{"id":1864,"date":"2013-07-29T12:00:40","date_gmt":"2013-07-29T17:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rockylouproductions.com\/blog_wp\/?p=1864"},"modified":"2013-07-30T07:58:09","modified_gmt":"2013-07-30T12:58:09","slug":"hos_haiku","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rockylouproductions.com\/blog_wp\/2013\/07\/29\/hos_haiku\/","title":{"rendered":"Head of State Haiku"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today’s DS106 daily create tdc568<\/a> is to write a nonpolitical Haiku about your nation’s head of state. \u00a0How can you write or talk about your nation’s head of state without mentioning politics? \u00a0I am personally uncomfortable talking politics in any form unless I already know that the audience or person I am speaking with shares the same ideas as mine. That is just too hot of a topic for polite conversation, along with religion.\u00a0[Link to July 1, 2013 Pew Research Center survey of\u00a0common words describing Obama & Bush<\/a>]<\/p>\n

But since I’m getting in shape for the Aug 26th start of the\u00a02013 Headless DS106 Course<\/a> boot camp, I took on the challenge and was able to complete it.<\/p>\n

<\/em><\/strong>Mister Obama<\/em><\/strong>
\n Husband, Father, President<\/em><\/strong>
\n Man of Confidence<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

This is not the first time I have been up against a challenge to create a piece of digital storytelling that tap danced on the edge of politics. \u00a0In 2009 a composer friend of mine, Elizabeth Alexander<\/a>, asked if I would create a music video for her choral composition of “Where There Is Light In The Soul” based on the Chinese Proverb:<\/p>\n

\n

Where There Is Light In The Soul<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

If there is light in the soul,
\nThere will be beauty in the person.<\/p>\n

If there is beauty in the person,
\nThere will be harmony in the house.<\/p>\n

If there is harmony in the house,
\nThere will be order in the nation.<\/p>\n

If there is order in the nation,
\nThere will be peace in the world.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

She gave me full creative license to choose the photo images for the piece, with final approval on completion. \u00a0As I was trolling Flickr for creative commons photos I came across the White House photo stream<\/a>. I was intrigued. \u00a0Hmmmmm…. \u00a0the concepts of beauty, person, harmony, house, nation and peace could all be found in those images. \u00a0But because they were photos of a political figure there would be controversy no matter how I presented it.<\/p>\n

\"CommonValues_DedicationPlaque\"<\/a>I tried several other image themes, and nothing else fit as well. \u00a0So I took a deep breath and cautiously went to work collecting and assembling the images to match the lyrics of the music. \u00a0When I had a first draft ready, I shared it with Elizabeth, and she too had an uneasy feeling about the potential political controversy that could become associated with her music. \u00a0We were both very sensitive to the other’s creative artist and in the end agreed we were okay with giving it a try, and if there was a problem I’d take it down immediately. \u00a0As it turned out there was no problem at all and on last count the final version of the video “Where There Is Light In The Soul- 1st 100 Days”<\/a> has been viewed over 3,000 times.<\/p>\n

NOTE:<\/strong> I was very much a novice when I created this video in Windows MovieMaker back in 2009. \u00a0I thought it would be powerful to begin the movie in silence as the text of the poem and my dedication played for the viewer. This lasts for almost 45 seconds. The dramatic effect I was going for ended up confusing more than a few viewers, thinking there was something wrong with the sound on their computer. I learned from this mistake.<\/em><\/p>\n