I'm really proud of my finished project! Some context— it started as a video I wanted to submit to HEC-TV for their Educate.Today show for February, which focused on International Friends Week. I interviewed Basel Heyari, a good friend of mine, who happens to be an exchange student from Jordan. I interviewed him in the studio at the end of January, then worked diligently the first two weeks of February to finish the video in time for HEC-TV's live show. Then, on my final day of editing, I got sick and missed three days of school... Oops! So my video didn't make it on the live show, but I still have a chance of HEC-TV featuring it on their website. Anyway, I took the extra time the stomach virus gave me and put it into a higher-quality video. The result? A month-long project that, at the end, I can say is some of the best work I've produced.
0 Comments
This past month in Broadcast Tech, I learned how to anchor for Ladue View. Anchoring wasn't a huge deal for me, since I spend a lot of time on stage and in front of people, yet I still had a lot to learn. Anchoring for a television show is different than performing my own song, giving a speech, or acting on stage for many reasons. First of all, as an anchor, I'm not the one in control. When I speak, where I look, and even what I say is dictated by the Tech Director, passed down to the Floor Director, then signaled to me. Even in a play or musical, where everything scripted and blocked, I can take some personal liberties with my lines and actions. With anchoring, however, it's much more cut-and-dry, Another difference between anchoring and theatre is that I don't have to memorize my lines, since everything I say is projected onto the teleprompter. Even still, I need to know my lines ahead of time so that they don't sound awkward coming out of my mouth.
I definitely found my groove in front of the camera, even if it was a different experience than what I was used to. I think I might want to push myself out of my comfort zone with a more techy position in the next Ladue View, however I wouldn't complain given another opportunity to anchor! I really messed up the B-Roll in my News Story Package.
For my video, I attended Shaare Emeth Temple Youth Group's Social Action Shabbat Shut-In (SASSI), a night dedicated to learning about racial justice. After interviewing SASSI-coordinator and old pal Lauren Bayne, I asked my friend when I could get the best B-Roll footage. To my dismay, she advised me not to film programming at the Old Courthouse or in The Loop because it would be too dark, and instead she told me to film the program about implicit bias. Well, the implicit bias program ended up being an online test and discussion. Boring! As a result of this unfortunate and uninformed filming, I didn't have quite as much B-Roll as I needed. Had I known the implicit bias program would've been so aesthetically dull, I would've tried to film offsite regardless of the lighting. At the Old Courthouse, we participated in an activity that had us on our feet, arranging ourselves in a life-sized timeline of the racial incidents in St. Louis. I tried to at least salvage pictures from the Old Courthouse and the Loop, however the girl in charge of taking pictures conveniently lost them after she posted them on Instagram. But enough about the negatives. My News Story Package was an amazing way for me to utilize my creativity, and I loved being able to share a story from my own community. I had the opportunity to interview my friends, and at the same time I was able to spread awareness of the work of Lauren and other Jewish teens. I loved Broadcast Tech! I only signed up for it because of the practical art requirement, yet the class exceeded my expectations. Broadcast was a creative outlet for me, and I learned an array of new skills that will come in handy later in life. My favorite project was the News Story Package because I saw all the techniques I learned this semester come together in one video. I wish we could've done it twice. I loved being able to tell a story from my community and letting my voice shine through in my content. I will definitely take Broadcast II next year! I can't wait for another semester of telling my stories through media.
The most important component of the "Hey, You, See, So" method is the way we make an emotional connection with our viewers. If we don't give our viewers a reason to care, they won't watch our videos, whereas if we really connect to their feelings they won't take their eyes off the screen. Yesterday I sat on the other side of an interview to talk about the Torah of Unity, a holy scroll which each Jewish teenager in the St. Louis area had the opportunity to help write. Before the interview started, my rabbi told me, "Noa, I'm counting on you for the tear-jerker." I laughed at him, thinking that I couldn't ever move people to tears with my words, but this "tear-jerker" moment is one that is essential to every piece. If we don't use our videos to make an impact on our viewers, why do we make these videos?
This past week, I had the opportunity to practice the 19 most common shots in film. One of my favorites is the close-up shot. This shot follows my mantra: if it's awkward, I'm doing it right. I like this shot of Lucía because I can see the whites of her eyes as well as the emotion projected across her face. My next favorite shot is the establishing shot. I especially like how, in this shot, Lucía is only a silhouette. This causes me to wonder who she is and what she's doing. Another cool shot is the over the shoulder shot. This shot, to me, is very personal because it offers a close look at what the subject is doing. In this particular shot, Lucía is reading about the establishing shot on her iPad. I also like the angled shot because I can see that Lucía is working on something, but I'm not sure what. Possibly my favorite shot is the collapse dolly shot. I like the collapse dolly because it's the most fun to shoot, especially when it involves a car. Lucía and I actually shot our collapse dollies together, even though she ultimately re-shot it at my house. Finally, I like the low angle shot because it shows the importance of a subject. In my low angle shot, Lucía is clearly thinking about something, and the nature of the low angle makes us wonder what.
Inspired by Ernest Hemingway's six-word story, "For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn," many writers, students, comedians, and tumblrinas alike have taken on the challenge of writing a story in six words- some funny, others devastating. According to Narrative Magazine, "a six-word story should provide a movement of conflict, action, and resolution that gives the sense of a complete story transpiring in a moment's reading" (Narrativemagazine.com). However, despite the hordes of six-word stories on the internet, many lack beginning, middle, and end. These "stories" are actually not stories at all but six-word statements, some thought-provoking and others... not so much. I want my six-word story to be current, thought-provoking, and unique. My idea is to make a statement about religious pluralism in the State of Israel, using the same six words to convey both sides of the debate. Hopefully, with some creative thinking, I will be able to portray my distant homeland without getting on a plane and flying to Israel!
Disclaimer: I am very not tech-savvy. So one day during Seminar, I met with Mr. Goble to learn how to use Final Cut Pro. I actually got a sneak preview of Final Cut Pro; the next day I would be going to a youth group convention while all my peers sat in class learning what I already knew, yet I only "knew" it in theory. As I said, I am not tech-savvy. I can barely operate my iPhone, so learning Final Cut Pro was and still is quite complicated. There are a lot of confusing keyboard shortcuts, except I've already picked up on a solid number of them. Despite its complexities, I think I made the cut and learned how to use Final Cut Pro. I used Final Cut Pro for the first time to edit my Video Scavenger hunt, a collection of random wide, medium, and tight shots from around the school. The Video Scavenger Hunt was a great way to practice my skills, and I enjoyed running back and forth across the building with Lucía to get my shots. |
About MeI am a senior at Ladue Horton Watkins High School. I play guitar and even write some of my own music, and love to travel! Next year, I will learn at a seminary, a school where young Jewish women learn tradition Jewish texts, philosophy, and law in Jerusalem, Israel. Afterwards, I want to go to college to study Gender Studies and Judaic Studies. Although I'm not particularly interested in pursuing broadcast after high school, I love the creative outlet of telling stories that are important to me. Archives
March 2019
Categories |