Soap Box: Relationships as professionals and effects on the job

Moving into 2018, I wanted to look back and touch upon some tidbits of knowledge that picked up along the way. It has been a great journey so far and I'm very appreciative of everyone that has come into my life. I have made some strong bonds that I am very proud of. As creatives, it's all about understanding and reaching that common goal that makes it all worthwhile.

We are as strong as our weakest link. I'm sure that's been quoted many times before by many different people. Personally, I heard it a lot when I play sports in high school. Of course, I was never really good at sports, so maybe that quote was directed at me in that respect.

Anyway, the quote reverberates to many aspects of our lives. I think of this quote as I'm writing this because I think back to the many creative productions I've been on and how they've panned out based on every individual's strengths and weaknesses.

I feel my biggest fear is letting down my teammates, no matter what the job may be or how closely I'm involved. Specifically, my roles in film projects come to mind.

There have been times that I have worked myself to exhaustion with moonlighting then came to a film set and felt useless as I struggled from the lack of sleep or energy. So, why did I continue to do this? Because I felt every project was worth it. I felt my crewmates were counting on me to get the job done. Most importantly, I understood that I was a piece of a puzzle.

A puzzle? What good is a puzzle with a missing piece? They each play a part to create something that is much bigger than themselves. And when finished, the results are beautiful and create a larger understanding of the roles of each interlocking piece.

At the point of this photo, I had gone at least
36 hours without sleep.

We, as a crew, interlock to create cohesive matter. At the time, we might not be able to see that. It's not until we witness the finished product that we understand.

In a film production, it can sometimes be hard to see when it matters to work together as a well-oiled machine. I know there are times that my flaws can get in the way of seeing the bigger picture. Nobody is perfect, and it is our duty as human beings to work around our imperfections to achieve a greater goal.

Each position and department on a film set has their own specific set of duties. However, they should never work against each other. It is our job as a crew to create an understanding of the overall goal and how to achieve it. We operate to obtain the same thing.

As I mentioned before, that can be overshadowed by our personal demons. I know there are times that I can be selfish, which can go against the common goal.

As a Director of Photography, I may have a different vision that the Director. Understanding the importance of understanding each other is something I always try to keep in mind. Everyone works differently. It is our job to use our own strengths to build upon our crewmate's strengths.

It feels good when it all comes together. As you all have heard, Body Farm is complete and had a
very successful premiere. I'm very proud of everyone involved and I feel that we all shared a very special bond over the past few years.

I know I can be difficult at certain times because my stubbornness and pride get in the way. For those of you out there who were patient with me, I am forever grateful.

I also know that I'm not the most technically educated in the terms proper set etiquette or techniques. I did not have the opportunity go to a proper film school. In fact, I did not know where I wanted to go with my life until my junior year of undergrad. And I have Juniata College to thank for helping me along the way, even though I only scratched the surface by the time I graduated.

However, I feel that it is important to continue to learn even after our educations have finished. Even without a proper education in professional filmmaking, you will still find me assisting in any capacity on set, making mental notes of how others do their jobs and being observant of how everyone works together. I will then do my best to fill in where needed.

Large egos can sometimes get things done in a production. Conversely, large egos can also create a very toxic environment on set, if one individual places themselves above all else. It is important that we all remain humble and understanding of each others needs in a film production.

Why am I speaking of the importance of teamwork? Because I don't want anyone reading this to make the same mistakes that I have made. I've made a lot of connections over the past few years. But I've also burned some bridges, not realizing until it's too late.

It's inevitable in this industry that we can't always please everyone, but it is important to understand their perspective to help complete a common goal.

I'm very thankful to everyone that I have ever worked with. No matter the size of the project, I appreciate the efforts that are always put forth. You guys are what keep me going.

Wrapping up the last few projects, I wanted to share this clarity and insight with you. As artists, we are a community of like-minded individuals.

We are a family. And I'm so proud of my family. I'm looking forward to growing with you in 2018 and beyond.

Much love, my friends.

Cheers,

Steven

Adobe Premiere Pro: A few efficiency tips, assembling your clips

Today, I'm doing something a little different. I'm creating a guide that is not only something I wanted to share with you, but also as something that I can reference myself.

Recently, I've been jumping back into editing. Although it is something that I love doing, post-production is also something that I can go months without doing. However, with the new wave of projects I'm working on, I'm finally able to jump back into editing software, such as Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe After Effects.

I've been an Adobe user since I began working with their software back in college. When I began photography as a hobby, I started with the basics in Photoshop and Illustrator. Through that, I was introduced to many of their related programs.

From a video editing perspective, I was "classically trained" in Final Cut Pro. This was when the software was a fantastic and powerful editing too. Not the stripped down Final Cut Pro X that was released a few years later.

However, when I was working from my dorm, I had no access to Final Cut. My solution was to test out the alternatives. I found Adobe Premiere Pro to be a very effective editing tool for the jobs that I needed done.

After graduation, Premiere Pro became my primary tool for video editing. It wasn't until I started diving deeper into local video projects that I was able to heavily utilize this tool. Unfortunately, there came a time that I had to step away from post-production.

Which brings me to my point. When I haven't used certain software in a while, I tend to just forget all of the shortcuts and tricks that make my job a little easier. I've decided to go back and refresh myself on some of the basic shortcuts, not only for me but also for any new or amnesic users.

Let's start with the basics. I'm sure I'll touch base on some more advanced techniques in the future. For now, let's look at the simplest commands and organizational methods associated with assembling video clips in Premiere Pro.

Storyboard those clips:

For any project that requires organizing a variety of clips into a coherent story (through the power of editing), it might be beneficial to separate those clips into a storyboard WITHIN Premiere Pro.

How? Basically, if you look on the bottom left of your screen, you'll see all the clips for your session. There is also the option to create Bins (Folders) for your clips in order to better organize them.

Editing clips in the Source Monitor

In terms of organization and pre-Timeline actions, I just wanted to provide a quick rundown on some of the commands available for editing in the Source Monitor. These are the ones that I discovered to help with my efficiency.

Key	Command Name	Description
I	Mark In/Set In Point	Mark the beginning of your clip selection in source
O	Mark Out/Set Out Point	Mark the end of your clip selection in source
Shift +I	Go to In	Move to In marker in source
Shift+O	Go to Out	Move to Out marker in source
.	Overlay Selection	Replaces current position on Timeline with Source Monitor selection
,	Insert Selection	Inserts Source Monitor selection into the current place in the Timeline

With these tools, you can make selections from the Source Monitor. These selections can help to trim down a particular clip without any editing in the Timeline.

These buttons associated with the shortcuts are available right below the Source Monitor.

Once you have your selection, you have your Insert and Overlay tools to place your selection into the Timeline.

Assembly for screen real estate!

And in case you couldn't tell from the previous screenshot, there are various ways to assemble your workspace. If you happen to be working on a small display and can't quite cram the Source Monitor in with the Program Monitor, there is also a very nifty Assembly tab at the top, which will toggle the layout to only display the Assembly monitor, freeing up some space for any preliminary clip management and trimming before jumping into the Timeline.

So, those are just a few items I learned with clip and time management in Adobe Premiere Pro. Of course, some of these could also apply to any nonlinear editing tools, so hopefully this information can be a learning experience for all just jumping into editing or needing some productivity tips.

As I learn (or relearn) more, I'm hoping to return with some more items in the future. Thanks you for stopping by!

Until next time!

Cheers!

Steven