The final piece of my Capstone Project puzzle is the online portfolio. Originally I had planned to create the online portfolio using a Dreamweaver template and my Shepherd University webspace, but after working on my project blog using Wordpress, I found that many people actually use their wordpress blogs as full on websites. After talking to some classmates and looking at some tutorials I've got a decent setup for my wordpress page. I still need to look up some tutorials to learn how to upload files to the page, which will allow me to put my resume as well as some of my creative works up on my site. I think using the wordpress site will be better in the long run, as it'll be easier to modify as I gain more creative works and post more. The bandwith possibilities are nearly limitless!
I'm looking forward to what I can do with this website now, and later on as I get more works under my belt.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Senior Capstone Project Progress: Presentation Post Mordem
This past Monday I set up my presentation board, my laptop, and my portfolio binder in the student center and presented the details of my project to anyone who was interested. While I was there I got to walk around and look at other students' presentations. In the end my project did me proud, although there were some hiccups in the presentation process.
What worked the best was how much information my presentation could show to people. I had a lot of details and points I could make to people about quest design, and I feel like I answered all of their questions effectively.
What I think needed the most improvement was conveying what my project actually was. My laptop was running gameplay videos of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Dead Island. I was running these videos to showcase games that used quest design extensively. The point was to provide something that would be entertaining and visually appealing and also to give context to what I was discussing. Sadly, most of the people that approached me ended up thinking I actually made those games for my project. As awesome as that would have been, I had to tell them I didn't, which actually caused some of them to just plain walk away. One man was more interested in the fact that I downloaded the videos off of Youtube than the fact that I was just using them to express a point. While people who asked questions first ended up seeing my project's worth and congratulated me for it, most people didn't quite grasp the core concept.
The presentation went well overall. I think if I had more time I could have worked together something more relevant for my laptop than just gameplay videos, but that's just part of the learning process for me.
What worked the best was how much information my presentation could show to people. I had a lot of details and points I could make to people about quest design, and I feel like I answered all of their questions effectively.
What I think needed the most improvement was conveying what my project actually was. My laptop was running gameplay videos of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Dead Island. I was running these videos to showcase games that used quest design extensively. The point was to provide something that would be entertaining and visually appealing and also to give context to what I was discussing. Sadly, most of the people that approached me ended up thinking I actually made those games for my project. As awesome as that would have been, I had to tell them I didn't, which actually caused some of them to just plain walk away. One man was more interested in the fact that I downloaded the videos off of Youtube than the fact that I was just using them to express a point. While people who asked questions first ended up seeing my project's worth and congratulated me for it, most people didn't quite grasp the core concept.
The presentation went well overall. I think if I had more time I could have worked together something more relevant for my laptop than just gameplay videos, but that's just part of the learning process for me.
Senior Capstone Cultural Response: Silent Old Mountains
Last night I went to a concert at the Blue Moon Cafe in Shepherdstown to see a local band play. The band was called Silent Old Mountains, and they were a indie rock band. I'll briefly go over my experiences with them in this blog post.
The atmosphere of the Blue Moon was very welcoming and casual. I felt at ease laughing and talking fairly loudly, without worrying about annoying anyone, since everyone else was doing the same thing. The servers there were friendly, and the drinks were quick and well made.
The band itself was a fairly typical band in composition, including a singer, drummer, bass, guitar and keyboard player. Their sound was what made them stand out, however. They combined elements of rock, indie rock, and drum and bass in how they worked out rhythm and the beat. It resulted in a very enjoyable sound experience that was both relaxing and energizing.
My main complaint about the show was the volume. I couldn't hear the lyrics of any song because they were being drowned out by the loud guitars and the pulsating drums. On more than one occasion the drumming made my ears pound in pain. Apparently this wasn't really exclusive to this band, as many other Blue Moon patrons I talked to said the volume was a consistent problem with their live concerts.
All in all Silent Old Mountains gave me a look at how a indie band can still utilize contemporary influences in their music. I enjoyed my time there, and look forward to seeing what they do in the future.
The atmosphere of the Blue Moon was very welcoming and casual. I felt at ease laughing and talking fairly loudly, without worrying about annoying anyone, since everyone else was doing the same thing. The servers there were friendly, and the drinks were quick and well made.
The band itself was a fairly typical band in composition, including a singer, drummer, bass, guitar and keyboard player. Their sound was what made them stand out, however. They combined elements of rock, indie rock, and drum and bass in how they worked out rhythm and the beat. It resulted in a very enjoyable sound experience that was both relaxing and energizing.
My main complaint about the show was the volume. I couldn't hear the lyrics of any song because they were being drowned out by the loud guitars and the pulsating drums. On more than one occasion the drumming made my ears pound in pain. Apparently this wasn't really exclusive to this band, as many other Blue Moon patrons I talked to said the volume was a consistent problem with their live concerts.
All in all Silent Old Mountains gave me a look at how a indie band can still utilize contemporary influences in their music. I enjoyed my time there, and look forward to seeing what they do in the future.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Senior Capstone Cultural Response: Keigwin + Company
Tonight I witnessed a blending of old and new conventions in the dancing arts. This entertaining and vibrant performance was brought to me by the Keigwin + Company dancing group. In this blog I'll go over my experiences, albeit a little briefly.
There isn't a whole lot for me to say in terms of storyline or plot, the performance consisted of a series of dance numbers set to various songs meant to fit the mood. I didn't recognize any of the songs, but they fit the scenes well and the dancers did an admirable job choreographing their moves to it. Each sequence had it's own story, told by the music and the dancing, but it was more for the audience to interpret on their own.
I've never been much a fan of interpretive dance, but the group pulled it off in a way that left me smiling and laughing, in a good way that is. They combined elements of ballet, interpretive dance, break dancing, and other contemporary concepts to create a unique and elegant style. The result is a high energy high entertainment performance that kept the audience's attention very well. Many parts of the dances also included comedic elements, which I wasn't accustomed to in dance pieces.
The entire atmosphere of the show was very casual and energetic, we were encouraged from the start to laugh and share in the fun with the dancers as the show went on. I found myself surprised with some of the artistic choices, and laughing at some very humorous moments.
Overall, my experience with Keigwin + Company was a positive one. They combined the old and the new to create a unique performance that entertained and encouraged fun free thinking. I think art in general needs more of that these days, and I hope others follow Keigwin and Company's example.
There isn't a whole lot for me to say in terms of storyline or plot, the performance consisted of a series of dance numbers set to various songs meant to fit the mood. I didn't recognize any of the songs, but they fit the scenes well and the dancers did an admirable job choreographing their moves to it. Each sequence had it's own story, told by the music and the dancing, but it was more for the audience to interpret on their own.
I've never been much a fan of interpretive dance, but the group pulled it off in a way that left me smiling and laughing, in a good way that is. They combined elements of ballet, interpretive dance, break dancing, and other contemporary concepts to create a unique and elegant style. The result is a high energy high entertainment performance that kept the audience's attention very well. Many parts of the dances also included comedic elements, which I wasn't accustomed to in dance pieces.
The entire atmosphere of the show was very casual and energetic, we were encouraged from the start to laugh and share in the fun with the dancers as the show went on. I found myself surprised with some of the artistic choices, and laughing at some very humorous moments.
Overall, my experience with Keigwin + Company was a positive one. They combined the old and the new to create a unique performance that entertained and encouraged fun free thinking. I think art in general needs more of that these days, and I hope others follow Keigwin and Company's example.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)