FILM DAY!

 As scheduled my group filmed on Wednesday, March 24th but began filming shortly after sunset around 6 pm. Janey and Jennifer informed me that they arrived earlier to film some b roll for our production. They mentioned that there was people nearby that affected the audio quality. Janey filmed the side angle perspective using her Canon and Jennifer used her Nikon to film the main angle. Here were the interviewees and some pictures they took of them. As I receive more information in the groupchat I will blog about the post filming production process! Stay tuned:)

Lea Cohen 
(Junior on the Sunsations)

Kailynn Fleches
(Freshman on the Sunsations)

Film Location

The interview footage was filmed by a lake on campus called Lake Osceola near the Shalala center at UM. They chose this location because it is a fan favorite spot on campus, and has a beautiful yet simplistic background view. This is a great way to capture the school and provide a nice element to our interview shots. Although we filmed at a nice location, we also were aware of the noises outside and used voice memos as an extra microphone as I mentioned before. 

Film Equipment

Happy Thursday! My group and I decided to use the two cameras we had available which belong to Jamie and Jennifer. One of the cameras as I briefly stated earlier is a Canon G7x, which belongs to Janey, and the other one is a Nikon D3500, which belongs to Jennifer. We decided that although one camera would be good for this documentary, it would make it even better if we are able to incorporate different shots from different perspectives and angles using the two cameras simultaneously.  

As far as audio goes my group informed me that they wanted to use voice memos to record the audio as the cameras were rolling just in case there was any interference with the audio considering they were most likely going to be filming outside. 

We Have a Title....

    After discussing in group meetings and within the group chat, choosing a title was something we wanted to take our time with. We realized that the docuseries should have a strong title that represents the vibe of our production and overall docuseries concept. We wanted to dedicate some time to ponder and discuss what title would be best fit. During research I came across this article:

 https://www.desktop-documentaries.com/how-to-choose-documentary-title.html#:~:text=When%20choosing%20your%20title%2C%20choose,one%20else%20is%20using%20it.

    It was titled "How To Choose A Title For Your Documentary" and it helped me understand what the process of creating the best title is really like and the importance of it. In the article it stated "I highly recommend choosing a short title (1-3 words).  A shorter title makes it easier to promote and easier for people to remember. In addition, a shorter title shows up easier in a thumbnail image..." 

My groupmate Janey came up with the title names "In Sync" or "The Next Step" which Jennifer and I really liked. Both of the title names were simple but related to our documentary and were great options for us, however The Next Step was our favorite. We thought this table was the best one because it relates to the next step in dance choreography but also how being on a college dance team is the next step of a dancer's journey.

Our Filming Days are Approaching!

    After discussing with my group we have decided that for corona regulation guidelines in is best to not have our whole group of 3 go to film if everyone doesn't necessarily need to be there. The less people that are there the safer it will be. Janey and Jennifer said that it would be just fine if they went. Before the actual filming day we will discuss collectively the plan and be prepared with questions and a shot list and outline. As far as equipment goes Jennifer has a Nikon D350 and Janey has a Cannon G7X. Both of these cameras will be readily available and used for our footage. We have been in contact with the Sunsation girls and they have stated that they are available to film next week on March 23rd through March 25th which is the days that align with Janey and Jennifer's schedule. After receiving an update from Jennifer I learned that they scheduled to film on March 24th at 5:15pm. Fortunately our group is on track for filming next week and we are all eager to take the next big step for this project. Stay tuned for more updates!

Some interview questions!

 In our group chat, Janey thought it would be a good idea to share a new document that included a platform for us to all edit some interview question ideas and to get some options available for when filming days around. This was a great way for us to collaborate and figure out and plan the questions we will ask when the time comes. We are planning to begin the filming process soon, so this is an important step in planning to ensure that we are prepared for the production creation. We are really looking forward to seeing our piece come together and to create something that will illuminate what being a part of the Sunsation team is really like! I came up with some interview question ideas but still have not asked Janey and Jeniffer if they like it. Here are some of mine:

How old were you when you first started dance and what made you love it?

How has being a part of the Sunsations shaped you into the person you are, and what has it taught you?

Why did you choose to be on this dance team over any others?

What has been the hardest part of this process, and what have you done to overcome it?

If you had one piece of advice to aspiring dancers what would it be?

Down below is the question layout concept that my group member Jennifer included on the document:

Coach: 

-How did you get the role of being a coach at UM? 

-What is your background in dance?

-Why University of Miami?

-What is something you wished was different in the collegic dance world?

Lea (Junior on dance team):

-Why University of Miami?

-Why did you choose to be a part of the dance team instead of being a dance major?

-What was your experience at UDA last year?

-What does a typical practice week look like?

-Besides competition, what is your favorite event to perform at and why?

-What are the perks you received from being a student-athlete at University of Miami?

-What is a flaw you see in the collegic dance world?

-What is something you wish you knew before dancing in college?

-How did your childhood studio prepare you for college?

Kailynn (freshman on dance team): 

-Why University of Miami?

-Why did you choose to be a part of the dance team instead of being a dance major?

-What does a busy day in your life look like?

-Besides competition, what is your favorite event to perform at and why?

-How is college dance different from competitive studio dance?

-What perks have you utilized because you are a student-athlete at University of Miami?

Group meeting part 2

     In class we were put in online breakout rooms with our classmates again and it was a new group of people. I really try to take advantage of this time we have because having some feedback from my peers. We began our meeting conversation by giving each person the opportunity to discuss our project idea and how far we are in the process. It was nice to hear about classmates doing short film and music video projects which is different than what my group and I are doing. After each person had their opportunity to discuss some information about their project we all gave some feedback and advice. We collaborated by coming up with new concepts, blog post ideas, and help with any concerns or struggles they needed help to overcome that they addressed in conversation. It was nice to hear about everyone's planning process and goals for the coming weeks. 

    When I explained my group's project concept about competitive dance in college they really liked the idea. Some feedback I received is to look and compare shots from other docu-series that are related to sports, this was a great idea for finding inspiration for shot ideas. I was also given some feedback that stated that we should focus on more than what the dancers do and how good they are, but more in depth information about the dancer's mindset and passion for what they do and how they feel about competitive dance at UM. They recommended that we let our interviewees see the questions beforehand to have an idea of what they want to say. This will ultimately increase the quality of our production because the questions will be more in depth. 

    Some things I suggested for my other classmates was the free resources that I blogged about this week. I felt that it was important for me to share the different tools I found that will help with the process and outcome of the final piece. I explained the various sources that they can use to find music for their short films and the free editing software they may potentially want to use. I told the people doing the music video to try to reach out to small bands on social media to see if they would respond back and give them tips on the music video creation process and social media. Overall the group meeting was extremely beneficial and everyone left with some good commentary on how to make this process a success!

Free Resources

     This weekend I was looking for platforms and resources to help aid in our production. I decided that I want to expand the types of programs I try out to see what is best fit for this production. In the past, when finding copyright free music for my projects I always used Youtube Audio library because it was all I really knew. I decided to research different softwares that provide the same service in order to find what would work best for the final documentary that my group and I compose. I first came across this website that listed 11 different places to find copyright free music, and it included some websites such as Incompotech, Invato Market, Audioblocks, Netlabels, and more. This broadened the platforms I have available to find music for the production in the future, and helped my group learn more about the free resources we have available to us. 11 Places to Find Background Music

    Another website I found when researching was Uppbeat. This was a very user-friendly and organized place to find music for videos that are copyright free. There are various categories available to select the type of music you are looking for, some of the sections are: Beats, Background Vibe, Mood, Cinematic, Theme, and Music Style. 

    Another resource I found which was provided to me by my teacher on canvas was a editing software called Oberlo. I came across this video explaining it and introducing it as well. On the website it had 24 free editing softwares for desktop listed and they were all resources that would make the editing process affordable and efficient. Some examples included; Blender, Lightworks, Shotcut, DanVinci Resolve, Openshot, and many more. Here was the video I saw on the website my teacher provided for us before looking over the listed editing softwares below.

https://www.oberlo.com/blog/best-free-video-editing-software

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZMTBdTrEbQ