Skills Development 6/9/10

On the 6/9/10 i went to Teeside University to develop my skills, using a high definition video camera and to gain experience using the software Final Cut as this is the software i will use to edit my trailer and create it.

First of all i had a tour of the HD video camera and learnt about all its different buttons, i also got shown how to set up a tripod effectively. I then was shown how to use the tripod to create professional looking shots such as a pan and a high/low angle shot. This gained knowledge will help me create a good looking, professional trailer.

Me and my partner then went out on the universities campus and filmed a variety of different shots using the camera, we took close up shots of flowers, we used changed the white balance on the camera to show the flowers best colour. We also filmed long zoomed shots of signs and used the focus to create the best picture quality available, we then practiced by zooming out from the sign to create a good shot that sets the scene. We also created some tracking shots of cars going past which helped me get a feel of a pan shot. Also we filmed some action shots of my partner crossing the road which me develop my skills.

After we had filmed all of our shots within the time limit we then went back into the university and got showed how to do a variety of different things on Final Cut. We then plugged the camera into the mac and got all of our tape copied onto the machine. We then started editing the shots, we trimmed them using the razor blade tool and placed a couple of the shots into a sequence that looked professional. We added a soundtrack and made sure that the music matched the image on screen.

After we had created our own film we then had to create a trailer for the movie Gladiator, we had all the different shots in the bottom left screen and we had to slot a couple of shots into the timeline and add a soundtrack and dialogue, a key thing i learnt whilst doing this was how to fade the music out when somebody is talking so you can hear the dialogue properly whilst still her the soundtrack in the background. I also used effects such as transitions to make the film look more professional.

Overall i think the trip to Teeside University was very helpful as i found out how to use the video camera effectively and how to create the best shots look professional. Also i now feel comfortable to use Final Cut to edit my trailer as i think i know how to use it well, since before the trip i had never used Final Cut before i thought this trip was very helpful and helped develop my skills greatly.