Stand By Me - Music Video

Concept

For this project, we were to do another music video, although hopefully better than last year. We chose "Stand By Me" by Ben E. King. The concept was changed several times, but we finally arrived on the idea circled around three friends having a good time on their last day before one of the friends moves away. Our director, Aidan, was inspired by the movie "Stand By Me" for this video.

Process

Pre-production: We ran through several concepts (almost one too many) but finally settled on one after a few days. The storyboard was very detailed and the beat sheet was as well. We created a prop list and actor list in order to prepare for everything.

Production: We filmed throughout several days and on short intervals... it was surprising that we made it! Everybody handled the responsibility of cinematographer, more or less. Anything to get the shot. Our actors were pretty much our whole group, mind Max Cooper. 

Post-Production: Our editor, Brett, did a fantastic job in editing the video in as little as two days. He had a short window to work with but handled it well, and the result definitely reflects that.

Learn/Skills

I learned how important time management is and the importance of location scouting. I also learned how to better my camera techniques. We used technical skills in the area of cinematography and editing, communication in arriving on location and getting props, leadership in directing the video and taking charge of the short amount of time, collaboration in working all together to create an amazing film with time constraints, and project management in completing the video on time.

Different/Same

I wasn't there for the entire shoot, so the shots indoors I would re-do. Also, some of the shots go in and out of focus because they were on auto mode so I would re-do those as well. Other than that, I would keep everything else the same. The fades between shots really matched well in this video, but might not for every video. I would maybe edit it a little differently, but not much.

Experiences/Conclusions

I will draw the project management I learned in this film to be used in my next project. The minimal time that we had still turned out to be a great product. It goes to show that you have to make the most of the time you are given in order to be completely satisfied with the end result. All in all, I am very pleased with this project and can't wait to get into shorts and features.

Professional Project Review - Music Video

You Can Call Me Al

Paul Simon had a simplistic vision for this music video. He obviously didn't have a massive budget for this but still ended up creating a very unique film. Basically, Chevy Chase was acting as Paul Simon, singing the entirety of the song. Randomly, Paul would get up and grab different instruments while Chase continued to belt the tune.

Principles of Design/Analyze

The cinematography was probably the weakest part of this video. But who's to blame? The story flowed and the acting was certainly the strong suit. Lighting was very well done because all things on screen could be seen. The writing and planning was strong as well because the story clearly was natural and comedic in its own way. Direction in this music video was fantastic. The actors knew what they were doing and when to do it. 

Story

The story, in a nutshell, was the comedic way that Chevy Chase was singing the song instead of Paul Simon. Simon would also bring out various instruments used throughout the song and implement them that way. It was told through a one shot, or close to one shot, video. Yet, many things were going on at once and having one shot didn't really hamper the video at all.

Elements

I would apply the amazing direction and unique story into my films. Lots of planning went into this beforehand and I need to work on my pre-production skills like in the video. One thing I've learned is the importance of something needing to be going on during a still shot like this. Because so much action was involved, it didn't need to have a ton of shots. 

Strengths/Weaknesses

The creator did well on all areas such as lighting, writing, directing, editing, and acting. It was entertaining, in my opinion, and kept the viewer engaged. Cinematography could be improved, though, because the shots were a little long even though Chevy was singing the entire time. Of course, this was back in the era and Paul didn't have a lot to work with.

Conclusions

Overall, this video was well made. Simon and Chase acted well and made this a fun video to watch. It had a simple yet interesting story, and I will apply these techniques to my own future projects. 

MLA Format: YouTube, YouTube, 16 June 2011, www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq-gYOrU8bA.

"Killer Fresh" by Colgate - Commercial

Overview

For this project, our group consisted of three juniors and two seniors: Aidan, Kevin, myself, Darby, and Brett. We chose to present Colgate products in our commercial. To tell the truth, I'm not even sure how we came to Colgate. It just happened. As far as the concept for the script, our original idea was to have a guy walking alone at night, suddenly get murdered, and the Colgate ad would appear. The non-sequitur was hilarious when we originally talked about it. Soon, we realized it wasn't such a strong idea. So, that night, I thought and thought and thought and finally fell upon the "Pyscho" shower scene. Good ideas just fall into your head sometimes. The next day, I presented it to the group and it was better received than the original concept. We were to have a guy walk into the bathroom, get into the shower, and get attacked by a guy with a.... toothbrush. Hence the product.

Process

Darby and Brett were in charge of the storyboard, while Aidan, Kevin, and I were working on the script. Aidan was the director, Kevin was the editor, Darby was the production designer, Brett was the DP, and I was the all-around man. Co-director, co-editor... whatever you'd like to call it. We were set to film on the weekend and edit all week. We filmed on a Saturday at Brett's grandparent's house. It took around 3-4 hours to film, but luckily it was all in one setting. Filming was the best part, although it was pretty hot in the bathroom. During editing, we pretty much let Kevin work his magic with us occasionally visiting his office to provide feedback and help. The final product went through several changes and had to be cut by at least 10 seconds. I also suggested that we add jazz music to the beginning to create a peaceful atmosphere before the killing.

I Learned Things (5 Guarantees)

I helped to co-direct the commercial and provide input on the layout of shots and such during production. In post-production, I helped Kevin a lot with problem areas needing to be addressed. I learned communication skills in partnering up with seniors/people I haven't worked with. I also learned more technical skills in making a film that was black and white and helping someone else with editing. I bettered my leadership skills by directing Max, our lead actor, and organizing the final concept. As far as project management, we turned in the commercial on time. So that's a plus. I learned to collaborate with several other like-minded people that I've never met before!

Different/Same

We would make it clear that the toothbrush was the attack weapon. For the people that have seen "Psycho", I think they got that. But, for the non-Hitchcockians, that reference went over their head. So we could clearly display the toothbrush in the hand of the killer. I really liked how it turned out, though, so I wouldn't change much. 

Objectives

We emotionally connected to the Hitchcock lovers. But someone was being killed, so not much else. We didn't give a lot of information on the product, but it was a toothbrush so there's not much to tell. Our group called people to action when the actor smelled his breath but decided against brushing his teeth. Brush your teeth people! There wasn't much positive association with a murder, but try your best to find some. You'll definitely trust Colgate now that a killer toothbrush man could come and get you for not brushing. The script was really strong and we relied on it most of the production time, so we used writing effectively. Aidan was a great director and implemented his knowledge of film into the project. For audio, we didn't need much as we used music and audio from the Psycho film. The lighting was well done because it was in a bathroom. Brett did a great job as a cinematographer and I feel that aspect was strong. Kevin was a good listener and editor, so our final project reflected that.

Conclusion

Overall, I really enjoyed this project and the people I got to work with. We worked well together and the result certainly shows that. Now I'm inspired to create more commercials in the future!

2nd Semester Graphic Design Final Blog

Designer Poster & Paper

1. The goal of this project was to research a designated designer and write about how he/she influenced the design world. I had Paul Rand, designer of the Ford and ABC logos. We also were to design a poster that would be displayed at the Nelson Atkins museum. 

2. The entirety of this project took quite a while. It was more or less two months.

3. Some of the challenges I faced were cutting out the image of Paul Rand in Photoshop and cutting out his logos as well. That was the hardest part of the project.

4. I was given feedback on the order of information on the poster, so I changed the hierarchy of the address, phone number, etc.

5. I got better acquainted with Photoshop and learned how to create an appealing poster for people visiting the museum.

6. I changed the fonts around a couple of times until the handwritten style matched the theme.

7.  I'm proud of this project, as it looks like an exhibit I would want to go see.

Typography Quotes

1. The goal of this project was to pick four of your favorite quotes and turn them into a design that you would put on your wall.

2. This project took around a month to complete.

3. I faced challenges on deciding what color combinations to use.

4. I learned more about illustrator and how to arrange typography in certain ways. I also learned to put emphasis on certain words in the poster.

5. I was given feedback on the color on certain posters; I needed more variety.

6. So, I changed the Steven Spielberg & Mel Brooks boards to resemble a more lively color scheme.

7. I'm proud of these posters as these are some of my favorite quotes and I feel that the typography matches with the tone.

Logo Rebrand

1. For this project, we were to find a small company whose logo could use some rebranding. I chose C3 Marketing, my aunt's company.

2. This project lasted from the middle of April until the end of this year.

3. I faced challenges regarding which black concept logo to rebrand in color and sometimes faced challenges in finding sufficient mockups.

4. I learned a lot more about mockups in Photoshop and how to design a letterhead, business card, and envelope in case I need to do that in the future.

5. I was given feedback on my color rebrand of the C3 logo, so I made it simple, sticking with two colors.

6. I didn't change much. The one thing I could remember for next time would be to decrease the margin in the letterhead.

7. Because I had a personal tie to the company, I really liked this project and the result that followed. I feel that C3 Marketing has some decisions to make regarding their logo!

Use of Time

1. I feel that I have used my time in graphic design efficiently, as I finish my work on time, turn it in to the right location, etc. When I'm done, I check with Mr. Mason for his opinion and then wrap up things from there.

2. If I finish early, like I said, I check with Mr. Mason and make corrections based on the feedback. After that, I upload it to Behance. I make sure everything looks coordinated and clean on bechance.

3. If there is a project that I cannot simply get done in class, I make sure to work outside of class. This wasn't the case for this semester, but last semester I worked on my vector outside of class.

Strengths & Weaknesses

I feel that my strengths and simplicity and cleanliness with designing a logo. For instance, I implemented these strengths while designing the Paul Rand poster and my C3 color rebrand. As far as areas for improvement, I could continue to get more familiar with Photoshop and the wide variety of tools in Illustrator. To improve this, I could work on other projects outside of class.

Summary

1. The project I loved most about the semester would have to be the C3 Marketing rebrand. Since my aunt is the head of the company, I wanted to design something tangible for her to look at and see what I'm doing in school.

2. I would change my typography posters (certain ones) if I had the chance. Changing the color schemes would be on my agenda.

3. I learned a lot more about graphic design and I feel that this class is valuable to what I will be doing later on. The number one thing I learned: DON'T use computer-generated fonts. Don't. Unless it's for a paper, don't. 

4. I would like to set a goal to implement my skills learned this year into my video projects later on. You know, the next movie to shatter the box office. Be ready.

5. Graphic design is certainly useful in all aspects, and I can use that to my advantage to make my video portfolio even better.

Marks & Symbols Blog

Summary

Regarding marks, I learned about the six different types: symbols, pictographs, letter marks, logos, combination marks, and trademarks. Symbols have no type used. Pictographs are public symbols used for language barriers. Lettermarks form the company name in type. Logos use words in type to identify a company. Combination marks are a symbol and logo used together. Finally, trademarks are all of the marks mentioned above. Symbols should be easy to read, identifiable, and simple. They should be easy to mass produce as well!

Symbol & Logo

Symbols do not have type used. An example would be the Dell symbol. Logos, on the other hand, use words in type. An example would be the Exxon logo. A logo and symbol put together is called a combination mark. Nike is an example of a combination mark.

Three Facts

1. Easy identification - The symbol should be easy to recognize and recall!

2. One color - The symbol should have just one color, unless it is needed for enhancement. One color is easy for distributing and printing.

3. Heavy weight - Heavy marks are usually simpler. They offer more contrast and stand out more than thinner-weighted marks.

Favorite?

The best fact I learned was to be simple. A logo, such as Nike or Adidas, is easy to recognize because it is only one color and has a heavy weight. It is not abstract. The simplicity of a logo is easier to mass produce and will save a company money, which, in the long run, makes you, the designer, more money. Crazy logos with tons of color do not stand the test of time. I will definitely implement this idea in to making logos for the future.

Conclusion

A symbol or mark is very critical to a company's success. Nike is so successful because their swoosh is so recognizable. Simplicity and cleanliness of a design is definitely something to keep in mind.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off Trailer

Overview

For this project, we were to recreate a movie trailer based on a movie that takes place in high school. Our group chose "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". I was the director, Aidan was the cinematographer, and Dee was the art director.

Process

We first created a shot for shot storyboard, which helped a lot. We also wrote a script and created a production schedule. Then, we filmed at school and at Aidan's house. There were several locations and actors that we had to work with. Regarding post production, it took about a week to edit.

What I Learned

Now I know how to create a movie trailer! It's a lot harder than you think. There are so many shots that go in to one trailer. And, it ends up only being one to two minutes! I also am (slowly) getting better at color grading and I learned how to overlay flicker footage on the trailer.

Improvement & Next Time

The audio was hard to work with, as an inconsistency in mics led to poor audio. Other than the audio quality, we didn't have much other feedback. For next time, we will make sure to use ONE (good) microphone to capture audio. Audio is important, people.

Overall

I feel like our group put a lot of work in to this project. It was a lot of fun to capture a variety of different shots, and it was cool to see it all put together in editing. I can't wait to see what we do next!

Typography

Typography Videos

In the informational videos, I learned about the distinction between serifs and san serifs. Serifs are the letters that have "feet", and san serifs do not. I also found that "kerning" is the adjustment between spaces of letters, and tracking is the overall adjustment. Before the videos, I had heard of those terms but never knew what they meant. Finally, I learned about the five alignment types: flush left, flush right, justified, centered, and random or asymmetrical.

The Big Idea

The most important idea I took away from the videos would probably be the difference between serifs and san serifs. Although I had heard of these terms, I didn't fully understand what each of them where. Also, serifs can fall in to two categories: unbracketed and bracketed. Unbracketed serifs have a ninety degree angle with the feet, whereas bracketed have a curved feet transition.

10 Golden Rules You Should Live by When Combining Fonts

The first rule is choose complimentary fonts, meaning that you should choose a font that is lighthearted and fun if you are designing a birthday card, for example. With that font though, you should also pick a simple font for information so it is easy to read. The second rule is to establish a hierarchy, which means that your title font should be larger on the page than your information. The third rule is to consider context and who your audience is. This could be a standard font, for example, if you are trying to apply for a job. Fourth, you should mix san serifs and serifs, because they are opposite of one another. Fifth, create contrast; whether that be color or font. Sixth, don't create conflict with your fonts. Consider the weight and such when deciding and which fonts work well together. Seventh, avoid fonts that are too similar. Pretty cut and dry. Eighth, use fonts from the same family, just different weights or sizes. Ninth, limit your number of fonts. Don't have sixteen different fonts on a page.... it's just too confusing. And last, practice. You'll get better and pairing fonts with experience.

3 Key Points

The third rule in the article about considering context is very important to typography. It is important to know your audience and design something that is appropriate and appealing to them. Another important rule would be the contrast. You shouldn't have a black font on dark blue background. Instead, you should have a white font to contrast. Finally, use fonts from the same family is important because it is easier to read and different weights and sizes are enough different to make the design look good.

Favorite Thing About Typography? And Conclusion

The most important idea I read would have to be the context information. It is very important to hold your audience's attention. Choosing a font for the correct occasion can, in the future, help out clients and please customers. I feel that, although the videos helped visualize the information, the article painted a clearer picture about typography.