SVCTE Film/ Video Production

Look back at your experience over the last two years here at Film/Video Production. Reflect on what you've learned, accomplished, the friends you've made and compose a letter to yourself on the first day of class in the beginning class. Imagine that this letter couple be delivered to yourself on that day and he/she could read it. What advice would you give your past self? Would you tell them they are going to have a great experience? What would you warn them about? Dear Angela from the beginning of second semester,       Here is some advice before going into this class: don't let being the new student stop you from expressing your opinions. The people in this class are very open and welcoming. Don't be afraid of them. They probably won't judge you for having ideas. It's okay to be wrong. It's better to say something than say nothing. You know more than you think you may know. This class is going to be a lot of fun but also really stressful. Be prepare...

If you had to pick three things that you found the most valuable from this class experience, what would they be? What do you feel overall that this course has helped you prepare for? I think the group work was the most valuable because it helped me socially. I learned to act professionally at times were professionalism was most needed and I was able to stay calm and composed even when a group member was being immature and rude. Another thing I enjoyed was the class discussions and class work where we all created one thing. I liked the activity during the storytelling unit where we all passed around papers to create a story. 

What unit did you enjoy the most? Why? What are three things that you learned from the unit? What are two things that you'd like to know more about? How could this unit be improved? Please give detailed input. I enjoyed the film history unit the most because I was able to incorporate my US and world history knowledge with the things that we were learning in this unit. It was cool learning about all the different ways things were made and how things were started. With all the videos, I was able to understand and internalize all the information. The sound unit was also pretty good but a lot of the topics were quite hard to interpret. It might have been just me for this unit but I felt as though it passed by too fast. If I had gotten more time on this unit, I feel like I might have done better and understood the subjects better.  

Look back at your goals for the Fall and Spring Semester blog posts. Were you able to achieve your goals? Why or why not? What could you have done differently? Looking back at them, what could you have done to focus more on your goals in the course? I didn't put down any goals in my blog but I know that in joining this class, I wanted to learn as much as I could and I wanted to be able to work well with other students. I was able to learn a lot about Premiere and I learned about scriptwriting but I don't think I learned enough about sound. I struggled a lot with that unit and I struggled with a lot of the technical stuff like learning about cameras and working with microphones. Those things scared me away so I avoided using them as best as I could. I enjoyed the creative part and I learned a lot of things like focusing on themes and motifs. I improved socially and I was able to work professionally with others and outside of class. If I confronted my fear, I think I c...

Now that you are finished with your documentary, reflect on what you have learned. Answer the following questions in a well thought out paragraph. 1. What have you learned in the documentary assignment? List three different things that you have learned and what you learned. 2. What has this assignment taught you about video production? 3. Was this assignment a good final project of the year? Why or why not? What did it teach you to improve you production skills? 4. What mistakes did you make on the project? How could you avoid them next time? Three things I've learned in this documentary assignment is that planning, communication skills between the client and group members, and professionalism is essential. Planning is essential because without good planning, the client will not be prepared for things we need from them. Communication skills are important because you have to get to know your client before you start shooting questions at them. Making them comfortable helps ge...

What is Anthony's take on B-roll? How is it different from others? What is his secret tip for "bedroom B-roll?" B-roll plays a bigger role than most people may think. It contributes to the progression of the story and is just as important as A-roll. Bedroom B-roll doesn't have to be on set. It can be set up but look similar and or relate to the story. 

What are 3 considerations you must keep in mind when shooting outdoors? How would you use a reflector? Why? 3 considerations to keep in mind while shooting outdoors is that the subject has to adjust to the light so they aren't constantly squinting. The reflector is usually used to even out harsh shadows and give better lighting. There are two sides to it. One has a more metallic look and the other side is white which makes the reflection softer. 

In your own words, which of these three are the most important? Why? If there were one more mistake that could be added to this list, what do you think it would be? Using music that does not fit the film will ruin the effect. It can distract people from the real point of the documentary. If there is no theme, the viewer will leave without seeing a point in the film. One more mistake could be interviewing the wrong people. If someone interviews a subject who mumbles or isn't passionate about a topic, chances are, the documentary will be garbage. 

What are three key points that the presenter makes about lighting? Why are each of them important? What is one point that you would like to learn more about? Hair lights separate the subject from the background. It makes the body pop out and frame the subject. The key is the most important light. It is the strongest light that is hitting the subject. Fill lights even out the shadows. The key light is usually closest to the subject. The fill light is twice as far from the subject. 

What is B-Roll? Why is it important for a project? What are 3 things to keep in mind when you're shooting B-roll? B-Roll is secondary footage to take up space and help the plot progress. 3 things to keep in mind when shooting B-roll is to shoot as much B-roll as possible and get a huge variety of footage from different angles. It's better to shoot more than needed and it's best to get some kind of movement in each shot. 

What are 2 things that the filmmaker did that are controversial? Why were they? Do you think the film was "authentic" after reading this article? Why are why not? Why is this film so famous? The filmmaker staged some of the scenes which made them seem fictional. I think some of the film was authentic but I feel like most of it was what the director wanted to see rather than what the Inuits actually did in their every day lives. It was very famous because it was different from other films. This supposedly depicted people who didn't conform to western society in their natural habitats and that was strange to most people. It was like going to a zoo. 

What do you think a documentary film is? Why are they interesting and important? Please list 3 different reasons in detail and your justification for each. Please use complete sentences. A documentary film is where the film is to inform people about things in a narrative manner. They are important because it helps people learn in depth. It's also a great way for interests in children to peak and to keep history alive. 

What are 3 things that you've learned in the storytelling unit? What are 2 things that you'd like to learn more about? What is one thing you're still unsure about? Why? Please be specific and use vocabulary you've learned in the unit so far. I learned about story arcs, hero's journey, and the story spine. I'd like to learn more about how the story spine applies to movies and why it is successful. I'm unsure about how to hook the viewer and give them background info without making it obvious. 

How does Ira's advise relate to what you are going through in the class so far? What are the key points that he mentions in the video? How could they be applied to you? What part of his advise seems helpful? Ira's advice relates to what I am going through in this class because, though I haven't done much, all of the things that I have made, I was not proud of. I knew I could have done much better. His advice to do a huge bulk of work and make deadlines for yourself is something that I may start doing as soon as this semester ends. 

How did Kurosawa influence George Lucas? What parts of the samurai film did Lucas incorporate into Star Wars? What is the most interesting thing that you learned in this video? Kurosawa's samurai movies influenced George Lucas by giving him the idea of making a movie about people fighting in space. The costumes inspired George Lucas's stormtrooper and Darth Vadar's costumes. He incorporated similar shots and characters from the samurai film to star wars. 

Which archetype seems easiest to write? Which do you think seems the most difficult? Why? What archetype do you understand the least? Why? What kind of hero's do you like telling stories about? I feel like the mentor is the easiest to write, seeing as they are just help so if there's a plot hole, the mentor can help fill in the background info that the audience needs. I think the main character is the most difficult. The main character has to be simple enough to be average but complex enough to stand out from society to be the main character. The shadow is something that I feel like I may struggle to do as well because I don't like to keep my antagonists as 100% bad. I need a reason for my audience to see the reason behind their actions and possibly sympathize with them. 

What is the hero's journey? What parts of the structure stand out and seem the most important to you? The hero's journey is the plot structure usually found in adventure type movies. It's main character is the hero and it goes through different character developing moments. The part where there is supernatural aid stood out to me because it made me realize that all of the movies that I've watched that follow this plot line have an old supernatural aid to help them through their adventures. 

Pick two of these plot types that most interest you and write about them. Why does each of these plot types interest you? What makes them seem more interesting than the other ones? Which two of the plot lines out of the seven would you like to use for a future video project? Why? The two plot types that interest me the most are rags to riches and the quest. Rags to riches appeals to the ideal American Dream and I find that the more these movies come out, the more people try to achieve them which makes job fields hard to get into. I think I would like to try quest.