Monday, 23 November 2009
Status Updates
Watching this video (below) explaining social updates I get the feeling that what they call “the ambient model” is identical to “the broadcasting model”, and that social updates (in the form being explained) is just a personal version of the one way mass communication model that we are all trying to innovate on behalf of brands.
It seems we’ve gone full circle here, from companies marketing to small then large markets. And now people marketing themselves and their social activities from close friends to large groups. Large enough to make the activities resembling dialogue so minimal compared to the size of the network that the conversation becomes a presentation.
As have been pointed out to me earlier when I have criticized the use of Twitter and other social tools for becoming “broadcast” utilities: That these tools are just tools, not uses – let people find their own purpose, don’t artificially limit them.
But it still is important to remember that just because we are people, not companies, our communication is not any less likely to become non-social. And if we as individuals can’t refrain from broadcasting, then how can we demand it from companies?
From the video:
- “you hear only what you choose to hear. Everyone else’s broadcasts is just ambient noise until you decide to listen in”…
- Reminds me of advertising and the 3000 impressions we get exposed to every day, ambient, for sure.. :o)
I’m certain a lot of people get a lot of value out of their twittering and social updates, I for certain am one of them. But looking at how easy it is to turn our own best efforts into the same communications concepts we have tried to avoid for years.. It underlines the importance to keep looking for ideas and utilities for these social tools and be a conscious of our own use. Not just be as mesmerized as companies have been by the opportunity to “connect” with thousands of recipients and forgetting to explore the quality of this interaction.
Facebook stats
General Growth:
- More than 300 million active users
- 50% of our active users log on to Facebook in any given day
- The fastest growing demographic is those 35 years old and older
- Average user has 130 friends on the site
- More than 8 billion minutes are spent on Facebook each day (worldwide)
- More than 45 million status updates each day
- More than 10 million users become fans of Pages each day
- More than 2 billion photos uploaded to the site each month
- More than 14 million videos uploaded each month
- More than 2 billion pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photos, etc.) shared each week
- More than 3 million events created each month
- More than 45 million active user groups exist on the site
- More than 70 translations available on the site
- About 70% of Facebook users are outside the United States
- More than one million developers and entrepreneurs from more than 180 countries
- Every month, more than 70% of Facebook users engage with Platform applications
- More than 350,000 active applications currently on Facebook Platform
- More than 250 applications have more than one million monthly active users
- More than 15,000 websites, devices and applications have implemented Facebook Connect since its general availability in December 2008
- There are more than 65 million active users currently accessing Facebook through their mobile devices.
- People that use Facebook on their mobile devices are almost 50% more active on Facebook than non-mobile users.
- There are more than 180 mobile operators in 60 countries working to deploy and promote Facebook mobile products
Possible styles?
Looking at a few documentaries, this is the sort of way it will look, maybe. I think. :)
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/benefit-busters/video/series-1/episode-2/easier-on-the-dole
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/who-you-callin-a-nigger
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/benefit-busters/video/series-1/episode-2/easier-on-the-dole
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/who-you-callin-a-nigger
Sunday, 22 November 2009
Personal Space: Research
Psychological intimacy
A question of some relevance in seating behaviour is the psychological closeness of different arrangements. We asked groups of approximately 100 college students each in the United States, England, Holland, Sweeden, and Pakistan to rate a series of 37 arrangements of pairs seated at square, round, and rectangular tables along a scale from 'very intimate and psychologically close' to 'very distant and psychologically remote'. The rank orde of closeness was identical in all five countries. Side-by-side seating was always the most intimate, followed by corner seating, face-to-face seating, and various distant or catty-corner arrangements.
Distance and intimacy
Russo asked the students to rate diagrams of seating arrangements at a rectangular table (2-1-2-1). She found that increased distance produced ratings of less acquaintance, less friendliness, and lower talkativeness, except where increased eye contact counteracted the effects of increased distance. Even though the physical distance was greater between the two people at the head and foot of the table, there was more psychological closeness between them.
The limits of comfortable conversation
This study was based on the previous observation that people conversing prefer to sit across from one another, although at some slight angle, rather than side by side. However, it is obvious that this must be qualified by the size of the gap between the people. If two men are given the choice of conversing across from one another at a distance of 30 feet or sitting side by side on a sofa, they will select the sofa. This means that people will sit across from one another until the distance between them exceeds the limit for comfortable conversation. By noting the point at which people begin to sit side by side, we can learn the limits of comfortable converation under the particular conditions used. Two sofas in an attractively furnished lounge were placed at prearranged distances from one another before each session. Pairs of subjects were asked to enter the lounge and discuss various impersonal topics. The people sat on different sofa's - from three-and-one-half-feet and beyond, people sat side by side. It can be noted that, wich sofa's like these, people's heads are usually one foot behind the front of the sofa. Using the architect's concept of nose-to-nose distance, our subjects began to sit side by side when they were five-and-one-half feet apart. Under the particular conditions we used - two people who knew each other slightly discussing an impersonal topic in a large lounge - this can be considered the upper limit for comfortable conversation. The room scale is smaller in private homes, and there is some evidence that as room size becomes larger, people sit closer together. The same occurs when noise level and distraction increase.
A question of some relevance in seating behaviour is the psychological closeness of different arrangements. We asked groups of approximately 100 college students each in the United States, England, Holland, Sweeden, and Pakistan to rate a series of 37 arrangements of pairs seated at square, round, and rectangular tables along a scale from 'very intimate and psychologically close' to 'very distant and psychologically remote'. The rank orde of closeness was identical in all five countries. Side-by-side seating was always the most intimate, followed by corner seating, face-to-face seating, and various distant or catty-corner arrangements.
Distance and intimacy
Russo asked the students to rate diagrams of seating arrangements at a rectangular table (2-1-2-1). She found that increased distance produced ratings of less acquaintance, less friendliness, and lower talkativeness, except where increased eye contact counteracted the effects of increased distance. Even though the physical distance was greater between the two people at the head and foot of the table, there was more psychological closeness between them.
The limits of comfortable conversation
This study was based on the previous observation that people conversing prefer to sit across from one another, although at some slight angle, rather than side by side. However, it is obvious that this must be qualified by the size of the gap between the people. If two men are given the choice of conversing across from one another at a distance of 30 feet or sitting side by side on a sofa, they will select the sofa. This means that people will sit across from one another until the distance between them exceeds the limit for comfortable conversation. By noting the point at which people begin to sit side by side, we can learn the limits of comfortable converation under the particular conditions used. Two sofas in an attractively furnished lounge were placed at prearranged distances from one another before each session. Pairs of subjects were asked to enter the lounge and discuss various impersonal topics. The people sat on different sofa's - from three-and-one-half-feet and beyond, people sat side by side. It can be noted that, wich sofa's like these, people's heads are usually one foot behind the front of the sofa. Using the architect's concept of nose-to-nose distance, our subjects began to sit side by side when they were five-and-one-half feet apart. Under the particular conditions we used - two people who knew each other slightly discussing an impersonal topic in a large lounge - this can be considered the upper limit for comfortable conversation. The room scale is smaller in private homes, and there is some evidence that as room size becomes larger, people sit closer together. The same occurs when noise level and distraction increase.
Social Encounters: Research continued
Michael Argyle and Janet Dean
Eye Contact, Distance and Affiliation
During social interaction, people look each other in the eye, repeatedly but for short periods. When glances are longer than this (about 3-10 seconds) anxiety is aroused. Without eye contact, people do not feel that they are fully in communication. Simmel has described it as 'a wholly new and unique union between two people', and remarked that it 'represents the most perfect reciprocity in the entire field of human relationship (Simmel, 1921).
Eye Contact, Distance and Affiliation
During social interaction, people look each other in the eye, repeatedly but for short periods. When glances are longer than this (about 3-10 seconds) anxiety is aroused. Without eye contact, people do not feel that they are fully in communication. Simmel has described it as 'a wholly new and unique union between two people', and remarked that it 'represents the most perfect reciprocity in the entire field of human relationship (Simmel, 1921).
Social Encounters: Research
Howard M. Rosenfeld
Non-Verbal Reciprocation of Approval: An Experimental Analysis
Several classes of verbal and non-verbal response have been employed effectively as social reinforcers in experiments on verbal conditioning. Recent research on three such categories - smiles, positive head nods and brief verbal recognitions such as 'mm-hmm' - has indicated that they play similar roles in free social interaction. These responses were more often emitted by subjects motivated to seek approval from peers than by control groups; and the response tended to bring about approving reactions from the peers to whom they were directed. A less expected finding was that when pairs of unaquainted peers were observed in free interaction, the rates of performance of the non-verbal approval-related responses by the two members of dyads were significantly intercorrelated. Smiles occoured at highly similar levels within the dyad during initial acquaintance periods and maintaind at this high simplicity over repeated encounters.
Non-Verbal Reciprocation of Approval: An Experimental Analysis
Several classes of verbal and non-verbal response have been employed effectively as social reinforcers in experiments on verbal conditioning. Recent research on three such categories - smiles, positive head nods and brief verbal recognitions such as 'mm-hmm' - has indicated that they play similar roles in free social interaction. These responses were more often emitted by subjects motivated to seek approval from peers than by control groups; and the response tended to bring about approving reactions from the peers to whom they were directed. A less expected finding was that when pairs of unaquainted peers were observed in free interaction, the rates of performance of the non-verbal approval-related responses by the two members of dyads were significantly intercorrelated. Smiles occoured at highly similar levels within the dyad during initial acquaintance periods and maintaind at this high simplicity over repeated encounters.
Sunday, 8 November 2009
Group Production Folder
Hey guys! I've been having a look at the stuff that needs to be put together as we go along for the group production folder. This is what we need to be getting on with:
ALL
HUGO - Sound
JESS - Production Manager
MARK - Editor
ABI - Camera
ALL
HUGO - Sound
JESS - Production Manager
MARK - Editor
ABI - Camera
- Research Materials - ALL
- Treatment - We've already done that one, I'll get it stuck in the production folder
- Storyboards - HUGO
- Shotlists - ABI
- Sound Notes - HUGO
- Equipment Lists - JESS
- Crew Lists with contacts - JESS
- Contributor Lists with contacts - JESS
- Consent forms and any other relevant release forms - ALL
- Production Schedule - HUGO/ JESS
- Camera logs - ABI
- Sound logs - HUGO
- Edit Log and decision list - MARK
- Production Stills - JESS
- Technical details of camera - ABI
- Technical details of sound - HUGO
- Technical details of post production approaches - MARK
Saturday, 7 November 2009
Elderly Home
I emailed the care home, hope this sounds okay!
Dear Sir/ Madam,
My name is Jessica Purvis and I am a student at Sheffield Hallam University. I am in my second year of studying the course Film and Media Production.
I am currently working at the moment on a short documentary with 3 other group members, which deals with social change through the years. We believe that as a society, we're just not as sociable any more! Whatever happened to passing a friendly face on the street? Or even knowing your neighbours? Therefore, we would be delighted if we would be able to visit the care home and talk to any of the residents willing about how they feel about these issues. They would be recorded on camera, and this will be used eventually as part of our short film.
Any help that you can give to us, if any, would be greatly appreciated. I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,
Jessica Purvis
Dear Sir/ Madam,
My name is Jessica Purvis and I am a student at Sheffield Hallam University. I am in my second year of studying the course Film and Media Production.
I am currently working at the moment on a short documentary with 3 other group members, which deals with social change through the years. We believe that as a society, we're just not as sociable any more! Whatever happened to passing a friendly face on the street? Or even knowing your neighbours? Therefore, we would be delighted if we would be able to visit the care home and talk to any of the residents willing about how they feel about these issues. They would be recorded on camera, and this will be used eventually as part of our short film.
Any help that you can give to us, if any, would be greatly appreciated. I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,
Jessica Purvis
Jobs to do!
Hugo: Storyboards, research into behavioral psychology, sound stuff
Jess: Stills, confirm elderly home, research into experiments and behavioral psychology
Abi: Research into social psychology, etc
Mark: Look at styles, possible music
ALL: Overall research, interview questions, booking equipment.
Jess: Stills, confirm elderly home, research into experiments and behavioral psychology
Abi: Research into social psychology, etc
Mark: Look at styles, possible music
ALL: Overall research, interview questions, booking equipment.
Meeting - 05/11
For the benefit of you guys who didn't come to the last meeting, this is what Hugo and I discussed:
- Having some information on new technology, introduced after the interviews in the elderly home (I've written this in the Order Of Events).
- Hugo has designed some storyboards which are highly useful in looking at the type of style we are going to use, as well as establishing some of the shots and locations.
- We need to decide how we're going to refer to the Violinist in the Metro - shall we get footage of buskers around Sheffield? Or get some footage and/or images of the actual event, if possible?
- Everyone get stills where they can to post on the blog - we also need to do this during production.
- Also talked about maybe going to the street with the factory workers?
- Finally, we talked about a shooting/production schedule - which Hugo is going to post on the blog.
Friday, 6 November 2009
Effect of social networks on society
Hi, came across this during my research, it shows a varied response and opinions on the question of social networks causing a decline in face to face social contact.
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
Violinist in the metro
To be used during the opening sequence, or elsewhere where appropriate.
A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning.
He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.
A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.
The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace.
He collected $32.
When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it.
No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.
Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100.
Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of an social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?
One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?
My additional thoughts would only be that so many people do things because they are "fashionable" that they forget to look at things with their own eyes, listen with their own ears, and appreciate anything with their own hearts.
A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning.
He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.
A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.
The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace.
He collected $32.
When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it.
No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.
Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100.
Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of an social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?
One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?
My additional thoughts would only be that so many people do things because they are "fashionable" that they forget to look at things with their own eyes, listen with their own ears, and appreciate anything with their own hearts.
Introduction Montage idea
Shots of around Sheffield city centre, people walking around. Focus on people on phones, communicative technology etc.
Narrator:
You wake up in the morning. You take a shower, you have breakfast. You put on a pot of coffee. You leave the house, walking, or taking the bus or car. Along the way, you text. Talk on your phone. Listen to your iPod....
In today's society, these are all activities that take place during many people regular rountine. But what are we missing while we go about our day, oblivious to the people, and to what's around us..?
Titles roll
Narrator:
So, what has happened to our sense of awareness? Have we lost our ability to tune into society? Into what surrounds us?
Narrator:
You wake up in the morning. You take a shower, you have breakfast. You put on a pot of coffee. You leave the house, walking, or taking the bus or car. Along the way, you text. Talk on your phone. Listen to your iPod....
In today's society, these are all activities that take place during many people regular rountine. But what are we missing while we go about our day, oblivious to the people, and to what's around us..?
Titles roll
Narrator:
So, what has happened to our sense of awareness? Have we lost our ability to tune into society? Into what surrounds us?
- IDEA: We could also shoot one person going about their daily routine for this sequence, blur effect.
- More mention of technology?
Order of Events
Opening Montage - 1 min
Interviews in Sheffield centre (youg people), Social Networking sites etc - 2 mins
Experiment intro - 30 secs
Stats, behavioral psychology - 30 secs
Experiment, introducing subjects - 1 min
Stats - social networking sites etc - 30 secs
Interviews in elderly home - 2 mins
NEW: Info on Technology - 1 min?
Experiment conclusion, subject interviews - 30 secs
Conclusion (with reference to Raymond Williams - Culture and Society) - 30 secs
Total: 8 mins 30 secs approx
NEW TOTAL: 9 - 10 mins approx
(Constant referal back to experiment throughout).
Interviews in Sheffield centre (youg people), Social Networking sites etc - 2 mins
Experiment intro - 30 secs
Stats, behavioral psychology - 30 secs
Experiment, introducing subjects - 1 min
Stats - social networking sites etc - 30 secs
Interviews in elderly home - 2 mins
NEW: Info on Technology - 1 min?
Experiment conclusion, subject interviews - 30 secs
Conclusion (with reference to Raymond Williams - Culture and Society) - 30 secs
Total: 8 mins 30 secs approx
NEW TOTAL: 9 - 10 mins approx
(Constant referal back to experiment throughout).
Monday, 2 November 2009
Research into social media causing a decline in civilisation
Hi guys, i found this article when i was doing a bit of research, check it out & let me know what you think of it?
http://personaldividends.com/culture/arohan/social-media-and-decline-of-the-civil-society
http://personaldividends.com/culture/arohan/social-media-and-decline-of-the-civil-society
Documentary: Anti Social Society
Documentary Production: Anti Social Society
Jessica Purvis - Project Manager
Mark Stevens - Visual / Image Editor
Hugo Goodridge - Quality / Sound Editor
Abi Clegg - Camera Operative
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