Overview

I wrapped up the course during this module, reflected on what I learned, and completed the final project. Overall, I enjoyed all of the projects in this course and look forward to putting the knowledge to use in the real world.

Reading and Writing

Some Final Words – The Bare Bones Camera Course for Film and Video By Tom Schroeppel

There are no absolute rights or wrongs in audio and video, but there are methods that tend to be successful. If you stray from those methods, do it purposefully and be sure not to confuse the viewer. Keep it basic until you really know what you’re doing. Accept criticism and criticize your work so you can become better. Analyze your successes and failures so that you can learn from them.

Reflection

I began this course knowing very little about audio and video design. My only previous experience was in an audio-video class I took in high school. I now feel comfortable working with Premiere and Audition; I even added them as familiar programs on my resume.

The most helpful thing I learned was the basics of capturing good audio and video, such as setting up shots and ensuring the audio is clear. The most challenging aspect was not having the proper equipment. Because I would not use high-quality audio or video equipment outside of this course, I did not purchase any. As such, I often felt like I was struggling to achieve professional quality and couldn’t get certain effects like depth of field. I would have liked to learn more about roles on a set, such as producers and showrunners.

I may use what I have learned when working on a creative team in the future. Many positions I have applied to appreciate when designers have experience with motion, film, and audio because it makes you a more diversified candidate and able to help with a broader range of projects. I could also apply knowledge from this course to make videos about my design process to add to my portfolio.

Research to Inform

This scene from Scooby Doo Minsters Unleashed opens with a j-cut. We hear Shaggy speaking while we see a panning shot of the secret lair. After a few seconds, we see Shaggy and Scooby in the elevator.

The trailer for Atlantis uses a j-cut when introducing the character Milo. We hear him addressing a fake audience in the museum basement before we see him. This j-cut is more exaggerated than the above example from Scooby Doo Monsters Unleashed.

A later scene in the Atlantic trailer uses an l-cut when a mysterious woman tracks down Milo and offers him a unique opportunity. We begin by seeing her in his apartment and continue to hear her speak as the visual cuts to the mansion of the man who wants to hire Milo.

Create

For this project, I made a mini-documentary about the mini Christmas village my mother puts together each year. This project was more challenging than the others because I had to work with another person (my mom) to complete it and lining up our schedules was difficult.