Category Archives: Assignments

Max Matrix

Your bank account’s worse nightmare and lady of the Salt Blue clan. Born on 08/20/2060…error…information deleted… Born on ??/??/????. She was raised under her single mother and forever absent father at the age of 5 she was sold to a repair shop to be an apprentice. Under the gang soon worked her way to become the top hacker. Hidden in the dark shadows and slowly hacking away in a broken world.

“Turn it off and let it burn” -Max

She loves eating meat but, in today’s society it’s hard to get the real stuff since most is synthetic meat. Although she isn’t a drinker her favorite is a blue martini from the Gear. A night club down the street from her. Favorite colors are red and blue since they pop up the most often on her screens. 100 ways to fix a computer is her favorite book and one of the first books she ever got. On the other hand, her favorite book in called blue moon romance….error….Information edited…..Her favorite movie is Brookshire murders. Finally, her favorite item is the Cyber Screwdriver, helpful for opening doors and zapping enemies in an emergency.

Image source Pin page

I began with the name Matrix since it’s very noir and ended with the name Max since it’s very gender neutral. I did not have a specific idea in mind so thinking of a good image that suited her took a while. She is inspired by hackers with deep dark circles and no social lives.

“I’ll be Back” as Pixel Art!

I decided to work on the 256 Points Assignment this week. I used Procreate to make a portrait of Arnold Schwarzenegger as Terminator. It was an interesting process as I didn’t have a brush small enough to work pixel-by-pixel, so I instead had to create blobs and then erase them down in order to get the shape I wanted.

Who Said What?

Assignment #3

Who said what? This quote on this graphic can seem very confusing, as you can see Harrison Ford’s character in Blade Runner, Rick Deckard, saying the iconic line delivered by Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator, with it being quoted by Major Motoko Kusanagi, the main character in the Japanese cyberpunk anime series, Ghost in the Shell. All of these characters share similar characteristics. One being that they are all iconic characters in the cyberpunk, tech-noir genre. Also, they are all lone-wolf, hard-shell main characters of these pieces of media, navigating their own complex, dystopian worlds. Haunted by their traumatic pasts, the lines between right and wrong are blurred, making them question their own actions or motivations. They tend to have a cynical outlook, enforcing their ‘lone-wolf’ persona in order to protect their own feelings and to not relive the trauma that got them to be how they are in the first place. These characters are one of the many archetypes in cyperpunk/tech-noir media.

GIF

Assignment #2

A giant woman with eccentric blue hair points at Ryan Gosling's character.

I have never made a GIF before, so I would count this as a first for this assignment! Although I did not pick my all-time favorite or least-favorite movie, I chose to do one of my favorite movies that are apart of the tech-noir/cyber punk genre, Blade Runner 2049. I made a GIF from Blade Runner 2049 because it perfectly captures the essence of the tech-noir genre, a fusion of futuristic technology and noir-inspired storytelling. There’s something weirdly beautiful about its world, a sprawling dystopia drenched in neon and rain, where every frame feels like a staring at a piece of art. For me, creating a GIF from this film was about more than isolating a visually stunning moment; it was about preserving and sharing the atmosphere that defines the genre. In tech-noir, the technology isn’t just a backdrop, it’s a character, deeply intertwined with the human life. The GIF I chose captures a moment where the main character feels truly isolated, even with his once cherished companion standing in front of him. It’s a way to distill the soul of the film into a loop, reflecting the endless, cyclical nature of the questions it asks about what it means to be alive. Creating this GIF felt like paying homage to a genre that explores dystopian themes and what our advancements in technology could lead us to in the future.

My Dream Home

Assignment #1

Whenever I am asked about my dream home, or where I want to live when I grow up, a million thoughts race through my mind. I can be very indecisive, especially when it comes to this topic. One day I want to live in a cozy, big cabin in the mountains in Washington, while the next day I want to live in a beach house in a small coastal town on the East Coast. So, I started my search on Zillow. As I was thinking through locations, an idea sparked into my mind. My parents were born and raised in Buffalo, NY, and my extended family all still live there. I consider it a second home, as I would visit every winter and summer to see my family throughout my child. It is also safe to say that we are huge Buffalo Bills fans (Go Bills!). I always loved the city, as well as the small towns around it, specifically the town of East Aurora that is close to my grandmother’s house. It has a quaint main street, with shops, boutiques, and restaurants. When searching through the area for homes, I saw this 2.7 million dollar house. Now at first I was like “No way Olivia, 3 million dollars??”. But then I remembered, this is my DREAM house. So I took a shot at it. Little did I know that it would exceed my expectations. It has 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, and was built in 1876. It is surrounded by lush woods and greenery, has an in-ground pool, as well as tennis courts (I am a tennis player so I found this to be an extra bonus). The inside has a very simplistic, yet rustic feel to it. My favorite feature has to be the spiral staircase at the entrance of the house, with the green carpet going up it. And, it is 30 minutes away from Highmark Stadium, which is where the Bills play! After finding the house, I decided to make a quick picture collage of my favorite photos of the landscape, as well as the interior. I can now safely say that I have found my dream home, and although it may be far-fetched (like 3 million dollars far…), it is always good to dream.

The Innocent Victim

Name: Eric Little
Sex: M
Height: 6’1
Weight: 182lbs
Eye Color: BLU
DOB: 06/23/03

Meet Eric Little, a 22-year-old young man who is considered relatively sheltered with little exposure to the darker side of the world. He was raised in a quiet suburban town, with lots of personal ambition yet molded by opportunity and fairness. He had always been the type to follow the rules, maintain a steady job, and keep to a circle of loyal friends. He carries himself with a quiet confidence that hasn’t yet been challenged by real adversity. On the other hand, the innocence he carries makes him a prime target in a world where trust is a liability.

His personality is intelligent, idealistic, and deeply empathetic at his core. He tends to believe the best in people, even in situations where others might be more cautious. This trait often leaves him vulnerable to manipulation, as he’s quick to trust those around him. His kindness and unwillingness to question the system of right and wrong lead him to be easily swept up in harmful situations.

Eric’s life takes a sharp turn when he becomes inadvertently entangled in a criminal conspiracy. Through no fault of his own, he is framed for a crime he did not commit, a scenario that threatens to undo all of the structure in l=his life he has come to rely on. Whether it’s a false accusation or a trap set by those who see him as an easy pawn, Eric quickly finds himself trapped in a web of lies, corruption, and betrayal. As a victim of circumstance, he’s forced to navigate a world that he doesn’t understand. With each passing moment, Eric loses more of his innocence, learning painful lessons about the nature of trust, betrayal, and justice. His once-clear moral compass becomes clouded as he’s pushed into a corner, uncertain of whom to trust, all while fighting to clear his name.

Me in Collage Form Except I’m not Me

I had so much fun developing my course character, Bethany Smith (aka a gangster named “Smithy”). As such, I opted to participate in one of the visual assignments but collage Bethany instead of myself. I used Pinterest’s Collage Maker, and had so much fun developing this character further!

Timelapse of my collage creation

Reading Postman in 2020: Towards Technopoly

Technopoly is a culture dominated by technology, redefining religion, art, family, politics, history, truth, privacy, and intelligence. In the film I watch technology was intrated into society and treated as a tool rather then a force that shapes culture as Postman says.

Postman also says that we see technology as a fried and igore it’s negative portains. In this film technology was indeed used to take lives and hurt people.

In the film the main charater did recieve infromation over load technologey used to completetly change who he was.
“The Groundstar Conspiracy” seems to focus more on a government conspiracy and technological secrets, while Postman’s concerns are about the broader impact of technology on culture and society.
Though the biggest point that the movie does relate to is the use of technology being dangerous if left unchecked

Honestly reading through the Postman was interesting but, not as eye-opening as I’m sure it is to most. After all I have screamed at enough computers to understand that it is more than meets the eye. Plus, I am a young adult with a brain that isn’t fully developed I am constantly skeptical and against things, simply because someone told me I should be quiet and trust it I will actively work hard to comment and question every aspect. The second I learned I could use sites without accepting all cookies I made sure not too even if they made the process take longer on purpose so you wouldn’t click it. I did actually struggle though when relating it to my film since while yes, they utilized technology it wasn’t like they were puppets being manipulated by a main frame or something, so I had to go back and really look. Then I didn’t know how long it had to be and simplified it. Overall, though yes, I did enjoy the reading no I did not enjoy analyzing I would be impressed to meet someone who does.

Why My Backpack is so Heavy

Water Bottle: more than often, it’s empty. I just like to have it with me. Decorated with stickers from various events and bands.
Laptop Charger
Pencil Pouch: hand embroidered by me, rarely used anymore. However, it feels wrong to go anywhere without a writing utensil.
Laptop: slowly dying, also covered in stickers.
iPad: my most recent birthday gift, one of my only posessions that isn’t covered in stickers/pins/keychains/embroidery/patches or anything similar.
Earbuds (wireless): I can only wear my left earbud right now because of my piercings.
Carmex Chapstick: should be taken out of my bag, I don’t even use Carmex anymore.
Hand Sanitizer: probably don’t use this as much as I should, but I enjoy having it with me.
Decongestant: helps with my migraines sometimes.
Earbuds (wired): these are for my laptop, and unlike my wireless earbuds, I can wear both of these. These were always my favorite design back when wired earbuds were the norm.
Dongle: just in case all my wireless headphones are dead.
Frog Wallet: I keep most important things in my sticky wallet on my phone, but again, it feels wrong not to have a physical wallet.
Apple: most of the time there is some kind of snack in my bag, today it was an apple.
Mini-Vasaline: my current preferred Chapstick.
Hand Warmers: a Christmas gift from my roommate, one of my most valued posessions this winter.
Crecent Wrench: major contributor to my backpack weight, but needed for work. Used almost every day in the scene shop while I work with the lights.
Giant Receipt: found this in my jacket pocket after picking something up at the store and shoved it in my bag.
Zine Materials: cut up magazines and such for a zine making project in DGST 201 (Tinkering, Hacking, and Making). Won’t remain in my backpack, though.
“Lady Bag”: exactly what it sounds like and contains everything a lady such as myself might need (Ibuprofen, pads, mints, eye drops, ect).
My Bag: purchased for senior year of high school, which was entierly online. Some embroidery done by me, many patches sewn on by me but designed by others. Buttons and keychains galore- you can always hear me coming.

Dream Homes and Digital Futures

The thought of what house I would buy without any financial restrictions has always been a thought in my mind, especially as I continue to progress into adulthood and have to think about fully living on my own with a job and a stable income. I’ve always dreamed of living in a house on the West Coast in the San Diego area, and immediately went to browse around the area. I’m also not a huge fan of the more boxy shaped modern houses and am more drawn to clean and minimalistic houses with some rustic aspects to tie it together. After a bit of searching, I found this house that looks perfect, listing at 4.5 million with 5 beds and 3 baths, and a setup and all the space one could need.

A connection to our class theme of Tech Noir I thought of was how the market of houses would look under a vastly developed technological society. Smart homes would be commonplace, but could be used to exert control over their inhabitants. There’s also concerns of privacy as technologies that makes a home “smart” could be hijacked by powerful corporations or government entities to monitor and manipulate people. Would every house look the same and be “smart homes” or could there be diversity present and how would that ratio look? How would a boundary between security and privacy look in a market of houses full of surveillance and AI-driven systems? Furthermore, large tech corporations could dominate the housing market, buying up properties to embed technology in them, then price out working-class residents to raise property value and essentially cut off any sense of community. Overall, my vision of the housing market in tech noir is a space governed by technology that shapes the living experience for its residents.