Key Things About Transitions

 What are three key new things about transitions that you learned from this video?  Why did you find each of these interesting?

1) A dissolve and fade are some of the more dangerous transitions, because you really need to know what your purpose and intention is to make sure you use them correct. 

2) Transitions don't have to be complicated- a lot of them are really simple to do, you just need thought and intention. Cutaways are easy to do, you just need to know what response you would like from your audience, and do everything accordingly. 

3) Sound is super helpful , and it's an essential part of your transitions. If you mess up during production, it's not the end of the world because you can fix a transition in post with sound. 

L Cuts and J Cuts

 What is a J or L cut? What do they do? How can they improve your edit?

A J cut is when you can hear the audio of the previous clip, before seeing it. And a L cut is when the audio of the previous clip drags on until the second clip. These edits can improve your project, because they give a seamless transition using audio, in between the two clips. 

SJSU Reflection

After touring California State University San Jose's film production facilities, what aspects of their program or resources stood out to you, and how do you think these could influence your approach to future film projects?

I think that the building and the spaces were really small. If I were to attend film school (which I am looking to do,) I'd want a program that's a bit more developed. I think that with the comparison of their program, versus this one, it'll influence my approach to future film programs because I'll want to utilize the equipment we have here. The equipment and the environment at SVCTE seems a lot more thought out. I feel like it's rare to find a school that sincerely cares for their film students, and that are proud of their department. So, to find that here is an amazing thing. 

Key Factors When Exporting

What are the key factors to keep in mind when exporting your project on Premiere Pro?  What are some mistakes that you've made so far that you can fix?

To help speed up rendering, you should close any other apps on your device. A mistake I've made with rendering, is forgetting to render my project, and remembering in the last minute. I can remember that next time. A good thing to remember when exporting on Premier Pro, is to hit "Match System Settings" to export with the same settings as your sequence. But, this uses a different codec than your standard or intermediate codec. The best setting for web playback is the H.264 codec- it's also the most common codec for video exports through Premier. 

Codec VS Container

 What is a codec? What is the difference between a codec and a container?

A codec is the order that's used to layout audio and video data in a way that can be played back and edited, or to change to other kinds of codecs. There are many different types, and they all have their own advantages. A container is what's used to hold audio and video data together in a single file- with some additional information as well. While there are codecs in a container, a container determines how compressed footage is shared and transmitted. 

Timecode

 In your own words, explain what timecode is to someone who has no idea. What is it? Why is it so important for editing video?

Timecode is basically the time of the video you're seeing. The format is: 00:00:00:00. The first set of zeros are the hours, then the minutes, then seconds, and finally the frame. There's usually 20-60 frames per second (fps). It's so important because while doing professional editing, you'll be given hours worth of footage, and you need to sort through it all, and know what time you're at, if given a list of good takes and bad takes. 

Resolution

 What is resolution? What is the difference between each of the different resolutions mentioned in this video? What is the presenter's advice for using different resolutions?

Resolution is the quality of the video you're seeing, or the level of detail. The higher the resolution, the more detail there is, therefore the higher the quality. 

480 p was 4:3.This is called SD - Standard Definition 
1280 x 720 was HD, with a 16:9 aspect ratio - High definition
1920 x 1080 also 16:9 format. This is called Full HD - Full High Definition
3840 x 2160 16:9 aspect ratio - called 4k UHD; Ultra High Definition

The presenter's advice is not to get wrapped up in trying to get the latest gear- just focus on creating videos, no matter the resolution of them. 

Analog Vs Digital

 What is the difference between analog and digital? What are the benefits of digital?

Analog signals use some sort of thing that's constantly changing to represent data. For example AM Radio uses signal with a constantly varying wave height or amplitude to represent sound. They can then be easily be decoded. While good, the drawback is interference, since the signal is so small. Analog technology uses 1's and 0's to encode information, rather than signals. 1's and 0's are representations of electrical signals. Digital transition is usually more reliable for longer distance. Digital data can easily be replicated without sacrificing your quality. Analog will slowly lose their quality if copied. 

Into To Editing Reflection

     You've just begun your journey into editing!  How does it feel to take your first baby steps?  What are three things that surprise you?  What are you finding difficult?

I already had a bit of experience with some editing programs. Somethings that surprised me with Adobe Premier Pro though, is how technical and specific you have to be- where you're editing, and making sure you're in the right tabs. I found the shortcuts to be surprisingly helpful- I made some mistakes and I could also easily undo them too which was good, and a pleasant surprise. The only thing I found difficult was the volume and music. Trying to edit the sound volume was confusing, and I had a hard time with that. 

3 Different Video Editing Tools

 Pick three of the different tools covered in this video and explain how they work in detail. Why are these tools important to learn to edit video in premiere?

1) The razor tool is used to cut clips at one or more different timestamps. This tool is important, because you need to be able to make cuts in your clips to edit in the first place. 

2) The ripple edit tool cuts a part of your clip, and edits the rest of the cuts down, so the cut is seamless, and there isn't gaps in between your cuts. This is important so you don't have to select and drag every clip down to line them up well.

3) The rate stretch tool shortens or lengthens the clip, by changes the speed of it. This can be important to change the speed of your clips - slowmotion and timelapse. 

Montage Concepts

 What are three concepts from this article that you can incorporate into your future montage edit?  Why did you pick these three?  How can you apply them in the edit?

1) Cutting into action: This makes your cut more fluent because your audience is focusing on the action.  
2) Link scenes: Cut from one scene, to a completely different one. Ex) A character on a battle field, about to slice someone --> The character cutting an apple. Your brain connects the two frames, and you infer that he chopped someone. 
3) Insert shot: Cut away from a medium shot for example, to something the acaracter looks at , then back to medium shot. Ex) A character looks at his watch, we focus on the watch, then back to the character. Helps give more detail. 

I picked these because I think they'll be the hardest for me to do, and I want to try to focus on them. 

Pudovkin's Technique

 Summarize one of Pudovkin's techniques outlined in this video essay that interests you.  How does it contribute to the storytelling in the modern movie clip that the narrator talks about?  Why do you find this interesting?

By cutting from one shot, to a drastically different shot, contrast will force the viewer to try to compare the two different shots, and make up a relation. Contrast contributes to storytelling in A Space Odyssey, by placing a shot of a bone flying into the air, and then cutting to a clip of a space module in space. This makes the viewer think about the relationship between the two clips, and they subconsciously start filtering through ideas of how the two scenes could relate. I find contrast so interesting, because the clips could be so different, and the audience will already be thinking about how they're related. I just think tat it's a very helpful technique to keep in mind, since less is more, and the audience's subconscious can already do so much work for you. 

Cutting On Action

 What is cutting on action? How does it seamlessly blend two shots together? What are two things that you must keep in mind when cutting on action in your films?

A cut on action is a useful way to transition between shots. The second cut should include a level of action that's equivalent to the first! Cutting on action helps your cuts seem "invisible". You don't need to wait for a pause in action to cut. You can cut in the middle of one action, for example a character reaching and grabbing a doorknob, then cut and change the angle, placing the camera on the other side of the door. and film the character opening the door from the other side. Pretty much any action can be used to do a cut on action. A character sitting down, throwing something, etcetera. 

It's important to pick a spot in the action to connect the two shots. You shouldn't just cut randomly in the action. It should be coherent and make sense to the viewer. For example, don't cut while the character is walking through the door. A better cut would be when the character is just starting to push the door open. 

Also, don't wait for a pause before you cut. Waiting for a pause might slow down the pace of the film. Cutting on action is an easy way to not slow down the pace. A way to think about it, would be to cut in the first third of the snap or pass. Then, the rest of the action (the other two-thirds) will happen in the second shot. Don't forget to match the shots up! If you don't, the cut will be obvious and it'll take the viwer out of the action. 

Mise-En-Scene

 What is mise-en-scene? How is the term used in the film industry? What are two reasons that it is so important?

While it's usually undefined, Mise-en-scene is the visual and auditory elements on the screen. It include the framing, the lighting, set design and the sound. Mise-en-scene directly translates to "placing on stage," or "everything in frame." It's used in the film industry to define everything that'll be in the frame - which will also include the actors, and even their makeup and hair. It's important to the storytelling of the film, as different lighting and angles can portray different messages. It also propels your story along. It can have different meaning and it can convey new emotions, and it's important to have a good mise-sn-scene with meaning in your films. 

Birth Of a Nation

 What was the significance of Birth of a Nation?  What was its terrible legacy?

While it was effective at sparking violence against blacks in many cities, the cinematics and the visuals are supposedly stunning. People claim that it was the birth of American films, and it was the first movie to ever be shot at night. Multiple scenes are shot very well. While it's a racist movie, its shot very beautifully, which makes it hard to not love apparently. 

Rough Cut

 What are the steps in editing a rough cut?  Why is a rough cut so important?

There's no right or wrong way to edit, but here are some easy steps to follow:

1) Lay out your content
2) Start doing basic cuts that just cut out silence or mistakes
3) Go back and start adding music

A rough cit is important because you can watch the entire story after the rough cut, so you can see if there's something that needs to be added, or more scenes that have to be shot. It's also nice to have a just in case" draft if you're working with a deadline. If you've left your edits long, it's always easier to cut little bits out rather than bring back footage you deleted. Lastly, you can get helpful feedback when showing a rough cut. It's easier to change things if you have a rough cut, and not a finalized project. 

Great Train Robbery Editing

What was significant about the great train robbery in editing?

The Great Film Robbery was significant, because almost all of the scenes in the film are photographed in full or long shots with all of the action in the scene occurring within  continuous takes that lasted long enough to make the point of the story. The editing was also less primal and basic than in Life of an American Fireman, the assembly of the scenes also being more cinematic. 

Organizing Footage

 Why is organizing your footage so important to editing? What are two things you found really helpful that you learned in this video?

Organizing your footage is important when you're editing. You don't want to lose clips, and you want to make sure you know where everything is. I learned that folders are helpful to keep track of items. The smaller you can make the individual collections, the easier it'll be to edit. I also learned you can mark your good clips, so it's easier to view and edit. I learned that you can click and drag the organizing tabs when viewing your folder. You can also add descriptions and you can change the names of the files too. It's helpful to color code your clips, and go through and add description to every clip.