Practice Video Evaluation

To prepare for next years media course I have made a short video to allow me to familiarise myself with final cut again and learn how best to utilise the camera and software in order to create an effective video. I believe I have made my video to the brief as best as I could have done. I didn't manage to finish  the video due to clashes between the schedules of the people in my group but I did still get some practice on final cut in and re-familiarise myself with the programme. The brief called for a short video that reflects upon an aspect of the British youth culture. I believe my group stuck to that idea and succeeded in making a video for the brief. Our video was about two amateur filmmakers who find themselves in an abandoned video planned to be in their film, which is revealed to be haunted. This reflects upon how many people believe that todays youths believe they own everything and can go where they please by showing the two filmmakers disregarding safety (again reflecting upon the common belief that teenagers believe they are immortal and often put themselves in reckless and dangerous situations) and breaking trespassing laws in order to get good shots for a short film. Although these are opinions I do not hold myself our video does present these opinions in all honesty and I believe it does so in an effective manner.

In order to prepare ourselves for making next years video our group decided to try to incorporate as many different media technologies and techniques as possible so as to prepare ourselves as best and thoroughly as we can. We used new technologies such as timing with a DSLR camera and using a steady cam harness and a GOPRO camera. these different technologies allowed us to produce a number of different camera effects and shots, giving us a wider variety of tools to create the video as we desire to. We also experimented with the final cut software by adding new credits over the video, changing the audio track in the video to a different one to add to the atmosphere in the video.

This project has shown me all new techniques and effects available with the different equipment and softwares available, widening the possibilities for my next video and allowing me a greater sense of creative freedom with the video.

A Youtube Video

I recently watched a video on DSLR cameras and how best to use them and what equipment work well with them (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylt1hb-GRHM). In this video you are given a multitude of useful tips on how to produce the best camera angles and how to best use your equipment. I learnt from this video that it is best to look at the area in which you are filming and think of what techniques would be the easiest to use without sacrificing quality. The producer of the video is shown using a cupboard as both a way to keep the camera steady at head height and to give an interesting effect by way of the door to the cupboard being opened to show the subject of the video. This has made me realise that some effects can be made without needing equipment or software but with ingenuity and planning. It also showed me how to best work unique and more interesting camera shots into the video without making it seem jumpy or fractured.