My Family, My Friends, and My MPTC

Nothing is a better conversation starter than when you find you have something in common with someone. Soon I will have something in common with two of my friends and a family member. We will all be students at Moraine Park Technical College.

Even though we won’t have classes together, because we’ll all be enrolled in different degrees and certificates, it’ll be nice if we have classes at the same time. There are events, such as bingo, that happen during the afternoons and evenings. It would be fun to spend time with them doing activities like that should our schedules permit. My two friends are from high school, so I feel nostalgic about hanging out with them on campus, especially in the cafeteria.

Speaking of next semester, I’m all signed up for classes. I’ll be on campus twice every week next semester. I’ve had to rearrange my schedule at work quite a bit, but my employers are supportive of my continuing education. I’ll have to go in early some days and stay late other days. No doubt, I will be busy and tired, but I’m happy that I’ll be able to do it.

Turning My Summer Goal Into My Fall Project

I like having creative freedom when it comes to assignments; however, when I’m allowed a lot of creative freedom it can be daunting. Sometimes there are just too many good ideas. Other times I feel like there’s a better idea out there, so I won’t settle for whatever comes to mind first (or second, or third). So, when we were given the freedom to choose our topic for an instructional video assignment, I spent a lot of time thinking about it.

I could make a pretty decent instructional video about a lot of things. But, when I work on projects like this for class, I keep in mind that I’m not doing it just for class. These are the kinds of things that will go into my portfolio. The project is for my career, not just for a grade.

I generated a list of ideas in my notebook. They were all reasonable ideas, but I didn’t feel motivated to pursue any of them. It wasn’t until I looked down at my shoes (my favorite pair of shoes that are black, white, green, and pink) that the idea struck me.

If you have been reading my blogs for the past few months, you would know that over the summer I started running. I wanted to run properly and work up to running a mile at a steady pace. Fortunately, I have a friend who has been involved in track for years, so she knew how to run and how to teach me the right way to run.

When I looked at my shoes I thought of all the great shots I could do to make this instructional video visually interesting. There is a lot to learn when it comes to running, so I would have plenty of content. You have to be aware of your posture, at what angle your arms are positioned, and proper shoes and clothing. It’s actually pretty significant to know these things if you’re going to take up running so you don’t injure or exhaust yourself.

So, now that I’ve got the idea, I’m off to write a script and a storyboard. What’s the most challenging part of all this? It’s November in Wisconsin and I want to film at least some of this outside. I’m motivated enough by this idea to figure it out, and that’s exactly the kind of idea I was looking for.

Product Videos, Interviewing, and Green Screens

Testing the lighting and setting the white balance

We’ve done some pretty cool things in my Video Camera and Lighting Techniques class these past weeks. Recently, we learned how to set up lighting for green screen. Our classroom has a green screen backdrop, and we were able to use that for our interview project.

I interviewed one of my classmates who has been fortunate enough to travel globally, so he talked about how that has affected him. I’ll be working on editing the video in the next few days. I plan on using one of the places he’s traveled to as a backdrop.

Product video shoot

Earlier this semester we filmed product videos. This is a really practical application for video, because businesses need to show their product to consumers. What better way to do that than video? Our instructor brought in a guest, who is also a professional, to give us some tips on shooting products. It was really helpful listening to him explain how each of our products should be lit based on what color it was, if it was translucent, or if it had any reflective properties. My “product” was the lantern I walked down the aisle with at my friend’s wedding this summer. I used a white backdrop to contrast with the black lantern.

We usually have time at the end of class to work on editing our projects, so I’m able to get some extra help from my instructor and my more-experienced classmates with that part of the assignments. I’m starting to learn the editing software better. There is a lot more tools and features than iMovie. It was the only other video editing software I’ve used before this class. I’ve been taking advantage of all the resources our instructor has provided in the webliography section of eCollege, our online class portal.

We’ve got a few more projects left to complete before this semester is over. I’m looking forward to starting those, and signing up for my spring classes. I’ll be taking Video/Sound Editing and Motion/Visual Effects. Imagine all the cool stuff I’ll have made by the end of May!

My First Commercial

It seemed so strange watching the other group’s TV commercial in my Video Camera and Lighting Techniques class. It was so similar to my group’s video except there was a completely different person in front of the camera going through the motions of entering the main entrance of MPTC, walking over to the wall of academic planers, and going through the Student Services doors.

The reason why the two commercials were so much alike is that the two groups we were split into for class were following the same storyboard. The purpose of this project was to learn how to read and follow a storyboard. We had to set up the equipment, figure out the lighting, and adjust the settings on the camera to get our shots according to what was written and sketched out on paper.

Even with following the same storyboard, there were still some variations between the two 30 second ads. The sketches give you an idea of what the shot will look like, and the directions will give you a pretty good idea what you should be doing, but it seems there’s always a little bit of room for interpretation. The lesson I learned from this is that if you are following somebody else’s storyboard and script, like one your client has created, you may need to get clarification from them to make sure you are getting the shot they want and portraying the story they wish to tell.

I think everybody did really well on this project, and I’m impressed how professional both videos looked, especially considering some of us are first-timers in video making. Check out my group’s commercial for Student Services at MPTC, created by John Lippold, Cody Repovsch, Barret Johnson, and myself!

Glow-in-the-Dark Fun at the West Bend Campus

A disc golf basket all lit up

I can’t say it was perfect weather to be outside in the dark, but there was no rain, snow, or wind, so I had no problem bundling up a bit for some glow-in-the-dark disc golfing.

The West Bend Student Senate hosted this event with proceeds going to United Way. Each of the nine baskets was lit with glow-in-the-dark lights. We had discs that glowed as well. It was my first time playing, so I was grateful to have one of the Student Senate members teach me how to play. Another participate gave me and another student some pointers on how to throw the disc in order to prevent the wind from carrying it away (especially into the forested area).

After everybody ran through the course, we went inside the building for the drawing. I won a long-sleeved t-shirt. That’s perfect since I think I’m done wearing short sleeves until March!

If you want to play on the disc golf course at the West Bend campus, stop in the library to check out some discs.

From Storyboarding to Recording

Our class stood around a long table covered in sheets of paper. We were reviewing storyboards. These were the several storyboards we created based on the same script, a commercial for Student Services. Some of the shots my classmates sketched out were similar, but some were very different. In the end, we combined shots from several of the storyboards to make one storyboard we agreed upon. This would be the storyboard we would use to shoot our commercial.

Before heading out for filming, we discussed reasons for using and following a storyboard, release forms for actors and locations, and other things that are important to know before filming anything.

In a group, we filmed outside and indoor shots based on the storyboard. The most difficult part of shooting that day was the lighting. You don’t have a lot of control over lighting conditions outside. It’s important to know how to change the settings on the camera to get the best possible shot. Even so, you sometimes have to wait for the sun to be at a certain point in the sky. I now understand why camera crews, actors, and directors have long shooting days.

Now that the shooting is complete, my group and I will piece the shots together and add a voiceover and a logo at the end. It’ll be my first time using Adobe Premiere Pro. I’m looking forward to seeing the finished project on the projector screen in class soon!

You Have Exactly 30 Seconds

Have you ever seen a commercial you really liked? Have you ever stopped to think why you liked it?  Was it funny? Did it move you? Was it so visually stunning you forgot you were watching a 30 second ad?

As part of our class discussion in my Video Camera and Lighting Techniques class, we shared links to our favorite commercials and discussed why we liked them. We replayed the commercials and analyzed the shots. We tried to figure out why things were shot a certain way to emphasize the story that was being told.

This discussion led to our next topic and our first assignment: creating a storyboard. Our task is to create a storyboard based on a TV commercial script. The storyboard is going to have several panels, which will include a rough sketch of what the shot will look like, camera directions, and dialogue. I think the biggest challenge creating a commercial is that you have exactly 30 seconds, no more, no less, to tell your story.

What’s cool about this assignment is that we’ll actually get to film it as well. I’m very interested to see how my classmates have interpreted the script, and what camera directions they decide to follow. I imagine we’ll all have different ideas even though we’re working off the same script, and we’ll learn from everyone’s creativity.

How to be a Successful Student Club or Student Organization on Campus

Being part of a student club in college can be a very memorable and rewarding experience, but it can also be a frustrating one. You want your club to be successful, you want lots of members, you want to do great things; but, you’re not sure how to recruit new members, your meetings are disorganized, and you can’t seem to accomplish anything.

I’ve been involved in lots of clubs, and I’ve even led some of them. I’ve been part of some really successful clubs, and I’ve learned what works. I’ve also learned what doesn’t work by making mistakes.

CLUB PITFALLS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM 

Here are some pitfalls many clubs fall into and how to avoid them:

Pitfall: Assuming your club is too small to do great things.

Small clubs can spend (and usually waste) a lot of time trying to figure out recruitment strategies. When you focus too much on recruitment, you don’t accomplish much of anything else. Your club has a purpose and that purpose is not to acquire more members than any other club on campus.

How to Avoid It: Value your current and active members.

Use your current and active members’ talents. Even if you have as many members as you can count on one hand, each person has special abilities and knowledge. Get to know your members well and find out what they bring to the table. Do you have a graphic designer in the group? Does one of your members know a lot about business? There are plenty of great things your club can do that don’t require a small army. Generate event ideas for your current members. If you want to plan an event that requires a lot of hands, team up with other student organizations. The Web Developer Club I’ve been a member of at MPTC has teamed up with the Graphics Club in the past so we could go to a convention in Chicago.

Pitfall: Spending lots of time planning but nothing gets done.

It’s really easy to spend an hour discussing an idea and tabling it for the next meeting to discuss further. It’s also really easy to accomplish nothing this way. Oftentimes no clear decisions are made. Nobody knows who is supposed to do what and when it’s supposed to get done.

How to Avoid It: Create tasks, set deadlines, and ask for volunteers.

First, vote on decisions so everyone is in agreement and on the same page. Break down the idea into smaller, specific tasks and attach deadlines to them. It’s very important to have these in your meeting minutes. Ask for volunteers to complete the tasks. If nobody volunteers, ask a member you feel would do a good job with the task based on his or her talents or background. Divide the tasks evenly. 

TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL STUDENT CLUB

Now you know what not to do, here are some recommendations that will help your club to be a success:

Create a club identity.

Design a logo, come up with a motto, and put them on shirts. It will make members feel like they belong (and you’ll be advertising your club). I’ve seen students walk down the hall wearing something really cool or really funny and thought, hey, I’d like one of those shirts. It may even spark conversations with non-members.

Write a club mission statement.

Make your club mission statement clear enough for outsiders to understand. Determine the purpose of your club (educational, recreational, hobby, etc.) For example, the Web Developer Club has chosen the purpose of our club to be an educational, peer-taught club. We take turns each meeting presenting information we have learned outside of class. I know a lot about art, so I gave a presentation about what makes websites aesthetically pleasing.

Communicate clearly.

Explain when, where, for how long, and if people need to bring anything to a meeting or event. It seems obvious to share this information with others, but communication is a big problem in many organizations. Distribute your agenda and meeting minutes to everyone.

Designate someone to be in charge of paperwork.

Most colleges require student clubs to fill out paperwork in order to be recognized as a club. In some cases paperwork needs to be filled out at the beginning and the end of the academic year in order to receive a stipend for your club’s account. I’m not sure how they do it in other clubs, but as the secretary of the Web Developer Club, I was in charge of making sure we had all the forms we needed, that we met the requirements, and turned them in by the deadlines. Talk to your student life advisor to make sure you have everything you need.

Take advantage of field trips and conferences.

For some potential members, the notion of going to new places and doing things outside campus is enticing. I’m all grown up, but I still get excited about field trips. If your club is part of a larger regional or national organization, find out if there are conferences you can attend as a group.

Don’t forget to mix it up.

If you’re an academic-based organization, make sure you include one or two purely social activities during the year. In both the Web Club and Student Senate, we’ve gone out to a restaurant for lunch or dinner. You could have a bowling night, see a movie, go to a sports game, or do something else members like to do.

BONUS TIP: Recruitment

As I said before, don’t spend so much time recruiting that you forget your purpose as a student organization. If you follow the suggestions above, you should be drawing people into your club (as well as retaining members) naturally. But since this is something every struggling club is interested in (I’m not going to lie, I’ve Googled the topic in the past), I do have a few tips I’ve picked up on from experience:

• Ask your club advisor and class instructors to promote your club. Our Web Club advisor has done an excellent job promoting our club to other students. He makes an announcement at the beginning of each semester to his classes to let them know what we do, when and where we meet, and the benefits of joining our club. It’s a two-minute spiel and it has gotten us the exposure we needed to reach people who are most likely to be interested in joining our club.
• Be visible on campus. If other students see you doing awesome things and getting involved on campus, you'll attract attention and possibly new members. Go to Student Senate meetings. At MPTC, each club is required to send a representative to these meetings. You’ll get to share what your group is planning, and then other students at the meeting might be interested in attending your upcoming event.
• Explain specific benefits. Why would someone want to join your club? What’s in it for them? You should ask yourself these questions before speaking with perspective members. Most, if not all, clubs are great for networking and resume building. One thing that I think makes the Web Club appealing is that it is peer-led education. Members are not required to do anything more than come to the meetings and listen to other members. When I talk to someone who’s interested in our club, I explain to them it’s like taking an academic class for free.

If you have any suggestions for turning a student club or organization into a successful one, please share them in the comments!