Preamble ~ Understanding Process

 I was involved in the production of a student film; in fact it was merely a short.  As a favour to a friend in need I took a day out of my Spring frolicking and dedicated it to assisting her to graduate University.  Perhaps I should not have done what I did but water under the bridge.  Sometime after, I felt the desire to document the experience -- I did not.  Here and now I will:

10 hours
8 characters
6 scenes
4 sets
2 acts
1 script and I am suddenly reminded of why I am not a Television Production major.

*

2 Cameramen/ Gaffers,
1 Audio Technician/ Boom Extender,
every hand is Grip, every person is Producer/ Director.
Each scene shot 5 times from different lengths and angles,
motion ongoing with every nuanced action repeated for Continuity sake

*

At the end of it all?

A 15 minute production I have yet not seen for all the frustration and tiredness it'd bring to what was just supposed to be a couple hours (two hours, less even!) of helping out a friend.

***

Why do I choose now to document this?  Why dwell on this thing that has happened and gone?  I suppose I am reminding myself of what I dislike and the reasons for said dislike because in the past month or so I have decided I will be wetting my toes in the waters of Video Production.  Some people never learn.  I'm now well into the Pre-production phase with my vision of the final product.  If thoughts could be communicated without going through the noisy, distracting channel of words (spoken or written) then I would share my projection.  I'm almost certain that as with all things in life this vision will not become tangible; it will not be the way I want it to be because life is like a toolbox of wrenches when all you want is a screw.

I say all that to say only this: I'll be attempting this project and I will document it here in a kind of behind-the-scenes Director's manual.

*insert optimistically dire statement here*
Best wishes, happy hunting, may the odds be ever in favour et al.

Alas delusions of grandeur compel me to do this thing.  For others to look back and marvel at.  For the sake of understanding process.

Action Poetry

In the most recent posts, I took a turn at writing poems.  They didn't all rhyme and they weren't all readily understandable.  But! after reading them a dozen times maybe with a dictionary/ thesaurus you figure them out or at the very least get the gist of the message.  They were all in fulfilment of a class assignment but they were also due to a recent surge in interest I have had in this genre of writing and speech delivery.  Today's post will be on Performance Poetry.

Photo of Sarah Kay, Spoken Word Poet
TED Conference (Voted 2011 Best TED Presentation)

Poetry is ...
                  /ˈpəʊɪtri/ literary work in which the expression of feelings and ideas is given intensity by the use of distinctive style and rhythm; a genre of literature.
This is our working definition.  Many things to many people; anyone can conjure up their own definition for poetry but here we will stick to Oxford's.




Performance Poetry is written not for print or reading but to be seen and heard.  The art form has many names: Spoken Word, Stand Up, Dub, Slam; to-may-to/to-mah-to. I will first introduce you to the work of Taylor Mali to open your mind to the wonder of poetry.  This video, "What Teachers Make", is an interpretation of Taylor Mali's poem performed by actors.  Therefore this is a merger between poetry and acting.

 

A teacher by profession and Page Meets Stage Curator, Taylor has dealt with the situations he describes in this poem.  These are his opinions, this is his burden that he has put to writ and transferred to stage.  In a previous post I tackled the topic of what to write.  While I won't tell anyone what to write I mentioned some of the features of what is considered 'good' literature.  Passion, Plot development, Literary value.  Tell the story that you care about, keep your reader/listener on the edge of the seat and fearlessly use the literary tools that you have.

The next poem is "The Truth Without Photoshop" by P4CM poet Janette...ikz needs no introduction but be warned it will likely draw on your emotions.

The words spoken by Janette...ikz here is truth.  This is her story unapologetically, creatively, hers.  This video shows performance poetry in the manner that it is most often seen; done by the original author, to an audience and without props.

These pieces differ in content and presentation yet are common in that they are poetry in action.  Follow up on these artists and enjoy the world of performance poetry.

...withShantelleS

Setting the Mood Music

Today we continue speaking of video production.

Photo by Kevin Labianco

In a previous post you were introduced to Casual, a webisode series about the relation of 'a Guy and a Girl' .  We spoke about how impressive the quality of the production was, even more so because of the low budget with which it was done.  Viewers get pulled into a story that has them feeling as though the characters are friends and the situations are their own.  How is this done?  By setting the mood.

The mood is the emotional tone of the video and the emotions conveyed to the audience after watching the video. 

The mood of a video can be influenced by many things including the dialogue, the lighting/ colouring of the video, or the choice of music.  Our emphasis will be on setting the emotional tone of the video using music.


A relatively simple way to set the mood for your video is through use of music.  Carefully chosen 'mood' music takes into consideration:

• lyrics
• beat or rhythm
• mixing down the music with dialogue
• mood of the scene; happy, sad, scared ...

Watch this episode of Casual to hear how much difference well-chosen music can make in a scene.

I know that you are now convinced and will go off to try all you've learned but please ...


Keep it legal!

So let's say you find a song that you think is perfect.  The first thing to do is ensure that you have permission to use it.  Copyright is a serious matter and overlooking your legal responsibilities only proves that you are not very professional.  


This is all I leave you with until next time.

...withShantelleS

Quality Production with Limited Resources

Hey guys today we will be talking about Video Production.

and Action!
Image from Behind the Scenes of Casual

The project we will focus on to bring across key points is Casual a webisode series that is based on the 'casual' relationship between "a Guy and a Girl".  This series is an outstanding example of how having 'limited' resources does not put a limit on quality.

Casual has a few strengths that every video needs. These are:

• good writing
• good acting or on-screen personalities
• good technical production crew
• a production team with drive

One added bonus:

• Beauty-Full locations

In the words of the Director, Jay Diaz and Cinematographer, Tony Joun the shooting style was "dirty" or "guerrilla" to portray a realism or feel of the audience spying on the relationship.

The production has been described as "low budget" with a lot of:

• handheld or Steadicam usage
• no lighting set up; just natural light & the use of reflectors
• on-location shoots   
• A skeleton crew of Producer, Director, Cinematographer, 2 Starring Actors and few featured cast.

In spite of these limitations the quality of the series cannot be denied just watch this series trailer and you too will get sucked into the the drama of Casual. 

After the critical acclaim of Casual the series it was made into a feature film and is now on the Film Festival Circuit!

...withShantelleS

Making Mass Media Social (Part 2/2)

Welcome back

Today we will continue the process of converting newspaper articles (mass media) to blog posts (social media).  To see the previous post please click this link.

The second pick is the Jamaica Gleaner's Entertainment article titled "50 of Caribbean's Best Designers on Show" published Saturday June 9.


Things we saw happen in the previous post:

• The story is a lot shorter.  
• Some of the information was cut for continuity between title and content.  
• A video of the race was added. 

To judge effectiveness of the changes simply ask yourself the question; which story interested you more?

The Choices

Social media is online.  It is mostly unlimited access to information.  This contrasts with buying a newspaper or sitting to watch an entire newscast.  As a consequence to easy access to specific information the person who uses social media must grab the attention of viewers instantly.  In order to keep their attention the must be able to get all the information they want and be interested!

Now I will attempt to grab and keep your attention by making today's article more Internet friendly.

50 of Caribbean's Best Designers on Show

Caribbean Fashion Week (CFW), originated by Pulse Model Agency, is celebrating its 12th year by showcasing 50 of the region's best designers.  Why 50?  This year, 2012, will mark the 50th year of Independence for Jamaica as well as Trinidad and Tobago; the two countries which have contributed the most to CFW.  Ultra-talented designers like the Cedella Marley, Meiling, Mushroom, Mutanga, Tiger Lilly, The Cloth, and Pulse's very own Nell Robinson will be sending their works down the CFW runway.

This year they have brought in international recording artists Brian McKnight, Estelle, Konshens and many more.

CFW is a calendar event that has focused the world of fashion and international attention on the region while generating business for Caribbean designers.  

CFW has longstanding partnerships with other regional professionals to bring about an event that is being described is "amazing"!  Is there any question of where you'll be this weekend?

For more information visit PulseFashionJa on Facebook or Twitter.

-30-

Again, which is your preferred source of information? This blog post or the original newspaper article?  Integration of the different platforms; video/audio/images or social networks is what gives this execution of media the edge, Use it!

...withShantelleS

Making Mass Media Social (Part 1/2)

Hey guys, today we delve into creative writing for the Internet by converting newspaper (mass media) articles into a blog post (social media).


The first pick will be the Jamaica Gleaner's Sports article titled "Bolt's Late Show" published Friday June 8.  Yes, the link is to an online edition.  No, it does not effectively use social media; they just placed everything that would be printed on the Internet.  There was no real utilization of the what the Internet has to offer like hyperlinks to videos of the race or interviews of the participants.


Points to note when writing for the Internet include:

• Attract the eyes.
• Give viewers hypertext links to get more information.
• Reduce your text; most Internet users won't read everything that is written, they will scan for points.
• Keep your pages (stories, articles, videos) short.
• Use a hook to engage your viewers.
• Write for an international audience.

Now I will use these points to make the story more Internet friendly.

Bolt's Late Show

Men's 100 metres world record holder, Usain Bolt, sprinted to a win in the last 20 metres of the Diamond League Bislett Games in Norway on Thursday June 7.

The Jamaican set a new meet record of 9.79 seconds, surpassing his compatriots Asafa Powell who finished in 9.85 seconds and Lerone Clarke who closed in 10.10 seconds for third place.

Usain Bolt had this to say about his race, "The starting reaction was good, but I did not have the flow in the first metres like in Rome.  Overall, technically, the race was not as good as in Italy, but I showed I can compete well under pressure."

Usain Bolt now has the three fastest times for the year and is set to run the 200 metres race in Monaco on Friday July 20.

-30-


When using social media it is important to remember that your audience has many other choices.  It is your job to bring together all the information that they need to ensure that you are the preferred choice.

...withShantelleS

Welcome/Introduction

Good Night all :D

Welcome to this brand, spanking, shiny, new blog.  Really quickly just so you know what we will be doing here; I will outline the Aim of the blog, the Inspiration behind the blog, and a little bit About me.  Not sure if the time of publication will be shown so I will say it is now 03:06 hours and I am so pumped about this soooo, lets go!


Aim:
Inform people interested in the Media (social and mass) on some key principles that will give their work the edge over the competition.  The emphases will be on:

• Video production 
• Audio production
• Creative writing
• Plot development

and geared toward students of the craft, teachers of the craft, and producers of the craft.  The very concept of New Media is unlocked right here because knowledge is not just for the people with money for school.

NewMedia Origins

Inspiration:
"Enjoy work: Maximize the time spent doing non-schoolwork relating things."


About me:
I am a student.  I am pursuing a bachelors degree in Communication and I have had countless hours of experience doing television and radio production.  I also have a vlog on YouTube and voraciously use social networking sites.  What else qualifies me to disseminate information like a big know-it-all?  Drive.  Desire. Inspiration.  An awareness of where new media is and can go; I just want to push for everyone to have all the opportunities I have so this industry can benefit.




So that is it.  Next time we will be learning and I will be sharing my nuggets.

...withShantelleS