As I am ending my semester of Production II, I am very proud looking back at all the things I have learned. First of all, I learned a lot of skills that help me with keeping track of all my equipment and that will help me out later in life. I have also learned some of the basic tools of the DSLR and how to focus and correct the lighting. With the DSLR, I think that some of my videos look a lot higher quality and I learned that throughout the semester. The editing software that we use is Final Cut Pro X and I have also improved a lot with that too. I learned some new tricks with the title screens and some new shortcuts too.
I think that I grew the most this semester when I was putting in music in the back of my videos. I learned how to put in the most effective possible sound that I could to achieve the best outcome. I believe I learned this after my seven day challenge because I didn't like the music in the beginning of that and I saw how it changed the whole mood. I also think I improved the actors that I chose to have in each of my videos. I didn't just use the most available person but I really looked to see if they fit the character. In our last project, we chose a guy in our class to play a very awkward kid and it turned out looking very professional.
I don't think that I was better with the lighting in my videos. They still seem pretty pretty dark and that doesn't help with the overall theme. I could do some color correction on Final Cut but it was very hard to make that light seem natural. I also think that I didn't really improve with my audio. We started using a lot more sophisticated tools like a boom microphone and lavalier microphones. Even with those it still seemed a little off. This was another thing that I could fix with Final Cut but I couldn't get it perfect. Next year I am not planning on taking a media class, but if I were to take one then I would focus on progressing my storytelling abilities because I always have a lot of good ideas but I don't always execute them perfectly.
Production II - 1st Semester
I really enjoyed my time in my Production II class this semester. I learned a lot of things that helped me substantially with my videos. First of all I learned all the new tricks to the new update of Final Cut Pro X. Also, I now know how to film an animation project with only pictures. I can use an HMC camera correctly and I know how to plug a boom microphone into the camera to boost the sound. Finally, I can film a scene properly by not crossing the 180 degree rule line.
I feel that I grew a lot this semester with my story telling and how to make a dramatic video. Although, I do feel that some of my shots had decreased the dramatic feel and I would take those out if I were to do it again. I also think I grew some skills that helped me direct my videos independently. I can confidently tell my actors what to do and I know that I am giving them the correct directions. Contrary to my directing skills, I do not feel that I improved my ability to pick the right actors for my videos. This is a crucial part because these people will tell the stories for you. I think my laziness to reach out to other people and ask them to help me shoot had contributed to that error.
Next semester, I wish to branch out to other people to get them to act in my films so I don't just have the same reaccuring characters. Also, I hope that I can have some actual dialogue in my videos instead of just having music in the back. I think this will add a level of professionalism to my work. Finally, I hope to experiment with some new equipment next semester. Instead of just having a tripod and HMC, I want to try to work with some more advanced equipment such as a DSLR, a slider, or a lavalier microphone.
Media I
I learned a lot of things this year about the media world and life lessons. In media, I learned how to edit videos and have the correct angles when filming a scene. I also learned how to use a tripod and a camera effectively. But in all, my experience in media has taught me how to manage my time well by starting projects early and getting them done before the due date. I also learned to give everything that I have when doing something because it will give you positive results.
I grew in a lot of aspects in this media class. I think that the flow of my videos were better as my editing skills improved. I also think that my story telling developed because I learned how to effectively tell a story through film. I don't think that I grew when finding the correct spot to shoot at. A lot of my videos were back lit with the sun in the behind the actors. I think that I was very lazy when finding a location. If I had a car then I would be able to scout the locations I could film at and find a better spot.
Next year, I will be continuing with media and going into Media 2 Production. I am very excited to be producing short films, documentaries, and commercials. In my junior year, I will see if I want to continue with Media 3 Production or go into Broadcast Journalism and help produce Wildcat Weekly. I hope that my media skills will take me far in high school but I don't know if I will take it into college.