I made this trading card in accordance with this assignment, which calls for making trading cards based on a movie. I chose 3:10 to Yuma in order to fit it in with the Western theme and because the cinematography works well as compositions for cards. Emmy, on the left, is ignoring the advances of Wade, a rough outlaw … Continue reading 3:10 to Trading Cards →

Jesse James has always had a special place in my heart as far as outlaws go. Granted, he was a crazy guy and certainly not a saint, but I have done quite a bit of research on him in the past and so I feel a sort of acquaintance with his questionable character. He would … Continue reading Wanted: Jesse James →

While researching designs, I compiled a few examples of what seemed to be common themes in western art. The colors, compositions, and subjects of western-themed designs run along similar veins. They stick to warm colors and try to capture as much of its subject as possible, not necessarily focusing on any minute details within an … Continue reading Designing the West →

This reading by Vignelli had a lot of interesting information. It was useful in exploring the principles of design and space. I hadn’t considered much of what went into the design of visual elements such as logos and printed works. Even the font and spacial awareness of words were necessary in maintaining a well-designed page. The … Continue reading Economy of Design →

This week was filled with learning. I started off by reflecting on what I knew and what I had yet to learn. I also put out some ideas for the midterm. Then I participated in a tweet-along and gleaned some information on what a radio show used to sound like versus a newer one like “Moon Graffiti”. … Continue reading Week 5: The Wind Calls →

The audio in the podcast episode “Moon Graffiti” was extremely eerie and well-placed throughout the story. I liked how the speaking sounded like it was coming from different positions and areas. Listening to it with headphones on was effectively immersive. The characters within the story spoke eloquently and solemnly to one another throughout the story. Behind their … Continue reading Thoughts on Moon Graffiti →

This monologue came out of an assignment that had you read something overdramatically. In order to do this, I looked through an archive of monologues and found this one from “The Chocolate Affair” by Stephanie Alison Walker. It sounded like something I could really get into, so I went ahead and gave it a try. I … Continue reading The Daily Grind →

This is a westernized reading of “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe in accordance with this assignment, which asks us to read something with this accent. Hopefully I don’t sound too southern in the mix. Sometimes I get carried away. Putting this together was an adventure. I had to reread this a lot of times … Continue reading Quote the Raven →

This little conversation was inspired by an assignment that had you record a conversation with yourself. I chose to do a sort of grandmother-in-law and granddaughter-in-law phonecall based around a scene reminiscent of the Old West and old world views. In this phonecall the two women argue about Madeline’s role as a woman and their … Continue reading Dorothy and Madeline →

Here are my Daily Creates for this week! The first prompt asked us to make up a new western saying: To which @dogtrax replied with a really cool comic: The second prompt asked us to make up a Pony Express postmark: And finally, the third one was to make a treasure map:

Here is my radio bumper for DS106 Radio, according to the assignment that asks us to put together something that reminds listeners of what they’re listening to. I am extremely happy with how this little blip turned out. I think the guitar mixed well with the wind background, and my voice sounds pretty clear (thanks … Continue reading Radio Bumper →

I participated in Wednesday’s tweet-along, during which we listened to Gunsmoke: Doc Holliday and Frontier Gentleman: Aces and Eights. Tweeting along with others made the podcasts fun and interesting, especially as we pointed out the different audio cues and uses of music. In my opinion, Gunsmoke was a lot more fun to listen to than … Continue reading Tweet-Along: Gunsmoke and Frontier Gentleman →

In accordance with this assignment, here is a day in the life of Danny Keys through audio. His job is to play piano in a saloon, so the majority of the sound here is music. Here we go through his work day, warming up on the piano, playing through the day, and slowing down as … Continue reading Piano Story →

I would love to put together a sort of narrative story for the radio show, which would require voice acting and quite a bit of audio manipulation, but I think it would be a lot of fun! Here’s some story ideas: A solo individual trying to survive out in the wilderness, a Man vs. Nature … Continue reading Thoughts on Developing a Radio Show →

Sound in films and media is vital in our understanding of what is happening. A movie soundtrack makes or breaks a film. Sound effects and audio quality have similar importance; if the sound effects are too excessive or abrasive, or if the voice levels and quality differs from one person or scene to the next, … Continue reading Understanding Audio: Before Now →

Last week was filled with great photos by everyone! The photography group was tasked with choosing our favorites from the whole week and boy, was it tough. We decided on these five to showcase: Congrats to these people, and good job to all the other brilliant ideas from the week! Good luck to you in … Continue reading Pictures to Remember: Week 4 Showcase →

This week was all about photography, and boy was it an eventful one. I started off learning about the ins and outs of photography and how to be patient and observant. I applied what I learned through the film I chose to watch and a Photoblitz challenge. Of course, the applications didn’t stop there, as … Continue reading Week 4: Shot ‘Em →

The cinematography in Stagecoach was very interesting. As I was watching it, I mulled over how each scene induced emotion, how each moment of contrast and space indicated a differing move. Moreover, I couldn’t help but notice how Ringo’s hat changed according to the emotions he portrayed and the ones I felt. I thought the best … Continue reading Stagecoach: The Story of a Hat →

This photo came out of an assignment that encouraged you to show what someone saw through the reflection of their eye. I used the prompt to work my character Danny Keys into this assignment. He likes to sit outside and look out at the little town in which he now resides. It’s a dusty little … Continue reading Brown Eyes in a Dusty Dawn →

This photoshoot was a lot of fun to complete. The Photoblitz challenge had a lot of interesting things to do and subjects to find. The most interesting one for me was the one that suggested you use a camera setting that you’ve never used before. I’ve tried everything on my actual camera (it doesn’t have … Continue reading Blitzin’ the Shots →

This assignment asked us to show what’s in our character’s bag. My character, Danny Keys, has an interesting assortment of items. He keeps a messenger bag on him at all times, just in case he needs anything out of it. In this old thing typically lies a little notebook and pen, for any notes or … Continue reading Saddle Bags →

“You’ve gotta ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya, punk?” Dirty Harry is a classic. So is Clint Eastwood in general, honestly. You gotta love the guy. Cowboy to ruthless cop, he’s the man who gets the job done. I chose to complete this assignment more or less so I could … Continue reading You Feelin’ Lucky? →

Every day after school, we would walk home together. He lived a few minutes from my house, so we went the same way anyway. We’d taken the same route together since we were young, walking down the streets, chatting when the sounds of the train passing didn’t drown out our voices. Years passed, high school … Continue reading Across the Tracks →

This assignment prompted you to change the hue of a photo to make a new world. This photo came out surprisingly well when I altered the hue. The original colors were so clearly defined that the new ones blended in as though they were natural to the scene. So, once I chose this color scheme … Continue reading Oceans Away →

I very much enjoy taking photos, especially of the sky and animals that are around; half of my phone is filled with sunsets, the other with my dog. When I’m taking pictures of these two subjects, I generally try to get as much color and detail into them. So, while I set up a picture, … Continue reading Pictures from the Past →

This week was filled with what I would consider to be my strength out of our semester’s media: writing. I’ve always loved writing stories, and I enjoy writing about other stories, too. Picking apart the meanings of other people’s writings is both a pastime and a part-time job for me, so this week was a ton … Continue reading Week 3: Tell us a Story →

I’ve never seen bluer skies than when I went south to Virginia. As soon as I stepped off the train into that hot summer evening, I saw a matted jewel surrounding this earth, glorious and bright, just short of glimmering. Even as we entered the car and even our hotel, I couldn’t stop gazing at … Continue reading A Southern Key →

Tired of the army, a soldier escapes with one of the prisoners and teams up with a warrior and her robot to destroy a planet. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens __________ This prompt was super fun to think about. What would a movie look like if it was only given one sentence of … Continue reading Planet Sabotage? →

You manage to sidestep all six shots from Six Shooter Sam and bust out of the saloon doors. Johnny pauses to reload his gun, and you make a break for it across the dusty road. Good thing you didn’t try to shoot, since you’ve just now remembered that you forgot to bring any bullets with … Continue reading Run For It →