Editing for Music Video

Katelyn and I have been editing for our music video over the past few days. However, we are not done yet. The editing has been rather smooth with only a few minor complications. These complications were mostly the transitions between shots/scenes. The other difficulty was lining up the music with the desired shot. This is because it took many tries to make sure we had it perfect. Then, when we added transitions the music would shift. Thus, we would have to go back and reline it up. Overall, this consumed a lot of our time editing which was quite frustrating. If I had to redo this I would add the transitions before lining the shot up with the music.
To initiate, the first step Katelyn and I took in editing was downloading the music. We made sure to download it as a MP3 and not a MP4. This is because last time Katelyn and I added music to our commercial as a MP4 it would not export. Next, we imported all our takes which took quite a lot of time. We had 81 takes from our one day of filming. I thought the part of selecting which take we wanted to use would be easy. However, I was wrong as there was such small differences between takes. Katelyn and I had to watch each take multiple times in order to choose which take we wanted to use. Sometimes, Katelyn and I would have different opinions so we would have to go back and compromise. The positive part is that we both were able to agree after discussing why we preferred our chosen take.
Furthermore, Katelyn and I have edited about half of our music video in the past two days. This is a bit slower than I expected, but I still believe Katelyn and I can finish on time. The mistake we made which took a lot of time was waiting to add the transitions. This means Katelyn and I chose about 10 takes we wanted to use. We trimmed them to a-line with the music. But, when we went back to add transitions Katelyn and I had to re-a-line all the shots. At the very end of class we watched our music video so far. I believe that there are still a few tweaks which are needed. The music video as a whole is smooth and has a strong story line. Once again, I am happy to be able to say Katelyn and I work well together. I am excited to finish editing the music video.

Filming the Music Video Reflection

Katelyn and I filmed on November 23 and 24. This filming was for the music video on "Santa Tell Me" by Ariana Grande. As stated in the previous blog, Katelyn and I filmed at the beach and at my house. The filming went smoothly and was successful overall. Thus, there was no need to re-film this past break. This is due to the fact that Katelyn and I felt confident with the shots we have. We were able to feel this as we looked over our shots after filming. I am lucky that the filming was smooth because I have had a busy break and upcoming week. To explain, over break I went to Boston and celebrated Thanksgiving with my family. Also, this upcoming week I have track practice every single day for a few hours after school. Overall, Katelyn and I prepared before our filming so we did not have to film over this past break.
To add, filming early was smart. Unlike numerous groups who filmed this past break. The majority of groups checked out cameras, SD cards, and tripods over the past break. Therefore, leading to a shortage of tripods. By the time my classmates and I had AICE Media, there were no tripods available. This meant if Katelyn and I had waited we would have had no tripod. Hence, it would have created a problem as Katelyn and I truly benefited from the use of the tripod. We benefited as it allowed us to get steady shots and film high angels easier. Katelyn is rather short and I am average height. Henceforth, the only other way we could have filmed high angels without the tripod would be standing on a chair. This would be an unneeded danger to both of our safety.
To sum up, I am excited to start the editing process with Katelyn for multiple reasons. For instance, the editing process will allow for Katelyn to work together and make rather difficult decisions. Furthermore, this process will allow for Katelyn and me to see how our music video developed from a plan to storyboard to final product. Also, it will give us an opportunity to truly examine how our filming abilities have increased from the commercial to now. To explain, I believe our filming is better as our takes are longer. We did this because last time when editing our commercial we could not use some takes due to their short length. This time around, Katelyn and I made sure each take was extra long. This filming process was successful in my opinion.

Filming the Music Video at the Beach

Katelyn and I filmed our music video this past weekend. We completed filming all of our shots and I do not believe we will have to re-film. Also, while filming we made sure that we took numerous takes for each desired shot. This meant Katelyn and I spent about an entire day filming plus setting up for it. A majority of our shots required the putting together of props to create the perfect setting. For example, towards the end of the music video, there is a shot of Katelyn baking cookies. In this scene, we needed to make the cookie dough, spread flour on the countertop, and shape the dough. I enjoyed working with Katelyn while setting up for the shots. This is because we got to bond while planning the perfect angles and overall shots for the music video. I am very pleased with how well Katelyn and I work together. We were able to use what we learned from the commercial, so I hope to continue to learn with each other and improve our filming projects. To explain, this time when filming Katelyn and I made sure to start recording a bit before and after our desired part. This is because when editing for our commercial if our takes were longer it would have been easier. Therefore, this time around we will have an easier time when it comes to editing for our music video.
Part of our music video will take place during sunrise. Thus, Katelyn and I had to wake up at 5:30am to get to the beach in time to set up the camera. This was a little bit of a struggle as I was extremely tired, but Katelyn handled the little sleep well. Now looking back at our takes, I feel it was worth waking up early and being tired as the sunrise adds to the setting. Additionally, there was a scene that included my dog. I was a little concerned if my dog would cooperate with the filming. To my surprise, with the motivation of a few treats, we were able to get some very successful takes. These few scenes are great examples of how smooth and successful the filming process went for Katelyn and me.
When filming we used the camera provided by the school along with a tripod. The tripod was useful as I have shaky hands and would not have been able to film Katelyn with a steady shot. Also, Katelyn and I were able to both participate in certain shots with the use of the tripod. Today in class, we moved all our takes from the SD card onto a flash drive. This is when I found out that we had around 90 takes which seems like a substantial amount. To sum up, I am excited to start editing because I feel there are going to be many takes to choose from. My favorite part of filming was definitely the cookie scene as I was able to express my creativity through the decorations on the cookies. Personally, the hardest part was waking up early for the sunrise, but I was able to overcome that quite quickly. Based on this filming I would choose to work with Katelyn on another filming project in the future. I cannot wait to learn how to improve my filming skills in class when looking back at our takes.

Storyboard for Music Video

 In our music video, Katelyn and I plan on using numerous types of camera angles, movements, and shots. The camera angles range from zoom to high angle to eye level. For example, the high angle will be used to show Katelyn making the cookies so her hands will show as they carefully shape the cookie dough. The camera movements are pan and tilt. The tilt will be used in our first shot to capture Katelyn walking towards the sunrise at the beach. Meanwhile, the pan will be used near the end of the music video when Katelyn is eating the cookies all alone. Thus, capturing the idea that she has nobody around supporting her. To add upon, the camera shots are all unique: wide shot, close up, medium close up, and medium shot. Katelyn and I decided when to use which camera shots by thinking of the surroundings and background we wanted to capture in each shot. Furthermore, our editing process will be quite complicated as Katelyn and I want to make quite a few edits. These edits include transitions between shots such as a fade in and dissolve. Also, Katelyn and I will make sure the shots continuously flow smoothly throughout the whole video. The song this music video is based on is Santa Tell Me by Ariana Grande.

Planning for Music Video

Katelyn and I are planning to film the music video outside and inside my house. The filming will also take place on the path to the beach as well as at the beach. A problem we may face is the weather considering part of our music video will be outside. The solution to this is to look at the forecasted weather in advance to change the filming date or be ready to film the whole video indoors. Part of our music video will include a motor vehicle. This means Katelyn and I must be cautious and make sure to wear our seat belts. In addition to this, we must be careful of pedestrians or other cars. We plan on including numerous types of props. These props will range from cookies and milk to stockings. Katelyn and I plan on using my puppy in this video. Additionally, costumes will consist of red, white, and gold colors. To fully bring the Christmas feel we will also wear a Santa hat. This class we are working on storyboarding as well as this blog. Our plan for the next class is to finish storyboarding as well as the blog for the storyboard. To add on, this weekend we will hopefully complete the filming of our music video. So, the classes afterward we can work on reviewing our shots and writing the blogs.

Intro to Music Video

For the music video, I will not be working with Katelyn, unlike in the commercial when I worked with Katelyn and Freya. This time around, Katelyn and I are not working with Freya as we feel she did not contribute to the previous commercial. From the commercial, I felt the storyboarding process was completed well and helped me throughout the whole process. This is because when filming my group and I knew exactly what shots to film in order to waste no time. However, I need to improve on my editing as some valuable time was wasted trying to read my notes to understand how to do certain edits. I feel that I am naturally going to understand how to use Pinnacle Studios more as I continue to use it. Thus, I will improve this time around for the editing of the music video.


Katelyn and I chose "Santa Tell Me" by Ariana Grande. We chose this because Christmas is coming and we both love the feeling during this holiday. I really enjoy this time period because it brings a winter feel that I miss out on, here in Florida. Additionally, the song lends itself to tell an easy story about searching for a Christmas and wishing for a loved one to come back.

"Santa Tell Me" by Ariana Grande is in the genre of Christmas songs. The conventions of Christmas songs are meant to bring winter vibes and jolly feelings. This is accomplished through wide and close-up shots at eye level as well as high angle. The wide-angle shots allow the audience to see all the actors celebrating Christmas which brings joyfulness. Furthermore, the close-up shots allow the audience to focus on the emotions of the characters during this time period which includes thrill and pleasure. Numerous Christmas songs have a similar sound of jingle bells or jeering. This is because it correlates to happiness and Christmas. To add upon, common editing ranges from the addition of red or gold colors to winter aspects such as snowflakes.

1. Costumes are generally warm clothing that looks soft to touch. This is because Christmas takes place during winter, specifically at the end of December.
2. The lighting is dim, but not in a suspenseful war. Rather the dim lighting portrays a cozy winter feeling.
3. The actors must seem relatable and joyful because then the audience can connect. To explain, Christmas is already a happy holiday so the actors' job is to keep the mood light.
4. Makeup should be festive whether this is a red lip or gold eye shadow.
5. Props should be common to items used on Christmas. A few obvious props come to mind: a Christmas tree, stockings, and cookies with milk.
6. The setting would most likely be somewhat cold in the snow or in a cozy house. These relate to Christmas as it takes place during the winter and people try to stay warm in their homes.

Editing Process

Today in class we were supposed to complete all the editing. However, my group and I were unable to do this because of technological difficulties. These difficulties included Pinnacle Studios closing multiple times while we worked on the edits. This was frustrating as we had to keep on waiting for the software to reopen. To add on, our computer even shut down a few minutes before class ended. The computer did not turn back on. Thus, I believe the computer probably ran out of battery. I hope that our edits saved as we worked hard and made process. Luckily, an extension was given to the entire class because of these technological difficulties. I believe that my group and I can complete the edits successfully next class if there are technological difficulties.
The edits we were supposed to do today in class were rather simple. Our plan was to add sound and titles to the commercial. The sound was going to be music, specifically "All I do is Win" by DJ Khaled. This would have added to our commercial because it paired well with the slogan we chose. Furthermore, Gatorade has many slogans to choose from. Katelyn and I both liked "Win from Within" because we could connect with it. This is because in track we understand the way to win is to believe in yourself and work hard. Katelyn and I were able to successfully add the music and titles to the commercial. But, we are unsure if these edits saved because of the technological difficulties. I am hopeful they did because it took us quite some time to line up the sound with the film.
On the positive side, there are some edits that definitely saved. Katelyn and I chose which takes we wanted to use in our film. We were able to work together to put these takes together and add transitions. This was quite simple for us as we used our notes from the editing lecture. I was surprised to see how well our takes flowed because I expected it to be more choppy. Additionally, once we put all our takes together the commercial was about 26 seconds long. This is the perfect length as our commercials are supposed to range from 25 seconds long to 30 seconds long. I am proud of how well Katelyn and I are able to work together while completing this commercial. This makes me excited to continue to edit our commercial next class. Hopefully, we are able to finish in time which I believe we can.

Editing Commercial

Today in class we had the option to edit or continue filming. Katelyn, Freya, and I decided that we have completed filming all our shots. Thus, we took the opportunity to begin the editing process. The first step was to move all our takes to a zip stick. This took a while as we had numerous takes for each of our ideal shots. Freya was able to do this while Katelyn and I focused on discussing future edits. However, once we completed this we learned that Pinnacle Studios was currently not working. This software was not on some of the computers, and on the computers it was on the software was not functioning correctly. Now that we could not edit we decided to watch back all our takes. I am upset we could not edit, but pleased it gave us an opportunity to watch what we filmed.

When watching back the clips I was happy with how well done they looked. This is obvious considering it was all our first time filming. Moreover, Katelyn, Freya, and I realized we ended up with more takes to choose from than any of us expected. Some of the other clips were blurry or had an excess of background distractions. Such background distractions include multiple people running through or balls coming through the take. Most of our takes include these distractions, but some take had it more than others. I believe when Pinnacle Studios starts to work Katelyn, Freya, and I will have a rather smooth process. This is because we have many takes to choose from and were listening in class when taught how to edit. Hence, I am pleased with my groups and what we have accomplished so far. I hope we can continue to work together smoothly throughout this editing process.

During the rest of the class time, Katelyn, Freya, and I discussed specific edits we plan to make. Some edits we all agreed upon were taking away the sound and trimming the takes. Taking the sound away would eliminate the sound of us talking while filming. This will allow the commercial to seem more professional. Trimming most of our takes will cause the commercial to flow better. This is because we shot a little but extra in the beginning and end of every shot. Additionally, once we finished discussing edits we all started to write our blogs. Katelyn, Freya, and I all did this individually on our own perspective of class and the editing process. I was pleased to finish this before the end of class as now I do not have homework. Overall, I am excited to hopefully start editing next class period.

Filming the Commercial

In class, we filmed our commercial. All of us worked extraordinary well together. It was quite fun and a great experience to learn from. Furthermore, we were able to collaborate. This is because we all got turns on camera as well as time to film. When filming we made sure to have our storyboard with us. Thus, we could make sure to not miss any shot as well as take the shots from the correct angle. In order to have enough shots to edit, we filmed about three to five takes for each box on the storyboard. This means we re-shot about every five seconds on the storyboard multiple times. Overall, I think we will have enough shots to have an easy time editing.
During the filming process, we encountered a few minor problems. These problems were easily fixable due to our group's quick adjustments. For example, there were multiple classes on the football field and track. This was a problem as we wanted to start off our film with an establishing shot of this area. So, we decided to include the students on the field as part of our video, specifically, the establishing shot. To add upon, we had planned for Katelyn to throw the football to me. However, Katelyn was not able to throw far enough to successfully reach me. We solved this by having me throw the football to another person. While filming this shot, in particular, we had different people catch the ball; this alternated between Freya, Katelyn, and Tim. We also had Tim throw the ball to me. Hence, we could have many different shots with the ball thrown and caught differently to work with when editing.
The camera and tripod setup went easily because of the lectures we got in previous classes. Freya was able to lead our group in the exact way to attach the camera to the tripod. She even went ahead and helped other groups in the process. Moreover, Katelyn and I focused on the zoom of the camera for each shot as well as the angle. This is because we had both worked out this when drawing the storyboard together. I think we all played a crucial part in the filming process because we had different strengths. Additionally, because we all took turns shooting certain takes, we will have slightly different ones to choose from. This will lead us to have an easier time when filming. Due to the fact that the slightly different takes will allow us to choose the exact one which fits with the other shots. I am very pleased with how well the filming process went and hope the editing process goes just as smoothly.

Commercial Story Boarding

Today in class my group and I storyboarded. This went well as Katelyn and I contributed to this process equally. To explain, I drew the pictures and wrote the captions while Katelyn reminded me of what information went where. However, Freya did not use this opportunity/time to help our storyboard. I hope Freya tries to help more as we continue creating and soon editing our film. To reiterate, I am pleased with how well Katelyn and I worked together. We used a mixture of shots and angles to make our commercial interesting. For example, we plan to start off our commercial with an establishing shot of the football field. Through ought our commercial low angles, high angles, and shots at eye level will be integrated. The mixture of these angels will allow the football field and actors to be portrayed differently. In addition, some shots we will include are long shots, wide shots, as well as truck shots. To note, the trunk shot will not come from the back of a car, rather from inside a gym bag. This will portray a unique viewpoint in an unconventional shot used for sport drink commercials. I believe our storyboard is detailed with the correct information. This will help us when it comes time to film our commercial in the upcoming classes.

Editing Lesson Blog

The camera set-up is quite simple. To charge the camera the cord must be inserted into the slot near the strap. The camera must be turned off while charging which means the flap of the camera must be closed. The silver button with the red line starts and stops the filming of a take. It is recommended to have many takes in order to have more options for a successful shot. This is because something might be taking place in the background of one of the takes that you are not aware of. In order to use a tripod, the camera must be attached tightly and carefully. The tripod allows all the takes to be steady as it is set and stable. Also, a tripod makes it easier to create pans, tilts, and dutch angles. When using a tripod or shooting without one, allow the camera to film a few seconds extra because this will leave room for there to be edits.
To start importing the footage open Pinnacle Studio so it can load. Then, insert the SD Card into the SD Card Reader and click on the DCIM folder. This folder will have the footage sorted by time and date of which it was taken. If you cannot find the footage then go back and click on the Private Folder, then the AVCD Folder, and then the Stream Folder. All the footage can be found here. Highlight all your footage and place it into a folder on the desktop specific for your project. This means you have completely dumped your footage. To import your footage, open Pinnacle Studio click edit board as it is usually on the organizing board. Next, you click on the import option and click on any takes/music that is wanted. Finally, click import and it is recommended to import all footage as you may not know what you want.
The editing process includes numerous steps. The AVC Track 1 is for titles, the AVC Track 2 is for footage, and the AVC Track 3 is for audio. Takes can be cut by placing the red line over the take and clicking on the razor blade option. Then you can select the part of that take that you want to delete and click on the trash button. If you left-click this program will offer you more options such as the speed you want your footage to play at, the maximum is x500. In addition, to do a voice-over, right-click own the take and click detach audio. The audio will then automatically go to AVC Track 3. From there you can delete the take or the audio. To create a title click on “T” and type the wording you desire. Then, you can adjust the color, font, and size of the text. To adjust how the text enters or leaves drag the text to AVC Track 1 and double click on the title. Once you are done with editing, click on the file and save as; remember to make sure to save this to the folder dedicated to this project which holds all your takes. When you are totally done with editing click export and watch the film to make sure that it has been rendered properly.

Planning Blog for Gatorade Commercial

Today in class, Freya Ohslon, Katelyn Pustam, and I worked on the "Research blog: Commercial Conventions"  and the "Planning Blog for Gatorade Commercial." We had to work on both of these blogs in one class because we were all absent for different reasons the previous class. I figured that this would be a problem as we were all behind schedule. However, we were able to catch up on the missed blog, "Research blog: Commercial Conventions," as well as complete the blog, "Planning Blog for Gatorade Commercial," due today. Next class, we will be completing a storyboard which will allow us to put our thoughts down on paper in picture format. This will help us figure out minor details and have a clear idea of how we are going to film our commercial. In addition to this, we will watch a video on how to edit so we can take this into consideration when filming.

We will be using numerous types of props in our Gatorade commercial: a football, sports bag, and at least two different flavored Gatorade sports drinks. The football will be used for Freya Ohlson and Katelyn Putsam to play catch with. This is important as most Gatorade commercials feature people playing sports. To add upon, the sports bag will be used to bring the Gatorade bottles onto the field and further convey the idea that we are athletes going to play a sport. Furthermore, the reason behind using two different flavored sports drinks is to show viewers that Gatorade offers unique flavors suited for different pallets. In regards to the costumes, I will be wearing running attire which includes a t-shirt, athletic shorts, and running sneakers because I will be running around the track. Meanwhile, Freya Ohlson and Katelyn Pustam will be wearing athletic attire such as tank tops athletic bottoms because they will be playing football.

Our commercial will take place on the track and football field. This could lead to problems if it is raining or there is a class taking place there. Thus, we had to come up with a backup plan in case any of these scenarios occurred. The backup plan includes changing the shot of me running on the track to a stair workout under the media center. In addition, the backup plan would have Freya Ohlson and Katelyn Pustam do an ab workout in a covered area or inside an empty classroom. If one of us is absent we will change the football shot from having two people play to one person running with a football. This would be a strong solution as then one person can film the football shot and then that person can run with the other person filming.

Research blog Commercial Conventions

I am working with Freya Ohlson and Katelyn Pustam. We decided to do a sports drink commercial, specifically for Gatorade. This idea was brought up by Freya Ohlson as she hears talk about this international company on a daily basis. Katelyn Pustam and I agreed to this as we both love Gatorade's unique way of branding and their great tasting popular sport drinks. Personally, I enjoy Gatorade chews before track meets and their sport drinks afterwards. This allows me to appreciate them as a company and believe I could make a strong commercial on them. Overall, I believe Freya Ohlson, Katelyn Pustam, and I will work together smoothly as well as build off of each others' creativity.
Gatorade commercial's generally sponsor a well known athlete: JJ Whatt, Cam Newton or Dwayne Wade. These athletes are usually portrayed training and convey positive messages to the viewers. These messages range from the importance of staying hydrated to the choices of youth in and out of school. Furthermore, Gatorade does not just sponsor athletic individuals, but also all 32 NFL teams. Surprisingly, their first celebrity endorser was not from the NFL, rather from the NBA. This was Michael Jordan and he has now been partnered with Gatorade for over 32 years. To sum up, Gatorade uses sports teams and athletes to promote their products in both their commercials as well as on the sports' fields/courts.

Another way Gatorade positively promotes itself is through encouraging slogans. Recent slogans Gatorade have used include  "Win From Within ,"  "Be Tough," "Shine On," and  "Bring It." These slogans all encourage both current and future athletes to believe in themselves. This is important as many people who are influenced from the media watch sports games and Gatorade commercials. Additionally, it can be seen that Gatorade commercials are successful through their beverage sales. To prove, Gatorade sells over 100 billion ounces of sports drinks annually and 75% of sport drink sales in the United States. All of this shows how Gatorade associates themselves with positive messages while selling their sports drinks.

Introductory

I, Maya Silverberg, am a sophomore at Fort Lauderdale High School. I am a book club official, take AICE classes, as well as run on the cross country and track team. Being in book club has opened my eyes to an unique type of novels. It also helped me to learn how to analyze literature pieces at a higher academic and creative level. This idea carries through into my classes at school. Furthermore, my classes, specifically AICE classes, have taught me to have a hard work ethic. While cross country and track allows me to be competitive. It also has allowed me to make many friends while participating in this extra curricular activity. 

My immediate family consists of my mom, my dad, and my 13 year old brother. He is in 8th grade and considering whether or not to come to Fort Lauderdale High next year. My brother and I are competitive, but we always want each other to succeed. We love to have friendly competitions in sport scrimmages such as basketball games. Also, I have a golden doodle whose name is Aussie. I love to take him on walks around my neighborhood and play fetch with him. My family is always their for me and they continue to help me mature.


When I am not at school, participating in extra curricular activities, nor at home I enjoy spending time with my friends. This time spent with my friends range from relaxing at the beach to dressing up for parties to traveling with them. For example, this summer I was able to volunteer with my best friend in Salamanca, Spain. This gave me the opportunity to experience a different culture and historical background. It also allowed me to meet new friends from around the world and learn about their unique traditions. Moreover, I learn new ideals and get unique experiences from the times I get to spend with my friends. I am fortunate enough to have friends who support me in life and all the activities I do.