I have just uploaded a self-introduction video on my YouTube channel as the first video project of this unit as embed below:
With this video, I intended to leave a documentation of my 2021 self by reflecting on my current interests and state of mind. The content begins with introducing ‘creativity’ as the common trait among my interests, followed by listing the interests and why they are important to me. The video concludes with a call-to-action encouraging self-expression and improvement to the audience. My goal was to make a casual and reflective video showing an authentic perspective of my life and lessons learned throughout this pandemic lifestyle. During these times, I wanted to convey that there is still so much we can do even with this current time and space.
Planning
I started by jotting down ideas of what kinds of shots to include. I watched studio vlogs by artists on YouTube for inspiration on B-roll content, especially ways I can showcase my props in video form. Then I wrote a script for my A-roll that I also used as a brief on what B-roll footage I needed to provide visual reference, and where each B-roll would fit into during editing. Along the way, I refined it to be more concise.
Framing, positioning, and composition
I found a location with a good background and natural lighting illuminating the left side of the shot while a desk lamp illuminates the right. I wanted the talking head to be a slight medium close-up shot that was a little off-centered but still appearing overall balanced. At first, the off-center position was awkward because the left side had too much negative space. I solved this issue by adjusting the camera so that the ladder occupied the left side of the center (according to the rule of thirds), and myself slightly on the right. In the end, I was quite happy with the A-roll setup because of how the background elements framed the talking head.
Filming and audience engagement
In the initial rough cut, I noticed that I talked really slowly, kept fidgeting, and couldn’t focus on looking at the camera. The restless body language may look uncomfortable and unnatural to viewers thus, in my final A-roll take, I kept in mind to speak faster and maintain composure. Other body language I implemented was a hand wave to signal the opening and end of the video. However, with that, I could still improve my tone of voice and confidence more.
As for B-rolls, I aimed to get shots that were simple yet authentic. I did not show myself in any B-roll because I intended for the audience to see what I was seeing whether in POV perspective or from 3/4 angles. Most of the footage didn’t last too long in the same shot in order to avoid averting focus from the A-roll.
B-roll of gouache paintings 
B-roll of sketching process
Audio components and rhythm
The A-roll audio was inaudible at first but I increased the volume in post-production and cleaned the humming noise in the background. Additionally, I added background music to play throughout the video, though I later turned down the volume when the A-roll began. The visual components were edited to follow the rhythm of the verbal elements such as the preview shots in the intro hook and title card accompanied by the opening riff of the song. Moreover, I had to speed up some of the verbal and visual components to keep up with the tempo and keep things consistent.
I still have so much to learn and practice with creating videos and working with this platform, but I hope that people who will stop by and watch will at least take something positive from my video.
Check out my Twitter post about the video:
Bagelsapien 