10 Easy Steps Will Make Your Videos More Cinematic- Video Review

                             

    One thing that I feel like I struggle with is making my shots cinematic and appealing to the eye. I tend to rely on the auto settings of a camera because all of the buttons and options seem a bit overwhelming. My camera work has improved this year because I have learned some of the basics in working in manual mode. This video will really help me for my next project so I can use these tips to make more cinematic short films and other projects.
   Personally, I think the most important tip in this video is using either equipment or a tool in editing to stabilize clips. Unless it's used for effect and contributes to the story, shaky clips look unprofessional. I also despise using tripods because they are so big, heavy, take up a lot of room, and take a while to set up. However, using a tripod obviously makes the camera steady and eliminates having to use warp stabilizer or another effect to remove the shakiness. If I had the funds, I think testing a GlideCam would be fun to see what effect it makes on the clip.
    Using a shallow depth-of-field also creates the blurred effect in the background, which is a really neat aesthetic. Adding the black bars on the top and bottom of the frame make the project look more professional. I think this video provides a lot of good tips, especially for beginners, for how to increase the quality of their work and elevate it to a professional level. I think I can take these tips into consideration to help improve my work and turn it into projects that I enjoy filming and editing.

In Cellulum- Reflection

In Cellulum

    In Cellulum, written by Drew Conners, is a story of a boy who is struggling with depression and feels "trapped" within his "cell". His anger eventually builds up and he punches a wall, where he finds a key to get out. He returns to normal life but is confused and doesn't understand. He goes back to his room, falls asleep, and wakes up in his cell again.
    For this project, our class got into groups of 5 or 6 and we decided on a script to transform into our short film. The short film had to display Acts I, II, and III and had to be within 5-10 minutes. In terms of Pre-Production, I was in charge of story-boarding most of the shots and I got some props together as well. I provided some insight to how we could successfully execute our script considering that they story was based in an absurd location. In Production, I told the actor where to place himself and I helped the DP and Art Director, which isn't what a Production Manager normally does, but I kind of turned into the director because ours was being uncooperative and left the set for a long period of time. In Post-Production, I worked with the editor to give my opinion on how the edit should look and I helped find music and sound effects. Again, our director wasn't being very helpful and was gone for a couple days.

What Did I Learn?

    Technically, I learned more editing features in Premiere and the importance of story-boarding to get the best idea for what shots the DP needs to get. We also learned our lesson with actor choice and recording shots for longer and getting them more than once. Our actor continually looked at the camera and the DP forgot to record shots more than once, so our editor had to work around that issue. This project taught me a big lesson in collaboration and working professionally with others. Our director was very uncooperative in helping with storyboards, planning, filming, and editing. Although directors are not directly involved, they should still be contributing to the discussion and giving their ideas considering that the project is branded under them. I stepped into his position because work was not getting done and we had to meet deadlines. Another issue that we had to combat was the issue with time, considering that all of the members' schedules were cramped and busy and we had an hour and half to film the scene in the cell, which is the biggest portion of the short film. However, for only getting an hour and a half, the DP and I were focused the entire time and tried our best to get filming done. One other thing I learned is that collaboration is key to a successful project. We made a group chat, but I had to message and talk to people directly in order to get a response. The edit above is the DP's edit, and although it is interesting to have two different edits with different perspectives, the editor should have been the one that was doing the editing because it is their assigned role.

What Would I Change?

    If I could do things differently, I would have chosen a different script to begin with. This one did not have a very defined Act I, II, and III and the setting was extremely hard to work around. It would have been easier to start with a new script and be able to plan around a script that has easy locations and props. I would have also chose some different members in the group so that I would know that I work with those people well and that we would actually be productive. There isn't much I would keep the same because the work was not divided fairly and accordingly and turning a script into a short film was not very achievable. These are things that I can pull and change for my next project so that the process runs smoothly and that the project turns into something that I'm proud of. Overall, the final product didn't turn out terrible, but it is not my favorite work that I've been apart of and the issues behind the scenes are not something that I want to experience again. 

Public Service Announcement

   Concept, Pre-Production, Production, Post-Production

   In my group, we decided that Healthy Eating, especially in school lunches, was an important topic that needed to be covered and promoted. Once we came up with our idea, we decided that our PSA would be energetic and to the point, rather than making it more meaningful with cinematic shots. We pitched the idea of having the food thrown from each side of the screen and tossing away the unhealthy option to make the video more interesting and easy to follow instead of just explaining which options were healthier. Another idea was to include athletes, students, teachers, and staff to make the video relatable to everyone in the school building. I was in charge of organizing the props and making sure which props we were going to use on specific filming days. We filmed over the course of 4 days and we filmed mostly during the class period. In regards to production, we spent about 20 minutes with each actor or actress. We filmed one shot after school and we used a gymnast, but the shot was wrong and we were too crunched for time to re-film it. We recorded each shot 3 times just to make sure that we had one good one to use in the video. Although I had the role of art director, everyone had to edit their own version of the PSA. Most of the people in my group added captions to theirs to explain what was happening with each shot, but I felt that it was self-explanatory and I didn't feel the need to add a lower third. I did color correct every shot to make sure that it was well exposed and bright enough to see each item. I learned the importance of recording a shot more than once so that in case there was something odd in a shot (which happened multiple times in my group), it was able to be replaced by the same shot in a different recording to solve the issue.

5 Guarantees and General Thoughts

   When it comes to the 5 e-Communication Guarantees (Technical Skills, Communication, Leadership, Collaboration, and Project Management), all 5 of them were used throughout the process of this entire PSA. For example, I had to re-familiarize myself with Premiere Pro since I had not used it all summer. I remembered the skills and short cuts that I had learned last year and I implemented them in my PSA. My group made a group chat through GroupMe to confirm our filming days and which props we were using each day. We also communicated our ideas during our Pre-Production period and during filming as well. Although our director was the "leader" of our group, we all had ideas to share and consider and we took control over our positions within the group. The group collaborated on our initial ideas and the different actors, props, shot types, and editing style for our PSA. Each PSA was a little different and had its own style to it. Since I was also working on client work at the same time as working on this PSA, I had to budget my time for working on both projects, which was PSA editing mostly during class and working on other projects after school or during Raven 50. I really liked our concept of the PSA and how it got to the point and didn't have too many extra details that were hard to grasp or understand. I liked how our shots looked and the consistency throughout the project. However, I would have liked our actors to display each food item more so that the viewer would be able to see each object better and understand the difference between the healthy and non-healthy item quicker. During critiques, some students mentioned that the objects went away too quickly for them to recognize what it was. From viewing my peers work, I would like to enhance my next project by creating more cinematic pieces with different shots and filming techniques that I haven't gotten to work with yet. Also, the shot of the lunchbox getting thrown to the side of the frame and then the next shot showing the lunchbox getting packed on the table was a consistency issue that I didn't realize until I was critiqued on it, so I would have changed that to make it more understandable. I liked how this project was a smooth introduction to get back into making projects and although it required the same planning and workload as my sophomore year projects, I liked how it took only a couple weeks to produce instead of deadlines getting pushed back and dragging the project on for several more days or weeks. 

2nd Semester Video Reflection

   Second Semester Video was my favorite semester in Video because it was focused on the Entertainment portion. We learned a lot of new skills in rules to follow in Pre-Production, Production, and Post-Production. Each project had it's different struggles, whether it was losing audio in some footage, or having Premiere crash on me. Although I endured these struggles, I learned how to work around them and I learned how to work quickly to meet deadlines.

Technology

   One of the biggest takeaways from the technology guarantee is that although technology can help you execute your ideas, you always need to start with solid ideas that you can pull off. I learned new skills with the software by trying to solve my issues in each project. From my Olathe Public Library video, I learned how to transition video and images as well as fading voiceovers and music. Through my class projects, we stressed tight edits, stable shots, and audio that is loud enough so that our projects turned out to the best of our ability. It's important to learn new skills and solve problems with technology because implementing the skills in projects will help enhance them and being able to solve basic problems can save time in the long run. One of the biggest challenges I faced with technology was that Premiere crashed on me quite frequently, so I developed a habit of saving my work frequently so that my work would be saved and I wouldn't have to backtrack if Premiere crashed. I'm very strong in knowing shortcuts and other methods to achieve a really good edit, but the editing process takes me longer than others because my edits are very nit-picky. I've had to come in after school to finish client work and I even came in on a Saturday morning to finish my Olathe Public Library video to meet the deadline. Next year as an Entertainment student, I will be able to enhance the skills that I learned in sophomore video for projects and I will devote more time and thought to my projects because I want to be proud of my work. 

   

 Collaboration

   One of the key factors in making videos with groups is being able to collaborate with the group members and work off of each others' ideas. Because we weren't able to choose our groups for each project, I had to learn to listen to others' ideas and thoughts for each project. I think that it is important to be able to efficiently collaborate with others because other's ideas and thoughts can help enhance my projects and the members are able to bounce ideas off of each other and a solid plan or idea can be formed from working together. One of the biggest challenges that I faced with collaboration was that I had to work with some difficult people or people that I didn't like in general, but being forced to collaborate made us get work done efficiently and the other members in the group made sure that we were staying on task and getting work don on time. This year, I was able to improve on my collaboration skills because each project dealt with groups, so no project was ever independent. Next year, I will have to work with lots of people on different projects, so my skills will come into play in every step of working on a project. The biggest project that I had to collaborate on was the music video because everyone in the group had different ideas on how we should go about making the video, so we all had to listen to our ideas to make the finished product. 

Communication

   I think that communication is the most important guarantee when it comes to video production because you have to be able to effectively reach out to group members, teachers, and clients about your ideas or any issues with the project. For example. the OPL summer reading video was a huge project that dealt with communication because we had to communicate with our client through BaseCamp with our ideas and she was able to critique our work and give us constructive criticism. Through the various projects, I was able to develop my communication skills through reaching out to all of my members through text, email, and social media. However, I still need to improve on responding quicker because it takes me a couple hours to respond to emails and texts when I am busy. Next year, it will be especially important to communicate with my group members on filming places, ideas, and other important information so that we can save time in class for more important discussions, like shots and scripts. Another project that dealt heavily with communication was our short film because we had to remind others to bring costumes on the days that we were filming and to change minor things in the script.

Project Management

   This year, I've been able to work on my time management skills because our entertainment projects required filming and editing inside and outside of class, so I've learned how to (mostly) work efficiently in class to limit the amount of times I've had to come after. It's important to manage time well because it is less stressful to come outside of class to work and getting work done on time will meet specific deadlines. One challenge I faced was that we had to spend lots of time filming and editing our Napoleon Dynamite Trailer outside of class because there were very few shots near the building. My group and I spent an entire Saturday driving around town filming different shots for our trailer just so that we could finish the project on time. 

Leadership

   Throughout all of the projects that I have done this semester, I've been able to grow as a leader in class discussions, filming, and in other processes. Before, I struggled with speaking up because I didn't want my opinions and ideas to be wrong, but I've become more comfortable with the terminology used in the class and critiquing, so I've spoken up more. I think it's important to learn how to be a leader because it helps start conversation, it makes sure that work is getting done, and it can help inspire other people to step up and take chances. One thing that I need to work on as a leader is being able to keep people on task and focused because I have issues with staying focused all the time. However, I have become better at speaking up and taking that "leadership" position.  I'll be able to continue being a leader next year because each project requires a leadership figure that can make sure that everything is getting done appropriately while still making the projects fun to work on. Overall, being able to be a leader helps contribute to the success of the project.

Sophomore Graphic Design Reflection

Guarantee Takeaways

Technology 

   This year I have definitely grown with being familiar with the computers and the software that we use in graphic design. I have learned how to use new features in Illustrator and Photoshop, especially second semester. I have learned how to effectively mockup finished products in Photoshop and I learned more shortcuts and methods to design things in Illustrator, which came with the rebranding project. The skills in both softwares that I learned in first semester transferred to my projects in second semester and I was able to greatly improve upon these skills. One of the biggest takeaways from the Technology guarantee that I have is that technology can make a lot of your ideas possible, but starting with a solid and thought out idea makes the designing process much easier. This led to me actually spending time coming up with quality ideas and sketches so that it would be much easier to transfer my thoughts to Illustrator. One of the challenges I faced with technology this year is that I experienced the programs crashing or my computer crashing multiple times. To combat this, I developed a habit of frequently saving my work after making changes so that I would not have to backtrack if the software crashed. 

Collaboration

    The only project that we actually had to "collaborate" with a partner on was the Infographic Project, but there were lots of opportunities to work with other people throughout the year with different projects. We learned how to effectively give constructive criticism through multiple critiques as a class, in small groups, and in partners. During the rebranding project, our small groups met multiple times to give feedback on each other's work and give constructive criticism. It is important to be able to collaborate with others because you are able to bounce ideas of of each other and give feedback that others might not have thought of to help enhance projects. I definitely faced challenges with collaborating because I get sidetracked easily, but it was nice to have a partner to watch over me and encourage me to get back to work. I also had to deal with some difficult people while working on projects, but I was able to gain control of my thoughts and give meaningful feedback without being rude, which is a skill I will definitely need in the future. One of my biggest takeaways from collaboration is that I need to be able to effectively work with others and give good feedback while being able to listen and implement the criticism that I'm given. 

Communication

   Communication was also another skill that I have improved over the course of this year. I've had to effectively communicate with many people, some of which were hard to work with. Through the multiple critiques that the class has done,  I've watched how others present their ideas effectively and I've been able to use information from other critiques to enhance my projects. One of the challenges that I faced with communication was that some people didn't give me meaningful feedback or feedback at all. I've had to ask about each aspect of the project in detail to get meaningful critiques from some people. I also tried to speak up more during class and critiques to participate more and take critiques from other projects to use on my own work. My biggest takeaway from communication is that I have to be able to effectively communicate my thoughts, even if it means speaking up during uncomfortable situations, so that others can hear my ideas and that I can get constructive feedback. 

Project Management

   Project management was something that I struggled with at the beginning of the year in both strands. There have been some days where it is hard for me to sit down and focus on a computer screen for an hour or an hour and half. Instead, I would get really distracted and off task during class, which would result in me not getting my work done. I've learned that working effectively with the time that I've given will save me time working outside of class. There have been some projects where I had to stay after school for an hour or two because I was so behind on my work, but I am always able to get my work done on time because I stay after to work. I think it's crucial to manage time effectively because it helps me get my work done to the best of my ability when I have my total focus on one task until I finish. This way, I can have one task done and I can move onto the next in a shorter amount of time, which will overall save me time. 

Leadership

   Throughout the year, I've been able to improve upon my leadership skills throughout critiques and various projects. First semester, I never spoke up or shared my ideas because I was afraid of getting criticized harshly. However, I've learned to accept criticism and use it to make my work better throughout the semester. I've also mostly led a critique because I provided meaningful feedback to every project that enhanced them. I think it's important to become a leader in certain situations because it ensures that the work is getting done in a timely manner to the best ability instead of having people slack off and not complete their share. My biggest takeaway from the leadership guarantee is that people need to step up and be leaders when no one else is because it helps the work get done and it helps everything flow easier. 

Strengths and Weaknesses

   As a graphic design student, I've been able to discover my strengths and weaknesses through multiple projects and situations. For example, I learned that one of my strengths is providing meaningful feedback to projects, even if I don't have the best design eye, through the multiple critiques that the class has done. However, one weakness that significantly stands out is that I have a tendency to not be very focused in class, which results in me coming after school to finish projects and assignments. I've been able to improve upon this because I've been able to focus, especially during the last weeks of school, so that I can finish my projects. An example of this is the rebranding project because I finished the final phase before the deadline, which was an accomplishment for me because I've had to stay after to finish every other phase. 

So I've Learned All of This...

    Although I am not going into the graphic design strand as a junior, I am going to be able to use many skills in the software and other skills that I've learned in this class in the future. For example, I will be able to use my graphic design skills in Illustrator to design materials that I can use in the Entertainment strand, like posters, and I will be able to design my business cards and other things for Senior Show. As for personal skills that I've improved upon in this class, I can transfer my time management skills to many other aspects of my life, like regular classwork, my job, Entertainment, and completing other daily tasks. I'm going to be able to transfer these skills to my life and help others improve on them as well. 

What Would I Change? 

   My sophomore year in graphic design has been great in helping me improve my skills in software and design as long as learning skills like meeting strict deadlines and effectively communicate my thoughts and ideas to others. Looking back at this year, I wish I would have been more dedicated to my work and projects because I would have been able to make my final products turn out much better and I would have been more proud of my work. Graphic Design still interests me and I still plan on using the skills that I've learned, but it isn't the strand that I am going into, and I wish that I would have put a little bit more effort into my projects to make them better. 

Conclusion

   I love being able to see my progress and growth from my freshman year as an e-Communication student and even the beginning of the semester to now. I've obviously learned new skills in software, but I learned social and personal skills that I can use for the rest of my life. From working with clients and my peers, I've learned how to communicate professionally on multiple platforms and verbally. I am able to get my work done because I am better at focusing on the task at hand. An average project takes me anywhere from 3 weeks to a month and half, depending on the extent of the project. I have enjoyed my time as a sophomore graphic design student and I am so thankful for the e-Communication program. I can't wait to see my progress in Entertainment and the graphic design work that I'm able to do next year. 

Marks and Symbols

Marks and Symbols Overview

  In the graphic design world, the 'marks' should help solve visual problems but still be easily comprehended. Marks can be split into many categories, like symbols, pictographs, lettermarks, logos, and trademarks. 'Symbols' are marks without type to help easily identify a company, agency, etc. Without type, symbols are successfully able to express a company or group. 

Logos and Symbols- What's the Difference

   A logo is the use of word(s) in type that also help identify a corporation or other business. Artistic touches within the font can be put in the logo. Like before, a symbol does not contain type. When symbols and logos are put together, it is called a combination mark. Although the two can work together, it is also important that the symbol and logo can be separated and still be recognized. 

Important Information

   While designing symbols, it is crucial to remember that a symbol should have a quick impact, but that impact should be lasting so that it is easily recognizable. Symbols should also have the ability to be rememberable at smaller sizes, even at half of its original size. Symbols should be successful with one color and the use of negative space that flows throughout it. With this critical information about symbols, the newly designed symbol can be visually appealing but not too complicated and it can be better recognized by the public.

For Future Projects...

  In the future, I will be designing logos for myself to promote my work online and to other professionals. With the information that I learned today, my logos and the symbols used in them can express the values in my work. Now I know how to make a successful symbol or logo that will be easily recognizable, not too complex, and I will know strategies to help make my logo or symbol thrive in the graphic design world.

Overall Thoughts and Conclusions

   Symbols and logos have had a lasting impact on the graphic design world. Symbols and logos help make companies, groups, and other organizations easily recognizable. This information can be incorporated into more of my projects to help brand my work in a professional matter. 

Movie Trailer Remake Reflection

Assignment Goal-

The goal of this project was to recreate a movie trailer (that took place in a school building) shot-for-shot, edit-for-edit, and to use advanced camera work for the shots that required them.

Pre-Production-

For this project, we had to story board every individual shot from the trailer. We typed the script and scouted for locations (some were in the building, some were filmed at a house). We casted outside actors in the beginning of the process, but we ended up using our group members and another group from the class. 

Production-

The production process turned out to be a lot more difficult than we originally planned. We dedicated a Saturday afternoon to film most of the shots (we were able to get in the building that day). However, we still had a couple of shots that were more difficult to get because we couldn't find a tetherball and we couldn't transport a bike and ramp for one of the shots. We had to improvise with some of the shots, for example, we used a skateboard in place of a bike and we used a regular truck instead of a red convertible. However, we got all of the shots that we needed. 

Post-Production- 

For editing, I had to learn a couple of new techniques, like adjusting the audio levels on certain parts of the background music and stabilizing the clips. We replicated our own graphics and purchased the song to finish our trailer. 

What I Would Change-

For my next project, I think that I really need to spend more time planning out the shots exactly so that they are replicated to match the original trailer. I also hope to be more comfortable while editing in Premiere so that the editing process will be smoother. 

Experience-

Overall, I learned the importance of exactly replicating shots so the trailers look identical. I also learned how to edit volume levels on a song and how to stabilize clips. I revisited old techniques and methods like adjusting gain on original clips and organizing clips. In a couple months, I think that I would be able to recreate this trailer much better because I will learn more techniques that will valuable to the project.