What I've Learned So Far

Michaela Blain Student at American University Currently a member of Visual Literacy, or COMM 105 This is what I've learned so far.

[michaela-at-au]

It Only Takes One Heart. Yours.

*** The Title is the Link ***

This link is in case the title link doesn't work:

Scribd Link:  https://www.scribd.com/embeds/249832615/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&show_recommendations=true

These links are embedded in the presentation:

Here is a link to our video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BIW0WlS9L0&feature=youtu.be

Here is a link to our radio spot: https://soundcloud.com/user374163356/unf-radio-spot

           We began this project individually, each of us coming up with our own image and tag line. This was essential, I think, because it gave each of us an idea where the other was coming from. However, when it came time to choose an official tagline, we went with mine, It Only Takes One Heart. We felt that this could represent all of the United Nations Foundation, which to be quite honest, was something of a struggle. They have so many programs, and to give an idea of them all seemed overwhelming. We felt though, that this tagline could do it sufficiently. So from this point we divided up the work. Since the concept was mine, and I knew the most about it, I took on the task of introducing it, and summarizing it for our first client presentation. I also took on the job of making sure all the print ads were coherent, and that I could describe what we were trying to achieve with them. The rest of the group took on jobs of their own, Emma Claire with the video, JJ with the radio spot, and Carolyn with really summarizing and understanding the campaign.

            After the feedback we got from the first client presentation, we realized the importance of following through with our idea. The tagline didn’t seem complete. So we added the word yours. It Only Takes One Heart. Yours. This makes the tagline personal, and draws the audience in. They see that in fact, they can make a difference, anyone can. This I think was a turning point in our campaign. Now we each had a better idea of what our campaign was, and what we were trying to accomplish. This way, when we actually made the content for the final presentation, we were each prepared, and we really knew what we were trying to convey. This tagline is also extremely easy to make common across different mediums. It is something that is memorable, but not overly pushy, and I think that was very important to us.

            We wanted this to be a universal campaign. Anyone can make a difference, and that is what we took into consideration when deciding how we wanted to distribute our campaign. We decided that even though we were trying to appeal to a younger demographic, that shouldn’t stop us from attempting to appeal to an older one as well. This is a campaign that can touch anyone’s heart, and I think that was very important to us.

            Presenting to the client was nerve-wracking for sure, but we spoke confidently, because we believed in what we were saying. This above everything else is extremely important. This true belief in our campaign caused us to be able to speak easier, and present better. This campaign has grown on us, and we believe in its potential.

           This is and always has been, and extremely good group of people to work with. We work well together, and we understand each other. I am happy to have been given this opportunity.

[michaela-at-au]

It Only Takes One Heart. Yours.

Michaela Blain

JJ Blake

Emma Claire Martin

Carolyn Schneider

Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BIW0WlS9L0&feature=youtu.be

Here is the Radio spot: https://soundcloud.com/user374163356/unf-radio-spot

This experience was a good one, if not a slightly terrifying one. I did not expect the room to be that large, or to be that full. We were however, prepared, and passionate, which is all we needed to be. Personally, I feel as though I'm terrible at presenting things, because I get very nervous, and I find myself using filler words quite often.

I enjoyed seeing how others had updated their presentations, but I especially loved watching the UN Foundation staff's reaction to the presentations. They were very expressive, and I could tell whenever they thought something was a good idea.

I suppose something I had hooped to get out of it was more feedback from the UN Foundation staff. I expected immediate reaction and critique, and was surprised not to get any. I am always looking for a chance to improve. I did however, like their informal question and answer session at the end, where they asked us our opinion on issues. It made me feel as though we were a part of something, and that we were valuable to them.

Overall, it was a pleasant and illuminating experience.

[michaela-at-au]

Example of our Print Ad.

Just in case it didn't work before.

[michaela-at-au]

Rain Rough Cut

Here is our rough cut for Rain.

Note it is very, very rough.

Michaela: Actor/Writer

Emma Claire: Actor/Writer

JJ: Producer/Director

Carolyn: Film/Editing

Rain’s Rustle: Leonid Afremov

Michaela + Emma: Writing via Google Docs

JJ (all of us really): Sunday completely devoted to filming

Carolyn: Editing will happen throughout the week

Park: Present

The younger sister waits here for the arrival of the older sister, first and last shot, the girls come together here in the last shot

Metro: Past + Present

A flashback memory scene happens here, as well as present day shot of the older sister

Cafe: Past

A flashback shot of the two sisters

One is a traveler at heart; the other just wants home and hearth. Two sisters torn apart by time must find a way to reconcile, as they deal with the pain of their past.

[michaela-at-au]

Rain

      This project was an interesting one. Once again our group works very well together, so we immediately split the group according to our strengths. Emma Claire and I took to screenwriting and acting, JJ took the directing and producing, and Carolyn took the editing. We based our project off of Leonid Afremov’s Rain’s Rustle. We thought this painting emanated such beauty, and that it would be fun to come up with a back story for these two characters. We decided it wild be two girls. Our original concept was that they were sisters, but we then decided that they could be close friends instead. There is this imminent threat of rain throughout the film, which causes the girls to put up the umbrella shown in the final shot. The girls grow apart throughout the film, but reconcile in the last shot.

      We used flashbacks matched with the present through crosscutting to weave our tale. This utilized a clever use of voice over to explain the present day situation.  Personally, some of my favorite shots were taken in the park scenes as they are beautifully lined up. I think they contrast very well with our scenes from the past. The music choice as well really brings home this film for me.

     This was not our easiest project, but I think it shows the most growth for our group.

[michaela-at-au]

Reaction To Client Feedback Post

The client feedback was very interesting and informative for our group, It Only Takes One Heart. First, it was great to have the experience pitching, and presenting in front of a group of people, as that can be incredibly nerve-wracking. Secondly, they gave us the advice to follow through, and finish our tag line, which is something that we had not thought of. The idea of It Only Takes One Heart... Yours, is special and it does tie together exactly what we are trying to portray very nicely. This is something that I know our group will strive to get across.

This is something that we can and will carry into our video and radio spot as well. I liked the idea of our concept being universal, and that by telling our audience that their heart is the one that can make a difference is encouraging and definitely the point we are attempting to get across.

I am also now certain that if we weren't triple checking for typos or grammatical mistakes before, we will most certainly be doing so now.

All and all it was very informative, and a productive meeting. I feel we learned quite a bit from it.

[michaela-at-au]

Potential Client Pics for Ad Campaign.

Slogan: It Only Takes One Heart.

[michaela-at-au]

Letts Side Story

Enchanted

Doctor Horrible's Sing Along Blog

Robin Hood Men In Tights

          These three trailers are examples of the “Musical Parody”. They each embody the concept of taking a normal genre and sort of turning its head, and making fun of it in a way. They each do this through over exaggeration, and at times confusion.

            In our trailer, we used several different types of shots to set up this “musical parody” feel. We had a dramatic zoom on conflict, conflict which clearly when contextualized isn’t actually all that dramatic at all. We also used the ever-necessary crosscutting to show the love mixed with the angry people against the love story. It is all very stereotypical, and unnecessary, which is how it is made into a parody. We use dramatic angles, for example, a low angle to show anger. We also use dramatic tilts, such as a tilt up to show love, or a tilt down to follow our lead’s eye line.

            We tried to utilize the stereotypical shots, such as the meeting of the two leads through a bookshelf, or the laughing and studying together. These shots are so cheesy, they are making fun of the romance genre altogether. Not only was it a parody commenting on the romance genre, it was also a parody commenting on the structure of the conflict between the two residence halls, Letts and Anderson, and over dramatizing it for comedic effect.

Techniques We Used

Pan Right ~ Order

Zoom ~ Conflict

High Angle ~ Contrast

Pan Left ~ Chaos

Love~ Tilt up

OSS ~ Repulsion

Low Angle ~ Anger

Tilt Down ~ Surprise

Cross Cutting

Look At

Jump Cut

Match Cut

*Note: This edit is without labels*

The edit with labels

[michaela-at-au]

O brother where art thou - prophecy scene

The first shot in this scene is a medium close up on Everett. His face and eyes are looking off to the right, clearly having spotted something. This opens the audience up to a potential new character to enter the scene. There is a jump cut to the next shot, which is a master establishing shot. In the distance and moving towards the camera is a character literally pushing himself further into the shot. Here we also get the audio of squeaking, which adds depth to the action, which the character on the trolley is completing. The camera draws into the next shot, following the main trio as the approach the character on the trolley. Once again, audio plays a large role in this shot, with the continued noise from the trolley and the rattling of the chains as the trio moves towards the trolley. The trolley continues to move towards the camera until the next shot, when it changes after the trio hops on the trolley. The shot then jump cuts to looking at the trio from a completely different angle. Here we are getting a lower shot, with a medium close-up, in 3’s. The trio forms a triangle on the trolley. We are watching Everett’s eye line, as the camera is focused on him, as he is in the foreground of the shot. The camera angle changes for the next shot, with a worm’s eye view of our trolley man. This gives him importance and height over our trio. This shot stays for a while as we establish background information about this trolley man, which to be quite honest is not a lot. When the camera shifts back to a close up of Everett, he is looking up at the man, and squinting, which gives the approximation of sunlight, and in turn, time of day. It appears to be early in the afternoon, when the sun is in its zenith. This is an interesting note that the filmmakers decided to put in this shot. This shot focuses on Everett as he attempts to continue the conversation with the mystery man. Also in this shot we can see and hear the continued action of the trolley lever moving up and down. This is going on behind Everett. The shot then turns back to the mystery man, or “the oracle”, as he opens up with his prediction for the boys. Also of note, it is obvious in these shots of the mystery man that he is blind, as his eyes are glazed over. This is the worm’s eye view we saw earlier. It then switches to the same shot of Everett as before, as he reacts to this initial assessment from the oracle. The shot of the oracle is special also because of its use of blank space, using the practically white sky as a backdrop for the oracle, making him fill the shot, and also appear more mystical and important. Overall, the scene uses the sound of the moving trolley to fill the dead air when no one is talking, and it is always there in the background.  The shots of Everett and the boys are always supported by the backdrop of the fields giving them a warm earthy tone, while the shots of the oracle have the backdrop of the sky, making him appear mystical and all important.  

[michaela-at-au]

Painting to Life Project

Michaela: Actor/Writer

Emma Claire: Actor/Writer

JJ: Producer/Director

Carolyn: Film/Editing

Rain’s Rustle: Leonid Afremov

Michaela + Emma: Writing via Google Docs

JJ (all of us really): Sunday completely devoted to filming

Carolyn: Editing will happen throughout the week

Park: Present

The younger sister waits here for the arrival of the older sister, first and last shot, the girls come together here in the last shot

Metro: Past + Present

A flashback memory scene happens here, as well as present day shot of the older sister

Cafe: Past

A flashback shot of the two sisters

One is a traveler at heart; the other just wants home and hearth. Two sisters torn apart by time must find a way to reconcile, as they deal with the pain of their past.

[michaela-at-au]

While compiling my photo essay, for some reason, I focused quite a bit on light and lighting. Many of my pictures are either over or under exposed, or they play with shadows. My theme was my floor, Hughes Hall: Floor 5. I took pictures of some of the more unique aspects, as well as the more normal aspects of the floor, and compiled them to give a better picture of who we are.

For example, the picture with the metallic bug in the front was from a care package opened in the lounge. The blue kettle is also shared in the lounge. We have a sign pointing to where the elevators are, but it is upside down and pointing at a wall. These are all aspects of our floor that make us unique in our own strange little way. However also depicted are room numbers, a washer, the hallway and a carpet. These are the same in every hall, yet they seem special to me. I tried to depict that in the ways that I set up the photos, whether I twisted the floor meeting the carpet, or I played with the lighting.

I wanted to portray how special this floor is to me, and I’m hoping I did just that.

[michaela-at-au]

Upon seeing this photo I immediately knew it was the photo I wanted to choose. The children in these photos sell the picture with their eyes. The look of them all together gave off the aesthetic I was trying to portray. They show hope, and they show that an individual person can do something. That is what I wanted to show with my choice of words as well. It only takes one heart, meaning it only takes one individual to change another’s life.

I chose the font Optima and the maroon color, because I felt they complimented the picture. They portrayed both the seriousness of the situation, but I could also feel the hope from them as well. I situated the text so that it frames the children in a way that the audience’s eyes are drawn to them. In the bottom corner I put the UNF’s website to use as reference. I really wanted the children to be the main focus of the picture, keeping the text to a minimum. I also didn’t want it all to seem incredibly “Sarah Mclachlan”, which is why I tried to pick a hopeful picture. The picture isn’t incredibly sad or depressing, which makes the text seem more hopeful.

[michaela-at-au]

This photo taken by Tyler Hicks and displayed in the New York Times on September 23, 2013 is a 2014 Pulitzer Prize winning photo. It displays a mother holding her children down during the Kenyan Mall Massacre. This massacre consisted of a four-day siege of the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya. The Islamic terrorist group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack. A year after the event there is still much confusion as to why it occurred. These militants were armed with AK-47 assault rifles, and they were shooting men, women, and children. 67 people were killed, and 200 were injured. Massive looting took place during the siege, and some assume that it was the Kenyan Defense Forces were the ones who looted the mall. This was an extremely violent and frightening attack. During this time, the mother needed to keep her children down and quiet, so she was humming and singing to keep them still. There are still some individuals, around twenty maybe, that are still considered missing. As this is a current event issue, it displays people’s fears about terrorism today, and demonstrates how the every day man (or woman) is affected by it. Images such as these work a shock factor for the public, especially for those who are removed from the situation. It connects humanity.

The photo itself contains many of the fundamental elements of photography. There are several different things going on in this photo. One definite element that first caught my eye was the use of framing. The photographer uses the counter space and the wooden barrier to frame the family in his shot. The fit into this space nicely, and the eye is therefore drawn to them. The photographer utilizes asymmetry as well, between the right and left side of the photo. The right side is incredibly cluttered and disorganized. There is quite a bit for the eye to latch on to. The left side however, is mostly devoid of any objects, containing almost entirely empty space. The only things that could be seen in this space are the mother and boy, as well as the wooden barrier. Another element utilized in this photograph is bird’s eye view. Clearly this picture was taken from above, looking down on the family. This provides an interesting perspective, almost removing oneself from the situation, looking down on it. This allows the view to take in the whole scene, rather than just a limited lower perspective. Another element utilized by the photographer was pattern. The pattern of the floor tiles immediately draws attention, and because the pattern is disrupted, the eye is drawn to anomaly in the pattern. This anomaly is of course the family, and the counter space.

The viewer is drawn to the chaos in the scene. I for one, immediately wondered if the family was alive or dead. It is this immediate reaction, and this questioning that makes this photo so important. It makes people think. The photo holds the power both to capture attention, and keep that attention. That is how a photo like this one connects humanity.

[clairedelunefilms]

Photo Scavenger Hunt

…

// <![CDATA[ var cpo = []; cpo["_object"] ="cp_widget_f599a3f5-a3ff-4348-b383-137c223cc246"; cpo["_fid"] = "AQBAW_rNv7ef"; var _cpmp = _cpmp || []; _cpmp.push(cpo); (function() { var cp = document.createElement("script"); cp.type = "text/javascript"; cp.async = true; cp.src = "//www.cincopa.com/media-platform/runtime/libasync.js"; var c = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; c.parentNode.insertBefore(cp, c); })(); // ]]>

[michaela-at-au]

If you prefer this format, I for some reason could not get it to work.

[michaela-at-au]

Reflection on the Photo Scavenger Hunt

With this scavenger hunt, I was opened up to new artistic views. It was interesting to look at the world, and see what story I want to tell through the images I am seeing. I found setting up the shots to be exciting and honestly it was quite a bit of fun. I enjoyed looking for things that we could photograph, and finding moments line up actually gave me a sense of satisfaction. Emma Claire and myself called it “moments of greatness”. We split up the work of photographing and editing, and found that we work very well together.

I also enjoyed editing the photos, which I found surprising. Setting up the shots was only part of the experience, and the editing extended my vision in a way that was new to me. I don’t have much experience working with photography, so jumping right in to this, in this extensive sort of way was entirely new and exciting. (Also a bit intimidating)

My favorite moment was when I set out to take the silhouette and portraits, because I went to extreme lengths to make it work. I attached my blankets to ceiling with binder clips in order to block light coming in. I felt inspired when doing this, and that is something I have never really felt with photography. This was new, but incredibly fun for me.

[michaela-at-au]

1.) Portrait with Back Lighting

2.) Portrait with Front Lighting

3.) Portrait with High Side Lighting 

4.) Portrait with Side Lighting

5.) Portrait with Top Lighting

6.) Portrait with Under Lighting

[michaela-at-au]

1.) Uniform ~ Wide Angle

2.) Vehicle ~ Pattern

3.) Water ~ Worm's Eye View

4.) White on White ~ Rule of Third's

5.) Empty Space ~ Hierarchy

6.) Emotion ~ Balance