The dreadful Audio week that I heard about on Twitter and various other DS106 sites, proved to be a little difficult but nothing I could not handle, or at least ask others about. In fact, I enjoyed this week the most because I truly felt accomplished when I finished each assignment. I began the week … Continue reading I Think I’m Hearing Things!

When searching for audio assignments to complete, “So and So’s Greatest Hits” grabbed my attention immediately. I have always wanted to create a mash-up of songs from one artist, because I frequently go on YouTube and listen to them based on which artist I am in the mood for that day. The assignment states: There … Continue reading The Queen BeyHive Jive

The “Line remix” audio assignment caught my eye immediately. Do you know why? It is simply because of the “Elf” SoundCloud cover on the example! “Elf” is one of my favorite movies! Although that is what drew me to the assignment, I read the description and knew it would be challenging and creative, so here … Continue reading She’s the Man…NOT

The one required audio assignment this week was “Sound Effects Story”, and it had to be completed in relation to our characters. The prompt states: Tell a story using nothing but sound effects. There can be no verbal communication, only sound effects. Use at least five different sounds hat you find online. The story can … Continue reading Click, Clack, Crash… the Many Sounds of “Jewel”

Granted, I have probably heard thousands of radio bumpers in my lifetime from many different radio stations, I was oblivious to their official name, as well as, the process involved with making one. When tasked with creating a bumper for DS106 radio, the prompt states: Now that we have a #ds106 radio up and running … Continue reading This Bumper is Bumpin’!

When I first thought of audio as it relates to film, video, and noir, the types of sounds that came to mind were loud gun shots, screams, sirens, and voice-over narration. Although sound effects are crucial elements, there is so much more to audio in storytelling. I learned this through the resources that we watched, … Continue reading Did You Hear That?

The first idea that comes to mind, for a DS106 Radio show, is based on the classic noir characters that we developed. Groups could be formed according to the possibility for intriguing interaction between the fictional characters. For example, an ideal group would include a hard-boiled detective, mafia member, and femme fatale from the same … Continue reading And We’re Live With DS106 Radio…

The Daily Create assignments for Monday and Tuesday were too great to pass up, so therefore, I have checked those off of the list this week. As soon as I saw the prompt for “urban decay”, I knew exactly what to capture. On its last limb, I knew of a shed that is one rotten … Continue reading Urban Apologies

This third week of photography and visual noir took me for a loop, beginning with the mysterious cat and disappearance of Maggie Black in the introduction video. By the end of the video, I knew this week was going to be interesting, and it was certainly not a let-down. I began the week with reviewing … Continue reading A Picture is Worth A Thousand Noir Elements

Shifting from last week’s focus of reading noir to this week’s focus on watching noir was interesting. The elements of noir in the films are basically the same as in the readings, but their presentation in cinema is more clear. In my personal opinion, I think film is the best venue to showcase noir in … Continue reading They Looked Like Noir, But Now I’m Sure!

This week’s photo safari took me near and far, high and low, and it even took me to a cat (Note: I am allergic to cats, so this was a big step). As soon as I saw the list of noir elements, I knew exactly which five I wanted to capture with my phone’s camera. … Continue reading Crikey, I’ve Spotted Noir in this Safari!

Julia James is a very mysterious woman, so she does not carry a bag on her person. She likes to leave some things up to the imagination. However, there are essentials that she absolutely needs in her everyday life to keep up appearances and do her “job”. In order to detail these items and add … Continue reading “Jewel’s” Treasures

This week’s Daily Create prompts were interesting to say the least! There were so many random and varying ways to express creativity.  I tried to choose three completely different forums through which to create something original, and personally, I think they turned out very well! The droodle, which I had never even heard of before, … Continue reading Droodling, Recording, and Instructing…All in One Week!

Experimenting with image editing software has always been a pleasure of mine. I  enjoy transforming photos from their original form, such as by cropping and applying filters. Given this hobby, the assignment, “Splash The Color” seemed perfect because I had never tried to add color back to only one object in a picture. The assignment states: … Continue reading Well, Color Me Gold!

When you hear the name, Kendall Parker, the first thing that comes to mind is professional photographer….NOT! I hate to sound like a typical teenage girl, but looking back at my camera roll, majority of my photos are either selfies (no, I am not conceited) or pictures with my family and friends. My photos are … Continue reading Photogra-me!

When first coming across the “Post-It Notes & Grocery Lists!”, I knew exactly which character to choose, as I had just created the most sultry Femme Fatale to ever grace the noir scene. Julia “Jewel” James has a busy schedule as a legal secretary, so keeping lists and notes is the only way to keep track … Continue reading Jot It Down With “Jewel”

“Writing & Noir” is the perfect, simple title for this week because there was plenty of both. When considering noir-style writing, we read it, read some more of it, analyzed it, and certainly wrote our fair share of it, as well. The noir readings,”The Postman Always Rings Twice”, “The Killers”, “The Shadow”, and “Debris”, certainly … Continue reading Learning to Write in the Dark!

The Susan Carter Morgan’s Tell me a story prompt states:  Everything has a story. So, find an item that you have an extreme emotional attachment to, take a picture of it, and tell the story! Convey all the emotion and feeling, and let us know why the item is important to you! The first thing … Continue reading “Jewel’s” Jewel

The “Quote Me on That” assignment that Professor Groom submitted to the Assignment Bank is a perfect one to dedicate to my Femme Fatale character, Julia James! It states: Share a quote (or quotes) from a reading you’ve done and explain what interests you about it. As designated by yours truly in her character dossier, … Continue reading A Quote By Kay

The question of “what is noir?” cannot be answered in just one concrete, full-proof definition. This is evident strictly from the four readings that I explored this week. Although “The Postman Always Rings Twice”, “The Killers”, “The Shadow”, and “Debris” all vary in form, setting, plot, and many other elements; there are certain commonalities that begin to emerge as characteristics … Continue reading No happy endings? Noir you kidding me?

This haiku was inspired from a photo that I took after a summer basketball workout at Pratt Park in Fredericksburg, Virginia, my hometown! I love this image because my goal to play college basketball was realized when I made the UMW women’s basketball team! The hard work that I put in during the off-season helped … Continue reading Little poem, big message!

The ending of “The Killers,” by Ernest Hemingway, was very anti-climactic! When I read a story titled as such, I expect some killing! This probably sounds extremely violent on my part, but let me explain. Sloppy gangsters who hangout in a diner for a couple of hours, only manage to tie up two innocent men, … Continue reading The Killers of My Time…

The mind is a terrible thing to waste. Thankfully, I have many different avenues to challenge my creativity through ds106 Daily Create assignments. I do not think I have ever expressed myself in so many different ways within a span of three days. From writing poetry,  to yodeling, to modeling (eye modeling that is), my … Continue reading A Haiku, a Yodel, and an Eye…Oh My!

This is “nacho” normal recipe… (get it??) Super Bowl Sunday is approaching and a thought popped into my head: I don’t know how to make anything. Sure, I have made a sandwich here and there, but I really want to dazzle my family with something brand new. Chili nachos seem like the perfect fit. There … Continue reading I Can Follow a Chili Nachos Recipe Haiku, Can You?

Name: Julia James Nickname: “Jewel” Birthdate: March 3, 1989 Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois Julia James is completely captivating, as she stands five feet eleven inches tall with ruby-red, shoulder-length wavy locks surrounding her crystal blue, come-hither eyes and perfectly plump lips. “Jewel” is stunning with or without makeup, but usually keeps her look natural with just a … Continue reading “Jewel” James, A Modern Femme Fatale is Born…

Week one of Digital Storytelling…check! Despite the warnings of the large work load, it was extremely rewarding. At first glance, the list of tasks seemed a tiny bit daunting. However, with a more thorough reading, none of the assignments posed a serious problem, as I have experience with most of the media venues, like Twitter, … Continue reading Let’s Get It Started in Noir!

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