Tweets From A Twat

Do you ever sit down and wonder why you exist on the internet?

I have. Just now.

Now, before I start, this isn't a call for help. No need to worry or shit like that. Just things are making me think. Like my grammar failing. Nearly said Just thinks our makeing me thing. Today is my fail day, it seems.

I have a multitude of social network accounts, though I only use two regularly: Twitter and Tumblr. I've given my reasons why I hardly use Facebook before, I think.

Anyway, I keep using them, but to what purpose?

Are they my way to vent to the world? To share my life with others who want to know more about me?

Or is it, in all honesty, an egotistical trip down confidence lane.

I don't know, it just made me think. I mean, I just use my accounts on certain websites, there's no motive behind what I do. Well, unless I promote the shit that I do. And no, I don't take photos of my shit and add it to some fecal-loving website.

The only exception to that is my Twitter account, where I actually add my thoughts to the world. But then I think about it, is it worth it?

That question is regarding both the thought I was about to tweet and the use of Twitter itself.

First, the thought of the tweet. Or any form of update, really.

Out of all the tweets/comments/ect that I was about to publish, about 97% of them are sent to limbo with the key combination of cmd + A and backspace. Why did I italicise them? Fuck knows.

A lot of the time, I write something and instantly delete it, before even posting the fucker. Is it because I believe that the update is not of worth? Is it because I think that it would make me look stupid or something? I don't know, my improbable reader. Maybe it's a combination of everything. Maybe it's an option from a selection that's not visible to the human eye. What the fuck am I saying.

But it does pose the question "what the fuck are you doing with your life?" when you have an app on your computer that feeds Twitter and Facebook onto your desktop all the time you're online. I mean, I have TweetDeck up all the time, mostly. That means that I'll possibly get tweets and status updates the moment they are set live. That's a bit... I don't know... odd.

It's, fuck. I really have no idea what I'm writing. I'm just doing the same sodding thing I always to in this situation - write inane bullshit and having trouble keeping my mind on things. Fuck.

Anyway, I'm not that egotistical in thinking that any update I do on the web is worth it. I don't upload a song onto my SoundCloud and instantly think this is going to get me so much pussy or anything like that. More often than not, I just update it to get opinions. I have no intention for things I do to "be good".

But do social networks just feed on our primal instincts? You know, the need to feel connected with others, the need to feel stable within this planet's ecosystem that is socialism.

Or, in my re-visiting into the world of shittery, am I just over thinking things to the maximum? That is probably the thing. Yeah, most definitely the thing.

But that doesn't really answer my first question. The first question where I pondered if my existence on the web was worth it. Well, in many ways, it answers itself. There's no inherit worth of having Facebook other than being part of the times, being like everyone else. You know, using Facebook or Twitter to keep up to date with everyone else.

But then I think, isn't it just destroying the said primal needs for us to stay connected? By pouring your life in a bucket of media?

Then I think, is this was some people thought when the telephone came around? Or even the written word?

Fuck, I need to get out more.

In other news, I hate this gap between Wednesday and Monday. I just need to do something to kill time between then.

Fuck, I hope that I fill out my time until September. With anything. Ah well, there goes my smile.

- He's. A. FIN. -Ily. GUY. Also, feel free to ask me shit on my Tumblr.

Insert An Interesting Title About University Here

This week has been... er... weird.

Well, I say this week, I actually meant today.

Fuck, I really need to find ways to improve my word count other than blatantly lying to my audience.

Anyway, hello. This morning, as I woke up, I gazed upon my phone to see if I had any emails. I had one from one of the admin dudes in university, so I assumed that it was just another day in the office.

Then I noticed the subject. Then took notice of the content of the email.

Basically, they are asking my permission for them to use the work that I created for my course to show potential students what can be achieved in the course. Or something.

And I honestly have no idea what I think of this.

Obviously, I gave my permission. I have no problem with anyone using my work for advertising proposes, as long as they credit me, that's fine.

But the thing is, I'm questioning myself over this. Have they asked because they think that my work is really good? Or did they pick names at random and unfortunately for them, mine came up?

I don't know. I'm just finding it difficult that they'd say that my work is worthy for use as promotion for the course. Maybe if they were using it as a this is what students in our course who received a certain grade has created or something with far better grammar. I need a day job.

In other news, I suspected that my grades were updated, and they had. Remember the assignment I had to do? You know, the investigation into 3D theory? Well, in that module (which I think is falled Graphic Design Technology and Integration) I have earned a 2:1. Considering this was one of the modules I was shakey at (due to my lack of experience with After Effects and everything 3D), I'm bloody ecstatic over this.

Maybe having a 2:1 overall this year is possible, eh? Who knows.

In other news, the CLICvlogs are somehow getting popular. Well, what I consider popular for something that's only been live for less than half a year. One of the videos on CLICplay has had nearly fifty likes on Facebook. That's insane, that.

Also, for future me, stop being such a twat. But if something happens, update me, ya?

And that, as they say, is that.

- Do do do do do do do do do... FIN FIN

Critique Fanatique: Bridges Visual Effects Sequence

This time, it's a some kind of self Critique Fanatique. But then again, I'm not stopping you telling me what you think of it. If I didn't want any comments on the video, I wouldn't publish it online on so many social networking sites. Anyway, that's said. Boom.

If you didn't know, the last assignment that I handed in was to create a visual effects sequence to promote a product.

I, having no idea whatsoever, decided to do it on Bridges, which, according to their blog, a new and exclusive project working with LGBT young people aged 13-17 in Rhondda Cynon Taff.

This, is the final result.




I handed it in yesterday, and late last night the dude who runs Bridges, Martyn David, posted it in the Bridges Facebook Page, among other places. It had some likes, which I'm not really concerned with. To me, most of the time a like is just an acknowledgment of something, not necessarily an actual liking for something.

It also received some comments, with two people saying that it looks professional and it looks great. Which, I thank them for those comments, considering they could have just said dude, this looks like shit and you deserve a fail.

But, as I woke up this morning, feeling rather run down, I instantly thought of this video. I instantly thought of ways that I can improve it, ways to make it suck less.

You have to admit, there are aspects of this video that fail miserably. The tracking for the text could (and should) be so much better. I mean, look at the Rhondda Cynon Taff text early on in the video. That was supposed to stay with a certain tree, falling into the background. But what does it do? It pops around. Same goes to the Bridges text.

Then, there's the lighting of the video. It's really not consistent. It doesn't help that the first shot was fine, but I didn't bother changing the settings for the second and third ones, meaning that the middle shot was extremely over-exposed. I didn't notice until I opened the files up on my Mac. Word to the wise, folks, just because you're in roughly the same location doesn't mean the settings are correct.

Then there's the sound. I wish I knew how to get rid of the hum sound generated from the wind. But no, I couldn't do it.

And the still you can see before watching the footage, the image that I took on the first Bridges photoshoot, I basically used a JPEG file. I asked for the original, but couldn't get it on time for various reasons beyond my reach.

I don't know, all I see when I see this is the worst video technique wise that I've handed in. I was supposed to create a visual effects sequence, and all I've done is put some text to coincide with what is said on the video. If I get anything higher than a fail, I'll be extremely happy.

That said, I'm not saying that the video is shit, nor am I saying that what is said and done within the footage is terrible. All I'm saying is that everything done in post production is rather weak - the tracking of the text, the colour correction, the overall edits.

The last assignment I did for this assignment, I spent at least two weeks after handing it in perfecting it, and for some reason I want to do the same for this one. Well, instead of perfecting it, I just want to redo it all.

Ever the optimist.

Anyway, if you have your own opinion on the final project, feel free to comment. I really encourage others to let me know what they think of anything that I've done, whether it's a complement or a critique.

- Critique FINitique. What am I doing with my life?...

The Tale Of The Seven Assignments: Part Two

In the gripping saga of mine which I've dubbed seven assignments, two weeks, we saw that last week I spent roughly an assignment a day for four days, and I only had three assignments due in by the end of this week.

Let me start by saying this, conclusions for investigations are a bitch.

If I was writing an essay about how I created a certain design or the findings I've collected in a series of tests, that's a piece of piss. But the moment you ask me to conclude an investigation into 3D theory? Ball sack of Oedipus, that's hard.

But, I managed it, and after my presentation on Wednesday, I handed my final written report of the year.

And that's the second assignment mentioned. Remember those CLICvlogs that I probably mentioned before? Yeah, I had to present them to my lecturers and nine other people that I've never met (because I asked to do mine first because I had work to get to).

To my surprise, I felt much more comfortable with the fact that I hardly knew the other students there. If I was standing in front of others in my course, I'd feel like they were judging me, comparing my shit to their gold, as they would see it. But no, I had to present CLICvlogger to those who had never heard of them. And for my confidence, that was surprisingly good.

That said, it was terrible for my grammar. I remember, not half an hour before the presentation, I tweeted that the chances of my grammar failing me while talking is staggering. And it came to pass, that my grammar failed like a motherbitch.

One of the biggest fails was one of the last things I said. I said that through the project, I learned about photography and how to use a DSLR to its full potential. I then, trying to show the lecturers that I've applied knowledge learned from both this module and the course in general, told them that I've taken photographs of events.

But I didn't say it like that . I said something like I also covered some events photographically.

Now, is that even a fucking term?

I was so soddingly tongue tied during all of it, must have explained what the idea of CLICvlogs to them at least three times. But as the video played of people saying what they thought of the vlogs and the project, I eased into it.

Technical wise, I doubt I'll have a good mark. Come on, all I've done is film fifteen vlogs and post them online. I'm hoping that my saying that I've helped young people learn about editing and given them a chance to share their opinions with others in Wales and the world will get me at least a 2:2.

And finally, the biggest load of shit I've ever made.

I'm in no way in saying that the content is shit, nor the way its presented. All I'm saying is that the editing is utter wank, and the fact that I was supposed to make a visual effects sequence and what did I end up making? Just some shitty text appearing. I'll be lucky to scrape a third...

And that, as they say, is that. At about ten this morning, I handed in the last assignment, and as the receptionist gave me a slip confirming my final hand in, I finished my second year of university. Now, five months of nothing. Thank fuck I have a job now.

In other news, there is none. For now. Apart from I might chronicle all the derp moments from the CLICvlogs in GIF format. So many potential GIFs, so little time...

- I know it's going to be a FIN, a FI-I-I-IN.

The Tale Of The Seven Assignments: Part One

I find myself in a rather odd situation.

If you haven't guessed, it's that time when secondary school students study the shit out of their subjects for their exams, and the higher educational mongrels hand in their assignments. I am like said mongrel.

Last weekend, I started one of my many assignments. Well, seven of them to be precise. The assignment that I'm talking about was to create a DVD menu within DVD Studio Pro.

Now, as I wrote that, it made me think. Other people have assignments like write a dissertation on the Roman Empire or an understanding on how certain chemicals can destroy some viruses. And there's me, on my Mac, plodding away while creating a DVD menu. Compared to every other BSc course available, I have it shit easy. And this story will kind of prove it.

I started the assignment at about ten in the morning, and I had finished before three.

And that makes me worry a bit.

I mean, look at it. I am a university student. I am paying for my education, and I went into this assignment knowing jack shit about what I was supposed to do. And for some reason, I managed to create a half-decent DVD menu in both English and Welsh (even if I did spell pennod wrong, curse my lack of ability with the Welsh language...). And that's got me worried.

And over the past two days, I have not only finished writing about the technicalities of creating a multipage website, forum and an e-shop, but I also creating an iOS app from scratch and written a report about the techniques used. That's a fair bit to do in such a short time.

And I'm worries that it will show in the work. I know that it won't get me worldwide recognition, nor will it allow me to impregnate every woman with more vowels in their names than consonants. But I worry that the speed of the completion of the assignment will also pave the walkway of the failure of said assignment. It will show that I shall forever be a limp moth, heading to the nearest light source no matter how dim the light. What?

Anyway, I shall leave you now. Maybe just subtly beat myself up for being a shit editor.

- Something interesting that contains the capitalised words FIN.

Student Moans

What a fucking inventive title.

Yes, hello and all that.

Today started off really good, and after like one in the afternoon it turned to shit. All because of how shit the university's server is.

Actually, before then, I tried to start another of my assignments where I have to design an iPhone app. But the program that I need to use wouldn't work. It seems that I tried to log into Apple's servers incorrectly too many times and they locked my account. Now, eight hours later, I'm still waiting for a password reset email from them. I've already had two, and both were invalid. Great service, there.

Second of all, one of my assignments (which is due on Friday) is that I have to design a fully functional website. This assignment was due before Christmas, but because of some problems with the server and some the other students in the course being lazy arseholes who only want to drink and fuck, the assignment has been extended until this Friday.

Here's the great thing. A month ago, I accessed my work perfectly from home. Now? No. It's like you're trying to finish your assignment? lol jk I'ma fuck with you so you have to waste money to do something the lecturers should've asked for sixteen weeks earlier.

Web Design for Social Media really doesn't want me to pass. The wanker.

In other news, I like waking up early.

In other news, here's a link to this week's CLICvlog.

Short, full of pointlessness and includes a bit of blue. Perfectly describes my face.

- FIN, and a chicken named Gary.