Rhetorical Situation

The overall purpose of this multimodal project was to highlight the main contributing factors of The Great Resignation. The primary intended audience consists of various levels within the working class. Ranging from blue-collar to corporate executives, and aspiring entrepreneurs in all industries. The secondary audience would involve the inclusion of the business owners, CEOs, and shareholders. In addition, the conscious choice of a vlog genre allowed me to communicate informational context while utilizing a combination of different modes. Thus, I was able to effectively convey my views through this video medium. By partnering with social media platforms like YouTube, it extends the connective reach outside of the target audience.

Rhetoric and Design Choices

Throughout the design process, the goal was to keep the purpose at the core of the strategy. Therefore, the primary rhetorical plan was to use devices that would make the video more persuasive. For example, the insertion of my personal experience interrupted the chronological sequence of images and sound. This analepsis approach can shift the audience’s focus to something that occurred prior. Thus, allowing me as the main character, to convince, connect, and engage viewers. During my personal story, this was an opportunity to grant my viewers access to my perspective and pull them in. Therefore, I opted to not include background music because silence is also persuasive and can create suspense. Also revealing the person behind the voiceover makes me more credible. Once trust is earned I can successfully meet and exceed genre conventions. In addition to this rhetorical device, I employed design choices that aligned with design principles and the strategic purpose. Adobe Premiere Rush has a pan zoom feature that I used to emphasize certain elements that I desire to stand out. In addition, I added graphic overlays to drive the viewer’s eye. The incorporation of these features aids in the navigation of the audience’s focus. Thus, while highlighting the contrasting colors and other elements. Another goal during the design process was to make sure the presentation was clean and clear. Therefore I aligned all screen elements from the captions to overlays and more. For instance, some of the overlays are right-aligned, and most captions were centered at the bottom or top of the screen. This way every element had a visual connection with another and will not overwhelm viewers. In contrast, if I did want it to relate to that moment proximity was established. Proximity during this project was conveyed in various ways. For example, there are transitions between graphics, texts, and video elements through the vlog. Enhancement features like these allows the film to be organized and flow.

Throughout the design process, the goal was to keep the purpose at the core of the strategy. Therefore, the primary rhetorical plan was to use devices that would make the video more persuasive. For example, the insertion of my personal experience interrupted the chronological sequence of images and sound. This analepsis approach can shift the audience’s focus to something that occurred prior. Thus, allowing me as the main character, to convince and interest the engagement of viewers. During my personal story, this was an opportunity to grant the audience access to my perspective and pull them in. Therefore, I opted to not include background music because silence is also persuasive and can create suspense. Also revealing the person behind the voiceover makes me more credible. Once trust is earned I can successfully meet and exceed genre conventions. In addition to this rhetorical device, I employed design choices that aligned with design principles and the strategic purpose. Adobe Premiere Rush has a pan zoom feature that I used to emphasize certain elements that I desire to stand out. In addition, I added graphic overlays to drive the viewer’s eye. The incorporation of these features aids in the navigation of the audience’s focus. Thus, while highlighting the contrasting colors and other elements. Another goal during the design process was to make sure the presentation was organized. Therefore, I aligned all screen elements from the captions to overlays and more. For instance, some of the overlays are right-aligned, and most captions were centered at the bottom of the screen. This way every element had a visual connection with another and will not overwhelm viewers. In contrast, if I did want elements to relate proximity was established. Proximity during this project was conveyed in various ways. For example, there are transitions between graphics, texts, and video elements throughout the vlog. Enhancement features like these are beneficial to viewers and contribute to the clarity and overall flow of the video.

Sources and Assets

In support of the argument, points, and key ideas some fact-checking research on the topic was necessary. For instance, images from the prior week’s assignments, and other credible sources were incorporated. The sources used in both my web page and project were referenced through captions, narration, and credits. However, the purpose of this project was to connect with the audience and trigger emotion through a relatable and personal narrative. Therefore, hard facts were not the focus and were limited to a short section within the video. All sources and assets that were used yet not owned by myself are cited and permissible under the fair use principle.  

Successes and Failures

There were several successes and a few failures during the design stages of this project. For instance, attempting to film using natural lighting. This was a challenge because there have been a lot of cloudy and rainy days. Another challenge was in the attempt to incorporate rolling closing credits. My untimely discovery that the Adobe Premiere package I purchased did not include this upgrade feature. Therefore, I had to tap into my creativity to improvise closing film credits. However, I would not consider either of these experiences failures because I was able to overcome both. Although if I had more time or tool knowledge I would have worked on achieving the rolling closing credits because it was a design goal of mine. Overall, I feel that the skills acquired and design experience were a success alone even before receiving a grade.

In comparison to the start of this semester my understanding, skills, and newly adopted appreciation for digital tools and writing have expanded. With the rapid and ongoing changes in technology, I will always be a work in progress. Therefore, in moving forward I will continue to work on enhancing my digital skillset. In addition, the skills gained from this course have already been beneficial in other classes, like Design Thinking. I was among the few of my classmates that understood the basics of WordPress and vlogging. I am confident that my enhanced skills and knowledge will intersect with my future career and passions. For instance, the Master’s program I’m applying for involves digital communication and web design. Programs and hands-on classes like these are major contributing factors to remaining futuristic and relevant in this fast-paced digital world.