Wrapping it Up: Fall Semester and Christmas Gifts

Amazingly, we are wrapping up the fall semester while it actually still feels like fall. Usually at this time of the year it feels pretty wintery, but with the lack of snow on the ground it’s hard to believe that it’s Christmas time. And that means I’ve got to wrap up a few other things – Christmas gifts!

As I have said in my previous blog post, I will be completing my Audio-Video certificate this semester. I’m amazed at how much I have learned and how many portfolio pieces I’ve created in just three semesters. I have commercials, animated logos, instructional videos, green screen and product videos, and an animated infographic (just to name a few) to include in my portfolio.

So, what’s next for me now that I’ve earned my certificate? I will be taking a short break from blogging, but I will be back to share the next stage in the life of an MPTC graduate. I will be exploring alumni opportunities and sharing my job search progress. I will be continuing my internship and using my research and learning skills I’ve developed at MPTC to learn some new things on my own. I’ve been encouraged by my instructors to participate in Portfolio Night, which is held once per academic year, at the end of the spring semester.

Congratulations to all the college students who are wrapping up the semester. Take a much-needed break, enjoy some time with your family and friends and have a very happy holidays!

The Bread of Video-Making

You know that part of the story maybe about three-fourths of the way through the book? It’s the part that’s the most exciting; you just can’t seem to put the book down because you are smack-dab in the middle of the action. I feel like that is my life right now. I am at a climax.

It is my busiest semester and it’s also my last semester at MPTC. While I am not a full time student, I am taking two 3-credit classes this semester on top of my full time job and an internship.

Yes, I just mentioned I have an internship this semester! I will be working and learning at WBCTV. I haven’t started yet, but I think it’s going to be a wonderful learning experience that will help me reach my career goals. I will be working with professionals and professional equipment. My instructors are always looking for ways for students to get real-world experience, so I very much appreciate my instructor brining this opportunity to my attention. Thank you!

After attending the first week of class, I can see there is still much to learn in the classroom about making videos in addition to what I have learned already and will be bringing to my internship. I am taking both Pre-Production and Post-Production, which I refer to as the “bread” of the video-making process (with production – the actual filming – as the meat).

Pre-Production is the planning part. We only had an overview of what pre-production is in class, but from what I remember this includes the script, storyboard, delegating roles and responsibilities of crew members, equipment needed and deciding what you may need to create in post-production for effects. I’m sure there is even more to it than that, and I will have the rest of the semester to learn more.

Post-Production is the editing part of video-making, to put it simply. It includes sound and video editing, title sequences, special effects, sound effects and touching up errors that may have occurred during filming. Your job in post-production is to mesh everything together into one cohesive story. As I learn more, I’ll be sure to share my class experiences with you. I’ll also be sharing my internship experience, and whatever else this semester brings, in my blog. Keep reading to find out what happens next in the story of my life, my future and my MPTC.

This Summer

This summer is going by quickly. Summer always does, especially when it’s busy. But I’m okay with that because I am looking forward to taking my last two classes. Along with Pre Production, I have recently signed up for a second class, Post-Production. That means I will be earning my certificate a semester earlier than originally planned. I’m really looking forward to Pre-Production where we will delve into storyboards a bit more. I love coming up with stories and planning them. Storyboards are a great way to show your ideas to others and make sure everyone involved understands the plan.

I’ve been working overtime every week this summer, but I have managed to have some fun outside of work, too. I went to Summerfest where a friend and I shared a paddleboat ride. A half hour paddling will sure earn you some muscle! I also hosted my annual Peep Roast. My friends and I have been roasting Peeps for several years now. The sugar melts and turns into a crunchy, golden glaze. It really is the best way to eat a Peep.

I’ve managed to carve out some time for career-related things as well. Since I have several more items to add to my portfolio, I’m working on updating my portfolio website. I’ve had to refresh my memory on a few things, which is why I’m glad I’ve kept my notes from when I was enrolled in the web design courses at MPTC.

Helping others is something important to me, so I’m pleased to have the opportunity to do so for two events this summer. One, which already took place in June, was an event to honor and help veterans; another one, which is happening this week, is called GISHWHES. If you haven’t heard of it, look it up. It’s a scavenger hunt that raises money for charities and encourages participants to do random acts of kindness.

For my friends heading back to class this fall, enjoy the rest of your summer vacation. With the slightly-cooler-than-normal temperatures we’ve been having, I’m hoping for a mild fall. And if you’ve never roasted a Peep over a fire, I highly recommend trying it before summer is over!

My After Effects Demo Reel

Note: Please watch this video at it's highest quality by adjusting the YouTube player settings if necessary.

As promised, I have put together a collection of projects from my Motion/Visual Effects class. All these projects were created in After Effects, a really cool program used to create animations and title sequences. We completed the tutorial exercises in class, and then we were asked to create our own original projects. What you see here are the pieces I've created along with a description of the techniques used for each one.

This class has given me the foundation to create more advanced motion and visual effects on my own. Recently, I've used the program to construct a kinetic typography ad for a gaming community which raises money for childrens' hospitals. I enjoyed learning After Effects much more than I thought I would, and I plan on using it a lot in the future to supplement my Adobe Premiere projects.

Digital Switchers and Summer Plans

Digital switcher with multiple camera views

Well, another semester is over and it’s summer for MPTC students. I had a pretty memorable classes for our last week. We filmed a mock multi-camera live production in my Video-Sound Editing class using a digital switcher. The event was tabletop paper football game played by the students in my class. We even had a designated commentator giving play-by-plays. We used three cameras to capture the action from different angles. I took a turn at the digital switcher. It’s a device that lets you view all three cameras and choose which shot will be used. You can edit footage on the fly as you’re filming. It’s like those behind-the-scenes of live TV you may have seen (but on a much smaller scale).

Later on, we learned how to edit footage from multiple cameras on our computers. This is another way you can edit multi-camera footage. We had to sync the footage together. Much like the digital switcher, we could play all the videos at once and edit on the fly by choosing what shot we wanted to use.

Also during the last class we watched everybody’s green screen productions. They were great and really fun to watch. One group “teleported” themselves to different places. They even figured out how to create an effect that made them look like the zapped out of the space they were standing in. After class, my group and I celebrated a job well done by going out for ice cream. I will miss seeing them every week while we are on summer break.

Speaking of summer break, I’m really not getting a break this summer. I’ll be working overtime at my job. I’m also working on some side projects. I’ll be making videos for a gaming community that raises money for children’s hospitals. I’m in the process of making a video for them now using kinetic typography in Adobe After Effects. It’s a challenge, but it’s one of the coolest things I’ve made on my own so far.

How will you be spending your summer break?

My Video and Sound Editing Class

It seemed like a great way to allow everyone in my group a chance to show their creativity without the constraints reality would impose. It would also allow us to explore more possibilities with the Adobe Premiere software. So, we agreed that for our last assignment in our Video-Sound Editing class to create a series of dream sequences. People got to direct their own “dream”.

With the use of a green screen, we weren’t limited to location. We could be on a boat or in space or wherever. The opening and ending, which were the parts where we were awake and not dreaming, tied everything together so we had a story. I was amazed and impressed by what my classmates came up with. I am very proud of the finished product. I’d like to give a shout out to my team. You guys are great!

Despite the fact that this was an eight-week course, I feel like we accomplished a lot in a short amount of time. We started out with simply learning how to operate the camera and record video and audio. We each made a video with examples of different types of shots, like the pan, tilt, zoom and pedestal shot. We tested the different options we had for recording audio, like a hand mic, lapel mic and a shotgun mic. We recorded the same sounds with all the different types of mics to see how differently they’d pick up the sound.

We did some practical things in class such as editing wrestling match footage and exporting the video in different formats to compare file size and quality. We learned how to properly light a scene for interviews. We did some silly things when it came to editing sound and adding sound effects to video.

As a bonus, our instructor showed us how to create a DVD with a menu and chapter titles in Adobe Encore.  This will be helpful to know how to do if you want to create a demo DVD of your work. After I learned this, I took a video I filmed of our family’s Easter egg hunt this year, burned it to a DVD and gave it to my grandma.

Since I do have a lot of work to share from this semester, I thought I’d make a demo reel so you’ll be able to see a sample of what I’ve made. Look for it on my blog soon!