My Skills Audit 1 - Sep 08

My Skills Audit

 

Stay SMART:

·      Specific

·      Measurable

·      Achievable

·      Realistic

·      With an appropriate Timescale.

 

The list of equipment and software I have some experience with:

 

·      Internet for research

·      Final Cut Pro

·      Video Camera

·      Digital Camera

·      Lighting

·      Microphones & Headphones

·      Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint

·      Adobe Photoshop

·      IMovie and IDVD

·      Bamboo Fun

·      Storyboard Quick 5

·      IPhoto

 

 

·      Internet as research

I have used Internet for 10 years and I find it rather easy to find what I need. I have been using computers since the age of 5; I used to make cartoons with paint. Since September 08 I’ve been learning how to find the exact information I need from the Internet, this research has helped me complete all my learning activities in media studies. I have learnt that there are certain limitations when it comes to finding relevant information; for example, wikipedia.com is information that has been added by anyone who goes online, anyone who has a certain amount of information can add it to wikipedia.com, which means that the information could be false and/or inaccurate.

 

·      Editing Software

I have just started using Final Cut Pro. I understand the basics. As I am working in a film studio my knowledge of FCP is growing but there is a lot to learn. In addition to FCP, I want to use the software included such as Motion, Live Type, Soundtrack Pro, Font Edit and Color. I can put footage together with a couple effects; I can also take away a green or blue screen background and replace it with another piece of imagery such as the weather in the background of a news show. I want to know the program in and out. Every time I use it, it adds to my experience so things start to get easier to do. I want to learn how to use FCP thoroughly, and I will achieve this by making the documentary with Giacomo Gex, over the next 6 months I have a lot of aims.

 

 

I want to know how to set up a film set including camera, lighting, and microphones and even hooking it up straight to FCP on my computer so that I can easily download it straight to my computer and external hard-drive. I want to be able to change the speed of a video, I want to use effects and see what I can do to make a piece of footage look completely different, I want to know the limits to FCP and furthermore I want to feel confident operating FCP by myself.

 

I want to gain experience with using soundtrack pro, this will help me for the future because it will allow me to use sound effects.

 

I want to gain experience interviewing different people in different situations and places, even in different languages. I want to create a product in association with Giacomo that will achieve our mission. We want to educate, entertain and possibly stop 16 to 18 year olds from binge drinking because it can have nasty re-percussions.

 

·      Adobe Photoshop

Here is an example:

My mother has been working with Photoshop for several years. Over the past 2 years, together with the help from my fathers graphic designers knowledge, which includes skills with Photoshop, we have created logos for t-shirts, pants, sweaters, pens, lighters and other pieces of clothing.

 

·      Microsoft Software

I have been using Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for many years. I write most of my work on Microsoft Word, it’s easy to do, makes it look good, easy to transfer from computer to computer. My ICT grade in IGCSE was a C so I do feel confident using a computer.

 

·      Apple Software

I have experimented with imovie and I-DVD but since I got FCP they don’t interest me as much. There are many limitations when using imovie; you cannot use a chromo key with a blue or green screen background, this means that you couldn’t make the background black. I want to learn what else is possible when using imovie, and if there are any advantages over FCP.

 

·      Bamboo

I recently discovered bamboo, a USB pen and paper simulator, which allows you to draw on your computer and use the image for any program such as Photoshop, Storyboard Quick 5 etc. It is a very useful program, as a software and hardware package. This will help us draw our storyboard and to create images for our final product.

 

·      Storyboard Quick 5

My father bought me this program to make movie writing a lot easier. Storyboard quick allows you to create a compilation of a script and storyboard combined. I have a little bit of experience with the software. I am now using it to create our storyboard for teenage binge-drinking documentary.

 

·      IPhoto

I have used IPhoto on a couple occasions, creating slideshows and editing photographs. It will help us when we want to add certain images to our final product.