A Media Scholars Portfolio
Below are some projects that I have completed over the past one and a half years in Media, Self, and Society. I am proud of each of these pieces because I believe they show my skills in graphic and video editing platforms, creativity and ability to think outside of the box, and knowledge on the area of advertising and media. Chronologically going from most recent to least, I hope to show the growth I have had over the past year in the area of digital media.
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Project | 01
Project | 01 - Media Scholars Advertisement
Assigned in the fall of my sophomore year, this assignment was centered around conducting a critical analysis of a film that seeks to redress traditional stereotypes and creating a publishable blog. With one partner, we chose the film Hidden Figures and worked to address the background on the film, how it broke Hollywood stereotypes, the positive representation in the movie, and possible limitations on these representations. This assignment provided evidence on my skills of critical analysis in the area of the film and television industry as well as website creation.
Project | 02
Project | 02 - Media Scholars Advertisement
Completed in the fall of my sophomore year, this assignment had the task of creating an advertisement for our Media, Self, and Society Program that utilizes one of Leiss' cultural frames which we learned about in that week's lecture. For my ad I designed an animated social media graphic. The culture frame I was intending to use in this ad was totemism. Ads with this frame associate products and services with lifestyles and communities. They present the idea of a collective identity and being a part of something bigger than yourself. By making the central theme of my ad “Join Our Community,” I was able to use this frame to encourage incoming freshmen to join our close group of students. I created this ad on Canva which is a graphic design program that provides templates for various types of visual media.​
Project | 03
Project | 03 - Media Stigmatization
In the fall of my sophomore year we were assigned the essay question of describing an example of recent media stigmatization or stereotyping of a particular social group in news, social media, entertainment media or other another form of media. We then were required to explain the ways such coverage might serve to amplify collective difference and divisions. Many topics in 2020 provide concrete evidence of media stigmatization, however, I decided to focus on the media coverage of the Minneapolis riots following the death of George Floyd in June 2020. I was able to address the stereotypes created about the African American community and violence as a result of the media coverage. This essay shows my ability to analyze and comprehend key factors surrounding the news and broadcasting fields, which go hand in hand with advertising.
Project | 04
Project | 04 - How does media "do good" in a crisis?
​​Assigned in the middle of quarantine, at the end of my freshman year, this assignment was centered around creating media content that demonstrates how media can do good during the pandemic crisis. With a wide range of freedom we had a lot of room for creativity and I decided to create an infographic called "Corona 101." I researched important facts to inform readers on general COVID information. I provided the sources on the infographic so people who wanted to learn more had the ability to. I created this infographic on the graphic design program Canva as well.
Project | 05
Project | 05 - Super Bowl Commercial Analysis
In the second semester of my freshman year we were assigned to select one of the ads that aired during the 2020 Super Bowl and write a critical analysis of the ad. I chose to use the ADPLAN analysis framework which answers questions about the ad and its effectiveness, including, how does it engage the audience? Is the execution unique in delivery? Will the brand and benefit be remembered? Are viewers thoughts favorable? Is the ad consistent with the brand's history and reputation? These questions allowed me to develop a strong analysis on Google's "Loretta" ad and come to the final conclusion that this advertisement was very effective in the eyes of the consumers. I believe this particular assignment displays my knowledge on the area of advertising and connecting with viewers, which are very important concepts for my future field.
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Project | 06
Project | 06 - Day in the Life of a Media Scholar​
This group assignment was completed in the fall semester of my freshman year. We had to create a video which displayed a day in the life of a media scholar freshman so incoming freshmen could see what life at Maryland is like. After each recording a single day in our lives, I had the job of putting all the clips together and editing the video. Since I have a good amount of experience on editing platforms, such as iMovie, I was able to easily put our clips together in order. I enjoyed this assignment because I was able to make a large contribution to my group with my video editing experience while also doing something that I enjoy doing in my free time!