Reflections

Brooke McGarr
Media Arts
Reflective Essay
12/15/17
     While reflecting on this course, I thought of a few things that I learned and one major thing that I would have done differently. The things I learned where that not all group projects are bad experiences, and how to create sound compositions. The thing I would have done differently would have been my whole final project, which I will explain what I would have done instead of what I went with and why.
     Going into the group project, I was a bit apprehensive as I have had bad experiences before with groups, and wasn’t sure how well the group would work due to the online environment. I was glad that I was assigned the director role, because I have always felt a bit better when I have a sense of control over things. In the director position I controlled communication and got things started with my group right away and then gave my assistance wherever it was needed. I ended up enjoying working with my group, which consisted of Brian, Regan, and myself. I feel that we worked incredibly well with each other, and was pleased that we were able to produce a professional looking video on time.
     The sound composition would have to be my favorite project that we did in this course. I enjoyed learning how to mix different sounds in order to create one cohesive soundscape. I did mine based on sounds in my backyard at a certain time and I think it is the best work that I have produced in this class. The sounds I chose went extremely well together and I blended them in a way that made the final piece relaxing and enjoyable to listen to. I also added in a photograph of my backyard just so that the listeners could also visualize what my yard looks like.
     The one thing that I would do differently in this course would be my final project as a whole. While I do like the piece I created, I wish I had done something different and had planned it better. I feel like when it comes to courses where we have to choose what we are doing with our final at the beginning, that I tend to jump into my decisions full force without fully thinking them through – and this is something I need to work on in the future. I should have done a list of final ideas and then chose what one I wanted to do, instead of just rolling with the first idea that popped into my head. Thinking about it now, I would still go along the same route with showcasing my photography, but I would have done something like a photograph story video on a place I have visited that has left a lasting impact. For example, I could have done a video showcasing photographs that I took on my trip to Southwick’s Zoo and focused on my favorite part – which was when I got to walk through the deer forest and feed/interact with all of the deer in there. This was special to me because it was something I had never done before and I got to get up close and personal with animals that people normally can’t get close to. I would have put photographs of the other animals I saw there as well, but the deer would have been the majority. I would have done a voiceover explaining the photographs and the experience. Also, I could have used my newfound sound composition knowledge to put the sounds that certain animals make over their photographs. I feel like this would have been an interesting and meaningful video, and it would have been a fun project to create. I could have gotten creative with it in a different way as well by possibly doing a Steve Irwin accent while talking about the animals, and talking about them in a way that he would have. This would have made the video more entertaining.
     Reflecting on the final piece I did end up creating – I do think I did a good job on it, I just lost interest in what I was creating towards the end. I liked how I told my story, I just wish I had put more thought into it. I didn’t like the beginning clip of myself standing looking out over the yard because it just seemed off to me. I wasn’t sure what I could have placed there though instead so I ended up leaving it in. My favorite part of my final project was showcasing some of my photographs in the video. I chose the photographs that I liked the most that I have taken throughout my photography journey so far.
     I certainly learned to have patience and not rush the creative process throughout the weeks in this course. I never really thought about how much time and planning goes into creating certain projects, but after spending so much time working on certain aspects of our finals, I can see how it can be a taxing (but rewarding) process. There were certain steps I didn’t even think about at first, like doing a storyboard, but I can see how that helps the overall process.
     Moving forward, I most likely will use some of the knowledge I have gained in this class in the future. For one, I will try not to rush into projects anymore – and will really think through my ideas before I put them into motion. I will also most likely end up using my newfound sound skills in the future as well, especially if I create more photo videos. This would come in handy if I decide to focus on wedding photography – I will be able to create photo videos to go along with the photographic hard copies. All in all, I enjoyed this course and getting to see everyone’s creativity shining through throughout the weeks we spent working with each other.