Write Up

For the Digital Narrative assignment, we were given the opportunity to craft a short video centered around one of the designated themes: the desire to escape, themes of revenge or betrayal, or the concept of the "new normal." I chose to explore the theme of the new normal as it resonates deeply with my own experiences of perpetual adaptation and adjustment to changing circumstances. In this video, I delve into the intricate dynamics of friendship, reflecting on the lessons I've gleaned through numerous challenges and obstacles in maintaining meaningful relationships. I aim to shed light on the evolving nature of friendships amidst changing realities, and circumstances. You could say I am delving into the categorization of friends which became my new normal.

I chose to create a talking head style video for several reasons, each aimed at maximizing the impact and resonance of the message I wanted to convey. Firstly, the talking head format provides a direct and personal connection between the speaker (myself) and the audience. By addressing the camera directly, I am able to establish a sense of intimacy and authenticity, fostering a deeper engagement with the viewer. This style allows me to speak directly to the audience, creating a more immediate and impactful communication experience. Secondly, there were a lot of things I wanted to convey in this video that could not have been done in a more visual narrative-focused video within the given time frame. Additionally, the talking head format offers a simple and straightforward approach to storytelling. By focusing solely on the speaker, the audience's attention is directed towards the message being conveyed, without the distraction of elaborate visuals or effects. This minimalist approach allows for a more concentrated and focused exploration of the themes at hand.
In the first scene, I made a little skit where I played both the relationship expert on the podium and an audience member asking them questions. I did it to grab the viewers’ attention and as a way to introduce the topic of friendship. This scene also represents my old way of thinking about most things: something confuses me, makes me question things and I just try to rationalize it in my own head as if I really am an expert and have the answers. At the time having someone to tell me the things I talked about further in the video would have helped me immensely and would have given me at least some perspective that would have made a lot of my relationships much easier to manage.

The scene changes with the “expert” me fading into the real me who had to learn from her mistakes and still is. For the rest of the video, I am talking straight into the camera as I am directly talking to the audience from this point on. One of the design principles conveys that things that are aesthetically pleasing are usually preferred and are easier to like, which is why I tried to make the shot feel comfy and made it well-lit in a warm yellow color. I also used zoom-ins and changed the color of some of the subtitles from white to yellow to visually emphasize certain things that I was talking about. Moreover, I have added some footage of my friends, and this serves as a b-roll that would make the viewer think back to their group of friends or just feel a little nostalgic. I also changed the way I positioned myself in this location to make the video feel less still and to make the audience feel comfortable through me being comfortable on camera.

In the next portion of the video, I wanted to have a space to edit and write the categories of friends that I am talking about to make them easier to remember. Here I used the rule of thirds to position myself on the shot so that there is some open space for the text to be edited in. It made the shot look nice and harmonic while showing everything I wanted. This strategic use of spatial organization not only enhances the visual appeal of the video but also facilitates a more structured and digestible presentation of the content, ultimately enhancing the viewer's understanding and retention of the information being communicated.

Throughout the video, I am utilizing all five modes of communication — linguistic, visual, gestural, spatial, and audio — to effectively convey my message. While I am primarily focusing on the linguistic aspects, ensuring clarity and coherence in my verbal expression as much as I can, I am also mindful of incorporating visual elements such as adding b-rolls and displaying some text on the screen when it is needed, to complement and enhance the narrative. I also made a conscious effort to keep the camera moving around slightly, to subtly make the shots a little more dynamic, and to keep it from being fully still. Gestural communication, including facial expressions and hand gestures, adds depth and emotion to my delivery to keep the audience’s attention and not keep the shots still and boring. I also tried not to gesture the same way I do normally when talking not in front of a camera so that I can look more natural, friendly, and real. For spatial mode I considered things such as framing and composition to contribute to the overall visual impact of the video and to make it more aesthetically pleasing to look at. Additionally, the audio mode is utilized to set the mood and atmosphere, with the inclusion of generic calm royalty-free music serving to underscore the narrative without overpowering or distracting the audience from the information being presented.



P.S.: I would also like to mention that I did not have much time to work on the Digital Narrative and did the best I could with the cards I have been dealt with. For a few months, I have been juggling a lot of responsibilities both in my personal life and work. I sincerely did all I could to complete the assignment on time. I am sorry if it has caused you any inconvenience.
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