Osmos requires you to adapt a new strategy and diversify your skill set in order to achieve success. Each level is increasingly difficult but still offers tutorial feedback in the form of tips, notes, etc. A simple understanding of physics comes in to play. One flaw is that the game would not play so well for the color blind since reds, blues and greens are vital to the goals for each level. All in all the game is very fun, borderline addicting. It is playable for a wide age range. If I had to guess I would say ages 10 and up.

Now my task is to absorb a “Biophobe.” It resembles the Repulsor but is green with a glowing, white center. The “biophobe” acts like I do. It moves with expulsion propulsion and absorbs motes to grow in size. The glow in the sphere is actually its “cursor.” You can use it to predict the movement of the “biophobe” to aide in its capture. The “biophobe” turns blue in reaction to my growth just as the motes do. This level took most of my skills and a few tries. I finally decided to cultivate mass instead of chase my “clone.” I made short work of the snot ball once there were only a few motes left and the “biophobe” was rather small. Level and Demo complete. “Au revoir…”

The same thing happens as when I entered “ambient welcome.” This zone is called “force reception” and has new music. I am realizing that the larger I become, the slower I get and the more force I need to get moving. Once I get moving, it is  increasingly difficult to slow down and stopping seems like a fantasy. Each zone has been much harder than the last but my navigation skill has increased along with the level difficulty. The goal does not seem to change, “Become the Biggest.” This zone, “level F1-1,” is representative of a solar system. There is a massive red orb in the center and many motes are orbiting around it, myself included. This will prove to be quite a challenge.

I orbit for a bit around the “sun” collecting small orbs but not making any real progress on the bar. I begin exploring the system and zoom out to reveal a red ring instead of the usual blue walled box. The larger I get the more apparent it becomes that I am competing against one other mote. It was actually visible this round. I turned all the orbs blue but one. The “sun” also reacts to my growth by its core turning blue. The closer you are to the sun, the faster your orbit is. You can break the gravitation pull of the “sun” if you get far enough away. You also run the risk of hitting the red boundary which kills you. Upon completion of the level there is another helpful tip that would have been useful before the round, “Press [Cmd+O] to enable orbit visualization.” You can track your trajectory now. This will be very useful but could also mean that my navigation will certainly be put to the test in the coming zones.

I proceed to the next level, “F1-2,” and am greeted with a navigation tip, “(F)or quick manoeuvres, click several times in rapid succession.” This is worrisome but I feel up to the challenge and confidence has been instilled in me from the flow and pace of the game. I will be tested but it will not be impossible.  

I am now charged with a new task, “Absorb the Repulsor.” The Repulsor is a bright red orb that does not resemble any of the other motes for easy detection. This level has active motes and the Repulsor is very active. Right from the start you learn why it is called the Repulsor. It acts like a similarly charged magnet and repels all orbs that approach it. We have a game of cat and mouse while I collect orbs for mass. I finally chase the Repulsor to the boundary, blue circle this time, and ricochet it right in to me, simple physics. “Zone Complete.” The tip for this level is that I have the option to slow down time with a “[right-click]” and a simple click will restore time to normal. Next zone…

I am still in the same void but am reassured that I am in a new zone because the music has changed. The screen says nothing but “ambient welcome.” The text dissolves and another message appears. I am now charged with the task to, “Become the Biggest.” Now I’ve got a lovely bunch of orbs. Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head. They vary in size and color, ranging from red to blue, like level I-2. It resembles an anarchic solar system. How vast is this galaxy of motes called “level A1-1?” Like clockwork, feedback: “Try zooming out with the [mousewheel] or [Up/Down].” As I scroll it becomes apparent this won’t be easy. I am still in the box but am now just a spec. I glow bright to avoid confusion with other orbs. There are many more red motes this time and all orbs are static. There is also some sort of progress bar at the top of the screen to inform me how close I am to the goal. I begin by absorbing the closest orbs. Like the last level, the red orbs begin to turn blue. I graze a red orb and lose mass. I have been partially absorbed. I must avoid all contact with larger orbs and be very active with my propulsion. Alas, I have failed. I hurled myself toward a red orb hoping I would reach a larger size before contact. “Lifeform Terminated” appears in red. I am offered a retry. The top of the screen offers another green tip, “Stuck on this level? Press [Cmd+Z] to try a new, random version!” I have the power to manipulate my environment to increase my chances of success. This is great since there is no apparent strategy that guarantees victory which implies balancing within the game. I try again and complete the level in a matter of seconds. I did not use the randomizing option either. “Level Complete” I proceed…

I am now in an identical galaxy but this one is “level A1-2” and this time the other orbs are very active. Also, the dot that represents my goal on the progress bar is more in the middle of the bar. Last level it was about 1/3 of the way from the left of the bar. I must be very wary of my expulsion because I now notice that my “chaff” can be absorbed by the other motes and cause them to grow in size. I learn this the hard way. “Lifeform Terminated.” I do not randomize and just retry. It seems that there is no limit to retries which is advantageous and inviting to keep playing. I retry and reach the goal quickly. “Zone Complete.” A green message appears as well, “Note: in the full version, you can play random variations of any level.” Turns out I could not use [Cmd+Z] even if I wanted. Next zone… 

I am greeted with the familiar words of Sir Isaac Newton:

“Actioni contrariam semper et aequalem esse reactionem.” 

Translation: “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

How will this come in to play? Instantly, as is becoming evident, I am given feedback in order to proceed to the task at hand. My cursor has changed to a symbol I will relate to the Star of Bethlehem.  More text appears in the starry void… instructions. “Press [Space] to continue…” I do.

I now find myself in a large box with a line drawing of a circle. The bottom left corner of the screen says “level I-1.” More feedback: “Propel yourself to the blue circle and come to a stop.” Seems simple enough. I am then informed how to move. My cursor will determine my direction. This is why the design was chosen for the cursor. The long tip of the cursor will be the direction I am propelling from, much like the flame of a rocket booster. I click once. I begin to move at a very, very slow pace. I notice that I have ejected a miniature mote upon clicking. With each click I expel more orbs. The orbs differ from me in that I have a blue center and they have red. I notice they ricochet off the boundary wall. This tells me the wall is not dangerous and will not harm me. I continue drifting toward the circle but still watch the expelled spheres going in the opposite direction. The first hits the wall and collides with the second. They stop and a single, slightly larger orb is left. This causes me to reflect on Newton’s words and wonder what the reactions will be for my coming actions. I arrive at the circle. I do not have to break through it or anything and I continue to drift along my trajectory. Upon entering the circle, the blue line re-draws itself with white. I have reached my goal. But wait. I am not stopping in the circle and the circle does not encase me within it’s boundaries. I pass right through it before it completes the re-draw. I ricochet off the wall and try again. This time I click to expel orbs from the opposite side in order to slow down. One, still too fast. Two, still too fast and I am now approaching the circle boundary. Three, that did it. I actually come to a halt in the circle and it finishes the re-draw. Now I am presented with feedback. I have an affirmation for my efforts “Great!” as well as a Navigation Tip. The tip is in green which certainly stands out in the blue-heavy blobiverse. I am told that if I hold down the button, as opposed to clicking, it will result in heavier propulsion. Then I am posed a question, “Notice how you shrink when you eject mass?” Newton. I now know that my movement is detrimental to my overall goal. This will make it very difficult to maintain mass. I am prompted to press “[Space]” again. I do.

Now I am in a similar box; perhaps the same? This is called “level I-2.” I am in the center and three motes are arranged in a triangular fashion around me. The top mote is red and larger than me. I will avoid it. My task is listed at the top of the screen “Absorb the Targets [0 / 3].” More feedback: “Touch smaller motes to absorb them. Avoid larger motes, or be absorbed.” My predilection for avoid the red orb was correct. I propel myself slowly toward the bottom left of the triangle to absorb the first target. I grow as I absorb the mote. While I grow, the red mote begins to turn blue. It is just the outside of the for now, like a blue ring around the red sphere. I am now larger than the original red mote but am still uncertain. The two smaller motes were bluer to begin with so I change direction to absorb the other small blue orb. I use my navigation tip from the previous level and hold down the mouse to change direction quickly. This causes me to accelerate but also causes the ring to dissipate around the red orb. I am shrinking so I release the button. I absorb the small orb and am now much larger than the red orb. So large in fact that the red orb is now mostly blue. I will be more conservative with my speed and expulsion-based propulsion in order to maintain enough mass to absorb the final mote. I am successful and immediately informed that this zone is complete. Now I am told to press “[Space] to continue to the next zone…” instead of “to proceed.” I do.

I arrive in a strange box. I am in a celestial environment. I learn that it is called a “blobiverse.” I am a small blue orb. My objective is to “Become the Biggest;” simple yet complex. I am not told how to begin my quest for magnitude. I am presented with a screen that has my name and a few other orbs or motes. What to do? I am not sure how to proceed. I begin meandering with the mouse and find that these motes are in fact levels. My options are limited as all but one mote is locked. I mouse over the active orb and it says “- two intro levels -” as well as strange markings within the orb. The markings resemble the representation for the ionic compound Iron Oxide. I click to begin.

First impressions are vital for franchises and businesses.  Besides ticket sales, merchandise was the only way for fans to interact with their sporting franchise before the advent of social media.  Merchandise sales provide great feedback on fan satisfaction with the performance of certain players and the design of the apparel.

This paper will focus on the mechanics of human sensing, perceiving and processing in regards to color.  The specific interface we will focus on is that of professional sports franchises who use orange as the predominant color in uniform and logo design.

Color plays a vital role in marketing.  Satyendra Singh, of the University of Winnipeg, wrote: “People make up their minds within 90 seconds of their initial interactions with either people or products.  About 62 to 90 percent of the assessment is based on colors alone.”(Impact of color on marketing)  Color affects our moods and feelings.  Not only as consumers but, really, as humans.  When we first see a color we see just that, color.  Then the mind begins processing the color.  We start to recognize the hue and saturation of the color.  How light or dark it is.  Once we realize the color we then process it.  Take a traffic light for example.  When we see red we stop.  When it turns green we go.  When it is yellow we have one of three options: proceed with caution, prepare to stop, or punch it and try to beat the red.  

What happens to people when they see the color orange?  Why is it so prevalent?  Why do some chose to wear it?  What is this reaction that people get from orange stimuli?  Kate Smith of Sensationalcolor.com had this to say about orange, “Orange, a close relative or red, sparks more controversy than any other hue.  There is usually a strong positive or negative association to orange and true orange generally elicits a stronger ‘love it’ or ‘hate it’ response than other colors.  Fun and flamboyant orange radiates warmth and energy.”(All About the Color ORANGE)  She goes on to suggest that orange can affect us physically.  It can stimulate activity and appetite.  She believes that orange can encourage socialization as well.  Perhaps she should have consulted with Mark Zuckerberg while conducting her study. 

Marketers, designers, managers, business owners, etc. all need to be conscious of the effects of color when creating their respective product.  Many colors evoke various reactions and every color will be perceived differently by each pair of eyes that processes it.  The color red, for example, “plays a significant role in communicating the fertility of females and the dominance of males throughout the animal kingdom.  The red effect is sensitive to context, but likely generalizes to products and activities that strongly relate to female sexuality (e.g., apparel) and male dominance (e.g., sports cars).”(Lidwell, p. 202)

So, what is the orange effect then? Native Americans associate orange with “kinship.”(Smith)  It is the national color of the Netherlands, as previously stated.  “In China and Japan, orange is used to symbolize happiness and love.”(Smith)  Scent It.com says the aromatherapy benefits are, “Cheering, Refreshing, Uplifting, Cleansing, Rejuvenating, Energizing, Sensual, Stimulating.”  Not all connotations are positive however.  Orange is associated with “‘gluttony’ in Christianity.”(Smith)  The color is certainly associated with prison or jail via jumpsuits.  Agent Orange was a deadly chemical weapon used during the Vietnam War.  “Dioxin, the toxic compound in Agent Orange, has been shown to cause cancer, birth defects, and organ dysfunction.”(Smith)  It may also be associated with Halloween or Paganism. 

In the NFL, the Denver Broncos announced in October of 2011 that they would like to go back to orange as their primary home jersey color.  Currently the Broncos’ home jersey is a navy blue with flashy orange accents around the numbers and letters as well as an orange collar and orange, fang-like stripes along the side of the jersey that continue down a white pant.  Denver has alternate jerseys that are the exact inverse of the blue ones.  These vibrant burnt orange jerseys are worn sparingly.  Usually the team dons them for primetime games, rivalries or inclement weather conditions.  This change in uniform will certainly trigger nostalgia in long time fans, as well as attract and retain new members of “Bronco Nation.” 

Until 1997, The Denver Broncos wore orange jerseys and powder blue helmets.  The team logo was a simple, white upper case “D” that had a rearing white horse with an orange mane and tail.  As a result, the Broncos defense became affectionately known as “The Orange Crush” during the 1977 season when Denver made the first of its five Super Bowl appearances.  According to an October 3^rd, 2011 article on USA Today’s website, “The Orange Crush will be back in full effect in 2012.”  The team won back-to-back Super Bowl championships the last time the Denver Broncos redesigned their identity.  Hopefully this change will yield the same result. 

“This is what our fans wanted,” said Joe Ellis, president of the Denver Broncos, in an early October interview with the Denver Post regarding the change in attire.  Broncos’ fans are not the only ones fond of the color of the rind that does not rhyme. The Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns all flaunt orange.  The Baltimore Orioles and San Francisco Giants are well known for rocking orange.  Three of the six professional sports franchises in New York (Knicks, Mets, Islanders) use orange in their color combination. Staying in Gotham, Syracuse University is clad in orange.  Their team nicknames are even the “Orangemen” and “Orangewomen.” The universities of Miami (FL), Tennessee and Texas at Austin all wear orange.  Tim Tebow, quarterback of the Denver Broncos, is familiar with wearing orange being an alumnus of the University of Florida.  The Houston Dynamo of the MLS and, across the pond, Spanish soccer team F.C. Barcelona can both be seen in orange.  The national soccer team of the Netherlands patriotically wears orange in representation of their nation.  The NBA claims five orange franchises: the Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, Charlotte Bobcats, Oklahoma City Thunder and the aforementioned New York Knickerbockers.  Orange is so popular in sports that you can find quizzes on the Internet just for teams that wear it! (Sporcle.com)

So many factors come in to play when deciding what color to make something.  This makes it very tricky for an entity like a sports franchise to promote merchandise globally.  Consumers in a foreign country could know very little about the sport or the history of the franchise.  When teams design merchandise (jerseys, t-shirts, hats, jackets, etc.), they must devise a palette that is pleasing to the greatest common denominator.  “There is no universal symbolism for different colors—different cultures attach different meanings to colors.”(Lidwell, p. 48)  They must consider where their product will be sold and who might see it, all without abandoning their fan-base’s preferences.  They also need to design a product that will be well received by the casual consumer and avoid negative connotation. 

Works Cited 

Singh, S. (2006) Impact of color on marketing. Management Decision, Vol. 44 Iss: 6, pp.783 – 789, Retrieved from www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=1558119&show=abstract 

Smith, K. (2012) All About the Color ORANGE. Retrieved February 13, 2011, from www.sensationalcolor.com/color-messages-meanings/color-meaning-symbolism-psychology/all-about-the-color-orange.html 

Can you name the Orange Major Sports Teams? Quiz. Retrieved February 13, 2011, from www.sporcle.com/games/Korkoala/orange_teams_2 

Klis, M. (2011, Oct 3) NFL approves Broncos’ switch back to orange uniforms. Retrieved February 13, 2011, from www.denverpost.com 

Davis, N. (2011, Oct 3) Broncos going back to orange jerseys as primary home uniform. Retrieved February 13, 2011, from www.usatoday.com 

Film has been commonly described as moving pictures. I offer the example of moving words. Like it or not, every film has an inherent narrative. If a picture is worth 1,000 words, every clip is teaming with story. The rub? When I edit a video, I compose a story with images. I think visually so I try to share my experience with the viewer by helping them visualize the story.

Most people just “watch” a video. A classmate of mine recently watched a video with and without sound for the first time. I highly recommend this for anyone. Every aspect is connected.  Whether it is music or speech, the audible and visual exist symbiotically. Pay attention to both and you’ll be amazed by what you see when you listen to a video.

I will start by saying I LOVE SHAKESPEARE.  Naturally when given a choice between two books, I grab the one that says “Hamlet” without hesitation.  Once I began reading the book, I found it hard to put down.  This book spoke to me on so many levels with references to Shakespeare, Star Trek, Brave New World, etc.  I felt compelled to read every paragraph.  

So, how to respond to such a book? I offer two words.  Be careful though.  They are absolutely the red pill.  Ready?  Too bad.  Marble Hornets.  Yes, I said it. Marble Hornets is, for lack of a better term, digital heroine.  Two young film students at the University of Alabama have transformed Rosswood Park in to the dwelling of the fabled “Slender Man”.  ”Slender Man” is a very tall, long-armed, faceless creature that terrorizes “Alex” and “Jay”.  I encourage you to watch from the beginning.

How does Marble Hornets fit in?  It is a prime example of the future of narrative in cyberspace.  The students have a twitter account connected with the series.  It is a mystery, thriller and horror all wrapped in to one.  The characters are developed through not just the video.  There are forums about the series. The list goes on and on.  The best part is that they only post three to ten minute episodes.  The longer the episode, the juicier the content.  The videos are posted in real time as well.  Jay will tweet about uploading to youtube or why it has taken him so long to post.  The villain had a twitter account, until someone hacked it.  This is how you combat “viewers… unable to sit still for a conveniently told two-hour story.” Murray, 258.  I find myself anticipating each episode more than anything to be honest.  Rarely do I stop whatever I am doing for something else but this is worth it every time.  They tell you just enough with each episode and blow your mind with the next.  I have stopped trying to figure out the plot and just let “Alex” and “Jay” tell their story.

Marble Hornets inspired me.  This book has done the same.  It has stoked the fire of a possible thesis, create an interactive film.  I will toy with this idea more, for now I’m busy becoming a better storyteller myself.

The holiday season is approaching which means so is the end of the semester. This also means that I will be returning to a tolerable climate. I keep in touch with my fellow Californians and today one told me about a drive-by in Oceano (minutes from my house) that claimed the life of 17-year-old boy. Sadly, this did not surprise me since the only thing worthwhile about California is the weather. Oceano is, for lack of a better term, the “stain” of the Central Coast. Naturally I logged on to ksby.com (my former employer) to get the facts. I watched the video and here is my critique. The people behind the camera do all the real work in television.

This story is not a special circumstance because it was breaking news. This is the M.O. for tv: The “talent” deliver the content; everyone else produces a show. This is also why I believe that acting is such a bullshit job. How hard is it to sit there and read? (You’d be surprised with some of the no-talent assclowns in the business) “Talent” is the biggest misnomer in television. Often times the people with the least talent hold the position. There actually are talented talent out there, however. I had the pleasure of working with quite a few and am better because of it. 

Anyway, the worst part about news is duping the public. It actually became fun. That’s when I knew it was time to leave. If you clicked the link and watched the story, the “tag” (q&a at the end of the story between the reporter and anchor) was total crap. I guarantee the issue of vehicle description was in the original story. It’s kind of important. The anchor most likely, in the quest for more face-time and a quick ego massage, decided to take out that fact and turn it in to an “intelligent, on-the-spot” question. I know this is possible in this case because I worked there and saw this regularly.

What I’m trying to say is what has been said for ages: “Don’t believe everything you read (see)”