Welcome to my blog!

My blog will track my progress in Teledramatic Arts. It will serve as an internet journal for each day spent in Teledramatic Arts.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Feedback on Feedback

Suggestions
-“We noticed that between the shot of him sayin OMG and him looking at the other students paper to cheat you usec a panning shot. we would have have used the same but made it a little bit longer than it was.”(Taylor and Jose)
-“…not quite sure what the music in the opening scene was used to emphasize. It was most likely used to show the fact that he had a test comig up but not sure. I feel that it didnt work becasue it doesnt really communicate that he had a test or the suspense of having a test. ou could also try more suspensfulk music.” (Taylor and Jose)
-“We think that you might add a shot right after kenny is looking around of him just guesing on the problems so he obviously got them wrong and then him getting the results back of him completely failing…”(Michelle and Blanca)
-“You can add to the resolution by showing the grade that the main character got. This would help give us the idea that he did bad on the test for not studying…” (Jacob and Morgan)
Compliments
-“We especially like the close up shot of Kenny because it helped emphasize the idea that he is looking around and trying to look for someone to copy off of. “(Michelle and Blanca)
-“The first music came in when the bell rang to show the beginning of class. It was used to help emphasize the mood that all students were in school or the idea that something like a test was about to take place. It worked perfectly because we got the idea that it was class time.” (Michelle and Blanca)
-“The first use of music is when they show the main characters face. It was used to emphasize the idea that he was nervous. It worked because it set the mood. The music was changed for some parts to give different feelings. It worked because it made me feel like i was nervous for the main character.” (Jacob and Morgan)
-“We especially liked the shot of Boy 2 and Boy 1 looking at each other and then Boy 1 hides his test so Boy 2 wont be able to see it.” (Eduardo E., Ashley T. and Sabrina)
-“The most important use of music was when the students were exiting the calss it gave a feel of pitty or sorrow for the studnet who received an F. It worked because the other student saud you will do better next time and the deep slow music coralted well with the fact that he failed but can do better.”(Taylor and Jose)
-“We especially like the shot of Kenny with his head down on his desk because it shows the feeling of being unprepared for something.” (Cesar and Isaiah)

Top Suggestions
-“We think that you might add a shot right after kenny is looking around of him just guesing on the problems so he obviously got them wrong and then him getting the results back of him completely failing…”(Michelle and Blanca)
-“You can add to the resolution by showing the grade that the main character got. This would help give us the idea that he did bad on the test for not studying…” (Jacob and Morgan)
Our Feedback
This suggestion is from Michelle and Blanca. This helped us understand the confusion, and it aided our clarification of an amendment to our video. We now realize that Kenny failing the test should have been more clear, and we can achieve this by going further in depth with the testing process. This will imply that Kenny was guessing on the test due to his lack of prior preparation.
This suggestion is from Jacob and Morgan. This helped us understand that we need to show the viewer the result of Kenny’s current knowledge due to his study habits and his ultimate performance on the test due to these poor habits. We can easily execute this information to the viewer by using a close-up shot of Kenny’s test which was an F, and possibly in relation to his neighbor’s A grades.

Top Compliments
-“The first use of music is when they show the main characters face. It was used to emphasize the idea that he was nervous. It worked because it set the mood. The music was changed for some parts to give different feelings. It worked because it made me feel like i was nervous for the main character.” (Jacob and Morgan)
-“The most important use of music was when the students were exiting the calss it gave a feel of pitty or sorrow for the studnet who received an F. It worked because the other student saud you will do better next time and the deep slow music coralted well with the fact that he failed but can do better.”(Taylor and Jose)
Our Feedback
This compliment is from Jacob and Morgan. Our intention was to mimic a human heart beat which would be a potential reaction of a student in Kenny’s situation. This compliment acted as evidence that viewers connected with our intent and could relate to Kenny’s emotion. Hopefully, this positive reaction will correspond with a more interesting video.
This compliment is from Taylor and Jose. This comment proved that our in points and out points were on point and that the music we used to emphasize the final mood of the video was executed properly and was more evidently present due to our choice in music.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Priorities 1st Draft Reflection

Kenzie Campbell and I (Ivy Phelps) are completing a reflection together

1) What value are you trying to represent?We are trying to represent the value of setting priorities that promote success and growth in students. We provided an example of a teenage boy choosing to play video games before or instead of studying for an exam.
2) What do you think your group has done well?We have been organized concerning our plan for each day and our specified tasks. We have been determined and dedicated to executing and producing the highest quality video we are capable of creating provided the allotment of time, equipment, and participation available to us. We have been consistent with creating alternative plans if our ideal or "Plan A" is compromised.
3) What do you still need to complete?We have altered our script to minimize difficulty concerning arrangements outside of school and maximizing our potential participation level. We plan to shoot the majority of our video at school instead of at home. Therefore, due to our change in shooting location, we will only need to complete a few tid-bits of dialogue and additional scenes instead of a full day of filming at home. We will then need to complete a few minor edits within our film before we are finished.
4) What are you most in need of feedback about? (We want to know if..., We're wondering if this camera angle worked when...etc.)We are aware we are lacking a few key scenes in our film, so the story does not make sense as is. We will give a swift introduction of what we plan for our final product and hopefully the audience will be able to envision what the film will be like when it is complete.
5) Identify a challenge your group discovered and faced in creating the film. Focus on a challenge about how to best tell your story. Describe how you dealt with that challenge, including discussions you had, things you tried and decided to leave out, and what you ultimately did to address it.Our major challenge was contacting each other to film outside of school. We could not communicate with each other, therefore, our shooting schedule suffered. We dealt with this by mending the script to fit a location that we could all attend. We devised a plan to keep our shots consistent so we could finish our filming, however, this was a major drawback and inconvenience for all parties, we apologize and we are exhausted with regret.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Reflection_Over the Shoulder

Describe how your group planned your shots. What realizations did you make about the kind of planning that needs to happen BEFORE you shoot?

My group and I read through the script thoroughly, and we chose the angle and focus of each shot in order to fulfill the requirements presented in the assignment. We realized we needed to deliver the dialogue more clearly and loudly in the shots depicting one's reaction while the other subject speaks.

Look at the composition of your over the shoulder shots. Did you follow the rule of thirds? Why or why not?

Our over the shoulder shots did not follow the rule of thirds because the subject in focus was in the center of the shot as opposed to the upper or lower, left or right side of the grid within the shot.

What IMPRESSIONS do the over the shoulder shots create about the characters? How does this work?

The impression of the over the shoulder shots create the allure of a conversation despite the fact that we filmed each segment separately. The shots also capture each subject's reaction in response to the dialogue.

How realistic does the dialogue seem in the final edit? What challenges did you have in editing?

The dialogue did appear to be realistic based on the quick edits and precise spacing of each subject throughout each take. The challenges we had in editing was capturing each line quickly enough to create a realistic effect. Another challenge we faced was speaking loudly enough, especially during the shot focused on Zoie while Emily spoke. This was done in order to capture Zoie's reaction.

Is there a dominant mood or tone to your video? What is that mood or tone? How did you accomplish this?

The tone is subtle and sincere. We offered a fairly calm tone despite an extremely exciting event. We accomplished this by encouraging our actors to deliver the dialogue as if they were truly speaking to a friend on a regular basis.

What other observations do you have about using over the shoulder shots?

Other observations we have about using over the shoulder shots include precise subject placement and careful awareness of background subjects.

What other ideas got emphasized or reinforced about how to make effective videos from doing this exercise?

I learned how to plan before shooting, especially in preparation for over the shoulder videos. I also learned to make sure my premiere pro project is set up correctly in the initial phase of creation. I did not make sure of this, and my video and hard work suffered. The size of our video is much smaller than normal, and I am extremely disappointed because it literally and figuratively downsized our work. I will make it a point to check each setting in my future premiere pro projects before I create a blank canvas. In addition to this, the credits rolled for too long, this was obviously unintentional but yet, a drawback.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Green Screen Workshop Reflection

The green screen is a tool that can create the effect of virtually any desired background or location while stationed in one constant location. Important considerations in filming with a green screen include: standing in a consistent position, wearing proper colors that will stand out against the screen as opposed to blending in with the background, and creating a bright light facing toward the screen to create a clear image of the subject in contrast with the screen. Problems that can arise when trying to eliminate a green screen background include: shadows, green clothing, and a radioactive layer of green surrounding the subject. Premiere Pro was easier for me to use, however, After Effects produced a higher quality video due to the elimination of variation of green due the shadow.

Reflection on Holiday Greeting Video

1. After reviewing the comments I made concerning the videos presented by my classmates as well as the videos themselves, the theme was extremely positive. I was impressed by the overall product achieved in such a short amount of time comparatively to the cyberbullying video assignment. This satisfaction was parallel to the video Kenzie and I created. The concept of communicating back and fourth while both subjects were in perceivably different countries celebrating separate holidays was a motif I noticed throughout the videos including ours. The stories consisted of the highlights of each holiday including: country of origin, special traditions, and cultural significance. One unique aspect of our video was the addition of a cultural welcoming or greeting (Kenzie opened with Namaste which is a common greeting in Southern India). There were a few videos with a similar story as the story we chose to depict. Our story was basically about a person who was unaware of alternative cultures and holidays, and was only conditioned to be knowledgeable of the holiday they celebrate. I felt this was an important story to display because although it may seem like an ignorant dilemma to encounter, it is immensely common. I believe more than half of the class could not offer one piece of significant information regarding a holiday other than Christmas or whatever holiday they choose to celebrate, myself included. Therefore, I felt our story would be relatable and therefore would attract attention and interest to our video. We only chose one image for each of our settings due to technical difficulties, however, I felt this choice provided a less distracting effect and made the contrast of each location more clear and concise. I noticed several videos with the same background for each holiday, and I felt the outcome of our video was consistent with the outcome of theirs. The editing of our video was fairly short. Our objective was to create a short enough cut to capture the interest of our viewers, while informing them about our cultures and not leaving them with an unclear overall gist of what our holidays truly represented. We were pressed for time and unfortunately we did not include music in our video, but again, I felt this offered a less distracting and more focused and informative presentation. I felt our title was simple and easy to read. This is the point of a title, and our intent was not to add an overwhelming amount of bells and whistles to our project. Our intent was to highlight the beauty of our holidays and to treat the holidays and cultures as the bells and whistles. I was very pleased with our credits and copyright because the font was elegant and yet easy to comprehend, and the background consisted of a crisp white. This was a classic touch that I was very proud of, which is ironic considering it is one of the most simple and understated aspects of the assignment. Kenzie and I gave an immense effort to produce a quality video. We are our harshest critics, and we gave our greatest attempt to sprinkle the most festive holiday magic possible throughout our project. We both formed a connection to our holidays, and we hope each holiday and tradition is appreciated and respected if not celebrated.

2.
-I would have liked to have added a creative montage similar to the teleporting scene featured in Ryan and John's video. I chose this innovative element because I believe it would have provided a new perspective and a more complex level to the story in my video. I also felt this scene created a greater attention span of the audience and more intriguing video overall.
-I would have liked to have added an opening scene such as the opening featured in Skyler and Michaela A's video which included both of them. I felt this added a sense of unity to the video that I would have liked to have included in our video. This scene implied the concept that both subjects can communicate and can have common interests and personalities despite their location, culture or celebrated holiday. I also enjoyed the ending, "And here's Laphanda with the weather..." this was a tastefully comical and rare way to end a video. I enjoyed it very much.

3. I researched both holidays and I created the script. I transferred said script onto poster paper at home and brought it in on our designated day of filming. I uploaded our tape from the camera to the folder I created to house the files associated with our video. I edited the clips I uploaded in After Effects and in Premiere Pro.

4. I helped Kenzie by creating the script and the posters for the mock teleprompter. I also helped by completing an extensive amount of editing while she worked on her contributions to the video. Kenzie helped me by finding approved background images for our video, and she created the bibliography. We both supported each other and pushed each other to create the best video we could possibly produce. Kenzie also helped me by being consistently positive despite my frustration and progressively uprising stress level. She did not take my breakdowns personally, and she never gave up or agreed to settle for anything less than a quality video. I appreciated her presence and support system greatly.

5. If I had another chance to complete this project, I would have initially edited our film in After Effects. For some odd reason, I edited the film in Premiere Pro first and I felt I could actually produce a video that was up to par with those created in After Effects. I felt this way in part because I had already done so much work in Premiere Pro and I was going to have to start from scratch in After Effects. Therefore, my advice to myself concerning future projects would be to not kid myself, swallow my pride and admit I made an error. I should have just started over sooner, but I tried to convince myself I could further mend my seemingly radioactive footage in Premiere Pro. Next time I will also review the tutorials much more extensively (sorry about that). I learned my lesson the hard way, but there's no greater learning technique than trial and error.