Daily Objective

I'm hoping my dad will get that ADC over x-mas, thats something he would do. but in the meantime i can continue ripping dvds onto the computer.

Daily Objective

Last class i tried again to import footage through the deck and it still doesn't work. Not that i tried anything new i just wanted to make sure there wasn't something i didn't try the last couple times. And there wasn't. But at this point i'm just waiting for my dad to but that ADC. And it's not like he's buying it just for this class, cuz we would be able to use it at our house too. But still its gonna be $100-200 at least so he's trying to make sure that there's not a cheaper way to do this. I keep telling him there's not but he wants to see for himself. And once we get that then i'll be set because i know how to use it. The guy we went to for this let me import footage from our camera onto his mac (w/ final cut pro).

Daily Objective

Well my dad and i had a meeting with this video expert last night and what he used to import footage from our camera was an analog digital converter. im guessing that the school doesn't have one of those, but my dad wants to buy one. this guy had a mac and was using final cut pro the whole time, so the adc works with macs. i just hope it works with pcs too so i can do it at home. i think i'll try to use the deck again just cuz it can provide the median for the camera and the computer. Because the only way to import is through a firewire, which my camera has no outlet. So the adc has outlets for a cord connecting to my camera and also a firewire outlet which made it work. So unless the school has something like that then i might just have to wait untill we buy that, and i have no idea how long that might take, but i'll try to make it happen asap.

Daily Objective

I rendered my video yesterday but i forgot to come back and check on it and save it and all that so I have to do it again today. So we'll see how far i get. but now i can at least bring in all my other videos that my dad had made of the footage from my video camera so i can get all that stuff on here now too, since i know the dvd ripping process.

Daily Objective

I've managed to rip one of my dvds using that special software. But i'm not sure how to save it to the computer because i can't recall it from anywhere so if it autosaved i can't find it. Past this point its difficult to play around with the program. Once i find out how to save it to the computer then i can copy it to a hard drive and then transfer it to my computer and get started with my project. I still haven't given up with my camera and still need to meet with alec, because there's alot of footage on there that i need and really don't want to re-film, it's just that my after-school scedule has been crazy lately. And I'm also going to take my camera up to snowmass this weekend to film some snowboarding and maybe do some athlete and coach interviews.

Daily Objective

I'm not going to try anything with the camera until I get Alec's help (which I'm trying to arrange, it will happen soon). But in the meantime hopefully we can get the dvd ripping software downloaded onto my computer so I can use some footage from last year and at least get started with this movie.

Daily Objective

I didn't bring in the camera today. But I did bring in discs of all the footage (on DVD) that we had made. It plays like a movie, so hopefully we can download some software to rip the dvds to the computer so I can import footage that way. Because then I'll have everything that was already on my camera and I'll also be able to import my snowboard movie from last year so I can have some snowboard footage. And I think I can put footage from my camera onto a dvd via my pc and just have the list of files reping all the shots, and then I can use them as I wish. That way would be much easier I think, but I have yet to try it, which will be a weekend project of mine.

Daily Objective

I was really late today because I went to try and pick up the camera and the disc which has footage on it. However, the place was closed (I was told it would be open) so no camera or disc. But I'm thinking that if alec and i can't get the camera to import directly onto a mac or its too complicated or whatever, then I could possibly import the footage onto my PC at home, copy it to a disc and then bring it here and just transfer the files onto final cut. I know the latter works because I did it last year after receiving a disc full of footage from my snowboard coaches. So that's my plan b. still need to meet up with alec though.

So instead I'm going to explore with livetype today. Maybe make myself some titles. But of course you typically make the titles after you've got the footage in. But I like finding out what my options are ahead of time, so that's what I'll be doing today.

Daily Objective

I don't have the camera with me today because my dad took it in to some software guys in Denver or someplace to get all the footage copied onto a disc. He's doing this because he's afraid that in the process of modifying the camera to work for macs, I'll lose or erase some footage. He's filmed a lot with that camera on different vacations throughout the year and really doesn't want to take any chances with it. This process costs money and lots of time so it's not an option for me. But the camera should be in by tomorrow and then I'll be free to do almost whatever I want with it and not have Mr. Paranoid on my case.

Daily Objective

Since we only have 40 minutes in class today I don't really have a goal for this class period, just to catch up on this blog. I didn't bring in any of my stuff so I can't really do anything anyway. And like I said below I need Alec's help to figure this out, so until I meet with him I'm kind of at a dead end with that.

Daily Objective for Tuesday, Nov. 4th 2008

I brought in the camera and it was charged and ready to go. I brought in the deck too and had all the cords i knew of so i was set to go. I couldn't figure it out though. I tried everything with the equipment I had and nothing worked. My only option now is to get Alec's help, so i will be contacting him about that asap. It might have something to do with the fact that I'm using Final Cut Express instead of Pro, or that I don't have that TV that's in the room in the library. Because that's where we figured it out last year (although the process was so complicated that I don't remember at all how he did it.) If this doesn't work, then I will just have to resort to using the school's cameras (preferably the sony handycam) because I can import my footage onto a PC, but not yet a Mac.

Unfortunately my dad left the camera on because it was on when I got it out a while ago and the battery is now completely dead, so I didn't import any footage today. But when I find my charger and bring the camera in with a full battery, I'm confident that I'll finally be able to get this project started, because today I had everything I needed. Next time!!! Actually I plan to come in during reach or my free period on Monday because I was really excited about this.

Daily Objective

I brought my camera and have the deck and the proper cables to import (as of now) so hopefully i can import footage successfuly. The only problem is the camera has low battery power and I don't know where my charger is so we'll see how long it lasts today.

daily objective

i forgot my camera at home so i guess i'll just mess around with livetype and make some cool titles.

I found it. So next time I can get started.

Daily Objective

To find the cable that will enable me to connect my camera to the deck, which will let me import footage from my camera into the mac.

Daily Objective

Today I can hopefully import footage successfully import footage from my camera to final cut express using the deck, which i will need to borrow from the library. Hopefully I will figure out how, because I know it will work, but I remember from last year that it's really complicated, so we'll see what happens today.

My camera doesn't save the footage to a tape. It has a hard drive where all the shots are stored. I recently got a 1gb memory card for it so now the shots will be going onto that. But I would like to see if i can get it to work with the deck first, because we did last year. even though my camera doesn't use tapes, it has certain outlets that this computer doesn't that allows my camera to import shots onto a mac.

and I'm gonna try and make several titles with different, unique designs and transitions (with what i have to work with) using livetype.

Daily Objective

Learn what the required formats for importing video are so I can hopefully import footage from my camera to the school's computer. I don't remember how I did it last year, but I had Alec's help and we used the deck, so I'm thinking that's the only way to do it.

was unsuccessful with the capturing of my footage. I used a USB which didn't work and a firewire doesn't fit. But I think I can get it to work if i have that video deck - that huge thing that allows you to put the tape from a camera in separately. That's kind of the last option anyway.

Daily Objective

Today I plan to upload some video of an interview and some dryland snowboard training footage (skateboarding, tramp, bridge jumping, etc. Editing this footage today will be limited, because I plan to get more footage of these things, and only want to start cutting when i have all the shots for that scene that I need.

Additional Thoughts

- Any other activities that the athletes do that contributes to their snowboarding, I'll get some footage of that (mountain biking, gymnastic, etc.)

- After explaining in the movie how important snowboarding is to us (and this will be toward the end), it will briefly turn into an actual snowboard video, where it's nothing but music and riding.

Filming Calander for Snowboard Movie

By Thanksgiving:

- Finish filming skating.
- Finish with the parent interviews.
- Have a good amount of the other interviews done.

By X-mas Break:

- Finish all interviews
- Have some snowboarding footage to play with.
- Make the beginning of the movie.

By March:

- Get all snowboarding footage in (from me and coaches) and make the rest of the movie.

Additional Thoughts

One of my friends is a very skilled, sponsored skateboarder. Since skating goes hand in hand with snowboarding, and almost all of my friends who snowboard also skate, I thought I could get some skateboarding footage of some of these guys to show how we pass the summer - still training and maintaining our feel for snowboarding. I skate and the main reason I started is because I couldn't stand the long summers doing nothing but dreaming of winter. So I started skating because it's the next best/closest thing to snowboarding, and it allows me to continue getting more comfortable on a board all year round. The same is true for a lot of my friends, so some footage of that would be good I think. To show that even during the off-season we are still committed to our sport.

Where I'm At

I plan to use my camera for this and all other projects (unless I need multiple cameras). However, I first need to download all my footage at my house which means I have to download my video editing software on my computer (also at home) before I can use my camera so I don't erase any footage that's already on there (my camera has a hard drive). This should take no more than a few days (assuming I have all the right equipment, the capture goes smoothly, the shots are compatible with the program, etc.)

Hopefully I can make another video or possibly two before the snowboarding one because that most likely won't be done until after winter. I don't know what these will be yet, but I probably won't be as serious with these as with the snowboard one. And of course I will make another one or two videos after the winter one, though I'm no closer to knowing what these will be about than the other ones. Greg Mills will probably be involved in the making of more than one of these. I will also make some videos at home on my computer.

Interview Questions

This is what I've been working on for the last few class periods.







Interview Questions (Coaches)

• Do you think some of the athletes might be different people or have different personalities without snowboarding?

• What kind of role does snowboarding play in the athletes’ lives?

• Does snowboarding affect their judgment and daily choices?

• What are the pros and cons of being this committed to snowboarding?

• Do you think snowboarding is useful in developing other skills?

• What has snowboarding taught you?

• Do you think snowboarding is here to stay?

• Where would you like to see the new generation of athletes take this sport?



Interview Questions (Parents)

• Are you happy about your kid(s) being involved in snowboarding?

• Do you think it will help them in the long run?

• Does snowboarding affect who they are as people and/or their lifestyle?

• How would you feel if your kid(s) ended up taking their snowboarding to a career level?

• Do you think snowboarding and everything that goes with it is a good influence?

• Do you think they’ve made some good, lasting friendships through the sport?



Interview Questions (Athletes)

• Has snowboarding changed your life for the better?

• Have you made friends you might not have through snowboarding?

• Why did you start snowboarding?

• Why are you still snowboarding?

• What inspires you to keep snowboarding?

• Do you think you will continue snowboarding?

• Has snowboarding helped out with other things in your life?

• Are you glad you got into it?

• Would you encourage other kids who have access to it to start snowboarding? Why?

• Where do you see yourself going with snowboarding in life?

• Does/will it affect your choices (everyday and in the long run?)


- I haven't gotten the chance to interview any of these people yet but it will probably be one of the first steps in making this video, since I don't need to wait for winter to do them. But I feel I can stage the ones I can't do immediately throughout the winter.

Link to last year's video (snowboard)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpiVleXhnvo

Winter Snowboard Movie Outline (still needs a title)

Overall Goal:

• To show how important and significant snowboarding/skiing is to us (everyone featured in the video.)
• To show snowboarding/skiing as a lifestyle and not just a mere winter activity.
• To show snowboarding/skiing how we see it.
• To show how snowboarding/skiing has affected our lives.

Target Audience:

• People who don’t know much about snowboarding/skiing or don’t really do it because this movie should show them how significant it is in the lives of the people featured in the video.
• Outdoor winter athletes, because they can relate to it and it will be interesting for them too, although they are our 2nd priority audience.

Featured Athletes:

• Various riders from AVSC (Aspen Valley Snowboard Club).
• Me and various friends of mine from around the valley (ski and snowboard.)

Interviews:

• Various parents
• AVSC coaches
• Featured athletes