Challenge #1: Top stories

We learned a great deal through Challenge #1: interviewing, storytelling, the 6-shot system and sequencing. Here are a few of the best entries for Challenge #1:

Quen Barkyoumb:



Tyler Soetaert:

Challenge #2: Cutting Carrots

"Cutting carrots" teaches the basic fundamentals of video sequencing by the cameraman shooting a subject doing something repetitious, such as a person cutting carrots.

Think of your story as an English paper broken down into smaller parts: the shots are like individual sentences. When you string together the shots in a specific order you have a sequence, which is similar to a paragraph. The sequences are combined together to make your story.

Use the 6-shot system to film your shots.

The 6-shot system includes:

1. Close-up of the hands

2. Close-up of the face

3. Medium shot

4. Over the shoulder shot

5. Wide shot

6. Extra wide (Establishing) shot

Hold each shot for 10-20 seconds to get the "action" of the scene. This will give you cutting points when you go to edit.

Once you have filmed your sequence, edit them together in Final Cut Pro. You are telling a story through your shots in an interesting way.

Share to YouTube and embed on your blog. 

Here are examples of the "Cutting Carrots" exercise:

Challenge #1: Audio slideshow

For this initial project, you will work with a partner to interview, take pictures and create an audio slideshow answering the question: How do you contribute to the Raven Nation?

1. Develop questions for your interview. Use the 21 question format. Ask open-ended questions and remember to follow-up where applicable.

2. Interview your partner and record it with your cell phone.

3. Record nat noise to use underneath your interview. For example: if you are interviewing someone about playing basketball, get nat noise of the gym.

4. Using your cell phone, take pictures of your partner doing what they discussed in their interview. You will need 25+ pictures.

5. Use the 6-shot system to take your photos:

• Close-up of the hands
• Close-up of the face
• Over the shoulder
• Medium shot
• Wide shot
• Extra wide shot

6. Switch roles. 

7. Using FCPX, edit your audio slideshow. Edit out your voice asking the questions. Pick the best audio and photos to tell your story. 

8. Tips for making good audio slideshows.

9. More tips for making good audio slideshows.

Examples:

One in 8 million

Fostering Love from Connie Preti on Vimeo.

Blog #1: Goal setting

In this blog post, set three goals for this year: 

1. One personal goal 

2. A goal for this class. 

3. A goal for your role in eComm 

This should be a minimum of three solid paragraphs. Explain your goal and how you will accomplish it.

CJ Blog Address