Road to the Oscars

Road to the Oscars

Vanitha Rangaraju-Ramanan talks about her long journey from Trichy to Hollywood to win the coveted award.

Every March, Indians are in ecstasy if an Indian movie is just nominated for the Oscars in the Best Foreign Language Film category. So far, the Oscar has eluded the Indian film industry with the exception of Satyajit Ray who received the coveted statuette for lifetime achievement. However, very few would know that Vanitha Rangaraju-Ramanan — an Indian woman from Trichy, Tamil Nadu — has actually won an Oscar.
Rangaraju-Ramanan won it for her technical work in the animation movie Shrek in 2002. It may become a double Oscar if the sequel, Shrek 3 wins in 2008.
Excerpts from an interview...

Tell us about yourself and your family.VR: Trichy is my hometown. I was born and brought up there. I did my B.Arch. at the Regional Engineering College, Trichy. I worked in Bangalore where I met Ramanan whom I married.
I live in California with my husband and seven-month-old daughter, Ananya. My folks come from a large family, with my dad having six brothers and three sisters. It's always great fun with the whole gang getting together during summer vacations. I've one sister, who lives in India.

How did you become interested in animation?I was working in Bangalore when I saw a TV interview immediately after Toy Story (1995) — the first full-length 3D Computer Graphics (CG) feature film — had been released. It was fascinating and they talked about how people from different fields contributed to the movie's creation. I've always loved animation, and that interview got me seriously thinking about entering the field. Therefore, I left India to do my master's degree, majoring in computation and simulation at the University of Texas, Austin.
How did you get into Pacific Data Imaging (PDI)?I got an internship during the last semester (autumn 1998) at Industrial Light and Magic, the leading visual effects studio in California. That was a big break. After I completed my internship, I immediately got a job as Lighting Technical Director at PDI (now PDI/DreamWorks) to work on Shrek. It was April 1999 and the production on Shrek had just started.
What exactly does a lighting director do in the movie? How is it different from, say, a graphics director?In addition to digitally lighting the film, the Lighting Department is responsible for bringing the many different components of a shot together — complex geometry, motion of the characters, textures, effects such as fire and dust, and the matte paintings. Technical directors are people who help make this happen, with both their artistic and technical abilities.
What was your reaction when you heard that Shrek had won the Oscar for technical work?Shrek actually won the Oscar as the Best Animated Feature Film. The technical achievement, which translated into making Shrek a visual success also helped tremendously in getting the award. To answer the question, it felt great... almost unreal. I'm so happy to have been a part of this great team. It is so hard to believe.
I still remember watching the Oscars in India, wondering how it would be to touch the statuette. And I actually got to hold it when our producer Aron Warner returned with it to PDI. It was a wonderful feeling.

Tell us how it felt working on 'Shrek' 3? How was it different from 'Shrek'? Was it easier or tougher?It has been six years since the first Shrek movie released and many hardware and software advances have been made in the field of computer graphics.
As an industry leader in animated films, PDI always strives to keep ahead of the rest. For Shrek 3, we pushed the visual complexity of the film even further than the previous two instalments, including realistic hair, clothing, crowd, lighting, etc. Do you plan to get into other areas of animation?I've been involved in different capacities in each of the Shrek movies. I worked in the capacity of a Lighting Technical Director in Shrek, a Lighting Lead in Shrek 2 and now for Shrek 3 I am the Crowd Lead. So yes, I do look for new challenges in each. Please tell us about your future projects.I'm currently working on Madagascar: The Crate Escape.
What would you say to young hopefuls, especially school students, who want to get into animation? The field of feature animation is extremely competitive. Not only do you need the right qualifications, you also need the right attitude, and most of all you need commitment to pursue a dream. Animation is where people from many different fields work together, bringing different talents to the table. Therefore, whether you are an engineer, photographer, painter, programmer or architect, everyone has the ability to make a huge contribution to the project.
So learn the things you are learning well. Nowadays, many schools offer courses specifically designed towards computer animation. There are many degree programmes as well. A good combination of strong foundation skills with relevant education guarantees a great start in the field of computer animation. Of course, nothing is more valuable than having some experience working in a CG company, so it would be good for students to look for internship opportunities there. Do you think there will soon come a day in movies when actors will be completely replaced by graphic characters that look like real people?No. It is a totally different medium and each has its way of telling a story. They aren't mutually exclusive, so you will continue to have both live action features with real actors and animated movies with CG characters. Human actors will always be around.
In your opinion, how long do you think it will take the animation industry in India to make a mark on the global scene? Who do you see in the future as the other major players apart from the US?Well, we are already seeing some studios doing a lot of animation work in India and they are doing a rather good job as well. What you need is also a sufficient talent pool to support the industry, which is still in the nascent stages. France and many other European countries have always had a focussed big on animation as has Japan and Korea.

Courtesy: Gulf News Report

eLearning 2.0

eLearning 2.0 - Karrer - ASTD OC 2007

From: akarrer, 10 months ago

eLearning 2.0 - Karrer - ASTD OC 2007

view presentation (tags: elearning elearning2.0 learning2.0 web2.0)

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Mobile Learning versus E-Learning - Is There a Difference?

As the potential for technology to enhance learning grows, we often see the phrase mobile learning bandied about. Clearly, the term appears vague as the concept emerges, yet it does call to mind a simple question: How does mobile learning differ from online or distance learning options?
In order to understand the term let’s review the concept as it exists by using the definition supplied from a rather technical article, “Defining, Discussing, and Evaluating Mobile Learning” on the website irrodl.org.
Strictly from a technological standpoint, the term is used for learning that can be delivered and supported entirely by mobile technology. Therefore, among the most common options that could be used for mobile learning would be PDA’s, smartphones and of course, a wireless laptop.
But that begs the question, how does mobile learning differ from other forms of education? Is it really different than e-Learning?
To discuss those options we can immediately begin with the intent of the user. With e-learning, there is a specific intent to learn something - in fact the selection of e-learning is generally based on a desire to acquire a specific set of knowledge or skills. For e-learning we generally add some phrases like tethered (connected to something) as well as learning that is offered in a formal and structured manner.
For mobile learning, the first major difference is that it is un-tethered. It also is defined by learning that is more informal and opportunistic. We can run with that thought and add descriptors like private, situational, and unstructured.
With such thoughts one can clearly see an enormous distinction between e-learning and mobile learning. Most importantly, mobile learning has the potential for even greater impacts than e-learning.
For example, one major change in the idea of learning is that teachers used to deliver some material, or knowledge, with the idea that the student learns the concept “just-in-case.” In fact, most of education is traditionally offered in such a format.
The latest in technology means that a brand new focus is possible, that learning can be delivered “just-in-time.” With the concept of student ownership critical to learning processes, we can see that the latter option should be far superior when working with a classroom full of students. Because not only can the learning be provided “just-in-time,” it can be provided “just-enough” or even “just-for me.”
As a former teacher, I can quickly discern one critical question emerging from the mobile learning format. In such a situation, how does a teacher ensure that the learner retains the knowledge just utilized?
For most educators, a failure to provide an answer to that question will deter them from ever utilizing the mobile learning format.

Usability and Interface Design in eLearning

Usability and interface design, as blanket terms, need to be defined before exploring their meanings in the eLearning context. Usability is a term used to denote the ease with which people can employ a particular tool in order to achieve a particular goal. The extent to which an object is easily usable by the users determines the usability of that object.

Blanket definition of usability and interface design
Usability and interface design, as blanket terms, need to be defined before exploring their meanings in the eLearning context. Usability is a term used to denote the ease with which people can employ a particular tool in order to achieve a particular goal. The extent to which an object is easily usable by the users determines the usability of that object. If a user can easily speak to somebody or send and receive text messages on a cell phone, it can be termed as fairly usable. The core is, as long as a user can employ a tool to perform its defined task without being stuck in learning how to use the object, it is usable. There are varying degrees of usability for different tools.

Any object becomes usable because of its interface. Interface can be defined as the medium through which a user interacts with or uses an object to perform particular tasks. Thus, the user interface of a cell phone comprises the keys and the display screen. The design of this interface is what determines its usability. If the interface design is complex, and does not convey the exact function of each of its element, it can scare off the user even before he actually starts using the object. Hence, it is important for designers to keep the interface design succinct in order to increase the usability of the object.

How do usability and interface design affect eLearning
E-learning, is short for electronic learning, or learning through the combination of various electronic media like the computer, web and other technologies. Obviously, it requires an interface between the learner and the technology, to facilitate learning. The usability of any e learning initiative can be determined by the ease with which learners can learn their chosen subject without being lost in the rigmarole of learning how to use the technology. And this is determined by the interface design of the e learning process.

A badly designed user interface adversely affects the usability of an eLearning program. This drives away learners from taking up or completing the course, even before they can decide whether the course suits their needs. Little wonder then, that many students prefer the more conventional classroom based approach to learning. The usability and interface design of an eLearning course, therefore, can make or mar its success.



The neglect of usability and interface design in eLearning
While much research has gone into instructional designs of e-learning, the interaction between the user and the medium of delivery has not been thought about as much. Being the most important aspect in the success of an e learning initiative has not stopped it from being the most neglected one. This, among other snags, is responsible, to a large extent, for the high drop out rates of eLearning programs. An interface that leaves much to be desired makes the students weary of the whole process of learning and kills their motivation. Thus, for an e learning initiative to be successful, its usability and a well designed interface matter the most.

Key to a better interface design in eLearning
After recognizing the importance of a usable interface design in e learning initiatives, the next step is to focus on building a better user interface. The basic user interface encompasses

Orientation
This tells the learners what part of the course is being accessed by them, and where do they stand within the course. An exact orientation allows the learner an overview of how much has been learnt, and how much still remains. This keeps his motivation in the program intact, if not stimulate it.

Navigation
This comprises of keys and links that allow the learner to access relevant information with ease. It forms an important part of the user interface design because it represents the dexterity with which a user can traverse through the sea of information contained in the course material.

Metaphors
Creating metaphors consists of deciding the premise of the entire program. The theme can be chosen depending upon what type of course it supports. Like an educative program may use different backgrounds, names of the elements of menu, and colors, than that of a program aimed at say conducting a seminar or training for using a particular appliance. A consistent feel throughout the course will help in kindling the curiosity of learners.

Usability testing
Testing the designed user interface on the end users makes it more user-friendly. Any suggestions by learners can be incorporated and areas that learners find difficult to use can be corrected. No interface design should be finalized without testing it on the target audience to gauge its actual usability. Since all templates of your e learning course depend upon the user interface design, the best time to finalize upon the design is after it is usability tested.


Wrap up
Poorly designed user interface and low usability of an e-learning initiative cannot be solely blamed for its failure. Having said this, it remains equally true that low usability and a defectively designed user interface together account for a high number of learners dropping out of courses, since an interface is the starting point of the learner’s interaction with the courseware. A good user interface design will improve the usability of a program, and, in turn, encourage and motivate learners to stick to the program till its completion.