Video Language: We don’t need words (Weekly Review)

Two days ago, my Windows was affected by a virus so I had to find some solutions. A long article that explains how to get rid of the virus was searched by Google. I spent nearly half an hour to read and understand the details and another 2 hours to experiment it on my laptop , which might run out all my patience in life, however, it failed, out of the blue. Though I was irritated, I still stood at the good side and Google again. Then, a video appeared. This is an incredible video showing every step with a clear navigated scene. Within 10 minutes, I killed the virus completely. That moment, I showed my great appreciation to such video creator. An idea came out—Why is video more understandable than article?

“Language is dying.” said some socialists since we have shifted to type on our computer and taken photos instead of writing. The trend has changed ever rapidly, now we free our hands and face towards our camera to show daily lives, tips, instructions… without any letters. There are millions of Youtube followers watching video and thousands of new videos are invented just in a second. Do you have such feeling that you are likely to search a video first when you are suddenly eager to learn some new Hip-hop moves (for example)? Michelle Phan, a Vietnamese American, her Make-up chips are abnormally hot , and many school girls imitate her .In her “tutorial ” video, you indeed can easily follow her because you can watch exactly what she does at her face. And this make-up education looks more fun as it consists of her soft voice of explanation and good music. Looking for a cosmetic guide book and practicing them are not more interesting compared with fashion video, though you can read more letters on the paper and know how those spell.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUJ7uQ2qwxk&feature=topvideos

Due to the innovation of technology, video applying the digital techniques is getting refined. Using video to explain and illustrate something can turn them from complex to simple, from more to less. The apparent trend is that educational videos are commonly used from kindergarten to university. (My friends Tiger and Pooh http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI1FIPxIF64  ) You cannot doubt that geographic textbook is less eyes-catching than Discover documentary.(just see the awesome in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0jZzBEKIMc) Video inform us in a language combined with sound, images, and sometimes letters, and this encourages most our sensation to obtain the information. All we feel is we are part of it that is what an article hardly provide us.

I cannot assume that language is not dying because of video, but it is the amazing things that we are able to learn or show by a video without written words. Maybe we can believe that the language become more visible.

Nurture Nature (Weekly Review)

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Cannes International Advertising Festival does not only award the best brain for creativity, but also the best hands for art. 20 years ago, the plain design mainly worshiped the artists who can play well with their brushes and pigment, but now if they only have such ability, they are out of the game. To win a gold Cannes Lion, they are required to show how professional they play with the new digital technology. That means they must be a talent in making “real’ or “natural” things with your Photoshop, Illustration and Maya…and the competition is to what extent you can cheat others by your design.


Diesel, the winner in Cannes International Advertising Festival 2010 for outdoor award, presents a series of productions. In spite of the brilliant idea and the script, the photos just show its miracle. In the pictures, do you believe in that the elephant really sit on a man(p3)? If you do, you are cheated. Maybe you think it is possible to invite a photographer to catch this scene. Yes, it is true when the advertiser is as wealthy as Bill Gates. Even if you can afford for the expense, can you ask the elephant to pose as you ask for? So, just turn to the Photoshop. Thanks to this new design software, now artist can combine different part of the elements in one picture, and then alter the colour and adjust the vision angle and so on. Let me guess. Maybe the man is pictured in a studio, and the background was caught in one artist’s backyard. Ah, the elephant, you could buy some photos from an image company. Then, you can design the pose or the mood of the elephant. Eventually, the great job is to make it as being taken in wild or a zoo. That is “nature” what they desire.

Then, we are not taking the “real”, but we create or “nurture” it.


Also, we nurture nature in our daily life. As many people can operate Photoshop, they can edit their pictures. To avoid the violation of other people, I like to take a magazine cover image for example.

When I see this photo, I was shocked. I wouldn’t see any real Julia Gillard (a1)before and after this image. As most photos of Gillard shows her wisdom and distinction, this one really close to normal people. You can read the wrinkle from her face that makes it nature.