Multi-Media: Reflection May 13, 2008

• Context
My Keynote supports my research in that audience members are able to understand the concept of the golden ratio. The ultimate proof that one fully learned something is having the ability to teach it to someone else. My Keynote shows that I’ve understood my topic at a level where I can create a documentary teaching audience members about the golden ratio.
I reflected the theme of my website onto my presentation. The background was not a provided theme, which gave me the full potential control over everything audience members were exposed. I chose a dark teal to because I had many pictures that seemed clearer on a dark background. On slides with images, they were the main focus and the dark background helped accentuate them. Since the back was dark, I figured the text would have to be light to contrast. So I chose a yellow-orange to assure visual clarity. I purposely created my website and Keynote similar to each other because they are two components of the same project and I wanted to visually connect that. If audience members saw either one at different times, I wanted them to know that both were made by the same student.
Content-wise, my documentary accurately conveyed my point of view. I began by giving a brief background/facts about phi. After I explained what the golden ratio was, I said, “too bad this is all a myth” to segue into my thesis. I justified three main myths with evidence and concluded with my stand on the entire concept.
• Technique
My presentation shows professionalism in that I used mathematical language. My script was thorough enough for a clear understanding but still organized with efficient diction. For example, I chose to use a widely known quote in the beginning (“Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder”) to hook the audience then connected it to my topic to provide relevancy.
Specific tools:
• I took Ted’s advice and duplicated slides to keep them uniform. I knew that the style of our documentaries were dependent on uniformity and symmetry. Each word was the focus point.
• I kept from using typical flashy transitions to keep the presentation professional. They could also have taken away from clearly conveying the information.
• I erased the backgrounds off most of the images for two reasons. They were the main focus and that’s how I preferred them. I wanted a flower, not a picture of a flower. I personally don’t think that a square image is clean. You can see where the picture “begins and ends” and it looks less professional, less unified with the document as a whole. To do this, I opened each image in Adobe Photoshop and “unlocked” it to allow myself the ability to delete the background. I then used the Quick Selection Tool to select everything I wanted to delete.
I tried to include pictures as often as possible because I knew that as an audience member, I like visual variety. Using pictures was helpful in explaining complicated subjects but words were used to accentuate. I did not use music because I did not think that I would find a fitting song. I had rather not have a song than distract from showcasing my work.
• Point of View
Each image I chose corresponded back to the golden ratio.
In my first slide, I used three different images I found beautiful for different reasons that conveyed different moods. I wanted to choose a famous painting to represent familiar, timeless beauty. The second picture was of natural, calm beauty. The photography of tattoos represents our generation of art and irony, that what one considers symbolic is considered ugly to others.
The first idea that forms when I think about the golden ratio is beauty. It was what drew me to this topic because it is such an abstract idea. There are no specific guidelines for it so possibly having a formula is revolutionizing, in philosophy, art, religion and architecture among others. I wanted everything on my Keynote and website to be aesthetically pleasing to correspond with phi. I used a variety of images to show the ubiquitous presence of the golden ratio.
• Reflection
I would give myself a 3 for my performance over the course of this project. I was as focused as I could be in a digital design class. I admit that there were times where I was experimenting with Google Sketchup or Adobe Illustrator when I was supposed to be listening but I knew Ted generally said. I have a presentation that shows my skill and effort along with conveying a complex concept I just learned. If there was more time, I would fix some minor defects to get a few steps closer to perfection but the resulting piece is something I personally like and will defend.