As our semester comes to an end, I can honestly say that I have enjoyed this communications class. It is refreshing to have classes built for exploring and learning more about social media. More often than not, it seems to be more popular for classes to completely ignore the booming advances the social media platforms, which dates the content. I appreciate how each section of this class touched on different areas of media, and brought it all together in the end with a video project. As someone who is pretty active on social media, and hopes to one day have a successful YouTube channel, I found the information very useful.

Surprisingly, my favorite part about this course was keeping up with the blog! At first I didn’t think I would enjoy it…I don’t really find my writing skills to be impressive, but it grew on me! Organizing the posts to be able to reflect my thoughts and feelings, then adding photos and videos sparked a little creative fire in me. I like that it is a little faster for me than editing videos, which is helpful given my whirlwind lifestyle!

The audio section of this course was also very helpful. Though I knew how to edit audio footage previously, I liked the extra little tips and tricks that were given! I found it really useful, and will be using these skills in future videos I film! I guess I didn’t realize how easy it can be to record audio for voiceovers, which will be a game changer for how-to videos and tutorials!

I didn’t use many outside sources through this class, but I did look at different social media platforms with a different perspective. Through this semester, I found myself looking more at the style and technical aspects of different influencers platforms, especially ones similar to my interests. Analyzing what angles they’re using in their videos, what kind of information they’re linking in their posts, and over content was intriguing! Recently, I found myself listening to more podcasts and content like Rachel Hollis, and Gary Vanynerchuk, who inspire people to follow their passions and give free information on how to be successful in the social media world.

Though I am still unsure as to what my future career will be, I know I will use the skills learned in this class daily. I truly enjoy using social media outlets to get my creative juices flowing! As I have said in other posts, fitness and health is a big part of my life. I am passionate about helping others to find balance in their own lives, and inspire them to be healthy and happy! Like many, my goal is to build a career that speaks to my passions and brings joy to my life. If you’re going to spend eight or more hours per day doing something…you better love it!

Alright guys, it’s time to get moving! Here are some simple and effective exercises you can add to your routine to help build muscle in your legs and just your overall strength! 

I had a difficult time uploading the video footage I had originally wanted for a home workout tutorial, so I used footage I filmed before COVID-19 closed the world! First I uploaded the video clips and put them in the appropriate order. Once I had the order selected, I trimmed down the video clips to make sure they weren’t too long, and would still capture the viewer’s attention. Since I was filming myself, it was challenging to get different angles, while also getting angels that gave sufficient information to the viewer. I chose to go with mostly wide frame angles, as it met the needs of the viewer and kept the shots interesting with other people working out in the background. I decided to speed up one of my clips that is a section between exercises to avoid having a dull spot in the middle of the video. Next, I uploaded a voiceover recording, and cut the audio track to fit each of the workouts individually. I also decreased the volume from the original video clip. I wanted to keep the noise of the gym. The sound of weights hitting together gives the viewer an unconscious feeling of being in the gym. Finally I added a white fade transition at the beginning and end of the video, to soften the start and ending just a bit.

After receiving feedback from some classmates, I chose to shorten my final video by trimming some of the video footage, and cutting down non essential areas of my voice over. This took a bit of work, especially with the audio footage. I have a strong tendency to over explain things, especially with subjects I am passionate about, like exercising….so there was some “fat” to trim for sure! I did record an intro clip for the video, but decided to leave it out, considering I was already pushing the length requirements for this video.

Overall, I think the video turned out pretty good! Although I do wish I could have included an intro, I think the explanations for each exercise speaks well to the point of the video. I enjoyed making thins, and hope to make more like them in the future for multiple social media platforms. Personally I have found videos like this to be so helpful, especially for trying to get new workout ideas, or just get motivated to get in the gym! I hope this video provides that same sense of motivation and inspiration to those who watch it!

Alright guys, time to get moving! Here are some simple and effective exercises you can add to your routine to help build muscle in your legs and overall strength!

I had a difficult time uploading the video footage I had originally wanted for a home workout tutorial, so I used footage I filmed before COVID-19 closed the world! First I uploaded the video clips and put them in the appropriate order. Once I had the order selected, I trimmed down the video clips to make sure they weren’t too long, and would still capture the viewer’s attention. I decided to speed up one of my clips that is a section between exercises to avoid having a dull spot in the middle of the video. Next, I uploaded a voiceover recording, and cut the audio track to fit each of the workouts individually. Finally I added a transition at the beginning and end of the video.

One thing I would like to add for this video is an intro of me discussing the video a little, just to give the viewer an idea of what they will be watching. As much as I like surprises, I don’t think viewers like just jumping into a workout video without warning!

I have had some difficulties uploading the workout videos I planned on using for this project, so I decided to go with some old videos. I am hoping to get the videos of a home workout I filmed up and running for this project, so it will be more applicable to our current “shelter in place” situation we have going on. For this project, I am going to do an instructional video for exercises that can easily be added to someone’s daily routine!

PROJEC COM 210 Story Board PAGE T

SCENE #1:	SHOT #:	SHOT SIZE:
I will do a brief introduction to the video, explaining what the video is about and how it could be useful to the viewer.Since this will be an instructional video for exercising, the viewer will be watching different exercises while listening to a voice over recording. The voice over will be me explaining proper form and primary muscle groups involved for each exercise.

SCENE #2:	SHOT #:	SHOT SIZE:
Exercise 1: Squat**simple and clear instructions provided with voice over regarding form and primary muscles involved in movement.

SCENE #3:	SHOT #:	SHOT SIZE:
Exercise 2: Romanian Dead Lift**simple and clear instructions provided with voice over regarding form and primary muscles involved in movement.

SCENE #:4	SHOT #:	SHOT SIZE:
Exercise 3: Elevated static lunches with drop set**simple and clear instructions provided with voice over regarding form and primary muscles involved in movement.

SCENE #:5	SHOT #:	SHOT SIZE:
Exercise 4: Resistance Band Lunges**simple and clear instructions provided with voice over regarding form and primary muscles involved in movement.

SCENE #:6	SHOT #:	SHOT SIZE:
Conclusion:I will film a quick wrap up of the exercises and how they can be beneficial to add to your workouts.

For my Com210 Audio Story, I wanted to interview someone who has a busy and active lifestyle, and get their perspective on “life balance”. I interviewed my sister, who is a Registered Nurse, wife and student. I thought getting her thoughts on life balance could be relatable and inspiring for those looking for ideas.

After submitting my draft, I decided to add background music to bright a lighter mood to the interview, and add some character. I downloaded the music from Artlist, an audio library for royalty free music. Once I chose the music I wanted, I uploaded it to my original file, and adjusted the volume. I also decided to fade the music in at the introduction and out at the end, which makes it a little more apparent to the listener. I also decided to go through the interview and cut some of the “extra” pieces to try to shorten the length of my project. Although it is still a bit longer than I wanted, I think it fully grasps the point of the discussion without making the listener feel they are missing pieces.

As a lifestyle blogger, it is important to me to bring new ideas of different lifestyles to my readers. Everyone has different priorities in life, but most everyone wants the same thing….balance. It is when we are off balance that we start to feel overwhelmed. This is often when we start focusing more on things like their job, household chores, and kids schedules, and less on ourselves. We have been programmed for years to make other people a priority before ourselves. This where my crazy ideas come into the picture. HOW can you be the best spouse/partner, parent, or employee, if you’re pouring from an empty cup!?! Hint…YOU CAN’T! This is something I tell my friends and family all the time…and myself from time to time. Doing things regularly to take care of yourself is not selfish. Your health, both mental and physical is what makes you the best you that you can be! So, the next time you want to cozy up in the tub with your lavender candle and some bubbles….or get in some insane workout because you need those happy endorphins….DO IT! Forget about the sink full of dishes…because lets be honest…there will always be a sink full of dishes! Do something for yourself, so you are not providing for those you love with an empty cup.

For my Com210 Audio Story, I wanted to interview someone who has a busy and active lifestyle, and get their perspective on “life balance”. I interviewed my sister, who is a Registered Nurse, wife and student. I thought getting her thoughts on life balance could be relatable and inspiring for those looking for ideas.

As a lifestyle blogger, it is important to me to bring new ideas of different lifestyles to my readers. Everyone has different priorities in life, but most everyone wants the same thing….balance. It is when we are off balance that we start to feel overwhelmed. This is often when we start focusing more on things like their job, household chores, and kids schedules, and less on themselves. We have been programmed for years to make others a priority before ourselves. This where my crazy ideas come into the picture. HOW can you be the best spouse/partner, parent, or employee, if you’re pouring from an empty cup!?! Hint…YOU CAN’T! This is something I tell my friends and family all the time. Doing things regularly to take care of yourself is not selfish. Your health, both mental and physical is what makes you the best you that you can be! So, the next time you want to cozy up in the tub with your lavender candle and some bubbles….or get in some insane workout because you need those happy endorphins….DO IT! Forget about the sink full of dishes…because lets be honest…there will always be a sink full of dishes! Do something for yourself, so you are not providing for those you love with an empty cup.

For my audio project, I wanted to interview someone to hear their perspective on what life balance is to them, and what they do to achieve it.

New logo alert! I cannot lie, this was a bit more challenging than I expected. I wanted a logo that was simple, but versatile enough to be able to use it on different social medial pages. I also wanted it to fit well with my blog page, which has a similar style to what you see above. Personally, I am drawn to the simple and clean designs. Though this goes against much of what we are taught, I actually am drawn more to simplicity and neutral or pastel color tones.

Since my primary topic of my blog is living a balanced and healthy lifestyle, I wanted to do something that was clean, but also a little fun. The phrase, “the balanced babe” popped into my head, and I thought it fit my blogging style well. The blush pink watercolor is something I pulled from my headline photo. It was important to me to incorporate the same visual “feel” of my logo, as the rest of my media pages.

When I started sketching my ideas on paper, Pinterest became my best friend. I searched for different font ideas, as well as different shapes for the logo. I decided to go with the square because it seemed clean and more modern than other shapes I was seeing. It was important to me to keep this image as clean and simple as possible. The primary part of my blog is keeping life simple, which allows balance when life gets crazy.

Now, lets just take a moment to chat about how many times I completely erased the start of this project in Adobe….it’s embarrassing! After more attempts than I would like to admit, I finally got the ball rolling on something that looked like what I had pictured in my head. I started with the watercolor image as my background. I then created the rectangle shape and edited the stroke and colors. That’s when my hunt for the perfect font began. I searched for a while, looking for a “modern swoopy cursive”, whatever that means. I ended up downloading a few different fonts within Illustrator to try them out, and settled on this one. As mentioned before, I was not sold on the cursive at the top. After an absurd amount of time scrolling through various fonts, I finally found it….”Mina Regular”! I like that this font is cleaner and has a little more personality than the original cursive font I fount. Finally, I decided to fill the empty space in the middle with a barbell I created using the rectangle tool, and rounded corners options. I wanted to keep this part light and airy, while also symbolizing ‘strength’ and of course, exercise. Using the gradient tool, I made a softer look with a fade from white to light grey, and created a 2pt white stroke around the shapes.

Overall I am pretty happy with my logo. I think it pairs well with my blog and other social media pages, and could even be used as part of the intro to a YouTube video. I believe the blush tones of the watercolor, modern fonts, and barbell bring an overall feeling of simplicity, health and balance to the viewer’s attention. I had a great time creating this piece, and look forward to using these learned skills in future projects!