I have been wanting to do a video with Millie and Jorie for months now and many drafts and ideas later I finally have a video with them as my actors. If Millie wasn't going into medicine at Wash U she should go into Acting because Millie's glare is so strong you can feel it through the screen. 

I'm fairly picky when it comes to who is acting in my film and worried if the acting will match up to the script and stories. Millie and Jorie are fantastic actors because they are so animated. Their expressions are over the top and worked perfectly for expressing the story in a silent film. 

While this project gave me A LOT of stress I really enjoyed working with my friends to create it!

sadly you cant the video but you're welcome to check it out where it would be on my VIDEOS page!

Even though my parents disagree, I think the splinters were worth it...

Before I get into the details of how I ended up in the demonologist's office I should probably talk about my interviewee. I've known Mac for a few years now and we've seen more of each other now that our classrooms share a window wall. Mac being on the Panorama side and me on the opposite with the other Broadcast Technology students. In the beginning of the year we joked about creating a fued between the two newsroom classes, fueled by the Pano kids rejecting our whiteboard friendship pole. Despite our rocky start (that is Pano's fault) we've been peacefully sharing the creative space and editing booths for the past few months. 

In comes the latest assignment, we were tasked to make a video for the seniors first show of the semester and last show of their high school career. *insert tiny violins* Originally I was going to mic up my neighbor Nathan and do a story about soccer. I don't know much about the sport but he told me he wanted to be mic-ed up like a professional and I didn't hate the idea. I didn't see too much wrong with it till he actually had to ask permission for me to film, for someone who wanted a video about them they were really forgetful about that part. So, with the deadline quickly approaching I changed my focus from the video from soccer to photography. Both very visual and emotional driven activities, I wouldn't have to change my ideas too much.

Remember Mac from the Panorama newsmagazine side of the window wall?   Well, a few weeks before I asked Mac if they wanted to be interviewed and they made the mistake of saying yes. Lucky for me Mac knows what makes a good interview so the soundbites for the video were no issue. The biggest problem was the B-roll.  Lucky for me Mac had photoshoot for the "Dinner Party" article for the April Issue of the Panorama. The problem was the photoshoot was six days before the deadline on Thursday at midnight.  

It was odd filming a photographer taking photos. For most of the night I danced around Mac trying to to get in the way of their shot, trying my best not to get run over or hit in the face with a camera lense. But Mac got their photos and I got my B-roll, so in the end it was a successful shoot. Enters Mac's dog, friendly peppy black lab of some sorts. I thought she was real cute till she ran full speed into the bramble bushes at the back of the yard. When I ran after her I didn't realize they were bramble bushes till I was leading her back out and I had blood running between my fingers from where they held her collar. Safe to say my parents were the happiest when I showed them the 15+ splinters in my hands. Luckily my leggings and jackets protected my arms and legs from most of it but I still had to get splinters removed from my elbows and knees. It wasn't a sever injury  but the pained memory  of having each splinter numbed will make me think twice before running into the woods. I probably would still do it though to rescue a dog. 

This video taught me many lessons in synching up music and clips, using creative shots and cinematography, and how to recognize bramble bushes. But in the end this video taught me more about the passion behind photography. 

If you want to watch this amazing video check out my VIDEOS page!

iWho knew editing a video about yourself would be so difficult...

I've made videos where I need to edit footage of me on camera. No one likes to see and hear themselves talking including me, but over the last few years I have been better about using the footage as a learning tool and seeing what I can improve. I've learned about needing to correct my posture, smile and look interested when another anchor is talking, and slowing down my speech all because I edited videos I make mistakes in. With this mindset in place I thought I would be ready to edit my dance audition video. I was so wrong. 

I put a lot of pressure on myself to be perfect in and I think the combination of editing a video and having to watch myself dance over and over again made me more stressed than usual. Between the sound, the 10 minute time limit, and having to use footage I did not film, by the end of it I was pulling my hair out. Every time I added a new video to the editing timeline I saw a new mistake, a new correction, a new way I could be better. I couldn't stop thinking about how OU would see those corrections too. It got to the point to where as soon as I faded out the of the final center combination I downloaded the video and turned it in. I decided if I never saw myself dance again it would be too soon. 

A few weeks later my ballet teacher asked me if I could edit together Liu Liu's Audition video after seeing mine. To say I was "a little nervous" was an understatement. I was worried I would go through the same stressful experience.  But surprisingly (or unsurprisingly if you predicted the end of this story already) I didn't feel a single negative emotion.  While I was annoyed about the music being fuzzy and irked about one of the videos cutting off the top her head, I was able to edit in peace. Even If I was there for the actual filming there wouldn't be any major things I would change. Liu Liu is a student and she dances like a student, Liu Liu's video wasn't perfect because just like me she's also  learning. Colleges and Summer programs aren't looking for perfection but for people who have the passion to learn. 

Even though I never want to edit another one of my audition videos, I know I will have to. I may not have filmed these videos but I think I learned a lot from the editing process of them. I realized sometimes you have to take a step away from the computer and take a deep breath. No one is perfect and I need to remember I'm still just learning and growing my abilities in dance and Broadcast Technology. 

Julia De La Paz is incredibly humble. Which becomes a problem when you want to interview her...

I've know Julia for years and I've always known Julia was good at rock climbing, I didn't realize how good till I started interviewing her. I knew Julia went to comps all over the country and I always gave her notes on the classes she missed because of them. But I didn't realize the true extent of what she was accomplishing. Julia is the kind of person to mention a sponsorship or the fact she has a US Olympics jacket from her last national comp.  She's soft spoken and often the words she's saying doesnt match the volume of her voice or her excitement of rock climbing. 

If I originally wasn't friends with Julia I probably would have made the mistake of making the interview all about her accomplishments. In another life I could have made a 30 min documentary about her awards alone and not even mention her feelings about it. I'm glad I didn't fall into that hole because while that might have been an amazing video it would not have accurately represent who Julia is as a person.  Julia's passion about rock climbing is inspiring and cannot be faked. I hope in my next interview I can find emotion just like that 

If you want to see a rock climber show us the ropes of her favorite sport check out my VIDEOS page!

If you remember last semester I was tasked with creating an identity graphic all about me. It was a fun project and we were able to get to know our classmates and learn more about Adobe Graphics. Since I already created a graphic about me I had to go out and interview a student in my school and Learn about them. I usually get very nervous when I need to interview someone but I was actually very excited to start this project. I interviewed my friend Julia De La Paz and her favorite sport: Rock Climbing. Before this interview I didn't know a whole lot about rock climbing even though I'm good friends with Julia. I'm glad I got to learn all about it and why it is so important to her!

My skills with creating info graphic have grown over the last few months and while they are still not perfect I can't wait keep working on them. 

I haven't been excited about an idea in a very  long time...

For the past few months I have had a creativity block. I enjoyed the past few projects I have edited, but even after class comments and critiques my videos didn't feel complete.  I know I'm being a bit dramatic about this because everyone goes through this but it was a new feeling for me. I'm someone who always has a new project in the back of my mind, they aren't always good but they're there.  So three weeks ago in painting class when I had a new idea, I stopped what I was working on and jotted everything down. The project I dropped for this idea just so happened to the box "made of forget me nots and paint." 

The next painting class I started filming, going back to the basics of "three shot sequences" and "rules of thirds." The amount of unused footage in the painting room is astounding and it's too good to delete. Who knew that reviewing what I learned in Broadcast Tech I would help me now! It's not like Mr. Goble and Ms. Davidson tell us that piece of advice every time we are assigned a new project.  I was lucky that the footage I filmed went along with was so excited when I was able use my new idea for our class final. Our prompt was "Why" and I hit the ground running. I pulled the focus away from the word and on to how the word made me feel: alone, hopeless, forgotten. I thought of the point of stories when the main characters are defeated calling out , "Why me? Why have I been chosen for this impossible quest." Taking that feeling helped me set up my story. It helped me set up the idea of being defeated and remembering why we need to keep going. Why we need to push through creative block and reach out to old friends. I think the reason I love this video is because during the process of making this video I actually connected with my old pen pal, and Rachel if you're reading this, I hope I did our friendship justice. 



The poem...

I started my final a week before it was due. 
My motivation was low and my patience worn thin, 
tired of the same old ideas,  
bored with the paintings I once loved, 
and a project all about household objects and paint.
 That was when I found the box

It was nothing special.
It had no story to tell. 
Most likely  donated from a thrift shop when it couldn't sell. 
But that was ok, it don't  matter to me,
I couldn't care when we were one in the same. 
A Forgotten friend of the dust bunnies 
and a box labeled with my name. 

Not every good thing has to end. 
Why do I have to stop?
Who is telling me to stop? 
Who is telling me that the time
to fix things has passed, so what?
For the first time I have found a friend in fate,
 in this box helping me escape
 from the nightmare I have been living for too many days. 

I had forgotten what it was like,
the feeling of being reunited with an old friend, 
a paintbrush in my hand.
I had forgotten the feeling of being excited, ready, to create. 
Laughing out loud and not worrying if it sounds fake 

Maybe some things need to end. 
locked away so the memories 
can be forever protected, 
preserved for that perfect date  

But why keep the pieces 
of a friendship in a box
 made of forget me nots and paint, 
a box that reminded me of joy to create? 
I keep the lost leftovers 
so maybe I can smile 
and finally remember to send my love
 to someone I haven't seen in while. 

The poem was by far the hardest part of my video. I have always struggled with spelling and grammar so the idea of a rhythmical voiceover was daunting and I was already worried because I was telling the story of two very different things: a painted dusty old box and old letters from my pen pal. But after hours of writing and rewriting, I finally had something I was proud of. It's not technically poetry, if you are looking at the basic definition, but there are some well meaning rhymes.
​

I don't think interviews are my thing...

Before I get all discouraged on the project lets talk about all the things I liked about it!
1. I interviewed Yashna, and she was very nice. She didn't get annoyed when I repeated questions or asked her for old photos and videos of her. She was a bit camera shy when I filmed the B-roll of her dancing and looked at the camera a lot but she always had a smile on her face and it made the whole experience that much better. It also helped that I am in the Bollywood Dance Club and she's the club president. I hope in the future I get to interview other nice and well meaning people but I know that's not always going to be the case. So I'm going to be grateful that I practiced the interview process with her 

2. I was very happy to do a video about this club. I'm a bit bias because I am a member but I really think it is one of the best clubs in the school. The members are so nice and kind to everyone and it is open to anyone who wants to dance. As Yashna said in the interview you don't have to have dance experience to become a member just an excitement to  learn. I'm so glad I got to share this clubs story even if I think I didnt do it justice. 

3. I'm glad I got to practice the interview process because I really need it and sometimes in life you have to practice things you're not good at to get better. I really wish I could be magically perfect at this technique style because it would make my whole life a lot easier and less stressful.

Now to the things I'm not happy with 
​
1. literally  everything else. Ok, maybe I'm being a bit dramatic but I'm coming the the conclusion that I'm not good at filming interviews. I can follow the instructions and format the questions in the right way but they never say what I think they are going to. Yes, that's the point of interviews but it's so difficult planning a project around b-roll you don't have because you never know what they are really going to say. 

2. It has also been made apparent that I am dreadfully awful with technology. I think I need to read a book on computers and hard drives and what exactly is a tera bit before my next project because I honestly need all the help I can get. 

3. I think I get caught up in my head with a vision on how I think they should look and when it doesn't look that way I get throw off course. I wish I was able to show people what exactly I want my videos to look like and turn that in for my project. But sadly that technology (unlike the evil laptop storage) does not exist yet so I must make do 

Now that I'm done complaining heres what I'm going to do about it

I have decided that I'm going to start from the beginning. I have been trying so hard to create projects that I think I need to go to the basics and create a bunch of very very small projects to get back in the creative groove. I am aware that I said "creative" three times in that sentence but that should be the clue that I am all out of ideas. All I know is that I need to figure it out soon and I think starting fresh after thanksgiving break will help me get ready for this next show. 

If you want to see Yashna and this amazing club check out my BLOG post :)

First show of the semester...Who's ready?

I think the first show is always the most difficult, just because of everyone needs to get a hang of working together in a studio setting. With the quick deadline and turn around, I think everyone was a bit stressed going into the project, including me. For my part of  the show I worked on a video all about fall fun facts with Heather and Patricia, we called it our "Fall Crash Course." And with group project comes group problems but luckily things turned out all right. 

I really enjoyed working on this video and creating the script. Most of the videos I have done in the past were only partly scripted not fully scripted. So for me it was interesting to write dialogue that was informative and conversational while not sounding too fake. I think we really started running into problems when we started filming the show. We were filming on a set at school so we needed the segment to be filmed all in one class period which was a challenge. Then when we finally got a take that we liked the footage was corrupted when we plugged the SD card into the computer. There were definitely a few moments were Heather and I looked at each other questioning if we going to have a video by the end of this mess. But we worked with what we had, highlighted the good about the project while finding solutions to fix the bad and used the power of teamwork to get it done. I think our "Halloween Crash Course" really proved that no matter the state a video is in if you try your best and work together it'd going to turn out ok. 

After this project it's safe to say that I'm going to stay behind the  camera for a while :)

You can watch the full video on my VIDEOS page!

First 60 second project of the year... what could go wrong?

A lot. A lot can go wrong. 
Every semester we do the same beginning project, a 60 second video, and for my project this year Ms. Davidson asked me to create a video about what is available in the studio for teachers and staff in our school.  In theory it was not a hard project but for whatever reason I just couldn't get the video to come together.  You would think after doing the same project it would be so much easier the third time. It's not.

Whoever told me Microwave minutes were the longest minutes lied. It's so difficult to create a video exactly 60 seconds long. You always run into the trouble of having too much or too little b-roll. Then if you have a voiceover like what I did with my video that adds a whole new level of complications. In my case I had so much information to fit and it had to sync up to the visuals that I had to pace my script in a certain way or else it won't make sense.

The most frustrating thing about this project was the fact that my computer crashed every 20 minutes and give me a heart attack. I know Final Cut Pro is supposed to save automatically but after working on a video for so long you have a fear of all your hard work being a waste. The pop up whenever the program was about to crash would say "disk full" but I have no idea how I'm going to fix that considering I got this computer two months ago and there should be a lot more storage left. Hopefully I'll be able to figure out all my tech issues by October when I have to edit a video for Ladue View. 

I think my video turned out great considering the amount of problems I ran into but I think there is still improvement to be made. I'm excited for the video to be sent out to the teachers and staff in our school and hopefully they will like it!

If you want to watch this fantastic video about Ladue High School's TV studio check out my VIDEOS page!

First 60 second project of my junior year... What could go wrong?

I was sick on the first day we talked about our final project. I asked my friend what I missed and was they said it was too complicated to explain. I didn't realize how true that statement was until I walked into class the next day. 

To say the class was hectic would be an understatement. Everyone was typing on a singular google doc and talking over each other. Everyone's name was written on the board with a job next to it. Someone was yelling about the script being too long. As someone just walking in it was overwhelming, but luckily Fiona and Heather were there to fill me in. 

The Final was we were going to create a video...together...as a class. If that doesn't already sound complicated enough, we had a six page script and very limited filming and editing time. The idea was we were on the latest episode of a surviver inspired show. It had everything from very shaky, unprofessional footage, jump cuts, and interviews. We were divided into two teams, white and blue, (our school colors) and we needed to submit our final project or else we explode. Very high stakes. 

I honestly shouldn't be surprised we completed the video on time. There were a lot of mistakes and originally half the scenes needed to be cut out, but I think the biggest takeaway from the project was that we worked together as a team.

To watch our Final Project go to the VIDEOS page!