VIDEO AND SOUND PRODUCTION (EXERCISES)

April 21,2025

21/04/2025 - 12/05/2024(Week 1 - Week 8)

ZHOU BOYING / 0369087

Video and Sound Production / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylor's University 

Exercises

---

 LIST

1. Lectures

2. Instructions

3. Exercises

4. Feedback

5. Reflections

---

Lectures

Week 1

Nots

Three Main Production Stages:

Pre-production

• Idea Development

• Story

• Storyboard

• Visual References

• Location/Props

Production

• Lighting

• Costume

• Principal Shooting

Post-production

• Offline Editing

• Online Editing

• Audio Editing

Physical Class

This class, led by Mr. Martin, provided an overview of the Video & Sound Production module, covering the full production process: pre-production, production, and post-production. The course includes three main projects, each contributing 30% to the final grade: audio editing (using Adobe Audition), video shooting and editing (using Adobe Premiere Pro), and a final project that involves creating either a visual effects video or a stop motion animation. Mr. Martin also recommended suitable equipment such as headphones and tripods. Students are expected to document their creative process and reflections in an E-Portfolio. For Week 1, tasks include watching selected Zach King videos or stop motion shorts and the film Everything Everywhere All At Once to prepare for upcoming projects in terms of style and technique.

Week 1 Quiz

Week 2

Nots

Pre-production

This is the planning and preparation stage before any actual filming takes place. It ensures the creative direction and production logistics are clearly defined.

• Idea Development: Establishing the core concept, message, and target audience.

• Story: Writing the narrative outline or script to define structure and flow.

• Storyboard: Visual planning of each scene or shot for smoother production.

• Visual References: Gathering inspiration for style, color palettes, lighting, and composition.

• Location/Props: Selecting filming locations and preparing necessary props or set elements.

Production

This is the execution stage where the actual filming is carried out, transforming ideas into visual content.

• Lighting: Arranging lighting to shape mood and emphasize key visual elements.

• Costume: Choosing appropriate outfits based on character profiles and thematic setting.

• Principal Shooting: Capturing the footage according to the storyboard and script.

Post-production

This is the finalization stage, where raw footage is edited and polished into a complete video product.

• Offline Editing: Rough-cut editing to organize scenes, define pacing, and eliminate unnecessary clips.

• Online Editing: Fine-tuning visuals, adding effects, color correction, and subtitles.

• Audio Editing: Enhancing audio quality through dialogue syncing, sound effects, and background music.

Physical Class

In Week 2, Mr. Martin introduced various framing techniques and explained the required shot types from the slide, including close-up, extreme close-up, medium-wide, and angling shots with soft backgrounds. We were divided into groups of four and given 30 minutes to shoot a video that included all the listed shots using landscape format and soft background effects. This hands-on activity helped us understand shot composition, subject positioning, and depth control, while also improving our teamwork and time management skills. 

Week 2 Quiz

Week 3

Nots

Task Objective

• Use Premiere Pro to add dialogue and sound effects to the video.

• Background music is not required.

• Focus: syncing speech and sound effects to enhance viewer engagement and atmosphere.

Required Elements

1. Speech / Dialogue

   • Record using a mobile phone.

2. Sound Effects

   • Hard Sound Effects: Specific sounds like door creaking, glass breaking, gunshots.

   • Ambient Effects: Environmental background sounds like traffic, wind, or crowd noise.

Production Workflow

1. Watch the video in Premiere Pro.

2. Use a spreadsheet to list each scene and its required sound effects.

   • Reference spreadsheet: Google Sheet Example

3. Record dialogue with phone and search for sound effects online.

4. Import all audio files into the timeline and sync them with the video.

Technical Requirements

• Audio Track Setup

  • 3 dialogue tracks (one for each character)

  • 4 sound effects tracks

  • 3 ambient sound tracks

• Audio Editing Tips

  • To change voice type (e.g., male to female, adult to child):
    Premiere Pro → Audio Effects → Pitch Shifter → Semi tones

  • Volume Levels:

    • Dialogue: -6dB to -12dB

    • Ambience: below -20dB

    • Sound effects: adjust as needed

Physical Class

This week, we started Exercise 1 for Project 1, which focuses on audio dubbing. The task is worth 15% of the final grade. Mr. Martin provided a detailed guide through Microsoft Teams, including the materials we need to download and the editing tools we are required to use.

He instructed us to download the “vsp24 audio dubbing” package from Google Drive, which includes a silent video clip and a Word script file for reference. The goal is to record appropriate dialogue and sound effects (speech, hard sounds, ambient sound) and sync them accurately in Premiere Pro. The final audio must be placed correctly on the timeline, with attention to track organization and volume balance.

In class, we were also told to use the Pitch Shifter audio effect in Premiere Pro if we want to modify voices (e.g., male to female or female to male, or adult to child). Mr. Martin mentioned that he will give a practical demonstration of how to perform these voice conversions in the Week 4 class. He also reminded us to strictly follow the example spreadsheet for scene and sound breakdown, and to complete the rough edit before Week 4.

Week 3 Quiz

---

Instructions

---

Exercises

exercise 1

Fig 1.1 exercise 1

In Week 1’s editing exercise, based on Mr. Martin’s instruction, we learned the basic use of Adobe Premiere Pro by creating a new project, importing provided footage, arranging the clips in a proper sequence on the timeline, and exporting a complete video. This task introduced us to fundamental video editing techniques, focusing on how to assemble a coherent sequence using ordered shots.

Fig 1.2 Final exercise 1

exercise 2

Fig 1.3 exercise 2

The second task involved working with a set of video clips that were intentionally out of order. Guided by Mr. Martin’s instructions, we used Adobe Premiere Pro to analyze the footage, identify the correct narrative sequence, and rearrange the clips accordingly on the timeline. This exercise helped us understand continuity editing and sharpen our storytelling sense by reconstructing a coherent and logical sequence from disordered materials.

Fig 1.4 Final exercise 2

Shooting Exercise: Framing

We are to pair up for this exercise and shoot 5-second clips of the following framings:

1. Low-angle wide shot (WS)
2. Frontal medium close-up (MCU) - soft bg
3. Frontal medium shot (MS) - soft bg
4. Extreme close-up (ECU)
5. Side angle medium shot (MS) - soft bg
6. 3/4 angling medium close-up (MCU) - soft/blurry bg
7. Close-up (CU)
8. Eye-level medium-wide shot (MW)

I was filming this exercise with my teammates. Here are eight of the resulting videos.

Fig 2.1 Shooting Exercise: Framing

Through the video, I learned how to add text in pr software

Fig 2.2 Shooting Exercise: Framing

Final Outcome: 

Fig 2.3 Final

exercise 3

In this exercise, we need to edit the provided clips and graphics based on the storyboard given below:

Fig 3.1 storyboard

In this task, we were instructed to individually trim each video clip before placing them onto the timeline.

To define the new beginning of a clip, we used the [I] key (mark in), and to define the new ending, we used the [O] key(mark out).

We also had to apply visual transitions as part of the editing process:

• A dip to black transition was added at the start and end of the video to create a smooth opening and closing.

• A cross dissolve was used between two shots of the same character, helping them gradually disappear from the frame.

Fig 3.2 Base clip

I added a text message.

Fig 3.3 I added text messages through video learning.

I tried to add a message ring.

Fig 3.4 Message ring tone

Fig 3.5 Final exercise 2

🎬 Film 1: LALIN

1. Which part is act 1, act 2, act 3 respectively? Describe each act with ONE paragraph only. 

Act 1: We got to know the protagonist Lalin - a rural girl. Her life was bound by traditions, facing marriage arrangements and family pressure. The story established her close relationship with her mother and her longing for freedom.

Act 2: The conflict intensified. Lalin was forced to face the tug - of - war between her inner self and social expectations. She found out that she was pregnant and decided to conceal it and face it alone. The plot escalated gradually through her loneliness and struggle.

Act 3: The truth came to light. She had to make a decision: accept her fate or pursue autonomy. The ending balanced between tragedy and relief, leaving a strong emotional tension.

2. What is the inciting incident in the movie?

Lalin found that she was pregnant, but without her husband's support. In the context of a conservative culture, this became a major turning point in her life and drove the development of the whole plot.

3. What is the midpoint scene in the movie?

The scene of her giving birth in the hospital was extremely tense in mood and symbolic. The eyes of the family and society finally converged, and her fate would be completely rewritten.

4. What is the Climax scene in the movie?

The scene of her giving birth in the hospital was extremely tense in mood and symbolic. The eyes of the family and society finally converged, and her fate would be completely rewritten.

5.What is the theme of the movie?

The conflict between women's autonomy and traditional culture. The film explores women's situation in a patriarchal society, their pursuit of freedom, and their courage and tenacity in the face of injustice.

🎬 Film 2: Everything Everywhere All At Once

1. Which part is act 1, act 2, act 3 respectively? Describe each act with ONE paragraph only. 

Act 1: Evelyn (Xiùlián) is an Asian - immigrant mother who lives in chaos and runs a laundromat. She is facing a tax audit, a marriage crisis and inter - generational conflict. This scene establishes the realistic background and through her husband Waymond, leads to the strange clue of 'the multiverse'. 

Act 2: Evelyn travels across multiple universes, trying to understand the relationship between herself and Joy (her daughter), and fights against the 'omnipotent version' of herself and the hostile force Jobu Tupaki. She keeps failing, learning, exploring, and gradually sees the emotional essence of herself in multiple universes. 

Act 3: Evelyn no longer responds to conflicts with violence, but uses 'kindness' and 'understanding' to resolve everything, and re - understands the meaning of family and love. She reconciles with her daughter and faces the challenges of life in the real world again.

2. What is the inciting incident in the movie?

In the 'Bagel universe', Evelyn faced Jobu Tupaki, realizing that she was a multiverse version of her daughter Joy, and began to waver - she began to believe that everything might be meaningless and almost fell into nihilism.

3. What is the midpoint scene in the movie?

Evelyn refused the nihilistic choice of destroying the world, had a conversation with Joy with 'love, tolerance, and understanding', and finally pulled her daughter back from the edge of Bagel's black hole. She also accepted the flaws of her family members in the real world and embraced herself.

4. What is the Climax scene in the movie?

The importance of seeking meaning, repairing family relationships, and the significance of love and acceptance in multiple chaos.

5.What is the theme of the movie?

The movie expresses that even if everything seems meaningless, we can still choose to face chaos and pain gently.

exercise 4 （SHooting）

Fig 3.5 SHooting

In this shooting exercise, my groupmates and I collaborated to complete several assigned camera shots, including Deep focus – FG: MCU, BG: Full Body, O.S on M.S, O.S on M.w.S, and two Tight M.S shots. When working on the deep focus shot, we arranged the foreground subject in a medium close-up and the background subject in a full body shot. By adjusting aperture and depth of field, we managed to keep both the foreground and background in clear focus, which effectively highlighted spatial depth and the relationship between characters.

For the over-the-shoulder (O.S) shots, we focused on the accuracy of composition and eye-line matching. Using both medium and medium-wide framing, we created scenes that enhanced a sense of interaction and presence. The two tight medium shots were used to capture emotional expressions, emphasizing facial details and subtle movements.

Throughout the process, we communicated closely and shared responsibilities, from positioning the camera and framing shots to adjusting lighting. This experience helped us better understand the narrative purpose behind each type of shot and improved both our technical skills and teamwork during filming.

Storyboard Practice

Task ：Macth every story beat with appropriate shot 

In this week’s class, we were required to match every story beat with an appropriate shot type as part of our storyboard task. I chose to use Adobe Illustrator to manually draw each frame, focusing on minimalist stick figure illustrations that clearly represented the scene, emotion, and camera perspective.

To begin, I carefully broke down the script into 12 shots and assigned each one a suitable framing—such as W.S. (Wide Shot) for establishing the setting, M.S. (Medium Shot) to show body language, and C.U. (Close-Up) for highlighting emotions. I used simple geometric shapes and line strokes in Illustrator to build each character and object, paying attention to proportion, clarity, and visual rhythm across the sequence.

Working in Illustrator gave me precision and full control over composition. I could adjust the framing, add emphasis (like "SLAM" or "SIGH" texts), and maintain a consistent visual style throughout. This helped reinforce the storytelling logic behind each shot choice. For example, I used a C.U. to emphasize the news headline on TV, and a W.S. to show the empty pizza box and the character’s reaction.

Through this task, I not only strengthened my understanding of cinematic framing, but also improved my ability to visualize scenes clearly before production. Illustrator allowed me to work efficiently while staying focused on narrative flow and visual storytelling.

Fig 4.1 Macth every story beat with appropriate shot 

Exercise - After Effects

class exercise

Fig 5.1 Process 1

Fig 5.2 Process 2

After completing the basic VFX composition in After Effects, I exported the sequence and brought it into Adobe Premiere Pro. There, I added a simple voice-over to match the action and enhance the storytelling.

In addition, I included a few basic sound effects (e.g., impact, whoosh, and ambient noise) to make the scene feel more dynamic and realistic. This process helped me understand the importance of sound in supporting visual effects and building atmosphere.

Fig 5.3 Process 3

final class exercise

---

Feedback

Week 1

Specific Feedback:

This week, Mr. Martin introduced the whole structure of the course and explained the three main production stages. The editing exercise helped me get familiar with Premiere Pro. I learned how to import clips, arrange them in the right order, and export the final video. The second task was more challenging because the clips were out of sequence, but it really helped me understand how to build a story with editing.

General Feedback:

Mr. Martin’s instructions were clear, and the hands-on practice made it easier to understand the tools. I feel more confident using Premiere Pro now and I’m excited to explore more in the next projects.

Week 2

Specific Feedback:

This week, Mr. Martin introduced different types of framing and explained each shot from the slide, such as close-up, extreme close-up, medium-wide, and ¾ angling shots with soft background. During the physical class, we were divided into groups of four and given 30 minutes to complete a video shooting exercise. We practiced capturing each required shot type using landscape format and applied shallow depth of field by zooming in. The exercise helped me understand how different framing choices affect visual storytelling and composition.

General Feedback:

Mr. Martin gave clear examples and instructions that made it easy to follow the task. The in-class shooting session was practical and engaging, and it helped improve my understanding of camera positioning and collaboration. I feel more comfortable applying framing techniques and look forward to editing the footage next.

Week 3

Specific Feedback:

This week, I began working on Exercise 1 of Project 1, focusing on audio dubbing. I followed the instructions on Teams to download the provided materials, including the silent video and script. I started planning the dialogue recording and looked for suitable sound effects online. I also reviewed how to structure the audio tracks on Premiere Pro’s timeline. During class, I learned about the importance of syncing sounds accurately and how different sound layers (dialogue, hard effects, ambience) work together to create a realistic environment.

General Feedback:

The task helped me understand how audio can shape the atmosphere of a video. It also made me more familiar with Premiere Pro’s audio tools, especially timeline syncing and pitch shifting. I still find it challenging to match the sound timing perfectly, but the example spreadsheet and class instructions gave me a clear structure to follow. I look forward to learning the voice transformation techniques in next week’s session.

---

Reflections

This week’s class gave me a clear overview of the production process in video and sound work. I found the editing tasks useful, especially the second one where I had to figure out the correct order of the clips. It made me think more about how editing affects the flow and meaning of a story. I also got more comfortable using Premiere Pro, which I was not very confident with before. I’m starting to see how technical skills and storytelling are closely connected, and I’m looking forward to building on this in the upcoming projects.

Through the framing exercise in Week 2, I learned how different shot types and camera angles can influence the mood and composition of a scene. Practicing these techniques during the physical class helped me understand the importance of visual planning and collaboration during filming.

In Week 3, the audio dubbing project introduced a new layer of post-production. I realized how much sound contributes to realism and immersion. Learning to organize audio tracks and adjust sound properties like pitch and volume made me appreciate the complexity of sound design. Although syncing sound perfectly is still a challenge for me, I now understand how dialogue, sound effects, and ambience all work together to enhance storytelling.

Overall, the past three weeks helped me develop both creative and technical skills. I’ve started to think more critically about every element that goes into building a scene—from visuals to sound—and how each part contributes to the audience’s experience.