I have been remiss and mucho busy with life and teenagers and deadlines, and I meant to comment on one of the many threads.... 3 weeks ago.
Well. I still have deadlines and teenagers, so I don't have time to go digging to figure out what thread it was I meant to comment on, and hey! somebody may have addressed this by now, so if they have, feel free to let this thread gather mold and dust. Just please don't try to mold the dust. I have allergies ya know.
I've been here for something like 4 years now. There are various threads that are recurring themes, and in some ways these issues never die, because new members join and add their voices to the chorus, while some of the old voices grow tired and grumpy of rehashing what is the same old ground - for them. Thus ensuing rounds of crankiness - both from those tired of hearing about the subject, and those gettin pissed off that their concerns/suggestions are being dismissed/however they feel they're being taken.
I would tend to say that while the rounds *do* get tiresome, there is value in them. In searching for new solutions/suggestions, and just being aware that an issue still exists. F'rinstance. A couple of months ago, while searching for some old thread, I found - a 6 year old thread on the lack of critical commentary on this site, and what a problem it is. DOH!
So... I leave these things to be pondered:
1) I believe that constructive criticism is essential to the heart and soul of what this site is for me - a community where artists are encouraged not just to post, but to share and grow.
2) A comment like "beautiful" can be a worthy comment. However, if it is the only type of comment that you ever leave, it does not hold as much weight as it does from someone who frequently does do constructive criticism.
3a) Some have been burned by offering critical commentary by those who do not take it well. So we let those who do not take it well "win" by not offering it to *anyone*? 90% of the time if you offer critical commentary that is thoughtful and considerate, if someone takes offense to it, it is not *your* fault that they have taken offense to it.
3b) However, due to 3a, I made a suggestion a year or 3 back to allow people on upload to select what level of criticism they wanted, with only 3 categories "light, medium, super-burnt" essentially. Frankly I believe that this will serve 2 purposes: First, it will allow those who wish to be helpful to tailor their comments to their audience and not get burned out from blowback, and Second, it will make it clear to those uploading, that constructive criticism is coming. Expect it, be ready for it.
4) You do not have to be *any* kind of a pro to have or leave an opinion on an image. And the only way to become a pro is by taking some things into consideration when you see an image. Like contrast (harshness/balance of extremes of light within the image), angle - do you like the angle you see it at, or are you just dying to see what it would have looked like if it was turned a bit? Composition (how the major and minor subjects of focus are presented) - too close up, not close enough up (too many other things in the image aka too busy/confusing), if it would look better lower down or higher up, to the right, now stick your foot out and do the hokey pokey... uh whoops... back to the subject at hand. Do you like the colors and feel they play off each other well, or does something stick out like a sore thumb? What about mood? Does the image just remind you of something? What was it?
These are things to think about - but in the meantime - do you have to be a pro @ anything involving moviemaking to know whether or not you liked a movie? To be able to figure out a couple of things you did or didn't like even if you did or didn't like the whole thing?
Not every piece of constructive criticism has to be in-depth - and in fact, some of the broader comments can be some of the best ones. Tell me what you don't like and why if you can, and let me as an artist find a solution that fits my style, but does a better job of achieving my intent. Suggestions are great, but so is freedom to think without considering a suggestion.
I do have a bit more to say, but a deadline is looming (no not the one that involves your reading interest here although that one applies to.
So I'll leave off by rehashing the next piece - the dreaded Voting Booth (which I see has recently undergone a change).
I think maybe what we need is a multi-level voting booth. I've seen some suggestions for splitting out on various different categories, but I'd like to use just 2. Artistic and Technical, with the option to vote a "dunno" on the technical if someone doesn't feel qualified. Let's not make it overly-complicated and technical *sticks tongue in cheek* 8•P
My reasoning behind this is 2-fold. Some people (particularly on the digital side) have expressed frustration that voters don't know what goes into an image and how involved and complicated and technically perfect it may be and should be given credit for. Well yes - technical achievement *should* be noted. But what should also be noted - is that in an artistic piece, it doesn't matter if it's the most technically perfect thing that's ever been done - if it doesn't move your audience, then it hasn't achieved the goal of conveying something *to* the audience. Whether it is humor, beauty, melancholy, whatever.
The other issue is... The Beatles. Hey, you know them. Wildly popular band, tremendous fan following and appreciation long after they recorded the last song they ever will. Wanna know something interesting about The Beatles? Critical reviews of their work were often not complimentary - then. They were not a technically great band. What they did do is *connect* to their audience. This is what they are remembered for.
Well. I still have deadlines and teenagers, so I don't have time to go digging to figure out what thread it was I meant to comment on, and hey! somebody may have addressed this by now, so if they have, feel free to let this thread gather mold and dust. Just please don't try to mold the dust. I have allergies ya know.
I've been here for something like 4 years now. There are various threads that are recurring themes, and in some ways these issues never die, because new members join and add their voices to the chorus, while some of the old voices grow tired and grumpy of rehashing what is the same old ground - for them. Thus ensuing rounds of crankiness - both from those tired of hearing about the subject, and those gettin pissed off that their concerns/suggestions are being dismissed/however they feel they're being taken.
I would tend to say that while the rounds *do* get tiresome, there is value in them. In searching for new solutions/suggestions, and just being aware that an issue still exists. F'rinstance. A couple of months ago, while searching for some old thread, I found - a 6 year old thread on the lack of critical commentary on this site, and what a problem it is. DOH!
So... I leave these things to be pondered:
1) I believe that constructive criticism is essential to the heart and soul of what this site is for me - a community where artists are encouraged not just to post, but to share and grow.
2) A comment like "beautiful" can be a worthy comment. However, if it is the only type of comment that you ever leave, it does not hold as much weight as it does from someone who frequently does do constructive criticism.
3a) Some have been burned by offering critical commentary by those who do not take it well. So we let those who do not take it well "win" by not offering it to *anyone*? 90% of the time if you offer critical commentary that is thoughtful and considerate, if someone takes offense to it, it is not *your* fault that they have taken offense to it.
3b) However, due to 3a, I made a suggestion a year or 3 back to allow people on upload to select what level of criticism they wanted, with only 3 categories "light, medium, super-burnt" essentially. Frankly I believe that this will serve 2 purposes: First, it will allow those who wish to be helpful to tailor their comments to their audience and not get burned out from blowback, and Second, it will make it clear to those uploading, that constructive criticism is coming. Expect it, be ready for it.
4) You do not have to be *any* kind of a pro to have or leave an opinion on an image. And the only way to become a pro is by taking some things into consideration when you see an image. Like contrast (harshness/balance of extremes of light within the image), angle - do you like the angle you see it at, or are you just dying to see what it would have looked like if it was turned a bit? Composition (how the major and minor subjects of focus are presented) - too close up, not close enough up (too many other things in the image aka too busy/confusing), if it would look better lower down or higher up, to the right, now stick your foot out and do the hokey pokey... uh whoops... back to the subject at hand. Do you like the colors and feel they play off each other well, or does something stick out like a sore thumb? What about mood? Does the image just remind you of something? What was it?
These are things to think about - but in the meantime - do you have to be a pro @ anything involving moviemaking to know whether or not you liked a movie? To be able to figure out a couple of things you did or didn't like even if you did or didn't like the whole thing?
Not every piece of constructive criticism has to be in-depth - and in fact, some of the broader comments can be some of the best ones. Tell me what you don't like and why if you can, and let me as an artist find a solution that fits my style, but does a better job of achieving my intent. Suggestions are great, but so is freedom to think without considering a suggestion.
I do have a bit more to say, but a deadline is looming (no not the one that involves your reading interest here although that one applies to.
So I'll leave off by rehashing the next piece - the dreaded Voting Booth (which I see has recently undergone a change).
I think maybe what we need is a multi-level voting booth. I've seen some suggestions for splitting out on various different categories, but I'd like to use just 2. Artistic and Technical, with the option to vote a "dunno" on the technical if someone doesn't feel qualified. Let's not make it overly-complicated and technical *sticks tongue in cheek* 8•P
My reasoning behind this is 2-fold. Some people (particularly on the digital side) have expressed frustration that voters don't know what goes into an image and how involved and complicated and technically perfect it may be and should be given credit for. Well yes - technical achievement *should* be noted. But what should also be noted - is that in an artistic piece, it doesn't matter if it's the most technically perfect thing that's ever been done - if it doesn't move your audience, then it hasn't achieved the goal of conveying something *to* the audience. Whether it is humor, beauty, melancholy, whatever.
The other issue is... The Beatles. Hey, you know them. Wildly popular band, tremendous fan following and appreciation long after they recorded the last song they ever will. Wanna know something interesting about The Beatles? Critical reviews of their work were often not complimentary - then. They were not a technically great band. What they did do is *connect* to their audience. This is what they are remembered for.