Viewing posts for the category Austin
Outdoor experiences exchange with Ben Bays
Posted by: Mónica Mendes in Austin Digital Media UT-Austin Portugal Program 14 years, 1 month ago
Ben Bays teaches Visual Effects and Motion Graphics at the RTF, and he's got an illustration background. Here's his class site. As he's workng with typography, I also gave him my typography class slides in Portuguese – I hope it's good for his classes too, and for his Portuguese learning in progress – quite good, I can say!
He's also working at Videoranch, which will be streaming live concerts from March 17 through 21. The setup includes the music band streaming with the green background, 3 cameras shooting, and live streaming for around 2500 users; the expected delay is 29 seconds due to the California server location, which receives and sends back information in the meantime. I got the invitation to pass by, and I won't miss it for sure!
We had a very active outdoors meeting, scanning some Austin references, such as the Natural History Museum, the Fine Arts School, the Library and Electricity Museum, and all the fountains on the way ;)
This fantastic creature is dedicated to… well, you decide ;))
... so the flying creatures are larger in Texas ;)
...ouch!
It's remarkable how the battery resisted all the flight from Lisbon to Austin, even having been inspected by the airport securit, that sealed it after having searched all over my packed bag – watchout, could this be dangerous? ;) Enough for a demonstration of the B-wind interactive installation fan system in progress:
It would be great to have a two-week workshop at FCT/UL in the UTA Summer courses framework, based on Ben's expertise in video streaming, 3D modelling teaching, degree in Fine Arts illustration, and 13 years experience in video games as an environmental artist for 3D scenery – working on video effects and motion graphics optimization for real-time applications/processing is the idea, I hope we can we go forward with this proposal :)
Meanwhile, I'll meet you at the Videoranch, Ben :)... and hopefully in Portugal, too!
Serendipity on the way Back from UTA
Posted by: Mónica Mendes in Austin UT-Austin Portugal Program 14 years, 1 month ago
Getting back from UTA "home", I find myself in a very quiet environment. I feel like the next time I'll get a bike, too, it will be very nice to walk longer distances while looking at the views, or just ride around the Capitol.
The Capitol at twilight is an enchanting place, or an enchanted one – what an inspiring environment to set up the RTiVISS Enchanted Forest!… may I? ;) … and the Hug@ree, too? Yay!
The Frost Bank tower and the illuminated theatre are rematrkable,too.
On the safety issue: I've been carrying my MacBook around at any time of day and night, and everything is ok… a discrete presence, almost no police, and yet you feel very safe… nice :)
Culture and showers with Rosental Alves
Posted by: Mónica Mendes in Austin Digital Media PhD research UT-Austin Portugal Program 14 years, 1 month ago
As soon as I got into his office at the School of Journalism in the CMA building, I realized he is not only dealing with news issues as a UT Professor and his Knight missions in journalism... I mean Rosental Alves is the news:
Me and Paulo attended his first Online Journalism Workshop at FCSH in 2008 – there we created the loev project, which we continued developing and presented at Future Places exhibition. Loev got a commendation for "commercial potential" – what else could we wish for a startup project?
It was nice to meet again last year to present the loev case study to the workshop participants, and for a welcome lunch with the workshop alumni. Rosental was glad his workshop in Portugal is confirmed in June 2010 – so am I, we'll meet again in Lisbon :)
Keep the suggestion: for the ones who didn't attend the Online Journalism Workshop yet, beware – it's an opportunity not to miss!
Meeting with Rosental was very enlightening: after presenting the RTiVISS ongoing research, I had his feedback with precious advice on the opportunity of studying in the US and further contacts at UT in case I'm implementing the Amazon case.
I was wondering about all the mexican style food I've been eating in Texas, then Rosental made it all clear: it's not the Mexicans that are influencing Texas, but the Americans that overtook mexican frontiers.
I got a "shower" of history, followed by unpredicted tropical showers to get back to the car after a radical vegan lunch ;)
So the raw description applied to ALL vegetables, including broccoli? "Crudite", remember that when you order the day's special at one of the fanciest natural-organic restaurant in Austin. Well, the result was an invigorating lunch combine the vegetables with 3 different sauces and several entrée cookies – no diet, and a lot of fun with a special witty Brazilian friend :)
Chris McDonnell's Portuguese spot
Posted by: Mónica Mendes in Austin Digital Media UT-Austin Portugal Program 14 years, 1 month ago
The UT Austin-Portugal staff meeting room and office – Karen ad Chris'. Is there any visual clue on the Portugal connection?
It was quite a long walk to get to the disperse paperwork offices with Chris' helpful guidance… only then I realized what he meant when he said that by guiding me he would also move and fit ;)
Final paperwork with Bert Herigstad
Posted by: Mónica Mendes in Austin Digital Media UT-Austin Portugal Program 14 years, 1 month ago
This is Bert Herigstad (I mean the first visual contact, considering my height ;))
Bert is the Administrative Associate/Office Manager who helps us with paperwork of all kinds, from student ID number, card, and wireless access, to insurance issues… we just have to listen very carefully and follow the rules; I had everything prepared in advance with Karen's precious help, there I confused some designations in the beginning, but everything was solved with a happy end :)
