Trying to edit blog

        For today, we planned to start the editing process. We were going to dump the footage onto a flash drive, or a google drive, and use a software. The software we were going to use is Pinnacle studios. When we logged on to the desktops we were going to use, we encountered a problem. The software was down on a majority of the computers and nobody could use it. We called over our teacher to help us, but neither of them could access the issue. We cake to the realization that we wouldn’t be able to edit today. That was upsetting because it meant that our schedule had to be moved back a day. Not only would that be a problem for us, but also for our teacher.

        Due to that series of events, we had to change our direction a bit for the day. One of the things we were still able to do was dump the footage. We moved all of the takes from the desktop to a google drive. That way, it would be easier to access it later. We were going to dump it onto a flash drive, but didn’t bring one so we resorted to the google drive. We had the option to re-film today, but we were content with all of our takes and felt confident that we would have enough to choose from. Dumping took around 10 minutes because of our older computers, but we had no complications during it. Our group member, Evangeline, was a great help during that, having some experience with technology in the past. We got to get a good look at all the takes we took and start thinking about which ones we wanted to use in the final commercial. Our teachers taught us well on how to dump and we did it without a problem.

        After we did all the dumping, we started to look at our storyboard again. We did this in order to relate our plans to the editing we had to do. We wanted to do some unique shots to show our understanding of the different lessons. We started off our commercial with a high angle of one of our actors. We, then, do a tracking shot, leading to a jump cut. We liked this idea because it wasn’t repetitive and showed our varied sense of shooting. We started brainstorming different waits to edit the shots. It ended up being a good way to use our class time. We decided on a few transitions and got progress done, despite obstacles.

Filming blog

        Today we filmed our commercial. We took a few takes for each scene and are going to choose them during editing. Having the foundation for the shooting on the storyboard was really helpful. It made everything so much quicker when it got to actually filming because we didn’t have to stand outside and think about what we wanted it to look like. I’m really excited for the editing process and to see how everything comes together. It was extremely hot outside and we had to overcome some obstacles but I think we did a good job at doing with what we had. We all contributed to the project well and I’m glad I picked Carter, Eva, and Lucas to be in my group. We all collaborated well and all had a part to do. We ended up asking some friends to be in the commercial and it was interesting to see how each of them acted differently. I mostly dealt with directing.
        With directing, I had to make sure that everyone was in their places. If the take was wrong, we’d redo it until we were confident that we had enough to pick from and edit. For example, there was a take where Carter was running towards the camera and I redirected it so he was running past it. That way, it looked faster and more intense. I was originally going to be in the video as a football player, but my friend decided we should try getting him instead and it made it look more believable. It was interesting to see how everyone’s ideas added to the process. One of my favorite shots was the shot of our friend, Chanel,  catching a football and running. We zoomed into the Nike symbol on his jersey and fit a really good shot of him. We had a few experiences with shots like that. We always seemed to be able to find what worked best for the commercial.
        Using the equipment was definitely a new experience. I’m used to recording on phones and basic cameras. We were excited to work with the tripods and see what different shots we could do with it. Our tripod, when we first checked it out from our teachers, was missing a part. We realized that when we got to the filming spot and decided to keep filming without it. This, to me, is an example of us dealing with obstacles. We also had a lack of resources because none of us had  soccer ball for the soccer scene. We solved it by borrowing another group’s prop and using it to film our takes. We are looking forward to look over the footage and see how it looks edited. So far, this AICE Media Studies class has been one of my favorite AICE classes I’ve taken. I love learning about film and what goes on behind the scenes.

Storyboard Blog

Today in class, we did our storyboarding. We planned out the actions for our commercial. We also talked about the different shots and transitions and how we would place them in our video. Since, we decided on doing a Nike commercial, we are sticking to mostly action shots. Commercials for brands that sell activewear are normally shots of actors performing different sports while wearing and/or promoting their products. We thought it would be a good idea to include a few different sports and broadcast diversity while doing it. For example, we will have actors if different races, body types, Nationalities, etc. doing different sports while wearing Nike clothing and accessories. Our idea is to show the audience it’s multiple different uses. For our first six seconds, we will show a girl sitting on the steps of some stairs and greeting another kid. In the next box, there will be that boy running on the track while wearing Nike sneakers. The next two boxes show athletes playing soccer and football. At the end, we decided on a split shot of four close ups of the actors. We wanted to promote a sense of unity by showing all of them in a singe shit with a voice over of the “Just Do It” motto. While we did the storyboard, we made sure to write down all the types of shots, like high angles and medium long shots. We are really enthusiastic about being able to film.

Learning About Editing Blog

        Today, we were taught how to edit for our commercial. Before the class, I had no idea how to access editing programs. We learned how to use Pinnacle Studios. First, we were introduced to the process of dumping, importing, exporting, and rendering. For dumping, we had to create a folder on the desktop, which is where we will be doing all of our editing. It was my first experience with SD cards and professional cameras. It was interesting to learn about how to utilize the technology and it got me very excited for the filming process. We also got new dates, which will allow us more time for filming and editing. I liked the way my teachers showed the process on the big screen. It made me feel very involved in the process and I think I’m ready to start doing it on my own.

        The thing I was most nervous to learn about was importing. I was scared that I wouldn’t understand the process and that I would forget important details. Taking notes in our notebooks definitely helped and provided a tool that will be useful in the future. We learned how to deal with raw footage and how to do effects that I would’ve never thought of on my own. We talked about the different AV tracks and how to do voiceovers, along with simpler editing techniques. We were taught that the editing program is great, but we had to treat it carefully, like with most technology. I hope to add edits such as transitions, different speeds, and title resembling the brand we wish to promote in our commercial. My group mates have had some experience with tripods, so that will be a big help. 

        The last things we learned about were exporting and rendering. Exporting correctly is important so we don’t lose any footage. Losing footage would result in having to re-film at the same location. That would lead to us losing time, which would be a big loss, due to our due dates. We talked about how to drag clips from the program to the desktop. Our settings have to be on MPEG 4 and full sides SD best quality. I’m excited to start the filming process. Along with that, the idea of learning about editing different filming methods is so interesting to me. This class has been something new to me that I can’t wait to explore more.

Planning Blog for Nike Commercial

        For our Nike commercial, we came up with a few ideas on how to work with the resources we were presented. We are only allowed to film our takes during class and on our school campus. We decided on filming on our schools fields. We are going to film on our track field, our soccer field, the basketball gym, our media center stairs, and the senior patio. We will ask our friends to star in the takes, so we have more diversity and varied sports. My group decided that we will all star in the commercial, so it feels more personal and like we are involved in the process. There are certain things due each class and that's what we will be focusing on. Our plan is to film and edit in school and have everything ready to turn in on time.
        For our props, we are going to be using their merchandise. We figured that the best way to promote the products and their use is by showing them in the takes. We are going to use products like Nike leggings, lanyards, sweatshirts, shoes, and more to show our talent in action. Props would include basketballs and soccer balls for the shots where we would be on the fields and on the court. We also plan on filming shots on the bleachers with kids doing their homework, so we would need books and notebooks as props.  Our actors will be wearing the leggings and lanyards while doing homework to show the range of their uses. The active wear, like the shoes will be worn during the action scenes.
        We were asked to have a backup for every scene. That would be a place to shoot in case something happens. An example we based our work off of was rain. In our case, if it rains outside where we want to film, we will continue to film there. We decided it would add dramatic effect and a sense of perseverance. Showing the actors training, despite the rain, would motivate viewers. For the equipment, we would cover it with an umbrella to make sure none of it got wet. We want to make sure that our clips come across as inspiring, while still keeping it relatable to the audience.

Research Blog: Commercial Conventions

        For our commercial, we are doing a Nike commercial. Nike is a brand that sells athletic clothing. We chose that because it is a very common type of commercial and we can find a lot of research on it. Nike advertises their products across multiple platforms and is a very well-known brand around the world. Another reason we made this decision is because every member in our group wears their brand and appreciates their quality. Most of us being athletes, we tend to find ourselves purchasing their products. We watched around 6 commercials and felt it would be fun to recreate and create our own version of their advertisements. A common theme we found was the display of people being very active and performing certain sports.
        My group and i felt gravitated towards the brand Nike, especially due to the diversity shown in their videos. They constantly put out advertisements starring people of all races, nationalities, and body types. One of the specific commercials that caught our attention was a commercial that took place in Latin America and there were women playing sports, commonly dominated by men. In this certain area, gender equality was still difficult for the females. We appreciate their approach to women empowerment and the way they shed light on smaller, unknown area who may still be working through problems. By showing the women doing activities like boxing and mixed martial arts, they demonstrate how they can do anything that men can, despite oppression. Seeing them sweating and working hard motivates those who may not feel like they can accomplish their goals. That is why we liked the idea of creating a similar commercial.
        One of the other reasons we chose this option was because of the placement. We decided, as a group, that it would be easier to place in our shots. Due to it's popularity, we all own their products, as we stated before and we can easily use them and promote them in a casual way. We plan to use one of our friends as a model and show them playing a sports. We hope to include tracking shots and different types of angles to add an interesting effect. We will definitely try to be as diverse as possible and show different types of races, body types, and sports, as they do. We admire their advertisement ways and will try our very best to create an accurate, representative video. We picked this option very strategically.

Introductory

          My name is Joaquina and I am a sophomore at Fort Lauderdale High School. I'm pretty much a basic high school student with a busy schedule. I'm 15 years old and was born and raised in Hollywood, Florida. Honestly, the question of what my hobbies are or what i do usually freaks me out. It gives me this feeling that i have to answer with something so interesting that they feel like they have to know more. The truth is that there's not much to me. I obviously have my hobbies like anyone else. I love writing. I hope to publish a poetry book at some point in my life. Nothing feels as exciting as writing a good poem and pouring your thoughts into pretty words that make other people feel. 

          School is apart of my every day life, so it impacts me quite a bit. At this point, i don't even have a favorite subject because they are all so tedious, that it's never fun anymore. My least favorite subject is definitely math. I hate the way nothing makes sense and everything is so concrete. I prefer creativity and freedom. I do pretty well in most classes, except for math, of course, and have a lot of friends. I've learned that life is too short to take myself too seriously, and i try to have fun as much as i can. I'm a very smiley person because i know how contagious a simple smile can be. 

\        Besides school and friends, an obvious huge part of my life is my family. I give a lot of credit to my culture because it has helped formed me as a person. My parents were both born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina and fell in love there. They had my sister there, then moved to the states to later have my brother and i and start a small business. Everything they have accomplished inspires me every day and reminds me of all they have given my siblings and i. They passed on their language, which i speak fluently, and their love for their country. I visit my relatives in Argentina every year and think about them every day. That is pretty much all there is to know. I'm just trying to get through life in a fun and enjoyable way.