Shamach Campbell

11/12/15

ENG 1101

Over the course of the last 40 years digital technology has changed and helped improve society. We are currently in the middle of the digital age. But one of the greatest achievements of the digital age would have to be in entertainment, especially video games. Despite to most contrary beliefs, video games can have a positive influence to the way your brain is shaped, wired, and the way it functions. Some examples include how some games can help augment a person’s attention and stimuli response. There have been studies were playing certain games for a certain amount of time can help increased brain’s overall mass and plasticity. But not only has that it also given people the ability to solve an array of different problems and puzzle. In this essay I am going to talk how playing video games can help increase the overall mental strength, agility, and perception of one’s brain.

Whether it is they’re trying to find an enemy’s attack pattern or concentrating on the rhythm of a song, one thing that video games are well known for is drawing in someone’s attention. But compared to how they concentration in game, how great is a gamer’s attention in real life. According to the article “Action video game players’ visual search advantage extends to biologically relevant stimuli,” gamers, more specifically gamer who are into action games like the first and third person shooter genre, tend to respond to stimuli a lot better than non-gamers. This is true because the action genre is nowadays is centered around “fast paced and attention demanding gameplay.” Joseph D. Chisholm stated “action video games have demonstrated performance benefits across a variety of visual search paradigms”(p. 93–95 ). A group of researcher had ran an experiment between action video game player and non-action video game players, they put them through several oculomotor trails to test the speed and accuracy of their eye movement. After several weeks of playing games for three hours a day they ran the experiment again and found significant results. They found that that everyone’s oculomotor skills have increased greatly. However when it came to the test subjects who played action video games most of the time, their overall average was about 14.9% better than those who didn’t play action games. Action games like “Call of duty” or “Battlefield” have the player constantly reacting to very specific details, from the shadows of other players to the sound of enemy footsteps. It’s up to the player to initialize what is going on or what is about to happen and then respond to that action as fast as possible. This is most likely the reason why the Action video game players responded to the trials at a much faster rate than the ones who didn’t. Since video games can help shape and improve our brain’s overall attention and accuracy, then that would also mean that video games can also help improve our brain’s mass and plasticity.

John Medina book “Brain Rules” he said that the brain is plastic meaning that it can be molded and reshaped through the things we learn and experience, and video games are just another factor that can contribute to it plasticity. Not long ago I had conducted an interview with one of my friends Demario Oliver, who was recently doing research on a similar project. I had asked him, “Do you think that video games can help improve our brain’s mass and plasticity?” He then said “Video games are a great way to influence our brain’s mass and plasticity; they help promote creative and logically thinking and can also increase our response time. In fact there are a lot of tests that provide evidence towards video games and an increase in gray matter.” I also asked him, “What types of games do you think work best to can help improve our brain’s mass and plasticity?” He said “the games I think work best to promote brain growth and neuro plasticity would be, puzzle games such as “Tetris” because they help to promote things like critical thinking and spatial reasoning. Real time strategy and Multiplayer online battle arenas such as “League of legends” because it helps to promotes long term strategy and on the fly thinking. And finally fast pace games like the first and third person shooter genre to because it helps improve out response time, attention to detail, and perception.” He then referred me to an article explaining even more information about improving our brain growth and plasticity. According to the article “Video Gaming Can Increase Brain Size and Connectivity”, a group of scientist conducted a study that found that playing video gaming can aid in the stimulation of neuron growth and connectivity in the areas of the brain. Some of these areas include, parts that are in charge of spatial positioning, parts responsible for the formation of memories parts responsible for strategic development, and not to mention it also aids in fine motor skills. And when it comes to skills like these, there are many different genres of games that help aid them, but the best genre that helps work on them as a whole is the puzzle genre.

When it comes to games like Tetris, candy crush, or the portal series, the puzzle genre is a very popular market. But even though there mostly just games, the puzzle genre has had a lot of positive benefits for both the plasticity of the brain, and some of life’s real world problems not to mention that they also help to promote both creative and logical thinking. I recently had conducted an interview with my aunt Arleta Crump who is currently a teacher at The Georgia Institute of Technology about what she thinks about the puzzle genre and the benefits it can have for the brain. I asked her, “what do you think of the puzzle genre and the benefits it can have?” she said, “I think they’re okay and at times it can be very challenging, and I guess as for the benefits I guess a lot of them really make you think or test your memory.” I went on to ask her, “Have you ever played or know of a puzzle game(s) that requires you think outside of the box, and how did you feel about it?” She went on to take about a three types of games “Fez” which is two-dimensional puzzle platformer that is set in a three dimensional world that mostly focuses on spatial reasoning and perspective. “Portal” a game all about navigating different rooms with portals that also focuses on spatial reasoning but also had involve strategic and creative thinking, and fine motor skills. And finally she also talked about escape the room games, games that require you to think outside the box and find clue to finish. Games like these have a lot of benefit to them, however when it comes to games in general there are many who believe otherwise.

Despite all the benefits that video games have there are still many people who not only believe they have no benefit, but they can so addicting they can actually hinder our brain. According to the article “Game Theory: How do video games affect the developing brains of children and teens?”, they say that too much time in front of the screen could a number of mental and physical problems with the brain such as; Gray matter atrophy which is they describe as the loss or shrinkage of brain tissues in certain areas like the frontal lobe. They also say that there is the chance of certain cognitive functions being impaired like impulse control and strategic planning. Not to mention, combining too much screen with some of the games we play, more specifically a lot of violent games like “Grand Theft Auto” or “Mortal Kombat” could have a negative effect on someone behavioral and mental state. They even preformed x-rays of several brains to try and determine a link between how long you play video games and the abnormalities it can cause. But in the end they’re trying to say that too much screen time could lead to impaired brain function and structure especially in places like the frontal lobe where a lot of thought takes place.

In conclusion, despite to most contrary beliefs, video games can have a positive influence to the way your brain is shaped, wired, and the way it functions. A lot of games that revolve around fast pace gameplay like “CoD” and “Battlefield” help encourage attention to detail and increased stimuli response, in the end a lot of gamers could potentially heighten there reflexes. The puzzle genre has had a lot of positive benefits for both the plasticity of the brain, and some of life’s real world problems not to mention that they also help to promote both creative and logical thinking. Playing video gaming can aid in the stimulation of neuron growth and connectivity in the areas of the brain like strategic development and spatial positioning. But in th end, even though there are many people who think otherwise and say things that make video games sound like their making us dumber, they just need to do more research and consider the benefits that video games have.

• Work cited
• Oliver, Demario, Personal Interview. 19 November 2015
• Dunckley, Victoria. “Gray Matters: Too Much Screen Time Damages the Brain .” psychologytoday.com. (Feb.27, 2014 Friday): 1,381 words. LexisNexis Academic. Web. Date Accessed: 5 Dec 2015.
• Kingstone, Alan. Chisholm, Joseph D., “Action video game players’ visual search advantage extends to biologically relevant stimuli.” sciencedirect.com (July 2015): 93–99 Pages. Academic Search Complete. Web. . Date Accessed:18 Nov. 2015.
• Crump, Arleta, Personal interview. 25 November 2015.
• Bergland, Christopher, “Video Gaming Can Increase Brain Size and Connectivity” psychologytoday.com. (31 Oct, 2015). 99 Pages Web. Date Accessed: Sun. 28 Nov. 2015

Shamach Campbell

10/12/15

ENG 1101

Communication Design: AKA Graphic arts

My name is Shamach and my major here at the New York City College of Technology is Communication Design, also known as Graphic Arts. I would like to work as a Professional Graphic Designer and Animator. I feel that graphic arts is the best career choice for me because it not only gives me the freedom of being able to create anything from scratch, but it also allows me to become recognized as an individual capable of amazing artistic and communication skills. Ever since I was young I’ve always had an interest in arts and animation, but what really made me take a curiosity in graphic arts was the chance to make a video game. Now three years later I have been practicing how to do 3d modeling and create amazing scenes, and I feel that if I were to do it professionally it could open up a lot of opportunities for me. I can make tons of cash by making commissions, animate and sell stock footage, even also create ads, and the best part is I could work from home. It can also help me with social skills like giving presentations to other companies and help people communicate through visual content. But I think the absolute best part about being a graphic artist is that I have the opportunity to appeal to an audience that could not only like my work but, respects me for it as well as the things you do. In this essay I will not only be stating the reasons for choosing communication design as my major, but and I will also talk more about how I plan to exceed in my major and future career.

The name of my major is called communication design; basically it’s a mix between design and informational development and it’s my job to use those designs to connect with people. Right now I am learning how to use not only the adobe photo editing programs, but I am also learning more about art and its meaning. I go to the School Of Technology And Design and the degree I am after that is available according to the New York City College of Technology catalog, is my “Associates in Applied science in Communication Design.” After graduating with this degree I will have not only acquired an array of visual communication skills, but I would have also learned a ton of different design and animation techniques like proper lighting and sculpting. When it comes to finding a career, there are a lot different choices I can pick in terms of my career. According to the bureau of labor statistics occupational outlook hand book some of the careers I could be part of include things like web designing, advertisement promoter, or even a market manager. There is as the possibility of working for a much larger company that could use someone like me, for example if I decide to work on ads for Samsung or work on animations for Illumination Arts studios.

One of the reasons I want a career in professional graphic design and animation is because of overall job setting and benefits. According to the bureau of labor statistics occupational outlook hand book, on average most professional graphic artist can make up to $40,000 annually. Not to mention it also depends on the type of graphic designer you are, whether it is designing websites making up to $60,000 annually or doing advertising promotion and market management for a large company and make $110,000. However, most of the time professional companies require you to have a bachelor’s degree to work for them. Since I am just going after my Associates in Applied science in Communication Design, my plan is to start doing freelance work to build up my professional portfolio. Some of the ways I can do that are by, selling 3d and 3d printed models online, I can start do art commissions and advertisements for small companies, and I could also become an indie game developer. And if all else fails I can always take some health course and become a medical illustrate, or even work for YouTube. But it not just about the money that makes it interesting, it’s also the potential growth in my computer and social skills.

Another reason why Graphic arts is the best career choice for me because, it can also help me with social skills like giving presentations to other companies and help people communicate through visual content. Back then I wasn’t the most open person, I usually kept to myself and always wonted talk to people about my art skills. But in order for me to be taken seriously as both an artist and designer, I had to learn how to open up, talk to people, and listen to every word they had to say to learn even more about them. As a graphic artist my job is to create works of art that people will not only understand, but makes them think and the best way to do that was to sit down and talk to that client, audience, or company. According to a recent article called “20 years of change: graphic design in past present & future decades,” the author talked about how as technology gets more and more advanced, designs need to keep advancing as well. He also says that it not just about making what the client wants but what he wanted as well. This is because even though the client my think they know what I want, it’s important for the designer to come up with something new and innovative. It’s these designs that allow those clients or companies to understand a new form of communication in the coming future. It’s with these skills that need to learn in order to appeal to an audience.

Another reason why Graphic arts is the best career choice for me because, I have the opportunity to appeal to an audience that may like my work and perhaps respect my dedication and hard work. The entire purpose of communication design is to teach people how to think critically, and creatively to solve visual communication problems. With my creations I will not only have a unique style people may love but I will be able to connect with them, and learn from them to enhance my craft. According to the article “20 years of change: graphic design in past present & future decades,” they talk about how as the world of design changes, people start learning how to recognize different types of creativity trends and eventually they buy into it. In the past some people might often have tried to change it themselves, and now some of those people are becoming sponsors, patrons even. Without other external influences, this can allow designers to do much more with their creations; it gives them the chance to say more in very different ways. By having new and innovative ideas and creations, I can connect with an audience and understand what they feel or think about when I introduce them to a design. I wouldn’t be restricted by anyone’s expectations, I can teach them to see differently. Through this my work will have meaning and depth, and it can become recognized for significance and creativity. In the end both audience and I can get what we want, better art value, better opportunities and even better experiences.

In conclusion, I feel that graphic arts is the best career choice for me because it not only gives me the freedom of being able to create anything from scratch, but it also allows me to become recognized as an individual capable of amazing artistic and communication skills. My goal is to not only to become recognized for these skills but to be able to make enough money to support myself. I also want to be able to improve my social skills, I may not like talking in front of a large crowd but I feel that I can eventually learn how to do it in the future. I want to be someone who can become well known for his messages and not just for his art. Lastly I feel that with enough time and effort I won’t just be a designer, I will become a well-known Graphic artist.

Citation page

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/graphic-designers.htm#tab-7

http://go.galegroup.com.citytech.ezproxy.cuny.edu:2048/ps/i.do?&id=GALE|A263667256&v=2.1&u=cuny_nytc&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&authCount=1

http://www.citytech.cuny.edu/catalog/docs/catalog.pdf page 199

                                                My Personal essay

            My name is Shamach Campbell and ever since I was young I always had this interest for art and graphic design. I loved how there were different styles of art and the ways they were used to create amazing pictures, games, and cinematography. Then one day I wondered about two things, how hard is it to learn about and pickup, and if I was able to learn it how far could I take it. So from then on I made it a mission of mine to learn as much as possible about arts and graphic design, and become one of the world’s next top artists. I needed to get in gear and I felt that as I went off to high I would be able to get a lot of more practice and exposure.

During my freshman year of high school I was required to take an art class, the only problem was that I didn’t know to how to properly draw things like people, buildings, and environments. I wanted to just rush in and get right to the advanced level of art as if there were some sort of shortcut. I tried to draw a picture of myself, and every time I tried to get it done as fast as possible it would always come out terrible. Eventually, I stopped and then thought to myself not every artist became famous overnight, it took some of them days, weeks, months, even years to perfect their craft and even longer to be recognized by society. So that’s when I decided to practice patience and also improve my perception. I would learn how to sketch whenever I could, I would go online and look up tutorials for symbols, scenes and characters, and I would even have people challenge me just to find new techniques to improve my skills. After some time, I was able to be good at what I did some of my work was featured all throughout the school and even other kids requested art commissions and guidance to improve themselves. But I didn’t stop there; about two years later I decide to take my skill to the next level and challenged myself to something a little more advanced.

During summer I had gotten bored and wanted to do more art but didn’t know where to take it, I tried and do painting, sculpting and other forms of art but nothing worked. Until one day I got so bored with and had no games to play, I decided I wanted to make a game and maybe do some digital art and animation. That’s when I found out about the program I still use today known as blender a 3d modeling application. When I first started to use blender I had no idea what I was doing, I didn’t know how to move around or spawn objects. If I was going to learn how to make a digital art I needed to learn all about lighting, compositing, texture, sculpting, rendering, and a whole bunch of different techniques that I learned to master. It was complex at first but I said to myself, if I’m going to make amazing things I not only need to learn as many of these techniques and styles as possible, but I also needed to learn how to be committed to learning it no matter how difficult it may be. If anyone .So I made a plan to practice as much as possible, so that by the end of my first year, I could make a picture then I can learn to animate and eventually I would learn to create a game. So far I haven’t created the game yet, however, during the time I have spent with this program I have made tons of art and even learned to make an animation. It had helped me learn patience and commitment along the way and I am grateful for it but there was one issue, since they were all digital I couldn’t just show my friends what I did without a computer so I eventually found the next best thing.

Nearing the end of 11^th grade I didn’t know how I could show people what I did and I didn’t want to join Facebook just to show a few friends some pictures, so around that time I found out about a site called Deviantart.com. It is a site dedicated to other artist like myself, a site where no matter how good or bad you drew wrote or created, there was always someone that wants to see you make it. After I learned more about Deviant art I decided to take my existing picture and put them to uses, a few days later some of the art I made I was getting likes and even being featured in groups and galleries. Ultimately I started uploading on the regular and about a month or two later I gained an audience who not only liked my art but was also willing to give me creative advice. Not to mention I even got people to give donations and feature some of it on YouTube recently. But there were some people he hated my designs, they would say things like, “it’s too bright,” “it’s to blurry,” “you should come back when learn how to draw like me.” While there were some really hateful comments, I said to myself that not everyone has the time and patients to learn I learned to what I know. So that’s when I decided to take advantage of those comments to improve my designs and those same people who wrote those comments ended up following and encouraging me to do better. I learned a lot of different art styles, found out about a lot of new fandom’s I can use for my designs, but most importantly I found a community of people who not only share an interest in what I did, but who are willing to help me grow as an artist.

In conclusion, I love art and design and appreciate how there were different art styles and all the different ways they are used to create some amazing things. So I won’t give up on my mission learn everything about art and graphic design and be the next top artist. Over the course of the next few years, I will worked hard to learn how to draw even better than I do know. I will create even better designs and maybe even helped people who want to learn how to become better artists and may want to learn more about what I do. I had the opportunity to properly learn all about lighting, compositing, texture, sculpting, and rendering. But most importantly I learned how to be more patient and make better commitments. I had a community he that not only believed in me but were also willing to help me get further and even give me money for doing what I loved. While I am here at city tech I am learning even more about it through communication design, both the necessary techniques that help me increase my artistic skill, but the different aspects of being a professional artist like being open to criticism. In the future I hope to implement the things I learned and will learn into what I do when I work as a professional artist, it can help me get more clients, make more money than I do now, and could even teach those who want to be taught.

And here are some pictures i made