final thoughts on J198

At the conclusion of another great semester at Lehigh, I must stop to reflect on my J198 class. Until now, I had yet to take a course that truly combines work with play. Multimedia reporting allowed me to combine my interests and journalism skills to create new material. I have also developed crucial habits to be a successful journalist in an age where technology rules all.

At the onset of this semester, I was under the impression Twitter was for celebrities with too much time on their hands and Blogging was an online diary. To say the least, I now know this is far from true.

While celebrities do post often to their Twitter accounts, this viral-media, among others, has transformed journalism today. In an industry where time is the most crucial element, Twitter, Blogs and YouTube provide a platform for journalists to create material for news and events at the exact time they occur. Additionally, they have integrated social media networks with a following to ensure those interested in a given source for new material are the first to see it. This concept of the new world of journalism as multi-media is vital to grasp.

After a semester of ‘tweeting,’ I now have a strong Twitter fan-base or following. Additionally, I have developed a fan-base for my blog, inspired by love for fashionable athletic apparel. Initially, the assignment to post new material on my blog three times a week and post on Twitter at least once a day was a daunting task. However, as I became more familiar with the social medias, posting new material became habit. Moreover, using social medias is something I now enjoy and will continue to use after the class.

Before I took Multimedia Reporting, I also had difficulty taking quality pictures and using the computer to create worthwhile projects out of anything having to do with a camera. Aside from the social-media’s, J198 has taught me how to film footage, edit it, and produce a high-quality product. I feel that I have an improved understanding on filming and production, which gives me a more open-minded outlook on photography in general. I am no longer afraid of technology and know what to do with a camera and a computer, and then some. In turn, I am now a source to my peers to assist them with their technology and social media questions.

While I am pleased with the new habits I have developed through J198, I am most proud of the “Bethlehem Dining” website I created with Alex. It was a great experience to work on this project. I really got a lot out of the group aspect of the assignment and it was a great way to combine all aspects of our new knowledge from the course into one platform. One of the more difficult pieces of information to obtain were recipes by top chef’s. To obtain some of our information, we used Twitter to advertise our project and had successful responses from many restaurants. I have a much better grasp on how the up-scale environment that is Bethlehem today has come to be, as a result of researching the local restaurant industry. I am excited to show off the finished product to friends, family and potential employers.

My new-found habit of posting material to Twitter, YouTube and Blogger will shape my future as a journalist and I am excited to see where that takes me!

Alex Levin - J198 Reflection

I wanted to start this reflection with an except from the “About Us” page on my Website, as I think it would better describe the effects J198, Multimedia Reporting, has had on my interests and career choices.

“Alexandra Levin, '11, is a Journalism major and Mass Communications minor.  Most recently, she has been on a social media frenzy, where her fascination for the Web has consumed her for the better.  Now a senior, she has been afforded the opportunity to delve deeper into the ever-growing and ever-evolving world that is the Internet.  This concept of a web-based society has intrigued her curiosity and she would love to learn more about the future of online media by working for a progressive Internet company post-graduation.”

Prior to taking J198, I knew very little about social media and the effects it has on every aspect of our society.  Although I was an avid user of Facebook, an excellent representation of social media at its finest, I still did not understand the bigger picture and how the Internet could positively change business transactions, customer service and relationships in general among others.  J198 has introduced me to a world of interconnectivity, and for that I am truly grateful.  Now, as I approach my last semester at Lehigh, it is time to start thinking about career choices and the industry I want to pursue as a post-graduate.  Multimedia reporting has influenced me so, to the point at which I want to pursue as career working for a progressive Internet company. 

I have learned that Twitter, specifically, has transformed the world in terms of promotion.  Prior to taking J198, I rejected the social media site, and thought it was another (and stupid) imitation of “status updates,” on Facebook.  I now understand and utilize somewhat to excess, the real function of Twitter, as it can essentially be used for self-promotion, community relations, crisis management, business promotion, and public relations.  Social Media, particularly Twitter, has transformed communication into a real-time forum. 

Blogging is another form of social media that has intrigued my curiosity.  Unlike Twitter, keeping a blog is more personal.  Instead of reaching an infinite amount of people, blogging targets an intimate group (your avid followers) where you can tailor your posts to their interests.  Blogging is a way to openly and freely express your personality and creativity through the Internet. In my opinion, the ability to post pictures, videos, and audio on online forums such as blogs, has rapidly changed the face of the news forever.  Now, it is common for news to break on consumer created websites.

I very much enjoyed the final project in J198, as it gave us an opportunity to combine everything we’ve learned throughout the semester and apply it to a real publicly accessible forum.  I was so happy with outcome of our final project.  We were able to combine text with audio, pictures, video, and podcasts, as well as include hyperlinks, and google maps, making for the perfect interactive site about the restaurant industry in Bethlehem.  

OUR WEBSITE!

below is the link to the finished version of our website!  ENJOY!

(reflections on coming soon....)

http://j198.weebly.com/ 

Documentary

Follow Eli Ennis as he shares his experience working as a chef at The Bethlehem BrewWorks.  He takes us behind the scenes, giving us an inside look into the fast-paced restaurant industry.   With invaluable training and good friends, Eli has truely made a name for himself at this North Side eatery. 

LU Restaurant Project- flickr

LU restaurants project

Below is a Google Map compiled of the Lehigh Valley restaurants, split up by color into 'NY Style Restaurants' and 'Locally-Owned Businesses.' This is going to be one of many components to our website on the Lehigh valley restaurant business!


View Lehigh Valley Restuarants in a larger map

pod cast on LU restaurants

Here's a podbean pod cast I published on a discussion amongst myself and my friends about the LU restaurants. Listen to what they have to say and read my description to see where my J198 project with Alex is heading toward!

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Podcast Trial - Alex

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Today we learned how to create a podcast of audio to then embed it onto our blog.  I dont know much about podcasts, but I think it is a great tool if youre looking to emphasize the audio of a speech, theme, news, sports clip, fashion story etc.  I think this will be a great asset to our final project. 

The audio above is not good audio.  It is of a class conversation, nothing inparticular, nothing of importance, but a good way to test out the techniques of podcasting.

Demo of PodBean Podcast

Today in J198 we learned how to upload and publish podcasts. First, we recorded a practice conversation and uploaded it as an audio file to Windows Movie Maker. Then we converted the file to an MP3 with media.io. Then we took the MP3 and published it on our webpage with PodBean.com.

That's how it works - here's a demo of what a podcast sounds like:

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Flikr for Tennis Pictures

Here's a link to my the still-frame images featured in the tennis interview clip below. The pictures are of my team through last spring as we traveled to Colgate for the Patriot League tournament and to the Naval Academy and James Madison University for dual matches.

Enjoy!

Clips of Lehigh WTennis

So I finally got my photo files to upload properly to the school computer! The below video clip is a combination of still-frame images and interviews of my tennis team here at Lehigh. I interviewed my teammates Abbey and Trisha about their experience with the tennis program and expectations for the upcoming 2011 season.

Enjoy!

Slideshow of Pena Palace in Lisbon, Portugal with Voiceover from Abby Price

Above is a slide show of pictures from my trip to the Pena National Palace in Lisbon, Portugal.  The audio is from an interview with Abby Price, who also attended this this trip.  She describes the Palace in detail and most importantly gives advice to prospective students contemplating going abroad. 

Flag Football Video

Hey Again!

Here's a video clip I put together using Laura's still frames and interview of the flag football game.

Enjoy!

Slideshow: Pena National Palace in Lisbon, Portugal

Above is a slideshow of my trip to Lisbon, particularly my trip to the Pena National Palace.  As you will see in the pictures featured above, it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my life.  The view, the architecture, the history, everythign is magnificant.  Enjoy!

Flickr!

Hey Guys!
Today in J198 we set up Flickr accounts to organize still-frame photos into shareable albums. Unfortunately, I stored my photos on my iPod and they were not recognized by the programs on the school's Dell's :(  Luckily my classmate, Laura, let me borrow her pictures to complete the assignment for now (thanks!), but check back soon when I can upload my own photos!

Interviews at Promenade Restaurants

Hey there!

Alex and I ventured to the Promenade Shops yesterday to learn how they keep business afloat.  We went to Pacifico, Melt and Kome, three restaurants that offer dishes to satisfy any palette.   All three locations have multi-level seating and bar areas, including a roof-top bar feature at Melt.  The managers we spoke with have a strong handle on how to keep their individual establishments profitable, but they all had one thing in common: Pricing strategy.  Each restaurant offers a variety of choices on their menus and are careful to satisfy the big spender and the thrifty shopper.

Enjoy our video! Check back soon, as we are in the process of researching the restaurant business in the in the Lehigh Valley.

Fine Dining at the Promenade Shops

This is our second news story of the year.  We did make an effort to correct the errors we made in our first video this second time around.  Specifically, we tired to focus on a lot more b-roll as opposed to interview footage.  We used sound overlay to make our news story more visually appealing.  We did have trouble with sound this time around however, as there are no "offices" in a restaurant, thus making the background noise semi distracting.  (We need the mini mic!!)  Overall, I do think this video is fun, entertaining, visually appealing and most importantly we will be able to use this video (hopefully) in our final project!

going to the movies in the Lehigh Valley

Hey Guys,

Over my fall break this past weekend, I saw "The Social Network" in theaters. The story is based off Ben Mezrich's book Accidental Billionaires, which details the scandal behind Facebook's beginnings.  Writer Aaron Sorkin does a fantastic job taking this book to film, portraying the super-website's founders and their current multi-billion dollar law suits.

If you're in the Lehigh Valley and are looking to find where this movie and other box office hits are playing, check out my Google map entitled "Lehigh Valley Movie Theaters." Other 'must see' movies this fall are "Easy A", "The Town" and "The Secretariat."Enjoy!


View Lehigh Valley Movie Theaters in a larger map

First Friday at the Banana Factory

Alex and I went to the Banana Factory this past week to learn more the facility and First Friday. My coach suggested we film our news clip there and what a great choice it was! We caught a lot of live footage in the glass blowing studio, which I found particularly cool. We also conducted interviews with a resident artist and an asst. director of marketing.
Filming a news style clip, as we did here, required a lot more time and preparation than other types of journalism I've done in the past.  After we picked a topic, I made an appointment with the Banana Factory for an interview. The filming and interviewing process took about an hour, but the editing, sound and video overlaying took a lot of time and attention to detail to ensure the footage compiled fluently. 
I think we did a great job for our first new clip in gathering information and recording the right things while we were on site, as well as capturing images in good sound and lighting areas. i was apprehensive at first, but the next time we set out "into the field', I think I want to try being behind camera!

Check out our news clip:

Banana Factory News Story

This was by far my favorite assignment thus far.  We were able to really get out into the community and report about local new of interest.  Liz and I decided to look deeper into the mystery that is the Banana Factory.  We met with an abundance of local artists and marketing directors to give us the inside scoop about the incredible art center.  We combined all the skills we have learned in our J198 class to make this news story complete.  Unlike the other interviews we have collected in class, the news story incorporated many techniques that would not have been used otherwise.  For example, the use of "hard cuts" indicate that our video is a news story.  In my other interviews I used transitions to soften the tone.  Also for the first time, we incorporated voice overs and a "lead-like" introduction, just as I would have done in writing.  In ALL my videos I used b-roll footage, but I think it is particularly important for the afore mentioned video.  On thing I have learned is that in a news story particularly, it is important to show the actions of what you're reporting about.  This maintains the viewers attention if you are constantly keeping it visually interesting. 

One thing I need to work on myself, is being more comfortable in front of the camera!!!  Granted this was my first time reporting a news story, I still need to loosen up a bit.  But with this being said, I think we did a great job overall.  Check it out!

Interview with Mat Federer

Today in J198, we learned about lighting and filming techniques. To practice what we learned, Alex and I walked around Lehigh's campus to find two students to interview about their thoughts on the upcoming Greek Week festivities. Here's what Mat Federer had to say in his interview with Alex.  Enjoy!

Jackie Carey on Lehigh Greek Week 2010

Today in class, we learned particularly about lighting.  The afore mentioned video displays what I believe is "good" lighting.  I tried to avoid shadows and dark areas.  I also tried to avoid movement in the background, although I was slightly unsuccessful in that respect.  I hope to combine all these newly learned techniques into one uploaded video soon.