This week, we started video design in Adobe Premiere. I have been using Premiere for a few years now and would say that I think I am proficient in it. However, I am still learning how to make videos better. I need to increase my video skills because you can't make a living in the film industry if you make bad films. To further my learning in video production, I looked for articles. I found an article called 10 Simple Tips To Make Home Videos Look Professional. Most of the tips are mainly about shooting video on a mobile phone; however, they apply to most other recording devices. I'm not going to bore you with listing all ten of the tips; instead, I'm going to talk about what I learned. I learned that when you are filming, you should avoid watching what you're filming. You should be looking at the camera or phone, depending on what your filming on. That makes sense because if you're looking at the scene, you wouldn't be paying attention to what is actually being recorded. Making sure that your video is in focus is very important. No one wants to watch a blurry video. Another thing that they suggest, is to use a grid. Using a grid can help to make sure the video is at the correct angle. I was surprised to learn that you should avoid zooming on phones. According to the article, you should physically move closer to the subject then move away. I found another article called How to Create a Good Video: 11 Steps (with Pictures). According to the article, you should always do a shot test before you record. That is something that I admit have never really done. I've always just gone out and started filming. Angles are very important because they can help set the scene. I learned something very interesting; you should use simple transitions. I usually either use a crossfade, but didn't know that the ones like spinning and melting don't make your video cool. One thing that really sticks is step five, to be alive. According to the article, you should use limited hand gestures. That is definitely a problem for me because I use hand gestures when talking in front of people and explaining information. The next time I make a video, I will make sure to utilize these steps and tips. Things to remember when shooting a video:
Works Cited
Coelho, Sherwin. “10 Simple Tips To Make Home Videos Look Professional.” MakeUseOf, 18 Jan. 2017, www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-simple-tips-to-record-great-looking-home-videos/. wikiHow. “How to Create a Good Video.” WikiHow, WikiHow, 5 Aug. 2018, www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Good-Video.
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Last week we finished up working on designing audio in Adobe Audition. I had trouble finishing everything on time; however, I was able to finish everything by the time we started the new unit. One thing that I noticed in reviewing my work was that my audio was not very good quality. Audio is a big part of the film industry, therefore, I need to learn how to improve my audio quality in my work. To accomplish improving my skills, I searched for some articles on tips on how to improve audio quality. I found two articles on enhancing audio quality: 10 Easy Tips for Professional Audio Quality and Top 7 Tips for Better Audio Recording. The first top seven tip is to use a high-quality microphone. According to the article, the mics in cameras are not very good quality. Using an external mic makes dialogue more clear. Tip two is monitor the sound, which can be accomplished with headphones. You get more authentic sounds if the headphones are higher quality. The third tip is to limit background noises, which I did not do very well in my audio novel. I feel that in my audio novel, the background noises were very distracting. Tip four is to turn off the music. This one was surprising to me. I didn't know that it is better to add your music later on and not record with the video. The fourth tip is to record background sound. The background sounds they mention are not the same as background noises; these are sounds specific to video. The example they use is if you're at a carnival, use the music of a ride or the sound of popping popcorn. When you use background sounds, it makes it so the watcher feels like they are there too. Tip six is to watch out for wind. If your shooting outside, the wind creates noises that can be distracting. I just learned that you can use a fuzzy sock to minimize the sound of the wind. Tip seven is to add it later, which is pretty straightforward. The other article is more about how to improve the quality through editing. A tip that really stuck with me was to loosen up before recording. I guess if you're loose, then your recording won't be boring and stiff. Another tip that they had was to use a mic stand, which I didn't even know was a thing. I will definitely use some of these tips the next time I record audio. Tips to remember:
Works Cited
Lyles, Toby LylesToby, et al. “10 Easy Tips for Professional Audio Quality.” Copyblogger, 4 July 2017, www.copyblogger.com/professional-audio/. Siegchrist, Gretchen. “Ways to Make Your Audio Recordings Better.” Lifewire, Lifewire, www.lifewire.com/better-audio-recording-tips-1082310.
For the past couple weeks, we have been getting into designing audio in Adobe Audition. Audio is used in games to evoke emotions in the players. One of my favorite game soundtracks is the Mario Kart Wii soundtrack. The soundtrack’ catchy beats set the feel for the races. It matches gameplay very well. When you are in doing the Coconut Mall race the song is very happy and perky; however, when doing Bowser’s Castle, the music is more thematic. All the songs are different, which is similar to the races, in which all the races are different.
Depending on the level that the sound corresponds with, the emotions stirred up can be different. A player might get really mad when hearing a song from a race that they weren’t able to get first in. Another player might get really happy when hearing a song from a race that they always won first in. When someone hears the loading screen sound, they might get nostalgic and have mixed emotions thinking about earlier years. The music isn’t really used to guide the gameplay, instead, it's more to add to the game’s aesthetic. I don’t think that the soundtrack had a big effect on me while I played; however, I always liked the Coconut Mall song, because I always won that race. It always made me happy to hear it. And I hated the Rainbow road song because I always got in last place. Some songs I love and others I hate, because of the memories associated with them. I think the game brings back memories from early years when the Wii was the only popular console. For example, memories of more free time, less homework, and better weather. I have included the soundtrack, so that you can listen too. Mario Kart Wii Soundtrack
F4m1LyGuy10. “Full Mario Kart Wii Soundtrack.” YouTube, composed by Asuka Ota and Ryo Nagamatsu, F4m1LyGuy10, Aug 15, 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVm8jPP_iQ4
For the past few weeks, we have been building a 2D game called Sepsis Survival. I was the production manager, writer, and audio technician. It was supposed to be due on Tuesday, but we got an extension due to unforeseen computer issues that affected the rest of the class. With the extension, we were able to completely finish our game. It has audio, dialogue, and art. Now that it’s done, its time to reflect on my strengths and struggles.
I think that my strengths in this project were keeping everyone on track. I made sure that we all knew the deadlines and updated the Trello board to match the deadlines. Another strength would be communication. I think I did a good job communicating with my team members about the management part of the project, such as deadlines and roles. I believe that I contributed to my group and gave ideas and suggestions instead of not participating in group discussions. I think I struggled at doing my part of the game. I was the audio tech/writer and had a hard time coming up with ideas for the script. I think I struggled a little being a leader because I'm not usually a leader in projects. I struggled at using all of my time to the fullest. I believe that I struggled in communicating my ideas in a clear way that made sense to everyone. I think that my time management issues could have been avoided, if I had prioritized the project over other school work. I felt good about being a part of a team because I know that three people can create more than one person by themselves. Sometimes I prefer being in a group over working independently and vice verse but it really depended on the assignment. Things to improve on:
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AuthorI'm a student at Durham School of the Arts, and currently in the Game Art Design pathway. I like playing the Sims 4, playing with dogs, and riding horses. This blog will reflect my learning and discoveries. Archives
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