Saying Goodbye

Final Experience

Hey guys,

 so this semester I have learned a lot about video editing and production and how to be more creative with things. Although I have always been very shy to step in front of a camera and speak, my dream has always been to be a news anchor and this class had the perfect techniques and assignments to set me up for that. Going into this class, I had no idea how to edit or what apps or software to use. The very first thing I learned how to do was shoot a five-shot sequence which consist of five steps that shows a clip on the subject’s hands, close up on their face, a wide shot of where the action is taking place, a shot over the subject’s shoulder, and any unique shot to finish it off. This assignment was very helpful because with any video that I edit now, I think of these five shots and try to incorporate them. This assignment was not a part of the website but was much needed for in order to learn how to shoot videos. Throughout this class, we were required to shoot videos about a particular beat and I chose to follow Northwestern States Track and Field team. Showcased in my very first and second video, I showed the team lifting weights and receiving treatment by our athletic trainer Hannah Morales by using the five-shot sequence technique. Morales is a graduate assistant trainer at Northwestern State University. Athletic Training encompasses the prevention, examination, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of emergent, acute or chronic injuries and medical conditions. Athletes typically visit Hannah when they tend to feel aches and pains. After this assignment, I learned that you should always turn the camera to landscape orientation and the person in the video doesn’t have to introduce themselves. With the current pandemic, this class took a turn and we weren’t able to fully experience the benefits of this class. Instead of the assignment we originally planned on doing, we had to create a video diary each week to track out lives during the pandemic. The first week was rough me and it was hard adjusting to the new of things.

This experience has taught me a lot and I have never appreciated the freedom to be outdoors more than now. Due to this, I have a lot more homework to complete than I did before. With classes being online, deadlines for classes have changed and I feel I have become completely unorganized. Going forward, I am going to think positive and make the best out of this situation. The second week wasn’t too much different and I was still pretty much restricted to being inside which became depressing after a while. The weather in Dallas the second week was gloomy so I wasn’t able to go outside at any point, however; I was able to drive around the neighborhood just to clear my mind of things. Of course, Easter weekend was very different for my family and I but we still made sure we gave glory, bonded and continued normal traditions. Finally, as states are considering opening back up communities, I have been really excited to finally have things back to normal. Not only did this class teach me how to edit but it also taught me that time management is very important. The media industry is full of deadlines and through this class I was able to get a taste of that.