Nick Piccinino / WRTC 332
I am currently a senior Writing, Rhetoric & Technical Communication major at James Madison University.
Over the course of this Fall semester, I have created various pieces of digital media for my WRTC 332 class. I went from having little to no prior experience with a lot of the projects to having a solid grasp on the way that they work.
Below are samples of my work that fit three dimensions of learning and two course objectives that pertain to the class.
Dimensions of Learning
Prior and Emerging Experience
I have always loved taking pictures, but I never imagined that I would be required to do so in an academic setting. I had no idea about various techniques like “Rule of Thirds” etc. I would take pictures that I thought were aesthetically appealing without giving too much afterthought. In all three photos, I used Snapseed to edit various elements. I used the crop feature to make sure that the photos were centered. In the bird-feeder photo, I used a blur effect to make sure that the feeder was highlighted and the background didn’t distract from the focal point. In the past, I’ve used Instagram’s filters and editing options to edit my pictures, and I’ve used Snapseed previously both for academic purposes and to edit pictures for an Instagram page that I started with my friends last year. I think that this assignment is important because any digital story needs to include well edited and well taken photos. Without proper technique, the piece will definitely suffer.
Perspective photo outside Harrison Hall
Close up photo of Wilson Hall
Perspective photo edited with Snapseed
Creativity, Originality, & Imagination
I think that my most creative piece this semester was the second Instagram story assignment. It was a fairly straightforward project, but I enjoyed being able to take control of a video without being in a group context. After having watched multiple Instagram TV videos, I tried to pick design elements that stood out to me. I love how media has evolved in the past few years with short, digital content gaining more credibility. I tried to implement tasteful stickers and captions as well as create a consistent and professional flow. As technology advances, there are constantly new aspects of communication that need to be learned.
Reflection
Looking back through the work that I have completed this semester, I noticed that I have put less effort into the creativity of my writing while trying to implement it in new ways through technology. I was an English major for the first half of my college career before switching to WRTC. I took creative writing classes and wrote countless essays, but since switching majors, my assignments have looked very different. It was refreshing to work on our “End of the World” assignment earlier in the semester. If anything, this class has taught me how to balance my style and content. Overcompensating on one element makes for a lackluster and unimpressive piece of work. This exercise has helped me realize my own shortcomings and ways in which I can try to push boundaries and take risks instead of playing it safe, which is all to easy to do.
Course Objectives
Analyze the various genres, micro-genres, platforms, trends, tools, and ethics of digital storytelling
One of the most interesting storytelling devices that I used throughout the semester was the story-map. The first time I was exposed to using story-maps was during my application process for Digicomm. In that class, I used a timeline and story-map for a digital story I wrote about my family’s immigration from Korea. I rarely think to use this tool in most of my writing, so it was a positive experience to take to it again in class. I think visualization can help create necessary context in stories. Without this context, some stories would not make any sense.
Demonstrate ability to work with clients and collaborators on digital storytelling projects
Throughout the semester, I have had a mixed experience with collaboration. As with any kind of creative collaboration, time schedules do not always line up in an ideal way. The first draft of my group Instagram story was done last minute because of problems out of our control. When we regrouped, we were better able to refine our design choices for our final submission. Most of the in class group exercises also proved to be useful. In most other classes, I feel like I never get to know the other students, but in this small, specialized class it became an essential part of our experience.