We began this unit with the analysis of several pieces of prose fiction and samples of novels. By doing so, we were able to practice creating our own characters and story arc through our writing, narrative digital art, storyboards, and animations. We became skilled in numerous professional equipment and applications, including Wacom Digital Drawing Pads, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Animate, Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects, Avid Pro Tools, HTML\/CSS, and Google Apps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In my English class, the experience of creating my own flash fiction after reading a few inspiring stories was extremely valuable to me. This project helped me improve as a storyteller as I incorporated all of the aspects of a successful plot, centered around a character I made up myself and envisioned a complete background for. The Illustrator Project I completed in Digital Media allowed me to use the skills I had acquired while learning how to use Adobe Illustrator. I was able to create stickers of any design I wanted, something that I have always wanted to try. In Animation, the narrative animation required countless hours of drawing, but it was all worth it in the end. At first, the project seemed impossible, especially since I was still relatively new to Adobe Photoshop. With the completion of such a difficult project, it gave me the confidence I needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We were assigned to write a short flash fiction in English, incorporating everything we learned about creating an interesting character and plot. My story, titled “A Path or a Maze”, was inspired by Langston Hughes’ “Thank You, M’am.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The writing process began with creating a character questionnaire, containing basic information about our character. We made up a name, age, distinct characteristics, childhood background, etc. for our characters. We then went on to make a plot map, complete with an exposition, rising actions, a climax, falling actions, and a resolution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
After finishing our flash fictions in English, we produced audio versions of our stories by using an audio recorder and editing it and adding sound effects in Pro Tools. In Pro Tools, I added background music at the beginning and end of the recording, fading it to make it flow better. I also found sound effects that went well with what was happening in the story. Through the process of creating my own story and then later making it into an audio with an “album cover”, I learned many essential skills to help me become a better storyteller and digital artist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n