For This Week
Blog Exercise
Favorite Place Mini-Video-Essay:
Create a 30-60 second video essay about a favorite local place.
What is special about this place for you? Is there anything important about getting there?
Is there anything you like to do in this place? Does the place bring back memories?
What connections can you make about this place with your life and world?
Visit the place to capture images and sound for your editing. Use voice and/or text to express your ideas/thoughts along with the images and sounds.
Besides the images and sound you capture, you may incorporate other images and sounds to help with expressing your ideas.
Class
Activities
- View AI Cinema projects and Favorite Place Mini-Video-Essays
- “Visual Evidence” in documentaries, fiction, and the film essay:
- A/B Roll
- “B roll” should be primary – the visual evidence for the narration/interview
- Visual evidence as “dramatization” or “reenactment”
- Visual evidence as metaphor
- Visual evidence in the film/video essay
Adobe Premiere Shortcuts
Timeline and Editing Shortcuts
- Ripple Delete: Control/Right Click + Delete (Windows), Control/Right Click + Delete (Mac)
- Delete Clip with Ripple Delete: Ctrl + Delete (Windows), Option + Delete (Mac)
- Select All: Ctrl + A (Windows), Cmd + A (Mac)
- Zoom In: + (plus key)
- Zoom Out: – (minus key)
Playback and Navigation
- Play/Stop Toggle: Spacebar
- Go to In Point: Shift + I
- Go to Out Point: Shift + O
- Step Forward: Right Arrow
- Step Backward: Left Arrow
- J: Play backward. When pressed repeatedly, playback speed increases in reverse.
- K: Stop playback.
- L: Play forward. Pressing L repeatedly increases the playback speed.
- J + K: Plays the video in slow motion backward.
- K + L: Plays the video in slow motion forward.
- L + J: Press simultaneously to return playback speed to normal.
- Go to Beginning: Home (Windows), Fn + Left Arrow (Mac)
- Go to End: End (Windows), Fn + Right Arrow (Mac)
Tools
- Selection Tool: V
- Razor Tool: C
- Hand Tool: H
- Text Tool: T
- Pen Tool: P
Watch
Sans Soleil (Sunless) by Chris Marker
“Sans Soleil” circles around the themes of memory, time, and the visual image, blurring the line between documentary and personal reflection.
Discussion Points
- Memory and Reality: How does Chris Marker use images and narration to explore memory and challenge the traditional view of documentaries as objective reflections of reality? What does the film suggest about memory and the reliability of images?
- Role of the Observer: How does Marker insert and hide himself within the narrative? What is the impact on the viewer’s experience?
- Time and Space: How does the film manipulate time and space? Does it break continuity, or does it create a new whole? How do these choices affect the viewer’s engagement?
- Text and Image: Observe how text (voice-over) and image combine. How does this impact the film’s themes and viewer engagement?
- Narrative Techniques: How does blending real footage, personal commentary, and philosophical musings create a unique experience? How does it diverge from traditional narrative structures?
Video Essay (15%)
DUE March 19th
Project Overview
Create a 1-3 minute video essay on a subject of your choosing. Incorporate continuity editing, montage, temporal manipulation, loops, compositing, and special effects. Use text overlays and/or voice-over narration to enhance your narrative. Written text and/or voice-over is required.
Project Goals
- Creative Expression: Reflect your personal viewpoint or experience.
- Technical Integration: Integrate cinematic techniques to create an engaging narrative.
- Content Development: Begin with a compelling image or thought-provoking sentence, allowing ideas to evolve organically.
Requirements
- Identify a Theme: Articulate a central theme to guide your project.
- Collect Material: Gather visuals and text that serve your narrative purpose.
- Essay Form and Pace: Decide on structure and pacing.
- Assemble and Edit: Explore and refine your narrative in Adobe Premiere (or similar).
- Supplementary Media: Use graphics, sound, and music, adhering to copyright limitations.
- Draft and Refine: Develop a conversational tone for textual content.
- Finalize: Polish your video with titles, credits, and sound mixing.
Evaluation Criteria
- Creativity: Originality in subject choice and narrative approach.
- Technical Proficiency: Effective use of editing techniques and media integration.
- Clarity: Strong communication of your central theme or argument.
- Engagement: Ability to captivate and provide insight.
- Reflection: Depth of personal perspective or unique viewpoint.