Final Selfie

Script:

Hey guys! I first wanted to start by saying thank you to everyone who made this class such an interesting experience. I enjoyed watching the videos that were created throughout the semester, and I do wish we could have done a few more. Throughout the course, I have learned to have patience when it comes to creating digital stories. There is a lot more that goes on behind the scenes than I originally thought. You have to make sure your background looks nice, your photos/videos are clear, and your voice is understandable. You also need to make sure your lighting looks okay. One of the main challenges I faced was coming up with ideas for the course. At the beginning, I wrote down a list of ideas I wanted to make videos on, and I had to go through those and figure out which ones I could get a better video out of. Looking back at my older videos, I see a bit of a difference from the start. If I were to continue making videos, I would still need work on some things though, like script writing – as I tend to ramble. If I had to pick what my favorite video I made was, I would say it was the Memories one. I enjoyed picking out all the old pictures for that video, and reliving those memories. As for the course learning goals, I feel I have completed most of them, except coming up with cohesive scripts – like I mentioned a bit earlier. I feel I have improved from my module 2 self-assessment with my blog and with relating the readings to the discussion posts. I also have a better understanding of ethical issues with creating stories, you have to make sure to give credit where it is due if the material is not yours. Lastly, I just want to say that I hope you all had as great as a semester as I did, and wish you all luck with your future endeavors!

Scene Setting - in front of my Christmas Tree in my living room.

Here is my final selfie:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neafquSDM7Y&feature=youtu.be

Photographs

As an aspiring photographer, I have realized how important photographs are throughout my time taking pictures. In this course, I have used many pictures from my past and present. In Lambert’s text, he says “Our easiest direction to anyone thinking about making a digital story is to look around his or her house and find images that provoke memories and stories that are meaningful” (Lambert 2013). I found this especially relatable, because this is exactly what I did with my Memories story, and my first Selfie story. I have a huge box full of old pictures and school stuff, so I had to dig through it a couple of times to find the photographs I wanted to use.

While I was doing so, it got me thinking about how important pictures truly are. We all should have boxes full of happy memories like that. It made me miss the past, but it also gave me a new look at the future and how I should continue to collect pictures from moments in my life. Although, pictures these days are a bit different than pictures from the 90’s and early 2000’s when I was growing up. Everything is digitalized these days, which is a bit unfortunate in some circumstances. It makes me think that someday if I get married, and have kids, that I should make memory boxes like the ones I have of old pictures and other things.

Lambert, J. (2013). Digital Storytelling Capturing Lives, Creating Community (4th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

Here are some pictures that I was going to use, but didn't.

More Thoughts on Shelters

     After doing the video on shelter dogs, I have a much greater appreciation for dogs than I did before. I recently found a YouTube channel called Vet Ranch (would definitely recommend checking them out, I’ll link below) and it truly breaks my heart how terrible people can be to their pets. The ranch takes in abused/neglected animals and nurses them back to health before finding them loving homes. This ranch is also a reputable one because, like mentioned in our video, they spay/neuter the animals before they are adopted.

     People can be so cruel to the creatures that love us unconditionally. You can see in some of the videos the extent of the abuse the animals have been through. The part that really spoke to me on the greatness of animals (mostly noted this with the dog videos) was how happy they were even after everything they had been through. Most of them were extremely playful and wagging their tails even in the terrible conditions they were in.

     One of the videos that I saw was of a female dog who was pregnant that the ranch took in. They took her in because she was scheduled to be euthanized. It shocked me that they would euthanize a pregnant dog, but at the same time I understood that they were doing it in order to prevent overpopulation. However, it is still completely heartbreaking that euthanizing a pregnant dog was what they felt was the only option. The ranch took her in, and let her deliver her babies (there was 12 of them!) and then they fixed her and found them all homes. It’s amazing to me what a little love can do for these animals. It inspires me to do as much as I can for them. I will be looking into ways to donate or help shelter animals. I can’t adopt right now, but hope to do so in the future.

This is my dog, Brady. Looking at him, I can't imagine how someone would want to hurt these sweet animals.

Vet Ranch website - http://vetranch.org/

YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/VetRanch 

Helping Shelter Dogs

Script:
Nancy’s Part - (There is no creature on Earth that shares exactly the same bond with humans as the modern dog does.  We value dogs, putting their unique skills to work on farms herding animals, hunting, specifically pointers and retrievers, extend our ability to capture game. We see scent dogs at work all around us, keeping us safe from explosives, finding dangerous contraband and drugs. They are invaluable in the aftermath of disaster in finding people who might be trapped or during recovery. Service dogs aid humans in everything from guiding the blind to alerting patients who are about to have a seizure or a blood sugar spike, to providing a calming presence to help us through anxious situations.  Family dogs, with no special training other than household manners fill a hole we never knew we had. They comfort us with unconditional love, alert us when someone is at the door, and teach youngsters about empathy and responsibility.)
Brooke’s Part - (Well, if dogs are so great, why do we need shelters? Unfortunately, 3.9 million dogs are surrendered to shelters in the United States annually. About 1.4 million will be adopted or fostered, but too many, 1.2 million will be euthanized.  The remainder are either returned/claimed by their original owners and some die of natural causes (Pet Statistics, 2016).  Dogs find themselves in shelters for many reasons, all of them stemming from human mistakes. People abandon dogs when they have been ignorant of breed characteristics when choosing a pet. A common reason for giving up on a dog is not enough time to train him properly, or not knowing how to do so. Finally, some people have not been taught a sense of responsibility, that once you assume ownership of a dog, he’s yours for life. What can we do about it?  First, spay and neuter dogs so they do not add to the overpopulation. Reputable shelters have policies that dogs who are old enough are spayed or neutered before they are adopted and it’s making a difference. Remember, it’s the “fix” that does the most good.
Brett’s Part - (People who care must do what they can to educate the public on the potential of shelter dogs. We see bumper stickers all the time indicating the driver is a rescue dad or mom. Taking one dog out of the shelter system gives another the chance to survive.  Nonprofit organizations are making a big impact on the problem of educating the public when they provide funds to police and other groups to purchase a shelter dog, train the dog and support it in its work. When handlers are interviewed, one of the first things they talk about is the fact that this dog came from a rescue shelter. Celebrities are lending their star power to the cause as well. Ben Roethlisberger, quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers purchases dogs from shelters and pays for them to be trained for all kinds of work. Sarah McLachlan, singer/songwriter, has made it her life’s work to bring attention to the plight of unwanted, neglected and abandoned dogs. So, here’s the deal: If you are thinking about getting a dog, make the right choice of breed mix for your family, make it a shelter rescue, and follow through on proper training. If you are not able to add a dog to your home, consider donating to one of the organizations mentioned at the end of the video.
BROOKE: The ASPCA has been helping to save the lives of animals for 150 years, if you would like to help save innocent animals, please donate to the ASPCA via http://www.aspca.org.
BRETT:  Looking to donate something else besides money and want to make a local impact? Contact your local veterinarian.  Some can use volunteers or other supplies such as dog food, blankets, towels.
NANCY:  The Mohawk-Hudson Humane Society, in Menands, NY. Since 2006, every cat and dog that is adopted has already been spayed or neutered making a huge difference in the problem of overcrowded shelters. 

Pet Statistics. (2016). Retrieved from

http://www.aspca.org/animal-homelessness/shelter-intake-and-surrender/pet-statistics

Here is the video we came up with! We used pictures from a free use website, as well as pictures of our own pets.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz_c2u7VGj0

Gaming as a Storytelling Platform

While reading through the Alexander chapters, I noticed he dedicated a section on Gaming as a storytelling medium. When thinking about how games can play a role in storytelling, I started thinking about the games I have played as a child and the games I continue to play as a young adult. In a way, I can see how some games I have played tell a story, but I really think that it depends on the type of game played. I’d like to break this down into two parts – that I have played that do have a story, and the ones that don’t have a story. Alexander mostly mentions computer games, but I would like to include some board games as well.

                Games that I have played that I believe tell stories include The Sims, Clue, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego, and The Game of Life (although this one can go either way). The Sims is a computer game where you create people and play as them. You essentially live out their lives until they get old and pass away (or if you’re like me and create new people when you get bored with the others). This game has the ability to tell a different story each time you play, much like the board game Clue. Clue is a multiplayer board game where you have to solve a death and figure out who the killer is, what weapon they used, and what room they committed the murder in. This game tells a story in the sense of solving a crime, with basically a different ending each time you play. Carmen Sandiego is the same in a sense, another computer game (like Sims), however you are solving a crime and trying to figure out who did it – with a different ending each time. The Game of Life is a bit iffy when it comes to telling a story, but I still think it does. A bit like the sims, although you can’t create certain people as it is a board game. You play and while doing so you pick cards like what your house would look like, what job you have, etc.

                Games that I feel don’t include storylines are games like Scrabble, Sequence, Monopoly, and Scattergories. Scrabble you just lay out words and try to get the highest points. Sequence is a bit hard to describe, but it is more of a logical thinking game than a storytelling game. Monopoly is the type of game that could go on for hours and while it does seem like it could tell a story, it really doesn’t. Scattergories is actually one of my favorite games, because of how random it is. You can get really creative with that game, you have to come up with things that start with the same letter (in certain categories on a card) – and that is why you can’t tell a story with this game.

                Alexander talks about games that I have not played, including the World of Warcraft and Fallout games. I have never played these, so I don’t really know the gameplay or anything like that. However, I can see how these do tell a story. I believe that these games have certain storylines that the player follows. It is interesting to me that a game can actually tell a story though. I didn’t know when starting out with this class that there were so many storytelling platforms, so that is one of the main things that I have been the most interested in learning about.

Alexander, B. (2011). The New Digital Storytelling Creating Narratives with New Media. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger.

Ideas I Have Had

I wanted to dedicate a post to how I came up with the ideas for my videos that I have made so far, as well as other ideas that I have scrapped. The videos I have done so far have been the picture selfie video, the Abigail West, and the Memories video. Those ideas came to me pretty quickly, especially the Abigail West one. I knew at the time that video was due was around Halloween, so I wanted to do something spooky. The selfie video, I thought of using pictures of myself “selfies” if you will. I thought that was the best way to portray who I am and it was a good idea for an introduction video. The memories one was being tossed around with another idea that I will write about in a minute. I ended up choosing the memories one because I felt that I could tell a better story with it, and that I would get more out of it. It was a bit difficult finding the older pictures, but I decided to stick with it, and I am really happy with the final product. I chose to share that one on my Facebook as well, and have gotten a positive response on it from family and friends.

The other idea that I was floating around with the memories one was sort of like a day in the life of my dog. Silly, I know, and that is part of the reason I didn’t do that one. I also didn’t go with that one because I was a bit unsure of how to go about it. I didn’t want to just tell my dog’s life story because that had already been done by someone else, but I also didn’t really want to do a whole video of what he does in a day – so that idea was scrapped. I think it would have been a cute video, but my heart wasn’t as into it as it was with the memories video.

Here are some other ideas I had come up with at the beginning of the course and why I didn’t go with them. A monologue type video about change, but I feel like I am still changing as a person and learning who I am after having been through a few rough years so I didn’t want to go with that. A video about how my Nana was almost famous. She was a beautiful singer and had a few opportunities to go on shows and get a record, but she decided to choose her family instead of fame. I wanted to do this video so bad, but I couldn’t find any of the home movies we have of her singing which I felt would have really added to the video. A video about the places I have lived (New York, Canada, Washington, Connecticut), but my heart wasn’t really into this. The last idea I had come up with at the start was a time capsule type of video to myself in a set amount of years. I didn’t go with this because I thought it might be a bit boring.

Including pictures of the places I have lived to spice this up a bit :)

The first is from a Halloween train ride I used to go on in Canada at Stanley Park, BC.

From Mount Baker in Washington

My home state (New York)

And my current state of residence (Connecticut)

Memories

Brooke McGarr

M2 Mobile Story Script

Memories are something that are very important to most people. They are something that we should hold close to us, especially the memories that we have of those that we love and those we have lost throughout the years. Today, I wanted to talk about two very important people in my life – my nana and papa, and some of my favorite memories that I have with them. They were there basically from the moment my life started, and I remember doing a lot of things with both of them. We would always have family get togethers, whether it be at my house, my aunt tammy’s house, or their house – we were always hanging out. I always loved having cook outs by the pool, and swimming at my Aunt Tammy’s house. I was always usually the first one in the pool, and the last one out. I loved hanging out with my nana and papa no matter what we were doing, I also loved spending holidays with them. Every Easter, we would color eggs together. Every Halloween, we would buy pumpkins, and we would carve them. Halloween was absolutely my favorite holiday to spend with my nana and Papa, I loved carving pumpkins with them, and I loved going to trick or treat at their house to show off my costume and I also really liked to look at all their cool Halloween decorations that they had. They always did have some really cool decorations. On Thanksgiving, we would eat turkey and other Thanksgiving dishes, and we would also watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade – that was an absolute must. On Christmas, we would have Christmas dinner together, and then we would all open our presents. I remember that Christmas always seemed so magical to me, and I think that part of it was because I was spending it with people I loved. I always really looked forward to spending Christmas, and every other holiday with my Nana and papa. Apple Picking at Hicks is another fond memory I have with them, we used to go every year. Nana and Papa supported everything I did, especially dance. They would always give us flowers after our recital. Nana and Papa were with me on some of the most important days in my life. They were there for my prom, and they were also there for my high school graduation. I miss hanging out with them all the time, and I would like to talk about some of the things Nana and Papa have taught me before I wrap this up. Papa taught me how to be tough when I need to be, and he also taught me how to fish – a skill I have not kept up with over the years. Nana taught me to always believe in my faith, and to always be respectful to others even if I don’t like them. Unfortunately, my Nana passed away in March 2012, I really miss her. Earlier this year, we celebrated my Papa’s 90^th birthday. I have learned to really cherish the time I have with him. I have also learned to cherish my memories I have with both my Nana and Papa. You never know when you will see someone for the last time, and that is why memories are so important.

Scene setting – Various places including my Aunt Tammy’s, my Nana and Papa’s old house, my old house, Queensbury High School, and the nursing home my Papa lives in now.

Some of the pictures are a bit old, so the quality might not be the best. Most were taken by my mom and my Aunt Tammy, a few of the ones of just them were taken by me. People in the photographs are (in  random order) my Nana and Papa (Sylvia and Ray), me, my sister Amanda, my sister Emily, my cousin Sarah, my cousin Nikki and her daughter Bailey, my mom, my dad, my Aunt Tammy, my Aunt Kathy, my Uncle Hank, my Uncle Dave, my cousin Sienna, my cousin DJ, and my dog Brady. 

Without further ado, here is memories:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0wiEiCKFsk&feature=youtu.be

Challenges

So far, the biggest challenge that I have had while making my stories is finding pictures to use. For my selfie video, and the one I am working on for Module 2, the pictures I want to use are older. I wanted to talk about the memories I have with my Nana and Papa for the module 2 story, which will include a lot of old photographs if I can find them. I have a few so far, but definitely need more. I have also included a clip from one of our home videos. I wish I had access to more of those as well.

Another issue I need to address is transitions in my videos. With the selfie one, I did have transitions between the photographs, however I forgot to include those in my Module 1 story. I will have to make sure that I include transitions from picture to picture in this video though, because of how many pictures there will be.

The pictures I plan to use for my next video were not taken by me. They were taken by either my mom or my Aunt Tammy. I do have permission to use them, because they do belong to me as well. I have had to really dig for these pictures, especially the ones where I am really young (baby/toddler). They’re all buried in a box in my garage, and I have briefly gone through it, but need to do a more in depth search when I have time. I was considering just axing this video idea completely and going with one of my other ideas, but I decided to just keep pushing with this one. I really hope it pays off! 

I decided to include this photograph because it is my absolute favorite of my Nana and Papa. This picture will be included in the video as well.