Orycon November 21 - 23, 2008

OryCon is a fan-run, non-profit convention presented by Oregon Science Fiction Conventions, Inc.

It includes art, writer’s workshops, and a masquerade ball.

This is another event held here in Portland, Oregon!

Day rates and membership available at the door. See the site for details.

More Information: Orycon.org

How Do You Envision the Future of the Web?

The Internet has profoundly affected the story of our lives. In the future, things will get a whole lot more interesting. Here are some of my predictions:

Face Recognition

At present, people can post photos online and add a name/keyword tag to the image. In the future, every image currently on the Internet will be searchable (like text is now) and faces will be recognized. You’ll be able to search for your favorite movie star or your latest hiring candidate by name, but get results by image. If a face has not been identified by name, their images will be pooled with other images of the same or similar looking faces. Perhaps surveillance camera footage will be included as well. Any photos you have online right now will show up in face searches. 

Web-wide Video Search

Imagine being able to search for every occurrence of, “I love you,” and media-mash a video based on the results. You could also search video for scenarios such as “car crash” or “space ship fight.” You won’t be viewing the whole movie, just the part that contains the searched topic. Initially, people will label the scene sections much like they currently tag images. Eventually we’ll embed our video media when it is authored to be able to perform well in the searches.

One Profile

You will have one profile to manage but it will have many pages. Your “professional page” could be used for sites like LinkedIn or Monster. Your “fun profile” could be used for sites like FaceBook and Twitter. An “alter ego” page would be employed when you need an avatar for video games. And your “private profile” could be used for dating. You’ll have a financial page containing what you’re worth, how much you owe, and how much property you own.

Big Corporate Buy Ups

In the nineties it seemed like everyone was an ISP until they got purchased by Comcast and AT&T. One day all of the corporate branded websites will be owned by five companies and they will create five private webs. Everything outside of those major five will be considered renegade media.

Location Tracking

A single hand held device will become the laptop/cellphone/camera/camcorder/voice recorder of the future. Combined with GPS you will know exactly where a person is at any given moment. The term “online now” will turn to “in Minneapolis now.”

Wired Airplanes

Forget free wifi in the lounge at the terminal. Each seat on the plane gets a screen and a connection. You provide the input device (keyboard, track pad) or rent one for $10 for the duration of the flight. Passengers enjoy playing games with other passengers and even play for prizes.

Intelligent Vehicles

As electric vehicles become commonplace, it won’t be uncommon that they get fitted with constant wifi. Your car will have a national ID that will get registered to its owner so that nobody else can drive it (sorry teenaged kids) unless you program in a co-driver. We’ll stop using ignition keys and start using finger print sensors or eye scans. Online services will include voice activated web searching and compu-voice “reading” services so you could listen to a Wikipedia entry as you drive.

What does the future of the web look like to you?

Wordstock, November 6-9, 2008

Wordstock is an annual festival of books, writers, and storytelling in Portland, Oregon.

This year’s festival is coming right up! Wordstock features ten author stages, a book fair with over 150 exhibitors, a special children’s area and children’s literature stage, a series of workshops for writers and for K-12 teachers, a special broadcast of Live Wire!, the popular public radio variety show, featuring writers from the festival, and more. It is presented by Community of Writers, a nonprofit that works to promote writing in the community and in the classroom.

Workshop Fees
One workshop......................................$50
Two workshops....................................$80
Each additional workshop.....................$20

Events carry additional fees.

More Information: wordstock ’08

Interview: His And Her Photography

1. What is your profession?

Photo Ninjas

2. How does story/narrative play a role in your work?

Narrative is the essence of our work.  We use photography, and in some cases writing, to tell our client’s stories.  Storytelling is what we love to do.  When a client looks through the images we’ve created together, they see not just a collection of photographs but a visual story showing the reality, emotion, and passion of their experience.  One of the most inspiring bits of feedback that we’ve received from past clients is that “the photos will help to preserve our memories”.  In a way, we feel that that’s exactly what photography does. 

3. What do you mean when you talk about your passion for storytelling and photography being rooted in balance? Please say more.

We associate balance with harmony and connection.  We find that the philosophy of balance is multidimensional.  While photographing, we seek to find equilibrium with each other as partners in storytelling; simultaneously, we seek to find balance with our clients and their guests.  We are able to find this balance as a result of our pre-planning and attention to detail.  We meet with all of our clients prior to their celebrations, which allows us the opportunity to develop meaningful connections with the folks that we’ll be photographing. 

We are also able to develop a detailed outline and timeline for the events that our clients have planned.  This makes it possible for us to choreograph our movements so that we are able to anticipate moments unfolding around us and so that we are
photographing from complimentary perspectives.  Seeing an emotion filled moment from different perspectives is the catalyst that transforms a handful of images into a balanced story. 

Of the genres of documentary styles, we strive for a blend of poetic and observational documentation.  While the very act of our presence influences the event, our aim is to be as unobtrusive as possible.  Here is where we must align ourselves with the energy and flow of our clients, their guests, and the sometimes delicate nature of their celebration. 

When we photograph together and connect with that harmony, the results are humbling and inspiring.  Realizing that balance with each other and with our clients, we feel as though we’ve become a part of their celebration; this allows us to be able to capture decisive moments – moments that become preserved as still images and when viewed together – tell a beautiful and personal story. 

Working together has brought incredible insight to our photographic styles, approach, and aesthetic.  Jai’s background is rooted in fashion photography and portraiture while Drew’s background is heavily based in photojournalism and capturing candid moments.  In that sense, we bring balance to each other.  We have both been able to grow individually as a result of the other’s perspective. The constructive dialogue that we have regarding subjective issues, such as aesthetics, has helped our partnership to blossom and has infinitely strengthened our ability to tell stories with photography. 

In the final results, the images we deliver to our clients, we see balance in those stories resulting from our differing approaches to photography and knowing when to be shooting in the middle of the action and when to remain around the periphery. 

4. How do wedding photos tell and preserve the story of the event?

Have you ever found an old shoebox full of photos or a photo album that you haven’t looked at in years?  Looking through the photos you might be re-living experiences that happened 10, 20, 30 years earlier.  And, although you haven’t thought about those things in a long time, the images help to revitalize your memory.  Because of a few still images, you start to recall people’s names, words that were spoken, emotions felt, and experiences shared – all with astonishing detail. 

Human memory is strongly tied to imagery.  On a biological level, our memories are stored as complex proteins. As we move, through space and time, away from the moment and place when that memory was created … the tendency is for those memories to become degraded – especially as we get older.

Still imagery is simple and beautiful in its ability to form a tangible link between our personal memories and our shared experience with others.  Photographs help us to stay connected with our memories. 

Wedding photos tell the story by visually establishing a sense of time and place and who was interacting within that framework: the family and friends who have come together, the details and decorations that reflect the style and unique expression of a couple, the location, the flowers, the food they choose to serve, etc.  All the details captured in moments throughout the day compliment and add context to the human interactions we photograph.  Often times, these photographs become the most effective vessel for communicating that story to generations yet to come. 

Where do images fall short? Where do they excel?

We only wish we could be in 10 places at once! There is so much going on at a wedding, perhaps images fall short when they fail to record everything that is happening. 

Also, there are times when we are part of an experience that we know would make for amazing photographs – though something in the moment suggests being a bit more discrete. 

One recent example comes to mind.  We were photographing a wonderfully intimate celebration earlier this year.  The ceremony was atop a small peninsula surrounded by sheer cliffs falling away hundreds of feet to the deep blue Pacific Ocean.  It was an amazing setting.  The light was perfect; an angelic mist rolling in off the ocean cast a golden hue over the young couple and their guests. 

The guests were all seated in a circle, with the bride and groom in the middle – which presented a challenge photographically.  During their vows, the bride and groom shared a very emotional and powerful exchange of feeling and sentiment. Because of the size of the space and the small number of people in attendance, we decided to back off a bit.  We captured the moment, and then let the remainder of the exchange unfold – sometimes it’s very necessary to know when your presence as a photographer will compromise the integrity of a moment.

As for excelling … hmm.  Well, we have had a number of clients this year refer to us as their personal “photo ninjas”.  If our clients don’t notice us taking photographs, then we’ve done our job well. 

5. What are the elements of great photographic storytelling?

First is establishing context and a sense of place.  So important.  Of course, aesthetic decisions such as framing, exposure, and point of view all carry great significance and should be taken into consideration when thinking about how that particular image will fit into a story. 

Also, the details are very important.  In a way, details (flowers, shoes, decorations, etc …) help to compliment and connect the human interactions and people photos captured throughout the day. 

6. You have a section on your website suggesting tips for creating an organic wedding. How does sustainability affect the photographic storytelling process?

Ecological sustainability … that is, living and acting in the world in a way that will preserve the integrity, stability, and diversity of the biological community for future generations … is at the essence of our being. 

We live our personal lives by these tenets and could not imagine running a business any other way.  It is amazing and inspiring for us to find more and more of our clients commenting on how they are planning their celebration or wedding to be ecologically friendly - while striving to become more sustainable in their day to day activities. 

A couple that values sustainability will want to highlight that value as a unique expression of who they are together.  Sustainability becomes a shared value between our clients and our approach to photography.  This connection helps to build a foundation of trust – after all, what and how we photograph is a reflection of the way we understand our selves and our world-view.

We were meeting with a couple recently to talk about their wedding plans and discovered the bride was an avid gardener and she and her fiancé were devoting much of their free time together working in a community garden space they had helped to establish. 

We are both gardeners and find great happiness in connecting directly with the living soil to grow and nurture food.  In this way, eating is a very sacred act.  Not to mention, eating food grown locally is very sustainable. 

In a way that is difficult to quantify, this connection with our clients helped to establish a rapport that lead to very real and very beautiful images.  During the ceremony the rabbi spoke about the importance of growing living things, of the importance of gardening, and this couple chose to symbolize that with organic mint sprigs they had harvested from the community garden they worked on together.

The images came to reflect our shared values in that they helped tell the story of living, acting, and wedding sustainably. 

7. You mention how memories get tied to photographs. If the narratives created by a photograph don’t come to mind without seeing the photo, does that mean that stories are stored in the photo or in the mind?

The story the photo reveals for a couple may be one of a grandparent getting a kiss on the cheek from a grandchild - while the couple was visiting across the room with old friends.  When viewing the image later, although they did not see that moment being played out, the feelings experienced by seeing guests enjoying themselves will come to be associated with that image.  So we think the stories are reinforced by the image, though stored in the mind and the heart.  Also, the memories we carry with us are preserved and fortified by the narratives told by the still images. 

Are they linear or non-linear?

The stories the images tell are linear, as they are documented in the order of the day.  However, the feelings they recall and the connection that they inspire are not linear.  In a way, the stories become cyclical as they are passed on to new generations, who are in fact manifestations and embodiments of their parents. Woah. 

8. What advice do you have for upcoming photographers looking to tell stories with images?

Connection and balance are very important.  Get to know your clients and/or your subjects.  Sometimes this means spending time with them or in a place for extended periods of time without taking a single photo.  Sometimes additional research is required to better understand the historical or cultural significance of an event or location or people.  Pre-planning is crucial.  Establishing context visually is so important. Also, it helps to understand discretion.

Last, know your equipment.  When things are happening fast you need to balance the technical aspects of your gear with the interpretive aspects of what is happening around you. 

His And Her Photography
Drew Burdick and Jai Soots
Portland, OR USA

www.hisandherphotography.com

10 Tips for Giving a Business Talk

I attended a talk just an hour before writing this post. The things I took away from the experience are as follows.

1. Talk about what the title of your talk says you’re going to talk about.
If the title says you’re going to discuss sustainability in architecture, tell us about sustainability in architecture. Talk about the topic rather than about yourself. Doing so makes the speaker look like they’re trying to convince the audience that they are an expert. The audience is already there to hear you talk.

2. Speak to the whole audience.
Tonight’s speaker spoke primarily to one corner of the room. I thought it was because he was nervous, but it turned out that there was someone influential in that corner. This sent a message that the rest of the audience was less significant.

3. Speak up and enunciate.
Nothing is worse than trying to listen to a speaker that you cannot hear. Straining to listen is taxing. Trying to hear what someone is saying for over an hour is pure torture—especially if you want to hear about a particular topic and the speaker does not deliver. If possible use an microphone with your voice lightly amplified. If you’re in a small room, simply speak louder. 

4. Don’t pretend to know what you’re talking about.
Tonight, the architect showed us renderings of his upcoming buildings. He came to a slide with a rendering of a ten-speed bike attached by cable to a bike bar. He paused to tell us that his firm has a strong bike culture and so they specifically told the artist to render a “cool” bike for the image. Then he pointed out that the bike shown was “some kind of Italian single speed fixed gear bicycle.” But he was mistaken. The bike was clearly a multi-speed 70’s Schwinn of sorts. If the speaker was into bike culture he’d have known that. He obviously doesn’t ride. Know what you’re talking about and don’t pretend to be hip to something you’re not.

5. Get to the point.
If you have an hour to talk, speak for half of that time and answer questions during the second half. Provided you know what you’re talking about, the talk goes so much better when you are answering questions from the audience. Answering questions shows that you are a people person (or what kind of people person you are) and that you can “defend” your position, make the sale, or articulate further than a canned talk. Taking questions also shows that you are confident and interested in the audience. It says that you care. Place a watch facing you on the podium and cut yourself off when you hit time. Less is more and questions allow you to get into more if the audience wants.

6. Don’t read.
So that little joke you wrote down and wanted to tell gets forgotten. So what? Don’t read. If you must, write the names of the people who need to be thanked but don’t read them. Only ever read if you absolutely must deliver some information that cannot under any circumstance be missed and you have not memorized it. But I must say, it looks insincere if you read names in a ‘thank you’ talk. If you have people to thank, you should KNOW who they are. Don’t read. Just don’t.

7. Be careful about your meta message.
The architect explained about a massive project that he’s working on. It’s a large building going up in the heart of the city. What I took away from his talk was that he REALLY wants to erect the building because it’s a great opportunity for his firm and his reputation. It’s good business. But he didn’t talk about how he’s passionately trying to offer something to the community. In fact he admitted that he’s working with a third party to create the marketing around the building based on what will work to make the building go up. None of this seemed sustainable.

8. Be passionate.
In the first part of his talk, the architect said that he does this work because he’s passionate about it. But when he said that he actually mumbled and we could barely hear him. It was as if his passion for his work had him up overnight and he was tired and falling asleep right before our eyes. Guess what we wanted to do. We wanted to passionately get up and leave or fall asleep as well. People will forgive and possibly even not notice your short comings if you are sincerely passionate about what you are talking about. Or in other words, don’t phone it in.

9. Know what the talk is about and know your audience.
The architect didn’t talk about sustainability at all. Instead he showed images and told the story about how they purchased what looked like a huge truckload of raw Douglas Fir trees for use in one of his projects. He later explained that they want to destroy a building in town to build a new one in its place. The first home he designed used concrete—because they wanted to keep costs down. He never mentioned sustainability and, from his talk, I’m not sure that he cares about it at all.

10. Have an agenda to give.
Give the audience something. Some audience members will take something from your talk no matter what. Don’t let it be a list of things not to do when giving a talk. If you try to give (teach) your audience something then even if you miss they will still appreciate that you didn’t waste an hour of their lives.

How do you know if you did a good job?
Usually when you do a good job people stick around and ask questions. When you don’t they’re out the door and you never get any feedback.

Public speaking is hard. The only way to get better at it is to do it often. Expect to make mistakes. Record yourself with a digital audio recorder and listen back. You’ll be amazed at what you hear!

Montreal International Game Summit Nov 18-19 2008

Organized by Quebec’s digital industry network, Alliance numérique, the Montreal International Game Summit (MIGS) looks like it’s going to be something special!

Speakers Include:
· Laura Fryer of Microsoft Game Studios
· Dominic Guay of Ubisoft
· Warren Spector of Disney-Junction Point Studios
· Dean Giberson of Slant Six Games
· Edoardo De Martin of Next Level Games
· And a whole lot more.

Price: $355 pre-registered, $475 after october 1st (for individuals)

More information: www.sijm.ca

What Is A Hook?

How do you define a hook in storytelling and story writing? Can you give an example? How do people create hooks? Why do people respond to them?

Are You Creating Stories or Are Stories Creating You?

Do you have a story played out on you? Are you locked at a job you hate because “the man” is keeping you down? Are you stuck in a creative rut and can’t seem to move ahead? Maybe you sleep through your day because everything is just so damn boring.

If this is you, you’re acting like an extra in your own movie. You’re stuck in the background and it really doesn’t matter if you’re in the shot or not. But guess what, you can move into the foreground because you are the star of your own movie!

Years ago I met a man who was rather wealthy. He told me I should wake up everyday and ask myself, “How can I earn money today?”

Lately I’ve been thinking along the same lines, but with a different question. The question I ask myself is, “What story am I creating today?”

In some cases the story of the day isn’t one of excitement or accomplishment. Instead it’s a small step in a larger tale that won’t get told for some time.

On other days I might be dealing with personal conflicts or boring tasks. It is during these times when there’s an opportunity to create a new and exciting story. A good story comes from the extraordinary. Some things seem to be mundane no matter what, but it’s still fun trying to try to jazz them up. How do you think televisions on treadmills and electric toothbrushes came to life?

By acting as the star of my own movie I find myself empowered. It takes a paradigm shift, but once you get the idea that you are able to craft your own tale, everything becomes interesting. 

What is the story that would get told about you today?