COURSE REFLECTION

For the past ten years, I have been using Photoshop to design graphics and websites. I took this course because I wanted to learn more beyond Photoshop. I know that there are many multimedia tools out there for professional use, but never got a chance to explore them. This class provided a perfect opportunity to learn with appropriate help and minimal risk of failing. I registered this course with a high expectation that I would be able to use other multimedia tools effectively and improve my media literacy, and this class exceeded my expectations. Every class was very enjoyable and informative. Not only did I learn how to use Audacity and Adobe Premiere for basic audio and video editing, I also learned how to critique different kinds of media using media language.

Among all projects, I think I excelled the most in the video project because I got the highest grade on it and came up with a great video with no prior Adobe Premiere experience. The preproduction phase was critical in saving me time and keeping me organised when I was shooting for footage. I also think that I have a good mix of stills and footage to maintain audience's attention. It was very eye-opening to try out the green screen in the one-button studio. Now I know how movie studios were able to superimpose their subjects onto an unlimited number of different virtual backgrounds. 

If I had to choose to improve a project, I would choose the image project. When creating a set of posters about Notre Dame's study abroad opportunities, I was caught up in the aesthetics that I missed the more important aspect of a poster: the message. If I had more time, I might add more information to some of my posters. It was very helpful to see other classmates' work for inspiration and reflection.

In addition to using different multimedia tools, I also improved my media literacy by writing media critiques. Through this course, I am able communicate my thoughts on media using proper media language. A challenge I faced in my first critique was condensing and summarizing the critique to get under the word limit. I was glad that professors increased the word limit for the second media critique. Another interesting takeaway from class was listening to "Pulling Back the Curtain" on NPR. One way I now view or listen to media differently is that a lot of work goes into preproduction and postproduction. The media I am listening is made up of many components like soundtrack, audio effects, footages, stills and they might not be recorded at the same time. 

Building this portfolio as an alternative to a final exam is an excellent idea. I was able to reflect on my experience in this course, as well as display all my work in a centralized place. As a web designer, it was natural for me to enhance most parts of this portfolio. As you can see, I have added a banner with the portfolio title and a background. More nuanced enhancements are formatting the headings (All caps, larger font and changing color), formatting the navigation bar (centering text, changing font style, changing text color of links and hover color) and adding a footer. These are all done through the CSS customization. 

I can see myself using media knowledge or skills in many occasions in the future, whether it be recording an interview with a prominent CEO, designing advertising posters for my client or making my own wedding video. This course left me with a wide range of technical and artistic skills that will be useful years down the road.