November 4, 2009

The DP video students are at different stages of video production:

Ricardo logged and captured the interviews he recorded in class on Monday and started to edit them. I showed him how to use broll with an interview in FCP.

Eddie typed up a poem that his friend wrote about music as therapy.

Moe Moe digitized a couple of interviews that she recorded last week. She also imported her audio files into FCP.

Thuy finished up her storyboards and she is now finalizing her logistics worksheets.

Amy is going to shoot this weekend and she is going to bring in jpeg photos of her dog to import into FCP on Monday

Monjaro did research for his project and he plans to shoot over the weekend and digitize next Monday

Jonathan showed me his first video of 11 min. We talked about his process. He used stock photos from the internet for his first video, but I encourage everyone to create their own photos and video for their projects. He has yet to decide on his idea for his project.

Ruby received individual instruction with the DVX and boom mic from Krystal in preparation for her shoot this weekend. She is going to record interviews and digitize next Monday.

Trina finalized her shot list. She is ready to start production.

Andrea has her shot list and she was working on her script for voiceover.

November 2, 2009

We watched the first couple of minutes of Slip of the Tongue again this time paying attention to the cuts, shot duration, audio. The purpose of a second viewing was to discuss how it relates to planning your shoot using the logistics worksheet.

Moe Moe was ready to record her voice over narration so we went to the digital audio suite as a class for a recording demo. Monjaro is a DP audio graduate so he took the lead as our audio producer. We used ProTools to record .wav files that Moe Moe can import into Final Cut Pro (FCP) to use in her project.

Tips for recording your voiceover:

1. Have water handy in case you get thirsty
2. Place your script at eye level so you can face the mic directly and gaze up to read your script without moving.
3. If you make a mistake mid sentence. Stop, count to 3 and then continue from the beginning of the sentence instead of starting all over again.
4. Enunciate your words, speak clearly and slowly. There's a tendancy to read too fast.
5. Be careful when you turn the pages of your script. Pause and do it between sentences and not while you are speaking.

Creating Shot Lists and Logistics Worksheet

I want to remind everyone that part of the mission of the Digital Pathways Program is to challenge you to apply your technical skills toward addressing community issues and exploring your own artistic voice.

The stories in the class are coming right along. Last week everyone pitched their story to the class:

1. Moe Moe is making a video about being in foster care. She's interested in acting so she may incorporate performance and actually shoot some scenes in a local theater.

2. Ricardo is an SF native so he is interested in the way tourists perceive SF.

3. Thuy is working on a story about her family immigrating from Vietnam.

4. Amy's family dog died recently so she wants to pay tribute to him in her video

5. Monjaro is interested in the importance of sneakers in his life and that of his peers.

6. Jonathan is working on narrowing his focus for a story that addresses child abuse

7. Ruby is interviewing her best friend's dad who is blind

8. Andrea is using her experience baking cupcakes to talk about herself in the form of a recipe for cup cakes.

9. Eddie's piece will be around the theme of violence in the home.

10. Trina plays the piano and her video will be about her grandmother, one of her greatest musical influences.

Everyone worked on their shot lists and/or storyboards in class. It has been a couple of weeks since the camera basics demo so Krystal is giving students a camera training before they check out the equipment. Moe Moe and Ruby received the training yesterday.

Ricardo started to log and capture his footage. He had about 20 min of video total, but he plans to continue to tape this weekend.

We will continue to train students as they complete their shot lists and create a plan for their shoot.

Below is a shot list example. This is your part of the pre-production planning before you shoot. It is your previsualization of how your shots will look. It is important that you indicate if the shot is a Close up (CU), Medium Shot (MS), or Long Shot (LS).

Shot List Examples

1. A student wants to shoot a scene of a family eating dinner. A typical shot list might look something like this:

a. Close up of an empty dinner plate being filled with food

b. Close up of a tuna casserole in a serving dish

c. Close up of steam rising from a plate of asparagus

d. Medium shot of a person sitting down to eat

e. Another medium shot of a person sitting down to eat

f. Wide shot of several people sitting down to eat

g. Medium shot of a person picking up a fork and serving food

h. Medium shot of 2 people eating

i. Long shot of family eating dinner

After creating your shot list, you should think about who and what you need for your shoot. Using the Logistics Worksheet you can write down what equipment and crew/talent you will need. For those of you conducting interviews, you need to schedule a time for the interview and book the equipment.

Your Logistics Worksheet will help you group the shots in an order that is the most efficient way of shooting. You can arrange your shots in your order of preference during post-production editing.

Logistics Worksheet

Location #1: _________________________________________________________

Days shooting:_______________________________________________

How much time needed for shoot: ___________________________________

Equipment ____________________________________________________

Who will be involved in the shoot:

Subjects: _______________________________________________

Crew: __________________________________________________________

Location #2: _________________________________________________________

Days shooting:_______________________________________________

How much time needed for shoot: ___________________________________

Equipment ____________________________________________________

Who will be involved in the shoot:

Subjects: _______________________________________________

Crew: __________________________________________________

Editing Basics

Final Cut Pro Basics

Navigating

*Before you start working on your project make sure to set your scratch disk to the location where you will be saving your files. If you don't do this, your media will go offline and you will have to reconnect it manually.

Scratch Disks - Create a folder in your HD for your project.

The standard arrangement of FCP Windows includes the Browser, Canvas, Viewer, Timeline, Audio Levels, ToolBar

Organizing Assets - The Browser window will contain your Clips, Bins, sequences

Logging and Capturing

In order to edit your footage first you need to digitize it. You can do this by connecting a deck or using a camera as a deck and connecting it to the computer with a Firewire cable. Turn the camera on and put it in VCR mode or playback mode. Open FCP, set your scratch disk, go to Edit>Log and Capture. A Log and Capture window will open. You can now navigate using the buttons on the window. Log the clip and hit capture now. Press Escape to stop. The clip will appear in your browser after you log and capture. You can now drag it into the timeline or Viewer to edit.

Editing in the Viewer

If you are editing in the viewer you can drag the clip to the Canvas by double clicking on the clip

You can also dragging to the timeline by hitting F9 or F10.

F9 is an insert edit

F10 is an overwrite edit

Editing in the Timeline

Selection Tool (S) - Dragging clips to timeline (insert vs. overwrite: below or above center line)

Blade Tool (B) - Use this to cut the clips in the timeline

Trim tool - You can drag and move each end to trim edit

Moving clips around - You can move clips around by selecting, copying and then pasting.

Shortcuts:

Lifting (delete),

Extracting (shift+delete)

You can Snap clips in the timeline so that when you delete the clip it will delete both the sound and the audio together. They can also be Disconnected if you want to delete only audio or only video.

Keyboard Keys shortcuts

J (Rewind)

K (Stop)

L (Fast forward)

Command-Z (Undo edit),

Control G (duration, speed, etc)

Creating Titles/Text

You can do this in the Viewer and select Action Safe/Title Safe area to make sure that your titles are in the range. Create titles that the audience can read easily on a TV monitor and the duration is long enough so the audience can read the titles.

Advanced Editing

Keyframe editing - You can adjust the Audio audio and Opacity (applied to fades) by taking the pen tool, creating markers and then adjusting the lines up or down with the arrow accordingly.

Motion - The Speed of a Clip can be adjusted by going to Modify>Speed, Modify>Reverse, View>Loop Playback.

There are video transitions and effects such as dissolves, but use them carefully and strategically when it is motivated by your story.

Rosario

Sound Basics and Recording Techniques

Audiences are more forgiving of the image than the sound of your video. It is important to select the proper microphone for your recordings. It is always better to use an external microphone than the on-camera mic. We have the option of using a Lavalier and a shotgun mic.

The Lavalier or 'lav' is a small mic that clips on to your subject's clothing. Try to hide the wire. If you are interviewing someone who moves a lot and thus the mic you may have to tape it down. These mics are traditionally used when you interview one person. If you're interviewing more than two use the shotgun mic on the boom.

Shotgun mic or 'boom' is more sensitive than an on-camera mic. They are directional mics and they pick up the sound in the direction that you are pointing it. In an interview situation bring the mic close enough to the person using the boom pole without being in the frame of the shot. The camera person should alert the sound person by pointing at the camera screen or boom if the boom gets in the frame.

These mics are connected to the camera using XLR cables. There may be more than one input on the camera so make sure you switch to the correct input.

Before you start recording here are some considerations and tips:

• Make sure your external mic is properly connected
• Is the external mic power on - most require batteries so make sure they work
• Set your audio levels. Is the level high enough but not in the red?
• If you are interviewing someone, set up all your equipment and then have your subject say a few sentences so you can meter your level and set the audio levels to match the level of their voice.

When shooting watch for the boom or shadow in the shot. The person who is monitoring the sound should wear headphones. If there is a sudden excessive sound the sound person should advise the crew to stop and wait for the sound to pass. If you are shooting an interview indoors these excessive sounds are more obvious. However, if you are shooting outdoors you may want some ambient or background sound of your location.

When shooting indoors, record at least 30 seconds to 1 minute of Room Tone. Ask the crew and talent to be quiet. Outdoors you will record ambient sound - again, ask the crew and talent to remain silent while you're recording ambient sound. These recordings may be used during the editing phase.

Felice Archbold, Digital Pathways Internship Coordinator, came to our class and showed everyone how to create student profiles on our website.

First you need to create a BAVC Gmail. For example if your name is Jonathan Sanchez then your account would be jsanchez.bavc@gmail.com

Try to keep it all lowercase and don't forget the dot between your name and bavc.

Felice and I will be using this email to communicate with you so please check it regularly.

After you have created a gmail account go to the BAVC website and Register to become a member of the BAVC online community.

You will receive an email that you need to confirm to your gmail account.

You are ready to log in to the BAVC site. Once you log in, scroll to the bottom and click on my profile. You can start editing your profile.

Camera Basics

Camera Basics

A TV monitor was connected to the DVX camera for the following demonstration:

White balance is used so that white looks white to the camera. Light is actually different colors, for example in our classroom, fluorescent lights emit green light, daylight is blue, indoor lights can be orange. However, our eyes adjust automatically so that we don't detect the color. This is how you can set the white balance manually:

1. Press the button for white balance. On the DVX select PRST

2. Fill the screen with a white piece of paper

3. Press and hold the button in the front until it looks white on the screen

Exposure is controlled by the amount of light entering the camera. You can adjust the exposure manually on the DVX by pressing the Iris button and adjusting the ring until you achieve the 'correct' exposure.

Focus is adjusted to achieve a clear image. If you switch the DVX lens to Manual you can adjust the focus ring by turning it.

Focus (manual):

1. Zoom in on your subject all the way,

2. Turn the ring manually until your subject is in focus

3. Zoom out to your desired frame.

Camera Angles, Movement and Composition

When composing your shots remember the rule of thirds using those 4 imaginary lines. Allow for headroom and nose room for the subjects in your shots. There is a TV/Title safe area so the surrounding edges may be off screen. You need to frame your shots accordingly in order to have all of the important material appear inside of the tv/title safe area.

Krystal and I demonstrated subject to camera distance and angles:

Close Up (CU) - usually from the shoulders up

Medium Shot (MS) - from the waist up

Long Shot (LS) - head to toe

Low angle - camera below

High angle - camera above

Camera Movement

Pan - moving the camera horizontally (left to right) *a right to left pan is more noticeable

Tilt - moving the camera vertically (up and down)

Dollying - moving your body with the camera usually with the help of a dolly (wheelchair or skateboard could work too)

It is a good idea to use a tripod for stable shots. You need to place the base plate on the camera and then place it on the tripod. When setting up the tripod, start from the bottom up. There is a level that you can use as a guide to adjust the tripod legs. When you place the camera on the tripod make sure it is secure and not loose. Work with a partner who can keep one hand on the tripod while you make any adjustments. Stand in between the legs to prevent you from accidentally bumping the tripod and changing your camera frame/composition.

There are occasions where a feeling calls for handheld camera movements. We have a brace that fits right over your shoulder that you can use for steady handheld shots and for camera movement along with your subject.

The class was divided into two groups who completed a one shot portrait. Everyone took turns using the camera and saying a little bit about themselves in 30 sec. We reviewed the footage we shot and gave feedback. My group went on to practice manual exposure and focus with the TV monitor connected to the camera. Then, we switched back to using the camera screen because that's what they'll be using in the field.

Story

We discussed the story structure, story basics by using SCMMA: what is the Story, what is the Conflict, what is the Message, who is the Audience and what are the Aesthetic choices of the maker? We started by simply listening to the first few minutes of Slip of the Tongue by Karen Lum and then talking about what we heard/saw in our mind's eye. Then, we watched the entire video and discussed it using SCMMA and the Story Arc (Set Up, Conflict, Resolution). We watched Nigger by Jermaine Williams, The Apollos by Jazmin Jones and Nick Parker, 4 My Fellow Beloved by Narissa Lee, A Boy's Mouth by PJ Raval, I Promise Africa by Jerry Henry. I led a class discussion using varying parts of SCMMA to explain and analyze the pieces. 4 My Fellow Beloved was engaging for students who were not as interested in the earlier videos. They seemed touched by the story about alzheimer's and how a person's life starts to deteriorate. There was a strong reaction to A Boy's Mouth, it was the only piece a couple of students said they didn't like because it was only text and it didn't include 'images'. This led us into a discussion about the challenges when taking aesthetic risks.

It was a little difficult at first to get audience participation, but Krystal suggested that I call on people and that worked well. Once a person started sharing their opinion someone else felt compelled to share theirs. I asked them to start keeping a video journal so after every viewing we took a couple of minutes to allow them to write down their initial reactions to each piece. This also helped them gather their thoughts so they could participate in the class discussion.

We didn't get to their stories just yet. It sounds like a couple of them already know what they want to do for their first project. I did a lot of talking so it has been suggested that I let them handle the cameras next session to keep them engaged.

First Day of DP Video

The new class of DP Video students were on time and ready to start the program. We started off by reviewing the contract as a group which they all signed. The first part of the class consisted of paperwork and signing them up for gmail accounts. We decided that they will take their break during the first 15 minutes of class and work straight through until 7pm. Krystal suggested this alternative because it worked well last year. Once we got that out of the way we dove right into introductions. They worked in pairs interviewing eachother and then introducing their partner to the class. We have a good mix of students from different high schools.

Krystal showed her first film that she created in the DP Video program

OVER TIME and I showed my first film, FABRICATION. We showed our personal films as a way to introduce ourselves and also as an example of the style of films they will create during the first semester. We saw INCOMMUNICADO by Rosie Byers, a DP Video graduate. We discussed Rosie's story and aesthetic choices. There was quite a reaction to the strong emotions expressed in the piece.

I introduced them to the beginnings moving images by bringing in my film projector and projecting an 8mm, black and white, home movie reel from Mexico City (30s 40s). We talked about the difference between film + video and they got to see it firsthand. Students needed clarification that the film was not made for public entertainment, but instead a family portrait for home use similar to a family photo album.

Krystal and I did most of the talking with some participation from the students. They were a bit quiet on their first day of class. This will probably change as we develop rapport with eachother.

They will bring a couple of story ideas for their project on Wednesday so we can begin brainstorming. Felice will also be joining us around 6pm to get them started on their BAVC producer profiles.