Category: Reflections Assignments

This post serves as a final summary and reflection on the ds106 video unit. This assignment was broken into two main parts: a theoretical analysis of film language and a practical application of that analysis.

Here are the links to my work for this unit:

• Analysis of Cinematic Theory
• Deconstruction of a Scene from The Matrix Revolutions

Reflection Questions

This unit challenged me to move beyond simple consumption of media and into active analysis. In reflecting on the process, I considered the following questions:

• What did you learn? I learned how to identify and articulate the “grammar” of film. I now have a vocabulary (low-angle, juxtaposition, one-point perspective) to describe why a scene makes me feel a certain way. I learned that sound design and editing are arguably more powerful in telling a story than the images themselves.
• What was more complicated than you thought it would be? The “Audio Only” analysis of the Matrix scene was surprisingly difficult. My brain kept trying to supply the visuals I already knew. It took active concentration to separate myself from that mental image and listen to what the audio track alone was communicating.
• What was easier? Once I had read Ebert’s article, identifying his methods in the wild was easier than I anticipated. The use of high- and low-angle shots, in particular, became immediately obvious in every clip I watched.
• What drove you crazy? Why? The hyper-fast editing of the Matrix scene was frustrating during the “Visuals Only” analysis. I had to re-watch the same 10-second segment multiple times just to note the sequence and type of shots used, as they changed every 1-2 seconds.
• What did you enjoy? Why? I enjoyed the 3-step ‘Look, Listen, Analyze’ process the most. It was a completely new way for me to watch a scene. I was genuinely surprised by how different the ‘Audio Only’ experience was. It forced me to notice how the sound effects and musical score were telling their own story, and I gained a new appreciation for the scene’s sound design, which I had previously overlooked.

I also found the process of seeing other students’ analyses on the class blogs to be valuable, as it highlighted different interpretations and showed me techniques I may have missed in my own work. Overall, this was a challenging unit that provided a new lens for all future media I consume.

I listened to the Spooked video “Did my Reflection Reveal Something Sinister?” The premise is simple, yet effective: a glance into the mirror shows a face that isn’t the narrator’s, causing both him and us to wonder “What did he see?” That single question drives the piece. Spooked’s whole brand is to tell horror stories in the first person, hosted by Glynn Washington.

The story follows the “anecdote, then reflection/question, then next beat” chain Ira Glass mentioned. The narration is close mic’d, so you feel like he’s directly talking to you. The pulsing- type of music aids in providing a suspense. He talks fast in the climax of the podcast to amp up the terrifying realization, then talks slower to really get the listener on the edge of their seats; afraid.

Audio alone can sell fear when structure and layering are deliberate. The piece reminded me to keep on clear question in the forefront and to use contrasting music to signal beats. Next time I ever make an audio post, I’ll make sure to design my post around a single question as to not overwhelm the listener, and then pick a tone that rightfully matches the atmosphere. Spooked really makes you feel as if you’re part of the action; that is the kind of affect I want to have on my own listeners.

Audio is all around us; a voice, room tone, a question, etc, and now you can imagine a story in our heads. Ira Glass explains why that works and how to build it on purpose. I watched his three short videos from the classic “On Storytelling” series, gaining a lot of valuable insight.

Glass says structure is simple but strict. You should build a chain of actions and keep a clear question pulling the listener forward. Anything that doesn’t raise or advance that question should not be used. He’s blunt that the hardest part of the job is finding a story with actual momentum, and not just polishing one that doesn’t have it. Delivery should also be conversational, and you should expect a gap between your early work and expectations; the only bridge is making lots of finished pieces.

Utilizing Glass’s “anecdote + question” test gives me a pretty good filter I can use immediately whenever I plan or edit. For example, if a beat doesn’t push the question, I should simply not use it. I should also continuing to sound like myself, however keeping the scripts tighter and my reads less stiff. I suppose the biggest mind shift is the gap; instead of judging my first tries, I’ll ship more and faster with a focus on momentum and layering.

As I wrap up this unit on design, I’m looking back at how the readings, the Vignelli Canon, and the hands-on blitz shaped the way I see and make things. This week moved me from “that looks cool” to “does this serve the message?” I feel like that shift is going to stick, not just in digital storytelling, but in general to any form of creativity.

Reflection on The Vignelli Canon

Post: Reflection
Takeaway: start with a one-sentence so-what, then choose type, grid, and color that support it. Message, then Grid, then Type, and then Color.

Design Blitz (Digital Safari)

Post: Digital Safari
Concepts covered: Balance, Dominance/Space, Color, Rhythm & Proportion.
What it taught me: you can see design choices everywhere once you look; balance, hierarchy, and palette steer attention fast.

Personal Reflections & Lessons

• What I learned: intent beats impulse. Clear message and tight structure reads better than any effect.
• What changed: I’m working in this order now: message, grid, type, and then color. My edits are quicker because decisions are made up front.
• Where I improved: spacing (equal gutters), image hierarchy, and captions that add context instead of noise.

Q&A

What did you learn?
Design is a set of deliberate choices. Start with the message, then use a simple grid, tight type choices, real white space, and purposeful color to aim the viewer’s attention. If a choice doesn’t serve the message, it’s fluff.

What did you enjoy? Why?
The Design Blitz hunting real examples made the principles stick. Writing one clean sentence for each photo forced me to say why it worked (or didn’t), which sharpened my eye more than any tutorial!

Conclusion

I learned that good design isn’t about making things look fancy, but rather it’s about making clear choices. I learned to start by asking what the message is, then think about how grid, type, space, and color can support it. I learned how much mood shifts with color alone, how balance keeps a layout from feeling off, and how a simple caption can add real context. Most of all, I learned to notice design everywhere!

Vignelli strips design down to the basics: meaning first, always maintain structure, and lastly keep discipline in the details. The booklet’s light on words because the point is simple: good design isn’t decoration, but rather it’s decisions.

What stuck with me

• Semantics (meaning): decide the message before touching type or color. If the form doesn’t serve the message, it’s noise.
• Syntactics (structure): use a grid, align edges, set a clear hierarchy.
• Pragmatics (clarity): if people can’t read it fast, it fails.
• Discipline: fewer fonts, cleaner spacing, purposeful color.

Why it matters to me
This gives me an order of operations I can actually follow: message first, then grid, next type, and lastly color. It’ll keep my posts cleaner and my images easier to read. This is exactly what I want as I keep building out the rest of this design unit!

Introduction

I have always loved photography. From aerial to quick iPhone snaps, photography is a means of memorializing subjects that mean a great deal to you, and thus sharing it with others. However, the quality of those images you take matter. A blurry or photo taken with no care with not captivate an audience quite like a photo taken with great patience and timing. There are various ways one can help take this skill to the next level. I’ll first describe some important tips. Then, Ill describe what I personally feel are important to consider, along with how they connect with what duChemin says. Lastly, I’ll share some of my own personal experiences.

Key Concepts from “20 Ways to Make Better Photographs”

Get Pickier: When taking good pictures, It’s important to remember to compose images in your mind. By doing so, you allow yourself to better predict not only what would make a great photo, but also allow you to take the perfect photo at the perfect time.

Change Your Perspective: Changing your perspective can help to better engage your audience. Different angles of a subject help to really put the audience in your shoes.

Balance: duChemin tells about how the rule of thirds is not just placement on a grid, but rather visual mass. You need to take into account elements that draw more meaning into your photo.

Anticipate the Moment: When taking photos, an important thing to keep in mind is what are you taking a photo of? Are you taking a picture of something that’s happening now, or something that’s going to happen, such as the takeoff of a bird? In order to take pictures that engage an audience, It’s important to anticipate future action from your subject; will you be ready to take that perfect picture?

Becoming a Better Photographer

The DS106 “Visual Storytelling” material is blunt and actionable: be selective, use contrast, change your viewpoint, build depth, balance the frame, anticipate moments, respect light, and make exposure choices that serve the image. It’s less about rules and more about intentional shooting, which is exactly what I enjoy doing. As a conservation biologist major, I try to take images of animals that I find neat. As a result, intentional shooting is very hard, as animals are hardly predictable. I feel like this is also where duChemin’s point of “anticipation” really comes into play.

What is Visual Literacy?

Visual literacy is the ability to read and write with images. It’s the ability to make and interpret visual messages, not just look at pictures. Enhancing my own visual literacy abilities can help improve my own storytelling abilities, as I’ll know what to include and what not to include. By being able to effectively look at my own work and know what belongs and what doesn’t, I’ll be able to produce far better pieces.

The Story Behind Migrant Mother

The backstory of Dorothea Lange’s Migrant Mother explains why the image still hits; it’s composition, timing, and context combine into a symbol of Depression-era hardship. Lange almost didn’t stop; when she did, she made a handful of frames that used posture, gaze, and the children’s turned faces to concentrate emotion. Knowing that history changes how I think about captions and series: context multiplies impact. This is why I find that adding a caption to my images adds so much depth; it allows my audience to understand why I selected that image to be shared.

Personal Practice

Through this week’s lessons, there are many ways I can improve my own photography skills. For once, anticipating the moment is highly important, especially someone in my field. Here’s a photo in which I had taken this skill into account, its a little silly as it involves my cat, but it’s a picture in which I had to anticipate him sitting down:

Another example I have is one in which I kept the angle of the photo in mind. The perspective really mattered when capturing this spider, as a frontal view would not have truly captured all the detail that I wanted to convey. By doing a top down angle, I can show my viewers the true size of the spider:

Conclusion and Call to Action

So to conclude, there are many factors that go into creating the perfect photo. Whether it be planned or not, its important to really think about everything you want to convey within your photo. What stories you are trying to tell. So to end off on a question, whats one thing you find that you’ve always taken into account when taking your photos, and whats one thing you never really consirdered doing?

Introduction

Digital storytelling is the combination of narrative with a variety of digital media, such as video, images, audio, text, and interactive elements, all working together to communicate a message. It’s increasingly important because it can deliver ideas effectively while keeping audiences engaged in ways that plain text alone often can’t. In education especially, digital storytelling helps teachers present concepts that stick, using visuals and sound to reinforce the core message. Younger learners in particular benefit from seeing and hearing ideas presented with purpose. Digital storytelling uses modern tools to do what stories have always done: capture attention, build understanding, and make people care. Digital story telling is the combination of narrative with a variety of different digital media, ranging from video, to images, to stories. Digital story telling is a growing importance in today’s field, as it can effectively deliver messages to audiences and keep said audiences engaged. For example, digital storytelling is very prominent in education, especially that of younger children.

“What is Digital Storytelling?”

In this video, the narrator explains why digital storytelling matters and how it can be applied in a classroom setting. She outlines seven core elements: Point of View, Dramatic Question, Emotional Content, Gift of Voice, Power of the Soundtrack, Economy, and Pacing. Together, these are the backbone of a strong digital narrative. Point of View makes a story personal and grounded. A Dramatic Question keeps the audience curious about what happens next. Emotional Content gives the piece weight so it isn’t forgettable. Gift of Voice ensures authenticity instead of sounding generic. A Soundtrack that fits and supports tone and mood can provide a better environment. Economy is important as it keeps things simple. It’s just the essentials to keep audiences from getting bored. And Pacing controls rhythm so the audience doesn’t get bored or lost, similar to economy. The main idea is that digital storytelling isn’t one ingredient; it’s a lot of parts working in sync to move an audience.
Personal Reflection: After watching the video, I realized that digital storytelling has a lot in common with traditional story telling; for example both require strategic methods in order to captivate audiences. Looking back on the video, it makes a lot of sense how certain sites are created. Its all in attempt to hook interest using different methods.

The Power of Digital Storytelling

Bailin argues that digital story telling is powerful because it gives people a voice in order to kind of guide people across media. She describes how the “power” isn’t just engagement but rather reflection. To learn where they’re from. By doing this, she argues that this builds connection between audiences, such as students, and helps to strengthen communication skills.
Personal Reflection: I really liked the way she spoke. Her poem in the beginning really showcased what she communicated throughout the Ted-Talk; the importance of engagement. I also agree with what she’s saying; digital story telling is so much more than just a story. Its something to connect people together.

Digital storytelling—changing people, perceptions, and lives

Jorstad is fairly straightforward; digital storytelling can shift perceptions because personal stories invite engagement. He tells about the importance of telling the stories that we all experience day-to-day. Everyone has a story, but its up to all of to share them and to engage with them.
Personal Reflection: I feel like this Ted-Talk was a really good reminder of how everyone has their own story. These stories mostly go untold too; it takes another person to ask about that person’s day. Its a really nice reminder that, not only should you share your own stories, but you should also try to learn about other’s stories.

The Digital Storytelling Process

This video was a workflow of how to effectively utilize and create a digital story. He tells us to first generate an idea and how we want to tell it. Next, he tells us to research and plan our story out. Then, he tells us to actually begin producing the story, and to keep it engaging. After that is post-production in order to finalize it. Lastly is to publish it.
Personal Reflection: As I mentioned before, the process is very similar to more traditional means of story telling. I found it really interesting how much thought really has to go behind digital stories in order to produce something that makes audiences want to read them.

Conclusion

In the end, digital storytelling brings together multiple parts: voice, structure, visuals, sound, editing. All these together move to create a single, coherent message. Everyone has something to say, and this approach gives more people a fair chance at being heard. Like traditional storytelling, it takes effort to keep audiences engaged and to build a sense of community, but the benefit to the ability to reach the entire globe: a well-made digital story can travel far and speak to people who would never sit in the same room. That reach is important. Digital storytelling isn’t just a trend; it’s a practical way to make sure real voices and real experiences actually connect in a way that traditional methods struggled in doing so.