I can’t believe it’s almost over! I’ve actually become proficient in Audacity, Soundslides, Final Cut Pro X and Photoshop and crafted two multimedia feature pieces on a couple of really interesting Columbians. I’ve presented my group’s website to the class, and with some adjustments, the whole thing will be finished. Here are a few things I learned from J2150:
1) There are really interesting individuals out there. Just ask around. You never know who’s sitting next to you.
2) Technology is scary, but don’t let it scare you away. The internet is a wonderful place with many instructions that can enlighten you to the wonders of multimedia applications.
3) You should always try to remain professional with your sources, but you’ll get much better content if you can establish some trust and common ground. Be formal, especially when you first make contact, but once you’re sitting down for the interview, cracking a joke can go a long way.
4) You can never have too much B-roll.
5) Five shot sequences are what makes your video look professional. Without a five-shot, the audience feels like they haven’t seen everything there is to see.
6) Leading space is important. Don’t make your audience feel trapped or claustrophobic.
7) Don’t be offended if you show your finished product to a friend and they respond with, “Yeah. It looks fine.” It means it looks like what they were expecting: a news piece. They saw everything they felt they needed to, and it looked like the evening news. They would have noticed if you did something wrong, but they don’t notice if you do it all right.
8) You’re going to make mistakes, but you’re not necessarily going to learn from them. You have to make a conscious effort to correct poor tendencies.
9) Don’t forget to do your weekly blog post. Your writing skills will leave you if you stop writing.
10) Ask lots of questions! You probably don’t know what you’re really supposed to be doing. Lab instructors are helpful like that.
I’m really glad I got to take this class. I made final products that I’m proud of and learned way more than I could fit into one blog post. I’m much more confident about publishing multimedia – I think I could actually make decent pieces for news publications now. The adventure continues with J2100 next semester!