Today is the day that we release our new-look website. Even typing that makes me feel strangely superior, as if I have truly become a twenty-first century techno whizz. I have entered the world of website design, animation, green screen, and emoticons! For the sadly uninformed among my readers, the unfortunate individuals who don't know the intricacies of communicating emotions through the medium of tiny faces on a cell-phone, all I can say is read the rest of this blog. But let's talk green screen first, shall we?
The web page was a collaborative effort, and the idea of entering the church through a sketched door, I am really happy to announce to all and sundry, was mine. The thought that I would step OUT of the sketch and happily invite the browsing public to enter, was not mine, and sent me running for cover. I was dragged back into the process by a sadistic and persuasive bevy of creative beauties, and convinced, against my better judgment, that it would be a breeze! Really, I said. Yes, really, they assured me. But I would need a green screen. A green screen, I queried. Yes, I was told. ALL I had to do was get dressed in black(!!), do my hair and make-up with a little more care than normal because of the lights, and we would be ready to roll.
I arrived on time, dressed to order, to discover a very literal, VERY GREEN draped curtain, a VERY bright spotlight, a camera, and an enthusiastic audience of seven. Right, they said, walk out in front of the green screen, into the centre, look at the camera, and speak. So I did! Then I was told to walk off the way I had come. That was that, until I heard the dreaded words, "That was great. Now can you do it again?" I think I screamed! The entire thing was an ad lib! Could I do it again? NO!!! Well, after I did it again, I left, breathing out verbal emoticons! You thought I had forgotten, didn't you?
Ah, the weird and wonderful world of the emoticons! I discovered smiley faces with the glee normally only felt by bargain hunters on the first day of a Boxing Day sale. I couldn't believe the ecstasy I felt at being able to insert a happy little smiley face into an SMS. How FANTASTIC to be able to convey, via this cute animation, that I was smiling at the recipient of my message. From that time on I judged the value of a cellphone by its smiley face variations. I found a smiley wearing sunglasses, one with a sad downward-turned mouth, an angry smiley, (there's an oxymoron for you), and a host of other emotions. And then, dear reader, I discovered that these "smileys" are actually called "emoticons"!
Imagine a world in which we communicate our depth of feeling for friend, family, or foe, by selecting, with deliberation, which cute image with which to punctuate our message!! I am the proud owner of a Blackberry, though, to be perfectly honest, I would prefer an iPhone. (But that is another conversation entirely.) This means that, by using the emoticons available to me, I can roll my eyes at you, flutter my eyelashes, wink, wear a party hat, roll around laughing, or tell you to speak to the hand. All this is well and good, but it is fraught with peril. I have fluttered my eyelashes inappropriately at someone, simply by a slight slip of the finger! I have answered a serious question with a frivolous face! And invariably I only discover my mistake too late to rectify it. My Blackberry has a dent from being repeatedly banged against my forehead.
And then, of course, we have the question of how many Xs to put at the end of a text. Is 2 too many? What about 1 x AND a smiley? None at all seems too emotionless.
Which brings me to my point, and I DO really have one. God will never misread my emoticons. He knows I love Him, even if everything about me portrays something different, He knows me. He knows I have a permanent kissing smiley tattoed on my heart, a beaming happiness that I am His. He sees the heart, the bible says, but I like to think that He Who placed the emotions in us, doesn't need us to stress over our limited ability to convey to Him what we really mean or feel. He always sees the kiss of our hearts. So let's relax, shall we, and wear our party hats to worship.
And please, come in and browse through our church. You are most welcome. Xxxx
:)
The web page was a collaborative effort, and the idea of entering the church through a sketched door, I am really happy to announce to all and sundry, was mine. The thought that I would step OUT of the sketch and happily invite the browsing public to enter, was not mine, and sent me running for cover. I was dragged back into the process by a sadistic and persuasive bevy of creative beauties, and convinced, against my better judgment, that it would be a breeze! Really, I said. Yes, really, they assured me. But I would need a green screen. A green screen, I queried. Yes, I was told. ALL I had to do was get dressed in black(!!), do my hair and make-up with a little more care than normal because of the lights, and we would be ready to roll.
I arrived on time, dressed to order, to discover a very literal, VERY GREEN draped curtain, a VERY bright spotlight, a camera, and an enthusiastic audience of seven. Right, they said, walk out in front of the green screen, into the centre, look at the camera, and speak. So I did! Then I was told to walk off the way I had come. That was that, until I heard the dreaded words, "That was great. Now can you do it again?" I think I screamed! The entire thing was an ad lib! Could I do it again? NO!!! Well, after I did it again, I left, breathing out verbal emoticons! You thought I had forgotten, didn't you?
Ah, the weird and wonderful world of the emoticons! I discovered smiley faces with the glee normally only felt by bargain hunters on the first day of a Boxing Day sale. I couldn't believe the ecstasy I felt at being able to insert a happy little smiley face into an SMS. How FANTASTIC to be able to convey, via this cute animation, that I was smiling at the recipient of my message. From that time on I judged the value of a cellphone by its smiley face variations. I found a smiley wearing sunglasses, one with a sad downward-turned mouth, an angry smiley, (there's an oxymoron for you), and a host of other emotions. And then, dear reader, I discovered that these "smileys" are actually called "emoticons"!
Imagine a world in which we communicate our depth of feeling for friend, family, or foe, by selecting, with deliberation, which cute image with which to punctuate our message!! I am the proud owner of a Blackberry, though, to be perfectly honest, I would prefer an iPhone. (But that is another conversation entirely.) This means that, by using the emoticons available to me, I can roll my eyes at you, flutter my eyelashes, wink, wear a party hat, roll around laughing, or tell you to speak to the hand. All this is well and good, but it is fraught with peril. I have fluttered my eyelashes inappropriately at someone, simply by a slight slip of the finger! I have answered a serious question with a frivolous face! And invariably I only discover my mistake too late to rectify it. My Blackberry has a dent from being repeatedly banged against my forehead.
And then, of course, we have the question of how many Xs to put at the end of a text. Is 2 too many? What about 1 x AND a smiley? None at all seems too emotionless.
Which brings me to my point, and I DO really have one. God will never misread my emoticons. He knows I love Him, even if everything about me portrays something different, He knows me. He knows I have a permanent kissing smiley tattoed on my heart, a beaming happiness that I am His. He sees the heart, the bible says, but I like to think that He Who placed the emotions in us, doesn't need us to stress over our limited ability to convey to Him what we really mean or feel. He always sees the kiss of our hearts. So let's relax, shall we, and wear our party hats to worship.
And please, come in and browse through our church. You are most welcome. Xxxx
:)
hey boss my boss
ReplyDeleteso awesome and so true! i love it when u send me emoticons..and also it saves me brainspace in my comms with peeps cos instead of words pictures are easier!
love your work