Introduction

Hi my name is Amy and I am starting my Junior year here at BSU. I am originally from San Diego but decided to come to Boise State to try something different. I am studying Communication with a Certificate in Public Relations. I am taking this class to learn more about visual communication and the different channels that are used to communication things visually. A study tip that is helpful to me is to avoid procrastination. I find it helpful to start something ahead of time so my head is clear and I don’t feel rushed. One thing I like about Boise State is the school spirit. There is a lot of school pride and spirit at Boise State, especially during the football season. Since I am from San Diego, I also enjoy that I get to experience all of the four season here in Boise. If I was an animal I would want to be a dog, because they are always so happy and full of energy.

Chapter 14

For this exercise we had to interview someone over the age of 40 who has owned multiple computers.  The questions given to ask were: Describe your first computer: What was it?  What features made you decide it was the right computer for you? Describe your second computer: What was it? Did you purchase the same brand?  Why did you buy a new computer? What features made you decide it was the right computer for you?

Having witnessed computers change from your first computer to your second (or more), what features do you expect to see in the future? After our interview we wrote an essay summarizing the responses. 

Essay:

Amy Windmiller

Visual Communication

November 15, 2017

Interview with Jeff Windmiller

            For this interview I decided to ask my dad the questions, because I know he has owned a couple of computers in his life so far. My dad is not the most tech savvy person but I knew he would be honest with his answers about why he chose the computers he did, and what he liked and didn’t like about his past computers.

            The first question was hard for my dad to answer because he could not remember the name of his first computer because that would have been from about 25 years or more ago. However, he made a guess that is was either an HP, Sony, or Toshiba. He told me he wanted a new computer because he was tired of using a type writer. He recalled that the price of his first computer was probably reasonable and he needed a computer with a word processor program to write and store information. My dad said he initially wanted these features so he wouldn’t have to use a type writer, or use paper anymore but he still ended up using paper to write on a lot more than the computer.

            The second computer my dad owned was a Dell. He said that he was still a fairly new computer user and if he remembered what his first computer was and if performed well, he probably would have purchased the same brand. His reasoning for buying a new computer was because his first computer broke. He recalls switching from HP to Dell because he liked Dell’s price and performance, and HP’s computer broke too soon. As for the features of my dad’s computer, he really only cares about price, reliability, and ease of use. But the main need for my dad was that the computer had a good word processor program.

            Since my dads first couple of computers he says the changes he has seen are light years ahead of his first experiences with computers. My dad sees computers now with larger storage space, faster operation, user friendly, and portability. We can use computers for almost everything and almost everyone can use them. My dad predicts to see changes in the future such as the average desktop computer will no longer be sold, and even laptops will keep getting smaller, more portable, even more user friendly, and less expensive devices that will easily electronically connect the world.

Chapter 13

For this exercise we were asked to watch a few episodes of our favorite television show. After watching a couple episodes we had to write an essay about how the TV program relates to theatre, radio, motion pictures, and comic books. 

Essay:

Amy Windmiller

Visual Communication

Parks and Recreation

            Parks and Recreation is a comedy television show that is one of my favorites so I decided to re-watch a few episodes for this assignment. It is a show about government employees in the Parks and Recreation Department that all have very different and funny opinions about the government as well as their community.

            Out of the four media options given: theatre, radio, motion pictures, and comic books, Parks and Recreation is most similar to theatre. The theatre aspect of the show comes from the sets. There are only a couple sets that we see in the show, and they never really change. The show has a documentary side of it where the characters talk to the camera like they are being interviewed. The show is different from theatre as well because it isn’t performed live in front of an audience. The clothes each character wears are unique to that character and stay pretty consistent throughout the show. I think the costume aspect of theatre and the show Parks and Recreation are similar because there are always personalized costumes for each character.

            Radio is a form of media that has very few similarities to the show Parks and Recreation. Radio is a way to broadcast information and music, and most of the time you don’t see the radio announcers face. The only similarity I could make with radio and the TV show is when the characters on Parks and Recreation talk to the camera like they are being asked a question. This could be similar to interviews on the radio. As the viewer while watching the characters of Parks and Recreation look and talk to the camera it gives the show an interview/documentary style.

            Motion pictures and Parks and Recreation are not alike at all. Motion pictures have storylines and are about two or three hours long. Parks and Recreation doesn’t have an overall story line to the whole show and the episodes are about twenty minutes long. However, each episode has its own plot, but you can still miss a few episodes and understand what is going on. There are relationships on the show that continue on consistently in each episode but the main plot of each episode are about different problems or issues within the Parks and Recreation Department.

            Comic books and Parks and Recreation are similar in which they have individual storylines to each different comic or episode. Usually when reading comics, they are short stories that are easy to understand and don’t leave you questioning what will happen in the next comic. That is how Parks and Recreation works, each episode is different and the only consistent thing throughout each episode are the relationships between certain characters. Just like in comics you know the background of the story and who the characters are, as well as their relationships to each other.

            The show Parks and Recreation is a goofy show that has many different aspects of media within it. I think theatre and comic books are the most similar to the TV show but the show wouldn’t be as great without all the different aspects of media put together to make the show what it is.

           

Chapter 12

For this exercise we had to take four lines from a song, rhyme, or a book and draw a story board for each line. After drawing the story board we had to create a short video based off of the storyboard.

https://youtu.be/tPjp9iCw0Zc

Chapter 11

For this exercise we had to find a spot where we could take a picture of everyday in the morning, afternoon and night time. For 3-5 days take the same photo, in the same spot and compare and contrast the photos and the different lightings.

Chapter 10

For this exercise we had to create a collage of cartoons from a newspaper. Once we found the cartoons we cut them out from one cartoon and then placed them into the setting of the other cartoon to create a whole new story.

Chapter 7 & 8

This exercise had two parts. The first part was to make a collage of words that convey the same feeling, while using different color, fonts, and sizes. The second part was to use a circle and two triangles to convey the message "Look before you cross" for ages 9-14. For the second composition use two rectangles to convey the same message, but for ages 60 and over.