Youtube Video Premiere

Premiere Project

Seth Easter and Madison Johnson

My video project in premiere was a joint effort with Madison Johnson. We decided to do a video on the subject of grammar. Yes, I said grammar. We went through Facebook, Yahoo, and various other social media sites including tumblr and the like. The video will be us reading the comments as they are written and not correcting them. I imagine that most of the recording will be us laughing our asses off.

This type of project wouldn't truly be affected by being solely and audio post. The only repercussion that I could envision would be having to only hear our reactions instead of watching our expressions while hearing it at the same time. This could on the other hand enhance the experience by letting the person use their imagination to fill in the scenario.

To make it into print I believe would be the hardest. This option would require extra work compared to video because you have to make the page look appealing. The person is doing all of the work now instead of just listening and watching. The page has to be interesting and offer an appeal that draws the person in. Similar to the Peanuts comic, I believe you would have to make it endearing to the person and make them want to continue reading it week after week when the new issue comes out.

To target a specific audience would require work but not too much. To appeal to education level I believe that our topic is perfect for the fact of being English grammar. Targeting a specific sex is a different story for the factor of today's society and everyone being offended by everything. The easiest way would be to target men and make the video on woman and how they are inferior and this would work visa versa for women but they don't have Ego's to match a mans. Overall this topic would be good for most mediums and almost all audiences.

Audio Podcast

Depression

Podcast

Opinion of Depression

Audio Editing: Interview with Madison

          This assignment was based around audio editing(again Heagney that is the only reason I truly did it. That is the only relativity to COM 1111) but we as a class were given freedom to choose a topic and I chose to do Depression since it is a controversial and shunned topic. This is also really close to me on a personal level because Me and my mother both are clinically diagnosed with it and I want people to understand that its not something you just get over, its a struggle to get up and live everyday no matter how good of a day you had before. 

Edited

Original

Audio Stories

and how they're created

          This post won't be as exciting as my last one( I know it was great) but I feel that it is important to many aspects of life and is close to my heart since I love to write and read. Ok, enough about me, on to the stuff you probably don't care about!

          According to Ira Glass there are only two building blocks needed to create a story and they are 1) An Anecdote and 2) A Moment of Reflection. These seem pretty simple, right? Well they kinda are. An anecdote is a sequence of actions. Basic definition of any story(not really). An anecdote is a bit more complicated than that, yes I know I said simple but deal with it. Its not just actions that make a story, its also how the actions are done. A good anecdote will build suspense and anticipation for what comes next. It's similar to a train that continuously picks up speed while heading to a final destination. But before you can even get on the train you have to be interested enough to buy a ticket, this is where bait is used. By using the actions you should raise questions and doing so implies that they will be answered later on in the story.  

          The moment of reflection is similar to a summary, it sums up the whole point of the story efficiently and gives a quick overview of what transpired. The reflection needs to be strong and support the anecdote. Consistency is the key to this, don't ad in extra details that weren't in the story. The building blocks have to work together and should fit like a glove. 

          Radio Lab is a very popular podcast/radio show that many people listen to. It addresses controversial questions that many avoid because they're not clean cut black and white. The gray area is their specialty. At the start of the whole process the people at Radio Lab pick out a topic to use, most of the time its a complex one that they either know nothing about or don't understand. An example is "Is evil real?", they actually did and episode on this topic and on similar questions that seem philosophical. As they go along they might gain some knowledge on the subject but by the end they've lost it and are as confused as ever. 

          The podcasts created by these people have some similarities and differences(your probably saying "duh, of course they do, I know that, its common sense) but they each have a distinct "feel" to them. The intro music of Radio Lab is up beat and makes you feel awake and attentive, it causes you to feel like something exciting is coming. This American Life however goes straight into the topic which might catch some people off guard but it has a tone to it that says "hey, listen" (like Navi) that makes you sit up and pay attention. This American life occasionally uses background music but subtly which has a kind of vintage feel to it while Radio Lab has music playing in the background that sets the mood according to the topic of discussion. Radio lab utilizes sound effects really well and uses it to enhance the story while on the other hand This American Life sticks to the beaten road and tends to stay away from them. 

          Location sound is a neat thing if applied properly and both shows use it effectively. Radio Lab uses timing very well so that there are periods of silence where you have a moment to reflect on what you heard where as This American Life flows just like reading a book. While there are pauses they are slight and only last long enough to move to the next subject. Overall both shows are amazing and deserve as much attention as possible but are each unique in their own way.

          Radio Lab is very modern and it wears that like a second skin but still has that appeal of times gone by where you could just sit and listen to the radio without a care in the world. They tell there stories almost like a debate/conference where everyone gets to talk and contribute but at the same time it seems like they're a family discussing their day over dinner. This American Life is vintage, as stated before and they use that to make you feel like your at home listening to what happened recently and it makes you think about run of the mill topics in a different light. In a way it reminds me of a newspaper as funny as that may seem. These two shows are extremely different but makes you feel like your part of the discussion even when your sitting at home in your favorite chair. 

Meme Time!!!!

          This is a meme. Whats that? You don't know about memes?! Well let me introduce you to the greatest waste of time you'll ever experience and not care that it was wasted time! Memes are a great way to combine an image with a witty comment so that it produces laughter. What is laughter? Lets not get into that psychological bullshit, Aristotle is dead. 

          This particular meme represents the dreaded friend zone. This is something that every guy fears and has experienced at one point in his life. If not then your a lucky son of a bitch. Memes a great invention of the millennial generation and will probably be considered as utter shit to future generations. This was an assignment for Mediated Communications. Only reason I did it. Enjoy this Heagney. 

The HPU Passport Card

Brochure

          My idea for the Brochure relating to the passport card is a simple concept titled "Access and Assets". The initial reason for this idea was attendance count for certain classes and events where the passport is scanned and an electronic signature is taken like a digital finger print. While still using this idea when you scan the passport to get into a building such as your living area the card can theoretically keep track of where and when you scanned it. The card also gives you access to the building specific to your major and allows you to come and go as late or early as you please. The assets portion of the content relates to the card as a type of identification that can be used to get discounts and free merchandise such as the items that the hospitality team pass out. The passport may also be required when returning to campus late at night after an excursion off of campus. 

     The Cover

          The cover will be used to grab attention but in a way that holds interest over a period of time instead of just being pretty to look at and then forgotten, it needs to be memorable. The text isn't a definite yet but the design is simplistic and straight forward, easy to read and engaging but has a business look about it. The image I want to have on the front should relate to our passport partners but not specifically one business. 

This shows that the university is involved in and loved by the community in which it resides. 

     Inside Front Panel

          The Inside front panel will give the definition of the title and explain how it relates to the passport. The basics will be what is mainly found here. The in-depth descriptions will be found on the other panels. The image I want to be on this page will be the passport itself. 

The Three Panel Spread

          The middle panel will relate to the concept of access and how the card lets you have the freedom to go around campus at will but at the same time is used to make sure you follow guidelines and go to class as expected. It will also cover the topic of identification and how that can protect you and help keep the campus safe.
     The last panel will relate the idea of assets and what the card can gain you in the department of merchandise and discounts. 

The Back Cover

          The back cover will have an image relating to some activity that students enjoy but the passport is required for. This will hopefully seal the fact that the passport is important to have and is very useful. The image will be placed in the center of the panel with a one line description of the activity. Underneath will be the schools contact information and mailing address. 

          I might even put your email and number on there Heagney.

Fun with Pups: Color swatch and name plates

        

          For almost any project there will be the concept of what color scheme to use and how to draw peoples attention without making it tacky or making it painful to the eyes. In general I enjoy creating my own color schemes but for this assignment I had to take a picture of something that would inspire me, thanks Heagney, so I decided to take a picture of a puppy and go from there.

The colors that conveyed the most feeling to me was the dark brown of  the fur, the dark blue of the duvet, and the beige color in the lighter fur. These colors convey warmth, comfort, and safety.

          

          Using the eyedropper tool to select certain colors from the picture you will then make a swatch color to use as your base. Next you will make a new swatch tint and lighten the original by several shades until you have three different hues that are usable in a 3x3 swatch.

          The example above is the swatch that I came up with that pleases the eye relatively well and makes nice but subtle contrast when meshed together. 

The first name plate has a nice contrast of a light slate blue that draws the eye and lets it rest while the lettering of my name is done in an almost leather brown that shows up nicely against the background. The last color used was a light almost beige color that is bright but not to much so that it seems to glow. 

The leather brown in the background pops out and immediately draws you in. The color isn't really warm but more so comforting like an old friend that's always there for you and never lets you down.The light blue, almost lavender coloring for the name is soft and easily visible but is subtle in the fact of its tint. The light brown subtitle works out much better on the leather brown background and accents it so that they seem to be connected.

The last name plate seems to have a haze over it like fog and while not ugly to see, the way in which it seems to obscure is frustrating in the sense that it dulls down the whole thing. The color scheme is dull in general and doesn't hold the eye nor draw it. Overall this is my least favorite plate out of the three while the second plate is my favorite. 

          The fonts used are simple yet effective in communicating professionalism and in a way a laid back, calm personality. The lines between my descriptive terms separate them in a nice way that doesn't draw attention to them but at the same time it gives the plate a good look. 

Working the Shot

A Razor

      This post is designed to show the activity "Working the Shot" and how it can affect how you see an everyday object. I started searching for an object and decided on a regular razor.

This is what you might see in any bathroom across the world but this picture is a bit cluttered. This point of view is constrained and not very enlightening.

       Moved to the center of the counter but its not at the right height. The details are still out of focus. The border in the background is at the wrong angle as well.

      Out of focus still and it remains cluttered  but the border from the mirror is better aligned although it is still distracting and takes away from the subject.

The border is still in the corner and ruins the focus of the picture. The box of razor blades is overwhelming and the orange draws the eye.

After removing the box the razor becomes the only focus but the angle doesn't show the craftsmanship and the reflection is more of a glare and doesn't improve the image.

 After changing the lighting and the position of the razor it is now possible to see the detail and work that went into this beautiful object that we all take for granted. The background has a pattern that improves the image and doesn't take away from the subject. The contrast from the darker background accents the silver polished razor so that the eye is drawn to it. This activity was overall very entertaining and interesting and gave me a new viewpoint on a common object.

 

What you need to know

This blog is going to be a journal for my communications class and will contain my work but before we get to that I thought you might enjoy learning who I am.

Personal Items:
There are only a few things that truly define me as the person I am today. One would be my faith as a Christian and how God has helped me so far and led me here. One of my hobbies is to read almost anything that I can get my hands on, but I truly enjoy the fantasy genre. I love to hunt and fish throughout the year and just generally enjoy being out in nature whenever the opportunity arises.

Interesting facts:
Something that may pique your interest is the fact that I can vivid dream. This means that I mostly retain my dreams and am able to shape the dream to fit me and make it do as I want. Its similar to being awake except for the fact that the world shifts with my thoughts. Another thing that you may enjoy is that I can garden, can food, and cook gourmet, and home style food.