Ode to Audio

I can't do it.

I can't pull this teaser together without audio.
As I have been re-cutting the teaser, searching hard for improvement, I have hit a brick wall each time: no appropriate audio.

This is a romantic comedy, right? So emo drama doesn't qualify. And orchestral score doesn't quality. Same to techno, mood, or 1940s musical...well, I think.


*turns on her iTunes playlist again*

Any ideas, please comment. Thanks! :)

[The second cut is posted on my Facebook profile; email me if you have problems uploading it.]

Scissorhand

Five...
...or six.

I watched our rough cut five or six times this afternoon taking notes on possible final drafts of our teaser. Please enjoy the following:

FINAL DRAFT IDEAS

1. Simple Corrections:

• replace footage with freeze frame of [7:00 a.m.]
• tighter edit on the 2nd [gargle] edit
• credit both songs
• efface the long pause before the [door]
  
• re-order [cereal pouring]:
• connect Cherrios and milk
• fix the "popping" back-and-forth"

2. Reshuffle:

• underlay [Tiger] behind song credits, final frame
• show [exiting mirror]
• BRIGHTEN all the lighting and colors
  
• re-order [waking] sequence:
  
• 6:59 > sleeping > 7:00 > hand on table
  
• delete the [walking out]
• jump cuts across the room
• entire sequence
• leave just the hand
  

3. New Score:

• *alarm buzzer* cuts off score
• fade in after [intertitle]
• completely new score:
• "S.P.A.T.", Badly Drawn Boy
• "File Me Away", Badly Drawn Boy
• "Feeling Good", Michael Buble
• "Unusual Day", Jane Powell
• "Like Love", Gene Kelly

4. Add a Lady:

• female voice-over?
• icon images as intertitles
  
• freeze-frames:
• on the cell phone
• high-heels

The End Gets Better

Sometimes only a cliche applies: there's a light at the end of the tunnel.


After long weeks of tossing this project around in the dangerous whirlpool of our brain's, "The Perfect Man" draws to a check-point. I do not say close because this project, by its nature, extends far beyond our ENGL332 deadline. But, we are coming onto the close of the semester, and a few things have come to light.

Why the Brakes Kicked In:

• Our actress was unable to remain involved our project; it's the busy time of semester and, most understandably, when schedules are squeezed, freelance acting falls to the back burner ;-) Kevin and I decided not to pursue another actress at this time for the same reason.
• The footage we already had already accumulated seemed sufficient to support our original idea. Re-cutting our script differently from the storyboards allowed for this.
• Half the success of any project is its presentation. As papers and exams loom before us, Kevin and I want to focus our energies on creating a powerful package for the project work we have already accomplished. Therefore, adding more content did not seem wise; rather, polishing our raw content will be a better use of our time as we approach our deadline.

What We Can Do From Here:

• The inclusion of the original short story in our project presentation provides material for a short film script. With further coaxing and marinating, it could even swell to a feature-length film. The characters have been materialized through storyboards and poster sketches, so a little more brainstorming and quality time with them could yield a must longer script.
  
• Our storyboards and concept designs provide for lots of future "illumination" in the promotional suite.
  
• Multiple posters, lobby cards, and promotional stills can be launched off our sketches.
  
• Footage of Emma can expand the current teaser, stand alone as another, or mature into a trailer.
  
• Character blogs and cast interviews can be set up using the current poster design or others developed along side it.

So in The End:

• 11" x 17" poster print
• 5" x 8" lobby card
• Mini-DVD with electronic copies of all the documentation and all the video files
• bound report presenting the project from beginning to end, including the reflective papers
  

Alas, Blogger has failed...again...and again...

In the same vein as my previous post "A Letter to the Equipment", I am now complaining about Blogger's video upload feature. I have spent a total of four hours trying to present the rough-cut teaser of "The Perfect Man"--yet, to no avail.

To view our teaser and comment (please do!), visit my Facebook profile. The video is the first one listed, "'The Perfect Man' - teaser rough cut", directly on my profile. If you have any problems accessing it, please reply to this post and let me know how to contact you. Thank you for watching!

Seeing Eyes

I have not found ample leisure to finish the TV contemplations I first began, but I have had the pleasure of seeing excellent entertainment.

CSI: Las Vegas --especially the episode "The Accused is Entitled"--exemplifies the strengths of dramatic television series: eyes.


Eyes have been described as windows to the soul; and when we want to connect the most deeply with another human being, we "look them in the eyes." The characters of CSI advance the plot, and this episode case-in-point displays the success and demand of TV drama. The narrative arch hangs on these plot points: each CSI's testimony. The CSI's stand-in for TV drama in general. It is on trial by the audience itself: Is this series worth sitting through hundreds of ads? Can these characters reflect my life and my imagination? Should I care?

As each character takes the stand, our suspicions are confirmed: these are real people. A gambling addict, former exotic dancer, a forgetful officer, and a man struggling to hold onto his hearing--these people live their lives and transcend the absolutist strictures of our democratic legal system. Humanity surpasses its institutions.

The final plot point, however, rebuilds the supporting structure of the series: faith in our judicial system. The captain's testimony and evidence break the case and put the obviously guilty defendant behind bars. The characters negotiate the plot through the obstacles of commercials; they give heart to the otherwise heartless repetition of consumer supply-and-demand, and in the end, even the themes and messages find voice, too.

Falling Down

I have been well-trained enough in the systematic, emotionless analytical process of academics to at least separate myself from the deep affectations of films. However, with Downfall my line of defense was demolished. This film showcases its brilliant power in the same manner that a subtle piano sets the mood for a despairing night alone in some forsaken pub of the movies--you could not point to its direct effects, but its swift, precise execution nails you to the floor of your insides.

As an aspiring filmmaker, I could not imagine a more difficult subject: Hitler. He was a deity to his followers, a monstrosity to the world...and a kind employer to his secretary. Seeing his final days through her access to the Fuhur-bunker revels a Hitler no one wants to see: a man. Through careful, informed, intentional film making, director Oliver Hirschbiegel retrieves Adolf Hitler from the recesses of "extreme data" and "inhuman-ness" to the realm of reality, a depraved human being responsible--like all other human beings--for how he treats his fellow men. His psychotic breaks, his mad delusions, they do not put him on a pedestal of shame discrete from human guilt. Hirschbiegel had the discernment to realize that showing Hitler's mania would not excuse what he did--it would emphasize his culpability.

He kept a subjective objectivity by careful framing. When he showed Hitler's hands shaking with anxiety, the camera lingered in close-up just long enough before swinging back through the doorway and encompassing the entire room. Hitler's face would fill the screen as he presided over military meetings, indicating his weight and authority; but the generals standing next to him created a claustrophobic, constraining space within the frame. Early in the film, as reference before, Hitler's entrances and exits were accompanied by sweeping camera tracking; by his final days, every time we see him, he is caged: standing in a door frame or around a tight corner in his labyrinth of hallways. As Roger Ebert confessed, we being to feel the kind of "sympathy we feel for a rabid dog [that we know] must be destroyed."

The most distinguishing characteristic of this film was its duel accusation and sympathy. Even in his crippled state, Hitler obviously held sway over people. But as people, they should have exercised their discernment and wisdom in acknowledging the truth. Time and again through snippets of drunken conversation, whispered or shouted challenges, and sweeps of hands over foreheads, their innate repulsion struggled for a voice. But each time it is silenced, they dip their hands in Hitler's blood-drenched Pilate's bowl. The most poignant, unhinging example of this phenomenon was Frau Goebbels: after painstakingly, swiftly murdering her six children, she sinks to the floor outside the room--then exits the room and sits down to a game of solitaire: absolutely alone. This contrasts most painfully with her embarrassingly moving hysterics at Hitler's decision to commit suicide.

Bringing the film to completion, Frauline Traudl Junge testifies on camera: there is no excuse--even being young.

Reflection on Television

The medium of TV strikes me as the doggerels of old--it is useful water-cooler conversation endowed with powers of satire, irony, and pathos but without the supporting foundation of print literacy, it would be fruitless flummery. Think about all the poems and songs and tidbits of verse thrown around ye village wells, rivers, saloons, markets, etc.--they built and destroyed political dynasties!

But the information provided by newspapers, magazines, books, and other forms of print media supports this new doggerel, the TV visual image. Words lasso abstract ideas and make them communicable; visual images expand those ideas exponentially, into the recesses that language alone almost cannot reach...

[to be continued--class dismissed]

Letter to the Equipment

Technology.
Frustrating.
Screamingly frustrating.

Tonight I intended to upload a rough cut of today's footage. However, you shall have to remain in suspense as to the glamorous results of our hard day's labor...

So we used the lovely Sony DCR-SR82. Decent audio, but no manual focus. Bluetooth mic, but no XLR connections. Great lens protection, but no white balance. Cool touch-screen and playback remote, but an un-importable video codec. I felt like I was trying to create a film on a wealthy aunt's home video camera.

The Jitterbug

We start shooting on "The Perfect Man" teaser Thursday, but a few kinks have already crinkled up the plan--from schedule-conflicts to equipment needs. But props are trickling in; miniDV tapes and mini DVDs are ready to go. Project Search&Rescue will be activated when Kevin and I meet this afternoon, and everything should work out...

Sunday Noon

The noon hour of Sunday is almost a sacred hour---half the world is either sleeping in, having lunch, or just starting on that delicious weekly nap. This Sunday I was at home. Petting my dogs. Watching my mom and sister play Wii. Reading poetry for lit class. It was pleasant non-quiet.


Looking out of my living-room picture window. By giving the sky the upper right corner all to itself, I wanted to draw the eye high, just like the lines of the tree trunks leading to the bright blue spot. The concave curve creates a warm, welcoming circle. Overall, the soft natural colors and the lush foliage helped communicate the comfort and protection I feel at home.


Looking beside me, into the house. Trying to get my dog to look forward for this shot took some patient finagling. I liked having her in the foreground with some nose room. The book, Land of Bliss, was the volume of poetry I was reading. The words centered in the frame communicate in words what the picture represents: the pleasant Sunday noon in a warm family home. In the distance--a kitchen counter, thick leather chair, lamps, book bags, green paint, wood column--the rest of the idea is fleshed out, not in sharp focus, but as an aura.

DiGiTaL rEmIxEs

The above photos are digital remixes created in visual communication lab to make a statement on a national or international issue. The group remained the same from the cartoon lab last week--with the addition of Jennifer Salane.

Are visual images worth a thousand words! Definitely. Their inherent power actually scares me. The trickery--for good or evil--available today undermines the veracity of "eye-witness accounts." How can we trust anything outside of (or even including) our own perception as an authentic representation of reality? Hmm. It leads to pondering of deep and absract things...

Poster Draft

So this is a preliminary draft of our promotional poster for "The Perfect Man". interestingly enough, I was just using MS Paint to through a digital draft together, but when I included the images of the back of Todd's head and the box of Valentine's truffles, I really liked the contrast between the 2D and 3D elements. It would make sense because it provides emphasis to the main character and draws your eye to the heart; one could be really abstract and even say that his world is happy but lifeless before he meets Emma.

My favorite aspect of this design is its subtle cue: the perfect woman made by the box and the ribbon and the bon-bons. The movie is from Todd's perspective--and you are invited to identify with him through the use of the over-the-shoulder shot--but ultimately, it is also a celebration of Emma as his perfect match, the best one after a line of ladies. :)

Any feedback?

If Clemson were a cartoon...

The above cartoon was produced as follows:

By:
Laura Brown
Bailey Buchanan
Josh Courtney
Aaron Naylor
and myself.

In: one hour
For: ENG 332 lab
So: you could enjoy! :) [And Clemson would realize how ridiculous this Fall Break fiasco is]

Location Scouting

This morning/afternoon Kevin and I toured our locations, scouting for appropriate locales, equipment support, lighting, and audio. Below are some photos along with notes we made about each spot we visited.

This is Todd's cubicle. The diamond angle keeps his character contained and orderly, like his OCD personality, but because it is a unique angle, it preserves visual interest. We will probably also use this set-up in our promotional poster.



The breakroom is sleek and compact, with interesting piping in the upper corner and a microwave included. The room itself is not small, however. This will help camera set-up be much easier. There is not a door nearby through which Emma can enter in frame, but we may re-storyboard that section to accommodate.



Todd's street connotes a down-town residence. The dramatic shadows were a problem because they create a more three-dimensional feel than we intend for his cut-and-dry character, but if we shoot in the early morning, the problem should diminish enough to be manageable in post-production.



The stairs to his apartment are perfect. They can split the frame and provide interesting angles yet still look flattened and arranged. The static shot of his descending should also be a funny visual comment on 'the perfect man' that he is, haha.



Our office hallway will be wide enough for us to do the tracking shot of his feet. This will be cross-faded from a similar tracking shot down the street. This particular hallway has "office colors"--bland but heavily patterned wall and carpet.



Overall, we have tried to keep a dull, muted color scheme without making Todd's world look particularly depressing. How did we do?

Jump-starting

"The Perfect Man" promotional suite is a huge project.
We're trying to jump-start this week with a few important things:

*meeting with the cast to finalize the shooting schedule
*designing several posters ideas
*scheduling a photo shoot to get plenty of images to play with
*gathering photos of locations and props

I should have some pix and drafts to upload by Tuesday or Wednesday :)

A Salute to Graphic Design

United States of America Gymnastics represents the officially endorsed brand of the sport that is exported to the world on an annual basis--and most significantly, on an Olympian basis. Their logo is an important aspect of their communication because it presents the USA to the world--it interacts with a national and international audience as both a business and a formal expression of Americana.


The graphic that bears the most weight, the gymnast if you will, at the center indicates a lot of what the association represents. It's top-heaviness keeps the flight and power of a gymnast from being tied down; however, its absolute symmetry balances it plausibly to the viewer's eye. The arcs imply movement and force without throwing the entire structure off kilter.

The font connotes ties to the Greek tradition of acrobatics and possibly even the Olympics themselves. It is light but well-proportioned and strong. The height compliments the width of each stroke--evenly spaced in all dimensions. By centering "USA" on top of "GYMNASTICS" in all capitals, the logo even construct a podium. The arcs of the graphic above hint at a final, victorious salute. High quality gymnastics--United States of America Gymnastics Association.

Sir Escapee

This image is taken from the title sequence of Stephen Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can. The sequence itself is a masterpiece, a small scale representation of the entire plot.

Sharp abstract shapes, geometric layout, and sleek design bespeak the modernized decades that encapsulate this intricate plot: 1940-60s. The style does not necessarily evoke a particular decade, but the mood it creates ushers the viewer into the commerce, advertising, and capitalism-soaked era of America.

The symbols employed throughout the sequence--including newspapers (as pictured above), stiletto heels, swimming pools, airplanes, and arrows--enhance the readability of the characters, settings, and scenes to come. They are small cues of the ideologies of accessibility, forward-progress, self-made men, and fatal romances--themes that lace themselves through the cat-and-mouse narrative.

Proportion. This concept is exploited to the fullest in this sequence, using size to depict important relationships that will be developed throughout the film. The above image is a good example. Tom Hanks plays the government character assigned to tract and contain Leonardo DiCaprio's character. In the title sequence, the "Tom Hanks man" looms above the slight, slender "Leonardo DiCaprio man" just as Agent Carl Hanratty lurks one step behind con-artist Frank Abagnale Jr. the entire film, breathing down his neck and looking over his shoulder.

Much more could be said of the brilliant title design of Catch Me If You Can; what did you think?

Green's Ubiquity

It's green. Lots of green. 10' x 20' of green.

This past weekend I helped friends in Toccoa, GA shoot a green screen sequence. It all started with the construction: 8+ PVC pipes, a hack saw, bungee cords, and Croc clips--and, of course, a ridiculous amount of neon green fabric.

Greenscreen opens up incredible options for visual communication. In this case, we cast some characters as shadows; as in Peter Pan, they dance across walls in a surreal expression of reality. They move independently of the scenery around them, adding to their ubiquitous nature as narrators of the particular story we are creating on film. Capturing their movements on green screen and substituting background footage for the neon green allows them incredible freedom. They can walk through walls, up ceilings, and over clouds--

--they are omniscient narrators.

[I hope to upload samples of the finished product in the future; stay tuned!]

Fonts

The fonts listed above express a lot of me. It would be very hard to narrow myself into one font. But I chose three to represent who I I am to many people, to my friends, and ideally, to myself. A Roman base informs two of the fonts; Sans Serif informs the other.

I value strength and expression, intensity but accessibility. I enjoy celebrating myself but I do not ever want to close myself off from the world around me.

What, Why, When

What: "The Perfect Man"
[promotional suite for a movie-in-the-making]

• film teaser
• cast interviews
• character blogs
• 24" x 32" promotional poster
• mini-DVD with sleeve

Why: because we can ^_^
[..and it is good experience]

• technical experience in Adobe Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Audacity, Flash, and Final Cut Pro
• theoretical experience in communications, advertising, and entertainment

When: before the deadline
[starting Tuesday]

• teaser: 10/19
• poster: end of Oct.
• interviews and blogs: first week of Nov.
• entire website: end of Nov.
  

So, yeah, it's pretty idealistic to consider accomplishing all this (on top of other class). But without a big vision, what's exciting about life? So Kevin Johnson and I are going for it.

First Unfurlings

One of the most exciting parts of film making is storyboarding. It's when you reach deep into the abstract linguistic part of your brain that reads the script and transfuse those mental images to a blank sheet of paper you grasp a hint of the film's visual reality.






You decide how you want your audience to look at your character. Where you want to move them through the six dimensions of free movement (x, y, z, and rotation about those axises)--available in the real realm and expanded through camera rigs (ex. flying with Spiderman). Cuts and transitions and effects and audio track--the first breathes exhale across the drafting board.




The script of a film wraps its visual and audio elements around it like a sumptuous garment. The body may be frail; the robe may be garish. The frame may be heavy; the color palette subtle. In storyboarding, you begin to create the script's wardrobe, to fashion a statement, to bring it to life, and present it to the world. The small, black and white strokes of a thick ink pen are the first unfurling tendrils of the film.



So please enjoy and comment on the storyboards for "The Perfect Man". (Note: they are in reverse order, beginning to the left of this paragraph and traveling back up the blog to the top.)

Picturing Poverty

Dr. Diana George's article on the depiction of poverty definitely diagnosed the problem clearly and accurately; basically, non-profits that use those images rely too heavily on the images' ability to be readily understood. In fact, the generalizations made for the sake of time usually hinders the goal for which the pictures were intended. The issue to far too complex to be encapsulated in the stereotypes that have served us thus far.

I get that. It makes sense that something as complex as poverty cannot be represented in copy-cat hyperbole mimicking the devastation of the 1930s. However, I failed to grasp Dr. George's answer to the problem. Perhaps the paper only sought to diagnose the issue. Perhaps I misread it under the pressure of "onto the next homework assignment." But in any case, I failed to capture a solution to the problem that she presented.

As I ponder any possible solutions of my own, I am struck with a new thought: Are images really the best way to present as intricate a problem as poverty to begin with? Do we really have to bow to the all-powerful IMAGE in this new Informational Age?

Photography used to be lauded as the objective eye-witness. But as its use and study progresses, it becomes increasingly obvious that even a camera is subjective. Even more subjective: the interpretations of its products. Maybe, then, it is better to use a medium that inherently forces reflection--such as text. When you are reading these words I am writing, you are forced to interact with them--to both absorb and interpret them in a specific order, specific time-frame and under specific guidelines (generally called grammar). Photographs can be treated the same way but they lend themselves to the kind of instantaneous comprehension that usually satisfies viewers, not launches them into further contemplation.

In summary:
*What was Dr. George's solution?
*Do our modern communication practices exclude the possibility of text-based interaction?
*If we cannot avoid the image, how do we break down these stereotypes--visual re-writes?

Mourning Genres

Yay! I finally got a face shot out of my awkward fingers and shy avatar :)

The experience in the classroom on Thursday really contributed to my enjoyment of Second Life itself. Camera moves? check. Flight school? check. Teleport? check. Gestures? check. Chatting? check. However, among all those technical accomplishments, the lab accentuated the uncanniness of virtual reality. Considering it afterward, I realized that what bothered me most was the loss of social norms.

Somehow the familiarity bred through mediated communication breaks down the comfortable interaction provided by social norms (such as a authority) and generic structure (such as "how are you? fine, you?"). We discussed the comfort of generic conventions in my film course, and I believe the same phenomenon appears in Second Life. In a classroom, one knows what to expect from the teacher and from the students; but juxtaposing a classroom setting and its existing hierarchy alongside an amorphous society simultaneously made me uncomfortable. With so many people able to interject into a conversation through the chatting feature, it was difficult to follow trains of thought and respond with appropriate timing and content to the appropriate person. I do not lack that kind of experience---AIM consistently distracts me from writing papers--but meeting in a virtual class is much different than debriefing with friends after a long day.

Virtual reality is indubitably powerful. I can definitely see it's advantages in connecting people regardless of their location, accessibility, etc. However, it does not seem to accommodate for the various social genres that form the backbone of our ability to clearly communicate with one another. Expectations provide a framework against which to cast innovations or to support maintenance.

I am definitely open to learning the genre of virtual communication, but at first glance it strikes me as insufficiently broad to envelope something as complex and intricate as successful human communication.

A Little Help Here...?

So this is me. Reisytal Aluveaux wondering where she can go on Help Island to figure out how to put the camera in front of her face instead of behind her back. Oh, well. "Hello, World," say the eyes in the back of my head.

Felicitous Flummery

Several years ago, when I was young and in high school and lacked a fully-developed vocabulary, I stumbled upon Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo. It changed my life. I discovered words that online dictionaries didn't even post; watched the movies; hunted down various versions of soundtracks; traveled to Atlanta's Fabulous Fox Theater to experience the musical; and wandered the maze of fascinating hyper links that was the project of a college literature class. Not only did I transform my young reading repertoire, but I also found my Second Life calling.

Reisytal Aluveaux adores everything associated with Les Miserables; she even enjoys the pleasure of being a pseudo-francais professeur. In honor of that small class of geniuses who ask not whether they can pass but whether they will survive the boredom, the reigning academia surrendered a diploma to the ripe young seventeen-year-old. Last week she celebrated her tenth year teaching French literature to Parisians. Perhaps within the next ten years she'll finish another twenty Pulitzer-prized novels...

Without shame, I hereby declare my intention to incarnate my literary geek-ness. [This could be the start of some seriously felicitous flummery.]

Kayla's Verdict:

Kayla's verdict in response to my Facebook mock-up?

"Cool! When can I get one?"

She's eleven.
Sorry, dear--not til high school. :)

the greatest tease: A Perfect Man

He is OCD to a tee.
She is--not so.

Kevin and I both wanted to do a film. But we both appreciated the huge commitment that capturing reality through a lens requires--and neither of us were eager to embark on such a demanding project independently. Therefore, we conspire to produce a group project with distinct individual elements.

It all started with "The Perfect Man"--Kevin's short story. What better topic?

Todd is seriously OCD, but seriously falling for a non-OCD lady, Emma. Can he reconcile his habits with his love--literally and figuratively? It's a charming question that implies a rather charming answer, for, of course, love triumphs over all.

Condensing the story into a heart-warming, hilarious, unpredictable trailer seemed an excellent exercise to occupy the semester. However, I stayed behind class one day to examine the equipment available in MATRF, and it gave need for pause.

The resources were incredible--for web authoring. No boom assembly. No sturdy, well-oiled tripod. No LAV mics. But a convenient digital camcorder, audio recorder, and lots of software. So, that evening while being bombarded with MTV's gigantor of a campaign for the VMAs, I lit upon an idea:

Why not incorporate the trailer for "A Perfect Man" into a whole suite of visual and audio bytes? Why not use Illustrator and Photoshop to design a poster? And Dreamweaver to launch a website? And FCP to produce a teaser? And Flash to host character blogs, actor interviews, and other interactive elements? Kevin and I could gain some exposure to all the different equipment available in multi-media visual production and simultaneously break up a huge, well-developed project into manageable chunks of personal responsibility.

So, the Perfect Man may end up being no more than every girl's greatest thrill and fear: nothing more than a delicious tease.

Facebook Mock-up: Presenting Kayla

My younger sister is crazy beautiful.
To jump-start my understanding of visual communication, I present a description of a mock Facebook profile for Kayla Joy.

Profile Picture:
The bright blue sky behind her accentuates her brilliant blue eyes and intensely friendly smile. She's suspended mid-air--flying toward the camera. Her funky colored Chucks jut out behind her. The trampoline is out-of-frame but the momentum of her bounce translates into a crisp action shot. Although many people would alter the image with photo editing tools, Kayla's profile picture would be candid and natural, in reflection of her innocent lack of ability to present herself as something better, different, or worse than she is.

Applications:
Being rather ignorant of the many applications available on Facebook, I cannot list exactly which applications she would choose but I know it would be many. No Zombies, probably pirates. Sticky notes, maybe. A flower garden absolutely. Videos, fun-wall, etc. She enjoys detailed care-taking; all her friends would have so much fun interacting with her through the various applications now available. It would be a busy list, but precisely arranged and maintained.

Information:
Parental supervision would keep many details out of her information section, but the quotes, favorite movies, music, etc. would be full of fun updates that reflected her current and long-standing interests. Once she had initially filled the form, updates would be frequent but irregular. Many other activities occupy her interests, but connecting to people definitely ranks high on her list.

Photos:
In Facebook, Kayla would gain a forum to present all her pictures and therefore increase her picture-taking fun. Lots of photos with friends, probably updated frequently. The albums would be prominently listed in the column of applications (most likely right below the FunWall).

To summarize, Kayla Joy's Facebook profile:

* fun, colorful, and full of friends
* busy but precisely organized and carefully maintained
* frequently but not obsessively updated

These aspects of her profile would display her personality clearly and reflect her desire to connect with people and enjoy life alongside an excellent group of friends. :)

"What is visual communication?" --- a humble perspective

Some random brainstorming----

-- creating shared meaning with other people through the visual sense, the eyes
-- depending on image-driven aesthetics in the arrangement of content to transmit a message to someone else
--using visual stimuli as the main means of securing attention, transmitting message, and creating shared meaning

..................................

Someone of recent acquaintance described a book as requiring not only historical and contemporary perspective but also aesthetic. The more I ponder this point, the more I realize that visual communication essentially illuminates our experience on this earth. How often have you been drawn to one store and not another because of the colors and arrangement of the mannequins? How many times have you walked into your messy room and sighed at the chaos--or relished the relief of reaching a familiar environment? How much more seriously do you take flyers printed with Times New Roman rather than Curlz MT?

Every day I create shared meaning with the people around me; so many times, our only interaction is visual--registering their gait out of the corner of my eye, seeing a nod in my direction, waving from across the street, or posting pictures on Facebook. Therefore, aesthetic visual elements do matter--sometimes just as much as the non-visual elements.

Therefore, although I think I have a pretty good grasp of the basic idea behind "what visual communication is", I know I will learn so much more in the following weeks about the why's and how's.