Working with Media in EME 6208
My experience with multimedia was minimal prior to this degree program. Working with Dr. James Hatten in EME 6208 Interactive Media during the fall of 2019 gave me an opportunity to learn about and experiment with video, audio, and digital imaging software in an informal workshop environment both in-class and online. In this class, I created my first short videos and my first podcast.
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The purpose of these media projects was to learn how to work with digital audio and video software. The assignments allowed for choice of platform, but the topics were required to be personally meaningful. We began with audio, and Dr. Hatten asked us to create a "NPR-like" broadcast about a local restaurant that was unique to this geographic area. I chose to talk about Capdevilla's a la Teresita, a Cuban restaurant, Tampa tradition and favorite family haunt. The podcast was created with Audacity, a free open-source audio software. One thing I would change is the length: I would cut it down considerably, and try for a more sophisticated audio mix. For a first attempt, though, I was proud of this podcast, and Dr. Hatten was highly complementary. What would I do differently? Probably everything, since I have much to learn about podcasting. Given my own inexperience with audio and media production, I was surprised that I could learn as much as I did in a relatively short time.
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In both EME 6207 and EME 6208, we learned about the basics of Adobe Photoshop. One of our tasks required a compilation of several photos we had taken into a single montage. Each of these images had to be improved or tailored in some way with Photoshop. I chose my beloved cats as my subject (since they are camera hounds).
The last item is a short-form production made with Adobe Spark online. Dr. Hatten required the topic to be personally meaningful and autobiographical. "Karen Strikes Back" is a slide-show with a musical soundtrack with images and audio sourced from Adobe Stock. This was my first foray into video production, and I was admittedly intimidated! However, working with the Adobe Stock photos, images, graphics, and soundtrack music was a spellbinding process. If I were to revise this project, I would cut the time down, adjust the timing of the music, and try for more precise pacing of the images. I found it difficult at times to work with such a large media file through a
web-based program.
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Each project in EME 6208 was shared in a workshop environment, and peers provided informal feedback and critique. We learned about audio track layering, adjustment of timings, transitions, working with images, video editing, and how to keep effective design practices in mind by avoiding clutter, incongruence, and overemphasis on the "bells and whistles" that many programs provide. We also spent considerable time discussing Fair Use laws and citation requirements for open-source media that is downloadable and free. These were solo projects and once completed, they were posted on the class' Canvas page.