English and Digital Media

For this project, I learned how to express myself creatively with different ways of communication. At freestyle, I learned how to use various adobe applications, a DSLR camera, and audio recorders in order to express my vision for this project. I was challenged in English and Digital Media to think outside the box and find my own voice through these projects. I can now say I feel comfortable using Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Premiere Pro. I have valued the independence and unconventional type of schooling the most at Freestyle. My peers at Mountain View High could never say that in their English class they have discussions instead of tests, read plays, and go to the museum of modern art in San Francisco. In a few short months, I already feel somewhat prepared to go into a career in the arts because I know so many of the applications artists use. Without digital media and freestyle as a whole, I a not sure I would have continued on the path of art.

free verse poem

In English, we were given the opportunity to write our own poems about anything we wished. I first wrote my poem in English and received revisions from my teacher. I then recorded it using a Cam recorded from Digital Media and uploaded it onto my computer. After that, I took it into photoshop to edit the text over the images. I used blend modes to enhance the photos and make the poem more uniform. This opportunity made me dig deep into my personal experiences and express myself by writing a poem. I immediately thought back to middle school when my self-esteem was low and I looked to others for validation. This is my poem above.

“Male Validation,” is a free verse poem about how male validation can feel like an addiction when nothing in your life is going well. In this poem, the speaker is my younger self, meeting the idea of male validation. With this she realizes that  she meets a person who gives her happiness for a short period of time.  She is going through a lot at home so having someone who gives her moments of happiness becomes addicting, even with its unhealthiness. She views the world with rose colored glasses and thinks everything is fine

Haiku poem

I first was given a feeling and experience to write about in English class. My statement was I am exploring the feeling of worry through facing the unknown. We created a haiku in class that went with the statement and laid out text over the top of it. In this project, we used many different mediums. I learned that I really enjoyed creating different layouts. I used a photo I took to accompany the text. In Digital Media I used Cam Recorders to record the audio of my poem. Then I uploaded the photo and audio and created the video in Premiere Pro. I valued how music and sound can help and detract from a video.

Premiere Pro taught me how helpful it is to use fades that go with your concept. The timestamp tool in this application was my best friend. It really brought my haiku to life and created powerful imagery for my audience.

design

introduction

I learned a lot in this class about a multitude of different adobe applications, principals and elements of design. I learned about color theory and how to use a DSLR camera. I love being a design student because it has helped me understand the art world so much more. I can appreciate design and art by dissecting the color scheme and I have a much better understanding of art now than I ever did. This class as taught be the basics of photoshop and how different colors work together to produce an art piece.

Name photography

For this project we went out and took photos of items that resembled letters of our names. We took ten different pictures for each letter and had to choose one. We then put the pictures into photoshop and then cropped them. This project taught me how to think outside the box and look at different perspectives. For example my X was a part of a gate outside.

conceptual project

For our conceptual project I was given a statement and pick objects that represented it. My statement was, I am exploring the feeling of worry through facing the unknown.

I lit a candle and placed it sideways to represent the fear and danger of not knowing what is going to happen going into the situation. A burning candle represents pain, demolition, and anxiety. Fire is unpredictable, which means you do not know what will happen to it. Something as simple as a candle could burn an entire house down if left unattended and on its side. I chose an open lock to represent the risks and unknowns of what will happen when you face a situation. Finally opening that lock and entering the unknown is anxiety-inducing for anyone. Anxiety and doing something when you don’t know the outcome go hand in hand. That is why I chose to put the lock on the candle to intertwine them. I left the candle to burn onto the lock so it would look like they are one. 

I learned a lot about how to emphasize a photo without completely changing it. I didn’t want to make it a completely different photo, I just wanted to enhance it. I edited the background using the gaussian blur to put emphasis on the candle and the lock. I didn’t want the audience to focus on the background which is why I chose to place the objects on the dirt. I used exposure and a hue and saturation layer to brighten the candle up and make it more clear to the audience. I wanted it to draw the audience’s attention and be the first thing they see when they look at the photo. 

Miniature figure photography

In the beginning of the year we started to learn how to use Adobe Photoshop and use our DSLR camera. We picked miniature figurines and photographed them outside. We chose our favorite photo and opened it in photoshop.