The World Outside Your Home: COVID-19 Edition

The video I created reflected on one positive thing that has come out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the unprecedented nature of 2020, it has been a time for everyone to discover new interests and hobbies. Personally, one of the many positive things that has come out of the pandemic is the ability to enjoy the outdoors. In creating this video, my goal was to inform my audience about the benefits of the outdoors as well as encourage them to enjoy the outdoors even when the world returns to normal. 

This video project gave me the opportunity to experience the process of creating a visual and audio product. While obtaining video footage, I learned the importance of using different kinds of shots. Although there are a variety of shot types, "each shot represents a unique way to cover or frame the action" (Bowen & Thompson, 8). Prior to putting my footage together, I learned how effective a storyboard was in organizing my ideas. 

The overall lesson I learned from the process was to be patient in learning how to operate iMovie, which was the video editing software I used to create my video. 

The process of creating and editing a visual and audio product gave me the chance to gain a new perspective of what it is like to be a media content producer. In being the producer, I constantly found myself questioning if the overall message was being conveyed to my audience. In addition, I realized the substantial amount of time and details that go into editing the final product, such as lighting and transitions. Media content producers need to have a creative vision in order to effectively convey their message. 

On the other hand, being a media consumer is different, since they are only given the opportunity to see the final product. The interests of the consumers is what ultimately determines the way they process the final product. If being outdoors is an interest of the viewer, then they will respond positively to the video since they can relate to the topic at hand. 

Throughout the process, I was surprised at how implementing my peer's feedback of adding more B roll enhanced the final product. For example, the majority of my draft consisted of A roll, or the main narrative, and by adding more B rolls of myself outdoors, it allowed me to further illustrate my point of the video.

In reflecting on the process, the news broadcasting aspect of the video as well as its lighting worked well. The production of my video as a news broadcast was a unique way to convey my general message. Additionally, the color, as seen within my video, is "an important expressive element" (Gibbs, 8). The lighting of the video made the color of the background pop, which called attention to the beauty of nature. 

Although there were many things that worked throughout the process, there were also parts that did not. From the onset, I struggled in learning how to use iMovie because I had never created a video before. Also, in my draft, the volume of a few audio clips was too silent, so I had to increase their volume and clarity. 

If I had the opportunity to go through this process again, I would change how I went about producing my video. Given the time frame, I was too focused on completing the project rather than truly having fun with it. In all, this project gave me the ability to develop new digital media skills in which I can utilize in future life projects.