This week I've set up a recording studio, practiced basic editing techniques, and edited green screen footage, all at the same time. So my green screen that I ordered came in over the weekend and it was a lot bigger than I expected it to be (15 x 9 ft), plus it didn't come with a backdrop system for setting it up. After realizing this, I ordered a cheap backdrop system and that came in on Tuesday. Once I got it I went to my basement to start setting up the official recording studio and green screen. Then, after setting up the green screen and camera, I recorded some base footage to edit and went upstairs to put edit all the green screen clips I had to make a test footage roll, which you can see at the end of this blog post, in addition to a tour of the studio setup. The test footage roll was actually really easy to put together, taking less than 30 minutes to edit 4 clips with a background. I didn't just edit a green screen background onto the video either, I also practiced some of the other skills I learned, those being time scaling and media generating. The media generating was used to create the text shown in the video, and the time scaling was used on the background clips to scale the clip with the video it would be the background of. Each setup in the video had slightly different conditions affecting them. The first test was done on the green screen pinned to my wall before I got the backdrop stand to hold it. This test was done in very bad lighting conditions and the screen was not widespread or effectively held, thus making the edges and video mixing tear in a few spots. The second test was done on the green screen under much more even lighting conditions, and with more support for the screen itself, yet it was not evened out using tape or clamps, so there was a little bit of poor mixing. The third test is the same as the second, yet this time with tape and clamps used to even out the screen. I also realized that in both of these clips I walked to close to the screen, causing shadows and mixing errors. On top of that I was also wearing a green shirt that blended in with the background a little bit, which explains why it looks gray and somewhat transparent in the video. I feel like this week I was really able to get started and make some huge strides in getting where I want to be in terms of pacing for this project. I wasn't able to make the video I teased last weekend, but I am still planning to make that as well as other videos with the new green screen setup I have. Next week I hope to start writing some scripts for upcoming videos, and maybe even start filming them. As for this weekend, I'll be working on fine tuning the green screen to make the video mixing as good as possible. Stay tuned for plenty more stuff to come!
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This week has mainly been focused on learning more useful video editing techniques as well as gathering the materials needed to complete the project. Since last week I've continued to watch the video editing playlist on YouTube and this coming week I hope to actually test the techniques learned. I've really been impressed with the things I've learned so far as I wasn't aware that Vegas Pro could actually do all of the things I wanted it to, and the things I didn't even know I wanted it to do. A few of the things I've seen my favorite video makers used in their videos I am now capable of doing in my own videos, which I think is pretty cool.
In addition to learning more stuff about editing, I've also started ordering and gathering the supplies I want to use for several of the videos I plan on making for the project. Over this past weekend I actually got a higher quality camera to use for filming from my aunt, as opposed to using the iPhone 5 camera which I have used for all of my videos thus far. On top of this I also have ordered a green screen which will be coming in this weekend. The camera will greatly increase the video quality of the videos I make, and the green screen will allow me to conveniently make background effects in videos. There's a very good chance that I'll be using that green screen for a video coming rather soon too, so look out for that. I hope to start making a few videos within the next few weeks, but finding the time and place to film them and then editing them using the new skills I've learned can take a while, so I'll have to plan out a schedule. I do actually have two or three videos planned out already using the same planning methods as I have done for the majority of the videos on my channel so far. Basically how I plan out videos is I first get an idea, write out a basic rough outline of the script and cinematography on a Google Doc, proofread and refine it, and then actually film, edit, and upload it. Me and my friends have actually been making videos for well over a year now, most of the production process being done over one whole day. For this project I would like to put a lot more time into filming and editing to make the videos as great as possible. One thing we're always trying to do with our videos on the channel is make them better than the last in one way or another, and with this project I have the time and materials needed to actually plan out our upcoming videos and take them to the next level in terms of quality. I don't have any new previews to link here at the end of the blog, so I'll leave you with a bit of a sneak preview of the next video I plan to work on in the coming weeks. The green screen I ordered will be here this weekend so I plan to play around and test edits with that over the next couple of days as well. Don't forget to leave any comments or feedback on the blog, and stay tuned for plenty more cool stuff to come! This week officially started the Genius Hour project, so I decided to start simple and learn some more about the video editing software I will be using. I've had the video editing software I'll be using for about 2 months now as I got it for Christmas. During this two month period of having the software I never bothered to learn how to use it in depth, instead choosing to just learn through experience. The first thing I realized when watching the video tutorial playlist (link will be provided at the end of this blog) was how much stuff I already knew from playing around with the software earlier in the year, but also just how much cool stuff I never would've figured out otherwise. To learn what I was doing with Sony Vegas Pro 14 I simply looked up a video tutorial series on YouTube which gives a basic overview of the software for beginners for free. The first video focused on navigating the software itself as well as some basic transitions and edits you can add to video clips more so than major effects or editing large videos. I would say that this is the best possible way to start with the program as it lets you know what the software is capable of and what you can do with it personally. The same channel that made the beginner's guide to the software also made other videos on more specific topics such as adding text to a video/slideshow or rendering a project in HD/4K. I've always found that I learn best through experience or through seeing someone else doing something, so watching these tutorials and then later testing them for myself is what I consider to be the best possible way for me to understand and use the software. Some of the things the video series covers are how to transition between clips, edit clips to make them longer or shorter, and splicing video and audio clips together. All of this is extremely basic yet important information as the more advanced tools of the software build off of these ideas. Another thing I realized while watching the video was just how many of the techniques I could use for videos on the channel, which was pretty exciting to imagine how I could adapt them into my already existing ideas for videos to improve them. During the next week and coming weeks I hope to finish learning the basic foundation information for the software and start gathering materials for filming. If all goes according to plan I should be ordering a higher quality camera than my iPhone 5 (which I've used to film all of our videos thus far), a green screen, and possibly lights for the first video project I have planned. I have actually used the video editing software to produce some amateur short videos which are linked below. One makes use of a green screen while the other was a short music video which was the first video I made using the software. Also linked below is the video playlist I watched to learn the basics of the software if anyone wants to watch them as well. I'm really excited to try out some of the stuff I've learned already and I think the project is going to go really well. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more to come!
Welcome to the introductory project blog for my Genius Hour, Lights, Camera, Edit. In this project I will be focusing on learning various film and editing techniques and then use what I've learned to create some high quality videos to share with people.
My current plan for the layout of the project is to learn techniques, practice those techniques, understand the filming process, and then compile all of that information into a video or a group of videos to entertain people. I haven't fully decided on what I want to make, but I know for a fact that I want to learn how to edit and film in a more professional manner. I've always been interested in entertaining people and recently I've become extremely interested in film and cinematography specifically. This interest in film and cinematography mainly comes from my love for TV shows and movies as a storytelling medium, in that they are capable of conveying sounds and images with their stories in a fashion that is really interesting and engaging. For the project I'll start by learning about the filming and editing process as well as how to get started. Once the general learning stage of the project is complete I'll begin executing what I've learned by making various short films which will likely be linked here on the blog, or on my YouTube channel. Once I feel confident in my skills I'll likely produce a much larger final product, which I haven't completely decided what that will be yet. In terms of materials I'll be using my computer for editing via Sony Vegas, a video camera and tripod for recording, and likely a green screen for various Chroma Key effects. For last year's genius hour I attempted to make a video game for similar reasons, I love entertainment, storytelling, and the medium itself. I discovered that making a video game tell a complete story and making use of various senses takes a lot of time and knowledge to pull off in a way that is engaging for the player. I'd like to learn from the mistakes of that Genius Hour and truly put a lot more time and effort into this project. Things should be a lot easier to produce as making videos from the ground up is a lot easier than producing a game from the ground up as well. I am still interested in video games as a medium, and will likely continue to pursue a career in programming in the future, but filming is currently a much more accessible hobby, and one which I know little about. I've actually experimented with video making prior to this project as me and my friends have made videos for other classes and just for fun on our own. If you'd like to watch some of the things we've made you can go check out our YouTube channel which is linked in the About and Contact pages as well as the end of this blog post. This website has some additional general information on the project you can read in the About tab as well. In the Contact tab you can sign up for news updates on the project, contact me directly to comment or contribute, and even check out the already established YouTube and Patreon accounts I've made. Stay tuned for plenty of cool videos and blog posts to come! |