WRA 202 INTRODUCTION TO PROFESSIONAL WRITING
FALL 2005
PROJECT REFLECTION — PROJECT #2
NAME Carolyn LaPlante
1. What changes and decisions did you make in revision — and why?
The first change I made was to get rid of some graphics. It really was far too busy beforehand, and one picture conveyed the message as clearly as a few did. I also shortened my slogan. Before, it was "Because their first 15 minutes just weren't enough," and now it is "15 minutes of fame wasn't enough." Now, the connection between "15 minutes" and the phrase "15 minutes of fame" isn't ambiguous, and it also took out unnecessary words. I also eliminated the drop shadow on "Celebreality" because it didn't accomplish anything and made it look messy. Finally, I adjusted the placement of the text and pictures so that the final product had the principle of alignment.
2. What background or contextual information do you need to provide in order for Jim to evaluate your project? (Clue Jim in, in other words.)
Celebreality is a set of television shows on VH1 that puts former celebrities in "real life" situations. All of the people who star in the shows are basically Hollywood has-beens; they were famous for a little while but now they're left clinging to the spotlight. The people depicted on this board were cast members of "The Surreal Life," which is a spin off of the Real World (a reality show on MTV where strangers live in a house together), except this time it's a bunch of people with God-complexes all vying for attention.
3. Who is your intended audience for this billboard? How do you want to affect them, change them, or persuade them? How do you want to change their thinking?
The intended audience for this billboard would be people in my general age group (teens- 20's) who watch VH1. Hopefully this would show them that these shows are just a pathetic attempt for once-famous celebrities to get attention again. By saying "15 minutes of fame wasn't enough" I hope to point out 2 things: one, that these celebrities only had 15 minutes of fame for a reason; and two, that their time in the spotlight really was enough (this is where the irony comes in).
4. If you had to do this project over from start (or if you encountered a similar project in the future), what, if anything, would you do differently next time?
Next time around, I would probably choose a topic that is more universally recognized. Sure, a lot of people in my age group know about Celebreality, but I really never thought about the fact that it can be a completely foreign concept to some. Ultimately, I think a billboard would be more effective if it pertained to a wider audience.
5. What have you learned doing this project that is perhaps not evident in the final document itself? How about new technological knowledge? Were you pleased with what you learned using Photoshop — or (a) did you already know it, or (b) did Photoshop frustrate you in some way?
Before this project, I had never used Photoshop before. Now, I'm quite pleased that I have at least a basic idea of how to create or alter images. It was a bit frustrating at first, though, because I have never worked with "layers" before. It was a bit of an adjustment for me to get used to switching between the different levels, but I suppose that's something I'll get used to.
Also, this project emphasized the idea that less really can be more. I've been notorious in the past for trying to make projects as involved as possible, so it's no surprise that my first drafts were both too busy. It was really good for me to see the effect that minimalism can have, and how it's important for me to remember that it's appropriate for certain projects.