During week 11’s Tuesday class, we did mock presentations. The media classes that I have done before, we’ve only really done the presentation and not a mock, but I think this was really helpful because we got to refine our ideas and get to the best points in our presentation. It was also helpful to set up the presentation like a pitch to a panel of sponsors for a production company, allowing us to gain real industry experience in a class environment. 

Things that I learnt with the feedback that Seth gave us was to not show the process of how we got footage or about logging because sponsors simply don’t need those logistics. When pitching to a panel of sponsors they are more interested in the story that we, the production company, is going to tell. We also got feedback to shorten text, as it is not productive to have a huge amount of text they aren’t able to read and therefore become uninterested. We as media people are more interested in visual aspects and images, therefore I learnt to blast images up to give a better understanding of the story visually, rather than just explaining it. Additionally, when presenting our story not to add negative points like our audio quality difficulty as they are potential sponsors, it would devalue our pitch. 

All the feedback we got helped us inform our actual presentation on Thursday, to fit into the 5 minute time frame. We were able to simplify our script to the most important parts; the story and got feedback on it. When we showed the panel a preview of our edit, we were told that we could ‘beef’ it up with b-roll. When we add b-roll this could remove a lot of the ‘umm’s and ‘arrr’s which was especially helpful advice in the editing process because it made my edit smoother. 

In regards to editing, it was my first time using premiere pro which I found very fiddly and had many features I didn’t understand. This made me seek other means of education through the linkedin courses and youtube to help me. The paper edit helped me in post production to whittle down my story to the main parts and I just rearranged sections on my timeline to best fit the story. I used the colour correcting tools to bring vibrancy to my work to reflect April’s style. Taking inspiration from our group’s Art Basel Inspiration video to inform the formation of my Melbourne soundscape. I found it difficult to correct the audio echo in the room. I also think that even though this was an individual edit, we all worked collaboratively to suggest to each other tools we could use to improve. 

For next week, our group intends on finishing our individual edits for group feedback, do our video call reflection, pick our final edit and write our written justification. 

This week we recorded the a-roll interview for April. Plans had fallen through in regards to travelling down to Ballarat. In solution to this April had helped us book a room in one of her RMIT studios. We were able to put April’s work up on the wall to give the background more life/versatility and to give the audience an understanding of her work. One issue that we did run into for the room was the echo. Once we recorded a clip of her talking and reviewed it we decided that we would fix this issue in post-production as well as not being able to fit in another time to film the a-roll because of push back. 

In regards to the set up, we were all aware of our roles because of how many times we’ve done it before. We made sure to give us time to set up, for any issues that went wrong and for as much depth to April’s answers as possible, which was 2 hours. We did run into the issue of our camera equipment which took up a lot of our time. The issue with the footage was that it was very grey and no real depth of colour was shown. Kiera ended up fixing this issue and we went straight into the interview. In regards to Thursday we were able to show Seth where we were headed and record more b-roll informed by the a-roll interview. After this we all got copies of the footage ready to be edited. 

Over the weekend, we were able to log our footage and rate the footage individually. This was helpful because even though our process was individual, we got to see how each piece of footage was rated by others in the group. Most clips from the b-roll had more variety in the ratings as we have different visions for the outcome compared to the a-roll interview, which had more clips that were agreed on because of the story aspect. 

After this I started on my paper edit. I’ve never done a paper edit before so I didn’t understand the use of it until now. In understanding it, this step was helpful to arrange the story and give a sense of flow to my video edit. This step also cut out time for editing as my story structure was set and only had to look for the parts that I outlined. I also think that reading over the transcript of the a-roll in this step was much faster than listening to our participant talk and deciding how to structure the editing then. This is helpful in a real life documentary film because of how a roll footage can be and the complexities of different shots. Furthermore, I gave comments talking about the reasoning of why I removed parts and why I kept things in, as well as b-roll footage ideas I can put over the a-roll. After this I started on editing. I haven’t gotten much experience using Premiere Pro before so editing took me a while to figure out but I believe it is a powerful tool to understand and edit with for the future. 

In regards to next week, I would like to have my final edit done before Week 11 finishes so my group and I can deliberate on the pros and cons of each other’s edit and figure out which one tells the most compelling story visually and audibly. We also get the opportunity to present to a panel which will further help us with the flow of our story. 

This week was our filming week. We had completed our goals mentioned last week which gave us a sounder understanding and confidence for the week. Our plans for filming on Tuesday didn’t end up working because the studio that April has in Ballarat wasn’t available, so we had to push filming till Thursday. This ended up being a good thing because we got to meet April, have a look at her RMIT studio and it warms herself up to being on camera and therefore more comfortable when we do the interview portion. 

Even though we were working in a team, each of us had turns in filming b-roll footage which gave us more footage to work with. This was especially helpful because even though we’re all working on the same project, each team member has a vision for how they would want their video to be shot and what we each wanted to see in post-production. The shots that we got were both static and moving shots, using different camera angles demonstrating a more dynamic video scape. What also worked well was constant communication and bouncing ideas off of each other.

In regards to next week, our goal is to travel down to Ballarat to film the interview portion and have a feel of how transformative April’s move from Ballarat was for her. This will give us a better understanding of how to tell her story in the most authentic way, as this will be our focus for our docu-series video. 

This week included preparing and prepping to present the three possible participants for our final video docu-series. We narrowed the participants down from the most compelling story that they gave us and what we thought would work the best for us. Out of a musician The Lemon Wedges, tattoo artist Connor and spray painting artist April. We ended up choosing April who is the spray paint artist. She has worked in many different mediums and her influences follow her journey of coming to Melbourne from rural Victoria. We chose her because her story matches the brief, we as a group could visualise how the story could be filmed and executed, Sarah E knows her so dynamics and communication is easier, she is an RMIT student so her studio is on campus easiest place for us to visit. 

A question that was raised by Seth was whether April’s quality is developed enough for this point in her career? Our group believes even though she is in the early stages of her career this could be a point to address where she sees herself later down the line, how she can develop herself and her work more. In addition to focusing more on how her move from Ballarat to Melbourne has influenced her work. 

Overall I believe we have chosen a good participant. Our goal next is to storyboard, get our gear ready, communicate with April on locations and times, fill out safety forms and update our VPW in order to be fully prepared for filming. 

Our goal for this week was to find three potential creatives for our final docuseries video. This was an important step as it can dictate how we as media makers can tell the story of the creative authentically and respectfully.  

 Our group had set up a google form to send out to Melbourne creatives, finding their work through instagram and reaching out through DM. The questions included information on who they were, their creative art form, their story, so we could get an idea of what the best story out of all the participants were. This google form gave us the advantage to reach outside of our immediate circle of people we knew, just like how production companies would find their stories. It also helped us get a glimpse of what the artist was about, helping us as media makers map out a potential story and vision of the visual aspect. 

We found it quite difficult as we aren’t an established production company we had no budget to work with or previous work to show for, reaching out to strangers was definitely intimidating, a lot of people that we did reach out to didn’t follow up because it was hard for them to trust us. Although the creatives that did respond back to us definitely had potential. 

In the end we were able to narrow it down to the best choices for us, with the constraints of time, convenience, communication, skill and logistics. 

This week we finally got to apply all our skills by interviewing our test subject through to editing and uploading a copy onto youtube, in order to create a comprehensive VPW to assist in our final project.

Before the test interview began we were able to book a room in building 80.  Upon arrival the room was quite small and crammed but was the only room we were able to book in the available time slot. We experimented with moving the subject around, with the intention of creating a dynamic shot but wasn’t quite successful due to the constraints of the room. For next time it would be good to go location scouting so understand the dynamics of the location.

We started by setting up our equipment; tripods, lighting, camera and audio, testing each stage before our test subject, Sammy, arrived. From previous tests we were able to do these steps efficiently as everyone knew their role. We made sure format the SD card, experiment with the 2 point lighting and its heights, test audio quality and levels, setting white balance, iso, aperture, turning on focus features and the zebra display.

Things we learnt is to record background noise, making sure audio recording are on different tracks for easier post production manipulation, checking equipment and charging them, location scouting and consistent group member input and communication.

We then put all the information we gathered for our VPW into a Microsoft Sway . This was quite useful as our whole group had access making information sharing accessible. The Sway is also easily formatted, can be edited with ease and learning from previous semester VPW, sway wasn’t too file heavy.

We then reflected on our process using zoom meeting, outlining the best points that fit the ILO. This was helpful because it highlighted the importance of creating a VPW, told us how important experimentation is and weakness points in our group.

Overall, throughout this assignment I learnt a lot about the production side of media making and the importance to plan, document and experiment.

In the Tuesday class we firstly looked at the reference videos that groups chose to research and deconstruct for the first assignment. This gave us an overall perspective of what we could possibly produce, acting as a source of inspiration and discussing the benefits and disadvantages of the videos. What I learnt from watching these videos was not to use repetitive content because it can get boring, fancy video effects can sometimes not suit the overall tone and variety in shots give us more flexibility when editing. 

We then put into practise what we learnt about the FX3, focusing on the visual quality. Our group were able to format the sd card, set white balance, exposure, ISO, aperture, turning on focus feature and zebra display. We tested out two different backgrounds with our subject in relative distance. Even though our focus was to test video and its quality, I realised how sufficient we had become in setting up sound and audio quality because we did it so many times. I am confident that when we get to shoot our test subject our group will be well aware of the technology we will be using. 

The next class was focused on lighting; 2-3 point lighting, their positions and meanings. The most valuable piece of information that I got out of this class was that lighting dramatically affects the tone of the video and that the subject should be lit in regards to the space they’re in. Our group tested both the lighting kits and discovered the LEDGO lights would best suit our needs because of its flexibility in its lighting settings, its mobility and easy set up. 

We then tested our whole setup of lighting, sound and video on our subject. Experimenting with both warm and cool lighting, the intensity, positions of the lights, shadows and working with the lights in the space. It gave us an understanding of techniques we could apply for our actual shoot, as lighting will be different in different settings. Overall, We took photos of our whole process to add to our VPW, in case we forgot any of the steps and to reference back on.    

In this week of Zephyr, our group was able to submit the assignment on time with all of the required work in the A1 folder. We were able to have a better understanding of folder organisation in class for the other assignments but also how a production company would organise their work too. 

The main objective of our next assignment is to design a production workflow inorder to get us ready for our final video assignment. My understanding of a video production workflow is a document that gives a step to step guide of what we need to bring to the shoot, how to use the camera equipment, different tests with images and more. The objective is for the production team to be better prepared for the shoot as well as understand their roles and responsibilities. Additionally, the team benefits from this because tasks are in sequence, errors are minimised and the client brief is successfully fulfilled. A VPW can come in many forms; use slides, a word document or a cloud, as shown by the examples in class from previous students.   

We were taught the importance of the testing process. This was highlighted by the Roger Deakins Blade Runner video breakdown by Angus Davies. This video helped me understand the complexities needed in completing a movie, such as equipment, lighting, planning ahead, problem solving, sound design, artistic vision and even a bit of engineering. Although a movie is high production, there were many takeaways we could apply to our small scale group project. One takeaway is to plan ahead. Deakins uses different shots to allude to an emotion that the character is experiencing. In order to show this he needed to understand the storyline, the character’s feelings in the moment and portray that through his cinematography. This is why a VPW is an important step in the process. 

In regards to the second studio we were able to practise more practical skills around the FX3, more than just audio but video skills. The ‘Digital Cinematography Techniques with the Sony FX3’ Cheat sheet was very useful to me because it helped me put meaning to the different camera settings that I knew of but never fully understood; frame rates, white balance, exposure and aperture.

We were able to see other student video portraits which gave us an example of what our work could look like but also how we could improve our own. For example audio levels in some works fluctuate from high to low and therefore we need to focus on getting an even audio level. 

Overall, a very successful week of both practical and theory skills helping me understand the importance of a VPW. 

This week was quite a jam packed week, a lot was done, learnt and achieved. 

For the Tuesday class we were able to learn practical skills of setting up the FX3 camera and its audio controls. Watching the videos and being able to apply it onto the camera in person helped us be more prepared for the practice audio test on Thursday. I learnt about the different audio channels, audio levels and how to properly roll a cable to make sure it doesn’t become damaged. 

Before Thursday rolled around our group prepared prompts to ask Sammy, our interviewee about her creative process. 

On Thursday, Sarah had booked a room for us to record our audio test using the FX3. Booking a room helped us have a quiet spot for the interview without lots of background noise. We were able to quickly set up the camera with ease because of our experience on Tuesday, referencing back to the notes when needed. We ended up doing a few audio tests, using different levels to see which levels were best suited, through both the headphones and Premier Pro. After that we reference the Art Basel Video to structure our questions (the interviewee incorporating the question into her answer) and the type of questions to ask. To improve for next time, we will come with more prepared and catered questions, and formatting the SD card before we start so when we upload the videos into our laptop its a quicker and more efficient process. 

In regards to our reflection group interview, we all discussed ways in which our group adhered to the Intended Learning Outcome of deconstruction and demonstrated a professional level of producing video work. We had achieved this by understanding what a pitch deck is, annotated the provided pitch deck on how it could be improved and other notes, we researched a docu series ‘Art Basel’ which was similar to the pitch deck guidelines, analysing the overall series and a specific video and talked about our process of the audio test. Overall the discussion with the members of my group helped me to understand the ILO to a greater depth. This informed me on which section was most important in the written transcript of our discussion which reflected the ILO. 

This week I wasn’t able to attend both the Zephyr classes, but for my understanding this week is focused on researching a docuseries, analysing it closely in regards to its content, structure, style, documentary techniques and more. 

The TATE videos acted as a source of inspiration for the upcoming assignment. It gave me an idea of what I should be looking for when shooting, the different camera angles, the audio quality, editing style and techniques, questions to ask the interviewee. Watching Paul Joy’s video gave me new insight into audio channels and how to use them effectively in regards to the FX3. 

The next part of our assignment was to break down a docuseries: we chose Art Basel and a reference video: Meet the Artist – Precious Okoyomon. Deconstructing it helped us understand the many techniques a professional docuseries uses to showcase their work and pointers that we can take away by breaking down their work to use for our own. These included sound design, aesthetic, editing styles, camera angles, narrative structure, interview questions and more. 

Francis Coppola’s Notebook on ‘The Godfather’ helped me to understand one process that a professional uses to deconstruct a text to his understanding to recreate the work. This was useful because we did our own deconstruction and could inform our next.