Tag: camera

Broader Horizons

Adam WhitneyLeave a comment

My class recently got back from a college trip to the Ontario Association of Broadcasters Career Day conference (hosted at Corus Entertainment) in Toronto, and it was honestly a super helpful experience in finding out what I want to do in my future career.

We ended up being able to fly as a group; for better or worse, who knows! We had a great time, and I’m sure everybody around us loved the chatter 😉 . On the first night we went to the LightFest, so we got to experience the sights (and sounds) of the Distillery district all lit up with wonderful displays. The conference was on Monday morning, and allowed us the opportunity to hear from professionals in the broadcasting field and have sit-down sessions in order to pick their brains about their jobs and the journey they took to get there. Although this was more geared to radio and traditional broadcasting, it was still a worthwhile experience and I hope the next class of DMP students is able to go as well.

As part of the career day, we also got to tour Corus Entertainment. It was interesting seeing the radio stations, including being able to see one of the hosts broadcast live during the breaks between songs. The next day brought us to CBC to tour their facilities in the morning and Technicolor, a post production facility, in the afternoon. Again, they were both super interesting! Being able to have educators with connections that can get us into behind-the-scenes tours of the operational aspects (and potentially our future workplaces) was an invaluable experience, and I know for myself, at least, I was able to do some self-discovery.

What I learned was, sometimes, going away for a bit helps you to find yourself. The independence on the trip was an eye-opener; I had the chance to be independent before, but I wasn’t truly ready then. I could have forced it, but I’m glad I waited. On this trip, having the know-how to navigate and help lead some of the group felt great! I’ve always found subways and busses and wonderful places for self-reflection, and this trip was no exception. Truth be told, I know the direction I’m going in, but not necessarily the final outcome. However, I do know where to go from here.

We ended up having free time to venture out into the city. The free reign to ride the TTC and experience city life was another great opportunity, seeing as some of us are planning to take our internships in the bigger cities. I won’t talk too much about the free time, but I will say, if you have a chance, go check out the Bovine bar on Queen; you won’t regret it!

Special shout out to the faculty of the Digital Media Production program; our group was loud, excited and sharing the AirBnB must have been a trying experience, but they’ve really helped us follow our goal to go to Toronto, and will continue to support us wherever we end up. It makes a difference when educators care, and I know I can say it’s true!

Never in doubt

Adam WhitneyLeave a comment

It’s the end of the third semester. Well, almost the end. Technically it won’t end until December 13th for our program, but it’s close enough to say it’s nearing the end. Being the end of the semester means it’s also the time where all of us crunch to get our last assignments in; documentaries, social media projects, compositing, foley, etc. Deadlines tend to flee from our mind until the last possible second, leaving us scrambling to get the work done no matter how late we need to stay up and how much sleep or socializing we sacrifice.

This year feels different for me, though, personally. I don’t feel like I’ll be missing any deadlines, or trying to work too hard to scramble. I’ll definitely be scrambling for sure, but I feel alright with where I am. I was never really in doubt of my capabilities this year, and it feels good. No lingering thoughts of dread or anxiety (beyond the usual ones, of course), and no real pressure internally. Just deadlines that have to be fulfilled. It’s a weird spot to be in, after years of self-doubt and second guessing, that I can finally be proud of my accomplishments and the work I’ve completed. Sure, it isn’t perfect, but practice helps over time.

The weirdest thing of all? This year, out of all of what I’ve learned, I feel like the organizational aspect is the greatest thing I can day I’ve done. Anybody who knows me knows I’m not too organized in my personal life, but for school this year taking on the producer role in a few assignments is what really made those deadlines feel like less of a hassle. Taking assignments by section and delegating the work to different parts of the day has really helped, and like I mentioned earlier, it feels good. I’m not too stressed, and I’m still getting everything done despite taking a more relaxed approach. Not that I’ve unlocked any master secret to enjoying what you do, but it feels good to get positive feedback on an aspect of my life which has never really been strong. I know this may contrast earlier statements about being busy all the time, but in reflection that busyness was manageable.

All that aside, though, I’ve really enjoyed this semester of school. From getting to practice in more roles behind the cameras to participating in real-life business events and networking, the third semester has been full of wonderful opportunities, and I’m thankful for having the chance to do them all. Who knows what next semester will bring? All that I do know is that I’ll be taking in stride, and (hopefully) continuing to keep organized.

Post photo by Nick Hillier (Unsplash)

It Ain’t Easy…

Adam WhitneyLeave a comment

One of the bigger technical aspects we’ve been working with in the second year is After Effects. Not everybody’s cup of tea, but I like it. Tracking, animation, logos, all sorts of things. But one of my favourite things we’ve had a chance to work with is the green screen and keying functions. Surprisingly, too, one of the more involved processes (at the start at least). Sure, it sounds easy to put somebody in front of a green blanket and edit around them but to get it to look seamless and real? That’s the cool challenge.

On to the story of the day, though. One of the latest assignments in Compositing and Visual Effects is to film and then edit ourselves onto a beach. Like I mentioned earlier, easier to say than do. First, you have to get the lighting right. Is the sun coming from the right? Up above? If your shadows don’t match you’ll instantly look out of place. Next, you have to have something that matches the surroundings. Going to the beach in a winter coat might sound fun but if you’re going for realistic you have to cut the funny business (which we still managed to work around buuuuutttttt that’s besides the point). So, now that you’ve filmed and out away your equipment (and organized the room), you just have to load into After Effects and key it, right?

Well, surprisingly, yeah. You can load your base footage, load your filmed green screen footage and pop a keylight filter onto that bad boy. To make it look great, though, you have to work at it. Gain, screen matte, colour balance… not going to get into it all, but a lot of delicate balancing. And that’s what we did today; we met up, set up lights, filmed each other, and just had a great time practicing with the equipment and working on the assignment. I find the best part of my peer group is that you’re never alone in working on something, even in solo projects. They’ve all got your back, and want you to learn and improve along with them. Again, besides the point. But know that I’m appreciative of the group that I get to graduate with!

Maybe one day I’ll have to green screen myself onto the moon. Who knows. By the time I could actually get the lighting right we’ll have space travel anyways 😉

“Wish you were here!”