Take Two

OK, now I'm a video editor. I've pieced together two separate clips from the trusty ol' Flip camera. In this lovely montage, you'll see Allie headbutting Spanky Mae, and Allie crunching on some tasty SunChips (and yes, Mom, I do feed that baby healthy food sometimes).

The best part of this video? The music. The Flip camera comes with about a half dozen free songs that you can use with your video footage. I thought the Top Gun vibe of "Speedway" complemented the scene where Allie headbutts Spanky Mae. See? It's all about editing.

Yippee! A video this time. Yes, it's cheesy, too.

This is all experimental, folks. I know millions of moms before me have posted much more sophisticated videos than the one you're about to see, but I'm just practicing right now--getting used to all the gadgets. I used a Flip Cam, and this took me all of about five minutes, including shooting time.

I promise I'll deliver more serious fare in the next few weeks, but given that this is the first time I've even turned on the Flip Cam, it's not too shabby.

Cheesy Slideshow, Testing, Testing

OK, folks. Like I said in the previous blog entry, Mario and I are writers. We like to challenge ourselves in our profession. Case in point: I'm taking an online course through MediaBistro. It's a course about multimedia applications in journalism.

Why am I taking this?

1. My employer is paying for it.
2. If you haven't noticed, there are lots more ways to tell stories these days--way beyond the written word. But since it's been almost 10 years since I graduated from journalism school, I need some help using some of crazy new storytelling tools:

• digital photography (OK, that's not new, but it is for me)
• audio (again, not new)
• audio slideshows (relatively new)
• video (not new)
• mixing all of the above (kinda new)
• tools that the reader provide feedback (pretty new, if you don't count good old fashioned letters to the editor)
• throwing all this stuff on the Web in one nice, neat little package (new and ever evolving)
  

So, for my MediaBistro course, I had this great idea to tell a story via video about a patient at the hospital where I work. I have the storyline planned out, the Flip Cam set up, permission from the patient's family, buy-in from the patient's docs--the whole nine yards. What I didn't count on was the difficulty in scheduling a 17-year-old high schooler who works, dances 30+ hours a week, and is about to start her senior year.

In other words, chances are slim that I'll be able to pull that story off for my MediaBistro class.

Good thing I have a back-up plan: The Funky Cold Medinas blog.

My assignment this week was to post some type of multimedia file to my blog. Below, you'll find a lovely slideshow of Allie engaging in her favorite pastime: spending time outside. Since the day this kid came home from the hospital, she has loved looking up at trees, feeling the bricks outside the house, picking up leaves, going on walks, pointing out squirrels and rabbits along the trails around our house, splashing in the pool, you name it.

Please pardon the cheesy music (Mario hates Jack Johnson*). This is my first try at an audio slideshow. Please stay tuned for much more sophisticated work.


*Speaking of Jack Johnson, Jack, please don't sue me for using your music on my little family slideshow. I mean no harm. Also, I like your music. Mario's not crazy about it. He says it's boring. He's a musician, though, so he's a big critic of all music. Don't mind him.

Meet the Funky Cold Medinas

Welcome to the first blog entry for "The Funky Cold Medinas." Let me start by introducing myself. I'm Melanie Medina.

I'm married to Mario Medina.

We have one daughter, Allie Medina, aka "Pieface."

We have another Medina on the way: Embryo Medina. Our first child, a pug, is Spanky Mae Medina.

Mario and I are both writers, though neither of us writes much these days. Mario is a big cheese at a custom publishing company, and I have sold out for a marketing role at a children's hospital in Dallas.

The topic for this blog is what it's like to be a funky cold Medina. I'm not real sure what that means right now, but I invite you, World, to follow me on this adventure as I figure it all out.