Video Production
CHALLENGE:
Using your camcorder, create a 5 minute video documenting the experience of packing a suitcase with 3 items you feel you cannot live without for a week. Interview yourself and record your feelings about the meaning of these important objects in your everyday life. Why is each thing important to you? Why would it be impossible for you to live without each thing? What will you decide not to pack and why? Next close the suitcase and put it away with the intention not to open it up until 1 week has passed. Then interview yourself about the loss of these items on a daily basis for a week. How much time do you spend mourning the loss of each item? Which new things or experiences have you found to appreciate instead? Do you still miss each item at the end of 1 week? At the end of the week when you have opened up the suitcase again, do you find that you use the items more or less than you did before? Use your camera to record the packing of the suitcase, as well as the process of opening it up again at the end of the week. Capture images that reveal the places, objects and people you’re spending more time with since packing away these 3 objects. How can you edit the captured interviews and images to illustrate a transformation in your life.
DESCRIPTION OF CHALLENGE:
CRITERIA / MEDIA REQUIREMENTS:
PROFESSIONAL:
Alex Torinus, Lecturer in Film / Video / New Genres at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, [email protected]
Using your camcorder, create a 5 minute video documenting the experience of packing a suitcase with 3 items you feel you cannot live without for a week. Interview yourself and record your feelings about the meaning of these important objects in your everyday life. Why is each thing important to you? Why would it be impossible for you to live without each thing? What will you decide not to pack and why? Next close the suitcase and put it away with the intention not to open it up until 1 week has passed. Then interview yourself about the loss of these items on a daily basis for a week. How much time do you spend mourning the loss of each item? Which new things or experiences have you found to appreciate instead? Do you still miss each item at the end of 1 week? At the end of the week when you have opened up the suitcase again, do you find that you use the items more or less than you did before? Use your camera to record the packing of the suitcase, as well as the process of opening it up again at the end of the week. Capture images that reveal the places, objects and people you’re spending more time with since packing away these 3 objects. How can you edit the captured interviews and images to illustrate a transformation in your life.
DESCRIPTION OF CHALLENGE:
- Use your camera to record the process of selecting 3 items you feel you cannot live without in your everyday life. Videotape yourself packing a suitcase with these items and putting the suitcase away for 1 week. Interview yourself about why these objects are important to you. Why do you think it would be impossible to live without each of them? At the end of the week, videotape the unpacking of the suitcase. Document your feelings about the objects after you have lived without them for this short time.
- As the week passes, find a good space to set up the camera to interview yourself, and record your daily reactions to the loss of the 3 items in your suitcase. Every day, ask yourself, how has your mood changed since these things have disappeared? How have your activities changed? What do appreciate about the lost items now? What else are you finding yourself appreciating without them? Record detailed answers to all of the questions above.
- When recording audio, if you’ll be working with an external microphone, be sure to keep the microphone close to yourself, about 6 to 9 inches away from your mouth. If you have to work with an onboard camera microphone, be sure to keep the camera close to your face. This will ensure that you record sound with enough volume.
- Next go back with your video camera to capture images you feel best illustrate your life without the items in your suitcase. What places, objects and people do you now spend more time with, for example? Use your camera to capture images that reveal these new experiences and changes in your life.
- When framing your shots, make sure to capture images with a wide variety of camera angles. Include many close-up shots and extreme close-ups. Look for specific details. Experiment with hand-holding the camera. Experiment with camera movement.
- Transfer your interviews and video images to a computer with a non-linear editing application.
- Edit your collection of interviews and images into a 5 minute video project that illustrates the transformation in your life without access to these 3 most important items in your daily life. The video should show strong consideration of framing and composition and growth or change within the video from beginning to end.
CRITERIA / MEDIA REQUIREMENTS:
- Computers with any available video editing software (IMovie, Final Cut Pro, Premiere, etc.)
- Digital Video Camcorders and External Microphones (if available)
- Mini-DV tapes or DVDs (for shooting the video)
- The completed video on Mini-DV, DVD, or on a flash drive
PROFESSIONAL:
Alex Torinus, Lecturer in Film / Video / New Genres at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, [email protected]