AICE Media Studies

 My 2 pitches for my final task are: "An engineering student and how they plan on becoming successful." "A scientist and how a life changing discovery will forever impact humanity." The reason I chose these two pitches were because of the creativity that follows them. There is so much space for imagination to come into play with these two storylines. I could use lots of editing software and graphics, which would add a hefty amount of great experience. I like working with creative backgrounds and since I am doing my project alone, I have more room for adjustments.  I ended up deciding on "An engineering student and how they plan on becoming successful." because of how much I can relate to it. I also wanted to create my final task along the lines of science because I am passionate about STEM as well as a lover of sci-fi movies. Being able to direct and fully control my own sci-fi themed movie as well as gain experience for editing software is a great opportu...

  My name is Melanie Madrinan, and I am a student enrolled in AICE Media studies. I am currently working on my own, no partners. I chose to work by myself because I often find it easier when I work independently. Many times I see myself grasping information easier and better comprehending it when I work alone. I do enjoy working with partners, especially on major projects, but I believe it will be more beneficial for me if I work on my own. When I film and jot down ideas for storylines, I like to get opinions and criticism from people who would be in the audience, and not the team, hence working on my own. I enjoy taking charge in projects, especially in larger ones. It's nice working at my own pace and being able to run along my own lines, accordingly. It's easier for me to concentrate because sometimes I can get distracted when working around close friends. There is also a much lesser chance of any conflict arising when working on my own, preventing any mishaps in the work. ...

 For my video, I will have many props. They will consist of a camera, telescope, computer, and phone. Since there is only one actor (me), only one costume is necessary. I will wear a black SpaceX hoodie and black leggings. Not much makeup is needed nor a rigorous hairstyle process. As for location, there will be multiple locations. A few shots will be taken at the beach, some in other spaces. The weather is undecided but a majority will be taken inside. If weather is unfavorable, meaning cloudy skies blocking the moon and stars, I will push forward the dates. I have previous footage of filming the stars and planets so worst-case scenario, I will use that.  The current dates I have set are to film all possible clips beginning anywhere from November 19th-28th.  This gives me enough time to accommodate for unfavorable weather, personal emergency events, and filming shots that require the moon and the stars to be visible.

 The genre is for my song and video is alternative rock. I plan to have quick scenes. Some shots will last longer than others. This is because there isn't really a storyline, it will be more so just clips and shots that relate to space compiled together in a video. The transitions will be fast and not extremely smooth. It will jump from scene to scene and be somewhat choppy. This will add texture to the video. In the scenes, the camera will be placed at different angles. Some will be taken in high angle, low angle, close up, from afar, and zoom in. None of the clips will have the same exact camera angle back to back. I will set up the camera on a tripod or put against a surface at an angle that will record when I (the actor) will be in the shots.

   For this project, I decided to work on my own. I chose this because it would be a lot easier to work under my timing. With meeting restrictions due to the pandemic, the filming and editing process would be a lot smoother and less complicated. The song I decided on is "Space Song" by Beach House. I chose this song because it has a beat that is very calm and mellow. With this, I am able to create a video around the space theme. I knew I wanted to create a space-themed video when I was presented with this project, so immediately I thought of this song. The name of the song is coincidental. Since the song is a melancholy-like song, it would be perfect for a space-related music video. 

This is the first commercial I have ever done. It was definitely the biggest project I have completed before. My editing skills improved a lot but there are many areas that have room for improvement. I learned a lot about filming from different angles and how to create a proper storyline. I look forward to my production skills growing positively. Overall, I am very proud of my first commercial!

 Once I had finished filming, I downloaded all of my clips and files onto my computer. I made sure to import all the necessary shots. I decided to use iMovie as my editing software as it is already a program on my computer and I have experience using it. Once everything was downloaded and embedded into iMovie, I trimmed, deleted, and moved around the clips to create scenes that allow the video to follow the script I made in my storyboard. The original video was roughly 5 minutes without editing or trimming.  I needed to shape the format of the clips I filmed, and once that was complete, I added my scenes in between shots. Like this, the viewer has a bit of context in between shots so they know what they're seeing. Once the base was fully done and edited, it took about 20 minutes to find the right music to add to the background. I needed to make sure that the audio was long enough for the video so that there weren't any periods of silence. Once I found the right audio, I added ...

 On Thursday, October 29th, I began filming my commercial. At first, the weather was very unfavorable. I thought I wouldn't be able to film that day until the skies began to clear. A little over half an hour later, the sky cleared of clouds and I was able to film. I realized that I was not able to use a tripod for most of the scenes like I imagined, so I asked my sister to help me film while I was the actor in the shots. For some scenes, such as 1, 3, 6, 7, and 8, I was able to film by myself. The remaining 3 scenes were filmed by my sister. As the director, I made sure all equipment was in the proper position and all the shots were filed with a steady hand. It was filmed using an iPhone, using a tripod for specific scenes. I included a drone scene that took a bit of redoing to perfect it completely. I drove around to different locations for each scene and worked around the script/storyboard. Some of the clips did not have the actor completely in the shot meaning no wardrobe change...

 First Scene: The first scene will start off with a medium/even level angle shot of the Tesla. The car will be parked and not on. The camera will be filming in front of the car.  Second Scene: This will be a quick scene. The camera will be focused on the door handle and the actor (I) will be opening the door. Third Scene: Jumping to the third scene, it will feature the actor (I) getting into the vehicle, preparing to drive. The camera would be positioned in the back, giving the viewer a rear end point of view. Fourth Scene: Cutting to the fourth scene, the camera will be positioned at a low angle. It will be recording the car driving by on the street. Fifth Scene: During this scene, there will be a hand that pushes on the charger door, causing it to open. Then the actor (I) will be placing the charger inside. Sixth Scene: The final scene will consist of the car charging and sitting idly. All scenes will last in between 2-5 seconds and will have music playing.

  Props: I decided on a Tesla commercial, so the most important prop will be a Tesla. The commercial may also include a Tesla charger that will be displayed in the video. Costumes and Attire: Since there will be only one actor, the costume will be a nice dress shirt with the Tesla logo. The bottoms will be casual pants/shorts. The actors' makeup will be a light look and not flashy, to prevent the viewers from being distracted away from the advertised product. I may have the actor wear sunglasses and a loose hairstyle. Location list: The main location will be a street along the beachside and by Downtown Fort Lauderdale. This location adds nice scenery and emphasizes a nice look. At this location Here the shots will be of the car moving and the exterior. The second location will be at a charging station to demonstrate the 'electric car'.  There will also be a scene inside the car. This shows off the interior and adds effect for the viewer. Many shots will also be taken on cit...

 I am doing a Tesla commercial. Tesla does not have any commercials for themselves, so I will create one based on the lines of regular car advertising. In typical car commercials, there are shots of the vehicle in motion. - Angle shots from high and low are taken to show off the car. This allows a dramatic effect making the car look more desirable. - Voice-overs detailing the vehicle are common in many car commercials, providing a storyline. This could be used to add more information on the advertised product - Sometimes people driving inside with a family to demonstrate safety. Other times it is done to show off the nice interior. 1. Conventions and Codes in car commercials mention the logo of the vehicle. Often times, commercials will have the logo of the company to make an appearance multiple times if not once. The company name is usually displayed somewhere so the viewer knows what car they're looking at.  2. In a commercial, there is usually always a storyline that follow...

 Hello everyone, my name is Melanie Madrinan!  I am a sophomore in 10th grade. I am currently taking the media studies class because I enjoy learning more about the terminology and details of media overall. A bit about myself would be that I am very interested in technology. I often find myself doing research on many companies, primarily Tesla, SpaceX, and Apple. I like to take pictures of Tesla's and I also sometimes do astrophotography, so learning about camera angles and terminology will help me a lot. My main goal is to learn how to shoot and edit videos so I can incorporate that knowledge into personal home projects. It'll be great to learn more about maneuvering a camera. I enjoy creating artwork about my passions by being able to capture the moments using photography. I am looking forward to seeing what I can create using the ability to know more about photography.  I will enjoy it when I can watch movies and be able to name the angles and more details. Understandi...