The New Media Art Community

by William Hazlitt

An artist who wants to get their work noticed must enter the marketplace with a good plan and set of tools. Think about all the time it would take to pull together work samples, prepare mail packets, go to the post office, and follow up. The Internet has become an essential channel for distributing traditional artist marketing tools such as resumes, press releases, work samples, and business cards. Now all you have to do is blast out an email with the URL to your list of contacts. Artists never have to leave the studio.

The Andre Zarre Gallery located on 529 W 20^th street in Chelsea puts all their information online such as the shows and events coming up, all the artists who currently show there and their resumes. When asked about how he utilizes new media, Artist Don Hazlitt says “I found out that two of my pieces are going into a museum in Switzerland via email, and I also found a bunch of stolen paintings being sold on ebay.com for $7,000 each.”

There are now even New Media Artists that use the internet as their medium. New media artists such as Maurice Benayoun aka MoBen makes a lot of interactive exhibitions. Huge virtual reality installments such as “Cosmopolis” show us how new media can be used to create a different kind of art. Art that has no limits. New Media is not a fad and will continue to thrive as it is a part of our everyday lives. At least until the zombie apocalypse.

The Interest of New Media in Sports

by Allison Rossi

New media has added a whole new dimension to being a sports fan.  Along with the Internet in general providing easier access to up-to-the-minute information regarding scores, trades, and injuries, new media has provided a place for fans across the globe to interact.  Sports blogs are growing rapidly in popularity, and have become a safe haven for fans to discuss their team, and voice their opinions.  Sports blogs can compile all current information relevant to the team, making it faster and easier for a fan to view.  Blogs create an environment where fans can exchange insights pertaining to their team of choice, share information about opportunities regarding the team, such as player appearances or encounters, and foster friendships based on the common interest.  It is becoming the norm for fans to meet up in “real life” after “meeting” in the comment’s section of a blog.  This is particularly beneficial to a fan living outside of their team’s city.

While the benefits of a sports-oriented blog for a fan may be obvious, there is a whole group of advantages for the people that run the blog, which are not often thought about by the readers, commenters, and fans.  One popular blog in the sports realm is the blog www.puckhuffers.com, which caters to fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins, a National Hockey League team.  It was started just over a year ago by two college aged females who post under the names debrislide and Kimberlass.  Puck Huffers receives about 2000 unique page views a day in the midst of the hockey season.  I recently spoke with debrislide and Kimberlass regarding some of the benefits of running their blog.

According to Kimberlass, “I’m not going to lie, the best part about writing the blog is the attention that we get. It didn’t start out that way, but it has gotten to that point. And I don’t think that’s unreasonable. What’s the use of writing if nobody is listening? It’s just great waking up to fan emails, comment notifications, and advertising opportunities all telling you that YOU are THE blog and that YOU are THE coolest thing ever.”

As far as more tangible benefits, debrislide says, “the main benefit of running a successful blog is meeting people and making connections.  Kimberlass used the blog on her internship application and subsequently got a job with the Philadelphia Flyers.  I just used it this past week to apply for a position blogging the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.  We’ve gotten to write features for Greg Wyshynski from PuckDaddy http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy [The only hockey blog supported officially by the NHL] and been featured on television and radio.  Kimberlass continues, “We’ve been on local radio shows, CBC, ESPN radio, and KDKA. It’s just kind of cool to get that exposure.”  She later adds, “We have made a ton of connections that are not only fun, but beneficial. We stick together, us bloggers.”

Debrislide describes the advantage of free stuff: “Offers for free things start rolling in as soon as you get a decently large base of readers.  Most of it, however, is junk, and is contingent upon you doing something for the company/individual on your blog.  At Puck Huffers we have a very good arrangement though with www.PittsburghSteelRocks.com –we promote them, and they give us things, and it operates on a very personal level, more like a friendship agreement than a business one.  If you get involved in a good blogging community you will meet people like that.”  Kimberlass echoes these sentiments, “And last but not least is all of the free shit. We have closets full of shirts, countless hockey cards, keychains, stickers, posters, et cetera. Everyone loves free stuff.”

Both girls also shared with me stories of being recognized by face in various cities, such as Pittsburgh, PA, Columbus, OH, and Philadelphia, PA.  People flock to them, and are always eager to speak with them, lend a hand, or buy them a drink.  Blogging has become a huge part of their everyday lives, and has led them to situations they would previously not had the opportunity to be a part of.  Not only are sports blogs full of benefits for the readers, but they also enrich the lives of the authors.

Interview with Mr. Patrick Shand

by Andria Acunis

To start off, Patrick Shand is a great movie director who is making his way into the world of New Media. He has written many movies and shared his work on websites like YouTube. He utilizes the Internet and society to persuade people to watch his work.

Besides using Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube, Patrick uses his own website domain and posts on message boards to discuss movie choices. Recently he’s expanded his horizons and is auditioning for one of his biggest movies yet. He plans to move past the YouTube stage and hopefully one day see his movies on television or on the big screen. When asked about what he takes away from comments that are said by his viewers, he said that he checks comments everyday and if a suggestion is made that he will use that type of advice in his next film. There is nothing that will keep him from showing his work to potential jobs. All of his movies came about from the love Patrick has for writing. He always pays close attention to scripts that he listens to and knows what is decent and what is not. Being that writing is his strongest point, he always makes sure that his scripts are less than 12 pages. When filming, he believes that there are times when an actor can ad-lib, and there are moments where the plot will not allow for that. He chose to put his videos on YouTube because it is the most famous video website out there and he is more likely to have more viewers on that site. The videos that he puts on YouTube usually end up having a plot; none are confusing or streams of thought. He has created his company Stinky Burger Productions and has created a logo and advertises his company whenever he can. An advertisement has recently been seen in the Merrick movie theater. Besides posting movies on YouTube, he also posts reviews of movies he’s seen, which gives everyone a director’s point of view and makes him more real to the audience.

Patrick is a genius of the new media age; he uses every technology possible to make sure the right people see his movies. He uses audience suggestions instead of filming whatever he wants to film. He brings witty and interesting stories to those who have never seen it before. He will one day be a famous director for television and film, and we will all remember the day when he first started out with his small videos on the internet.

Fishing and New Media

by Kyle Yberg

Fishing in Long Beach, Long Island has finally picked up again after a slow beginning to the summer season.  As Fall begins the fish are beginning to hit hard and often in certain places.  Trying to find these places, or hot spots, is a daunting task for any fisherman.

Getting barreled by waves, standing for hours in the cold water or hooking up and losing the big fish of tall tales, are all dues that fishermen once had to pay in order to find that one perfect spot.  It was an endless process of guessing and checking on any number of spots and when a fisherman finds a spot he’s likely to take that location to the grave with him.  This time tested method of determining the perfect fishing location is a process that is slowly dying out due to the introduction of the internet and its capabilities that is changing the nature this one time word-of-mouth hobby.

Word-of-mouth has taking on a new meaning with the online forums available on the internet.  Fishermen of the past would discuss the latest news at a bait sh

op on Friday nights.  Now there are daily updates and instantaneous replies to discussions about weather conditions, bait fish sightings and new products and inventions.  According to local fisherman Andrew Yberg, “I check the internet frequently, sometimes three times a day for tide reports and weather forecasts.  I used to rely on the tide chart I cut out of the newspaper on Mondays.  If I lost the chart I would have to go to the bait shop to get another one.  It is so much more convenient and easy to bookmark a website.  With three clicks in a couple of seconds I have all the information I need.”  Along with other fisherman, he may use sites like Salt Water Tides or Surf Talk at Stripers Online. This capability enables more people to obtain the information they need when they need it.  The internet is also utilized for the availability of pictures and maps.  With online maps and real time photos fishermen can note the gradual high and low areas of the sea floor. They can utilize the maps to identify shoals and sandbars, which are the hot spots.

The internet advantage takes some of the guessing out of fishing but it will never have all the answers.  The only way to get all the information you need is still to get off the computer and get out to the water.

The Creative Side of YouTube

by Patrick Shand

YouTube is a strange place.

While it can serve as a platform for creative folks to show work that would go unrecognized outside of the web, there is also a lot of the not-so-good stuff.  The same way that Hollywood has the untouchable stars like Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and Johnny Depp, YouTube has those people that will always do well, even if their video consists of nothing more then a talking head, a confused cat, or a hot chick.  Not to say that their aren’t big name YouTubers that pump out quality stuff.  Felicia Day’s The Guild has gotten millions of views on the site and has also gotten success outside of YouTube… and it’s brilliant.  CommunityChannel is an incredibly popular channel that redefines the genre of vlog, dipping into sketch comedy and even musicals… and it’s brilliant.  But for every great creator getting their share of YouTube fame, hundreds of innovative users have yet to hit that coveted million views mark.

One independent creator, whose specialty is short films and interactive vlogs, is FallG51.  Garrett Fallin of Hidden Evil Productions runs the page, which recently developed the segment HEPTV.  Each episode of HEPTV throws out a fun challenge to fellow filmmakers, and he often gets a lot of responses.  In working on HEPTV, Garrett has made many connections with fellow users. “Recently,” he says, “I’ve been working on videos that cannot be even considered for a film festival. [I] seem to have drifted away from my core short film roots, but that’s not to say that if genius struck me and I did decide to make a short film for a festival that I couldn’t turn and place it on YouTube as well.”

When asked how he interacts with viewers in order to make his way toward YouTube fame, Garrett says, “I tend to find videos online that are close to what I feel captures the essence of my audience and I send them both a friend invite and a message stating my interests and passions in the field, and hope that they become a fan of my work. Sure there are haters out there and assholes who just want to tell you that your stuff sucks without even watching it, but that is to be expected with a free video network where absolutely anyone can hop online and say whatever they feel like.”  Garrett takes advantage of the freedom of YouTube by reaching out to those who he feel might be interested in his material, but he is also aware that there are trolls out there who would like nothing better than to insult his hard work.  It is a negative aspect of having a venue with as much freedom as YouTube does, but if one can utilize the benefits of the site like Garrett has, they can elevate their own material to the next level of recognition.

RdDrfJames, the home of Three Degrees Off Center Productions, is another independent creator moving up the ranks on YouTube.  The page has yet to achieve the YouTube fame of folks such as ShayCarl and Fred, who get millions of hits just for filming their wonky lives, but RdDrfJames has been increasing their fanbase by cranking out quality independent films.  James, who runs the site, had this to say about how he attracted thousands of viewers to his films:  “One way to get viewers it do a wide array of videos on different subjects and that will bring your videos to the attentions of different groups of people. If you one stick to one subject, then you will only reach the people interested in that subject, but will go unnoticed by everyone else. I try to have a little variety on my page.”  While James’s videos have certainly been growing in their popularity, he remains humble and intent on making quality films instead of churning out content for the sake of hits.  He says, “Instead of being restricted by a studio that wants a movie they can market to everyone around the world, you can make a very specific or interesting video that might only be seen by a few hundred or a few thousand videos. Some of my favorite videos I have found only have a few thousand views and they may not be interesting to most people, but I enjoyed them. It’s hard to figure out what will be successful and what will be a hit, but the beauty of the internet is that you have the opportunity to reach millions of people your videos, something that wasn’t available ten years ago.”

So while Fred’s high-pitched annoyingness will always be there to entertain you (though, why?) and Smosh will always be making skits, don’t forget to give some good old YouTube love to the folks that aren’t in the Top Ten Most Subscribed To section.  The independent creators like FallG51, RdDrfJames, and more might just be the next big thing on YouTube.

New Media In a Surfer’s Life

By Katherine Orzano

New media has made many aspects of life easier and more efficient. Depending on a person’s job, or hobbies, the Internet can be a great source to expand knowledge and appreciation of a certain interest. Many people believe this availability is making this generation “lazy” and “less intelligent” but the truth is new media is expanding knowledge at a higher rate than before. Information was previously found through searching high and low in a library, buying newspapers, or watching the television, which does not necessarily broadcast what the people want. Now, everything is at society’s fingertips whether its school related, job information, weather, or everyday hobbies.

There are many different topics one may look for on the Internet. Surfing is a topic which now has its information much easier accessed. There are many websites now dedicated to only surfing. Before these sites were created, most surfers would have to take a trip down to the beach to check out the conditions, or hope that the news stations would happen to show it on television, which is usually tough to catch. Depending on where a desired beach is, traveling to see if the waves are even worth it can be a long ride for some people.

Kyle McVea, a senior in high school, explains the benefits of having the Internet to provide this information. He prefers to use surfersinfo.com to receive his information. This website provides the beach desired, the conditions, wind speed, and the tides. Unlike going to the beach for information, websites also include the forecast for the rest of the day, and even the rest of the week. Kyle stated that, “using the Internet saves time and money”. Especially today where gas prices are very high, people cannot afford to make unnecessary trips.

Because surfing is a sport affected by the weather, it is very important to have this information available. It is also a dangerous sport so conditions are a necessity. Surfing is only a small area of information the Internet can provide. The Internet can be useful in almost every situation in a person’s life. Because of its use rapidly increasing, new media is only becoming more popular and effective for the lives of every generation.

Internet Impact On High School Sports Recruiting

By Lauren Kenny

In the past, College coaches strongly relied on their relationships with high school coaches in order to determine what players would be a good fit for their program. Coaches would have to actually go to many of their games and watch the players play. This proved to be much more inefficient than the current situation with the increase in web technologies. Today, coaches do not even have to leave their office to recruit. This is all because of the Internet.

Coaches are frequently found “surfing” the internet to aid the recruiting process.  Websites such as Checkmyskills.com are utilized by coaches to view lacrosse players that they are interested in. On these websites you can view a profile of the player.  From there you can then send an email to the player letting them know that your level of interest and request a video of game tapes. The players can also send video through email to any coaches of their choosing. The coach will then decide whether or not they want to pursue recruiting this player.

The internet has made the recruiting process much more efficient than it has ever been. Coaches relied on word of mouth and the established trust of fellow coaches. This also narrowed down the number of players that coaches were able to see. Since a coach can only be in one place at a time, recruiting is limited. Now coaches do not have to waste their time on unreliable sources and can get straight to the point.

If the coaches are unsure if they would like to contact a player, they can go to berecruited.com. This is a website which contains clips of the high school players in action. Why would the coaches want to be sure about the player before they recruit them? Well by being sure, they don’t have to waste any of their valuable time as well as recruit a player that would be unfit for their program. This will also avoid players getting mislead by college coaches.

By using websites such as laxpower.com, coaches can see the players who are already off the market. If they have heard or read about a good player they can simply go to laxpower.com and see if they are being recruited as well as if they have committed to a school already. No more wasting time trying to figure out their email address or phone number. The Internet has become a great tool for the world of sports. The college lacrosse world will have to continue to adapt in order to stay on top of the most current trends in recruiting.

Small Business, New Media

By Kim Mancuso

La Pink Inc. is a private retail clothing store located in Bellmore, New York.  The small business has been successfully operating under sole ownership for five years.  The store utilizes minimal advertising which includes personally mailed coupons to all of the customers registered into the store’s computer system.  Store employees state that incorrect addresses entered into the system are the main reason for decreased efficiency of the annual private mailings.

In attempt to boost store sales, store owner Leslie Watterson was interested in advertising over the internet, and she was looking for a means of advertising that would be both effective and cost efficient.   In 2007, La Pink was introduced to MySpace.com through a promoting company called “Flood the Club.”   The owner paid for La Pink’s Private mailing flyer to hold a spot on the “Flood the Club,” MySpace page.  La Pink’s advertisement received 100,000 hits per day, marking the most exposure La Pink had experienced in five years of business.  Due to the popularity of this company on the site, the stores brand was gradually being transformed from contemporary juniors clothing to more, city, club- trendy clothing.  MySpace and “Flood the Club,” gave the store new recognition as the “hottest club clothes on Long Island,” a title which integrated a broader range of shoppers into the stores already loyal client base.

In summer 2009, the owner and manager came up with new ideas to increase in store sales through recognition on these social network sites.  Store manager, Holly Piazza suggested the store participate on Facebook. La Pink’s idea for Facebook was to introduce the store’s merchandise to anyone accessing the Facebook network.   Building a profile and uploading photo albums on La Pink’s personal page was the initial plan, as well as befriending forty to fifty female users per day.  To La Pink’s surprise the store’s page was receiving ninety to one hundred friend requests per week, as well as numerous messages inquiring about merchandise, brand names, size runs, and employment opportunities.  When asked how Facebook has contributed to the company’s advancement, store manager, Holly Piazza replied, “I feel that by introducing our company to Facebook we have created store brand recognition and also increased our client base by ten percent, much greater feedback than expected.”  Due to La Pink’s success on both MySpace and Facebook, store management was inspired to plan an official store website which will launch in Fall 2009.

Website will be launched Fall 2009 @ http://www.lapinkstore.com

[La Pink Facebook Page.]

New Media and Sports

By Matt Capece

Over the years technology has helped people do everyday activities more efficiently and quicker. From the early days when news was only read in the paper to the 1940’s when you started seeing it live through a little box in your living room, technology has enhanced the way we live our lives.

In the world of sports, coaches, players, and fans are constantly trying to keep up with their team’s info. At one time the only ways to find out more about your team was the sports section in the newspaper, television, and actually being at the game to watch your team play. However now you can access team information over the Internet on account of every team having their own personal website. Highlights from games can be seen 20 minutes after the fact on Google or YouTube; an entire team’s season can be defined in a 10-minute clip.

Recently players and coaches have been posting information via Twitter, information such as progress, stats, and even personal information that may be inappropriate for interview. One example is Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin’s post on Twitter in which he explains the “whooping he will give the Florida Gators”. This sparked an uprising between schools, players, and fans from both Tennessee and Florida. Through out the whole week there were postings of taunting messages and demeaning pictures in leu of the big game. Part of Twitter’s success in the world of sports has to do with the fans being able to post comments for teams coaches/players to read, Jrc612@optonline.com says “ The new ways of finding out about your team is significant, I remember when I was a boy and had to wait for the news to come on, now I can be at my office and find out everything I need to know about a certain team or player”.

[image courtesy smokeys-trail.com]

Topics of Research coming soon!

In the coming weeks, research will be up on the following topics in new media research.

Short films on YouTube

Small business owners and the utilization of Social Media

Student filmmakers on YouTube

Recruiting lacrosse players using Social Media

Local Long Island fishing improved by Internet resource tools

Sports players and coaches using Social Media to transmit ideas and thoughts

Local surfing aided by Social Media