That’s a Wrap on the Fall ‘21 Semester

Whether I was clapping the slate for the FUNC taping or taping for my individual video project, this is only the beginning of my hands-on experience with content creation.

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If you could have told me at the beginning of the year that I would begin a podcast show, create a short documentary, and learn about both Content Consumption and Content Creation, I might have laughed in your face.

Sure, I had already set goals for myself involving my artistic pursuits, but the volume of work that I was able to create this year was unexpected. I wanted to do more, but those projects will have to wait until 2022 to come to life — stay tuned!

What I did

Over the past four months, I told stories through blog posts, a podcast, a PSA, two short films, and even this website.

Taking Digital Storytelling has been an invaluable learning experience for me to not only explore my passions of photography and filmmaking but also to produce various types of media and communicate effectively through those mediums.

What I Learned

Most importantly, I have learned the necessity of being a “mediactive” content consumer, that is being conscious of the media I interact with, including but not limited to:

• Being an independent thinker

• Being skeptical of everything

• Checking the validity of sources

• Practicing transparency

To expand on transparency, I learned about the Code of Ethics created by the Society of Professional Journalists earlier in the semester. The Code holds that journalists must:

• Seek the truth and report it

• Minimize harm

• Act independently

• Be accountable and transparent

It is important to have a good understanding of the ethics of content consumption and creation in today’s society because in an era of fake news and social media, we owe it to ourselves to consume and create media that is honest and ethical so that we all may be informed individuals.

Editing video projects and piloting drones were just a few of the learning experiences I had during Digital Storytelling.

Looking to the Future

Looking back at my first blog post and reflecting on the goals that I set for myself for 2021, I am proud of the work that I have done, the lessons I have learned, and, in general, the experiences I have had creating digital content this semester.

I am also thrilled for what is to come, now that I have the foundational tools to become a better artist, creator, and media consumer.

That’s a wrap on Digital Storytelling, but let’s just say that, for now, the rest of my journey remains in pre-production.