PSA: Stop Bullying

We were to choose to do either a 60-90 second PSA or a commercial for our final project in Harwood's Advanced TV Production class. I chose to do a PSA on bullying since it is a major problem in our schools. A lot of children won't tell anyone at home that they're being bullied, and the parents don't ask questions. No one knows until it's too late.

The project itself wasn't difficult at all, it was trying to find people to stage as a bullying scene that was the hard part, but it all came together. Trying to edit it together while keeping all the good material was a hard task as well. We were told to have 15-17 different angles and i couldn't see how to do that with the material i had, because it was more of a story to every shot i captured. My PSA was on bullying and here is my video.

Quick Takes

Our assignment was to find three videos that we wanted to use for this project, and record ourselves talking about the video and why we chose it. The project seemed kind of hard when i first heard the assignment, but jumping right into it and actually doing it, it didn't seem so hard after all.

The videos i chose were: A scene from Orange Is The New Black, a clip from America's Next Top Model where Tyra Banks yells at a girl, and Solange's  Don't Touch My Hair lyric video. I chose the first scene because OITB (Orange Is The New Black) is one of my favorite TV shows. I chose the second scene because i really like that song and its powerful meaning behind it. I chose the last scene because i just thought it was funny, Tyra Banks is usually so professional and composed, I've never seen her act out like that.

Three Point Lighting

In class we discussed 3 point lighting and what each lighting does. The back light is used to illuminate the space behind the subject's head so he/she stands out from the background. The key light is the primary light source and is positioned behind the interviewer's shoulder opposite the camera, to illuminate the subject's face. The fill light fills in the shadows created by the key light so the light is even across the subject's face.

 The lesson was demonstrated by classmates who volunteered to be the subjects. We took pictures from different angles capturing the different lighting at a time to see how each one worked. It was an interesting experience to see how much different lightings can do and how they make your photos look better. Here are my videos.

Capture That Light

Our assignment this week, was to work with the portable light reflectors. The light reflectors bounce the light from the sun that creates that harsh glare in your photos, and creates a beautifully lit portait. We had to take three photographs: first picture is the person shot with harsh glare from the sun, the second is the reflector being used to bounce the sunlight onto the subject's face, and the third is a wide shot of the reflector in action. My subject for the project was Lynn McGrier. Kiiyah Stokes is seen holding the reflector to capture Lynn's great photo.

Five Questions Sequence

We were given the assignment to do a five questions sequence where we each had to produce (record), host, and be the guest of the short sequence. The project seemed simple enough when we discussed it in class, but actually finding the time and people to do it was the hard part. I worked with Kiiyah Stokes and Lynn McGrier where Kiiyah was the host and Lynn was the guest.

As producer, i was tasked with recording shots of Lynn and Kiiyah at different angles. I first, had to start the intro with the two of them in a wide shot, then, record just Lynn with Kiiyah asking her questions and Lynn answering, then, one of Kiiyah just asking the questions, and lastly, the two of them in a wide shot again. Moving the camera around and around was quite the task lol but we got the job done.

A Friendly Intro

Hello hello again, my name is Alexis Rabb but you can call

me Lex. I am a senior mass communications major with the 

aspiration to become a well known publicist. This summer I 

didn't really do anything but work I was working at Walmart.

I hung out with my friends and family on the days i was off.

My outlook on this school year is i'm just hoping to network more

and continue learning more about broadcasting.
Below are a few pictures i took over the summer while at work.

 

Chapter 1 1-5

1. What qualities separate the photographer from the photojournalist?
According to Larry Hattenberg, a KAKE-TV video journalist, anyone with a camera can be a photographer. No one is a photojournalist until they learn how to tell the visual story. Whether you work alone, in a crew, or even with just one other person, Hattenberg's definition of the photojournalist extends to everyone involved.

2. In what sense are the camera and microphone "writing and reporting instruments"?
The camera and microphone are considered "writing and reporting instruments" in the sense that in media that contains moving images and sound, we are always writing with one instrument or another. Camera, microphone, sound, silence, actions, behaviors, video editing, and the spoken word. In the end, all those instruments come down to this: In video media you can only communicate in two ways; one is with images, the other is with sound. So the camera and microphone are instruments because the camera captures the pictures and the microphone captures the sound.

3. Why can the edit console fairly be called a "rewrite" machine?
Editing is the field search for building blocks of visual communication, the equivalent of a mind's eye storyboard that begins to take shape even before you arrive on location. When you edit, you are beginning the deliberate process to your visual and also changing things and making it better.

4. How does the nature of a television news report differ from a newspaper story?
News reports commonly emphasize just the facts. They may show people in interviews, walking here and there, and sometimes doing interesting things. In the end and with exceptions, however, they highlight facts and information more than they use video and field audio to help communicate a sense of experience or to introduce interesting people to viewers. Newspaper stories reveal someone's goals and actions as they unfold sequentially, along a timeline. They use moving images an sound to mimic how viewers experience the world in their personal lives. Images and sounds are different tools than words on paper or even words spoken aloud. Typically, print informs or reports first to the intellect. Visual stories commonly report first to the heart.
5. What is the role of the written word in television news?
The role of written words in television news is to connect the pictures and sounds just in case you are unable to understand. The words are like a guide so you can read along, because when the anchor is reporting the story, they often read faster.