Introduction: 

This first semester of entertainment video has been quite the journey. I have definitely learned a lot more about people than I have about making entertainment films, but that is still something I have grown in. I am very knowledgible with how to use a DSLR, as well as all the other equipment needed to make a film. I learned the majority of what I needed to know back in freshman and sophomore year, so I was able to use that knowledge to create and produce films. I have become more famIlier with music programs though this year, like Logic X, which is awesome because that’s what I’m passionate about.

 PSA:

 
For our first project, we had to make a public service announcement. We chose the topic of water, which a couple messages could be found within like water conservation or just the topic of people do not have clean water. This took about three weeks, from pre production to post. Our main challenge was that the topic of our film kept changing because we were not sure if our original idea was enough of "water conservation" as we first thought. I learned to really plan in pre production before you start to film because it will help with filming because you will know what you are doing. We were given the feedback to make sure the shots are in focus and to make sure the music fits. We tried to change some of the shots. I liked this project, I wish it would have turned out differently, but it was a nice experience.

Short Film:

Our next project was to make a short film. This took about 4-ish weeks. Some of the challenges happened in post production when our editor went against our wishes on almost everything and edited it very sloppily. I learned to be careful who you give editing to because that person can make or break the film. Some feedback was to not cut the scenes short and to be careful with audio. We tried to reedit it but it was too late by then. I love the concept and the majority of the shots in this, but the end product is hard to watch and I don't really like to think about it.

Feature Film:

This is an on going project - our feature film. We started it in November I believe and it will continue until April. Some of the challenges I have faced are that I have worked pretty hard on this feature film and its development and I feel pretty unappreciated for it. I have been meaning to talk to the teacher about it and I will. I was there since the beginning developing characters and story lines in order to make this film a compelling movie. I was in charge of writing the first act which I did and as proud of yet the original writer came in and deleted all of my work and wrote his own. Also, I feel pretty out of place as a second AD because I do not really see the point of a second AD on a smaller film like this. I do most of the busy work the first AD doesn't want to do and I don't really get any appreciation for it. I have learned to speak up for myself though, and I hope things will go better in the future.

Time in Class:

I think I have used my time in class pretty well. From the beginning of the feature film, I was the one up there at the board mapping out ideas. I have also been able to write a script in class and started a YouTube channel with Addie Zoll. I have also had the awesome opportunity to begin making music with Alex Manriquez! Making music is a passion of mine and it's awesome to work with someone as talented as him. I have a file of one of my demo songs if you want to check it out.

If my boss gave me 8 hours for a project that only takes 7 I would use the extra hour to gain feedback from my coworkers or peers. After that I would also research and look at other examples over the topic and see if I can make any improvements. 

Outside of class I watch a lot of films. I try to watch a lot from different areas, so I can look at different techniques. Also, when I have time, I like to watch youtube videos about filmmaking, especially for beginners because I always learn something new.

Strengths:

A strength of mine is that I always have new ideas. I am constantly looking for something new to create and a new way of saying an old message. You can see that in my songs, I use old words and ideas but I make them personal. I have tons of ideas and I have the passion and drive to produce them. I also am a person who works very well with others and I know what I have to do in order to be successful. 

Weaknesses:

I need to improve upon speaking up for myself. I have opinions and they should be heard. I also need to work on executing my work because there are a lot of ideas ai just abandoned because I didn't think they were good enough to be put out into the world.

Guest Speakers:

I learned a lot about film in the real world. I learned that you do not get a lot of time with projects. But I also learned that people love when people have style and something that makes their art their own. It was very encouraging to know that it is possible to make it in the film industry even when it doesn't look how you imagine it to look.

4XMD:

I learned from our field trip that there more ways to experience film and to push the limits. It was a cool experience and I love seeing people change the world's view of ordinary things, like how someone views a film. It inspired me a lot to be creative and rethink things and think about how can I make things new and exciting and get people out to the movie theaters. 

Summary:

I loved developing the short film in the beginning as well as creating music. I just love writing and producing music, it is a childhood dream of home. I would probably have gone with different groups for the PSA and short film, I worked well with the majority, but they didn't come out as good as I hope they would have. My overall takeaway was just the idea to rethink old ideas and concepts, as well as pushing the limits to what we know now. I have learned its okay to think outside the box and really go all out in ideas. I want to make a short film I am proud of, that is my one goal for next year. my final thought is I have had a good run and grown a lot, and I am ready to make films and music I am proud of. 

MX4D Justice League Review

This week I was given the opportunity to see Justice League in MX4D, which is a sensory experience in 4D. I was not really sure what to think of 4D and I didn't research it beforehand because I wanted to be surprised. I'm glad I did because it made the experience mysterious and a lot of fun. I enjoyed it a lot because it was different and I hadn't experienced anything like it before. It's a fun thing to be able to share with people.

My favorite part was definitely the snow. I liked the strobe lights and the many other sensory experiences, but the snow was so cool and when I tell it to people who weren't there they can't believe it. I think the whole experience was really fun and I'm glad I got to go because, even though I wouldn't want to see every movie like this because sometimes it's too much, it was fun and something not everyone gets to experience. My least favorite part was that all the winds and scents and movements really brought me out of the movie and made it hard for me to focus and really put myself into the movie. I think that's one big flaw because people watch movies to get lost n them, not to have them bring them back to reality.

I don't think the MX4D experience really effected was I thought of Justice League. I love DC as itself and I thought the movie was a lot better than I expected. I think it was a lot better than Batman vs. Superman, and I loved seeing all the characters together and having character arches. I think the characters had a balanced screen time and they introduced Cyborg, Aquaman and the Flash really well because it didn't seem too fast and you did get to know and love the characters. I think the climax wasn't big enough though and the antagonist did not seem like enough of a threat. But I think they did a good work on this film and did the characters justice.

I would much rather watch a movie in 2D because that is what I'm used to. I think 3D is fun, but it is really only entertaining to little kids. I think 3D and 4D are really just gimics in order to make more money rather than really enhance the movie. I think if a movie can be captivating and strong as 2D, it doesn't need 3D or 4D to enhance it. 2D will always be superior because it's easier to get lost in the movie and the story and the watcher doesn't feel like they need to be focusing on anything else but the movie itself.

What I liked about the 4D experience was the lights, smells, and the snow. I think it's unique and it is a fun once-in-a-while kind of thing to do. I think if they expanded on this idea and used it on other movies like horror or romance, it would draw people out because it's unique and it's a luxury to experience.

I am really glad I got to experience this. It was a lot of fun and it's something I will talk about. It's a good experience everyone once in a while and it shows that people out there really are trying to be creative and unique and think of new ideas instead of playing off old ones.

"hello" - short film blog post

For this project, we used Alex's script for this video. The concept was that a guy sees a pretty girl working in a gas station, and he tries to go and talk to her. In preproduction, we really talked with Alex about his concept and what he wanted as we storyboarded. We all picked our roles and we worked through pre-production pretty well. We then got up very early and filmed at a gas station which went pretty well, besides when some of our group goofing off. Our shots were good and we still had our concept. Yet when we gave all our videos to our editor to edit, he told us that he had it all covered and he didn't need our help, therefore some of our group worked on other projects to be productive. But then we were not aware he did not have the video in when we were emailed about it, and we all texted him to make sure and get it in which he didn't until 2 days late. Also, when we saw the video we were very disappointed by the editing, because it did not show any hard work at all, barely had a concept, and was just lazy. This is not our standard and the final product was a result of the editor not holding his end up and conferring with the rest of the group.

We used a shotgun mic, two DSLR 60Ds, and two lenses. We also edited in premiere pro. 

We all pretty much know what we're doing, so our technical skills were good. We had good communication between most of the group members, besides the editor who barely talked to us. The artistic directors had to step up most of the time and take leadership. We also worked well together, besides when the final product was produced. I think our timing was good and we had time for everything, it just fell through. 

I would probably not work with one of the members in our group again, just because they were lazy when the rest of us worked hard. This video is not our standard and we take it very seriously.

I would work with a script like this again, because I love the concept and the cinematography and it is all very dry and dreamy and I love it.

I will now know what it takes to impress the teacher, and I know who to and not work with. 

My general thoughts were that I think our video was good at the beginning, everyone was passionate. But to the end, the editor really butchered it, so it made all of us look bad. Also, I do like class critique and I like hearing from the class, I thought that reading the paper of the instructor's review in front of the whole class was unnecessary and uncalled for. I wish we could have done it in private because it made everyone look bad in our group, when we know the flaws of the video, which was not everyone's fault. It felt more like our video bashed on rather than helpful advice. Also, I feel like we need to be able to work more with everyone in the class, and really learn from the seniors, because they have been in this program longer than us, and they know what they are doing. I think less structure and more freedom will really help the class flourish with creativity, hard work, and overall friendship between everyone. We are seniors and juniors in this class and we have been in this program for 3-4 years, therefore we know how to make short films and we know the production roles. We need to be pushed to be better and to make mistakes and take risks, not just go over the same thing every single class and watch videos about topics that are not helpful at this time and only take up work time. Overall, we just need to learn from our mistakes and become better. 

PSA

My group chose to talk about water conservation. We thought about how people, even in our own country, do not have access to clean water, and if you have the ability to give back, you should.

We started out by discussing ideas and our thoughts on the subject, then we came down to a definite idea, then we began to story board our ideas. We had an idea already of the cast and right away they replied that they could do it. We decided it was best if no one spoke in this, because then the message would be more powerful. We story boarded the concept out then we filmed all day that Saturday. \

My role was director and I learned that directors do not just tell people what to do, they help everyone with their jobs. I helped stage the shots and I also helped with costuming, setting, and I was there while George edited so I think that is really important.

We used Sarah's camera to film with two different lenses which one helped with the upclose shots and one we used for wide shots. Then we edited on Premiere Pro for the final product.

We all kind of know what we were doing, so the technical skills came in handy because we all had the same idea and the skills in order to pull that off. We talked a lot about the idea for the film and so communication was easy because we worked so well together and we all had the same idea in mind. i tried to be a good leader and keep everyone on task, which worked out well, and we all stepped up when we needed to. We are also all friends yet professional so we collaborated very well. Because of this, we coordinated well so project management was not complicated.

I would probably make it more dramatic, like making the City Boy more dirty and just artistic things like that. I think I would also pick a more solid subject because ours fit in several categories.

I really liked the overall idea and I like the aesthetic of it because, in my edit, we had some really good shots and good cuts that conveyed the message.

This project will help with the next because now we are more comfortable and we know that we can go more dramatic and more in depth with the ideas.

I really enjoyed this project and I think it really started us of well for the rest of the year/.

video final reflection

Video Final Reflection

music video: 

For this project we were given the task of creating a music video, and that was either to recreate the original video or create a new concept. This took about two days to film and only about a week to edit, since we had the original video to look off of and get shots from. The challenges were to get the perfect shots to recreate the video. It was also very cold when we filmed so that definitely was hard. We learned a lot about how to get different shots. Like for the bike scenes, we had to almost run with the camera in order to get that shot. We also got into more types of editing, as scene with the colors in the video. The feedback we got was to probably get a moving tripod or something of that sort in order to make the shots more still. And along with that, that's something I would change, just to make the shots either more stable or intentionally make them shaky to give depth. I really loved this video and I was pretty proud of it when we finished and my group was really good to work this.

high school trailer:

For this project, we were supposed to find a high school movie and recreate its trailer. We chose The Duff to recreate. This took a lot longer then the previous project to film, maybe about 2-3 weeks just because there was so many locations and settings. It only took a couple days to edit so that wasn't so bad. The challenge was definitely scheduling and finding times to film because there was so much to film so it was kind of a lot. Editing was a little difficult, because of the quickness of it plus music plus audio. I learned a lot about project management and spacing things out. I also learned a lot about how to work with people and their schedules and abilities. Some feedback I got was I used some jump cuts and those were pretty bad. Also I got that I should costume my people better. There wasn't any time to change stuff, but I know I would change costumes and settings and my editing. I really didn't like this one, it just didn't turn out the way I wanted and I wish I could change it.

short film:

For this project, we were put in groups and we each wrote a short film script. We ended up with Brett's script which was very good. The filming for this took a whole day and editing took about a week or two. It was a little hard because we had to edit in gun shots and music and edit out things, but it looked good in the end. I learned a lot about software in this project and I can use aftereffects now which is cool. I also was allowed to be creative in this one which is really exciting and what I love to do. Feedback we got was the audio was too quiet in some places but besides that people really liked it. We didn't have any time to change, but I would have gone back and helped with the audio.

PART 2:

I think I have really worked hard in this class, I feel like I have developed good connections and that I have learned a lot. When I had down time, I would usually go back over my work and look for little things I can do to enhance my work and make it the best it can be. I've really been watching a lot, a LOT, more movies and looking at all the components of good stories and cinematography because it's important to me. 

strengths:

I think I am pretty creative and I know what I want to see for the final project. I can work really well with people also. I have a lot of ideas and I am willing to put in the work and research in order to create something I am proud of. I am a good leader, as well as a good worker, because I can do the work that needs to be done but I can also oversee the work. 

weaknesses:

I think my weakness is just that I need to put my ideas out there and bring them to life but sometimes I'm scared of what people are gonna think. But film is all about telling stories and creating new things and that's important and I need to remember that. 

summary:

I just love entertainment so much, this is what I want to do. I was never as interested in film as I am now before e-comm. I just love everything about it, how everything comes into one and how it makes people was to feel, dance, sing or love and I think that's special. I am so glad to be a part of it. I would probably just do some of my projects differently, but I know i'm still new at this so I wouldn't change that much. I learned a lot about good film making and creativity, as well as how to use the software which is super important. I really want to write, direct, and film my own original short film, because I have so many ideas and this is what I want to do. I had a lot of fun this year and I made a lot of good friends and I am very thankful for this class. 

Final Reflection

FINAL REFLECTION:

Through this year of graphic design I have grown a lot. I really came into this class with very little technological experience of graphic design. I draw a lot normally so the design part was not as hard but definitely getting used to using photoshop and illustrator was hard and out of my comfort zone. But now I am very comfortable with using those Adobe programs and I can do some pretty good graphic design because I know how to use them.

collaboration:

With collaboration, I had to really rely this year on feedback of the teachers and my fellow students to give me suggestions and how to improve myself. A lot of this class was talking to my classmates on what I could do better and asking them how to do stuff and use the programs. This is important because in the real world it's not all just by yourself all the time, you do have to talk and work and get impute from other people. The only challenges I had with this component was to really accept the feedback and understand it's not personal and that everyone was in the same spot.

communication:

With communication, it kind of goes hand in hand with collaboration because I had to communicate with my teacher and classmates that I don't understand something and that I need help with it. This is important because sometimes we need other peoples' help and it's important to realize how to do that and to also help other people out.

project management:

With project management, we only get a limited time in class so it's super important to learn how to organize time. This wasn't something I really struggled with, but it is still important. Because if I was designing something for someone, I couldn't take all the time in the world to do it, they would need it by a certain time so it's important to have it done by that time. And this skill isn't just for graphic design, it can be applied to almost everything.

leadership:

With leadership, I guess I really had to be a leader of myself. Sometimes I didn't want to do an assignment but I had to apply myself and be the best I could. This is another skill that can apply to different situations and it's important to use this to get the job done.

strengths/weaknesses:

My greatest strengths are probably that no matter what I will get the job or project done. I am also good with collaborating with others and integrating ideas. I am also good at envisioning things figuring out how to create those into the actual product. My weaknesses would be sometimes I'm too scared to ask for feedback and on how to make myself better. I am also not too great at thinking outside the box. I think I am definitely better at receiving and giving feedback and I think that's important. I still need to work on thinking outside the box and figuring out how to make something unique and my own.

what i have learned:

When I continue my e-comm career, I will use graphic design when I'm making films. It's important for things like posters, cards, and other things that go into the production of films. Plus, I am very involved in art and this is very helpful.

change anything?:

If there was anything I would change, I would change my early projects and just work on those more because they are definitely not my best work and I kind of cringe at them.

conclusion:

I really loved this class and I loved the freedom to create it gave me. Mrs. Burdolski is a wonderful teacher and I have truly learned a lot and grown a lot in my graphic design abilities and I think I will use these skills forever.

Marks/Symbols Reflection

Summary

As a graphic designer, we need to know all types of marks and symbols. The different types can give a different attitudes to the overall design. These marks use pictures and type in order to convey a message. Symbols are just pictures that describe the project, and pictographs are similar but more publicly used. Letter marks use letter to associate the name of a project or company instead of using the long name. Logos are similar to letter marks but instead they have little graphics that help associate with the project. Combination marks use both logos and typography. And trademarks are all of these things, quick visuals that are unique to each project and company. 

Symbols vs. Logos

Symbols are pictures without any words that help identify the corporation it was made for. It is quick, simple and has a fast impact. While logos are primarily words that identify the company or brand. These are unique and easy to promote. When these are used together it is called combination marks. These are the overall trademark and use both the uniqueness of the logo and the visual of the symbol. 

Key Ideas & Significance

I learned about the difference between symbols and logos. This is important because it will help me when I'm developing my own logo; I can either use a quick symbol to brand myself or a logo with a word or maybe even a combination of both. This also helped me see all the different type of mark making in the day to day basis, and how each has a different effect. This handout was helpful and it is making me think about my logo and how I want it to look, feel, and impact.

Conclusion

This handout was very helpful and has helped me see all the different types of mark making I can use to create different feelings and moods to my work. It will help add structure and creativity to my work and it has given me ideas about my logo. 

The Character and Function of the Poster Reflection

The Character and Function of the Poster:

The purpose of the poster is to bring a message, whether that is a political one or to announce a product.  A poster must be on display and open for all to see. Posters will tell information about politics affairs and social conditions. Posters also suggests wishes an the existence of things from our imagination. Posters can help us solve our problems, and also brings up new questions to make us ponder. Posters are an important way of communicating to a wide audience, between the producer and consumer, and just to each other. Posters are meant to provoke thought and action and to motivate people to do and buy things. 

Posters are also meant to be aesthetically pleasing. They should attract the eye and draw notice to the message of the poster. Posters should fascinate people and contact their emotions. While processing the message of the poster, there should be a "dialogue" between the poster and the person reading it. In conclusion, a poster should capture attention and motivate people to think and to act. 

I learned that posters should have a maximum effect, they should provoke memories, and they should motivate people to act. I think the lettering was really interesting just because I would like to become better at that. This paper was very informative and really let me into the world of posters and to see that designing a poster is a lot of work and thought in order to reach the final product.