Faith over Fear

This Semester started off like any other. I was reluctant to begin classes again. With classes came stress, anxiety, and fatigue. However, with classes also came human interaction… (I am foreshadowing a little.)

One of my classes was Video Production I with Melody Gilbert. Who would turn out to be the teacher that “did”. She is an award-winning independent documentary filmmaker. I have watched a few of the documentaries she has produced, but one that really made me raise my eyebrows was Silicone Soul.

She introcduced me to many things, like the 5-shot sequence and vo/sot/vo. I did not even know that “vo” meant “voice over”, or what a “voice” over even was! If you want to see my first video me putting a “voice over” into practice then click here! It went kind of horrible. Believe me I have evolved.

I learned that a “voice over” should go along with the story. I think of it as the narrator. Also here you see my first attempt at a 5 shot sequence, which also went horribly. I do not think I understood at that time that there are multiple ways to catch these shots. I was not seeing through the camera’s eye. 

I completely jumped the gun! I forgot to say before we did any learning about the camera, or the angles, or the shots, we had to pick our beats! Some chose their sororities, others chose poetry, and I chose sports. I know, what a cliche! However, this beat about sports was different. My beat was truly about the female athletes of Nsu. I wanted to learn about their routines and habits. An athlete is more than just the jersey on as field, field being the operative word. My first actual interview was with Jayla Barfield, who was a first-year sophomore on the Varsity Nsu Cheer team. Click here if you want to watch! This video was also my first attempt at a vo/sot/vo. It was pretty fun and probably one of my most favorite videos to make. I asked her what was her opinion on some people not considering cheerleaders athletes. She shares her thoughts ont that and how other athletes should prepare for a game/ performance. Following that I did an interview with former LHSSA athlete Donna Cooper as she gave us a recap of the Lady demons vs. Stephen F. Austin State University game. She also gave me some insights into an athletes mindset when it is time to perform. This video also gave me my first glimpse of practice to being a news anchor.Practicing being a news anchor was quite a time. With this new criteria in Video Production I, came multiple bloopers of “stand ups”. I found it very awkward. No longer was I narrator behind the camera, I was the story-teller in front! I became a part of the scene. However, it was fun to get out of my comfort zone. Actually this whole class was me getting out of my comfort zone. Just when I finally felt like I was embracing this whole new experience of being a story-teller, there was a plot twist. Covid 19 Hit the world. Face masks became the new accessories, hand sanitizer the new lotion, and disinfectant spray the new perfume. Fear and pandemonium was everywhere (and so was the virus). Seeing as the world around us was going through a pandemic, citizens were asked to stay home. So schools,places of worship, and all non-essential businesses were closed. Whatever had to be done had to get executed at home. This meant I had to be a story-teller at home, and sometimes in my rob. However, I would not have had it any other way. This season has shown the world just what we are made of, whether it be good or bad. Finally, this season has shown the spiritual how to have faith over fear. Below are some bloopers and some clips of what I’ve been doing during quarantine!