VisCom Notes: March 2009

Thursday, March 26, 2009

VisCom Notes 03.26.09a

VisCom Notes
03.26.09a

Hello Visual Communicators,

Today I want to talk about the final projects and course progress with each of you, individually. We can have a discussion of multimedia storytelling. You can work during class on adding audio while I talk with individuals.

Today, Thursday 26 at 12:30 in Room 254, Prof. Jamal Sullivan will do a workshop on Beginning Webpage Design. Prof. Sullivan teaches in the Electronic Studio of the Fine Arts Dept. This is part of our workshop series. He will be working in “Dreamweaver” which is available on our machines. I don’t know how many more times this will happen so get to it if you can.

These are your assignments

Open Google Accounts- Gmail, Picasa (Picasaweb.google.com), Blogger (some are using other Blog sites)
Photograph- a person you do not know, get names. They should be living their lives and you should have a caption (who,What, When Why...)
Blog page- Start and upload the photograph ( this is how you will deliver your assignments (professional, portfolio.)
Familiarize your self with these sites * they are loaded with tutorials and Articles.
Photoshop Assignment- Do three things to a photo in Photoshop and upload to your page
Phone (mobile) posting- Make two phone posts ^ per week, to VisCom S09 (or email to address^below)
A picture Story, keep it simple. We will use it in a “timeline” in Final Cut
Read Journalism 2.0, Chapter 8- (digital Photos) and Chapter 9 (shooting Video)
Read Journalism 2.0, Chapter 10 , “Basic Video Editing”
View the Final cut Tutorials at <http://seminars.apple.com/seminarsonline/richmediafcp/apple/index1.html>
Lay your picture story in the timeline of a Final Cut Project, (To be safe bring a storage device 5-10 gigs.)
“Five steps to Multimedia Storytelling” http://www.newsu.org/courses/course_detail.aspx?id=ucknight_multimedia07
Add an audio track to your Final Cut Slideshow

Later
CH

Journalism Workshop Calendar http://socdojworkshops.blogspot.com/ Prof Herndon’s Office Hours Calendar http://profherndonscalendar.blogspot.com/ VisCom, Photojournalism, Multimedia (VPM*) Pages http://crn17559a.blogspot.com/ VisCom S09 http://viscoms09.blogspot.com/ Prof Herndon’s Sometime Blog http://craigseyes.blogspot.com/ washingtonpost.com Camera Works http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/index.html The New York Times, Multimedia/Photos http://www.nytimes.com/pages/multimedia/index.html/ *Knight Digital Media Center http://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/ *News University http://www.newsu.org/ *J-Learning http://www.j-learning.org/ *J-Lab http://www.j-lab.org/ *Journalism 2.0 (text download) http://www.kcnn.org/resources/journalism_20/ Blog Post (phone or email)^ VisComS09.room254@blogger.com / Picasa Post VisComS09.picasa@picasaweb.com

--
Prof. Craig Herndon/ Asst. Professor Multi-Media Studies/ Howard University/ Washington, D.C. 20059/ 410.703.8708 cell/202.806.7856 SOC ofc/ craigherndon@mindspring.com / craigherndon@verizon.net

Monday, March 23, 2009

VisCom Notes 03.24.09a I'm Baaack!

VisCom Notes
03.24.09a

Hello Visual Communicators,

I’m BAAACK!

Sorry I had to take a break. But I’m back. For those of you who made the FCP Workshop with Mr Kendrick, congratulations. For those of you who didn’t, that is still work that you must do. ( The FCP slideshow is now in the list of assignments.) Develop some facility in Final Cut, it will serve you later, especially if you are in broadcast. Now we want to do some audio. I want to do it Final Cut and add it to the (/or a) slideshow piece. What audio fits your slideshow piece. Next shoot video. I have newsu.org program for you to do. It will help you figure out where you are going with your final project. It is called 5 steps to Multimedia Storytelling*. COURSE DETAILS/ Title: Five Steps to Multimedia Storytelling/ Instructor: Jane Stevens:

http://www.newsu.org/courses/course_detail.aspx?id=ucknight_multimedia07

“Reporters today are often faced with the challenge of telling their stories in a multimedia format. In this course, you’ll discover the basic steps necessary to organize a story. You’ll learn how to approach the steps with the correct tools and how to edit and assemble all of the elements into a engaging report.”

Final Projects- Final projects will be in a form of your choosing- Picture stories (coherent story), Video pieces (2-3 minutes max.) I will even entertain poetic pieces, but I will be the judge, in that case. These pieces must communicate something, and have strong visual content, though they need not be overly heavy. Multimedia projects will be worth more than simple pieces. You can focus your final (in one medium or mode,) but I still want everyone to do everything on the assignment list below and upload it to a professional looking page to which you can attach your resume. It should be something you can be proud of.

These are your assignments

Open Google Accounts- Gmail, Picasa (Picasaweb.google.com), Blogger (some are using other Blog sites)
Photograph- a person you do not know, get names. They should be living their lives and you should have a caption (who,What, When Why...)
Blog page- Start and upload the photograph ( this is how you will deliver your assignments (professional, portfolio.)
Familiarize your self with these sites * they are loaded with tutorials and Articles.
Photoshop Assignment- Do three things to a photo in Photoshop and upload to your page
Phone (mobile) posting- Make two phone posts ^ per week, to VisCom S09 (or email to address^below)
A picture Story, keep it simple. We will use it in a “timeline” in Final Cut
Read Journalism 2.0, Chapter 8- (digital Photos) and Chapter 9 (shooting Video)
Read Journalism 2.0, Chapter 10 , “Basic Video Editing”
View the Final cut Tutorials at <http://seminars.apple.com/seminarsonline/richmediafcp/apple/index1.html>
Lay your picture story in the timeline of a Final Cut Project, (To be safe bring a storage device 5-10 gigs.)
*Do Five steps to Multimedia Storytelling

We are picking up the pace.
CH

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

VisCom Notes 03.11.09a Please come Thursday

VisCom Notes
03.11.09a

Hello Visual Communicators,

Tuesday only a few of you showed. I assume you got my message and chose to forward our Visual Communication project from the confines of your individual lives, great. Let’s keep moving toward the end of our semester. Remember it’s only a few weeks away. Bring your picture stories to class Thursday. I have seen some of them in Picasa slideshows. The rest I will assume are coming. Remember I must have work to grade you. No work, no grades. Good work, good grades. Great work, great grades.

***Please come on Thursday. Frederic Kendrick will give you a Final Cut Lesson. I want you to lay your picture stories ( Multiple pictures that tell a story) in the Final Cut Timeline and then we will add an audio track. (Do see Brain Storm’s FCP Seminar @ Seminars.Apple.com) Prof Sturgis, Frederic Kendrick and Ms Ransom will endeavor to have Final Cut on the machines, so make a showing (everyone.) If you have audio you would like to lay in the timeline, bring it along. Some of you who normally hang in 254, may have the opportunity to move forward with the project. Remember the ”Play Ethic”- “You have to play with it to master it.”

Final Projects- Final projects will be in a form of your choosing- Picture stories (coherent story), Video pieces (2-3 minutes max.) I will even entertain poetic pieces, but I will be the judge, in that case. These pieces must communicate something, and have strong visual content, though they need not be overly heavy. Multimedia projects will be worth more than simple pieces. You can focus your final (in one medium or mode,) but I still want everyone to do everything on the assignment list below and upload it to a professional looking page to which you can attach your resume. It should be something you can be proud of.

I understand Rahel wasn’t there Tuesday, so if you want to work with her talk to her soon. Once she structures her project, she will be off and running. I want you to come back week-after-next with a plan for the Final Project. I would advise shooting video over the break. Read and view the pieces I have outlined (assignments) and follow the advice they give. ( Example- if you come back with a lot of shaky video it probably won’t work.)

These are your assignments

Open Google Accounts- Gmail, Picasa (Picasaweb.google.com), Blogger (some are using other Blog sites)
Photograph- a person you do not know, get names. They should be living their lives and you should have a caption (who,What, When Why...)
Blog page- Start and upload the photograph ( this is how you will deliver your assignments (professional, portfolio.)
Familiarize your self with these sites * they are loaded with tutorials and Articles.
Photoshop Assignment- Do three things to a photo in Photoshop and upload to your page
Phone (mobile) posting- Make two phone posts ^ per week, to VisCom S09 (or email to address^below)
A picture Story, keep it simple. We will use it in a “timeline” in Final Cut
Read Journalism 2.0, Chapter 8- (digital Photos) and Chapter 9 (shooting Video)
Read Journalism 2.0, Chapter 10 , “Basic Video Editing”
View the Final cut Tutorials at <http://seminars.apple.com/seminarsonline/richmediafcp/apple/index1.html>
Lay your picture story in the timeline of a Final Cut Project, (To be safe bring a storage device 5-10 gigs.)

Let’s tie this up nice and tidy!
CH

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

VisCom Notes 03.10.09a

VisCom Notes
03.10.09a

Hello Visual Communicators,

I will be out sick this week. Read below for today’s assignments and issues. Frederick Kendrick will come by to check on you and answer any questions on Tuesday. Hopefully by Thursday we will have Final Cut installed on our machines and we can then get him to give you a Final Cut Workshop, Thursday! How to use still pictures in a FCP Timeline, with audio.

Remember Assignment number 7 (below) I want you to put this picture story in a timeline and add audio. Thursday!

Read Journalism 2.0, Chapter 10 , “Basic Video Editing.” This chapter talks about iMovie, but I want to use Final Cut, because we can do so much more with it. Read Chapter 10 for principals. See Knight Digital Media Center (below) for Final Cut Tutorial. <http://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/tutorials/video/finalcut/> View the Final Cut Tutorial at <http://seminars.apple.com/seminarsonline/richmediafcp/apple/index1.html> You have to register for the course and apple will send you the link, Its free. This is Brian Storm of Medistorm.org, telling us how to put together “Rich Media Podcasts.” These are (still) picture stories in a timeline with audio.

PLEASE- DO THE ASSIGNMENTS They are reflected in the assignments in the syllabus. Some of you have done everything I have asked, CONGRATULATIONS, THAT’S “A” MATERIAL. Some of you think you have done everything, but haven’t mounted them on your page (Remember the blog page.) Some of you have done nothing and have not found the time to see me. If you need help, then it is your responsibility to contact me, and get it. Come on people this is simple stuff, I’m trying to prepare you for the world out there and this could be considered fun, if taken with the right attitude.

Check out a small Sony video camera and play with it. (Start now, try and check one out for Springbreak, if you like. Numbers may be limited.) Play with it first if only for a little while to get the feel of what you are doing. Get cables from Ms. Ransom so you can play your stuff back over a TV Screen. I was hoping that we would have Final Cut Express installed on the machines in 254 by now; I’ll try again for Thursday. Please Bring your Picture Stories Thursday. If you have not shot any yet or want to do something else, get to it.

These are your assignments ( The list is getting long, wait any longer and you are screwed.)

Open Google Accounts- Gmail, Picasa (Picasaweb.google.com), Blogger (some are using other Blog sites)
Photograph- a person you do not know, get names. They should be living their lives and you should have a caption (who,What, When Why...)
Blog page- Start and upload the photograph ( this is how you will deliver your assignments (professional, portfolio.)
Familiarize your self with these sites * they are loaded with tutorials and Articles.
Photoshop Assignment- Do three things to a photo in Photoshop and upload to your page
Phone (mobile) posting- Make two phone posts ^ per week, to VisCom S09 (or email to address^below)
A picture Story, keep it simple. We will use it in a “timeline” in Final Cut
Read Journalism 2.0, Chapter 8- (digital Photos) and Chapter 9 (shooting Video)
Read Journalism 2.0, Chapter 10 , “Basic Video Editing”
View the Final cut Tutorials at <http://seminars.apple.com/seminarsonline/richmediafcp/apple/index1.html>

Last week Rahel offered a project she is engaged in, as a potential collaborative effort, a final project bringing together all of the assignments as listed and to come. If you would like to work with her, commit now so that she knows what resources are available. Please be aware that you must contribute, add to the project, to get credit for it. Those of you who have another idea for your final project, let’s hear it, we have five weeks before finals, including Spring break. Let’s tie this thing up nice and tidy!

See you soon. CH

Thursday, March 5, 2009

VisCom Notes 03.05.09a

VisCom Notes
03.05.09a

Hello Visual Communicators,

Here’s something, following on some things I’ve heard and seen around the school: “Are drunk Facebook photos killing your job prospects?”
<http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-266559.html?tag=nl.e550> Short and Sweet, but should be read and heeded, especially since Facebook holds on to all your stuff and other computers are running around the web making snapshots of content. Take Care.

Examples of things that one can do with multimedia packages: <http://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/workshops/projects/> “Ailey Camp” holds interest for me. I’ve got a dancing family. My daughter Monica (16yrs) dances, my wife was dancing at the Dance Place (near Catholic U.) when I met her. “I am an artist” is an interesting mix that could serve as a journalistic or P.R. piece.

Today we will talk about “Commitment to Revision”. Remember Commitment=Surrender. And about building timebased media (idea to screen.)

Read Journalism 2.0, Chapter 8- “Shooting and Managing digital Photos,” and Chapter 9, “Shooting Video for News and Feature Stories”. Next week we will shoot video. Check out a small Sony video camera and play with it. (Start this Weekend if you like.) Play with it first if only for a little while to get the feel of what you are doing. Get cables from Ms. Ransom so you can play your stuff back over a TV Screen.

Open Google Accounts- Gmail, Picasa (Picasaweb.google.com), Blogger (some are using other Blog sites)
Photograph- a person you do not know, get names. They should be living their lives and you should have a caption (who,What, When Why...)
Blog page- Start and upload the photograph ( this is how you will deliver your assignments (professional, portfolio.)
Familiarize your self with these sites * they are loaded with tutorials and Articles.
Photoshop Assignment- Do three things to a photo in Photoshop and upload to your page
Phone (mobile) posting- Make two phone posts ^ per week, to VisCom S09 (or email to address^below)
A picture Story, keep it simple. We will use it in a “timeline” in Final Cut
Read Journalism 2.0, Chapter 8- (digital Photos) and Chapter 9 (shooting Video)

See you in class. CH

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

VisCom Notes 03.03.09a

VisCom Notes
03.03.09a

Hello Visual Communicators,

Last week Tuesday we dealt with the visual syllogism of the NY POST dead monkey, in the American context. Thursday we talked about the narrative. The narrative of the story (not necessarily narration.) The arrangement of images, ideas and statements that sets the mind aflight and delivers the reader to a certain point. That point is a formulation that includes the storyteller’s telling, as well as the way the reader, viewer, listener, incorporates the story into their own scheme-of-things. The sender and receiver work together to tell the story.

Roland Barthes says, In Death of the Author, “…a text is made of multiple writings, drawn from many cultures and entering into mutual relations of dialogue, parody, contestation, but there is one place where this multiplicity is focused and that place is the reader, not as hitherto said, the author… a text’s unity lies not in it’s origin but in its destination.

Be accurate in the telling, as accurate as possible. True to your observations and feelings. Speak from your core and perhaps you will find the core of the viewer. If the viewer/ reader resonates with your perceptions then you will have found clearest communication. Clarity is the key, you get clear, speak clearly and your message will be clear.

These are assignments as they stand today. As we approach mid-term, everyone must step up to the plate, complete your work and make it easy on all of us.

Open Google Accounts- Gmail, Picasa (Picasaweb.google.com), Blogger (some are using other Blog sites)
Photograph- a person you do not know, get names. They should be living their lives and you should have a caption (who,What, When Why...)
Blog page- Start and upload the photograph ( this is how you will deliver your assignments (professional, portfolio.)
Familiarize your self with these sites * they are loaded with tutorials and Articles.
Photoshop Assignment- Do three things to a photo in Photoshop and upload to your page
Phone (mobile) posting- Make two phone posts ^ per week, to VisCom S09 (or email to address^below)
A picture Story, keep it simple. We will use it in a “timeline” in Final Cut

See you in the AM. CH

VisCom Notes

VisCom S09