Scratch Game Design

Scratch Chase Game

(If it goes back to the game you're done with, move your mouse pointer)

Hey guys, so something we've been working on is Scratch. Scratch is a website where you can create your own game. It takes a lot of coding (if you make a complex game.) For my game, I've thought of penguins. Who doesn't like penguins right? So one of my characters (out of two) is a penguin and the other one is a shark. You can say that it would be a real life situation where a penguin is running or swimming away from a shark. No, it won't get eaten you'd only lose points so no death is shown. I won't say that everybody would like my game that I created, I'm only a beginner so you have to deal with it for now (not like I'd be a professional.) It's the user who'd decide on how they would be affected by my game and it's not the best, don't expect some huge explosion then the penguin pops out of nowhere then met a villain (shark) and it has to run away from it in the sea. Yeah, none of that just some simple game where you run away (so complex I know.) I'm going to be honest, for the first few codes that we've done I was like, "Oh yeah, this seems easy. I can manage this project!" and then it gets to actually making it, then I went from "Yay" to "Nay."

I'll go in depth and tell you about my game. My game contains 2 sprites as so called in Scratch. The sprites are a shark and the penguin you see above. The idea of my game is stated on my first paragraph, it's to run away from the shark until the timer goes off. I did draw my own background and penguin, I tried my best. I had a set of plans on how things are going to go, but then I had to change it because I didn't have that much time to work on my Scratch. In my opinion, not that much people in my class drew their own sprites nor background. If I compare my game to others, one feature that would stand out is that I drew my background and penguin. (The most important and outstanding thing of all *wink wink*) To be honest I really like what my game has come to, it doesn't really work that well but it works and I tried my best. It amazes me that I can make my own game and let the whole world see and play it and compliment it how bad or good it is. I've tried my best and I know I can go over and beyond on my level at the moment, but I'm having some trouble with computers (it's not working) so I don't have much time to work on it except for school.

To be honest, I didn't copy all my code from another scratcher. I've learned from my previous scratch game which is the Chase Game. I've learned how to make it jump and so on. But overall, the best code I've done would be a simple jumping. I know its simple, it's just jumping you can just add a forever code with a sensing code and motion. Not my case, the trouble I had on making my sprite jump and gliding or falling back down was very challenging. That's what makes it the best code I've done, I've figured out how to make it jump and go back down. When it touches black then it stays there and you can jump to the next platform. Yes, it does look fairly easy to do but trust me it works great. If you played my platformer game let me tell you that there is a lot of bugs that I have to fix. One of the major one is when you reach the last level and you go to the red box it makes the sprite float up. I don't know what happened but it works fine in the first level then it goes all down hill on the second level. That's the main one actually, nothing else bugs except for the last level where it floats and then you get stuck and then you go from smiling to "oh, now what?" thing. I do hope you guys like it, it's exceptional if you don't I get it. Just hoping you guys would, I know how bad I am at Scratch, younger students than me is better than me to be honest, I won't lie about that.

Invention Commercial

P3T5_Invention from Kapaa Middle School MEDIA on Vimeo.

Do you guys remember the commercial project we did? Well let me tell you more about it! My teams goal was to make the video work. Since our invention is an app and we can't make it since we have not learned to do so and we don't have that power. We made a video, not mainly showing and containing our invention because we didn't make it. It was hard not to show it so we tried our best to make the audience and the video make sense on how the Conflict Checker works. It kind of works but overall we could've done better and more entertainment. It was hard to think of an invention you can invent because these days, the things you see is very complex. It might look innocent on the outside, but the inside is a math problem.

The best team moment that me and my teammates had was when we were filming. When we film there is a lot of goofing around but we get work done so no worries! Filming is like the best part of doing a project for GT, you get to spend time with your teammates outside of school while doing your work! Doesn't that sound fun? Yes it does, we had all our fooling around time and serious and do our work time. We sometimes got off task but we got everything done even though we didn't have any film for the first few days but we worked it out and we were the 2nd team that turned their commercial in. I'm very proud of that!

Breaking it down who did who and why did they do. Let me tell you about it, Ashley filmed with me since Julie couldn't and we've done well on that. She was on the days we had to film and she was right on track. She helped a lot, she cooperated with me and Julie really well and she saved our lives when our battery died (we used Ashley's camera.) Julie mostly did the narration and the planning on what we had to do in school, she couldn't really film with us but she helps on working and filming in school for the voice-overs and narration. While I, Kyla went all out and kind of took control on how the filming will go. I mostly did the plan with the help from Julie and Ashley and when Julie couldn't attend our filming session, I changed the plan on that day. For the little time we had, me and Ashley achieved on filming every single part. I also did most of the editing in iMovie with some helps and suggestions from Julie and Ashley.

Composition Scavenger Hunt

Recently, we made a video about composition techniques with our teammates. From all the 20 techniques, we were only assigned to do 10. In those 10 techniques, the most important one I must say is Rule of Thirds. You might think, "Why Rule of Thirds? What's so interesting about it?" Well, let me tell you what Rule of Thirds is. Rule of Thirds is a major rule and well known for taking pictures or a video that includes an interview. This allows your picture to be more interesting and dynamic shots and it acts as a frame for your image.

From all 10 composition techniques, in my opinion the hardest one is Contrast in Content because a lot of things are related to each other. In that, I mean flowers, leaves, trees, grass are in one category of plants! That's the mistake we made for ours, we took a flower and put in on the grass. As we though that, that was contrast in content but Mr. Sanderl said that, that's in one category of plants. Nature is related to each other in some way, the only contrast in content I can think that would pass is a human against grass. If you think of things really thoughtfully, I guess you can come up with a lot of things than I would. There are some other hard ones, but how you plan on taking the picture takes a lot of technical thinking.

My teammates are Julie and Ashley and they are really helpful on planning things. When we think together we actually get a lot of ideas to add onto our invention. Basically, we all our in charge of planning outside of school and we've done that already. Ashley and I thought of how the scripts would go and the composition techniques and shot types. Julie was the one who planned things out and just gave moral support and thought of a lot of ideas we could do. While I, helped with the visual plan, b-roll planning and the timing. I know that we will finish all our b-roll over the weekend and even though my teammates have hula and cheer practice (while I don't play any sports so I'm literally free) we will get it done. It isn't hard if you think of it and we only have to consider the shot types and composition techniques.

Cracking the Code

For this new quarter, we're learning about coding which is new for GT students since Mr. Sanderl never taught coding. In my opinion everybody should learn how to code because it's something you don't need knowledge and something easy to learn. As far as I know, not that many people has jobs, some doesn't even like their own jobs but coding is fairly easy to learn. If you're insecure about how smart you are, worry no more. Either you're smart or not, none of that smartness will really get into coding. Just easy tying and making up codes for everybody to use, think about it. You'll be helping other people to get smarter, internet changed our lives! If you see the future from now, think about how much impact the internet will have on humans and who knows, coding might help a lot of people on getting jobs and the internet will expand. Can't you just imagine that, to be honest without coding the apps used today won't exist. So thank coding on making such amazing, useful, fun apps.

My first experience for coding was actually the first time we did it in Mr. Sanderl's class. I've seen people doing coding but never tried it myself. It was actually really fun and semi-hard since I can't tell apart my left and right on a computer screen, it changes within the direction you're in. Who knows left might be going up and right might be going down or totally different ways! Other than that, it's a pretty easy thing to do (because it's for beginners) so easy. Overall, I would love to learn more about coding, I do know that it will eventually get harder and I'm ready to take that challenge. At least I'm going to learn something new, even though it will get hard I won't give up (I almost did) I got through the first one and got my certificate.

We've been practicing our coding skills on a website called code.org (it's obvious what you're going to do.) For the last few levels and the last practice we had, there was a level where we could make up our own game. There were multiple (I mean a lot) of codes that you could choose from to make your game. I totally knocked that down, knocked down every level except for the last one. Also, you could choose your own character, if you want one or two you could, you can make them touch, shoot saucepans? I know it's funny to think about, back to my game I haven't really made it up because we had limited time. My plan was to make a game that had Baymax, Hiro, Elsa and Anna (so they won't be alone from their movie) basically they would play a game by shooting a random item to each other. The teams are separated from left and right, they dodge forever at whatever the other team is throwing at them and you can control either Hiro and Baymax or Elsa and Anna. In advance, all that didn't happen just in my imagination that couldn't put into real life, but I've gotten Elsa in position you can control her and also Anna. I will still work on it, if I can accomplish my plan and if I do that is just amazing (since I barely got through the first lesson.)

My Humorous Monologue

For our new project called Comedic Monologue that we started on about 1-2 weeks ago I've learned some things I never did last year. For example, I learned some new functions of the camera I never knew about. Also, that deadlines are technical things, a deadline is a deadline. Nothing's a joke whenever it comes to deadlines, the closer it gets we get stressed out and panic. You have to be doing your work as early as possible so that you don't have to worry that much. Another thing is that you can make a joke out of boring things. Can't you believe it, you're making something lively and humorous out of nothing, take my joke as an example, homework. Plain boring homework turned into something actually useful (well it is, just turned into a joke that you can laugh at.) Although my jokes not that funny.

One crucial thing we need to have and know about is "padding." Padding is when you wait for 3 seconds after pressing the record button, then start talking when 3 is over. This way your voice won't get cut because the camera starts recording for about 1 second after you hit record. Do the same thing when you're about to hit the stop button, this will also help you by not cutting your voice. Remember that padding is one of the biggest thing you need to know when recording, if you don't pad most likely some of your introduction and ending is cut off.

Can't you guys believe it that I got a vote! I know right, I can't either. Believe it or not I expected some 2's but I got 4's and 3's which is good. We critiqued our videos and voted for who's one was the best which was Makaio's, you can check out his blog on my blog if you want to see his video. Anyways, this project had me have my ups and downs and show my strength and weaknesses. This project was not that easy as you think, I mean think of making your own joke that makes people laugh and it has to be 30 seconds or more. That's not the only hard part, signing out a camera with more than 20 people waiting in line after school and if you don't get one, then your more likely to not finish your work. Although, with your friends to help you out, that's something good right? Of course, and also laughing at other people's joke (but not mines because it's not that good.) There are more of my strengths and weaknesses for this project but the ones I listed above are the main ones. (Not that much strengths, but hey this project wasn't meant to be easy.) I could improve by making/creating a magnificent joke that will make everybody laugh. I would check out a camera at least 2-3 times and get better shots, that's basically it. The flaws on my video, I would change all that to make it al least close to perfection.

Comedy Writing

Sense of humor is an important character trait because it expresses and reveals who you truly are. By laughing hysterically and making non-sense jokes reveals part of you. Your shy self if you are, becomes shameless and their creativity takes place. Positive emotions are coming out of you and everybody likes that, it makes them feel a sense of satisfaction in their lives. You have a good laugh a day and you'll remember it for the rest of the day and this will make you smile.

To write a humorous narrative follow these 5 tips. First, think about and consider something that you think your audience will laugh at. Remember to connect to your audience and tell a joke that'll make your audience laugh and not only what you think. Second, think about current events because those events can make an excellent joke material that you never knew would. Third, watch out on making any controversial topics that might hurt somebody's feelings without you knowing. Fourth, try figuring out what kind of joke structure you want. For example a one liner punchline, remember that less words on describing your joke. If you write a whole story, that will bore your audience on how long it takes until you get to the joke. Fifth, add some sarcasm and exaggerate some words, this way you are enhancing your joke. After all that, if you think that you have a good joke, practice your joke to a friend before telling an audience. Other peoples opinion on your joke will help you so you can revise it till' its great.

My comedic monologue is about homework and originally got the idea from Mr. Sanderl. It's pure sarcasm and won't offend anybody. In my opinion, my comedic monologue is funny because we have our point of views with homework and if you add sarcasm to it, it'll make it funny. Sarcasm makes everything funny and that's why I used that technique. Here's my joke, "Homework, the BEST thing you'll ever get from school! Just spend 8 hours in school and another additional hours doing homework is the bestIf you don't turn it on time, OF COURSE you're not going to get a bad grade. Just a few warnings and a few calls home, but that's not a BIG deal. Maybe just a few "You can't do this" and "start doing this" on your everyday basis. Just to get you started on your LOVELY homework. EVERYBODY looks forward on having homework over the weeken because isn't it the best!? I can't wait to see another lovely pile of homework to do, just GREAT I LOVE it SO MUCH!"

Motivational Poster

In our new project called Motivational Poster we require 2 text layers, 4 images, kerning, triadic color scheme, visual balance, blending options, personal quotes and our manifesto that we made in our previous blog post. The two text layers are personal and manifesto and the 4 images is our symbols and a portrait picture of us. Kerning is required because there shall be no empty space and the whole entire page should be filled with words filled with our personal quotes and manifesto.

I made my Motivational Poster by having all the things I need like my manifesto and personal quotes. First I created a text box for both of my text layers. Then I left aligned my text so it's easier to create a box, I used the kerning tools to do so. After that, I added my symbolic images and a portrait picture to create my background. Next I started to add my triadic color scheme, adjusted my colors to match my background. It wasn't that hard to do as kerning. After that I adjusted my background by going to Layers> Layer Adjustment and adding color balance to match my text layers. I also added curves but I don't think that's a must. After that I just saved it to a JPEG and turned it in on time.

The biggest challenge I faced and mostly everyone is kerning. Trying to fit everything without any space is just hard. At first I thought that I wasn't going to fit everything together but I did and it only took about a week or less. How I would improve my kerning is just adjusting my text size so it's easier to fit everything together and it doesn't take that much time to try and fit small texts throughout the page. I also think that if I hadn't gotten that much words and could've just had little text so I only had to adjust the text size and fill the page completely easier than the hard way I took.