Created in a Media Writing class in 2014, The Motlow Buzz e-newspaper serves as an educational platform for students and the faculty members who teach them.
SMYRNA -- Nothing feels better than beginning a new life adventure. There’s excitement in the air as hundreds of students return and/or arrive for the first time to Motlow’s Smyrna campus. There are a host of activities scheduled this week to get everyone all revved up for Fall 2022.
This is only a small sampling of all the fun students can expect to have this fall here in Smyrna.
* Go-To-Crews will be on hand to welcome and answer any questions students have from 8 to 10 a.m. on Monday and Tuesday.
* Check out our Ice Cream Social from noon to 1:30 p.m. Monday.
* Game Day will occur from 2 to 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
* Enjoy Donuts with our Deans and Faculty members from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.
* Visit the HSC Lobby from 2-3:30 p.m. Wednesday and/or 11 a.m.-noon on Thursday for our Club and Resource Days. Tables will be laden with club information. Get involved! It’s a great opportunity to learn and grow in one's academic area of interest.
* Motlow Smyrna’s big Cookout will occur from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday.
Be sure to mark your calendar. Have fun and the take the opportunity to meet fellow students, faculty, administrators and staff. See you soon!
SMYRNA, Tenn. – Members of the Smyrna Entertainment, Arts and Media Club gathered in Room 320 of the Hiatt-Spivey Center in Smyrna on Nov. 19 to record segments of the upcoming third annual Motlow Holiday Traditions Show.
The SEAM Club released the video in December before Christmas Day on Motlow Buzz Radio at YouTube. To watch the video, click on this link: https://youtu.be/b21j5dBPi6M
It includes performances and/or presentations by Club President and Emcee Megan Goble, Vice President Tatiana Diallo, Secretary/Treasurer Mary Hill, Graphics Director Neo McLeod, Video Editor Adrian Jimenez, student Alexandria Williams, Librarian Paige Hendrickson, Professor Robert Fitzgerald, and Professors/SEAM Club Advisers Charles Whiting and Robert Davenport.
Motlow Speech Professor Robert Davenport explained what the show means to him. “It’s a fun time for students and faculty to share their joy of the season… to not only perform, read poetry, maybe tell stories, “Davenport said. “It’s a unique time where students and teachers can participate together.”
Performances will feature readings, guitar, singing, and showings of visual art. The show will include pre-recorded videos and a special holiday greeting from club members.
SEAM Club members cut up at Rehearsal (Photo by Charles Whiting)
The club has been meeting since the end of September, planning the show by figuring out performances, writing the script, scheduling the recording of the videos, and editing them together to make the final product before the holidays arrive.
The show allows club members, students, administrators, and staff to be part of something together and express their meanings of the holidays.
SEAM Club Graphics Director and Mass Communications major Neo McLeod said why they are excited to be a part of the show. “I honestly think just being a part of something for the holidays is nice,” McLeod said. “My family is not too big on gathering together, so this is fun and new for me.”
Students and staff alike have spoken on the “Motlow Holiday Traditions Show” being a reason for them to spread their joy together, especially during a time where people may not be able to celebrate with family members and friends.
SEAM Club Secretary/Treasurer and Art major Mary Hill speaks on why gathering together was important to her. “Ever since this pandemic started, it was so hard finding a way to be together with others,” Hill said. “This, for me, was the best opportunity I've had in a long time to reconnect with the SEAM Club and feel that sense of togetherness and unity again.”
As the end of the year approaches, many students feel it is important to be part of the show and to continue spreading positivity and joy during a stressful time of the year.
Students, as well as teachers, are rushing against deadlines. This show is an opportunity for students and staff to slow down and be reminded of the holiday season.
“It’s a stressful time of the year with papers and all of that, and frankly there are some students really struggling with different things,” Davenport added. “Not just academics, but personal life and so on, and I think it’s a great way for us to spread some cheer and positive encouragement, reinforcement, to get ready for the new year.”
Many individuals involved with Motlow State Community College have been through very rough times due to the pandemic, and it has had lasting effects. It is always important to remain kind, especially during the holidays when someone may be struggling.
The show provides a positive outlet for the Motlow community to express their art in a shared, safe and diverse environment.
Former SEAM Club members created the first two shows in 2019 and 2020, and current members wanted to acknowledge the hard work and keep it going. The show will be presented virtually for the second year.
The “Motlow Holiday Traditions Show” is a perfect example of resilience during these challenging times. It proves that students and staff are still willing to contribute positivity to their community even when it is not easy.
“I think the students have done a really good job,” Hill added. “Considering multitasking with club duties along with school and work, it was a little difficult on all of us, but we've managed well.”
Although these times have been challenging, things are going back to a new normal. SEAM Club members were able to meet on the Motlow Smyrna Campus for some of their recordings.
While they are able to meet on campus, most of the show has been planned and accomplished through many online meetings. Current SEAM members hope to lead by example along with past members.
Just because so many students were physically separated for a while does not mean they have to be alone. Motlow students and staff have done a great job on keeping clubs, meeting, and togetherness around.
“It’s been such a long time since I’ve been in a physical classroom with other students and just got to talk and be a person,” McLeod added. “It was a great experience to have after such a long gap of time.”
The SEAM Club, staff and other participating members hope that everyone will take the time to watch the video once it has been released.
Further announcements on the release of the holiday show video will be provided by Communications Professor and SEAM Club Adviser Charles Whiting on The Motlow Buzz. The SEAM Club wishes everyone a safe and Happy Holidays!
SEAM Club members hope to welcome more students during the Spring semester to participate in future shows, as well as the fourth annual Talent Show.
For more information about the Smyrna Entertainment, Arts and Media Club, write cwhiting@mscc.edu.
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Two local Murfreesboro residents will open up their own cat with coffee café called Catfeine this summer to help adoptable rescue cats find forever homes while serving tasty beverages simultaneously.
Curtis and Taura Byrd were watching an episode of Shark Tank in 2015 when the idea of a cat café first popped into their minds.Since then, they have been working hard to bring the coffee and cat café to Murfreesboro. Unfortunately, they have not released the address for Catfeine yet, but they have hinted that it will be located in downtown Murfreesboro. At first, The Byrds were considering opening Catfeine, the coffee and cat café, in Nashville, but ultimately decided on Murfreesboro because they live there and because the city has plenty of cat lovers. After Catfeine’s Facebook page was created in summer of 2017, the demand for a cat café in Murfreesboro skyrocketed.
Curtis and Taura Byrd
The Byrds have been working closely with the Rutherford County Health Department to ensure that everything in the café will be up to code. There will not be any cat hair in the coffee. The area where coffee is prepared will be separated from the cat lounge.There also will be a separate area for the litter boxes so that the cats have their own private area away from customers. “The cats will have a separate ‘no humans allowed’ area where they can get away if they need a break," said Curtis Byrd. “Only their caregiver will be allowed to enter," Taura Byrd added. "One of the very reasons we want to have a cat lounge adoption environment is due to the countless number of times we've had to complain at a local big box pet store about the condition of the cages the cats are in, It is terrible. Cats should not have to lie in their own filth. This turns prospective adopters away because it gives the perception that cats are dirty. We promise to keep a super clean and healthy environment for both the cats and the humans!”
The Byrds plan to have a cat lounge where customers can sip coffee while petting the cats. There will be an hourly rate for access to the lounge to help underwrite the cost to take care of the cats, and maintain the café. They plan to offer monthly memberships to customers who plan to visit often. There will be student discount options as well. Catfeine will be a place to relax before or after classes or even to study for finals, even if the temptation to pet the cats is strong.
Some potential customers expressed disappointment when it was revealed that there will be an hourly rate to access the cat lounge. “While we would love to provide this as a free experience, we simply cannot afford to. Said Curtis Byrd. “Caring for the cats can be quite expensive.We're providing care, food, shelter, toys and tons of litter, just to name the basics.The cover charge will help ensure The Byrds are able to provide cats with the care they need and a roof over their heads. “We will do everything we can to keep the cost to a minimum,” Curtis Byrd continued.“Spots will be limited each hour, so reservations will be highly encouraged to ensure cat lovers get their kitty fix.”
Food will not be prepared onsite, but Catfeine will have baked goods prepackaged from a local bakery. Olive Branch Bakery, a local bakery in Murfreesboro, will be providing Catfeine with bakery goods. The bakery specializes in macaroons and other cat shaped pastries.
The Byrds said that Murfreesboro needs a cat café and there is no better time than 2018. People love coffee and cats, so why not combine the two while helping cats in need of homes. To learn more about Catfeine, visit http://www.catfeine.net.
SMYRNA-- Every year millions of animals without homes are euthanized due to overpopulation. Overpopulation is one of the more popular reasons people tell you to spay/neuter, and they have a point.
According to the Humane Society, “About 2.4 million healthy, adoptable cats and dogs--- about one every 13 seconds--- are put down in U.S. shelters each year. Often these animals are the offspring of cherished family pets. Spay/neuter is a proven way to reduce pet overpopulation, ensuring that every pet has a family to love them.” To learn more about overpopulation visit http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/pet_overpopul
My cat, Malachite.
Health benefits:
Overpopulation is not the only reason you should consider altering your pet. On average, pets that have been altered live longer than pets who are not. Pets who remain intact also have a higher chance of developing deadly diseases. Spaying can decrease the likelihood that your pet will have uterine infections or develop breast tumors.
Most reputable veterinarians will suggest that you schedule the procedure prior to your female pet’s first heat cycle in order to dramatically decrease their chances of developing any of these diseases and to decrease the likelihood that they will develop behavioral issues throughout their life.
When it comes to male pets, neutering them at a young age can prevent them from developing unwanted aggressive attitudes and can decrease their likelihood of developing testicular cancer or other prostate issues. Unaltered male pets sometimes roam away from home in order to find a mate which can cost them their life. Some of these unaltered pets who get loose in order to mate will get hit by our vehicles, end up at the shelter, or ultimately die from starvation.
Behavioral Benefits:
Male pets especially benefit behavioral wise from neutering. Unaltered male pets have higher levels of testosterone in their bodies. High levels of testosterone in male animals can cause urine marking, disobedience, territorial aggression, and even aggression towards other animals- specifically other male animals.
Female pets have behavioral issues that can be corrected with altering as well! Female pets that are not spayed are prone to display aggressive attitudes, and they are more likely than altered females to have rapid mood swings.
Cost Effective
On average, spaying and neutering can cost anywhere from $50 to $250. There are some programs in the area that cost more than $300, but for most people those kind of options are really unrealistic. There are a couple of programs in Rutherford County that are free or very low cost.
Programs in Our Area:
P.A.W.S in Murfreesboro offers the procedure at no cost, but this program is first-come first-serve. If you are lucky enough to get on their long wait list, it can take several weeks before they have an opening! Click the link down below for more information on their free spay/neuter program.
Beesley Animal Clinic is another good option for those who are on a budget. In order to be considered for their program, your pet has to be up to date on all vaccines, which they can provide at an additional cost. The procedure is more expensive for female pets, and the price increases for larger pets. To learn more visit http://www.beesleyanimalclinic.com/services
This is my rescue puppy, Violet.
My Experience:
Premier VetCare is another great program in our area. I actually scheduled my puppy’s spay surgery through Premier, and I was really impressed with their hospitality and with how quickly my puppy healed. On average, their base price for the surgery is $70. Of course this initial price increases quite a bit when you add on other services such as a wellness check, blood work, and microchipping. I decided to pay the extra money to insure my pet was getting the best option available but still within a reasonable price. In the end, I paid $200. I think that price is reasonable considering everything that was included.
My puppy received a wellness checkup to insure she was healthy enough for surgery. They did full blood-work on her just to make sure she did not have any life-threatening diseases or ailments, and she was microchipped. She healed up very nicely, so I definitely recommend Premier Vetcare. For more details, visit http://premiervetcare.co/
MURFREESBORO,
Tenn. – Portrait and landscape Photographer Thomas Sanders spoke to students
and faculty at Middle Tennessee State University on Nov. 9, telling them that “Photographing
and honoring the veterans act as a an opportunity for them to tell their story.”
Sanders
has received national notoriety for a touring exhibition of photos called “American
Heroes: Portraits of Service.” He traveled the country photographing and
interviewing hundreds of veterans from World War II, the Korean War, and the
Vietnam War.
More
than 50 students and faculty gathered in the BAS State Farm Room at 6:30 p.m.
to hear Sanders describe his war-related work and share some of the stories of
the veterans he photographed. Storytelling has always been part of Sanders’
life. He was deeply inspired by his grandfather, who also dedicated his life
and career to photography.
Photo by David Delgado
“My grandfather was
a professional photographer for part of his life,” said Sanders. “Storytelling
has been part of my whole life because of him.”
Sanders has used a
good portion of his work to honor World War II veterans. Sanders used
PowerPoint to show present-day images of the vets he photographed. He shared moving
stories if soldiers provided them. One of the first World War II Vets he
interviewed, Randel Paris, pulled down his pants to show a scar in his lower
abdomen. He received the scar during a battle in Italy. He witnessed his accompanying
commander triggering an S-mine and dying instantly. During the battle, Randel triggered
an S-mine himself. The shrapnel hit his stomach and his intestines came out. He
took his canteen belt and cinched it around his stomach to survive.
Photo by David Delgado
A place where
Sanders draws inspiration comes from fellow photographers Jeff Wall and Pieter
Hugo. When the lecture was done, Sanders opened himself up for questions about
his life and work. Several members of the audience asked questions.
When asked what
adversities he sometimes faces, the artist said, “Challenges I face would be
language barriers, and sometimes I would photograph the vets and ask them if
they wanted to do an interview. Sometimes they did not.”
He added that he
enjoys photographing current soldiers as well and would love to do a book on
all of the wars.
Attendees
were invited to visit the Baldwin Photographic Gallery at the College of Media
and Entertainment to see the photos featured in his PowerPoint presentation. Many
students snapped pictures while admiring the art with the people who organized
the event. There was also a line to speak to Sanders and get autographs.
Photo by David Delgado
“The Baldwin Photographic Gallery
hosts up to four exhibitions each academic year,” said event organizer Jackie
Heigle, curator and associate professor of photography. “It is important for
the students to experience exhibitions of photographic works on and off campus,
and to hear the stories of these ‘real world’ photographers who might inspire
the students more directly to be aware of the challenges and the rewards of
hard work, business acumen, and personal style."
“I think he is a very interesting photographer who has done
well in the span for himself,” said Andrew Miller, an MTSU student who attended
the event. “I think the pieces are wonderful and very high quality. I love the
expressions and the life you can feel coming from them. I hope this is a
tribute that can live on to honor and memorialize these people and their place
in history. For better or for worse, documenting history is important from an
event standpoint as well as an individual.”
Photo by David Delgado
To stay connected and learn about
other events that are going on at MTSU, including the Photography Department, visit
http://www.mtsu.edu/whatsup/
SMYRNA, Tenn. -- The next two weeks will offer
plenty of fun, educational and creative activities on the Motlow Smyrna campus.
Here's an overview:
* Oct. 23-27 (Monday-Friday): Motlow’s Smyrna campus will
host the Oskar and Emilie Schindler
Exhibit for five days in October, giving students a chance to learn more
about their lives. Wall panels for the exhibit will display previously
unpublished photographs, maps and narratives that describe the heroics the
Schindlers showed during World War II. The display will show more than what
director Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film “Schindler’s List” starring Liam Neeson
was able to. Students can look forward to an in-depth look at the lives of the
Schindler family as they risked their lives to save thousands of Jews from Nazi
concentration camps. The exhibit will be on display during regular campus
hours from Oct. 23-27 (Monday-Friday) inside the lobby of the Marylou Apple
Science – Technology – Allied Health Building. Admission is free.
* Oct. 24 (Tuesday): Internationally awarded Nashville
visual artist Camille Engel will
share insights on her art exhibition at the Parthenon during a one-hour talk in
the STAH Student Lounge on Oct. 24 (Tuesday). Engel will speak from 2-3 p.m. as
part of Motlow Smyrna’s “Famous Communicators Speakers Series.” Her exhibition,
“My Tennessee Home,” features original contemporary realism paintings that
depict state symbols such as the state beverage, cultivated and wild flowers,
fruit, wild animal, insects, butterfly, gem, reptile, fish and more.
* Oct. 31 (Tuesday): Motlow’s Smyrna campus will host its Fall Festival on Oct. 31, providing
plenty of activities to relieve midterm stress and accumulate Tennessee Promise
service hours. Fall Festival will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in the STAH Lobby
and on the grassy areas between the two buildings on campus. Free activities
such as pumpkin painting, a poetry session, cornhole, and volleyball will be
available. There also will be a bake sale at the “Flavors of Fall” booth. A songwriters show will spotlight tunesmiths and poets. Food
trucks will be on hand to provide refreshments to participants. Despite the
immense growth in the number of students attending Motlow, Fall Festival
committee member Candace Grissom is confident that every student will have a
chance to participate.
Are you in need of
Tennessee Promise service hours?
Come to the History
Club’s Campus Cleanup Day from 9 a.m.-noon on Sept. 30.
Volunteers will spend
Saturday morning cleaning the classrooms, common areas, café, library and
grounds (so there will be projects for everybody!). Students can earn one to three
service hours for Tennessee Promise.
Check in with Club Advisor
Ramona Shelton in the café area of the STAH building and help us make Motlow
shine!
SMYRNA,
Tenn. – Motlow Smryna will be busier than ever this fall, with hundreds of
additional students (and many more vehicles to park). That’s why it’s so
important to follow the college’s parking and safety rules. Otherwise, you
might have a fine to pay.
According
to Motlow Director of Public Safety Ray Higginbotham, the college has developed
a policy to help facilitate the orderly and efficient flow of traffic on all
campuses, to provide a safe atmosphere for both pedestrians and motor vehicle
operators, and to provide order with regard to parking within limited
space.
“It is critical that everyone
review this policy in order to understand their responsibilities and ensure they
are adhering to the policy,” Higginbotham said.
As enrollment numbers continue to
increase, parking spaces will become more limited and motor vehicle traffic on
each campus will continue to increase. He
encourages students, faculty, administrators and staff to get their vehicles
registered and to correctly place assigned decals on their lower back
windshields as soon as possible. The decals, which never expire, are free to
students and $10 for faculty. To register and receive a decal, visit the front
office in the Smyrna Classroom Building.
Motlow Smyrna adds a temporary parking lot for the fall semester.
The Motlow State Public Safety
Department is responsible for enforcement of the Parking and Traffic
policy. Officers of the Motlow State
Public Safety Department will be monitoring parking and traffic on campuses to
ensure all vehicles are properly decaled and parked in the right place. Motlow State Community College requires the
registration of vehicles and/or the issuance of permits on campus for effective
enforcement of campus traffic and/or parking regulations. Everyone should pay close attention to
assigned parking spaces, such as spaces marked for “Handicap” parking,
“Faculty/Staff” parking, “Student” parking, and “Visitor” parking. Students, faculty, staff and visitors must
park only in the appropriately designated areas. Students, faculty or staff, should never park
in “Visitor” parking.
“Do not park on any grassy areas
unless signs indicate it is allowed,” he added. “Violators of our Parking and
Traffic policy will be ticketed.”
Higginbotham noted that the old
hang tag-style parking permits, which were hung on rearview mirrors, are no
longer allowed and must be replaced immediately with a current parking permit
decal. If one has a hang-style parking
permit, it must be removed immediately and discarded. Citations will be issued
for vehicles that do not have the Motlow parking permit decal in the correct
location.
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- Middle Tennessee State University theatre students performed the well- known drama “A Streetcar Named Desired” to a sold out crowd at Tucker Theatre on April 6.
The Tennessee Williams play, which is set in 1940s New Orleans, is known for the chaos Blanche Dubois creates when she moves into her sister’s,Stella Kowalski apartment. Blanche has very high standards and morals compared to her sister, and the people in New Orleans. She has a rough time adjusting to their way of life.
Blanche also has numerous arguments with her brother-in-law, Stanley Kowalski. Blanche’s indiscreet past comes to light in an argument with Stanley, which makes everyone think less of her. Stanley realizes that Blanche is making up stories and events that happened in her life that didn’t happen, even though Blanche thinks they did. The tension builds throughout the play until Blanche is taken away by doctors to a mental institution.
“When we were deciding what kind of play to do this semester, this particular drama was an easy one to choose,” said MTSU Artistic Director Marsha Barksy. “ It is a play that has been done for years, and our actors were very eager to do this play.”
Blanche Dubois was played by Hannah Ewing. She used an authentic Mississippian accent to pull the audience in. Her well-spoken lines and movement kept theatre-goers guessing what was going to happen next.
Connor McCabe drew applause for playing the hot-tempered Stanley. The arguments between Stanley and Blanche felt real.He nailed the role of a man with a vicious temper.
Having a modern theatre like Tucker Theatre gives us advantages that some other theatres do not have,” said Stage Manager Megan Inmon. “ We were able to have a streetcar sound effect go over the speakers. So it sounded like a real streetcar being stopped outside of the apartment just as it would in real life.”
The talent of the artistic staff brought the well-known drama to life. The stage featured the Kowalskis’ apartment, as well as a second-floor apartment for their friends, Steve Hubbell and Eunice Hubbell. The artistic staff created real stairs that connected the two apartments, acting as a door for actors and actresses to enter and exit the stage.
“We also had an opening and closing door sound effect so actors would not have to rely on a real door”said Inmon. Sometimes they can get tricky, and it allowed our actors and audience to use their imagination.”
Another way the talent of the artistic staff shined was the way the background was created. A green screen was projected in the very back of the stage that would change colors based on what time it was during the day. Powerlines were projected on the screen that connected to prop streetlights created by the artistic staff, this giving the effect that a real streetlight was made.
Of course, every successful drama has a great production staff, and “A Streetcar Named Desire” had one. The scene changes were smooth and fast. The sound engineers mastered a state-of-the-art speaker system, giving the audience a well-defined, crisp sound of the actor’s voices. The lighting crew never missed a beat, dimming the lights when they were supposed to, and spotlighting the actors when needed. Needless to say, “A Streetcar Named Desire” was what every audience member and theatre lover could ever hope for, a perfect play that everyone from the actors to the sound crew to the directors handled professionally.
The next scheduled play at MTSU is “How I Learned To Drive,” which will take place at Studio Theatre from Oct. 4-13. Anyone interested in pursuing theatre at MTSU can find more information at http://www.mtsu.edu/programs/theatre/.
SMYRNA, Tenn. -- It is no surprise
that the Smyrna Motlow State Community College Center is Tennessee’s fastest
growing college with 2,500 students this spring semester, much to the credit of
Gov. Bill Haslam’s vision of Tennessee Promise.
Haslam’s Tennessee Promise has been a
resounding success. With that success has come a fast-paced 32 percent rate of
growth between the fall of 2014 and 2016. The two-building Smyrna Motlow State
Community College campus currently has only 33,000 square feet. The classrooms
are packed with 35 students each, teachers sharing small closet-sized offices,
no area to host large lectures or a large gathering, and a small overcrowded
library. The need for this new addition is greater now than ever before.
The rapid enrollment at the Smyrna
Campus has led to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and Board of
Regents both prioritizing the Smyrna Motlow’s third building as the number one priority
in Tennessee for higher education.
The cost of the new 79,443-square-foot
building is $27 million. The college is required to raise $2.7 million or 10
percent from local sources such as nonprofits, local county, and municipal
governments.
The new three-story building will be
located at the northwest corner of the campus. It will host a much-needed 22 classrooms,
one-stop shop for recruiting and financial aid, physics lab, general biology
lab, computer science lab, art lab, chemistry lab, anatomy and physiology lab, EMS
lab, nursing lab, medical technician lab, mechatronics lab, 15 private faculty
offices, and additional office space. Students will be pleased with the new Cyber
Café, which will provide seating for students to interact, study, eat, and much
more. In order to be more efficient with space, rooms can be utilized together
to accommodate up to 350 students. The new library will boast over 6,500 square
feet and be available to the general public as well.
“I’m very excited about the new library,
which will host 60 computers, open space for 60 students, eight group study
rooms, stack space for up to 10,000 volumes and more,” said Campus Librarian
Paige Hendrickson. “The students are extremely excited about not only the new
library, but also the new Cyber Café.”
In 2014, Tennessee was the only state
offering a wide-reaching program that gave recent high school graduates the
chance to go to community college without paying tuition. With the ever-increasing
cost of a college education, Tennessee Promise came as a relief to many
struggling families and students. College tuition debt has amassed to $1.4
trillion today, leaving the average college graduate with roughly $37,000 in
student debt, up 6 percent from last year, according to the Federal Reserve.
Educational experts say Tennessee's
example as a higher education trailblazer could help shape higher education
policy for years as students move through the education pipeline. The Tennessee
Promise is an increasingly popular model as Tennessee plays an important role
in the education debate.
Many may not be aware that the campus
library is open to the general public, which helps with those who may not have Internet
access and who may want to apply for jobs online, email or other needs. For more information on how to get involved
with Motlow State and the great things that are happening, visit www.mscc.edu or call (615) 220-7800.
Haslam’s ‘Drive to 55’ Initiative sets the goal to
increase the percentage of Tennesseans with a postsecondary credential to meet
Tennessee’s current and future workforce and economic needs. The governor has championed both his tuition-free college
and the Drive to 55 initiative. For more information on Tennessee Promise
or Drive to 55, visit www.TnPromise.gov or www.Driveto55.org
Hey everyone! My name is Huy Bui at Huy Bui – Freelance Motion Designer and Video Editor. I started working on motion design, video editing, and visual effects in 2012 as a hobby. Since then, it has grown into a passion and my dream career. All of my knowledge and skills come from online tutorials, blogs like Video Copilot and Creative Cow, and my own experiences with various software.
My favorite go-to program for motion designing and video editing is Adobe After Effect. You can also use Adobe Premier, designed for video compositing and editing. However, as far as my experience goes, I’ve found Adobe After Effect can do everything Premier can do, just as a more advanced workplace and parameter. Adobe Premier is great for beginners, or for individuals who just want to do video editing and compositing. For advanced motion design and visual effects, After Effect is one of the best choices out there.
After Effect's user interface
Adobe After Effect has the power to edit, cut, color correct, color grade, add visual elements to footage or the composition, add 3D visual effects and many more. Because After Effect can utilize third-party plug-ins, it can do almost anything from basic video cutting and compositing to complex 3D animation and rendering. I will be focusing on this program in this article. It is not as hard to use as most people think. When you get familiar with the After Effect’s user interface, shortcuts and the plug-ins, it will be very easy and straight-forward to use.
We will start with the first step of creating any kind of contents, importing your project file, and setting up your composition. To the far left side of the program interface, you will find the “Project” tab. It is where all of your footages, compositions, layers and assets will be stored. To import your files, you can double click on the empty space on the “project” tab, or go to File > Import. You can import a wide variety of media files such as mp4, mp3, png, jpg, mov and many more. After getting all of your files imported, you are ready to create a composition.
Think of After Effect as the way you cook. Everything in the “project” tab are your ingredients, all original, raw, fresh and unseasoned. “Composition” is like your kitchen or where you cook. A kitchen is where you start using your ingredients. You can cut, mix, season, fry and boil your ingredients, then put them all together for a finished meal. Likewise, “Composition” is where you work with your “ingredients.” You can cut, mix, copy, edit, and time them. You can even create your own elements in After Effect. They will also be stored in “Project.”
You can click on the “composition” button underneath the project tab, or you can go to Composition > Create New Composition. From there you can pick out a preset for your comp, or you can customize it yourself. After Effect comes with a variety of video presets, including dvd, 1080p, 2k, 4k and more. However, you can set it to your desired resolutions, frame rate, duration and aspect ratio. Frame rate is essentially how many frames or images are there in 1 second. The more frames per second or “frame rate,” the smoother your video will be. The movie industry standard for cinematography is 24fps (frame per second). Most smartphones nowadays shoot video in 30fps or 60fps. The number can even go higher with professional cameras. Aspect ratio will define the “Shape” of your video. It is the ratio between the width and height of your format. Wide-screen format will have an aspect ratio of 16:9 (16 width value to 9 height value), which is what everything is formatted into in the modern day.
After creating a composition, it will appear on your timeline as a blank document, and the review screen will be empty. That changes when you drag and drop your files from the project windows into your composition and start working on them. You can use your mouse to drag and drop each layer around the timeline, cutting it by using CTRL + SHIFT + D, or duplicating using CTRL + D. You can adjust the parameter of each layer, including scale, position, rotation, opacity, and or 3D parameter if you are working in a 3D environment.
The preview and timeline tab for your composition
“Scale” will let you control the size of each layer in your composition. You increase the percentage to make it bigger, or decrease the percentage to make it smaller. There are actually 2 percentage values in “Scale”, one for width and the other for height. They are linked together by default, so you still maintain the same aspect ratio when you “scale” it. “Position” will let you control where your layers will be in the video. It has X, Y and Z parameters (if you are working in a 3D environment). X is horizontal, Y is vertical, and Z is depth. Rotation is quite straight-forward and self-explanatory. It will let you rotate the layer to however you want. Opacity will let you control the “appearance” of the layer, with 100 percent being fully appeared, and 0 percent being fully disappeared. The percentage between them will give the “ghost” effect.
Basic parameters for any layer
There is a very easy platform for animating almost any parameter in After Effects called keyframe. For example, say that you want to animate the scale parameter of a layer so that it looks like the layer is expanding largely. You can adjust your time indicator on the timeline to where you want to begin your animation. Once you have done that, click on your layer and press “S” to bring up the scale parameter, then you can start a keyframe by clicking on the stop watch button before scale. When you progress your time indicator and increase the layer scale, it will automatically create another keyframe as you are making changes.
How does keyframe work? The value set on parameters at a certain time will shift along with your inputs. In this case, the original keyframe we set earlier has a smaller scale than the second keyframe. Therefore, as you move your time indicator through the timeline, you will see the scale value is increasing between the two keyframes. That is the basics of compositing layers and assets. From there you can start putting in desired effects accordingly. It can be color grading, shading, color correction, animation, etc. After Effect potential is virtually limitless.
It is very important to color correct and color grade your videos. It will add more details to your work and give it a cinematic feel. Depending on the mood or content of the scene, color grading might vary. For example, you might want to color grade your video to a warm color scheme for an action scene, or blue color scheme for a relaxing scene.
The effect list
Many people confuse color correction with color grading. Color correction means correcting the contrast, brightness, highlights and shadows to the desired look. For example, your original footage might be too bright, so you will color correct it to be darker, adding more contrast, etc. Then you can proceed to color grade your video after correcting it.
Drop-down list of effects under Color Correction
Using the curves effect
After you’ve finished working on your composition, you can save it as a project file, a very small save file that will let you save all of the work you have done. It will also let you open your project and composition as you last saved it by clicking File > Save. You also have the option to export your composition into a media file. Using the “add to render queue” under the composition tab, you can choose your media export file type such as avi, mp4, mov, etc. You also can tweak with the quality, resolutions, audio quality and frame rate as well. Then there you have it, the basic steps of video editing in Adobe After Effects.
You can also check out Andrew Kramer’s amazing After Effect and 3D tutorial at http://www.videocopilot.net/. He is a VFX and motion design genius. My personal work and skills are heavily influenced by him. There are plenty of tutorials ranging from graphic design and motion graphics to visual effects and 3D animation.
Another great site for blogs and tutorials on After Effect is Creative Cow. You can check out their library here https://library.creativecow.net/. Creative Cow is a large community that consists of visual effect editors, motion designers, filmmakers and 3D animators. They have many useful articles and tutorials that will strengthen your editing skills.
