Short Film / Final Reflection

"Drive Safe" - Short film

For this project, we had to make a 5:00 minute short film. It took about a month to finish. Some challenges we faced was sticking to the script and making the project make sense. We had to add a dialogue scene in the middle in order to move the story along. My team worked well and I liked how this project turned out. I did all of the editing, and actually came in Saturday morning to finish everything. 

Our film is a drama, with a little comedy. I wrote my own script that got produced by another team, and that was tough. It's hard to come up with a good story, and even harder to put that into motion. The synopsis, treatment, and script-writing is long and tough, but it's worth it when you see everything produced!

"Breakfast Club" - Trailer Recreation

       This is a project that I honestly wish I could try again. It had so much potential and all of our shots were turning out really well, but we had an unfortunate happening with the camera and tripod and had to split our filming up into two days. The problem with that, was that all of our actors were crazy busy and we never found a time to film the rest of the project. :(

       However! What we did have I think is very good. This project was to recreate an old movie trailer shot by shot. My team was assigned with the classic Breakfast Club. It was actually a lot of fun to make, and I enjoyed this project. 

       Our team worked diligently during pre-production to get everything done early, and we did that. The actors that we found fit each roll perfectly, (though they were busy people). We had a script written up, as well as a costume sheet for everyone to be prepared. All of our production sheets (sequence sheet, project sheet, etc.) were done early and helpful during filming. We shot in a library with shots that are very similar to the original trailer. The actual filming was really good, and I learned a lot about framing and focusing. Our actors were really into it and wanted to keep filming which was a surprise. The problem was with the camera, as it unhinged from the tripod and fell to the floor, the battery breaking. I've learned to next time be more careful with the equipment, and constantly check to make sure it's functioning properly. I also wish I would've put a filter over the footage to better match the original. That's something I want to work on for next time!

Work Ethic in Class

Video is the e-comm class that I definitely worked harder in of the two. Often I'd stay after to edit my team's projects, turn equipment back in, film, etc.  I also helped organize filming dates and locations and I'd rarely miss those, only with a good excuse of course. :)
For the short film, I broke into the school on a Saturday to edit the entire project, and I'm really glad I did! I'm proud with the way it turned out.

Strengths

My strength is definitely in my editing skills. I absolutely LOVE using Premiere Pro! It's so much fun to me. I love the puzzle aspect of piecing everything together and figuring out what works and what doesn't. I like talking to teammates or going online to research solutions to problems that I'm facing. I think I'm also a good team player, and I work well with everyone around me.

Weaknesses

The cameras. I really just need to learn more about them. I don't know what the camera does outside of the basic functions. I'd love to take more time to really become accustomed to all of the bells and whistles it has, and really learn how to make my footage the best it can be.

Summary

This semester was really really fun, as I got to tap into my creative side. I got to act on a few projects which is something I've never done before! I wasn't a big fan of script-writing, but it was fun to try. I also got to edit rhythmically and creatively. Even thought entertainment isn't my favorite, I got to dive in and experience something I've never done before. One thing I would change would be finishing my trailer. I really think that could've been a great project.

I'm so excited for SID next year too! My goal for next year is to do EVERYTHING! I want to try commentating, working behind the cameras, talking in front of the cameras, working on the control center, all of it!! I'm very excited for junior year and I'm thankful for everything graphic design taught me! :)

End of Semester Final

Event Advertisement

My favorite project we did this semester was the  event advertising. I got to brand and advertise a fake concert for my favorite artist, Jon Bellion. This project took about a month to fully finish. Some challenges I faced was just "artists block", not coming up with designs or things to add. Some new skills I learned were how to better cut people out in photoshop and align them in illustrator. I worked a lot on my alignment in general and how to stick to one color scheme only. I am really proud of the consistency and details that carry over from design to design. I think all four pieces are clean and they turned out looking good! Some feedback I took is to try to fill the blank space a little bit more. I also need to add some more of my own original designs, not always photographs.

Vector Portrait

Another project we did this semester was the Vector Portrait. My subject is my cousin Caleb. This project took just under a month to finish. The biggest challenge I faced was trying to understand how detailed or simple to make his clothes and skin. I also wasn't sure whether or not to pen tool the background, but I decided against it. I worked with the pen tool on him however, and I actually got really good at it! Color matching and correcting was a large part of this as well. I'm pretty happy with the result even though it's very simple. I'd like to work on a complicated vector in the future to really put myself to the test. Some feedback I took is to be more detailed, but also to work with the foreground rather than the back (his hand is pretty bad lol). Overall, it's not too bad, and I like the comic-book feel a lot.

Greeting Card

  The third project I'll write about from this semester was the Greeting Card. I made this design for my friend Saul who plays guitar. This project didn't take that long, maybe a week, and the pre-production work was the hardest. The biggest challenge I faced was writing with the calligraphy. Tracing it in illustrator was easy, but I was bad with the marker! This project was another where we used the pen tool, and I even made the guitar and notes from scratch! I wrote the font and chose the colors that I knew would resonate with Saul. I'm pretty happy with the result even though it's very simple. Some feedback I took is to smooth out the type face more using the pen tool. I tried to, but it never seemed to work entirely 100%. Overall I really like this one! I got to print it and hand deliver it so that was even cooler.

Productivity

I really think I worked hard this semester in graphic design. I have all my work done and turned in, and when I finished early I would create more mockups or try different designs. I did a lot of independent research on google or just talking to classmates. If I had an idea but I didn't know how to execute it, I would rarely just quit the idea. I would usually critique my projects after they were turned in just to get points back, but I'd fix them along the way if they had problems. 

Strengths

I honestly think I'm a really strong helper! I'm good at problem-solving so people can come to me when they have roadblocks. I think that's just part of my personality, not even my skill. I've gotten so much better at using the programs too. One thing I really pride myself in is the keyboard shortcuts I remember. That's honestly one of my favorite things about this class. Just learning to use the technology better. Even though I'm going into video next year, I think I can use the graphic design skills I've learned. Making titles, graphics, etc.

Weaknesses

One of my struggles is asking for help too often. Many times I go straight to the teacher instead of figuring it out myself, I want to work on that. I also tend to rush into a project without planning first. I should have an outline or at least sketches before I begin. Too often I just try to create as I go. 

Conclusion

I really liked the independency of the projects this year! Freshman year was so directed and so structured. This year I got to create what I wanted to create (of course with certain guidelines). That was really my favorite part. One of the only things I'd change about the class is Blogger! This website is super clunky and I'm just not a fan of it at all to be honest. I feel like there are plenty of blog sites that could be used. 

A goal for next year is to do EVERYTHING! I'm going into SID and I want to do it all. I want to try commentating, working behind the cameras, talking in front of the cameras, working on the control center, all of it!! I'm very excited for junior year and I'm thankful for everything graphic design taught me! :)

Breakfast Club Trailer Recreation

       This is a project that I honestly wish I could try again. It had so much potential and all of our shots were turning out really well, but we had an unfortunate happening with the camera and tripod and had to split our filming up into two days. The problem with that, was that all of our actors were crazy busy and we never found a time to film the rest of the project. :(

       However! What we did have I think is very good. This project was to recreate an old movie trailer shot by shot. My team was assigned with the classic Breakfast Club. It was actually a lot of fun to make, and I enjoyed this project. 

       Our team worked diligently during pre-production to get everything done early, and we did that. The actors that we found fit each roll perfectly, (though they were busy people). We had a script written up, as well as a costume sheet for everyone to be prepared. All of our production sheets (sequence sheet, project sheet, etc.) were done early and helpful during filming. We shot in a library with shots that are very similar to the original trailer. The actual filming was really good, and I learned a lot about framing and focusing. Our actors were really into it and wanted to keep filming which was a surprise. The problem was with the camera, as it unhinged from the tripod and fell to the floor, the battery breaking. I've learned to next time be more careful with the equipment, and constantly check to make sure it's functioning properly. I also wish I would've put a filter over the footage to better match the original. That's something I want to work on for next time!

Vector Illustrated Portrait

Pre-Production

For this project I wanted to use a balanced picture, one with different colors, different shades, shadows, etc. I didn't want something basic or boring. I thought this picture covered all of those bases, and it was simple enough to complete within my skill-level. I took the original photo into photoshop and cropped it onto an 8x10 artboard. I then made a copy and muted the colors a little, (to make it easier to trace).

Production

At the beginning, I ran into many problems. I wasn't sure how detailed to make my shapes, and every time I started I could never get it to look right. I began with the jeans and it always looked fake, it looked so forced. I reset multiple times and eventually landed on a simplistic design. It reminds me of a comic book sort of, but I think it looks more natural than when I tried too detailed designs. I really tried to make sure the colors matched up, especially the shadowed areas. I think that's what gives this piece its realism. The light in the top right corner beads down on the subject. 

Post-Production

I'm very pleased with the way my project turned out. If I had more time, I think I would focus on making the face and hair more detailed, and cleaning up the front hand. It doesn't look very real but it's hard to make hands look right. 

Music Video

     For this music video, we chose "Bet on it" by Zac Efron from High School Musical. The theme of this production is very angsty. Troy Bolton--(portrayed by Efron, and by me in this recreation)--shifts from very sad to a little angry and determined. We really tried to capture this with the facial expressions and also the setting and actions throughout the video.
     We did more pre-production work for this project than for any project in the past, yet we finished this prep very quick and it went smoothly. This work was completed with a "submission checklist". We finished a 3 page project sheet, set ourselves a timeline, created a beat sheet, story-boarded the entire video, printed the song lyrics, and prepared to film at Shawnee Mission Park! There was just one problem... mother nature. Twice we wanted to go film, but just couldn't because of the weather. Once we even drove all the way out, just to film for about an hour and just quit because it was too cold to hold the camera steady. We eventually had a decent saturday... and our camera died!! We went out to film the next weekend and finished up what we had left, but sadly that caused a few continuity errors, (frozen lake, clouds in the sky, snow on the ground), but all in all it wasn't too bad. When we were totally done filming we began editing. Our editing didn't take too long since there were no crazy effects or edits that went into it, and we finished a day before the deadline!
      I ended up being the actor in my group and I learned that choreography is very hard, especially if you're like me and have no dancing ability at all! I also did a little editing, as did the rest of my group.  After finishing this project, I learned to make sure our camera battery is fully charged, and also to be constantly checking the weather. I do think we did a great job of sticking to the script, and making sure our shots represented the original video well! I'm pretty happy with how this one turned out, except for watching myself! :)
     

Typeography Project

Pre-Production: I began this project with a google doc where I compiled a list of quotes from a wide-range of people. I tried to think of people who influenced me, people who I like, or just people who pertain to me in some way. LANY is a band that I love, and Josh Dun is the drummer for Twenty One Pilots, another band which I absolutely adore! Both have great quotes or lyrics that have actually gotten me through some pretty tough times. The other two quotes are from my two favorite shows, The Office and Bob Ross! I used dafont.com to find all of my font types. I just searched up key words that I thought would roughly match the mood and look of each quote I have. I think the fonts do a good job of that! They get the point across.




Production: I didn't really have a plan going in to designing these. All of what I did was spur of the moment and basically "free-hand",  just on a computer. I thought I would like working in color more, but I liked black and white because I could work more on the layout and pattern of my project, instead of just focusing on the overall design. I tried to make a few of the designs more formal or organized, and the others free-flowing. I also learned not to group all of the words together, but to allow myself to be able to move each individual word. For my graphics I just used the pen tool, but I really didn't want them to be the focus of each piece. I made each of them small and not very significant.

Post-Production: I like my black and white designs!! The simplicity and freedom of them are very appealing. My colored designs didn't turn out amazing, but they aren't bad! It was tough to find colors that matched each piece I made. If I did the project again I would spend a little more time on the graphics. I wouldn't want them to be larger, but more details could make the overall project look nicer.