Blog Post #6

      After Thanksgiving break, I continued working on the public relations video for the Music Department. However, while I was editing I noticed that the audio on Mr. Fannin’s interview and a student’s interview was very low. I thought the sound could be fixed with editing, but when Jeremy tried to turn up the audio, the background noise also went up with their voices. I decided to redo both interviews. I interviewed Mr. Fannin today, but I was unable to contact the student, so I will probably just take the student’s quote out of the video. This is sort of sad because I really thought the student’s quote was very good, but the sound was bad and this could make the rest of the video seem mediocre. I completed the video after my vocal jury was done. I was very excited to finish and Jeremy looked at it. He told me that the video was very good for a beginner videographer. He also gave me suggestions on how to improve it and we did make some changes. He said that in the future, I need to get closer to get the shot when I film b-roll or footage. Jeremy also said that cross fades help to make the transitions look smoother in the video.  I am proud of this video and I was surprised at how long it took me to complete this project. Making this video has shown me that you have to have patience and be willing to spend several hours on one project and never underestimate how much time it will take to complete a video. Videos are time consuming, but the final product is worth it in the end. I posted the final edit of the video on this blog, but I will probably still make adjustments next semester to make this product worthy of being a promotional tool for the Murray State University Music Department.

Blog Post#5

     When I first began editing the public relations video for the music department, I felt overwhelmed because I had so much footage and interviews that I did not know where to begin. I talked to Jeremy and he told me to figure out what I wanted the video to look like and to write down my ideas. Also, he told me to pick the best sound bites or quotes from the people I interviewed. Both of these tips were very helpful because once I wrote down my ideas for the video, the editing no longer seemed so difficult. I skimmed through each interview and picked out the best quote for each person. Then, I looked through my b-roll or footage to see what images would go along with what the people were talking about during the interviews.

     I decided that I wanted to separate the interviews into sections, such as Vocal/Choral Area, Degree Programs, Orchestra/Symphonic Wind Ensemble etc. The title of each section will appear with outdoor footage of the fine arts building in the background. Some of my best footage was filmed outdoors and I think these images of the Fine Arts buildings and Lovett Auditorium would attract students because the campus is so beautiful. The only way to learn how to edit is to work on projects and learn as you go along. I think doing this video has helped me get more advanced with my editing skills and it has been a fun experience working with the software. Basic Audio/Video Production (JMC 270) gave me the basic tools to edit a video, but since my Senior Seminar project is more complicated, the public relations video has given me a chance to take the basic skills of editing a step further. I completed the How-To video for my JMC 270 class and it is the first video I have filmed and edited myself, so I posted it on this blog. I will post the final edit of the Public Relations Video for the Music Department on my final blog post.

Blog Post #4

I wish I had known how long the 1st video was going to take to film when I began this project because I would not have included 3 video ideas in my project proposal. I decided to cut the 3rd video on opera for children because I did not think I would have time to complete it. Also, I am required to do a video in my JMC 270 course and this video has to be a How-To video, which I did not think about earlier this semester. I think I can do the video about music in the City of Murray, but I will have to be smart and plan accordingly. A couple of weeks ago, I was supposed to interview Mr. Fannin and Nick Calcamaggio, but I had a minor set back. Jeremy told someone to leave the door to the 8th floor office open, but he/she didn’t, so I did not have access to the camera and the lights at the time of the interviews. I rescheduled those interviews for the following Wednesday and both interviews went well. 

All of the people I have interviewed throughout this project have been very articulate and great representations of the music department. For the past couple of weeks, I began shooting b-roll or footage for the PR Video for the Music Department. I have gotten footage of the Fine Arts Building and Lovett Auditorium outdoors. This footage was very beautiful because Murray State has a very nice campus and this would attract students to the music department as well. However, most of my b-roll was filmed indoors. Filming b-roll or footage involves more creativity than just shooting an interview. For b-roll, you have to decide which places look the most attractive and what angles or positions the camera should be in order to show the best visual images. The best b-roll I think I have gotten so far is the footage of the orchestra rehearsal because I moved the camera across the room and it did not look weird or unprofessional. However, the end of the clip was a little strange because I zoomed in and out really quickly, but that section of this footage will not be used for the final public relations video. I posted the video of the orchestra rehearsal above this blog post.

Blog Post #3

I decided to interview a vocal music major, a pianist, and an instrumentalist for the public relations video for the Music Department. Last week, I interviewed Olivia Erb, a junior vocal music major, and Dr. Bradley Almquist, Director of Choral Activities. I was supposed to interview another student, but they did not show up because they had forgotten about a prior commitment at the same time. Jeremy said that no shows happen to everyone sometimes and that it was okay. However, I should have reminded that person the day before and not two days before, so it was my fault. I can use this in the future to help me because I will not be alarmed when someone does not show up for an interview, but first and foremost, I will always remember to remind the person about an interview the day before it is scheduled. 

I rescheduled my interview with the other student for this Wednesday and I will interview another music student as well. Jeremy will not be there with me this week for the interviews, so I will be setting up the camera and lights by myself. I think that it is great that he trusts me to work with the camera and lights alone because it means he thinks that I will be careful with the equipment and that I know what I am doing. The video above is the first answer given during the interview I did with Olivia Erb. She explains why she chose to audition for the MSU Music Department. Jeremy made a video tutorial for me giving instructions to convert the file on my SD Card to one that would upload on You Tube and I did that successfully. I will use this tutorial when I post a link on my blog because it was very helpful.

Blog Post #2

For the past two weeks, I have learned about lighting and interviewed three people for the music department’s public relations video. Since I did not have any interviews scheduled during our meeting time on Wednesday September 21^st, Jeremy and I discussed and set up lights for a mock interview. I did not understand 3-point lighting in my JMC 270 class, but now I have a solid connection about the purpose for each light and how it is set up. The key light is the most important because it sheds the most light on the person. The fill light is positioned on the opposite side of the key light and it fills in the shadows that are being cast on the person. The back light is put behind the person to define the shape of their head against the background. This is especially important if the person has dark hair and the background is dark because their head will blend in with the background, which will not look good to the viewer. All three of these lights are equally important and will give the best quality lighting for any video.

The next day, I interviewed Dr. Pamela Wurgler, Chairman of the MSU Music Department and we used the 3-point lighting. During our scheduled meeting on Wednesday September 28^th, I interviewed Dennis Johnson, MSU Orchestra Conductor, and another music faculty member. Dr. Wurgler suggested sending the questions to her and the other interviewees before each interview. She said having the questions kept her from rambling and others just felt more comfortable when they had the questions a couple of days or more before the interview. I can use this in the future to help me because so far everyone I have interviewed has appreciated having the questions ahead of time. Also, the responses each person gave were their best well thought out answers and this should make the final product better. This week I am interviewing five more people and I have already sent them their questions. The video above is the first answer Dr. Wurgler gave during my interview with her.

Blog Post #1

I was really excited to begin working on this project because I have not done anything with television since high school. Jeremy McKeel, TV Operations Director, spent the first two hours going over the camera equipment thoroughly. Since I am enrolled in JMC 270, he went over a semester’s worth of material in the first two hours and it was a lot of information. I was surprised by the fact that using the camera is not that complicated at least for conducting interviews. When doing an interview you have to do a white balance, set up the shot correctly and make sure the lighting is good. Once the shot is set, audio is the next component that needs attention. I did not understand how to set audio on the camera even when he explained it the first time, but we will focus more on that during our next meeting. Jeremy says that some students will sacrifice audio for visuals, but both are equally important. During our last meeting, I set up the tripod, the camera and shot some footage in the studio. Jeremy gave a mock interview and I shot b-roll in the studio based on what he talked about in the interview. B-roll is the footage shown in videos or reports in-between or during interviews. Then we went to the editing lab and he showed me how to edit the video. Final Cut Pro is the editing system used at Murray State University. I talked to Dr. Wurgler about ideas for the public relations video for the Music Department. I am going to begin shooting interviews this week and Jeremy is going to come with me for my first interview with Dr. Wurgler. The picture below is an example of a video being edited with the Final Cut Pro program that I am using for my project.

Social Media Post

I believe that as a responsible user of social media, I must make sure that I do not post inappropriate pictures or comments about myself or others. I notice that people can post some awful comments on Facebook, Twitter and several other social media sites. Many people believe that because they are online, they can say anything they want. Bullying on social media has been another huge issue that has gotten worse the last few years. Students will go on Facebook or My Space to harass fellow classmates and this has led to serious consequences. When applying for jobs, companies look at Facebook and sometimes this can hinder someone from getting a job because they have pictures of themselves drinking at parties or participating in other unprofessional situations. When people post statuses and comments about teachers, bosses and colleagues, it can result in lost jobs and expulsions from school for both students and faculty. A responsible social media user like myself will never post pictures, statuses, or comments that I think will effect my chances of getting a job or harm strong relationships that I have built over the years. Social Media is a great way to network with others, but I want to treat people the way I want to be treated online or face to face.