This summer I have taken my first online course ever at UK. Also at the beginning of this summer I was employed at Online Ed as a part of the Media Mafia. Thus begins my experience with two new things which became more closely intertwined than I would have thought. Beginning my employment, my first major project that I got to jump right into was helping film lectures for Dr. Nadel's Intro to Film class. I quickly realized that he was teaching the very class that I would be taking a few weeks later in the 8 week Summer II session.

Dr. Nadel's course basically consists of 12 video lectures, most of which I helped film and/or produce the final product. Some of you may think that this put me at some sort of advantage, but it hasn't. Filming them is one thing, and watching them within the context of the text book and films is a whole other game. This class has become a fantastic exercise in reviewing and critiquing my own work here at Online Ed. So far the lectures have been great and we did a lot of things right while filming these, such as taking the time to find an intersting spot to film the lecture rather than having Dr. Nadel in an anonymous blank classroom somewhere. Most of his lectures we filmed at the Niles gallery in the Fine Arts building.

I also noticed a few things that I would like to improve on when going into my next shoot. Every now and then, like any human being, I would just start to drift off in my own head while this onscreen figure slowly faded from my vision. I tried to switch camera shots rather frequently for this very reason while I was doing the filming, but I realize that the lecture could still use a little more. Now I have a few ideas which should greatly improve not only the lecture, but the attention spans of students as well. More graphics and text to illustrate important points, more camera shots, and possibly a wider range of backgrounds to film lectures in. I think that a combination of these small additions will greatly add to the students experience in the class.

My experience in ENG 281 has been great so far for my first online class. Everyone at Online Ed did a great job and for the most part, minus one broken video link, the class has run very smoothly.

If you find yourself in downtown Louisville at any point this summer, make a point to check out 21C Hotel. It's located at 700 West Main Street, defined by 5 foot tall red penguins on an awning above the entrance. It is completely free to go and explore. There are paintings, photographs, sculpture, multimedia, interactive,and video art. Here's a hint, be sure to explore the bathrooms as well. It is a fantastic place to go and spend some time to yourself and perhaps it may touch or inspire you in some way.

I've recently joined the iPhone cult, finally laying the 2 year old Nokia premium go-phone to rest. I'm not big on filling my phone up with alot of stupid games and apps like "ghost tracker" or a "fart app" (yes, that's a real app), however one worthwhile application that I've stumbled upon is Photoshop express. This app takes the very basics of Photoshop and puts them at your fingertips. You can edit photos on the fly right when you take them or you can choose photos from your camera roll. It really does an awesome job at doctoring up your pictures on an already awesome picture taking device. The best thing about it is that it is, surprisingly, a free application. Basic tools but its a good way to doctor some photos if you plan on sending them via text or uploading straight to Facebook or Twitter.

As summer finally creeps upon us, we have cookouts, porch sitting, cornhole, and a plethora of outdoor activites to look forward to. No one does their favorite summer activities without some summery jams in the background. It's always a good idea to have some chill tunes on the playlist, but if you're looking to bring the party running, then you need to go out and get a copy of the new Beastie Boys album, "Hot Sauce Committee pt. II" (there is no pt. 1). These guys are pushing 50 yrs old and one of them is battling cancer, yet, this albums beats alone could sell it. Lyrically I think it's for sure one of their best since "Ill Communication." If you pick this one up you'll find that once you hear one song, you just won't be able to stop listening. Party friendly, campfire friendly, you can't miss with this album. Attached is a video of their single "Make Some Noise", featuring cameos from all your favorite movie/TV stars of recent years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdgLMslbDuY

Just follow the link, its a Vevo video so I can't embed it. You won't be sorry.

Until next time.

Sup Media people, this is my first ever blog entry so get pumped. John is working the sound scene pretty hard so I've been looking at some After Effects stuff that you all can learn or I can make templates to suit your needs within a week or two when I get some more experience. So far I've been learning some basic 3D titles and whatnot that can make the intros to your videos a little more interesting. They can also probably be imported into flash and be made into banners too for ya'll graphics people. Currently we do not have the After Effects program but you can download a free trial if your interested in spicing up your work. As long as I don't have too much to do I will be more than happy to do a custom title for you if you ask. Once I practice and play around with it a little more I plan on making an A&S Online Ed animated graphic and make it available for everyone to use. Its much more interesting than the A&S watermark image we have been using so, I will keep everyone updated on that.