Week 7: Polish
This week we’ll be looking at putting that final polish on your video production, especially as it impacts your ability to present and tell a story. Now is when you should be looking closely at the aspects of video production that you are expected not to notice by design, like small lighting choices, composition details, scene staging, and so on. This is also when you’re looking at really finding that balance between (and attention to!) audio production quality and its interplay with the video. Remember: even an incredibly well produced video can be absolutely shattered by poor audio.
Learning Objectives
- Explore key elements for presenting oneself visually via HD media
- Explore motion video design concepts
- Explore concepts pertaining to documentaries.
- Analyze various films for picture and sound composition.
- Explore special effects in film
- Explore various tips to improve video development
- Analyze video examples
Consumables
Each week there will be a number of items for you to consume, be it reading, watching, listening, or a combination thereof. Note that some of these are local pages and some are links outside the site!
- Read: Part V, Emotional, in your TED Talk book.
- Watch: (1898) Four Heads Are Better Than One - Melies - YouTube
- “One of the greatest of black art pictures. The conjurer appears before the audience, with his head in its proper place. He then removes his head, and throwing it in the air, it appears on the table opposite another head, and both detached heads sing in unison. The conjurer then removes it a third time. You then see all three of his heads, which are exact duplicates, upon the table at one time, while the conjurer again stands before the audience with his head perfectly intact, singing in unison with the three heads upon the table. He closes the picture by bowing himself from the stage. Written by Edison Catalog”
- (NB: consider that this short film is from 1898. What can you learn from it, still? -Dr S)
- Watch: Every Frame a Painting: Joel & Ethan Coen - Short | Reverse Shot
- “How do you film a conversation? Most likely, you’re going to block the actors, set up the camera, and do shot/reverse shot. But where do you put the camera? What lens do you use? And how do you cut back and forth? Today, I consider the Coen brothers — Joel & Ethan — and see how these choices lend a particular feel to their version of shot/reverse shot.”
- Watch: LowLightVideos: Light and Shadow - Greatest Cinematographers of the World, Interviewed
- “What is great filmmaking, legendary Cinematographers share their personal perspectives on what they do and what it means to them.”
- Watch: Lighting for Film
- Part 1: Lighting Interviews
- Part 2: Lighting Faces
- Note that, obviously, you may not have a professional lighting rig. No need. You can still light a space very well with just some house lamps and a window. More on this in the Project 5 instructions!
- Watch: Seeker: The Golden Ratio vs. The Rule of Thirds
- “When it comes to photography, there is a debate whether or not the Golden Ratio is better than the Rule of Thirds. Join Tara as she discusses the importance of these.”
- (It’s worth noting that the “rule” of thirds is not necessarily a rule. You are encouraged to break conventions after you’ve learned why they’re conventions in the first place!)
- Watch: influenceatwork: Science of Persuasion
- “This animated video describes the six universal Principles of Persuasion that have been scientifically proven to make you most effective as reported in Dr. Cialdini’s groundbreaking book, Influence. This video is narrated by Dr. Robert Cialdini and Steve Martin, CMCT (co-author of YES & The Small Big).”
- Watch: Bustle: What’s the difference between Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish?
- “Hispanic, Latino and Spanish are often used interchangeably in describing race. But what’s the right terminology? Kat Lazo lays down some wisdom.”
- (Pay special attention here to the composition, the focal length of the camera, the background framing, the judicious use of on-screen elements.)
- Watch: Filming with your smartphone
- Watch: LinkedIn Learning: Tips on shooting an interview with one camera
- “You don’t need multiple cameras to get different angles of your subject during an interview. Learn tricks for shooting an interview with one camera in this tutorial.”
- Watch: Sony Professional Solutions America: Shoot Like a Pro Series - Multi-Cam Shoot
- “The ‘shoot like a pro’ series offers expert advice on how to produce professional looking videos. This video covers how to plan a multiple camera shoot and tips & tricks to use during the event.”
- (If you can use two cameras–ie, two smartphones–you have more options but it can also introduce more problems, like if the two cameras are shooting at differen framerates or need considerable color grading.)
Adobe Training
(Some of these are the same for Week 5 but you’re still using the same software, so I’m leaving it here for ease of access.) These will make or break your ability to complete assignments going forward! These are also just the beginning; a foundational skill set, more or less. I encourage you to always jump on YouTube (just as an example) to search for specific instructions for the particular thing you want to accomplish. One of the beneficial aspects of the Adobe software’s design is the multiple methods of accomplishing the same thing, so often times it’s a matter of finding the method that works best with your workflow/nature.
Assignments
Your assignments for this week are as follows:
- Begin working on Project 5
- Quiz 4.