Monday, December 5, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
An end of semester reflection
It's hard to believe our time in Multimedia Authoring has nearly come to an end! As the semester draws to a close I thought I would take a moment to reflect on the rhetorical skills I've learned through each unit.
Unit 1: Marry content and design. Through making a collage I learned to choose visual elements that not only reinforce but enhance the message I want to convey. Create visual elements that direct the viewer to the text and frame your message appropriately. Attract the viewer's eye with interesting and well-crafted visual imagery, and you've got their attention long enough to communicate your argument.
Unit 2: Target a specific audience and communicate intent through design. In creating my website I chose a design that I felt would appeal to the student audience I hoped to attract. By referencing zine culture and activism in my design elements I communicated the "feel" of a grassroots movement to my audience, reminding the viewer that his/her opinion can make a difference. While "content is king," design is the vehicle that supports and communicates your argument.
Unit 3: Communicate content through design. As I mentioned in my last blog post, I've come to rely on my writing abilities as I progress further into my major coursework; as a result I have few opportunities to communicate a message exclusively through visual imagery. Though we all think in pictures to some degree, it's difficult to capture just the right images that will express our thoughts in a logical fashion so that viewers unfamiliar with the context can receive the message. As I often process my thoughts through very literal images, leaving room for abstraction and conjecture in my images for this project has been challenging. Through this final project I've learned to communicate abstract, complex content through image in a non-literal way.
It hasn't been an easy ride and there have been a few surpises along the way, but I know the skills I've learned and practiced in this course will serve me well throughout my college career and beyond. As our society continues to integrate new technology into nearly every aspect of life, today's artists and writers must become technologically literate or become left behind in today's fast-paced, consumer-driven world. I believe the multimedia skills we've learned this semester will be indispensible not just in our careers but in our everyday lives as consumers and creators of media content.
Unit 1: Marry content and design. Through making a collage I learned to choose visual elements that not only reinforce but enhance the message I want to convey. Create visual elements that direct the viewer to the text and frame your message appropriately. Attract the viewer's eye with interesting and well-crafted visual imagery, and you've got their attention long enough to communicate your argument.
Unit 2: Target a specific audience and communicate intent through design. In creating my website I chose a design that I felt would appeal to the student audience I hoped to attract. By referencing zine culture and activism in my design elements I communicated the "feel" of a grassroots movement to my audience, reminding the viewer that his/her opinion can make a difference. While "content is king," design is the vehicle that supports and communicates your argument.
Unit 3: Communicate content through design. As I mentioned in my last blog post, I've come to rely on my writing abilities as I progress further into my major coursework; as a result I have few opportunities to communicate a message exclusively through visual imagery. Though we all think in pictures to some degree, it's difficult to capture just the right images that will express our thoughts in a logical fashion so that viewers unfamiliar with the context can receive the message. As I often process my thoughts through very literal images, leaving room for abstraction and conjecture in my images for this project has been challenging. Through this final project I've learned to communicate abstract, complex content through image in a non-literal way.
It hasn't been an easy ride and there have been a few surpises along the way, but I know the skills I've learned and practiced in this course will serve me well throughout my college career and beyond. As our society continues to integrate new technology into nearly every aspect of life, today's artists and writers must become technologically literate or become left behind in today's fast-paced, consumer-driven world. I believe the multimedia skills we've learned this semester will be indispensible not just in our careers but in our everyday lives as consumers and creators of media content.
Processing Unit 3: Visual Imagery
As most of my time over the next 5 days will be spent finishing up my unit 3 project, I thought I'd take some time to examine my process and think about the way I'm choosing to convey my concept.
I've got my topic nailed down and I thought I had a solid plan for each frame...until I brought my storyboard into class on Tuesday and got some much-needed feedback. It was then I realized I had a powerful concept but didn't yet have a clear conception of the images I would need to get that concept across. As a writing major, I've learned to show the reader an image through words. By contrast, I've rarely had the opportunity to convey a complex, abstract concept through images.
I've come to think of my images as snapshots of the concept I want the viewer to understand. These snapshots, when aligned in the proper sequence, will communicate my argument in the most effective way.
The key to a successful visual argument is the key to a successful piece of writing: "Show, don't tell." Strive to create an image that leaves room for interpretation. Allow the viewer to draw his own conclusions. However, that simple refrain becomes a lot more difficult to carry out in the context of imagery.
In my opinion, the best way to improve your imagery is to put yourself in the viewer's position. If you didn't know the context of the images or were unfamiliar with the issue at hand, would you understand the argument being made? Do the pictures follow a logical pattern? What feeling do you take from the images, and what do they lead you to think about? Then, ask an impartial peer to check your images and answer the same questions.
How has the Unit 3 project taught you think visually? How are you communicating your argument using the values of multimedia we discussed in class?
I've got my topic nailed down and I thought I had a solid plan for each frame...until I brought my storyboard into class on Tuesday and got some much-needed feedback. It was then I realized I had a powerful concept but didn't yet have a clear conception of the images I would need to get that concept across. As a writing major, I've learned to show the reader an image through words. By contrast, I've rarely had the opportunity to convey a complex, abstract concept through images.
I've come to think of my images as snapshots of the concept I want the viewer to understand. These snapshots, when aligned in the proper sequence, will communicate my argument in the most effective way.
The key to a successful visual argument is the key to a successful piece of writing: "Show, don't tell." Strive to create an image that leaves room for interpretation. Allow the viewer to draw his own conclusions. However, that simple refrain becomes a lot more difficult to carry out in the context of imagery.
In my opinion, the best way to improve your imagery is to put yourself in the viewer's position. If you didn't know the context of the images or were unfamiliar with the issue at hand, would you understand the argument being made? Do the pictures follow a logical pattern? What feeling do you take from the images, and what do they lead you to think about? Then, ask an impartial peer to check your images and answer the same questions.
How has the Unit 3 project taught you think visually? How are you communicating your argument using the values of multimedia we discussed in class?
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Final Project: Thoughts and Resources
After grappling with technical difficulties and mastering the ins and outs of Dreamweaver (well, almost) through the Unit 2 project, our final project feels like a simple task. At first glance, the concept a "digital collage portfolio" seems like a return our famine collage project. Instead of making a paper collage, just take some digital pictures, Photoshop them together, tie it all up in a slideshow, and stick it on a website. Easy, right?
Not quite. Even though I have previous experience in artmaking, I'm not a trained photographer and this project feels a lot like a crash course in Photography 101. Plus, I can't rely on my experience in persuasive writing as I did on the unit 2 site. You know the rule of thirds? Negative space? Contrast is good, right? So, I'm not feeling prepared this time around. But I'm starting to understand how each of the units we've covered has contributed to build a set of solid composition skills that I can apply to any task. I'm not 100% solid on each frame of my Unit 3 collage yet, but I can see how the skills I learned through the first 2 units will help me get there.
For my digital collage I've decided to tackle the issue of school bullying as it affects lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) teens. Over the past few years bullying has resulted in a dramatic increase in the suicide rate among LGBT teens and young adults. Last fall this issue made national news when at least 5 teens committed suicide within a 6 week period. Among other daytime TV celebrities, prominent LGBT advocate Ellen DeGeneres spoke up about the devastating effects of bullying. Many are working to save lives by putting an end to bullying in our nation's schools. Here's a few helpful resources from around the web:
Dan Savage's It Gets Better Campaign went viral last year and continues to inspire teens worldwide with its message of hope for the future. Celebrities, corporations, activists, and all manner of public figures submitted YouTube videos to the "It Gets Better" channel. I found Pixar's submission especially sincere and touching.
The Trevor Project aims to prevent suicide and self-harm among LGBT teens and young adults through providing resources, guidance and a listening ear during times of distress. In addition to online materials the organization runs a no-cost phone help line for teens who may be contemplating suicide. Learn more about the project's namesake and how this effort came to be.
Everyone is Gay is a nonprofit organization committed to making a difference in the lives of LGBT youth. The cornerstone of the site is a laugh-out-loud hilarious advice blog, in which founders Dannielle Owens-Reid and Kristin Russo guide readers through everyday struggles and relationship drama. Though the blog focuses on gay and lesbian relationships, the witty yet wise advice featured can help anyone through the confusing business of growing up (and yes, the relationship advice often applies equally to straight readers).
Their resources page provides a gateway for LGBT teens and young adults to access community centers, alliances, and non-profit organizations in their communities.
Not quite. Even though I have previous experience in artmaking, I'm not a trained photographer and this project feels a lot like a crash course in Photography 101. Plus, I can't rely on my experience in persuasive writing as I did on the unit 2 site. You know the rule of thirds? Negative space? Contrast is good, right? So, I'm not feeling prepared this time around. But I'm starting to understand how each of the units we've covered has contributed to build a set of solid composition skills that I can apply to any task. I'm not 100% solid on each frame of my Unit 3 collage yet, but I can see how the skills I learned through the first 2 units will help me get there.
For my digital collage I've decided to tackle the issue of school bullying as it affects lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) teens. Over the past few years bullying has resulted in a dramatic increase in the suicide rate among LGBT teens and young adults. Last fall this issue made national news when at least 5 teens committed suicide within a 6 week period. Among other daytime TV celebrities, prominent LGBT advocate Ellen DeGeneres spoke up about the devastating effects of bullying. Many are working to save lives by putting an end to bullying in our nation's schools. Here's a few helpful resources from around the web:
Dan Savage's It Gets Better Campaign went viral last year and continues to inspire teens worldwide with its message of hope for the future. Celebrities, corporations, activists, and all manner of public figures submitted YouTube videos to the "It Gets Better" channel. I found Pixar's submission especially sincere and touching.
The Trevor Project aims to prevent suicide and self-harm among LGBT teens and young adults through providing resources, guidance and a listening ear during times of distress. In addition to online materials the organization runs a no-cost phone help line for teens who may be contemplating suicide. Learn more about the project's namesake and how this effort came to be.
Everyone is Gay is a nonprofit organization committed to making a difference in the lives of LGBT youth. The cornerstone of the site is a laugh-out-loud hilarious advice blog, in which founders Dannielle Owens-Reid and Kristin Russo guide readers through everyday struggles and relationship drama. Though the blog focuses on gay and lesbian relationships, the witty yet wise advice featured can help anyone through the confusing business of growing up (and yes, the relationship advice often applies equally to straight readers).
Their resources page provides a gateway for LGBT teens and young adults to access community centers, alliances, and non-profit organizations in their communities.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Trying My Hand at Photography
As I discussed in my last post, I found out about photojournalist Lowell Handler through a course assignment for my Therapeutic Arts class. Our investigation of art and disability also included a personal artmaking activity: after researching an artist, we were to create a piece of art that references the artist's style or vision. I snapped a series of photos using my webcam, manipulated the lighting and texture, and combined them using Photoshop.
This picture incorporates many of the photoediting skills and collage elements we utilized while working on the Unit 1 famine collage project. Like Handler's work, my photo collage transforms a movement into a series of static images. I have very little experience in photography (so I'm all set for the Unit 3 project, right?) and wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone for this project. I'm satisfied and surprised by the end result...here's hoping for the same outcome for Unit 3 as I piece together my Digital Collage Portfolio.
A series of images of me stretching, edited and combined to make a photo collage.
This picture incorporates many of the photoediting skills and collage elements we utilized while working on the Unit 1 famine collage project. Like Handler's work, my photo collage transforms a movement into a series of static images. I have very little experience in photography (so I'm all set for the Unit 3 project, right?) and wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone for this project. I'm satisfied and surprised by the end result...here's hoping for the same outcome for Unit 3 as I piece together my Digital Collage Portfolio.
Photojournalist spotlight: Lowell Handler
While poring over the work of my favorite photographers for Mini-Project 6, I remembered an acclaimed photojournalist I recently learned about in my Therapeutic Arts course. We were studying artists with disabilities and how artists express their views on disability and contextualize their life experiences through their work. Lowell Handler is a professional photojournalist who has traveled across North America to document the experiences of individuals with Tourette syndrome. After being diagnosed with Tourette’s, Handler turned to photography as a way to cope with the socially isolating symptoms of the disorder, which causes the affected individual to perform repetitive movements or vocal inflections.
He finds a sense of community in documenting the experiences of others who struggle with the disease. Many of Handler’s photos depict individuals at the moment when they are overtaken by Tourettic movements; the artist chronicles these involuntary movements in a series of static images.
By documenting these physically uncomfortable and socially unacceptable motions, Handler directs the viewer’s attention to moments that typically make us uncomfortable. Through his photographs Handler seeks to examine the relationship between the observed (people with disabilities) and the viewer.
“I want to force people to observe that which is usually ignored,” Handler writes of his work. “If people are going to look away from me in shame because of my oddity, I will force them to see, through my photographs, every aspect of life, however vile or beautiful.”
Handler’s photos have been featured in LIFE magazine, the New York Times, and the Washington Post, along with other highly selective publications. Handler served as associate producer and narrator of the Emmy-nominated PBS Documentary Twitch and Shout (1995) and published a memoir entitled Twitch and Shout: A Touretter’s Tale (1998). The images in this post are featured in Twitch and Shout, which is available at your friendly local library.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
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