COM 117/4: Multimedia Storytelling

This is one of my favorite spots at home on Long Island. I spent some time there on Thursday and the weather was beautiful.

(Sorry for the bad quality.. it’s from my phone and was taken through the windshield!)

Over break I went to visit my family in Delray Beach, Florida. It was a pretty boring time, but I did get to play a few rounds of golf. This is a picture of the course.

Other than that I watched The Kings Speech which I thought was excellent. I also finished Food Inc. It was disturbing but definitely insightful and I enjoyed it.

A few weeks ago, the Human Torch, one of the cast members of the popular comic Fantastic Four was killed off.  It was quite sad and touching for a longtime reader of the book.  In honor of him, I ordered an action figure of him.  It helped me properly mourn this grave loss.

I also watched Food, Inc. It was pretty good, and made me not really want to eat for a little while.  Despite that, I went to McDonald’s that night.

Hooray Spring Break!

My spring break wasn’t very eventful, but it was definitely relaxing. I got to see my friends from high school, sleep in a comfortable bed, and sleep until noon. Oh, and I spent too much time reading Harry Potter and watching movies on Netflix.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

My break was great, but went by so quickly! While at home I had a chance to sneak away and hike to this great place.

I know I am a dork.

My break was super eventful, I played Pokemon Black, all week with my mom (who took the picture) and my boyfriend. I am totally aware Pokemon is for kids, but as, 1. I have been playing since I was little and 2. I am a gamer at heart, I couldn’t resist the new Pokemon game.

Over my spring break I watched an ESPN documentary about the ‘Fab Five’ Michigan basketball team. It is a quality production. Parts are humorous, others are tragic. It is both informative and entertaining. For anyone interested in pop culture or sports I highly recommend this documentary.

Here is an ESPN article with some more information about it!
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=neumann/110311_fab_five_documentary&sportCat=ncb

Over break, my friend  and I went to Bethany Beach….and decided we would be living there for the summer. Theres some cuse flavor we added to our deck!

:)

“Social Media isn’t a fad; it’s a fundamental shift in the way we communicate.”

About a month ago, my professor for my IST 195 class gave a lecture on Twitter and social networking. He began the class by showing us the following video:

 [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFZ0z5Fm-Ng[/youtube]

This video provides social media statistics based on a book called Socialnomics by Erik Qualman. The book discusses how social media has rapidly expanded in recent years and what effects it has on the public.

By Erik Qualman

 I find the video to be intriguing. Not only did it informatively blow my mind, but the way it was put together was eye-catching. There is an excellent use of text in this video. The use of text and its movement is inspiring. Although people now-a-days are drawn to talking rather than reading, I find the text in here to be just as interesting as if the viewer were listening to someone speak. In fact, I don’t think this video would have been as effective if someone were speaking.

                The content of the video was captivating. The statistics found, and what they are compared to, make the video purposeful. For example, the following statistic grabbed my attention: “If Facebook were a country it would be the world’s third largest.”

                A website has also been created from the idea of “socialnomics.” While exploring the website, I found another clever video. On the website, Erik Qualman displays how social media is a factor in our everyday lives. The following video comically shows how social media played a special importance on Valentine’s Day.

How Social Media Saved Valentine\’s Day!