Mixing it Up - Group Style

Also known as our Digital Video Project.

One of our assignments for this course was to create a digital video. An option for the assignment was to use it as a means of promoting FSU's International Programs, specifically the London Multimedia Design and Production course.

My group had a lot of fun creating the video. I want to give a special shout-out to Jessica for volunteering her Mac (okay, *I* volunteered it.. "who has a Mac?" I said. "I hear iMovie is easy to use.." I said..), and for coming up with the "mixing it up" DJ theme. I'm pretty excited with how it turned out. 

 

The Magic Happens

“You can’t deny that going to Hogwarts wouldn’t be life changing!” Dylan Harper, as played by Justin Timberlake, Friends with Benefits

 

I remember when Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was first published and the hysteria that climbed with each addition to the series. I also remember SWEARING I would never read them. You see, I have an aversion to all things “fad” and I thought that Harry was just that. I figured it was a craze that would soon pass. I think it is safe to say I was wrong… Very, very wrong. Another thing I remember is that in the fall of 2001, I gave in and checked out the first installment from the library where I was working. This “fad” that I dismissed so easily completely enchanted me. I steamrolled through the next three books, even spending a whole day in my (then) boyfriend’s dorm room reading The Goblet of Fire cover to cover. After that I had to anxiously await The Order of the Phoenix with the rest of the world.

 

Another thing I remember about Harry was the controversy that surrounded him. Allegations of promoting witchcraft were common. I was just excited that kids were reading! As far as content is concerned, I have no room to talk. I was reading Dean Koontz and Stephen King when I was 11 – as approved by my parents, of course. To me, the series allowed kids to delve into their own imaginations while exploring Harry’s world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the films started being produced, imagination was brought to life. I got to experience some of that magic today as I toured the Harry Potter Studio in Leavesden. What an amazing tour. I was completely fascinated with all of the props! My favorite part of the tour however, had nothing to do with the props or sets. My favorite part was the display of concept art from various artists. I have a vivid imagination when I read, so seeing how others’ interpretation of key scenes was really intriguing. The artwork was simply amazing. Vibrant and dramatic, the paintings were like seeing emotions on canvas.

 


Concept Art

 


Concept Art 2

 


Yeah, yeah.. more concept art

 


And... concept art

 


Last one. This one is my fave. What can I say? I like the creepy ones.

 
 It’s been two years since the last Harry Potter movie was released, but Harry’s impact still endures. The studio was packed today and there were a lot of young children running around, mouths gaped open in wonder. I couldn’t help but think that these kids had grown up with Harry, Hermione and Ron. Watching their experience as they ran from set to set or perfecting their wand skills was really fun for me. I also couldn’t help but think of my own kids. They are seven and four years old and I cannot wait to share Harry’s world with them.
 

The Things I Want to Show You

“There’s a great joy in my giving. It’s thrilling. It’s exhilarating. It’s important to be a part of sharing. It is my love. It is my joy.”

W. Clement Stone

After the weekend in Paris, I think I truly fell in love with London. When you love something, you naturally want to shout it from the rooftop and share it with everyone. Lucky for me, I’m in the penthouse flat, so the rooftop is awfully accessible. Even though I had a great time in Paris, there is nothing there I am aching to show you. On the other hand, there are many beautiful things in London I want to share.

Great Russell Street and the Rest of Bloomsbury
I want to show you where I sleep, four flights up, in this hot room. Yes, I am sick of sweating, but the slanted ceiling, unique windows, and a view of the life on the street below is beautiful. There is a great grocery store down the street that sells fresh sandwiches (try the red onion and cheese, I swear you’ll love it), and a café with a charming man serving you English breakfast.

The Regent’s Park
I want to show you The Regent’s Park. I want to stroll through the beautifully manicured gardens with you and see every flower. I want to bring you to Queen Mary’s rose garden and show you my favorites. I have a bench picked out for us, to sit and read or just relax and enjoy each other’s company.












Oxford
You will love Oxford. The buildings are amazing and radiating with history and knowledge. I know you would enjoy lazily strolling through the streets and seeing all of the shops. I know you will love the campus of the University as much as I do.
Views from the River Thames
Oh how I want to take you on the River Thames in a kayak! What a great experience! I want to show you the unique view of Big Ben on the left and the London Eye on the right. I want to yell at you to paddle faster and sing songs with you so that the paddling doesn’t seem so hard.
 
 
 
Plays, pubs, shops, parks… I want to share them all with you. I can’t wait to bring you here and step inside the stone circle together. You know who you are.

Stone Reflections

"What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others." Pericles

There were many things I had hoped to do on this trip. One of my "can't miss" experiences was a visit to Stonehenge. Before I ever left the states, I researched tour companies, checked Trip Advisor reviews, and compared prices and excursions. I ended up booking a tour through Evan Evans Tours for a trip to Stonehenge, Oxford, and Windsor. The real draw of this tour was that it was a special access tour of Stonehenge, which meant I would be able to step inside the stone circle. It was an amazing experience, one that I think I'm still processing. One of our assignments for this course is to create a digital story. I knew that Stonehenge was a great topic for me. It also allowed me to reflect on my tour by talking through the experience. I am happy that I have so many great photos from that day - there are more of them that I didn't use for this project - but I am also happy that I can watch this short video and relive my emotions. I hope you enjoy it too!

It's a Boy!!

“What are little boys, made of? Frogs and snails, and puppy dog tails, that's what little boys, are made of.” Anonymous

I am sitting in my flat on Great Russell Street in the Bloomsbury area of London watching BBC News with my flat mates witnessing history happen. I’ve talked about the history in London before, but up until this point, it’s been history that has already happened. I am watching history unfold as I type: Prince William and Duchess Catherine – or Kate, affectionately, have had their baby. At 4:24pm London time today, a baby boy weighing 8lbs, 6oz was born at St. Mary’s Hospital. What an amazing time for England! I am more excited than I expected to be hearing the news. Just being in London as this is happening is really exciting. I am really looking forward to the coming days as the fervor continues as everyone all over the world await announcements of the name and statements from the parents. What a great time to be in London! Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on the birth of their son, the Prince of Cambridge, a baby that the royal doctor called “a wonderful baby, a beautiful baby.”

First Date with Paris

“We did talk about cheese on our first date.” Jane Kaczmarek

No caption needed on this one either.

No caption needed.

Somebody described Paris as a first date you regretted going on. A date that starts out awkward and makes you question why you agreed to go on the date in the first place. Halfway through the salad course, things start to turn around and you start thinking that it’s not that bad. You even think, hey, your date is actually kind of cute. You get ready to order dessert and find out that you are actually having a really great time and you might even order a second glass of wine. This is a very good description of Paris. It definitely started off like a blind date I wish I hadn't agreed to go on. Upon arrival at the Paris train station, I was greeted with signs EVERYWHERE warning me of pickpockets. Apparently that is a big problem in Paris. There were also guards (military? Police? I still haven't figured out which yet) strolling through the station in fatigues holding large automatic rifles. Needless to say that was *slightly* off putting. We ventured down to the Paris subway, or Metro, to catch our train to the Louvre. I am pretty sure that hell is a Paris subway and purgatory is the Louvre on a Friday (and probably every other day of the week). The Louvre is an amazing place that somehow manages to be both overwhelming and underwhelming at the same time. There are some impressive pieces, and I especially loved the Greek and Roman sculptures. The detail is incredible. We were not able to spend a lot of time at the Louvre and I'm sure one could spend whole days there. After the museum, it was time to see the iconic landmark of Paris, the Eiffel Tower (where more of my friends with the large guns were strolling around. Yikes.) It is definitely worth going up the lift to take in the view. Paris is a HUGE city, much larger than expected. We then ventured to Notre Dame. What a beautiful building. The architecture is unlike anything I've ever seen. We were able to take a boat cruise on the Seine, which was relaxing, though hot, as Paris is also experiencing a heat wave. The evening was capped off at a hole in the wall French restaurant that served the most amazing beef burgundy and featured a guitar and accordion player as entertainment. I have a few videos featuring a few of my classmates singing. Miguel, Lauren, and Melissa: I don’t know what I’m going to do with them, but I’m willing to be bribed.

Notre Dame. Beautiful.

Diana the Huntress.

This was a really nice ending to a fast paced, overwhelming, and honestly pretty stressful day. By this point, I was really on the fence as to whether or not I wanted to stay in Paris for the weekend. Knowing that it would be close to $200 to change my train ticket was a good motivator to stay. I have also been trying to step outside of my comfort zone during this trip, and Paris certainly qualified. I am actually glad I stayed. I met a group of my classmates at a wonderful little café Saturday morning before heading off to visit a museum and do some shopping. On Sunday morning, we waited for close to 2.5 hours (mostly in the sun where I received yet another sun burn. Sigh.) for a tour of the Catacombs. Even though the wait was long and I think we were all sun-drunk by the time we got down the stairs, it was well worth it. What a chilling and awe-inspiring place. I’ve seen documentaries on the catacombs and seen pictures, but it just doesn’t compare to walking through those tunnels and seeing skulls and femurs lining the walls on both sides. Photography was allowed, but somehow it just didn’t seem right to take pictures down there. It felt disrespectful somehow. I did feel privileged that I was able to have that experience.

I experienced a kind of epiphany when I stepped off the train in London. It had become familiar to me, and it had become comfortable. Even the smell in the Tube station was familiar. I can’t believe that after only two weeks I have come to feel at home in London. As happy as I was to be back, I do not regret for a second staying in Paris. I was able to spend quality time with some of my classmates that I haven’t really had a chance to talk to very much and I learned a lot from them. I also laughed a lot with them. It was nice to have that down time to enjoy each other’s company. Paris was an experience that I will never forget, not for the city, but for the people who made it such a great time.



To Shake the Family Tree

“People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them.”

James A. Baldwin

My favorite thing about England has been the history all around me. Even the 17th century building that I’m staying in has serious history in its walls. There just seems to be stories in every corner of London and I am doing my best to absorb them all. Today was definitely a day for soaking in the past as I visited the Tower of London. What an amazing place. The tower has many famous monarchs associated with it from 1066 through 1603. People like William the Conqueror, Edward I, Henry the VIII, and Queen Elizabeth I, just to name a few. It is also home to the Crown Jewels. One thing that really struck me as I ventured through that particular exhibit is the craftsmanship of each of the items. The crowns were one thing, but the ceremonial dishes used for coronations were incredible. I always find myself saying the same thing when I am going through exhibits like that: “They just don’t make stuff like that anymore.”



I got chills walking through the Tower of London grounds. This was not because London’s heat wave had suddenly broken (it hasn’t), but because I was imagining what life would be like in the 12th century on through the 17th century. I imagined people going about their business in the courtyard, trying to make ends meet. I can’t even fathom the challenges that came with medieval life.

 

Something that I also thought about while exploring the grounds was family trees. My mother’s uncle had the genealogy done on my maternal grandfather’s side a few years ago. It was an interesting read, to say the least. They were able to trace it back well into the 16th century. Those are my favorite pages to read. The first time I read through them, a name popped out at me: “Boleyn.” As it turns out, Sir William Carey, who married Anne Boleyn’s older sister Mary in 1520, is in my family tree. William’s story is rather tragic and includes enduring questions on the paternity of his children (spoiler alert, they might belong to Henry VIII). I still love reading the history though, and love even more that a piece of that history lives on in me. Knowing that has made me feel more connected to England somehow.

Dragon made of various armor.
His name is "Keeper."
Awesome name for a dragon.

Site of Anne Boleyn's Beheading

"The Queen's House," built by Henry VIII for Ann Boleyn.
Beefeaters in residence live there now.