Closing Time

Practicum was an interesting class for me this semester and was probably one of my hardest because everything is just rapid-fire learning. You could miss a package changing tip or a shred of advice in an instant because you weren't paying attention. Being a kinesthetic learner all the hands-on editing and shooting we did really enabled me to learn, however, and I feel like I actually know what’s going on in the studio. I enjoyed taking part in Wellness TV and working with MocsTalk this semester and I’m sure I learned more than I ever imagined.

First off, editing allowed me to get most of my hours the second half of the semester so that is what I’m most familiar with. Spending hours in the lab cutting down packages, doing voice-overs, and collaborating minutes of film into one smooth final product. I learned how to change volumes on different clips in order to alternate between interview footage and B-Roll. It seemed like every time I was in the studio there was something new I could try and get a hang of with editing. Just when I thought I mastered sound Ryan taught me how to add .WAV to the videos to add music. I also learned that people have different ways of using Final Cut Pro to suit their needs. My time spent with Katie in the studio showed that she was very strategic about the time of each clip and the flow of the piece making sure everything was perfect. However, when I was in the studio with Ryan, he was more concerned with the overall look of the package and ensuring that it would appeal to the viewer. This isn’t me trying to say one way or the other is more accepted but that they work for each of the editors. I really appreciated all the time I spent editing in the lab.

I also received hours from working on the news show, MocsTalk, which was hands-on again but a different way than editing. MocsTalk was hands-on incorporated with keeping open eyes and open ears because every opportunity in the studio is a chance to learn something. I learned about making sure your audio is recording correctly because in our studio the audio is recorded separately from the visual picture and how to work the teleprompter. I was too nervous to ever actually press the keys for the teleprompter but it was a skill I’m proud I learned. It seemed like studio hours went by faster for me than any of the other hours I tried to fulfill. 

If I could go back and do Practicum I all over again, I think I would allow myself more time to collect hours. It was hard to plan time around softball where people could meet and shoot for class. During this class and my other COM course, Mass Media, I have found what I would like to do with my degree. My dream is to be a media buyer for some organization and I’m excited to begin working towards my dream. 

One last call for hours..

Monday night I worked with Maggie to interview Britty in the Wellness Center about personal weight loss goals over the summer. We collected B-Roll and also conducted the interview. I learned about the rules to collecting B-Roll and how to make shots look natural.

One more hour added so total : 25 hours

Monday Mornings in the studio

It was a sad day in the Comm Studio because Austen was signing off for the last time. Although it was sad, I am really starting to get a hang of how things go in the studio, which is a relief. I'm very happy I learned all I did while working with the Mocs Talk group.

Total Hours: 24

And the hours just keep coming.

Sunday night I helped write the script for one of Ryan's final broadcast projects on Frisbee College Game Night. I was involved in writing the script and the overall plan of the interviews that would occur. It was fun because we were able to spin off of the real College Game Night while still keeping it original.

Total Hours: 23

Sunday Funday, or something like that..

Sunday I spent 4 hours in the lab editing Ryan's spanish project of The Hangover. This was my first true hands-on experience with editing because Ryan actually forced me to edit instead of just watch. I learned how to add music over sounds as well as edit down a project to meet time requirements. It was a great review of all the editing techniques, and I got a few good laughs as well.

Total hours: 22

Receiving some much needed puppy love and hours at the same time..

Last Friday, I got the chance, with Tracy and Tessa, to interview the counseling dog Riley, and his owner. This was a very fun, but also educational interview for me to be a part of. Tracy gave us good hints on audio and placement of the subject on the camera and even how to get interesting B-Roll shots.  

Hours Received: 2 Full Hours.. of puppy love

Total hours: 18

Man Hands on Duty

Recently, there have been many rescheduled news shows meaning over the past couple weeks since my last blog date, 3/25/13 I have only collected two hours via the news show. I have learned in these hours however, how to set up the main camera in the studio, how to connect the microphone to both the wall and the lapel mic, as well as some techniques for the soundboard. I haven't yet conquered the teleprompter but I'm working on it as well.

Total Hours : 16

Studio time and car troubles..

Over the past two weeks I got my first two chances to work in the studio for the Mocs Talk news show. While in the studio I learned how to set up what is needed to film like the microphone and the camera. I also learned how to check for levels on the computer to see if the microphone was picking up what we were saying into it. With this information, I feel like I can be a bigger help around the studio. I also learned I have man hands that make unscrewing the camera I screw in..

Total hours this semester : 14 

Calling all hours..

Today I wrote my first advancement reader for the news show on the Strawberry Festival. It was actually a lot more interesting than I thought. I included the entertainment line-up for the week as well as the dates it ran and what fair-goers can expect.
I also helped shoot Maggie's stand up for the fifth package of Go Healthy FSC on Sexual Health. I operated the camera and picked up some tips on editing and what not.

I'm not sure how much a reader counts for so for now I'll count it as a half hour and a half hour with Maggie.

Earned today: 1 hour

Total hours: 12 hours

Take Me Out to a BallGame... or two, or three.

On Sat. Feb. 16th Tori and I spent a whopping five hours shooting the two baseball games between our FSC Mocs and the North Alabama Lions. This was my first real hands-on experience gathering film for a package. With Tori, I learned about exposure, correct placement for certain shots and just how hard it is to get everything that was good for the Mocs on camera with only one camera. I did have fun and it showed me that sports like this could potentially be my interest within my Comm career.

Hours Earned: 5
Total hours: 11

Feb. 15th, aka most uncomfortable interview ever...

I worked with Tracy and Rachel on interviewing students about their views on sexual health at FSC. During these interviews I learned how to operate the camera, and line up a good shot for the background behind the student/expert who is being interviewed.

Hours earned: 2

Total Hours: 6

In zeee Lab, again (2 hours)

Tuesday, Feb. 12th, I spent 2 hours in the Southern lab editing and doing the voice over for Go Healthy FSC's fourth package on Studying Abroad. In this time period, I learned first hand how to do voice overs as well as that I really dislike my voice on camera. The lovely Katie Becker spent her time teaching me about sounds and putting together a complete package. The tips I learned will hopefully continue to push me closer to becoming more help in the editing portion of my future. I also learned how stressful it can be to conduct interviews, that I will spend hours in the lab perfecting the package, and that outside of Comm, I have virtually no time for anything else, but I also felt how nice it was to see the hard work and hours of effort come together to make a package complete. I value this time in the lab because the only way to learn something is to be very hands-on and I feel as if I have learned a lot even with how little experience I have.

Total Hours this semester: 4 (Very far off from 18, but I'm getting there!)

Jumping in, no testing toes here. (2 Hours)

It's very apparent that I had no idea what I was getting myself into, signing up for Practicum during the hardest semester of my college career, because I am not only a baby freshman, but its also softball season. However Dr. B has a way of getting your butt in gear if you've been slacking, like me.

Yesterday, I helped conduct two interviews for the Go Healthy FSC package on Studying Abroad with Katie Becker. During these interviews I was what you could call, seen but not EVER heard. Being a newbie at anything Comm., I knew I had to gather as much information as I could about anything. Being a fly on the wall had some serious advantages for my first adventure in the COM world. I learned new terms such as B-Roll and Voice Overs as well as proper questions to ask interviewees that require more than just a "yes" or "no" answer. I also learned to ask the person who is being interviewed to spell their name, in full, to ensure they are properly accredited for. This two interviews log in at 30 mins a piece, so my first hour of COM is complete.

I also had the pleasure of learning some editing techniques from Katie as well. Spending an hour in the Southern Lab with her, editing the same package we were interviewing for, I tried to be as sponge-like as possible. I learned how to edit down clips and interviews, log and transfer from the camera to the computer, how to write a proper script, as well as got my first lesson on background noise, and preferred levels for B-Roll clips. I had never heard of any of this before last night and I'm glad I got some time to sit down and see how the packages got put together. Hopefully, the rest of these hours go as smoothly as the first two did. I can only hope..

Blogging 101-- New Blog

Well, here we are. The first post for my new major. Either I'll find my calling or lose my mind.

I guess we'll find out..