A Quarter of Video - Reflection

 My final project, The Interview.


Well, it's hard to believe that this quarter of video is almost over.  But let's not get too sentimental.  In this post, I'll cover everything that I've learned, liked, and disliked during e9 video.

→What I've Learned

♣ Six Shot Sequence
Come on, who couldn't forget this.  The sequence includes six different shots, and is a necessity here in eComm video.  Here are the different types and their abbreviations.

✠ Extra Wide Shot (XW or XWS):  Sets the scene.

✠ Wide Shot (WS):  Includes the person from head to toe.

✠ Medium Shot (MS):  Includes the person from their waist up.

✠ Close-Up Shot (CU):  Usually a shot of the person's face, shows a reaction from the character.

✠ Extra Close-Up Shot (XCU):  Usually of the hands.

✠ Over the Shoulder (OTS):  Exactly what it sounds.  This shot is showing the scene from over a character's shoulder.

♣ Final Cut Pro Shortcut Keys
These shortcut keys have proven to be very useful while in Final Cut Pro.  Here is list of the ones I frequently used while editing:

✠ Blade Tool (command-b):  This tool was very helpful when I wanted to insert a clip inside of another.  A time I used this tool was in the Chase Scene.  At the beginning of the video, when I am walking out of the classroom with my snack, I inserted clips of the blank hallways when I am looking both ways.  Only minimal editing was needed, which was slightly shortening the second half of the footage so the door closing in the background still looked like a continuous motion.

✠ Copy-Paste Tools (command-c, command-v):  These tools proved to be helpful when I wanted to copy the same audio clip and its properties.  This tool became especially useful in the Chase Scene, just like the blade tool.  When the scene flashes closer and closer to the chaser at the beginning of the video, suspenseful, thrilling music is inserted in the background.  Without the copy and paste tools, I would have had to go to each piece of footage, detach the audio, and add the desired effects for each one.  However, with these tools, I could just copy the audio, make some minor adjustments, and it was complete.

✠ In-Out Tools (control-i, control-o):  I used these tools when I was preparing to place a video into the timeline.  With these tools, I could find the general starting and ending points for each clip, and then insert these clips into the timeline.  This was very helpful because it saved me time editing the clips down the road.

✠ Export Tool (command-e):  Although I did not use this tool as frequent as the others, it was still nice to have.  When I had completed each video, I could use this video to export them.  It also saved me time because I did not have to take the normal route which would have required me to navigate through various menus and windows.

→What I've Liked (and disliked)

♣ Video Projects

✠ One thing I enjoyed about video was our ability to be creative.  Yes, there were some set guidelines for what we had to do in our videos, but there was still a lot of room for creativity and unique story lines.

✠ It was nice to work on a project first by ourselves, then with a partner, and then with groups.  It allows you to see which way you work best and also helps you learn how to work well in a group. 

✠ Collaboration.  Working well with a group.  These ideas became very important in later projects, and gave me a feel of how designing videos was different in a group than it was with a partner or by yourself.



So, what did I dislike?  Nothing!  I really enjoyed this quarter of eComm video.  I learned a lot about how to design and produce a video, using Final Cut Pro and the shortcut keys, and how to work well in a group.  Overall, it was a great quarter and I'm excited to continue on my path through eComm!