I am actually really satisfied with how my video turned out. It took me a little while to really figure out how I was going to put it all together, but it came to me while I was sitting in the library. Once I got going, I knew I was going in the right direction. I know that Teeka said it is more like an advertisement, but I think it still tells a story. But maybe I have a future in advertising ☺

One thing that I would have liked to do myself would have been to get some photos to go in the place of the Google photos I used. I could try, but I just don’t have the time now with finals are around the corner. I also wish that I could’ve met with both owners, but one didn’t want to talk to me and the other blew me off.

I honestly really like the video the way it is. I made a few changes, but I still really like it. I believe the video has a nice variety of audio, video, and photos. There isn’t really anything else I can think of that I would have done differently. It was a really fun project despite any speed bumps I may have hit along the way.

Please view the link below to see the edited and final version on the shelter video.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrdriggers/3474976397/

The Wood Bison Disease Testing video was poorly done. The first thing that I noticed is that the audio and the video are not corresponding like they should be. Cathie Harms talks about running the wood bison through a corral to draw blood, but the video shows a man photographing the wood bison. The next thing that I noticed, and was really bothered by, was the fact that you can hear the man yelling at the bison behind the audio. It took my attention away from what the woman was saying. It’s also too long in my opinion. The one thing I did like about this video was the series of still photos of the man getting hit by the bison. Though I would have liked it better as a video and with some audio reaction from the man getting hit. I honestly think that this video would have been better as a written story since the audio is redundant and unnecessary to see for so long.

The Good Luck video was done pretty well. I think it was a bit too long though. They could’ve chosen just the most interesting items to make it shorter. I specifically would’ve taken out the guy who thinks he is his own good luck charm. I’d rather focus on the people who actually have a good luck charm. The introductions to each person were done really well. The close-up still photos in black and white made a big impact. I think the transition from the black and white photos to the color video clips worked really well because the videos were dimly lit. There weren’t any bright colors that made it difficult to look at the transitions. I think the Ken Burn’s Effect is subtle enough to not take away from the actual video content.

The Boy in the Moon video was also done well. The introduction was very effective. I like how the video focuses on the father and the son, but I would have liked to get the mother’s perspective, as well as some perspectives from some doctors. The video of the son watching the guitar was nice up until the point where he pauses it. I thought the video froze. The photographs were all nicely done, but I think the video could have been in color instead of black and white. It seems as if the video would be similar in color tone as the soldier video, which would have made a nice change. The video of the son hitting himself and screaming while the father talks about how he does those things was very effective. It gives the viewer a better inside view of what it’s like to actually experience this event happening. The one thing I did not like about this video was the video of the dad at work while talking about the photo on his desk. We did not need the lengthy proof that the photo was actually on his desk at work. I think it would have been better to just have a photo of the photo instead of the video that slowly zooms in to focus on the photograph. It was a very interesting video.

On Tuesday March 17, 2009, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer went completely online.  After 146 years as a print newspaper, Seattle P-I was reborn, leaving the Seattle Times the only daily newspaper in Seattle.  It’s a whole new era for Seattle P-I.

In this digital age, people are beginning to wonder if print newspapers will survive much longer.  Seattle P-I’s website was getting about 1.8 million visitors per month before it got rid of its print edition.  But the question now is if loyal print edition readers will get their news from the website or go to the Seattle Times instead.

The Seattle P-I website is now going to be run by a 20 person staff as compared to the 165 people that worked for the print edition.  David McCumber said his goodbyes on March 16, 2009.

“Goodbye Seattle.  Thanks for everything.  Remember: We’ll continue the P-I bloodline online with seattlepi.com.  Come see us in the pixels.”

It’s actually really interesting to see the Seattle P-I going completely digital.  We here in Anchorage have slowly seen the Anchorage Daily News getting smaller and smaller.  It might make some of us wonder if we might have the same fate as the Seattle P-I.  I do believe it is a sad thing that print editions of newspapers might be coming to an end, but it is the 21st century.  So many people are online now that it doesn’t make sense not to have a website for your newspaper.  Plus there is so much more that you can do online.  Think of the possibilities with the huge amount of space you have online versus in a print edition.  You can post videos, audio, photo slideshows, and so many combinations of all of the multimedia.  But there are times when having something in your hand to read is better than reading your news from a computer screen.

I am not a big news reader, but I do like to browse the headlines on my custom Yahoo site.  Sometimes something will catch my eye, and I’ll read it.  Print editions of newspapers were less able to get my attention most of the time.  But I definitely find myself going to the Anchorage Daily News website when there is something specific that I am looking for.  Plus, it’s just so convenient to have all that information at the tip of my fingers anytime I want it.  It takes so much less time to get the news out to the readers with the internet.  I think it’s great that the Seattle P-I has gone completely online, but I hope that print editions of newspapers don’t disappear completely anytime soon.

The Anchorage Animal Care and Control Center handles over 700 animals every month.  They take unwanted pets, rescue injured animals, reunite owners with their lost pets, and provide adoption services to people looking for a new pet.  Anchorage Animal Care and Control Center has a relatively short turn-around time for dogs, but there are some dogs that still find themselves calling the shelter their home for several weeks.  When dogs first come in, they are given an initial assessment to find out if they are adoptable or not. 

Once the dog has passed the test, they are placed into a kennel in the public area where people can look at them.

After the dogs are put in their kennels, an information sheet is posted on the door to their kennel so visitors can learn more about the individual dogs.  Some dogs have special pieces of paper indicating special needs like any injuries they may have, if they are an old dog, or special information about Pit Bulls.

Meet Boss.  He is a 5-year-old Pit Bull mix who has been at the shelter since February 17, 2009.  Boss was taken in as a stray.  He is a lovable little boy, and he even knows how to sit when you have a treat for him.  Don’t let the barking fool you though.  He’s just excited to be getting some attention.

Meet Kobuk.  This 2-year-old Husky mix has only been at the shelter since March 12, 2009, but he has a knee problem that might lead to big vet bills.  He is very eager to play and run despite any pain he may feel.

One of the most important things about the Anchorage Animal Care and Control Center is their volunteers.  These are the people that take the dogs out to go to the bathroom and go for walks.

They also take the dogs out to play.

Sometimes the dogs even get to play together in play groups.

When a family comes in to adopt a dog, they can go into “Jenny’s Room” to get a little one-on-one time.

Boss and Kobuk have both been adopted!

Fair use.  When it comes to fair use, there are four different categories that are discussed: the purpose and character of the use, the nature of the copyrighted work, amount and sustainability of the portion used, and the effect of the use upon the potential market for the work.  Law professor Greg Lastowka says that the Supreme Court believes that every fair use trial needs to be looked at individually using these categories.  The big ordeal these days is the “Hope” poster by artist Shepard Fairey.  Was the photo of President Obama the poster was based off of used fairly?

In my personal opinion, I do think this case is a matter of fair use.  The photograph, by AP photographer Mannie Garcia, has a copyright, but the poster is a piece of original work.  If Fairey hadn’t admitted that the poster was based off of Mannie Garcia’s photo, no one would have ever known, and we wouldn’t be in this situation now.  Mannie Garcia even said himself that he did not recognize the poster as his own photo.  It could have been anyone’s photo, but it happened to be an AP photo.  So now there is a big trial about whether or not it was fair use.

Having seen Obama so much in the spotlight with the election that just occurred, I would say that he looks very similar in every photo I’ve seen of him.  Fairey could have even seen Obama in person and sketched his face out right there on the spot, or even just have taken his own photo of Obama to use as a basis for comparison.  I’m not sure what Fairey’s intentions were with the poster, but it has obviously gotten very popular.  Lastowka said that in one case Fairey is favored because of the fact that photojournalism is more factual.  I don’t think that Garcia is being harmed by Fairey’s use of his photograph.  It was merely a basis of comparison for the artist to create an original piece of work.

National Geographic magazine is a widely known magazine for it’s fantastic photography.  For this blog assignment, I have chosen an article called “The Big Thaw” in the September 2004 issue.  The photos in this specific article were taken by Peter Essick.

The article starts off with a scenery photo of the Central Swiss Alps that covers both pages of the spread.  The title of the article is placed on top of the photo.  As a whole, the article doesn’t seem to have the photos placed in any type of chronological order or anything like that.  They are mostly just scenery photos that depict the melting ice around the world.  Two photos have been included that do, however, show the Antarctic Peninsula in a chronological order.  They represent how the size of the Antarctic Peninsula has decreased over time.  One photo towards the end of the article is a portrait of an Inupiat woman in Shishmaref, Alaska.  In a way, this photo is a moment because the caption explains that the ground where this village used to dry seal meat last year is now gone.  Due to the ice melting, higher waves are what is causing all of the erosion of the land.  The village is planning on relocating to the mainland.

This article is very simple, yet it covers a very important topic that most people seem to ignore because it is not affecting them directly at this moment in time.  These photos are not only beautiful, but they help to make the words in the article clearer.  Global warming is causing such climate changes that all the ice in the world is melting.  The photo of the Inupiat woman really helps to put the story into perspective for people who have yet to be affected by global warming.

For my picture story, I would like to follow a rookie Iditarod musher while they prepare for the race.  I will interview the musher, and possibly family and friends, for audio clips.  I will photograph the musher, the dogs, any preparations they make, training, and the start of the Iditarod race.

I have tried contacting a musher, but I have not heard back from her yet.

Hey!  So I just started my WordPress site, and I’m still trying to figure this whole thing out.  Bear with me.  I’ll try to make it as pretty as I can because I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist sometimes lol

On a last note, infomercials are dangerous…

Goodnight!