FINAL BLOG #4

Ah, the final blog. Let’s just get to it, shall we?
Right off the bat, my favorite part of the class was the lab. It was just fantastic to be able to work hands-on with lights, cameras, and film, and to gain some insight into the basic use of Photoshop and HTML. There are not many readily available opportunities to play with this sort of equipment in a controlled setting. The variety and availability of the things we worked with truly are what made the experience. That, and the fact that our TA was awesome. A lab is nothing without a good TA.
As far as labs go, I feel like we could have done more in general. I’m not exactly sure how, just that there is a potential there that has yet been tapped.
The lectures were also really interesting. The visuals and linked examples really added to the presentation. Because this is a media class, the lecturing professor could—and would—click away to various examples and websites numerous times in a lesson. In my opinion the more pretty pictures, funny jokes, and creative websites we look at, the better. I think I speak for a decent body of sleep-deprived students when I say that, in general, it is the interest in the visuals that kept us from unexpectedly nodding off.
Not to say the lectures themselves weren’t interesting. They were. Both of the lecturing professors know their stuff, are approachable, and are able to convey their vast knowledge of the subject in a fun way that anyone can understand. The information itself is almost always interesting and the concepts themselves—thanks to the professor’s lecturing ability—are not overly difficult to grasp.
One thing I really took away from this class was The Rule of Thirds. Since that lesson, I’ve consciously become aware of how I aim shots in projects for class, for fun, and even with family video. I was so intrigued by it, that I even got my family in on it. I don’t think I’ll ever look at a photo or movie the same way again.
I just really enjoyed this class the entire time. I cannot emphasize that enough. For me, the more visual and the more interactive the experience, the happier I am. And this class had it all.
< / media150 >
(little HTML joke there.)