Entertainment Video Final

What Did I Do

Camera assignment 1

This was our first project of the year for entertainment video. We had to make a 2-3 minute video utilizing the 6 shot system. This included Extreme-Closeup, Closeup, Medium, Wide , Extreme Wide, Over the Shoulder, and Point of View Shot. At first it was a bit tricky trying to find a way to incorporate all these shots but eventually we worked them all in. It took us about two weeks to finish or film from pre production to post production. One of our biggest criticisms was our audio. Audio is extremely important and you have to make sure its balanced and mixed correctly otherwise it can ruin a film. This project taught me a lot about shot variety and how it can add to a film, because before this year we were mainly just using wide and medium shots. Overall I though we did pretty good o this assignment and i'm satisfied with the outcome.



Commercial

For this assignment we were required to make a 15, 30, or 60 second commercial that is aimed to market a product or service. My group chose to do a 30 second commercial for Levis. We shot it in down town Kansas City next to a large brick building. We finished this film in a two and a half week time frame. Some feedback we were given is that we didn't show case the product enough. this could have been easily fixed by shooting close ups of the product and the brand name. I learned a lot about commercials and advertising during this projects, for example, good commercials are able to create an emotional connection and give all the logistics about a project or service in a very short period of time. I really enjoyed this project and the amount of freedom we had but if I do wish our commercial had more variety of shots.



Short Film 

For our short film we developed scripts from the treatments that had not gotten chosen to be a feature film. It could be anywhere from 5-20 minutes in length. the whole process of creating our short film took about a month. The biggest issue we face along the way was that our script had to many main characters which made scheduling days to film with actors a nightmare. We eventually rewrote the script with less characters so we could find a time to film. Some feedback we were given is that we had a lot of wind noise being picked up by the mic. This could have easily been fixed by slightly changing the script and filming that scene inside. This project taught me that your film must be carried by a strong and entertaining story otherwise it doesn't matter how good your shots or editing was. I am pretty satisfied with the outcome but I did wish we spent more time adjusting the camera settings because a lot of shots were overexposed and out of focus.




Time usage 

I feel that I have used my time in this class effectively and efficiently. If I finished any work early I would discuss with my group members and see if there was anything else I could do. I spent free time discussing movies with pears, and reading movie reviews in order to get a better understanding of what makes a great film. I spent my time out of class trying to get familiar with the camera. I would hang out with my friend Drew who recently purchased a camera and we would shoot photos and practice filming with him.


Strengths and Weaknesses

One of my greatest strengths is time management. I really don't like having to turn stuff in late so I work extremely hard to meet deadlines. I also am very good with working with groups of people. I am able to communicate with classmates effectively in order to get work done on time. Something I still want to improve upon are my camera skills. I have spent time out of class trying to get a better understanding of the camera but I still need a lot practice to get to the point where I feel comfortable taking no a roll like DP. 



Guest Speakers 

My favorite guest speaker was Morgan Cooper. He was very down to earth and a really entertaining. He used a lot of entertaining stories in order to educate the class. He taught me that you must be extremely committed to being a film maker in order to be successful and that its going to start out ruff but you must work through it. he also told us how important it is to just get yourself out there and start building connections in order to kick start your career. I am very glad and thankful that I got to listen and discuss film with Morgan Cooper.


All American High School Film Festival 

I was one of the lucky eComm students who were able to go to New York and experience this film festival. Watching all of the short film was amazing and inspiring. Some of the films were absolutely amazing and you wouldn't be able to tell a high schooler made them. I learned that we should never underestimate ourselves and if we put enough effort in we can make quality films that stand up to those of professionals. I also got to meet a bunch of individuals from other states who all share a passion for film, I even got a business card. Overall this was a great experience and im looking forward to going back next year.



Summary 

I really enjoyed this semester of entertainment video. It was such a step up from what we did sophomore year. We had so much creative freedom and were able to completely work on our own in groups. If I could change one thing I would have probably tried to be a DP for one of our film assignment so i can become more comfortable with the camera. that also my goal for next semester; to get a better understanding of the camera in order to become a better film maker. my biggest take away is that you must be able to effectively communicate with your group members otherwise nothing ever gets done. Overall I really enjoyed getting to know all my classmates this semester and I cant wait to work on the feature film with them next semester.