1) What is the most surprising thing you learned about yourself,
whether it is a new interest or an old interest made new, this semester? I hate working with technology so much, that I really thought that I would be awful at this class, since it is computer based. I have come to find that I am actually quite talented in this kind of media arts. I work hard, but I also pick up the technology and the project concepts much quicker than I thought I would. The technology is no longer as scary as I once thought it was, and I can not only handle the technology, I can conquer and make it do what I want it to do. I can create via the computer in ways I never thought I could.
2) Write a short narrative of where you began in Time Arts, the
conflicts you faced, and how you resolved them.
I began Time Arts with very little knowledge of computer arts in general. I hated technological arts, mostly because I didn't understand how to use it to my advantage. Slowly, as we were taught and had practice with the various sound and video tools, I found that it is actually not as complicated as I thought, it's even kind of fun to fiddle with. I got frustrated occasionally with my concepts or with the technology, but practice and patience makes perfect, I have come to find. Taking my time to work with the programs instead of against them really helped to make the project I could and to really take in everything I was learning about them.
3) What was the most challenging assignment for you? In what
ways did that assignment challenge you? What assignment came most naturally to you? Why? The most challenging assignment for me was the final project. Though I am not yet done, it was a weird transition for me to go from pictures and sound being given to me, to creating everything myself and trying to put it together in a way that makes sense to me and to my audience. It was more difficult for me to get impassioned about my piece when I was so stressed about how much I had to do for it.
4) What concepts from Time Arts can you imagine applying to your future major?
my future major is Communications Design, and I am almost positive that I will attempt to use sound studio and imovie again in future projects, mostly because I am so apt at using it now. I am not sure how I will use it in the future, but I am currently in a Writing 205 class and the teacher is demanding a video which explains what are final papers are about. I am so skilled at IMovie now that this is not only easy for me, but I am being called upon to give help to my peers. I will use it for putting portfolios together for certain, and any experience with technology is always good for jobs.
Extra Credit Question:
5) Have you learned anything about facilitating and
participating in a creative group?
During crits we certainly learned how to use our peers and how to help them. Crits, final and in-progress, are always helpful and have taught me how to work in a group. I can now take advantage of others advice and take critiques to my benefit. I no longer take critiques as personal, but I know how to use it to help me to build on what I have already made. Using other people's brains and ideas is the best way to make my ideas a reality and to make them as effective as possible. Feedback from those who will be viewing our work, is the best way to find out what does and does not work. I have also learned how to give helpful feedback. It is not always about what doesn't work well, but what does work well too. Group collaboration is the most helpful and most successful way of improving on work.
