3 simple words with a powerful meaning. “Ideation in Action”. This is not just sitting around brainstorming. This is where ideas become actionable plans in the process of execution to make something real.
There is a process involved for ideas to become actionable and it involves both “Design Thinking” and “Scientific Method” for successful results. The process is to first inquire, play, discover, document, design, develop, deploy, update, reflect, share. While doing this and especially after the process involves the scientific method of research, hypothesize, predict, experiment, apply, analyze, conclude, and communicate. These steps are critical to successful execution of ideas in action.
Ideation in action is when Ideas stop living in the mind and begin to take shape through these steps. As the idea takes shape it gains creative momentum, and the inspiration becomes a tangible asset used in our websites, photography practices, image editing, or other workflows.
No great website or product has come to be without ideation in action. When ideas just live in our minds, they never become reality. Ideas must be explored and analyzed before we know if they are worth doing. When we do this we have possibility of creating the next new big thing.
Drawing is our oldest technology for thinking and sharing ideas. This technology allowed us to evolve through visual problem solving. By drawing, people could record events and communicate new ideas long before written language had even been a thought in our minds. As we continue to explore caves, we continue to find drawings created by early humans that depict stories, plans and beliefs. This is significant because it shows drawing as a tool used for thinking and planning leading to evolving communication.
Just like writing shows thought processes, drawing is visual thinking that helps us to see patterns and solutions in a clearer way than words can. Drawing is fast and universal. Simple shapes such as circles, squares, lines, and arrows can show complex ideas instantly. This can lead to easier communication universally and convert small thoughts into multi-million-dollar companies or revolutionary technology.
“Digital Storytelling” is a powerful tool that takes drawing technology to a whole new level. This can include video, audio, animation, photography, and interactive media on a digital interface such as a cell phone or computer and often accessed through the internet. When we use digital storytelling as a tool, we create immersive and emotionally resonant experiences that can captivate audiences and encourage them to invest in us both mentally and financially.
“Infographics” is yet another way that drawing technology has evolved and is a way to convey information with little user effort required. This usually includes charts, icons, images, and text. This can be helpful for making sales or securing contracts.
This summer, I set out on a creative mission: to capture the soul of the Olympic Peninsula through my lens. What a journey it turned out to be. From the charming streets of Port Townsend to the rugged coastline of La Push. I followed the winding beauty of the Olympic Discovery Trail, camera in hand and heart wide open.
Along the way, I filmed sweeping vistas and hidden gems. The kind of natural magic that makes you stop and just breathe. The trail itself is a masterpiece—an ever-changing canvas of forest, shoreline, and mountain views. But I didn’t stop there. I ventured off the beaten path to document nearby spots that every adventurer should have on their radar. Think secret beaches, misty overlooks, and golden hour moments that feel like they were made just for you.
The behind-the-scenes video I created is just a glimpse into the wonder waiting out here. Editing it was a challenge (my laptop deserves a medal), but every frame was crafted with love and intention. It’s more than a video. It’s an invitation to explore, to connect, and to be moved by the wild beauty of this place.
Whether you’re chasing sunsets over the Pacific or standing in awe beneath towering peaks. the Olympic Peninsula has a way of humbling and inspiring all at once. I’m beyond grateful for the chance to experience it firsthand—and even more excited to share it with you.
So go ahead—watch the video, feel the pull of the trail, and maybe start planning your own adventure. The Peninsula is calling.
this blog post is the result of both my writing in Microsoft Word and Copilot. Copilot did an amazing job at refining my wording and improving the structure of my writing. I then further refined the writing to be easier to read.
Copilot August 2025 prompt used: can you please re write this to be a super cool and fun, yet professional, friendly and inviting blog post:
Super Cool Blog Post About my Video “Behind the Scenes Creation”
Over the course of this summer, I had a blast filming on the Olympic Peninsula. I went from Port Townsend, WA all the way to La Push, WA. To get the best photographs and video of the Olympic Discovery Trail. I also captured some amazing videos of nearby areas that adventurers can find along the way.
Editing this video was no easy process given my laptops capabilities. It is a labor of love and a worthy project to showcase the beauty and wonder found along the ODT. In my behind-the-scenes video I only show a fraction of the natural wonders that can be found here. I encourage you to come to experience everything that the Olympic Peninsula has to offer.
There are so many amazing places to visit and views to witness here on the Olympic Peninsula. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to experience. From majestic sunsets over the ocean to an endless sea of mountain peaks that evoke a sense of humbleness. This trip will leave you in awe.
Now that I have some video work experience, I truly know what it takes to make videos. Good videos don’t just happen; they take work from concept to completion. The concept is ultimately the most important part of this process. A good concept is accompanied by a script, proposal and storyboards. This is the paperwork that guides the entire process like a map. The more details are put onto paper, the better the results will be. A good concept takes time to develop. A professional can write a rough draft script in 12 weeks and may need additional months for rewrites. An 11-minute film can take 6 weeks to produce storyboards. A Hollywood film usually takes 2 years to complete a proposal, script, storyboards, and secure funding. Taking all of this into consideration I can be proud of my videos that were rushed in comparison to professionals.
My new rate of video production is faster than last quarter when taking every factor into consideration. I am faster, but I also do more editing and film more content to work with. My ability to pump out quick videos is improved, but they are just that (quick videos). With more time to work on one single project and have nothing else to worry about, I could truly create something great.
My “in kind” rate for nonprofits I believe the same applies. When just going to a location to video document the events taking place, the process is much different. A plan is still needed, but the results then are dependent on equipment and teamwork. As a lone soldier without a lot of equipment, I have more work to do than if I had a team or more equipment to utilize.
Marketing ourselves as filmmakers, actors, artists, and composers is just a matter of money, time, and creativity. The right advertising design can tell the story with visual and audio appeal. Once that is created then it just needs to be posted online in a way that can reach people who want to see it.
Creativity mixed with skills can overcome any challenge and I proved that with my video work this quarter. Given the right amount of time and resources, I could do even better.
For this Digital Storytelling class, I had 2 required textbooks “Watchmen” and “100 Things Every Graphic Designer Should Know About People”. These books helped to shape my understanding of how to best tell a story. These books were of great benefit to my Superhero’s Journey Project by expanding both my understanding of design and my inspiration for what is possible.
The book “100 Things Every Graphic Designer Should Know About People” was a great insight into how design is seen. This book helped to shape my own design work through exploring several aspects of design. The insight into psychology, emotional influence, social and cultural considerations, cognitive load and information processing, and the power of storytelling was helpful in learning how to create a bigger impact with my work. Understanding these topics is truly a weapon to be wielded by the superhero in content creation.
The book “Watchmen” broke away from the traditional norm of superhero storytelling. This graphic novel not only used a unique color pallet and cinematic storyboard style graphics but also changed how the story was told. The deconstructed superhero stories within the book provided more depth to the overall story and a more interesting plot. I found this inspiring for my own work.
Another Graphic novel that I can draw inspiration from is “The Dark Knight Returns”. This graphic novel also has many conflicts and resolutions. I find that it also further proves the power of character stories within the story.
In 2020 life changed all over the world. People were forced to wear masks, stay 6 feet apart, not socially gather, and hand sanitizers were everywhere. Worse yet, some people lost their jobs and others were quarantined. Media on every channel was talking about the dangers of social interaction and yet talking about how it was ok to eat out at restaurants but “beware of your dirty landscaper because they might contaminate the gas pump handle”.
In all this chaos there was confrontation on both sides. In many cases people who refused to wear masks were violently attacked both verbally and physically. People were frustrated and needed an escape. Many people chose to self-quarantine out of fear and had little hope of escape from this nightmare.
Many people found refuge online using social media as an outlet where they could post videos, play games, communicate with others, and have a sense of social interaction. Others used this time to watch videos on “how to” subjects so that they could do arts and crafts, do home repairs, or learn an instrument. Online content became the place for commerce.
Among online commerce, people also flocked to Second Life. Here they found refuge with social interaction that felt more personable with the use of avatars in a 3D world. They could shop, learn, play games, and most importantly they could create. Second Life filled the gap of social interactions and became an ecommerce outlet for people to make money from home.
Here at Peninsula College in the Multimedia program we work in Second Life to build a world that people can explore. While exploring our island they also learn more about our program and the possibilities of what we can create. Our Self Care island is full of amazing 3D objects that students have created to help inspire others to begin their Hero’s Journey.
When it comes to filming real world events in a live time there are numerous variables that must be considered. For this essay, I will talk about my experience filming the Pirate Zombie Mud Run. This event is a 2-mile course full of obstacles and zombie ambushes. That is a lot of ground to cover for just one guy with a camera. Still, I made it work through following some simple steps.
Communication is key to beginning this task. Talking with the event coordinators allowed me to get a good understanding of plan. I was able to schedule filming times and have an inside look at where the obstacles would be. Once I had all the information, it was up to me to plan out how to film this event. Having a good plan in place allowed me to get some great shots. Unfortunately, with only myself and limited equipment to rely on, I had to choose which obstacles I wanted to film. This was not an easy choice with all the great options. I was also limited to quick shots that required reflex fast critical thinking.
Having this experience, I learned valuable lessons. The next time I film an event will be greatly improved for it. What I have learned is that it is more valuable to work with a team that can cover a large area for more film to work with in editing. I also learned that a team can be replaced with more cameras. Honestly both a team and more cameras would be even better, if I could only choose one option I would go with more cameras. Teams are not easy to come by. People have varied interests, scheduling conflicts, or other barriers that need to be crossed.
The best answer for filming an event this size is ultimately more cameras. Having 3 cameras strategically places at each obstacle, start, and finish would have allowed me to get every shot. I could have had the cameras placed before the event and preset the focus and white balance. In post-production editing this would have allowed me to document the entire event with a dynamic feel for a more entertaining video filled with much more information.
The side quest that I chose to do is a video animation in Adobe Photoshop. This was not a quick and easy side quest to complete, but in many ways, it was completely worth doing. The video animation is a map of Peninsula College that shows the trail for the Pirate Zombie Mud Run. I used a dot to follow the path showing the direction runners would travel and where to expect the zombie zones and obstacles. I used lighting, zoom, and audio to enhance interest and keep with the theme of this event.
I also took this opportunity to connect this fun event with educational purpose. Every aspect of this event was easily connected to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math). I felt it was important for the connection to be made as it gives more depth and reason for this fun-filled adventure. My hope is that this map will help runners become familiar with the path and keep in mind what all goes into creating these experiences.
My Goal is for the ASC and Peninsula College to be able to use this in future events to help gain interest in the event. The fun audio and graphics create a modern look and appeal that really brings the course to life before it even begins. Over all I expect this style of video animation map to help people feel more comfortable about navigating a 2 mile fun filled course, and to be more excited about it.
Immersion is an experience of being completely absorbed in your current activity. This is often called the “Flow State”. This can happen with playing games, working on a project, creating art, or even reading great graphic novels such as “Watchmen”. I often find myself experiencing immersion when I am really interested in something that I am working on and have a clear view of how I plan to accomplish the project. When this happens, I can be in a state of flow for hours or even weeks with forced breaks for sleep.
Graphic novels are great for immersive storytelling as they provide both visual and text to draw in the reader to what the author is trying to portray. In many ways graphic novels are a mixture of movies and books as the images relate to the text adding depth to the experience. The images are also cinematic with different color schemes and compositions while providing a variety of shot angles such as close ups and wide-angle views. These images help narrate the story as much as the text.
My solution for creating immersion is to be aware of the target audience and the subject so that I can create responsive elements and environmental storytelling. In my videos I can also use audio to lead the viewer’s interest. I can also use this in the metaverse with the spaces that I create in the future. The metaverse is a virtual reality space such as Second Life where users can experience virtual worlds, create their own avatars, build their own spaces, and develop their own experiences.
I posted on 3 different social media platforms to promote my videos on the Port Angeles Food Bank volunteering, Pirate Zombie Mud Run, and the Promotional video for the Pirate Zombie Mud Run. My posts also highlight the Film Festival so that people know when and where it is.
Here is my latest video. I created this documentary on volunteering at the Port Angeles Food Bank to show the importance of this resource, and the work the volunteers do. I am very grateful for the opportunity to shine a light on these amazing people. I am also working on a video of the Pirate Zombie Mud Run that happened on May 17th. This event was sponsored by the ASC. The Skilled Trades students built some amazing obstacles. Many students participated in organizing, setting up the event, and participating as zombies. The event was an amazing opportunity to practice my live event filming skills, and I got many great shots. I am editing the video now and will hopefully be submitting this film as well. I did create this promotion video a day prior to the event: https://lnkd.in/d2CzqetM
I will also be entering these videos in the Film Festival at Peninsula College in Port Angeles Thursday June 5th at 12:30 PM on campus in the Little Theater and online via Zoom hashtag#PenColMedia
The “Watchmen” revolutionized how superheroes were seen by deconstructing them and introducing the grim and gritty. Superheroes were no longer infallible but became humanized. “Watchmen” introduced a dark side to the superhero story by introducing ulterior motives for fighting crime while blurring the lines between good and evil. Furthermore, some of the superheroes even had a dark side.
Immediately after the release of “Watchmen” similar stories started appearing such as “The Dark Night Rises” as this storyline fit the mood of the times. Even today we have similar storytelling such as the series “The Boys” where superheroes are just in it for public image and money, while possessing a truly dark side. In this series I can see likeness between Billy Butcher and Rorschach as they are both dangerous sociopaths fond of violence.
The “Watchmen” not only changed the way we see superheroes but also changed the comic color pallet. Breaking away from the “normal” way of coloring superheroes, “Watchmen” were colored in secondary colors that were seldomly used before. This concept allowed colors to help set the mood and tell the story.
This new way of seeing superheroes can be related to by many people on their own journeys. This is because it shows people working toward goals on paths far from straight lines. We all have a sense of the direction we want to journey, but seldom is it a straight line. We all fall short sometimes. We all make wrong choices now and again. We all get knocked down at least once in our lifetime. The important thing is how we deal with it to stay on our path to reach our goal.
