Laying out the Wrapping Paper:
“Understanding the nature of networks, technical and social, is essential.” Howard Rheingold displayed the importance of social media content and storytelling through content creation in his reading on media literacies involving five key aspects of content creation growth: attention, participation, collaboration, network awareness, and critical assumption. Out of all the readings done this semester, Rheingold appeased to me the most with his explanations on how to win over an audience with your work. I agree with Rheingold because in my experience, it is important to have good looking work to present. With other readings, like from Gilmourand Carroll, I learned that having a credible reputation is what’s most important in producing blogs, videos, and podcasts.
Ever since my senior year of high school, I had a goal of wanting to please an audience with my creative skills through social media and other forms of media. The way I pursued my goal was by making YouTube videos for my school and writing game recap articles of local high school games. That opportunity allowed me to become comfortable using a camera, writing and provided the knowledge of different kinds of editing strategies and software. What I didn’t know though, was what it meant to be a storyteller, specifically how to be a storyteller in multimedia. I originally thought the term “storyteller” was going to be writing short stories online, not necessarily blog-style writing. After further explanation on what the course entailed, I thought this course would be an “easy A” since having prior experience with various forms of media and journalism, and I believed that there was nothing new for me to learn. However, I was humbled very quickly with that “know-it-all” mentality after the conclusion that I needed to improve on a lot more than what I expected.
Wrapping the Gift:
Being asked to interview the person in front of me on the first day of class made me realize that this class will be a lot harder than I anticipated. Having no idea how to ask follow-up questions during that interview led me to start having an open mind on how to become a digital storyteller. The pace of this course in my opinion was very fast towards the beginning with the duration of each project was. Lab assignments due the night it was assigned, and many blog posts and projects that needed extra time when it came to the editing process outside of class. However, these assignments helped me in many ways to learn what to expect with blog-style writing, including how to talk to people when podcasting, doing video production, and so many more things to add onto my e-portfolio.
Each assignment I completed had a central theme of athletics, thus creating my whole e-portfolio on how athletics has changed my life after being a retired student-athlete. My theme also comes from working in athletics. Taking photos and videos on the sidelines without getting yelled at, having easy access to have coaches participate in the videos, and the ability to receive video work from media specialists to enhance my projects more are just some of the examples on how athletics helped perfect my portfolio and create a pleasing website that gathers the theme.
Taping Up the Wrapping Paper:
It took time for me to consider myself a storyteller. The project I believe that made me find my voice as a digital storyteller would be the Public Service Announcement (PSA) video featuring Furman’s Head Basketball Coach, Bob Richey, and another actor portraying a younger version of Richey. This video unlocked a lot of creativity from myself to create a story on how important it is to have a role model in a unique way. This video proved to myself that I can make these creative projects happen on a screen rather just the ideas in my head. This project helped me in the bigger picture by forcing me to improve my communication skills and step out of my comfort zone.
Adding the Bow on Top:
In this course, I improved on two skills: time management and critical thinking. This semester, I’ve constantly ran myself ragged with work and school, but it forced me to plan out a schedule ahead of time so I can do my work I need done on time. With critical thinking, I’ve improved on my creativity with my video and blog ideas, and I learned how to portray that onto a storyboard so others can see the vision I have as well. Critical thinking is not just with coming up with ideas but also learning how to adapt to a new idea if something didn’t work out as planned. There were many instances that I had to think off the top of my head on how I can make a project better if something didn’t turn out the way I wanted.
Using what I’ve learned this semester will benefit me when I’m working in content creation. Gaining new knowledge on how to edit audio, adding b-roll clips where it’s necessary, and improving my ability to multitask will allow myself to become a better digital storyteller for my future career. My next accomplishment will be to become more comfortable in front of the camera. Although doing a live shot for the first time in another class this semester was scary, with constant practice, I believe it’ll be second nature for me. Knowing how to be on both sides of the camera will be beneficial for when I work for a higher collegiate team or a professional team as a reporter or wherever life takes me involving sports media.