Post-Production (almost)

So far, so good. I could not be more proud of the progress our group has made so far. I believe that the the two biggest milestones that our group has achieved would be the finalization of  the script as well as turning our vision into a storyboard. I believe that these two accomplishments will set our group up for great success when it comes time for production. We will be able to turn our vision into a reality now, hopefully without a hitch. The script and the storyboard have allowed us to get a better handle on the direction we would like this video to go in.

While each of those tasks became milestones for us, they were certainly hurdles at first. Our group, while cohesive, has very different schedules. It was difficult to find a time that all four of us could devote to creating the script and storyboard. We put our knowledge of successful digital group work to the test when we first decided to meet online via group chat over the Google doc. After almost an hour of trying to collaborate on the script with one another… we did not get very much done. We saw this as a hurdle we could easily jump over. We decided that to maximize efficiency, we would each write our own version of the script and then reconvene with our individual ideas to create a bigger, greater vision.   This worked out amazingly well, and we were able to use everyone’s ideas in the finished scripted product.

The storyboarding process posed as a bit of a hurdle as well. We originally were unclear of how exactly we should structure the storyboard, which was our biggest issue. After doing a rough scene-by-scene markup, we realized that we needed a more detailed storyboard with sketches setting up each individual scene. We realized that this was a hurdle we needed to overcome, as it will make filming on Friday a lot easier.

In actual post-production,  I can imagine our group’s first hurdle being the final stages of filming: editing. I believe that I can speak on behalf of the majority of my group when I say that editing will not be a fun or easy process. I feel that it is easy to imagine how smoothly everything will work out shot-by-shot…but when it comes time for post-production, it may be difficult putting everything together piece by piece. The second future hurdle goes without saying: this 22 page paper that has been hovering over me like a dark cloud since the day I received the syllabus for this class in the beginning of the semester. I have no doubt that our group is going to rock this video and absolutely slay this paper. But  hearing the words “22-25 page paper” makes me nauseous and cranky to say the least. So it is safe to say that I am looking forward to the moment that our group overcomes this final,  ridiculously over-sized hurdle.

In terms of the feedback that we received on our storyboard, our group is still focusing on the aspect of incorporating humor somewhere in the script. Certain moments of humor appeared naturally which is great. Additionally, we narrowed down the sites for shooting the video and made our lives a lot easier, after reviewing the storyboard again.

Gathering Materials

I am so incredibly excited to watch our final project begin to take shape. Our group has worked incredibly hard collaborating and building upon each others ideas, to create one amazing finished product. Working with such creative individuals has given me the opportunity to expand my creative vision as well. I have been able to see this project from so many different viewpoints and I have also enjoyed watching it come together.

For this project, we tried our hardest to incorporate some aspects of humor, while delivering a serious and powerful message that displays Rutgers Career Services in the best light possible. To do so, we incorporated several voice overs describing the benefits of Career Services, as well as incorporating screen-casts to demonstrate the usefulness of the website. For both the voice overs and the screen-casts, our group has discussed the importance of music lying beneath both shots. Through Creative Commons, I have found a selection from sound cloud that I believe fits the tone of our film nicely. It is a piece that is upbeat and easy to listen to. It will  not distract the viewer from the voice over or the screen-cast, which is the last thing we would want! This song has a few “parts” to it which I believe we could use bits an pieces of in our final piece.

 

This next media sample that I found from Creative Commons was a beautiful snapshot of a bit of Rutgers’ campus. I felt that our group could utilize this shot as we discuss all of the opportunities that are available to Rutgers students through the Career Services program that the university offers. This can be used as a still shot, or even an establishing shot for one of our on-campus scenes. This image can be found here.

This last media component I found through Creative Commons was a stock video of people working at a desk. While this video has no sound, our group can use a few seconds of this video layered on top of the music we select. It may not necessarily be this exact video, but our group is looking forward to using other stock videos of professionals in the workforce, as these are shots that we cannot otherwise get at Rutgers University.

After having read the Lessig reading and then completing this assignment, I now understand the title of the reading: “How Creativity Is Being Strangled By The Law.” I have never truly taken into consideration all of the implications of licensing and Creative Commons. There were several instances in planning of this project that I have stumbled across material that we can not use because of the licensing of said material. This has limited our creative process slightly, but this Creative Commons search engine has proved to be extremely helpful and I am looking forward to utilizing it to help shape our final project.

Final Project Thoughts (Part Two)

The story board process has proven to be less agonizing than I anticipated. Our group, so far, has proven to work very well together, particularly over digital contexts. We managed to get our points across both quickly and efficiently. We were also able to build on each others ideas and thought processes throughout the planning and story boarding process.

Overall, this project is a work in progress. Even now that we have a concrete story board created, we are still developing and constantly creating new ways to look at and develop the scenes until they are they best they can be. Our group has proven to do very well with bouncing ideas off of each other and working together to create a solid bigger picture. Our creative juices were always flowing, and there was never a part where our group was “stuck” or at a loss for creative direction. We are continuously looking for ways to incorporate humor and an abundance of information as well. Beyond this, as pertaining to the Remix reading, our group is also looking at ways to efficiently integrate music into our video. I believe that there will be ways for us to find music that is legally accessible to us. I feel that for this presentation, it is important that we try to find music, within this legally accessible window, that fits the informative-humor style that we are going for with this project.

 

 

Final Project Thoughts (Part One)

Already, I am very excited in the creative direction our group is taking. Just within the few minutes that we were working together on camera angles in class, I can tell that we are a group who will work well together. We each have a creative and original idea, which leads me to feel confident in our final project. All four of us see things in a different creative light, which will be beneficial to us in the long run…as we will have four different pairs of creative eyes working on one project. I feel that we will collaborate well together, which will also make this assignment run very smoothly. I hope that this project takes a well-produced, serious yet comical direction. I hope that through the story boarding process, we are going to be able to find the right balance between seriousness and comedy as we try to convey a powerful and clear message to the audience. I hope that as a group, we are able to create a final project that appeals to several different audiences. I also hope that we are able to develop a strong story line for this project, and I hope that we can properly execute it when it comes time to put it all together in front of a camera.

Top 5 Midterm Blogs

While challenging and stressful at times, I enjoyed the creative process of this midterm. As a creative person, I was excited to be able to create something entirely of my own and make my own decisions regarding the content and general aesthetic of this midterm blog. I believe that what made this experience relatively more enjoyable was the passion I have for the subject matter. Because this project fell right in the middle of my sorority’s “Big/Little Week,” I was able to take advantage of the time I spent crafting and turn it into something useful for this project. I found that this project was easier to complete once I completed an outline of sorts. I took some time out, before constructing the blog, to construct a rough outline of the blog I was envisioning. For example, I planned out the posts I wanted to create and the widgets I wanted to appear on the sidebar. Additionally, I wanted to make this blog as personal as possible. To do this, I utilized the skills I’ve gained though the lessons we’ve had on Pixlr, and created a Logo and header image for this blog. I felt that this was very necessary and made the blog appear more professionally designed. Because my midterm blog, Sorority Scene, is a blog dedicated to crafting…I thought that I was necessary for the aesthetic of the blog to appear creative, fun, crafty and well put together overall. Lastly, I am looking forward to working on this group project. I am an individual who loves group work, and doesn’t mind collaborating and working with others to create a finished product. As stated in the reading from Hyde et Al, certain collaborative products can simply be generated though the “common use of tools, presence, or performance of routine tasks.” I believe that the more minds working together to achieve a final outcome, the better. While I have had a few negative experiences with group work, I feel that the classes I have taken in the past (Virtual Team Dynamics, Leadership In Digital Contexts) have provided me with the tools necessary to successfully work and collaborate others on a project. Collaboration is key.

Top 5 Midterm Blogs:

1. Beauty By Kara Blog: I love this blog because it is a functional, aesthetically pleasing blog that is content rich yet easy to navigate. One of my favorite posts on this blog is the DIY Bath Bomb post. The instructional video attached to the post is easy to follow and clearly outlines the steps necessary to create your homemade Bath Bomb. I recommend this blog to anyone looking for simple, easy to follow beauty tips and tricks. Everything on this blog is outlined in a concise manner that is accessible to all readers. You don’t need an extensive knowledge in beauty to understand this blog, as its purpose is to teach and educate readers.
2. Single Guy Survival Blog: This blog is the man cave of all blogs and I love it. Even as a female, this blog is truthful, entertaining and easy to read. This blog is a safe haven for single men everywhere. What I love most about this blog is that with its relatable tips and advice, this “survival guide” for single men is appropriate for more audiences than just men. I feel that this is a very important aspect for a blog and is crucial if blog authors want to reach a larger audience. I recommend this blog to college boys everywhere who are looking for some simple tricks and tips to help them embrace their manhood.
3. Journey To Fitdom Blog: This blog is perfect for anyone looking for inspiration to get fit and stay fit. Today, there are many sites and social media accounts dedicated to working out and getting fit. However, a lot of those accounts display unobtainable and unrealistic “fit goals.” What I love most about this blog is the author’s personalization of the content, as readers are able to follow his personal progress to fitdom. This blog is more than just a few workout how-to’s, but rather, it provides readers with motivation, and doable workouts to help readers obtain their own personal, realistic fit goal. I recommend this blog to people looking for inspiration and motivation to get fit without the unrealistic images and goals that most fit-accounts advertise.
4. Mark’s Food Site: As an Italian-foodie myself, I really enjoyed this blog. This blog is perfect for anyone with a passion for food and cooking. While I am not exactly the best cook, this blog outlines simple to follow, step-by-step tutorials on how to create amazing, classic Italian dishes. The best part of it all is that all of the recipes on this blog are structured around people cooking on a budget—which is great for us college students! I recommend this website to anyone with a passion for food and the wiliness to learn to create delicious dishes. This blog makes cooking fun and easy for anyone.
5. Show Jumping Blog: I love niche blogs. This blog is made for all horse lovers involved in showing, specifically show jumping. As someone who follows several dancer blogs, I can tell that someone created this blog with a passion for show jumping. I love this blog because not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but also, the author speaks from the heart. Similar to the dance blogs I follow, this Show Jumping Blog provides other individuals involved in show jumping with an online community environment. As someone who does not know much about show jumping, I was able to get a sense of the sport through the “Types of Jumps and Show Levels” video on the page. This makes the blog accessible to all audiences. I also would recommend this blog to anyone who may be mildly interested in show jumping, to the most experienced show jumper looking to connect with others who also enjoy the sport.

Video Editing

I won’t lie…I actually enjoyed making this comparison video. At first, I was nervous, overwhelmed and generally cranky about the complex nature of this assignment. But once I buckled down and worked through the project, it wasn’t so bad! Luckily, I did not run into any problems during the screen-casting or video editing process. I was able to navigate iMovie without a problem, and even learned a few things along the way! Screen-casting was something that always interested me and I feel that this will be a skill I can use in my professional life as well!

Beyond applying screen-casting to my professional life, I hope to someday incorporate an ePortfolio into my professional resume. In today’s primarily digital environment, many companies are looking to digital resumes (such as LinkedIn) to gain information about their prospective employers. I feel that ePortfolios are a great way to express yourself…more so than a piece of paper could ever do.

Overall, this project has helped me become more comfortable working with iMovie. I have always had a general knowledge of the software, but I’ve never had the opportunity to create a project with so many working components as this one. Here is the finished product of my ePortfolio comparison video!

Strategic Presentation 1 from Carina Mia Petrillo on Vimeo.

In regards to the assigned reading: I 100% believe that video games can be political. As a matter of fact, I believe that more than half of the video games on the market today are extremely political. I am not a video game player, and I have very little knowledge about the video game industry. However, I have little cousins who will sit in front of the television for hours in bean bag chairs with headsets on screaming about “world domination.” So yes, I do believe that video games are political. Many of these games are about building an empire, conquering land or dominating the world. These games require strategy, communication and military tactics. These games, even though they are fictional, are built on a political foundation.

Podcast Project

Here is the sample podcast project that I have created. I used two songs for the mashup: Geronimo by Sheppard and I Bet My Life by Imagine Dragons. I really enjoyed making this podcast, as music is a very big part of my life. This assignment has given me more confidence when working with Garage Band, and I feel confident that I can now use this in my professional life.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/trcfd6odg6i2zvu/Carina%20Podcast%20Project.mp3?dl=0

For this assignment I watched a video from Red Letter Media entitled “Half In The Bag: Deadpool and Comic Book Movie Predictions.” You can find the video if you follow this link

First off, I have to say that I was pretty lost during the video because I really don’t follow this subject matter very closely. But luckily, I’m not here to talk about Deadpool and other comic books…otherwise that would be a very short conversation and I would not be able to make the 300 word requirement for this post.

In terms of video production, this was a very interesting clip to watch. I don’t know how else to explain it other than, to me, it seemed like a professionally shot home movie. For example, the set looks like something that was put together on a small sound stage in a small studio. The props that they used, such as the makeshift television set, looked professional in a sense and it was evident that this was not shot in someone’s bedroom or garage.

Beyond the props, there were instances of some mediocre studio-quality graphics as well. This can be seen in the opening shot of the house sitting tilted on what is supposed to be Mount Everest. However, there are also shots of graphics, like those seen at 1:35 into the video, which seem almost amateur, and something that could have been put together using iMovie or Windows Movie Maker.

For example:

I also found some of the camera work to be interesting as well. In order to simulate the explosion seen above, the camera man simply “shook” the camera to make it seem as though the house was shaking with it.

Beyond this, for the majority of the video there were really only two camera angles that were used as this was an “interview” style movie review. The camera would pan back and forth between the two individuals reviewing the film, and then there would be the occasional cut to clips of the movie that they were reviewing.

 

Audio Editing Experience

I can already tell that editing audio is not going to be my strong suit, but you know what? I’m ready for the challenge. My experience editing audio dates all the way back to the fifth grade. I sat behind a large white Mac desktop that I couldn’t see over and tried learning how to put together “Hot Cross Buns” on Garage Band. It’s safe to say that I did not do very well on that assignment.

As a Journalism and Media Studies major, I hope to pursue a career in television production. To do so, I am going to need a lot of experience in video and audio editing. I know that I am going to need to be proficient in several other editing platforms, but I am looking forward to starting with Garage Band, and getting the “basics” down.

Image found here.

From this class, I hope to gain plenty of experience in image/video/audio editing. I hope that this will make me more attractive to future employers, as this will prepare me for a future career in production.

 

Image Editing Experience

In all honesty, I have no experience editing images. At least on a semi-professional level, that is. Sure, I’ve had plenty experience in picking out Instagram filters and cropping red Solo cups out of photos before I post them, but other than that, I’ve got nothing. My editing experiences can stem from my middle school days on PicStitch and the hours I’ve spent poorly editing over-exposed pictures and putting meaningless sayings on them before posting them to Facebook.

But even though I may not have all the experience in the world, that doesn’t mean I’d be willing to learn! I’ve always found the world of image editing to be very exciting. It’s wild to me how in today’s society, so much of the content we consume has been processed and edited. As someone who has worked in the modeling industry, I can speak to the superficiality all of the content we consume. In many ways, I feel that image editing is a talent that is necessary in today’s digital age . However, it does bother me when I see extremely processed photos sent out into the media. Take this picture for example: This is a before and after image from a very popular ad campaign that surfaced to bring awareness to the issue of the power of Photoshop. The link to the video is: Model Being Photoshopped.

On the other hand of all this, I find that there is a whimsical side of photo editing that is explored in Coleman’s piece entitled “Phreaks, Hackers and Trolls.” Coleman describes this online culture as a “tradition of spectacle and brashness” (Coleman, 50). I believe that this tradition is the digital world’s constant need to find something entertaining and appealing. Today, this is done through the creation of memes. I feel that photo editing has opened up an entire world and introduced a sort of subculture surrounding memes. In my opinion, memes are one of the more positive things to emerge from such a seemingly superficial topic of image editing. Memes continue to uphold this “tradition of brashness” as the internet continues to find ways to appeal to every audience, by keeping the memes relatable to everyone. For example:

This meme is one of my personal favorites, because not only does it feature the one and only Michael Scott…but this is something I find myself saying a lot as a college student who thought taking 18 credits would be a totally manageable, great idea.

First Blog Post

This is my first blog post.