Final Project Details

Final projects are due at noon on Thur, Dec 17.

I know it's a busy time, but please keep this in mind as you work: The goal of this project is to produce a multimedia piece that you will be proud to show future employers. That means that it needs to be as professional and as compelling as possible for that reason, above all else. The job market is increasingly competitive, as you know, and people will want to see your work rather than how many points you got in a class.

 Here are some boring but important details about logistics:

Post your final project to the class blog. The title of the post should include: Your Name Final Project: Headline.

The headline is important, so make sure to include one. 

Post videos to YouTube or Vimeo first and then paste the embed code into the blog post. Vimeo is recommended as it has higher quality.

There is no set length for the final project, but most will generally run between 2:00 and 4:00 minutes.  

Your final project will be a work of journalism. That is, it will tell a story, (ideally a compelling story) not simply document an event, just as we have been talking about all semester. I'll be looking for a hook and a story arc. I'll also be looking to see that you've followed all of the composition and technical guidelines we've covered. There will be significant penalty for late work. 

Do not use music in your project unless you clear it with me first.  You can use "found footage" if it helps tell your story, providing it does not violate copyright laws. In other words, if you are profiling a student band, you can use a short clip from their music video if they give you permission to do that. Such footage cannot make up more than 15 percent of the running time of your piece. (Most projects don't have such footage, but it's an option.)

Fall 2015 Advice For Future Students

* Try to spread work out throughout the week.

* Don’t wait until the last minute.

* Don’t be afraid to get out of comfort zone and go up to people to interview. You’ll be surprised by who will talk to you or who you will find.

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help from anybody – have others look at work to see what could be cut out.

• Use multimedia that you see elsewhere for inspiration.

Guillaume Pierre-Louis - Favorite Multimedia Journalism

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/us/the-way-north.html#p/39

This article asked people all around America what being an American meant to them. The article itself is a collection of quotes from people who describe America in their own words, complemented by photos of them. I think it's really interesting how different people's concepts of what it means to be an American change based on their backgrounds. "The American Dream" often gets treated as though its meaning is universal, that America is the land of opportunity for those willing to grasp it, but this article shows that the "truth" of that dream is not nearly as universal as people pretend that it is.

With these kinds of stories photos aren't the focal point, in this article their purpose is to add context to the different versions of the American Dream. The Mexican man who immigrated illegally is going to have a much different view of the American Dream than the man who immigrated from Ghana after taking part in an exchange program or the woman who lives in the same town she was born in. These photos allow people reading the article to get a peek into that person's life, whether they are waiting in line to find work or are tending to the store that they own.

The article has a much more skeptical view of the American Dream than the view that is normally presented and I appreciate that.

Michaela Johnson

https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/8-times-obama-has-responded-to-mass-shootings/2015/12/02/e72569aa-996d-11e5-aca6-1ae3be6f06d2_video.html

The video I chose is a compilation of President Barack Obama's speeches on mass shootings in the U.S. While this piece is not complex and does not contain narration or other elements, I don't feel that they are necessary solely because the subject of this piece. The number of different speeches that are included in the video (8) in itself stresses the issue.

If I created this piece, I might have just added a closing at the end giving a little bit of context and summarizing what it might mean moving forward.

Favorite Multimedia Piece-- Cara Newcomer

http://www.upworthy.com/experience-60-seconds-of-how-it-feels-to-live-with-autism

This multimedia piece is about what it feels like to have autism. While it is not a breaking news story, or a long video, it is chilling and had a lasting impact one me. While watching this video does not make a viewer an expert on autism it helps to give insight on a topic that is very hard for outsiders to comprehend.

The accompanying article describes the different problems that people with autism face and how the video correctly depicts these problems. I chose this piece because not only do I believe it is unique, but it is also something well composed and that anyone could be interested in learning more about.

http://www.upworthy.com/experience-60-seconds-of-how-it-feels-to-live-with-autism

Jennifer Pham: Multimedia Piece

This is a VICE video profiling a Japanese female sushi chef named Miki Izumisawa.  There are several reasons why I love this video. I love food videos.  I have watched almost every video with Gordon Ramsay.  There is something about camera footage of food that grasps my attention.  On top of that, sushi is my favorite food!  I also love VICE videos.  VICE always uploads videos that are informative, attention grabbing, professional yet casual to watch as well.  Like many of VICE's other videos, the featured individual for this video is an extraordinary one.  Izumisawa pushes gendered and traditional boundaries which is always something I look up to as a female myself.  She creates sushi with nature-inspired fusion dishes that some might may find unprofessional and pretentious.  In addition she runs a sushi staff with an all female staff - something that is not only uncommon in Japan, but in the U.S. as well.  Her story is very moving and I felt that VICE did very well to convey her genuine thoughts and feelings.

Besides the content, I really loved the footage of this video.  In my opinion, everything was in place.   Subtitles were used appropriately and the rule of thirds were implemented throughout the video.  It is videos like these that make me want to be a journalist.  Food, extraordinary people and professional footage that is easy to watch.

Multimedia Piece

This piece is about a young girl that finally has the opportunity to attend college. She is portrayed as a hard working student by her mother who says that she spent days and nights studying. She is also portrayed as caring by her brother who suffers from a disease that she helps her mother care for with. This young girl Sonya Ortiz is following her dreams. She is getting the chance to attend college due to all her hard work and she also gets to dance. This piece truly impacted me and caught my eye. As a dancer and a current student I know how it feels to work for something and to maintain a certain GPA to attend college so that is why I liked this piece. I think it's a positive story. I would not change much of the piece maybe get an interview from a former teacher from high school since she just graduated and maybe some footage of her in a classroom not only her dancing.