Throughout this Twilight Zone episode of a semester, I’ve surprisingly gained a ton of creative inspiration from unlikely places. The COVID-19 crisis forced all of us underground, therefore I had to get as innovative as possible in order to maintain productivity over the lockdown.
The most site views I have gotten have occurred during the beginning of the pandemic, as more people began to stay online for longer periods of time. My blog has been viewed across three continents, which illustrates how the combined interests of nostalgic longing for fictional places such as Hogwarts transcends continental borders during a time of global crisis. People need an escape and respite from our current situation, so I thought I would showcase some ideas that take people to new places and allow them to “enter a world that is entirely of [their] own.”
As far as improvement goes, I think there are some design issues that could be resolved with a few of the CSS tricks I learned during the coding section of my Fundamentals of Digital and Online Media class. I also should use sans serif because people don’t want to look at ugly icky ugly font.
Though I was successful in gaining a following on the blog via Facebook, I also have found success in my interactions on Twitter. I noticed a significant change in activity during the times in which I mainly promoted on Twitter.
My favorite experience over this semester long project has definitely been the upkeep of my blog / portfolio. I learned a ton of useful information that ended up getting me a volunteer position with The Cinema Spot as an editorial journalist. Though I lost my connection / internship with ESPN through Texas State due to the pandemic, I did gain a substantial amount of free time that I took advantage of in order to spread my creative wings. If I had to be specific on a series of posts I found particularly enjoyable to write, it would be the recasting of the Harry Potter series. This is a series of posts I plan to continue beyond the class I originally created this blog for.
I got particular personal satisfaction from hearing what my family and friends had to say about my casting choices for a Harry Potter TV reboot in the 2020s / 2030s. The most popular posts on my blog were my posts over the casting choices for different Harry Potter TV seasons. Each season corresponds to a different book in the series, which I noticed kept some friends of mine wondering about whom I would cast in each particular role.
The main insight I gained from this semester long project was that in times of crisis, everyone could use an escape. I hope my blog has served / will serve as a beacon of discussion, opinion and togetherness throughout these uncertain times.
Though my time in #FDOM20 is technically over, my time on this blog is merrily beginning! I have lists of different actors / actresses whom I would love to see bring the Wizarding World to life, and I’m not finished with this series / blog yet!
I want to thank y’all for your support by reading my content over the past few months, and I hope that you will all continue to follow my posts in the future. I hope you are all staying sane and staying safe! š
Makenzie's Film Blog 