Course Reflection

Favorite Project

My favorite project over the course of the semester was the graphic design project. This section was my favorite because I love conceptualizing and ultimately creating unique designs through Adobe Photoshop. This project in my opinion allowed for the most creative freedom compared to the others. The link below is to the graphic design project. 

https://brockbrewermedia.wordpress.com/2019/09/19/final-graphic-design-project/

Skills Learned

Throughout this course, some important skills I learned were proper blog creation techniques, design copyright laws, and audio storytelling. These skills will be helpful as I transition into the communications workforce. 

Future Plans

In the future I plan to work in the sports media profession, likely working as a videographer or digital media creator for a professional sports team. Skills such as video cutting, audio storytelling, and proper copyright practice are all influential towards my future career. 

Skills I wish I had learned

During this class I wish I would have had the opportunity to learn more about animating through Adobe After Effects. Being a videographer working with WSU Athletics, I have always wanted to learn how to animate and create captivating visual elements through After Effects. 

Essential Resources

Resources such as YouTube and APM music were extremely useful throughout the semester. I used YouTube to watch tutorials in an effort to better understand concepts I wasn’t able to fully grasp. For example, I watched a tutorial on YouTube on how to create a captivating gradient to add to my graphic design project. APM music was an important resource for royalty free music to use in both my audition and premiere projects. 

Final Thoughts

Overall, this course allowed me to practice my Adobe skills in a work-intensive environment. I feel the biggest improvement the course can make is the feedback aspect. My biggest suggestion would be to minimize the amount of peer feedback required and add more instructor feedback. The peer feedback is pretty useless as most students don’t make any tangible suggestions or they say that the project has nothing to improve on. A process by which students can grow and learn from their mistakes would be where instructors make suggestions during the assignment, similar to the real world where employers oversee and make suggestions during the creation process.

Video Final Draft

Creative Process:

Before starting this project I had to ask myself, what type of video could illustrate the time I’ve spent as WSU Athletics videographer. After looking at some footage I have taken over the past few months I decided to put together a video that showcased some of the best memories I have captured while working as a video intern for WSU athletics. I started by making a list of the best shots of the year that I have taken. I scoured through a multitude of my own footage from several different sports to find the most exhilarating and adrenaline pumping shots. Only a video highlighting each and every memorable experience of my journey encompasses my time on the job.

Pre-production:

After finding my best clips I decided to write dialogue that directly correlated to each shot. I wrote the dialogue to be repetitive in an attempt to emphasize my appreciation for the opportunities I’ve had while working. Next, I recorded the audio on my phone using the voice memos app in my dorm room. After that I selected an audio track from the music database, APM Music. Every employee of the WSU video staff receives a free licensing subscription to APM music in which each person can use the music for personal and/or commercial use royalty free. 

Production:

After compiling my clips, recording my narration, and finding my audio track it was finally time to edit. While in premiere I cut the clips using the marker and razor tools to get accurate and precise cuts. I also took advantage of key frames to fade audio in and out. I used a few effects such as dip to black and cross dissolve to make the video look a bit more professional.

Revision process:

After reviewing some of my peers’ feedback and reevaluating my rough draft, I found a few areas of much needed improvement. First off, the audio I recorded for my narration sounded extremely raspy, likely a result of filming in my dorm room. While revising my rough draft I re-recorded this audio in a quiet conference room which sounded much better. Another revision I made was color correcting the footage in order to get a relatively consistent look throughout the video. I also changed my audio track as I found music that better suited the inspirational mood of the video. The last change I made was to add a different logo to the end of the video. This logo is much simpler and easier for the viewer to understand.

Final thoughts:

After making a few adjustments from my rough draft I feel like my video is now a professional and creative final product. The video has purpose and meaning behind it that highlight my time as a WSU videographer.

Below is the link to the licensed royalty free music. 

https://www.apmmusic.com/albums/DED-0204

Video Project Rough Draft

Idea/Inspiration:

 While thinking of ideas for my video project I asked myself, what encompasses my time working at WSU Athletics? After some extensive thought and consideration I decided that the memorable moments of pure exhilaration and adrenaline filming Cougar athletes and their fans. Immediately I jotted down specific moments over the course of the past few months that I will remember for the rest of my life. To me, these are the memories that encompass my first few months here at WSU.

Pre-production: 

Starting off, I wrote out a script of narration that illustrated a specific message. I wanted this message to show my purpose of attending WSU and deciding to work with WSU Athletics. I jotted down specific memorable shots and experiences from this past semester. Then I decided to write corresponding narration to these specific memorable moments. In my narration I touched upon multiple sports I covered including football, volleyball, and basketball. My ultimate goal with the narration was to provide the viewer with an overview of the sports I’ve covered. 

Production:

After combing through different videos I have taken this semester I found a good mix of videos that showcase different sports across WSU. I specifically chose quite a few emotional shots that highlight the raw emotion of WSU athletics. Choosing music was the hardest part of the creation process because I found it hard to find a track that accentuates the memorable moments and compliments the narration well. Ultimately I decided on a cinematic and upbeat track that works relatively well. I found the royalty free music on APM music where I have a subscription and license to use music. 

Post-Production:

After compiling the several videos I filmed along with the narration I created I opened up Premiere and began to cut up the clips. I used the marker and blade tool to cut the videos and audio. I also used transitions such as cross dissolve and dip to black. I adjusted audio levels to allow the narration to be audible over the music. Lastly, I added my own personal logo created in this class as a finishing touch to the end of the video. 

Final Thoughts:

All in all, my project is at a solid starting point but still has a lot of room for improvement. I’m excited to see different suggestions from my peers on how I can improve my project. 

Raw Video Footage and Storyboard

Storyboard: Opportunity of a Lifetime 

Visual Elements	Audio Elements
0:00-010: Fade in from black to an array of shots of me filming at a WSU football game.	Music fades in, narration starts a few seconds in. “Over the course of the past few months I’ve been fortunate enough to have the opportunity of working with WSU Athletics.”
0:10-0:17 Cut to shot of running out with the football team at the UCLA game	Narration continues with: “I’ve had the opportunity to run out on the field with the football team.”
0:17-0:27 Quick shot of a WSU player blocking a UW player. Cut to shot of me running out onto court for final point. Cut to actual video taken during that point.	“I’ve gotten to watch Cougar volleyball take down that team from the west side.”
0:27-0:37 Cut to shot of WSU basketball warm ups. Quick cut to player introduction shot of CJ Elleby. Finish with cut of a breakaway dunk.	“I’ve been able to cover a new era of WSU men’s basketball”
0:37-0:44 Cut to shot of Gardner Minshew greeting fans prior to UCLA game. Cut to Minshew walking around prior to UCLA. Quick cut to Minshew receiving award.	“I’ve had the chance to follow the man, the myth, the legend, Gardner Minshew.”
0:44-0:54 Cut to an array of quick cuts of WSU fans cheering and supporting their Cougs.	“I’ve had the privilege of filming the best fans in the nation”
0:54-1:02 Cut to an array of quick cuts of different shots from different sports revealing a collage of videos while zooming out to show my logo.	“Im thankful for all these opportunities and I can’t wait to document the next!” (Music Fades out)

Premiere Tutorials

Final Audition Draft

Idea and Inspiration

For the unit 3 audio project, I decided to create a podcast that shines light on the experience of working for WSU Athletics on the creative team. Before beginning on the project, I listened to several different sports podcasts including Front Office Sports and Social On The Sidelines. These podcasts gave me an idea of how sports podcasts are structured and assisted me in figuring out what type of elements I can add to my own project. The purpose of this project was to inform college students about the duties of working for WSU Athletics as well as how they can get involved. 

Creation Process

Starting off, I decided to interview my colleague and close friend, Tyler Smith. Tyler and I have been working alongside each other for the past few months as video interns. I figured interviewing Tyler would be a great idea to get a perspective on what the job entails. Before interviewing Tyler, I created an introduction that gave a preview of the topic and the subject. For the introduction I wrote a script of the information to have a clear and concise beginning. This piece was created to be a narration to give the listener context. Next I used the interview, which is considered an actuality, as my main source of content. Beforehand I also created relevant and meaningful questions for my subject to answer. After completing the interview I headed to Audition and edited the clips using tools such as the blade and fade button to create a cohesive piece. 

Feedback and Revision Process

As I looked at the feedback from my project I noticed a decent amount of positive comments. People enjoyed my introduction and the well-thought, prepared structure of the podcast. My peers suggested to clear up the interview cuts a bit as well as making the transition from my introduction into the interview more smooth. I took this feedback and edited the audio piece to be more clear. I also decided to change up the intro music and add outro music as well. 

Final Thoughts

Listening to my project I am proud of the improvements I’ve made within Audition as this is my first time experimenting with the program. One can see and hear the progress I made since the first Audition assignment. Ultimately my project demonstrates the knowledge and understanding of Adobe Audition and I’m happy with the way the project turned out.

Audition Rough Draft

Before starting this project I knew I wanted to incorporate the experiences and perspectives of social media creatives in sports at Washington State University. Ultimately I decided the best way to go about explaining some of the experiences of social media creatives in WSU Athletics would be to create a podcast. I decided on the name Cougar Intern Innovators in Athletics because it encompasses my topic and the individuals being interviewed. I have listened to several podcasts such as Social Media on the Sidelines as well as Front Office Sports that I drew inspiration from for this project. After deciding on interviewing different interns in the social media and video department, I have started off by interviewing one of my colleagues in the video department. Next, I came up with questions that were directed around his experience and what he has learned in his time being an intern. I realize that this project right now is a pretty rough draft but I plan on interviewing two-three other interns to get other unique perspectives on the job. Their schedules didn’t work to interview this week so I will be interviewing them next week. After completing the interview and adding my own introduction I searched for music that complimented the interviews very well. Ultimately I found a track on APM music, a music database in which I have a subscription to and therefore a creative commons license to use the music. After adding the music to the interviews, I feel like my project is at a pretty decent starting point but still has a long way to go in order to be a great finished podcast. In order for it to be a solid final project I will need to gather the upcoming interviews and refine the audio and music tracks to get a clear and concise audio masterpiece.

Raw Audio Footage

<iframe width=”100%” height=”300″ scrolling=”no” frameborder=”no” allow=”autoplay” src=”https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/playlists/906052492&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true”></iframe&gt;

For my audio project I have decided to create a podcast titled, “Cougar Intern Innovators in Athletics.” The podcast features interviews from multiple WSU Athletics interns where they describe their unique experiences.

Audition Tutorials

<iframe width=”100%” height=”300″ scrolling=”no” frameborder=”no” allow=”autoplay” src=”https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/playlists/905312158&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true”></iframe&gt;

https://soundcloud.com/user-775749380/sets/audition-tutorials

Final Logo Project

As I began to brainstorm possible ideas for my personal logo I thought to myself, what are some symbols and elements that make up my brand? Immediately, I began sketching symbols involved with videography and sports that represented my passion. Prior to hopping on the computer, I researched logo design principles and learned that I needed to keep my logo simple but meaningful. Ultimately what I came up was a camera design with a basketball emblem inside a camera acting as a lens. To add my own flare and sense of identity to the logo I added my initials onto the camera body. As I progressed into the draft stage I strived to use elements such as balance and simplicity in my design. I used the pen tool to create the basketball curves and I used circle and square shapes to make up most of my logo. After creating the rough draft of the logo, I utilized feedback from my peers to fine tune my design. Almost every one of my peers suggested I add a splash of color into my final draft. Subsequently, I added a touch of orange in the basketball emblem and some grey on the camera body. I also adjusted my logo to have more lines and shapes to create a more cohesive piece. I also changed the initials on the camera body to half circle shapes to create negative space. This addition allowed the half circles to look potentially like camera buttons but still showcase my sense of identity with my initials. Lastly I added drop shadows behind the text and the camera elements to give the logo more depth. After completing my design, I feel like the logo is very professional looking and would work nicely on a business card, flyer, video, or anywhere I would advertise my brand. I am proud of the way the project turned out and I’m excited to use this logo in my future work.