Editing Blog for Music Video

 On December 2nd and 4th in my AICE Media Studies class, I began working on the editing process for my music video. I was extremely excited for this part of making the music video since I love putting all the clips together and adding transitions and other little details. Editing is by far my favorite part of the process as you get to watch as all of your hard work comes together to make one cohesive, finished product. When doing the commercial project I had a lot of fun editing and have had just as much fun editing the music video so far. Due to this being my second time editing a video, I had more experience and knowledge on how to edit and use the software, which is Pinnacle Studio. This was really useful as it made editing the music video a lot easier and less time consuming. I had also chosen to spend a few minutes in the beginning of class on December 2nd to plan out how we would edit and in what order. I decided to do this so that I would have a clear idea of what to do, that way I couldn’t forget any steps when editing. It also ensured that I would finish editing in time for the date it is due. Overall, it was a very helpful and important decision to take the time to plan.
 On December 2nd, I came into class and immediately got to work making a plan. After that was finished, I used an SD card reader to dump the footage from my SD card onto the laptop with the editing software so I could start. This thankfully did not take very long and soon enough I was loading up Pinnacle Studio where I would be editing the footage. However, when first loading the software up, it repeatedly crashed and wasted a significant amount of time. We were luckily able to fix the unexpected issue by eventually restarting the laptop. With the issue resolved, I quickly got to work moving all the footage that I wanted to use into the software to edit. Meanwhile, I had my group  mate download the song we had chosen so that we could match the audio to the footage while editing. After both the music and footage were on the software, I began to place the clips in order so that it would be easier to find each clip since we had a lot of them. Referencing the storyboard we had previously made while doing this made it significantly less difficult as I could clearly see the order that they should be in. I then spent the rest of the period editing down clips to fit with the timing of the song.
 On December 4th, I continued to work on my music video with the help of my group mate. I had already planned to do a certain part of the music video that I knew would take a lot of time to complete so I immediately got to work on editing it. The scene involved a lot of small clips that had to be edited down to fit very specific audio cues. This was pretty stressful at first as there were a large amount of clips which got overwhelming at times, but as I continued it got easier and more enjoyable. I thankfully had no significant issues on the second day apart from the software just being pretty slow in general. However, I had taken that into consideration while making the plan since I had remembered the problem from the previous video project. Therefore, I was able to accomplish what I had hoped to finish during the class period. I have one more class period to work on the project before it is due and I’m confident that it will be finished in time with the progress we have made so far. All in all, the editing process has been quite enjoyable for the most part when I was not stressed about whether I would be able to finish in time or not. It has been very educational and has really helped me with learning to manage my time for certain processes.

Filming Blog

After the significant issue with my first attempt to film the music video, in which the camera happened to have not been charged, so it soon died after I had started filming. As well as, the issue that the camera and tripod I had checked out during class had been missing the mount that connects the two. I had decided to make a plan that would ensure the issues that previously occurred could not happen again. This plan consisted of checking out the camera and tripod the day before and making sure they had all the needed components inside, and charging the camera overnight so that the following day I could check the same ones out and ensure I would have what I needed to film. Therefore, on September 25th in my AICE Media Studies class, I checked out a camera and tripod to take home and charge that night. Then, on September 26th, I brought the filming equipment back to school before checking the same ones out during my AICE Media Studies class. I also talked with my actors to double check that they were available to film. We had all chosen at an earlier date to go right after school ended to start filming. As a result, we had ample amounts of time to film the entire music video. That day, after school, my group mate and I met up with our two actors before driving to our first location.

On the way to a nearby park, which was our first location, my group mate and I went over our plans and decisions for the order of our filming. Soon enough, we arrived at the park and all walked to the place in the park we intended to film at. Once there I set up all the equipment and got ready to shoot the first scene. I had told our actors to wear their costumes to school as it made it a lot easier for us to start filming right away instead of waiting while they changed. Due to this, we were able to get through the first few scenes quite quickly with no issues. I started with the scenes that needed to be filmed outside while it was still light outside as it gets dark relatively quickly at this time of year. However, I had decided with my group mate during the storyboarding process to film the later scenes as it got darker to show the passage of time. Therefore, we could only do the first few outside scenes where it needed it to be light outside. During the time we had before it got darker, I made the suggestion to review the footage, since you are able to play it back on the camera. That way we had time to reshoot if need be. Even though I had shot each scene multiple times, it was reassuring to know that there was no reason to worry about not having certain clips.

After reviewing the footage and coming to the conclusion that nothing needed to be redone, we still had quite a while before it would start to get dark outside. As to not waste any time, my group mate and I chose to walk to my group mates house as it was nearby. We did this so that we could film the indoor shots that did not rely on outdoor lighting. This worked out well considering I was able to film most of the indoor scenes before we decided to head back. We left with just enough time to get to the park and set up before it got dark. Once at the park again, I set up and filmed the rest of the outdoor scenes in time before it got to dark to see through the camera. After that we we able to film the last few indoor scenes at my group mates house. I was so thankful that during all the filming we did that day, there were no problems that arose during the process. It was a huge relief after my first attempt to film and it was actually very fun as well.

Filming Blog

 On the 21st, in my AICE Media Studies class, I filled out the form to check out a camera. After school I took a camera, tripod, and SD card home to film the next day. On the 22nd, only one of our actors was available to film on our planned date since the other had gotten sick. I decided that we would still film and just do the scenes that involved the actor that was available. After school, I met up with my group and we headed to my group mates house to film. On the way there, I made a plan for filming. I decided on what order of scenes would be most effective and efficient to film in and when we would shoot each scene. I also made sure I had all the required props for the scenes we had chosen to film. Finally, I made sure the actor had her costume all set and ready so we could film as soon as possible. This ensured that we would be ready to film when we arrived.
 Once at my group mates house I started to get the camera ready for filming. After putting the SD card in the camera, I set up the tripod where I planned to film the first shot. As I was setting it up I noticed that the piece that mounts the camera to the tripod was not in the bag for the tripod. After checking the camera bag and tripod bag multiple times I realized that it was not there at all. This was the first of two issues that we ran into that day during filming. I quickly came up with the idea to use duct tape to secure the camera to the tripod. Thankfully, this worked well and the issue was resolved pretty quickly. Then I started filming the first few scenes of the music video. We were able to film for around an hour before I noticed the camera had low battery. It soon died during a scene and we couldn't film any more. I immediately pulled out the charger and plugged the camera in. However, I then remembered my AICE Media Studies teacher saying that the cameras charged extremely slowly.
 By then, I had started to stress out a lot over whether we would have enough time to finish filming. I soon decided I would plan out more dates to film and come up with a plan to ensure we would not have the same issues again. I was able to confirm two more dates to film over the next week. I then made sure that everyone was available and that we would have access to a camera. Once that was done, I came up with a plan to ensure I would have a charged camera to use. I decided to check out a camera two days before we would need it and charged it overnight. I then planned to check out the same camera the following day so I would know that we had a fully charged camera. Overall, the first day of filming the music video was frustrating and stressful, but informative. Now, I'm able to make sure that I never have the same issue and have learned from the mistake.

Storyboard Blog

  Today, in our AICE Media Studies class, we made our storyboard. We also planned out our whole music video sequence and more of the props and other various things. We finalized our costumes and locations and made sure our actors were free on our selected dates. We also checked out a camera so we could film over the weekend. Finally, we made plans to go buy sparklers before we film on the weekend.
  As for the storyboard, our first panel is a high angle showing one of our actors texting on a phone about meeting up to go to the movies. This is during the line in the song, 'I'll see you at the movies.' After they get a response to the message, the camera pans up to the actors face. The actors face is cut off at the nose so their eyes cannot be seen but they're smiling. The actor is wearing red lipstick as the song says the line, 'I'll see you with your lipstick on.' On the next panel, the same actor is shown in her costume looking in a mirror at herself. She'll be adjusting her clothes and making sure she's ready. As she does this the song will say the lines, 'I'm looking out for cosmos. I'm hoping that we'll get along.' It's a low angle as well as a medium shot so you can only see from her knees to her collar since we're choosing to not show their faces till the end of the music video. This is because the song is about change and new beginnings so we decided it would be cool to not show their faces till the end. On the next panel, our other actor is depicted getting in a car and placing sparklers on the passenger seat. The shot is a low angle that's inspired by a trunk shot, since we got the idea when trying to include a trunk shot. However, we moved the camera to the passenger seat as we felt it made more sense. The lines during the shot is 'It's time for renovation. It's time for us to make a change.' The next panel shows scenery through the passenger side window of a car. During the scene the song will be saying, 'It's time for a Chinese new year.' This will be a wide shot. The next panel depicts our first actor waiting at the movie theater and it will be a close up on a pair of red shoes she is wearing. She will be rocking back and forth on her heels as if she's waiting. This will be on the line, 'It's time for me to make a way.'
 After that the following panel shows our actors on a couch moving positions with jump cuts in between. It will be a two shot and full body. The actors will switch positions with each line and be in different positions after each cut. The next panel would be an establishing shot of the movie theater as the actors leave the theater. It will be a two shot and wide shot. Also, the camera will slowly zoom in on the two actors. This will be on the line, 'I'll see you at the movies.' The panel after that shows the two actors walking down the street to the park. It will be a two shot and full body except for their heads. It will also be a tracking shot so the camera will follow them for a while. This is during the line, 'I'll see you with your lipstick on.' The next panel is the two actors looking up at the stars on a blanket with the sparklers laid off to the side. The scene will be a low angle and two shot that shows both the sky and grass where the actors are sitting. This is on the line, 'I'm looking out for cosmos.' On the next panel, the second actor hands the first actor a sparkler and they both light them. The shot is a medium close up and eye level. This scene is during the lines, 'I'm hoping that we'll get along. It's time for renovation.' The last panel depicts an over the shoulder shot of the the actors playing with sparklers and smiling. It will the cut to an over the shoulder shot of the other actor doing the same. Also, it will be a medium shot and will show the actors faces for the first time in the music video. This will be on the line, 'It's time for us to make a change. It's time for a Chinese new year.' Overall, we're really excited to start filming over the weekend and get to work on the project.

Planning Blog

1. Location- The locations we will use are in a bathroom, at a park, outside a movie theater and inside one of the theaters in said movie theater. The bathroom and park are secured because they are in public and in our house. For the movie theater, we will have to confirm if we can film or not. If that fails, we can use our backyard and a projector.
2. Health and Safety- Since we plan on using sparklers we will make sure there is a first aid kit and fire extinguisher nearby. Also, since we plan to film in a car, we need to drive safely, with seat belts on.
3. Props- The props we will use are a red lipstick, and sparklers. We also plan to print out a movie ticket to use as a prop. There will also be bouquets of flowers that we use throughout the music video.
4. Costumes- For the costumes we were thinking of doing red themed outfits. One of the actors will will be wearing jean overalls with a red shirt of some sort. She will also wear red or black shoes. The other actor will wear a leather jacket, a black shirt and red pants. For shoes they'll wear black boots. 
5. Schedule- On the 19th, we are planing out our music video, securing locations and setting outfits. On the 21st, we will write out our storyboard for our music video and finalize each scene. We will also be signing out cameras for the weekend so we can film. On the 23rd/24th, we will be filming parts of the video that do not include both of our actors, since one cannot make it those days. On the 25th, we plan to write our progression of filming on a blog. We will also be checking out a camera again to film over the break. On the 27th - 1st, there is the holiday break in which we will finish all our filming. And finally on the 2nd, 4th and 6th, we will edit in class, and submit it on the 6th. 

Research Blog

 Now that the commercial project is completely finished and I've had a chance to reflect on it, I've realized that it was an amazing learning experience. It was our first big assignment where we had to film and edit and I learned a ton along the way. I learned how to film and use the class cameras and how tedious it is as an actor to shoot all the scenes multiple times. I learned how to edit the footage and add music and sound throughout the process. It was extremely fun and we put our best effort into every step of the filming and editing process. Even though it was stressful at times with the short deadlines, we just stayed focused, planned everything out, and it all worked out in the end. Overall, it was a very informative and enjoyable experience. That being said, we have now moved on from the commercial and have started a new project. The project is a music video in which we have to film and edit 90 seconds of a music video that we came up with for the song.

 The song we chose is called Chinese New Year. This song is by the band SALES. Chinese New Year is in the genre of pop. They released this song in 2014 but it didn’t get popular until recently. SALES is an American band from Florida. The members are Lauren Morgan and Jordan Shih. They are joined on tour by Malcolm Martin, who is the live drummer and percussionist for when they go on tour. Some other songs they play are Vow and Thurs 6-25.

 With the genre of our song being pop, there was a lot of music videos of songs in the same genre to look at for reference and ideas for our music video. The camera angles are often eye level, high angles, and over the shoulder. The shots typically are single, two, or three shot, and medium shots. The editing consists of sharp and sudden cuts and lots of different angles.

1. The costumes usually consist of odd or eccentric designs. They often dress in dresses and suits with bright pops of color or the entire thing is colorful.
2. The lighting is bright and colorful to mix with the bright costumes. The lights are usually flashing and or sparking so it catches the audience’s attention. 
3. They usually act happy or joyful depending on the music, like if the song is more upbeat and peppy, then they might be smiling. If the music has a more sad tone then they might be frowning and slouching.
4. The makeup usually goes with the costumes like if they have a colorful dress then they might have colorful makeup. It ranges from being extravagant to stand out or very light and subtle depending on the surrounding colors.
5. The props tend to be comically large and not proportional compared to the surroundings and characters. They also tend to have bright colors to match with the costumes and lights. 
6. The setting is usually in a bright room with some sort of color in it. The setting also is often outside on a sunny day.

Editing Blog

 Today in my AICE Media Studies class, my group and I finished the majority of our editing process. Having not had working laptops for two days, I began to worry about whether we would have enough time to edit our commercial. Thankfully the new laptops were ready to use when we came into class on November 4th. Finally, we were able to begin editing our footage. We were told during the class that we would have two days to finish editing the 30 second commercial. While that may seem like more than enough time, it was actually really stressful to finish on time. The new laptops still had the issue of taking a long time to load which wasted quite a lot of time for editing. However, I was just glad that we had working laptops to use, so we just had to be patient. Also a few disagreements arose on certain editing choices, such as which footage would be best to use. Another disagreement involved the split screen that we had included in our commercial. After a bit of careful consideration and comprise we were able to resolve the issues. Even with the obstacles we ran into we were able to almost entirely finish our commercial over the two days. Now that the commercial is almost complete, I’m a lot less stressed and am very appreciative of the experience.

 During class on November 4th, we finally began editing our footage for our commercial. After two classes of delay, I was anxious to start editing and we got to work right away. Leila got up to sign out one of the new laptops while Hannah, Hailey, and I discussed our process for editing the commercial efficiently. Once we had a laptop, we logged into the laptop which took around 15 minutes as it was the first time the laptops had been logged into in a while. After the laptop finished loading we dumped our footage from a flash drive onto the laptop. We had decided that for the first day, Hannah and Leila would do most of the editing. Meanwhile, Hailey and I would look for music to use for the commercial. I started by looking at music used in other Gatorade commercials to get an idea of the type of music to use. Once I had an idea of what I wanted to use for music, I began searching words for music to use. After quite a while of Hailey and I looking through different songs, we found one that we agreed would work and checked with the rest of our group to get their opinions. We decided that the song fit well and since we had a while left in class, I helped with editing till the bell.

 On November 6th, we were able to almost finish editing. We had decided when class started that Hannah and Leila would take less control so that Hailey and I could work on editing. After I uploaded the music we had chosen onto the laptop, I was able to add it into the commercial. I spent a short time messing around with different options while I got the hang of editing with some help from Leila and Hannah, since they had already spent time learning how to use the software. I quickly got the hang of it and began to really enjoy editing the commercial. Our commercial at the beginning of class was still about a minute over so I had to spend quite a while editing the footage down. After editing the footage down I spent the rest of class working on timing the music and voiceovers with the newly adjusted footage and by the end of class the commercial was almost entirely completed. Overall, editing the commercial was actually extremely fun and I learned a lot about the software and editing along the way. Even though it was stressful at times, I had a good time overall when editing.

Editing the Commercial

 Today in my AICE Media Studies class, I was not able to edit my commercial. When I came into class today the teacher told the class that there was an issue with the computers. The editing software we were supposed to use, Pinnacle Studio, wasn’t working on the majority of the computers in the classroom. Due to this, the entire class is behind on editing. However, the teacher also informed us that the class would be getting new laptops to replace the older ones that were having issues. This will be really helpful so I can start the editing process with my team. For now, while we wait for the laptops, we are doing smaller assignments. I also made the decision to start on a plan for editing so we are ready when we get the laptops. This will ensure that we do not fall behind and finish editing reasonably quickly.

 While we may not have been able to edit during this class, we did edit quite a bit last class. Last class we finished our filming with a good amount of class left. We then went back to class and dumped the rest of our footage onto the computers. Since the computers were working at the time, we were able to dump our footage. We decided to put the footage on a flash drive as well so we had access to it incase anything happened during editing. Pinnacle Studio was also working, so we began the editing process. I then opened Pinnacle Studio to move the footage onto the editing software. Importing was not very difficult and didn’t take a long time. I then looked at the different features that we could use on Pinnacle Studio to edit. We soon started doing some editing. One of the first things we did was ask our teacher to help teach us to use a split screen. We had decided early on to have a split screen in one of our shots but we were not quite sure how to edit the footage to make a split screen. The teacher sat down with us and showed us in detail how to make a split screen. It was actually reasonably easy to do a split screen. Just as we were finishing the split screen, the computer began to have issues. We had to shut the computer down due to the issue and class soon ended.

 Since we were not able to edit we instead worked on a plan for our editing process. We discussed different elements we wanted to include in the commercial. We figured out what transitions we wanted to use and the types lighting and sound we were going to use to. We spent a while discussing the music that would be in the background during the commercial. We planned out the order of the footage and what order we planned to edit the footage in. Due to this we will be able to edit immediately when we get the laptops and won’t have to worry about these things. Overall the issues with the current computers were both positive and negative. While we weren’t able to edit because of the issue, it gave us time to plan out the editing process which will be beneficial for when we begin editing. The plan will make sure we stay on task and finish the editing process effectively and quickly.

Filming the Commercial

 Today in my AICE Media Studies class my group and I started filming our commercial. We had already planned out where we were going to film and the order in which we were filming each shot while making our storyboard. This made it a lot easier when we started because we knew where to begin and which shots to do first. This ensured that we didn’t waste any time and didn’t forget any shots. I first went to my class and signed out a camera and tripod to use for filming. Then Leila and I went to go change into our costumes since we are the actors. Meanwhile, the rest of our group went down to the track to set up for filming. My role in the filming process consisted of being a co-director and an actor. The filming process was quite enjoyable for the most part. There were a few times that other people on the track would walk into the shot or talk to loudly during the voiceovers so we would have to redo the shots. However, filming was still pretty fun overall.

 On the first day of filming, I signed out a camera and tripod before checking to make sure the camera was fully charged. Then I helped make sure our group had everything we needed to bring to the track so we wouldn’t have to return to the classroom for anything. Once we were ready I went and changed into my costume for filming. Once ready I walked down to the track to meet up with my group who had gone ahead to start setting up. Then the filming process started. Since we had decided to film the shots in order of our commercials sequence of events, we started with the establishing shots and worked our way down the list. I also suggested that we should save the voiceovers till the end just incase we ran out of time to film. Along with being one of the actors, I helped co-direct the filming. This was really helpful because I could give my opinion on certain ideas and help the director. Since we were able to film all our shots before class ended, we decided to head back to class and dump our footage onto a computer to begin looking over the footage.

 On the second day of filming, I suggested that we check to make sure all the shots were good. We had noticed that a large portion of our shots hadn’t actually filmed or needed to be redone. Therefore, we had to retake the shots. After planning out the shots we had to redo, I checked out a camera and tripod and we headed down to the track to film. Once there we noticed that it was a lot less crowded which made filming much easier since people weren’t walking in and out of frame in the background. I still had the same roles as before and we quickly got to filming. I made sure we had ample footage before we went back to the classroom when we had finished filming.  The filming was a lot more fun that day since we had less to film and didn’t have to worry about other people so it went by much faster. Once back in class, we dumped the new footage onto a computer and checked all the footage. All in all, filming our commercial was very fun and a great experience where I learned a lot about just how much work goes into something as simple as a commercial.

Storyboard

Today in AICE Media Studies, my group and I planned our storyboard for our commercial. While three people were planning the storyboard, Leila was typing the blog. Story boarding was a fun, but tedious process. My group and I met before to brainstorm a general plan for the commercial. We decided to storyboard a commercial that focus on track and field athletes and Gatorade. Also, we made a storyboard for our backup plan of a soccer and tennis commercial. The following conventions will be used in the Gatorade commercial of track and field athletes:

Camera Angles:
High Angle
Low Angle
Eye Level

Camera Shots:
Established Shots
Wide Shot
Long Shot
Medium Shot
Medium Close Up
Two-Shot
Close Up

Camera Movements:
Pan
Tilt
Zoom

Sound:
Ambient Sound
Voice Over
Diegetic Sounds
Non-Diegetic Sound

Editing/Transitions:
Split Screen
Action Match
Eye-Line Match
Insert/Cutaway
Jump Cut
Montage

Editing Lesson

 Today in my AICE Media Studies class we learned about how to use our cameras for filming and how to edit our footage. We first learned how to use a Cannon camera and how to attach it to a tripod. We also learned exactly how to set up a tripod so it is stable and at the height we need it at to film. As well as, how to allow movement on the tripod to film a pan or tilt. Additionally, we learned how to “dump” footage onto a computer from a camera. To do this we put the SD card in the computer and a file should pop up. Then we go to DCIM to view the footage on the SD card. From there, we highlight the clips and drag them to a folder that we made for the commercial, before ejecting the SD card. Then click on the software platform, Pinnacle Studio, which is where the footage will be edited.

 Once on Pinnacle Studio, we go to import and click on the plus sign next to desktop. We then find our folder and the footage should be inside. We press “start import” and move the raw footage, unedited footage to AV track 2. There should be three tracks listed 1-3; the first is for titles, the second is for footage, and the third is for music. After the clips load, the play bar can be used to view parts of each clip as well as to cut unwanted footage. To cut footage we move the play bar to before the unwanted footage and then click on the razor blade icon to split the clip. To reverse anything that has been done we can use the back button or go to file and then undo. Next, we open the effects editor where we can add effects and transitions. To detach sound we simply can press track, right click and then detached audio. Then transfer audio to track and delete the audio. We can also press mute to remove sound for the entire track.

 To add titles to the commercial, we go into editing and press “t”, which will then add a text box where we can type, change fonts, change colors, etc. Next press “Okay” and let it load before moving it to AV track 1. After letting it load again, we can hit double click to edit and use motion. Go to file, save, and same it to your folder so it can be edited later. To turn the commercial in press “export”, then “NPEG4”. Once done with that, select preset SD-S quality, then start the export. We also learned about rendering, which is when all the aspects come together to make a smooth product. Overall, the information that we learned today is incredibly useful and important.

Planning blog for Gatorade commercial

Today in AICE Media Studies my group and I planned out our commercial. Together we decided important things such as where we will film the commercial, as well as, the props and costumes needed for our commercial. We also made a schedule to organize the dates of when we will do each step in making our commercial. While we were deciding our locations for filming we came to the conclusion that it would be best to make a backup plan, since we only have one day to film. We also established each of our roles in the filming process so we would be more prepared to film. We concluded on Leila and myself doing the acting while Hannah and Hailey did any necessary voiceovers and filmed the shots. We finished our plan for the commercial but it is possible that minor things may change as we continue.

Props:

Since my group and I decided to produce a Gatorade commercial, our main prop is a Gatorade drink. Other props we will include are a soccer ball, tennis racket and tennis balls.

Costumes:

In our commercial, we will have two of our group members as the subject. Our actors would wear athletic clothes. They would either wear athletic shorts or athletic leggings with light color tank top or a cotton t-shirt. They would also wear running shoes or tennis shoes. We might have our actors wear sweat bands or headbands to keep their hair out of their face. If we could not obtain sweat bands or headbands, our actors would wear their hair in a ponytail.

Schedule: 

On 10/8/19, our group researches conventions and codes of sports drink commercials.

On 10/11/19, our group establishes the props, costumes, schedule, location list, and backup plan.

On 10/15/19, our group will create the storyboard for the 30 seconds commercial.

On 10/22/19, our group will film and record the necessary shots for our commercial.

On 10/24/19, our group will edit and add the final touches to the commercial.

Location List:

Our main location is the track field. At the track field, we will film our two actors before, during and after running the track. This would help emphasize the need of Gatorade to have energy at practice. Also, we would film our two actors kicking a soccer ball or doing soccer drills.

Our second location is the stairwell in front of the media center. At this location, we will film our two actors playing basketball and hitting a tennis ball against the wall. This would help us show athletes from different sports can gain energy from Gatorade.

Backup Plan:

If the weather is not good or preferable, then our location will be the area by the stairwell closest to building 5 or the grass area between the auditorium and building 5. We would quickly film our actors passing a soccer ball. If one of our members are absent, then one of the actors would take over the position of camerawoman.

Research Blogs: Commercial Conventions

Today in AICE Media Studies, we were assigned to produce a commercial of a product of a popular brand or a PSA about vaping prevention. My group and I decided to produce a commercial about Gatorade because we found it was easiest to do on our school's campus. There are four people in the group: Hannah, Emma, Leila and Hailey.

In Gatorade commercials, the elements of the commercial usually create a dramatic and serious tone. Most of the subjects in the commercials are wearing sports uniforms. For example, track athletes usually wear shorts, tank tops, and sweat bands on their head and around their arms. Most of the time, the commercial would film an exhausted athlete. This would emphasize the importance and the effects of the product. The establishing shot would usually establish the location of the practice. For example, they would have the establishing shot at a track field for a track athlete. Also,  sports commercials would consists of long shots and medium close ups to emphasize the athletes' actions.

The lighting in sports commercials is usually harsh, bright stage light of an athlete.This helps develop a serious tone because it makes the commercial more dramatic. The lighting design produces more shadows to make the product more appealing on screen. The color design of the commercials usually consists of dull colors with a pop of brighter colors such as reds, oranges, blues i.e., to emphasize the the product.

The sound in sports commercials is usually a voice-over expressing the feelings of the athletes. Diegetic sounds and ambient sounds are usually louder than they would normally be. For example, walking/running, the sounds of breathing, and the sound of someone drinking. In the commercials, dialogue is usually muffled but is still present. Sometimes there is an influencer giving a motivating speech or there are sounds of sport crowds in the background.

This is an example of the all the elements used in a sports commercial.

Introductory

 Hello! My name is Emma and I am currently in tenth grade at a high school in Florida. I am in the Cambridge AICE Magnet Program. I am taking three AICE classes this year: AICE European History, AICE English, and AICE Media Studies. This blog is for my AICE Media Studies class. Currently, I am also taking Calculus Honors, French 2, Chemistry Honors, and Theatre Honors. I enjoy all my classes, and make sure to balance more difficult classes with classes such as Theatre. I am also in after school clubs which include Surfrider club and Interact club. I enjoy taking part in clubs and organizations which help with worldwide issues and more specifically issues involving the ocean and environment.

 When I am not busy with school I enjoy reading and Mixed Martial Arts. I really love fantasy books and like being able to step away from the real world to be swept into a world created in a book. I also love to do Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) which I have done for around 7 years. Not only does it teach me self defense but it also helps with things like confidence, patience, and discipline. It is extremely  fun and helps me relax and takes away stress. When I am not doing these things I spend a lot of time volunteering as I enjoy helping others. As I said before, I am very passionate in protecting and preserving the environment which is why I take part in events such as beach cleanups and work with organizations like Oceana and 1000 Mermaids. Both these organizations work to protect reefs and wildlife in our oceans. I am currently working on getting my divers license to help plant corals on artificial reefs that have been made by 1000 Mermaids.

 After school and in my free time, I really enjoy hanging out with my close group of friends. We do everything from going to concerts to just hanging out and baking together. I love to travel and explore which is why I am extremely excited for winter break when I’ll be going to South Africa to visit family. I’m really excited to continue with this blog and for what is to come in the school year. Thank you for taking the time to read my first post and I hope to post more during the school year. Until I post again, have a terrific day!