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!!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Photostory
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.
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.
Friday, January 9, 2009
A New Class, Once Again
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?
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?
Friday, December 12, 2008
Final Video
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?
Friday, November 7, 2008
Newscast Movie
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?
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?
Friday, October 24, 2008
Communicating the Message
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?
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?
Friday, September 26, 2008
Creating a Mood
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?
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?
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