So, I’m not sure if I’ve already mentioned this, but we’re currently in the middle of a project.

You might remember we were learning about revolutions a little while back? Specifically, the process of a revolution, with some focus on Crane Brinton’s theory.

More recently, we learned about steampunk .

Basically, we’ve been building “metaphor machines”, or machines which also serve as metaphors. In this case, we’re divided into small groups, and each group is building a machine to represent a revolution. Each part of the machine has to be a metaphor for an important event of the revolution. The machine also has to have a steampunk aesthetic.

My group is building a machine to represent the French Revolution. Because we’re still in the process of building it I don’t have a lot of photos, but right now it looks something like this:

The idea is for a ball to roll down the halfpipes, triggering reactions along the way such as pushing two gears together so they interlock (representing the Tennis Court Oath, an oath taken to say together), a string of lights going out (representing the September Massacres), and a pulley bringing the ball to the top of the machine (representing Napolean’s rise to power and a return to a similar government as at the start of the revolution).

The process of us making the machine, as well as some documentation of it working, and an explanation of the metaphors and the events of the French Revolution, will eventually be made into a video. We’ve been plotting the video by use of a storyboard, and taking some time lapses and pictures to potentially include in it. When it’s the done, the video will actually end up here, on this blog, so look forward to a part two of this post.

Until then, however, I think I’ll wrap this up.

Toodles!

So, it’s time for an Explain Everything. See, I just did a visual essay on the impacts of railroads in Britain during the Industrial Revolution. Specifically, three of them: easier, faster travel, easier distribution of agriculture, and the breaking down of social barriers.

Now, my first draft of this was very much in need of improvement. Here it is so you can watch it:

The peer critique I got for this draft included making the audio louder, fixing the accidental repeat of the animation while I didn’t say anything at one point, fixing the static sound while I moved things, not using burgers for the food (as they weren’t around in the Industrial Revolution), adding more colour, using more images, and maybe adding music.

So, for my second draft, did I make a solid attempt to fix all of these things?

No. I just rerecorded some of the audio so it was louder, removed the silent animation, and attempting to move things more quietly.

Here’s the second draft:

The feedback I got for that draft included, once again, adding more colour and photos, not using burgers, and making the audio louder. This time it also included not having a white blob around the people, using a map of Britain instead of the world, and having more interesting backgrounds.

To start out, I found better (and more colourful) backgrounds, including a map of Britain instead of the world. Then I attempted to remove any white blobbery from the people. While I managed to cut down the white area pretty significantly, there was still some, and some of the people’s limbs ended up getting cut down quite a bit. However, I decided to move on, and found a picture of an apple as an alternative to the hamburger.

Here is the final draft of my Explain Everything:

While I still could have made some additions, like music, that would have improved it, I think it’s definitely a major improvement over my first draft.

Toodles.