Web Design Reflection

1. During our mission to create a cool website, we used Adobe Dreamweaver to make it possible. We used the code platform to create some links, but we also used split screen to see both the design view and code view. Most of the time, though, we used design view to input our projects and blog posts on the home and projects screen. The code part was somewhat difficult, but using design view wasn't all that bad.

2. We started creating our website on Monday, and just finished today (Friday)! Mr. Olson provided a series of tutorial videos, so we switched back and forth from video to Dreamweaver. Pausing, going back, and messing up or not finding a certain tab took up some of the time.

3. As I just stated, some of the challenges were the code view and coding, and also not find certain tabs. Overall, though, it went quite smoothly. In all honesty, it wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be.

4. Along the way, I learned some new things about web design such as: coding, some new shortcuts (using command and such), and using links. I knew going into the project that website took code, but I never knew that much code!

5. The process was good, and I liked tweaking colors, words, and fonts and such. I liked my final outcome (because it involved Iowa State colors) but there were obviously certain things I would improve such as my link colors and projects page format.

Here's a look at my website:

Q2 Reflection

1. I think my strengths were in video and using the 6 shot system. I tried to get all 6 shots in every video! My areas of strength in animation were the bouncing ball (first one) animation.

2. Some of the things I might need to improve would be staying on one side of the axis line in video and making sure that the shots are under 4 seconds. In animation, I would improve the smoothness and overall look to the animation, as in my bouncing ball 2 animation. There was a lot to improve there. I would change up some things in both my videos and animations to make it look smoother and more professional. This would be things like no jump-cuts in my videos and more realistic-looking bounces in the ball animation.

3. I loved video and the different projects we got to do. My favorite days were the critique days because we got to look at other's videos and the interesting shots and clips that they had.

4. I learned a lot in this semester! This would include: 6 shot system, axis line, rule of thirds, arcs, squash and stretch, and ease in and ease out. My overall take away is that it is definitely easier to complete a project if you collaborate and work together.

5. One goal I'd have for next semester would be something like trying to improve my projects such as re-doing them to make them better after I've had feedback from others. I think this semester in animation and video was good, but of course, as always and is for everyone, there is a lot to improve and work on for the future!

Professional Article Review

Article Overview

 My article talked about the pros and cons of both Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro. The focus points of the article were as follows: comparing and contrasting both editing programs, showing which people would like which program the best, and the author of the article's position on each program.  

Author Stance

The author argues that Adobe Premiere is good because it works on both Macs and PCs and is easy for experienced editors but also promotes challenges with hard to find buttons. They also argue that Final Cut is good for its editing features but is bad because it does not work on PCs. He/she says Adobe Premiere is "perhaps the most similar editing platform to the original Final Cut Pro 7", making it easy for editors. The author also states that Final Cut "has included some essential editing tools that editors have come to expect", therefore supporting both programs. His/her strength lies in that they both have some good pros for experienced editors, but his weakness is that Final Cut does not work for PC users and the Adobe is harder to use. The author concludes that both programs indeed have good strengths but also some interesting and surprising weaknesses.

My Stance

I liked the article because it did a good job proving the goods and bads of each editing program. One thing that I would say the author should improve would be the need for more evidence. The list of pros and cons were quite short and didn't fully grab my attention. The author definitely supported the main points, but probably not as well as he could have. So, the evidence isn't fully convincing. This article implies that I should try each program and decide for myself. After all, this is just one person's argument. 

Conclusion

I would say that the article is quick and good for fast information but doesn't fully look into the pros and cons of each editing software. The author probably needs to go more in depth. Overall, though, I liked the article and it makes me want to try each program for myself.

Find the article here

Professional Project Review

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Overview

A few nights ago, I watched the last Indiana Jones movie. It was very well filmed! The plot of the movie involved Indiana Jones searching for the Crystal Skull that these Russians also wanted. I looked for the basic elements of filming such as the 6 shot system.

Source: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Dir. Steven Spielberg. Perf. Harrison Ford and Shia Lebeouf. Lucasfilm, n.d. Film.

Analyzing the Shots

There were several close ups in a scene where they found the Crystal Skull in this cave. One example would be when Indiana Jones tears open a mummy to find the Crystal Skull in it. The camera then pans to his face, showing his emotions. There were also some medium shots of Mutt (the kid) when he got attacked by scorpions. Finally, the scene started with an establishing shot of the entire outside of the cave.

Elements

The story was told in a fast-paced way with a lot of action and excitement. It also had a mysterious element to it with the puzzle of finding the skull. I would definitely try to incorporate as many close ups in my films as Lucas did in this movie. It makes the movie more interesting! I have already learned about the 6 shot system, and this applied to the Indiana Jones movie. Lucas did a great job with telling a spectacular story. The script was very well done. Also, the variety of shots as I've already mentioned was very good because it kept me as the viewer interested. The only thing I'd say he could improve on would be the realistic-ness of the situation or scene. Many times, I could clearly tell that he used green screen (although most movies do) and it was very distracting. Plus, during some fight scenes, the way Indiana Jones survived through all of it totally threw me off. I mean, he's not a super-being.

Conclusion

Overall, I thought the movie was very well done. It kept me hooked for the entire time and had a wide variety of shots. I would definitely recommend watching all the Indiana Jones movies to get a full understanding of the story and just how much work Lucas put into creating a huge fanbase for these movies. 

Chase Scene with Juan

Pre-Production

Before we started filming, we created a storyboard with the plot of me stealing Juan's lunchbox. The storyboard had about 20 or more shots! To create the full effect and intensity of chase scene, we added a lot of shots. We sequenced the video as such: first, I would steal the lunchbox from Juan in Mr. Cooper's room. Then, Juan would chase after me and we would run all the way upstairs and across the hall. Finally, the video would end with Juan and I colliding. 

Production

We started out on the stairs (because there was a lot of people filming in Mr. Cooper's room) and worked our way to the international language pod where Juan and I ran into each other. Of course, we had to do several retakes because of us messing up or a teacher getting in our way. But, other than that, the film process ran smoothly! We tried to incorporate a lot of different types of shots such as the close up of the feet. Then, the videos were imported from there into Adobe Premiere where we trimmed the clips and such. I learned that it takes a lot to make a one minute video interesting!

Next Time?

We would probably re-do the scene in Mr. Cooper's room when there wasn't as many people in there. That way, we could eliminate the jump cut when I run out of the room. I would also trim the hallway running clips even more and try to add some other shots in it. Finally, I would re-do the scene where Juan runs into the international language pod because he changes speeds in our original video.

Importing Clips Into Adobe Premiere Tutorial

The Steps

1. Open Adobe Premiere and create a new project.

2. Select file-import.

3. Click on photos or wherever you have stored your videos.

4. Click and drag on the clip you want to edit and pull it into the editing window in the top left.