G-Wiz Video

Last Days.

2010-05-21T05:17:00.001-07:00

Since its the end of the year, I thought I would give you a chance to reflect on everything that's happened in the class. Think about everything we've gone over, both the third and fourth nine weeks. What things did you like? What things did you not like? What gave you the most problems? If you could change one thing, what would you have done? Try to be honest and don't forget to explain your statements!

Winding Down

2010-05-14T05:46:00.000-07:00

You are working on the last movie for the semester. Once you are done with the Interview movie you will have done all the major tasks for the nine weeks. You should be done with the Speedbuilder and Numbers course and working on the Special Marks course in Typing Master. The sooner you get all three projects turned in and finish all three courses the sooner you can have free time without me being a harpy on your back all the time.

Finishing the Interview

2010-05-07T08:23:00.000-07:00

By now you should have your video almost completed. You should have taken three or four pictures of the object, recorded the object's answers using Audacity, and videoed yourself asking the questions. Once you have the answers recorded using Audacity then you modify the sound so it doesn't sound like you. Try to make it sound like what you imagine the object's voice would sound like (if they really could talk).
After you are done changing the sound files it would be time to put your video together. Cut the video of you asking the questions up so that each question is separate. Then you insert one of the pictures of your object in between each question. Drop the sound file for each answer under the object picture in the Audio layer. (You may have to stretch the picture along the timeline to make it fit.) After you do all that its just Title and Credits then save and turn it.
How are you doing on the project? Are you caught up or have you been wasting time?

Object Interviews

2010-04-30T06:17:00.000-07:00

Our latest project is for you to conduct an interview with a non-living object. You take pictures of the object, video yourself asking questions, and then make up answers you think the object would make to your questions. Being creative in your answers and giving your "interviewee" a personality really makes or breaks this project.
Don't ask generic questions, ask things that are specific to the object. Think about what it would be like if that object was actually a real person. What would it be like to do whatever the object is used for? What kind of problems would that object/person have? Would this be a life you would like to have?
I have had several students make really great videos using this topic, but unfortunately some of the most boring ones have been on this topic also. It all depends on how creative you are. No creativity -- Boredom, Creativity -- Great Video.
How creative are you being?

Newscast video is due!

2010-04-23T05:35:00.000-07:00

Your finished newscast is due today!
You should have it edited and the green-screen effect and picture-in-picture effect done. Your title and effects should be added. Don't forget to give credit to everyone who helped you do the movie. But don't write out their names, use their initials in case I put it as an example on the web.
This morning I found a trick that really speeds up the last step. Instead of Exporting the movie in Adobe Premiere Elements you should export it as a MPEG that is Multimedia Compatible. This really changes the process making it so much quicker! For example ZB, who finished her movie yesterday, exported it as a movie and it took 1 hour and 47 minutes. When I did the same thing this morning as an MPEG it took fifteen seconds. BIG DIFFERENCE!
I have never figured out why it always took so long with Premiere, I know the newer versions don't take that long. Its probably just one of those quirky bugs because its version 1.0.
How did your movie turn out?

Never Fails

2010-04-16T05:49:00.000-07:00

One of the things I don't like about Adobe Premiere Elements is our version is 1.0. Version 1.0 means its the first version that is sold and they always have lots and lots of problems (bugs).
To give you an idea APE went to version 5.0 in just over two years because of all the major things they had to fix. These problems always show up right at the worst time. Never Fails.
Another problem we have with APE version 1.0 is it's too old. None of the cameras we've got in the last two years use those old formats. Since the old cameras have been abused too much and don't work right anymore, we've been using the new ones, but we can't use those formats in Premiere because they weren't around when version 1.0 came out. Of course Zamzir, (the website I normally use to change formats) starts having major problems when I try to convert your movies. Never Fails.
Hopefully, you have all finished filming and are waiting on me to solve this problem so that you can move on. Don't forget you need not only a background, but a picture to put over your shoulder when you do your newscast editing. Do you have everything you need so that once I fix the format problem you can finish your movie?

Cue Cards

2010-04-09T06:49:00.000-07:00

We have created cue cards for you to use in your newscast video. What will happen is you will be sitting at the table in front of the green screen with the camera man and another person facing you about four feet away. The 2nd person will be holding your cue cards and will change them as you read. The reason I had you write the words large was because you need to see them and talk naturally as if you were speaking off the top of your head, not reading from the cue cards.
It takes practice to read them correctly so the first couple of times you do it will be for practice and the cameraman will not be recording.
Using cue cards should help make you much more comfortable about being on camera, because it will greatly reduce the chance that you will make a mistake and be embarassed. It won't completely keep you from making a mistake, you could get the giggles or see something out of the corner of your eye that makes you forget what you read, but it does help.
Are you ready to be on camera and try out your cue cards?

Lipsyncs should be finished

2010-03-05T05:43:00.000-08:00

As of today your final version of the Lipsync video should be turned in to 265dropbox. Remember you must export to a movie, and then save the movie to 265dropbox, not the project. This really was a very simple movie to make and it didn't require a lot of editing to make. All you had to do was record the singing in one take, strip off the audio from the movie, add the original song music, and then do the title and credits at the ends. Most of the videos we do next nine weeks will take more work.
How are you doing with your video? What problems did you run into?

LipSync Video

2010-02-26T05:35:00.000-08:00

Our new project is where you lipsync to one of your favorite songs. You will record yourself singing to the song, remove all the sound from the video, and add the song itself to the audio track. All the filming should be done by Tuesday! Otherwise, you will not have the time to finish editing and syncing the music for your film before the nine weeks is over. All practicing need to be finished already, I hope you've prepared.
When you record you want to get it done in one take so that it is easier to sync to the song. You can do cuts but it will just make the project more work for you.
Are you ready to film your video? What song did you choose to do?

Xtranormal

2010-02-19T04:58:00.000-08:00

This week we made animated movies using the Xtranormal.com website. You create a movie from pre-matched characters and backgrounds and are able to write dialogue, have your characters do different physical postures and hand gestures, and change the camera angle.
This really is a neat way to make a short animated movie.
We had trouble with the site when it came to processing your scripts and saving the movie. I'm not sure exactly what causes this problem but it probably is because of one or two reasons. The first and most likely reason is because we were all logging in with the same user name at the same time. I have you do this so I can look at your movies all in one group. (I may need to change this.) The second potential cause is the fact we were all working through the Internet from the same place. Video rendering requires huge amounts of space and bandwidth and having all of you doing it at the same time through the Internet is kind of like having the whole school exit out of only 1 door at 3:10.
Most of you were doing a really great job yesterday after you got used to the site and I was disappointed we couldn't save many of the videos.
How did you like the site? What was your greatest frustration?

Audacity Sound Files

2010-02-05T06:27:00.000-08:00

This week we did two things; learned how to Photoshop parts of one picture onto a second picture, and how to record a sound file in Audacity. Photoshop was a program you used in sixth grade for half of the class, but Audacity is a program you probably haven't used.
In Audacity, you are able to record sounds from a microphone. Then you can edit those sounds, cutting out parts and moving parts around. Just like editing video!
That part is nice, but the cool part about Audacity is the effects! You can highlight a section of the audio file and change tone, pitch, speed, all sorts of things. That's why that one guy on YouTube sounds so weird, he has modified his audio file.
How did you like hearing your recorded voice? What did you think about using Audacity?

Photostory 3

2010-01-22T05:21:00.000-08:00

We have started our first video project. You are going to create a movie using Photostory3. This program takes individual photographs and allows you to sequence them together, add text, transtions, music, and then create a movie file combining them all together.
Your project should be ten to fifteen photos about PV. Soon the counselors will be going around to the grade schools to enroll the 5th graders for next year. It would be nice if they had a couple of videos that they could use to show off the school. So that's the idea for your project.
By now you should have chosen all of your pictures and have imported them into the order you want to use. Hopefully, you have started to work on your text comments and transitions. How are you doing on your Photostory project?

Photo Composition.

2010-01-15T05:32:00.000-08:00

I know many of you didn't really understand why we went over the Golden Ratio and Rule of Thirds, although most of you caught on to the Bad Picture PowerPoint. All of these are to help you take better photographs. By taking a little more time to think about your photograph before you press the button, you can create a much better quality picture. One that more people will want to look at. Many of you waste time by taking pictures impulsively, resulting in bad or poor quality shots that you have to redo. Action shots have to be taken very quickly but some planning of your position you physically put the camera in will result in better pictures.
The more you work at doing it, the easier it will become, like typing on the keyboard, or playing the piano, or shooting a free throw. Practice makes perfect.
Which of the three lessons do you think you will use the most, the Bad Picture PowerPoint, The Golden Ratio, or the Rule of thirds? Why?

Starting a New Semester

2010-01-08T05:46:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Video class. This class involves a lot of fun, taking pictures and video around the school. One thing you have to remember is that this also involves responsibility and trust. If you don't take responsibility for your behavior and meet a certain level of conduct, then I won't be able to trust you to go out and take those pictures, and doing all your filming in the classroom is not as much fun.
You are going to notice as we go through the semester that I have changed some things around from previous semesters. The class is currently going through a redesigning process. Hopefully, this will make it easier for you to succeed in making better movies in less time.
I hope none of you are shy about being in front of a camera because not only will you be taking pictures but sometimes you will have to be acting in the videos.
What are you hoping to learn in this class? What problems do you think you might have as we go through the semester?

2009-12-18T06:29:00.000-08:00

Whoa! The end of the semester is here! I would like you to think about all the different things we have done since the start of the year.
What were the things that you liked the most?
What were the things that you didn't like?
What were the things that you had trouble doing?
Why to all three questions?
What suggestions do you have to improve the class?

Finishing the How To Video

2009-12-11T05:04:00.000-08:00

Today is the day your How To video is due. Remember you do not turn in the project, you turn in the finished video. They are not the same thing!! In order to put your video together you start with the audio narration you recorded and then match each picture to the place in the audio you start talking about it. Then you add titles and credits to the front and end respectively. After saving as video you put the video file into my 9th hour folder.
Most of you have a lot of work to do today because you have been wasting time in class. There is only one week left in the semester and next week you are going to be making one last short video assignment. So you had better get it together and quit wasting time.
How is your How To video doing?

Putting it All Together

2009-12-04T06:06:00.000-08:00

Now that you have your pictures and your narration it is time to put them together. If we were "dubbing" into a video you would start by loading the video and then dropping the sound file into the appropriate place. But we are actually going to do this the other way around. We are going to start with the narration file and then move to where you want the 1st picture and drop it in. Then you move the where you need the 2nd picture and drop that one in, then the 3rd and so on, and so on, etc. This should be a little easier than true "dubbing" on a video.
How is your How To video coming along?

Making the Images For Your Video

2009-11-20T05:46:00.000-08:00

In your "How To" video you have to create images to illustrate your directions. Think about your directions and what you are going to be doing with the images. For example; if you are making an omelet you would have eggs, but you would also have an image cracking open the eggs, mixing the eggs, frying the eggs, etc. Don't forget to include all the pictures you will need.
If you can you can use the same image over again, as long as nothing about the image changes! You should have all your images drawn and cut out before Thanksgiving.
How is your film progressing so far?

Moving On to the Next Task.

2009-11-13T06:10:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, you should have finished your newscaster video and your final copy should be turned in. I only know of two of you that actually met that deadline! This truly is not acceptable, because those of you that did not get finished were wasting so much of your time earlier. You can not waste so much time on filming or thinking "Oh, there is plenty of time," when you are not even half way done with your project. Most of you took two and a half weeks to do the first five tasks on a list of fourteen things to do. This is why you were given a checklist, so you could pace yourself!
Your next project is going to be fairly simple, but it will require planning. You are going to create a movie and then do an "audio dub" or narration of the movie. You are going to create what I call a CommonCraft movie. This is a movie that uses pictures, normally hand drawn, to illustrate ideas while the narrator explains how something works. They are fairly simple, are easy to fix with basic editting, and then you can read your script into a microphone. The timing between what you say and your images can actually be fixed by simple film cutting.
First, you must choose a subject. Think of a Science concept such as one of Newton's laws; or something from Social Studies like explaining the Battle of Gettysburg; or you can choose how to do something that you can physically do well, such as play soccer, and explain that. Take the time to look at an example from CommonCraft (I recommend the zombie or the election ones).
Keep in mind that people actually make a living doing these movies and selling them. They are quite effective at teaching something to people.
What do you think about your next assignment? What will you be planning on doing?

Finishing Newscast

2009-11-06T05:54:00.000-08:00

By now you have finished making all the parts of your video; your background, your announcer in front of the green screen, your part that goes into the picture-within-a-picture. Hopefully, you have started putting all these together into Adobe Premiere. The Adobe Premiere program can do more things than MovieMaker can, but that makes it more complex. Since you have version 1.0 (version 8.1 is currently out at Best Buy) it can be really buggy, so save often as you work. You also need to remember to keep everything in a folder on your desktop. Once you are finished putting it together, export the movie to your desktop and do the credits and title in MovieMaker. You should have everything finished by next Thursday!!.
How are you doing in getting your video done?

Newscast Cue Cards

2009-10-30T07:17:00.000-07:00

Most of you are not really taking the cue cards seriously. The number one reason people are scared to be in front of the camera is that they are scared they will make a mistake and look foolish. The main way people make a mistake? They forget what they are going to say. Thus the cue cards!!
Writing the words on the cue cards helps you remember what to say, as long as you can read them. So it is very important that you write them in letters that are at least three inches tall. The person with the cue cards has to stand behind or beside the camera which means they are not close. If you have to squint to read the card then you look foolish again. You really should have no more that 6-8 words on each card. You also need to write in phrases so that the last word is not on the next card.
How is your movie going?

Newscaster Video

2009-10-23T04:46:00.000-07:00

We have just started a new video project. This project will involve two different video effects, green screens and a picture-within-a-picture. You will sit at a table and pretend that you are a newscast type host doing a story. Your story can be about the news, sports, music, gossip, whatever you want (providing its appropriate for school).
I have given you a timeline that is on the back of your script page. Try to follow the timeline and get at least one thing done everyday. Do not put things off to the last minute!!
What do you see as being a problem creating this movie? What subject have you chosen to do for your newscast movie?

Return To The Door

2009-10-09T05:48:00.000-07:00

After some basic instruction on how to use the camera correctly, we went back and re-shot the scenes for The Door. I'm somewhat pleased by how you took the idea of the movie and changed it to make it your own. I do wish that you had made it a little more suspenseful but it was your first acting job and its hard to act scared or look scary when you are giggling;>.
The people who I have seen doing the basic editing on their movie have done a pretty good job. You have cut out the blurry and unneeded parts, but some of you could have taken some small parts that you cut off and placed them into the parts you left and actually created a better video. Many real movies do this, as a matter of fact, normally that's what happens whenever you see a change in the camera angle.
Some of you have also gone ahead and added you title and credits, which I had planned on doing next week along with sound effects and some basic special effects (mainly for one group's movie.)
This is great and I'm impressed that some of you already knew how to do this!
How do you feel about your movie so far?

Storytelling Alice

2009-10-02T06:27:00.000-07:00

This week we took an adventure into creating 3-d animated movies using a downloadable program called Storytelling Alice. Many of you were very confused because you had to identify every single little action and every direction. You also had to tell it exactly how far to move, although I don't think any of you had problems with that.
Creating 3-d animated movies can be very hard, but you should know Alice makes it easy! (Yes it does) After all all of the scences were created by pre-created figures. You didn't have to create your own 3-D figures and objects, all you had to do was tell the program which one and what to do with it. That's the easy part. Creating the figure is even harder.
How did you do on your Alice project? What was the most frustrating problem that you had?

The Door

2009-09-18T05:42:00.000-07:00

You've started working on filming with video. I gave you a basic script, you made changes to make the movie yours, and then we started filming. Using the video camera is different from just taking a picture. You are going to find out that editing (trimming out the bad parts) takes some careful work also. If you are careful when you are shooting the video, then editing is a lot easier.

What problems have you run into using the video camera? How is your movie going so far? What character did you make the "hero" run from?

Photostory Finished

2009-09-11T08:37:00.000-07:00

Today is the day all of your Photostory projects should be done! Some of you have finished already I know. It was interesting with what you came up with. A few of you actually used your own music instead of what the program could give you. :> I realize having no speakers made it a little hard to do the music part but by the time the next project is due we will have the new computers and their speakers. (YEAH!!).
How did your Photostory project go? Was this too easy? Did you have trouble coming up with an idea?

Photostory Project

2009-09-04T05:20:00.000-07:00

This week we started a new project. This time we are actually going to create a video using 15 or 20 pictures. This is a simple process, but we are learning to walk before I let you run. Using Photostory 3 from Microsoft you are to make a video. It can be about you, the school, or something else that you are interested in. You don't have to use the photographs you have taken around the school. You do have to add the following things:

text to each picture (make sure it shows up easily and it doesn't cover up the picture)
transitions from picture to picture
music for a background, if you bring some from home it needs to be in .wav format and you need to follow copyright.

What are you planning to do your project on? How is it going so far?

Taking Pictures

2009-08-28T08:30:00.001-07:00

You've had your first chance to go out and take pictures and it went pretty well. There were a few groups that grew too large and, of course, some pictures that didn't turn out well. Surprisingly some of the "bad" pictures actually looked cool. Like you had deliberately done some sort of special effect to them.
Now we are working on some picture editing techniques. I showed you how to crop a photo and also how to remove one person from a photo and put them into a second photo. This last requires some effort to do right because you have to make sure that the person you add has all the old background removed, has been adjusted so they are the right size, and then fits into the picture in a realistic way. We are not going to worry about the shadows for this assignment, but that also can affect your results.

How is you picture editing project going?

Once Again the Start of New Year

2009-08-21T05:32:00.001-07:00

A brand new school year and we start a new semester of Video Production. In this class you will learn how to take pictures and video and how to make movies. You will be both behind the camera and in front of the lens! (We have to take pictures of somebody.)

Movies are more than just pointing a camera and hoping something happens. You have to plan out what you are going to do by writing a script and drawing a storyboard. You have to consider what camera angles you are going to use and how close up you want the image. You have to plan how to record the sound, what extra sound effects you will need, how the light affects your image. You have to take your video and edit out all the parts you don't want, put in the sound effects and narration, add the title to the front and credits to the end, and then add music for a sound track. All of these are part of a good quality video.

What do you think you will be creating movies about for the class? Do you have any questions or worries about the class?

Dealing with Special Effects.

2009-04-24T06:31:00.000-07:00

The newscast movie is our first attempt to deal with adding special effects to a video. Special effects are great because they allow you to do some really cool things, like add a different background making you look like you are somewhere else, or showing an object on your screen that really isn't there. Things like this make your movies look really great.
But, special effects are not easy! Of course, if they were then they wouldn't be special. They can be tricky so you really have to pay attention to what you are doing. In Adobe Premiere you actually have to open a special set of controls for each effect so that the computer knows just what you want to do.
How are you doing with adding your special effects to your newscast movie?

Beta Versions Away.

2009-04-03T06:16:00.000-07:00

Well you have tried out that new website, http://xtranormal.com/, and used it (or tried to use it) to make a movie that was stored on the Internet. Most of you had some frustration on this I know. Some things for you to remember.
First, the website is in the beta version. For those of you who do not know a beta version is a version that is being tested prior to a full release. This is why those three extra groups of characters are available at this time instead of just the basic group. It is also one of the reasons you had some of the trouble using it that you did.
Beta versions are put out there to test so that the programmers can have real people use the program and find all the 'bugs' that they missed when they created the program. Then they go in and fix the problems before they do the full release. There are many companies that do this including Microsoft. One of the nice things about Beta versions is that normally they are free to use. This balances out the running into software problems.
Some people like using Beta programs because they are the newest versions. Some people hate them because they can be full of problems, especially on any new features the old version did differently or didn't have. What are your feelings about using beta version software? Have you ever used beta version software before?

"How To" Video

2009-03-06T08:25:00.000-08:00

The project we are working on now is quite simple. You are making a how-to video in the same style as CommonCraft.

You think of something you know how to do, say making a hero sandwich.
Then, you make a list of every step in the correct order. (This is the part that trips up most people.)
You plan out the images for the video with a storyboard.
Either draw or trace those images out in Photoshop and then print them.
Trace the lines with a marker and but each image out.
Video each step in the process by setting out the images one step at a time.
Record your voice saying the steps, one step at a time.
Edit and put everything together.

Viola the video is done. Very simple, once you start.

Finishing Your Movie

2009-02-20T06:12:00.000-08:00

Many of you are still in the process of editing and completing your movie video. If you haven't done it before, it definitely is not as easy as you would think. Many people think they can just point a camera at something and film it and presto they have a good movie. They don't realize that it really takes more to make a good video worth looking at.
To make a quality video you have to cut out the bad parts. Sometimes you have to rearrange pieces of the video so that it makes more sense. A quality video will also include audio work. Sometimes that means adding sound effects, sometimes a voice-over (Where you have a person speaking off camera), and sometimes you have to go back and dub in a person's voice (replace what they said during the filming with a second better quality sound recording of the same words.) Of course, don't forget adding a music sound track in the background, adjusting sound volume, making sure the sounds are the right length, etc.
Then you have making the Title and Credits at the front and beginning of the video. Easy, once you know how, but it does have a correct way it should be done. That is why I gave you the example on the checklist for The Door.
The biggest problem most people run into is remembering to export their movie to the desktop and hand that file into me. If you just give me the project file I can not see anything, the project file relies on all the other files you use to be in the same folder, which I don't have.
What has been your biggest problem doing this video? Remember its due next week!!

Photostory

2009-01-23T09:20:00.000-08:00

We have completed our first and simplest project. In this project you took pictures and created a video out of them. You could do this on any theme and one of the ways you can make videos for our later projects. Our next project will be using actual video not snapshots.
You need to think about something you can act out here at school and video (remember the Royal Expectations.) Think about that this weekend and be ready to plan it out in class next week. We are going to discuss writing a script and what makes a good or bad video.
What are some of the things you think make a good video? Not a movie or a film, but a good video.

A New Class, Once Again

2009-01-09T06:51:00.000-08:00

Once again it is a new semester and that means we have brand new students in the class again.
If you browse the posts from last semester and last year you will have a better idea of what the class is about. Primarily we take photos and videos and then edit them and put them into projects. I hope you are creative and have the ability to come up with ideas quickly, because that helps a great deal with what we do. Over the semester I will show you how do use different tools to make different videos. If you have a video that you would like to make don't hesitate to ask me about it because I would rather have you create videos that you want to make. I also hope that you are not shy about being if front of the camera because you are going to get your picture and video taken a lot in this class.
Another thing that we are going to need to start right away is I would like to have volunteers go to the basketball games (and later track meets) to take pictures and video. You need to be passing all your classes with no F's on your progress report to do this.
What do you think will be the biggest problem you have in this class? What do you think you will like the most? What would you like to make a video about?

Final Video

2008-12-12T09:31:00.000-08:00

It is time for the last video project for the semester to be turned in. This time you were to do either a simple demonstration video or you could do your Social Studies project as a video and get credit for both classes. Most of you are doing your video using Photostory instead of Premiere because you have pictures instead of true raw video. What did you chose to do the video on? How is your project going?

Newscast Movie

2008-11-07T09:46:00.000-08:00

We are going to use a movie that requires two special effects. Using a greenscreen to filter out unwanted background and the picture within picture effect, where a small picture shows in the corner of the screen. This is the first time you have been required to use a special effect, although several of you have used one by choice in a previous movie.
Using special effects in Adobe Premiere starts easy. You just make sure you have cut the video into the section you want the effect on and then drag the effect onto that section of the video. Then you use the effect control window to make the settings you need for what you are wanting. For example you have to tell the greenscreen effect exactly what color to turn invisible so that the picture or 2nd video behind the 1st starts showing.
Many of you are still trying to finish up the last movie because you put off editing too long. Hopefully you won't make the same mistake with this movie. What do you think about the newscast movie? What problems did you have with the last movie and what could you do different this time?

Communicating the Message

2008-10-24T04:55:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest problems with creating a film is when you have to work with others. Everyone has their own experiences and when you write the script you are basing the action on your own experience.
When you say "walk through the door", you have an action visualized in your head. Its more than just walking thought the door, you have a speed, body position, body language, style of entry, etc. All of these are being pictured in your mind. But when someone else reads "walk through the door", they visualize what you are saying differently. They are forming a similar but different way of doing the action. No two people will ever visualize a written action the exact same way, especially if the writing is not very descriptive.
This is why you need to be very descriptive when you write your script. You need to describe how you want that person to do the action. There is a big difference between "walk though the door" and "walk timidly through the door, scraping along the door frame, clutching her books to her chest and holding her head down as if afraid to make eye contact with anyone in the room." or "marched brazenly into the room, chest out, eyes bright searching for a competitor to test his competitiveness against, swinging his arms at his sides as if he was on the parade ground." These are two extremely different images and yet they both mean "walk through the door".
Even when you are being more descriptive there will still be differences in the way the writer, the director, and the actor visualize the action, but now they are small differences which are easier to work out while filming. A good writer will include enough information to give the desired action but leave some interpretation so others can make the action their own.

What problems have you had writing your scripts?

Creating a Mood

2008-09-26T06:15:00.000-07:00

Movies without background music would be boring. The music score (the written plan of what instruments play what note at what time) preforms a special function. The music plays in the background and prepares your mind for what is happening in the movie scene.
An exotic style of music will help the viewer believe that the movie is in an exotic location. To build suspense the music will start slow and mysterious and then build up by increasing the tempo (speed) and volume. During exciting action scenes the music will be exciting and quick in tempo. During a love scene the music will be romantic. In a regular movie when the director is using a wide angle shot of a landscape the music will be 'majestic', slightly slower in tempo but with great changes in the tone of the notes.
All of these are called musical themes. The idea of a musical theme is to prepare the viewer for the visual action occurring in the movie and to reinforce that action emotionally using music. Many of the great movies had fantastic movie scores!
Even simple movies can use music to help set the mood. Think about our movie project, "The Door".
There are three shots, or parts, to "The Door". First, the part where they walk up to the door and hear a mysterious sound. This sound, by the way, is an effect, not part of the music score. Then they are scared and can't open the door right away, getting even more scared when they hear a second scarier sound. Last they are relieved when they get inside and close the door. (I know our actors don't really act that way--that's why we are learning about scripts next.)
What type of music should you use for each of these parts? How would the music "help" the viewer believe your story on the door?

Creating a Movie

2008-09-12T08:34:00.000-07:00

Many people don't realize what all is involved in changing video into a real movie. It takes a lot of work. A good movie has three steps; Pre-Production, Production, and Post-Production.

Pre-Production involves planning out what will happen in advance. To do this many people use a script and a storyboard. A script is where everything that will happen is written down, what the people say, what they do, what the props are, etc. This can take a lot of thinking!! A storyboard is like a comic strip. You sketch out an image of what the video will be like one shot at a time. A shot would be each action that takes place in the film. Then once you have the script and storyboard you have to share it with the people in the movie and the people that run the camera and microphone. Another person has to get all the material (props) together so that you are ready.
Production is when you make the video. The actors say their lines and move according to the script and storyboard. This isn't easy and normally takes three or four times to get each shot right. The cameraman follows the directions on the script for zooming in and out and the direction the cameraman moves. The soundman records the sound and tries to cancel out unwanted sounds.
Post-production takes a lot of work. This week you learned how to do some post-production actions. Editing a film, putting together different cuts (edited video clips), adding titles and credits, adding a soundtrack and sound effects, exporting the video into a finished movie; these are all steps in post-production.

What did you think about the skills you worked on this week? We started off doing a very simple movie version. Most of the ones you are doing later will take ten or twenty times the editing and use more types of sound effects and music, plus people talking. Think about what that means in terms of your effort you will need to put into the video.

Post Picture Taking

2008-08-29T07:04:00.000-07:00

Now you have taken pictures and had a chance to look at the pictures that you took.
Was it as easy/hard as you thought it would be? I noticed several of you had problems with framing your picture correctly and with people moving when you took the shot. I also noticed that you didn't have problems with the light through windows that we had discussed, which is good.
Now you have to select ten of your photos (or the others photos if you want) and put them into a video slideshow using Photostory. What so you plan to have as the theme for your video? You are limited because we are just using pictures from Monday at school, but are doing on friends, the school, what?

Taking Pictures

2008-08-21T09:57:00.001-07:00

Today you learned about the digital camera and had your first opportunity to experiment with cameras here in class. While many of you have used a camera before I doubt that you every learned all the different features on the camera. Did you learn anything new about the camera?

You also practiced taking pictures of each other while changing any settings on the camera. Was there any special set up for the camera that you liked the most?

Next week you will be going out into the school to take pictures. Some of these will be used to make the yearbook. Think about what things you would like to photograph during the 1st semester. Make a list of about five things you would want to photograph the most.

Starting a New School Year

2008-08-14T10:14:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the new school year. This year I have split this class' blog from the other 8th grade class and it will be strictly about the video class. I also plan to have weekly posts with student comments. Speaking of which here is the first post for this school year:

Now that you have heard my general introduction to Video class I would like for you to think about what we will be doing in class. What do you think you will like the most about the class? Will you be more nervous about being behind the camera or in front of the camera? What kind of videos would you like to be able to do by the end of the semester?

Write your answer as a comment to this post.