I taught myself how to make a GIF in Photoshop Elements today! It’s pretty rough, but it’s something.

I’d like to be at this point someday:
http://cinemagraphs.com/

Reporting for Vox: A Conversation with Jacklyn Marceau

I wanted to share this story with those of you who haven’t seen it yet on Vox Magazine’s website. I had the pleasure of getting to know a local writer and teacher at Stephens College in Columbia, Jacklyn Marceau.

Life Lately in Snapshots

It’s been an insanely busy week, and the excitement of this weekend has only just begun. So, to catch you up on my latest adventures, I’m stealing this idea from my good friend and roommate Teddy. (Thanks, Teddy!) You can check out her blog at http://teddynykiel.wordpress.com/. She’s a great writer, and I’ve enjoyed reading her posts about journalism, travel, music, food and just the daily joys of life. Once in awhile she’ll post a collage of photos representing what she’s been up to lately.  So, here’s what my week has looked like:

This week, my choir has been diligently preparing for our winter concert to be held this weekend! We will be performing on Sunday, November 17 at 5 p.m. at First Baptist Church in CoMo. Come see us! It’s free!

Teddy accompanied me in taking photos for my friend Kellie Moore (Kotraba)’s wedding at Sacred Heart Church last weekend. It was a beautiful simple ceremony, and the weather was perfect! There will be more photos to come soon.

I’m currently working on a video project for Vox magazine about the skills you’ll need to survive in the Hunger Games. So, I spent Wednesday morning at Capen Park in Columbia with Ryan Gajewski, a rock climber. There’s nothing like the cold morning air to wake you up.

I’m also doing a video for Vox magazine about the Missouri Contemporary Ballet. I attended their rehearsal on Wednesday, and filmed their performance at the Missouri Theatre last night. These dancers are amazingly talented! I’m looking forward to interviewing a few of them this afternoon.

In my History of Journalism class, we were assigned to do an oral history about someone over age of 60, and ask them how the media has changed over their lifetime. I interviewed Peter Bloch, a marketing professor at MU.

For my Video Art class, I am filming an abstract piece about fall, and the beauty of the dying leaves. I’ll be pairing the visuals with an audio recording of Bach’s Come Sweet Death. I’ll be sure to post the completed video at the end of the month!

If you haven’t heard Come Sweet Death before, it is a beautifully chilling song. About a minute into the song, the singers begin to improvise the rhythm, starting and ending at different times. Sometimes, the melody will match up, but more often, the chords will clash and create a jarring sound. Here is the audio recording of my choir from last year:

The Story Behind the Story

I love stories. That’s why I decided to study journalism; it’s a mixture of the art and science of storytelling. So, whenever College Photographer of the Year comes around, I take some time to look through the stories for inspiration.

Reporting for Vox: Eric Norby Paints the Movies

Last month, I had the pleasure of meeting Eric Norby, an artist and grad school student at MU. Inspired by minimalist art, Norby makes freehand grid paintings of Western movie landscapes with watercolors.

The BenchMark

My family visited Chicago earlier this month to see The BenchMark, a play by my great uncle Richard Roberts (top left).

My great uncle Richard Roberts wrote The BenchMark, inspired by two significant figures in his life: his father and an old friend. The cast took a final bow last weekend on closing night at the Athenaeum Threatre. So, for those who did not have a chance to read about or see this show, you missed quite the performance. 

Reporting for Vox: A Girl & A Gun

This semester, I’m reporting for Vox Magazine as part of my Convergence Editing and Producing Class. Check out my first multimedia story about a shooting club for women called A Girl and a Gun!

 

London Promotional Video for CAPA

https://vimeo.com/77233359

As most of you know, I studied abroad in London during the spring semester of 2013. Now, I’m working for CAPA International Education as an ambassador at the Missouri School of Journalism. They’ve asked me to put together a short video … so here it is!

This is not necessarily the final video edit I will be sending to CAPA to use as promotional material, but I wanted to post it now and possibly get some feedback. Keep in mind, all of the video shot in this film was not taken with the original intention of showing it to other people as a promotion for my study abroad program. I used random videos from my camera and iphone that I took with hopes of simply sharing it with my friends and family, and as a precious reminder from my time abroad.

As you watch the video, here are a few things you should know …

1. Camden was our home. We lived right around the corner from the Camden Town tube stop, and we were often “greeted” by street musicians performing like this band. The music scene was awesome … did you know punk rock originated in Camden and Amy Winehouse was a regular in this part of town?

2. Regent’s Park was one of the prettiest city parks I’ve ever seen. There were always dog walkers and old lovers holding hands and rugby boys and people eating ice cream cones … it was the perfect escape from a busy day.

3. The cafe you see during “Tea Time” is called Allan’s Patisserie. It’s a quaint little place with delicious pastries right off of Oxford Street. I stumbled in here on my first day of work at yoga.com, looking for a warm place to sit for breakfast.

4. The first musician you see during “Field Trips” was from our tour of Bath. He was performing right outside the Roman Baths.

5. The next scene in “Field Trips” with the golden statue is the Albert Memorial. We visited here for our British History and Traditions class.

6. The last scene in “Field Trips” is of the Parliament building.

7. Rockaoke, was one of my favorite night scenes in London. It takes place at the bar/club Roadhouse in the heart of Covent Garden.

8. The Missouri School of Journalism works with CAPA International Education for the London study abroad trip. We took classes at the CAPA building with students from other American universities. Go to http://www.capa.org/london for more info!

Seven Quick Tips for Video

I was watching this video journalism tutorial by Lynda.com called “Basic video shooting tips,” for a little refresher before my next multimedia assignment (stay-tuned!)

Road Trip for One

Tomorrow afternoon, I’ll embark on a familiar 6-hour drive through the cornfields and small towns, past the Casey’s General Stores and truck stops, and finally through tollbooths and more tollbooths to the beautiful city of Chicago.