Afraid Of Change... Afraid Of Meeting With New People

In just a few days, I'll have another semester of my sound recording and video editing classes. Pro Tools and Avid Media Composer are the two major software that I'm going to learn how to use this semester. Learning something new is certainly a good thing, but I felt very confused for the past few days, I also fear of the classes. I don't know why I have that kind of emotion every time before a new semester begins, then as the semester goes, I usually feel good and doing well. On the other hand, I just fear for only a week or two of the classes.



Why the first two weeks of the classes are making me so afraid? That may be connected to my personality. Indeed I'm a person who is afraid of changes, let's say if I have already had something and I feel good about it, I'll not change it anymore. Another reason that I'm afraid is the fact I have to meet with new people, new classmates and new teachers, every new semester I have to meet a lot of people that I've never seen before, and the first two weeks of classes are just killing me! My heart pounds and my hands sweat on the first class session of every single course. When I look around the classroom and see my new classmates, I feel that my heart almost falls out from my body. And when the teacher wants me to introduce myself in class, my gosh! I am so afraid and I don't even know what to speak in class! Everyone looks at me, and I feel a lot of pressure!



How can I get rid of those fears and do normally in classes from the first session to the final exams? Victor Lei, tell yourself you can get rid of any fear from the new classes and new classmates! Yes, you can do it!

Continue To Talk About My First Video Production Project

Our first BCST 140 project didn't begin until October 9 of last year, and our goal is set to have all people's project completed before Veteran's Day. It seemed like we didn't have a lot of time to prepare, but we did have two special rehearsal from each group one week before the actual production.

On September 30, 2009, Eloy Najera's project (I forgot if Stephen Reeve's was also done on the rehearsal or not) was selected as the rehearsal project. I was one of the camera persons for Eloy's project, and I can tell you that I was really scared, not just scare, but I'm also afraid, at the moment I walked behind the camera, my hands were shaking, my palms were sweated. I felt that I'd be sent to the execution ground, I did really think to evade my responsibility and leave the class, so I paced slowly along the studio and didn't get into my position. I didn't know what to do, a few seconds before the rehearsal began, the teacher called everyone in, all people are ready in their position. Camera 2's operator was not ready yet, where's the operator? Yes, it's me. "You should do your job…" Natalie Sancimino's few words woke me up and began to walk to the back of the big studio camera. All the camera persons have their headphones on, so did the director Eloy, TD, Audio Operator, and CG Operator. "Quiet on set!" Eloy yelled out, all of us were ready to roll…

Remembering My Very First Video Production Project

People always say their first time were unforgettable, so do I. When I looked at those pictures taken in the old CCSF video production studio in Fall 2009, they made me to remember my very first video project that I created, produced and directed, it just like something happened yesterday.
The first video project that we did was actually a project of still pictures, it's not 100% video. I still remember we were just sitting down and listening the lectures at the very beginning of the video production class. After a few weeks of lectures and basic ideas of video production, we started doing actual production by using all the equipment in the studio. Studio cameras, server, switcher, character generator, audio mixer, just name a few. The still graphics project was assigned after we received the basic ideas on how to operate those equipment, we're then divided into two separate group, I was assigned into group one. Since this is a group project, everyone had a chance to be the director, on the other hand, everyone had to work as assistant director, technical director, camera person, etc. The roles were rotated accordingly, for example, if I was a TD for this classmate's project, I'd be the CG Operator for another classmate's project. Therefore, everyone had a chance to work on the equipment.
Honestly speaking, I was so tense when I understood that I have to work on the project. The biggest reason was I had only a few ideas on how to operate the equipment in the studio, by the time before we started working on the project, I'd only used the studio cameras for a few time. Another fact was that I worried that I might mess up other's projects by doing something wrong that I didn't know. Anyway, I still needed to do it because it was part of the grade.
The first production kicked off on October 9 of last year. And the director / producer was the pretty well-known DJ and musician Eloy Najera. (See? We've got so many talents in class!) After Eloy's project, we were also working on Stephen Reeves and Marek Damm. I was the camera person (actually we had three camera persons on each production) for both Eloy and Marek projects, and LD for Steve's project.
The production had started, everyone was ready on their positions. What happened next? It was really funny…

Sound For Video Class In CCSF

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Actually I don't have much ideas for what I can write today, but I got an email from our future instructor for the Sound For Video Class in CCSF this morning. Fine, just decided to write something about Sound For Video.


Sound For Video is a familiar and unfamiliar course or topic to me, I say it familiar because I have already had pretty good video production and / or editing background, and I mastered some basic techniques on video editing using Final Cut Pro. On the other hand, I don't have a lot of audio production and sound recording backgrounds, I don't know a lot about audio mixing, and the I did only learn some basic techniques on audio production last semester in CCSF. Besides of basic radio production, analog tape editing, multi-track recording and some basic experience on Sound For Video for the final project, I don't really have much experience on audio production.

I don't know if I can learn and master more techniques from this class, but I believe this class could raise my interest on audio for video, as well as for my future video projects. Gaining more experience on both audio and video is very essential for me, I think.

Esses São Meus Ganhados

I always believe that something you have to fight for something before you can get something. If you have tried to do it, even though you can't get it at last, it's still a gain.

This morning, I went to the CCSF's Financial Aid Info Center and asked about the CAL Grant Application process, the front desk lady told me, "Oh, it's already passed the deadline, you can't apply now, the deadline was March 2nd this year, you can't apply anymore.…" Then I asked her, "I heard about there's another deadline for Community College students, which is September 2nd this year." She looked surprised and asked me if there's another deadline for CAL Grant. Then she confirmed with her supervisor, and her supervisor said that's true. CAL Grant has two deadlines for Community College students. The supervisor then asked me a few question, and she told me that CCSF will sent out my GPA verification form to CAL Grant, I'd know how much grant I get this upcoming September. The application has been processed.

Right now, I just think of this, good things will not drop from the sky unless you work hard to fight for it. When you work hard, even though you may not get everything you want, you can still taste the sweet. I believe that is true for happiness, we should strive for our happinesses. When you get it as you want, it'll just like "esses são meus ganhados".

"K Lab Wood" Is Coming Back!

It has been my most hilarious video project since I studied video editing couple months ago, every time when I think of "K. Lab Wood", I can't stop laughing! That's why I want the "K. Lab Wood" series continue, and soon I'll make another video about "K. Lab Wood"! So don't miss it!

Free Summer Classes In CCSF Today

What is the date today? July 14. Is it a special day today? Yes, today is Le quatorze juillet in France. What else? City College of San Francisco offers free, special summer classes today. Classes include ESL, Writing, Spanish, Yoga, Politics, etc. The classes are non-credit and refreshments will be served. You don't have to be a CCSF student to take those free classes, just go there and attend the classes you're interested.

For more details, visit http://www.ccsfagainstthecuts.org

This blog post is brought to you by:

Here is the email about this event:

Free Lessons are being offered at CCSF for Summer 2010

Instructors are volunteering their time to teach any and all interested students on Wednesday July 14th and Wednesday August 4th at the CCSF Ocean College Campus. Classes include but are not limited to ESL, Genetics, Politics, Engineering, Foreign Language, Writing and Yoga. Visit www.ccsfagainstthecuts.org for a detailed class list and to sign up for free on-line.

The first open college on June 2 was a great success with over 150 students participating. This event was organized by the CCSF General Assembly, a student facilitated grassroots group that works with faculty, staff and administrators to fight the Budget Crisis at City College and in California. Together they have created an educational opportunity like no other.

This event does not have the intent of substituting the Summer Semester, but does have the purpose of:

1. Building unity between students, faculty and staff.
2. Demonstrating that we care about our education and our community.
3. Educating and raising awareness about the budget crisis and solutions to it.
4. Allowing teachers to teach what they want to teach and students to learn what they want to learn.

The event will begin with an Orientation at 10:00 a.m. and end at 5:00 p.m. with refreshments offered throughout the day. Students are not required to stay for the whole event, simply take advantage of the classes that interest you.

Classes are non-credit and non-graded. It is up to you whether you decide to take advantage of this incredible opportunity.

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

People always say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but I think it's way more than that. Even the same picture could have different meaning if you use your imagination and creativity.

Take a look on this picture, it is a still picture from the 2nd episode of IDTV season 2010, (IDTV is a TV show created and produced by the advanced video production class from City College of San Francisco, I was one of them. ;) you can see there are two people (they were also the students of the advanced video class) on the picture, and obviously they were chatting. I didn't notice that before, but when I watched the video again and again, I found that their gestures and positions on the picture were kind of funny, it even looks like the opening of my favorite sitcom: A man and a woman were arguing.

I should point out right here, the guy and the lady on the picture were not mean, they're nice, awesome and intelligent, and this picture is intended for fun, nothing more than that.

To the lady on the picture, when should we meet for a coffee? :)

One year… And counting…

Time flies really fast, there's no doubt about that. It's been almost a year since I studied video production over City College of San Francisco. At that time, I thought that video production was something familiar but strange. More importantly, I met many strangers except for the teacher Arthur Pines, who taught me in Broadcast writing couple years ago. My experience tells myself that I'm afraid of strangers, I don't know why I feel so bad when I see someone I didn't know before. I always think those stranger may do something harmful to myself, I think those are my self-protection after years of bullying and assaulting. Speaking of myself, I don't feel myself as everyone's favorite. As I said, I'm afraid of strangers because they may hurt me, but ironically I never hurt other people. In my mind, I treat everyone if not the best way, the good way.

Anyway, the video production class over CCSF gave me a chance to work with other amazing people, and as a production crew of a final class project "San Francisco Live". I felt so good about that, and had led me to go further on studying of video production.

After the semester of basic video production, I decided to go to advanced video production class, as well as FCP class, something new to myself...