Planning
What planning you did for the project?
The first thing I planned for was the questions I came up with which mainly consisted of education related questions because this would be a relatable topic for my classmates and make the questions easier to answer. I also made sure the questions were open so instead of asking a dull question that will get a short answer for example “what’s your favourite colour?” which will get a one worded response. I would ask “why did you choose media production as a course and why did it interest you?” this question is open and allows the person to expand their response.
How closely your project followed your plan?
Overall this plan of using open questions went just as I planned, I got detailed and good responses to my questions making my interview longer and more interesting. Also because I asked education related question my classmates had no problem of thinking of answers because it was a topic they were familiar with.
How your plan could have gone more smoothly?
What I would have liked to be improved would be my confidence, because the interview sounds awkward which makes it less enjoyable to listen to. Also I would improve my transitions onto different questions because it doesn’t have a nice flow to it like a regular conversation it feels more like an interrogation and the way I would of improved this would to be make the the interview more conversational.
What did you find hard?
3 things that I found hard with this would be firstly asking the questions as I didn’t really know my classmates well at the time so I was a bit nervous. Secondly, finding good background music for the interview as surprisingly its a lot harder than it looks to find casual music. Lastly, finding good background footage as it didn’t wasn’t it to be too boring but I also didn’t want to draw attention away from the interview .
What did you find easy?
3 thing I found easy would be firstly be the moving the audio from the recorders to adobe audition because I have been doing photography for years and I am very familiar with the adobe apps so this process I have done tons of times. Secondly, editing the audio because I have done some audio editing on the past this was quite easy for me to do like lowering the audio, etc. Thirdly, using premier pro to merge the audio and video, because I have done lots of video editing in the past so this was fairly simple for me.
Production
What equipment or tools did I use?
For audio recording, I used a hand held recording device which had an SD card inside which stored the audio. Then for the rest of production I used a computer with multiple softwares to edit the audio, add background music and add a video to make the interview more engaging to watch.
What was the process of production?
For creating the audio I wrote down 10 questions making sure they were open and easy to answer with detailed responses and then picked the best 5. Secondly, I asked these questions to 5 different people getting different responses and recording the interview. Then I transferred the audio onto my computer and edited it all together and added background music on adobe audition. Then i transferred it onto premier pro and added video to the interview making it more engaging. Then ;lastly i published the interview on youtube which you can watch at the top of this page.
What problems did I encounter?
One of the biggest problems was being confident when asking the questions to people I barely knew. All though this seems like a minor problem it was actually detrimental for the interview as if I was awkward it wouldn’t sound casual and it would be harder to listen to.
How did I solve them?
Before I started recording I introduced myself to the person and showed them some of the questions I was about to ask them. This made the interview more comfortable to record as instead of being strangers we at least had some small talk and knew each others names.
What went well?
3 things that went well would be firstly, the audio recordings as the audio was clear and wasn’t too loud or quite. Secondly, the background audio and footage which i believed matched the interview and didn’t distract the viewer but made it more engaging. Thirdly, the final result which I am very happy about as I completed it in a short time and still made it high quality.
What went badly?
3 things that didn’t go well would probably start with went I was moving the audio to premier pro I realised the music was too loud and distracting. Secondly, for one of the recordings I accidentally only recorded half of the interview. Thirdly, for some of the audio I accidently held the microphone to close to peoples mouths which made the audio very loud,
What could I have done to improve?
Firstly, by double checking my work before transferring onto different software. Secondly, make sure the recordings are done correctly and retake recording that aren’t good enough. Thirdly, make sure the microphone is around 6 inches away from the persons mouth.
Problems and how did I fixed them in production?
The first problem I fixed in production was the audio being to loud at times because I held the microphone too close. I fixed this by adding volume points and decreased the audio a specific time that the audio peaked at. The second problem was for one of the recordings I accidentally only started recording mid interview so I cut some of the audio so it started on a question instead of mid speech. The third problem was that the music I added was too loud so I lowered the volume in a audition.
Post-Production
What software did I use?
For the audio I used adobe audition where I improved the audio by lowering the audio where it peaked and removing background noise. For the video I used adobe premier pro where I added drone shots to the interview to make it more engaging. Then I published my work on YouTube.
What tools did I use, describe the process?
Firstly, I added all 4 tracks of recordings to audition using “multi track” and then combined them into one track, then I made the audio the perfect volume and removed background noise. Then secondly, I moved the tracks to premier pro where I added stock footage of city and nature drone shots. Then I published the interview on YouTube.
Did I export or print the project, what formats did I use?
I exported my project as a video file using the H.264 format with the preset set to Match Source – High Bitrate. Before exporting, I checked my timeline to make sure there were no gaps or extra clips beyond the end of the project. I also confirmed that the yellow bar at the top of the timeline matched the length of my video. After setting the output name and choosing where to save it, I reviewed the start and end points of my video before finally exporting the finished file.
What did I find hard?
The first thing I found hard was finding stock footage that worked with the interview and finding a website that wasn’t blocked on school computers. The second thing that was hard was exporting the project correctly as it has to be done in a curtain way. Lastly, was learning how to use audition as it is a fairly complicated software.
What did I find easy?
One of the things I found easy was adding the video to the audio as I am familiar with video editing. Another thing was adjusting the audio levels as I have done this before. Thirdly, would be publishing the video YouTube as I have done this before many times.
Overall
Is it a successful piece of work, and why?
I strongly believe that this work is a success because I followed every task that I was told to do with high quality and completed everything quickly using all of the available software. The interview itself is good and i used open questions and I got good responses and the audio sounds nice and the video engages the viewer but doesn’t distract.
What skills has the project helped me develop and how?
I have add to my communicational skills and I have learned how to used a hand-held recorder, adobe audition and premier pro. Also I have learnt how to summarize my work with good quality.
Am I happy with the final work I produced?
I am very happy with my interview as I believe the questions were good and the music compliments it plus the video helps to engage the viewer.
What am I proud of in the project?
I’m proud of the final result of my work and the skills I learnt and used to make it. Also this project allowed me to get closer with my classmates and develop new friendships and I’m proud of the fact that the interview is enjoyable to listen to.
What feedback did I get from peers?
I have been sitting near my friends and helping them with their work but the positive feedback I got was that I completed my work at a good pace. And the negative feedback was that the video drone shots were not related to the interview which I took into count I reviewed my work with their mindset and I saw exactly what they meant I will not make the same mistake again.
What feedback did I get from Tutors / LSA?
I haven’t reserved any feedback from teachers but I’m sure if they looked at my work they would think it’s at a good standard.
What would I do differently if I were to do it again?
I would have changed the video to be related more to my interview and I would have changed the resolution of the video so it fits the screen on YouTube and also I would have redone the recording where I started recording midway though so I could get the full interview in my video.
Weekly Evaluations
Week 1 – Recording Interviews
This week I recorded my Vox Pops interviews with my classmates. I asked five people to answer five questions on my chosen topic using a handheld recording device. I made sure to get clear audio from each person and then transferred all of the recordings onto the computer. This gave me a good range of responses to work with in editing.
Week 2 – Audio Editing in Audition
This week I edited my Vox Pops audio in Adobe Audition. I trimmed out background noise, removed mistakes, and made sure each clip flowed smoothly. I also adjusted the volume levels so every voice could be heard clearly.
Week 3 – Further Editing
This week I continued improving my edits in Audition. I worked on transitions between responses and made sure the timing was consistent. I wanted the final audio to sound professional and easy to listen to.
Week 4 – Moving to Premiere Pro
This week I imported my edited audio into Adobe Premiere Pro to create the final Vox Pops video. I added visuals, titles, and background music to make it more engaging. I also checked that everything synced properly.
Week 5 – Publishing the Final Work
This week I exported and uploaded my final Vox Pops project to YouTube. I was happy with how the final piece turned out and felt I improved my editing and sound design skills throughout the process.
Level 3 Photography & Film 