This course consumed a fair amount of my time, something I had originally not expected when I started Comm 465. Moreover, it taught me how to use a video camera professionally and edit better with Adobe. I did not think I would be able to work a video camera at first and was very apprehensive. The first few times renting it out, I sort of winged it. A few things went wrong and I had to figure out how to fix them on the camera. This, in turn, allowed me to have a greater understanding of the equipment and how to use it. I realized the biggest thing to remember for this course is that the more experience I have using the camera and editing software, the easier it became. It was important to be patient and not give up if something went wrong. These were the types of experiences that would help me become better.
Three important skills I learned were visual storytelling skills, how to manage time and deadlines, and use of sequence shots. Through watching videos in class such as the elephant and dog story, I learned that I must occasionally choose an angle to take, such as a humanitarian angle. This helped me to make my project 4 as it stressed the importance of people coming together to talk about specific issues. I also realized that I must be strict on deadlines and managing time, as it is very crucial to not put an assignment off until the last minute. In that case, the only person I am hurting is myself because I then am not able to make quality video content and my entire package seems rushed. I realized that if I had a busy week and I knew of an assignment deadline coming up, I had to make sacrifices in order to fit everything in accordingly and leave room for error (such as filming shots again if something would go wrong). For instance, in project 1 the shots did not turn out accordingly and I did not realize this until I went to edit. Luckily, I had time to go back out and recapture the footage. It taught me to always leave room for unexpected situations like that. On the flip side, my profile subject had decided to stop filming with us two days before project two was due. This was hard because we already had a majority of the footage we needed. Thus, we were forced to gather a makeshift package that was rushed. I also did not have a backup plan and time to reshoot everything. Learning the use of sequence shots helped me better all my packages and moreover, will help me throughout my entire broadcasting career. When done correctly, I have learned that sequence shots can add a lot more meaning to my package.
I know I will use visual storytelling if I am able to land a job at a news station, as I would be using this skill each day to bring quality content to the audience. Looking at some packages in class of actual news stations taught me the importance of good storytelling skills. Moreover, no matter the job I end up with, I will always have to manage time and deadlines so this class taught me how to step up to the plate and time out each and every assignment I had to do so I was able to plan accordingly. I will use the sequence shots in any video related job, as it will give me a professional and competitive edge in knowing how to do them. I say this because my friend is a broadcast major in Pittsburgh who wasn’t sure what those were.
Overall, this course taught me a lot of learning experiences that will help me in my future career, no matter what I end up doing. While it may have been frustrating at times, I believe that I will be able to take away a lot from this course to help my future endeavors. I messed up a majority of things on the first try, but that is what helped me do better the next time around.