Behind Rothline Entertainment
The Man, The Myths, and The Movies
A Mini-Documentary
Reading
The Bare Bones Camera Course for Film and Video
Some Final Words
The magic of movie-making, like other art forms, is subjective, so there's no true wrong or right journey. That being said, some film tricks are tried and true basics. If you want to leave those guides behind, make sure you understand what and why you're doing it. Always welcome criticism - from others and yourself - but with a grain of salt. Finally, evaluate your successes with as much vim and vigor as your failures to learn and progress your skills.
With the help of The Bare Bones Camera Course for Film and Video, I've devoted the last several weeks to improve my audio and video repertoire. One of my biggest challenges was realizing tight deadlines have no mercy for perfectionism. I learned that overpreparing is as wasteful as under preparing, but somewhere in the middle lies a happy medium.
When I started, my skillset included most of the Adobe Creative Suite but limited knowledge for in-depth functions of some programs. I've expanded from a functional understanding of PremierePro to questionably fluent throughout the past few weeks. I also delved into Audition with audio recording and editing, which is an application I hadn't used previously. I would still like to learn more about shortcuts in PremierePro since it's a program I'm likely to use often.
Research to Inform
Witchcraft: the Truth Behind The World's Fastest Growing Religion (Pagan Documentary) | Timeline
J-cut audio begins at 04:03; the new video begins at 04:08.
In this J-cut, the audio begins at 04:03 with close-up shots of detailed ritual preparations and a wide shot of blessing the space. The audio recorded from an interview describes these preparations as a way to connect with the earth and nature. Combined with a video of a sacred blessing of the space, this J-cut gives viewers a visual representation of the sensations described.
Drain the Oceans: Legend of Atlantis | National Geographic
J-cut audio begins at 15:55; the video begins at 15:57
Before the new video cuts in, we see footage featuring the step-like structures of the Yonaguni monument. The particular transition is relevant here because the new audio states geological forces formed the structure's regular shapes, contrasting with previous video clips arguing that the structure was man-made.
L-cut video begins at 20:32; audio begins at 20:35
Professor Michael Stamatakis observes a rock formation in the new video while the voice-over narration describes the formation concealed under the bay in Alikanas. The last of the narration states that the structural similarities between the two formations suggest the bay once held an ancient civilization. The transition continues the narrator's description while the video changes from the Alikanas' formations to the on-land structures Stamatakis found, which highlights the architectural likeness. When the new audio cuts in, the professor compares the two structures photographically for their resemblances.
Lost Worlds: The Seven Wonders | The History Channel
L-cut video begins at 26:48; audio begins at 26:53
A digital reconstruction video of the Temple of Artemis opens with a shot featuring the sculpture of Artemis. At the same time, the audio continues from an interview with Tessa Dunlop describing the key details of the monument. At the end of the audio, Tessa describes the sculpture as the "center point of the temple." The new audio cuts in to describe the temple's vast scale, even by modern standards. The transition gives viewers a visual idea of Artemis' sculpture as Tessa Dunlop describes the sculpture, shortly followed by a representation of the enormity of the monument.
Create
This week, I enjoyed filming and editing a mini-documentary about my father's production company, Rothline Entertainment. I wanted this documentary to be goofy and show his personality while featuring his videos. Without further ado: