REFLECTION
Key Takeaways
Deeper Understanding of Camera Settings, Lighting and Industry-Standard Creative Terms
In researching for GL, I have been able to better understand how camera settings can be adjusted to achieve my intended vision for a video production. Beyond that, I have also learnt the different camera equipment and lighting styles that can be used to intensify the emotions conveyed through a screen, and the industry-standard terms that are used to refer to camera equipment, camera movement, camera angles, shot size and more. I have learnt that utilising these tools tastefully can create a cohesive and harmonious final video that perfectly encapsulates the director's vision. Through the technical research, I learnt that these tools provide subtle augmentation to any video, and dramatisation of a video does not solely rely on the actor.
Increased Proficiency in Animation Software
Through the course of GL, I have had many more chances to use Adobe After Effects than I normally would. Hence, my initial fear of learning how to use new software slowly dissipated, and I am a lot more familiar with the different tools in After Effects and how to adjust them in order to achieve the intended effect. With a deeper understanding of motion and time in animation, I am able to apply this to my own coursework when developing promotional videos and showreels. Additionally, I realised that animation relies a lot on the basic laws of motion, which is something I learnt in secondary school physics - something I never thought I would need to use outside of exams. However, I am able to have a firmer grasp on the flow of motion because of my pre-existing knowledge of basic physics, which has to be present in an animation in order for me to make dramatic motions or convey emotions in animation.
Self-Directed Learning
Unlike all my other modules, GL required a very proactive approach - proposing my own learning project, sticking to deadlines and arranging for meetings with my learning facilitator, which did not have any fixed timings. This was both refreshing and daunting; I was excited to learn something I was genuinely interested in, but I had become so accustomed to the fixed schedules of my classes. Initiative was very important in this module, further pushing me out of my comfort zone to be able to meet deadlines and make progress in my learning journey. One thing I really appreciated was the process of self-set goals and working hard to meet those goals - it felt like a more personal experience where I was able to map out what I wanted to achieve and learn. It helped me be more realistic in my planning, though I wanted to learn and do as much as I could because of my interest in the topic. This also taught me the importance of setting genuinely attainable goals in a time-bound setting while I had fun taking charge of my own curriculum for this module.
Resilience in the Face of Adversity
I would not say that I encountered many technical difficulties, as I had planned for my project to be done without proper equipment as I do not own any. However, I would say that this hindered my application skills quite substantially. In the times I was able to experiment with an actual camera, I took quite some time to adjust the settings and see my research come into play while working on a time crunch, which was quite stressful for me. This was a common occurrence in my GL project - no matter what curveballs were thrown at me, I needed to be able to overcome them and continue the learning journey I chose to embark on. This taught me that flexibility and determination to adapt were essential in my learning, as many of these setbacks would appear to hinder my learning process, but it would instead strengthen my resolve and give me new insights.
Challenges Faced
Lack of Proper Equipment
As mentioned, though I planned for my project to be executed without professional cameras and lights, I had quite a hard time envisioning the settings and when I eventually got to use a professional camera for practice, I was quite lost in adjusting the controls and lost a lot of time in setting up. However, I was not able to further familiarise myself with industry-standard equipment due to the time limit I faced with borrowing the camera. I felt that the equipment was something rather important to my learning and hence often felt frustrated that I was not able to test my learnings on a real one.
However, I was still able to test certain settings on my phone and learn from YouTube videos. While filming MV's podcast, I realised how heavy cameras were and I would have difficulty handling them with ease if I were recording moving shots. Hence, I believe that using my phone to practice camera angles, movement and shot sizes was more effective as to using a camera for the duration, to get a grasp of what framing would fit different scenarios to apply to my pre-production documents.
Turning Technical
As my video conceptualisation and production in the past was purely based on instinct, I was quite excited to grasp technical skills to enhance the quality of videos produced. However, I realised that this was a lot harder than expected - there were a lot of considerations and room for creativity, but the viewer only sees the final result and there was a clear difference on what was a good take and what was not. Though I have strong interest in the area, my skills are still very lacking. The theory seemed easy enough to grasp, but the hands-on application was where I got stumped.
To mediate this, I just tried as best to follow what I had learnt, and toggled each different setting where I could to adjust to the lighting and environment of the places we filmed in. This gave me a better understanding of exposure and brightness (this was the only setting available on iPhone) and I would focus on other settings if given the chance to use an actual camera again.
Time Management and Balancing Commitments
A very personal and real struggle for me was coping with GL on top of my core modules and CCA commitments. To stay on top of my work, I often have to do bits and pieces of each project at a time and unable to dedicate long chunks of time to a singular task except for the one due next. Unfortunately, this gives me a lot of trouble with time management, and it led to me pushing my work for GL back quite a lot.
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At the start of the GL project, I tried to be realistic in setting tasks for myself, and thought that if I were able to stick to the schedule, I would be able to complete the module without much trouble. However, this was difficult as I realised I was too overzealous in the goal setting stage, and it would be hard to follow everything on the list to a 'T', with my own academic work and other content I would need to create for CCA. To make matters worse, I tested positive for COVID-19 during the crunch time for GL - it took very long for me to be able to complete a singular task, and I was also trying to stay on top of my school work. However, this was my self-proposed learning project, and it was my responsibility to see it through. I realised that I had actually done quite a bit of practice with many takeaways, from which I was able to compile and showcase. Unfortunately, I was not able to animate as much as I wanted to, and many of my practices were more on studying motion and keyframing instead of directly animating a character or scene.
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In the end, I just tried as best as I could to compile all the work I had done to showcase my deliverables. However, after completing my GL project, I realise how much it has also helped my coursework and CCA commitments - having practised with GL, I am able to use creative software more easily, and can apply this to my future projects as needed.
Areas of Improvement
Turning Challenges into a Meaningful Learning Opportunity
As with all other projects, nothing will ever be completely smooth-sailing (if not, where would the fun in life be?) and there will be many more instances where I embark on a project and have a hard time coping. Nevertheless, while things will never be trouble-free, things will never be impossible either. By adopting a mindset where I continuously seek to improve my work and myself, I understand that challenges exist for me to grow, and overcoming challenges would be very possible as long as I continue to persevere.
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Being Flexible When Encountering the Unexpected
'When life gives you lemons, make lemonade' is an extremely overused phrase to represent the ability to turn a setback into something great. However, it definitely holds true - setbacks in my GL journey were a roadblock in my way, and I would encounter a lot more of these in the future. However, I would not be able to avoid these pitfalls and instead would need to work around them to achieve my goals. In the context of GL, there were many schedule changes due to me trying to juggle all my commitments, leading to me having to work around all the different adjustments to my pre-planned timetable for me to produce my deliverables. In the end, I have learnt how adaptiveness plays an integral role in being able to navigate my workload and working around unexpected changes.
Overall Reflection
Looking Back On My Entire GL Journey
I was very thankful to have had this experience of being able to learn what I wanted to, and would not have pursued outside of this module due to time constraints. I think that I am very fortunate to have been able to embark on so many practices as well, for me to really try out the techniques I wanted to and working with people from different industries. There were so many eye-opening encounters that I would not have had if not for GL, and I will forever look fondly upon such a fruitful and enriching learning experience.
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Though I encountered many challenges and discomfort from the learning curve, I was grateful that I continued learning through these moments - there would never be any proper learning without at least a little bit of challenge. I was very grateful to have been able to have access to many resources to aid my learning (loaning a camera from TP's Digital Media and Production Crew to film MV's podcast, using ring lights from CCA inventory to practice lighting set-up), as well as the different editing opportunities I had.
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Overall, the GL journey has been very rewarding, both in terms of knowledge and helping me to develop soft skills like adaptability and perseverance. It would not have been possible without everyone who offered me support in one way or another - I have had many great takeaways from everyone who I have crossed paths with in this journey.