FINAL PROJECT - NYC

For the final project, I wanted to do something interesting. I knew that I would not succeed if I didn't choose the right subject. the assignment was to pick something we were passionate about. I thought about reading, writing, fashion, old Hollywood, and eventually fell into New York City. It is a spectacular place, and I realized that nearly all of my aspirations and goals have something to do with working, living, and somehow being in the city. I also thought that I would be able to do something interesting with the narration and soundtrack.

Using Google, I was able to find great photography of the city. Many people feel the same way I do about NYC and are able to capture that feeling in photos; making my slide show easy to put together. As far as the narration went, I was a bit anxious about it. Recording and hearing yourself is an odd experience for me since it is not a common occurrence. Despite this, the script was no problem for me to write because it is easy to write about something you love. I also enjoy writing and playing with words, so the slide show combined with my script was a fun way for me to use my creativity. For the music, I knew instantly that I wanted to use Frank Sinatra's "New York New York." I love Sinatra and I don't think there is a better song to choose when talking about the Big Apple.

When I put all the components together, I decided to have the images changing while my narration played with real sound in the background. Even though 3 things were going on at once, it all flowed together and didn't feel forced. It felt right artistically. After a minute, the narration and city sounds end and move into an instrumental part of "New York New York" for 30-seconds and then leads into a final 30-seconds of Sinatra singing.

The most challenging part of the project was the technical part. It was a bit difficult to get the timing right with the photos and song lyrics, but the most difficult part was posting the project. I posted using the Slideshare program and a list of steps with a "zip file." Even when followed precisely, the process did not work the first few times. Thankfully, it finally worked and I was able to post the slide show to my blog. Mission accomplished.

If given more time to complete this project, I would play around more with the photos because I know there is an endless amount of city photography I could sift through. Also, I would probably try recording my script again and attempt to change my inflection or tone. I want to be more comfortable with the sound of my own voice since I am a journalism and political science double-major and speaking is a prominent characteristic of both fields.