IAm4Rio

My name is Dario Larry Herrera, MSEB: Graphic Designer, Audio Engineer, Talent Manager, Publicist, and Promoter. Working under my company: IAm4Rio Media. Currently enrolled in a MFA in Media Design. I can also be found on IG, Twitter, and Snap: @IAm4Rio

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Mastery Journal: Process and Reflection

Connecting/Synthesizing/Transforming

           Throughout the course focused on a different element of creating a motion design. Those elements were Vision and Voice, Planning for Motion, Communicating with Motion, and Motion Media. In order to receive a vivid understanding of what these four elements really meant, research was done on vision boards, storyboards, motion, and audience engagement. An example of this the effectiveness of the research conducted was a study by Deden Novan Setiawan Nugraha “The Color Meaning in Go Green Logo: A Semiotics Study” (2019). The purpose of that study was surrounding the reasons why the colors were chosen in the logo for Go Green. Although it was a study on a specific logo and organization, the information provided can be applied to make aspects of motion design or design choices in general. The connection I was able to make in relation to motion design is utilizing the meaning of colors to communicate design and words associated with the color to the audience as a way to attract them to the product/service and brand. The logo Go Green uses green and white in their logo. According to Nugraha’s study (2019), the words associated with white is “purity” and green is “peace,” thus helping the brand of the company by communication that their purpose is to bring peace and purity to the world by protecting the earth.

           This created the ability to use the meaning or word associated with colors to communicate the community of Ben Hill District’s tone and voice. According to Nugraha (2019) red is a stimulant and can be exciting and the amount of red is related to perceived energy (p. 57). Green is associated with words like relaxing and soothing; also associated with nature (p. 58). Blue, “is the sky and the promise of beyond” (Nugraha, 2019, p. 58) and can be described with words such as hospitable, traditional, and refreshing (p. 58). Lastly, the color purple. Nugraha (2019) describes purple as the balanced embodiment of stimulation (red) and calm (blue) and is often times associated with spirituality (p. 58). The aforementioned are the reason the color palette was chosen for Ben Hill District.

Problem Solving

           The design problem began prior to choosing the aforementioned colors. How can you create a unique experience or brand through color choices that will attract an audience? Before research was conducted ways to describe the community’s tone and voice through color was a problem. The original choices where black and red. However, that came off as too simple, basic, and unmemorable for an audience. After conducting research on color choices based on words associated with it or meaning and examples from Liz Blazer’s Animated storytelling: simple steps for creating animation and motion graphics book and study by Deden Novan Setiawan Nugraha “The Color Meaning in Go Green Logo: A Semiotics Study” (2019). Blazer’s description of color sense created the bigger picture on the intensity of a color, based on its hue, saturation, and value. Knowing when to give enough of each can create an impact on the audience. Using that information with the meaning and words associated with a color influenced the choice of the color scheme, red, blue, green, and purple.

           The aforementioned section describes why these four colors were chosen based on meaning or word of that color in which supported the depiction of how the community of Ben Hill District is. Two possible solutions are the normal hue, value, and saturation of red, blue, green, and purple, or a variation of these four colors. The normal color choice would have created a boring less bold approach to the brand. Having a memorable color scheme will help the audience associate it with the brand.

Figure 1. Normal Color Scheme

Figure 2. Variation of Color Scheme

           The direction for color scheme chosen had to be bold, different, vibrant, with the ability to have positive meaning being the choice in colors. That direction leads to choosing a variation of red, blue, green, and purple. In Figure 1., the color scheme would have drawn focus on the slogan of the community taking away from the name, Ben Hill District. In Figure 2., the choice was to keep the original hue of red, blue, green, and purple and adjust just the saturation and value of those colors.

The end results, as shown in Figure 2., created the focus to be drawn on the community name and not its slogan. Purple, Blue, and Green were saturated to create a vibrant look and the value increased slightly in order to make it brighter. To take the main focus away from the slogan the color red was desaturated and had a slightly lowered value to keep it vibrant but not overpowering.

Innovative Thinking

           Compared to the work of others the overall design, for Ben Hill District, aligns with how other branded communities want to be seen as, unique. It is no secret that designers often curated work that stands out in simplicity yet with such meaning behind each design choice. Brands want to be remembered. Ben Hill District is a mid-paced community, more relaxing than major communities with lots of commercial presence. Branding a relaxing community where one can enjoy themselves and be accepted as is, is what makes this community branding unique compared to others. Some inner-city communities’ brand themselves with colors and logo design that is memorable. Ben Hill Districts brand design choices were done because of the importance of describing what the community brings through the communication of colors, simplicity in font style, and the imagery used to visualize the community’s tone and voice. Other communities only used one color and the color white in their brand. The innovative idea for Ben Hill District was to provide more colors aside from the regular colors used in other brands.

Figure 3. Final Design Sketch

Acquiring Competencies

           The overall information provided in the course taught me that research is very important in the design process. Having reasons to design choices helps create a brand that an audience can remember if done correctly. I was able to improve my ability to draw out my visual ideas that I come up with as well as being able to view and use my surroundings to help create stories and ideas.

           The following are concepts that I identify:

1.     Finding the voice and tone description of the brand and communicating that to the audience. 2.     The importance of storyboards, the visual frames of the story being told with a description below the frame. 3.     Story Journaling, jotting down what I’ve seen in my surroundings or environment and analyzing them helps stimulate new ideas or stories. 4.     Creating annotated bibliographies of research related to motion design created support in the reasoning behind design choice. 5.     Audio Identity and choosing the right sounds or narration used in the design to help communicate the brand. Whether it is diegetic or non-diegetic. 6.     Audience and Brand awareness, understanding who the target audience is can help a brand cater to them in a way that brings in awareness. Relating the brand to the audience is an effective way to gain the audience. 7.     Analyzing decisions in design. Being able to ask why that design decision was chosen helps create meaning for the overall look of the brand. 8.     Motion Graphics can be important to help create uniqueness to a brand by attracting the audience with motion while guiding them to the focus of the brand. 9.     Audience engagement, by focusing on the target audience will help them engage with the brand. The design process needs to include elements that attract audiences.

Categorizing the Concepts

Academic (pertaining to schooling or being a student)

           The above concepts fall under this category, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 9. Being able to follow these concepts helped me utilized the importance of conducting research. It helps supports decisions for those that question them.

Occupational (pertaining to conducting your business in Media Design fields)

           The above concepts fall under this category, 1, 2, 5, and 8. I was able to adapt these concepts in actual projects I had to create. This helped me create final designs that communicated the brand properly.

Technical (a particular software, sketching, interviewing practices, etc...)

           The above concepts fall under this category, 1, 2, 3, and 5. These concepts helped improved my sketching. Being able to draw out what I visualized in my idea.

Conceptual (a particular synthesis, new terminology, a particular procedure, etc...)

           The above concepts fall under this category, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9. These concepts were conceptual to me. Learning new concepts or refreshing on them made me a better designer.

Reflection I found that each assignment helped me tune my design skills by adding information that helps me make effective choices in design. The assignments were story journal, annotated bibliographies, planning for motion, voice and vision, communicating with motion, motion media, and video discussion.

Story journaling helps me think outside the box with the help and influence of the environments I am in. Annotated bibliographies were for the purpose of supporting the decision made in the design. Researching and finding studies that conclude effectiveness and having a handy summary of the results can be supportive to reasons for design choices. Understanding the message, you are trying to get across can be organized in a storyboard. Showcases the actions each shot will invoke. Nugraha (2019) concluded that color choice in a brands logo can help relate a message through color meanings and words its associated with. Which leads to the tone and voice of what is being branded. Finding the tone and voice can help dictate what design choices need to be used. In order for an audience to understand a brand, that brand will need something to be understood by that audience.

Bultheel (2018) conducted an experiment in which concluded that it is possible to create a project without a storyboard, however it could be more expensive and more prone to mistakes, but if it captures the idea and element what the designer wants the audience to relate to than this could be the options. Although, it is not recommended to bypass the storyboarding part of a project. Deciding how to communicate the brand through motion is effective in engaging the audience. It’s been studied that gender can influence the cognitive style of one’s storyboard, according to Teng, Cai, and Yu (2014). The type of motion media used can help determine the engagement the audience will provide to the brand. Is it effective? Is it appealing? Learning what helps connect the audience is extremely helpful in the design process. It helps cut down time wasted on ideas that will not appeal to the audience and it guides you in creating something the audience will enjoy or relate to. Using the style of a motion poster, the idea of motion created from elements in the image was the choice in design direction I took. Wanted to create a feel for what the community is without giving away too much and saving that for the experience they will have.

Lastly, the video discussion was an odd assignment to have done. Looking back, I don’t change my view on not liking group projects. However, the lesson I got out of this was being able to work in any environment whether it’s a group project or a company project. Obstacles will arise and attempt to hold back the project, but it is about being able to adapt to those interruptions. My overall experience with this assignment and the entire course was amazing. I was able to learn the aforementioned concepts and apply them in the creation of my assignments as well applying them to life settings when concerning design.

Figure 4. First Storyboard Sketch

Figure 5. Communicating Motion

Figure 6. Final Design Sketch

References Blazer, L. (2015). Animated storytelling: simple steps for creating animation and motion graphics. Peachpit Press Publications.

Bultheel, J. (2018). Performing without the use of a net: Making an animated feature without a storyboard. Journal of Screenwriting, 9(3), 317–327. https://doi-org.oclc.fullsail.edu/10.1386/josc.9.3.317_1

Nugraha, D. N. S. (2019). The Color Meaning in Go Green Logo: A Semiotics Study. Global Business & Management Research, 11(1), 55–65. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.oclc.fullsail.edu:81/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=136667801&site=ehost-live

Silcox, P. (2018). Why Should You be Using Motion Graphics in Your Marketing Campaigns? Retrieved from https://www.fourthsource.com/design/using-motion-graphics-marketing-campaigns-22526.

Teng, P.-S., Cai, D., & Yu, T.-K. (2014). The relationship between individual characteristics and ideation behavior: an empirical study of storyboards. International Journal of Technology & Design Education, 24(4), 459–471. Retrieved from, https://doi-org.oclc.fullsail.edu/10.1007/s10798-014-9264-1

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Organizational Structures: Story Journal Week 4

Journal Entries

Reflection

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Organizational Structures: Story Journal Week 3

Journal Entries

Reflection

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Organizational Structures: Story Journal Week 2

Journal Entries

Reflection

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Organizational Structures: Story Journal Week 1

Journal Entries

Reflection

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Mastery Journal: Project Reflection

         The past four weeks in this Effective Copy Writing have been very interesting. All lot of the information was derived from George Felton’s Advertising Concept, and Copy. The readings in Felton’s book help illustrate and elaborate on the several assignments that needed to be done. “To develop a strong strategy, you need to understand three things: the product, the consumer, and the marketplace” (Felton, 2013, p. 12); this helped me understand that concept and copy write is much more than catchy titles or phrases. I was able to keep this in mind while working on the assignment. Creating comp sketches became an easier task to do, knowing that I needed to focus on creating a strategy that cut the work down and toned up the effectiveness.

         The aforementioned quote from Felton’s book guided me to understand how to create target personas. By keeping this in mind I was able to focus on the demographics and details about my potential target audience. Another helpful tool that was very informative was the PDF article Creating Target Audience Profiles, provided by the instructor. Understanding what my potential target audience for the product or service can be, created a focus onto what that audience can relate to and understand. This ultimately helped shape the way I strategized in creating 6 comp ad sketches. After understanding the product, consumer, and marketplace these sketches began to make sense and become effective to get the message across.

         While doing my sketches I was able to watch a video course on Developing Ideas and Advertising Concepts by Craig Smallish. Smallish's video Defining The Rough Sketch he states, “It's simply a rough image that's going to tell a story” (Smallish, 2013). Hearing Smallish say that helps me not focus on perfecting the idea but simply jotting it down a visual representation of the story being told. Thus far, this course has refined my creative side by adding the strategic aspect of what I design.

         Overall, the course was very informative and has shaped the way I create things to just create them but to create with purpose and reason. After reading Felton's chapter on Testimonials I was able to sketch out comp ads for EarthJustice using extreme user, celebrity, expert, plain folks, President/CEO, founding mother or father, employee, and not the person but something associated with the person. Out of the 6 I sketched, I decided to create my rough comp ads for extreme user, expert, and plain folks. It has been a very informative and growth motivating course; the projects and reading materials helped me understand coy writing.

          The aforementioned book, PDF file, and video course helped shaped the 6 testimonial ad sketches I created for EarthJustice based on 6 out of the 9 types of testimonials mentioned in Felton's book. The aforementioned types I used were chosen based on the ability to help me get my message across for EarthJustice and its target audience. With extreme user, I decided to go with the college student millennial as a testimonial because based on Felton's definition this person would demonstrate “hyperbole, how great the product is” (Felton, 2013. P. 241). The next is celebrity testimonial, because of so many types of celebrities publicly speaking out on environmental issues that occur globally. Giving a familiar face to the target audience. The expert user-made sense to use as a testimonial ad. What better way for “somebody who stands outside the brand and has the expertise to evaluate it” as mentioned by Felton (2013. p. 241). The usage of just plain folks was because the environment does not just affect celebrities or experts, but it affects everyone globally even the “normal people” (Felton, 2013. p. 246). The employee was used as a testimonial because being able to “find someone to personify the corporation” (Felton, 2013. p. 241) helps the audience relate to the purpose of the testimonial ad. Showcasing the employee advocating for their employer says to the audience that this employee is proud to work for a corporation that is focused on sustainability and the environment. Lastly, I decided to sketch a testimonial for not the person but something associated with the person. In this sketch I wanted to associate not protecting the environment or bringing justice can lead to a future where wearing a mask to breathe will happen if no one does anything about it. Associating a gas mask with not fighting for a better environment.

          Another major project for Effective Copy Writing was creating a target persona profile. In the two target profiles, I created the target demographics were from the ages of 23-52. Everyone globally affected by climate change and environmental decay. These are millennials, college students and corporate professionals, aware of Earth’s injustices around the world. The target personas I created is a large range, speaking about demographics, however, the target audience is affected. Those young will have a shorten future and those older will have to worry about the future of their kids and future family generations. Knowing that the environment needs help being represented and achieving justice is something that can be done by everyone. This is how I was able to decide which testimonial types, by Felton, I was going to use for my initial comp ads.

          For my initial comps, I decided to go with Felton’s testimonial types, extreme user, expert, and just plain folks. In the extreme user comp ad, it showcases a group of people studying and researching the environment with solar panels in the back. Directed at the millennial target audience. The environmentally aware millennials fighting for a better future by entering fields of work that improves the environment and sustainability by starting with school. The expert comp ad questions the target audience about possibilities of obtaining the basics and what would be done to find an alternative. The just plain folks' comp ad connects to the “plain folks” that enjoy the outdoors and nature in general. The question is used to draw them and asking them to help protect it for the future.

         The revised testimonial ad comps were all done to have a consistent campaign. Each of the ads makes a statement or questions the target audience. In the body copy in them ties into the question or statement in the header with a way to show that there is no excuse for someone not to be involved in helping justice be brought for Earth. In the extreme user revised comp, I decided to use one student with a quote from them in the body copy to speak directly to the audience. The expert revised comp ad still has a question for the audience showing and telling the audience that a Hydrologist is not the only option to help protect and keep the water clean. Thus, directing them to donate and join EarthJustice. In the final comp, just plain folks, I revised by directing the ad to a specific audience, those that love and enjoy the outdoors. That target audience is now told that they can be a part of protecting the “Earth(With)Justice.”

          Some of the major takeaways came from the material I was given. My first takeaway to place my attention on researcher a brand/product/person’s target audience and use that to generate something specific to them to draw them in. That something specific that needs to be generated is my second takeaway. I learned that the headline, body copy, and call to action are all important factors that help get the message across to the target audience, helps make ads relatable. Lastly, my final take away comes from Felton’s book, Advertising Concept, and Copy. It in chapter 9 of that book wehre Felton helps you understand how to build a brands personality, by asking questions and finding the answers to those questions.

References: Felton, G.  (2013). Advertising: Concept and Copy (Third Edition), 3rd Edition [VitalSource Bookshelf version].  Retrieved from vbk://9780393733921

Smallish, C. (2013). Developing Ideas and Advertising Concepts. Retrieved from https://www.lynda.com/Design-Business-tutorials/Developing-Ideas-Design-Concepts/126121-2.html

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Mastery Journal: Design Research, Final Reflection

Connecting/Synthesizing/Transforming I was able to learn more about my own neighborhood through Ben Hill’s historic upbringing. The research I conducted was through city websites, church websites, and business websites. Given the time I was able to spend on research, going to a library seemed impossible. However, these websites were able to provide historic value to what Ben Hill came from. The location has a rich history from being named after a 1800s U.S. Senator Benjamin H. Hill, to being populated because of one of the oldest Methodist churches in the county, and the popularity of a former campground.

Problem Solving Initially, I was not sure what design direction I wanted to head into. However, with all the research conducted and information found I was able to change that. The problem was that I wasn’t really sure what made this area different from any other community. I then was all over the place in branding the location. With all the work conducted and feedback is given I was able to pinpoint the direction of branding I wanted; which was that this area is religious-based, rich in black culture, and very family-oriented. Having the experience of living in this community help me clarify and understand all the research I conducted.

Innovative Thinking In the short four weeks of working on branding this location, I believe that my ability to conduct research of the location finding out how it was named, how it began to be populated, and from personal experience in living in this area gave me an innovative way to think about approaching the area. Industry professionals do not normally live and experience living in an area they are branding; that doesn’t give them a full scope of what that location is. Yes, research, interviewing the community, and getting the community involved does help brand a location, but experiencing the area as someone that lives in the area gave me the ability to have an idea of what direction the brand of the location should be.

Acquiring Competencies I can honestly say I was able to be more comfortable in speaking and interviewing complete strangers. I felt out of my element in the first interview but after that the second and third interview I conducted felt as if I already know these people. However, I believe that because this community is found in religion and family values the interviewees made the process easier for me because that’s what they were raised on. I purposely chose not to interview someone I know I wanted to be able to be taken out of my element and learn ways to approach someone. Although, it did take me three tries to get someone that was willing to be interviewed. It was a great experience.

Reflection In all honesty, this course made me realize that looking into the history of places I live in or been to are very important. It gave me a glimpse into a community that I have lived in for over three years and found out information worthy to brag about. I was able to inform friends how the black culture in my community is so rich and supportive of one another. It is like I was able to be an outsider looking in into a new section of a community I have never seen or experience. From now on I will find myself wondering about the history of locations I either visit, pass through, or know of. It definitely makes me appreciate the community I live and makes me want to see it succeed and evolve.

Moving forward, I will tap into those values the community was founded on and express them to my community and those in it. I want to be able to brand this area so well that I capture the essence of religion, family, unity, and the black culture in a way that community locals, visitors, and people passing by take notice and appreciate the area. This has definitely been an insightful and informative month.

This is an overview of the different zoning areas in Ben Hill District.

A mural showcasing the black culture and displaying it for all to see.

This mural was named Walter by a community resident but it also was created with elements and values of the community in mind.

This is Ben Hill Methodist Church, one of the oldest in Fulton County, and one of the main reasons this area became populated.

The following is a transcript of the interviews conducted in the community by locals and followed with the empathy map based on these interviews.

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Mastery Journal: SWOT Analysis

Assessment of Class Performance Threats: A threat I have is that others are more skilled in hand drawing/sketching than I am. I have always been creative in sketches and designs digitally, that is how I got started in media design; I have never been able to draw or sketch as great as other students in the course. Another threat is prioritizing and procrastination, I underestimate the time required for each school task as well as my personal and work life. Opportunities: I have the opportunity to analyze my personal, work, and school life in order to be able to prioritize my duties by importance and urgency, as well as minimize my procrastination. I will capitalize on that threat with the help of Full Sail University’s online student liaison, the Connect site provides student tips for fighting procrastination and helping prioritize my task. With the research on books of drawing sketch tackle my lacking skills and improve it to above average abilities. Strengths: Some of my strengths are, attaining new knowledge for improvement, open-minded, determined, and being self-taught in the Adobe programs. My strengths help me overcome my weaknesses and strengths, taking me to the end goal regardless of what adversities come along in the process. 

Weaknesses: Overthinking and self-doubt working on any design project are my major weaknesses. In doing so, I tend to over-design or do too much, thus leading to clutter and disorganization of a project. I am always overthinking a design because I find myself feeling as if something is missing and I continue to add more and more.

Brand Development Vision Board

Kyoto Culture: The threat for this board was the layout and its contents. Nothing seemed to flow with one another, and it was extremely cluttered and not visible as well as the logo was off and needed work. The opportunity to change that threats were receiving helpful critiques in the design and reviewing what was creating clutter. I found that boxing each of the elements and added a background to that created the clutter, so it had to all go. My strength for this board was being able to assess the issues and correcting them. The weakness I found in this vision board was indeed overdoing the entire process.

Kyoto Tradition: The threat I had during this boards process was initially the logo and then the vision board overall look. The logo initially was a kimono silhouette, then it became a detailed kimono, then partial kimono, and lastly, I ended up sticking with the detail of the kimono, the cherry blossom. As for the vision board, it was too cluttered and took away from some of the keywords of the theme such as tranquility. Once again, the opportunity to overcome those threats came from feedback and new information learned throughout the month. My strength came from the final logo design, it allowed me to easily chose the color palette to use as well as creating a vision board layout that was more calming than cluttered. The weakness throughout the month for this logo and vision board was defiantly overthinking the design, which created the clutter in the vision board.

Kyoto Geography: My threat for this board was extreme clutter and unclarity of theme. The opportunity that helped me tackle that weakness was through feedback and new weekly information on brand development from this course. The strength I had through this process was taking feedback and information provided to me and use that to bring clarity to this vision board. My weakness was in the layout and background ideas I have chosen. I am still unsure about them both now but feel confident I was able to align it with the theme and keywords.

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Mastery Journal: Reflection

Task 1            At the beginning of the course, I had no set process. I would think of one idea and go with that and build from there. Over the past month, I have learned to include research and the importance of including it, as well as, sketching out all possible ideas. Looking over A Designer’s Research Manual: Succeed in Design by Knowing Your Clients and What They Really Need, by Jennifer Visocky O’Grady and Ken O’Grady, I was able to find a process diagram that fits my new way of tackling a project.

          The diagram above represents the process I have learned to take. The second step of the diagram, researching, provide me a connection to the city and a feel for what would be needed to be designed and sketched. Once research was done, I was able to create a mind-map on Kyoto, Japan’s culture, geography, and traditions. Once I had keywords to describe each aspect of Kyoto, I was able to create multiple sketches on each aspect of Kyoto. Even after creating the mind-map and turning keywords into sketches, I found myself researching the city throughout the entire sketching process. Continuous research gave me the opportunity to come up with new sketch ideas whether it was simple or detailed.           Looking at the aforementioned diagram, I now realized that regardless of what step I am in, research is still important throughout the entire process, from start to finish. The diagram visually represents my entire process this past month. I felt as if I was all over the place but now, I am seeing that it is ok and normal to continue to do research in the process, creates that sense of connection. With the revision sketches I found that I would skim through all the sketches I created to possibly come up with new ideas or utilize some aspect of a sketch into the revisions.

Task 3           The critiques I received over the last month seemed to gear towards compliments rather than critiquing. There was some feedback that was useful in my design process such as, adding detail, adding depth to a sketch, and letter placement. These suggestions proved to be helpful in the revision process. I was able to not take the critique personally and saw it as an opportunity to improve my skills for future projects. I will continue to welcome feedback and critiques from school peers, friends, and instructors. Without a pair of fresh eyes and ideas I would be stuck looking at a design closed-minded but being opened-minded during the design process can improve the direction of a design. Overall, the feedback was welcomed, considered, and some of it was implemented into the revised designs.

References

O'Grady, J. V., & O'Grady, K. V. (2009). A designers research manual: Succeed           in design by knowing your clients and what they really need. Beverly, MA:           Rockport Pub.

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Mastery Journal: Week 1 Course Reflection

         This post will serve as a reflection on my experience of the first week of Defining Your Clients Needs course. This will serve as an entry into my mastery journal throughout the program. The reflection will focus on key takeaways, graduate expectations, and an action plan. Having watched the live session playback and the “What Is Graphics Design” video by Sean Adams assisted with the commencement of this journal; post.

         I was able to watch the live session playback for week 1. I must say that I feel somewhat ahead of the curve, I do not see a big takeaway but more so as a big reminder. I have previously graduated Full Sail University (FSU) in 2016 with an MS in Entertainment Business; I can say that FSO has drastically changed in the last three years. I also completed one full year of a Ph.D. program at Capella University. I just have to continue to break my scholarly bad habits and forming new ones to keep me on the scholarly path. I know it will require a lot of self-motivation and organized independence.

         There were high expectations from my previous Ph.D. program and the live session just reminded me that being punctual, organized, time managing, and setting priorities can be crucial and important at the Graduate level. I am ready to continue the scholarly path and take responsibility for everything I do during this journey.

         My vision and expectations of the MDMFA program at FSU are to provide me with the knowledge and techniques that will enhance me as a media designer. My commitment will be 100% because if it is anything less, I am only cheating myself out on what I can or could learn in the program. A long-range goal I expect during and after the MDMFA program is for people to trust my abilities and not se3cond guess my qualities and skills in media design. A master’s in media design can and will help me gain the trust of future clients or employers I may work with or for. Not only does a degree symbolize knowledge gain in a certain field but it also showcases my own commitment to start and finish the program.

         Overall, the key takeaway for the live session is the reminder of maintaining the proper scholarly path during this program. The graduated level expectations have reminded me of what I need to continue to focus on in order to reach my long-range goal to enhance my skills as a Media Designer.

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Mastery Journal - Business Plan Development

          It has been a long and intense four weeks in my second to the last course for my master’s degree. My course goal almost a year ago was, “to obtain the ability to properly execute a business plan for my personal business.” I believe I meet and exceeded my goal over the last four weeks. I did not anticipate the intensity of research and writing that was involved in creating a business plan. I had to force myself to organize, narrow down, and specify many details in my business that, in the past, I was not thinking about doing. Learning about each section of the business plan definitely assisted me in focusing on each section and understand what the purpose for them was. I began this course without any expectations on what was going to be required because I didn’t want to limit myself to what I assumed it would be like. Instead, I commenced the course with an open mind and eagerness to learn the proper way to create a business plan. Keeping that open mind really made me take in all the information and I ran with it.

           One thing I did learn from this course is patience and organizational skills. It helped my progression in the course. Aside from that, I learned that the small details in creating a business plan, although minuscule compared to other things, are something important and crucial to a business plan. The target market, demographics, marketing, objective, etc. there are so many sections in a business plan that become important when placed together within a plan. I know that the business plan that is well planned, created, written, and executed will more than likely catch the eye of those looking to invest or support your company. At the end of the day, I believe I can improve my business plan to take it to the next level. However, applying what I have learned to go over my business plan, I know that I would be able to improve it and make it appealing enough for others to want to invest or be interested in working for or with my company, IAm4Rio MeDia.

           Personally, the things learned in this course could definitely help me sort my life decisions and goals and keep them well organized. I would be able to look at different aspects for solutions and options that can narrow out the bad from the good. Overall, this course was a success for me.

[iam4rio-blog]

Mastery Journal: Digital Marketing

          Currently taking a course in Digital Marketing, at Full Sail, and I am half way completed. Originally my goal was to improve my marketing skills by learning innovative ways of doing so. I have learned to understand that digital marketing and strategies used, as miniscule as some may think it might be, has a major effect on company or person’s brand. Prior to the course, I only had intermediate knowledge of digital marketing, more so the basics and importance of it. With two weeks left of the course, it’s been enlightening to know and fully understand the great importance digital marketing actually is. Gathering demographical information of those who interact with the brand can definitely play a major role on how much money a company can save. Rather than marketing to everyone on earth; using the demographic information collected, a company can focus their efforts and money on those specific areas. A new aspect about digital marketing that I have learned while in the first two weeks of the course is creating a digital marketing canvas. I love how it keeps your marketing campaign well organized to the point that if there are investors or sponsors for the campaign they know what to expect throughout the campaign. I was reading an article on HubSpot.com about a marketing mixer with keynote speaker Gary Vaynerchuk; a self-made Internet celebrity also referred to as a marketing guru. In the article it gave a few bullet points from his presentation. The one that stood out to me was Vaynerchuk stating, “Marketing is about the 2 Cs: Content and Community. Don't forget about that second C - Community - and think of your audience as human beings, not nameless, faceless potential for ROI.” With that statement, as a consumer and a person with very little knowledge in the marketing field, I felt important to the point where Gary sold me a ketchup Popsicle while I was wearing white gloves. It was just that impressive and simple! To psychologically feel cared about and not overlooked as just a consumer spending money will always win me over.

           I realize I may need to partner with someone to help my company with its digital marketing. The reason I say I would partner with someone in that area is because I want to be hands on with what goes on in any marketing campaign my company may have. I would not take over but I would give my opinion and insight based on someone who knows basics of marketing. This course already has me contemplating new innovative digital marketing ideas I can possibly use for my personal business or even utilize the idea with another company or brand. To say the least, I believe the knowledge, understanding, and information learned in this course is extremely beneficial for my company. I may not be skilled in the field of digital marketing however obtaining the knowledge presented in this course would help me with personally communicating what I required or need in my marketing campaigns without barriers, similar to an English speaking person with basic understanding in Spanish; they may not speak Spanish perfectly but the information and idea can be communicated thanks to basic knowledge and information in Spanish.

[iam4rio-blog]

Mastery Journal: Advanced Entertainment Law

           Just complete the course, Advanced Entertainment Law, here at Full Sail University. I recall my objective for this course originally was to obtain the knowledge and understanding of material given in the course. Although I have taken a few law courses in my undergraduate degree, Audio Production, it seems as though I was not as interested in the subject as I originally thought. Something about the course just did not engage me nor motivated me to do my best but more so do the minimum. At the end of the day I understood the course work and materials provided.

           I did learn that if one is not careful one could face lawsuits worth millions of dollars. Lawsuits could have easily been avoided with a simple fee payment to proper parties involved in licensing. Other elements of the course I recall were bad contracts between managers and artists. It takes just as much as one call to a lawyer to review a contract. It seems as though many artist fail to consult lawyers to review their contract, prior to signing the document. Which leads to contract disputes and the attempt to get released from them. Things become such a hassle when people fail to do their research and/or pay the proper fees in order to avoid any type of lawsuit.

           Overall, my downfall during this course was my lack of motivation in the subject at hand. It was the cause of my low grade and procrastination in doing assignments. Despite all of that I know that I have an understanding of law in the entertainment industry and know what I should and should not do when it comes to legal matters. Will always do my research when working with music to verify that all fees are paid and that the proper people get their credit where it is due.

[iam4rio-blog]

Mastery Journal: Entertainment Media Publishing and Distribution

This was honestly a great course. My original goal before taking this course was to use this as a refresher course. I have an Associate and a Bachelor degree in Audio Production and this type of information was always discussed in nearly every single course I have taken concerning Audio. During my undergraduate studies I never knew why they always brought up this subject, well I knew why but didn’t really realize how important it is to know this information if you are taking a career in the industry.

Two degrees later and a third one in the works I realize how important and essential this information is for people in the industry. People, like myself, do not realize the importance of it because, personally, it is overwhelming. There is so much information, rules, regulations, paper work, etc. I feel people just want to create the music they love to create and be done with it. However, in order to get what you deserve and receive the money that is owed to you understanding music publishing and distribution can honestly save and make person lots of money.

With technology being something that is advancing day by day, the understanding of this subject can leave you somewhere you wouldn’t imagine going as an independent artist. So many distribution and publishing outlets and companies available at your finger tips, that if done right a person can cut out the middleman, take their place, and collect all or most of the royalties for your creations.

Overall, I surpassed my previous goal as taking this course as a refresher. I honestly learned more on the subject. Either I forgot, never knew, or overlooked some of the information but I was able to learn them this time around. It honestly leads me looking into creating my own publishing and distribution company; why not just keep all or most of my money all while helping others at affordable pricing. This was such a great and fun course to have taken.

[iam4rio-blog]

Mastery Journal: Product & Artist Management

We all judge, we judge things prior to knowing about them or trying them out. This course is no exception. What I thought about this course in the beginning was boring, long, and nuisance. I figure it was going to be boring and not tune me into the course. But of course, I was completely wrong with my judgment.

I was extremely into the whole four weeks of this course. It amazed me that so much information and knowledge is required to be effective at management, whether it is a product or a person. Product and Artist Management is far more important than what most think. There is so much strategy, marketing, advertising, etc. placed into a product or artist that knowing and keeping up with current statistics, demographics, technology advancements, and social media networks all take a huge part in the way management takes place. 

The knowledge I have gained from this definitely opened my eyes up to things I was once blind to. Knowing my artists demographics of listeners and buyers will help me save time and money on marketing and ads for my artist. Knowing my target market allows me to focus my resources directly to that target market. 

In conclusion, this course was definitely more than what I expected. I was given the knowledge required to be an effect manager. Allowing myself to be productive and resourceful. Using my fingers to my advantage researching statistics and demographics. I won’t let me learning stop there, I do plan on still reading the text that was given to me. I feel that even though I have read the chapters I may have missed a few things that I might have over looked the first time. At the end of the day I was extremely satisfied with my learning experience throughout this course.

[iam4rio-blog]

Mastery Journal: Negotiation & Deal Making

In the beginning my goal for this course, Negotiation and Deal Making, was to have the knowledge and understating in order to make the right and proper choice for my business and clients. After four weeks of reading, researching, and obtaining knowledge I feel the confidence in being able to have successful negotiation. It was nothing I have expected to be at first, however it did surpass my expectations and then some.

I must admit that I was nervous and reserved about this course. I was overthinking what it was going to be like to the point of creating a negative image of the content to be learned. I taught my self to believe that it would be a lot of reading and not enough hands on learning of the course. Was I began the course it slowly came together and created a better understanding of the course. It is definitely mush easier to understand negotiating and deal making after completing research and assignments that place my mind in the mindset of negotiation and deal making. Learning the different clauses for contracts, techniques in personal thinking, and the ability to separate myself from the deal was all very informative and useful. Overall, I received what I wanted and needed out of the four weeks in this course.

What I do plan on doing is continue reading the material provided in this course to further enhance my understanding in negotiation. I feel as though this course would be the most useful and effect learning I have received. Not only can I apply this to my business, I also can apply to my own personal life. Whether I need to negotiate a pay raise, personal loan, purchasing a new vehicle, or even purchasing my first house. I never knew negotiation and deal making is frequent in my every day life.

[iam4rio-blog]

Mastery Journal: Hall of Fame

I decided to join in on a live session event put on by Full Sail University titled The Multi-Tool Mentality. This Hall Of Fame event was very informational and gave a bigger understanding on job tittles in the entertainment industry.

Honestly, when deciding to choose a Hall of Fame event to attend I wasn’t sure which to choose from. The Multi-Tool Mentality was the one that stood out to me. I didn’t know what type of conversation to expect. Could have been about audio engineer tips or even video production tips, I was wrong.

They spoke about having a specific job tittle on your business card or job tittle you mainly use when describing your job, but at the same time the person has multiple talents. The panel described being multi talent in a positive way for someone’s career, however there is a downfall to that. The downfall being that a person has many skills but a master at none. Many people stretch themselves thin trying to do everything on a project; not realizing that sometimes it is ok to let others help out. Just because a person is good at doing multiple things doesn’t make the project any better than what it could have been.

Throughout the panel discussion, Brice Helman, Joey Morell, Jeff Unay, and moderator: Mike Dunn, all seemed to agree that it is ok to ask for help or even ask questions. When faced with bumps in the road or you’re just not sure of the direction you are headed, is when you ask for help or questions. It is amazing that the panel have been working in the industry for years and listening the their career story was impactful. Each of the panelist, having similarities, stated that when they started their educational path and major they started off with one major but then found that they wanted to do something else because they found it interesting or more comfortable to their natural skill.

This information was very valuable for my career and myself. I learned that I cannot do anything alone and that I have limits when working on projects. This knowledge, personal experience, and information from the panel will allow me to not be afraid to hire help, ask for help, or even ask questions on what it is I am doing.

 Watch Here: The Multi-Tool Mentality