Defying the Odds — After Effects & DSLR Project

As young people, you are in a unique situation — you can choose your path to success in life, but you will encounter obstacles at every turn. Statistically speaking, you will fall into at least one group (teenager, divorced parents, female, 1st. gen college students, Latino, African-American, etc.) for which the obstacles are numerous and formidable.

For this project, you will conduct research about which group(s) you belong to and find statistics that relate to obstacles for success (high school graduation rates, drug use/abuse, teen pregnancies, employment rates, arrest/incarceration rates, suspension/expulsion rates, DUIs, traffic accidents, et.)

Here are some links to get started: http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2012/2012026/figures.asp http://www.stageoflife.com/StageHighSchool/OtherResources/Statistics_on_High_School_Students_and_Teenagers.aspx http://sadd.org/stats.htm

To think about: Which group did you choose to identify with? What statistic did you choose? What statement will you make about yourself as an individual that disputes the statistic?

Shooting Tips: We want a shallow depth of field, with the subject being in sharp focus and the BG to be blurry. Shooting in manual mode helps you take control of this. Here are some resources for depth of field:

http://www.macworld.com/article/1150150/depthoffield.html

You will be shooting handheld for this assignment — that doesn’t mean shaky is acceptable. Some movement is okay, preferred, even, provided it is smooth, not jerky. Brace your elbows with your body and relax. Allow your torso to move smoothly, back and forth and from side to side.

Post Production

In After effects, you will add your text and track it to the background (not the subject!). NOTE: your text should remain on the screen for the amount of time the average person can read it at a very casual pace.

Here is a great motion tracking tutorial from Video Co-pilot:

http://www.videocopilot.net/basic/tutorials/05.Motiontracking/

Use a font that is highly readable — add drop shadow and outline if is visually appealing.

 

 

 

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