Coming into this class, I had zero experience with multimedia work and very little experience with journalism. I was very excited to learn about the field, but also incredibly nervous to do things such as film editing and putting all of my research and filming together into a complete multimedia project.
Within the past three weeks, I have learned how to take video footage, perform a successful interview, edit video footage, manage a social media site and blog, and put all of the multi-media work together into a single project. Although I had never used much of the software and technology that we use in class, through this class I have become comfortable operating the video camera and I have grown especially comfortable with video editing.
Although it took much practice and assistance, I now feel comfortable editing video clips and adding pictures, texts, and other forms of media to create a comprehensive piece of work. I feel confident in my ability to visit a new location and take pictures, videos, and interviews that can be used to give a solid picture of that location and its importance. My ability to perform interviews has grown immensely and I have grown to enjoy the practice very much.
In reviewing my work, I am pleasantly surprised. I was very nervous for this class because of my lack of experience and I worried that my finished projects would reflect this lack of experience. I put in much effort to create interesting, successful blog posts and I spent many hours putting together my multimedia project. My finished product surpassed my previous expectations and I believe that I succeeded in writing posts that are captivating and informative. I think that my multimedia project is successful in demonstrating my investigation and in making my argument.
There are things I could improve upon. My Vox Pop video could be improved with a bit more editing with some of the new techniques I have learned on Adobe Premiere Pro, but since the Vox Pop was my first project, I had not yet felt comfortable with video editing. Also, my blog posts could be a bit more succinct and I hope to improve upon this in my posts in the future. Lastly, I should have utilized twitter and other social media sites more during my time here to simply become comfortable with the practice of sharing news stories, pictures, videos, or any form of media that represents my trip in London. This practice would have helped me create a multimedia journalist’s eye, where I am constantly looking for stories and using different forms of media to share them with others.
Overall, this class was a wonderful learning experience for me. I was challenged to do new types of work, use new technology, and write with a journalistic voice. I can take what I have learned into both my personal and professional life by using multimedia sources to keep myself and others informed. In my future career as a teacher, I will utilize my new knowledge of using multimedia sources to teach my students and to help them to become savvy and informed. I will continue my work as a journalist and I believe that it will benefit me greatly in all areas of life.
Jenna Foti 