VLOG 2 MEMO

TO: PROFESSOR OLSEN

FROM: INNA GRANT

There are several things I would do differently if I were to submit the Vlog 2 assignment again
based on comments I received and the other exemplars we watched in class. For one, I would
definitely fix the formatting. Since I was still just learning how to use Zoom, the smaller screen
that I was speaking while showing the PowerPoint slides ended up being tiny, especially when
viewed on a large projector. Now, I would ensure that that screen was large enough to show
myself and my gestures while not being so large as to detract from the slides. I thought originally
that the slides were more important than viewing me speak, but now I understand that the viewer
being able to connect with me and watch me, while only using the slides as a supplement, is
much more effective and works much better.

I would also make sure that the pitch is under two minutes. I did not realize how essential it is for
a pitch to be concise; I thought that maybe the two minutes was “more-or-less” two minutes, but
I now realize that a pitch really should be short. That’s because otherwise, you lose the audience
attention and they become overwhelmed with all the information you’re trying to provide. If I
were to resubmit, I would definitely work on coming up with a cleaner, more precise pitch that
would grab audience attention and keep them engaged the whole time. In that way, the viewer is
much more likely to understand what you’re speaking about and be able to connect with you, and
potentially actually respond to your call to action.

Additionally, I would film myself in a more professional setting. In this vlog, I chose to film in
my room, and I did not realize how distracting a non-professional background can really be until
I saw my vlog on the large projector screen. Seeing a bed in the background and various items
hung up on the wall truly distracts the viewer, and ultimately detracts from the message you’re
trying to send. Instead of paying attention to you, the viewer is looking at your background, and
may even be making assumptions about you and deciding whether to listen to you based on that,
and not actually on the content of what you’re saying.

Finally, I would work on my script and wording, as well as focus more on sexual assault in the
hospitality industry. At times, I tripped over words and lost my train of thought, and I tried to
rush through some sections, like the one about the hospitality industry, in an effort to get through
everything I wanted to mention. However, as I said before, the viewer just becomes
overwhelmed when you throw all this information at them. I would definitely condense some
statistics and only leave the most important ones, as well as focus my time less on the
introduction and more on the actual content of the vlog. I would also work on making my slides
easier to read and process for the viewer, and possibly place some slides into the appendix that
the viewer can look at after if they do decide they want to learn that information.