Projects
During the first semester of entertainment video, I've created three videos, not including my film reel. My first video project was called Simply Complex. I was an actor, art director, and I helped with the writing process. I learned how easy it can be to make continuity errors, as we did make a few. For example, a water bottle appears on the table three minutes into the video. My second video project is one that I feel is better than Simply Complex. It's a Nintendo Switch advertisement that was entirely filmed by me, except for the one shot I'm in. Also, it was filmed all in one day. This was my first time using the Canon 80D for more than 5 minutes, so I was very new to using it. I learned how to operate the DSLR, and also that I really enjoy using them. Filming the Switch advertisement was one of the most fun filming sessions that I've done in e-comm. My latest video project was a comedic short film called Franklin's Cake. This is my favorite video I've worked on this semester. For this project, I was the director and screenwriter. I've never been good at taking a leadership role, so being a director was intimidating. I didn't like being in charge because people always turned to me during the making of the video. The responsibilities of being a director take some fun out of making the video, so I don't plan on directing often. As for being the screenwriter, it was a more fun role. For this project, I got creative during the writing process. I'm usually not much of a writer, but writing comedy is very enjoyable. I learned that while writing, it's not uncommon to go back to the script and make changes frequently. Revising scripts creates an overall better film. Most feedback I've received on my films is related to camera-work, so that's what I'll try to improve in future films.
Class Time
In class, I usually use the time I've got to work on videos or other assignments we're doing. I usually don't have extra time when working on a video because if I do have extra time, I use it to revise and improve upon the video. Outside of class, I occasionally film and edit videos for fun, but I have been doing it less frequently because I'm often already making a video in class.
Strengths
My 2 biggest strengths on the 5 guarantees of e-comm are technical skills and project management. I always make sure that a project will be finished, and on time. I'm decent at planning out how long something will take to finish and when to film and edit. So far, I've only had one instance of not turning in a video project, but it was during sophomore year. As a junior, there's been close calls, but still no unfinished or late videos. My other strength is technical skills. I'm good at it because it's my favorite of the 5 guarantees of e-comm. The best part of e-comm is operating equipment and software without a doubt. Although I haven't had too much time with a camera, I feel I'm good with one. Editing is also something I'm good at.Areas of Improvement
Just like the previous years in e-comm, my biggest area of improvement is still leadership. Commanding a group of people what to do is very difficult for me. Sometimes it's hard to convey my ideas and sometimes it's hard to make decisions as a director. I've definitely at least worked on this area of improvement when working on Franklin's Cake because I was the director for it. I got a little better at scheduling, instructing, and decision making, but it's still something I need to improve.
Guest Speakers
We've had many guest speakers during this semester of e-comm. Unfortunately, I missed some of them, but the speakers that I did get to listen to had very valuable knowledge. Leah Wellman was the first guest speaker. She taught us some basic but important things about how to operate the DSLR cameras. I was still very unfamiliar at the time, so I'm glad she taught us the basics of the Canon 80D. Another guest speaker was Morgan Cooper. It was really cool to see him come to the classroom to talk to us about filmmaking. He told us about how the Kansas City area is actually a good place for filmmakers. He also told us about huge mistakes to avoid at all costs, like when he lost all the footage for a wedding video. We were told the right way to handle a situation like that as well.
All American High School Film Festival
Attending the All American High School Film Festival was a big highlight of the semester. I viewed many films from high schoolers around the country. Many of the films were very well made. For me, the most memorable videos were ones with the most clever writing. It really shows how important good writing is. You can't have a good film without a good story. It is important, however, how you tell the story through filming and editing. I saw this in many videos, like The World Within Vincent. It was already a great story, but the way it was filmed and edited just made it really stick out.
Feature Film Role
In the feature film, I'm going to be an editor. I've never worked on a feature film, but I'm sure I have the ability to tell the story of Sub Rosa through me and the other editor's editing. I have lots of previous editing experience, so I know I can do it.
