Though this first example did not come from a class directly, I did have the opportunity to communicate in person to a large group of people while at Lander University. In March of 2020, I was asked to speak at a local church for a college event. At the event there were over 100 audience members as well as an online audience that streamed the event.
Through this event, I demonstrated my ability to analyze a topic and communicate those findings effectively to a live audience. I did this through studying extensively beforehand, outlining and revising my speech notes, and rehearsing consistently before presenting. This was a process I learned through my time competing in a speech league during high school which was further perfected in various speech classes while at Lander. This process leaves me knowledgeable in what I am saying and with great confidence that I will communicate the message accurately and effectively to my audience.
“The Elephant in the Room” is a true-crime inspired comedy podcast that I created for the art of the podcast class. This three episode miniseries was written, directed, edited and hosted by myself. Additionally, many of the sound effects were created by me as well. In addition of sound design and podcast production, this project also involved photography and Photoshop expertise in order to create the thumbnails for each episode, and video editing in order to create the podcast teaser trailer.
With this being one of the most intensive projects I’ve made while at Lander University, I am very proud of what I learned and accomplished. Though I had had podcasting experience from the past, this was the first time I had fully scripted episodes or had a cast acting on a project. In order to pull it off, I had to be incredibly intentional about how I organized my workflow and how I directed those who helped me. Through this process, I have become not only a better creator but a collaborator as well.
This is a film analysis I wrote for my international films class regarding the opening scene of Close-Up, directed by Abbas Kiarostami. In the paper, I dissect the writing and cinematic choices Kiarostami took, as well as how those choices create the film’s highly unique tone. Finally, I reflect on how that carefully crafted tone allows the themes of the film to leave a lasting impact in ways that would be impossible otherwise.
Not only did this exercise allow me to express my love for this movie, but it also expanded my abilities to critically analyze and discuss cinema as an art form. This assignment led me to consider how the technical choices of how a story is told fundamentally shapes how that story is actually perceived. Focusing my attention on that allowed me to do the same for other pieces of media as well and has helped me be more intentional on how I tell my own stories.
While studying radio production, I had the opportunity to research the history of recorded music production. Through this, I watched and analyzed a documentary called “Soundbreaking”, which included an episode specifically about the role music producers have taken throughout the past century.
This reflection demonstrates my ability to research and understand the state of my field, both historically and currently. With that skill, I am able to make more informed decisions on what opportunities are worth pursuing and the general state of any given field. Additionally, it gives me insight in how the responsibility of different roles may shift throughout my career, and what kind of fluid environments I ought to be prepared to adapt to.
This portfolio showcases all of the varied work I produced in my graphic design class. Not only did I have to create designs that communicated effectively and appealed to specific types of audiences, but I also needed to make sure they were all presented in a singular cohesive package, despite their varied audiences. This led to me theming the designs in a context of liminal spaces, as if these were “discarded designs from a time that never was”.
Throughout the semester, I had to keep this end goal of cohesion in mind, all the while fulfilling the requirements of each individual assignment and taking each piece from idea to reality under fast-paced deadlines. In that, I learned how to micro-manage my time and prioritize responsibilities effectively in order to complete every assignment to the best of my ability, a skill I intend to carry with me into my career.