Matthew Lovett

ID# 20566522

REMIX Artifact Reflections

 Which genres do you feel you appeal to you the most? Why?
The genre that interests me the most concerning this project, would have to be Video, and in
terms of forms of media, it always has been. I’ve always been fascinated by movies and the moving
pictures, more so then other means of entertainment. As well as the fact I’ve also always been a visual
person who is able to identify certain concepts and notions I wouldn’t be able to with any other form
of communication, such as through reading or auditory. I firmly believe there’s certain messages and
emotions that can’t be conveyed to a viewer without the use of video, its an added effect that gives
more perspective and depth to a story or idea. Instead of hearing a person’s voice, seeing their eyes
convey an emotion, whether it be fear, anger, joy, or sadness, is more entertaining and though
provoking than without the added visual. Seeing real actions happen in front of your eyes as well as
feeling the impact of every interaction that takes place on the screen. It’s a very intimate experience
one has when viewing a form of video, whether it be a movie, tv program, commercial or internet
personality.

 What challenges did you face thinking about genre and multimodality while
planning your artifact project?
I struggled the most with identifying what would be the best genre for my Theory of Writing
message, many of the options I was presented could serve my message well. But I was searching for
the best most effective way to convey my message as I feel as though it requires a great deal of
convincing to demonstrate why my claim is substantial and should seriously be considered. There
would also be a great deal of information to explain as my theory goes in depth over a variety of
subjects and it would have to be simplified and condensed in an easy-to-follow and coherent manner.
While also clearly demonstrating my underlying theory, so it was very difficult selecting the most
effective genre. I also sought to provide some sort of entertainment coupled with my message, I’d like
my audience to be engaged and intrigued as well as thoroughly enthralled and charmed, making my
artifact standout in terms of appeal. Of course I settled on a form of infomercial/advertisement as
that form of media had most of the characteristics I was seeking, but it was a great endeavor to finally
come to that conclusion, it was probably the most lengthy stage of the entire brainstorming process
for my artifact.

 How were your experiences working collaboratively in a group and

independently similar and different? Do you have a preference for either
method? Why?
A major distinction between working in a group and individually is surprisingly about the
question of agreement and disagreement. What I mean by that is, in my experience, in a group theres
less disagreement and all members share the same goal, we hardly disagreed on any aspect of our
project and we all understood that cooperation was essential to realizing our artifact. While
individually, you disagree more with yourself as you conflict with your decisions as you’re the only
one you can rely on. It invokes tension and it becomes more stressful as there is more work you must
accomplish. Another aspect that distinguishes the two methods is in an individual assignment, you
suffer more of writer’s block and your creativity slows down. That’s not a dilemma you experience in
a group, as while you may experience writer’s block you have the support of other members who can
help your situation and remove any creative walls you have encountered so you are never stopped
in your tracks by “creative wall” and you are able smoothly construct your artifact without difficulty.
This is why I prefer working collaboratively within a group as it’s a more efficient process to
experience over working individually.