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Writer's pictureLawrence Coldon

Serenity in the Clouds

When I first started watching Cory Arcangel’s “Super Mario Clouds”, I thought my phone was broken. I actually restarted the video a few times because I thought there was a playback issue that was keeping me from enjoying the video. It was only about a minute later that I found out that video was working, it was just that I was expecting more from the video than it was giving. What clued me in to this fact was that I looked away from the screen for a few seconds and when I came back, I realized the clouds were in different places. From that point on, I knew what was happening with the video and continued to watch for the full five minutes and fifty-three seconds. During the video, I found myself questioning what was happening, but also drifting in thought as the clouds continued to scroll by. For five minutes and fifty-three minutes, I went into an intense period of reflection and introspection that I’d didn’t expect to happen upon starting the video. It was nice. It was peaceful. I got to escape my day, even though it was a very short time, and just focus on existing.


After finishing the video, I went through the comments to see what people were saying about it and other than seeing a lot of other students saying they were watching this for their respective classes, one person explained how you probably wouldn’t get the full value of the video unless you saw it in the exhibition where the video was playing on wall surrounding the viewer and making them feel a part of the landscape. This made me think about our discussions on immersion in video-games and how it can be used as a tool for escapism. While I thought about how this could make someone feel like they were in the Super Mario landscape, I felt like something entirely different was happening. I felt that this video simply allowed for the viewer to be placed in a new world and let reality fade away as they take in their new surroundings as they explored a newfound. I wasn’t even a part of the exhibition and I felt transported somewhere that made me forget about what I was doing at that moment. This video also made me think about using immersion as a type of therapy and what benefits this could have. Being able to escape reality, even for a short time, I feel could have immense benefits when it comes to someone’s mental state.

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RS
Dec 09, 2019

I agree with everyone who says that their experience would have been greatly enhanced if "Super Mario Clouds" was on a bigger more immersive screen. In the California Science Center in Los Angeles there is something that I assume would be similar to this (see below.) Every time I visit the Science Center I really enjoy spending time in this room because it feels like I am a part of the different environments, and I believe the experience would be the same with "Super Mario Clouds."


Another question I have is about sound. The music is an integral part of Mario games. However, the "Super Mario Clouds" does not have this important part of the game. I assume that Cory…

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ingramjk
Dec 08, 2019

Do you think you would have experienced this same sense of immersion if the video had not been so peaceful? There are other POV videos that exist that I don't believe result in this same experience. Why do you think that is? Is relaxation something integral to allowing yourself to feel like a part of something like a video or is there something else that gives this video that capability?

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Brooke Werdlow
Brooke Werdlow
Dec 08, 2019

Once I realized that the whole video would only be the clouds drifting by, I unfortunately did give up on watching the entire 5 minutes 54 seconds of the video, however I think it would've been so cool to see a larger version of it, like you suggested watching on a bigger screen could increase immersion. I imagine it could definitely be both relaxing and beneficial to be able to take a brief break and be immersed into another world every once in a while.

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roisrani
Dec 08, 2019

I think you raise an interesting point about how "Super Mario Clouds" serves as a method of escaping our world and entering into a new one. I also think how Cory Arcangel portrays this is very interesting. Arcangel may be highlighting our inability to even consider the smallest and most beautiful parts of our own life. Our everyday responsibilities and deadlines take precedent over anything and everything around us, so we tend to be in our own little "bubble". How many of us have actually spent time just looking up towards the sky and at the clouds? Maybe just spending even a couple of minutes a day looking towards the sky can allow us to escape our bubble and "just…

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Lorenzo Orders
Lorenzo Orders
Dec 08, 2019

I also felt transported to the Mushroom Kingdom. As opposed to watching the clouds go by in the background, it felt like I was lying down on the floor and watching the clouds go by. In contrast to a hectic race to the finish, it felt nice to sit back and watch the clouds go by.

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