My digital image represents my digital self because it encapsulates how my extensive use of social media has been programmed into how I function on a daily basis. I am constantly thinking about what I can post to make others like me or accept me, even if I don’t end up posting anything because of my desire for perfection that is so rarely quenched. This obsession with the media has affected me in everything that I do, even to the very fact that I am majoring in Media Studies. The image showcases how a media screen is always on my mind, even subconsciously, by incorporating a screenshot of my Instagram profile onto my eye. This photo is in portrait because it works to showcase close up emotions and details that would have been lost if it was in landscape mode. I utilized the camera focus and rule of thirds to draw the viewer’s eye to the eye in the photograph by blurring out the background and placing the eye where the lines would naturally intersect. This worked to bring attention to the image presented in the eye due to the story that it tells. The digital image has not been revised because of the positive feedback I received that verified my own satisfaction with the original piece. 

My digital video file represents my digital self because it mimics how I used to present myself in the YouTube videos I would make. I would utilize jump cuts in editing for quick entertainment and showcase an outgoing “on-screen” personality so that the audience felt like the content was relatable and easy to watch. My digital self usually presents a life free of media use, as I post about places I go or experiences I have, and not all the time I spend on my phone. This project dives into my mind when I was taking a lot of life experiences for granted before I was stuck with just media and technology in quarantine. I see this video as my real self talking to my digital self. This portrayal explains how much I relied on the media until it was all I had. I utilized natural lighting and a makeshift tripod for a solid foundation to create a smooth piece. This worked to create a sense of professionalism that the audience can recognize and appreciate.  I used a shotgun microphone so that the sound in the video was clear, which translates to a clear message as well. Other principles, like using a close up and including light background music, created emotion and added detail to the piece that worked to make it a complete video. I did not revise this project because of the perfect score I received on it. However, if I were to recreate the video, I would have made the interviewer look more like I look everyday in quarantine in order to create a more realistic and comical element. I could even play with the lighting to emulate how the audience should feel instead of using the same lighting for each version of myself. 

My Infographic represents my digital self because it mirrors my inner worries of how toxic my use and reliance on social media is. I often find myself having similar problems to what is outlined on the Infographic, so I knew that others probably had similar problems as well. I used bright colors and aesthetic design to draw in the viewer, but the message was much more serious than it appeared. This parallels how I present myself on social media. I worked to make the infographic insightful and truthful while focusing on an evident key purpose. In my revision of my infographic, I made the words more readable by shortening the amount of text there was and sizing up the remaining text. I also fixed other critiques like moving the byline under the headline and changing the title to make it less confusing. Overall, the balance of elements and new clarity help to make this piece more unified and readable. 

    My digital self encapsulates the essence of my real life self, however, it is a much more polished and particular version. In an age of “influencers” and impossible lifestyle standards, how I portray myself online attempts to mimic the content that I see, which can sometimes confuse my own identity. I choose to post about the most exciting parts of my life, while I keep the uglier parts in the dark. I often keep my digital self in a bright and fun presence, because I subconsciously want others to envy my life like I envy others’ lives. My digital assignments represent my digital self because on their surface they are nice to look at, but they carry a deeper story when you read between the lines, much like how I present myself on social media. My digital image looked like a crisp photograph of half of my face, however when you searched deeper you could see my Instagram profile. This represents how social media has created a lens for me that searches for the next perfect post I could get validation from. My video project is bright and silly, but it underlines how our world can often be hidden by rose colored glasses, even in the whirlwind nature of life in these times. The infographic was aesthetically pleasing to the eye, but contained information about how our lives are attached to a fictional world that fits in our back pocket. 

    This class has helped me better understand digital media principles and design because it has laid out all the fundamentals that I was not aware even existed before. I have experience in many digital avenues, although the experience is limited to surface level abilities and understanding that this class has now expanded and grown into a usable tool set. I now have a foundation for a professional life in the media industry because I can comprehend certain design principles that will be helpful in many different paths of work. It has become clear that media designs are no mistake. I now recognize that there are certain ways that content is portrayed and outlined so that the intended audience will be affected by it in a specific way in order to achieve a goal. 

    The digital media principle and design that resonated with me the most was the video design components. This is due to my background with both online video production and traditional video that has interested me since I was very young. I have never taken an official instructional class about the principles of what makes a generally “good” piece of video, and I was excited to learn about different aspects of a shot that could exemplify a different tone or emulate a more beautiful picture. Learning about the different names for a variety of camera angles and elements will definitely set me up for a future in entertainment. I especially appreciated the tips for filming like bringing extra batteries or doing a dry run before the actual take in order to better prepare for a successful future. 

    When creating my three projects of video, photo, and infographic design, the hardest part was conceptualizing an idea that I could recreate and successfully capture. I thoroughly enjoyed creating these pieces because I had gotten so lost in the race of college life and school that I had forgotten to take time to create things that I love. I am used to taking photographs and filming videos because I have been doing them for so long, but needed to get back in the grove of it. I needed to find my voice again. I was excited to play with what I had learned in the class and add it to my own usual practices in order to create a mold of professionalism and personality. I was less familiar with making content like an infographic, which is why my original piece could have been better. I struggled to get all of my thoughts onto the spread without overcrowding the content, so I can definitely still improve there. I loved the challenge of doing something I had never worked on before. 

    In making my digital photograph, I used my Canon 80D camera which I already had from my years of making YouTube videos. I utilized the lights I had in my room for lighting, and edited the final picture in an online editing program called PicMonkey. I used these tools because they are products and applications that I am already pretty familiar with. In making my digital video, I used the same camera, a makeshift tripod for stability, and natural lighting from my bedroom window. I used FinalCutPro to edit the video because I used the application when editing my old YouTube videos and was comfortable with what I could do. In making my Infographic, I used the provided online program, Piktochart. This program was relatively easy to figure out because I chose a stencil and worked from there to personalize and customize the piece. 

    Challenging moments for the digital assignments existed in the beginning of each process, like I expressed earlier in this essay. One of my biggest hardships always surrounds being sure enough in an idea for a project that I will be proud of the outcome, so I usually have conflict within myself because of my fear of failure. I always wanted each project to speak for itself and emulate who I was as a digital media consumer and producer. I often struggled with finding a balance between reality and possibility. Once I was confident in a concept, I did not have much trouble when it came to executing the projects due to their short nature and my familiarity with most of the mediums. 

    Some of the most enjoyable moments of completing the digital projects was the feeling of satisfaction after I had completed each one. Even if they had not come out perfect, the struggle to develop a project that was true to my digital self was worth it in the end because I had created something. I had let go of creating content that I had been so passionate about in the past, and I fell in love with it all over again when I was able to see what I made all on my own again. 

As we continue moving forward in this class, I have noticed that the money really is in the details when concerning anything revolving around the digital space. I used to think that I knew the ins and outs of a website, videos, or photographs, but I am learning that I really only knew information enough to scratch the surface. The nuances of each form of media is much more complicated than it seems on the outside, and I appreciate that. The knowledge regarding “how” and “why” is very important in understanding how the audience will both react and interact with the media in the way it was designed to be.

Now, I look deeper into all digital media I come across in order to attempt to understand what components it utilizes, what filtering methods it uses, and what message it is trying to get across. I try to see through what what is visible with my eyes, in order to become a competent media professional. For example, I now understand how an infographic or a website is designed in a specific way based on the intended purpose behind it, whether it is to attract a certain person or be easily accessible to complete a task. Overall, I have enjoyed learning about how many different forms of media can work together in harmony to give a user the best experience possible.

The topic that I choose for my Infographic was “Signs of Social Media Addiction” because as a Media Studies major, I have spent a lot of time in my classes learning about how our generation uses media. These different perspectives on media today has me extremely interested in how social media has directly impacted its users and, specifically, its younger users. As a 20 year old, I have found myself to be obsessed with my phone and social media to the extent that I am constantly checking my phone during important tasks and even when I am already consuming another form of media. This infographic represents my digital self because of my addiction to social media, and I want others to be aware of this serious issue too. The infographic principles I followed includes elements like a headline, byline, summary, labels, and source information. I also made sure that all of my information was readable and clean, as the content flows from left to right and top to bottom. There are icons and pictures to emphasize the point of the infographic and to draw an image for the viewer. I made sure that it was pleasant to look at and that there was unity and an obvious purpose for the piece.

After some unfortunate events that took place within the past year of my life, I found myself losing a passion for video making and producing. For years, I was so in love with the idea of creating content and exploring different avenues of becoming a professional in an online environment. I still knew that I wanted to work in the entertainment industry, but I had put a halt on actually creating anything that had made me happy in the past. This class, however, has helped me work through my struggles and understand where I want to go.

Because of the projects and assignments that I have been given, I have been able to relight a fire that has been so dark for a while now. The video project really brought me back to where I started with my YouTube videos and taught me that I still love creating and sharing my ideas and content. This time, I am equipped with new knowledge about media technicalities and tips that will help me to grow as a media professional in the future. I have thoroughly enjoyed learning the nitty-gritty parts of all different forms of media, as it allows me to be able to recognize where I can improve and discern what forms of the media industry really speaks to me.

The digital video I decided to make is a brief look into how I am feeling regarding the quarantine situation in California. This interview between two versions of myself is a way in which I tell the story of how I realized that I took a lot of freedoms and beauty in life for granted just a couple weeks ago. After having to move out of my on campus apartment, both my jobs being put on hold, and having all six of my classes now online, I have quite a few things I wish I could’ve told my past self. I choose this style of video for my project because of my background in making YouTube videos which allows me to be comfortable in expressing myself. I haven’t made a YouTube video in a while, so it feels good to get back to my roots! Some digital principles I followed included using natural lighting, utilizing a close up frame, staying at least 6 feet away from the background, and rule of thirds. I also added some subtitles for better audience understanding and appropriate background music.

This course has by far been the most educational course that I have taken pertaining to my major thus far in my college career. Each week, I am delighted to be presented with information that is both new and also extremely important for my future in the media industry. I have been involved in the media world for a very long time, but all of my knowledge was previously self taught. Learning the foundational aspects of creating digital and media content makes me even more excited to continue to grow my expertise and become better prepared for the professional media world.

The first project that was assigned was challenging, but helped me push my limits and use my creativity to explore what I could do with the open-ended prompt. I would be really interested to know how other students interpreted the prompt and how they were able to explain why they thought the image represented their digital self. We are all affected by media in some capacity, and it is extremely intriguing to find out how people feel like they have been personally affected. I appreciate how the previous lectures prepared us for the technicalities of the project that was assigned. This allowed me to take what I learned and actually apply it to the assignment and also cemented the ideas into my mind for future endeavors!

I am consciously aware of the fact that I am addicted to social media and tend to have an unthinkable daily screen time. Sadly, I have recently come to realize how much this screen time has negatively affected how I see myself and the world around me. I edited a photo of my Instagram profile onto my eye to represent how media has consumed my everyday thoughts and actions. The staged and “fun” parts of my life are reflected by my digital self on my profile, while my everyday and “true” life is hidden from my followers. Apps like Facetune and VSCO make it is to modify certain aspects of a picture to perfect it and create a facade. I made the photo black and white because I think that it conveys the solemn message I was trying to get across much more effectively than if it was in color. The picture focuses on my face, while the background is blurred. This emphasizes that the key focus of the photo is my face with a shallow depth of field. I used manual focus because of how close the subject of the photo was to the camera, therefore it took multiple tries to avoid the photo being overexposed, out of focus, or out of frame. I also utilized the rule of thirds, as my eye is framed so that it is in the intersection of the lines.

Media and technology has been a focal point of my life since I began my YouTube channel in 7th grade. Because I was so young at the time, everything that I did online was very trial and error. I had yet to change how I use media until this class because I got used to understanding media and technology at a surface level that allowed me to do basic tasks. So far with this class, however, I am obtaining the tools I need to allow me to better understand and grow as both a consumer and producer of media.

I have enjoyed learning about the software and technology we use for media because it is a topic I was never able to learn through trial and error. Information on bytes and bits, HTML, and digital storage have always been mysteries to me, so getting a glimpse into such a technical part of media has been extremely eye opening. In general, finally knowing and understanding the names and uses for other parts of computers, digital interfaces, memory, and the internet has been very fulfilling for me. I look forward to diving deeper into what it means to be a media professional and how we can use certain tools to emphasize our messages and goals.

Welcome to my blog, Professor Schmitz Weiss! Here you will find all of my blog posts and digital assignments for the semester. I am so excited to continue learning from you and your experiences throughout the duration of this course. Being able to get educated in a subject that I am thoroughly interested in has been very rewarding already, so I am looking forward to what’s to come. This blog will contain snippets of who I am and who I hope to become.

As you can see from my about page, I am already working in the Entertainment business for both the Padres and Children in Film, so I am hoping that this class will help refine my skills and increase my knowledge on the subject so that I can grow. I have many desires when it comes to my future career and I anticipate that this course will help me to understand what specific parts of the media industry I am interested in.