4 parts of my visual essay: 1  2  3  4

Reflection:

At first, I was thinking about where the best place would be to publish my visual essay and what kind of essay it should be, and I realized the best genre for a visual essay on the frustrations of the NYC subway system would be a YouTube video. This is because the video format allows for the use of visuals and audio to effectively communicate the complex and nuanced experiences of commuters, as well as providing a platform for community engagement and discussion through comments and sharing. Additionally, YouTube’s wide audience reach, and accessibility make it an ideal platform for spreading awareness and advocating for improvements to the subway system. Then I started creating my visual essay with a masterpiece idea. As my professor told us, she’s not only rating the assignment but also making improvements between the first and final draft. My idea was to submit a shaky first draft and show the huge improvement in my assignment, so that’s what I did. I submitted such a boring video clip, but let’s move forward to something more exciting, which is creating the final draft. I wanted to do the exact opposite of the first draft, so I wanted to catch people’s attention and to be interesting. Emlijano’s work showed me how to do that and it was an inspiration for me with music etc., he did a really good job and that’s why I wanted to make it better. I also knew it had to be clear what the problem was. So, I introduced to my essay one of the first things that comes to mind when hearing about New York City, which is Times Square, and a loud siren to get people’s attention, not just by sight but also by hearing. Also, I wanted to make it personal and make a personal connection with the audience, so I decided to touch my face while talking about my topic. I attached sad music to also catch people’s feelings and use the power of pathos to catch theirs. It doesn’t mean that I forgot about logos and ethos because I also used them. By ethos, I went by myself to the nearest subway station in New York City to demonstrate its filth and ugliness, but I was also talking in a way to show that I go through it too. I tried to attach as many pictures from different sources that show the things I’m talking about at the exact moment as I could to keep people’s attention using logos. The thing that I’m happy with is the ending. After class, we’ve been talking about the “I love (heart emoji) NYC” slogan by Milton Glaser. I got the next masterpiece idea for my essay, which was to edit it and make people maybe feel forced to try to change something, and an edited slogan was “We hate (crossed heart) NYC”. Changing “I” to “we” is on purpose to demonstrate the problem of all my audience, including New Yorkers, visitors, and people interested in NYC and accord to popular edit “We love(heart) NYC”. Despite the expectations, composing a visual essay doesn’t really differ from composing a traditional essay. There are just several things that are different between creating a traditional essay and a visual essay. Composing a visual essay and writing a traditional essay differ in several ways. A visual essay uses visual elements like images and videos, allows for more creativity, has a non-linear structure, and emphasizes designs, that are comfortable to use. In contrast, a traditional essay relies on written text, has a more formal structure, and focuses on coherent arguments. A visual essay aims to convey information more effectively, capture the audience’s attention, and present ideas in an engaging way, while a traditional essay aims to communicate information through written text. This process was pretty similar to that of writing. I made a plan as I used to do in traditional essay for what I would like to attach to this assignment. I’m researching pictures and videos for both traditional and visual essays to get to know better my topic, understand it even better and mention them. Visual essays offer an exciting alternative to traditional essay writing. They allow the creator to convey complex ideas through a combination of visual and written content, engaging viewers in a more dynamic way. Additionally, creating a visual essay can serve as a steppingstone to the more traditional essay form, encouraging students to think creatively and explore different ways of expressing their ideas. However, producing a visual essay requires a significant amount of effort and technical skill that I don’t have, and I know It could be better, always can be, but I did my best in this assignment. Also, I can say I made a huge improvement in my vocabulary as I want at the beginning of this class. After this couple weeks I see myself as a better writer than I was.

(I’m not masterclass editor and I realized it in my Visual Essay but also after editing this picture and try to add my peer to this picture, because he wasn’t in .)

The CCNY motto, “Respice, Adspice, Prospice” (which translates to “Look back, Look around, Look ahead”). At the beginning of the assignment, I had a basic understanding of the topic but felt unsure and lacked confidence. Through engaging in research and writing, I was able to expand my knowledge and gain a more nuanced understanding. Looking back, I realized that my initial understanding was limited and that I had oversimplified the issue. However, the process of critically engaging with the literature and analyzing different perspectives helped me develop a more informed view. In the present, I feel much more confident and able to discuss the topic with others. I have a better grasp of the key concepts and controversies, and I can articulate my ideas more clearly and effectively. This newfound understanding has also highlighted the importance of ongoing learning and critical thinking. Looking ahead, I can see many ways in which my new knowledge will be useful. I can use it to engage in meaningful discussions, apply it to other areas of my life and work, and continue to learn and grow. Overall, this assignment was a valuable opportunity for learning and personal development.

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