This past semester, I have learned a lot in Broadcast Tech 1. I finally know how to set up a camera all by myself, something to be proud of! I am able to edit on final cut pro, and I can even problem solve if I run into issues as I edit and film. I would say this class has enhanced my technology skills, and made me more capable as we move towards a future where a great majority of people will be using computers and other technological devices. I will miss this class, it has been fun, enriching, and it has also taken a lot of hard work. I am proud of my final interview project, as I just uploaded an edited version of my One Act Plays News Package. I have made a great amount of progress since my practice interview, six word story, and especially my iAm project. This class has made me struggle, as so many ideas swirl around inside my head, making it hard to come to consensus and decide where to start when making a new project. However, it has also challenged me to keep working until I make an end product that I'm proud of. If this means spending several hours after school to achieve this, making a story board to organize my thoughts and ideas, or even starting over, I would say it is worth it. It has been an eventful semester, full of frustration and excitement from learning new skills. Now it is time for summer break and hopefully at some point in my future I will further expand my technology skills and use them in different ways!
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Well, all the techniques I've been learning in broadcast class this semester are coming together for this big project. My partner Lauren and I walked around the school when Mr. Goble gave us this assignment, looking at flyers or anything that would be interesting to do a story on. We came across many signs for the Senior-Directed One Act Plays. We decided that seemed like a unique topic, plus the proceeds of the play go to Operation Food Search--a great thing in the community as well as in the school. So, the next class, we started planning. We got our equipment, filmed the theater, where the plays were to take place, and interviewed Mr. Pecka who is the teacher in charge of the one acts. Funny thing is, Lauren and I didn't end up using any of the footage from that day. We were planning on going back to film several more times anyways--to film practices and the actual performance. Lauren and I were shy and never wanted to get in the way of those working in the theater and with production coming up. I would've liked to get different types of shots though because a lot of our B-roll looked similar. I still did well with the footage I had. We ended up getting a lot of B-roll in general, even if there wasn't much variety. This made it overwhelming to put the final story together. However, of course it is better to have more footage than less. So, I created a story board, which helped me somewhat navigate my way through this project. This allowed me to get my vision straight, and to gather my thoughts because I didn't think I could possibly fit all of my B-roll together. I knew I wanted to focus on the hard work that goes into the plays, because I think hard work is important and the audience can take a lot away from that moral. This really helped and I am very satisfied with my final product! Lauren and I did not run into many problems except we ended up having to redo an interview, we had a battery with nine minutes left, a tripod leg that kept falling off, and I had a wasp sting.
This story does't hook one immediately, in fact it may seem a little boring, however knowing that all of the Steve Hartman videos I have watched are interesting, I knew this one would most likely be as well. One of Steve Hartman's voiceovers is sort of a Hey! It made me wonder when he talked about these elephants, he said they, "Arrive here [at the sanctuary] one by one, but stay here two by two." So what does that mean exactly? It is actually a very cool story. It begins talking about friendships and bonds between the animals. It at first talks about the friendships excluding the main one that they are going to talk about. They also talk about stray dogs, which seems random, but is actually very significant. It is then told and shown that this big elephant and small white dog have a bond. It was important that they gave details on the dog suffering an injury and that the elephant still stood by her side. That was very sweet, and an interesting detail that further in depth demonstrated their relationship. Finally, it ended with how affectionate the elephant is, that its rubs the dog's stomach, and that they trust each other. This story's aim is to show to others, that anyone can be friends, even when it seems unlikely. With a chance, attempt, some trust, and loyalty, anyone really can create a bond.
The story begins with a hook, that although it is extremely sad makes one interested. It followed Hey! It talked about every kid's worst nightmare, so I was wondering, what is the worst nightmare? It definitely made me want to keep watching to find out more--that this little boy had lost both of his parents. For the You part, it was just such a great story that even made me smile, and probably made the day better for anyone else who was watching it. This kid was making others happy, and he was so sweet and adorable, he was also very outgoing. It was great that they included the numbers of people he had given toys to because it shows how much of an impact he has made. I also loved when it showed his happiness when giving the toys to people, and their reactions. The voiceovers were very helpful in explaining backstories, and it provided more insight, and brought new ideas to viewers. Specifically the part when the kid tells about his goal of the amount of toys he wants to give out and Steve Hartman asks if he thinks he can make it, the kid replies with a yes, and Steve Hartman says, "I think he just did." That left me thinking, and made me even more happy. It also was a nice and sweet way of ending the story with a very optimistic tone. This story can connect to viewers because it is about how a kid, who faced very unfortunate circumstances, tried to rise above that and give back to those around him. He wanted to make a change, and so he did, which can inspire everyone watching to do the same.
I just made another interview uploaded an interview. I had a lot of difficulties with this project. Initially I thought that I didn't have enough footage, so I did a second interview. After that, I still went with the first one because I thought that with such a small project it would be best to sift through less footage. Once I decided that, I had a very hard time getting the footage onto my computer to edit with Final Cut Pro. I tried email, a USB cord, and google drive. Finally, I took a trip to the library so I could get better wifi. Then I emailed it to myself, and edited it all today. It was not too hard to edit, but the footage was weirdly sized, and showed up weirdly on Final Cut Pro. I am not the best with technology, and I would say I ran into a lot of problems with this project, but I did a pretty good job of problem solving.
Currently in Broadcast Class, we are learning how to conduct a proper interview. So, for my practice, I interviewed my partner Lauren. She was a member of the Ladue Girls Golf Team this past Fall. I got to hear her insight, what it was like to be a part of the team during its first year in Ladue, and her history and passions as a golfer. This was good practice, as I know for my real interview, I would like to check out an actual camera to avoid any shakiness with my hands that could occur if I were to use my own device. However, I most likely will end up using my iPad or phone because it's more convenient. Also, it would allow me to position the camera more easily and accurately. In addition, before interviewing, I really need to check the white balance because the footage looked a little blue, and when I balanced the color on Final Cut Pro, sometimes it would turn too yellow or red and look inconsistent. I also think for my real interview that I should go to a quiet and calm place where the person I'm interviewing, and myself, are not distracted. It calls for less transitions, which can make the final product look a lot cleaner. I already did one interview, that I thought I was going to use for my interview project. However, it turned out a little too short, so I am excited to try another interview with one of my very own teachers, who used to do dance!
So last week, I posted about how I was unhappy with the way I had filmed for my Six Word Story. I just uploaded the final product onto my website, it can be accessed by clicking on "video." The filming at Friday's performance went very well. I felt confident, and got the shots I needed. I filmed many shots at different angles, I filmed them low, to capture moving feet. I filmed the top of peoples' heads, I filmed a person's bow and got the background of the game, blurry. Overall, I was really proud with how this went. It was definitely easier filming the second time around, I felt more comfortable, and once I got creative ideas, everything else took off. On the spot, I came up with some cool shot ideas. As I sifted through footage, I found a nice shot I didn't know I had gotten, it had captured happiness. The last shot, I really love. I'm not going to spoil the surprise, anyone who wants to see it must go and watch it for themselves. I also am proud of how I carried the music over at the end, that was a last minute touch. I would say, I think I showed what this club is all about, and did it some justice.
I am in a bit of a hard place right now. Well, I did make a story, as much as I didn't think I could. Mine is, "Community, Happiness, Spirit, Friendship--We Sparkle." It is not some clichè, as it may appear to be at first sight. I am a part of an all-inclusive cheer and dance squad at my school. I joined the club this year, and it has already meant a great deal to me, seeing the happiness on every kid's face, every week. I know it doesn't seem tough to make a story about a club that is so great. I shot some footage on Monday, a lot of footage. Today I came into Broadcast Tech class, to realize that the footage was not so fantastic. It doesn't do the club justice, and I know I can do much better. I guess I have to get over my fear, and be more bold and really get the shots I need. Thankfully, I am in luck. We have one performance Friday, and I'm hoping to get some really sweet and creative shots with everyone in uniform. This is a great club, and I have to capture what it is all about.
A story in six words, that's not very many words. That is probably why it is so hard to create a six word story, there's too much restriction, making it so difficult, yet so easy to be creative. There is the pressure, that you have to get it just right. The reason behind this literature, is that a man named Ernest Hemingway, one day came up with a six word story. It gained a lot of fame. He wrote one, "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." That, was a whole story. It seems that maybe this story was created because the baby most likely passed away, before they got to wear the shoes, as sad as it is, I believed it was the right interpretation. It may be, but also, I read that Hemingway made this story as a part of a bet, because people didn't think he could do it. Clearly he did, and people still create them today. But now, I'd like to acknowledge some stories, from people who had the creativity and stamina to make them, and succeed in the challenge.
"Strangers. Friends. Best friends. Lovers. Strangers." "We laugh. We will make it." "I’m making each day a masterpiece!" "Smile more, life isn’t that bad." "Chocolate Everyday. Sadly, pants give way." "A thousand wrinkles. A thousand stories." In my last post, I wrote about filming my Video Scavenger Hunt. Since then, I have put those short videos of the ten items, people, and places on the list into a project. In the project, I added effects, transitions, music, and balanced the color. I really enjoy this new application, Final Cut Pro, it's fun to use and a lot easier than iMovie. It gives me more freedom to edit the way I like. It was a little tedious to add all of those effects and transitions, but they are entertaining, and it made good practice. The one thing I didn't like was that there weren't very many good music options for my project. However, I found a song that I liked enough and it sounds jazzy, giving my project a playful and fun tone. Overall, this project was a good introduction into final cut pro because I learned a lot, and I feel very informed, as my editing skills have improved.
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AuthorMy name is Jenna Gold and I attend Ladue High School. I am excited to share the videos that I create in Broadcast Class! Archives
May 2017
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