Zach's Blog for Digital Media Class

During my Digital Media class this semester, w e spent most of time learning about Adobe Photoshop, Indesign, and Illustrator. I didn’t enjoy doing this as it's not an interest of mine. With that said there was one thing that I found very fascinating, and that was playing around with Midjourney AI. It was super interesting to see how this AI could create all kinds of designs and visual content. I don't plan on going into a field where I need to know how to use any of the Adobe programs, but it's helpful to have used them and to at least be a little familiar with the interface. Overall, this class was definitely an interesting experience.

Every time I scroll on Instagram or TikTok I always hear a new song or find a new artist that I've never heard of before. I think social media has played a crucial role in the success of these new artists and songs. Nowadays, it's not enough to just have great music, you need to have a strong online presence too. Social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok allow artists to connect with their fans in real-time, and create a loyal following. This also allows fans to feel closer to the artist, making the relationship more personal. We've seen plenty of artists over the past 5-10 years become famous strictly through social media. The power of social media can make or break an artist's career, and it's exciting to see how it's changed the music industry.

I'm fascinated by the potential of VR in the sports industry. VR technology can allow fans to experience games and events in an entirely new way, giving them a more immersive and interactive experience. It can also provide athletes with unique training opportunities, allowing them to simulate different scenarios and improve their skills. Teams can also use VR technology for game planning and strategy development. Similar to my discussion about how VR can effect concerts, it can have a similar effect with sporting events as fans can have front row seats to watch their favorite teams play. Overall, VR has the potential to revolutionize the way we watch, play, and experience sports, and I'm excited to see how it continues to develop in the future.

In the last few days Snapchat has announced and released their own AI bot. Now every Snapchat user has access to their own personal chat bot. This has gone viral on social media as people are now learning a lot about the capabilities of AI and how it can be used. Many people are posting videos and screenshots of their conversations with their bot. I thought this was interesting because this could be the future of social media. This has certainly created a lot of buzz around the capabilities of AI.

As someone who is constantly on TikTok, I've seen firsthand how this app has completely transformed the way music is promoted and produced. With its short, catchy videos and the ability to easily share and discover new music, TikTok has become a powerful tool for up-and-coming artists to get their music heard. Because of the speed at which things go viral on the app, it's possible for an unknown artist to blow up overnight. On the flip side, TikTok can also put a lot of pressure on artists to constantly produce new and catchy content that will keep their audience engaged. On the production side, there is now a whole new market for music producers to create catchy remixes to popular songs/sounds and make them go just as viral. Ultimately, I think TikTok's impact on music promotion has been largely positive, allowing for greater accessibility and faster exposure to a wider audience.

The other day I watched a video made by one of my favorite YouTuber's, Casey Neistat. The premise of the vlog was that he used an AI to make a vlog in the style of himself. Throughout the video he follows a script of what the AI said including camera angles, dialogue, and imagery. The entire vlog felt very stale and almost as if someone who has only seen a couple Casey Neistat videos wanted to try and recreate one. At the end, Casey talks about how AI doesn’t have any personality or human emotion behind it, therefore art made by humans will (at least for the time being) prevail. I thought this was an awesome message and a really cool video idea. I also felt it related a lot to what we have done in this class as a lot of it has been AI related. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ygj9vBF_WUk 

With the NFL draft coming up,  I've been thinking a lot about how AI can help NFL teams scout players during the draft. AI technology could analyze countless data points, including a player's performance metrics, biometrics, and even social media activity to predict their potential success in the league. This could make the scouting process more efficient and effective, allowing teams to make smarter decisions when it comes to drafting players. For example, what if a team could use AI technology to help watch film on a high rated prospect like CJ Stroud, or provide statistics on a very low ranked draft prospect in order to have an edge on other teams. Additionally, AI could be used to simulate the combine and predict how well a player might perform in various drills, giving teams an even better understanding of their potential. The biggest downside with this is that it could take away human instinct when drafting a player which is important. Too much reliance on AI technology c

 Recently I have been thinking a lot about the future of VR. As a massive music fan, it's hard to imagine that VR concerts won't become more popular. With music festivals such as Coachella and Rolling Loud streaming their events, getting into the VR space could open up a whole new market and set them ahead of their vast competition. Games like Fortnite have experimented with doing in-game concerts, and for the most part they have been successful, but adding a VR element could be really cool. Just imagine sitting at home, but having front row seats to your favorite artists concert. You could even have an angle thats on stage and show the artists perspective.

While using Photoshop this semester, I've come to realize how powerful this program can be in the world of social media. Photoshop can be used to manipulate images, making them appear more polished and professional. Whether it's adjusting the lighting, removing blemishes, or even adding filters, Photoshop can help create the perfect image to share on Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, or anything platform for that matter. This can be both a positive or a negative as it can certainly create a great photo, but it can also create a reputation of dishonesty for any company, brand, or celebrity that enhances their photos too much. It's important to use this tool responsibly and ethically, but when used correctly, Photoshop can be a valuable asset in creating visually appealing content for social media.

Social media has completely revolutionized the way we experience sports. As a college student and a sports fan, I have seen firsthand how it has impacted teams and players. From live tweeting during games to players posting their workouts on Instagram, social media has given us an inside look into the lives of athletes. It has also allowed for direct communication between fans and players, with athletes often responding to messages and comments. However, it has also led to increased scrutiny and criticism, with every move and mistake being closely monitored by millions of followers. Companies such as Barstool Sports have found a way to connect players and avid fans. Overall, social media has had a profound impact on sports and the way we engage with them, connecting fans and players in unprecedented ways.  

 During this class we've worked a lot with ai, and recently I feel as though ai has become a much larger topic of discussion in the news. One part of ai that I hear talked about a lot is deepfakes. A deepfake is basically a fake video or photo of someone. This has raised a lot of concern as the quality of these fake images are improving quickly. Personally, I feel that deepfakes and ai generated voices are a big cause for concern and should be monitored heavily. I've heard of parents getting calls from a person saying that they have their child and that they want money, with a ai generated version of the kids voice in the back. I'm not sure what needs to be done to monitor this, but it is certainly scary.

For our final, we are tasked with creating a layout in Indesign that showcases some of our work throughout the semester. We have had a lot of projects this semester so its going to be interesting to go through all of my work and see how I may or may not have improved. There is no doubt that our assignments got more and more difficult throughout the semester, and I definitely put a lot of effort into my projects. With that said I really didn’t enjoy much of the work other than working with Midjourney. That was my first time really using ai so I found that interesting.

A s someone who's been using Adobe Illustrator throughout the semester, I gotta say that it's been eye-opening to see how much this program can benefit companies in their marketing efforts. Illustrator can allow designers a way to create scalable vector graphics. This is super useful when creating logos, icons, and other visual elements for a brand. Illustrator's precision and versatility also make it great for designing print materials like business cards and flyers. Being a communications major, I've taken classes where we have gone over marketing strategies for different companies. I wish I had knowledge of Illustrator while I was taking these classes because I feel that I could have added some great insight for the class. Overall, I'm happy to have learned this program and I can definitely see why it's a must-have tool in the marketing industry.

Recently I have been thinking about how Midjourney AI can analyze an artist's music and generate stunning album cover designs that capture the essence of their sound and style. From bold and vibrant graphics to intricate and abstract visuals, Midjourney AI can create album covers that are visually striking and highly personalized. Say goodbye to generic album covers and hello to custom-made artwork that sets your music apart with Midjourney AI. This is very exciting for music artists, but could be bad for people who make a living making album covers. I'm sure album cover artists can take advantage of the technology in the future.

 Recently I've stumbled upon a video on social media of a completely AI generated song by Drake and The Weeknd. Apparently the entire track from the writing, production, and vocals are all AI generated. I've found this to be very interesting as the song is actually really good. This is actually quite scary because it becomes a financial issue for the artists making the music. Of course technology has been used to create music for years, but it feels like this may be the future.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AvU-r80fgI 

In Photoshop, I used the Hue and Balance tools to create my own image of a safe space. I adjusted the hue to create a a pink sky. I played with the balance of colors to blend the photos together and to make a solid pink sky. By carefully selecting and manipulating the hues and balances, I was able to create an image that evokes a sense of comfort representing my unique vision of a safe space in a visual form.

So far, it 's been a fun and creative journey using Photoshop throughout this semester. Whether it's been creating personalized images or enhancing existing ones, Photoshop has been an great tool for unleashing creativity and experimenting with different design ideas. It has been difficult learning the interface but I have a basic understanding now. Photoshop has allowed me to explore my artistic potential and develop new skills. I've used YouTube as a way to learn about the software, and it has been a big help. Overall, using Photoshop has been an enjoyable and rewarding experience, and we look forward to continuing our creative journey with this software.

As someone who has struggled with using Adobe Illustrator, I can confidently say that it is one of the most frustrating experiences I have had this semester. Despite my best efforts to learn the software, I find myself constantly struggling to create even the simplest designs. The software's user interface can be overwhelming, and the sheer number of tools and features can be difficult to navigate. Even when I do manage to create something that I am happy with, I often find myself spending hours fine-tuning and tweaking the design to get it just right. Unfortunately, my experience with Illustrator has been so frustrating that I have come to dread using it altogether. While I recognize the importance of the software and its role in the design industry, I have found myself avoiding it at all costs, opting instead for other design tools that are more intuitive and user-friendly. While I am sure that there are many talented designers who are able to create amazing things using Illustra

Recently I have been using Midjourney AI more in my own life.  I have found that it has been a fun and creative outlet in my personal life as well as in the classroom. Whether I am using it to create artwork or simply playing around with different images and styles, the platform has provided me with a new way to express myself and explore my creativity. I have also enjoyed sharing my creations with others and seeing their reactions to the unique and often unexpected images that the platform generates. Overall, I would highly recommend Midjourney AI to anyone who is looking for a tool that can help them learn, create, and explore in new and exciting ways.

  I recently tried out the 45 meditation session that Professor Dinehart sent to us, and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. While I don't meditate very often, I found that this particular session helped me to relax and clear my mind. The relaxing white noise helped me focus. By the end of the session, I felt much more relaxed and centered, and I found myself looking forward to trying the meditation again in the future. With all the school work I've had recently it was nice to take a step back and relax. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the experience, and I would definitely recommend it to others who are looking to incorporate meditation into their daily routine.