Monday, October 16, 2017

Week 6 - Video


Video Link: https://youtu.be/fw7gL1gnfz0


This video is an introduction to a potential historical research project. The video reflects more than the output of a visual literacy exercise. The information leveraged can be information obtained during a history or civics class.  The application of that knowledge is exercised during a Media studies class. Therefore, leveraging visual literacy in projects might help engage students from a multi-disciplinary perspective (Fortuna, 2010). 

      The concept in the story board remained mostly consistent compared to the final video.  However, during post production, the order and timing of some of the shots were adapted to allow the flow and transitions in the video to be more succinct. Due to my technical limitations on shooting the scenes there were rough transitions that resulted when I attempted to zoom in for medium full frames for emphasis. See #4 in the Storyboard blog. Overall, I applied the following concepts when I produced my video.

      In the opening scene, there is initially a Long Shot in the opening sequence in that there is a clear horizon. This is useful in providing a general mood and impression of the environment. This is good especially if the video is being shown to someone not familiar with the area. There is also a great effect from the filmer’s use of the Tracking technique (Fortuna, 2010, pg.18). It allows viewers to move with the traffic and experience the pace of a typically busy urban street like Market and Broad Street.  

      The following scene introduces the viewer specifically to Broad Street where there is still an abundance of commercial activity.  The most prominent business is Prudential. The third shot attempts to change the attention from the busy commercial aspect of Broad Street to a more tranquil church. The panning technique which obviously changing direction.  Unfortunately, the camera was not mounted on a steady surface as the panning occurred so there is some turbulence.

The imagery in the subsequent scenes have tighter focal points like the bulletin depicting the historical facts of the church as well as the church itself. There is an attempt to do a medium full shot that zooms in from the panning from Prudential to the churchyard, but the transition was not smooth.  

The close shot of church with the camera angle from below was intentional to show reverence for the church and the historical contributions the church made to the Underground Railroad (Golombisky, 2010). This is also where the verbal narrative of the images is important for this project. The same building, especially well-known establishments like Prudential Financial and Old First Church have multiple meanings. The church might be prominent because its existence in a large metropolitan area for 350 years, so the call-out to the lesser known involvement in the Underground Railroad.



References

Ballett, A. (2009) Visual Literacy Across the Curriculum. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/XQNbAtK3c3g  
            October 4, 2017.

Golombisky, K., & Hagen, R. (2010). White Space is not Your Enemy: A Beginner’s Guide to
            Communicating Visually through Graphic, Web & Multimedia Design . Focal Press:
            New York, NY.

Fortuna, C. (2010). Lights! Camera! Action! A grammar of film for media literacy.
            Knowledge Quest, 38(4), 10-23.

Prudential Financial. (2017) History. Retrieved from http://corporate.prudential.com/view/page/corp/31790 on October 14, 2017.

Tettamanti, Steven; Amemasor, James; and Guderian, Greg. Interview with the New Jersey
            Historical Society. September 19, 2015


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