Packing Slip 
item |
My Summer Project: The (Digital) Movie |
contact |
Stephen Hustedde (South Mountain Community College) stephen.hustedde@smcmail.maricopa.edu |
college(s) |
South Mountain Community College |
discipline(s) |
Computer Information Systems (though the skills learned could be used in any discispline) |
summary |
My summer project invovled learning the basics of two video production software programs - Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 and Adobe After Effects 7.0. Learning was accomplished through self-paced training via DVD tutorials and how-to books. |
details |
The goal of my project was to gain basic understanding of and practical efficiency in two popular software packages used in the production of professional digital video - Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe AfterEffects. The methods employed consisted of viewing interactive DVD training tutorials (published by Total Training) and working through several trade books (The “Adobe Classroom-In-A-Box” series for both products, and Trish & Chris Meyer’s text on “Creating Motions Graphics with AfterEffects”). Given my previous computing skills, I anticipated that I could master both packages in 80 hours of study. Both packages were more difficult to learn than expected. In those 80+ hours, I managed to gain important foundational skills, but expertise and mastery is still further away than I had hoped or expected. But the all-important foundation has been laid and I anticipate making steady progress, especially as I begin to use the skills in some actual projects. ------------------------------------------------------------ Outcomes: In a paragraph or two describe what worked well. Did you accomplish your objective(s)? Were you able to complete your summer project as written? If not, what did you modify and why? What did not go as well as expected, if anything? Were there any surprises? Note: Use the questions as guides for your outcomes. Do not include detailed list of workshops attended, speakers who presented, or a list of items you have seen, heard, or read. ------------------------------------------------------------ I had initially thought about taking hands-on training workshops for both packages, but then opted to do self-paced training through video and texts. I am thankful that I did the self-paced route now because of the over-complexity of both software packages. This approach has given me valuable resources that I can review time and time again as necessary which sitting in a workshop would not have provided. I actually did more than I had anticipated - as I also went through a set of training DVDs that provided a general overview of both packages, but additional Adobe software for creating DVD content (menus, subtitles, etc.) and creating music soundtracks for video projects. I accomplished what I set out to do - learn how to use Adobe Premiere and AfterEffects - but did find the software to be more complex than I had anticipated and thus the learning curve to be steeper. Therefore I learned the basics, but am a long way from mastery of the products, which I believe will only come as I work with real video projects that I hope to accomplish. One problem I encountered was the training tutorial and the Meyers' textbook focused on version 6.5 of AfterEffects and I purchased version 7.0 of the software. Thus there were interface differences with options and layouts, but the training resources still provided the general understanding that was needed, but had to be adapted through additional exploration. By the way, updated training videos for AfterEffects 7.0 are now available. At times, I found the scheduled pace that I had set up to be too taxing. My recommendation is that scheduling more than four hours a day in self-paced is training is not feasible or worthwhile. I ended up stretching out my project more over both summer sessions when I originally thought I could accomplish the lion's share in just a few weeks. I did however still find the original schedule very helpful in providing a checklist along the way and keeping me focused on the skills to be studied and learned. ------------------------------------------------------------ Professional Growth: Your own professional growth is a large part of your project. Your professional growth is important to you, your students, your college, and possibly other colleagues. How did project affect you professionally? What skills did you learn? What environments were you working in and how might your summer project influence your teaching or other responsibilities? Did you gain a different perspective? Was it professionally valuable for you? ------------------------------------------------------------ In learning some basic video production skills, I hope to produce and edit some DVDs and/or online video clips for my CIS105 classes. Down the road I may also create videos for our computer programming classes of course lectures and demonstrations that could be used in offering a self-paced section, which in light of dwindling enrollment in this area may be critical in allowing students to take those courses. The next step is to purchase the necessary additional equipment (camera, lighting, etc.) to complete these projects. The skills learned include editing and assembling raw footage clips into a finished video, utilizing various transitions and special effects and creating title graphics, lower-third overlays, and rolling credits. These can all be accomplished with Adobe Premiere. I also learned the basics of producing glitzy special effects, chromakeying (like the green screen used by the T.V. weatherman), and designing animations in Adobe AfterEffects. Clips from AfterEffects can then be imported for use in Premiere. The ability to produce a finished DVD product with menus, chapters, and subtitles was also gained through the use of Premiere in conjunction with Adobe Encore. Over the years, I have developed a good understanding of most aspects of digital production including programming, graphics, and animation. Video has been increasingly utilized in website and digital productions as software and hardware costs have declined and transmission rates and storage capacities have improved. The skills learned this summer has provided me the insight to more intelligently discuss how the products I currently teach (Macromedia Flash and Adobe Photoshop) might be employed in the video production arena. As I build on these basic skills, I'm confident that I will be much more rounded in my approaches to producing digital content for websites and software development projects. Thus the project was definitely valuable to me professionally. ------------------------------------------------------------ Dissemination: How will you share this information with your colleagues, department, students, or college? ------------------------------------------------------------ Initially, I plan to use the skills learned to produce video content for my courses. Videos produced for my CIS105 classes would be made available to other SMCC faculty teaching the course. I also have ideas for a short department recruiting video. Ideally, I would like to develop a digital video production course in which these skills of working with Premiere and AfterEffects would be a major component. Video production would be a nice complement to our existing computer animation, web development and computer graphics courses. When we created our web development certificate several years ago, one of our program advisors suggested that digital video production should be included. I don't think I yet have mastered the content to teach it, but feel that the summer project has allowed me to make a great deal of progress toward this longer term goal. Note! As a professional courtesy to the owner of this package, if you use some aspect of this package or have some thoughts about it, please share your feedback via the comments form below. |
web links |
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/fpg/ http://totaltraining.com/ http://www.amazon.com/Creating-Motion-Graphics-After-Effects/dp/1578202493/sr=8-1/qid=1158183190/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-1836219-8818247?ie=UTF8&s=books http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-After-Effects-Classroom-Book/dp/0321385497/sr=1-5/qid=1158183339/ref=sr_1_5/103-1836219-8818247?ie=UTF8&s=books http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Premiere-2-0-Classroom-Book/dp/0321385519/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b/103-1836219-8818247?ie=UTF8 http://www.adobe.com/products/bundles/video_bundle.html |
shareback |
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extra |
Last modified: Sep-13-2006 Date created: Sep-13-2006 Visitor count: 2308 Dublin Core Metadata record  This package is included in the Faculty Professional Growth Summer Project Reports special collection. |
Maricopa Learning eXchange
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/mlx/slip.php?item=1864
