e-Communications Winter Final

The reason I came to Northwest was out of my desire to do things like design and make films. Looking into the e-Comm program, I realized it would be the best thing to happen to me in a while- and I was correct.

The semester began with Video, which was extremely insightful. I learned how to use the program Final Cut Pro, which will no doubt help me in the future. Within it I learned many short cuts.

The second quarter threw me and my newly acquired friends into Graphic Design. We learned many things, especially how to use the programs Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. One of the most influential projects include masking over pieces of an image in order to create an effect that made it seem like certain objects weren't even captured in the photo. I found it very fun, and will no doubt find it very useful in the future, as it allowed me to learn things like the clone tool and the magic eraser.

We also began creating a website in Adobe Dreamweaver, which I would like to pursue further.

So far, I have had the most beautiful year of my life thanks to this gracious program, and I will forever be thankful that I was given these opportunities.

Website

In e9 we worked on Adobe Dreamweaver, and we were able to make some fantastic thing. The website we were instructed to create wasn't difficult, but was very fun to work on. We were taught the basics of HTML code, including tags and bodies which will become very useful in the future. Then, in the design view of the program, we created 'css' styles which allowed us to change the appearance of the site.

B2. Tags like h1 are used to make headings
B3. Content between the body tags shows up in the webpage.
B4. H1 is the biggest
B5. The tag <strong> makes text bold
B6. <em> makes things italicized.
B7. Paragraphs are designated with the <p> tag
B8. &copy;

C1. It is displayed with Times New Roman.
C2. White and black.
C3. Bad
C4. <img...
C5.
C6. They are much more enclosed.
C7. The <a tag makes a link
C8. It created a new paragraph and a class= thing

e9 PHOTOSHOP

In e9 we've spent the last couple weeks or so working with Adobe Photoshop. It is a very fun and educational program, and I've enjoyed working with it. I performed 3 projects, each of which I thoroughly enjoyed. The first was a simple pasting of ONW's logo onto a photo of the school. It was an enjoyably simple project.

The next one involved gradients and was quite difficult, but yet again fun.

The final project included us having to delete and mask objects from the photo, which took a while to get the hang of.

Orthogonal Cubes

In e-Comm, we worked with Orthogonal cubes. These are very geometric and simple, gentle-feeling cubes that are easily achieved using Adobe Illustrator. They are achievable by using the rotate tool and creating lines that are either 60 or 120 degrees. I used my cube n my Cool Ian Films logo, as a sort of frame for my 'company' name.

Logo Design

In e-Communication, we have been focusing on logos. My logo has been centered around a very vague, openly interpretive design. I achieved this goal by using the slit scan stargate effect from 2001: A Space Odyssey, because it shows a sort of psychedelic emptiness in space.

I got to this situation by experimenting with first different shapes to encase the words 'Cool Ian Films', and after settling on a cube, I decided to choose between different Stanley Kubrick films to capture his directoral style of a wide and nearly endless range of themes, so that the viewer of my logo can create their own meaning.

My Font

In Graphic Design, we took an online quiz to find out which font best matched our personality. The personality traits that were given to me were Rationality, Assertiveness, Progressiveness, and Discipline. Because of these, I was given New Alphabet as a typeface. It is very linear and nearly illegible. It is strongly based off of both the simplicity and complexity of computers. It holds nearly no artifacts of traditional fonts: no serifs, ascenders, eyes, crossbars, etc. Because of this, it is gentle to the eye yet also harsh in its sharp and blocky lines.

Spooky Color Wheel Colors!

Learning about colors was very easy and enjoyable with color wheels. I was able to understand the compatible relationships between different colors in the color wheel. For example, complimentary colors include two colors that are opposite each other on the wheel (e.g. yellow and violet). Using a color scheme of either complimentary, split complementary, warm or cool,  a mixture of primary/secondary/tertiary colors, and many more options make for a desirable image and can draw in a possible consumer with ease.

I also learned that warmer color schemes or triatic color schemes catch the eye a lot easier, and that  children's brands often get more right to the point.

Graphic Design

In researching graphic design I discovered that it is mostly based around what the consumer desires. Designers will attempt to emulate themselves as the consumer to create a final product that the consumer will be able to remember and reflect on as a whole experience rather than a small dent in their daily life. Through this graphic designers are able to get important points across, since graphic design is everywhere.

Interview Project

Originally, I had joined E-Communications due to a very slight interest in film and a desire to not go to Olathe South. Throughout the few weeks I've been here, however, my disposition on the program has changed entirely. I have learned many things, especially when it comes to filmmaking in general. For example, the 6-Shot Sequence was a very interesting point for me, since it was entirely new knowledge and gave me a new perspective on really everything that has to do with film. I also learned  how to cooperate better with a team and how to properly use Final Cut Pro, both of which I will definitely carry on to later years. I am extremely interested in continuing into the Entertainment strand of E-Comm, and e9 has played a huge amount towards my decision.

Chase Scene

In Explore9, we have just finished a project titles "The Chase." It is a video in which one character is chased by or is chasing a mysterious force or person. This was an extremely interesting project, especially since it took so long to perfect. Around 4 or 5 days of filming and 1 day of editing brought this exhilarating creation to more than 2 minutes- my longest video yet.

Most of what I learned included getting the right camera angle. Having multiple angles for one shot allowed much needed amounts of flexibility that brought the video together as more of personal art piece, rather than a very stale school project. I was also able to help govern many very intense shots (some which took multiple takes) and now I not only know how to perform shots like these, but I also have a better patience and tolerance of how long it truly takes to make a video.

One of the most important things I will bring to my next project is the ability to work together. In my last projects, my team mates and I seemed very stiff and unwilling to share our ideas with people we didn't have a strong connection with. During The Chase, however, my team mates and I were able to put the awkwardness of meeting new people to the side.

On the subject of collaboration, this project's need for it really was far stronger than any project before. There was more of a central authority because of the intensity of this project, but there was still a strong need for full cooperation amongst our group, and that need was fulfilled.

Collaboration could be improved in my next project by giving each member a specific role. I feel this will help to keep us from getting off topic.

2nd 6 Shot Sequence

This is the second project we have done regarding the 6-shot-sequence. I am having fantastic fun learning about this, and I think it will always affect my attitude towards film. In this particular project, I learned that for every form of travel we must have two sets of 6-shot-sequences. Doing this sews the film together so that the viewer has a better understanding of what is happening. Within Final Cut Pro, I learned how to add particular sound effects on top of the music. In my next project, I will make sure to show a smoother transition from one location to another, rather than simply showing a character 'jumping' through space.

My Personality Type

In e9, we took the Meyer-Briggs personality test. The Meyer-Briggs provides 4 letters to relate a person to a certain personality. For example, my personality is INTJ- Introverted; very reserved, unsocial; Intuitive; Innovative, imaginative; etc. Because the Meyer-Briggs is an internationally accepted personality test, we are able to compare our personality types to other people's. My personality is shared with Sir Isaac Newton, for example.
       
I would say that every part of my personality type according to the test is accurate. I dislike social situations but I enjoy looking for improvements to everyday things. I base my actions off of not emotions but rationality and thought. I am also very organized. Many of these things, however, I did not entirely realize until I first took the test. Ever since I've noticed them, I've began to realize the reasons behind some of my actions. I had never known why I'd rather stay at home than hang out with people, but the personality test shed much needed light on the things in myself that I didn't know.

When participating on a team, my personality type seems to accurately portray my behavior. I am able to contribute good ideas for the group, however I tend to slink back into the corner. It helps if I have a role that doesn't require much of being social. If I do, however, I seem to work it out, but I prefer roles aimed more towards logic and thinking rather than straight-on working with others. I believe it is also a problem that people try to talk to me a lot. I cherish the attention form those I don't know, but those I've become friends with know it takes me longer to open up to someone due to my introvertedness. For example, in middle school a more popular boy constantly talked to me. I couldn't tell if he was sincerely trying to be my friend or trying to mess with me, but his general forceful outwardness triggered whatever mechanism in my brain that causes me to not want to talk.

6 Shot Sequence

The 6-Shot-Sequence is a sequence commonly used in film-making. It is comprised of Extra Close-Ups (usually a zoomed shot to show motion of hands or feet), Close-Ups (zoomed in shots to emphasize things like emotion or action), Medium Shots (often shots of a figure that depict the waist-up of the figure), Wide Shots (shots to show a large amount of the scene), and Extra Wide Shots (shots that show the full scene or setting). By using these shots and editing in Final Cut Pro, I was able to learn what shots are meant to follow each other. In my next project, I will certainly use the 6 Shot Sequence, as it is a practice previously unknown to me.

Movie Highlight

Doing this project in Ecomm, I learned many new things with technology. I had never used anything anywhere near a professional video editing software, so Final Cut Pro was new for me, but it was a fun and easy learning experience. It mostly took a large amount of cutting and moving small clips of the movie trailers. I also used a small amount of transitions, but cutting and pasting dominated the process.

The hobby I chose to highlight in my video was watching movies. Movies have always been very close to me, and so I thought I'd best express my love for them in this video. I spliced together clips of the trailers for a few of my favorite movies; Django Unchained, Ferris Bueler's Day Off, Moonrise Kingdom, Napoleon Dynamite, and Office Space. I have always been a huge fan of these films, and they have altered my perception on many different things. These movies have, for all intents and purposes, changed my life and that is the reason why I chose to focus on them in this presentation.