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Kenyon Stanley

Comm 648

Dr. McArthur

3 October 2011

Reflection: Digital Presentation #1

Creating my presentation was both fun and challenging. I found it difficult to find

a topic that would both inspire me and meet the criteria of the assignment. At first, I was

searching for material that would be of some use to my church. However, after several

hours of searching my library of Biblical references and literary texts, I decided to change

my focus.

In every one of my Communication classes, Hitler is used as a reference at least

once. I thought it would be fun to use one of Hitlers propaganda speeches and insert

images and sounds to change the meaning of a hateful speech into a motivating one.

After far too many hours of listening to Hitlers speeches, I deduced that Hitlers use of

the words Germany and National Socialist Party would let the audience know who

the speaker was. Therefore, any hope of changing the meaning of Hitlers speech would

be impossible. After all, its Hitler.

I began to get worried. I had invested six hours into this project and still didnt

have a topic. I liked the idea of quoting a maniac and changing the meaning of his/her

words. Thats when it hit me. Qaddafi. I googled Qaddafi speeches and immediately

found what I was looking for. In 2009, Qaddafi was asked to speak at the U.N. His

speech was exactly what I thought it would be. Out of touch with his people. I pulled

several quotes that Qaddafi used to build common ground with other leaders at the U.N.

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and juxtaposed them with pictures that would reflect how the majority of his people and

the world view the (now overthrown) dictator. Furthermore, I inserted some snarky

comments that I crafted to enhance the new message. Lastly, I wanted to solidify my

message through song. I listened to a lot of songs (e.g. Out of Touch Maniac Been

Caught Steeling etc.). I finally found the perfect song. Run to the Hills by Iron

Maiden. After all, Qaddafi is still on the run and the world will eventually hold him

accountable for his actions.

Creating this production opened my eyes to a new window of messaging. I

always knew that images, sequence and sound could enhance and change a message.

What I didnt realize is how changing the meaning of a text has the potential to evoke

powerful emotions. Controlling a message can be used for good or evil. We see it in

advertising all the time. For example, P.E.T.A. uses song and images to get people to

support the fight against animal cruelty. As the race to the White House continues to

develop, I plan to pay particular attention to the messaging. I have found yet another

communication topic that fascinates me.

Overall, I think that my presentation significantly changed the meaning of

Qaddafis speech. His speech was designed to build his leadership credibility among

other world leaders. Whether or not his speech achieved its goal is irrelevant. The

strategic use of song, war pictures and Libyan street art that projects the voice of the

Libyan people destroy any credibility that he ever hoped to achieve.

There are several ways that I could have improved my project. First, I just

recently purchased my first MacBook Pro. I am still getting used to the new incredible

programs. As my Mac literacy improves, so will the quality of my projects and the

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messages they produce. Second, originally I wanted to insert actual audio of his speech

to the U.N. However, the translator was choppy and difficult to understand. I remember

the presidential race between George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. When the Clinton

campaign used Bush Sr.s own words (Read my lips. No new taxes ) and then listed all

of the tax increases that occurred during Bush Sr.s presidency, the blow was devastating

to the Bush campaign. Using actual voices truly magnifies the effectiveness of reaching

and resonating with a target audience. Lastly, if I had more time, I would have liked to

get actual quotes from the Libyan people. My brother is currently in Libya doing

development work with U.S.A.I.D. He speaks to the people every day. The last two

pictures of my presentation are pictures my brother took in Tripoli. The street art

displayed in my presentation (and all over Libya) is a reflection of how the Libyan people

feel about Qaddafi. If I could have gotten actual quotes, it would have supplemented my

project in a very powerful way.

I thoroughly enjoyed creating the slide show. I learned a great deal about

messaging and I have increased the size of my communication toolbox. Looking forward

to the next project, the wheels in my mind are already turning. Whether or not I create a

project for my church, company or reflect on current events is not of concern to me.

What I want to do is stretch my capabilities so I can achieve the most growth.