Most Valuable Things

If I had to pick three things from this year as the most valuable things I learned, it would have to be how to set up different pieces of gear, how to create an organized file distribution, and everything about movie pre-production. By learning about different pieces of gear, I was able to use them effectively in the different projects that I completed. Without learning about things like sliders and dollys, I wouldn't have been able to make super cool looking shots like I did in my documentary.  Another very valuable thing that I learned is how to create an organized way of creating files. Without learning about this, it would've been way harder to find the proper files that I needed. The last very valuable thing I learned in this class was about pre-production. Before, I knew about the various steps, but I had never done them before. Without learning all of these things, I wouldn't have succeed in this class.

Least Useful Unit

As a very personal opinion, I think that the script writing unit was the least useful throughout the year. I think that every unit that we went over this year does have a purpose and are important, but I saw script writing as the least important one. I think it was the lease useful because of how much I write scripts. Even though I probably will write a lot more in the future, I feel like I won't be writing my own in my own time. I understand the usefulness of learning about how scripts are written and how to write them, but I don't see myself doing that any time soon.

Best Unit

I think the unit that I enjoyed the most was the documentary unit that we did last. One thing that I enjoyed was the whole culminating project, the documentary. Being able to put all of my learned skills into one project really let me understand my skills and what I was able to do. Another thing I learned about documentaries is being able to tell a story out of nothing. For example, I was able to create a small story out of things that students and teachers said about the veterinary class and persuade people to join the class. Lastly, I learned that a documentary could be about almost anything. Being able to interview anyone/anything and make something out of it really put the world of film in a perspective for me. One way I think this unit could be improved is by showing more documentaries in class. Even though the project is to make a shorter documentary, by showing longer ones it could give students a better scope of what a documentary can be. By having this unit as the last and with what it contained, it was my favorite unit from the year.

Goals Summary

The main goal that I met this semester was learning more about Premiere Pro. Now at the end of the year, people come to me if they have a problem with editing or if they need advice on their edits. I think I was able to learn about about Premiere because I was able to help people. By seeing how different people edit their videos has lead me to understand the program even better. One thing that I could've done differently this year is editing more at home. If I had more personal projects that I completed at home, I'd probably be able to learn Premiere even faster than I did in class. Without the help of other people, it would be harder for me to learn about how to make better edits.

Documentary Post Reflection

One thing that I learned from the documentary assignment is to properly schedule things with your client. Luckily, we had a client who was very willing to work with our schedule so it made things very easy. Another thing that I learned is how to properly light an interview. I learned more about key lights, fill lights, and hair lights, making the subject look good on camera. One last thing that I learned is, when shooting B-Roll, to be as invisible as possible. Even though you're waving a camera around in someone else's area, you need to be respectful of the work that they're doing and their environment. I think that this project was a good last project because it combined everything that we learned throughout the school year into one big package that shows our skills. This assignment has taught me that, even on a very tight dead line, scheduling will save the whole production if its done correctly. I think the biggest mistake that we made was not getting enough of the B-roll that we wanted to get. At the end, we wanted to record more shots of the general classroom and the teacher, but instead we filmed more animals than students. Without this project at the end of the school year, I wouldn't have been able to put everything together into one big package.

Recording Effective Interviews P.3

One thing to make sure you do before you start your interview is to use the correct microphone for your situation. Normally, a good mic set up is a lav attached to the subject and a boom mic on a boom pole. Another thing to make sure to do before starting your interview is to test the equipment you're using for the interview. Its good to run a sound and video test to make sure every piece of gear has the correct setting and looks/sounds good. By also running a test, you're able to catch things in the background that you didn't see before. The last thing to do before conducting your interview is to get to know your subject so that they can give you good answers. Its a good idea to give your subject a copy of the questions your going to ask before the interview. Without doing these things before you conduct your interview, things could become worse as you progress.

Recording Effective Interviews P.2

One thing that you can do to heighten the production value of your interview shoot is to use a second camera. By adding a second camera to the scene, it allows for more dynamic angles for the viewer to see during the interview. If placed correctly, a cut from one camera to another could feel seamless, like the viewer is sitting right with the subject. Another thing the video mentions is the 3 point lighting system. The 3 point lighting system is a basic way to light an interview consisting or a key light, a fill light, and a hair light. All 3 of these combined bring the subject out from the background and made easier to see on camera. One last thing the video says about interviews is adjust the lights and camera depending on the feel you want for the interview. If you want someone to feel small, you can angle the camera down onto them, making the viewer feel like they're above them. Without these different aspects of interviews, it would be harder to create something engaging for the viewer.

Recording Effective Interviews P.1

One key tip when setting up an interview is make sure that the lights are set for the subject. When lighting different people one after another, you have to check and readjust your lights to make sure your new subject is correctly lit. Another thing to keep in mind is the amount of power that your set needs. If your lights draw too much power from the area your in, then you could blow a fuse and have an even bigger problem on your hands. Lastly, its important to test your equipment before you begin shooting an interview. Through testing, you could catch set mistakes that you didn't notice before or see if any of your equipment has a problem. Without doing these steps, your interview could fall apart.

How to shoot B-roll that doesn't suck

B-roll is the footage thats put in-between interviews during a documentary. Good B-roll in a project will keep the viewer interested in the video through many different methods. One way to keep a viewer interested in something is to give the shot a sense of movement. For example, by using a slider shot, you can make something boring like a conference room feel like it has more space and meaning  through a simple slide movement. Another way to make B-roll not suck is to properly space out each shot. If theres too much B-roll at one time for too long, the viewer might become disinterested in the project. Without good B-roll, viewers or even the client might become uninterested in the product.

Shooting Outdoors

One thing you should keep in mind when shooting outdoors is the direction of the sun. Depending on where the sun is hitting the subject, it'll change the shadows on the subjects face, meaning that you need a reflector. Another thing to keep in mind is the amount of sunlight you have left. As the sun begins to go down, it'll produce less and less light, making it harder to light your subject. The last thing to keep in mind is the reflector side you're using. A reflector has two sides, a silver side and a white side that each do different things with lights. The white side produces a softer light on the subject, while the silver makes a harder light on the subject. When shooting outside, its important to know where your light is coming from and what you'r using to direct the light.

5 Simple Doc Mistakes

When making a documentary, there are a few different things that the filmmaker should keep in mind. One of the most important things to remember is to choose a worthy subject. If you chose a topic that you personally don't enjoy, then it'll be harder for you to put the project together. Another thing to keep in mind is to use good music. If your documentary consists of mainly empty space with interviews, then the viewer is mainly listening to the music that you choose. Lastly, its very important to have a core question in your documentary. Without a core question, it'll be harder for the viewer to understand everything about your doc. If you don't follow these rules, then it'l be harder for you to make the documentary and even harder for people to watch it.

3-Point Lighting

The 3 lights that are talked about in the video are the key light, the fill light, and the hair light. The key light is the brightest light on the subject that helps them stand out from the background. The fill light is a softer light that lightens up the darker areas on the subject's face, making them easier to see. The third light is the hair light that comes from behind the subject that makes them pop out from the background more. All of these lights have their own importance because they each do different things to differentiate the subject from the background. If one or more lights are taken away, they can give off a different effect to the viewer. Without knowing what each light does, it'll be harder to create the feeling that you want from your video.

Writing a Doc Treatment

One thing to keep in mind when writing the treatment for a documentary is to use the writing as a guide to the rest of the process. By using the treatment throughout the project, you'll be able to meet goals that you set for yourself at the beginning of the project. Another thing to keep in mind when writing a treatment is to make the basic story interesting for the viewer. By having characters planned out from the beginning, it'll be easier to make the characters feel more alive in the later writing stages and and shooting stages. Finally, one more thing to keep in mind is to create intriguing story. If the story doesn't have a sense of "what happens next?" keeping the viewers engaged. By following these rules in the early stages of writing, it'll make the final product easier to produce.

B-Roll

B-roll is the shots that are collected on location to use in-between interview shots. B-roll shots are mainly used to fill in space between different interview parts, making the documentary seem more entertaining. One thing to keep in mind when shooting B-roll is shoot as much variety as possible. Having a bunch of different shots like dolly shots and pans help keep the viewer's eyes on whats happening. Another thing to keep in mind is to not shoot too many static shots. If too many static shots are used, it makes the pace of the video feel even slower than it should be. The last thing to remember about shooting B-roll is to shoot more than you need. By having a larger selection of clips, the editor is able to give the documentary more variety. Without B-roll, documentaries would be very boring and uninteresting.

Nanook of the North

Nanook Of The North is considered on of the first films to be considered a true documentary. Made in 1922, the film follows a Inuit family and documents their daily lives. One controversial thing about the film however is that almost the whole thing was staged by Inuits. Even though the director Robert Flaherty was up front about it being fake, he backed up his claims saying that they were all real Inuit people that found his film interesting. Another controversial thing about the film is the change of Inuit weapons. By the time Flaherty arrived there to film, the Inuits have already switched from using harpoons to using rifles, which made them harder to depict as a "tribe." Flaherty was able to fix this however by having the Inuits stage different hunts, like a killing of a seal using harpoons. Without Nanook Of The North, documentaries wouldn't be where they are today.

What is a documentary?

I think a documentary film is a non-fiction, informative film that teaches the viewer a main lesson on the topic of the film. Some of the most talked about documentaries are ones that teach people about a certain topic, like how wildlife documentaries teach people about how certain animals live and how they survive. Another reason why documentaries are important is because they paved the way on how films are created now. Some of the earliest films could be considered documentaries because they show every day people in their every day lives. Lastly, documentaries need to interest the viewer. The the viewer watches a documentary that they don't find interesting, they most likely won't retain the information that they watched. Without documentaries, film wouldn't be where it is today, teaching the people of the world.

Storytelling Summary

One thing that I learned more about in this unit was the hero's journey. Before going into the unit, I had a vague idea on what the hero's journey was, but I wasn't super familiar with it. After the unit, I'm able to take some of my favorite stories and analyze what part of the hero's journey certain aspects take place in. Another thing I learned more about was formatting different ways of writing a story. Before, I only knew the basics of what a script looked like and the elements of it. Now I know the different parts of a script and the various different types of scripts that the film industry uses. Lastly, I learned more about the different archetypes for characters in different stories. I learned that almost every similar story uses the same characters for everything. The storytelling unit allowed me to refresh my memory with things that I learned from previous classes while also teaching me new things about story telling.