Demo Reel 2011
This demo is footage shot and edited throughout my 3 years at Loras College. Edited using Final Cut Pro and Express as well as some Adobe After Effects.
Video produced for LCTV, Premier Bank, Class Projects, and DASAC.
Most of the footage was shot with the Panasonic HVX 100, 200, & HPX 300
Video produced for LCTV, Premier Bank, Class Projects, and DASAC.
Most of the footage was shot with the Panasonic HVX 100, 200, & HPX 300
About Me ~ "Aim for the Heart" ~
My name is Mike Higgins, I am a recent graduate of Loras College. Loras is a Catholic Liberal Art school in Dubuque, Iowa and has been a great aspect of the way I live my life today as well as what I have learned through my media studies major. Learning different styles of story telling through documentary, news, experimental, and commercial has helped me have a wide array of options and ideas when it comes to production.
- Aim for the Heart
- Change a Persons Day
If I had to take two lessons that I learned from classes at Loras, these (above) would be them. When first entering into the Media Studies major at Loras, "aiming for the heart" was the first step I learned when it came to story telling. This is especially prominent when relaying a news story, or any type of informative piece. Aiming for the heart is a main theme that progressed throughout my news, and commercial related courses. As a producer, creative director, etc. trying to pull on the heart strings of your viewer you will most always be successful.
- Aim for the Heart
- Change a Persons Day
If I had to take two lessons that I learned from classes at Loras, these (above) would be them. When first entering into the Media Studies major at Loras, "aiming for the heart" was the first step I learned when it came to story telling. This is especially prominent when relaying a news story, or any type of informative piece. Aiming for the heart is a main theme that progressed throughout my news, and commercial related courses. As a producer, creative director, etc. trying to pull on the heart strings of your viewer you will most always be successful.
(Above) Me, studying abroad in Peru during
January Term.
January Term.
About Loras - www.loras.edu
Loras College was founded in 1839 by the Most Rev. Mathias Loras, the first bishop of Dubuque. The vision of the school is for students to excel in developing principled thinkers and caring professionals in the Catholic and liberal arts traditions.
Loras College has maintained its highest ranking ever at the 11th spot in the Top Tier amoung Best Midwest Regional Colleges in the 2011 edition of "Best Colleges" by U.S. News Media Group. In addition, Loras College was called out among the top 20 of all 319 Regional Colleges for the highest graduation rate.
Loras had 1,317 students provide approximately 33,000 hours of service, both locally and globally last year. Of those students, 440 served 20 hours or more demonstrating their devotion to helping others.
My time at Loras has helped me understand the true nature of a Catholic Liberal Arts education. With classes on a variety of different scales from Democracy and Global Diversity, where one is thrown into a real life role in Athens and South Africa during Apartheid, to the rigorous projects of Communication Research; discovering what it takes to create a real 200 page research paper, discovering college students and their exercise habits. These classes, as well as all my Media related classes, have clashed as well as as resonated even though they are from a different academic discipline.
This clash and resonance is especially true with classes that I have taken in the Integrated Visual Arts (IVA) Department versus the Media Studies department. This is prominent because my Media Studies classes relate to a strict outline or news related structure, where camera shots, as well as editing is similar from one news story to the next. My Experimental Video class (from the IVA background), on the other hand, had me breaking the news structured rules and creating my own. The artistic background of this class had me use my more creative side, which I enjoyed a great deal, to create videos with an artistic purpose, to change a person's day.
Loras College has maintained its highest ranking ever at the 11th spot in the Top Tier amoung Best Midwest Regional Colleges in the 2011 edition of "Best Colleges" by U.S. News Media Group. In addition, Loras College was called out among the top 20 of all 319 Regional Colleges for the highest graduation rate.
Loras had 1,317 students provide approximately 33,000 hours of service, both locally and globally last year. Of those students, 440 served 20 hours or more demonstrating their devotion to helping others.
My time at Loras has helped me understand the true nature of a Catholic Liberal Arts education. With classes on a variety of different scales from Democracy and Global Diversity, where one is thrown into a real life role in Athens and South Africa during Apartheid, to the rigorous projects of Communication Research; discovering what it takes to create a real 200 page research paper, discovering college students and their exercise habits. These classes, as well as all my Media related classes, have clashed as well as as resonated even though they are from a different academic discipline.
This clash and resonance is especially true with classes that I have taken in the Integrated Visual Arts (IVA) Department versus the Media Studies department. This is prominent because my Media Studies classes relate to a strict outline or news related structure, where camera shots, as well as editing is similar from one news story to the next. My Experimental Video class (from the IVA background), on the other hand, had me breaking the news structured rules and creating my own. The artistic background of this class had me use my more creative side, which I enjoyed a great deal, to create videos with an artistic purpose, to change a person's day.
(Above) Hoffman Hall at Loras College
Athletics at Loras - www.duhawks.com
With 21 sports programs to choose from, Loras has one of the most robust NCAA Division III athletic programs.
I was a full time athlete in Cross Country and Track through out my time at Loras College and my former school Waubonsee Community College, representing as a varsity athlete in both sports. Running for me is not just sport it is a lifestyle. My sophomore year is was an Academic All-American in Cross Country as well as an All-Conference and All-Region Runner, finishing runner up in the region and conference. Qualifying for Division I NJCAA Nationals. At Loras I finished All-Conference in track in the 3000 meter steeplechase in 2010.
The reason that running in college has been such a large part of my life is that it has not only helped create great friendships but has helped give me a work ethic unlike anyone who is not in a sport can understand. Running and training through multiple injuries and upsets is similar to struggles of real life, when giving up always feels like the easier route. After getting through the pains and woes of defeat and conquering them I feel as though I can hurdle any obstacle in my way!
I was a full time athlete in Cross Country and Track through out my time at Loras College and my former school Waubonsee Community College, representing as a varsity athlete in both sports. Running for me is not just sport it is a lifestyle. My sophomore year is was an Academic All-American in Cross Country as well as an All-Conference and All-Region Runner, finishing runner up in the region and conference. Qualifying for Division I NJCAA Nationals. At Loras I finished All-Conference in track in the 3000 meter steeplechase in 2010.
The reason that running in college has been such a large part of my life is that it has not only helped create great friendships but has helped give me a work ethic unlike anyone who is not in a sport can understand. Running and training through multiple injuries and upsets is similar to struggles of real life, when giving up always feels like the easier route. After getting through the pains and woes of defeat and conquering them I feel as though I can hurdle any obstacle in my way!