Download the Project 3 assignment sheet from here (ellis-jason-eng2720-project03) or read below.
ENG2720 Writing with New Media
Project 3: Photography
Dr. Jason W. Ellis
Now that you have completed Project 1, the foundational “think piece” online essay assignment, and Project 2, the podcast based on your think piece essay, you will continue your series of new media transformations of that original work. The transformation of your think piece online essay into other media is meant to help you see how these different forms of new media relate to one another. Considering this as a question: how do their affordances and constraints enable possibilities for creating engaging, informative, and effective new media compositions?
In Project 3, you will transform your think piece essay into a series of photographs shared on a social-enabled photosharing site of your choice (e.g., tumblr, Flickr, Instagram, or others that have a social focus on photographs and images). For the assignment, you may create between 5 and 20 images. Each image must be based on a photograph of your creation. You may edit your photos, apply filters, include words, create design elements, etc. The main point is that the photos are captured intentionally by you and they communicate important aspects of your think piece essay using the visual language. All images must be taken specifically for this assignment.
- Planning: The first step will be to identify what parts of your essay to transform into visual imagery and what photosharing platform to use. Write a memo that contains two sections clearly labeled: 1) Read your think piece essay, think about what key elements in your essay deserve to be highlighted, and create a numbered list copy-and-pasting those passages into your list. We will use this list in the next class. 2) Visit the photosharing sites listed above and any others that you know about. Write at least 250 words describing at least three photosharing platforms (you might need to create an account on each one to test out) and explain why you selected to use one of the three for your project. (due before class on Mar 10)
- Details and Structure: During class, sketch ideas for conveying each passage on your previous memo as an image. Each passage should have at least two different sketches to give you a variety of options in case one does not work out as well as you would like. For each passage’s sketches, write a sentence or two explaining your visual concept in words. Finally, write a brief explanation of how you intend your overall structure of shared photos to communicate your think piece content. Toward the end of class, we will create PDFs of these sketches to email to the professor and you will keep the originals to help with your execution. (in-class on Mar 10)
- Execution: Take photos based on your sketches and edit your photos accordingly. Upload them to your selected photosharing site in accordance with your plan/order. Depending on your selected site, you might have the ability to include words on the page with each image. If so, use the affordance if you believe it will strengthen your message. (bring photos to class on Mar 15 for editing and uploading)
- Archiving: Create a blog post on our OpenLab site with a catchy and engaging title for your social photography project followed by your byline. In the body of your post, write a very brief description of your photosharing series (no more than 100 words). Include a link to your photo series on the photosharing site of your choice. Follow those things by a horizontal line and a 250-word reflection on your process of composition, the audiences you created your photosharing series for, how the medium of social photo sharing shaped the way you (re)told your think piece essay. Publish your blog post to complete the assignment. (due before class on Mar. 17)
