In today’s class we spent time watching everyones submitted ‘video portraits’ and discussing their strengths, limitations and creative possibilities.
As usual it was interesting to see how others had approached the task. Seeing such a diverse range of productions and subjects was really enjoyable. After presenting all of the work, we split up into smaller groups to discuss each other’s work.
When it was my turn to receive feedback I was given a good range of ideas which helped me review my own work and see how I could improve upon my future projects.
Based on the feedback, I was able to make 2 key observations:
1. People liked my editing
Editing is a key focus of mine so it was nice to see that my current style is visually interesting and engaging. I was told that the pacing and timing of the editing worked well, and that the incorporation of ‘found footage’ and music blended in very well. My use of Premiere’s blending modes and overlaying of footage was also noted as being a highlight.
In editing the video, I was aiming to create connections between the fairly diverse range of footage I was working with. I also aimed to create fairly solid links between my subject’s narration and the visuals. For instance, in using images of birds as a motif, I wanted to emphasise the idea of ‘freedom’.
2. Next Time: Explore the Subject his Journey in more Depth
It was clear that I should have aimed to lengthen the video slightly. I was told that it would have been nice to see more of Zach (my subject), as well as more of his ‘story’. A suggestion was to show aspects of his past, and I think this is an interesting idea (perhaps doing this would have created greater emphasis on ‘the new’ Zach).
Now to continue my ‘share a video every post’ tradition. This time, I’m going to share (and briefly discuss) a fellow Media 1 student’s portrait project. This is Jeremy’s video portrait of his friend Keegan:
I really liked how Jeremy was able to capture such a well-rounded summary of his subject in only 2 minutes. I thought that the diversity of the descriptions given about Keegan (by friends and himself) allowed for an interesting and broad understanding of his personality and aspirations. I also liked the use of editing in constructing an image of his lifestyle and personality. The main ‘black hat’ comment I can think of is that there was little use of found footage. It would have been interesting to see a more diverse range of images in the product, and this may have allowed for a deeper understanding of ‘who’ Keegan is.