A Fab-ulous Dream... (a digital short story)

My task was simple; create a digital story (less than 3 minutes) which would communicate an evocative way of incorporating creative writing, imagery and sound. Well, I think I have done just that. My digital video is a story, more like a poem, that was created using a few different writing techniques. First, I randomly shot words I liked and thought were neat-looking during my three weeks abroad (i.e. found poetry.) Then I reviewed each photo and wrote the words out on little pieces of paper and shuffled them around and wrote a little narrative based on their complete randomness. This does not take as long as it may seems (actually it took about 3 minutes) since I have been practicing this style of creative writing/poetry ever since I discovered it while reading a biography on David Bowie’s writing process some 15 years ago. So, my digital story is a homage to the act of dreaming/traveling and to the Fab Four (aka The Beatles) using the sights I spied from London and Paris to illustrate my experience of my Study Abroad journey... So, just click the embedded player below (you can even turn up the audio if you find you need a little bit more volume.)

Here is a written transcript of the piece:

Final Photobook!

Here is my official submission for the FSU Multimedia Photobook, Summer 2010, England and France. Of course, this only represents a fraction of what I took there and all original photography was shot by me, Heather Rodriguez-Raymond. No music, no commentary, just some lovely eye candy -- click the embedded YouTube player below and enjoy!

Buckingham Palace (Last Day)

Kind of sleepy self-protrait on the last day!

Today's photography focus was to capture a contrast shot. This being the last day of this long, strange journey, the contrast theme is all around me. This (class based) final blog was/is really difficult to write. Looking back, and reading back through all of my entries, I am wrapping up with some good news. They are indeed trying to stop the Gulf Coast Oil spill by pumping more cement into the pipe casing. We first heard of this phenomenon called the "top kill" method of sealing the Busted Pipe (BP). Fingers crossed that it will work...I picked this blog back up today (Friday) since I spent all day Thursday traveling and facing the brutal headwinds toward North America. I have pink eye in my left eye, so only my right is clear. There's a great contrast shot, but I am too pooped to snap that photo. At 1:00 AM today, the Associated Press announced that BP has finished pumping cement into the damaged well to  seal off the leak that started on April 22, two days after the rig caught fire, on Earth Day. I don't know, dear reader, if this is a new facet of coincidence, or if there is a literary term to describe what/how I feel, but I don't think I could have had a better homecoming.

Hyde Park

Today's photography focus was water. Holy cow, this blog is like one long rant on deja vu and water and the Gulf Oil Spill, sheesh. The whole day was quite serene, watching the ducks and geese have their fun in a pond. looking out at the other ponds where birds were flying overhead and the occasional dog would duck-dive in for some slashing fun. The water fountain/park tribute to Princess Diana, where young and old stripped off their shoes and sandals to frolic in the streams of man-made, watery bliss. All this in Britain. Where the water on the Thames and all around is still intact and in good condition. It will be a relatively sad moment when I return home to Florida, back to the BP Oil Spill. Where the BP gas station we gone past was not being picketed or boycotted. Where there is still a love of 
Back to the news and deluge of articles touting the destruction and permanent devastation which can not be reversed...

Oxford: Bodleian Library & Christ Church

self portrait in motion

Today's photography focus was on moving. That is a pretty appropriate theme since everything seemed to move me during today's tour of Oxford. In fact, we kept moving, pressing on from one great thing, object, scene, etc. to another. At the Bodleian Library, I saw the complexities of keeping history alive and well. Deep into our private tour library archives and catacombs,above one of the desks was a handmade collage, in almost a shrine, to the late Michael Jackson. Not twenty feet above this underground area, a shrine to the library's primary founder stands guard, forever in marble. The mixed metaphors of moving or even just me being moved or the delicate dance between the very, very old and the complexities of the modern world seem to be yet another running theme of these blogs.

Paris! or Scottish Deja Vu

I spent the weekend in Paris experiencing some strange deja vu, which seems to be a running theme in my blogs these days. I have never really had a strong desire to visit France, ironically I had originally planned to go to Scotland during this study abroad, but alas, the best laid plans...Yet somehow, Scotland found me... We arrived Friday and as a class we did the touristy things one would expect, the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, a wine tasting lunch cruise up and down the Seine. All lovely, yes, but my real time in Paris began after class on Friday night. We chose a dinner cafe at random and lo and behold, they were flying the Scottish flag. When I asked the bartender about the flag, he simply said, it was actually from his friends bar called "The Highlander." Anyone who knows me, knows that was the BEST reply I have ever received. I was given sketchy, très French, directions on the back of some napkin and tucked that little gem away for the next night! 

Two Minute Film: Barbican Library's RFID Device

Here is my first film, just click the embedded player to see!