Its been a solid final year in e-Communication. Nothing too eventful, but I definitely learned a lot.
One of the most useful things I learned this year is how to edit lighting, exposure and saturation in Final Cut Pro. I was editing the Sports Highlights video for the assembly and my classmate Ben Whitney recommended it. It definitely helped improve the quality and overall look of my interviews and added to the Golf joke I had in there. I didn't really face any challenges with it, as it was pretty simple and easy to get the hang of. I learned how to collaborate with other people better to enhance the quality of my packages. A great example is the aforementioned Golf joke, as well as the short video I did on honoring Ventura after he passed. My classmate Riley suggested that I show a tweet, then a clip, and so on and so forth like that. I learned more effective ways of communicating whether or not I'm going to finish a story. It's much better to tell the Producer rather than one of your friends. That way there's time to kind of re-plan the show so it's not in the script and doesn't accidentally get mentioned when we're live. I learned how to better plan interviews and when I need to film so that I have adequate time left afterwards to write the script, edit the video, and get it uploaded to my YouTube channel as well as my portfolio. I also learned how to be a better leader when I produced the show. I had to make sure the script and all of the news packages were going to be finished on time. I also managed the production of the show to ensure that everything went smoothly.
Learning new things definitely helped me identify what I was and wasn't very good at. With that being said, one of my greatest strengths is editing. I think I definitely improved a lot this year since I learned how to edit exposure and saturation, as well as stabilize a shot in Final Cut Pro. I also became a little better at editing highlight videos to the beat. Another one of my strengths is collaboration. I think I work pretty well with others and got a little better at it after receiving tips from classmates about what to do with some of my packages.
A weakness of mine is definitely filming. I think I improved a little bit this year since I tried to bring tripods to every interview and paid closer attention when I'm filming to make sure I'm holding the camera as steady as possible; however, there were slip ups here and there.
Taking from everything I've learned, I'm definitely going to apply these skills in the workforce in Broadcast Journalism. After shadowing a live broadcast of a Motocross event in St. Louis and meeting with a News Anchor from Fox 4, I've been told that I'm miles ahead of where they were at my age, so everything I've learned is going to be extremely useful.
Looking back on everything, I don't think there's anything I would change.
Overall, I think I had a pretty good year and surprisingly I'm not too nervous for College. I'm looking forward to how everything unfolds in college and where this takes me. It's been a long ride, but this next show is my last one. Feels great to finally be done, but it's hard to let go of all the friends I've made because I know there's a good chance I won't see a lot of them again.
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Personal Written Reflection
First semester was alright, but it definitely could have been better.
I put out a few stories this semester, 2 of which were just highlight videos. I think they were all pretty good but they're lacking 2 interviews instead of just 1, and a stand up. Although, this has been the issue since the beginning of Junior year. I plan on fixing it going into second semester if I'm still in the class.
One of the first stories I put out this semester was my story on the new ONW principal Chris Zuck. Since this story only focused on one person, I think it's alright to have only one interview, but it probably would have been nice to have some interviews with students and have them give their opinion - as long as it's a positive one - and maybe hear what they thought about the change in principals. I also would have used a tripod while filming him working because a lot of my shots were pretty shaky. My last critique for this story is that I would have made the interview shot tighter. Outside of all that, it was a solid package. I liked the b-role I used of him just doing work. I think it was a good idea for b-role instead of just students working; it's more relevant to the focus of the story. He also gave some pretty detailed answers in the interview and gave me something to work with as well as helping tell the story.
My next story was of our new Athletic Director Joe Gunderson. I think this story had a pretty good interview set up; Mr. Gunderson was in focus and he wasn't overexposed. Something I would change is I would have made the shot a little tighter (Yes, I've noticed that a rather wide interview shot seems to be a recurring issue in these stories I put out). I also probably would have tried to get b-role of Mr. Gunderson working rather than just using b-role of students. B-role isn't my only problem though; the time we had for the interview was pretty limited and I couldn't ask him as many questions as I would have liked. I'm glad I got the story out on a crunch for time, but it would have added a little more to the story if I was able to ask him all of the interview questions and had b-role of him working like I had with Mr. Zuck. The lack of matching b-role was most likely due to poor planning on my end. Other than that, I think it was a decent story; Although, in my opinion, it was a drop in quality compared to the story on the new principal.
Following the Gunderson story, I did one on our new Sophomore Counselor, Elva Medina. I liked this story. My only critique would be on the interview; the window in the background let's in a lot of light, so much so that it just looks like a shiny white ball in the background, and that takes away from the quality. Lastly, Ms. Medina was not in focus in the interview. Besides the interview, it was a good package if you ask me.
I also put out a recap of open mic night. My only problem with this story is that every single shot used was extremely shaky. It was really really bad. And I have no one to blame but myself. A solid recap with some sub-par b-role in terms of steady shots. Below sub-par, in fact. Scrap that story.
My other 2 stories were highlight videos (first one, second one). Not much to be said about them; they were what you'd expect from a highlight video. Looking back I should have added a voice over to both of them and at least 1 interview. The shots were good though, and the music was school appropriate.
My most recent story was of the Winter Choir Concert. This was a good story. Jared edited and helped film this story. The shots were all steady and in focus. I think we did a good job. The voice over was solid too. I also think he did a great job editing and putting this story together, especially with all of the soundbites he used. The only things missing from this story are interviews. Outside of that, I consider this story a job well done.
I put out a few stories this semester, 2 of which were just highlight videos. I think they were all pretty good but they're lacking 2 interviews instead of just 1, and a stand up. Although, this has been the issue since the beginning of Junior year. I plan on fixing it going into second semester if I'm still in the class.
One of the first stories I put out this semester was my story on the new ONW principal Chris Zuck. Since this story only focused on one person, I think it's alright to have only one interview, but it probably would have been nice to have some interviews with students and have them give their opinion - as long as it's a positive one - and maybe hear what they thought about the change in principals. I also would have used a tripod while filming him working because a lot of my shots were pretty shaky. My last critique for this story is that I would have made the interview shot tighter. Outside of all that, it was a solid package. I liked the b-role I used of him just doing work. I think it was a good idea for b-role instead of just students working; it's more relevant to the focus of the story. He also gave some pretty detailed answers in the interview and gave me something to work with as well as helping tell the story.
My next story was of our new Athletic Director Joe Gunderson. I think this story had a pretty good interview set up; Mr. Gunderson was in focus and he wasn't overexposed. Something I would change is I would have made the shot a little tighter (Yes, I've noticed that a rather wide interview shot seems to be a recurring issue in these stories I put out). I also probably would have tried to get b-role of Mr. Gunderson working rather than just using b-role of students. B-role isn't my only problem though; the time we had for the interview was pretty limited and I couldn't ask him as many questions as I would have liked. I'm glad I got the story out on a crunch for time, but it would have added a little more to the story if I was able to ask him all of the interview questions and had b-role of him working like I had with Mr. Zuck. The lack of matching b-role was most likely due to poor planning on my end. Other than that, I think it was a decent story; Although, in my opinion, it was a drop in quality compared to the story on the new principal.
Following the Gunderson story, I did one on our new Sophomore Counselor, Elva Medina. I liked this story. My only critique would be on the interview; the window in the background let's in a lot of light, so much so that it just looks like a shiny white ball in the background, and that takes away from the quality. Lastly, Ms. Medina was not in focus in the interview. Besides the interview, it was a good package if you ask me.
I also put out a recap of open mic night. My only problem with this story is that every single shot used was extremely shaky. It was really really bad. And I have no one to blame but myself. A solid recap with some sub-par b-role in terms of steady shots. Below sub-par, in fact. Scrap that story.
My other 2 stories were highlight videos (first one, second one). Not much to be said about them; they were what you'd expect from a highlight video. Looking back I should have added a voice over to both of them and at least 1 interview. The shots were good though, and the music was school appropriate.
My most recent story was of the Winter Choir Concert. This was a good story. Jared edited and helped film this story. The shots were all steady and in focus. I think we did a good job. The voice over was solid too. I also think he did a great job editing and putting this story together, especially with all of the soundbites he used. The only things missing from this story are interviews. Outside of that, I consider this story a job well done.
Friday, December 9, 2016
Professional Article Review.
I read an article called "Use of E-Cigarettes by Young People is Major Concern." The article is about the rising use of E-Cigarettes by the youth and how this increase in its use is posing a major health risk for them and those around them. It talks about how e-cigarettes are much more harmful than most people think.
In this article the author argues that e-cigarettes are now a major public health concern and are the most commonly used tobacco product among youths. Because it's the youth that's taking up this unhealthy habit, the effects of e-cigarettes are much more devastating since they're still developing. This explains why the argument was more centered around the effects on youth rather than adults, since adults are far more developed than teenagers; however, adult use was mentioned, but the author quickly digressed.
The author of this article mainly used facts and previous studies to support their argument. One interesting fact the author used was that e-cigarette use among High School students has risen by 900% from 2011-2015. On top of that, 38% of High School students have admitted to trying e-cigarettes at least once. A study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 16% of High Schoolers used e-cigarettes in 2015. That percentage is up from 13.4% in 2014.
A strength of this article is that it uses shocking facts and legitimate studies to back up the claim. These facts were relevant to the main argument and it felt like they added to the article instead of just being thrown in there for the sake of having some sort of truth. However, a weakness of this article is that it doesn't elaborate on the interesting facts it provides and doesn't provide any deeper insight into them.
The author concludes that there needs to be greater education among parents, teachers, and coaches about the risks of using e-cigarettes.
I find the main point of this article to be still relevant today and significant. E-Cigarette use is not only a problem, but it's becoming more and more prominent in today's society. This was an article that needed to be published and hopefully it opens some users' eyes about the hazards of e-cigarettes. The evidence used is also very convincing. The author doesn't just tell you not to do it to avoid possible negative effects, rather the author tells you the statistics of the negative effects caused by e-cigarettes taking their toll on the user.
The only application I see for myself as a Journalist is to use more facts in my written stories. These add to the credibility of my articles and can help make them more persuasive if that's the goal.
How to Import Footage in Final Cut Pro (Technical Tutorial)
First, open up the Final Cut Pro Program.
Then, once it's opened and everything is loaded, click on "File" in the top left. Then, click "Import," then click on "Media..."
After you've clicked Media, a new window will pop up giving you options on where to import from. Select your SD Card from the left column under Devices. The SD Card is usually called "CAM SD" or something like that.
Once you've selected your SD Card from the left column, scroll down the list of clips until you find clips dated with today's date or whatever date you filmed on.
Select all of those clips. This can be done easily by shift left clicking the first clip and then shift left clicking the last clip. Then, click "Import All" in the bottom right.
After clicking "Import All" in the bottom right, Final Cut Pro will exit out of the window and begin actually importing the clips you selected. There will be loading circles in the bottom left of each clip if you've done everything correctly to this point. Please wait until the loading circles in the bottom left of each clip have disappeared completely before safely ejecting your SD Card.
When the loading circles in the bottom left of each clip have disappeared completely, the process is done and you've successfully imported your selected footage. You can now close out of Final Cut Pro and safely eject your SD Card.
Then, once it's opened and everything is loaded, click on "File" in the top left. Then, click "Import," then click on "Media..."
After you've clicked Media, a new window will pop up giving you options on where to import from. Select your SD Card from the left column under Devices. The SD Card is usually called "CAM SD" or something like that.
Once you've selected your SD Card from the left column, scroll down the list of clips until you find clips dated with today's date or whatever date you filmed on.
Select all of those clips. This can be done easily by shift left clicking the first clip and then shift left clicking the last clip. Then, click "Import All" in the bottom right.
After clicking "Import All" in the bottom right, Final Cut Pro will exit out of the window and begin actually importing the clips you selected. There will be loading circles in the bottom left of each clip if you've done everything correctly to this point. Please wait until the loading circles in the bottom left of each clip have disappeared completely before safely ejecting your SD Card.
When the loading circles in the bottom left of each clip have disappeared completely, the process is done and you've successfully imported your selected footage. You can now close out of Final Cut Pro and safely eject your SD Card.
Professional Project Review
I recently watched a KCTV5 story over the Missouri Board of Education's progress of Kansas City Public Schools. The scope of the story was to highlight the progress students in Kansas City, Missouri have made; test scores of the students are rising and they plan on keeping the momentum going.
The news story starts out with a stand up which I thought was interesting seeing as how most stories start with an interesting clip or soundbite to grab the audience's attention. The beginning stand up broke down why the rising test scores were a big deal and used the Kansas City Neighborhood Academy as an example. I think they used that academy as an example because they scored at full accreditation level. Following this was b-role of students at the Kansas City Neighborhood Academy doing paperwork. I thought the b-role matched well with the emphasis of the story and the shots they used were all in focus and steady.
The story was told through facts, a press interview with the superintendent and an interview with who I believe is a teacher in the school district.
One element from this story I would apply to my own stories is a stand up. They're a good transition and put a face to the voice the audience hears. Something I've learned that is in this story is J & L edits.
I think that one thing the journalist did well was match the b-role with what they were talking about. For example, when they were talking about Kansas City Neighborhood Academy, they showed footage of students from the academy working and did a stand up right outside the academy. However, an improvement they could make to this story is adding names to the people they interviewed. There was no lower third in any of their interviews and it made me question the credibility of those being interviewed since I didn't know who they were or how they were associated.
Overall, it was a good news package and very informative. My only major issue with it was the missing lower third in the interview. The voice over was solid and audio levels seemed to be consistent and at the right volume. The story also had 2 interviews. I'd give the news package a 9/10.
The news story starts out with a stand up which I thought was interesting seeing as how most stories start with an interesting clip or soundbite to grab the audience's attention. The beginning stand up broke down why the rising test scores were a big deal and used the Kansas City Neighborhood Academy as an example. I think they used that academy as an example because they scored at full accreditation level. Following this was b-role of students at the Kansas City Neighborhood Academy doing paperwork. I thought the b-role matched well with the emphasis of the story and the shots they used were all in focus and steady.
The story was told through facts, a press interview with the superintendent and an interview with who I believe is a teacher in the school district.
One element from this story I would apply to my own stories is a stand up. They're a good transition and put a face to the voice the audience hears. Something I've learned that is in this story is J & L edits.
I think that one thing the journalist did well was match the b-role with what they were talking about. For example, when they were talking about Kansas City Neighborhood Academy, they showed footage of students from the academy working and did a stand up right outside the academy. However, an improvement they could make to this story is adding names to the people they interviewed. There was no lower third in any of their interviews and it made me question the credibility of those being interviewed since I didn't know who they were or how they were associated.
Overall, it was a good news package and very informative. My only major issue with it was the missing lower third in the interview. The voice over was solid and audio levels seemed to be consistent and at the right volume. The story also had 2 interviews. I'd give the news package a 9/10.
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Semester 2 Final Reflection
Throughout my time in Convergence Journalism this year I've learned a lot, and although some of what I've learned is minor, it all contributes to the overall quality of my packages.
One of the first things I learned this year is that being able to work with a team is vital. While I am responsible for my own packages, it's important to collaborate with others to ensure that the show is quality and all of the packages that are scheduled to air are shown. I learned this time and time again when I didn't tell the producer the status of my package so they had to check up on me.
I've also learned that two interviews is the minimum for each package that I complete. This is offers more than one perspective and gives the viewer more information about the event. Depending on the package and angle being taken, the interviewee usually tells the story. If only one interview is shown, there could be missing information from the package that is key to the story. It's also important to know as much as possible about the event you're filming so that you can tell the story correctly. On top of all that, I've also learned a lot about my strengths and weaknesses as a journalist.
I believe that one of my greatest strengths is my voice overs. I think it's the correct tone and extremely clear; there are also no breathing noises or random pauses. My voice overs add to the quality of the package and if the package is to be professional, then a solid voice over is essential. I also believe that my voice overs have gotten better since the beginning of the year; however, there is always room for improvement. Another one of my strengths is my editing.
When it comes to video editing, I think that I am able to consistently keep my audio where it needs to be, color correct dark interviews or shots, and make the cuts necessary if some shots do not help the story, or cut an interview sound bite short if there is excess information that isn't needed - without making the cut obvious. My editing abilities have helped me enormously as the editing process is when the story comes together. I plan to pursue video editing as a career in the future, so everything I learn now will surely benefit me far beyond High School. While I do excel is some areas of Journalism, I am still a work in progress and struggle at both script writing and in some aspects of filming.
One of my weaknesses is script writing. Both for the live show and for voice overs in my packages. Although my scripts tell the story as they should, I don't think they are at the level they should be at. In some of my packages, such as the Raven Pops story, there are holes in the script that are important to the story. Specific the Raven Pops package, all of the solo and duet performers were not recognized. I am fault for this and will continue to look for ways to improve. Another one of my weaknesses is filming, ironically.
To say the least: my filming is subpar. Many of shots are out of focus, and others are shaky. When it comes to focusing shots, it can be difficult to tell whether or not they're in focus as the screen on the camera doesn't always make it very clear. It's not uncommon for me to be under the belief that my shot is focused only for me to import my footage later on and discover it was far from it, and sometimes also shaky; however, shaky shots are completely my fault. I don't use a tripod and that's something I will do next year. My filming is the only thing I would change because of all my simple mistakes that are easily corrected.
Putting all of this aside, I've truly enjoyed being in this class even though I don't always show it. If my filming is corrected, I know there is a future for me in Journalism. I'm looking forward to Senior year and making ONW Now much better than it was this year. As long as the incoming Juniors are committed, there are no limits.
One of the first things I learned this year is that being able to work with a team is vital. While I am responsible for my own packages, it's important to collaborate with others to ensure that the show is quality and all of the packages that are scheduled to air are shown. I learned this time and time again when I didn't tell the producer the status of my package so they had to check up on me.
I've also learned that two interviews is the minimum for each package that I complete. This is offers more than one perspective and gives the viewer more information about the event. Depending on the package and angle being taken, the interviewee usually tells the story. If only one interview is shown, there could be missing information from the package that is key to the story. It's also important to know as much as possible about the event you're filming so that you can tell the story correctly. On top of all that, I've also learned a lot about my strengths and weaknesses as a journalist.
I believe that one of my greatest strengths is my voice overs. I think it's the correct tone and extremely clear; there are also no breathing noises or random pauses. My voice overs add to the quality of the package and if the package is to be professional, then a solid voice over is essential. I also believe that my voice overs have gotten better since the beginning of the year; however, there is always room for improvement. Another one of my strengths is my editing.
When it comes to video editing, I think that I am able to consistently keep my audio where it needs to be, color correct dark interviews or shots, and make the cuts necessary if some shots do not help the story, or cut an interview sound bite short if there is excess information that isn't needed - without making the cut obvious. My editing abilities have helped me enormously as the editing process is when the story comes together. I plan to pursue video editing as a career in the future, so everything I learn now will surely benefit me far beyond High School. While I do excel is some areas of Journalism, I am still a work in progress and struggle at both script writing and in some aspects of filming.
One of my weaknesses is script writing. Both for the live show and for voice overs in my packages. Although my scripts tell the story as they should, I don't think they are at the level they should be at. In some of my packages, such as the Raven Pops story, there are holes in the script that are important to the story. Specific the Raven Pops package, all of the solo and duet performers were not recognized. I am fault for this and will continue to look for ways to improve. Another one of my weaknesses is filming, ironically.
To say the least: my filming is subpar. Many of shots are out of focus, and others are shaky. When it comes to focusing shots, it can be difficult to tell whether or not they're in focus as the screen on the camera doesn't always make it very clear. It's not uncommon for me to be under the belief that my shot is focused only for me to import my footage later on and discover it was far from it, and sometimes also shaky; however, shaky shots are completely my fault. I don't use a tripod and that's something I will do next year. My filming is the only thing I would change because of all my simple mistakes that are easily corrected.
Putting all of this aside, I've truly enjoyed being in this class even though I don't always show it. If my filming is corrected, I know there is a future for me in Journalism. I'm looking forward to Senior year and making ONW Now much better than it was this year. As long as the incoming Juniors are committed, there are no limits.
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Semester Reflection
I think that I've done a lot this year. I did my best to get stories out every other week and with many of my stories I had to stay after school or travel elsewhere to film B-Role.
STORIES
Brendan Dunwiddie Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN78pQwXfQw
This was a story over Brendan Dunwiddie and his decision to make the switch from Football to Cross Country. I covered this story because my partner Alex and I, during hallway committee, asked him what sports he was participating in and found out he was moving from one sport to another; the two sports (Cross Country and Football) are completely different. I went out and filmed this outside of school as well as edited it with the help of Alex. The story took us about 6 days, or possibly 5, from start to finish. The outcome of this story was a minute long news package that told a, in my opinion, decent story.While we were working on finishing this story, I learned that I need to figure out ahead of time the easiest way to film a sport's practice because I ended up running with the Cross Country team in jeans and a long sleeve shirt in the heat- this wasn't my best idea.
Concussions Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfq30NqejxA
This was a package over the Blue Valley Little League Football League and the concussions that often occur in Football. Me and Alex chose this story because we were interested in both Football and just how common concussions are in the sport. I went out to the League field and filmed this outside of class, as well as I edited most of the video. Creating this package was an experience in that we got to travel to a league we'd never heard of to watch 5th and 6th graders play football. This package took about a week to make since filming was a bit of a challenge to schedule because the league normally doesn't allow anyone to record the games; we also had to in and out point around 400 clips. The outcome was one of my favorite packages and a video full of great B-Role that includes numerous hard hits to emphasize injuries and concussions. After making this story I learned that the B-Role needs to help tell the story, just as much as the voice over.
Band Marching Festival Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEBPl3otGv4
This is a story over a marching festival our school's band participated in. We decided to cover this story because this was a big deal for the band, and many other school bands were going to be in it as well, so I went out and filmed this. This story took about 4 or 5 days to complete; the outcome of this story was a music filled package that told a great story of the band's stunning performance that they worked so hard to prepare for. After completing this story I learned to always white balance the camera before I start filming to avoid clips with very different lighting since. What makes lighting difficult is that it is always noticeable when you cut from one clip to another and that takes away from the quality of the package.
Plagiarism Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hem34XfkGc
This is a package over Plagiarism and how it is a problem in every school, as well as steps our school and many others, are taking to prevent it. We chose to to cover this story because our former teacher Mr. Allam suggested that we address the issue in a news package, and that's what got us going. I filmed B-Role for this.This package took a week to make because of all the interviews scheduled on different days and finding classes to film B-Role in; The library just wasn't cutting it when it came to quality B-Role. The outcome of this was a factual, informative package that I think enlightened students on plagiarism and its repercussions. I learned that I need to test the mic before going to film an interview because they may not always work and this took away from the quality of many the interviews Alex and I filmed.
Week of Giving Recap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbr7GpZysq4
This is a recap over the Week of Giving that took place at ONW. I ended up working on this project alone. I chose to work on this package because I had never done a recap before and this would be a new experience for me. This was a package I did by myself so I filmed all of the B-Role and edited it. This story took 2 days to complete; one day to film and the other to edit. This was pretty rushed since I was on a crunch for time. The outcome of this story was a short and to the point recap of the Week of Giving at ONW that told students what they might have missed. Overall, I think this package did what it needed to do, considering the time frame I had to finish it. After making this package I learned that when I'm short on time I really need to get to it since there is no time to waste. While I did finish this in time, it's a great lesson for future reference.
Groundbreaking Playground Ceremony Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbr7GpZysq4
This is a story over the groundbreaking ceremony on College and Lone Elm for a new park being made for special needs kids. We chose to cover this story because we thought it was great that they were creating a park accessible to special needs kids and wanted to find out more. I filmed B-Role for this and Alex did all of the editing since I was out sick the day we were going to edit it. This package only took two days to complete. The outcome was a heart-warming story over a new park soon to be built for special needs kids. After completing this package I learned that I need to dress appropriately for the weather conditions that I might be filming in. I learned this the hard way since it was most likely below 40 degrees and I only had on a thin jacket and no gloves.
STRENGTHS
One of my strengths in Convergence Journalism is editing. I am able to make precise cuts and organize B-Role in a way that helps tell the story. I can also balance audio pretty well and avoid having random clips that are extremely loud compared to the others. I maximized my strengths by volunteering to edit and doing the best editing I could when I was given the opportunity.
Another one of my strengths is knowing what types of shots I want to get before I film. Often times I'll imagine what shots would look good in whatever type of package I'm filming; 9 times out of 10 thinking about the shots beforehand and what would work is enough to lead me through the filming process. This is extremely helpful when I go out to film because it allows me to waste no time thinking about what my next shot will be.
WEAKNESSES
REFLECTION
Through-out this semester I've learned a lot. One of the biggest things I've learned is to white balance my camera before filming anything. The varying lighting that's always noticeable has plagued many of my shots and this needs to change. I've also learned to dress for weather conditions since I've payed the price for it twice. Lastly, I learned that I need to stay on task 24/7; this is imperative in order to have new stories out consistently, as is expected of me.
For next semester, I plan to utilize everything I've learned: White balancing the camera before filming, dressing for weather conditions, and staying on task.
I think I've grown as a student in that my work ethic has improved and so has my quality of work. I've also grown as a professional through the skills I've learned that I can take into the work force. What I've learned in e-Comm is what the professionals use in the media: Proper lighting, good audio, steady shots, B-Role matching with the voice-over. All of these will give me an edge when it comes time for me to apply to colleges and when I'm applying for jobs.
Monday, November 23, 2015
Friday, November 20, 2015
10 Most Fascinating People of 2014 Review
The scope of this video was to highlight the lives of some of the more interesting people in the world. The film ranks them from 1 being the most interesting to 10 being the least interesting on the list. The video also goes into detail about their accomplishments and some stories from their childhood.
The film told the stories of multiple celebrities and I noticed that many of them wanted to be successful and famous from a very young age. For example, Scarlet Johansson wanted to be an actor ever since she was very little and began auditioning for films at the young age of 8. In the beginning it was stated that the majority of the fascinating people were females, and I found this true as the film went on. Also, instead of having a separate episode for each celebrity shown to create an effect of suspense, there was just one long video with commercial breaks in between each story. I do think that if each celebrity had their own episode then that would keep the viewer hooked and locked in because there is a curiosity of who's next.
There were many stories told in this film. All of the stories were about celebrities and they were all ranked in who was the most interesting from 1-10. Their stories were told through interviews, clips from their childhood, and some movies they've starred in in the past and some more recent.
One element from this work that I would apply to my own is the professional interview set up with great audio and an appealing background. I thought that this definitely added to the quality of the film, and obviously made it look more professional. The reason I'd add this element is because I've noticed that my interview set ups, more often than not, tend to lack good audio and lighting. While my interviews are good enough to use in my packages, the quality could definitely improve.
I noticed that they used lighting kits in their interviews instead of just finding a well lit spot and going with it. I have already learned how to set up light kits and use them to improve my interviews but I thought it was great to see that this skill is applicable in the real world. I plan on incorporating proper lighting into more of my interviews so that I am able make my work seem more professional than it already is.
One thing the creator of this film did well was finding B-Role that matched what the host and the current celebrity were talking about. They were not ill prepared and actually had footage of some of the celebrity's childhoods. This most likely wasn't an easy task since the footage from their childhood was probably old. There were also pictures to support the story; I thought that was key in helping give viewers an idea of what the environment they grew up in looked like. Although don't get me wrong, the footage helped do that as well.
Something the film could improve on is making the stories longer. While the film was good regardless of length, there is always room for improvement and making the stories longer would have allowed them to go more in depth about the celebrities featured.
The film told the stories of multiple celebrities and I noticed that many of them wanted to be successful and famous from a very young age. For example, Scarlet Johansson wanted to be an actor ever since she was very little and began auditioning for films at the young age of 8. In the beginning it was stated that the majority of the fascinating people were females, and I found this true as the film went on. Also, instead of having a separate episode for each celebrity shown to create an effect of suspense, there was just one long video with commercial breaks in between each story. I do think that if each celebrity had their own episode then that would keep the viewer hooked and locked in because there is a curiosity of who's next.
There were many stories told in this film. All of the stories were about celebrities and they were all ranked in who was the most interesting from 1-10. Their stories were told through interviews, clips from their childhood, and some movies they've starred in in the past and some more recent.
One element from this work that I would apply to my own is the professional interview set up with great audio and an appealing background. I thought that this definitely added to the quality of the film, and obviously made it look more professional. The reason I'd add this element is because I've noticed that my interview set ups, more often than not, tend to lack good audio and lighting. While my interviews are good enough to use in my packages, the quality could definitely improve.
I noticed that they used lighting kits in their interviews instead of just finding a well lit spot and going with it. I have already learned how to set up light kits and use them to improve my interviews but I thought it was great to see that this skill is applicable in the real world. I plan on incorporating proper lighting into more of my interviews so that I am able make my work seem more professional than it already is.
One thing the creator of this film did well was finding B-Role that matched what the host and the current celebrity were talking about. They were not ill prepared and actually had footage of some of the celebrity's childhoods. This most likely wasn't an easy task since the footage from their childhood was probably old. There were also pictures to support the story; I thought that was key in helping give viewers an idea of what the environment they grew up in looked like. Although don't get me wrong, the footage helped do that as well.
Something the film could improve on is making the stories longer. While the film was good regardless of length, there is always room for improvement and making the stories longer would have allowed them to go more in depth about the celebrities featured.
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
ONW Plagiarism Story
This is a story on Plagiarism and the misconceptions about it. The story goes over what plagiarism actually is and the consequences behind it.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Monday, October 5, 2015
Concussion Story
As many of you may know, concussions have always been an in issue in the sport of Football. This story explains how concussions are affecting the younger players and are no longer being allowed to play because of concussions. Parents prohibiting their children from playing is causing a gap in the average amount of Football players.
Brendan Dunwiddie Story
Brendan Dunwiddie switched from Football to Cross Country, two very different sports. This video tells the story of why he made the switch and his new found passion for Cross Country.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Pensacola News Journal Article Review
The article is about a small news station that is working with its employees to make work more enjoyable. They're allowing them to write stories over thing they're passionate about and enjoy doing.
The author of this article doesn't really make any kind of argument, but more so talks about the adjustments Pensacola is making. However, it could be argued that if you work with your employees, then you will see an improvement in their performance and morale. This is shown when veteran feature Troy Moon said "I don't remember it being this good, not since the '90s at least." This is also shown when the article talks about Kevin Robinson and how he feels "freed up." Both of these employees saying that they enjoy work more and have more time serve as one of the strengths of this article. Very good evidence and sources are provided. Although, one of the weaknesses of this article is that it talks about the company's not so good past which can cause readers to see Pensacola News Journal in a negative light. From this, the author concludes that letting reporters do work they're passionate about is a great way to keep up morale.
This article was pretty good in that all of the claims made and evidence provided go back to the main point which is if you let your employees do work they're passionate about, you'll see in an increase in performance and morale. The evidence in this article is very convincing since it is real people giving their honest input on the changes and how they've affected them. An application for me as a videographer is to do work I enjoy. By doing this I'll be more willing to work and will more likely than not see an improvement in my video quality.
Overall, this was a solid article. It was definitely interesting to see what happens when you let your employees do their own thing and work on things they enjoy. Enjoying your job makes going to work a lot easier and provides motivation.
Article: http://www.cjr.org/united_states_project/pensacola_news_journal.php
The author of this article doesn't really make any kind of argument, but more so talks about the adjustments Pensacola is making. However, it could be argued that if you work with your employees, then you will see an improvement in their performance and morale. This is shown when veteran feature Troy Moon said "I don't remember it being this good, not since the '90s at least." This is also shown when the article talks about Kevin Robinson and how he feels "freed up." Both of these employees saying that they enjoy work more and have more time serve as one of the strengths of this article. Very good evidence and sources are provided. Although, one of the weaknesses of this article is that it talks about the company's not so good past which can cause readers to see Pensacola News Journal in a negative light. From this, the author concludes that letting reporters do work they're passionate about is a great way to keep up morale.
This article was pretty good in that all of the claims made and evidence provided go back to the main point which is if you let your employees do work they're passionate about, you'll see in an increase in performance and morale. The evidence in this article is very convincing since it is real people giving their honest input on the changes and how they've affected them. An application for me as a videographer is to do work I enjoy. By doing this I'll be more willing to work and will more likely than not see an improvement in my video quality.
Overall, this was a solid article. It was definitely interesting to see what happens when you let your employees do their own thing and work on things they enjoy. Enjoying your job makes going to work a lot easier and provides motivation.
Article: http://www.cjr.org/united_states_project/pensacola_news_journal.php
Friday, July 17, 2015
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Video Semester 2 Final: Making of a Shortfilm
Scope
The scope of this project was to make a package about something that fit into the category "Bright." This package couldn't be more than 1 minute and 30 seconds long. It had to include interviews, commentary and a lot of B Role (shots of people performing actions)Pre-Production
During Pre-Production I was deciding what I wanted my package to be over. I eventually chose to have a package over what goes into making a short film. After I decided what I wanted it to be about I was ready to film. The reason I didn't storyboard or script write at the beginning is that it's a news package and you have to get what you can and then work with that.Production
During production, I was mainly filming. Filming took a couple days, some days felt longer than others depending on how much was going on and whether or not the group I was recording was actually recording or not. Once I finally finished filming B-Role, I then recorded interviews. Each interview consisted of 21 questions about the project they were working on for their final. I interviewed 3 members of the 4 member cast: Carter, Chris, and Espy. Each interview took around 25-30 minutes. On a good day I could usually finish one interview and start the next one before the bell rang. After recording all of the interviews, I was finally able to start writing my story and recording voice overs.While I was story writing, I was just planning what shots I wanted to use and what I would say in my voice overs. This is a key part in the making of a news package because it gives you a game plan to follow going in and makes the editing process so much easier. After I finished writing my story, I began to record my voice overs. In case you don't know what a voice over is, it's just audio that you play over clips, essentially commentary over what you're showing. An important thing to remember about voice overs is that you should match what you say with what you say. An example of this would be if I was talking about the editing process, I would show them editing while I talked about it.
Post-Production
Finally, after I finished getting everything recorded and ready to go, I could actually start putting this package together in Final Cut Pro. Final Cut Pro is a video editing software used to edit film. First, I imported all of my clips and voice overs. Then, I in and out pointed all of my clips, favorited some clips, and added key words to the clips I thought I would use. When I finished doing that, I started adding the clips to the timeline to get them sequenced properly (put them in the order I wanted them in). Once they were all in order, I added in my voice over. After all of this was done, I played through it a couple of times to make sure my audio was good, and if it wasn't I would adjust it. Finally, when everything was put together and ready to go, I was able to share this project to YouTube as well as on this blog post.Lessons Learned
Looking back on this project, I was able to learn a lot, both technically and professionally. One of the first and most important things that I learned was to shoot in sequences. This is extremely important to the overall quality of your B-Role as well as your finished film (or news package in my case). Shooting in sequences is basically getting a medium shot (waist up) close up of the face, then a close up of the hands, and finally a close up of the feet. This also helps you match up what you hear with what you see. I also learned that story writing is key. Without my story written, I would have been lost when it came to editing and putting the news package together. Like I said earlier, this makes editing it so much easier. I also learned that making sure the mic used during the interview is actually working. If it isn't, your whole interview isn't near as good as it should have been. The audio is a lot worse and it causes me trouble having to bump it up so you can hear it or turning it down if for some reason it's too loud. Another thing I learned is that you always need to follow the rule of thirds. This makes sure that their eyes are in the proper place on the screen and that they're looking in to space. This makes everything look nicer and more professional. The last thing I learned is that when you're shooting an interview, it should be one continuous clip and that the shot should be very tight (not a lot of space where they aren't looking). This makes the interview more professional and overall improves the quality of it.Future Changes & Things to Keep up
After watching this news package, there are a few things that I would change and some things that I wouldn't. I would definitely go back and shoot in sequences if I could, this would make my film a lot better and would have given me better B-Role to work with. I would also make sure that the mic in my interviews was actually turned on and working. Doing this would make my interviews a lot more audible. The last thing I would change is making sure that the shot of the person I'm interviewing is a tight shot. This makes the interview look a lot better. Although I can fix this with the crop tool in Final Cut Pro, it is much easier to do it right the first time.
While there are a lot of things I could improve on, I would keep some things the same. One of these would be the close ups of the screen when they were recording and script writing. This helped me match up what you heard with what you saw. An example of this would be when I had a close up of Carter writing script while I talked about how script writing was an important part of making a short film. The other thing I would keep the same is the way I speak in the voice overs. I think it's very clear and sounds like I'm interested in what I'm talking about, but at the same time it's professional.
Experiences
I've been able to draw a few things from this project that will help enhance my next project. The first thing I'll take away is the group I work with. I worked with an enthusiastic group who knew what they were doing. This made the filming process a lot more fun and made things go a lot smoother. The last experience I will draw from this is staying on task. I think I was able to stay on task pretty well and this helped me finish the project on time. The only thing that slowed me down was confusion and last minute interviews.
Wrapping Things up
Overall, I thought I did pretty well for what kind of B-Role I had (not the best). I'm not that proud of this news packages but I'm definitely going to learn from it going into next year. I definitely could have done better and plan to do so. My projects will only get better from here on out. This was a fun package to make and hope to work with groups similar in the future. Thanks for reading.
Attack of the 100ft Dude!!! Animation Semester 2 Final
ANIMATION SEMESTER 2 FINAL
"ATTACK OF THE 100 FT DUDE!!!"
The goal of this project was to make a short animated film that included 3D animation as well as special fx. The 3D animation was done in the program Maya and the special fx were done in Adobe After Effects. Both of these elements were required and had to be incorporated into the film in some way. The people in my group who all contributed to the making of this animated film were: Me, Drew McCall and Graham Petter. What our film is about is in the title: Attack of the 100 Ft Dude!!! If you didn't get the hint, the film is about a 100 ft monster that attacks the city. The military attempts to save the day, will they pull it off? Watch the move to find out!Pre-Production we were coming up with ideas on what we wanted to make our short animated film about. We all came up with an idea, pitched it, and at the end chose a winner. After we decided what we wanted to make, we began storyboarding. Storyboarding is drawing out images of the different scenes that you plan to include in your film or animation. Most of the drawings were not the most accurate portrayal of the scene but more rough sketches of what we wanted to happen. Then, we decided who would play what role in the film, basically chose characters. Then, we chose which locations we wanted to film in. Finally, we were ready to begin making this animated film. Oh, here is what the storyboard looked like:
During production we filmed all of our scenes. Some scenes we filmed more than once to make sure that we got the right shot and the acting was ok. We did a lot of filming in front of a green screen, here is what that looked like:
After we got everything filmed, we imported all of our clips into After Effects. In After Effects, we added in all of the Special Effects and did most of the Video Editing. Special FX and video editing were done by Drew McCall and Graham Petter. While they worked on editing the film and adding special fx, I worked in Maya to create the animated tank and the missile. I was responsible for all 3D models and animations. Finally, when all of this was done we rendered out or movie and began typing the blog post that you're reading now.
After we got everything filmed, we imported all of our clips into After Effects. In After Effects, we added in all of the Special Effects and did most of the Video Editing. Special FX and video editing were done by Drew McCall and Graham Petter. While they worked on editing the film and adding special fx, I worked in Maya to create the animated tank and the missile. I was responsible for all 3D models and animations. Finally, when all of this was done we rendered out or movie and began typing the blog post that you're reading now.
Looking back on this project and during the production of it, I was able to learn a few things. One of the first thing that I learned was how to batch render in Maya. This was extremely useful and made all the 3D animation actually able to be in the film. The second thing that I learned was how to make a tank. It isn't the best tank but it was way over my expectations on what I thought that I was capable of making. I also learned that communication is key when collaborating with others to make a short animated movie. Without communication nobody will know exactly what it is they're supposed to be doing and you will not finish before or on the deadline. I also learned that deadlines come up extremely fast so all the time you are given to work on a project in class should be used wisely; in other words: DON'T SLACK OFF.
After watching my final project, I would definitely do a few things differently. The first thing I would do differently would be bettering my acting. It was ok but it was kind of corny. My only excuse for this is that it is a 50s movie and it's supposed to be bad (Me:1 Haters: 0; I'm keeping score). The second thing that I would do differently would be to try to make a better tank. The one I made was ok but I feel as though I could have done better if I utilized a lot more of what I had learned over the semester. Although there are a few things I would change, I could draw a lot from this project.
The first thing I will draw from this project is the willingness to go out on a wing and try to make something I've never made before (this being the tank). The reason for this is that I actually surprised myself and the turn out wasn't too bad. The other thing I would draw from this is how to batch render. Without this, you wouldn't see the tank or missile in the film.
Overall, I thought the film turned out pretty good and I had a good group I was working with. We all executed and got what we needed to do done. All of our handwork leading up to the finished product was well worth it. Also, the reason that the film is not uploaded on this post is because it is still rendering (in case you couldn't tell from the text in the parentheses reading: "Movie goes here when it's done rendering").
Monday, March 2, 2015
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