Ideas for practice shoots

[Alex Wren]

Hi Forum,

I am currently having great fun setting up equipment, learning how to use my XM1 and learning premiere pro.

However I am keen to have some project ideas suggested by professionals so that I can learn more rather than just 'playing around'.

Does anyone have any good ideas (without recommending books!) as to projects that would help to sharpen my skills? I am a little short on actors, voiceovers and props but am very inventive and keen to improvise.

So far my own list is:

1. Obscured identity interview (using mosaic on face and robotic voice filter).

2. Speed up - slow down effect (anyone seen Green Wing on Ch4 UK)

3. Time-lapse of apple being eaten (minus person eating it - ie apple seems to be diminishing bite by bite)

4. Chroma key effect - not sure what yet

If anyone can contribute any ideas to projects that they may have found useful I would be very grateful.

Cheers

Alex

[Stephen Schleicher]

It really depends on what you are trying to do. Right now you are doing a lot of "special" shots that you may not find in every day use.

If you are a true beginner here are a few exercises for you

1) 20 shots of a park bench - shoot 20 different shots of the same park bench. This exercise gets you to see an ordinary object in a variety of different ways. If you can get 20 dynamic shots of a simple park bench, you are beginning to "see" things in a different light.

2) The video post cards - Pick a subject. Considering it is near the holidays, I would suggest using that as the theme. Go out and shot enough footage that when edited together presents an overall impression of your subject. This exercise takes bits of exercise one and mixes it with some editing.

3) Do an in depth interview with a family member. A grand parent or older uncle works well for this. Talk to them about their younger years and how life is different now from then. What were some of the biggest changes they have seen occur? Was it the automobile? Seeing man step foot on the moon? Or maybe the computer? This exercise not only helps you in shooting an interview subject, but is also getting you to develop your interview skills.

4) The Music Video - make a short music video. This exercise can easily encorporate all of the above exercises into one project.

Hope that helps

Cheers
Stephen Schleicher
www.mindspring.com/~schleicher

[Alex Wren]

Hi Stephen,

I really appreciate your input here.

As a newbie to this subject it is really very valuable for me to get some ideas from people who have already been through this.

I will re-do my ideas sheet and see what I come up with!

Alex

[Bill Hamell]

Alex,

This week go out and and in sixty seconds teach me the color red.

:-)