Shae

Plagued by a Cold. Grr.

This is post sick week. One minute I was running around like an energizer bunny tackling my to-do list and then I...... converted to a snail. 

I'm pretty sure my battle with the cold that snuck up on me like a ninja is over. Much thanks to Tylenol and these fellas:

In my Writing and Producing for Electronic Media course, several actors came in from the Screen Actors Guild to read our scripts as performers and provide feedback. They also gave us a cool light-up pen and some information on using SAG actors for our own production assignments.

Hearing our work read by actors was interesting since it's not everyday I get to see actors do their thing off screen. I received an A on my script which was about a female N.Y.U student torn between her family's traditional values and pursuing her own goals.

All I have left to do for this class is polish all the work done in that class this semester and put it together into a portfolio worthy of an A. 

xoxo Shae

{{anxious.}}

Okay so my life came to a screeching halt today when at 8 a.m. I found my car wouldn't start because of a weak battery. Luckily, a good friend jump started my car and I went to work... super late.

So we are in almost-finals-madness. I am super determined to avoid caffeinted pushes, sleep deprivation, writer's block and procrastination. Big goals...

I'm excited anxious about everything I have to do in the next 3 1/2 weeks. 

Some of my assignments:

• Build a fully-functioning multi-page website using Dreamweaver
• Web site proposal, mood board and wireframe assignments
• PhotoShop mock-ups
• Animation concept/bible
• Video game concept
• 15-page minimum screenplay based on an original idea that will be read aloud in class by an actor from the Screen Actors Guild.
• Put together a portfolio of projects from my Writing for Electronic Media class.

I have to be productive asap.

xoxo Shae

 

 

 

 

Time Management

College requires a significant investment in time, money and brainpower. Like other students, I have my moments of procrastination or midnight shifts (less implicit way of saying all-nighter).

Every semester I have to re-evaluate the time I will put into school, work, martial arts and my personal life. This helps me see social and personal engagements as a reward for getting my work done.

For the Fall 2011 semester I made it onto the College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters' Dean's List, yay! This semester I've been lucky to have all A+'s on projects and assignments, with the exception of two A-'s.

Working 50 hours every two weeks and balancing life is just a part of being an adult. I also worked through my whole Spring Break but I figure a break will happen when the time is right. Most of the time, I miss these childhood days:

 

Current non-Power Rangers life:

 

I'm looking forward to the weekend so I can catch up on missed television shows and see a friend I haven't seen in awhile.

Enjoy the weekend and the warm Spring weather!

xoxo Shae

 

Ramen Noodles

One of the projects that I have been busy with in the past few weeks, was writing and producing a commercial for Ramen Noodles.

And here is the finished product!

 

This is the second commercial idea of the semester and the product chosen was Ramen Noodles. It was filmed in the University Center on campus. A variety of software was used to achieve the end product, such as Final Cut Pro, Comic Life and Corel Video Studio.

 

The most frustrating aspect of the project was technical errors, that I was the only group member competent in using the software and had filming experience.

   
Comic Life storyboard page:

I also had to find music that was appropriate for the commercial and write an accompanying audio and video script. This was a great hands-on learning experience!

xoxo Shae

Fight for Kidneys!

Recently I attended the Phi Sigma Sigma Fight for Kidneys event in the University Center on campus. The proceeds from the event went to the National Kidney Foundation. The event itself was a self defense session held twice in one evening to allow students flexibility in attending.

Phi Sigma Sigma is a Greek organization on campus. I am not Greek myself, but the Greek organizations on campus value philanthropy and throughout the year host events to benefit charities. 

It was a fun event, as two of my friends attended with me. Here are two pictures of us participating in the event:

 

 

xoxo Shae

Morning Battles

Shampoo on the toothbrush at 6 a.m. is a sure sign you are too sleepy to function normally.

Long story short, four alarms is just not enough for me. I'm guessing it's because this semester an "off day" for me is as rare as a snow day this winter.

  

One day I stumbled upon this budget-friendly gadget at an electronic store near campus, fell in love with its capabilities and brought it home to be a part of my family: 

 

I guess what I needed all this time was to be greeted every morning with a dance song from my iPod. Sweet success.

xoxo Shae 

Commercials

This semester, one of my courses is Writing and Producing for Electronic Media. Surprisingly, it is one of my favorite courses at the university because I get to be creative... and there are no exams!

A class like this allows students to gain hands-on experience and work on projects for a student portfolio to present to prospective employers.

One of the first projects assigned was a commercial. We were to draw, take or find pictures to use in the storyboard and present our idea to the class. The class then critiques the ideas like an advertising agency.

Comic Life is one of my favorite software. It is provided in the Communications lab and the TV studio in the College of Arts, Sciences and Letters. With Comic Life, people can create storyboards and the software makes funny noises while editing which is mildly amusing.

Some screenshots of my Comic Life storyboard:

Our next project involves working in a group and writing/producing a commercial. My group is still finalizing our ideas on a possible product that caters to a college student demographic.

xoxo Shae

Pastries

One of the best classes I've ever had at UM-Dearborn was my Marketing class last semester.

 

The main topic was Advertising and Integrated Brand Promotion. There were about 10 students in the course. Our Professor knew a UM-Dearborn alumni who needed a marketing campaign to create brand awareness. Our class was split into two groups to create the campaign and a detailed budget.

 

The client was a professional food and pastry chef. He treated us to his pastries so we could taste the products. 

     

Crème Brûlée

  

      

     

     

Cheesecake 

   

Cannolis and Key Lime Pie

    

   

We had professional guest speakers come in to speak about their careers and offer input on our project. At the end of the semester, the two groups presented their plans for a cost effective digital and print campaign.

 

I received an A in the course and the presentation was one of the greatest accomplishments of the semester. 

  

xoxo Shae 

Textbook Craze

My first semester at UM-Dearborn I had spent $502 on textbooks. 

Not fun.

Used books and rentals are a much more affordable option. The most convenient option, of course, is to borrow a book from a friend who's had the same class a previous semester.  Sometimes, that choice isn't always available.

This semester surprisingly, the campus bookstore's prices were much cheaper than online venue offers. I rented two books because I don't mind them disappearing from my belongings after the class is over and so far I have purchased one book for full retail price because I know it will be useful during the start of my career. I have spent about $82 so far.

Good luck with your textbook purchases!

xoxo Shae