Silent Worker

For a few months now, I've been working on a project.

I, if you believe the credits on it, am the compositor and visual effects person in a DVD that promotes the extending entitlements for young people and making them accessible for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.

I'm not going to talk about the actual project or what I've done. I'm going to talk about the upcoming launch. It's in a few days, and those in work suggested that I'd ask my parents to attend the DVD launch.

I asked a few days ago, stressing that they didn't have to go considering it's on at a time where my father is working.

Half an hour ago, my mother came up to me, telling me that my father managed to get the day off, and they can come to the launch.

And my first reaction to her saying that was that similar to someone who was not pleased.

It's not that I'm not proud of the work that I've done in the project, I suppose the stuff that I've done is of a decent level and at least it's been beneficial to my course in university.

The thing is, and it's something my mother found highly confusing, I despise having anyone from my family watching anything that I do, and likewise vice versa.

It's not that I think they feel obliged to come to whatever I'm a part of, and they must tell me how my work is brilliant and wonderful and not even seventeen pixies who have been working for Bill Gates for three decades can do a better job or whatnot, it's just that... I find it highly awkward when a family member watches something that I've done.

I honestly felt horrible when my mother said that, along with my father, she would be coming to the launch. And besides, it's not worth my father taking the day off for. Him being in work is far more important to the family than some DVD that I help to create.

I know this probably sounds extremely childish or whatnot, but the fact remains - I don't want them to come.

And when I said that to her, she had a bamboozled face. Like I'd slapped her in the face with a can of motor oil while chanting Blink-182 lyrics.

I then gave her examples of times when I felt uneasy going to performances where at least one family member of mine partook in. When MkIII was in university, her last assignment was to perform in piece about something based in Roman times.

I really didn't want to go, so I said that to my mother. She, thinking I was just a sulking teenager, made me go. For the whole time, I really didn't want to be there.

It's not the fact that I thought the performance was bad or anything. It's just the fact that my sister was in the performance.

This has happened many a time, where my parents have thought I was just some soppy teenage prick who only wanted to listen to music that would make me understand the world better or some weird shit like that.

But it wasn't like that at all. I honestly felt highly awkward when seeing anything my sisters were in. I even felt wrong going to see my sister's graduation ceremony.

And before any of you ask, I have no idea why.

I thought I was in the money, considering what my course is about. There's not going to be some show where I ask my parents to come see what I've been working for. But unfortunately, the time has come, and I really don't want any family members to go.

I know, I'll look at this post a few days/weeks/months/years from now and I'll still think that I'm being some self indulgent piss pot. Hopefully my attitudes will change in the future, but I doubt they'll change that much in such a short amount of time.

Ah well.

- I got a bullet with a FIN on it, bullet with a FIN. 

Insert An Interesting Title About University Here

This week has been... er... weird.

Well, I say this week, I actually meant today.

Fuck, I really need to find ways to improve my word count other than blatantly lying to my audience.

Anyway, hello. This morning, as I woke up, I gazed upon my phone to see if I had any emails. I had one from one of the admin dudes in university, so I assumed that it was just another day in the office.

Then I noticed the subject. Then took notice of the content of the email.

Basically, they are asking my permission for them to use the work that I created for my course to show potential students what can be achieved in the course. Or something.

And I honestly have no idea what I think of this.

Obviously, I gave my permission. I have no problem with anyone using my work for advertising proposes, as long as they credit me, that's fine.

But the thing is, I'm questioning myself over this. Have they asked because they think that my work is really good? Or did they pick names at random and unfortunately for them, mine came up?

I don't know. I'm just finding it difficult that they'd say that my work is worthy for use as promotion for the course. Maybe if they were using it as a this is what students in our course who received a certain grade has created or something with far better grammar. I need a day job.

In other news, I suspected that my grades were updated, and they had. Remember the assignment I had to do? You know, the investigation into 3D theory? Well, in that module (which I think is falled Graphic Design Technology and Integration) I have earned a 2:1. Considering this was one of the modules I was shakey at (due to my lack of experience with After Effects and everything 3D), I'm bloody ecstatic over this.

Maybe having a 2:1 overall this year is possible, eh? Who knows.

In other news, the CLICvlogs are somehow getting popular. Well, what I consider popular for something that's only been live for less than half a year. One of the videos on CLICplay has had nearly fifty likes on Facebook. That's insane, that.

Also, for future me, stop being such a twat. But if something happens, update me, ya?

And that, as they say, is that.

- Do do do do do do do do do... FIN FIN

Critique Fanatique: Bridges Visual Effects Sequence

This time, it's a some kind of self Critique Fanatique. But then again, I'm not stopping you telling me what you think of it. If I didn't want any comments on the video, I wouldn't publish it online on so many social networking sites. Anyway, that's said. Boom.

If you didn't know, the last assignment that I handed in was to create a visual effects sequence to promote a product.

I, having no idea whatsoever, decided to do it on Bridges, which, according to their blog, a new and exclusive project working with LGBT young people aged 13-17 in Rhondda Cynon Taff.

This, is the final result.




I handed it in yesterday, and late last night the dude who runs Bridges, Martyn David, posted it in the Bridges Facebook Page, among other places. It had some likes, which I'm not really concerned with. To me, most of the time a like is just an acknowledgment of something, not necessarily an actual liking for something.

It also received some comments, with two people saying that it looks professional and it looks great. Which, I thank them for those comments, considering they could have just said dude, this looks like shit and you deserve a fail.

But, as I woke up this morning, feeling rather run down, I instantly thought of this video. I instantly thought of ways that I can improve it, ways to make it suck less.

You have to admit, there are aspects of this video that fail miserably. The tracking for the text could (and should) be so much better. I mean, look at the Rhondda Cynon Taff text early on in the video. That was supposed to stay with a certain tree, falling into the background. But what does it do? It pops around. Same goes to the Bridges text.

Then, there's the lighting of the video. It's really not consistent. It doesn't help that the first shot was fine, but I didn't bother changing the settings for the second and third ones, meaning that the middle shot was extremely over-exposed. I didn't notice until I opened the files up on my Mac. Word to the wise, folks, just because you're in roughly the same location doesn't mean the settings are correct.

Then there's the sound. I wish I knew how to get rid of the hum sound generated from the wind. But no, I couldn't do it.

And the still you can see before watching the footage, the image that I took on the first Bridges photoshoot, I basically used a JPEG file. I asked for the original, but couldn't get it on time for various reasons beyond my reach.

I don't know, all I see when I see this is the worst video technique wise that I've handed in. I was supposed to create a visual effects sequence, and all I've done is put some text to coincide with what is said on the video. If I get anything higher than a fail, I'll be extremely happy.

That said, I'm not saying that the video is shit, nor am I saying that what is said and done within the footage is terrible. All I'm saying is that everything done in post production is rather weak - the tracking of the text, the colour correction, the overall edits.

The last assignment I did for this assignment, I spent at least two weeks after handing it in perfecting it, and for some reason I want to do the same for this one. Well, instead of perfecting it, I just want to redo it all.

Ever the optimist.

Anyway, if you have your own opinion on the final project, feel free to comment. I really encourage others to let me know what they think of anything that I've done, whether it's a complement or a critique.

- Critique FINitique. What am I doing with my life?...

The Tale Of The Seven Assignments: Part Two

In the gripping saga of mine which I've dubbed seven assignments, two weeks, we saw that last week I spent roughly an assignment a day for four days, and I only had three assignments due in by the end of this week.

Let me start by saying this, conclusions for investigations are a bitch.

If I was writing an essay about how I created a certain design or the findings I've collected in a series of tests, that's a piece of piss. But the moment you ask me to conclude an investigation into 3D theory? Ball sack of Oedipus, that's hard.

But, I managed it, and after my presentation on Wednesday, I handed my final written report of the year.

And that's the second assignment mentioned. Remember those CLICvlogs that I probably mentioned before? Yeah, I had to present them to my lecturers and nine other people that I've never met (because I asked to do mine first because I had work to get to).

To my surprise, I felt much more comfortable with the fact that I hardly knew the other students there. If I was standing in front of others in my course, I'd feel like they were judging me, comparing my shit to their gold, as they would see it. But no, I had to present CLICvlogger to those who had never heard of them. And for my confidence, that was surprisingly good.

That said, it was terrible for my grammar. I remember, not half an hour before the presentation, I tweeted that the chances of my grammar failing me while talking is staggering. And it came to pass, that my grammar failed like a motherbitch.

One of the biggest fails was one of the last things I said. I said that through the project, I learned about photography and how to use a DSLR to its full potential. I then, trying to show the lecturers that I've applied knowledge learned from both this module and the course in general, told them that I've taken photographs of events.

But I didn't say it like that . I said something like I also covered some events photographically.

Now, is that even a fucking term?

I was so soddingly tongue tied during all of it, must have explained what the idea of CLICvlogs to them at least three times. But as the video played of people saying what they thought of the vlogs and the project, I eased into it.

Technical wise, I doubt I'll have a good mark. Come on, all I've done is film fifteen vlogs and post them online. I'm hoping that my saying that I've helped young people learn about editing and given them a chance to share their opinions with others in Wales and the world will get me at least a 2:2.

And finally, the biggest load of shit I've ever made.

I'm in no way in saying that the content is shit, nor the way its presented. All I'm saying is that the editing is utter wank, and the fact that I was supposed to make a visual effects sequence and what did I end up making? Just some shitty text appearing. I'll be lucky to scrape a third...

And that, as they say, is that. At about ten this morning, I handed in the last assignment, and as the receptionist gave me a slip confirming my final hand in, I finished my second year of university. Now, five months of nothing. Thank fuck I have a job now.

In other news, there is none. For now. Apart from I might chronicle all the derp moments from the CLICvlogs in GIF format. So many potential GIFs, so little time...

- I know it's going to be a FIN, a FI-I-I-IN.

The Tale Of The Seven Assignments: Part One

I find myself in a rather odd situation.

If you haven't guessed, it's that time when secondary school students study the shit out of their subjects for their exams, and the higher educational mongrels hand in their assignments. I am like said mongrel.

Last weekend, I started one of my many assignments. Well, seven of them to be precise. The assignment that I'm talking about was to create a DVD menu within DVD Studio Pro.

Now, as I wrote that, it made me think. Other people have assignments like write a dissertation on the Roman Empire or an understanding on how certain chemicals can destroy some viruses. And there's me, on my Mac, plodding away while creating a DVD menu. Compared to every other BSc course available, I have it shit easy. And this story will kind of prove it.

I started the assignment at about ten in the morning, and I had finished before three.

And that makes me worry a bit.

I mean, look at it. I am a university student. I am paying for my education, and I went into this assignment knowing jack shit about what I was supposed to do. And for some reason, I managed to create a half-decent DVD menu in both English and Welsh (even if I did spell pennod wrong, curse my lack of ability with the Welsh language...). And that's got me worried.

And over the past two days, I have not only finished writing about the technicalities of creating a multipage website, forum and an e-shop, but I also creating an iOS app from scratch and written a report about the techniques used. That's a fair bit to do in such a short time.

And I'm worries that it will show in the work. I know that it won't get me worldwide recognition, nor will it allow me to impregnate every woman with more vowels in their names than consonants. But I worry that the speed of the completion of the assignment will also pave the walkway of the failure of said assignment. It will show that I shall forever be a limp moth, heading to the nearest light source no matter how dim the light. What?

Anyway, I shall leave you now. Maybe just subtly beat myself up for being a shit editor.

- Something interesting that contains the capitalised words FIN.

Injection

It seems that every time I try to start a blog post these days, all I want to do is to start it by just saying "hello there". Hopefully I've avoided it for this post at least.

So, it's mid January. And in just over two weeks, I should have my copy of Final Fantasy XIII-2. So, that should fill up almost all of my weekend time, unless I do something stupid like need to finish other assignments or buy an older game to play while I wait for it and it comes later than expected...

Poo.

I need to do both.

Luckily, I only have two assignments to do this January, with the rest of them due March time. I have nearly finished one and nearly started the other. Joys.

One question mind, how do you create a visual diary for something you've created from the top of your head? I'm not saying Oh, look at me, I can design the heavens without visiting hell or some other obscure comparison to my situation. I just find it extremely hard to research for my assignments, even if I've done the assignment before the research. Curse you, mind of procrastination.

Also, on the weekend I visited a website called Amazon, have you heard about it? Well, I went on it to see about a game. and I bought one. Even though two weeks ago I received my copy of Final Fantasy Tactics, I've just been stuck on After Effects and that.

I've got to stop italicizing stuff.

Anyway, I've bought a new game. Well, I say new, it's been out for ages. It's Assassin's Creed II.

For some reason, I've started to get intrigued by it. I played the first game a few months after it came out and I didn't really like it, but since it was rather cheap, I picked it up. Happy days.

In other news, I'm ill. I have a cold thing going on. And I hate it.

Not because I'm ill.

Because it feels that I'm wasting time, and money, for my employers.

I've got to phone up a few people for some reason or other, and I have started doing so, but I've just felt utterly crap. Not to mention my throat's feeling like there's two sand-paper men wrestling in the arena known as my throat. And it doesn't hurt as much as it is annoying. The last thing I want to do is be a bad example, coughing every thirty seconds and sounding as unclear as why people like Justin Bieber.

I don't know. I can't think straight.

But I will ask for your assistance.

Will you do me a favour?

Thanks.

Will you visit my university YouTube channel and subscribe to it, and maybe comment on some of the videos?

Thanks.

Here's a link to the YouTube channel, and here's a link to why and what I'm doing (it).

I can't think of how to end this in an interesting way...

Testicles.

That'll do.

- I think I had a FIN, a FIN of being alone. I just wanted someone, anyone, beside me. So I wouldn't have to feel alone anymore.