I was really nervous to take on Classy Update since my predecessor’s updates were so great! I struggled initially about what to do, but once I had a script idea, everything fell into place and I had a ton of inspiration. Finding and taking the pictures for the CG’s wasn't too hard. It was really nerve racking filming the piece live though, and it was different from hosting because my script was significantly longer. I think I did well and I am really proud of how it turned out! I hope that this can be a quarterly credit, or I can at least make an update once per semester.
Petco Cat Habitats Interview With Danielle Jones
Ever since I started volunteering at the Petco Cat Habitats, I knew I wanted to make a piece on it as it is a great volunteer opportunity. It has been hard for students to find volunteer work for school and for the Congressional Medal, especially during the pandemic, so I was hoping I could spread the word. Danielle, (my interviewee) gave very detailed and occasionally repetitive answers, so it was a challenge to cut down. While I think I've gotten better with every interview I've done, there is always room for me to improve. I believe I am getting better at asking good questions, and wish I could’ve included all her answers. Also, I’m proud of my B-roll for this piece. Some of it I shot while I was volunteering and some I got from the Kansas City Pet Project website.
Hobbies With Helton Episode #4
I was looking forward to making more Hobbies with Helton and I am so glad I did. I was so happy I was able to do the two interviews in person and not on zoom. It made it so much easier to edit, since each question was a different video/audio clip. For future Hobbies with Helton, I would need to brainstorm some ways to make it a “new and fresh” idea because I worry it may be becoming repetitive and even boring. I tried to do this with this piece, as I used different music and edited the cooking clips differently, but again I could always improve.
Quarter 2:
What Are Barstow Teachers Reading? Episode #1
I really enjoyed making this piece, as I love reading. I definitely wanted to make more installments of this idea with different teachers, because I thought it was fun and entertaining! This piece really made me aware of how important B-roll is to a video. I learned that when you’re thinking about piece ideas, you need to make sure you have a plan on how you are going to get your B-roll. I know this piece would have been very boring had I not thought to shoot videos of the book cover and the passages inside it.
Luminary Walk at the Arboretum
I was going on the arboretum luminary walk over Thanksgiving break, and I realized it would be a great attraction for a piece. With finals around the corner, and everyone in the holiday spirit, I knew I needed to tell people about it. I filmed as I walked through the arboretum, and then I recorded a voice over when I was editing. I tried to include information about everything the arboretum offered, and I really hoped some people would check it out.
Quarter 3:
Classy Update: How to Have a Classy 2022
The first piece I did for this semester was a Classy Update on how to have a classy 2022. I discussed how to better your organization, stop procrastination, and some tips on setting goals. I also made all of the CG layers to go with the script. I mainly struggled with coming up with ideas for the script, but once I did it was not too hard to complete.
What Are Barstow Teachers Reading? Episode #2
My second piece was the second edition of What Are Barstow Teachers Reading? This piece was really fun to make last quarter as I love reading and it’s great when you can incorporate your hobbies into BTVN piece ideas. After my success the first time, I knew I had to make a second one, but I had trouble figuring out who to interview. Middle School English teacher Mr. Guldin came to my mind first, and he gave fantastic and detailed answers. Although another teacher never responded to my email, I went with Spanish instructor Profe Marvin. I liked that she was reading a Spanish book, as it added diversity to the types of books I covered in both of the pieces. This piece was pretty easy to edit. I only struggled a little with editing and cutting some of the longer answers.
Quarter 4:
Senior Art Show 2022
I did a piece on the Seniors participating in the art show last year, and it was fun to make and turned out well. I thought I should make another one this year, as many new students and faculty don’t know much about the show, and the format has changed multiple times over the past few years due to COVID. I interviewed 3 Seniors, as well as art teachers Mrs. Lackey and Ms. Lea, to learn more about the show as well as the experience of being a senior artist. I really enjoyed how this piece turned out, and I think it was informative as well as an interesting piece. My biggest challenge making this piece was trying to get in contact and schedule interviews. It was sometimes a struggle to get some people to respond, but it all worked out in the end. I originally wanted my piece to run the day the art show opened, but many of the Seniors had not set up their art displays yet, so I was delayed getting the B-roll of the art.
Classy Update: Mother’s Day Edition
My second piece was a Classy Update about how to have a classy Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day has always been a special holiday and celebration in my house so I was hoping to do a piece on it, and I liked the idea of doing it as a Classy Update. I was highly inspired, so writing the script was not difficult, and making the CGs wasn’t either. I think the most difficult part whenever I do a Classy Update is having to perform it live. The fact that my mom was also there for that show made it even more nerve-wracking. In the future, I hope to make my camera presence more natural, and to come up with more creative topics to cover.