Video Final: Short Film

Process

          Our final for video was to create either a short film or a news package. I chose to do a short film. There were a few boundaries for the short film. The film had to be between three and five minutes. The film had to include a water bottle, a visible and obvious source of light, a hat and the phrase "lights out" had to be spoken. 

          First, we were put into groups. Next, we began brainstorming ideas for the film. My group decided to do more of a serious film. Then, we began writing the script and storyboarding. I helped with the storyboards and I also assisted with the script.

          Next, we began filming. While my group was filming, I was an extra in another group's film. I filmed about half the time with my group. The other half, I was acting in the other group's film. With my group, I helped with voice-overs and filming. With the other group, I just acted in a few scenes.

          Then, we began editing. The clips were on different SD cards, so it took a while to import them. After they were imported, I began editing. Because filming took so long, I had to come in before school one day to edit. I managed to finish editing with more than enough time to upload it to my blog. 

          Finally, we presented the video. We watched the video in class and got feedback. There was a lot of helpful constructive criticism. 

Challenges

          My biggest challenge was that I was in another group's video, so it was difficult to find where all the clips I needed were. My group was very helpful and they helped me find the necessary clips.

          Another challenge that my group faced was incorporating all of the necessary elements in the film. It was difficult to include all of the requirements without making it look like they were just thrown in. We had to find creative ways to incorporate them without taking away from the story.

          Another challenge was that we had to film a lot outside of school. It was difficult to arrange it where we could all go film. I was also absent a few times, so it my group had to work without me for a few days.

In the Future

          I would make the ending of the video more clear. I think it can be confusing if it isn't explained. I would also film some of the shots again because they were too windy or too long. I would film more angles of the same shots in order to gain more variety. I would cut out a view of the shots because they were extremely long or unnecessary.

          I would keep the same actors. I think they both did a very nice job. I would also work with the same group again. We all worked very well together and were very productive. Overall, we were a very focused group.

What I Learned

          I learned a lot about how difficult it is to incorporate random elements. I also learned that it is  difficult to create a short film in a short period of time. I learned a lot about working together. Our team collaborated really well. I gained a lot of valuable knowledge from this experience that I will be able to apply in the future. 

Conclusion

          I am happy with how my video turned out. My group worked very well together. I liked the script and I liked how most of the shots turned out. I learned a lot from this project and I gain a lot of knowledge that I will be able to apply in the future. Overall, this project was a good experience. This class taught me a lot about creating videos.