Seth's Journey of Mediated Comunication

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Photos by H. Scott Hoffmann/News & Record

Guilford Technical Community College culinary student Debbie White serves food to Vicky and Mark Wheeler from GTCC’s new food truck, the Green Machine, during its first trial run serving food to staff and students at GTCC in Jamestown on Wednesday.

Food Trucks and Culinary school?

JAMESTOWN — In the world of food and dining, food trucks are The Next Big Thing.Is it The Next Big Thing in higher education? Guilford Technical Community College hopes so.This fall, the community college will offer a new culinary arts program in mobile catering and food truck management. The college says it’s the only one-year program of its kind in North Carolina and one of just a few like it in the nation.“It addresses a need,” said Albert Schmid, director of the GTCC Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management program. “There are a lot of food trucks — a lot of really good food trucks. … It’s a big thing now and I think it’s a viable business option for students.”

The 42-credit program will take about a year and almost $3,200, plus books and knives, to complete. Graduates will earn a diploma. GTCC hopes to enroll up to 16 students next fall.
Like GTCC’s traditional culinary track, students in the new program will learn basic cooking skills, safe food preparation, and food and beverage accounting procedures. Instead of learning about advanced baking or classical cuisine, students on the food-truck track will get classes in catering, how to run a small business and how to promote their truck on social media.
“They need to know how to prep food, do it safely and market their business,” Schmid said.

New Cooking quarters

Students will take classes at GTCC’s main campus in Jamestown. The college is converting a bakery space into a food-truck kitchen — a compact space to give students practice cooking in cramped quarters. (Don’t worry, bakers. Schmid said the college has outgrown the current baking lab and is renovating space upstairs in the Koury Hospitality Careers building for a new one.)

The college last fall also bought a new food truck. Designed to be a mobile lab for students, the GTCC Green Machine is outfitted with a grill, griddle, deep fryer and a sandwich station. At 23 feet, it’s big enough to hold four cooks comfortably.

The truck’s exterior is outlined in LED lights. It also has a video screen to show the menu and speakers to play music or to let cooks talk to customers waiting outside.
One thing the truck won’t do is show up at food-truck rodeos. State law prohibits public colleges from competing directly with the private sector, so the truck will cook largely on campus for now.
“The program is designed to help people get into the food-truck industry,” said LJ Rush, a GTCC culinary arts instructor who led the effort to create the college’s new program. “We’re not here to be in competition with the food-truck industry.”

Life after Graduation

Graduates will have a couple of options. They can open their own food truck or food cart. Or they can continue on in GTCC’s culinary program and get their associate’s degree in another year or so.
GTCC’s program is a quicker — and cheaper — way for new chefs to become their own bosses.

Schmid said traditional brick-and-mortar restaurants might need $1 million or more to get started, and many head restaurant chefs spend years working their way up through the ranks. A food truck might need only about $100,000 or so to get rolling; a food cart might take only $50,000.

Rush said the idea for the program came from surveys that asked GTCC students about the courses they wanted the college to offer. When he started looking for food-truck programs at other colleges, Rush said he found nothing comprehensive — just a handful of classes here and there or certificate programs that take just a few weeks to complete.

Once the word about GTCC’s new program got out in culinary circles, Rush said his phone started to ring.
“We’re so looking forward to being the leader in this,” Rush said.

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Youtube Video Premiere

Monday, December 5, 2016

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.

Monday, November 14, 2016

Audio Podcast

Depression

Podcast

Monday, November 7, 2016

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

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

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.

Monday, October 10, 2016

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.

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

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.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

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.

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

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.