Video and Sound Production / Exercises

4 April 2023 -  / Week 1 -
Leem Sejin / 0362419
Video and Sound Production / Bachelor of Design (Honour) in Creative Media
Task : Exercises

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LECTURES

Week 1 :Production stage : Pre-production, Production, Post Production

1. Pre-production (Preparation)

• Idea Development
• Story
• Storyboard
• Visual References
• Location/Props

2. Production

• Lighting
• Costume
• Principal Shooting

3. Post Production

• Offline Editing
• Online Editing
• Audio Editing

Week 2 : Mr Martin shared about different shot sizes. The shot size determines how large the areas that's visible within the frame.

• Extreme wide shot
• Wide shot - tell the audience about the environment
• Medium wide shot
• Medium shot - most of the video is taken by this shot
• Medium close-up shot
• Close-up shot
• Extreme close-up shot

Editing exercise - Adding text using Premiere pro

1. Change the workspace to ' graphic' ( caption&graphic for 2023ver)
2. Select text
3. Shift D - default transition
4. Shift A - Select All

Week 3 : Storytelling in film

Story : The set of all the events in cause-effect relationship occuring in time and space, both the ones explicitly presented and those the viewer infers, constitutes the story. 

Plot : Everything visibly and audibly present in the film, and material that is extraneous to the story world.

3-ACT Structure

Story is structured with beginning, middle, end and two plot points.

 

Fig.1.1 The Three Act Structure graph

Beginning : Setup/ introduction of a story 

• Introduce the world.
• Introduce the main characters.
• Establish the dramatic situation
• Leads to an incident that complicates the Story ( Plot Point 1)

Middle : Confrontation of a problem, known as 'Rising Action'.

• Develop obstacles / complications
• Leads to climax of the story ( Plot Point 2)

End: Resolution of problems

• Ending of Climax
• Answer to all obstacles / problems
• Tying the loose ends

Plot Point 1 : the plot thickens

• The "inciting incident"
• Turn the story in a new direction
• Sets up what Act Two is going to be
• Raises the stakes
• Reminder of the narrative enigma; presents the possibility of a different outcome

Plot Point 2 : the longest mile

• The "Climactic Turning Point"
• Protagonist's quest reaches critical mass
• Possible solution is presented
• Biggest cliffhanger : will the protagonist win or lose?

Week 4 :

Research on colour correction and colour grading through chat gpt and google.

1. What is colour correction?

Colour correction is a process that occurs during a film's post production. Use editing software such as Adobe Photoshop, lightroom or premiere pro. It involves in adjusting colour, contrast and exposure of film footage to make the film natural.

2. What is colour grading?

Unlike colour correction, it focuses on achieving accurate and consistent colour.

3. What is the differences between colour correction and colour grading?

Both techniques are used to adjust the colour, but on different purposes. Colour correction is more focused on matching the specific colours and colour grading is overall mood of the film.

4. Are both colour correction and colour grading necessary while editing video? Or just do one of them?

Both of them are important process in video editing.

Week 5 : Intro to Production Team

Production personnels are hired for the purpose of producing a film or motion picture.

• Producer : initiates, coordinates, supervises, and controls matters such as raising funding, hiring key personnel, contracting and arranging for distributors.
• Screen writer : shapes the sequence of events in a film, to unfold logically and in an interesting way.
• Director : overseeing the creative aspects of a film, including controlling the content and flow of the film's plot, managing technical aspect of visual with camera and sound departments
• Assistant director : Oversee day to day management of the cast and crew scheduling, equipment, script and the set.
• Director of Photography/ cinematographer ( DOP) head of the camera and lighting
• Gaffer : Head of the electrical department, responsible for the design and execution of the lighting plan for a production.
• Sound Recordist : head of the sound department, responsible for recording all sounds during filming.
• Production Designer : creating physical, visual appearance of the film eg) settings, costumes, props, character makeup
• Film Editor : Assembles the various shots into a coherent film, working closely with the director
• Visual Effect artist : compositing images from different sources
• Sound designer : post production sound of a movie

Production work flow

1. Development  : creation, writing, organizing and planning stage of a project.
2. Pre-production : planing stage of script, casting, location scouting, equipment and crew
3. Production : actual filming
4. Post-production : it begins while shooting. It helps to identify problems with footage or any gaps in the story.
5. Distribution : making a movie available for viewing by audience.

Week 7 : Audio shaping

Hertz(Hz): Human hearing: Frequency range from 20Hz to 20,000Hz.

Fig.1.2 

Decibels (dB): The threshold of human hearing is measured as 0dB SPL (sound pressure level) and the threshold of pain 130dB SPL.

Mono v.s Stereo

Mono sounds : recorded using single audio channel

Stereo sounds : recorded using two audio channels.

Fig.1.3

Week 9 : 

Stop motion is filmed one frame at a time.

Process of stop motion

1. Prepare Storyboard (Calculating the Frames Needed)
   
2. Set camera on tripod. Use manual exposure & focus and shoot during the day, but use artificial lighting.

In editing in premiere pro

1. Separate sequences in different folders
2. When create new project, size :1920x1080 24/25 frame per second)

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INSTRUCTION

<iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HI2LdgiejmfFjiAlG3n9TzkfQGRboC2N/preview" width="640" height="480" allow="autoplay"></iframe

Week 1 : Exercises - Editing Exercise
During the class, we are practice to put the sequence into the timeline in premiere pro, and export the final videos.

To Export the video : Go to File, Export, Media

These are the practice videos:

Fig.2.1 Mints exercise 4/4/2023

Fig.2.2 Doritos exercise 4/4/2023

Mr Martin also tasked us to find 3 favourite tiktok videos and state the reasons.

Fig 2.3 Favourite tiktok videos 4/4/2023

Week 2 : We are formed grouped into two, and take the 5 seconds video according to the shots that Mr Martin given to us. After that, we are tasked to edit and add the subtitles in premiere pro.

What I learnt in this exercise :

• When you want to add subtitles, go to graphic window and use Text tool
• To go graphic window if it is not visible : go to window tab on the top, click workspaces and choose graphic.
• To add transition : go to effect , Video transition , Cross Disolve
• To add the black screen at the start and the end of the video : go to effect, video transition, dip to black

Short-cuts for editing in Premiere pro :

• I - input
• O - output

Final video for exercise 1:

Fig.2.4 Shots exercise 11/4/2023

Final video for exercise 2 :

Fig.2.5 Footage exercise 11/4/2023

Week 3 : After the lecture, Mr Martin given the task to watch 2 videos ; 'LALIN' and 'Guang', and identify 3 acts and plots.

Fig.2.6 Identify 3Acts and plot exercise 18/4/2023

Week 5 : We are formed into 10 members and assignment to Project B ( BEEF ). We discussed what role to takes and decide on the location for the shooting.

Storyboard for Project B

Fig 2.8 Project B Storyboard

Week 6 : Our group went for shooting for project 2, I worked as camera assistant, and handle the lighting for overall mood of the film. 

Week 9 : Stop motion exercise

We are formed into same group as Project B, and experience how does stop motion made. We were tasked to make two videos with different tools ; DSLR Camera and phone camera, with different lighting. Before we start, we decided on story and made the props with the clay. 

Next, we set up the props and lighting, followed by setting up the camera. We moved the objects bit by bit and take the photos.

Throughout the exercise, we need many frames to produce 5 seconds video. We move the character bit by bit and take the shots, and it took more than 10 minutes, as we also have to settle the focal point.

For second video, we used one of our members' smartphone and download stop motion app. This app made stop motion directly after we take a photo. 

Fig 2.10 Smart phone stopmotion 30/5/2023

Week 10 : Editing Stop motion

This week, we learnt how to make images into stop motion using premiere pro.

Before we start, we need to change the setting for premiere pro

To change setting : Premiere Pro > Setting > Timeline

Fig 2.11

We need to change still image default duration value to 2.

After importing the images, we need to create new sequence.

Fig 2.12

If we drag the sequence to new sequence, the still image convert to video.

Fig 2.13

Final Video for Stop motion exercise

Fig 2.14