Annotated Bibliography

Smith Ralph J (2008). Engineering. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved November 14, 2008, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online database.

Encyclopedia Britannica is an online encyclopedia with virtually unlimited information about almost any topic. This source gave the basic information of what engineering is as well as a quick overview of the history of it, including its origin. Engine comes from the Latin root, “ingenerare”, meaning create and the early English language used “engine” with the meaning to contrive, and was truly first used by modern society in the military; these people ended up being called the engineers because of their work with creating new methods and machines (Smith). The first engineers were those of the Egyptians and other ancient civilizations. The Aztecs were among the first to build aqueducts to cleanse their polluted water. Engineers started way back in BC times during the building of these ancient civilizations and we use many of their ideas. There was also a list of the things engineers do, listed from increasing to decreasing emphasis on science. This source gives a fundamental background of engineering in general without going into specifics. It talked about the problems, restraints, and resources in engineering. Engineers cannot choose the problems that they want to solve, they wait and fix what occurs. Their inventions and innovations always have something that could be done to them, so the waiting is not long, if they ever call it waiting. Any problem that is fixed can add another problem which is why engineers are always needed and are always working. Engineers not only make power driven things like military weapons create an extremely large amount of things that are used in the everyday household. Something as simple as a bottle of lotion has engineering in it. The specific things that are put in it must be tested with chemical engineering to ensure functionality and safety. One of the biggest things is packaging; engineers must decide what type of material to use to keep it sealed completely, make sure it is durable, keep it functioning (i.e. the pump in a bottle of lotion), and possibly environment friendly. This is some information this source provided to help understand the basics and history of engineering.

Belford Geneva G. (2008) Computer Science: Software Engineering. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved November 14, 2008, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online database.
Britannica sometimes leaves out some knowledge about specific subject since it has such a broad variety of information. This particular article had a different approach on the profession of engineering. It took a specific approach on a single topic of engineering. As we know, there are many types of engineering, but the one focused on exclusively is software engineering. Software engineering deals with programming computers, which is basically telling them what to do. This is requiring more and more time and money so it is taken very seriously now. Software engineering did not originally exist, but after the complexity began, the topic arose. Also with more and more things being run by computers and technology, there is more need for those in the software-making business. It is also considered engineering because it needs to be approached with the extreme caution and care just like other engineering projects. There are various ways and processes that are used to design software, and although the new and effective “discipline” was added to engineering, it still has companies coughing up a lot of time and money (Belford). Obviously something had to be done about it, so they created new equipment to help those who code the software. Other problems or constraints they have also include making sure that it works for an extended and detecting all the problems that can occur. Something always happens to computers that can keep things from getting done (as everyone knows). These things must be checked for so when it does happen to you, you are able to fix it. Troubleshooting is a major part of engineering because it can determine life and death, if serious enough. This would not pertain to software as much as a car or a building, but it is still very important. This is one of the reasons software goes into the engineering field; it needs to be handled by an engineer and it must go through all the tests of operation that engineers usually put into their creations. It takes a lot more than just sitting in a cubicle to create these things.

(2008). Engineering. Facts on File. Retrieved November 12, 2008 from World News Digest Database
This is a website that keeps a record of old definitions, news, etc. and those of the present. This source was very useful to me because it taught me about other engineering fields that I did not even know existed. Most engineering began with military engineering, because it was in the government and the military’s hands to build such industrialized equipment for protection, but when more machines were being invented and created, mechanical engineering sprang up and that soon branched out into more specific categories of engineering. This can explain the reason why all engineering fields have a relation connecting them to another field. The largest field of engineering is electrical engineering, which is not a surprise because electricity is a gigantic source of energy. The power that runs your home is based off this type of engineering profession. It also includes many other fields that branch from it which are, basically the branches that use electricity the most. Civil engineering is the broadest engineering of any of the others because it deals with everyday life. This involves the building of buildings, trains, roads, bridges, railroads, docks, tunnels, and many more. These various parts begin to create their own minefields of engineering like, transportation engineering, foundation engineering, coastal engineering, etc. Civil engineering deals with how you get from point A to point B and is based pretty much off of making a modern, safe civilization. Other new fields I noticed in this article are safety and sanitary engineering. Safety engineers are just what their name is. They research ways to keep workers from getting hurt by machinery and other things that can go wrong. They suggest altercations that can make things safer both in the workplace and at home. Sanitation engineers can be best described as environmentalists. They try to keep the environment, as well as other things, clean and safe from contamination. The issues about Lake Michigan would best fall into this category, (just so that there is a better understanding). These are not the only fields of engineering; there are many more that deal with other things you may not have known about.

McEachern Martin (2008). Game Films. Applied Science and Technology. Retrieved November 16, 2008 from Ebsco Database.
This article is somewhat of a media or news based type of article, but it still gave off some valuable information. Game Films is principally about the idea, both in the filming and gaming industry, of turning movies into video games. As the article stated, this was not normal a few years back. You would usually never see a video game and a movie both about the same thing. Now, things have changed; game makers and movie makers teamed up to help make a movie/game combo. They do this by allowing the gaming company they partner with to watch the set with the director and take pictures, notes and voice samples to make the most realistic movie based game ever. Watching can also help keep the storyline intact, making more movie viewers and gamers happy, because there is not a drastic transition from movie mode to game mode. This can allow both companies to make more money because the movie making company gets money from both sides of the deal (game and movie) while the gaming industry gets money from making a game to go with the movie (which is okay because generally they would not get any money from a movie at all). It has been pretty successful lately with its ups and downs as all industries have. This article also proves, with statements like, "‘In my next film, we're planning on simultaneously developing a major motion picture and, hopefully, a major game title that coexists in the same world and that shares the same characters,’ Cameron says, " and the fact that directors are signing off contracts to gaming companies, that good or bad, this idea is still going strong (McEachern). This article was a decent piece of information about how they get things done in the gaming/movie business especially if it is something you look forward to someday. It also had an adequate bit of news in it as well as some things that some may be looking forward to. Other than that it does not provide much about or engineering but it is something interesting I wanted to know.

McEachern Martin (2008). Masters of the Game. Applied Science and Technology. Retrieved November 16, 2008 from Ebsco Database.
This article was also a typical news type of reading. This did seem to be helpful though. It was about the brawls against many other video game making companies fighting to start the next generation in gaming. Every generation has something new about, but one of the most important aspects is the advanced graphics. Everyone wants to get to that realistic look, but it takes time, something they do not have against other companies because they are always at each others’ throats. This sometimes throws off the creation time and effort and something is rushed out of production (something that should never happen). This article talks about what companies are trying to do now so it looks better later and this is helpful because it gives an outlook on where things will be in the future. If this career was chosen to get into, then you have to be able to predict where the future will be, and with companies spilling their guts out to put themselves over another company, their information is something you can benefit from to better ready yourself for the future. It also gives advanced processes used to get better graphics and a better story. The better things look, the more people will want to play it. They also give a concept that they are trying to perfect. They are trying to make the, oh so popular, yet very difficult “cinematic game,” (McEachern). This one exclusively talks about the old movie, “Hard Boiled” and takes it to the next level by adding advanced graphics, an attractive storyline, and action that will mimic or surpass that of the movie itself. This article is very thorough in its explanation of the way they would make the movie into a game as well as about the way they would add on to things. There was not a great explanation about the movie plot though. They just talk about the comparisons between the game and the movie but other than that there is no idea what the movie is about. Some more movie information would really prove their point.
Robertson Barbara (2008). Heroic Effects. Applied Science and Technology. Retrieved November 12, 2008 from Ebsco Database.
This article is about what I really want to do. It talks about how the team for Robert Zemeckis’s Beowulf made the animation for the movie. This is what I really hope to do as well as turning books and stories into movies and games. Well to do this, as the article vaguely points out, you need real people. These people are used and hooked up to a computer so that their moves are read and it tells the character made on the computer to do what the person does. This is not only used for animation; those of you that are Pirates of the Caribbean fans (especially Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End) should know that Davy Jones was created the exact same way. This adds a twist and more uniqueness to a movie, especially one that already has real people in it too (again, Pirates of the Caribbean). In this case, it was all animation. The cast of Beowulf used all real people and this, proven by the quote, “By contrast, Beowulf actors wore Lycra suits, gloves, and a hat that altogether held 78 markers on their body, 25 on each hand, and 121 on their face, plus an eye tracker that captured eye movement. Over the suits, the actors sometimes wore costumes made of tulle and other materials the cameras could see through so that, for example, a warrior could fling a cape and a woman could lift the bottom of her skirt and run,” is extremely hard and time consuming (Robertson). Every sensor must detect the right movements and do the right things to make the characters seem more lifelike and not totally computer generated. That does not even begin to talk about the many things that can go wrong with computers because you know it always happens. This article gives a very detailed description of what they did, what they used and how they did it. The pictures also show how effective their hard work paid off. It is very effective and helpful and fits the title it is given as “Heroic Effects.”

Robertson Barbara (2008). Dark Magic. Applied Science and Technology. Retrieved November 12, 2008 from Ebsco Database
This is another good example of what I would like to do. Since I am into humans with inhumane powers this article fit perfectly. This one is about the effects of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and how the creators made these effects happen so vividly. Something to note, animation does not just come out of thin air. Most (if not all) of the time there is an actual real world object used. This is one of those examples. There were many things done in this film to make it lifelike and one of those things was using lifelike items. These items are then scanned into the computer, sometimes using pictures, but it is not just the computers that must do the work. The photographers must have excellent skill and talent to make these pictures come in correctly so that they seem as if they were taken out of an actual forest. It gives a good feeling of satisfaction and completion like this, "We want people to believe in these creatures. If they see Thestrals walking through the forest and think they're real, we've all done our job," (Robertson). All of this work also involves a large amount of teamwork and cooperation. These people had, “a small crew and long schedule,” yet they still got the job done (Robertson) and this is no school project. We are talking about a Hollywood presentation! They not did their job, but they put their blood, sweat and tears into it to make sure it was done right. This is why Harry Potter movies look so well done. It need people who want to do it and look forward to the end production. This is what this article shows more than the others. This article tells about the hard work of a film especially when your crew is a little underestimated. These people still came out on top with another great Harry Potter movie and saw their production come to life in the eyes of the thousands of people who watched it. This is how every film made should be seen.

Savage Lorraine (2008). The Anime Invasion. Applied Science and Technology. Retrieved November 12, 2008 from Ebsco Database.
Many people know that Japan holds a lot of the most popular entertainment on television, that is, when it comes to animation. They also hold a large portion of the video game business too, but we will not talk about that. The Japanese have a unique way of doing things that in many ways surpasses that of America. The animation that is shown from Japan to America is called “Anime.” This is not your ordinary animation like Toy Story, or The Lion King. These animation based productions are based less off of a child’s point of view and approaches a much more mature, adult-like perspective. Many anime in America are not even meant for the eyes of those under 21. These pictures are the ones that tend to get gory or have the scenes that are questionable to certain people. Besides that, it gathers a more realistic view on life, but usually uses a science fiction twist to it. The problems of life, good and bad, are focused on in these types of shows and are set up with one of a kind plots. It is almost exactly like watching a book with a much larger amount of action, but there are more differences than just storylines and lifestyles. “Anime artists achieve the medium's distinct look by using a broader color palette than would be seen in typical Saturday morning cartoons; applying creative lighting to set mood; focusing on minute detail, such as refracted images in water, accurate historical settings, and intricate mechanical devices; and experimenting with camera angles and abstract backgrounds,” (Savage). Yes, anime uses a distinct setting with more vibrant colors and detail than other animated cinema. They appeal to more emotion and their exact detail helps you get more into the show as you see the story unfold. These stories, as said before, can also be based on actual history. Some of the people you see slashing away at their enemies are actually war generals whose legends will live on forever in Japan. Simply put anime has more meaning than most other animated films which is why it is “invading” America.

LoPiccolo Phil (2008). Anime Anthology. Applied Science and Technology. Retrieved November 16, 2008 from Ebsco Database.
This article gives a personal point of view of one of the makers of an anime called Animatrix. This is an animated version of The Matrix. The Japanese anime are truly taking over America. The interviewee seemed pretty good about his new creation and what they had done. They chose a different approach though, and made a nine part series instead of a full television series which, in a way, kept the authenticity of the movie because a television series would have had to add on to the movie to keep going. A lot of times this make a show seem inconsistent as if it was not actually based off of the real creation and should not withhold that title. This article gives an opening to new ideas and theories that Michael Arias calls, “an encyclopedia of styles and techniques,” (LoPiccolo). Many other movies and concepts can come out of this production and already have. “The Terminator,” and “Kill Bill,” are already being processed through the minds of creative producers (LoPiccolo). These will also leave a large impact on the minds of gaming and television because they have a new idea to go off of. This article is a happy ending to a new idea. It lets you know that you should show your creative side in your career because you never know how far it can take you. Creating new things or even innovating old ones can have a promising effect on the world and will give someone the possibility to sketch their names in history. It is even said that when all of your ideas are gone and your creativity seems to vanish, your best ideas come out and there is a new trend made. You also have to be able to adapt to change—think fast on the spot. That is what is needed sometimes. Arias had to work with a team that did not have the patience of wait for a full film picture, whether it was better or not. Sometimes you just have to go with things because going against them can cost you your career.

Robertson Barbara (2008). She-Dragon. Applied Science and Technology. Retrieved November 16, 2008 from Ebsco Database.
The movie Eragon had many twists to it and it was very hard to capture everything correctly so that it looked realistic. There was a lot of work to do with Saphira, the dragon. There was much research done to make her look like a real animal. This is usually the problem with fantasy animals, since there is no foundation to start them after, but this team found a way and it was very fascinating. “McIntosh turns to his computer, plays a video of a Siberian tiger rolling on her back, and then switches to footage of a newborn fawn struggling to stand. ‘I used the Siberian tiger as inspiration for the baby rolling out of the egg,’ he says. ‘And even though the fawn's legs are longer than Saphira's, it was good reference,’” (Robertson). This is when you need to improvise with things even though they may not seem right. Research is sometimes needed just to make something that it not real move. Another piece of uniqueness with Saphira was the fact that her wings were more like a bird than a usual dragon’s bat wings. This made her more majestic and realistic, but that was tough work. When using the wing of a bird there were feathers added, but soon they seemed to blend into the dragon until they turned into scales. Most of the time with a career like this you have to think outside of the box. This keeps you on top of the competition and allows your picture to come out as number one. Ingenuity is very important in things like this and can decide your career. It may not be easy, but there can be fun out of it. Also you feel good when you know you contributed to the big screen production. These things are not always enjoyable, which is why you need to know what you are doing and like what you do. Otherwise extreme difficulties will come to you. If you enjoy what you do then it will be so much easier of yourself and you really will not have to work a day of your life.