Sunday, March 30, 2014

Writers on Writig

The topic for the last post is one that is very fascinating to me. It touches on a subject that not to many explore and up until this point I haven't entertained. To hear "it" (opinion) straight from the horses mouth is intriguing especially when you can read so many different views. After going threw a few of the authors reflections, I stumbled upon that of Thomas Fleming. Fleming brought up a point that resonates with me from the first time I started writing anything. To get my thoughts on paper, I rely on my imagination. Fleming stated he credits his imagination for several novels he has written throughout his career. I can remember the first books I wrote as a youth in the annual Young Authors competition given by my school district. I wrote my first book about a superhero, cliche of course, that would save the day and get the spoils of his efforts. Even though it started as a beginners novel, I used this basis for the rest of my years doing Young Authors that lasted until 5th grade. I had written four books based of my imagination and dreams I've had as a youth. Fast forward to my adult years and I still dream and imagine things through on the daily basis. The satisfaction I feel when a dream comes to reality is one that can't be matched.

From what was previously stated it is clear to see that I am in full aggreeance with Fleming. I don't believe social media plays a role in any writer's perspective as well. My reasoning behind that is, every true writer only needs and looks for one thing. That one thing is a forum to share their thoughts. It shouldn't matter if its a local writing competition or a popular blog. Our thoughts as writers shouldn't be manipulated by the forums we choose. I honestly don't think writers suffer from this, as Ive never heard of one deliberately embellishing to gain exposure. This is something I feel strongly about and I look forward to seeing the evolution of writers and different forums.





Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Multimedia Tools


With the rise of technology, we have seen an influx of social media outlets and multimedia outlets. I have to admit that I have only explored the “traditional” means of social media, whether it’s Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube and have rarely paid attention to the different types of multimedia.  I’ve come to realize the only time I’m on YouTube, is when a friend sends an occasional link of a popular web series to my phone. I have to blame myself in that I don’t share too much pictures or videos, though I do understand how it can be important and how it helps connects families and friends. So with that said I thought about what form of multimedia I would want to explore if I had to choose. I choose to explore the cloud based video service, Animoto. I choose to explore Animoto due to my wedding coming up next year and I could possibly have some use for it. With Animoto, I have the ability to upload pictures and create a video based of those, hence why I would want to use it for my wedding. Using Animoto, you upload your pictures and/or videos and then you can customize as you feel to create a video. Afterwards, you can simply share what you’ve created with family and friends on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

                I believe this can be an effective means of multimedia because you can use it to personalize every moment of your life or bring life to your business, among other things. On the website alone, it has several examples of using Animoto for weddings, receptions, commercials, and announcing first born babies.  I think the use of this for businesses and weddings serves the most purpose as it is a great service that allows you to customize what you want and allows you to save money in doing so. The personal and business options are vast and exploring Animoto can be a strategic game changer for anyone. Lastly, you have to respect Animoto for taking control of a new technology, in cloud sharing and strategically using it to service the general public.

 Another form of multimedia that enhances our messaging is iMovie. iMovie allows for the common filmmaker to edit and share their crafts with us all. I have seen firsthand how this function can enhance ones brand and get their material to the world. My older brother uses iMovie a lot when putting his short films together or editing his online comics. I have seen the value that iMovie gives and for that reason, it should be acknowledged as a thriving multimedia outlet. I’m sure there are millions of people that can benefit from this as iMovie is key to editing material. This service along with Animoto helps bring your life to the screen or bring your passion to life. Due to these examples, this is how our visual messaging is being enhanced. Looking at the effectiveness of these multimedia avenues, I think it should have the ability to be personal, convenient, easy to use and appealing. Animoto and iMovie both have these. We can put our individual touch on the finishing products and use it for our own purposes. They are applications that are supported both on Mac and Windows computers, used mobilely, and can be accessed on your terms. Additionally, they both are very easy to use and have several tutorials via YouTube and lastly, they are attractive options. They both are relevant to a tech savvy generation and both equally have millions of users. I know I will use them as effective means of messaging, you should too.