Study Journal Entry: Project #1

To kick off the semester for my editing class, Professor Melendrez assigned the class our first project, a simple drawing sequence. Our goal was to create a 3-5 minute video using audio and video clips already provided to us to inform an audience about a specific topic. In this case, the topic was learning how to draw. Simple right? That’s what I thought until I dove headfirst into this assignment. To preface, I have little knowledge of video editing. I can do the basics: upload the files, align video and audio, and perform simple cuts. What I lack is the ability to use my creativity to bring video and audio elements together to create a seamless video. So in short, this project was a bit difficult for me. I didn't even hit the 3 minute mark because I was so conflicted with creating a clear and concise video to deliver the message, while also trying to make the video at least 3 minutes. So for now my video is around 2:15, which means room for improvement. Another challenge I faced during this assignment was matching what the audio was saying to what the video was doing. There were video and audio elements provided that did not exactly line up with each other. For example, the voiceover would instruct the drawer to complete 1 minute hand drawing intervals in different positions, but we weren’t provided any video elements to match with the speaker’s instructions. Overall, for my first editing project in this class, I think I did okay. It was completed on time and met most of the requirements, but also lacked creativity and flow. I’m really hoping to tap into my right brain in this class so I can feel confident about my video editing skills.