Project 2 Proposal: Multimodal Analysis Webtext

For Project 2, I will analyze five online portfolios of photographers. Each of them use their own strategies to present their work, market their skills, tell about themselves, etc. Each artist represents him- or herself in a unique way; some come off with a resume feel, while others seem to be aiming more towards entertainment. One front that they all seem to attack differently is the presentation and organization of their photos. Some are more effective than others, with easily-navigable slideshows; others make you dig more through project folders and events.

These differences could be the results of many factors. One photographer may want her audience to have to look at each of her pictures at in sequence, while another may offer more efficient organization for a viewer looking at his work as a whole. It will be interesting to analyze their sites; looking at how a person chooses to present their work gives insight to their personality and taste, in addition to their actual photographs.

The following are three sites I plan to include in my analysis.

http://trevorparkphotography.wordpress.com/  
            This is the website of the former president of WSU's Art Club. In addition to his own work, he publishes information (interviews, pictures) about other artists as well.

http://www.chasejarvis.com/#mi=1&pt=0&pi=7&p=-1&a=-1&at=0
            Chase Jarvis is one of my favorite photographers. His recent projects have been incredible, and his site tells volumes about him with very few words.

http://www.larajade.co.uk/
             I found Lara Jade's photographs beautiful and her site simplistic. I'll have to look more closely before I decide whether or not I'll include her in my analysis.

Emphasis, Contrast, Organization, Alignment, and Proximity

Emphasis

1. My attention is immediately drawn to the notepad. Although it can't compete with the colors of the other objects in the shot, it is in the center of the screen and it is the only thing moving. The words and drawings also stand out because they are organic and cartoony in the midst of hard, real-life shapes. The author of this clip constructed the scene to emphasize the creation of the words and effectively introduces the title.

2. Having the woman in pink jump out of the scene gives the viewer time to pause and soak in the words on the page. Doing so puts emphasis on the title, as if to say, "Hey! I finished writing this important phrase. Pause, and read it!" (in a more subtle way, of course).

3. (a) I don't think the sound helps to emphasize anything specific in this clip. The rhythm of the stop-motion doesn't match up to the beat a noticeable way, and the end of the clip doesn't fall at a good stopping point in the song (although this may be just a small clip of a longer piece).

    (b) The sound influences the tone of the clip, giving it a home-made feel; it is simple, rhythmic, and repetitive. The speed and pitch make a difference, too -- the tone would completely change if it was higher-pitched and faster, or visa versa.

Contrast 

1. There are a few contrasting elements in this segment. The gray background contrasts with the yellow-white letters, making them stand out against the moving pictures in the background. The background moves from left to right, and the words move from the bottom to the top. The directions are opposite but not opposing, making it possible to notice both, separately. However, the words stand out more than the pictures in the background, signifying that they are most important. Lastly, the sounds -- the narrator and the soundtrack -- contrast with the cartoon style; her electronic voice and the futuristic chimes don’t seem to match the older, more simple animation from an older genre. These contrasts draw attention to important aspects of the video. 

2. The colors of the background and the text still contrast nicely to make the words pop out. The cartoons were probably removed from the background to emphasize the importance of these words in particular; they give instructions crucial to the success of the viewer in the advertised program

3. My poster to advertise TheJUMP would include a picture of Dan, smiling as he does at 0:21 in the video. The title, “TheJUMP” would stand out in white against a dark gray/green background in a font bigger than the rest of the words on the poster. In smaller type with black letters, I would include a small blurb about Dan and how happy and successful he is thanks to TheJUMP. Without sound, it will be hard to convey the futuristic tone as the video does, so I will mention at the bottom of the flyer that the program has great potential to positively impact viewers’ futures in a modern direction, perhaps with a slogan like “Let TheJUMP boost your modern career into success!”

Organization

1. My picture sequence is as follows: 

(1) dairy aisle (2) cheering crowd

(3) woman opening door

(4) wedding cake topper

(5) woman painting

My pictures tell a story of choices, relationships, self, and growing up. The sequence is somewhat chronological, starting with easy transitions and working up to more weighty decisions. The shift from teenager to adult, high school to college, is full of light and heavy opportunities for flux.

The first picture shows many options in a grocery store aisle. Various factors play into one’s choice between nonfat and low fat milk, margarine or butter; budget, health, and taste represent a few. However, these choices are relatively simply and affect correspondingly few people. Still, as one gets older and takes on more self-responsibility, these small choices bind to form a composite that runs as a consequence of the interconnecting parts.

In the second picture, many people have gathered to celebrate in a unified group. It displays a moment of joyful togetherness. The people one chooses to include in her life affect her emotions, schedule, and happiness more than most other life factors. The introduction of new friends or the loss of old ones create an undulation in life that is never completely under a single person’s control. Social choices are often the most complicated but rewarding, and take experience to manage effectively.

As important as friends and relationships are, it is important to maintain strength in solitude. Learning how to spend time alone without feeling lonely is a difficult skill to master. The woman in this third picture may not be there yet -- she displays a longing that many people feel when alone.

However, balancing between time spent with others and alone helps foster healthy relationships with others and with one’s self. One’s choices seem to become more major with age, but easier with the knowledge gained by life experience. For some, this maturity helps one choose a spouse. The fourth picture shows this option -- just one of many important life decisions that have influence over the happiness of more than just one’s self.

The final picture shows a woman painting; it may be a long-time hobby of hers. I chose to put it at the end of the sequence to leave the viewer with the impression that even with the numerous factors mentioned, the individual is still the most important. Food, friends, and other significant relationships all compile in the life of a healthy (or unhealthy) person. The painting woman is alone, but her work will probably be seen by others. Her ‘product’ is an intentional reflection of self, but she cannot be completely separated from the influences that formed her.

2. Organizing these pictures in a different order would definitely put a spin on my message. I ordered them as if they were separate priorities, starting with the one I think is least important and ending with the most important. If I had started with the wedding topper and ended with the cheering crowd, the list of priorities that the pictures represent would give the impression of a completely different person.

3. Color could be an influential element. Since the series is somewhat chronological and ordered from least to most important, I could make the starting picture black and white to signify its simplicity, and work the saturation in more for the subsequent pictures. The last picture would be the most vibrant; the range of bright colors would communicate energy and give the final picture a happy, multidimensional tone. 

The arrangement and proximity would also be important. I would space out the pictures in a horizontal composition to go with my linear order, but if I picked to line them up vertically or diagonally, or without space between the pictures, the viewer would read the series differently.

Alignment

1. The word “murmuring” drops from the top of the screen and only align in a horizontal line for a moment, and “insects” is born out of its predecessor in the text by using the last 3 letters of “murmuring” to morph into the first 3 letters of the next. The moving letters and organic spacing contribute to the nature theme.

2. The falling words align with the center of the crescent shape in the bottom right of the screen, and the letters in the word “murmuring” that align with the bottom tips of the shape linger closer to the crescent as the rest of the letters fall into a horizontal line around them. Then, as  the word “insects” appears, the beginning of the word lines up with the end of the crescent shape, and also fall into a horizontal line.

3. The alignments of the words are different between the Earth and Air scenes because air and earth are different -- in shape, color, and content. The earth contains insects while the air contains flying geese, so it makes sense that the earth segment would line up horizontally (as the ground does) and that the sky segment fails to reach such a rigid orientation (as few things in the sky do). 

As for the audio track, the woman’s phrases end the moment that the lines of text become readable. This encourages the viewer to interpret the vocal words and written words as a whole, giving the message, “And then we saw the people jumping in the sky. We saw what we thought was debris and saw it was people jumping (like) flocks of departing geese.” The oriental music behind the words is sad and slow, matching the sadness associated with the tragic events of September 11. The “flying geese” seem to be a metaphor for the victims of the crash who jumped to escape from the towers.

4. It is difficult to discern his exact words, but it is clear by his voice inflection and his sniffle that the man speaking is mourning. He mentions tears, and the words align with the eye in the background, falling into place with the crescent as an actual tear drop would fall from a crying eye.

5. The lack of alignment communicates that there is no particular order to view the separate parts. It gives equality to all parts -- none seem more emphasized than another because they are all the same size and color. The purpose is subdued and commemorative of the sadness of the event, but the experience is free-flowing; the lack of alignment offers more room for interpretation because different viewers will navigate the piece in their own sequence.

Proximity

1. I grouped the title of the book and the subtitle next to each other in the top right corner; the title is bigger and appears above the subtitle, showing that it is to be read first and it is more important. The seagull picture went slightly below the title, more to the left of the page; the image is obviously related to the title. For the author’s name, I used the same font as the title, showing that it is important, but it is at the bottom left of the screen (opposite the title) and smaller. The font repetition makes the page feel cohesive, while the font size establishes hierarchy. 

2. The title is largest and most important. It is placed at the top of the page to ensure that it is read first. The size of the font dictates how important words are as well (larger = more important). The author’s name is significant, so it gets its own special place at the bottom of the page. The empty space around it makes it noticeable, compensating for the fact that the font is smaller.

3. I am limited by many things! I cannot change the font or size or color of text, or the background color and texture, and I only have two images to choose from. I could make the background a beach picture including a seagull, with the title occupying the sky and the author’s name occupying the sand, for example. Physically, I could emboss or engrave the letters of text to make them stand out further.