#multimodalmagic

[RESOURCE] Wordpress Portfolios

For your final assignment, you will create an ePortfolio of what you have created and learned from this course. Your ePortfolio should consist of an introductory essay, the artifacts you made for this class, and reflective writing for each artifact. Your reflection should explain context, self-assessment (how have your skills developed over the semester?), and point to the evidence of your skills as well as challenges. Consider how you will organize your artifacts in sections (major assignments/activities, easiest>hardest, chronologically, etc.). Your ePortfolio should also demonstrate your ability to use interactive navigation like a main menu, images, and hyperlinks. The visual design of your site should reflect what you have learned from previous course readings and exercises. Your ePortfolio should be a mini-museum online so that visitors can see the work you did as well as your accompanying statements. We will learn how to use WordPress in class, but you are welcome to propose alternate ePortfolio hosting.

[RESOURCE] 3D Printing

[RESOURCE] YouTube Audio Library

Royalty-free music (some attribution required)

For this assignment, you will film and edit a video about your magic project. This assignment combines the skills you have learned in Canva with the infographic and zine, and Audacity with the podcast. Consider how sound effects, music, ambient sound might enhance your project as it did the podcast. What infographics might you design to visualize data about your project? What other images or text might help your viewer? How will you capture footage? Will you conduct an interview, give us a behind-the-scenes tour, use stop-motion animation (potentially using your 3D prototype)? How does video, an inherently multimodal format, give you more space to explore your project? Will it be informative, persuasive, entertaining? There are iPads and cameras available for checkout from the libraries. We will be learning iMovie in the Architecture Lab, but you are welcome to use any video editing software you have available.

The time limits will depend on the video type. For example, a one-minute stop motion at 30 frames per second, will require quite a bit more work than a one-minute interview. 

[RESOURCE] War of the Worlds Transcript

Read along from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_(1938_radio_drama)

For this assignment, you will record a podcast episode on our course series, Multimodal Magic. In your episode, you will feature your "magic" project, either via interview, narrative, discourse, or a combination of the three. Consider an audience of people looking to get involved in a cause. How can your podcast episode entertain, persuade, inform, etc.? What audio might you record for either ambience or diegetic sounds in the background? What sound effects might be most useful to incorporate? Consider what technology, setup, timing etc. you will need. Your episode should be anywhere between 5-15 minutes after editing, though you may record much more initially. If you are conducting an interview, prepare insightful questions ahead of time. If you are storytelling, write out the script including sound effects. If you are engaging in discourse, you should still have a list of talking points, and you may need to do much more post-process editing to remove awkward pauses, umms, etc. This will be available on Spotify, so consider what information is necessary for a public audience and what anonymity you wish to keep. In addition to the audio file, you will also need to design an episode social media square 800px by 800px in Canva, and will need to transcribe your podcast in a Tumblr post linked to your episode.

MAGIC PLAYLIST

For me, magic is fantasy, childhood, imagination. I experienced much of that through storytelling via books, TV shows, and movies. My playlist is therefore heavily influenced by music from soundtracks as the song connects me to a larger story and memory.

Sorcerer’s Apprentice by Trevor Rabin in “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice"

The song has a beat that we all recognize as the brooms marching, the cymbals crash creating a frenetic energy, the beats build to a crescendo, and then just as quickly fall, only to build even higher the next time. This creates a sense of excitement as well as a twinge of fear. Around 2 minutes in, the volume lessens, and the music sounds like tiptoeing. This song is from Mickey’s Fantasia and updated for the Nicolas Cage “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” both of which tell the relatable tale of a student in a bit over their head, which is exactly how we’re feeling at this point in the semester, yet somehow overcoming the odds to become victorious, and that to me is the magic of hope and perseverance.

The Enchanted Castle by Lex de Azevedo in “The Swan Princess”

This instrumental song sounds like fluttering and magic, and is from my favorite movie, The Swan Princess, based on the ballet Swan Lake. When I hear the song, my mind immediately conjures the imagery of a swan transforming into a woman on a glittering lake. The whole film is filled with magic, and though the spells are “the dark arts,” there are also so many moments of lightness, and the song reflects that balance of light and dark, the tension of good and evil. The string instruments melodically flow with the wind instruments, with the occasional deep French horn to indicate a sense of danger. The song also includes chimes that seem almost fairy like. The song is very evocative of the magic of transformation.

Hedwig’s Theme by John Williams in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone"

This song is iconic of the entire Wizarding World universe and immediately transports me to a snow capped castle with a lake view and ancient trees. Each instrument seems to get a showcase, for example the trumpets create a vibrant soundscape. Around 2:30, the crescendo builds to create a sense of discombobulation. The pitch change around 3:30 seems to indicate a change in the scenery or action. The full orchestral weight around 4:30 feels like a climax of the action in the film. To me, this song is representative of the magic of experiencing new things, even if by now this song is a classic.

The Promise of Action by Joseph Ludoca in “The Librarians”

This instrumental song immediately feels magical, yet also building like characters are running or something monumental is about to be introduced. From the TV show about a magic library, we are delivered a song with trumpets, drum beats. Around 1:50, voices sing “aaahh” that sound like they are announcing something wonderful. The title itself gives us an indication that this song is right on the precipice of action, and there is a magic to this sort of fantasy, the thrill of the unknown, and gaining knowledge along the way.

Go the Distance by Roger Bart in “Hercules”

This song from one of my favorite animated Disney film, Hercules, starts somberly and the lyrics indicate that the character is searching for belonging. The lyrics are hopeful and determined. The high flutes feel magical, as well as the crescendoing drums and horns/trumpets. “I am on my way, I can go the distance, I don’t care how far, somehow I’ll be strong, I know every mile will be worthwhile, I would go most anywhere to find where I belong.” They are simple lyrics but are so resonant to so many of us, taking steps to achieve our goals. This song directly speaks to the magic of determination.

Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles

This song is in so many of my favorite childhood movies, including The Parent Trap. The lyrics are simple,  like “here comes the sun,” “it’s alright,” and “Little darling, the smile’s returning to the faces.” The idea of the song is that it’s been wintry in the past, but the sun is bring new beginnings. The gentle strumming of guitars is disarming, putting you in a warm good mood. The synth is surprisingly effective in creating a sense of the sun as well. Sunshine is a sort of magic that brings me happiness, as a Florida kid.

Do You Believe in Magic by Aly and AJ

These sisters from the early 2000s instantly bank on the nostalgia of this song, but add even more saccharine Disney pop sound. There are probably only 3 chords in the whole song, but we are still tapping our toes. We time travel with lyrics like “groovy” “magic of an old time movie” “rock n’ roll” “rhythm and blues.” The song is meant to make you smile, to connect music to magic and happiness. The song is in one of my favorite DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movies) Now You See It, so it is also reminiscent of stage illusion magic, and is overall representative of magic as entertainment.

Black Magic by Little Mix

This song definitely screams femme power. The song lyrically repurposes the imagery of women as witches "crystal ballin,” “sip from a secret potion,” “spell recipe” "black magic” but is distinctly bubblegum pop. The song speaks to a love potion, but does not feel threatening, instead connecting the ideas of magic to love. This song covers the topic of young love and fantasy that just requires a bit of magic.