TV Production

Monmouth College's TV station (MCTV) follows closely with the production of larger news and talk shows. In the studio, three people run the cameras and communicate with the anchors for the director. In a room close by, the sound and visuals are controlled. The crew in the room and the crew on the set seem to communicate well with each other via headsets.

In addition to the crew, lighting also assists in the show. By having various lights turned on, it helps fill out features, such as the anchors' faces and the background.

A little bit different from the production of MCTV is the talk show "The Chew." This program involves cooking and conversation amongst hosts and guests. However, this show also utilizes lighting to make everything look appealing to the audience. The hosts also have to watch the floor director to make sure their timing is on target and they hit their ques of when to talk about things.

One major difference in the two productions is the interaction. On MCTV, the anchors never talk to each other; they speak to the audience. On The Chew, the hosts talk to the audience, to talent, and to each other. Because of this interaction, the floor director has to let the hosts know how they're doing on time (i.e. let them know if they need to carry out the conversation or wrap it up).

While the shows do differ vastly, the fundamentals are similar. The group consists of directors, technical producers, camera operators, floor director, hosts/anchors, etc. The onstage setup between the two looks a lot different, but the production, I assume, is very much the same.


Watch an episode of The Chew

Audio PSA Creation

Before I could create an audio PSA in Adobe Soundbooth, I had to think about what message I would want to send out and who my audience would be. Since I knew that the audience would be college students I thought of problems they encounter on a daily basis. Since I live in a dorm building, I have found that loud neighbors is a common issue. I wanted to send out a message of respect towards neighbors.

In order to do so, I thought about the specific problems I encounter: loud music and loud voices. To show these issues through an audio PSA, I decided to have two roommates trying to accomplish tasks despite noisy neighbors.

When actually making this PSA, I started by writing my script. I thought college students could relate to a casual conversation between two roommates who were obviously annoyed with their current neighbor situation. I also needed to show students that they could be bothering their neighbors with their noise. I accomplished this by having the roommates think about making the noise back. I did this in order to make people realize that if they make too much noise, their neighbors may retaliate and be loud back. I also ended the piece in a sort of call to action by saying "Don't let your fun impose on your neighbors. Respect your neighbors; receive it back."

The actual recording took a few tries. The first time through, while I remembered to turn the microphone pot up, I neglected to turn down the speaker which make the recording echoe. After realizing my mistake, I started recording again. Despite having the right volume levels, I encountered another issue: laughter. Trying to read a script seriously imposed difficulty in this project. The person helping me and myself finally got ourselves together and made a recording that would work.

The next step was finding music that would fit in with my PSA. I needed something party related. In the end I settled on a piece of music in Twisted Tiger that was loud and that people could dance to. Next, I explored the various sound effects to find a group of people. While I thought this part would be easy, I had more difficulty than expected. I found several large groups and singular laughter, but finding the sound of a small group (while still being obnoxious) was difficult. However, I did find the effect I was searching for.

The final step in the process was putting everything together. I went to soundbooth and put my various pieces in different tracks. When every piece was on a track, I edited the clip length, volume, and location. Then, I faded the tracks in and out so they weren't too loud at the beginning or end of the PSA. The final thing I checked was the exact length of the PSA. After making sure it was exactly 30 seconds, I saved and exported the project.

Audio PSA Draft: Respect Your Neighbors

Buzzed Driving Audio PSA

 Buzzed Driving Prevention

This audio PSA depicts the dangers of drinking and driving. In order to convey this message, this PSA has two subjects who both had too much to drink. One drove home while the other took a taxi. In the end, the one who drove hit a man. By doing so, this caught the attention of the audience through emotional appeal.

Overall, this PSA worked well. It was simple and held the interest of the audience throughout. It also directed its message at a specific group: young adults who drink.

One thing I would have done differently had I created this is add more emotion to the voices and/or add some sound effects. While the two women have different tones of voice, I feel that the one who hit the man does not sound very remorseful. I also think that by adding the sound of a crash would make it seem like this instance truly happened. However, the message is easily understood with the PSA the way it is now.

Photoshop Digital Image Creation

When creating the message of anger, I thought about the best way to convey it. I decided on having a human subject, because you can manipulate facial expressions and bodily stance easily. When taking his picture, I tried several different things. I had him stand, sit, talk on the phone, and yell. In the end, I decided upon a picture with him sitting with his arms crossed. His face, while it doesn't scream anger, definitely does not look happy.

I also decided to add a brick background (which was not originally in the picture). I thought doing so would make it look darker than the trees and building that were originally there. Darkness was important in this image because the thought of anger isn't bright and happy; instead, it is dark and gloomy. In order to make this image darker I added a black and white filter and chose the "darker" setting. The darker setting allowed me to manipulate which areas of the photo were darker than others. I felt that having the stone he's sitting on being lighter made him and the brick wall really pop out.

The last thing I did was added text that is associated with anger. I played with multiple fonts, but settled on one that looked neat and boxy. This allowed me to put the words in the bricks and make it look like they belong.

I think in future drafts I will add a little bit of color to this image. Having a little bit of red in this would really make the message of anger clear.While the darkness of this image works well to convey the message, a little color would make it a bit more interesting.

Messages Through Photo Illustration

The elements of this photo illustration convey the message of anxiety and the toll it takes on one's life. Fear, panic, frantic, and pacing all describe the symptoms of anxiety; whereas, the images show contributing factors of anxiety. The pocket watch symbolizes the feeling of time constraints. The chair shows anxiety through needing to complete tasks and being "tied to a chair." The mouths illustrate worry about what others think or say. Tying all of these elements together is the puppet rods and strings. Transforming the subject into a puppet shows how much anxiety controls her life. The anxiety associated with work, time constraints, other people, and life in general control her every move.

The subject, herself, gives off the impression of anxiety. The blank stare on her face shows that her mind is preoccupied with worry. Her body looks as though it could not move if it needed to. The alignment of her jaw and mouth lacks emotional appeal.

Overall, this illustration depicts anxiety well. One thing I would have done differently was given the subject a body stance that made her look like she was pacing or frantic. I feel like doing so would make her look like she was truly being controlled by her anxiety.

Photo from: http://surc.biz/collage/douglas-alves-illustration-3-weare-488x557/

An Analysis of "The Washington Post" Online Edition.

"The Washington Post" is a daily newspaper which can also be accessed online. This newspaper provides great information when it comes to anything from breaking news stories to sports columns. I typically visit the website in lieu of reading the newspaper because of the accessibility and ease of going online.

The layout of "The Washington Post" website follows a well organized grid. The visual dynamics flow left to right and top to bottom. Three columns of stories run down the page, making it easy for readers to find stories that appeal to them. Along the left column, the titles and leads of stories draw readers in without giving too much information. This way, the reader decides what he/she wants to read and can then follow a link to the full story. The middle column also shows the leads of stories, but, in addition, has a larger picture to draw in the audience. The right column is mostly made up of advertisements and discussion pages. I, as a reader, find the separation of the advertisements very helpful. On some websites, the advertisements get in the way, and I accidentally click on them. Having them in a different column prevents that.

The organization of the tool bar parallels that of the columns. All of the navigational links are organized across the top of the banner, allowing readers to find information quickly. Finding information quickly online is important, because if  readers cannot find information quickly, they will leave the site.

Consumers of online newspapers also find the overall appearance important. One thing that stands out to me when visiting this site is how clean everything looks. I say clean because the page is done in black and white, thus, giving it a very pristine look . The use of black and white contribute to the feeling of seriousness of the newspaper. While "The Washington Post" includes sections for entertainment (i.e. music, horoscopes, and comics), the main focus is on news. When comparing this website with one utilized for entertainment purposes, the difference in color schemas is noticeable (many websites for entertainment are brightly colored and flashy).

The organization and appearance of the website make it a good one to visit. It invites the readers in without being overdone and busy. The content is scannable, which makes information easy to access. The division of information seems natural, which makes the page flow very well. While these aspects of web design seem futile, they contribute to making "The Washington Post" one of the most visited online newspapers.


The Washington Post Online

Web Banner

When creating this web banner, I started by thinking about colors I liked. Because my favorite color is green, I knew I wanted to use a soft green background. I went online to look for different green images, and then I decided I wanted to use one with leaves because trees and leaves have always been peaceful to me. After finding my background image, I started playing with different fonts. To go along with the peaceful theme, I used a more elegant font that flowed well. I manipulated the font to go down the center of the banner, because that was where it looked best with the background image. A couple of things I would do differently are making the image less stretched out and making the font larger.