Another Purdue student account, detailed and interesting, from Camille Quinones, reacting to the death of Osama bin Laden.
On the evening May 1, 2011 I sat in the top floor of the HSSE library at Purdue University beginning my studies for the upcoming week of final exams. As is the norm when I study, my concentration was broken when I checked my mobile Twitter feed and read, “Reports of Osama Bin Laden caught in a…
Appreciated reading Purdue student Bridget Johnston’s view of last night’s events.
Last night while beginning to study for my philosophy final, I decided to sign in to Twitter and tweet about my weekend. The first thing I saw on my timeline was a fresh tweet from Maura Pierce, a visiting professor at Purdue, about how President Obama was going to make a statement about…
Earlier in the semester we began our discussion of social media by talking about young people in Egypt using Twitter, Facebook and other new media means to communicate their desires for regime change. Not long after we started our discussion, a familiar face on CBS News, Lara Logan, was sexually assaulted by a mob of 200-300 men in Cairo’s Tahrir Square while reporting on the fall of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Logan has finally emerged from months of healing to describe the attack, in an article in the New York Times (re-printed here on the website of MSNBC) and this coming Sunday, in an interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes.” These types of assaults on women journalists are unfortunately too frequent, and Logan wishes to raise awareness and reduce the stigma on the victims of sexual assault.
Attendance is mandatory on Thursday, even if you have presented your final project. We’ll meet again at the Exponent’s 2nd floor conference room.
Presenters Thursday (order will be chosen by blue pumpkin draw):
Bill - Photo Gallery/Podcast/Video/Data Visualization: “Keep Flying to Remember Him”
Camille - (updated) Photo gallery with audio, podcast: 40 Days of Lent
Cathleen - Photos with Audio/Video/Data Visualization: Alcohol Use As A Social Means To An End
Chrystal - Photo Gallery with Audio/Video: The Growing Popularity of Electronic Music
Jacqui - Podcast: Unemployment and Disability Hardships After Returning Home From War
Prateik - Photo Gallery with Audio: Living With Dual Identities
Rachael - Blog with Photo Galleries, Podcasts and Articles: Professional Blog
Sara - Podcast/Photos with Audio: Early Child Development
It should go without saying - but I will say it anyway - that the work you present today and Thursday will be 100% YOUR OWN.
If it’s a podcast, you produced it, and we’ll hear your voice and the voices of your sources, and you will have done all your own editing. If it’s a photo gallery with audio, we will hear your voice and that of your interviews, and you will have done all your own editing. If it’s a video, you shot it yourself, you edited it yourself, and you present it on your blog.
If others did the work, or you did the work with others outside of our class, it will not count as your own work. My policy on academic integrity is clearly spelled out on my syllabus and was presented to the class on the first day of class. Please do not try to pass off the work of others as your own. I know your work based on your other contributions in our class all semester long, so I will know whether the work you present in class is wholly your own.
If you have questions about this, please see me. Your grade depends on it.
For all of you graduating, here’s an idea for a photo gallery from my friend Lauren, who is about to graduate from Illinois State. She’s been posting a photo every day, 30 days out from graduation. Consider posting some similar photos on your blog to share with family and friends.
Here’s her list:
Day 30 - A picture of yourself, listing 10 facts about you
Day 29 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest to the longest
Day 28 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show
Day 27 - A picture of your favorite night
Day 26 - A picture of your favorite memory
Day 25 - A picture of a person you’d love to trade places with for a day
Day 24 - A picture of your most treasured item
Day 23 - A picture that makes you laugh out loud
Day 22 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most
Day 21 - A picture of the person you do the most ****** up things with
Day 20 - A picture of something you hate
Day 19 - A picture of something you love
Day 18 - A picture of your favorite band or artist
Day 17 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without
Day 16 - A picture of something you want to do before you die
Day 15 - A picture of someone who inspires you
Day 14 - A picture of something that or someone who has made a huge impact on your life recently
Day 13 - A picture of your biggest insecurity
Day 12 - A picture of you as a little kid
Day 11 - A picture of somewhere you’d love to travel
Day 10 - A picture of something you wish you could forget
Day 9 - A picture of something you wish you were better at
Day 8 - A picture of your favorite book
Day 7 - A picture of something you wish you could change
Day 6 - A picture from a recent vacation
Day 5 - A picture of something that means a lot to you
Day 4 - A picture of yourself and a family member
Day 3 - A picture of something you’re afraid of
Day 2 - A picture that can always make you smile
Day 1 - A picture of someone you miss
And then of course post a graduation photo of yourself! Happy Graduation to all you grads out there. Be fearless.
Meant to relay this information earlier - Slate’s tech columnist and advice columnist are combining to present a new podcast called “Manners For the Digital Age.” The first one will be presented tomorrow (Monday, April 25th). Farhad Manjoo and Emily Yoffe will argue over whether it’s ok if one party uses a Groupon coupon for his or her share of a dinner check and whether it’s proper to text a prom invitation.
The two are from different generations and points of view, so it ought to be an interesting listen.
When you stand to present your final projects, be sure you are able to explain what you are doing in a brief introduction. If you have a podcast, video, or packaged photo gallery with audio, launch it, and we’ll watch as much of it as possible in your allotted time. I will give you a small leeway, but if you are still talking when your time is up, I will cut you off with a crisp “Thank You,” at which time you must stop and sit down. If your podcast, video or photo gallery are still running, I will end them and call the next presenter.
Be clear about what you are communicating.
- What are you trying to accomplish?
- What new media method are you utilizing and why?
- Why does this project make sense for a course in New Media?
- Why is your project relevant to our study of New Media? (“What is news?”)
- What should your audience take away from your Final Project?
I will grade you on:
- clear communication of a central point
- mastery of your new media method(s)
- effective use of tools
- story
Here’s the Final Project list.
(Am I accurate here or have you made changes I have not noted? If there are changes I need them in writing, ASAP.)
Amy - Video: Mr. Asia Pageant and Cultural Show
Antoinette - (updated) Video: Dolphin Game
Bill - Photo Gallery/Podcast/Video/Data Visualization: “Keep Flying to Remember Him”
Caitlin - Photos with Audio/Video: Race For The Cure
Camille - (updated) Photo gallery with audio, podcast: 40 Days of Lent
Cathleen - Photos with Audio/Video/Data Visualization: Alcohol Use As A Social Means To An End
Chelsea - Podcast: The Podcast of Praise
Chris - Data Visualizations: Biased Manipulation of Data
Chrystal - Photo Gallery with Audio/Video: The Growing Popularity of Electronic Music
Jacqui - Podcast: Unemployment and Disability Hardships After Returning Home From War
Kara - Video/Photo Gallery with Audio: Student Struggling With Finishing College
Ken - (updated) Podcast: The Difficulties of International Students
Patrick - Video/Photo Gallery with Audio: Students and Loss/Grief
Prateik - Photo Gallery with Audio: Living With Dual Identities
Rachael - Blog with Photo Galleries, Podcasts and Articles: Professional Blog
Sara - Podcast/Photos with Audio: Early Child Development
Ty - Photo Gallery with Audio: The Jepsons at Purdue
Valerie - Video: Starting a Specialty Blog/Purdue Lala
See you at the Exponent on Tuesday at noon.
We’ve finally arrived at the close of our semester. It’s hard to believe it was only a few months ago I was looking out at all your faces, and many of you admitted you had never blogged before, or tried your hand at producing a video, and many of you had never even heard of a podcast, much less produced your own or attended a professional podcast as it’s presented to a live audience. I hope this class not only taught you new things, but it allowed you to make new friends at Purdue - certainly you’ve all delighted me with your efforts to work together in various teams. It’s been wonderful getting to know ALL of you.
As I noted in my e-mail to each of you, we will meet at noon on Tuesday at the Exponent, 460 Northwestern, on the 2nd floor in a conference room across from my office. Since all of you participated in producing a timeline photo gallery, you all should know where to find my office. If you have any questions about the location, be sure to get ahold of me in the next two days. Please arrive on time.
I’ll provide you all something to eat, so we may enjoy one another’s company two more times this semester. Come prepared to present your final project in five to seven minutes. Nine of you will present on Tuesday, and nine of you on Thursday. All of you must attend both sessions. You will be graded based on the work you present on your blogs and on your presentations. While it will be fun to see one another, we must get down to business shortly after we all arrive, so that everyone may have enough time to present.
I will be timing everyone with a stopwatch. I will cut you off when your time is up.
Look for another post from me on the specifics I’ll be looking for from each of you in your presentations.
I’m pleased with the way a majority of these videos turned out. It’s clear you all put some effort into producing your video for this class – some of you more than others probably – and I appreciate all that effort. I know how much production gets into the nitty gritty details of planning and execution, and one can tell about each group’s time invested and effort just by watching these videos.
I’d like you to continue to experiment with video going forward, not only because the tools you need to produce your own work are so readily available, and because this method of communication is a key element of new media – but also because the camera loves every single one of you good-looking people. How is it I was blessed to have so many gorgeous students this semester? You’re all so easy on the eye. Flaunt it if you got it!
In terms of strict adherence to the assignment – showing us a process – the top video here is Prateik Goes to China, with Sara Kicking the Bucket List in a special category all its own. Boiler Blast and Humans v. Zombies were also very well done - kudos. For topic choice, Learning New Material and ROTC were very well-chosen subjects; the videos just did not fulfill either the assignment or the promise of the topic.
Amy/Jacqui - Humans v. Zombies
Is it clear what the producers are trying to say/accomplish?
Absolutely. I’m relatively clueless about Humans v. Zombies – hadn’t heard about it until I came to campus last fall – so Amy’s v/o reporting when it took place and that 700 people took part gave me good information. In addition, Amy & Jacqui’s b-roll gave me the additional information that it’s an elaborate game of tag, which was confirmed by the first interview. You made no assumptions that your viewer completely understood the game, and you documented what it looked like with several of its players.
Is there a story/story arc?
Yes, well-thought through. See my comments on structure.
Are there a variety of voices/interviews?
Yes, Joe Kim was smoothly and professionally introduced, and finding Alex Watts, your Scottish participant, describing his many weapons and their names (Elaine, Colleen, Finn, and Gail), was inspired; he was highly entertaining. It left me wanting to hear from more involved.
Also it was good to feature some from the speaker at the call-out – I had no idea there even was a call-out. Good b-roll selections covering up your transition shots. The shot where we see the guy holding up the gun with orange and the emphasis on the need for a toy gun that looks like a toy gun was interesting and informative, not just telling about the rules, but illustrating them.
Is there a structure?
Yes. You start with a general explanation and examples, further explain the rules on Purdue’s campus (nice v/o here, Jacqui), then take us to the call-out, give us a sense of the type of student attracted to the game, and finally summarize. Well done, especially because as you concluded, you provided reportage about how many stayed ‘human’ and how many became ‘zombies.’
Are the lower-thirds accurate? Helpful?
Yes on both counts. Good job.
Do the visuals support the message?
Absolutely - there was a lot of work put into this video!! Not only did the visuals support the message, they further explained it. I appreciated being able to see HvZ played, especially those shots within the first 30 seconds, because truth be told, I had never actually witnessed players in direct confrontation or in the act of shooting their Nerf guns before.
Was it interesting?
Yes. And it taught me something new. Good job also keeping your audio very crisp, which helped – both with b-roll shots and use of Amy’s iPhone as a microphone.
Did the producers assume anything they shouldn’t? Were you left with any questions after watching it?
No questions from me … I learned about the game and how it’s played.
Was the video complete?
Yes. Amy, very nice job editing this.
B-roll: Are there a variety of shots? Are the shots framed correctly/well? Are the b-roll shots well-selected? Is there movement when there needs to be/holds when there should be? Any shots held for so long you become BORED?
No. Excellent choice of shots. Your shots of the game were not framed from too far away – they were close enough to give the viewer a good sense of the players’ intensity. Also nice job mixing the game audio underneath the interviewee’s voice as he spoke.
I appreciated seeing a close-up of a rolled up sock, for instance. Great attention to detail in this piece. And when Joe Kim says “continually more fun,” you showed a guy having, yes, a lot of fun.
B-roll of the players in action was varied and steady. I liked the close up opportunities, because my eye spent time taking in details of the costume – the combat head-bands, the sunglasses, other accessories – that I wouldn’t otherwise have thought to look at in a shot from farther away.
Rachael/Chelsea/Prateik – Prateik Prepares for His Study Abroad in China
Is it clear what the producers are trying to say/accomplish?
Yes. This is a video about preparing to leave Purdue and the country for study abroad.
Is there a story/story arc?
Yes. You clearly thought through how you were going to illustrate what Prateik needed to do to get ready for a trip of this scope – learn some Chinese, coordinate with the study abroad office, attend informational sessions, learn from local sources, see his doctor, pack. You let us know up front what the story will be about, then take us step by step through the examples, then conclude. Clearly thought through and well done.
Are there a variety of voices/interviews?
All of you participated, and you worked well together. I appreciated seeing the information provided in the Study Abroad lecture, meeting Longtao Xie, and listening to more of Prateik’s thoughts as he prepared. And I was impressed that you went with Prateik to his doctor’s visits. Perhaps the only other voice I would have liked to have heard was someone from Purdue’s Study Abroad office on what they do to help students like Prateik study overseas.
You included an interview/sound bite with Longtao Xie as he talks with Prateik and Chelsea about etiquette and cultural differences in a Chinese setting. This was a good element to include, because his contribution emphasizes that Prateik is balancing this very long list of careful preparations, but he also has to be ready for what awaits him once he arrives. You also included video from his doctor’s visits, which was terrific and unexpected.
Is there a structure?
Yes. See my comments above re: story arc.
Are the lower-thirds accurate? Helpful?
I would have liked to have seen a little more in the way of lower-thirds in this piece. It’s a missed opportunity to communicate information in another way, which helps a viewer understand more without having to watch the video multiple times. Good ID’ing of the guest in your video, but you never actually ID’d Prateik. You don’t want to assume that your viewer will know Prateik (even if all of us do).
Besides IDs, the video needed an informational/subject lower-third, reinforcing the topic of the video. Locations might also have been helpful.
Do the visuals support the message?
Yes – good examples of this include the shot of Prateik holding his copy of the “New Practical Chinese Reader” as the concept of learning phrases is introduced, then switching to a sound bite of him practicing those phrases. There was a lot of work put into this video!!
Was it interesting?
Yes. Not only did I learn something new about preparing for study abroad, I appreciated seeing all three of you in the video, working well as a team toward the goal of producing it together. In this way it was well-balanced.
What added to the viewer’s interest was the ability to see Prateik in a variety of settings and locales as he got ready for this experience. Taking the viewer to the Study Abroad information sessions, to his doctor’s visits, to the bookstore or library as he looked through his Chinese phrases – all of these settings helped explain and illustrate your story. (Even if they were contrived, they seriously helped explain what a student goes through to prepare to take his/her studies halfway around the world.) Well done.
Did the producers assume anything they shouldn’t? Were you left with any questions after watching it?
What specifically is Prateik going to do once he gets to Beijing? This was never specified in the video.
Also, at the beginning when Rachael and Chelsea are providing their introduction, I immediately wanted to know how many Purdue students study abroad, and how our numbers compare to other campuses. You could have taken a stat from other schools in Indiana or the Midwest, or other Big Ten schools. Some additional perspective is needed here.
Was the video complete?
Yes. With a few minor omissions (see my comments above re: questions I was left with), this video has wonderful scope. Well done!
B-roll: Are there a variety of shots? Are the shots framed correctly/well? Are the b-roll shots well-selected? Is there movement when there needs to be/holds when there should be? Any shots held for so long you become BORED?
I loved the b-roll of Prateik taking notes in class and really appreciated all the thought that went into selecting the b-roll shots in various locations, like the establishing shots at Young, entering the Arnett clinic, and signing in to see his doctor. Great effort to get the doctors to cooperate with the video!!! Good mix of actions shots (in the Union surfing the net for air fares – if that’s truly what you were doing – whatever, it worked) and close-ups of the visa paperwork and Chinese phrase textbook.
All video choices were well-shot, nothing too far back, nothing unsteady, good mix of movement and holds. For the purposes of this assignment, no worries about the yellow tint on some of your video – but do you know why that occurred with some of your shots?
Camille/Cathleen/Patrick – Purdue ROTC
Is it clear what the producers are trying to say/accomplish?
Sort of, but only because of Camille’s v/o, but this isn’t a podcast. The video does not accomplish what the producers seem to want to accomplish. Some thought went into producing this, but not enough, and not enough effort.
Is there a story/story arc?
No.
Are there a variety of voices/interviews?
All we have is Camille’s somewhat informative voice-over, but I needed to hear from her in an ROTC setting – not just sounding like she was phoning in from an undisclosed location. And I really wanted to hear from a cadre of other officer candidates, and get their first-hand accounts of the experience of working toward their military goals. We, your viewers, get none of this.
Is there a structure?
None that I see.
Are the lower-thirds accurate? Helpful?
Off the bat, you give us a subject lower-third – “Change of Command Ceremony” and the date. Could also have used a locator lower-third – Purdue Armory. Don’t assume your viewer knows where this is taking place.
Do the visuals support the message?
No. Too many elements missing. If one message is about a young person’s motivation, there is no supporting visual information of that message.
Was it interesting?
No. And that kills me, because this is a great topic.
Did the producers assume anything they shouldn’t? Were you left with any questions after watching it?
Yes – so many questions. See next section.
Was the video complete?
No. There are way too many elements missing from this video. The Change of Command ceremony should have been only one element of many – compared to what others in the class turned in for their one video for the semester, this one doesn’t compete.
Where is video of the early morning exercise Camille mentions? Of the lab session on Tuesdays? Where is their evidence of an ROTC member’s motivation? I see no visual evidence, except for the spiffy uniforms worn at the Change of Command ceremony – but no real understanding of why a uniform would provide motivation. The visuals must give an inkling – you can’t just talk about motivation in a video without providing supporting visuals.
I still wonder why a Purdue student would choose this program, other than what Camille says in her v/o, because the producers provided no visual or interview subject evidence to support what she’s saying. Is it the camaraderie? The appreciation of order and discipline? The fact that school can be paid for? (Can it? Not addressed.) The joy of competition or of exercise? The subject matter learned? The career ahead? Interviews and supporting b-roll would have had to explain and show this to us, but we don’t even have the starting elements, and I don’t see them.
B-roll: Are there a variety of shots? Are the shots framed correctly/well? Are the b-roll shots well-selected? Is there movement when there needs to be/holds when there should be? Any shots held for so long you become BORED?
The first 1:18 of this video is the same static shot, unchanging, with no explanation except the initial lower-third. This is a deadly way to start a video. Your viewer will most likely be American, and they know the National Anthem. You could have collapsed this element into, say five or – at most – 10 seconds and still gotten across the ceremonial introduction of the Star Spangled Banner. We didn’t need to see the whole thing.
Also, the only b-roll you have here is a total of seven shots, from the same spot and perspective, then three rather awkward still shots of Camille stuck onto the end. That’s it. There’s no variety, no evidence of forethought, no detail, no change of locale. This video has no structure, no story arc, no supporting visuals – except for when Camille is explicitly describing just the Change of Command ceremony, which isn’t the story here; it’s only one element.
The b-roll is boring – it’s shot from too far away, there is no variety, and no real illustration of what is going on.
Kara/Caitlin/Ken/Chrystal – Learning New Material/Purdue Jazz Band
Is it clear what the producers are trying to say/accomplish?
I thought so – the message is clear. The delivery fails on the message.
There’s no v/o here – Chris starts as our guide, explaining what the Purdue Jazz Band does to learn a new song. So now what I’ll be looking for are visuals that show the band learning, and further explanation of the elements that go into learning new material.
I didn’t get that at all.
Is there a story/story arc?
My understanding is that this would be a video about a process. It would work if the arc was:
- band receives new material to learn
- elements of learning – show the viewer all the steps that go into how the band learns (the bulk of the video would be this)
- performance (for no longer than, say, 20 seconds and only to show the result of all that hard work)
We’re already at the performance stage by 41 seconds in of a 4:08 video. It’s a wide shot of the stage, so I’m already looking for more detail after only a second or two. Thus, the story arc is shot and the video is lost to me by the 0:45 point.
Are there a variety of voices/interviews?
Chris is our only voice or source. It would be nice to have an interview with Mo, the director, about what it takes to learn new material, and other members of the jazz band.
Is there a structure?
No. I did not see one.
Are the lower-thirds accurate? Helpful?
It’s good to ID Chris when we see him, but other than that there are no other identifying lower-thirds of any type – ID, subject or location.
Do the visuals support the message?
No. Chris comes back into the video as voice only at 1:36 – but we only have the same wide shot of the band performing, with no specific visual support of what he’s saying, unless we can extrapolate from this very wide shot of the band performing on stage.
Chris says in his v/o that individual members of the band have to take music home to learn it – but we don’t have any visuals of different members working on the same piece of music at their homes, then bringing it in to work on it together.
Chris mentions the band’s greatest achievement was to record an album – but there’s no visual of the album (if it exists in a physical form), and no other visual to support that statement at all, such as shots of the sound engineer mixing the recording of the band.
When Chris mentions “we have a really solid band right now,” then this shot of the band performing would be appropriate to use – here, at about timecode 2:45, for five or 10 seconds. Instead we have this same shot, albeit with the band playing, for an entire 3 minutes. Far too long for the same shot, and not providing anything to the viewer as far as structure or story.
Was it interesting?
Not really. Too bad, because the concept was good. It just did not deliver on its promise.
Did the producers assume anything they shouldn’t? Were you left with any questions after watching it?
Yes: How does the band learn new material? That’s what this video is supposed to be about, isn’t it?
Was the video complete?
No. This video started so strong, but then lost its story.
B-roll: Are there a variety of shots? Are the shots framed correctly/well? Are the b-roll shots well-selected? Is there movement when there needs to be/holds when there should be? Any shots held for so long you become BORED?
Great b-roll detail – in the first 30 seconds of the video only. I love how you start with a close-up of a tapping shoe with jazz music in the background. This video showed such great promise! Unfortunately, it lost that promise.
The shot of the jazz band performance is provided for far too long (from 0:41 to 3:57 with a quick cut at 0:50) and is shot from too wide an angle. Thus it bores the viewer. (If another of your classmates’ videos held on the same static wide shot for 1:18, this one held on the same unmoving wide shot for 3:16 – unbelievably deadly.) I needed for the camera to move around during this performance, give us a chance to see the elements of the band from a variety of distances, angles and perspectives. Break it up for us – let us understand what’s happening on stage. I would love to have had especially a more detailed shot of Chris as he performs on the piano, since he is our only source.
Valerie/Ty/Antoinette – Boiler Blast
Is it clear what the producers are trying to say/accomplish?
Yes. And Antoinette gives us terrific information right off the top – it’s clear this group took care to develop their lead.
For sheer number of b-roll shots and elements, this video takes the Aspiration Prize. (This one called to mind the old company motto of Avis Rent-a-Car: We Try Harder.) Great, great effort in this piece.
Is there a story/story arc?
Yes – we start with the rally and organization launch, go with a group to clean up (or try to), then meet a recipient of the clean-up, see students hard at work, then get a happy summary from one participant before it ends. Well done!
Are there a variety of voices/interviews?
Yes. Good job here – you have Kaitlyn Salpietro, Boiler Blast president (in a well-framed shot with an interesting background); and Peter, Jonathan, Elizabeth, Anisha and Amy – and your second group (including Devin Dodie) and especially Brenda Bowen. Great care and follow-through was taken to arrange to videotape all of them on the day of Boiler Blast, especially when the first recipient nixed video coverage – kudos. Great save.
Is there a structure?
Yes, see my comments under “story arc.”
Are the lower-thirds accurate? Helpful?
As the video begins, we’re 10 seconds in, and I still don’t have any information about what it is I’m looking at. I need a subject lower-third and/or a locator lower-third within a few seconds of launch.
Good job ID’ing Kaitlyn Salpietro when we see her, and President Cordova, Devin Dodie, Brenda Bowen, and Taylor Adams. But then when we meet our first student volunteer at 0:54, we have no idea who she is, because you don’t ID her. She returns at 2:16 and 2:42, and we still have no idea who she is. Pete is driving at 2:25, but we know this only because our intrepid interviewer asks, “So Pete, how do you feel?” We have no ID of him on the screen. At 2:33, is this Elizabeth, Anisha or Amy? No idea. At 2:53 – is this Jonathan? Perhaps he is, by process of elimination – but don’t make your viewer guess.
You don’t need to include a statement in with your IDs, or provide information on what the viewer is seeing unless it isn’t self-evident. For example, there was some sort of lower-third up at 1:15, but for only a second so I wasn’t able to read what it was, but I think it said something to the tune of “Students are singing ‘Hail Purdue.’” It would have been nice to have a subject line graphic here saying “Boiler Blast Spring Clean-Up Rally” or etc., but no need to tell us specifically what your subjects are doing – in this case singing “Hail Purdue” – because we can see that’s what they’re doing.
Later, you provide a statement with Kaitlyn’s ID at 3:06 and again at 4:50. Your viewer can understand she’s discussing Boiler Blast’s mission at 3:06, so no need to provide this information – just ID her. If you want to provide a locator (“Purdue Memorial Mall”) or the simple subject graphic “Boiler Blast Spring Clean-Up,” that’s fine, but there’s no need to add supporting statements (“explaining the mission”) in your graphics when your interviews are already so strong. (Same thing by the way – just ID Taylor Adams as “Taylor Adams, Sophomore and two-time participant” and leave off the “shares her experience” part).
Do the visuals support the message?
Yes. Great care was taken in deciding what b-roll to shoot and capturing it from a variety of perspectives and distances. There was a lot of work put into this video!!
You make sure to get the most important b-roll of all, that of students doing the clean-up work of Boiler Blast (after timecode 3:16) – even though your initial group could not be shown. It would be one thing to just show the rally, but you really did follow a group of students and see them in action. Such dedication! Well done!
I would have moved the camera over so as not to shoot President Cordova from the side (that darn woman didn’t turn to your part of the crowd enough!). Get as straight-on a shot as possible of your speakers – and try not to cut off heads. Overall this is a pretty steady shot, but it does move a bit, lopping off France’s head, so if possible use a tripod or place your videocamera on some kind of steadying surface, like the edge of a table if high enough or a short wall.
Ty’s v/o at 2:00 that your group heads out as Kaitlyn Salpietro addresses the crowd is slightly awkward, because that b-roll shot was so short. I see what you were trying to do – make the v/o match what b-roll you had, but I would have dropped the shot of Kaitlyn talking to the crowd (we saw her earlier) and worded that part differently – for example, just go from Cordova to “The group we followed left Memorial Mall after hearing President Cordova speak, and traveled to a home in West Lafayette to help a couple in poor health” etc. You could still have used the b-roll of people receiving their brooms or rakes when those words are spoken. Choose your strongest b-roll, and work your script from it.
You cut off Kaitlyn’s last word (presumably “community”) at 3:15 and Brenda’s phrase “it’s just great” at 4:31 – watch these edits in order to offer a crisp presentation.
Was it interesting?
Absolutely. I learned new things from watching this video, and I feel like I met a lot of Boilers throughout. Very hard to do – and you three did it well.
Did the producers assume anything they shouldn’t? Were you left with any questions after watching it?
I was left wondering how Boiler Blast actually works. How were the groups matched with the people they helped? Did your chosen group of Peter, Jonathan, Elizabeth, Anisha and Amy know who they’d be helping ahead of time? (And if so, could you have gotten permission from their hosts in the days prior to videotape them at work on their clean-up project?) Or was it the luck of the draw somehow at the opening rally? If the latter, where and how do the assignments happen? I would have liked to have seen some video showing us the process of the group receiving their assignment, say, at a check-in table, if there was one. Show them arriving at the Memorial Mall, listening to the speeches from their perspective, singing Hail Purdue, receiving their brooms and rakes, then getting in the car, driving over, arriving at their assigned house – and oops, we can’t videotape here. (The video in the car was fun, though – who shot it?) Then the mad scramble to find the fabulous Brenda Bowen, all part of the unfolding day. Despite Antoinette’s v/o (with her rather interesting and droll choice of words, “our permission was revoked”), we as viewers are left not knowing exactly what happened – how did the producers find Brenda and her Boiler Blasters? She was happy about the number of volunteers she had, but how many did she have? This wasn’t specified.
Was the video complete?
Even given the comments above, yes, pretty much. This video was informative and the scope was thorough. (And I now know that I can get Purdue students to do almost anything if I offer them Pringles!)
B-roll: Are there a variety of shots? Are the shots framed correctly/well? Are the b-roll shots well-selected? Is there movement when there needs to be/holds when there should be? Any shots held for so long you become BORED?
Great variety of shots in this video – well done! No shots are held long enough for the viewer to get bored. If anything, there’s so much b-roll that you might have tried to use too much. Let your best b-roll breathe.
Great job establishing the Boiler Blast scene at the beginning, with that pull from the Boiler Blast banner out to show the whole atmosphere. (Could have gotten in a bit closer on the sign, if possible – because I didn’t see it until my third viewing run-through.) The energy is apparent right away with the music blasting away and lots of people milling about.
I liked the b-roll of the singing of “Hail Purdue” but it got cut off at timecode 1:31. I would have taken my edit just after “Boiler Up!” if possible, because where the edit is, on the next beat and word, cuts off the music a bit awkwardly. (If you were trying for an edit point after “Boiler Up,” my apologies. With some editing tools it can be hard to hone in on the exact half-second you’re trying to capture.)
Excellent job with supporting b-roll especially of your second group of Blasters at the Bowen home – from 3:16 to 3:30 and again from 4:32 to 4:42. (You could have used some more of these shots to cover your edits in Brenda’s interview – though nice choice editing with dissolves here instead of straight cuts – the dissolves work much better.) I really got a feel for what Boiler Blast is all about because of your variety here. Also enjoyed seeing the activity going on behind Brenda as she spoke, and hearing the excited chatter of her child in the background.
Sara/Bill/Chris – Sara Kicks the Bucket List
Is it clear what the producers are trying to say/accomplish?
Absolutely. This is such a charming video – well-written and executed, with a very appealing on-camera duo of amiable straight-man interviewer Bill and our effervescent subject, Sara. The concept of this video was well thought out, and it accomplishes its task with affection and humor. At only 15 seconds in, I’m giggling already. Can’t wait to see what unfolds.
Is there a story/story arc?
Yes – right from the beginning we viewers are told what’s about to happen, and we have a clever opening sequence with music and graphics that further explains what we’re about to see. Then the video delivers on Sara carrying out her list with Bill’s help, and finally we have a wrap-up of her effort. Great job.
Are there a variety of voices/interviews?
In this case, there doesn’t need to be. Within the proposed model, all we need is for Sara to complete her Bucket List. We see her doing this with all supporting visuals. Well done.
Is there a structure?
Most definitely. See above.
Are the lower-thirds accurate? Helpful?
Well, we do have a misspelling in the main graphic, “Stayter Hill” instead of “Slayter Hill.” I so appreciated that this list is hand-written, as it should be! – and very cleverly “crossed off” as you work your way through your three items. But do pay attention to detail.
Also – we could have had supporting locator lower-thirds at each of the three locations, though it’s less important in a video like this which only promises three locations and spells them out pretty specifically.
Do the visuals support the message?
Most definitely, and with humor and levity. Lovely job here.
Was it interesting?
Not only interesting, it was witty and clever, which is not easy to achieve. This group utilized the strengths of its members, and while Chris must have done the heavy lifting with camera work and editing, Bill and Sara also clearly contributed to the video’s success. These three make a great team, especially in this choice of topic. Well done.
Did the producers assume anything they shouldn’t? Were you left with any questions after watching it?
How come Bill can’t spell “Slayter” Hill?
Was the video complete?
Certainly. We as viewers are only left wanting you all to show us more Boilermaker traditions! How about finding the goldfish in the mini-pond by John Purdue’s grave? How about photographs from the top of all the parking garages? How about seeing a sunrise from the roof of Mathews Hall? (That one was supposedly on the Bucket List of one of my classmates – not sure if she accomplished that one or not.) The list could be rich with other ideas, if only you had the time. As it is, we enjoyed what we saw.
B-roll: Are there a variety of shots? Are the shots framed correctly/well? Are the b-roll shots well-selected? Is there movement when there needs to be/holds when there should be? Any shots held for so long you become BORED?
There’s no question of boredom with this video. There was clear planning and forethought, and a well-executed shot list. The care taken on the Hello Walk was most apparent – shooting Sara trying to greet people from a variety of angles and distances so that Chris could mix it up later in editing – good thought here. Post production was neat and crisp, with an appropriate selection of music to accompany the piece (good thinking to include the disclaimer about the copyrighted music), and beautiful editing. Grade-A work all around.
