Selfie 2:ENDGAME

Oh, Hey!  You know, this semester in digital storytelling, I learned quite a bit.  A lot of it was just simple technical stuff about making a video.  Things such as: turn on the lights or use the lights to create dramatic effects.  Having a background is definitely going to increase the quality of your video.  You look so much more professional.  If that doesn’t work, you can always pander to the lowest common denominator with cute little animals. Sometimes, it’s easier to have someone else hold the camera.  You also might realize that the camera on your Mac just isn’t that great.  One thing that I really struggled with was speaking up.  I tried to make my videos louder, because personally, that was one of my biggest issues.  All of these tools can be used to tell your story.  My story is primarily about records and about comic books.  But, it can be about anything, whatever is personal to you.  One of the most important things that we learned about digital storytelling this semester was it’s accessibility.  Almost anyone can make a Youtube account and upload their own content.  I’m using just the tools I have, my iPhone and my Mac.  When I looked at the video from both sources, I saw some differences.  When I look at my iPhone, in the background I can see a lot more texture.  I can see grey, I can see the folds in the fabric but when I look into the camera in my computer it’s a little grainier.  The background is just flat black but honestly, don’t you guys think that the flat black looks better?  The tools just have to be utilized to what works for your content.  

Let’s bring it home for the last minute, because we did learn that three minutes is perfect target for how long you can hold someone’s attention.  Voice overs add a lot to a story and enable to you use historical, informational or even abstract images to communicate.  Digital story telling also is about creating community, which we embraced with our group project.  

Check out that sweet dissolve I learned to do this semester.  Everyone in the group was able to find their own role and work together to create something with meaning and substance.  I tend to struggle to be very serious when creating an online video. I think I was able to grow in this regard and work on something meaningful.  So there you have it, I learned how to take a better selfie by growing from just a grainy snapshot into something that really communicates.