This week seemed longer than normal with the anticipated break around the corner. Classes seemed to drag by and last twice as long as normal. We looked forward to the upcoming short week. The last thing on our minds was the unit project 3; however, deadlines were impending on us. The long awaited video essay would soon be due, and it was now time to master Adobe Premiere Pro.
We spent class Tuesday in the lowest level of the Undergraduate Library in the Media and Design Center, learning how to become proficient in Adobe Premiere Pro. At first, the program seemed to be a daunting task. We observed how to loop videos and images together with the addition of background music. We learned how to save videos from YouTube, add voice overs, cut videos, add texts, and export our finished project. It was then our turn to practice with Charlie Brown and Black Panther clips. Some quickly got the hang of it while others, like myself, struggled in the beginning. The morning was filled with so much information to assist us on our project that it all began to run together by the end of class.
On Thursday, we were back in the classroom, sitting with our assigned groups for unit 3. The night before we had to turn in a rough draft of our storyboard to Sakai so we could workshop it in class. Many classmates followed in line turning in a PowerPoint; however, some chose to do a word document. During the workshop, our group decided to stick with the partners from the previous workshop of feeder 3.2 because they would have an idea of what our project was based on. We found some storyboards were more detailed than others, containing when and where specific images and videos would appear, but all had a general idea of how their video essay would flow. Static images, background music, black screens with texts, and scenes from movies or reenactments were all accounted for. We ended the class briefly going over writing in business and creative writing as we would not get to them this semester. Our task before next class was to revise feeder 3.2 so it could be used as a voice-over and to make our video essay with a rough cut due Monday for another in class workshop. We left class with our ideas in mind and a weekend full of Adobe Premiere Pro ahead of us.
As finals draw near, it is easy to be overcome with stress. I do not even know where to begin to start studying for finals. Luckily, it will not be a problem in this class. I, along with most of my classmates, are first-year students facing continued difficulties in a new environment. Just when we got settled in, it was time to think about next year. We are navigating class schedules, trying to enroll in the classes we need but are hard to get. We also attempted to complete housing applications, hoping to not be one of the 583 without a room assignment. Class evaluations opened and teachers are pushing us to complete those too. So much has been going on and we are all ready for a little break.
In other news, the weekend was packed with Ramsgiving at Chase and games at Kenan Stadium and Dorrance Fields. The women’s soccer team came away with the win over BYU to continue to the elite eight. The football team brutally feel short to Georgia Tech, shifting their focus to the next game against NC State. On Sunday, women’s field hockey won their 10th National Championship, and I celebrated turning 19. Now, I am looking forward to going home and enjoying home-cooked meals with my family. It will be a nice break from the hustle and bustle of college life that we will all have to return to soon in preparation for finals, but we can cross that bridge when we get there. For now get excited, it is about to be Thanksgiving break!!!
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Google Image, Creative Commons License.