Public Service Announcement

First off, I want to acknowledge that I was the weak-link in our group's chain. I am indebted to the others in the group because they were incredibly gracious and kind for including me and for allowing me to be a small part of all their hard work. My contribution to the project was minimal and they deserve all the credit and praise.

1. Pre-production, production, and post-production process:
Through our connection from various discussions and prior classwork, we had email contact through our gmail accounts; via email is where we established and gained permission for the five of us to work together as a group. Emily W. set up a Google site where we were able to make more personal contact with each other, leave ideas, and begin brainstorming for our PSA. We immediately noticed that many had taken on the task of discussing texting and driving, so we decided to go the 'less traveled' route and create something for Cyberbullying, since many of us had witnessed or experienced it firsthand. Pam organized the idea of the Tiny Chat web conferences. I lost my web cam in a recent move & experienced scheduling issues that did not allow me to attend these conferences; many of my shortcomings to the group were due to my inability to make these conferences. I believe the other members of the group were able to form some bonds and connections through their invaluable discussions. It is here that each member was assigned various tasks, due to strengths & weaknesses we had all included on the Google site initially.

Much of the production fell to Michael and Emily P. as they were the filmers and editors of the raw footage. They were able to share their drafts and ideas with the rest of us through our various pages on the Google site and here we could make suggestions and criticisms for each draft of the film. I do believe that these two were very familiar with their roles and that made it much easier on the rest of the group. I for one am grateful that I helped with editing of the written word, not the video. Emily P. used a Flip camera to record the footage and has expressed at various times her desire for a higher quality of film that could have been obtained using a different camera. Michael used iMovie for the editing stages and uploaded the film to YouTube as these were easily compatible.

We used the Google site and email to check ourselves for our various post-production documentation and also as to what was required of us in the final steps of the Week 5 assignment. The group met once again via Tiny Chat and, to my understanding, discussed the various trials and successes of the project.
2. Offer insights into how the group can improve their public service announcement:

Seeing as how our group used either free web-based programs, and/or equipment already in the possession of a group member, I think that the final project is incredible. There are cameras that offer higher quality outputs and maybe even programs that allow for more spectacular transitions or bells & whistles but considering the time we were alloted for our PSA to run, the amount of time we had from start to finish, and the resources we had in our possession, I think that it could not have been any better.

3. Identify copyright attribution for assets:

We obtained a Creative Commons License at the most restricted level mainly due to our actress, Natalie P's, age. Our Creative Commons License is documented on the YouTube site where the video is posted. Any other permissions or copyright information is listed in the Google Site.

4. Discuss your team’s collaboration and interactions with each other:

As previously stated, I acknowledge that I was the one with the least interaction with my group, hence my leaving the Masters Program at the end of this course. With two small children, plus a spouse with long working hours, it was very hard for me to find a scheduled time to meet with the rest of the group. I am usually working on course work at odd snatches of time in the day or late at night, when most have finished. I appreciated the chats and emails that I was able to participate in for the work that was assigned to me and I do wish that I was able to continue with this group of individuals through the program - they are extremely kind, professional, encouraging, and excellent at the roles they were asked to fill. Again, I give them all the credit for an amazing job.

Podcast

http://jlfryar3.podbean.com/mf/web/k7xdv8/Podcast5363-8011.mp3

Free Video Editing Software Review
I tested and compared Windows Movie Maker and Zwei-Stein video editing softwares. I found Windows Movie Maker very well suited for beginners. After a very short period of time the user will be creating simple videos with a minimum of special effects and transitions. Most standard audio formats are supported. Video output files consist of standard file formats, but it Apple formats such as .mov is desired, a video converter will be required. Overall Windows Movie Maker is a great place to start if you are just getting into video editing. The other software I evaluated was Zwei-Stein. This software is totally different from Windows Movie Maker. This software borders on a full feature video editing software comparable to Adobe Premier. There is a fairly large learning curve and this software is designed for the more experienced video editor. Most audio formats are supported as well as most video formats. Special effects and transitions are virtually limitless. The editor is only limited by their own creativity. Warning...this is not a software for beginners. I find this software comparable to Adobe Premier Elements but more difficult to learn. "The cheaper programs will give you automated or 'quick-n-easy' methods of editing video, while the higher end programs will let you customize and tweak every video frame to your heart's content."("Top 7 Video Editing Software Programs for Beginners", 2010)When evaluating video editing softwares, the saying is true...you get what you pay for. After looking at the freeware programs, I believe it is best to "pony up" and purchase the software.