The role of digital technology in “Hugo” and “Mission to Earth”

Compare the role of digital technology in “Hugo” (Martin Scorsese) and “Mission to Earth” (Lev Manovich), commenting on its relationship to the viewers' sense of immersion. What is special about those films? Support your argument with your own observations (the films' appearance, narrative, the rhythm, the role of sound), as well as the opinion of the filmmakers and others about the films.

Introduction to the work

In the paper I will compare the role of digital technology in "Hugo" (2011) by Martin Scorsese, and "Mission to Earth" (2002) by Lev Manovich, commenting on its relationship to the viewers' sense of immersion. 

Watching the above movies is crucial if one wants to fully understand the points made in the essay. Below, the short clips regarding the work of both, Scorsese and Manovich are uploaded. Please, click on them in order to learn more about the way digital technology is used by these artists.

1. Manovich - Soft Cinema

2. Scorsese - Hugo

A detailed description of the work

The work stems in large part from the idea that digital technology shapes our perception of art. Nowadays, people are becoming less and less sensitive toward art due to the constant stimulation they receive. A gentle stimulus is no longer enough – the younger we are the stronger we need it to be. Being raised in a digital era, where brighting colours and fast action is our everyday life, we stopped noticing more delicate kind of beauty. In this paper, the role of digital technology in “Hugo” (2011) by Martin Scorsese and “Mission to Earth” (2002) by Lev Manovich will be compared. First of all, the notion of digital cinema will be described. Second of all, I will analyse the above movies in respect of their appearance, narrative, rhythm and the role of sound. Third of all, I will try to comment on the effect of digitalisation on viewers' sense of immersion using my own, as well as others' observations.

According to Steve Dixon, digital performance is an act in which “computer technologies play a key role.” (Steve Dixon, Digital Performance (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2007), 3. In order to revolutionise the movie-going experience, filmmakers started realising their fantasy due to various computer-generated graphics. Shortly after the digital special effects, film sound went digital. This transformation of the theatrical experience produced a sense of audience immersion. Surrounded by both, image and sound, the audience entered the world of the picture. (John Belton, Digital Cinema: A False Revolution, Black and White Photographs, Spring 2002, Issue 100.)

Hugo (2011) by Martin Scorsese

Martin Scorsese in “Hugo” reveals concepts related to the preservation of film history and the nostalgia toward cinema, as well as his profound respect for the work of Georges Méliès, the magician, illusionist and the filmmaker of the world's first science fiction movie “A Trip to the Moon”, 1902.(The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick: http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com/about_georges.htm - accessed Nov. 22, 2014). 
"It felt like it was the logical extension of filmmaking – that if Méliès was alive, he would have definitely been using 3D", Scorsese said.

(Hugo:http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/digital/3d/5-things-to-know-about-martin-scorseses-hugo#slide-1 - accessed Nov. 22, 2014).

“Hugo” represents the sphere of magic and dreams, introducing us to the world where image and sound are of primary importance. Inspired by Georges Méliès' films that involved trick photography and elements of fiction, Scorsese used various special effects in service of fantasy. Watching it, we may go back in time in order to truly experience the Parisian culture. Scorsese exerted pressure with regard to his passion and love for film, art and dreams. He applied various digital techniques in pursue of creativity as a value. Scorsese, undoubtely, moves with the times: "I wanted to use 3D as another storytelling element (…)." "The way we're sitting here now is 3D. So, why can't we use that, as we use color, we use sound, we use movement?” (Scorsese on “Hugo”: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/martin-scorsese-on-hugo-a-very-personal-film/ - accessed Nov. 24, 2014).

Mission to Earth (2002) by Lev Manovich

Soft Cinema, according to Manovich, creates new cinema forms through the use of a digital computer, being a key technology for the information society. (Lev Manovich on Database Driven Movies: http://seththompson.info/essays/video-interviews/lev-manovich-on-database-driven-movies/ - accessed Nov. 22, 2014). Manovich describes his filmic methodology as being based on the logic of databases.

Manovich underlines the complexity of human mind. Memories, reality, future plans – looking for meaning, searching for love, waiting to forget. All of these layers seems to confirm Manovich's idea that the best way to show human mind is to use the interface with a number of windows. “In "Mission to Earth" the main window either depicts what the main character perceives or shows the character herself. Other, smaller windows show other aspects of her world. This film contains the strongest narrative and is about an alien sent on an ethnographic mission to Earth to report on its inhabitants. It conjures up states of mind associated with alienation, displacement, and migration.” (Leonardo Digital Reviews: http://www.leonardo.info/reviews/june2006/soft_dahlberg.html - accessed Nov. 24, 2014).

An evaluation of work in terms of your specific research question

The analysis of the both, “Hugo” and “Mission to Earth” reveals striking contrast between the messages they tend to communicate. There is, nevertheless, one thing that both these movies have in common – the influence they leave behind. Both of them are very demanding and due to the digital technology used, they leave the viewer with a deep sense of immersion.

Bibliography:

Hugo: http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/digital/3d/5-things-to-know-about-martin-scorseses-hugo#slide-1 (accessed Nov. 22, 2014)

John Belton, Digital Cinema: A False Revolution, Black and White Photographs, Spring 2002, Issue 100.

Leonardo Digital Reviews:
http://www.leonardo.info/reviews/june2006/soft_dahlberg.html

(accessed Nov. 24, 2014).

Lev Manovich on Database Driven Movies: 
http://seththompson.info/essays/video-interviews/lev-manovich-on-database-driven-movies/ (accessed Nov. 22, 2014).

Scorsese on “Hugo”: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/martin-scorsese-on-hugo-a-very-personal-film/ (accessed Nov. 24, 2014).

Steve Dixon, Digital Performance (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2007), 3.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick:
http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com/about_georges.htm
(accessed Nov. 22, 2014). 

Mission to Earth

"Mission to Earth" by Lev Manovich is a story of a woman who was sent to Earth twenty years ago in order to write weekly reports to her commander. After a while, she realized that nobody reads her reports, but she was doing her task anyway. 

She did not feel at home at all. She felt like an immigrant that spent many years in foreign country but never really adapted himself to the new environment. In order to believe that her existence actually meant something, she found different kinds of pleasure on Earth - watching TV shows, looking for new clothing.

Her memories were constantly interrupted by images of her childhood and her life back to Alpha 1. Going through the automatic carwash was something that reminded her of the past. Being inside of the car that was being attacked by brushes, foam and bubbles provided her with a kind of relief and happiness.

She was alone. Searching for love, she met another immigrant - a painter. The common misunderstanding of a new country united them together. She did everything she could in order to adapt herself to his lifestyle. After a while, however, the role of the artist's girlfriend was no longer satisfying. She left. 

One day she received a message that her mission was over. She did not know if she should have stayed or returned. She felt lost again. She belonged nowhere.

The structure of the film is very divided. The screen is broken into multiple windows representing different streams of information. We can see images of an office, a computer, a mobile phone, a watch, documents etc, but we can also see more abstract things such as: rain on the window, spinning white patterns, grey sky or rusty ladder. 

All those images are supported by a voice-over and music. Main character does not talk. There is no one to talk to.

The story emphasizes a very important aspect of modern times - routine. Nowadays, I find myself more and more focused on doing given me tasks. We wake up everyday, go to work, spend the whole day in front of the computers. Afterwards, we are so tired that we start watching these pointless programs on TV in order to stop thinking for a while. Having some time on weekends we do the shopping, hoping that new pair of shoes will make us happy again. 

The film focuses on a life of an immigrant - very relevant in our times. People go abroad in order to look for happiness, and they find themselves missing for their past. We are all looking for some place not being sure it even exists. 

The story of the film differs completely from those we can find in the cinema nowadays. Action movies or silly comedies do not allow us to stop for a minute or two and think. We are busy. We are meant to be busy.

There are various principles in traditional cinema such as 180-degree rule that keeps the camera on one side of the action, providing the viewers with knowledge of the space.

Three-act structure, on the other hand, divides the structure of the film into three parts: Act I (set-up), Act II (confrontation) and Act III (resolution). This structure allows the viewer to know the characters, their lives and problems. Moreover, between those acts, so called, plot points appear. Their purpose is to provide the smooth transition from one act to another. Thanks to plot points the film is continuous and logical. The cause-effect principle remains. Everything happens for a reason.

In "Mission to Earth" there is no 180-degree rule. The image spins around, the main character changes her location unexpectedly. There is no logic. The images appearing simultaneously on the screen are abstract and have little to do with the actual story. There is no acts in Manovich's film, neither cause-effect principle. 

The form of the digital cinema presented in the film also vary significantly from the traditional film-making. The way the film is shot can be described as illogical. Many unreasonable close-ups, no dissolving. The film is cut and edited in a very raw way. No beautifying, no sugar-coating.

But what Manovich does perfectly is describing the main character. After few minutes we possess quite decent knowledge about the woman. We know her internal and external life, we know her past and the problems she is facing. Even without listening to the voice-over, we can see how the main character feels. After all, film is a story told with pictures.

Bibliography:

180-Degree rule:

http://ccnmtl.columbia.edu/projects/filmglossary/web/terms/180-degree_rule.html (Retrieved Nov 13, 2014)

The Three-act Paradigm:

http://www.cod.edu/people/faculty/pruter/film/threeact.htm

(Retrieved Nov 13, 2014)

Technologised Bodies

Nowadays, our bodies are significantly enhanced by technology. There are various mechanical, physical and chemical ways that improve the functioning of our organisms. First of all, in order to understand the way our bodies are becoming more and more capable due to the use of technology, it is important to define the notion of technology itself. According to the oxford dictionary definition, technology refers to "the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes (…)."

There are a number of things today that shape our way of living. Lets think about people being almost blind or deaf. Such inventions as a pair of glasses or a hearing aid make the life of people coping with these disabilities so much easier. What about those incapable of walking? Different kinds of prosthesis, such as artificial limbs or hips allow those people for being more or less independent. 

Some of the purposes of using technology are in service of beauty and might, therefore, sound a bit superficial (plastic surgeries, braces), but other ones are not only reasonable but also necessary birth control i.e., condoms and contraceptive pills). 

But there is also something else, more and more present in our lives that changes our body significantly - supplements. When I think about their influence one term comes to my mind - Cyborg. I am aware that at first it reminds us on science fiction films, but in reality it means something else. Again, according to the oxford definition, cyborg is "a fictional or hypothetical person whose physical abilities are extended beyond normal human limitations by mechanical elements built into the body." And here various vitamins and proteins come into the picture. They not only increase our immunity and efficiency, but also change the structure of our organisms consequently. Lets think about those using proteins in order to speed up the muscles growth. Those supplements, despite being natural, are made in special labs in order to unnaturally stimulate the development of our organisms.

When talking about the visual culture and digital media, there are numerous of art examples that explore the technologised body. One of them draw my particular attention - "Touchy" by Eric Siu.

Please, click here.

The online video presents a young man wearing "Touchy". The man touches various surfaces in order to see something - unsuccessfully. In result, he is becoming more and more lost. And then, a girl appears. She touches the man's face what forces "Touchy" to open up its eyes - the man can instantly see. Moreover, due to the inner camera, the device takes pictures of what the man sees - capturing these extraordinary moments. 

The video emphasizes the importance of the sense of sight. But this is not all, there is also a hidden message. It reminds us how important people are. This is something which we keep forgetting about. Nowadays, especially in Hong Kong, I keep seeing those people looking at their smartphones constantly. You can see it clearly while using MTR - hundreds of people, young and old, staring at their mobile devices, never looking at each other. Technology not only disconnected them from others, it also made them blind.

In the video, the girl sees exactly what he sees. Technology very often separates us from each other, this device actually connects us. It allows us to look at things from other people's perspective. It helps us seeing things from different angles.

I truly believe that this project reminds us of something that is missing - real human interaction. It highlights the fact that friends help you seeing things, they open up your eyes. We are blind without others.

Bibliography:

Cyborg - definition: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/cyborg

(Retrieved October 27, 2014)

Technology - definition: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/technology
(Retrieved October 27, 2014)

Video Games - Just Playing?

Having an opinion that playing videogames is a perfect time-wasting activity, I will do my best to argue that there are still certain positive aspects of it for both, individuals and society. Next, I will try to claim that some scientific evidence proving that videogames can encourage real world aggression can be found. Last but not least, I will describe shortly our group's favorite videogame (despite us not being big fans of it at all). Enjoy the lecture!

First group of videogames blurs the line between dream and reality. According to the video presented during the lecture, games such as: America's Army and Under Siege can be classified to this group. I do, certainly, think that this kind of videogames is the worst one. The logic behind my reasoning is strictly related to the fact that playing those games can make an individual confused about the visible line between what is real and what is not. The plot of both those games is based on real-world situation, supported by historical or current global issues. They are both about killing the enemies, and maybe it would be nothing wrong with it (since killing our friends would not be too logical) but this war computer game is about American soldiers killing Arabs. As we all know, there is a significant number of Arabians living in the USA, and, as we all know, there has always been certain conflicts between West and East beliefs. Doesn't this game encourage racism? Doesn't it strengthen the division between American society? In this post, these questions will remind open. The same situation goes for Under Siege - violence linked to political and ideological issues - not my cup of tea. Moreover, the above games are so called 'first-person shooter' ones, that were proved to have an enormous impact on human brain and the activity of those parts of the brain strictly related to aggressive behavior. And since the United States Army supports buying this game in order to teach young men how to be better soldiers, it needs to be effective. 
Despite all those aspects we need to look at this issue from another perspective. All the games that include any educational aspects, increase people's awareness about global issues. Nowadays, obviously, teenagers are used to technology and violence (due to the omnipresence of different television shows), therefore, maybe presenting various information in this incredibly immersive way is the only way to reach out to them?

The second group of videogames can be described as 'not so bad'. 'Remission' can serve here as an example. Here, young cancer patients kill cancer cells. Our group discussed that those being ill should do everything they can to take their minds off the topic - to watch some funny programs, or to try socializing with friends and family. But it is easy to say things like 'enjoy your life until you can' when being completely healthy. It was proved that this videogame helped young cancer patients to overcome the disease. And even if the examinations were not completely reliable, I truly believe that as long as those kinds of games give them a little bit of hope, they are worth playing.

The third and, at the same time, 'the best' group of videogames includes titles such as: 'Doom' and 'Postal'. Very violent positions but with no plot. Playing those games is all about releasing emotions. I could compare it to watching soap operas - you don't really see the purpose of doing it but doing it, somehow, makes you happy. 

As a group, we really have no experience of playing videogames at all. The only game all of us played when being kids is called 'Tamagotchi', which is a small egg-shaped computer that can be described as a digital pet. As players, we can see pet's needs, such as e.g. hunger or physiological needs, and we can measure its level of health or happiness. The player can care for a pet or not, but the outcome depends on player's action. I remember that this toy taught me how to be systematic and was a good prologue to having a real animal!

The Role of Social Media in Political Movements

This essay focuses on the role of social media in political movements. The main point of the paper is to decide if social media can help or hinder positive social changes. The essay explores recent Venezuelan protests and tries to indicate whether their role is rather constructive or destructive.

In February, 2014 a series of protests and demonstrations occurred on Venezuelan streets as a result of insecurity, corruption, inflation, media censorship, strict price control, and human violation (Kurmanaev and Pons, November 8, 2013).
Everything began in January, 2014 when actress and former Miss Venezuela, Monica Spear, was murdered (Chavez and Galluzzo, January 8, 2014). This tragic affair was followed by the rape on a student that took place on a university campus in San Cristobal (Tayler, February 18, 2014). These events spurred the series of protests and public property attacks.
Due to the omnipresent censorship of media in Venezuela that includes, i.e.: limiting sources for newspapers, banning channels and blocking the Internet, the government was accused of assault, harassment and numerous of threats (Freedom of the Press News, February 26, 2014). Moreover, it was stated that reliable information regarding economy and crime statistics are not provided. The movement called "We are all Venezuela. No press freedom, no democracy" was created in order to help to defend both, press freedom and the right to information.















Nowadays, citizens can be engaged in various political processes in many ways. Activists using social media are able to set up different meetings and protests, virtual petitions, forums to debate issues. What is more, new technologies overcome obstacles to participation - lack of time constrains is no longer an issue. The Internet and online groups involve people in the real world where they can be taught various political skills (Rohlinger, Bunnage and Klein, January 2012).
It cannot be denied that Venezuela used social media a lot in recent protests in order to upraise against authoritarian government (O’Hagan, March 13, 2014). New technologies let them to access information that the whole World had access to. Broadcasting raised Venezuelans' awareness and consciousness, and played an enormous role in the demonstration. The role of social media affected Venezuela in two contrary ways. Freedom of speech, unrestricted access to information and the sense of unity was definitely more constructive than destructive. On the other hand, however, social media emphasized authoritarian attitude of the government and brought even more dislike, distrust and disrespect toward its governance.

Copyright 2014 Associated Press, "Twitter reports image blocking in Venezuela": http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/02/14/twitter-image-blocking-venezuela/5497219/ (Retrieved September 16, 2014)

Social media is for Venezuelans a means for showing the news in the streets, therefore, there was a huge  barrage of criticism between 12 and 15 February when images on Twitter were reported as unavailable due to technical problems (Copyright 2014 The Associated Press, February 14, 2014). This situation had an enormous impact on about half a million citizens. Due to the constant lack of trust towards the government, the popularity of Twitter (as the only free media) and social media in general is expanding everyday (Franceschi-Bicchierai, February 28, 2014).

As a means the Internet may be used by people within socio-political and cultural context, therefore, governments have developed various ways of controlling the online sphere. The position adopted here shows that social networking may be the lifeblood for many political changes as they strengthen indirect but very interactive conversations between users. A page can be treated as a political tool since it relies on "the power of community knowledge as a force for change" (San Miguel, December 18, 2012, pp.11). Nevertheless, it should fulfill certain requirements, such as allowing citizens for integration and expression of ideas.

In spite of various positive, as well as negative aspects regarding the role of social media in political movements, it is difficult not to agree with Sarah Joseph's words who claims that "the increase of unfiltered connections between people of different cultural, political, and economic outlooks is likely to have some unprecedented and beneficial consequences for the development of local, national, regional, and global activism." (Joseph 2012, p.188).

Bibliography:

Chavez and Galluzzo, "Venezuela: the most dangerous place on earth?": http://www.channel4.com/news/venezuela-most-dangerous-place-earth-murder-monica-spear-colombia-drugs (Retrieved September 16, 2014)

Franceschi-Bicchierai "In Venezuela, the Only Free Media Is Twitter": http://mashable.com/2014/02/28/venezuela-twitter/ (Retrieved September 16, 2014)

Freedom of the Press News, "IAPA protests official censorship of press in Venezuela": http://www.sipiapa.org/en/iapa-protests-official-censorship-of-press-in-venezuela/ (Retrieved September 16, 2014)

Joseph, "Social Media, Political Change, and Human Rights", 35 B.C. Int'l & Comp. L. Rev. 145 (2012): http://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1667&context=iclr

Kurmanaev and  Pons, "Venezuela Inflation": http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-07/venezuela-inflation-hits-16-year-high-as-shortages-rise.html (Retrieved September 16, 2014)

O'Hagan, "Does social media really bring us closer to the reality of conflict?": http://gulfnews.com/opinions/columnists/does-social-media-really-bring-us-closer-to-the-reality-of-conflict-1.1303773 (Retrieved September 16, 2014)

Rohlinger, Bunnage and Klein, "How Social Movements are Using the Internet to Change Politics?": http://www.scholarsstrategynetwork.org/sites/default/files/ssn_key_findings_rohlinger_on_virtual_power_plays-2.pdf (Retrieved September 16, 2014)

San Miguel, "Social Media, a Tool for Political Change": http://www.academia.edu/2619486/SOCIAL_MEDIA_A_TOOL_FOR_POLITICAL_CHANGE (Retrieved September 16, 2014)

Tayler,"What the heck is going on in Venezuela?": http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-02-18/what-the-heck-is-going-on-in-venezuela-could-the-maduro-regime-fall (Retrieved September 16, 2014)

Is This Video Game Art?

First of all, in order to answer whether a video game is art or not, we need to define the notion of art itself. In my opinion, art is something beautiful and expressive. The form does not matter - it can be a painting, a performance, a sculpture, a film, a song, a dress or a make-up. Everything can be art, as long as it is emotive. Art can be done by adults or children. It can be done by those with artistic background or without it, as long as it creates emotions. Please, see the link below:

Digital games - But are they art?
















Adams (2007) in his article introduces us to the notion of art and, at the same time, highlights its ambiguity. Adams assumes that “the boundaries between art and non-art are not hard and fast; there is a grey area.” (p.255). Adams enumerates various dimensions of this term, such as: literary arts, fine arts, and decorative arts. Moreover, Adams distinguishes the work of art from the object itself stating that, very often, the second one is just the delivery medium and does not possess any artistic value while being separated from the artwork.

Adams points out that some video games should be treated in categories of literary arts since, similar to movies, contain narrative elements. Nevertheless, as stated earlier, art does not have to be narrative, it can be visual – providing addressee with pleasurable aesthetic or kinetic experience. Moreover, similarly to great works of art, games are able to survive many centuries in spite of various changes in, for example, culture or language.

Adams tries to explain the development of the philosophy of art which, at the beginning, was identified more with copying certain objects in order to create their accurate representatives. The breakthrough of the twentieth century, however, established different ways of perceiving things raising, at the same time, the idea of art as a form of expression.

In spite of many approaches towards the purpose of art, it certainly possesses one, undeniable feature – durability. Perceiving things as being aesthetically interesting does not change with times.

The perception of art has changed. Together with the introduction of popular culture, art no longer needs to be placed in galleries and museums. Its medium can be interactive, allowing for self-immersion in the new form of experience. There is a thin line between artwork and pop culture. Adams supports his point of view by comparing game and film industries and explaining that the majority of movies is not art, so is not most of the games.

Adams debates about the possibility that interactivity precludes art – the way of communicating changes, viewer interferes, author is no longer an artist. However, most of us know the notion of performing arts. Such artists as Marina Abramovic or Yoko Ono allow viewer to interact. In the performance entitled “The Artist is Present”, Abramovic puts 72 different objects on the table, such as, e.g.: a scourge, a gun, a rose, a razor blade, pliers, a mud, a condom, a jar of honey, and waits. You can please her, you can hurt her. Ono, on the other hand, in performance entitled “Cut Piece” kneels on the stage, while a pair scissors lies in front of her. The viewers' task is to cut a piece of her clothing and take it with them. The performance ends when Ono is being completely exposed. The purpose of both performances is to show that civilisation is like a thin layer – a group of people can change into beasts very quickly if you allow them to do so. Both, Abramovic and Ono prove that interactivity between an artist and a public creates art itself. Adams believes that interactivity enables players to discover the message of art since, according to him, games are able to say things.

Adams claims that art possesses settled features, e.g.: content or aesthetic. “Art must have content” (p.258) since its purpose is to express certain issues and ideas. Art also determines what is beautiful and what is ugly. Art, as having an aesthetic, needs to be appealing, meaningful and deep. Games might me deep and might me shallow. Their form might be aesthetic or not. Games might or might not contain ideas. But if they do, players are able to learn things out of them due to various simulations. Most of all, however, Adams points out that art “makes you feel things.” (p.259). Good art is also characterised by lack of formula and utility. Its purpose is not to be sold, its purpose is to be telling.

Adams states that games, in order to be treated as an art form, need to possess certain features of other art forms. Nowadays, games production is mostly focused on providing players with fun and entertainment – they are lack of deeper message.

“Great art challenges the viewer. It demands that the viewer grow, expand his or her mind, see things that have not been seen before, think things that have not been thought before.” (Adams 2007, p.261)

Art is about taking risks, putting yourself in someone else's shoes, looking at things from different angle, thinking out of the box.

Adams describes his experience playing “Balance of Power” when he decides to play the game from the enemy side. This decision not only allows him to understand all the challenges that the Soviet Union faced during the Second World War, but also changes his perspective forever.

Games, in order to be considered as an art form, need undeniable changes. Adams tries to prove that games have a potential, however, “gaming awards must change.” (p.262). Prizes in gaming industry are mostly given for best graphic or sound. There is almost no prizes in categories of acting or story-telling. Moreover, there are almost no well-educated critics being willing to make an in-depth analysis of a game. If certain elements are treated as irrelevant it is hard to expect any improvement from their authors.

Adams does not indicate whether he believes in interactive entertainment as being an art form or not. Nevertheless, he defines all the changes that should be made in order to do so.

Bibliography:

Ernest W. Adams (2007) “Will Computer Games Ever Be a Legitimate Art Form?”. In Clarke and Mitchell (eds), Videogames and Art, 255-264.

Marina Abramovic: http://www.skny.com/artists/marina-abramovi/ (Retrieved September 8, 2014)

Yoko Ono: http://imaginepeace.com/archives/2680 (Retrieved September 8, 2014) 

Modern Times, Then and Now

Technology affects the Charlie Chaplin character in a significant way. At the beginng of the movie we can see Charlie working very hard. Employees being in a constat rush have no time for scraching themselves or going to the WC. I believe that this very demanding work force atmosphere is caused by workers' fear of being replaced by machines. As it can be noticed, everything is done manually so we can observe the domino effect – if one employee does not do his work the work of others collapses. Cameras placed everywhere allow Chaplin's boss for controlling him almost everywhere. Moreover, employees use special cards in order to record the exact time of coming to and leaving work.

When technology comes into Chaplin's work place, he no longer needs to use his hands in order to consume a meal. Special robot does everything for him. In the movie, however, the robot breaks down and Charlie ends up having a soup all over his face. Charlie cannot do anything in order to stop the machine, and at the same time, is completely dependent on the device - he needs to wait for the machine to feed him, as well as to water him.

Please, click on the link below:
Charlie Chaplin - Eating Machine

Nowadays, people use electronic devices all the time. Technology comes into our lives and people no longer have to do everything manually. They have different sort of machines that do everything for of them. Moreover, there are cameras everywhere. Big brother is watching you. Our behaviour is controlled. Following this path, nowadays we also possess various cards that record our moves. Lets focus on Octopus card. You can pay with it in various shops, buses, MTR. The Big Brother know exactly where you are, which bus number you take everyday, which canteen you eat meals in. Technology is power.