This was a group project I worked on and collaborated on along with four other women. It was a semester long project that concluded with a final group presentation at the Marriott Hotel in downtown San Jose.  

This is a “man on the street” style video I produced and edited for a public relations campaign assignment.

VIEW THE VIDEO HERE

This is a PSA video I wrote, produced and edited using Final Cut Pro X.

VIEW THE VIDEO HERE

Michelle MacDonald
February 7, 2010
Journalism 164
Porcupine Press Conference

STATE OFFICIALS ARE WARNING OF A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ANIMAL AT SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY.
CHIEF ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER FOR THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, HANA WHYTE, SAYS AN ATTACK PORCUPINE IS ROAMING THE CAMPUS.
WHYTE IS WORRIED THAT STUDENTS MAY THINK IT IS A DOMESTIC ANIMAL AND TRY TO FEED IT.
THOSE WHO APPROACH THE PORCUPINE COULD BE SERIOUSLY INJURED.
“Here on campus we’re very concerned because so many students are walking around that this could be a painful and serious health issue.” (11 seconds)
THE PORCUPINE WAS LAST SEEN ON CAMPUS TWO WEEKS AGO. INITIALLY, POLICE DID NOT TAKE THE REPORT SEROUSLY.
HOWEVER, WE WERE TOLD THAT NO STUDENTS WERE INJURED DURING THOSE TWO WEEKS.
POLICE ARE ASKING THAT STUDENTS CALL 9-1-1 IF THE ANIMAL IS SPOTTED.
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This is a sample of a flyer I created using Adobe InDesign.

ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES

MICHELLE MACDONALD

OCTOBER 2, 2009

GARY ROBERTS… WHO HAS BEEN SMOKING CIGARETTES FOR THIRTY-FIVE YEARS… AND WHO RECENTLY MADE THE SWITCH TO E-CIGARETTES… FEELS CONFIDENT IN THE CHOICE HE HAS MADE.

“Just on the weight of the known carcinogens… if these have two, versus the 4,000 or so that are in tobacco cigarettes, I still feel just on the weight of the evidence that these are safer.”

ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES, OFTEN REFERRED TO AS E-CIGARETTES, ARE A BATTERY OPERATED DEVICE THAT VAPORIZES LIQUID NICOTINE FOR THE USER TO INHALE.

SINCE STARTING USE OF THE E-CIGARETTE IN JULY, ROBERTS SAYS HE HAS QUIT SMOKING REAL CIGARETTES AND HAS NOTICED AN IMPROVEMENT IN HIS HEALTH.

“After I switched over…I actually went to see my doctor, I think it was the second day after I started, and she noticed that my blood pressure had dropped like five to ten points.”

IN ADDITION TO BEING SAFER, ROBERTS SAYS HE MADE THE SWITCH BECAUSE HIS FAMILY DOES NOT LIKE HIS SMOKING HABIT.

IN JULY OF THIS YEAR, THE F-D-A ISSUED A NEWS RELEASE SAYING ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES ARE UNSAFE BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN INGREDIENTS SUCH AS DIETHYLENE GLYCOL AND NITROSAMINES, BUT BOTH ARE FOUND IN REGULAR CIGARETTES.

SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY… BIOCHEMISTRY PROFESSOR PETER NEMES SAYS THAT HE WOULD BE WORRIED USING A PRODUCT THAT INVOLVED INHALING THESE CHEMICALS.

“Nitrosamines are nitrogen compounds that have the potential to turn into nitrous acid, and nitrous acid is physiologically harmful because it’s a carcinogen… Carcinogen means a cancer causing substance.”

ACCORDING TO A NEW ZEALAND RESEARCH COMPANY CALLED HEALTH NEW ZEALAND… LAB TESTS DONE IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR REVEAL TRACE AMOUNTS OF NITROSAMINES WERE PRESENT IN THE E-CIGARETTE BRAND RUYAN… WHICH THEY SAY IS A VERY LOW LEVEL COMPARED TO HIGHER AMOUNTS NORMALLY FOUND IN TOBACCO.

NEMES SAYS THAT DIETHYLENE GLYCOL IS A SUBSTANCE USED TO KEEP SOLUTIONS IN A LIQUID STATE IS ALSO FOUND IN E-CIGARETTES.

“Well, let’s put it this way, ethylene glycol, which is one component of that, it looks very much like diethylene glycol, is used as antifreeze.”

THE PACKAGING ON VARIOUS E-CIGARETTES LIST PROPYLENE GLYCOL AS MAKING UP EIGHTY-NINE TO NINETY PERCENT OF THE LIQUID THAT GENERATES MIST AND VAPOR… THAT GIVES THE USER AN AUTHENTIC SMOKING FEELING.

STANDUP “With around 47-million smokers in the U-S, many are waiting to see the outcome of the F-D-A’s recent interest in electronic cigarettes. The F-D-A continues to conduct laboratory testing and discourages use of the device until more information about the product is available. Thinking out west, Michelle MacDonald, S-J-S-U online.”

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Michelle MacDonald

March 7, 2012

PR 190

Professor DiSalvo

Op-Ed Assignment

The Male Penis and Its New, Leading Role in American Cinema – A Response to a Vanity Fair, March 2012 Article

For years, the male penis has been a taboo subject. It has been tip-toed around like a dirty affair that is best left in the dark. James Wolcott’s article “The Hung and the Restless,” is a long overdue look at male nudity in mainstream cinema, as well as male nudity in U.S. culture, in general.

Although Wolcott accurately points out that there is a rise in male penis presence on the big screen, I completely disagree with his idea that the rising trend is a result of a loss in “American self-confidence.” Contrary to Wolcott’s belief, I believe that the rise in penis presence on the big screen shows that the American culture is finally relaxing and loosening up.

The U.S. has long been thought of as a prude and shy country, especially in comparison to European countries, like France, who embrace free sexual expression. That being said, it is about time that the shroud over the male body is lifted. In an era when we are supposed to have reached ultimate equality between the sexes, it is troubling to see the female body flaunted while the male body is more often than not covered by some prop or cloud of steam.

Some men argue that there is already equality between female and male nudity in movies. They say that for every topless woman there is a topless man in the movie. To this I say that a topless woman and a topless man are not equal. This is why a woman walking topless down the street is liable to get ticketed for public indecency, while a man can jog down the street topless and no one thinks twice about it.

Wolcott points out in his article that when a penis is shown in a movie it used for humor, often enlisting common stereotypes about ethnicity and size.  He says because of this, it reflects how the U.S. has lost its spunk and its swagger. I think using the male penis in a humorous way is just the first step to introducing it  into mainstream cinema. Males seem to be more accepting of a penis on-screen when it is used as comedy relief. This is a step in the right direction, and hopefully one day the male penis will be portrayed in more artful ways, as the female body often is.

We, as a society, take things too seriously. It is understandable considering the recent economic crisis, but I think it is also important to lighten up and focus problem-solving energy on more important, global issues. The human body is a natural part of the world and should not have such a shameful stigma, regardless of gender.

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has even recognized the recent rise in male nudity. According to an article in Spangle Magazine by Brian Thompson, “As of 2010, the MPAA has added a descriptor of “male nudity” to movies featuring said content.” This further supports that male nudity is not going away anytime soon.

One Friday evening, my boyfriend and I ordered a movie, Paul Blart: Mall Cop. It was a slapstick comedy and a D-movie at best. In one scene a heavyset man streaks through the mall. His manhood bounces around in all its glory, and is even showed in slow motion. The scene lasted a relatively long time and was not shy about showcasing the streaker’s manhood.

During this scene, my boyfriend made a comment to the effect of, “Geez, why do they have to show his thing so much?” This comment launched us into a full-on discussion about male and female on-screen nudity. Of course, I said it was about time the male body was exposed in movies the same way the female body has been exposed for decades. My boyfriend’s response was that the female body is beautiful and the male body is gross; that’s why things are the way they are.

Sadly, I think this perfectly exemplifies how members of our society are raised to believe that the female body is more beautiful than the male body, when they are both true works of art in their own respects. Hopefully this trend towards male nudity on the big screen continues. As I mentioned previously, this trend is not a surrendering of U.S. confidence, but instead is a furthering of U.S. confidence that says we are not afraid to show who we are.

Walk a Mile in Her Shoes

Public Service Announcements

Kill Date: April 19, 2012

:10

GET YOUR HIGH HEELS READY FOR THE ANNUAL Y-W-C-A WALK A MILE IN HER SHOES EVENT ON SATURDAY, APRIL 18 IN DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE AT 5 P.M. FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL (408) 295-4011.

:15

JOIN THE Y-W-C-A FOR ITS ANNUAL WALK A MILE IN HER SHOES EVENT ON SATURDAY, APRIL 18 AT 5 P.M. PARTICIPANTS WILL MEET IN PLAZA DE CESAR CHAVEZ AND WALK THROUGH THE STREETS OF DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE. FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL (408) 295-4011.

:20

PUT YOUR HEELS ON FOR THE ANNUAL Y-W-C-A WALK A MILE IN HER SHOES EVENT. JOIN WOMEN AND MEN ON SATURDAY, APRIL 18 AT 5 P.M. AT PLAZA DE CESAR CHAVEZ. COME OUT AND HELP SPREAD AWARENESS ON THE ISSUE OF SEXUAL ASSAULT IN OUR COMMUNITY. FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL (408) 295-4011.

:30

MEN AND WOMEN PUT ON YOUR HEELS. IT IS TIME FOR THE ANNUAL WALK A MILE IN HER SHOES EVENT. JOIN THE Y-W-C-A AND CITY OF SAN JOSE MAYOR CHUCK REED ON SATURDAY, APRIL 18 AT 5 P.M. PARTICIPANTS WILL MEET IN PLAZA DE CEASR CHAVEZ AND WILL WALK THROUGH THE STREETS OF DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE. COME OUT AND HELP PROMOTE AWARENESS ON THE ISSUE OF SEXUAL ASSAULT IN OUR COMMUNITY.  FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL (408) 295-4011.

Michelle MacDonald

February 25, 2012

PR 190

Professor DiSalvo

Press Release #2

Kelso Industries is Moving its Headquarters to Downtown Minneapolis

A new office building is being constructed as a part of local redevelopment effort.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – The new twenty-five-story office building, located in the heart of downtown, will be the new headquarters of Kelso Industries. The building project, which is estimated to cost $40 million, is part of a local effort to keep major businesses in our downtown area. The Minneapolis Downtown Redevelopment Agency is guaranteeing the financing of the building and contributing up to $5 million to landscape the building and surrounding areas.

Kelso Industries’ CEO, Ken Watson says, “This building is the cornerstone of the downtown revival.” Other executives, as well as city officials, are in agreement with what Watson says.

Kelso Industries is a diversified manufacturer of building products. They also own a hardware chain called Kelso Supplies, which has more than one hundred stores throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa.

The project contractor, Rudolph and Sletten, says the project will take eighteen months to complete.

Jamie Sullivan works downtown and says, “I can’t wait for the building to be done. These new businesses are going to bring a renewed feeling to this area. It’s much needed.”

Weber and Associates, the project architect, says they are going for a clean and modern look for the new building. They hope to create a structure that is both functional and beautiful.

Michelle MacDonald

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408.348.9999 | 1500 Winchester Blvd., Los Gatos, CA 95030 | michelle.macdonald@gmail.com