Semester Wrap Up

Over this pass semester, I've learned a lot about film making that I wouldn't have otherwise. One thing that I learned was very basic, but I learned how to properly set up and operate a tripod. I've never had a chance to use a tripod properly, so I was finally able to learn how. Another basic thing I learned in this class is basic file structure. At home, my files have always been unorganized, so having to learn this skill was challenging, but I eventually understood how much it helps when editing videos. One last thing I learned was how to use more advanced cameras. The most advanced camera I've ever used was my aunt's DSLR, so learning how to use more advanced cameras has allowed me to make better videos. Overall, I've enjoyed this class way more than I thought I would, and I'm super excited for next semester.

Learning Struggles

Ever since this class began, I've been excited to learn more and more about film and how it works; however, I have had my struggles in this class. The first thing that I struggled with was the mass amount of organization we had to learn. Personally, I'm not the most organized person in the world, so learning this was a big problem for me. Another thing that I've struggled with was learning what all the cameras did. When I start filming, I constantly have to recheck focus and ask other people on the crew to see if the shot looks right. Overall, I've had a great time learning in this class, even though I've had some rough bumps.

Practical Reflections

In this film class, we take tests called "Practicals." Practicals are a test where we set up a specific piece of gear, show the basic functions of how it works, and then take it down and put it away properly. Even though they seem minor, these practical tests are some of the most important tests we take. When you pass a practical for a piece of gear, you gain the ability to use that gear outside of class. From the practicals, the main thing that I've learned is to get the hard parts over with. The camera practicals were one of the hardest ones to pass, but once I was able to get them over with, I understood that they were fairly easy and that they weren't too stressful. What I like about the practicals is that we can take any practical over and over again. Through the practicals, I've learned that its very important to plan out the important parts of a project first, then get to the less important bits.

Creating The PSA

When creating a PSA for a company, there are a few tips to keep in mind. A PSA (Public Service Announcement) is a message thats broadcasted by a company to send a specific message to the public. The very first thing that would should think about when creating a PSA is what do you want to tell the world. The point of a PSA is to get a message out to people who haven't heard the message before. Another thing to keep in mind is to consider your audience for your PSA. If you direct your message to the wrong people, they will most likely not follow your message and your PSA would have failed. The last thing you should keep in mind is to make the PSA short and simple. No one wants to watch through a 5 minute boring video about something they don't care about, but if you make it short and memorable, then people might follow through with your message. If you follow all of these steps, your PSA might reach a good amount of people and make a true difference.

Educating Clients

When contacting a client, its important to understand things to tell your client before you start working with them. One thing to remember about contacting a client is for them to clearly describe their vision to you. If they have a very elaborate idea that requires a huge budget and crew, you need to discuss with them the possibility of that not happening. Another thing to know is be open with them on how the video production process works. They may not have the best grasp on how difficult certain things in video making are. Simply tell them how hard it will be to do certain things and work around the budget you're given. One last thing to remember is to under-promise and over-deliver. This means to give the client more than what they paid for, leaving them satisfied so that they might come back for another video. By understanding these basic principles, you'll be able to satisfy your clients wants and needs easier without a big headache.

Tips to Pitch

When pitching an idea to a group of executives, there are many things to keep in mind when giving your speech. The first thing to do is be prepared to present your idea. If you go into the pitching process thinking that you can "wing it," review your idea and come up with a solid plan to tell your higher ups. Another thing to remember is knowing the audience that you're pitching to. Study what the people you're presenting to respond well to. If the people you're presenting to produce mainly comedies, it might be better to not present them a comedic idea. One last thing to keep in mind is to not oversell your idea. Your pitch should be short and sweet to give time for other explanations, but keep it detailed enough to portray the correct idea. Through pitching ideas in this class, I've learned that it very important to know everything about your idea in order to properly respond to questions. If all of these tips are kept in mind, your pitch should go smoothly.

Careers in Video Production

In the infancy, film production communities were very small, especially if you lived in a smaller town or city. However, the struggle of finding a job has become less intense due to the advent of the internet. Many different websites and communities have been formed have been created around the art form of film production. Also, over the years film equipment has become more and more affordable for the average person. This allows for more people to be introduced to these small communities and giving people even more connections. Everything for the film production industry has been evolving since day one, and its only getting better for aspiring creators. All of the new avenues to make connections are getting closer and closer each day, allowing for people to get the job they want. Without all of these new discoveries, film making would still be a niche hobby that isn't explored by the normal person.

6 Things Before You Shoot

When setting up for a shoot, there are a few key things to remember to keep everyone on set organized and excited to work. One of these key things is making sure you plan for the proper time. A normal call time for crew to set up is an hour before the talent for your shoot arrives, giving them time to prepare everything for filming. Its also important to have around an hour for everyone to pack up their gear and leave so they can be ready for the next shooting day. Another thing to keep in mind is how people are going to be fed. Everyone needs to eat, so planning out where people are getting food and how long meals will take. The last important thing to mention is makeup and wardrobe for talents. Its very important to keep the talents in the loop about how they should dress. Make sure its clear with them if they need to show up in costume and make up or if wardrobe and make up will be provided. These tips along with a few others should help keep a set nice and organized for everyone involved.

Editing and Your Audience

Everyone is different when it comes to how we learn. Some people might learn better if they read information, some learn better with listening, and some learn better through doing. All of these ways of learning should be shown through the video. For example, in the video Todd Wolfe shows a clip of one of his editing projects. This clip showed his daughter talking about ballet shoes she had in a bag. One thing Todd added to keep a viewers attention was the use of text. If some people learn more through reading, it might be a good idea to display text on the screen about the person or object. Todd also shows clips of his daughter showing the shoes and putting on the shoes. This allows the viewer to understand how the shoes look and how they work. By combining all of these factors of learning, a viewer will pay attention to the video and learn something from the video.

How To Write A Video Script

When writing a script for a video, there are four parts to how the script should be structured. The steps to writing an effective script are the hook, the introduction, the video's body, and the call to action. The hook of the video is the very beginning part of the video where the viewers attention is grabbed. If the hook is done ineffectively, then the viewer may click off and watch a different video. The introduction is when you should say who you are/what channel the video is on and what the video will be about. This section informs the viewer of the type of video they're going to watch. The body of the video is where the information is. If someone clicks on a video about the best sports plays ever, this is the section where it would be talked about. The final and one of the most important step is the call to action. At the end of the video, its important to remind the viewer to subscribe in order to see more of your videos. If all of these script steps are done effectively, then you'll have a better chance of pulling in viewers.

Title Safe

Title safe is an old practice of video editing when older TVs where around used. The Title Safe area is a box around an inner part of the frame that showed where to put titles and text on screen. This was used with older TVs because some TVs couldn't display the entire picture being broadcasted, so the title safe area was created. By putting text in this area, it made sure that most TVs at the time could see the text on screen. Another box, called the action safe area, is similar to the title safe area. The action safe area is the space on the screen where all of the important action should be taking place. By combining these two areas on screen, everything should be in a place where the viewer can see it.

Script Terms

In when writing a script for a film, script writers and planners use different terms and abbreviations to represent different kinds of shots. Some of the most common used ones are LS for long shot, MS for medium shot, and CU for close up. These three terms are more of a base for even more abbreviations. For example, ELS/XLS means an extreme long shot, MLS means medium long shot, MCU for medium close up, and ECU/XCU for extreme close up. Other terms are also used in script writing, such as pan, tilt, zoom, boom/dolly, and handheld. All of these terms and abbreviations allow for easier reading of the script and faster response time because of how short they are.

Writing AV Scripts

An AV script is a script format that is widely used for smaller productions, such as commercials and ads. The AV script format is normally in a two column format where video actions are written on the left and audio clips and dialogue is put on the right. This scripting format allows for easy reading of what the talent on screen needs to preform and say without having to go through a normal script format. One important factor to keep in mind for an AV script is the format. Since the two column format is so wide spread, if your script deviates from this format, it might become unreadable to others. Another thing to keep in mind is capitalization. In the AV format, everything that is not said by the talent is capitalized. This allows for the talent to differentiate their lines from commands and makes it easier for them to read. All of these come together to bring the simple format of the AV to life.

2 Column Script Format

The screenplay format for scripts has been around for a long time, but for smaller productions like a commercial, a script can be simplified. The 2 Column Script is a way of writing a script where everything is shorter and easier to understand; however, there is a very specific way of formatting the 2 Column script. One very important thing is that video is always on the left, while the audio is always on the right. This keeps every script looking the same and have easy readability. Another important thing is the header on each page. Each page should contain a header with at least the page number so the script stays in order. One last thing to keep in mind while making a 2 column script is capitalization. For every word that isn't spoken, every letter should be capitalized, which helps to show the difference between dialogue and instructions. 2 Column scripts are useful, but not for every production.

The Production Process Summary

The production process of a film is when the whole film is laid out and shot. As we've talked more and more about the production process of film making, I've learned new things about how a film is made. One thing that I learned was that, no matter the set, everyone needs to be professional in order for the film to be made. Professionalism helps keep everyone on set moving and filming, and without it, some people might be lost. Another thing I learned is to plan everything about your shoot meticulously. If everything for your shoot is properly planned out, shooting your idea will hopefully be easy and quick. Lastly, if something is messed up during filming, you can't always "fix it in post." If some settings aren't corrected, such as white balance and exposure, your footage might not be salvageable. Overall, the production process is important because its where the whole thing comes together.