What My Blog Shows

Early in the year, in fact on the first day of this class I had no idea what it even was. All I knew is that I had to switch into this class at the last minute. I kind of wondered if it was going to be about journalism, but then I realized we would be making movies with scripts, and there may even be a little acting. My earlier projects don't really show any sophistication. There are crude cuts and it kind of looks like I was just putting random things together. In my opinion, they are actually a little boring because I had not yet learned how to use all of the effects that I enjoy using now. When I first started out, I didn't really keep to a theme as much as I would have liked to. For me, it was just about getting the clips in and getting the project done. I think that my later videos like the STAR promo video show that as the year went by I starting to have more of an eye for what clips went good together and how to create a mood and tone for the video. I did start to use music and sound a little more, but I think that is still something of mine that needs work. I usually spend so much time on everything else that the music kind of takes a back seat and in my opinion it's obvious. As time went by, my workshop videos got better and I was able to do them faster. But where I really feel most proud is with the current videos because I know how to use effects and I am better at my cuts, as well as fine tuning things like the audio for individual clips. I used to think that what I should do was treat everything like one big video. In actuality, I should have been treating every individual clip as its own projects because then each part of the video is equally good, and none of the important points get left out. Everything gets made to its full potential and it doesn't look like everything just got thrown together. What I feel that my best skill has been all year is my reflections. If you look at my blog, my reflections are usually longer than the videos themselves, and they usually have information that is of substance. I also feel that this is how I learned to make my videos better. I was able to go back, decide what I didn't like and what I wanted to change. Then, when I wouyld gop to do future videos, those reflections were like reminders and little hints about what I should focus on this time and what I should avoid or work on. It was a place to figure out where I could improve without getting down on myself. And as my reflections progressed, I was able to give myself more positive comments as opposed to negative ones. This is parts 5 and 6 for the final: I learned that the acting was really important for every film. I didn't have many acting opportunities in this class, but I know from watching videos in other classes that I get easily bored. However, if you have a good cast, then they can make even the worst or most generic script seem interesting. I really only had one acting opportunity to act when we did te script about inheriting money for college. I enjoyed that and actually got extra credit on the video because the acting was funny. This showed me that people appreciate your effort and even if you think that your acting isn't great or your embarrassing yourself, other people can tell that you are trying and it entertains them. All you really have to do is try. Use a funny voice, change your personality...it can all make someone think that you have a really entertaining video. Along with this acting, I also learned about how to act as a group. This was not easy at all. I learned that you need to choose who you work with wisely and if it doesn't work once, there is a good chance that it will not work the second time around. Everyone needs to pull their own weight and not rely on others to pick up their slack. If one person fails, everyone does and that is something you have to learn to avoid or change when it does occur. I really do like to work alone, n fact I prefer it. However, there were some people I enjoyed getting to know better and there were also some people who I had never met before but made friends with right away. I made new friends and I also learned how to use my video making knowledge in other classes and I became someone that my group members in other classes could rely on when they weren't sure about using this technology. I get excited when I can see their relief and I enjoy knowing all of these terms and programs that other people never knew existed.

Final Project

Symphony Story

Jabberwocky

For a special effect my partner and I took the first picture in our video and shortened the overlay title. After that, we went ahead and animated the picture enlarge itself until the end of the sound clip that went with it and then it transitioned into the next scene. Along with this, we also learned how to apply the razor cutting tool to our audio, at the same point as our first image ended. These two ideas helped us give the clip some animation and we felt that the overall flow was better and the production had more life to it. We wanted this clip to have a dark, and mysterious feel but at the same time we wanted to make it more exciting by using unique images that were maybe a little bit off of the wall and unexpected. I was also impressed by our use of overlay titles, because they allowed us to make everything flow together and I think that they will help viewers better understand the poem.

Second Effects Sandbox

This is our second effects exploration video, and the details for this effect are: Go to Video Effects, and select the drop down next to DISTORT. Twirl: Angle Set At: -4.1 to -8.1 to -119.7 to -35.9 to 69.3 t0 5.5 degrees as animation progresses Radius: 67 Center 360.0 and 240.0 Again, these effects should be used with caution, and used only in certain situations or for short periods of time. This effect at these levels, would make a nice transition between clips maybe if you had multiple interviews or settings. If this effect were used for those purposes, I think that it would provide a nice flow to that film as well. I can see this effect making sense in a film that is geared towards teenagers or students just because it isn't too serious and would most likely better hold their attention.

Dark Regrets: Director's Cut

This is the Director's Cut for Dark Regrets. Group Members: Hayley Barker Kayla Dawe Laura Medina Mario Discua

How To Use Lense Flare and Twirl

Video By: Kayla and Hayley

For Lens Flare:
Go to "Generate" from the video effects
Drag the effect over/to the clip in the timeline
Go to "Effect Controls"
Set your "Flare Center" at 288.0 and 192.0
Set "Flare Brightness" at 39%
"Lense Type" at 30-500mm zoom
"Blend With" 100%

For Twirl:
Go to "Distort" in the video effects
Drag the effect over/to the clip in the timeline
Go to "Effect Controls"
Set "Angle" at 1*75 degrees
Set twirl radius at 35.0
Set "Twirl Radius" at 358.0 and 221.0 These effects look quite ridiculous and in most cases, you probably won't want to use them if you are trying to convey a serious message. They are more fun and casual effects that maybe would be cool in a commercial or music video, something that is meant to be a little off of the wall and very abstract. Even with its ridiculous qualities, it was still fun to experiment with and push the limits. Normally, this would be much more reserved.

759

You should vote for our video because, we tried to use a  quote that went with each year. We also tried to find music that was a little different and unusual. All in all, we are proud of the theme that we worked hard to stick with.
Hayley & Kayla

Reflection on Commentary

The conflict was between a desperate man and a desperate woman but it was hard to completely identify it since there a lot of scenes missing. One of the shots that contributed to the rising action was when the guy said "I don't want to do this." and also when he pulled out his gun. The woman also seemed to be very scared. You could use suspenseful orchestral music in the background to have a greater effect to viewers. There was no resolution since it was not finished. We especially liked the beginning shot when the guy first walks into the room; it was very suspenseful. We can't really give many suggestions since we have no idea what the point or the story of the film is. Add missing scenes, add music, and add credits. -Luis and Lizzy

Anonymous said...

The conflict was between putting the guys name on the list for a kidney transplant, or not. Some shots and dialogue that contributed to the rising action is: when the door squeaks, when there’s just a shot of Mario's face showing he is very angry, when he pulls out the gun, and when Hayley says "oh my gosh."
We think once you put in Hayley's parts, the rising actions will be more effective, but right now just with Mario's shots it is really intense. We think if you add some dramatic music, the tone and mood will be even more intense.
The climax occurred we guess when Mario pretends to shoot Hayley. But it is kind of unclear, because Hayley's parts are not added yet.
So far there is no resolution because the video is not finished yet, but we are sure the resolution will be very good. We think if you have some either happy or sad music for the resolution (depending on how the resolution ends) it will really add to the tone.
We especially like the shot of just Mario looking really angry because it helped emphasize the idea that Mario is really serious. We think when Mario pulls out the gun, you should do a close up on Mario's expression, to show he is really conflicted and he does not want to shoot Hayley. This will help emphasize the idea that Mario has to choose between shooting Hayley and losing his wife.
So far with the clips you have, we think you did an 8 on your editing. One edit we would change is cut some of Hayley writing, it drags out a little and making it shorter will help keep the audience's attention. We think for transitions straight cuts would work since it's a conversation.
We think you should definitely add music, to help make the mood really intense.
We think your title is pretty good, but you could show more intensity, because the title right now seems pretty happy and just shows the setting, and the film is not happy, from what is shown through Mario's clips. We like the font of the title, and we think it was pretty effective. Once you do add credits we think you should use the same style.
Overall, we thought your film was okay, once it is all put together we can judge it better. What we liked best was Mario's acting, because he looks and sounds pretty intense. Our strongest suggestion is to add Hayley's clips, and add some intense music.
-Alicia Fernandez and Jorge Chavez

The conflict in the video was between violence and doing right. The back and forward shots between Mario and Hayley added to the suspense. When Mario walks into the room an eerie effect is added by the squeaky door closing behind him. Some things you could do to contribute to the rising action are maybe having a shot before the video starts showing Mario putting the gun in his pocket. The climax occurred when Mario takes out the gun raises his voice and says "I don't want to do it." A resolution was not evident in the draft. We liked the close up shot of Hayley after Mario pulls out the gun because it gives off the emotion of fear. The audience doesn’t know what she is going to do. We don’t really want to rate the editing yet because the video is not complete but the editing so far is really good. The shots used seemed to go well and I wouldn't change anything. Music was not included in the draft of this video but it would definitely help set the tone of the video. Even though there was not any music, the silence really gave off the sketchy feeling. No titles were in the draft but something bold would add to the mood. Overall your film looks like it has a lot of potential and brings out a strong message. What we liked best was the way Hayley and Mario portrayed their characters. Our strongest suggestion is to just make the titles stand out and to add some music.

Elissa

Cristabel- Jessica.
The conflict was between the man and the woman. The value is unclear at this moment because the video is not complete.
Here are the shots, dialog and actions that contribute to the rising action.

1. The opening scene we think the squeaky door helped establish the mood which gave off a scary vibe.
2. When he raises his voice
3. The scene where he pulls out the gun.

4. When she gets up out of her seat.
Here some suggestions about adding to the rising action,
1. You could add suspenseful music/sounds.
2. You could also shoot a close up on the man’s expressions to show he’s afraid of what he’s going to do. The climax was unclear because the video is incomplete.
The resolution was also missing.
You could add to the resolution by creating one.
We especially like the shot of the door from the top because it helped emphasize that something fishy was about to happen.
we think that you might add a shot right after he pulls out the gun to maybe a close up to show the woman’s expressions.
On a scale of 1-10 we rate the editing a 7.
NO MUSIC.
We think you could try using suspenseful music or sounds.
NO CREDITS.
We think that if the title had a certain different text it would have reflected better on the content. We liked the silence during the title it gave off a dead sort of feel.
Overall we thought your film was ok. What we liked was the opening shot but adding the missing clips and adding music would help.

This post is from Kayla and Hayley.
The positive comments that were most meaningful to us were from Elissa and Jorge and Alicia. Elissa told us that “The back and forward shots between Mario and Hayley added to the suspense,” and that was helpful because it showed that she understood what we were trying to do. In addition, Jorge and Alicia told us that “What we liked best was Mario's acting, because he looks and sounds pretty intense,” and that helped us see that we conveyed our mood well.

The two best suggestions we got were from Luis and Lizzy and Cristabel and Jessica.
Luis and Lizzy suggested that we, “Add missing scenes, add music, and add credits.” We agree with this suggestion, and our plan to address it is to insert the scenes and add in the music we have already found. Cristabel and Jessica suggested that we, “We think that if the title had a certain different text it would have reflected better on the content.” We agree with this suggestion, and our plan to address it is to change the title and possibly the font too.

In The Office Rough Draft (2)

Reflection On Rough Draft

FAST FORWARD TO 4:18 WHEN VIDEO ACTUALLY STARTS
The reflection we posted to Laura's blog did not work out well because we used the wrong sequence. We had two sequences with similar names and chose the wrong one. The one we used was from set upwhen we were trying to see where to put people, props, and how to make everything come across for our audience. A better version can be found on computer 8.

1) We are trying to portray knowing the difference between right and wrong. This is shown in the script when Rand says that he does not want to shoot Jenna, but he does it anyway. We want people to learn by example. Look what happens when you don't do the right thing.
2) We were creative, and that was our best asset. It helped us work with limited resources.
3) We need to do our final edits, but so far we know that we have a lot of great shots and sequences. Some of our greatest shots actually came from test runs that we were doing. Little did we know some of these would actually be better than our intentional filming.
4) I am interested in feedback pertaining to how we used our setting and if we used what we had to the fullest. Were we convincing? Did it just seem like a boring classroom shot?
5) Our biggest challenge as a group was working together once everyone started getting tired, stressed out, and at the end of their ropes. Again there were times when personal problems outside of this project came into the work place so to speak. Our biggest filming challenge was just trying to find somewhere to film. I think that alone took about a week away from filming. Once we found our location we had to come up with a routine and configure the room each time which took some strategy and getting used to.

College Money: Over The Shoulder Shot

Reflection:
We used one of the blocks out in the quad to help get our angles correct, because Hayley was so much taller than I am. We even made sure that I would look tall enough before we started filming each shot. If I was too short, we adjusted. What I feel is really important, is being extra careful when your subjects have a substantial height difference.
We were very close to having perfect "Rule of Thirds" shots. I I had moved a little more to the right side of the screen, it probably would have been exact, but in my opinion, the set up was very close. We also should have moved Hayley more to the left side of the screen.
Over the shoulder shots give each character a chance to take center stage and be the most important figure in the video. They also resemble a third party perspective. If you want a reaction from one person while still making it obvious that there is another person there, the over the shoulder shot is helpful as well. You get some of the less important figure, and get more from the focus.
The dialogue seems very random, because there isn't much set up behind it, you just go straight into the conversation. It is easy to film back and forth over the shoulder shots because the lines are so short, and they aren't overloaded with details. Facial expressions were the hardest thing about editing, because you don't want to make someone look crazy or spaced out.
There is a tone of comedic impatience, and sometimes ridiculousness. This came through just because of the personalities that Hayley and I have. The final product was all about how we read and interpreted the lines.
I have realized that over the shoulder shots can be maybe one of the best options for filming an ongoing conversation. They are less plain then just a two shot, because they are a way to compare and contrast words with reactions.
Trying to act the part and putting some personality into the way you read lines is really important. You can have the best shots, settings, and costumes, but if you don't have good actors or good attempts at acting then it all goes to waste.