ONW Now

The Process

     For this project, our class created our own version of ONW Now. We were split into groups, and each group was either assigned a news story, a sports story, or a feature news story. My group was assigned a feature news story, Word From the Halls. We started by planning our rolls in the group. My role was to help with editing, and writing the trivia questions. Next, we filmed during lunch and imported the videos on to the computer. Then, we started editing. I started by cutting out each question and answer from each interview. Then, I sequenced them so that the clips of the same question were together. After that, Kensie took over editing because I was assigned to anchor. For anchoring, we write our scripts and planned what the broadcast would look like. The next step was a dress rehearsal. We went down to the studio, and everyone was assigned a role such as floor director, audio, tri-caster, teleprompter, and more. They gave us tips on how to anchor, and helped us with our mics. We ran through the broadcast a couple of times, and it allowed all of us to figure out our roles and see what we could do better. The next day, we filmed the real thing. We had to work fast because we didn't have as much time as we did the day before. We only did one run through, and we had some technical problems, but it was easily fixed on post-production.

What I Learned 

     While doing this project, I learned a lot about convergence journalism, and the process of ONW Now. Before this project, I was not sure what strand I wanted to go into next year, but this project made me want to go into convergence or SID. I enjoyed learning about the process behind ONW Now, and all of the roles that go into it. It was cool to see the show produced live, and it has lots of different aspects and all of them have to work together to produce the show. This project was really fun, and I learned a lot about ONW Now. 

Feature News Story-Yearbook

The Process

     For this project, my group chose to report on the yearbook staff. We started by choosing roles. My told was to create the questions and the story. Next, we chose 2 interview subjects and 21 questions for each of them. Our next step was to film the interviews. We had technical problems with the camera and the mic, but we kept trying new settings and we figured it out. The next day, we filmed B-roll. We made sure to use natural sound so that we could use it in our news story. After we were done filming, we started editing. I sequenced my video first, and then added B-roll, graphics, and voice overs. I made sure to leave in some natural sound in the B-roll. 

What I Learned

     While doing this project, I learned a lot of new things about news writing and natural sound. In previous projects, I did not use natural sound, but I used it in this story. I approached this project differently than last time by using natural sound and doing the project quicker than previous ones due to the deadline. It was challenging to sequence this story, but it helped me learn more about sequencing. For the next project, I will film more specific voiceovers and film more B-roll shots. 

Graphic Design Semester Review

Projects

Infographic

     For this project, we came up with an idea for an infographic, and researched it and designed our own. It has taken around 4 weeks, and I am still working on my final design as of now. I faced some challenges when I started on my graphics becauseI was not sure how to use the pen tool, but I learned how to use it as I went along. This project helped me learn how to use the pen tool, and about the process of planning and sketching.  My feedback was that my text to graphic ratio was too big, so I am working on finding a new font for my text to condense it. I made many changes from my original idea, including the Christmas tree in the center of my infographic.

Pop Art

   
     The objective of this project was to take an original picture and create a pop art from it.  It took me around 1-2 weeks to complete. When I was creating my design, I had many different ideas and it was challenging to find one I really liked. I learned a lot about Photoshop, because I got to create my own design and have creative freedom. I also became more familiar with the tools. Some of the feedback I got was that there was negative space behind the subject, but it was good negative space. My original idea was way different, and I ended up changing a lot of aspects of it, including the stripes and the background color. 

Raccoon

   
     The objective of this project was to create a raccoon using a written tutorial.  This project took me around 1-2 weeks to complete. When I was creating the raccoon, I had troubles with some of the tools and their uses, but I kept trying until I got it. We created this project in Illustrator, and it was our first project using that program, so it helped me become more comfortable with it and learn how to use the tools. Some people liked the bowtie I added, and also I was told to make the raccoon larger on the background. My original original raccoon was the same, I just added a bowtie, but I didn't change any colors of it.

Class Time

     I used my class time well this semester. I tried to work hard and use all of the time given to me in class. When I was done, I would go back to the project and make it better. I also have stayed many times in to Raven 50 this semester to keep working and finish my project. Also, if I needed it, I would work at home on my infographic sketches or a blog post. 

Strengths 

     Some of my strengths in graphic design are creativity and learning the tools quickly. I think that  my ideas are pretty original, and I can come up with new ideas pretty quickly. I also learn the tools and programs pretty fast. While doing the projects, I try to use new tools so I can learn how to use them. I also am strong in communicating with my teacher and peers.

Areas of Improvement

     I think I can improve on  my technical skills. I don't really know how to use most of the tools in Illustrator, and I think if I improve these skills, my projects could be better. Also, I think I can improve on project management. If I work faster, than I won't have to rush and finish it in time for the deadline. This also will make my projects better, because I won't have to rush and make something look sloppy. 

Summary 

     This semester, I enjoyed all of the fun projects we got to do, and how we had creative freedom to make it unique to us. My favorite projects were the pop art and the infographic. Next semester, I will change my project management skills by meeting deadlines, and improving my technical skills to give my projects more detail. This semester, I learned a lot about Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator and their tools. For next semester, my goal is to improve my technical skills. Overall, I enjoyed this semester of graphic design and I am excited to see what next semester will be like. 

Printing Project

The Process 

     At the start of this process, I printed two of my designs out on white printer paper, and they were the size 6 by 4. I also made sure to reflect them so they wouldn't turn out backwards on my final print. I then cut the out designs. The next thing I did was watercolor two different pieces of  watercolor paper with the color schemes that were on the designs. After that, I painted the designs front with Mod Podge. I painted enough so that you couldn't really tell what the design wad through the Mod Podge layer. When doing this, you have to work fast so that the Mod Podge doesn't dry. After that, you place the picture face down in the middle of your watercolor. You than take a squeegee and smooth out the picture and press it down. Make sure to not get any Mod Podge on the top of the design because it will later impact your process. After it dries, get some water on your fingers, and rub the paper off of the design. Make sure you don't leave any paper fuzz on the design. Lastly, place a clear coat on top of the design.

My Experience

     During this process, I thought it went overall really well. My prints turned out good, and they had almost no paper fuzzies on it.  If I were to do this again, I would try to not rub off the watercolor. I would keep the same amount of Mod Podge on it, because my print transferred pretty well. I really enjoyed this project, and it was interesting to see how the printing process worked. Overall, this project was really fun to complete, and I thought that my print went well. 

ONW 1 in 2000

The Project

    For this project, our group had to find a story to report about, going along with the idea of 1 in 2000 (each student has a story to tell). My group decided to do our story about Brooke Cunningham, who passed out at homecoming pictures. We chose this because we wanted a story that had a message along with it, and this ones message was that you can always look back and laugh on embarrassing moments. 

The Process

    My group started out by finding another person we could interview about this topic. We chose to interview Alex Pauli, because he was her date for that dance. Next, we created around 20 interview questions about the topic for each of them. We then began filming. We started with interviewing Alex. The next day, we interviewed Brooke, and also shot some B-roll. While putting the videos on the computer, we realized that our interview with Brooke had no sound, because we had forgotten to use a mic. So the next day, we re-filmed her interview, and everything in that one turned out okay. I began editing the day after that. I started with watching through the interviews, and finding which parts I wanted to use. Then, I sequenced them so that they made sense. Next, I added in B-roll. After that, I filmed voice overs at my house, and put them into the video the next day. Finally, I added background music. 

What I Learned

     During this project, I learned a lot about news writing because this was our first "news" project. I learned about sequencing, voice overs, B-roll, and more. This project also helped teach me about motivation and project management because my group faced a lot of setbacks during it, but we kept going. For the next project, I would do audio checks before filming, and work faster so the video can be done in time. I will follow the same editing process for the next one. I learned a lot doing this project, such as messing with graphics and effects on pictures and video clips, and to make sure to always check your audio!

Printing Processes

Relief Printing 

     Relief printing is the process of printing where the ink is transferred using raised images. You start by tracing your design on to material, but backwards because it will be transferred. Next, you use tools to cut out your design and add different textures and patterns. Then, you roll the ink onto the material. You then print it onto paper using a press.

Intaglio Printing

     This process had different printing methods. One is dry point, where different tools are used toscratch the printing plate to create texture in the image called burs. Roulettes also can add texture to the picture. You then add the plate into the press to create your design. The other method is etching. For this process, you prepare the plate by polishing it and making sure it has no scratches. Next, you apply a ground to the plate. Then, you smoke the plate so the surface is jet black. You can then scratch your design in. Next, you etch the plate for 15 minutes to remove all of the copper. Then you take it out of the bath and rinse it, then put it back in. You can then remove all of the ground and apply ink and put it in the press to create your design.

Lithography Printing

     Lithography is printing using water and grease to repel each other and create a design. This process starts with an artist drawing their design onto a stone with greasy material. You then add some chemicals to help the drawing set. Then, you add ink to the stone and design, which is called proving the stone. Next, the stone is placed in the press. This process is repeated until the design looks how you want it to.

Conclusion

     If I were to try one of the printing processes, I would try relief printing. This process stood out to me because I liked the way it looked and how it was created. I think that printing has impacted designers because they can use each process to create a unique piece of art. 

Panorama Narrative

Narrative

     I went to Estes Park, Colorado over spring break 2018. We drove to our house that we were renting, and on the way we saw lots of mountains and cool landscapes. As soon as we got to our house, we went to the backyard. The backyard had a really cool river that ran through the back of the house. You could hear the water rushing, and it was very pretty. Later that night, we went to dinner. Estes Park is a smaller town, so we chose a local Mexican restaurant. Behind this restaurant was some trees and snow, and below the trees was another river.  It had rocks in it, and it was fun to watch the river flow over the rocks and create waves and different textures in the water. We then went back to our house after eating, and prepared for our hiking the next day.

     The next day, we went hiking in the Rocky Mountain National Park. We went on a super long hike first to a lake that was frozen over. On the way there, we saw lots of trees and rocks that were super big. They were fun to climb on and when you got to the top of some of the big rocks, you could see over the trail we were walking. When we were there, we also went to a waterfall that was frozen over. This was my favorite experience from the trip because the waterfall was frozen over, but under the ice you could still hear and see the waterfall rushing. Since the waterfall was frozen over, we got to slide down it. It was really fun to slide down, because it was really tall so it was like a giant slide. Since we were done at the waterfall, we walked a little bit more and climbed up a big rock to get to the top of it. Once we were at the top, you could see so many mountains, and it was really pretty.

     Towards the end of our trip, me and my dad went and toured the Stanley Hotel. This hotel was the inspiration for the movie The Shining. The tour was cool, but a lot of their tricks were very obvious. The hotel gave me an uneasy feeling because it was an older hotel with some weird vibes. We spent the last few days shopping on the main street in Estes Park. We bought a lot of taffy, because there are lots of taffy shops in Estes Park. The taffy is really sweet, and my favorite flavor is strawberry. Estes Park also had really good ice cream. We ended our trip by taking one last hike, and then we started on our way home.

Reflection 

     My theme was nature, and more specifically Estes Park. I wanted to show the cool pictures I took in Colorado. The pictures don't really do it justice, but it was cool to try to combine them into one big picture. I learned more about Photoshop tools, such as the eraser and feather tools. I used the eraser, clone stamp, and I changed a lot of the brightness and contrast on some of my pictures. It was a really fun project because it allowed me to be creative, and I learned a lot.