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MY BLOG SECTION WILL CONTAIN REFLECTIONS ABOUT DIFFERENT UNITS WE DID IN CLASS.
This years final was very interesting. If you haven't seen the video, it is a video (about 3 minutes) where we ask everybody, "What is the best thing about your life today?" Surprisingly, I thought that this was one of the easier videos I completed this year. Not because I had to get 20 interviews for it (that's a lot of interviews!!!!!), but because the editing stage was very fun. Playing around with the music and text effects was very fun! However, looking back I probably should've gotten more of a diverse group of ages. I had lots of people between 14 and 18, and a couple over 50 years of age. However, the video could've been more interesting if I included kids around the age of 7. Overall, I do believe that this video turned out very well and is fun to watch, so enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!
P.S. I will not be producing videos for the 3 months ahead because I am on summer break. With that being said, EVERYONE HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) :) :)
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Instead of creating another short news package for the month of April, I made a short (30 seconds) video highlighting senior and movie director Rein Conversi. It was very fun. Rein had great footage to work with, a great sarcastic humor, and I got to learn how to use Final Cut Pro a lot better. For only Rein's video, check out eirther the home page of my website or the first video under the "MY VIDEO" tab. For all the other senior videos and the whole senior edition of "Ladue View" (a.k.a. the best student run news show ever!!!!) go to www.lhstv.weebly.com
Dang! This was a very a very stressful 2 weeks since the march 10th deadline. There was spring break, but after that I got right back into it. I started off by helping out with Amanda's movie for a few days, but I probably should have been working on my project. I had 2 interviews scheduled with MCBC members both to be a week before the deadline. One canceled, and one had family issues and said they would come next week. Sure enough, they couldn't make it. A couple days before that I was on my phone and class and told him I was waiting for my interviewee to email me back. My teacher replied with, "never wait, it is a very bad strategy." Sure enough he was right and after the interviewee canceled, I was left with 3.5 days to make a project. I had to spend 1 whole seminar period, 1 lunch, and 1 S.S. period (s/o to Dr. Lyons) to work on the new project. But I met the deadline, and I think I made a darn good video. (Especially considering the circumstances.) Next month i know that the class is making a Ladue View which im extremely exited for, especially because I signed up for the class solely because I saw them making one last year (8th grade) and it looked awesome! My video this month is on a school parking lot, but don't let it fool you, because it is very interesting!
For my halfway point project in March, I did a short, informational piece on a Biology project that my grade recently completed. At first, I wanted to create a short video on just dangerous diseases in our community. However, with the information that my teacher (Mr. Goble) gave us, I realized that i needed to make something that related more to my audience. I quickly though that I could tie my original idea to in school projects so my video appeals to more people. What I learned during this project was 2 things. The first, is that everything that you do in this business is about content. The more you have, the more opportunities you have to better yourself and your projects. Second, is organization. Many of the pictures in the video was from my project that I did in science class. However, even when i knew I was doing a video on it, I often left the binder/babybook in my sister's car or at my house. If I had it to film earlier, then I would have finished the whole project earlier. Had that happened, I could have started on something else to create more CONTENT.
My video is about passport night at Spoede Elementary School. It is an annual event hosted an ran by parents and students at the school. Many families come and learn about the diversity and different cultures that Spoede has, and how it makes the world a better place. Kids play games at different country themed booths, eat food, and see pictures of the land and traditional clothing. I chose to make this video because Spoede was where I went to school, and I thought that it was a great opportunity to show others about this amazing event. In addition, I was told that this could be put on HEC-TV, which is a professional station that would be great to get my work on. I learned that I should always check my equipment before I go to my place to shoot, because I got to Spoede, realized I left my SD card at home, and had to go back to get it. That caused my about 10 minutes which I really could've used to get more b-roll. How I plan to have a video ready at the end of each month is to do more planning in class, and not socialize with other classmates about irrelevant things like Paul Blart, Mall Cop.
As far as what I did in class, you could say it was a fun opening month. For the first 2 weeks in January, Miss Davidson showed me how to use the new (and fancy) equipment. It was a little intimidating, and A LOT BETTER than whatever we used first semester. After asking lots of questions and getting many demonstrations, I finally got the hang of it. Then I started pre-production on my first project of the year. I was constantly contacting my interviewee, Spoede's principal, and their tech director to get all aspects of my project sorted out. Then I storyboarded possible shots for b-roll and wrote down questions that I would ask.
This month was a very good start to the semester. In the first week, myself and the other new people to broadcast technology two started out with a "Circus Video." It was a great refresher to Final Cut Pro 10 as well as showed me some great new skills. After that the month got a little harder then making a cruddy video of nothing. As soon as I was starting to film my factoids for HEC-TV, we were told that we were no longer aloud to make factoids. I guess that's the news world for ya. After lost of ideas that I was interested in doing were tossed around (one being a short story on the possible rennovation), I finally decided on a project, or three. First, pending on when my parents can find the time to drive me out to union station, I am working on a short story on Union Station, the history and future. That will be for HEC-TV. Second, Adam and I will be doing a short feature on passport night. For more info on that check out the My Current Projects page. Lastly, I am very interested on making either a promo video or survivor profiles for MCBC. If interested on what MCBC is or lots more information on my current projects, then go to the My Current Projects page to find out more.
For my first semester broadcast tech 1 final, my partner and I went out into field after school and shot a short news package about our own Ladue Speech and Debate club. This project was very similar to our previous mobile journalism project, except this time we completed it at school with much better equipment and with a more interesting subject. The thing that I think this project taught me the most was the how valuable time is. My partner had to plan out each shot and when we could do the interview. Because of that, we got our project done in a timely fashion. My partner and I made sure our shots were framed correctly, especially the interview shot. (Which I think is the most important.) Through all of this, what we learned was that If you spend time planning out your project, focus on the small things like shots, and have the equipment to do it with, then you can make a very nice and professional looking news package.
I learned many things while I was in the process of making this project, but the most improtant thing that I learned about news was how everything was based off of time so the program would run well with its advertisements. All the stories chosen, and how they are written, is all based on time. In addition, I learned that head movement along with body language is imperitive to have a good broadcast. People watching view with their eyes, so they want the person who is reading the news to give a feel that it is important. Lastly, time mangement is important in the news world. From the time you start reaschring your stories till the time you say them on air, you alwasy have a deadline to make. This project was very fun to make and preform and I hope my end product reflects that as well.
The whole process of making my first MOJO news package in broadcast technology was an amazing experience that I think I learned lost of things in. First of all, I learned that there never a thing called shooting too much b-roll. I uses some of the shots I never thought i was going to use. Also, I learned that in order for the interview to look nice, you have to get up close to the subject. It may be a little awkward but in the end I am very glad that I did it. My greatest success on this project was all of the b-rool I shot. I think that I had really good and quality close up and establishing shots. Also, I think that I was very consistent with keeping the camera straight and not shaking it. Lastly, I think that my biggest challenge on this project was interviewing my little brother. He wouldn't answer the questions with complete sentences or sit still for more than 2 minutes. But, we powered thorough and I think that overall I ended up with a very solid news package. I think that this is a very good start and my videos will get better as we move forward and I get new skills.
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AuthorJosh Horowitz Archives
May 2016
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