End

I think that this class has best taught me about team work.  Each person in my team had there strengths and we highlighted it in our documentary.  THe video at times where frustrating but we got the job done and hopefully well done

music video

i can't imagine a worse time for my hard-drive to crash. luckily, i saved most of my stuff on the computer in the lab, though. it just sucks because not only did i lose half of the video for project two, but i also lost like 2 years' worth of my work from over the years. so much for a demo reel!

The End

Me and Branden just finished up our project 2. It looks pretty good. We had some small problems finding our files once we finished and we will probably have to leave class so we can find them before everyone views the files. But its all good. Its been an exciting and interesting class.

Half a tank of gas, a crate of Red Bull, and a little luck

In our last minute crunch to get this project done a funny thing happed. Apparently the VIA 2 lab needs to close every now and then so that those who work there can get something called sleep (a concept I am unfamiliar with). With our project just requiring a little additional editing, we decided to head down to the teleplex lab to try our luck at procuring the use of one the 3 functional edit suites. As you can imagine, this did not go well as a solid 98% of the production students at Ball State had gotten the itch to do likewise, leaving us in a queue that would eventually land us in an edit suite sometime in early January 2082. Stressed and out of options, we decided to journey to the nearest available Mac we that we knew of that had Final Cut 6. Thus we began a two hour trek to use my Mom's MacPro in the magical land of Plainfield, where the grass is green and speeding consists of 1 and half miles an hour over the limit.

Hoping our bad luck was at an end, we broke into my parents house, chloroformed the dog, raided the fridge, and attempted to get to work. Unfortunately, we were about to learn a valuable lesson about operating systems. For some reason, that only God and Steve Jobs are aware of, OS X Leopard will not open Final Cut 6 files that were created on a system running Tiger. After venting some Shasky-esqe frustration, we decided we had no other option that no re-edit what we had done, split a case of Red Bull, and pray for a miracle.

On a positive note, I think our script and our footage is really good and entertaining. We have an awesome story, some cool effects, and good ideas. However, Leopard's stubborn-ness has put us farther behind than we already were. If this project get completed in a satisfactory manner and posted on the server by 9am tomorrow, then a miracle of biblical significance has occurred. May Krishna, Budda, God, Tom Cruise, and the Force be with us. We'll need it!

-Jim "Last-Dash-Heart-Attack" Black

posting again because i don't remember if i did before.

Jesse and I are done with our video and have been done for a few days now we are very happy with the overall product. We did a lot of pre planning and working with outside people that just wanted to be involved. All of the actors and actresses added little bits that weren't thought of beforehand and it turned out really good. I am happy to do this project and work with the people that i did and to do maybe the last blog for the second time.

Final Project

Sitting in Via 2 with Jim, almost done with our last project. It should turn out to be quite funny, and interesting. I also can't wait to see the other projects my classmates have made also. All in all, the last class should be a pretty good one.

The End?

Finished with Project #2 this week. I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else has done during our last day of class tomorrow. This week has been hectic, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel... I think.

Week 13

Well, this is my last entry.  We got our project two done today and I think it turned out pretty good.  I enjoyed this class this semester.  I hope all the MOM stuff turned out good and that they were happy with it.  I look forward to seeing everyones project tomorrow in class.

P2 Finished... almost

This week we edited P2, and I think it has turned out better than I expected. I still have to do final color correction today and make sure the audio levels are good - but then it is done. I had a pretty good experience with this project because this semester my end-of-the-year projects were spaced out nicely, which has never happened before.

p2

P2 is coming along well, feeling a little rushed having intermediate audio projects to finish and a journal for film theory due but it'll be alright...i like working under pressure.

shooting

well, sally and i just got done shooting our little film. i'm about to start logging and capturing the footage to my hard-drive. and we'll be editing all this week. should be fun.

I finished editing Project #2 this morning. Im excited to show the class. I think its pretty good, I tried a different way of editing everything, by making a bunch of short cuts, instead of long boring shots. I hope it goes over well in class.


-Jesse

Remember things is AWESOME

Props to me for finally remembering to do this. Every single Tuesday as soon as I wake up I remember that I had to do this a day ago. It's an awesome feeling, let me tell ya.

ANYWAY, We start and stop filming today. Yay. Then we just have to edit it sometime soon and be on our merry way. I really like the concept for the video we are doing. I like things that are stylized and can still incorporate humor. I am really excited about our actors. We have the amazing Mr. Joey Martin, and the infectious Ms. Alli Miller. They are stellar improvisational talents that I cannot wait to work with directly. They both were in the webisode series (now posted at www.evenlyodd.net) and did great work there, so being able to direct them myself is going to be an awesome opportunity.

NO INTERNET!!!

THis may be the final blog of the smemster and i am pretty excited to be graduating from college as soon as i get all of my projects done. WE have finished shooting and are now getting ready to start editing and since it is only a 2:41 song it shouldn't be that bad since for the first time we actually storyboarded and have a set plan instead of using what we shot to make something. I pretty excited and i still have to write my final outside speaker paper but that won't take me that long. It is about to come to end.

semester coming to an end

we are wrapping up shooting our project and editing it and cant wait to watch them in class

Interview with Shabazz!

Yesterday Zach and I were able to interview Rashid Shabazz, the son of the other MOM co-founder, and it went great. We are doing an interview for our second project, of the success story of Shabazz, for MOM and I know they will love it. He had a lot to say about MOM and how he is where he is today, because of this program. He was involved from the time they began MOM and now has his doctors degree, working as a principal in Ohio. We will be finishing up the editing this week!

Project 2

Well this morning we are doing an Interview for MOM. It is success story of Shabaz (sp?) who was one of the first sons to go through the MOM experience. They really wanted to have this interview but through logistical problems the other group could not get it. So we asked MOM what else would they like see done and this is one of the projects they would like completed. To complete the piece we are going to integrate photos and hopefully so live action shots. We have to be done by Monday so Courtney and I will be editing this week.

P2

Ciara and I got some footage for project two over the weekend. We spent Sunday morning getting scenes of babies... one of the hardest subjects to work with. But it actually worked out pretty well. We'll start editing this week.

Almost Done

I am very excited about the direction project two is headed. I hope we have time to make this project as good as I think it can be, because it defiantly has potential for greatness, and I would hate to see that potential go up in smoke because we ran out of time. That being said, both of us seem to do our best work under pressure at the last minute, so the quick turn around time we have on this might be for the best.

-Jim

p2

matt and i got a lot of great footage last night. we are shooting a music video for midwest hype and we went and filmed their 2-hr live set at dill street. the shoot went really well and we had a great time hanging out with the band afterwards. we've been hanging out a lot with them lately to try to get a feel for their style and make sure each member's personality is brought to life in the video. i think we both have the same ideas about how we want them to be portrayed...

we logged and captured it all tonight and we definitely have plenty of footage. good footage, that is. i just can't wait to start editing it in after effects and making it much more aesthetically pleasing since it's pretty plain right now. tomorrow we are meeting with the band again to shoot the story we wrote about a police chase that's going to go down. think beastie boys' 'sabotage' style.

The wrap

Our group is done with everything pretty much..our day in the life with the kids looks great and the fundraiser video also is good. Our commercials I am not sure about actually casue Matt pretty much handled it on his own. He wanted to. Now its time to knock out project 2

Week 12

This week we finally got some filming done on our project.  We decided to do a music video for the song "Help" by The Beatles.  So, far everything seems to be going well and we should be ready and done by next Monday.  Hopefully we dont run into any major problems.

P2

well were ready to get ready for p2...i'm ready to hear about the mom project and what they think. tally ho

Project 2 Take 2

Project two is coming together. Jim and I are in the process of filming and editing and we should be ready to go for next week. I look forward to veiwing everyone's projects, and seeing how well they turn out.

shooting p2

This weekend Mike and I shot our PSAs for project 2, and it went pretty well. I think we got some good content and hope that it will turn into something special. We will be editing this week.

i see the light.

This week was more business than action. we are trying to get our actors back together and shoot the last little bit, but everyone has busy schedules. However the first party shot that we got and everyone involved was excited and had helpful ideas on how to make the video a little better. Whether these are used is still up in the air. However everything is still goin good and this week will be a busy one.

sally and i finally met in person and hashed out our idea for the movie. we're each going to write a script and re-convene on monday, combine the two to make the best script possible and start filming next weekend.

we're getting near the end of it all...

The woes of talent.

Another week has come and gone, and sadly we havent done anything. Im really starting to question the talent we used for this shoot, he was supposed to get his schedule and the leading ladies who he got for this shoot, to shoot the last scene this week and it hasent happend. I really hope to do it early this next week so we can get in studio and start to edit.


-Jesse

Our Next Project!

Zach and I are interviewing Shabazz's (sp) son on Monday for our second project. It was asked to be done last minute for project 1, so we thought since we couldn't do it we would do it for project 1. They were thrilled and exited about us being able to do it! This should be fun and interesting!

Project 2

Well our first idea for the project fell through so Courtney and I decided on trying to help MOM out again with doing a couple more interviews for them. The problem with that is that we need them to call us back. Besides that hopefully by this week we will have it all shot so we can edit next week.

Project 2

I am glad that outside of some small color correction project one totally out of the way. I think we have a great idea for project 2 and hope to be able to get more into it than I was project 1. I think alot of the factors that made project 1 such a drag are gone now so I should be able to enjoy myself.

-Jim

Project 2 is a go go

This past weekend me and Andrew shot our project two. It's a music video for our friends band, The High Five. I think it went well, Andrew directed, and I ran the camera. Hopefully we get into start editing next week. I think its going to turn out well.


-Jesse

Closing TIme

The group and I plan to get our fundraiser video rapped up this week. Jim has already got a jump on the editing today, and tomorrow we plan to continue to progress on that.

final project

we are working on our last project this weekend and hopefully if we cant finish it we can get a large part of it finished...im looking to have fun with it but also make it a piece to put in my portfolio.

Project 2

So as the semester ends, Jim Black and I have come up with a great movie idea. We look forward to start writing tomorrow, and hopefully filming shortly after. It should be a fun project and a way to finish strong.

P2

This week we began preparations for project 2. It seems as though my partner and I will be filming either a couple of PSAs or a promo, both great ideas. I am excited to begin but I am a little worried about the lack of time left in the semester.

Week11

Well, we haven't yet started on project two yet.  Me and my partner have talked about ideas, but haven't narrowed it down to one yet.  I think it is going to be a music video.  I have some ideas that I wanted to do in the past, but haven't done, so maybe I will look into those ideas.  This week though  I want to get which song we are doing selected and also get most of it taped.  Hopefully everything works out.

TIME OFF HA!

Finishing the documentary was a huge relief and it would have been nice to take a break and relax but i can do that after i graduate. Right now we are shooting a good majority of our music video on friday and have an awesome idea and people that are willing to help in anyway that they can. its going to go awesome and i can't wait to do it.

Finished Project 2 here I come.

Our Training the Tutor video should be over. We might need to go through it and do some color correction but it is up to length. And we gave it over to the audio class so they can finish mastering the audio portion of the DVD.


-Jesse

Doc. Cut to time!

We done!!! It was a great Experience and I was honored to work with Fellas that were willing to work. Everyone put forth great effort and it was exciting. We did not have any slackers and the communication was good, within the group. I loved it! I was very happy with the final results!

P2 time

Well, we put in titles and graphics for our success stories and have our cut-to-time finished. yay! Soon, Oprah will be watching it. Now, though it's time to focus on project 2. ahhh! There's so little time and soo much to do! Time to get crackin down on pre-production and planning. That's what I'm going to go do now.

professional...actors...PLEASE?!?!?!

Okay, so I am little less worried at this point in time than I was last week. I came down with pneumonia last weekend, and have been totally destroyed and drained all week long. Thankfully, I got the footage for the first commercial shot this weekend, I am shooting the second commercial at 2pm today, and I am still awaiting on a list of donors, community activists, and parents to film this week for the fund raising video.

The shoot this week was infuriating. Honestly, I really, really wish I would have had access to professional actors, because relying on friends, family, and random people from Cardinal Filmworks SUCKED! A lot of responses (45+) via email, but when it came down to the day to shoot, only 5 people showed up, and one of them was Mary. The child actor she brought with was great! She learned a very difficult line in under an hour, and was really pretty comfortable in front of the camera....which is more than I can say for my brother's fiancee, who blubbed her line about 30 times before getting it. *Sigh* Oh, and there were no umbrellas in the light kits (plural, thats right), so I had to film it with natural lighting because the full power Lowell kits they gave me were WAY too bright, and made everything look really fake and staged, even when placed a good 25 feet from the area I was shooting.

Anyway, long story short, I am on the way to finishing up everything else. Jim has been amazingly helpful all semester, and I am sure that he will have no trouble finding a job when he graduates. Pretty much, him being in the group was the only thing that kept me from just saying 'Eff it all.' and dropping the class. Anyway, 2nd project is coming up, and should be a LOT of fun, especially if I can get all the producers on board that can help w/ actors, props, clothing, locations, and scripting. I can't wait to get started on this new one!!!

last touches

these last couple of weeks will let us touch up a little bit on last of our videos. Our day in the life of the mom's kids came very well. It is very creative and looks proffesional. Im ready to get it done and finish up my project 2

Doc. Completed

Well the MOM documentary is cut to time and ready for audio to clean it up and make it sound amazing. I am little nervous on what music the audio teams will decide to put into the piece but with us having the finally say we will definitely make sure the audio is perfect. Ryan did a great job editing the piece which I think was his main area of expertise. Like I think mine was the shots and making each interview look great and hopefully that will the be the case. We watch the full documentary today and I think Pollard will like it.

Cut to Time

Our cut to time is complete. It will be interesting to see how the audio team works with our portion of the DVD.  Working with the crew at MOMs has been enjoyable, and I hope they like the final product.

March 30

I am so glad this project is almost done. It has, at times, been really physically and emotionally draining. It seems like we've had every problem possible during the course of this thing and I am just looking forward to not being tortured anymore by Murphy and his so-called law. Here's hoping smooth flowing and enjoyable Project 2!!!!

-Jim

Another Week

I am so close to graduation I can taste it! I am ready to get out and start my life! As per telecommunications related happenings, I have an interview this wednesday with a marketing firm in Indianapolis and I have a job editing for a short film maker... so, yay!!! I also got the chance to see sean astin and the writer/producer of Rudy this past week which was exciting. Our videos are looking good and I can't wait to do the "fun" project! YAY!

all most there

i cant wait to see all the final videos in class...from how they looked last week they should be pretty good...i think MOM will like the final products

Week 10

Well, we got the success stories done. I like how it turned out. I just hope that MOM will be happy with it. Now, I got to start on project two and right now im not sure exactly what we are going to do. Time to get cracking on it.

Cut to Time

Jason and I have just completed our cut to time for the success stories. I hope that the audio kids will be able to pick good music and adjust out levels properly. When it's all said and done, we should have a good product for MOMs.

maybe twice?

So in all honesty i can't remember if i had posted for this week or not so lets try it again. This week we have been touching up our video and adding the final touches before we hand it over to a group of people we have never met. Zach and i worked on it on Wednesday and touched up some of the edits and added a few pieces of B-Roll, nothing major but what needed to be done. Ryan already had it on the server so we are good to go. I pretty excited about this we all worked really hard to get the best product possible. our group grade= A++ only two because I'm a modest man.

dun.

Well, it's been a fun ride, but we're finally done with the MOM documentary.  I just put the cut-to-time on the server, and it's now up to the audio people.  I'm pretty excited about this video, and I can't wait to see what Mary, Jill, and everyone at MOM  thinks about our work.  I'm fairly certain they'll like it.

Now, it's time to start thinking about the final demo reel project...

Finishing Up

This week we will be finishing up our MOM video. We will be adding more b-roll and transitions and all the finishing touches to what I hope will be a great product. I hope that MOM will be able to use our training video to jump start the training of future tutors.

Todays class....

In todays class we finished up videos. After class I worked on some editing for our documentary. We have gotten a lot of work done on our video, I just need to get old pics of MOMS when they first got started. So far, our group is on top of things. We are rotating editing dates for the final project so we will be done shortly.

Getting Close

Im getting excited awaiting post-production! We have great footage and while shootoing we have come up with some great impromtu ideas and we are looking foward to piecing it all together.

coming along

Last week we showed our rough cuts of the Success Stories (our interviews we shot with Tasha and 'Unique Monique') and the class reviewed it. We had a lot of sound issues but that just means the Audio crew will have something to do. I can't wait to see the other group's videos today because I know they are going to be good. It's crazy how fast this semester has gone and I can't believe we only have five weeks left! I feel like I still have sooo much work to do!! Me and Matt are working together for our final video so I can't wait to get started on it because it's going to be awesome. I just wish we had more time!!

5 weeks or so to go!

This week we finished our rough cut, and we got it cut to the time we want it roughly as well. It also looks like we will not need Kay to come in to do ADR work after all, so thats a good, a nice time saver.


-Jesse

Back from the dead.

I feel like I have just arisen from the bowels of hell. I have been so sick it isn't even funny. Anyway, I've been working like a dog on webisode stuff (30+ emails a day). I have a script ready for the next project, and another one on the back burner if I get a second of being able to work on my own stuff (which I doubt). Anyway... looking forward to getting stuff finished. Five weeks to graduation and counting. Wish me luck, buckets of luck.

Cut to Time

I'm finally excited to see the MOMs project coming together. As soon as we fix a few jump cuts we'll be good to go, and I'm hoping everyone else's will turn out just as well.

Editing Continues

This week and last week have involved some pretty heavy editing on the part of our group. It took me way longer than it should have to capture the video because of errors on the source tapes. Then after many hours of editing, we are still not quite content with the product that we have come up with. Thank goodness we still have this week to tweek it - hopefully that will be enough time.

Last Week

Well this Wednesday we got done with our finally interview which will be great addition to our documentary. Also I think our group messes really well and I think we each bring something to table and because of that we focus on our strengths and where we lack the other ones in our group pick up the slack.
Well this week we will finish up editing and should have an amazing piece that I think will make MOM very happy and integral part in their future progress.

Crazy

Well this process has been a little hectic for me. I've been burning out of the post pro and I wish we had more time cause I personally would like to do some things different...but hey deadlines are dead lines.

One Week Til' Its Over

We now have one week to get our project done and I am really feeling the crunch. Last week was not as productive as I had hoped. Our team is really going to have to kick it into gear if we want to have any hope of completing this project on time and passing this class. Thankfully, Mary Dollison has been very cooperative with our group and has been willing go out of her way to ensure that we get what we need for this project. I cannot thank her enough for her help with organizing interviews and special shoots. I am really hopeful we can put together a fantastic final product for her.

Jim

Week 9

Well, we have one more week to get the MOM project done.  We didnt get much done this past week, but I think we are in good shape.  Pretty much all the hard work is done, it's just cleaning up what we got and making small changes.  I don't think we will have a problem with having it done by next Monday.

Busy

This last week has been really busy. Not necessarily because of class, but just the fact that time has slipped away. Between class, work and family everything is keeping me busy. But as a team, we seem to be doing fine. We should be finishing up our portion of the DVD soon, and moving on into project #2.

do work

So we just got done with our final interview for the documentary. Monique gave us the perfect alternative to Mary's interview. Also Mrs. Shabazz will not be appearing in our video. The only thing that we have left to shoot is exterior shots of the building. Also during Monique's interview she gave us a good beginning to our film. Everything is falling into place.

back from break

Well, we're back from spring break. It's gonna get cuh-razy coming up. More editing to be done this week. Tomorrow we're going back to MOM to get one (possibly two) more interview(s) with co-founder Raushannah Shabbaz and possibly Monique (former MOM student now MOM worker). Thursday (or Friday depending on the weather), I'm going to go around to various locations in Muncie to collect some b-roll of former MOM meeting locations. Then I think we're gonna be done with shooting completely.

Oh, and I dominated the rough cut.

Our group effort

The Documentary team is feeling great after todays class! As a group we have been working collectively to get the job done, which is coming along great! We are excited that it is almost done and think that Jill and Mary will love the video! We have great shots, as well as good b-roll and Wednesday we are going to MOMS to get another interview with Monique, as well as more b-roll shots which we will put on the server.

production

This week we anticipate to get a lot of our segements done. A few of us had a great interview shoot for the day in life of the children. I am looking foward to getting more great footage and gettting into the editing roomn and seeing what we have in there, then we can start seeing what really have to work with.

Awww Snap-Fooey

Okay, so we have two weeks til cut-to-time is due, and I am about just on par with my usual mid-semester freak out. Our group has soooo much to do, and it just seems like as soon as we get one thing finished, four more things that we hadn't expected to have to deal with come up.

We are working on some really creative ways of telling the needs of MOM, and if it comes together as I hope it will, then we'll definitely leave Mrs. Dollison with a smile on her face.

Anyway, next two weeks are gonna be shitty kinda busy, but I think I'm ready for it.

spring break

spring break is over and some work got done on our video and we are going to finish it up this week hopefully

Frustrated and Running Low On Time

We are quickly running out of time and after trying to do a little bit of a rough cut for one of our videos, I realized how little we have accomplished. Honestly, I think 80 to 90 percent of the work that will go into the final project will come in the next week and a half. We cannot rest or do anything but devote every waking moment possible to this project if we are going to expect a decent result. We have horsed around to much and now have an almost insurmountable challenge to attempt. The rough cut I have done of the day in the life of video is awful. I am ashamed to have my name on it. Our concept for that is dead in the water. The kids were simply not talkative enough for this to work.
Communicaiton in and out of the group is still a big problem. I have spoken with Mary and Jill and they are both frustrated by the handling of certain communications. This cannot continue. On Monday, our group is going to have to sit down and have a collective "come to Jesus" talk so that every last one of us can get the focus and determination we should have had a month ago.

Jim

spring break yay

i spent it in muncie working. END

Spring Break!

Spring Break was Great, I was in California!!! Looking for apartments and future job openings in film!! I'am so excited and can't wait to move! Before I left for break Ryan and I had gotten some editing done, so that is coming along good. Andrew was in Muncie for break so he has picked up where we left on the editing. The interviews turned out good, so far so good!

spring-break-edit-fest

Well, I had a fun few days in Chicago during spring break. Now it's time to go back to my job and back to editing the MOM DVD. Courtney and I edited last Thursday for a couple/few hours, and Andrew edited throughout the week, so I should have something pretty good to work with when I pick up the hard drive in a few hours.

Rough cut is due next Monday, and only 2 weeks after that until the cut-to-time is due. We're getting near the end...

spring break in muncie... woo!!!

so this week we started editing and are still working on getting more. since i am lame i will be in muncie for all of spring break i will continue working with other group members who are in and our of town. This should be super exciting for me. all of our footage is logged and labeled. Courtney and Ryan started to put the story together so we are feeling good.

spring break is here

this week we started putting together the footage and getting it rough enough to get some ADR done...we are planning on doing a lil bit more work on it over spring break then we are going to wrap it up when everyone gets back...should be pretty good

Editing Week

Last week our group pretty much finished the interviews and the b-roll for the documentary. We were asked if we could possibly get a interview of the co-founder, so I will be contacting her this week and maybe setting up an interview over spring break. This is not carved in stone yet.

Editing Begins

This week we will begin editing the video. Wednesday evening I will be capturing the footage as well as starting to cut it up. I am excited to see all of the footage that we got and to see it come together. I hope that the editing goes well with no major problems.

Almost Midway

So, the project is totally in focus now. We have concept down for all of the pieces we are producing, and are going to be shooting alot this week and next. It's going to be tough shooting next week, as far as tutors, due to Spring Break. I still feel confident that we can get a rough cut of this in on time, get criticisms, and make adjustments. It's good to know that Mary and M.O.M. will be available at nearly any time during the next few weeks. I am cautiously awaiting the next major f-up.

Last week I didnt have time to do anything. However in the next week, I want to do a rough cut of all our footage to see where we will be in order of time, and content. I hope to have the final cut done by this week, so we can get Kay in here as soon as possible for ADR. Im not that worried, I think we can still get done ahead of schedule.


-Jesse

last minute.

My internet was down so i am doing my blog right before class starts. we have conducted two interviews with mary and jill. Jill also cried during the interview. We have b-roll with the kids. Our audio team is starting to come around. Everything is good we need to get two more interviews and shoot the pictures. We are on our way to success.

Cancelled shoot

Unfortunately, I've heard from our team leader, and two people we were going to interview today could not make it. We still have ample footage for the rough cut, and will have to re-schedule the other two success stories for later. Hopefully we can get footage up on the server. Overall, I's say we're still doing well.

Crazy Week

We are recovering from film abduction still and are moving into the last phase of filming. After this week and a ton of editing, we should be good to go on a lot of the projects. We may have a few pick up shots to get completed, but we are, all in all, doing well. This week is going to be busy because we only just got our "day in the life of" child list at the end of last week (thank you so much), but we will "Make it work". In completely unrelated news, I got engaged, and it is becoming extremely difficult to care about doing school work... I will do it, I just don't really care any more. Darn senioritis!

:D

So busy

Well its been a busy week filled with band recordings and foley work for 333 so being ahead of scheudle helps. I'm ready to move forward with the project and I feel we're all going to make great projects.

A busy week

We had a busy week of shooting this week.  On Monday, we shot our interview with Mary, and as we are known to fly by the seat of our pants, we decided there on the spot to interview Jill.  Both were great interviews and I think we've got nearly all (if not all) of our a-roll.  

On Wednesday, Courtney and Zach went over to MOM to get some more b-roll.

Now comes the arduous task of editing and going through all of those articles... grumble.

Another week of shooting

My group and I are doing a much better job at communicating with each other and scheduling some productive shoots. This week we anticipate to shoot the bulk of our project. Mainly the life of the tutor segment should be interesting, when follow the tutors around to get a feel of their lives at moms

Time Is Running Out....

I am beginning to feel the pressure. Our deadline is fast approaching, and I feel like we are making progress but not enough to really get this done as best we can. Last week we were very productive, I feel we got a lot of shooting done and made some solid progress. However, I don't think our rough cuts are going to be near as polished as I would have liked them to have been. But I do have a good feeling that this might work out in the end. I can't say I could have said that last week.

Jim

Waiting for tomorrow

This week I did not really hear anything about what is going on with the video. I was sick for most of the week, so I hope I did not miss anything important. I guess I am just waiting for tomorrow to see what we need to do next... I am ready to begin finishing the rough cut.

B-roll completed

Well last week our group finished up the B-roll of the children interacting with the tutors and also the teachers. Again we tried to bring an audio team with us but again they didn't check the discussion board where we had posted a couple days ahead.

We only need to get about two more interviews then we can begin the editing a post sound work.

Wrapping Up

We're shooting our final interviews on Monday morning. post should start this week as well. We have a lot of footage to thumb through, so I think we may break it up into sections. We'll see how everything looks this week.

Week 8

This past week we got two interviews done. I think they went very well and we got a lot of good stuff out of those interviews. Monday we will be shooting our last two interviews. After that we will just need to start editing and putting it all together.

getting close

spring break is a week away and we hopefully will get Kate to come in and make sure that the info that needs to be in our video to help the tutors is there....lets have a strong week

2 interviews down, 2 to go!

This week went much better than the previous. Our group all met during what would have been class time on Monday morning at MOMs and successfully shot some footage for Success Stories. After camera reservation issues (thanks again Matt for your help!), dealing with awkward lighting, and scheduling conflicts, we finally managed to get everyone together and film two interviews. The interviewees were really helpful and had great camera presence. I especially thought Monique had a lot of great energy and memorable quotes that will be very entertaining. Hopefully we can get our next two interviewees to shoot sometime next week and we will be able to get two cameras reserved (how could they all have been reserved last week!!?) I would love to get everything shot soon so we can start editing and being creative with graphics and all that good stuff. I love working in Post!!

Forgot

Oh, and I wanted to mention to everyone that we should set up areas on the Sulley server to share our footage. We are all producing this for the same client, and going to the same audience, so there is no point that we should all try to shoot similar footage.

Just a thought.

Thefts

Okay, so I just had one of the oddest weeks of my life, regarding a class.

I had my backpack stolen from work on Sunday, which contained all the DV tapes, FCP files, and media that we had shot and produced for our project so far, along with all the notes, contacts, treatments, and outlines for the different aspects of our project. Needless to say, I was awfully pissed. But, in the heart of TCOM and production work mantra, we all have to 'expect the unexpected.' I really pretty much failed on that front, since I had all of my media and backpack in one place. I'll take this experience with me in the future, but thankfully, I just received the backpack back tonight. The thief brought it back in. Although they stole my credit cards, jacket, cologne, and a 40 of Red Stripe I had bought @ work, at least I got the notes, books, tapes, and hard drive back.

Anyway, on to the projects. Time is quickly disappearing, and we are not all up to speed yet. I know working in the production field isnt like being in a class project. I wish I had a budget, some good contacts for actors, and some people to work with that werent extended in 18 different directions all at once. I can't wait until I graduate and can start relying on a 8am-6pm type of job that affords me true, schedulable time off. On that note, I really am looking forward to spring break, and spending a few days down in sunny Florida with good friends, and the ocean.

Hope all the other projects are going well too. I had a chance to work with the 'success stories' team this week, and their material looked really, really good.

Oh, and a last note that I wanted to share with the group.

- I really think we need to have a lead communication contact between the 4 seperate TCOM groups and Mrs. Dollison/Mrs. Jerub. I have spoken with Mary many times, and she always seems awry that there are so many individuals trying to contact her. I beleive Mr. Pollard wants to set this up, also. Something to think about.

Finished interviews

Monday the documentary group finished their interviews with Mary and Jill! I looked at the tapes and the interviews look good! So hard part is over with getting everyone scheldule together to meet up and the whole nine, so all we have left to do is get the b-roll of the kids and then we will start editing the piece. I am really excited to see how this 10-12 minute piece is going to look when we are finished!

Getting a move on

our group have now started shooting. We had a great shooting session last week, but unfortunately our footage was stolen from one of our group members while he was at work he says. This is not a huge set back for us, we are going to try and get into moms everday this week and get a lot done.

Interview

Well today we are getting are first interview with Mary. It has been frustrating trying to sit her and Jill down to interview. I know they are busy people but we are doing this for them so I would think that would make time for us and make it a priority. Anyway we should finish up shooting the rest of the B-roll on Wednesday and then just get one more interview. So at the time we should start editing next week and have the rough cut done by next week.

Good Morning

We have a success story to film this morning, and I'm hoping the person will have good information. I was thinking of questions that I could ask while sitting around yesterday so I think I have a few good ones. I hope that we can get a few more scheduled so we can give Mary a good final cut.

This past week I think we finished shooting, and are going to do a rough cut some time this week. And then hopefully get Kay into the studio next week for some ADR work. So far we are ahead of schedule.


-Jesse

A week from hell

Every single thing that could have gone wrong, has this week. Our tapes have been stolen, Matt's firewire has been stolen, my phone has completely crapped out on me, AND to top it off, I have lost a location for filming. Brilliant! Oh, and I just realized that I didn't do an outside speaker paper (that was due last week). I swear, things had better go smoother from here on out for my entire team. I know that I am going to "haul buns" to get "stuff" finished this week. I am so sick of all the plans going to pot. :( Ohhhhh sadness...

On the upside I do have the "creative project" script finished. I hope the final project is as phenomenal as the idea I have for it. My mental image is pretty stellar... I hope the film version is a proper comparison.

:D

Week 7

Well another week is down. We still haven't done any interviews, but we are getting close. Tomorrow will be our first one so we will see how that goes. I hope everything goes smooth, but im prepared for things cause something usually happens. Right now im keeping my fingers crossed.

Stolen tapes

I got a phone call this evening that made me slightly edgy about the future of our part of the project. Apparently, the DV tapes that had all our footage were stolen over the weekend. This isn't a huge setback because we didn't have a large amount of footage shot, but it is an added frustration in what is quickly becoming a short turnaround time on this project. We will over this though, I think we have good ideas, and we seem to be working together better than ever. There is a sense of direction now and that is more than I could have said three or four weeks ago.

Jim

the week of delays

This week consisted largely of cancellations and delays with our interviews. We were originally scheduled to shoot some interviews at MOM on Monday. Those were delayed. We re-scheduled for Wednesday... also canceled. Then Friday became a possibility and that fell through. Now we're set to shoot tomorrow morning.

Cross your fingers.

lazy sunday

I waited till Sunday to post to see if anything exciting was going to happen. Turns out i was wrong. We had set to shoot on Monday and shoot our interviews on Wednesday. Well we didn't go Monday because we already had those shots and then our interviews got cancelled and moved to Monday. We are kinda waiting on the interview to help streamline our attack plan on what else to shoot. Over all this week we were semi productive.

Then again...

So I was wrong in my last post: I said last week that "waiting was the hardest part"... unfortunately, we've found out this week that finding a time when we can all meet is the hardest part (so far). The main issue seems to be getting the "success story" subjects to meet our schedules. Most want to do their interviews a few weeks from now, but unfortunately that doesn't work for us. No worries though, as we have an interview Monday moring, and hopefully another next week as well.

getting it rollin'

we start shooting this week and i am excited to get this project up and on its feet...it should turn out real well, we just need to remember to let everyone in the group know the plan when things change.

Whats New......I had it on my old blog post (Sorry)

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

WHAT'S NEW
Today I called MOM to make sure it was okay to shoot some b-roll on Wednesday, but next week we will be shooting interviews which will be exciting. Our group will be meeting Monday the 18th at 10am with hopes of getting a lot shot! It will be fun watching the kids and seeing how they react to the cameras!!

Tough Week

This week was suppose to go a little smoother since we had our interviews set, but did not go as planned. Mary and Jill had to rescheldule which made it a little tough on me. Its tediuos trying to get a day that works for everyone and when we did it fell throuh, but I guess I better get use to it. Now I am working on getting who ever is availiable on the team to go out this friday after 2 to shoot the interviews....I'm a little bummed because I wanted to go to the shoot, but my schedule does not permit.

Communication

These past couple of weeks, the communication in our group has been somewhat difficult for me. For others in my group, I can not speak for. It has been hard for me to conduct meeting times and interviews because most of our communication is done through email, and I have no Internet in home residence. This week I will try and check my mail as much as I can and also use phones to communicate with my group members.

Going Into Week 7

As a group we are all starting to function well together. I think we have a more clear idea of what must be done and how we are going to do it than we did last week. Now is the time for every thing to start coming together. We have to start shooting this week, and have the better portion of what we need shot by the end of next so we can start editing without being in a high pressure situation around spring break time. I do worry that we have not involved the audio team enough, and I do worry that our group lacks direction, but I am sure that will change quickly. I am looking forward to a productive week.

-Jim Black

Another Week

This week was pretty exciting. I put in about 76 hours on the Webisode Immersion Project. Spent 15 hours in class, and had to find time to sleep, eat, and study. All in all, a busy week. For the MOM project, I attended two meetings and we plan on filming starting this week. For the Webisode Immersion Project, I got to spend the weekend with David Hamilton (Ball State Alum and E.R. show-runner). Hopefully, this coming week/weekend will run smoothly, and we will get a lot accomplished. Yay for filming MOM!!!!!!! WE LOVE MOM!!!!

Mix ups

Well we had some communication problems but everything seemed to work out fine...did some seat of our pants shooting but like I said it worked out fine. Now we've got a semi-set shooting schedule and things are looking good for completion....it ought to be fun.

catch up time

oh man, I screwed up big time this week. I misunderstood the meeting time and place of my group and didn't get to shoot with them last Wednesday. It was definitely my fault and my apologies go to Michael, Jon, and Jason. It won't happen again, I promise! I've always worked in groups where one person always slacks and lets the rest of the group do everything and I won't ever be that person. I know how much it sucks being on the other end. Again, sorry for missing Wednesday. Hope all went well!

Now, this week we are waiting to hear from our interviewees. We have five of them so there will probably be some conflicts scheduling shooting w/ everyone but I'm sure we'll get it all worked out and be flexible enough to get the job done. I'm so glad we don't have class tomorrow morning b/c all of my classes have been requiring all of my lately and I need to catch up!

Started Shooting

Well last week our production team began shooting. We went on Wendsday and got B-roll of the MOM's building and interior without the children. We decided not to shoot the children because there was already two production teams there and didn't want to freak the kids out with so many cameras. But the shots we did get will defentitly be helpful in the documantary.

We also set up interviews with Mary and Jill for this Wendsday and that will be the most important stepping stone in the documantary. Because we can base our other shots on the interview. Hopefully also the weather will be better so we can get exterior shots. Well our group is defentitly up and running to complete the project.

But on the negative side, Using the Audio teams outside the class was really frustrating because we did post the day and hours we are going to shot and nobody replied. It just scares me a little because hopefully it will not happen when the project is done and the only thing let is audio and things go wrong because of them. But besides that, like I said before things are going well.

Waiting Game

Our group was able to obtain b-roll this week and we get to see the children and tudors in action. I even let one of the kids frame up a shot, which he did a good job of. We're now waiting for our interviews to fall into line and get them filmed in the next couple of weeks. It was nice to see Mary, and she took pictures of Jason and I to help her remember our names.

Waiting

This week was spent waiting for the ladies from MOM to get back to us about a shooting schedule. I just recieved word that we will begin shooting tomorrow, so I am excited to really get started on this project. I have also been trying to decide what I would like to do for my second project for this class; I'd like to get started as early as possible so that I am not working on it anywhere near finals time. We'll see how that goes.

Gearing Up

So this week started very well, but ended rather poorly. Our group met with Mary twice, and found out that she is pretty much happy with ANYthing we produce for her, and that she really doesn't know what she wants. We showed her some Ad Council videos, and some old United Way videos that we thought would be good templates for crafting her videos. She loved what we showed her, and that gave us alot of confidence in preparing concepts to show to her.

We have identified the four video groups that we are going to produce, and are going to work on getting concepts and storyboards nailed down this week so that we can schedule shoots for the following two weeks, in order to get the cut to time edit in on time. It's going to be a close call, but then again, close calls are synonymous with being a TCOM major. We live, and thrive, on procrastination.

Week 6

We got some of our first footage this past week. We got b-roll of the kids at the center and the teacher/student interaction. It feels good to finally have something, but we've got a long way to go. Now we are waiting on the success stories and working out schedules to see when we can get this done. I think we got it narrowed down to five people so I hope everything works out.

"Waiting is the hardest part..."

Our team is waiting to hear back from our interview subjects for the "Success Stories" portion of the project, to find out when they're available. Mary was helpful and got us in contact with 5 individuals who we will hopefully be interviewing soon. 

Jonathan and Jason were able to get some b-roll covered this week, so I think we'll be set with that. Now we just need some sustenance to go with the video...

i am excited to start shooting the pieces and see how they start looking...i think we all have some good ideas

we finally start shooting

Well, this week, we finally start shooting some B-roll for our MOM DVD. I'll actually be at work while the footage is being shot. Only Andrew and Zach are going. And, when it comes to getting b-roll, two people are all that are really needed. Next Monday, we'll be shooting interviews at MOM. That should be fun. I haven't shot an interview in a while, so it'll be fun to have a little bit of a change of pace.

This semester is just flying by. The cut-to-time is due in about a month now. Jeez. Where does the time go? I'm gonna be an old man before I know it. And look at me!! I'm rambling like an old man already!!! I'm getting out of here.

another day another dollar

This week we tighten up what each group needed to do before the next two lab weeks. Our group needs to meet with mary more and see what she wants for us to focus on. Zach and I are shooting on Wednesday for b-roll and other ideas that we may not have thought of yet. it will also give us the the opportunity to see most of a day in the life of the workers and everyone else involved with MOM. Next week we plan on shooting two days. we are also using blackboard to come up with interview questions.

Ok this week I am waiting on the schedule to come from the ladies at MOM so I can set up the shooting schedule. Once they do that, Ill need to grab a couple of people from the audio class to work in the field with me. Hopefully we will be able to finish shooting this week, and have plenty of extra time to edit.


-Jesse

The Look

It's been a busy week. I'm anxious to see what 'The Look' will be during discussions today. Our team is trying to keep the current color scheme and font style that MOM currently uses. I hope by next Monday our team should have some interviews shot. The hardest thing so far has been coordinating schedules, so we'll see how this week goes.

Working Progress

Hope I got this in on time. I hope to be shooting MOM this week, We will be doing the success stories pretty much all at MOM, according to Mary's wishes. I hope that she has chosen different types of races for us to interview, as to catch all the different types of races. Should turn out really well.

I am excited to get started into the thick of this project.  My group members are very enthused to do the same. At least that is the way it seems to me.  Interviews with moms' employees, are going real well.

Week 5 Update - Group 2

We had a few good meetings with Mary this last week, and although the group is still a little tought to get all in one place, I have a lot of confidence that by the end of this week, we will be in good shape for shooting. Hopefully we will have scripts and storyboards ready for Mary to approve so we can start setting shoot dates for next week. With luck, we'll be done with shooting by 22nd, and still have a week for post before turning our videos in by March.

It's going to be nice working with the audio crew, since they all seem very willing to keep up communication. We'll see how helpful they are in the field. Hopefully Sally and I will be able to meet up with Chris Knight this week to learn how to set up and operate Pollard's jib.

Oh, and if the group leaders for the other groups have some time, I'd like to discuss the layout for their major projects. I think it would be beneficial for us all to stay in contact so that it has a consistent theme throughout all aspects of the project. This will definitely go a long way when Oprah's in-house professional production crew views and reviews our submission.

I guess thats all for now.

Wheels In Motion

I feel the wheels are finally in motion on this project. We are writing treatments for our segments and will hopefully have those done by the middle of the week. Things are going to be moving quick and stress is going to be high until Spring Break, but hopefully it will all be worth it. Right now it seems a little daunting, but it will get better and seem a little less so when everybody gets on the same page, and we get a rhythm going for workflow and meeting. Here's hoping we have alot footage at my time of writing next week.

-Jim Black

oooh! presentations! ;)

tomorrow each group is presenting their ideas and any footage they have come up to the class. Finally, we get to see what other people are thinking and have in mind so that we can try to work off each other and flow. I'm stoked to see what everyone has come up so far, but still jealous of the group that gets to do the 'train the tutors' video. But at the same time, I'm really excited to work on 'success stories' and get inspired. Tomorrow's gonna be interesting!

Week 5

Another week is done. We haven't filmed anything yet cause we had scheduling conflicts this past week. I think we are going to be ok though cause we should be getting stuff this week. I think we got it narrowed down to about four people we will be doing the success stories on. I'm interested in meeting these people and finding out how MOM helped them. I hope everything works out this week and now we have the audio teams so now we need to meet with them as well.

Meeting with Jill and Mary

This week our group met with Jill and Mary to talk about what will be included in the Train the Tutors section of the dvd. They have a lot of great ideas and even told us that MOM will be coming up with the script for the video, which was good news to us. They will be getting back to us on Monday about a shooting schedule. I am ready to get started.

one more week down

One more week down... and I don't know how many to go. MOM started teaching classes this week, so next week, once everything settles down, we'll start shooting. We also came up with our look for the DVD (fonts, colors, etc.). And we got our audio crews this week... so exciting. haha

And I think I've come up with my idea for the video we're making in April. I've got a storyline and a list of shots all crammed up inside my head. I need to start putting it down on paper to get a better feel for it all. But I still have some time.

Apologies

Hey everyone, sorry if I sounded a little crass in that post yesterday...I dont want you all thinking that I dont care about this production or anything...I just found out I have a really nasty sinus infection, and this is literally the WORST week possible to be feeling like crap.....but thats no reason to go on here and talk crap about the class or the project or anything....again, just wanted to apologize and say that I am here to aid anybody in the class if they should need any help.

Matt

another week done

Today we met to set up what we are going to shoot when and the overall look of the project. We think that the look should be bubbly and colorful, like the logo and the environment there. we also decided that we have will be shooting wednesdays pretty much all day to get the set up for the night and every other little detail that goes on during the day and we will be able to find an easy time for them to talk to us. It is starting to come together and looking positive and possible.

....and I don't really care.

Okay, so I was just tipped off that we had a blog due today, but I feel like total sh*t, and don't really care...and since my group hasn't had a chance to meet and discuss, there really isn't anything worth posting....so, til later this week,

arrivaderci...

groups

We got thrown into our groups this week.  I'm pretty excited since we all wanted to do the documentary, and now we can.  I'm a little nervous, though, since no other group seemed to want to do the documentary.  Oh well.  

Groups

This past week we got in our groups for the first time. Our group is doing the section "Train the Tutors," which I think will be interesting because I have never worked on any sort of instructional video before. The group met with the ladies from MOM on Friday to see what they envision for the project. I was unable to attend, so I am very eager to hear what we found out. I am also excited about class today; I think we are learning how to use some new equipment.

Bit Of A Scare

So I got a bit of a scare this week when I was doing some work in WCRD and was suddenly informed by Professor Pollard that I was supposed to be shooting that day. Fortunately, it turned out to be a false alarm, caused by what I can only assume was a miscommunication somewhere in the system. None the less, it got me motivated to go out and start shooting. Honestly, I think the "other stuff" group that I am in got a pretty good deal with having a variety of things to work on that are pretty open ended creatively. I am looking forward to getting really involved in pre-prod this coming week and hopefully we can just start cranking our part of the project out soon.

Jim Black

Success Stories

I'm excited to be doing the success stories about the kids from MOM. I feel that this can be an oppurtunity to really show how effective Motivate our minds is, and how much of an impact in can have on the kids' futures. I also excited to see how the jib works in class tomorrow. I can't wait to start filming this week and the following weeks.

Another Week

So, this week I had a meeting with Mary. I am the supervisor for the "Other" section and she mostly wants fund raising videos from my team... she also wanted a radio spot. It would be no problem to do one, but I am not sure if it is entirely appropriate in a Video course... either way, we will probably do one for her if it is what she wants.

On another note, I talked to Jay Williams this weekend. He's a really nice guy. I hope I am half the alum that he has turned out to be. In other TCOM classes, I am working on an After Effects project and I am working on two scripts (one I hope to use for project 2 of this class). Completely beside the point I have a grievance I want to air: I hate Creative Non Fiction. It is an option of the ENG requirements to graduate and it is ridiculous and I hate it. My two cents: get rid of it from the curriculum or at least add other classes that would be beneficial.

Just my thoughts.

Groups

Well groups are formed and assignments were chosen. Are group recieved the one we wanted and i'm excited. I think the tutor training video will be very helpful. When your dealing with children things can get sticky especially when they aren't your own.

Our New Group

So we got our new group which I think will be very productive. Courtney or group leader met with Mary at MOM and reported back to the group the ideas in which Mary gave to Courtney which will defentitly help us out alot. One thing we got to do is meet out of class because just one class a week it doesn't help us because I don't think we will have enough time to create the documentary. I regards to the documentary I am very happy we are going that project because it might be the longest but It will be one of the most important aspect of the project for MOM to use and promote the organization. Which is the reason that we are doing this DVD becuase it means more then just a grade.

Week 4

Well we now know what topic we will be working on. The group im in got the success stories. This wasn't our first choice, but i'm happy with it. I think it will be fun to do these and meet the people that benefited from this organization. Now it's time to get everything together and make a plan. I'm looking forward to seeing what we are going to do and figuring out exactly how we are going to do it.

Group Therapy

We formed our groups this week. My group will be taking on the "Success Stories" portion of the project. I'm looking forward to meeting with some of the people that MOMs has helped to guide into productive and successful careers. I think our biggest challenge for the group will be finding a time that everyone can meet -- not just within our group -- but meeting with the people to interview. We have a lot to discuss on Monday, and I am looking forward to it. 

Week 4

This week was a little bumpy...not gonna lie. It seems like we sort of dropped in from 0-60 mph, but forgot to put tires on the car....in other words, not very productive. I heard from quite a few people this week that they were either poorly prepped for, unaware of, or simply unable to make it to any of the events that we were supposed to take part in. Honestly, I had no idea that we were working on anything for this project this week. My group met on Monday, and we decided to meet up on Thursday to discuss the angles we will be taking while approaching our aspect of the production, but nothing more than that. I think that we should schedule a whole-class meeting very soon to start deciding on what the overall look of the finalized package will look like, and how all the different groups will integrate their portions. I know that by next Monday, the Meyers/Abdullah/Black/Zelenak group will have a definite feel for which ways to approach the topics in our 'Other' category, and ready to start presenting ideas for the finalized package.

Best of luck to you all with your respective work!

Matt Z

Groups formed!

We met for the first time with our groups and I am excited about getting to work! I was voted the group leaders, thanks fellas, I adore you! But I have to say on a serious note that I am willing and ready to start on our documentary! I spoke with Mary today and I could hear the excitement in her voice! I meet with her this week and I hope she is ready to start throwing out ideas, because our group is ready to produce what she needs!

group day

Today we met with our groups and got to choose what part of the project that we are working on. Our group let by Courtney Brooks is doing the documentary part of overall project. I have volenteered to help out as much as possible but i don't think that I can handle being completely in charge. The group came up with a lot of different ideas that will make our project run really smooth. I am excited to get started and make the greatest product possible.

Groups

Today we got into our groups and decided what our package we wanted to do. Our group got the one we wanted, which was and Instructional video of how to's for potential tutors. Now our group just has to organize our schedules, and figure out what we want to ask in our interview. I am also the group leader which means that I have to coordinate everyones schedules. Hope to start shooting next week.


-Jesse

Whats New This Week...

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2008

Whats New This Week...

Looking foward to a short, yet great week! Now that we have our groups we can start brainstorming ideas. I have to say that I am a little nerves about these projects, because I am also in Swingley's TCOM 333 audio class....the pressure is on! But I am willing to work hard. I thought it was good idea that we were able to work with a group of people (MOMS) to helping us create our demo reel DVD'S for graduation. Im excited!

First day at MOMS!

MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2008

First day at MOMS!

Today at MOMS I have to say that i am eager to work with a group of woman who are passionate about what they do! I think this experience will be not only a learning experience but enjoyable for all of us...Im interested in seeing how this project not only myself but the organization! I have worked with children before in simuliar cases, and I am willing and ready to take on the new challenges that come my way. My only concern is how well the children will feel comfortable with having us around. I hope to also touch the hearts of these children while I am here....if not all, atleast one child I hope to make a diference!

MLK Week

This past week we had off of class because of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I took some time to think over some video idea however, and I came up with a day in the life of segment, showing a kid going to school, and then his trip over to MOMs, I also thought it would be cool to see the kid's home life, and where they are coming from, such as troubled neighborhoods. Well thats all I got for now I'm out.


-Jesse

HOWS THE CLASS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2008

Hows the Class

So far I am fairly excited about this class. I love the fact that we don't have any test or quizzes. This makes my life easier! I think I will enjoy working with Moms and I am ready for a great semester! I also like the idea of working outside of the classroom a lot, opposed to sitting in a room getting lectured the entire class! Well hope for a great year!

Whats New This Week...

TUESDAY, JANUARY 22, 2008

Whats New This Week...
Looking foward to a short, yet great week! Now that we have our groups we can start brainstorming ideas. I have to say that I am a little nerves about these projects, because I am also in Swingley's TCOM 333 audio class....the pressure is on! But I am willing to work hard. I thought it was good idea that we were able to work with a group of people (MOMS) to helping us create our demo reel DVD'S for graduation. Im excited!

FIRST DAY AT MOMS!

MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2008

First day at MOMS!
Today at MOMS I have to say that i am eager to work with a group of woman who are passionate about what they do! I think this experience will be not only a learning experience but enjoyable for all of us...Im interested in seeing how this project not only myself but the organization! I have worked with children before in simuliar cases, and I am willing and ready to take on the new challenges that come my way. My only concern is how well the children will feel comfortable with having us around. I hope to also touch the hearts of these children while I am here....if not all, atleast one child I hope to make a diference!

HOWS THE CLASS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2008

Hows the Class
So far I am fairly excited about this class. I love the fact that we don't have any test or quizzes. This makes my life easier! I think I will enjoy working with Moms and I am ready for a great semester! I also like the idea of working outside of the classroom a lot, opposed to sitting in a room getting lectured the entire class! Well hope for a great year!

Well, I know it's a few minutes late, but I was frantically getting audio ready for Danilo's Academy submission.   But I went over the MOM packet, and I think we ought to do some sort of orientation for volunteers or a recruitment for volunteers.

I'm ready to get started on it.

Week 3

Over the week break, this class went progressively more and more out of my thoughts. Which I am not happy about, I feel that I have not put enough thought in to this project. However, I am sure that once our group starts meeting regularly my mind will focus and more of my creative energy will be devoted to this project. I have spoken with a couple of group members about the project but nothing definite has come of that discussion. I am hoping that class on Monday will mark a definite beginning of the creative work for this project.

-Jim Black

Week 3

I'm ready to begin. It seems like a long time since we had class even though we just had one week off. Now its time to do the work. I'm ready to meet with my group members and find out exactly how we are going to do this. The planning process is what is next and its never fun but I think we can do it and be successful with this project. I think everyone in the class understands what we are doing and what we are trying to accomplish so we shouldn't have a problem there. It's just time to get the ball rolling.

Ready to Rock

After a week off, I'm ready to jump into the project, get some footage and do some editing. I'm looking forward to working with Britt, Jason, and Michael. I feel we'll be a really strong team. After visiting the facility, I am even more impressed with the operation, and can't wait to meet all the kids! Working with the staff and kids should be fun, and I'm happy to have the opportunity

-Jon

First Group Meeting

Tomorrow we'll be back in class having our first group meetings. I am excited to meet the people I am working with and get to know their personalities and strengths. I can't wait to see what sections of the video we will be working on and what ideas we come up with.

ready to start!

I'm glad we finally have class again tomorrow. It seems like we've been getting off to a slow start having missed last week but I'm glad we've had the extra free time to brainstorm and get ready to start working with MOMS. Ever since we visited it 2 weeks ago, I've been seeing ads and donation buckets and articles everywhere about it. I had no idea how important the program was, which makes me even more excited to start working. I have been thinking of TONS of ideas...

MOMs

I am really excited to be enrolled into this class. I can not say that I have been as excited to work on a project since I have been here at Ball State. The ladies that we will be working with, all seem very nice and really driven at what they do. I have never worked with kids, but I can imagine they are going to be great tools for b roll footage in the production. Also, I am looking foward to working with everyone in the class, everyone seems great!

I'm Ready

I am ready to start working on the MOM video. This project is going to be super exciting once it gets off the ground. I can't wait to figure out which section we are going to be working on. Also, I am pumped to show everyone how to work the jib tomorrow. I worked with it last semester, so I hope I remember how to work it.

This week I've done a lot of TCOM stuff... I worked on "The Chapman Project" as a camera operator (yeah, jib!). I also am still working on pre-production for the Webisode Immersion Project. So, if you are interested in working for credits as well as a great resume boost, let me know!

Week 3

It will be nice tomorrow to meet with my team and get this project started. I hope each group works really well together cause that will not only help with their own segment but also the overall DVD will be amazing also. Because we didn't have class last week I really don't have much to write but hopefully by tomorrow we will have some great ideas and a strong direction of what we are going to do.

lets get it started

2 weeks after visiting with MOM i think we should have some really good ideas to put towards the video. im ready to get started on this thing right away

Lets Go

Well I'm ready to get started. I've been thinking about the format styles and I think a bubble letter font very similar to MOM's current style would fit well. Also using the same primary colors that the logo has would be good. Keep it uniform or would that be to bland?

MLK J day

This week was MLK J day we didn't have class but it was a good opportunity to reflect and get ready for the future.

Dwindle

HEY!
okay, now that I have your attention, has anybody thought about what they want to do for the 2nd half of this semester's big project? I posted some info on a possible opportunity that I would like to work with 2-4 people on. Check out my other blog @ http://434frusciante.blogspot.com/ , and see what I have in mind. Hit me up if you happen to have a cool idea for this project, or have an idea for another project to do for Tim's class.

Thx!

Mz

Week Two and Going Strong

I am not sure if I have to post for this week, but just in case...

So, I am completely humbled by the trip to MOM this past week. The women who run that place have just the right amount of authority and kindness to make for wonderful people. I am excited to get this project off the ground. Other groups had better watch out, team Rafiq, Sally, Jim and Matt is about to kick butt!

This week has been insane, but in that good way, ya know? I had a few production meetings with the WEBISODE going on this semester. Very exciting stuff. Bruce Economu and I spoke about career opportunities and I have sent him my resume to pass around to his friends so, here is hoping that will all work out. Also, this week I found my new favorite program ever: After Effects. I am an addict. I love it.

IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF THE WEBISODE IMMERSION (the biggest immersion project in Ball State History) PLEASE EMAIL ME! WE ARE STILL LOOKING FOR 3 MAIN AUDIO PEOPLE, A CINEMATOGRAPHER, AND A CHIEF EDITOR. IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW WOULD BE INTERESTED PLEASE SEND ME AN EMAIL AND RESUME OR BIOGRAPHY TO SRMYERS@BSU.EDU. THANK YOU! CREDIT HOURS ARE AVAILABLE.

Week 2

It was great getting to tour and meet the people working within the  MOM organization earlier this week. They all seem very professional and enthusiastic to begin this partnership with the class. I think that we are equally as ready to get the ball rolling. I'm looking forward to meeting the kids and hearing some of the many success stories that MOM has had a hand in shaping over the years.

Week 2

We visited the MOMs organization this week. It was nice to meet the people who work and run the place. They all seemed very nice and very dedicated to their work. I think it was important for us to see the place and the people cause it really lets you know how special their work that they are doing is. It also helps with our project of making a video for these people cause you want to help them out. At the same time meeting them also put more pressure on us I think. I really dont want to let them down, but at the same time its good cause it makes me want to work even harder to make something for them.

Week 2

Meeting the people at MOM and seeing the facilities was a great way to introduce this project. Now I am better acquainted with the cause that we are working for, and it will be easier for me to come up with ideas for the DVD. It seems like an organization that does a great deal of good for the children it serves, and the ladies seem very dedicated and caring. I hope that we can do the kind of quality work that they both need and deserve.

Week 2

Well, we went to the MOM central HQ this week. This project is going to be pretty fun now that I've met the people involved and seen how nice they are. And they seem excited about working with us, too, so that will make it all the better.

I've gone a little through the packet they gave us, and once I get through it all, I'll be able to start coming up with some ideas for the DVD. Again, I think this is going to be quite the fun little project.

Meeting MOM

This week we visited the MOM organization and got to meet the people who keep it running on a daily basis. The passion that these people have for the work that they do is remarkable. I think that the way that they felt about the work and what they are doing there rubbed off on every one of us. This meeting also made me want to do the best that i can for these people because they have been around for so long and i want to help them be even more successful in the future with the help of this project. The team that has been picked for me is amazing as well. Of the four other people i have worked with two of them so our group shouldn't have much of a chemistry problem. This will be a great project.

Week 2

Being able to visit MOM was great. It gave me a great opportunity to meet the people we are working with which they seem like great people and will be very supportive which is nice. Seeing the space that we will be working in definitely was a plus because I could start thinking up ideas for how shots could or could not work. Where the best place to set up an interviews would be and how to better light the areas. Are group have the necessary information and i background to create a great piece of work and now it is just getting behind the camera and producing a great story.

MOM is the coolest

Yesterday we went to the MOMs building and got a nice little introduction of what we will be working on over the next few months. We met with Mary and Jill and they supplied us with a lot of information, personal portfolios, and some delicious donuts. When I first heard about what we would be doing this semester, I have to admit I wasn't exactly jumping for joy but after learning about the program and meeting with everyone, it seems like something I am really excited about and will definitely benefit a lot from. I definitely have a lot to learn too, which is sad since I'm graduating in May. I hate the fact that I'm so far behind and still don't know a lot of things I should have mastered by now. Hopefully working with the more qualified people in my class will help me catch up some.

Week 1

I am looking forward to creating the DVD to promote the MOM program. I have been thinking for a while that I may like to work with not-for-profit groups as a part of my career, so this project will probably give me an idea of what that would be like. I am excited to be working for a cause and putting my efforts into something worthwhile. Sometimes I feel like the TCOM department focuses too much on Hollywood-type entertainment careers, so it's nice to have a project that is focused on something with more meaning.

week one

i think the project we are doing for MOM is a great way for us to show off our talents and help a local group that deserves the positive attention and i am looking forward to meeting some of the people and hearing their stories

Week 1

As of right now I'm liking this course so far. I like the idea of making something for an organization and helping them out. This project is something completely new to me, but I think it is a good one to work on. I'm looking forward to starting work on it and I think the class will be fun just because it's something new to me and different. Also, I like the idea that we get the opportunity to get noticed for our work on this project.

Today we went to the Motivate Our Minds building. We took a tour and they told the class how things were run. I'm excited overall to do this project. It reminds me of a project that I had last semester for my production seminar class, where we did a documentary about the Ladies soccer team.



-Jesse

First Impression

It is my final semester of college and going to be one of the busiest yet. One of the Telecommunication class I am taking is Advanced Video. The way the class is structured I think is going to give the whole class and I the opportunity to gain allot of real world experience. In ever video class before you need to project just for yourself and goes towards your own personal grade. But by having the opportunity to create a DVD for a real company your not only doing something for yourself but also an outsider will be viewing it. Because of this the DVD we make will need to great piece of work. It will reflect on how much I have learned at BSU but also my own personal skills at creating a great piece. I am excited to start and create a DVD that not only going to help me in my growth in telecommunication but also will be helping out Motivate our Minds which in the long run will have a great impact on the company.

Week One

I'm looking forward to working on this project. I think there will be a considerable amount of similarities between this project and the project we had to do in TCOM487. This is the largest project I have ever been a part of, and I am pretty excited about that. I am really looking forward to getting started on this project.

ONE

Well as my college career comes to a close it it ime to start getting my life in order and get ready for the real world. Now i have a way to keep track of the last semester of the best 5 years of my life. This this class is going to be an opportunity to wrap up all the skills that i have learned. The final product will be good for not only us but also for the MOM organization. Also then we get to create our own individual project, which will let us do that last project that we have been looking to do for years, or in my case choose between a million different ideas. Whatever happens happens but this will be a good experience for everyone

Let's Make it Happen

Brand new class, brand new oppurtinity. I am excited to working with motivate our minds, and getting to work with kids and new classmates. I think this is an oppurtunity for me to personally expand my horizons, as well as learn to work with other classmates.

I have experience doing projects for clients, and with kids also. I film and edit my church's preschool events and make the dvd's availabe to the parents of the children. I also work with youth every summer in a workshop to produce media (visionmultimedia.org.)

I can't wait to jump into the project, and have a way to build up my resume evern stronger. Peace out.

And so it begins...

The beginning of the end... A long-overdue final semester for me. The last time I was in a class at BSU was 2001/2002. So getting back into the swing of things may take a bit, but I think I'll be alright. Juggling my final semester along with working 40-50 hours a week in Indy and commuting a total of 2.5 hours each day will truly test my mettle. But I'm excited about my classes and to be back in the swing of things.

I'm also excited to be able to participate in this MOM project with 434. I think it's a great organization, and I hope that we can make the final cut as impressive as it can be. I'm sure a lot will be gained and that it will be a positive experience.

The First of Many

The first week of class is over and this is what I know: Best Semester Ever. My classes this time around include Motion, Advanced video (obviously, right?), A Dr. Wes Class, A Dr. Mike Class, and- quite unfortunately, an English class. Still, the majority are really fun courses that I am looking forward to. (All right, I know I ended that sentence with a prepositional phrase, but I think blogging is meant to be an informal medium... isn't it?)

I am very excited to start working with After Effects in Motion. I think that here at good ol' BSU there should be more classes based around specific software; I am a dunce at teaching myself computer programs, so this class is uber-exciting to me.

As per advanced video: I am really excited to work on a documentary-style production that I can be proud of. Last semester I worked on the Girl's Soccer Team Documentary for Semester Production, and I can honestly say that while it was a fun course I was less than pleased with the outcome. But, so is life, and group projects. This class seems much more organized and the documentary will be on a topic which interests me more than before.

ALSO, I currently applied to Oprah, so being able to send this little project in to her is going to make me look a lot better than without. Anyway, I think this should be sufficient. Can't wait for the semester to get rolling. :D

Week 1

Well, here it is. The final semester at Ball State (for my undergrad degree). My last production class. I think I'm going to tear up a little bit.

Alright, maybe not. Tim's 434 Advanced Video Production sounds like it will be a challenging and enlightening class. I've had class with Tim in the past and also recorded some ADR of Tim (playing the part of a funeral orator), so I know the class will be fun because of Tim, if for no other reason.

It should be a good experience filming and working with kids (something I haven't had the pleasure to do, yet). Plus the final product will be sent to Oprah since she's donated a sizeable amount of cash to MOM. It's a little exciting to think that Oprah will be viewing something that I helped create. And as always, having a completed DVD to hand to a potential employer is always a good thing.

The other project for the semester, a video with seemingly no creative restraints, should also be a blast to create. I've still got a couple months to plan everything, but I've already got a fairly good idea of what I'm going to do. But who knows? I could always abandon the ideas that I have now and go with something completely different.

Welcome to the class

Hello.  Welcome to TCOM 434 Advanced Video Production.  This will be a class on production and how it affects a not-for-profit agency, Motivate Our Minds.  This class will produce a DVD for them that will showcase MOM's history, its success stories, and what someone can do to help.  This agency is one of the great success stories in the area, but they have not had a DVD to show people what they get for their investment.  Here here a chance to produce something that will last for years and help an organization that, truly, deserves our respect.

On top of that, you will be able to produce a video for your demo reel.  Many of you will be graduating this year.  Is there something you've been wanting to produce these past years, but have not had a chance to do it?  Here's your opportunity.  

Lastly, you will have the chance to work with other students you may not have met yet.  Since you are approaching graduation, it is important that you "network" and get to know your fellow TCOM'ers.  You never know, that person could be your entry into the business. 

Good luck.