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And Then The End {Amen}

Welcome to the infamous, the legendary, the spectacular DS106 Roller Coaster Ride! On this interactive trip, we will take you all around the highs lows and middles of this here semester of Digital Storytelling in Spring 2022. 

First, we will start off with the best place to begin, the beginning! Here we get a good look at the first introductions, a smorgasbord of media introducing me, bird!

(i was a little unsure of myself at the beginning of this semester, which is to be expected. so i can kind of tell in my first week of assignments that i am floudering a little, but that clears up as i got used to the class.)

And next up— Oh, look over there! Is it a cloud? it’s a plane? It’s an alien specimen! And a high point of our ride!

(i just like this assignment a lot, it’s fun, but it was also the moment where i kind of really got this class. i understood then what this class was about and caught on.)

And now a plot point that totally won’t resurface later with a callback, a very nice olde cooking show!

(this took me so so long, as there was a learning curve, but it was so worth it. and later, when i did pt.2 it went faster because i knew what i was doing.)

And another small detail that you will never see again, this moving art piece!

(this is something i didn’t think i could have made before this class. i had no idea that making a gif was so easy! this project is also important in my wider ds106 experience because making visual and audio glitches was something i found myself doing so so often. definetly a cool recurring theme)

Quick! a detour into a house that is very normal, no skeletons in these closets! or ghouls, or zombies, or ghosts, or p.e. teachers. Nothing scary here.

(this was probably the most shocking assignment for me. i did not expect to get scared or make something so wonderfully unpleasant. this was a very interesting change of pace for me, much like my other work about a monster in the woods, though a little basic, it holds a special place in my heart)

Oh, what is that sound? could it be? yes, it is! the first ever album with no music on it! If you listen closely you can’t hear it!

(this one was a bit of a happy accident, a “yes, and—” senatio that turned out quite lovely.)

Please meet our very special guest, the tranquil deamon, we’ll only meet him for a moment.

(this one is a joy of mine, it took a lot of playing around with, but i loved how it came out)

And as the car starts to tick up wards on this mountain of rickety supports, behold our not-so-halfway-halfway point, the Coroner’s Tale, look at it zoom across the sky leaving trails of blood sweat and tears poured into it.

(for the full story, read the progress post, but this was very very taxing, but yielded a great result even though i lot a lot of precious sleep over it)

Here is our middle piece. A nice level path, perfectly mediocre. A simple one.

(this assignment fulfilled it’s purpose. it wasn’t anything crazy. just kind of there.)

And now a remix of a first try that wasn’t included cause it didn’t really deserve to. This edited version does though!

(i really loved all of the remix assignments for the chance to go back and re-do things, and this is one of my favorites of the remixes. i like this version much better, and it was fun to try to edit it down but retain it’s integrity)

And look, a mosaic of the strange types of glass and some interesting tweets!

(daily creates were of course a staple throughout this whole semester, but i really started to get them more towards the end so i am more proud of these later ones.)

Now for a completely surprise of a callback, our second cooking show!

(i learned this semester that i really like editing video, though i like it more when i am not on screen. this assignment and the first cooking video are some of my stand out assignments. i had a lot of fun with both)

And for the fan favorite, we have the one and only Keira Knightley!

(this was a triumph for me, i really liked making this amv and the class liked it too, most of my engagement comment-wise was on this post. and as it should be, keira knightley is not to be ignored!)

Now for our nose-dive! here we hurdle down in the lowest part of our here ride, the audio trainwreck!

(i would say this was a struggle, so many things went wrong. i should have chosen songs that matched up more, and i had no idea that it was going to take so so long to really do well. i bit off more than i could chew, and on a week where a had a lot of other stuff going on. this is not my favorite, but it happened)

And this Bird hit his stride with tweeting around here, better late than never, but almost never.

(again, i like a lot of my more recent daily creates, they are fistfuls of fun-sized candies)

And for the final falling drop, we have the final project! And a bit of it’s construction.

(i mean, read more in the construction post, but this was crazy. the final project was a very fun experience that taught me more about my own creative process.)

And it is only fitting to end this ride as we ended my first ever blog post:

“May the grass be green for you, even if it has snow on top of it,

I’ll catch you on the flippity flop,”

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Pulling Back the Final Curtain…

So, this is the weekly summary for the final project week. I’m putting the gimmicks up on the shelf for this one, here you get my process, and hang tight, it’s a long one.

Also, spoilers ahead, I’m talking in-depth about what I did for my final project, obviously.

To begin, I already had some content made for this project, though they were kind of spread out and sort of out of order.

I had a bit of writing,

A very impish outline,

Two characters,

An incomplete video explaining a magic system,

A strange event,

And a group of reactions to a strange event,

When I sat down to put it all together, I realized I not only had to organize it but also add in more connective tissue. The first thing I did was write a better-behaved outline, detailing not only what I had done but the things I needed to create to add to the story. Like most of my outlines, it changed a lot as I realized what I was actually capable of doing. For instance, I would have loved to do more videos, but I had no way to film them.

My new outline

Then I wrote how Eric and Miller met. This was an interesting thing to do. I originally was lost. But once I thought of the setting, that they could meet in a library, it flowed from there. I like writing, so that was very fun. And that is where the marble imagery comes from, but I’ll discuss that later.

Then I made the audio of Eric talking with Hector. This was really fun actually. I wrote up the script, practiced my semi-New Zeland accent, and went at it. I edited it in iMovie and added in some applicable sounds from freesound. I actually recorded the sound of Hector’s chair moving back because I didn’t find any online that I liked. When I uploaded it, I kind of made the photo of the Miller’s hat. I couldn’t find a black hat with a good background so I edited that together.

Then it was time for another autopsy report. This one on paper. I found the template online and filled it in with what I wanted. Then the police report, which I also found a template for that online. Goshen is actually a real place in Indiana, and it came on the police report template so I just used it. I did have to edit some of the report because it was originally about vehicular accidents, but I made it work. Shout out to Photopea, my savior.

At this point, I started thinking about how it was all going to be displayed. I knew I wanted it on a subdomain, but I originally wanted to see if there was an application that would work better than a blog. I tried to use Omeka, I even downloaded it and everything but it wasn’t what I wanted. I decided to stick to what I know and use WordPress.

So I made the new blog and started customizing it. I took a photo of an old piece of paper for the background and used a photo of marble as the icon.

The picture that shows up in the corner of the tab is of the watch face from the last chapter and also my impish outline.

Then I started making all the new posts, each one being a different chapter, and thinking of titles. There was some trouble with getting them all in order and also making the first chapter come first but the prologue also being an option before it. I made the first chapter the landing page and linked to the prologue at the bottom of it. Not the most eloquent solution, but it worked.

Then all I needed was the ending. This also took some time. Again, I know that I love writing so I didn’t want to be biased and immediately do that. But after looking at the options, there weren’t any. I didn’t feel like I had the set/costume/acting to film it, and audio just wouldn’t work. Lord knows I don’t have the ability to do a visual drawing/photo thing. And it was nice to end it how it started, with a blog post of writing. So I did that. I know Eric as a character well enough that the last scene was pretty easy to write. Endings are difficult, but I don’t think this one is so bad.

Now, enough nitty-gritty-the-making-of, time for my thoughts on this final project overall.

I have never told a single story in a variety of mediums, so that was interesting. There is a part of me that views it as a first creation, a first try. There is so much I would go back and tweak, knowing what I do now, but because it is already filmed or edited, or photographed, I can’t.

I don’t often know what story I am telling until I finish it, so usually my first draft is going back and adding in all the details that make it all make more sense. I couldn’t really do that with this one. Also because I am so close to this work and no one else has seen it I don’t know how it reads if that makes sense. I don’t know where it is confusing or disjointed for the viewer. I tried to toe the fine line of mystery and lack of information, but still comprehensible and followable. I wanted it to be a kind of fill-in-the-blanks for the viewer, but because I am the author and I know everything that happens, I don’t know if I left the viewer too many blanks. For instance, there are time jumps. Some chapters immediately follow each other but some do not. I don’t know if that is obvious to the view or not.

But overall, I am very proud of my story, and I do want to show it off to people and see if they like it as well. I put a lot of work into it, and I have found myself thinking about it even after I finished assignments and shouldn’t be thinking about homework. I might write a longer story about Eric and Miller for myself, I have intrigued myself with their narrative. This is something I will be glad to look back on in a few years, and maybe laugh at, but also remember all the cool things I learned in this class.

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Swim Meet Results W12

Welcome to the recap of our very close but not close enough to the last swimming event of the year! Our athletes have worked hard to improve themselves and keep up with this year’s intense training schedule. To give our swimmers an appropriate challenge, we choose more difficult events for this past meet.

The first event was a 200 backstroke,

Then the 200 IM,

followed immediately by a 200 breaststroke.

and the 500 free, of course!

and for the cool down, 250 SKIPS.

Everything was a tie, down to the last agonizing twentieth of a second. If you want to see what some of the fantastic work other teams did, look no further!

Animals Doing Funny Things with a Prequel

Weekly Summary 11

Two Worlds Colliding Mashup

https://blog.wadenelson.net/blog/lets-play-some-vidya-games/#comment-118

Stop and Listen

X Men the Live-Action

Music and Imagery Remix 

Superhuman in Every Day Life

Remix on Death’s Door

https://oliviafoster2.com/ds106/a-changing-character/#comment-102

It’s a pocket protector its a calculator its super nerd 

Don’r Rain on my Parade Broadway Mashup 

Be sure to swim on in next week when all of the lengths are doubled!

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Weekly Index 11

Cars, 14

Commenting,

christmas, 2

crash, 8

creates (daily), 19

eating, 35

milk (and honey), 38

recovered, 23

scenes, 49

video (lyric), 127

wheels, 62

Keira Knightly, 19

Pirates of the Caribbean, 72

Permissions, 73

Rats,

index of 26

Ted Lewis, 54

Skirts,

sewing of, 39

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Simple Enough,

I reacted to the words,

and the fantasy worlds,

{and i made some too}

I acted on screen,

and behind the scenes.

I looked back,

and a little bit around.

After all of this mess,

I’m gonna go have a lie-down.

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blueberries have always been very polite to me

To make a successful fried Week 9, one must have the best recipe. This is my great-great grandmother’s recipe for deep-fried week 9, and she got it from her great-grandpa so it’s been in the family for ages.

Ingredients:

1 1/2s ear of listening corn, chopped.

a blueberry pie , which could be substituted for lemon pie if you find blueberries to be disagreeable.

Once mixed and exsanguinated, the mix must be left to ruminate on the future, and after that is when you can proceed to the next steps.

The mixture must be re-fried.

The mixture must be re-fried again.

If you didn’t fry it before the first re-fry, you have to go back and fry it that first time.

You may add other ingredients, spices, mixtures, lobsters, and utilize other cooking methods to taste.

My favorite alternate ingredients include raspberries, snickers, truffles, green onions, perogies, mountain dew, falafel, doughnuts, red dye 40, parsnip, ham, and or omelets.

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One Night Only, Mage Sparrow’s Magical Marvels!

Come one and all to see the work of the Great, the Magnificant, Mage Sparrow!

No one is allowed to see his magic at work, that is only for the Great Mage Sparrow himself, but you are allowed to see the creative aftermath!

For one night only, come and bear witness to the magical marvels of this sorcerer, all done in under thirty-six hours!

The first act is the Cracking of Bones and Stretching of Flesh! No zoo will ever live up to this one!

Then behold the Mystical Painting of Mysteries! Old stuffy art professors who talk about ‘movement’ on the page will eat their words now!

And hear the Fantastical Future with your very own ears!

Then listen to the Automaton Merchantman speak to you and sell you his wares!

And finally, see the spectacular Hall o’ Wonders! It is a hall and boy is it wonderfully spectacular.

And the best thing of it all is that Sparrow Mage is not the only magician in town! See below for other magic acts that are performing as well!

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In Reference to the Two Mystic Volumes

Dearest Jordan,

It has only been a week since our last correspondence, but it has felt like much longer. Between my scholarly pursuits, regular riding practice, my father’s lengthened business trip in Broque, helping my sister with the family trade, and my many other necessary engagements, I have hardly had time to sit still. But I have carved out a moment to share with you the developments I have thus found in our pursuit of the mystical.

I was able to translate some of the spells and recreated them to the best of my ability. The instructions were detailed, and I had to research another dialect of the language to read parts of them.

I have added a brief summary of my newfound knowledge of the sub-dialect ‘Digital‘ for you to pursue. Mayhaps it helps you in the translations of your own volume.

The first spell was a liquid concoction to engage visual understanding. I hesitate to call it a potion, but I know that is doubtless what you would think to call it.

The second spell was designated to be a spell of the mind. It boasted powers to defeat what those new-fangled authors call “writer’s block” by opening the creative centers of the brain. I have not the bravery to test them out yet, but they say there is a time for everything.

Now, this next mystical set took most of my unaccounted time this week to translate and piece together. What is becoming a common theme in this volume that I have, is the optical senses. I have included the pages regarding melodies in relation to eyes, a nonsensical message, fine art, and the possible existence of inhuman species. I do hope you will read through these and enter into a deeper correspondence with me regarding them. Seeing as you and I are the only ones with volumes of The Studies of a Digital Kind, I think we ought to give this mystic our best attention.

I have added here as well a list of further passages I have not been able to translate. I hope that maybe one of the libraries near you has a guidebook to this language. I hypothesis that it is a northern dialect of the aforementioned ‘Digital’ language, which would put you in a much better position to research it than me.

The passages are as follows:

http://amymcmanama.com/uncategorized/event-poster/#comment-46 

http://aislingberri.com/design-assignments/contradiction-creation/#comment-24 

http://amymcmanama.com/uncategorized/vogue-but-make-it-different/#comment-47 

https://jburdflies.com/uncategorized/oh-captain-my-captain/#comment-65

http://digitalstorytelling.worldempress.net/uncategorized/the-best-word-ever/ 

https://blog.wadenelson.net/blog/design-decisions-rock/#comment-61

http://katiereif.com/classwork/book-cover/#comment-32 

http://amymcmanama.com/uncategorized/design-blitz/#comment-52 

https://blog.wadenelson.net/blog/my-cover-grabs-more-attention/#comment-71 

http://digitalstorytelling.worldempress.net/uncategorized/the-box-in-the-woods/#comment-55 

https://haileyamick.com/uncategorized/missing-person/?unapproved=20&moderation-hash=79632d26f8cb9277047b9f31bfd408cc#comment-20

http://cpsc106.ceciliachianese.com/week-6/book-revamp/#comment-38 

http://cpsc106.ceciliachianese.com/week-6/st-olaf-runaway/#comment-39 

I believe the postal carriage between here and your residence is beginning to run twice each fortnight, please make use of it. Inform me of anything you can discover about what I have thus sent you or anything that you have gathered from your own volume.

Eagerly awaiting your reply, Bird

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Report # 8-2-5-B, Regarding Complexes 1-6, Subject J6

Report # 8-2-5-B.

Subject J6 is revealing curious tendencies, namely fixations on specific subject matters. These fixations change every week with what is now unsurprising regularity. Research Assistant B1R0l admits fully that he was slightly familiar with Subject J6’s most recent fixation: Audio Complexes. This resulted in a renewed vigor in Research Assistant B1R0l’s work and assignments. It is my own opinion that Research Assistant B1R0l should be next in line for a promotional raise.

Subject J6 had its first complex regarding a fictional retelling of the moon landing. Research Assistant B1R0l has written up his report as can be seen below.

“Neil, You Gotta Hear This”

The second complex was a regurgitation of information surrounding foliage and subsequent vegetable masses. Subject J6 was able to transmit this over broadcast directly. The Technical Stereo Team Ash is still trying to work out the mechanics, but in the meantime, see Research Assistant B1R0l’s report as follows.

Fungi Growing on the Radio Waves

The third complex was in relation to the second. Subject J6 had indirect contact with Research Assistant B1R0l and requested such actions to be perpetrated. After due consideration, and bringing the matter before the board, Research Assistant B1R0l acquiesced to its request. Report appearing after this.

Disco Siri Takes One For The Team

In compliance with Protocols ReG56, Research Assistant B1R0l wrote up three separate reports for the fourth complex. This fourth complex was heavily regulated and Research Assistant B1R0l was very diligent to follow even the most fatuous sub-conditions.

They Change Colors?!? And Make Sounds?!?

A Homemade Bone Chilling Concoction

When The Crickets Fall Silent…

Subject J6 often betrays specific actions that bear weight on ensuing fixations and complexes. Here in the report on the fifth complex, Research Assistant B1R0l expects and prepares for a potential future complex.

Coroner’s Tale

Here, as Subject J6 approached the end of its most recent fixation, our readings became so erratic that we completed a full systems check and extrapolated another set of data. The data still stands, complementary to the first readings. Research Assistant B1R0l has tried his hand at making the most sense out of them in the next report.

Shadows of a {scholarly} Uni-Fox

In addition to all of the many reports that Research Assistant B1R0l wrote up this week, he also made remarks on his fellow Research Assistant’s reports as evidenced here. The following signatures are in code for security:

http://digitalstorytelling.worldempress.net/uncategorized/just-a-taste/#comment-36 

http://naomiljones.com/blog/ds106/nightmare-soundtrack/#comment-27 

http://emdesignlife.com/uncategorized/14-stars-visual-gif/#comment-12 

http://cpsc106.ceciliachianese.com/week-5/guess-the-song/#comment-29 

https://ds106.briannadalbis.com/2022/02/07/photoblitz/#comment-14

http://celiashively.com/ds106/ds106-radio-bumper/#comment-161 

http://celiashively.com/ds106/ds106-radio-show-ideas-bob-ross/#comment-162 

https://blog.wadenelson.net/blog/ignore-me-please-i-am-testing-blog-assignment-1/#comment-36

http://digitalstorytelling.worldempress.net/uncategorized/one-key-to-sound/#comment-37 

http://celiashively.com/ds106/all-the-relaxation/#comment-164 

This report has been declared viable and verified by the Committee of GF8-TROD, as well as passed through custom set 909RT and cleared by HER. It has also been officially notarized.

May the insentient heavens bring you much peace,

Commander Grant C.

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And For My Next Trick…

I will make it through one more week.

So, in summary.

I really enjoy doing daily creates. The small yet potent doses of creativity, captured in a photo or a few sentences, are pills of pure serotonin. I love the potential of each little story, without having to work too hard to get the details or worry about getting them wrong. It’s just a little elephant in a sock drawer. There is all the fun in that.

Twitter is a Knife and I Stab at Creativity

The assignments were likewise enjoyable but a little more stressful. I was so worried about getting them done on time, even though I did in the end, and with plenty of time left. So hopefully I will not be quite so anxious next week and know that it will all get done. I also have been thinking about other things to add to each blog post so that it is not just words on a background. Sometimes finding photos or other media that relate to the topic is difficult. Maybe in the future, I will try to actually make some art for them? Just to break up the text. 

I really enjoyed close analyzing the story that I chose because I myself was confused why I liked it so much. After breaking it down, along with the help of the readings, it made more sense why I was drawn to it. I can’t wait to make my own story and apply what I learned to it!

All the Exits Are Underground, Unless You Decide to Change Them.

I commented on thirteen other people’s posts, and a high part of my homework every day was surfing the main site for interesting-looking titles. I was always pleasantly surprised by what I clicked on, and read some really awesome assignments!  

Although I do consider myself a storyteller, I don’t usually outline my tales. So it was interesting to have to think ahead, and also think ahead for a new medium I have never used. But I am pretty excited to play around with my story idea and see where it goes. I have already begun daydreaming of an empty world with one person on eight wheels.

An Abstract, Squiggly, Vague, Impish, Outline on Rollerskates

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