Haven’t posted…been too busy working and learning to reflect. But now, as my (hopefully) last DVD is burning with my first FCP project on it, and I’m waiting for a load of laundry to dry before heading out for the day, I can sit back and think a bit. I’ll at least start with the first question:

What did I learn?

I learned how to do a few technical things in FCP and GarageBand, but I also learned some personal things, too. (Or maybe re-learned since I’ve fallen in this trap before.)

Technical Learning: I have a completed video burning to DVD. It is a 3-1/2 minute introduction to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Florida. (OK…I just realized I spelled Audobon wrong on the map. *?!*!) I have basically gone through the entire Getting Started manual for FCP, which Troy says makes me an expert, but I didn’t actually incorporate everything so I need to work through some details on the next project. For instance, I didn’t do any transitions in this video, just simple cuts from one clip to another.

I’ve been fooling around with exporting since last night. I used some freeze frames in FCP (snapshots from video) and when I burned them to DVD, they jumped around. Went out on the web to find help and discovered de-interlacing was the problem. Run the filter, render the images, and it seems to have solved the problem. I have one shot of a heron taking off that is causing trouble. I need to learn more about filters and rendering.

I learned a lot about GarageBand, which I have only ever used for podcasts before. Learned how to edit notes, change tempo and time signature. I created the music for the video in GarageBand. I’m not completely happy with it and want to learn more about midi files.

Personal: I reread my last post and realized how stressed out I was last week. (That meeting in C’ville? Ended up getting home at 8 PM after leaving at 9 AM!) Yet, I knew that I had plenty of time this past weekend to get the work done. And, as Monday dawns, my work is essentially done and I had time to go to the property and hang out with Bob yesterday: paper needs a final edit but that could be done on the road, I uploaded and previewed the screencasts for Sheryl’s conference, and the other piddley things like budgets and emails are done. I’ve got a video for class on Wednesday night, too. I remember the quote by Jefferson: How much pain have cost us the evils that never occurred. I don’t think I was imagining evils but I really let myself get stressed for no reason. This has happened before, I knew it was happening, and I still let it go on. What’s the answer? I tried to get in walks since exercise always makes me feel better. Maybe I need to work in some meditation, too.

Meanwhile, I have a video that I am pretty happy with. Going to sit down with Troy to get some feedback. Now that I know how to capture and edit, I want to think more about cinematography: what can I do to make the images and video look better? Color correction, etc?

So, I’ve identified three things I want to learn:

1. FCP: filters and rendering

2. FCP: how to use filters to make video look better; how to import images appropriately

3. GarageBand: using midi files (my husband says that if I download them and open them in GarageBand, all the tracks will be there. Haven’t had time to try it but it would have made my soundtrack a lot easier to create.)