Sequencing

This project was all about putting shots together using cut aways and plenty of sound up. I spent several hours at the location with my group trying to get all the shots we thought we'd need, but in editing I found we needed more in-and-out of frame and much more concentration on sound up. We used the built-in mic on our camera since our shotgun mic wasn't working very well...I really missed it and regret we didn't have it. I know from previous experience the shotgun is the way to go for crisp sound, but we made do with what we had. We also didn't capture a lot of sound which would have made the pictures better- for example, when Matthew is skipping rope. This assignment taught me to let the pictures speak for themselves. I thought my voice over was a bit excessive, should have let Matthew and sounds he made take up more of the piece. Fun to shoot, once again another good learning experience. Slowly but surely, all of the aspects of making a good piece are coming together. It's starting to stick!

Streeters!

My first professional attempt at harassing people on the street. I learned SO MUCH from this project.

1. Always double check the framing when you have someone else behind the camera. It's my image and only I know what to look for to be satisfied with the shot.
2. Take the time to get a good angle of the person. Move them around, make sure they look their best. It doesn't take long and gets a much better piece of footage.
3. Make sure there is something relevant in the background. I had a shot of me stepping up to a gross cigarette on the wet ground but didn't use it because it wasn't very good. I wish I had practiced the cigarette stand up and got it down pat. Would have been much more interesting to look at.
4. Alternate the direction each streeter is looking, just to make the piece more dynamic.

Finally, I learned that I need to be more confident in myself. It really shows when I feel unsure because I look unsure. Also, I stop blinking and it gets weird.

Sound Scene

This assignment involved creating an identifiable scene through sounds I captured with my trusty Zoom H2 recorder. I must have looked like a crazy person in my swimsuit with headphones on, waving around my recorder. I was impressed by the amount of splash-back the H2 can take. This project reminded me of the importance of sound in storytelling, especially ambient sound. Important lesson learned: ALWAYS capture several minutes of background sounds. And the H2 is my friend, even though after this assignment, my local pool will never look at me the same way.