COMM 215 Portfolio

Project #1

Project Description:

This project aims to explore camera techniques and composition by capturing a variety of non-human subjects through multiple sequences. This project was to help get familiar with using the camera by experimenting with various angles, lighting techniques, and editing.

I did all the camera work, editing, and preparation for this project. Since the purpose of this project was to familiarize myself with camera techniques, I wasn't too concerned with not having a clear story between all the sequences. My main goal was to follow the basic composition rules while shooting and edit the shots properly to get a solid, finished video.

Making my first video storytelling project taught me the advantages of preparation and trial and error. One of the most important things I discovered was how minor changes to composition and camera angles can have a major effect on a shot's purpose. I became mindful of how important it is to have a clear visual idea when some of my early footage lacked direction. In order to enhance the atmosphere I was aiming for, I would investigate places and try harder with the lighting aspect if I were to do it over.

PSA Project

This project involved creating a 30-second public service announcement (PSA) that features titles over the video to communicate a specific cause or organization. The purpose of this project is to inform and engage the audience, promoting a message that serves the public interest without advertising a commercial product. I did my PSA project on anxiety because it is a topic that's extremely important to me and I wanted to attempt to capture the feeling of anxiety in my own creative way.

I did all the camera work, writing, editing, and preparation for this project. I wrote an outline that included the types of shots I would be filming before I shot the video to feel better prepared. The outline made shooting much easier because I could focus more on my composition rather than struggling to figure out what to shoot next. This project was filmed in my apartment, so there were some difficulties with lighting and white balance due to my living room window. However, since my PSA was about anxiety, I thought filming it in an indoor space would make more sense because then an audience might relate more than if it was in an outside environment.

While working on my PSA video storytelling project, I learned some important creative skills. Some of my visuals had interesting hues that took away from the message, so I realized I should have focused more on white balance. A brighter appearance in general would have made the video more visually appealing. I also saw how crucial good lighting is and many scenes in my video were very dark. Seeing how my idea came to life in the editing and how powerful the message felt, even with basic graphics, was one thing I did like. To provide more visual change and better convey the message's reach beyond a personal level, if I were to do this project again, I would most definitely include a place other than my apartment.

Interview Project

The goal of my interview project was to tell a nonfiction story from a personal perspective. In order to explore narrative through real-life experiences, we were given the task of interviewing someone on camera who had a fascinating story or topic to discuss. In order to produce an engaging and genuine narrative, I placed a strong emphasis on thoughtful questioning and editing. Me and my partner decided to interview the captain of the Point Park Dance Team because we both thought she would have good advice to give and exciting stories to tell. The shots we used were mostly action shots of her dancing and some static shots of trophies, awards, and banners.

Ivy Loya and I decided to work together on the interview project since we both picked the same subject and thought it would be more efficient to film together. To make sure that we were ready on the day of filming, we worked together to organize the entire shot list and set up the interview space which was in a dance studio. I helped develop the interview questions, focusing on intriguing questions that would engage the audience. I also assisted with camera work during the interview and made sure that the composition and framing fit the conversation's vibe. Ivy and I edited our videos independently and brought our own style to the final video even though we filmed the interview together.

One of my primary issues was noticing that a lot of the shots ended up looking too identical, which caused the visual experience to seem a little repetitive. Also, I discovered how important it is to closely monitor audio levels because there were some uneven audio in some areas of the interview that should have been fixed during editing. Although these problems were a large part of the interview, the interview's real content was the project's strongest point. The story was intriguing due to the insightful questions and responses. If I had to do it over, I would concentrate on getting a wider range of shots and focus more on the audio levels.

VO Project

For the voiceover project, I created a version of the interview project using identical content from my interview project. However, I used a voiceover to tell the story rather than the real interviewee being on camera, resulting in a more narrative style. The goal was to have the narration compliment the shots in order to tell the subject's story in different, but still interesting way.

Since we were working on the same project, Ivy Loya and I worked together on the planning and filming phases. Together, we created a shot list and filmed a range of scenarios with Delaney Mackey to ensure that we got her dancing in different areas of the room and doing multiple turns and tricks. The majority of the shots showed Delaney moving and dancing, which gave the narrative a visually appealing element. I was the only one in charge of editing the voiceover for the video, so we wrote a script for that as well based on the information Delaney gave us from the interview. I attempted to structure the voiceover script we created and recorded to fit the visuals' timing and bring focus on the most interesting aspects of Delaney's story.

I learned a lot about the technical aspects of storytelling from working on this voiceover project. The fact that most of the shots showed Delaney dancing in the same setting limited the visuals and gave several parts of the video was one of the biggest mistakes I made. In order to balance out the shots, I would focus more on expanding my b-roll in future projects by using various locations. Audio editing was another important lesson I learned. I discovered that the voiceover's sound levels weren't always consistent when I was adding it on top of the b-roll. Certain sections were too loud which made it a little distracting. I did not notice the audio levels were too loud until I already published the final version. However, I was pleased with how the overall story turned out in the end. The questions and responses were interesting and well-organized, and my voiceover captured the mood we were looking to create for Delaney's narrative. If I could redo the project, I would put more effort into improving the audio and shooting more b-roll so the final version wouldn't seem repetitive.

Freeform Project

The purpose of the freeform project was to give us the creative flexibility to use any kind of audio and visuals to create a story of our choosing. I decided to concentrate on Pittsburgh's Market Square to disucss and showcase its significance as well as its role as a destination for dining and events. I recorded B-roll of the location and narrated a voiceover explaining its history, current restaurants and shops, and importance to the city as a whole in order to make this video engaging.

I was involved in all stages of the creation process for the Freeform project. I did all of the camera work myself, including making sure I had all the equipment I would need and making a thorough shot list in advance to make sure I had everything I needed on the day of shooting. In order to give a clear explanation of Market Square's history and local companies, I also wrote the voiceover script. I edited all of the footage after it was filmed, and picked out the best shots to fit the voiceover's pace. I did my best to match the sound and b-roll to produce a successful result.

During the freeform project, I discovered how crucial it is to plan for a varieyt of shots and coverage, particularly when dealing with a tiny space like Market Square. Although I had this issue before in the interview project, I thought I would've been able to produce better shots. However, it was difficult to do since the location isn't necessarily that big. I felt satisfied with the audio, and the voiceover effectively explained the narrative I wanted to tell. I was happy as well with the editing because I thought the timing was appropriate and the shots really fit the narration. Probably the biggest obstacle I had to overcome was making my shots diverse. Parts of the final video felt a little repetitive (which had happened before) because Market Square isn't a very big space, so many of the clips ended up looking the same or having the same background. If I had to do it over, I would try shooting at other times of day and utilizing close up angles to make the shots more diverse.

Final Project

I shot a brief fictional story about two friends battling over the last cookie on a plate for my final video storytelling project. It was supposed to be both dramatic and funny. Right away they each see the one cookie left—to the fun but intense conflict as both tries to fight the other to claim it, the plot was organized to follow a clear narrative. The battle had the form of a typical plot that had increasing tension and an ending that brought the rivalry to a conclusion, even though it was exaggerated for comedy purpose. I was able to experiment with mood, timing, and dialogue with this project while also entertaining with humor and suspense.

I was in full control of each step of the process for this final project. I checked out and set up all of the equipment needed to record each part, and handled all of the camera work myself. I prepared the dialogue script before filming, so I wouldn't have to worry about types of shots or the order of them while shooting. In order to keep organized and ready on shoot day, I also produced a thorough shot outline in beforehand. I chose and arranged the clips during the editing process after filming to keep the narrative consistent and heighten the piece's drama and humor. The shoot went very smoothly since I had a clear outline and plan going into it. For me, the editing portion was the most difficult part of this final project. I think it was because I wanted to make sure I was using the best footage, but it was hard to pick out what shots to use.

I gained a lot of knowledge from this final project about the value of timing and consistency in editing, as well as how minor decisions may have a big impact on a video. Although the finished version was neat and effectively conveyed the style I wanted, I thought several of the editing decisions, especially the timing, could have been better. The flow was disrupted and by a couple shots that were dragged beyond what was initially necessary. Also, I had trouble with the audio, utilizing two separate sound clips that didn't transition well; the pace ended up having an awkward stop in between. Although the video was outstanding technically, the composition and editing were unquestionably its weakest points. I really liked the color and white balance, which made the piece appear professional and clean. If I had to do it over, I would pay better attention to timing during editing and audio consistency to create a better video.