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.