Looking for B-Roll

Worked on stuff for the Chameleon Club documentary's B-roll (i.e. the images shown overtop someone speaking about what the images are showing) I actually got to go in to AfterEffects and learn how to zoom in to an area from space. Then I highlighted the city areas of Lancaster, Philadelphia, Baltimore, DC, Harrisburg, and NYC and had them fade in one at a time. It took me about an hour and a half, but it ended up looking pretty cool, simple, and exactly what Allen needed. Then, waited for Allen to get some other stuff done, we went over to Prince St Cafe where others got coffee and Allen got me a chocolate chip muffin for lunch (since I'd forgotten one). After that, waited around a bit for the camera to finish charging and then we left to go out hunting B-roll.

We had a number of stops to make, so we took Allen's Jeep. I'm glad I wasn't driving because we went to a few parts of the city I've never been to. Allen was looking for diversity shots, so we found an Asian market and a Mexican restaurant. We were looking for Puerto Rican flags, but that ended up being fruitless. Next we went in search of an Amish buggy. Not too hard in Lancaster, you think? Wrong. We had to go all the way out 30 to 896 and half way to Strasburg! Then we set up outside the Strasburg Creamery waiting for a buggy to go by so we could show a buggy in a more urban environment. But just our luck, there was one going by right as we parked, but none when we got out, set up and waited for 5 minutes in the cold wind. That's another thing, it was REALLY windy today. Next we headed back to Fruitville Pike and took some wide shots of the shopping center with the Weiss and the PepBoys. Then, Allen needed to go out and get some pictures at a pharmacy out off of Centerville Rd for an entirely different project, so we went all the way out there for that. I helped out by blocking out weird lighting from the windows. Finally, we headed back in to town to the train station (stopping by the comic shop first) for an incoming train and people getting on and off. Allen was scared that we'd be stopped and asked what we were doing and getting in trouble and such, but there was hardly anyone there at all! A needless worry in the end, but since the sun was beginning to set, it turned out to be a great shot! Lastly, we headed back in the city itself and got some shots of the roundabout on King and Queen streets. That turned out really nice too since the sunset made a nice color on the stone. Allen also got to take shots of museums around Market.

After that, we dropped the camera and tripod off at Postage and Allen was nice enough to give me a ride back to the Parking garage. Today was a good day. I don't feel like I did too much, but I feel like I learned a bit. Also, I get to go back on Friday and help Allen get some more footage. This time interviewing the mayor of Lancaster. Should be fun. Joe also has some stuff for me to do, so Friday will be fun like today. Plus, Allen needs more footage not just of Lancaster, but also of DC, Philly, and New York. I told him we were going to DC this weekend and he asked me to get a good 10 second shot of people walking around a metropolitan area of DC. Not too hard, I think, so I even get to help them out when I'm on vacation!

[Hours: 10-5]
[Total Hours: 117]

HUH!...I'm all Shook Up!

Today at Postage was great! I got there super early, which didn't do me any good because Allen was on time. Joe was at another studio today, so I was Allen's intern and we got to do some awesome amount of editing.

The first two hours or so were dedicated to digitizing Dutch Apple's "All Shook Up" show. About 40 minutes in when I realized that it was a modern musical addaptation of Shakespeare's "12th Night" I stopped taking it seriously and enjoyed it. It got pretty funny at the end with the mix and match love stories, though I was sorta hoping for the tom boy to finally turn around and proclaim love for the geek boy. Then, with three clips, Allen showed me how to mix and match video to audio and levels and such to make a quick, 20-30 second clip of a song. But really, Allen did the first one and I did the second two. It was still fun though. It was all Elivs music, by the way.

Then, using the same footage that Allen had us practicing with in class yesterday, a lady came from ShurFine grocery stores and I got to create a new HD donut commercial for them. I think I'm going in tomorrow too to continue with that. There was some AfterEffects and some FinalCut for that, but it was ver similar to what we'd done in class, and that made it alright. Allen (and the lady) told me that this was really what editing was. There there was an "Editor" and a "Technical Editor". The first tells the second what clips to use, where, etc. and the second does the physical pushing of the buttons. I'd seen some of the behind-the-scenes stuff for LOTR:RotK and they showed that and I was so happy that I got to be the Technical Editor even for this small, local commercial. Allen said to enjoy it while it lasts, because it doesn't always stay fun. I told him that if I'm still actually doing this same kind of thing in 30 years and I'm still having fun, that I've picked the right path.

I hope I'm right.

[Hours: 10-6]
[Total Hours: 82]