60 Seconds of Fun

Professor Maria Pabico assigned her COM336 class to create a 60 second video of themselves, whilst incorporating a theme. As with any type of videography assignment, there is bound to be struggle, as well as triumph.

One may believe that the physical shooting of the video is the biggest task. Set plans need to be made before shooting the film including framing, video camera operators, and content. Once the plans are made, filming enough footage is important as well. If there isn't sufficient footage when you get to the editing stage, this could potentially really backtrack your progress. It is always better to film too much, than to film too little.

Also when shooting film, make sure to think outside of the box. Are you sitting in your living room filming inanimate objects, or are you out in a setting that captures the viewers attention? These things need to be kept in mind while filming.

Editing a video requires a particular set of skills. For this  assignment, the students in COM336 were assigned to use iMovie, a Mac specific software. Getting acquainted with iMovie if you were not already is the first step. Once you figure out how to use the program, you need to figure out how to convey your message to your viewer in just 45 seconds (15 seconds were allotted to students for credits.) For example, trimming 10 minutes of good film into just 45 seconds can be daunting. One must decide which clips are more important than others, and leave other things completely out.

Splicing several clips together is a tool that has the potential to completely change your theme. There were several groups that had explained that they had one idea while filming, and once they began editing had a completely new one. Editing opens the doors for filmmakers to really get creative, and spread their message any way that they want.

With editing also comes music choice. Audio is a very powerful tool in the communication world, and must be used accordingly. Choosing an appropriate song can either strengthen your project, or distract the viewers from your content. One has to make sure that there song flows well with their video, and doesn't take away from it. Also, fading in and out with your video clip is important. Synchronizing the music to your film is always a good idea, for this contributes to a steady flow. Smooth video is a work of art!

Depending on your internet connection, posting the video can be the easiest or worst part of the process. Buffalo State College dormitories are notorious for their slow internet connection speeds. The COM336 Class project videos being 5 minutes long all together, is a large file. Uploading the video to the internet can take anywhere from 10 seconds to 10 hours. It is also important to convert your file to the proper format before uploading. A website may take a particular format that another one does not. It is best to save the original copy of your video to your iMovie theater, so you can export the film into several different formats.

Also with uploading the videos, one must make sure that there videos do not participate in any copyright infringement. Every video site, for example YouTube and Vimeo, have the right to remove your video if you have not given credit to artists work. In some cases, even if you have given the proper credits they can still take your video down. Be sure to completely read the Terms and Conditions before accepting. Breaking rules on particular websites will do nothing for you but get your video reported, taken down, and potentially have your account suspended.

Using video as communication instead of writing and/or photographs has a bigger impact today than it did say, 30 years ago. In today's society, the attentions span of people is no more than a couple of seconds. Our minds are trained to the fast pace of advertising and modern television. With modern day television networks really doing the thinking for us, it is safe to say that the medium really is the message. Neil Postman explains in his book, Amusing Ourselves to Death, that video is often a used as a medium because there is minimal critical thinking involved. For a more abstract approach, a communicator may choose a photograph or writing. Video provides a direct message yet is able to use subliminal cues such as audio, visuals, and themes. There is a lot packed into one, enabling video to be a popular medium in today's day and age.

The Politics group had chosen to portray the Politics of Meeting New People. For their assignment, each of the four members went into a public area and actually met people for the first time. Their subject matter was greatly affected by the public nature of the video, as it was a main area of interest. The group had to make sure they did not offend anyone in public by recording them, as well as getting permission from business owners as a courtesy.

Depending on the person, a self-portrait assignment can be either daunting or joyful. We are often so busy analyzing others that when it is time to analyze ourselves, it can be a new experience. Creating a video that represents who you are is a great self-exploration task, as it makes one think outside of the box and really ask yourself, who are you? A video provides several ways to show who you are such as visuals, audio, and context of the film.

Creating a video is something that one will never really fully understand unless they do it themselves. This project has enabled the class to critically think about the things that they see on a day to day basis. A certain appreciation was given to each other in the classroom for the videos, because each student had experienced a similar struggle and experience. Though creating a video for the first time can be a tough task, they do say that practice makes perfect.