Anniversary No. 1 around the corner

What with our first anniversary 18 days away, this seemed a fitting time to share this video from our wedding. A more fitting time would have been 18 days from now, but oh well.

Dan and Annie's Awesome Wedding Slideshow

Enjoy at your own risk.

Teaching Idea (Film): What We Don't See

This is adapted from a lesson I saw taught at Columbia Heights High School during my observations, so I cannot take full credit. But here's the idea:

Purpose: Students will better understand how the use of sound can fill in visual gaps and actually create a stronger image in a viewer's mind.

Procedure:

Watch the shower scene from Psycho. First, do so with sound and video. Next, turn off the video but play the scene with audio. As they listen, as students to describe the sounds they hear. Finally, watch the scene a third time and ask the students to write down what shots seem to be missing in light of what they wrote down during the audio-only portion.

Depending on timing, the teacher could either hold a full-class discussion of the differences or could first break up students into small groups (probably just the students around them) to discuss what they wrote down. Then, during the full-class discussion, guide the conversation toward the concept that the sound of a stabbing can actually be more affective than seeing it, perhaps because our own imaginations are more powerful and visceral than what our eyes actually see.

Time: 20-30 minutes.

A real favorite of mine

I am pretty sure every Pixar movie is blessed with a fantastic opening scene, but the one that stands out to me most is the one beginning "Wall-E." Take a look below. I dare you not to cry. I know I will.

A few thoughts on the first minutes of "Wall-E"

These 8 minutes reveal a world that is poisoned, and we are given hints as to how and why but not every detail. This is important, because we are left wanting more information. Why is Wall-E the only robot left? Where are the humans? They must be in space, but why are we not shown them?

These questions beget more questions. This opening sequence - which contains no actual dialogue - sets the scene brilliantly. We are shown, not told but shown, the day of our main character. We see the world and his role in it, so we are oriented as the director wishes us to be and we are waiting to see what is going to happen next. Once hooked, an audience can be moved around much more easily.

But first, a brief hello

It seems unfair to leave my faithful readers (all ... zero of you) without a proper introduction. Consider this 6-minute vlog my hearty introduction.

Cooking made easy

After an exhaustive search of the Internet (well, about an hour-long odyssey) I found a solid video blog site that might be of interest. It is produced by a Minnesotan and is therefore superior to any similar sites produced by those from the other 49 states. Especially North Dakota.

I took a peek at Rob Barrett's site, Cooking for Dads. On it he offers, well, what the title suggests: basic recipes geared toward dads who may not really like to cook but are forced into it by circumstance.

With that in mind, his video blogs start with a 10-second intro and then starts cooking. The video I watched was 7 minutes long, which seems like the right amount of time for one of these. Much longer and I don't know if I would want to watch it all through. Unlike most "live" cooking shows, he doesn't have commercial breaks during which bread can rise, so he just cuts the down time between steps.

It is not a still shot; he has a camera person, which gives it a faster pace and much more interest. Also, he flashes text - tips, serving sizes, calories, etc - through the video so he doesn't need to talk through everything. The nice aspect of watching a recipe is that it takes out a lot of the ambiguity so often present in (poorly) written recipes.

Overall, the video is cleanly, tightly edited. It is easy to follow and interesting enough to hold attention for 7 minutes.

A hearty welcome

Good day, and welcome to A Lost Scotsman, where I, a born and bred Minnesotan, chronicle my time here in the United States as I search for a reason to return - forever - to Scotland, from where my ancestors long ago came.

I assume I'll limit my thoughts to travel, sports, and education, but if something else itches me, I won't hesitate to scratch it.