The Animal Test- My Results

We took the Animal Test today, and we found out which of four animals we were. I am apparently a Golden Retriever- loyal, friendly, calm, and very sensitive. Golden Retrievers typically have deep relationships, but only with a couple of close friends, and just want to be loved more than anything else. However, they are indecisive and way too soft on other people. 

I have to say, this couldn't fit more. I am loyal and friendly, and maybe a little too dependent on others. I'm very relaxed, but I am very indecisive. I'm also way too soft, and just want to be loved. I have only a few close friends, but those friends are friends I am very attached to. And, ironically, I own a Golden Retriever in real life! 

I couldn't be more pleased with my results in the Animal Test. And, hey, maybe this is why I'm so attached to my own dogs- because I am one! 

Woof, woof!

Maddie's Magnificent Movies!- Escape from the Exploding Building

This is a film I made for my A to B project with help from my friend Ryan. (He was the camera man.) Unlike my previous short film, "A Disney Princess Interview", this one is actually good. The general plot consists of "the building is going to blow up and our hero needs to escape". 

I did a lot of sprinting while filming this, and it was a workout, I tell you! The music was the escape music from Super Metroid, which I chose because it plays when the planet you are on is about to explode. I also used stock explosion sound effects. The cinematography is, again, very strong, and it was well-executed.

Now, I know how to make something more engaging and better than "A Disney Princess Interview". I had fun making this and can't wait to do other projects in Video Production!

Maddie's Magnificent Movies!- A Disney Princess Interview

This is a terribly acted, terribly written skit performed by me and my partner Brianna for my Six Shots Project. Well, I guess YouTube is where the poop is, after all. It stars Snow White (me) and Belle (Brianna) talking about their princes, animals, and apples.

The cinematography is its main redeeming quality, incorporating all 6 shots I discussed earlier. If there is one thing I did fantastically on, it was that. And it was the thing we were supposed to do.

Next time, I'll try to make something a lot less cringeworthy. But, despite how cringey it turned out to be, I enjoyed making it.

The Six Shots- Practice

Today we learned about the six shots- closeup, extreme closeup, wide shot, extreme wide shot, middle shot and over-the-shoulder. These shots are used all the time in film and television, and since I am currently in Video Production, it makes sense that we would have learned these. Then, our teacher  asked us to take pictures demonstrating said shots. Here are mine:

Closeup. And yes, this is what I look like.

Extreme closeup. My eyes look good, but my pimples do not.

Wide shot.

Extreme wide shot.

Medium shot. Yes, I am wearing a Kirby T-shirt.

Over-the-shoulder.

Semester Reflection

1. What are your areas of strength in the content areas you learned this semester?

My area of strength is probably creating art in Adobe Illustrator and in my sketchbook, as well as creating 2D animations (since it's basically the same thing). While I am not one for shading my art and I don't draw realism most of the time, you can't deny that the things I draw are very well-drawn and brightly colored. 

2. What are your areas in need of improvement?

Probably web design. I'm not too good at making complex websites, and, as mentioned before, Dreamweaver hates me. 

3. What did you love most about this semester?

For 1st quarter, what I loved most was the sketchbook drawings. They were always fun. For 2nd quarter, what I loved most was definitely the house animation. Not only did it give me a chance to be nerdy and weird, but it gave me a chance to do ridiculous things like put Eridan in a koi pond. That alone was worth it. 

4. What would you change or do differently? 

Nothing, really. This semester was amazing!

5. What is your overall take-away or learning this semester?

I learned so much about how to animate and draw things in Adobe Illustrator. This will definitely come in handy, since I am planning on making a web series in my free time, but shhh! That's a secret. 

6. What's one goal you'd like to set for next semester? Final thoughts?

To ham it up in Video Production next quarter, and just keep doing what I do! As for my final thoughts, all I can say is I'm so glad I got to join this program!

Web Design: A New Adventure!

My website's home page.

Look familiar?

This week we ventured into the new and undiscovered world of web design. We used Adobe Dreamweaver to create a website where our projects would be showcased. It took about a week to complete. I used my time in class to work on my website- except in the instances where Dreamweaver was not working, in which case I just looked at memes. Speaking of which, the biggest challenge I faced was Dreamweaver itself. At times, it would not cooperate, not allowing me to work on my website. But, that problem was soon worked around.

I have learned how to make websites using Dreamweaver, and also that DREAMWEAVER IS NEVER YOUR FRIEND. IT MAY SEEM LIKE IT'S ON YOUR SIDE BUT IT CAN TURN AGAINST YOU. 

Despite this, Dreamweaver is fairly simple.  Making a website on Dreamweaver is a piece of cake (provided it's WORKING) and my final outcome was very professional-looking. And since I am downloading the entire Adobe suite onto my laptop at home over break (since I asked for it for Christmas), I will definitely use Dreamweaver for all my website-creating needs.

Maddie's Magnificent Movies!- My 3D House

Welcome to Chateau de Madeline!

Recently we learned how to create houses in SketchUp, a computer program in which you can create 3D animations. I created a white house using 3D shapes and models, and painted it using the textures provided. Then I chose to add some extras. The first thing I did was I included me (the woman with the paint) and my husband (Mettaton). Then I put a cherry tree (my favorite kind of tree) in front of our house. Afterwards I included a dog house, and I put a model of a puppy in there. Then, I started getting nerdy. I made a garden of Fire Flowers (from Super Mario Bros.) on my lawn and had Nepeta Lejion (my favorite character from the webcomic Homestuck) guarding the flowers, or perhaps simply frolicking in the garden. I put Kirby (from the Kirby series of video games) on the back porch, as there was not much there, and finally, I made a koi pond and put Eridan Ampora (also from Homestuck) in it, since in the comic he is a sea-dwelling troll. 

I learned how to use SketchUp 3D and how to make 3D models of things using it. I also learned that SketchUp has a vast model database for all your nerdy needs. And lastly, I learned that Eridan Ampora sitting alone in a koi pond is the most glorious thing I have ever created. 

What can I take away for next time? Well, I now know how to build structures in SketchUp, as well as how to inhabit them with Homestuck characters. This was a very fun project!