For this video, I used iMovie for editing. iMovie is a free app that can let users to make professional edits with ease- including positioning video clips and adding transitions, soundtrack, etc. (Mahdi.N, 2017) I tried to change an aestheticism and quite video to a scary and horror mode by editing, using filters, and changing background audio.

Filters are to the photographer what seasonings are to the chef. Used properly, these magic disks can turn a dull photo into a feast for the eyes. (Anonymous, 1994) This can also be used in video editing. In order to make video look scarier, I used a film filter and an X-ray filter. Film filters can bring more participation and vicissitude to the audience, and X-ray filters can add tension and thriller atmosphere. The filter can also change the basic tone of the original video, and the effect will be different with different filters. In the switch of different filters, the audience can experience the confusion and exploration of the characters in video.

In the course of digital literacy, I realized the importance of audio for video editing. Music can be used to create the perfect atmosphere in a particular film scene, by setting the right tone and mood for the plot moment. (Workinentertainment.com, 2019) When watching a video, the effect of turning on the sound is completely different from that of mute. In order to change the mode from the original video, I found a horror soundtrack from YouTube and add it in my video. Audiences may ignore the background music when they are watching the video, but background music is the key for them to getting deep into the video.

I also cut a dark background with broken VHS glitch effects video and edit it in the final product with subtitle. Broken VHS glitch effects Subtitles can effectively guide the audience in the direction I want them to go. Rhetorical questions can also make the audience have a better sense of substitution and start to think from the perspective of video protagonist. Slow motion can also bring a sense of searching and discovering.

Final video link: https://youtu.be/MU-SC0B5pxE

Referencing:

Mahdi.N, 2017, ‘Serial impact: Audio journalism changes the life of one with the help of many’, University Wire; Carlsbad, 16 March, viewed 12 September 2019, <https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.lib.uts.edu.au/docview/1880420033/4C074AC1CEE247FAPQ/33?accountid=17095>

Workinentertainment, 2019, ‘Change That Tune: The Influence of Music in Movies’, viewed 12 September 2019, <https://www.workinentertainment.com/blog/change-that-tune-the-influence-of-music-in-movies/> 

Anonymous, 1994, ‘School of photography–Lesson 5: Photo filters’, Petersen’s Photographic; Los Angeles Vol. 23, Iss. 5: 61.

Original video sources link:

Free Stock Footage Archive, 2015,  ‘Broken VHS Glitch Effects – Decent Layer – Static TV Effect Mute Sound’, viewed 13 September, 2019, < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRNZPYTMWyg&list=PLVdLN4Yhy71dS7hUa2KZ8bt7S5yjFSaQi>

Bin Jan, 2018, ‘Nocopyright Sound’, viewed 13 September 2019, < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5BRsPIZtyk&feature=youtu.be>

Bear Skillz, 2016, ‘Woman walking in wheat field at sunse’, viewed 13 September 2019, < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1Uo75TlYzc&feature=youtu.be>

‘A standard illustration of the idea that visual conventions are like a language is the familiar compositional device of varying the angle of view in order to affect viewers’ perceptions of the power of a person in an image.’ (Critical Studies in Mass Communication, 1994, p183)

My inspiration of this photo is that with the development of digital era, more and more people chose to understand the world with different kinds of social medias. Even though they have the opportunities to contact with the real world.

Firstly, I cutout an image of a window and a door and then placed them in the center of a black background. The door is the barrier to contact with the real world. 

Then I cutout the icon of Facebook which is a huge letter of ‘f’ and then place it in between the window and the door so it looks like a telescope. 

Finally, I find a couloirs of a child as the core of the image and cutout a swim glasses. 

To make it look more like an instructional animation, I reduced its sharpness and precision to make it look more like an oil painting. This also makes several different images better integrated.

‘The implications of existing copyright law for the use of digital art, since computer technology allows images to be borrowed and manipulated far more freely than in traditional art forms.’（Oppenoorth, 1994）So I checked the copyright issues for those original references and they are not for commercial use. It reveals that as an individual, I can use these photos for my assessment for free.

Reference list

Critical Studies in Mass Communication, 1994, ‘Visual literacy vs. visual manipulation’, Annandale Vol. 11, Iss. 2, pp181-211

Oppenoorth, F, 1994, ‘Image manipulation: digital wonderland and the law’,Perspektief Iss. 47-48, pp13-17.

Background, F. (2019). Free Forest Background by Akinaba. [online] itch.io. Available at: https://akinaba.itch.io/city-background [Accessed 30 Aug. 2019].

The Single Dad Laughing Blog by Author Dan Pearce. (2019). Behind Closed Doors. [online] Available at: https://www.danoah.com/2012/12/behind-closed-doors.html [Accessed 30 Aug. 2019].

Google.com. (2019). facebook icon 3d – Google Search. [online] Available at: https://www.google.com/search?q=facebook+icon+3d&tbm=isch&source=univ&client=safari&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiz3J6r9afkAhUNYysKHYglAiUQsAR6BAgHEAE&biw=1191&bih=741#imgrc=wQZDmF9F7JUwTM: [Accessed 30 Aug. 2019].

A comprehensive visual literacy teaching method requires us not only to explain the images created by others, but also to create images to convey specific information. (B.Susan, 2004) This gives me an inspiration of this assessment. I used an app which named picsart to manipulate and edit my image.

Firstly, I searched a photo of an iceberg and a garbled code photo. Then I cutout the image of iceberg and then overlaid on the garbled code photo.

After that, I found and cutout some social media’s icons on the internet and then put them on the top of the image. 

Nowadays, it is often that combined two different images into a photograph in order to improve the composition of the photograph. (Brooks-Young. S, 2004) Multimodal composition can make the message that the author is trying to convey more vivid. 

I think the figure I create is navigate and the readability is great both visually and cognitively. Above the iceberg, it is the internet that we are interact every day; below the iceberg, it is the unknown and dangerous area such as deeper web and dark web which we are not familiar with. After these weeks of study, we know that we use our digital literacy skills every day, though we may not think about it. So this figure can serve as a reference for students who are new to the Internet, because it is very important to use the Internet correctly and safely.

Also, there are researches demonstrate that digital literacy such as photo editing can advance thinking, decision making, communication, and learning. This is why my figure is valued. 

Reference list:

B. Susan, 2004, Visual Literacy: Taking Things at Face Value, Today’s Catholic Teacher;Dayton Vol. 37, Iss. 

M.baidu.com. (2019). 社交软件– 百度. [online] Available at: http://m.baidu.com/sf/vsearch?pd=image_content&word=社交软件&tn=vsearch&atn=mediacy&fr=tab&sa=tb&imgtype=2&imgpn=4&imgspn=0&tt=1&di=660&pi=0&cs=1359550901%2C826921317&adpicid=&bdtype=0&objurl=http%3A%2F%2Fimg02.tooopen.com%2Fimages%2F20160420%2Ftooopen_sy_160006181643.jpg&imgos=2132743555%2C2988420507&imgis=0%2C0[Accessed 8 Aug. 2019].

M.baidu.com. (2019). 代码– 百度. [online] Available at: http://m.baidu.com/sf/vsearch?pd=image_content&word=代码&tn=vsearch&atn=mediacy&fr=tab&sa=tb&imgtype=2&imgpn=13&imgspn=0&tt=1&di=203280&pi=0&cs=2602355917%2C471776427&bdtype=0&objurl=http%3A%2F%2Fbpic.wotucdn.com%2F16%2F14%2F34%2F16143481-ae1d041af002e2441974a95f7ba90490-0.jpg&imgos=3941001445%2C2009570216&imgis=0%2C0[Accessed 8 Aug. 2019].

Image.baidu.com. (2019). 冰山的搜索结果_百度图片搜索. [online] Available at: https://image.baidu.com/search/detail?ct=503316480&z=0&ipn=d&word=冰山&step_word=&hs=0&pn=20&spn=0&di=7150&pi=0&rn=1&tn=baiduimagedetail&is=0%2C0&istype=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&in=&cl=2&lm=-1&st=undefined&cs=3480574266%2C3146454777&os=711125040%2C2888420197&simid=0%2C0&adpicid=0&lpn=0&ln=1115&fr=&fmq=1565283713676_R&fm=&ic=undefined&s=undefined&hd=undefined&latest=undefined&copyright=undefined&se=&sme=&tab=0&width=undefined&height=undefined&face=undefined&ist=&jit=&cg=&oriquery=&objurl=http%3A%2F%2Fhbimg.huabanimg.com%2Fabda7741be0358df5c731bcb792723f61ff07ef7f4ae-j3MTtp_fw658&gsm=1e&rpstart=0&rpnum=0&islist=&querylist=&force=undefined [Accessed 8 Aug. 2019].

As we are in digital age nowadays, we have reached digital literacies very often. Digital literacies are plural because they need to be socially negotiated and they depend heavily upon context. (Doug, 2012) It is a complex term that builds on previous work in new literary fields such as information literacy and computer literacy. (Belshaw, Douglas A. J.2012)

To my understanding, I think digital literacies refer to the ability to use expert and technical languages associated with digital tools. It is a condition, not a threshold. (Martin, 2006) It also goes into individual interest and important issues. I think digital literacy is more widely used and acceptable nowadays as we are in digital age. I learned how to use computer when I was in primary school and I also know some professional digital processing softwares such as adobe photoshop, adobe flash etc. These softwares are way more professional and difficult to use and they have high requirements for computer configuration. In that case, there are many APPS on the phone which are easier to use. The company simplifies the steps and uses simple words other than proper noun. This helps us to understanding and access to digital literacy easier. 

Reference list

Belshaw, Douglas A. J.(2012)What is ‘digital literacy’?: a pragmatic investigation, Psychology–Abstracting, Bibliographies, Statistics, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, pp1.

Doug, B. (2012). The essential elements of digital literacies: Doug Belshaw at TEDxWarwick. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8yQPoTcZ78 [Accessed 5 Jul. 2019].

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

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