Quarter Reflection

Areas of Strength

Within my second quarter of e-Comm I was able to learn about and experience photography, but some moments during the quarter were much better then others. My high point of the quarter was my final project, this being the chase scene project. My group really wanted to push themselves to learn more and experience more about photography and cinema photography. We tended to focus clearly on comedy and I think the final product is hilarious check it out below!

Areas of Improvement 

180 degree line. This is so hard to manage throughout the whole project and its a big obstacle I need to learn to handle. I also struggled with audio and sound files on this last project because I needed to balance 3 different audio files at the same time which I have never done before.

 My Favorite Parts about the Quarter

This quarter was so much fun because I was able to talk and socialize more within my class and was really able to open up. 

What would I Change

I would probably change my second project, AB sequencing. I wasn't fond of the focus of the project and I didn't enjoy acting in it very much. It wasn't all that fun since it was very simple and self explanatory so we didn't really have to adapt all that much.

Overall Take Away

This semester was some of the best fun I have had while in school. I was able to talk to people and have fun while focusing on the task at hand. I was able to push myself to be more creative than I have ever been before and it was very fun. e-Comm is a class I am very excited to continue and see whats coming in the future!

Website Reflection

Designing a Website 

Our final in e-Comm was to design a website that displays our projects and our personal information. This process was very tedious but the end product looked very good. During this project we had to learn how to use dreamweaver, edit code, and use styles within a website.

The Process

Before the website could even be created at bare bone we had to extract the style sheet, gif files, and dreamweaver code in order to start the project. After we had done this we began to work on the project. The first part of the website is a picture of me and my elevator pitch on the front page. Next we had to create the project page. The project page was very tedious to create since I had to add all the links and gifs in the website and I also had to put the video code within the code of the website. Putting all of the information of the projects was just a matter of copying and pasting which was the easiest part of the project.

Time Consumer  

This project was the longest I have ever made in e-Comm and this is because of the fact that were starting from scratch and we only had a couple of things to work with. My in class time was very much a wildcard since dreamweaver is such a weird and new program to me, one day I just flew by the steps and the next I needed lots of help.

Challenges 

I had encountered some challenges throughout the project. The first issue I faced was the style sheet. When I had gone into the server to get all the information for the website the styles sheet wasn't there so I had some assistance and got it back. Another challenge I had to handle was locating my files and code within dreamweaver. When I had to log on the next it was like a scavenge hunt  looking for my files that weren't in dreamweaver and this was because I had not saved to the server for some reason.

What I learned 

I learned a great deal from this project about web design and coding. Coding is a very interesting topic for me and I was very intrigued by it. This project let me explore the possibilities of coding and what it is like to code. Throughout this whole year I had learned lots about web design and how to write in a way that is not to formal nor is it to casual.

ABC Sequence Video!

ABSequencing, What is it?

ABSequencing may seem like a loaded term but its quite simple. The AB refers to starting at point A and ending at point B and sequencing is how to transition the shots taken to get from point A to point B. In my video my partner, Colin Frier, takes a video of me going from my class room, point A, to the water fountain, point B. This video was a lot of fun to create since we had a clear goal in mind that we both wanted to achieve.

Creating the Project

The project was very simple to create after we had finished our storyboard. It was just a matter of filming, clipping, and editing and that was pretty easy. The project was very fun though because my partner was able to film me doing an action rather than me just sitting around and getting me from different spots. In our video I use a pass to go to the restroom to get a drink of water. This was a fairly simple concept but it was a little difficult having to adapt to the shot we needed to take.

Overview

I think this project was pretty easy but it was a lot of fun. Some shots had some issues with lighting and sound and such but that is hard to counter with the situation 

6 Shot Video

The 6 Shot Video Project

This video is based off the "6 Shot System" that I discussed in my last post. It was a very fun project to complete and take part in and helping my peers with the same project was also very fun. The person in the video is my partner from my last project Melia! 

Creating the Video

This video was pretty self explanatory to create. We just used the 6 shots we learned to create a 30 second long video and it highlights all of them; However I had some trouble in creating the project, specifically in some key elements. One of the things I really screwed up on is the 180 degree rule. This rule is that you can only rotate around the person/character 180 degrees or half as circle. I did not use this rule within the project and it led to a big mistake on my part. This mistake is shown in the  Close up of the face and hands. I also had trouble with some of the shots and had the close up of the hands and face close up in the same clip.

What I can do next Time

Next time I create a video I am going to NOT cross the 180 degree line! I think my shots could have been more dynamic as well. My shot transitions were very weird since there was no clear transition it just changed the clip so I want to work on my transitions as well.

The Overview of The Project

This, in my opinion, was my worst project this year. I really had some trouble with it and the product was mediocre; However I believe I learned the most from this project more then any other. It allowed me to reflect on my work and prepare for next time.

The Start of Video and Photography!

Today in e-Comm we had a lot of fun with some of the equipment that we will use in the future of our e-Comm career! We also learned the purpose of the "6 shot system" and how it is used in photography. This was a quick project but also effective at teaching us what we needed to learn today.

In my first photo I took, it was a close up of my partners hands. It has no fancy name or anything like that just a simple close up picture.













In my second photo I took a pic of Melia in a close up of the face.

In my third picture it was "over the shoulder" and its name is quite literal. Just a simple shot taken over the persons shoulder












My fourth picture was a "Medium shot" meaning that it focuses on the person and the setting that they are in.











My 5 shot was a wide shot, and this was my worst picture. I don't think I captured the setting and Melia they way I was intended to but next time will surely be better.

My last Picture was an "Extra wide shot" and in this type of picture the focus in not the person, it is the setting the person is in.

 Overview and results

This project's main focus was the 6 shot system and the system is used to highlight certain aspects of a photo/video. The 6 shots are used often within entertainment through all sorts of media and learning this will help me understand video fundamentals. I believe that some of the pictures I took could have been much better if I had a little better understanding of the system.

Hello, my name is Collin Genter and I am apart of the e-Comm program at Olathe North West. I often help my friends with computer issues and projects and enjoy doing so. I am looking for someone to help me pursue a career in animation and vide editing. I want a job that will be enjoyable to work in and a environment thats engaging.

 My latest project and last project was by far the most fun to create. We had a lot of freedom with the project and we basically could make whatever we wanted within the projects limits. In this project we used a new program called "SketchUp" which is a program that is used to create 3d models for things such as buildings!

Creating the house is a VERY fun process. We were all able to choose our own house to create after learning the basics of Sketchup. After choosing what house we were going to create we got into Sketch up and literally just had fun making it. We used different tools and textures to make the house seem more realistic.


This project was SO FUN. I will most likely pursue 3d modeling in the future thanks to this project!

10 Strengths Animation

The Overview

This GIF was my third E comm animation project! This GIF was actually supposed to be a video but I will get back to that in a bit but the GIF was an animation of a activity called "10 strengths" and what we did was come up with 10 strengths about our character that make you who you are. We came up with the words outside of Photoshop (PS for short) and then created the animation.

The Process of Creating the Animation

The animation process was MUCH easier in this project because we did not have to create each frame/layer, this is because instead of creating a Layered animation we created a video time line to work with. This allowed us to create the project much faster and it was less grinding through the project and more of thinking what we wanted to do with it. So before we ever used PS for this project we developed 10 strengths mine being Competitive, Extrovert, Planner, Focus, Responsibility, Strategic, Energetic, Social, Funny, and Analytical. We also selected a background image and I decided to go with a lightning bolt because of my electric personality (If you know me then you defiantly know what im talking about.) Once we got into PS we created 11 layers, 10 word layers and a background image layer. Before we did anything else we could edit the background image with different filter and color adjustments. Once we did this we created a video and edited the layers. Each layer was given a timeline and you could edit how long you had it in the video, where it came from, and how it got there and the overall size of the layer/ word. I had the background stay during the entire video but the words came in differently.

Problems That I Encountered

There was only one real issue with the project. The file type. The file was saved as a GIF file which is different from a video file, this was an issue for just about half of my class so it was not an actual fault of mine. This problem was resolved by just making it a GIF file instead of a video.

The Final Product

The final product was just what I was thinking it would look like because I am kinda familiar with these types of animation but it still looks really cool in my opinion!

Thanks for Reading!

A Second Bouncing Ball With a Twist!

My Second Bouncing Ball!

Hello! So I got done making my second animation and it was very interesting to make and was much more fun than the last project/animation I made. For this project we used a new rule of animation, arcs, and we improved on the fundamentals we learned from the last project. The animation process was a very long process; however this process allowed us time to work on the animation in much more detail and lets us add a more personal spin on the ending.

Making the Animation

While making the animation, instead of making the part taller and then wider we made the opposite; wider and then taller. This allowed for the work to be much longer and allowed more room to work. The animation process was almost untouched since last project but there was one catch; we had to make arcs for the ball to follow. The way we did this was we used the paint tool on a layer of the animation before hand to basically make a path to follow. This change made animating the ball a much longer process because more layers were needed to be added to make the ball move. Also, if you look at the ball closely when it  hits the ground you will notice its expression change. The way we did this is that we made 2 layers with a smiling ball and a squashed ball. Throughout the project I just copied that layer of the face I wanted and transformed it to the way I wanted it to look. So for the fading orange: the orange that fades in and out in the beginning and end is the "twean". "Tweanning" is a process that makes multiple frames according to one frame and makes them fade in and out. This process makes a curtain like effect and is just pleasing to the eye.

The Final Product and Issues I encountered

A couple of things could of gone much better in this project but the end product was pretty good. I had A LOT of trouble with the animation layers/frames. These turned out to be the biggest challenge within the project because of how many frames needed to be made in order to make the animation. The animation could look much more solid if I had more time to work on the animation frames themselves and not worry about anything else (but lets be real, that's NOT gonna happen any time soon). Another issue I encountered was the hook at the end of the animation, specifically the frames of the hook. The hook originally was made under one layer, which is not what is needed to animate it. The hook needs to be separate from the background so I could move it so it hooks the face. This situation quickly was solved but the issue was something that still bothered me.

My First Animation in Ecomm

This is the first animation I've ever made! The process of making the animation is very interesting and was cool to learn about. While animating the ball bouncing I learned 2 of the fundamentals of animation and they are "ease in and ease out" and "squash and stretch". These fundamentals are to make your eye see a realistic motion in the animation and to deceive your eye.

The Process of this animation.

 The "ease in and ease out" process is actually very important in animation, it makes the animation look realistic. The process makes the frames within the animation adapt to the process of the animation to make things "ease" into being slow and "ease" into being fast. The closer the frames of the ball is to each other the faster the ball goes. "Squash and stretch" is the other process we learned and it deals with another principle that is EXAGGERATE EVERYTHING. In animation you want to exaggerate everything to make it look more interesting and energetic. So squash and stretch is  when you stretch the object you animate to create the appearance of motion. Both of these techniques are used to create a sense of realistic motion within the animation.

What I could of done better/what I can improve on.

I really enjoy the results that I made but I believe some things could of gone better. Half way into the project I had an issue with size margins and how my animation was only a fraction of the huge document size so I wasn't able to save it correctly. Another issue I had was that when you "squash and stretch" you are suppose to make your sizes still equivalent meaning that if its stretched it still hold the same about of area. I had a bit of trouble finding the perfect size for each frame and it was a big hassle but after practice I will get a lot better.

Side Walk Chalk Flags.

This project was very fun because I was able to talk to people from other classes and get to know them a lot better. During the project we learned that certain colors have certain meanings such as red meaning emotion and purple meaning wealth. Everyone in each group had a color that they chose to represent themselves along with a symbol. For my color I chose white because its my favorite color and means peace and innocence, my symbol was a ying yang symbol to show that I have a very split personality and how it balances out, But it was very difficult, surprisingly, to find a symbol that matched me. Other colors have different meanings as well for example a member of mine was represented by orange which means joy and creativity, and another was red meaning love and passion.

Creating the Flag.

Everyone in the group was having difficulties so we got to know each other to better suggest symbols to one another. Once we had a clear Idea of what color we wanted to be represented by and our symbol we started sketching the idea out on to a large piece of paper and we divided it by 5 sections. each person would have a section. We then had the idea that we would  fade our symbols and colors together to make it look nicer. The brainstorming and creation of our flag took 2 days which was unexpected so we made our flag on Wednesday this proved to be, some what of a blessing and a curse.
Wednesday was expected to be rained out but we went out anyway hoping for the best of luck. We got rained on here and there but it was nice because we were able to better fade our flags and have a fun time while doing so.

The Final Product.

The Final product turned out great despite the rain and it just made it look cooler in the end. This was a lot of fun and a good way to get to know the people around me.