Filming Over the Break

      Over Thanksgiving break, I didn't record any footage. This means that I'll most likely have to rely on the back up footage I recorded the weekend before. The backup footage doesn't deviate from the storyboard much, it includes shot/reverse shots of two different people. The character of NF isn't doesn't change much. He still talks about his issues and becomes very animated while doing it. The therapist changes by not being a therapist at all. Instead, he's a roommate using his phone when NF returns. A difference between the two is that the roommate doesn't seem to be paying attention to what NF is saying. The plan was to have the therapist pay give his undivided attention to NF, like an actual therapist would do. The roommate isn't included much in the video, as he doesn't have much to show or say.
      The differences between the therapist and the roommate don't really matter much outside of that reason. Other than the therapist paying more attention, the roommate isn't dressed formally. It's a small difference, but it made the production a lot easier. The removal of the need for formal clothes also removed the need to look for and change into them. Surprisingly, I found playing the roommate a bit tricky. While filming, I couldn't decide if it was better to follow an imaginary NF or focus on my phone. One take I look up and around, another I follow a fake NF, and the last I try my best to focus on my phone. While playing NF, I was able to act on instinct and do whatever I thought was the best for that line. A few takes I get animated, move around a lot, and throw up my arms. Whether I use this take is completely up to how the editing goes, as I can change my mind at any time.
      Now that we're done with filming, we're going to be moving onto editing. If editing goes as smoothly as it did last time, I'll be able to finish quickly with a handful of crashes. This time around I'll need a lot less resources than I did for the commercial. For the commercial, I needed my footage, the music, a clip from the internet, and a voice over. This time around I'll only need my footage and the music, both of which I have. Editing will mostly require me to cut and put together clips, something that's very basic. I think I'll be able to finish the editing in one day due to the simplicity of what I'll have to do. The frequency of crashes is going to determine just how quickly I finish editing. Hopefully I won't have to deal with losing any progress. After editing, I'll have completely finished the music video.

Film Blog

      The way the schedule works at our school is that you have 8 classes total. 4 classes one day and the other 4 the next. My plan was to sign out a camera over the weekend to film a bit before the break, but the day I have this class falls on Thursday. There's a rule that if you sign out a camera, you have to return it the next day. Our teacher has allowed us to bypass this rule and return the cameras Monday instead. Most groups are taking advantage of this and I plan to do so as well. So I'm writing this paragraph before the weekend as an introduction of sorts. As always, I expect the process to go smoothly. I've listened to this song multiple times and my storyboard fits with what I imagine the music video looks like. I also expect filming to take around an hour.

      I started and finished filming on Sunday, I got all the footage I needed. However, it wasn't the footage I planned to get on my storyboard. I decided to record a backup video in case I was never able to get the living room to myself. The video is more of a conversation between a returning friend and their roommate. One would be sitting down on his phone and the other would come through the door. The song has a conversational tone so I was able to make this scenario work. I didn't storyboard this alternate video, so it was mainly just me improving my movements. As I've mentioned before, I have listened to this song before so it was easy to think of what to do on the spot. The two characters were wildly different, the returning roommate had most of the lines while the other roommate only had two. The returning roommate, who I'll call NF, had more space to move around compared to the one already there.

      The costumes for this alternative were easy to put together. NF wore all black and the roommate wore a grey jacket. I decided to get a little particular with the outfit and make it so that NF didn't wear glasses, while the roommate did. As I said before, the two characters were way different. Not only did the roommate have only two lines, but he also just sat in his chair and texted while NF spoke. However, NF took a lot more energy. He stood while he performed and that led to me walking around a bit too. Then there was the need to perform the whole minute of the video. I definitely found playing NF a lot more fun than the roommate, even though it took me a while to completely remember the lyrics. I plan on recording the actual storyboard over the break.

Storyboard

1. The Set

      The set won't need to be changed much. As long as the location can be sold as a therapist's office, then It'll work for the video. A couch for the patient and a chair for the therapist will be enough. Nothing that wouldn't fit in an office should be in the shot. Things like a television, family photos, or anything unprofessional.

2. Editing

      Not much editing will be required for this project. Most of the edits will be cuts to different shots between the two characters. To put in the shot/reverse shots, all I'll need to do is put the clips in the correct order and time it with the music. Other than that, I'll just need to remove the segments where the character is waiting for their time to act. This is required for the way I'm planning to film, which is to record the whole song once as each character.

3. Sounds

      The sound is mainly going to consist of the song playing in the background. I don't see anywhere I could add in any of my own sound now, but that could change the further into production I get.

Planning

1. Location

      I'm going to be filming the video at home. There isn't any other place I could go to make look like a therapist's office, as the video would require. So the only place I need to be during filming is at home. Specifically, I'll be filming in my living room. This is because it has 2 couches that can be used for NF's parts and a chair for the therapist's parts.

2. Health & Safety

      There isn't much that could go wrong while filming, so not much preparation is necessary. However, my parents will be home as I film and will be able to stand by just in case. There are other people at home, like my brother, that can help as well.

3. Props

      The video doesn't call for any props, but there is room to have some. If available, I could use a clipboard when acting as the therapist. Other than that, I don't see anywhere I could fit in more props.

4. Costumes

      When deciding the costumes, there's two possibilities. I could wear all black and stay faithful to NF's common outfit. For the therapist, I'll have to wear formal wear to sell the character. Both outfits I can get easily. The only problem I could think of would be changing between the costumes between shots. This is easily solved by filming each pov separately then editing them together.

5. Schedule

      I plan to film anytime I can before and after the break. Depending on how much I do film before, I'll film over the break as well. The first minute of the song isn't as active as the rest, so filming shouldn't take much time. I'd think around an hour would be enough to get enough shots.

The Conventions of NF Research

      With the commercials being done and submitted, we're ready to start a new project. This time, we're going to be making our own music videos. Now that I've learned to use a camera and tripod, this project should be much easier. While filming the commercial, there was a small amount of time spent learning the different features of the tripod. This time around, I'll be able to skip that part and start recording. This time I'll be able to film off campus and use a piece of media I enjoy. So I'm a lot more excited to do this project than the first.

      Just like the last project, I'm working on my own for this one. This made picking the song pretty easy. Once I heard we were going to be doing this project, I've been thinking about which song I wanted to do. I've decided to do The Search, a song with the same name as its album. The Search was made by NF, a rapper. Judging by the artist, the song is a part of the rap genre. Although, NF's videos normally go against the expectations of this genre.

      In his recent music videos, NF uses a lot of long and medium long shots. He makes sure that he's in the shot, keeping the camera around the eye level. If he's moving around or walking, usually the camera tracks him. NF doesn't really have a costume, he just wears his normal apparel if the video doesn't call for a special outfit. The lighting is usually a little dark, still having enough light to clearly see what's going on. When it comes to makeup, NF has a signature look of a black streak going along his mouth; reminiscent of the Joker's smile. He also has another signature for props in the form of 5 black balloons. The setting changes but is usually somewhere noticeable, some locations that come to mind are: an abandoned classroom, an alleyway, and a barren wasteland with black sand.

Another Editing Blog

      Yesterday was the first day we were able to edit. Thanks to my simple plans I was able to get my commercial done in one day. I ran into only a few problems, all of them dealing with the software being used. I've already outlined my concerns with the software multiple times and it's safe to say it was a lot worse than I thought. To start, it was painfully slow, a simple act such as changing tabs would take up to 10 seconds. Then there was the need to wait 20 seconds every time a change was made to a piece of footage, doing anything else before would result in a crash. Which happened multiple times, during instances unrelated to the waiting. The library, where the footage was held, had separate tabs for images, video effects, and actual footage, would close my main media tab whenever I imported anything else in. This would be solved by clicking an 'add tab' button, which was tiny, to add it back. Despite these hurdles, I was able to complete the commercial.
      While editing, after moving past the problems, I didn't use too many techniques. The most used technique was cutting clips, followed by fading in and out from/to black. Using the timeline was simple, it was the same as any other program. As I had no other group members, I did all the editing. This allowed me to change plans and adjust to the limitations more easily. For example, I figured it'd be a bit risky to mess with the video effects, so I decided to leave the commercial in full color. I thought it'd be risky as the program spared no chance to crash on me, and would do so multiple times. Another example being the music, I wasn't able to find something online that was slow but still fit the songs in the official commercials. So I settled for another song that was a lot faster pace. This decision ended up working with the one to keep the color, as the black and white would contrast with the high energy background.
      When dealing with the voice over, the timing was hard to get down. Deciding where the clip should go was easy, but placing it there would sometimes be impossible. The program doesn't let you place media freely. Instead, it would snap it to the start or end of the nearest clip, regardless of which layer it was on. This made what could've been a 10-20 minute project go over that time. I spent a good amount of time trying to line up the audio to where it wasn't too late or too early. Timing them with the start of a new shot would cause the lines to play too far apart. So I had to doctor it a bit and kinda get it to where the lines would seem natural. In the end I was able to get it somewhere comfortable and render it. The project is still saved and I can go back and make adjustments anywhere necessary.

Editing the Commercial

      Today we were meant to start editing our commercials, but due to some technical difficulties we were unable to do so. The computers we have aren't working with the software we are required to use. So for now, we don't have the ability to start editing. The solution to this problem is to have us edit on laptops, which will also take time to be set up. I'm not afraid to admit that I'm a little relieved by this. I've edited over 100 videos in the past and using the software on a slow computer would kill me inside. It's good that we're getting an upgrade from the worn out computers. Editing on the laptops should be a lot easier than on them. Not only do the laptops actually have speakers, they also are a lot faster and can perform simple tasks in under 5 minutes. I'd assume that the laptops will be set up by next period, so the only thing I can do now is plan.

      When it comes to the editing, my plans rely on the footage I have. Based on the takes I have, I need to know how to make the video black and white, fade out, and of course cut clips. I've used these three techniques in videos before, but never on this software. Although I'm unfamiliar, I don't think there will be much of a problem. One thing I looked over was the Nike logo I'm going to need to insert at the end of the commercial. I'll need to pull one off the internet, one that has a transparent background and preferably the motto under it. Once I have the logo I'll need to learn how to have it fade in, something I don't remember going over during the demonstration. Again, I'm not too worried. The software looked easy to understand, which makes sense for the the company it was made by. So when it comes time to edit the commercial, I think it'll go relatively smoothly.

      It's hard to write a last paragraph on this. There isn't much more to say. We can't start editing today due to some technical difficulties and I've got my plans laid out for when I can. Of course there's the simple solution of using laptops, but that's going to take a while to set up. That's all the information I have at the moment. It wasn't specified in what way the program stopped working, just that it did. I can only form speculations as to what happened. If I had to guess, I'd say the computers couldn't handle all the extra work and finally gave up. They still work for anything else, apparently just doesn't work for pinnacles studios. I'm not too concerned with it, as long as I can get it done eventually.

Filming the Commercial

      Filming the commercial wasn't as difficult as I though before. I had assumed that being a one man group would've made the process more challenging, but it was way easier. The hardest part was dealing with the heat, everything else was dealt with after a little effort. Using the hardware was more of a challenge for other groups, which I happily lent a hand to before I started filming myself. While filming the only main problem I faced angling the camera, I was too tall for the camera to sit flat on the tripod. The solution to this problem was to tilt the camera up or to extend the tripod stand, either produced the same effect. Having no one else to move the camera during filming gives me a chance to add it in while editing, which will be a lot smoother than if it were done by hand. Throughout filming I was able to find suitable angles and found no real troubles. I found it just as easy being the only actor as well.

      Acting in the commercial didn't take a lot of effort. There is no dialogue, all I needed to do was look over a railing and walk, and the most troubling part was the heat. The scenes were so basic that it comes down to slight preferences when choosing which ones to include. The setting of the first few shots took place on a walkway outside of class. Today the Sun was shining its brightest and made filming almost unbearable. Which was made even worse when taken into consideration the outfit I had to wear. It got better once I decided to move out to the track, as there are more trees there to provide shade. At the track, the shot I wanted to get only required me to walk forward to the track. I started from a point where my back would be covering the camera, which will come into play hiding a cut. Once I got a few takes of that, I was ready to head back and dump.

      In my storyboard, I didn't plan on going out to the track. The reason I made this decision was because the walkway where my commercial was planned to solely take place on was too small for one of the shots I had planned. The shot I couldn't get required me to get a long shot of myself standing at the railway. However, even if I put the camera the furthest back it could go I could only get a medium shot. So I had to think of something quick and decided to add a shot of me walking out to the track. Not only would this add more clarity to what my character wanted to do, it also gave me a chance to add a transition. The transition taking place after I put on the hood of my jacket. After, I walked toward the camera and covered up as much of the frame as I could. I'm planning for this to cut to a shot of me walking out to the track, with me starting in front of the camera. Now all I need to do is get the clips I want to insert and I'll be ready to edit.

Storyboard

Shots used:

· Long shot

· Medium shot

· Medium long shot

· Medium close up

Editing techniques used:

· Cuts

· Fade out

Sound included:

· Voiceover

· Score

Editing Lesson Blog

      Today's lesson went over how to edit footage and how to use the editing software on the computers. Before getting into editing, we went over the camera we'll be using for filming and its features. The features demonstrated included how to turn it on and off, how to start recording, and how to insert the SD card. Along with the camera, we'll be receiving a tripod to use during filming. We were shown how to attach the camera to the tripod and how to extend its legs. After going over the hardware, we were introduced to the software we'll be using. There was ample warning to dump footage, or to take footage from the camera and put it onto the computer. Dumping the footage allows it to be held safely on the computer, as if left only on the camera or SD someone could delete it on accident. So we were advised to place the footage recorded into a folder on the desktop. This will allow us to import it into our software easily.

      The editing software we'll be using, Pinnacle Studio, looks similar to any other software. There's features to cut, move clips, and add video effects. Importing footage was also pretty basic, under file there's an option to do so. Once imported, the footage goes into a library and is available to be dragged into any tracks. Tracks are numbered in this software. We were told to sort titles, film, and music into tracks 1, 2, and 3 respectively. We were shown how to cut clips using an indicator on the tracks and a razor icon, then shown how to undo any edits. After that, it was demonstrated how to add titles and text, how to move that text, and how to change its colors. We moved on to audio after, learning how to separate audio and video, what to do when adding a voiceover, and how to mute a track. Finally we were shown how to export our completed film.

      Once done editing our film and we've watched it over to see that everything is in place, we go to file and select export. Then we'll be prompted to specify which file type and quality we want to render the video in. The file type we'll be using is MPEG-4, or the .mp4 extension. Quality will be set to the highest, obviously. After confirming, the software will begin to render the video. During the rendering process, the software goes through the footage in the timeline and closes any gaps between them and improving the video quality. Something different about this program is that gaps between the footage are closed, I know that some other softwares don't do this and just leave the space there. This could be a problem for some future projects, as there could be a shot that requires a black screen. Of course this could be easily side stepped by covering the lens while recording. However this brings up the problem of having extra footage to import, or not recording for long enough. The software looks easy to use and I think I'll be able to get associated quickly.

Planning Blog for Nike Commercial

      Today's assignment is to blog about my plan for my Nike commercial. Using past official commercials, I can come up with a few outlines and apply one. The outline I've chosen includes using clips from historical moments in sports. The weather won't have too much of an impact on the filming. Granted, there will be some shots that I won't be able to do, but it won't be that much of a hindrance.
      When it comes to props the list is short, actually there isn't a list. I'm planning to have the subject(me) looking out over a balcony, with a voice over relaying what they're thinking. For this I really won't need any props, it's more important what's being worn. If needed, a shot can be added where the subject puts in earbuds and goes running. In that case, the only thing I would need is the earbuds, which I already have.
      The costume would be, predictably, any Nike product available. I already have a pair of Nike shoes that I wear daily, but I want something more noticeable. A jacket, shirt, or pants would be enough. As long as it has the Nike logo or name on it, it will be enough. The costume list isn't very complicated, similar to the prop list, so it wouldn't be that difficult to prepare. If I don't have anything else, I can use different shots to shift focus on the shoes.
      I doubt I'd need more than one day to get enough shots, but it's good to have extra to fall back on. This doesn't mean I'm not doing anything on those extra days though. I'm going to be watching the weather, seeing if it's raining or sunny. I originally imagined to have the commercial take place during a rainy day, but that would cut out a lot of my possible shots. The commercial could take place during either sunny or rainy days, both would require around the same amount of work.
      The location list varies depending on the weather. If raining, I'd really only need to go just outside the class. Maybe out to the walk way leading to the track. The same for a sunny day. The difference would be how far out I could go, a sunnier day would allow me to go out onto the track. If I were to include this shot, I'd walk out onto the track. On a rainy day, I'd pull my hood up under cover and make it look like I was going out to run in the rain, then cut the commercial.
      The concept I have in mind is pretty flexible. When it comes to weather, either a rainy or sunny day could play into its strengths. With that covered, I have to look into the length of the commercial. Something else that I have covered, there are multiple shots that I could include on top of the historical clips I intend on including. My storyboard will outline the basics of my commercial, what the original idea was. As a backup, I'll shoot extra shots that may not be included. This will prevent the commercial being too short.

Research Conventions & Codes

      Most Nike commercials have shots of athletes working hard or accomplishing an achievement. Paired with these shots is a voiceover that aims to inspire whoever watching. Others have people getting ready to practice or doing so already in Nike attire. Again these are paired with a voiceover encouraging viewers to "dream big" or "aim for the stars". Commercials detailing achievements made by others include clips of it happening, clips of football players, surfers, tennis players, any sport that has a big achievement made in it. The voice over is similar each time. First telling the audience adressing that people put others down, then listing ways that someone big has been put down before. Toward the finish, the commercial is ended with a final motivational phrase and maybe a reveal. If it isn't about being put down by others, then it is just outright motivation. Talking about something someone did despite their handicaps or detailing how someone bounced back from something big.
      In the background there is some music that's quiet and slow, but build up over the course of the commercial. Piano and violin are common to hear, in an inspiring melody. The main point of these commercials is to inspire those who watch it. The music adds to that goal by having something in the background to go with the voiceover and shots. When the music picks up, it's common to hear more instruments being played. Maybe a few brass instruments or drums if it's a more energized commercial. Other than shots of achievements in sports, there are some with actors. These shots are ones of them looking toward the camera. Of course as a commercial for Nike, most of the actors have on Nike apparel. These shots are probably to have some connection to everything else.
      So if one were to make their own Nike commercial, they would need to include a few aspects. One would be the use of historical moments. Historical as in record breaking, maybe Usain Bolt finishing a race in his fastest time. Another would be a song that picks up or starts off strong. Either one would need to be inspiring or energizing. One more is the use of Nike apparel. Something obvious, it's a commercial and the purspose is to advertise the product. The last thing is a voice over. One talking about never giving up, dreaming bigger, or finding some way to twist negativity into positivity. When all of these aspects are combined, one would have successfully made a Nike commercial. Depending on how well they pull it off, it could be something Super Bowl worthy.

Introduction

      Kenley, a pretty unique name for someone that's not that noticeable. I'm one to stick to myself and work alone whenever possible. I rarely ever talk unless in a class that I enjoy or with friends. Despite my tendency to stay by myself, I'm actually pretty friendly. I love seeing others smile and have fun, seeing people go through negative situations kills me inside. Since I'm so introverted, I don't make much of an effort to talk to others and meet new people. Most my friends today were introduced to me or people that decided to try and get along with me first. I've been told I have a rough looking exterior, like I'm angry at something, which is true at times. My resting face could look a little more positive, where it is now probably scares others away. Those who weren't scared away can tell you that I love talking about things I'm into, which isn't that impressive of a list.

      One thing that I could talk hours about are video games. I've built most of my long standing friendships on talking about or playing video games. If you're not into that, I'm really into creative writing. I love getting the chance to tell stories that I come up with and decide what happens. I don't write that much anymore, but I can still come up with a decent story on the spot. I do get that writing isn't many people's favorite, which is why I don't talk about it much. I also enjoy learning about the law and used to really want to become a lawyer because of it. Even though I no longer want to becone a lawyer, I still really enjoy learning about the law. I think this is because of a law teacher I had in middle school. He was my favorite teacher and is probably the best one I've had.

      Pretty early on I've learned that not everyone shares the same interests as me, so I've always made an attempt to learn about others' interests through the conversations I have with them. I think it's better for me to learn about something through someone who really enjoys that something, even better if they like talking about it.