Inflatable Fire education House: Boy Scout Show

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP4FsRm2_Ys&feature=youtu.be

This assignment was in order to give us an experience with putting together a video interview and news story. Alex and I did our story on the Inflatable Fire Education House: Boy Scout Show.

This was an event in which young kids got the education of learning how to handle fire situations. The cool part about the event was they had these demonstrations in an inflatable house.

The inflatable house is a new idea in order for fire departments to save some money on the cost of the old fire trailers, which are much more expensive than the new inflatable ones.

Alex was able to collect good materials in her video coverage and interviews, that I was able to edit a successful video story.

I enjoyed working with the video editing software however found it difficult to get the basics down. Once you learned the system a little better we were able to go about editing our story quite rapidly.

I was surprised at how many different things you could do with the adobe editing software. Like using the audio of one video while playing another clip muted.

I can see myself using this new knowledge in many things in my future. Just for fun putting home videos together is a big one. Also I can see myself being able to put news stories like this one together for a future company that I may work for.

Overall the experience was fun and I enjoyed working with Alex. I think that the more experience I get from using this system will allow me to become very efficient and employable for skills like these.

Twitter Assignment: Fly Fishing Film Tour

I recently attended the 2013 Fly Fishing Film Tour. It was held by the University of Wyoming Fly Casters Club and Laramie Trout unlimited on April 18th at 7pm. The event consisted of great short fly fishing films from around the world. Anywhere from saltwater, deep remote rivers, or even cities such as Washington DC. There was a raffle half way through where I unfortunately did not win any prizes.

The cool part of the raffle was that in order to claim your prize the winner had to scream “YEEEEAAHHHH!!” in order to get it. This led to many people making embarrassing attempts while under the pressure of the crowd.

I enjoyed taking the notes during the event because I like having to use your imagination to compose such condensed tweets. The films were great too which made for the overall experience to be good.

The one thing I did not enjoy may have been due to my lack of cell phone battery life. everyone has experienced these days where their phone goes down and are left helpless. This effected my interviewing abilities and picture-taking because that was my main source to obtain those.

I learned mostly that even though twitter live reporting sounds easy it can quickly back fire if you come unprepared. Thus, I learned that in order for success comes preparation. If I could have done it differently I would have had a working camera and/or video source for the event.

Even though I was able to take notes I feel that most businesses or newspapers would have fired me for my performance on this one…hopefully not. In the future I can definitely see myself using social medias such as twitter in the future. I would use Twitter just like most to inform fast about events and watch the news spread like wild-fire.

I could use Twitter in many different ways I am sure. However I am new to the Twitter game so I do not know or understand the possibilities that come with it.

#phonedied #greatfishingfilms #Twitter=extraterrestrial

Dodge, Duck, Dip, Dive, Dodge: Soundslide Experience

Click the link and listen to our story!

http://klandreville.com/barrett_boutelle

This assignment was my first experience using the program SoundSlide. The purpose of this assignment was to find a story, with a partner, and combine an audio interview with visuals of a slide show.   I partnered up with Alex Barrett, and we chose to do our story on the University of Wyoming’s dodgeball tournament. We chose to do the dodgeball tournament because we felt it was going to be a good spot to get good photographs of dodgeball action.

We interviewed John Fischer, UW student dodgeball competitor, and Josh Kingston, intramural graduate assistant. For John we asked him about his experience in the tournament, and why him and his team participate. With Josh’s interview we mainly focused on the structure and rules of the tournament. We were able to pull both of them away from most of the noise of the gymnasium, and conduct the interview in a calmer place. I held the recording device while Alex asked questions to the interviewees.

Overall John and Josh did great! They answered the questions with good answers and answered in complete sentences, which made editing much easier. SoundSlide was fun to use and the final product was very satisfying with the work we had done. Alex was a very helpful partner. She took the lead role and made the first encounters less awkward.

This project was not very difficult to do. We were able to get the job done quite easily. However, the hardest part of the assignment was the interview process. I held the recording device so I did not know whether to look in his eyes, avoid attention, or not look at all. I ended up standing there awkwardly not knowing if I was distracting him from Alex the interviewer.

I would not do anything differently next time. With more experience interviewing and working with programs like SoundSlide, the more efficient we will become. The project was fun to do and I am anxious to see what the other classmate’s stories are done.

Alex Barrett: Edited Interview

Here is Alex’s edited interview:

http://soundcloud.com/cboutel1/alex-barrett-interview-edited

My audio editing experience was fun and a good learning experience. Some of the things I learned are that it is much easier to cut and edit the tracks while you have paused the recording, and I also like to move the different cuts back together as I go. For the most part this assignment was enjoyable for me. The initial interview with Alex was fun, although it may have been awkward and unorganized at times. Cutting the interview from 5 minutes to 2 minutes was a slight challenge for me. Selecting stuff to cut out is based on your individual opinion. if someone else were to edit this interview I am sure they would have done it a different way, which makes a lot more variables come into play. I can see how journalists have to be very precise in what they select to edit out, so there interview goes along with their story and flows well.

With regard to my overall experience I do not think I would have done anything differently. For getting a grasp on the technology and learning as we went along,  the experience was rewarding. However, the next time I conduct an interview or go through this process I will do a few things differently. The first would be to have a more set direction of questions, so the interview went the direction I wanted and the interviewees’ responses could flow more systematically. Also my edited file there are some quick transitions and the volume of her voice changes between some intervals. I need to be more meticulous as I make the file run smoother and more deliberate.

Overall the interview was a success and I look forward to having a chance to work with this technology, and use this process again. Linked to Alex’s name is her website check it out!

Alex Barrett: Raw Interview

My interview experience with Alex Barrett, University of Wyoming communications major, was a first for me. Going into the interview there was tension and a sense of unconformability because the interviewing experience/process is very new to me. One of the challenges that we had conducting the interview was answering the questions in complete sentences. Both Alex and myself had to be reminded during the interview to answer in complete sentences, so when we go and edit ourselves out of the interview people understand what we are talking about. Although we felt awkward she did an amazing job of continuously talking and keeping the interview conversation going.

Some of the things I learned from our experience is how to pause the recording device. As simple as that sounds when I was getting interviewed we did not use the pause button. When I interviewed Alex we used the pause button and it ran much more smoothly being able to pause and collect thoughts.

I enjoyed the interview process because it is something new to me. Alex made it easy and fun during the interview even though I am sure she felt the same way as myself. I did not enjoy being interviewed that much because I almost choked under the pressure. I answered some questions well and some others with poor grammar and other speaking flaws that come under pressure.

In the future the things I would do differently would be to have more concrete sets of questions. With a more structured plan I believe I would have been able to run the interview more smoothly (slow and controlled). Also on the interviewed side I would have tried to slow down. I believe that if I slowed down and thought of my responses they would have been structured better, and would have been more of what Alex was hoping to get out of the interview. Overall this was a good starting point with my future in interviews and learned many valuable lessons.

Here is Alex’s raw interview:

http://soundcloud.com/cboutel1/alex-barrett-interview

Beginning Audio Recording and Editing

This blog post is about me and my new experiences with recording sounds. First there will be a set of “Ambient Noises” which are recordings that I have made of everyday life. These include the coffee pot, pen clicking, an egg frying, etc. The second part of this assignment is giving us a hand-on experience with editing and moving recordings. By counting to ten, in a random order, we will then learn to cut and move the numbers into the correct order. These first two recording concepts will allow me to understand the basics or need-to-know information for the future.

Ambient Noises

https://soundcloud.com/cboutel1/sets/ambient-noises-3

1) Keyboard: This is the sound of a classmate typing on the keyboard. I recorded this in this class actually when I recorded my neighbor Alex typing. This sound could be used for a story about a writer.

2) Frying an Egg: This is the sound of my roommate cooking eggs in the morning. I recorded this one morning in our college house. This sound could be used for a story about food or cooking.

3) Shower Music: This is the ambient noise of the shower running while my roommate listens to music. I recorded this while waiting on my roommate to give me my turn in the shower. This sound could be used for stories concerning water.

4) Birds Chirping: This is a sound of birds chirping as I walked to class. I recorded this sound early in the morning when the outside noises were soft enough to hear these birds. This could be used in stories relating to wildlife and the outdoors.

5) Coffee Brewing: This is an ambient noise of my coffee pot almost finished brewing in the morning. I recorded this around 7am because that is the timer set on our coffee pot. This sound could be used telling people about how to wake up in the morning or coffee advertising.

6) Pen Clicking: This is the sound of a pen clicking i was listening to in the UW library, as I sat down next to a person. This person would not stop clicking their pen so I thought it would be a good ambient noise.

COUNTING

This is the original counting order and sequence.

http://soundcloud.com/cboutel1/counting-original

This is the edited counting sequence

http://soundcloud.com/cboutel1/counting-edited

This is my first time using recording software and editing. With the help of a friend I was able to figure it out. No I do not have  any fears about audio journalism, but I may have some speed bumps along the way. Only through trial and error will the use of this software and equipment become second-hand.

Photojournalism

Free Throw: Kaitlyn Mileto, a sophomore for the University of Wyoming basketball team, shoots a free throw in their dominating win against Air Force.

I attended the Wyoming girls basketball game February 27th when I took this photo. The experience of photographing a sporting event was new to me, as I had a very hard time finding a location to take pictures from. I finally got positioned right next to the band where you could see the score and be on the offensive side.

This shot was fun for me to take because I moved around to many different locations throughout the gym until I found one I thought would fit. Then it was a waiting game. I sat in this spot for nearly a full quarter trying to get a shot that I would like. Finally, I was able to use the seat in front of me to steady the camera and capture the ball mid-air. Also the ball does not block the view of the score board which makes this picture have many different aspects to it, that add to its quality.

Smoke Break: Craig Khyl, engineering major, enjoys a quick cigarette outside the engineering building in between classes.

This photo was ironic and random. I was walking to class taking photos of people who would allow me for this assignment and stumbled upon Craig. This is ironic because I interviewed Craig for my backcountry skiing post not to long ago. He agreed to a picture and I was able to capture his relaxation and the University of Wyoming sign in the back.

I first saw him and tried taking pictures from the side view, but after moving around I was able to capture the lines of the bench, Craig, and the University sign in the back. I felt a little uneasy trying to move around him while taking photos, but he made it easy by acting as natural as he could. While getting this photo I tucked my arms in a tried to steady the camera best as possible, and had to move around to find a good shot.

Walking Along: Amber, a UW student, walks to class through Prexies Pasture, with snow on the ground and the side-walk barely clearing off.

I was not able to get this students last name because I simply forgot to ask, however I did get a first name. I found this photo also walking to class. The story is funny I ran up to ask if taking her picture was ok, and then ran back as she continued walking and started snapping photos.

This one turned out the best because I like the contrast between the gold of the dead leaves with the dark-green pine. Also how you can follow the side-walk to the subject of the photo, Amber. Taking this photo made me feel awkward because I startled her coming up from behind to ask permission, and then running back to take the photo.

I once again tucked  my arms in to keep the camera steady and used a vertical shot as my creative devices.

Defense: University of Wyoming girl’s basketball team dominated against Air Force using solid defense.

I felt this picture was appropriate for a shout out because the UW women played extremely well defensively in their win against Air Force this past Wednesday. I took this photo near the end of the first half. It worked out well because I was able to get the Cowgirls holding Air Force to a missed shot, and have the cheerleader holding a defense sign.

This shot was pretty easy to get but the timing was the most important part. I steadied the camera with the seat in front of me and waited for the right time to take the shot, and got lucky I guess. I feel pretty good about this photo because it displays in many was how the Cowgirls defeated Air Force.

March: Three University of Wyoming students march to class in sync while keeping their hands warm from the cold.

I did not get the names of these three students but thought this picture was neat. I thought it was neat because all three are in synced stride, heads down and have their hands in their pockets. This picture was random that I came by it. I was just taking a lot of photos and saw this one amongst the mix.

I used moving around and stabilizing the camera as my creative devices, but overall came across this picture easily. I took it the morning of the 27th while I waited in between classes.

–I learned that sometimes taking day-to-day photos you have to step out of your comfort zone when trying to find the right picture, and asking for permission. The thing that surprised me about this assignment was that the random photos or photos you just happen to take turn out better than planned ones. I mean the ones you try to frame and wait for might not be as good as the spontaneous ones. If I could do something different I would try to be more outgoing. Outgoing in finding subjects for my photos and outgoing as in getting into different environments and people.

Experimental Photos

Knock It Stiff: This is a photo of my teammates ball close to the hole on the par 5 14th hole at Classic Club. This photo turned out amazing since I was able to get the Wyoming logo and the hole in the background which turned out amazing. It turned out that wat because he lines up his putts with the Titleist brand on the top of the golf ball. This allowed for the Wyoming logo almost to look centered.

The two main creative devices I used was the rule of thirds and creating size. The ball is the focus but the center of the photo while still establishing the hole and trees in the background. Creating size was used with the outline of the hole in the back in relation to the ball.

Memorial: This photo was also random when I found it. I was eating lunch at a firehouse resteraunt. I looked up and noticed a good opportunity to frame a fire fighter, in the picture on the wall, with the American Flag. The sun was hitting the wall from the window beautifully and this is the outcome.

I feel strongly about supporting both our country and the people who fight or protect it. This photo allows me to caption both the symbol of the american flag and a fireman. Paying respect for two things I strongly believe in.

The main creative device I used was framing. Like I said the flag helps frame the fireman in the picture.

Golden architecture: This is a photo of the clubhouse of classic club and late in the day it almost looks golden. This was taken late in the afternoon after we finished a round of golf and the dim lighting made the building look magnificent.

It took me about ten shots to get this photo because I raised my arms in the air so the trash cans and other stuff around floor level could not be seen. When I found this I was very pleased with how it came out and really like the descending lines of the building leading your eyes to the blue of the mountain in the background.

This photo is a great example of leading lines and symmetry/patterns. the symmetry and patterns of the building both appeal to your sight and lead your eyes to the cold blue mountain.

Deep Green: This is hole #9 at Classic Club with the green grass very captivating as your eyes follow the fairway to the orangeness of the mountains in the distance. This photo makes me want to play golf as I see the endless possibilities there are even with just taking photos of the beauty of some of the places I get to go and play.

I used the rule of thirds, leading lines and depth as my creative devices. The thirds of the different levels of colors that goes hand in hand with the line of the fairway leading to the depth of the mountains.

Silhouette: I snapped this photo of my teammate Eddie as we were practicing as the sun went down. The sun lights up and outlines some of his body which I thought was very cool and beautiful.

I used the rule of thirds and contrast as my creative devices. The white shirt draws your attention to him first and you can then notice the sun lighting up around him.

— One thing I wish I would have done more of is use people in my photographs. Although the photos i think are very neat and beautiful they do not capture enough emotion. With people in everyday situations you can see the emotions they feel and how they portray them. Here are some more photos I thought were pretty cool as well from my trip.

Backcountry Skiing: The Endless Possibilities for the University of Wyoming

The winter months at the University of Wyoming can be cold, but that should not give students the excuse of “having nothing to do on the weekends”.

With the winter months upon us it is time to take advantage of the snowfall. Backcountry skiing allows you to ski untouched lines, avoid masses of people and spend less money. Laramie offers many great locations, and through the University of Wyoming you can get great deals on all the equipment needed.

Many students do not realize the easy access they have to this amazing activity, and it is a great affordable way to stay in shape and have fun.

“I really love backcountry snowboarding because of the lack of people, and because it is so cheap for a college student to do,” says local backcountry enthusiast Craig Kyhl.

The idea there is no need for lift tickets, and you can avoid standing in lines of people are also reasons why Craig prefers backcountry. The cheap prices and avoidance of busy lines should also appeal to the average broke, impatient college student.

Backcountry skiing allows skiers to ski down fresh, untouched snow. Skiing on untouched snow allows the skier to use his or her own imagination on what route to take. There are no groomed runs for people to follow and crowd up in.

“The experience of working to get to the top of a certain point, hitting better snow and making your own line is a very rewarding feeling,” said Craig. “Making your own line is much more personally rewarding,” says Craig, referring to backcountry compared to groomed resort skiing.

Craig Wolfrom’s Photographic Blog

Why do college students then decide not to at least try backcountry skiing? Local photographer and avid backcountry skier Reese Owens says, many people don’t backcountry ski because they think it will be harder. Harder in the effort you have to make hiking, and harder making it down the mountain.

These doubters forget to realize that they are the only ones out there, Reese says. So it doesn’t matter how good you are, or how long the hike takes, you will enjoy it all the same.

“More people would go out and do it if they just tried it once and saw it wasn’t actually that hard,” Reese says.

With the close locations and easy access to equipment more “sit on the couch” students should get out and try. Who knows maybe they will fall in love with it.

How to Backcountry Ski- eHow

Locations

 UW students can experience backcountry skiing driving only a few miles away. The Snowy Range Mountains, Sierra Nevada Range and even Happy Jack are all close locations to backcountry ski.

The Snowy Range Mountains and Happy Jack are both within an hour’s drive. The Sierra Nevada Range is only an hour and a half.

“If you’re looking for a quick drive to great places my favorites are the Snowy Range and Sierra Nevada range,” Craig says.

Even for a getaway there are places such as Teton National Park. Craig says his first time trying backcountry was in the Teton Mountains. He rented gear from the University and has been hooked ever since.

All ski equipment can be pricey these days. However through the UW Outdoor Program you can find all the equipment you need for cheap.

Equipment

 You can find the “Alpine touring ski package” through the Outdoor Program, which includes skis, boots, poles and skins. They charge $28/first day, $2/additional day or $30/weekend. They also have split boards for the snowboarders out there. Split boards coast the same as their skis with skins also included.

At nearby Snowy Range Ski Area a one day ticket is $43, and $21 for complete-adult ski rentals. Steamboat offers a one day pass for $99, and $42 for complete-adult ski rentals.

Backcountry skiing does not require lift tickets, so the most you would spend on a weekend trip would be less than a single day ski pass to the nearest ski resorts.

“Most people probably do not backcountry ski because you need more equipment,” says Reese Owens.

If you already own some of the gear they offer cheaper rates for only the gear you need too.

If you like cheap costs, easy access to backcountry ski mountains, the rewarding feeling and the sense of a crowd less mountains at your fingertips then backcountry skiing is for you.

“All you have to do is try it, and you will fall in love with it as I have,” Craig says. So all you frowning college students complaining about the weather get off your butts, and try something that gets you out having fun and being.

mountainphotographer.com

Usability “Coal: A Love Story”

When analyzing the usability of “Coal: A Love Story” the first page you come to has many pros and cons. The pros include some of the visuals you see and use. The power cord used is a good metaphor as it relates to the purpose of the website (powering a nation), and it allows you to follow the cord as you scroll down the page. Also as different stories pop up there are different background photos to represent each new story. This allows for viewers to differentiate between them.

More pros are that the content or page is clean and simple. The page is not to overwhelming where your attention can easily wonder. Also you can easily navigate back to the home page in which you started. When you click a link a new window opens within the main page. To return to the homepage all you have to do is click outside the new window and you are right back where you started. Finally they do not change the position of their links. Although they were hard for me to locate the links move as you scroll down and stay in the same location on the page.

The cons however are the navigation to other pages from the home page. When I first entered the site I was not able to recognize what specific words or icons were links to the other pages. Instead I had to find this out through running the mouse over the links and watch the pointer change. Also the Navigation bar is very hard to tell from just a design on the page. There are no words that draw your attention and the colors are grey and non-differentiable from the main colors on the page.

When I explored this website I started at the home page and just simply scrolled down and used the visual pictures of the website to draw my attention to what story I wanted to view. When exploring I did not encounter any problems with the video feeds or with the simplicity of returning back to the home page. The one problem I did find while navigating this page was how to contact the creators. At the bottom of the page there are Social Media contacts but I could not find a contact email or other information in which I could contact them.

I asked my roommate to go through the website to maybe see if he could validate any of my claims. As he went through the site he also had a hard time locating the navigation bar saying, “it did not stand out to him”. But once he started scrolling down the page he could select through the different stories based on the background pictures they had. He also felt that the colors of the page worked well because they were all similar tones with some color and did not draw much attention away from scanning through the website.

When I asked him to find contact information for the website he also had a hard time locating quick and easy contact information. However, he did something I was not able to at the bottom of the page he clicked the “Knight Foundation” box and then scrolled down to the bottom of the page and found their easy contact information. Although it may not be the true contact information about the website it is some contact information where possible questions may be answered.

Overall there are three things I would not change about the website. I would not change the different story background photos that help differentiate stories. I would not change the very easy access back to the home page, since you only need to click back on the page itself. I would not change the sites’ use of similar colors and greys that do not steal your attention from the stories at hand.

However the three things I would change are. I would  add words to the navigation bar on the left hand side, so it is easier to tell what stories/links the bar will eventually lead to. I would change how difficult it was for me and my roommate to find contact information so that users do not have to go fishing to find answers. I would change the color of the navigation  bar because as you scroll down the page the grey colors of the navigation bar almost disappear within the background images of some stories.