UEA PDP promotional video evaluation

 Evaluation

The task we were given was to create a promotional video for an underpromoted area of the college. The possible video topics were: T Levels, ENhance, ExtENd, the Futures team, the UEA Personal Development Programme, 'Why choose EN?' and curriculum offers. We were given this task by the marketing team, specifically the Admissions, Marketing and Engagement officer, Jon Dack. As there were 7 topics, we were split into 7 pairs and each given a different topic. We were first asked if there were any topics we'd prefer to do and the rest were randomly assigned using names drawn from a hat.

As we were a pair, we each had to take on multiple roles. We did all the pre-production work together, though I was responsible for scheduling most of the interviews and meetings. We took on different roles during the production process. Paige, my partner, mainly was in charge of the audio (e.g. holding the mic) whilst I did the majority of the filming, setting up shots and operating the camera. We then worked together again during the post-production process, taking it in turns to edit the audio and footage. 

One of the specifics that we had to adhere to for the video was the time limit. We were told to keep the videos around 90 seconds long with 2 minutes as the maximum limit. Another specific that we had to stick to was producing a video that reached near professional standards as it is going to be used on the EN website, at marketing events and as general promotional content. We also had to try not to include anybody wearing masks in our video so it can still be used in the future if masks are no longer necessary. Furthermore, as with all videos, we had to be careful to not include any copyrighted material, which is usually an issue when finding background music. For our video specifically, which was about the UEA PD Programme, we had to emphasise the strong connection between EN and the UEA by including footage of the Hive. This was because it was created collaboratively and contains UEA posters and logos all around the space. Rough cuts had to be completed by the 27th November and the final videos had to finished for the 16th December.

One of my favourite aspects of the task was filming the cutaway shots that were put over the top of the interviews to add more visually interesting elements. I loved experimenting with each shot, trying out different angles and shot types so we had a nice variety to choose from when editing our video. It was very satisfying when we captured a good shot, such as this shot of someone typing. The shot is perfectly focused on the hands and keyboard and the computers fade nicely into the background. I was very excited when we managed to get this shot, so we made sure to include it in our video. Another aspect of the task that I really enjoyed doing was editing the video once we'd collated our interview footage, cutaway shots and audio. I love working collaboratively, so greatly enjoyed working with Paige as we figured out the order we wanted the interviews to be in and deciding where we wanted to put the cutaways. It was also very rewarding to watch it all come together after all the hard work we'd put in with organising and carrying out the filming. I was also able to learn more about how to edit as I've only ever used the basics of Premiere Pro before and I've usually been in a large group, so I wasn't editing very often. For example, we used Adobe Audition to edit our audio during this task, which I had never used before.

One of the main challenges that we faced whilst creating our video was trying to schedule our interviews with the progress tutors. We initially wanted to interview 8 of them because there are 8 sections known as 'strands' involved in the PD Programme. We emailed all of them asking if they would be able to do it and most replied saying that they could. We let them know the dates we would be filming but a lot of them said they would be too busy. In the end, we interviewed 2 progress tutors and 2 progress managers and they each spoke about 2 of the strands. However, we still then had issues trying to organise dates when they'd be available and it took nearly 2 weeks to have all of them filmed (the first interview was on 13/11/20 and the last was on 25/11/20). We then only had a limited amount of time with some of the tutors because they had to leave for meetings. It was probably the most stressful aspect of the entire creation process, but they were key for making the video as effective as it is now and for delivering the information about the programme. 

Another challenge that we faced was editing the audio for the interviews. We filmed the interviews in the Hive, which was constantly filled with people. There was therefore a lot of background noise, though the tutors' voices could still be heard clearly. We tried to reduce it in Adobe Audition, but it was difficult to do that without affecting how the tutors sounded. It is therefore still audible throughout the video, though a combination of the voices and the background music makes it slightly less noticeable.

What I feel that I've taken away from this project is a larger sense of responsibility. With the majority of the units we did in media last year, I was working in larger groups with some people who had much more experience than I did. As there were only 2 of us working on this video, I had to take on a lot more roles and complete many more tasks. This has improved my confidence in regards to working with filming equipment and editing software, which will help for future projects if I work in such a small group again or produce an individual project. My editing skills have certainly improved and these skills will be very useful and highly applicable for future projects. I have also learnt how to work to a brief, something I had never done before. I constantly had to be conscious of the specific requirements we had been told and always had to consider the client's view and feedback. I was so used to always creating what my other classmates and I wanted to create, so having a specific brief was much more restrictive and a new experience. I have improved many of skills because of this such as time management, as we had to meet every deadline. 

If I were to do this again, I would've selected a different location to film the interviews in as this would've reduced the likelihood of having disruptive background noise. I would also be far more persistent with the interviews as I often left a couple of days after sending an email to allow the tutors to reply. Their infrequent availability caused a lot of delays with filming dates so I would properly chase them and get solid filming dates. Most of the tutors were very uncertain whilst being filmed as they weren't sure what to say and felt slightly conscious about being filmed in a public area. I would therefore make sure that they're prepared and know what they're going to speaking about exactly, which could be accomplished by sending them an outline of a script. I would also be better at giving them direction as they often wouldn't look at the camera and would forget to clap at the beginning of the shots, and we didn't have enough time to reshoot them.