit. One thing that I noticed in reviewing my work was that my audio was not very good quality. Audio is a big part of the film industry, therefore, I need to learn how to improve my audio quality in my work. To accomplish improving my skills, I searched for some articles on tips on how to improve audio quality. I found two articles on enhancing audio quality: 10 Easy Tips for Professional Audio Quality and Top 7 Tips for Better Audio Recording. The first top seven tip is to use a high-quality microphone. According to the article, the mics in cameras are not very good quality. Using an external mic makes dialogue more clear. Tip two is monitor the sound, which can be accomplished with headphones. You get more authentic sounds if the headphones are higher quality. The third tip is to limit background noises, which I did not do very well in my audio novel. I feel that in my audio novel, the background noises were very distracting. Tip four is to turn off the music. This one was surprising to me. I didn't know that it is better to add your music later on and not record with the video. The fourth tip is to record background sound. The background sounds they mention are not the same as background noises; these are sounds specific to video. The example they use is if you're at a carnival, use the music of a ride or the sound of popping popcorn. When you use background sounds, it makes it so the watcher feels like they are there too. Tip six is to watch out for wind. If your shooting outside, the wind creates noises that can be distracting. I just learned that you can use a fuzzy sock to minimize the sound of the wind. Tip seven is to add it later, which is pretty straightforward. The other article is more about how to improve the quality through editing. A tip that really stuck with me was to loosen up before recording. I guess if you're loose, then your recording won't be boring and stiff. Another tip that they had was to use a mic stand, which I didn't even know was a thing. I will definitely use some of these tips the next time I record audio. Tips to remember:
Works Cited
Lyles, Toby LylesToby, et al. “10 Easy Tips for Professional Audio Quality.” Copyblogger, 4 July 2017, www.copyblogger.com/professional-audio/. Siegchrist, Gretchen. “Ways to Make Your Audio Recordings Better.” Lifewire, Lifewire, www.lifewire.com/better-audio-recording-tips-1082310.
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In this project, I am the writer. I had Shannon critique and edit my writing and as it turns out, my writing was not very good. I am so used to writing history essays and am rusty in creative writing. I want to get better, so I researched how to become a better writer. I found an article on themuse called 10 Simple Ways to Become a Better Writer. According to the article, there are 10 tips. I’m going to talk about the top 5 that really stuck to me. The first one was actually the first tip, which was to get to the point. Before you start writing, you need to know why you are writing and what your goals are. Good writing has one clear purpose. The second tip is to strip it down. You have to remember that if you can’t understand, others probably won’t be able to either. You have to think about if it’s clear and interesting enough to keep the attention of a toddler. The next tip is to write from your happy place. According to the article, research has proven that when you are relaxed and happy, that you are more creative. You need to find what makes you happy and then once in that happy state, start writing. The fourth tip is to give yourself a time limit. You shouldn’t fuss and agonize over one piece of writing. You just need to let it go and move on. If you are happy and relaxed, your work should be good and won’t have to be redone over and over. The last tip is to say it out loud. Reading it out loud helps you determine if it sounds like a robot or a human. I really need to follow that one. 5 Tips:
Works Cited Franzen, Alexandra. “Up Your Writing Game in No Time.” Free Career Advice, The Muse, 11 Aug. 2014, www.themuse.com/advice/10-simple-ways-to-become-a-better-writer. While working on the project, I noticed that Chloe was having some trouble programming. She was trying to figure out if it was better to use many if else statements or a switch. I couldn't help, because I have forgotten everything from last year in programming and wasn't very good at it in the first place. I had no idea why and how to use the switch or else statements. To find out more, I researched switch vs if-else statements. I found an article on GeeksforGeeks called switch vs if else. According to the article, determining which to use is based on what your testing and how easy it is to read. The article also gave a list of tips to check that will help you determine which is better. The first is to check the expression that you are testing for. Switch statements are used for expressions with a single value or a string object. The if-else statement is used for condition or value ranges. The second tip is to know if you want to do multi-way branching or not because switch statements are better for that. The third tip is to figure out if you have boolean values. If-else statements are better for boolean values, while switch statements are better for data values that are already put in place. The fourth time is to determine whether or not you want your code to run fast or slow. Switch statements are sometimes faster than if-else statements; however, it really depends on the number of cases involved. The last tip is to remember that precision is in readability. Switches are cleaner than if-else statements and it is easier to avoid errors with them. According to the article, you should pick whatever gives you a clearer and more attainable design. Tips to remember:
Works Cited “Switch vs If Else.” GeeksforGeeks, 20 May 2017, www.geeksforgeeks.org/switch-vs-else/. While working on the project, we had to complete this assignment where we had to categorize our game. One of those categories was edutainment. I had no idea how to even pronounce it or what it was. To find out more, I researched edutainment.
An article on Techopedia defines edutainment as products that combine entertainment with education. Creators of those products are trying to aim towards younger people as their audience for their products. Edutainment can be in different forms such as an auto dashboard, projection screen, or mobile phone. According to Dinner Table MBA, there are five benefits to edutainment. The first benefit is that kids stay engaged which means that they consume more information. The second is that edutainment gives kids the opportunity to have freedom in their learning. The third benefit is that you can learn anywhere at any time. The fourth is that you can learn perseverance through edutainment. The fifth and final benefit is that this type of learning engages and excites kids. Edutainment is exactly what it sounds like. Education and entertainment at the same time. You can have fun while learning and possibly not even be aware that your learning. Edutainment Facts:
“What Is Edutainment and Why Kids Learn Better This Way.” Dinner Table MBA, 3 Sept. 2018, dinnertablemba.com/edutainment/. “What Is Edutainment? - Definition from Techopedia.” Techopedia.com, www.techopedia.com/definition/5506/edutainment. So this week we are creating a serious game on a topic that we choose, but it occurred to me that I don’t fully understand what a serious game is, which may be why I’m having a hard time pitching it. Serious games are important to know about because I may end up at a game company making one. To get a full understanding of what serious games are, I researched what are serious games.
I found a very informative article called What are Serious Games on Growth Engineering. According to the article, a serious game is “a game designed for a primary purpose other than pure entertainment.” Games are engaging because of six reasons: game mechanics/interactivity, story, rules, competition/challenge, consequences/risks, and an immersive graphical environment. When used in serious games, each of those six reasons increases learning in a captivating way. I found examples of serious games on Game Learn. Dragon Box Elements is a game created to educate kids in math, while Pulse!! was produced to give nurses real-life nursing experiences. VICE, The Virtual Interactive Combat Environment is a 3d simulator used by military personnel. Other games include Our City, Food Force, and Merchants. Serious games have multiple purposes that serve the greater good. According to Game Accessibility, there are three purposes of serious games. The three purposes are education, persuasion, and health. Under those three purposes fall ten types of serious games. These types are exergames, simulation, game-based learning, productivity game, game for health, news game, advergame, art games, persuasive games, organizational- dynamic games, and edutainment. Serious Games:
Works Cited “Eight Examples That Explain All You Need to Know about Serious Games and Game-Based Learning.” Gamelearn: Game-Based Learning Courses for Soft Skills Training, 4 July 2017, www.game-learn.com/all-you-need-to-know-serious-games-game-based-learning-examples/. “Serious Game Types and Their Importance.” Game Accessibility, game-accessibility.com/documentation/serious-game-types/. “What Are Serious Games?” Growth Engineering, 4 Sept. 2018, www.growthengineering.co.uk/what-are-serious-games/. This last few weeks I have noticed a pattern. I am having a hard time with time management. Time management is a very important skill for college and jobs. To help myself figure out how to manage my time better, I researched articles about how to better manage your time. I found an article called 8 Tips for Effective Time Management. The first tip is to know your goals. To better manage your time, it is important to only participate in actives that support your goals. The second tip is to prioritize wisely. I found this piece of information very interesting. According to the article, you should make sure your activities fall into these four categories: important and urgent, important but not urgent, urgent but not urgent, and not urgent and not important. By making sure your activities fit into those categories, you prioritize what must be accomplished today and what can be done tomorrow. The third tip is just say no, which is basically saying just let it go, move on, and learn. This way, you aren’t wasting valuable time on frustrating tasks. Tip four is to plan ahead. Just taking a few minutes the night before or first thing in the morning can help you organize your time wisely. The fifth tip is one that I am not good at. Eliminating distractions is the best way to get more done. I like taking breaks which usually last a few hours. That is part of my problem, which I plan to start working on. Tip six is to delegate more often. That doesn’t really apply to my situation, because most of the thing I’m doing are individual. The last two tips are very important. Tip seven, which is to watch what you spend, is something that I should try. Timing how much actual productivity goes on can be very helpful for you to determine if you're getting better at managing your time. The last tip is very simple. It is to take care of yourself. It doesn’t mean to pamper yourself but to get a lot of exercise and sleep. Things to remember
Works Cited
Polevoi, Lee. “7 Tips for Effective Time Management.” QuickBooks, 13 Feb. 2018, quickbooks.intuit.com/r/employees/8-tips-for-effective-time-management/. So the summer is just around the corner and it will soon be time to start thinking more seriously about life after high school. Over the summer, I plan to go visit schools to prepare for senior year. I searched for the best game design schools in the country and got some surprising results.
I found an article on the Princeton Review called Top Game Design Press Release, which rated the top schools in the US and Canada based off of a survey. The questions asked in the survey are some that could be good to ask on a college visit. All the questions are within four areas: faculty, academics, career, and technology. Some important things to ask about school surround the creation aspect. One of the questions asked was about the game engines they use and if and how many game labs the school has. When deciding if you want to go to an arts college over a traditional college, it is important to know about the academics. Whether or not they have game design courses, how many, or if they have a place to further your educations such as a game design center, lab, or library. One question that stuck out a lot to me was in the career section. They asked how many game companies came to the school. I guess the reason for asking is so they could get a better idea about how much attention they give to the game design program. Another question they asked was about how many graduates get jobs out of college. Before you spend a lot of money on a school, it is best to make sure their professors are legit. You don’t want to pay 80K and have teachers that don’t know what their talking about. It is very important to find out this information before applying to colleges, so you know your getting a good deal. Asking specific questions is the only way to make sure. According to the article, the top 5 undergraduate schools are all in the US. The first one is the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. The second is New York University in Brooklyn, New York. The last three are DigiPen Institute of Technology, Becker College, and Rochester Institute of Technology. Game design school are mostly focused on the coasts of the US. The Princeton Review’s top 5 graduate school are not as focused on the coasts. The first one is Southern Methodist University in Plano, Texas. The second is New York University. The last three are University of Central Florida, University of Southern California, and the University of Utah. By the time I apply to colleges, these ranks may change, so I should check each year. What to do regarding school
Works Cited “Top Game Design Press Release.” The Princeton Review College Rankings & Reviews, www.princetonreview.com/press/game-design-press-release. Since I have finished my programming tutorials and am about to start making games with Unity, I thought it was appropriate to research how to make video games. Learning how to make games is very important especially, if you are thinking about becoming a game designer. I did what any seriously interested in game design would do, which was look up information on the web.
I searched the web and found an article called How to Make a Video Game. Creating a game is not a simple and quick process. The article went through some steps that anyone could follow. The first step is to envision the game. You can’t just jump into making the first game that pops into your head. You need to lay down the framework before getting into the development. I learned a few basics that are fundamental to making of a video game. First, you need to know the genre of the game and the budget. After you have determined that you have to take in consideration the games’ plot, length, and most important your experience. You can’t try and make a big complex game if your a beginner. You need to know your limitations and use them to your advantage. After you have envisioned your game, then you can figure out what kind of software would best suit your needs. GameMaker and Unity aren’t the only programs that you can use. There are many other programs that may better suit your needs but you have to be aware that some cost money. Every program works differently, so you would have to explore. After determining your vision and software, then comes the fun but challenging part, designing your characters and the games’ environment. I know that Photoshop can be helpful, but also know that it is expensive. You can use programs like Gimp to design characters for a 2D game. What I didn’t know that you can use a free program called Maya for your 3D modeling desires. I thought that you had to pay for that and blender. One of the most important things I learned is that after you’ve built your game there are two more things that you have to do. The first time is to try out your game to find out problems. Then you can export your game and share with the world for feedback. How to make a game:
Widder, Brandon. “How to Make a Video Game (Experience Not Required).” Digital Trends, Digital Trends, 8 May 2017, www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/how-to-make-a-video-game/. So, in class I have finally finished the programming tutorials and it got me thinking about whether or not I should look into getting a job in programming. But before I decide I wanted to know the pay that I could get versus other careers in the game design field. I want a job that both pays well and that I enjoy. I decided to research possible careers in programming and the pay I could receive.
I found an article called Computer Programmer Salary that had a lot of information. They had six different sections all about salary that helped me understand the money situation better. I learned that the average wage of a programmer in the US as a whole is $38.39. That is way above the minimum wage. According to the site, if you want a high paying programming, the best places to live are Seattle, New Mexico, California, and the District of Columbia. So, if I want to earn a lot of money, I might need to move to California. It is good to learn that most of the jobs are full time at 79% versus part time at 21%. I also learned that when just starting out, that the pay is about $22/hour and the salary is about $46K a year. Compared to other technology careers, programmers make 60% less a year than the other careers and rank at 79 of all careers, which is something to think about. Another thing I learned is that North Carolina is ranked #11 out of all 50 states for salary. The real question to decide is whether I want a career that I like or one that pays very well. Programming money
A few years ago I tried to make a game using Unity. I wasn’t successful because I didn’t know the interface or the program. But know I’m determined to increase my skill in Unity. I have access and more knowledge into the program after following some tutorials and researching. Knowing how to use Unity is very important, because many companies use Unity to create their games. To be able to make a functional game, I need to know the interface inside and out.
And to do that I went to the Unity site to find specific information about the interface. There are multiple components that make up the interface, which include the toolbar, multiple windows, and the scene view. The toolbar had tools to let you change the scene view, control the animation, manage layers visibility, edit menu, and access your Unity account. The one difference between the toolbar and the windows is that you can’t move the toolbar like you can the windows. There are three different windows: inspector, hierarchy, and project. The project window shows you the assets that you have available and or imported for your project. The hierarchy window lists all the objects currently in the scene. It also shows how objects are related to each other, specifically if its a “child” or “parent” of each other. The last window is the inspector window, which lets you edit and view the object that is currently selected. You are able to see the different properties. Since not every object is the same, the inspector window may look different depending on the object. The scene view is the last part of the interface. The scene view lets you both edit and move around your scene. Depending on the project, the view will be either 2D or 3D. As you can see, Unity makes it interface very simple and easy to navigate. After learning this information, I will be able to increase my skill using Unity in a more efficient way. Unity:
Technologies, Unity. “Learning the Interface.” Unity - Manual: Learning the Interface, docs.unity3d.com/Manual/LearningtheInterface.html. “Unity.” Unity, unity3d.com/. |
AuthorI'm a student at Durham School of the Arts, and currently in the Game Art Design pathway. I like playing the Sims 4, playing with dogs, and riding horses. This blog will reflect my learning and discoveries. Archives
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