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.

Student Moans

What a fucking inventive title.

Yes, hello and all that.

Today started off really good, and after like one in the afternoon it turned to shit. All because of how shit the university's server is.

Actually, before then, I tried to start another of my assignments where I have to design an iPhone app. But the program that I need to use wouldn't work. It seems that I tried to log into Apple's servers incorrectly too many times and they locked my account. Now, eight hours later, I'm still waiting for a password reset email from them. I've already had two, and both were invalid. Great service, there.

Second of all, one of my assignments (which is due on Friday) is that I have to design a fully functional website. This assignment was due before Christmas, but because of some problems with the server and some the other students in the course being lazy arseholes who only want to drink and fuck, the assignment has been extended until this Friday.

Here's the great thing. A month ago, I accessed my work perfectly from home. Now? No. It's like you're trying to finish your assignment? lol jk I'ma fuck with you so you have to waste money to do something the lecturers should've asked for sixteen weeks earlier.

Web Design for Social Media really doesn't want me to pass. The wanker.

In other news, I like waking up early.

In other news, here's a link to this week's CLICvlog.

Short, full of pointlessness and includes a bit of blue. Perfectly describes my face.

- FIN, and a chicken named Gary.