Project Strategy & Approach
My project first began when we read several articles for class about how farms are the cause for many of America’s health problems. What we read talked about how corn is bad, livestock are being poisoned by antibiotics, and the farm is corrupt. . The articles angered me because I grew up on a farm that raises cattle and also grows corn. And, although many farms may be like the ones in the articles, there are also some who are not. The family farm, which supports young people like me, is hurt by these accusations. Not all farms are the same. I wanted people to realize this, and also that they should think twice before bringing down the farm industry because there are real people whose livelihoods depend on the land.
My audience for this project was those who have been city dwellers their entire life and have very little knowledge of what life is like in rural America. They subscribe to the notion that all farms are industrialized and that industrialized food is the reason our health is poor. The audience is from ages 18 to 65.
I decided that I would focus on my family as the basis of this project because I was most familiar with them. I took pictures of each of my family members, including myself, participating in farm related activities. Then, I used Photoshop to create the basis for my entire project. I chose to make the photos of my family members black and white to create a timeless look to represent the four generations of my family that has worked on the land. For the background I chose colors from the pictures I had taken on the farm to keep everything very natural looking. I also chose a very simple layout, because in general, farmers are very simple people who do not have a desire for elaborate things. After completing my layout in Photoshop, I brought all of my work into Flash. I kept the animation of my story very simple, as not to distract from the people. Lastly, I decided to keep with a simple, country theme as I created my music in Garage Band. I chose a guitar intro and exit for the movie and then a simple piano line for the introduction of my family.
Key Words That Drive The Visual Solution
Generations
Family
People
Tradition
Success
Project Tagline
There's a family behind each farm.
Not all food is created industrialized
.
Desired Outcome
For my outcome I hope this story will evoke a sense of togetherness in the audience. The audience will see food in a different way, and hopefully think of a family that worked hard to produce the food they eat, every time they purchase something. They will realize that farmers are just trying to make a living like anyone else.