Please click here to view my Project A: Part 1: 3 Pitches
Pitch Number 01
I would like to discuss and analyze the role of digital photography as a game changer in the social and political landscape of the 21st century amid the explosion of social media
The power of photography comes from its ability to capture and freeze a specific moment in time that can impact and influence how we see the truth of a person, a place or a thing. It allows us to tell visual stories about people and situations as we see them, stories that otherwise might not be seen or told. From Tahiti to the Japan 2011 tsunami and earth quake, digital cameras were used as survival tools to help families find loved ones in hospitals and towns where all other forms of communication were destroyed.
The images of the Vietnam war help ended the war. In unrests in north Africa and the middle east, digital photos and videos instantaneously brought people’s conflicts and struggles into our homes and have made the world closer and smaller than ever before. Digital photography has also given the opportunity for anyone to use digital imagery as a weapon and a game changer.
What does it mean to be a photographer in 21st century?
With the technical advancement in digital photography and the explosion of social media, photography has also become a very powerful social and political tool, which has intersected with all the various social media resources. The power of photography can also reveal a human experience as a social weapon that can change a story, enhance a story, control a story or manipulate a story based on the photographer’s specific social or political agenda, if any. Today, anyone with a cell phone camera is technically a photographer who can bring his or her story or truth to us through many different online resources in a matter of seconds. As we have witnessed over and over again, many lives have been destroyed by having the camera in the ‘wrong’ hands, which could very well our own.With today’s technological tools, it is very easy to take a photo of someone in a compromising situation, upload to any of the social networking websites, and end the lifelong career of that person in a matter of hours. Anthony Weiner ( pictured in the previous page), is a great example of this misuse of the camera.
Anthony Weiner (online Resources
We can also see political ads and campaigns using specific photography techniques, specific lens or angels, lighting techniques, retouching, compositing and color manipulation that can change the psychological impact of a photograph. The image may or may not be flattering to the person and it can be completely tainted by the photographer’s social or political agenda. Below is another great example showing republican candidate Michele Bachmann’s portrait on the cover of Newsweek magazine.
The photo below is part of a United Benetton clothing store ad campaign. The photo has been retouched and manipulated after president Obama’s meeting with Hugo Chaves of Venezuela to convey a social and political massage that brought shock to many viewers. (Click for Source) Again, we can see the power of photography to manipulate and change the meaning of the story and the news based on its specific agenda.
My goal is also to create a website that showcases a few sets of photographs that tell a specific story. I will demonstrate how easily the meaning of a story can be changed based on camera lens, angles and post production techniques such as color manipulation, lighting and retouching to provoke different reactions and massages. I will also incorporate video technology to capture my method and engage the viewer in the process of how photography can change, enhance, control and manipulate ‘reality’ based on the creator’s vision and agenda.
Pitch Number 02
Pitch Number 02 Revitalizing the teaching of art through online strategies and dynamics
In the past decade, both students and teachers have been introduced to new ways of interactivity and access to information. In adopting the new ways of communication, I would like to discuss how some of the new social networking technologies and resources can help instructors revitalize the teaching of art through online strategies and dynamics, thus enhancing the interactive component for hybrid and online classes.
Online classes, eBooks and online educational databases and platforms have made it possible for anyone to learn anywhere that is convenient at the time. From train stations to gyms, online education and access to virtual books, educational videos and content have made it possible for anyone to achieve higher education regardless of work schedules or physical distance. However, there is a lot of room for growth and improvement in this new form of education. Currently in most online classes, activities such as project development, pitches, brain storming sessions, and providing and receiving project feedback and communication are mostly limited to written formats using discussion boards and blogs in educational servers such as Blackboard. Unfortunately there are limitations with the interactive components of these databases. These limitations can make the learning process impersonal and uninspiring. which can have a negative impact on the creative process.
Another disadvantage for an online student is that he or she is not able to verbally participate in class discussions and critiques or communicate his or her ideas and vision about class projects. Being able to verbally articulate ideas and concepts while keeping a good composure as encouraged in traditional classroom environments can help bring clarity, improve communication and social skills and build
self confidence. These qualities today are essential components for succeeding in an ever more competitive job market. In addition, in today’s world job market, many of the creative job interviews are first conducted in video conferencing, which again makes it essential for students to practice their language and communication skills in a safe environment such as a traditional classroom.
I would like to research, discuss and analyze some of the available and effective tools for providing video feedback such as Camtesia, Jing and Skype for virtual, face to face conferences and meetings to ensure that the online students can practice and articulate their concepts and ideas clearly and effectively. I will also analyze some of the newer and more innovative tools such as Voice Thread, which is a multimedia, interactive and collaborative cyberspace tool for educators.
This very new technology allows the participant to create virtual study groups, use video, text, and audio to record their comments and use markers to highlight, doodle or leave comments for individual or on group projects instantaneously. Similar to a classroom environment, the instructor can moderate the flow of the information and the interactive virtual groups.
Click to visit the Voice Thread Website.
Pitch Number 03
Pitch Number 03 Social media and interactive resources as tools to enhance collaboration between interdisciplinary fields of study.
I would like to create a dynamic interactive learning space that addresses the limitations of a particular individual and brings other individuals to the teaching arena who have different types of expertise to produce a dynamic and comprehensive teaching approach.
By default, the 21st century intersection of various media resources has made life a cross disciplinary medium. In order to create ground breaking projects, one needs to be able to collaborate with individuals who can bring different talents to the table. In my personal experience of working in different ad agencies for the past 17 years, the one thing that is very common is the collaboration between the different departments and working with individuals who possess different creative expertise and skill sets. For example, a website is a collaboration of work between copy, interactive, animation and graphic design departments who each solve a different part of a puzzle for a creative project. Unfortunately this real world collaboration is not reinforced in many on-ground classes and is particularly absent in the online class format and structure. This could be partially due to the limitations of the current online educational interactive tools. However, every day we are exposed to a newer and better ways to communicate through the virtual space and using social media tools as an educational aid.
The goal of this website is to research the new trends in technology and provide resources that make it easier to collaborate on projects with people from different departments that may have different types of expertise. I will discuss and research some of the currently available educational tools such as Wall Wishers which allow the users to create a virtual wall where they can post notes, add links to websites, insert images, music, audio podcasts and even videos to brainstorm ideas, discuss a topic or simply share information with the visitors.
Photopeach is another great educational tool that uses a combination of images, music, and text to help students learn about any topic. The instructors can
produce slide shows similar to a photo story with costumed music and animation which makes the piece very visual and very fast and easy to create. The instructors can also add a quiz related to the slideshow at the very end to reinforce the important concepts that were introduced in the video.
Pitch Number 04 ( In Development)
( in development) Successful navigation design for visual and none visual users Not too sure about this topic….