After discussing my idea for my project with my group I realized how complicated/not fully developed it was. Originally, I wanted to do a project on the horse barns - doing so with a news twist of some kind, such as horses getting taken in due to the economy, the Theraputic program, ect.
After conversing with my group, I've decided to stick with the horse barn but do a profile on the barn itself - as Phil suggested, make the barn the center of the piece where all of the action occurs and in essence personify the barn. I really like this idea but it is definitely going to be challenging. Some ideas I have is to take pictures of the activities in the morning, when the first person gets there and at night, when the last person leaves and then have pictures of the numerous activities throughout the day. I want to hear from the students who make the barn part of their daily routines and find out what it's like, is it hard fitting it in to an academic schedule? What's the most memorable thing that people can remember happening in the barn - i.e. a horse being born, a horse dying, or people dealing with their outside lives within the barn. I'm really excited about the project with this new approach - I think instead of having it be totally newsy, it'll have an artistic component but at the same time be profiling a large piece of campus that many don't hear about aside from competitions, the therapy program, ect.
After meeting with my group I feel much more focused. I feel like I can honestly be successful in my project. I'm really excited to not only see my finished project but also some of the members of my group. Nicole has a really great idea of profiling students, much like the New York Times series we watched. I think while challenging, if pulled off, it will be an amazing and timeless project. I also like Sylvia's project idea - she's going to do multimedia on couples at college. I like it because I haven't heard the idea before, it's completely original, and again, if pulled off, could make for a really great story.
I'm still very nervous about the project - I know that there's a lot that could go wrong. I can hear people questioning, "so what?" Rather than tie up the barn in a piece of news, such as budgeting, therapy, competitions or some other specific angle, I think a profile and a personification can be made into its own angle.
I am meeting with the director of the barn, Sarah Hamilton, tomorrow and I'm excited to see what other ideas she has for my profile.
Meeting in groups and discussing ideas was definitely very helpful!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Shooting Video
Like taking photos, shooting video is no easy task. Looking at videos made by others, it looks easy enough, but what's hard is keeping the frame steady, making sure the lighting is adequate and also making sure the subject of the shot doesn't make distracting gestures or that there isn't too much background noise. Unlike photos, which consist of one stillframed moment, in videos a lot can go wrong - or there are more elements to be aware of. As previously mentioned, background noise, which doesn't have to be considered when taking a picture, can be extremely distracting, i.e. even a hum from an air duct or heating device can ruin a clip.
One thing that I do like more about video more than photography is that there is more of a chance to shoot something great if there is a continuous filming, versus shooting a picture where the 'ah-ha' moment can be harder to capture.
Like photography, everyone thinks they can easily create great film, which is not the case. In previous video assignments, both with this class and during my internship, I thought shooting video wouldn't be all that challenging but when you get back to your computer and your editing down film wishing that you could have just held a steadier hand or asked your subject to switch seats with you because the light from the window behind them created a glare - the skill to shoot a good video is realized.
Still shots accompanied by audio, i.e. a slideshow, can be really effective, but there's something about seeing a subject in real time discuss a point - there's an intimate factor, like as the audience you were there having the conversation or witnessing what the video puts forth. Video, like photography, makes for great multimedia, which in conjecture with journalism, only enhances a story and the view a subject has.
One thing that I do like more about video more than photography is that there is more of a chance to shoot something great if there is a continuous filming, versus shooting a picture where the 'ah-ha' moment can be harder to capture.
Like photography, everyone thinks they can easily create great film, which is not the case. In previous video assignments, both with this class and during my internship, I thought shooting video wouldn't be all that challenging but when you get back to your computer and your editing down film wishing that you could have just held a steadier hand or asked your subject to switch seats with you because the light from the window behind them created a glare - the skill to shoot a good video is realized.
Still shots accompanied by audio, i.e. a slideshow, can be really effective, but there's something about seeing a subject in real time discuss a point - there's an intimate factor, like as the audience you were there having the conversation or witnessing what the video puts forth. Video, like photography, makes for great multimedia, which in conjecture with journalism, only enhances a story and the view a subject has.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
I will read the class blog
I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog. I will read the class blog.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Slideshow response
The New York Time’s slideshow entitled Melissa Dixson: The Urban Taxidermist was great with and without audio. The pictures show clearly a story, with a beginning, middle and an end. Not only is the story visually interesting, it is also unique and compelling to watch. Like the other slideshows produced by the New York Times, the individuality and rare story offered by the subject is precisely what makes it newsworthy. Melissa’s story, like doing a story on a funeral director or someone who embalms human bodies, is compelling because people are always interested to know what exactly it is these kind of people do.
I first watched the slideshow with no sound and I could see what her job was and where it started. The first still shot is of a squirrel, which brought me to believe it was something important to her beginning as a taxidermist. After listening to the slideshow, it turns out it was the first animal she “cut open.” The first shot was crucial, in that it didn’t show just any dead animal, it was relevant to Melissa’s story, but it was also cute, which opened the audience base - versus having an animal half cut open or vicious looking.
I loved the photographers use of both dead and alive animals. Towards the end of the slideshow there is a picture of a deer looking out of the New York City studio and a bird is soaring over the buildings. Ironically the bird could end up in Melissa’s hands. Immediately following, is a picture of a cat rubbing up against deer antlers. In the voiceover, Melissa is saying she doesn’t do pets and goes on to explain the type of phone calls she has received from various pet owners. Not only does the picture fit brilliantly into what she’s saying but the picture is also really neat - the movement of the cat is familiar and as the audience you can almost see it walking up to the inanimate object and rubbing its face all the way down to its tail.
The pictures, like Melissa says about her job, makes the audience stare death in the face. In the case of the wildcat skin hanging on the wall and the wolf with open jaws, the photos are honest and almost unnerving at some points and yet the picture of the small baby deer on the shelf next to a collection of butterflies is beautiful and one has an appreciation for the work Melissa does. By providing a range of perspectives for the viewer, the photographer not only allowed the magnitude of the story to be told but did so in an honest and creative way. From the general photos, which showed her whole studio, down to the plant in the corner with the bunny poking it’s head out, the photographer did a great job of showing the large picture as well as the smaller subcomponents that make Melissa’s story worth telling and thus worth watching.
I loved that the photos were in black and white - it adds a timeless feature to them, however, you can still see the good use of angle and light, or shading, in the pictures.
I first watched the slideshow with no sound and I could see what her job was and where it started. The first still shot is of a squirrel, which brought me to believe it was something important to her beginning as a taxidermist. After listening to the slideshow, it turns out it was the first animal she “cut open.” The first shot was crucial, in that it didn’t show just any dead animal, it was relevant to Melissa’s story, but it was also cute, which opened the audience base - versus having an animal half cut open or vicious looking.
I loved the photographers use of both dead and alive animals. Towards the end of the slideshow there is a picture of a deer looking out of the New York City studio and a bird is soaring over the buildings. Ironically the bird could end up in Melissa’s hands. Immediately following, is a picture of a cat rubbing up against deer antlers. In the voiceover, Melissa is saying she doesn’t do pets and goes on to explain the type of phone calls she has received from various pet owners. Not only does the picture fit brilliantly into what she’s saying but the picture is also really neat - the movement of the cat is familiar and as the audience you can almost see it walking up to the inanimate object and rubbing its face all the way down to its tail.
The pictures, like Melissa says about her job, makes the audience stare death in the face. In the case of the wildcat skin hanging on the wall and the wolf with open jaws, the photos are honest and almost unnerving at some points and yet the picture of the small baby deer on the shelf next to a collection of butterflies is beautiful and one has an appreciation for the work Melissa does. By providing a range of perspectives for the viewer, the photographer not only allowed the magnitude of the story to be told but did so in an honest and creative way. From the general photos, which showed her whole studio, down to the plant in the corner with the bunny poking it’s head out, the photographer did a great job of showing the large picture as well as the smaller subcomponents that make Melissa’s story worth telling and thus worth watching.
I loved that the photos were in black and white - it adds a timeless feature to them, however, you can still see the good use of angle and light, or shading, in the pictures.
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