Project 2: So Far

Project 2, at this point, is still up in the air.

In order to meet the criteria for the project I have gone about it several ways. We had talked in class about using Google Maps to tell a story. The duck we used in class had an extraordinary journey across, I believe, was Antarctica. I thought about documenting my journey and how I came to be in America.

But then we got talking about sound and movement. Surely a static Google Maps documentation would be quite dull. When recording the poem -- in my amazingly dramatic voice styling -- I thought I might dictate a series of animated "polaroid" snapshots of my journey, rather than Google Mapping.

I am still up in the air about this. Some feedback would be appreciated!

AT&T Lab for class

Here's the link for the class for the automatic voice recorder. It records as much as the box will hold text before going into a scroll.

http://www.research.att.com/~ttsweb/tts/demo.php

Response 4

When recording Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven," I didn't think I sounded that bad.



I even put on a slightly dramatic voice.

But apparently that didn't translate. Instead, for anyone who has been unfortunate enough to hear me speak, it just sounds like I have some degree of cold or was fortunate enough to have my voice drop.



Still -- the first two stanzas of "The Raven" are powerful, but I don't think I carry it off well enough. Perhaps if I animated it, with some funky imagery -- ala "The Simpsons" take on the poem, we'd be cookin.

Project 2

I am thinking, for Project 2, that I will tell the story of how I arrived in Duck, West Virginia. Originally born in Basingstoke, Hampshire, I will tell the story of my travels to Morgantown and Duck through images designed to look like polaroids with a poem -- as yet unwritten -- over the top explaining the places, the travel, etc.

Huzzah, we're live!

Rejoice! Project 2 Is LIVE!

http://amazing303blog2.blogspot.com !

http://amazing303blog2.blogspot.com/2008/09/huzzah.html

Project 1 for Class

http://www.thisisdaveryan.com/files/project1.pps

After much deliberation, I finally settled the PowerPoint route for my first project -- though, admittedly, it didn't live up to my expectations.

I had grand visions of an explosive (and I mean that in a subtle way) Flash animation with epic, swooping sound and amazing fades. What I ended up with was an idea to combine a two-line, per-slide presentation that read the poem with the viewer, rather than attacking them or making them read all over the page.

I tried my best to conform the message of each of the lines to the picture. I think this is done well, though the skiers are questionable in how they relate to Robert Frosts' original interpretation of his poem (did he like skiing? Perhaps we'll never know).

Over all, I am pleased with my project. It may seem a little rough around the edges, a little untidy. But like poetry itself, it isn't for everyone, and everyone can appreciate that.

Frost's Winter

My idea for Project 1 is adapting Robert Frost's "Stars" to a Powerpoint/Flash display that will have scenic backgrounds of snow, sleet, wintry conditions timed to move with each verse.

Frost's

How countlessly they congregate
O'er our tumultuous snow, Which flows in
shapes as tall as trees
When wintry winds do blow!--

As if with
keenness for our
fate, Our faltering few steps on To white rest,
and a
place of rest Invisible at
dawn,-- And yet with neither love nor hate,
Those stars like some snow-white
Minerva's snow-white marble eyes
Without the gift of sight.

There are many stock image Web sites available for these pictures. More to follow.