Calendar for 12/1 & 12/3 and Final Critique on 12/8

I hope everyone had a great week for Thanksgiving and your creative teams have gotten the Atlanta Streetcar presentations in good shape. 

Monday December 1st: Work in Class in teams. Discussions individual teams.

Wednesday December 3rd: Final check-in with creative teams for presentation at Big Nerd Ranch on Monday December 8th at 3pm. 

Everyone will need to turn in a pdf on a CD/DVD of all the work you've done this semester on Monday December 8th.  That includes creative briefs/videos/sketches/comps/finished projects/any revisions. I'll take one last look through the blogs/websites and this pdf before final grades. 

No grade without this pdf with all the information listed above. 
All the final projects must be on the pdf.

The Force Awakens

This Just In: New Media Production Center at GSU

ATLANTA—Georgia State University will revitalize an area adjacent to Woodruff Park by creating a media production center for education, research and entrepreneurship and partnerships with the Georgia film, music, games and arts industries.
The media center will house the university’s new Creative Media Industries Institute, an interdisciplinary institute introduced this fall to build on the university’s strengths in media production, research, design, the arts, music management and digital publishing by preparing students for careers that transcend traditional degree programs.

A $22.8 million gift from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation—the largest in the university’s history— will fund, in part, the renovation of three-story structure formerly owned by SunTrust Bank at the corner of Edgewood Avenue and Park Place and major facility and streetscape improvements to the surrounding area.

“This is a transformative gift for our media and creative arts programs and will accelerate our ability to incubate new media companies,” said Georgia State President Mark Becker. “It is also a major step forward with our Woodruff Park District plan that is helping to reshape downtown.

The media center will complete an academic corridor Georgia State has created on Park Place across from Woodruff Park. The university’s purchase of 55 Park Place has created new homes for the Robinson College of Business and the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. Georgia State’s College of Law will relocate to a newly constructed building at Park Place and John Wesley Dobbs Avenue in the spring. The College of Arts and Sciences is in its new home at 25 Park Place on the same corridor from Edgewood Avenue to John Wesley Dobbs Avenue.
“The clustering of these programs around Woodruff Park will create an exceptional setting for educational and entrepreneurial collaboration,” Becker said.
“We are excited that Georgia State University and the Woodruff Foundation are investing again on the east side of Woodruff Park in a major way,” said A.J. Robinson, the president of Central Atlanta Progress.  “This is happening at a time when real estate on the southern end and the western side of Woodruff Park are undergoing new renovations and new uses. Throw in the opening of the Atlanta Streetcar and it’s easy to say that the development around the park is at an all-time high. Georgia State continues to lead the way on adaptive reuse of downtown buildings.”
David Cheshier, chair of the Department of Communication, said, “This gift will enable us to launch new programs focused on media arts entrepreneurship, enterprises where artistic vision can build Georgia’s creative culture and expand the infrastructure for sustained economic development. The research labs we’re building will connect our programs to developments in virtual and applied reality technologies, media data analytics, games and interactive media, and audience research. We will build an iconic presence for creative industry programs in the heart of campus, visible to everyone who visits Atlanta and takes the Streetcar.”

In addition to the commitment from the Woodruff Foundation, the Georgia Research Alliance has made a financial commitment that will be used to help equip Georgia State’s Creative Media Industries Institute.
“The Georgia Research Alliance is proud to support the Creative Industries Institute at Georgia State University.” said C. Michael Cassidy, president and chief executive officer of the Georgia Research Alliance. “The media industry in Georgia is experiencing tremendous growth and it is essential that we aid in providing opportunities for research, preparing the workforce and launching new companies.  As an early investor in Georgia State’s Digital Arts and Entertainment Laboratory, we have seen significant results from Georgia State’s digital and film programs. We believe the Creative Industries Institute will be a major step forward in supporting this rapidly growing industry.”

Atlanta Streetcar Project gathers momentum

Sharon Gavin, Communications Director

You should have received some information from Sharon Gavin regarding the Atlanta Streetcar info that will most definitely assist you in your preparations for your campaigns.
Make sure you look over this valuable information over before starting your campaigns.


Just a "word to the wise" is to really think about your campaigns before you jump right in. Don't take the first idea that comes to mind but
really investigate what it is you want to do regarding your approach and your vision. It needs to be a vision that all of the members of your creative team buy into or else it becomes only one persons point of view.  Please make sure all the parts equal the whole in terms of overall consistency in the campaigns. Print/postcards/web/video....all with the same message that is crystal clear. Make sure these campaigns are fresh and innovative.

Next week will be a working studio week. If you need any assistance I'll be there for you. Otherwise, manage your time accordingly and get the most out of your time together as a group since the next week will be a Holiday week.

As far as the final presentations at Big Nerd Ranch, let's plan to see where everyone is with their campaigns when we return from Thanksgiving break on Monday December 1st (unless you want to go ahead and make Monday December 8th your formal presentations.)  I do need to let Brandy and her folks know a date sooner than later so they can prepare for your visit. I also plan to ask Sharon Gavin as well.

Make this your best project yet since we have so many professionals interested in what you are doing.
The focus is on you at this moment.
Check your emails for info.

What if ? (The Atlanta Streetcar Campaign)

Thinking out loud I'm wondering if you could perhaps choose a POV from something other than "Introducing the Atlanta Streetcar" to Atlanta.
What if your POV was more:
1. Student/University centric
2. Tourist centric-connecting attractions downtown
3. Sports Events/Theatrical/Events
4. Elderly centric
5. Downtown living 
6. Historical perspective
7. Green centric (cultural, social, political)

Otherwise you can do a campaign that simply introduces the visibility of this new
addition to our international city.

Think it through. What can you use now in your campaign and what can you create with the information that Sharon will provide to you during class today.

 

CHANGE OF PLANS TODAY: Atlanta Streetcar meeting Today at 3pm

 7:30am
I got word a few minutes ago that Sharon Gavin, Media Consultant for the Atlanta Streetcar, cannot meet with us at the Edgewood/Fort Street Facility as planned since they are doing some testing today at that facility.  She will either come by our class and/or reschedule the facility meeting for Monday. 

I'll know more in a little while. Regardless, it's an opportunity for your creative teams to work together on concepts. I have invited Sharon to come by the class to meet you and talk about the streetcar in person.  Stay tuned.

All Images courtesy of Atlanta Streetcar Facebook

Post PSA Critique and Post Midterm Guesstimate Grades and The Atlanta Streetcar

If your creative group wants to discuss the PSA projects further we can do that on Monday.
There were some highlights during the critique as well as some suggested improvements.
The biggest areas that were problematic were how the video portion didn't connect to the print portion.  Also, some of the conversation about how you introduced the PSA that seemed a little too lengthy. Short and to the point is the best way to introduce your campaign.

Don't worry to much about all the moving parts that Brandy gave out for The Atlanta Streetcar project. We'll go through the deliverables and make some changes.  There are 4 weeks left of classes and if we need to use exam week we can do that as well.

I'll see if the Streetcar folks will let us come up to visit this next week for a conversation.

Also, as promised, albeit late, your post midterm guesstimates are coming.
They will not include the PSA or the Streetcar portion of your grade.

I'll need individual group PDF's of your presentation to send to Brandy and Kirk because they wanted to give further comments possibly to you.

The Atlanta Streetcar Assignment

Atlanta Streetcar Awareness Campaign

With the inaugural ride of the Atlanta Streetcar around the corner, raising awareness is of utmost importance in order to fill seats and remind passersby to look out for the large moving vehicles. The cars will provide easy, comfortable, and reliable transportation around a 2-mile loop in Downtown Atlanta, offering access to major tourist destinations, universities, businesses, and neighborhoods. The passengers will be made up of residents, students, tourists, and commuters.

Your challenge is to create an integrated campaign that speaks to the potential Atlanta Streetcar rider. Questions to consider answering with your campaign: What is their motivation for riding? Why is it better than their current mode of transportation? One of the goals of the streetcar is Atlanta Streetcar Awareness Campaign

With the inaugural ride of the Atlanta Streetcar around the corner, raising awareness is of utmost importance in order to fill seats and remind passersby to look out for the large moving vehicles. The cars will provide easy, comfortable, and reliable transportation around a 2-mile loop in Downtown Atlanta, offering access to major tourist destinations, universities, businesses, and neighborhoods. The passengers will be made up of residents, students, tourists, and commuters.

Your challenge is to create an integrated campaign that speaks to the potential Atlanta Streetcar rider. Questions to consider answering with your campaign: What is their motivation for riding? Why is it better than their current mode of transportation? One of the goals of the streetcar is to erase neighborhood lines created by interstates and highways. Why does this matter and how is it achieved?

Target Audience

·       Downtown visitors (tourists, conference attendees)

·       Pedestrian traffic (cyclists, residents)

·       Commuters (students, professionals)

Deliverables:

·       Logo and tagline

·       Contextual outdoor campaign

·       :30 and :15 Television spots

·       Print elements (i.e. tickets, postcards, print ads)

·       Social Media Awareness Campaign

·       Timetable responsive website

References:

http://streetcar.atlantaga.gov/

http://www.atlantadowntown.com/initiatives/atlanta-streetcar

http://atlantadowntown.com/initiatives/atlanta-streetcar/safety

https://www.facebook.com/AtlantaStreetcar

http://atlanta.curbed.com/tags/atlanta-streetcar

  
 NEW CAMPAIGN TEAMS:

1. Arnel & AnnaKate

2. George, Nick, Mike

3. Michelle, Mariana, Andrew

4. Andy, Danteng, Mirely

5. Kody, Matt, VyVy

6. Andrea, Courtnie, Rebecca

7. Michael, Tyler, Ashley

PSA Advertising Campaign Presentations: Wednesday November 5th at 2:30 in 468

Congratulations Courtnie!

The 2015 AJMF Poster Design Winner!  Congrats!

A Little Post Halloween Humor

And the chosen design is..............