A Zoom livestream workshop presented by the Creative Innovation Studio at Ryerson University as part of the Communities Create initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic. I showed viewers how to create a digital story: a short video that tells a personal story using photos, narration and sound effects, and that’s created on a mobile device with easy-to-use apps.
Posts filed in Film
Telling Our Stories (Aurora Public Library)
Using footage provided by the library staff, I created this video about the impact the Aurora Public Library has on its community and patrons. Video and audio editing done in Adobe Premiere and Audition, and text animation done in Adobe After Effects.
Teaching religious diversity using “The Faith Project”
In a spectacular TED talk, explorer Wade Davis reflected on the world’s cultures saying, “These myriad voices of humanity are not failed attempts at being modern. They’re unique facets of the human imagination. They’re unique answers to a fundamental question: What does it mean to be human and alive?” We’ve captured just a few of those myriad voices and unique answers in The Faith Project, an interactive documentary exploring the religious diversity of Canada.
Open call for stories: How do you pray?
I admit it: I struggle with prayer. The month of Ramadan is coming up in the Islamic calendar, which means I’ll be fasting from sunrise to sunset everyday for 30 days. (If you’re counting, that’s no food or drink from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m.)
It’s a time of introspection and prayer. Yet when I’m deprived of a good night’s sleep and regular food, I tend to space out. A few years ago, after my pre-dawn meal and morning prayers, I returned to bed for a few more hours of sleep before the start of the day. In a state of half-sleep during this holy month, I imagined I was in the Emperor’s throne room in a musical version of Return of the Jedi. The old guy can dance, let me tell you.
Yet despite the difficulty (and the show tunes), Ramadan is an essential part of my spiritual life. So is daily prayer; there are times in my life where prayer actually helped me survive. These practices help me cultivate a sense of gratitude and even optimism about my life. So, creating a space for that practice is important to me.
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