Someone get Edgar Wright, I am the next big movie man.
I’ve just completed the “Vibrant Video” project in Maker 9, which focused on videography and movie-making. There were 4 skills we were learning in this project:
Skill 1: Think Like A Movie-Maker
Skill 2: Framing Shots and Developing Angels
Skill 3: Planning and Shooting
Skill 4: Making The Most of Effects
For each skill we made a video to demonstrate we could use it well. Each video also taught us different movie-making skills and techniques. Our first video was an introduction video of me and my hobbies. This video was a good learning experience but is not fun to show people as it is pretty lifeless.
That video was to focus on taking clips with multiple angels and putting them together with background music to create a coherent video. I think there is some improvement as the project goes on.
Our skill 2 video was a silent film. Throughout this project we’ve been learning the history of film, from Thomas Edison sneezing to Avatar to 1917. This video was to use different angels (close up, far shot, birds eye), with an old fashioned filter with the “GASP” dialogue boards. This one was fun to make but definitely could have been better, the timing of each shot is too long:
Lets take a break from skills because I want to tell you some fun facts about film history that i’ve learnt:
– The first idea of a film was a kinetoscope, a device that would spin pictures in a circle to create a moving image
- The physical film that old films were made out of were quite flammable, which made it a danger to watch in theatres
- Many people considered films to be ‘sinful’
- In the 1970s studio contracts ended, meaning actors were no longer tied to a company and could act for any film
Okay back to skills. Skill 3s video it was really fun to plan and film. This video taught us storyboarding, using iMoves new update which gave us a full storyboard. All we had to do was film everything and put it in the correct spot. I worked with Carter and Faith to work on this video. We made a tutorial on how to use the school vending machines:
Our final skill and video!! This one we learnt to use visual effects with iMovie and GarageBand. I think this was my favourite video to make, as the concept was really fun. However I did not make this alone, I worked with Cooper and Declan:
As we begin to wrap up this post, let me walk you through what ive learnt makes a good video:
- Planning out the sequence of events
- Planning the shots
- Planning the after effects
- Revise
- Shooting each scene
- Revise
- Piecing each scene together
- After effects
- Revise
There you go, you’ve just created a movie! Hopefully… the last kid who tried this blew up their toaster…
I think in future video-making, I need to give myself more time plan out each step of the process. But also more opportunities to make videos, experience trumps all. Specifically I think I should do everything twice. I should make the story spine, wait 10 minutes then come back and look over it again. Make the storyboard, wait 10 minutes then come back to it etc. I think thats a really good way for me to not rush through each step of the way.
Whilst this project came in when other Maker projects were still happening I was still able to learn a lot, and am currently developing these skills further in our new Maker project! Stay tuned.