Within literary theories, theories I use often as an English major, there is a concept called intersectionality. Basically, intersectionality says that oppression is not additive, it compounds on itself. For example, a queer disabled person does not experience the oppression of queerness and the oppression of disability, but rather they experience a new oppression of queer disability. Video storytelling is similar to intersectionality in this way. Video storytelling is not just audio storytelling and visual storytelling, but rather something entirely new. I did not know much about this new form going into this unit, but with my past knowledge of visual and audio storytelling, it was easy for me to learn more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This post<\/a> summarizes Roger Ebert’s thoughts on video storytelling as well as my reflection on his thoughts and video storytelling techniques. This resource was informative, but I think that it is not necessarily universally applicable. Leftness is no longer associated with negative things, as he mentions. As well, I think that it is not necessarily true that one can and should analyze every part of a single frame as he argues. I think doing so is a waste of time and energy because creator in general don’t put that much effort into every part of a single frame. This is something I know as a writer and an artist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This post<\/a> looks at a scene from American Psycho<\/em> using the techniques from the resource section of this unit. I think that this scene is a fantastic example of using video storytelling as a new medium that does not simply combine audio and visual storytelling. The scene does a great job of using music, framing shots, and form cuts, but it really shines in how it uses music and visuals to contrast each other. That contrast creates tension and horror for the viewer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Get Me a Character with Nothing<\/a> (5 stars): Audio clips can get stuck in your mind for hours. This story tells the tale of my experience with one audio clip and the need to create using it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Every Gameplay Compilation from the Early 2010s<\/a> (4 stars): 2000s and early 2010s internet culture was a unique landscape for GenZ people to grow up with. See what happens when you take early 2010s culture and combine it with modern media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shattered Glass: A Collection of Fairy Tales Broken and Remade<\/a> (3 stars): Follow my story and the journey that has led me to write a book manuscript. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Video storytelling was a new medium for me going into this unit. I know a lot about narratives as a writer, and I already knew that multimedia<\/a> stories were unique as someone who plays a lot of video games. Those facts, as well as the work I’ve done on visual <\/a>and audio<\/a> storytelling, made it easy for me to pick up new information about video storytelling. However, all of the information unique to video storytelling, such as techniques for cutting film, was new to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this unit, I learned how movement can affect dominance. Dominance was discussed in the design unit,<\/a> but movement adds a new factor to this element of design. Movement is going to be dominant over stillness. This makes a lot of sense. I know that myself and others in my life, such as my roommate, get distracted by movements in our field of vision. That may be because many around me are neurodivergent<\/a>, but the fact that movement draws attention in real life further cements that dominance in media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As well, all of the cuts discussed in the video in this post <\/a>are new to me. I knew about slow motion and freeze frames, but I did not know anything about jump cuts, thaw frames, and more before this unit. If I were to compare this new information to something familiar, however, I would say that they are similar to transitions on PowerPoint and other slideshow software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nothing in this unit was particularly complicated or hard to understand in the resources. However, it was easier for me to apply the information to a real example than I thought it would be. I didn’t know anything about American Psycho<\/a><\/em> going into the assignment, so I expected to struggle a little bit and to be a bit confused. Despite that, it was easy and enjoyable to apply the concepts in the resources to this film because it used them really well. It was obvious when they were using cuts or different angles, and the use of those techniques served the scene well. I enjoyed applying the concepts to this scene the most out of everything I did in the first week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I did not enjoy the videos describing different techniques in this post.<\/a> I learn best from people talking and bouncing ideas off of me, so the style that the videos used, which did not talk about what made the technique unique, was irritating to me. I understood each technique, but I wanted both definitions and examples rather than just examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Video storytelling was not a medium that I had much experience with going into these stories, but it was really fun. The biggest thing that I learned in creating these stories is how much time and work goes into making videos. Not only do you have to create and edit the audio, but you also have to create all the visual aspects and make sure the two match up time-wise. As well, I learned that a really nice match of audio and visuals, such as the glass breaking sound and visual in this story<\/a>, can be really effective in making a good narrative. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It was harder than I expected to record gameplay for this story<\/a>. I was recording on a Nintendo Switch<\/a>, and that system only allows for thirty second clips to be recorded unless you use a capture card. I didn’t want or need a capture card, so I needed to manually restart the recording system every thirty seconds. That made the process of creating the recording harder than I expected it to be, even if creating the actual video aspect of the story was about as hard as I expected. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It was easier to record the audio for this story<\/a> about my manuscript than I expected it to be. I have a hard time speaking clearly, and I stutter a bit, so I was expecting it to take several tries to make a nice recording of the script I wrote. However, because I set out to record one section, wait a few seconds, then rerecord that section again all in one recording, it was easier to make a nice audio recording because I didn’t need to stress as much and because I had two options to choose from. <\/p>\n\n\n\nApplication of Information to American Psycho<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
My Video Stories<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Summary and Reflection on Resources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Summary and Reflection on My Stories<\/h2>\n\n\n\n