G.T. Music Video Finale

P2T8 Johnny B Goode from Kapaa Middle School MEDIA on Vimeo.
Hello again. Bad news, there's a new project in GT. Good news, as of today, 5-11-16, there are 12 more days of school. The new project is a music video. The biggest problem with this is that I'm the main character in it, and I'm in a walking boot and on crutches. So other than that minor drawback, everything is just peachy. I couldn't find a team fast enough, so I have to be in a team of four instead of three. And the song... the song is Johnny B. Goode. Never heard of it? Exactly. It's older than dirt. I don't mean black and white video. I mean a picture for the whole thing. A black and white picture.  But back to the point. Our story line is about a country boy named Johnny who moves to the city, and gets teased for being a country kid. Back on his ranch, he used to play guitar, but no one appreciates it in the city. So he gets mad and gives up guitar. But then the lyrics say something his mother once told him, and he gives guitar another try, and ends up enjoying it once again. A sunset and some sprinkles would have been fitting.

Our song, as you know, is not the most modern. I would say it is blues song, so it is not exactly fast paced. We were supposed to match the video to cut to the beat, so we have fairly long shots. In this body paragraph, we were supposed to describe our favorite "fast edit montage sequence". We don't have a part that I would call a fast montage, but I do have a favorite part. My favorite part is in the very start, when Johnny rolls out of bed, washes his face, and then walks down the hall. I like it because it is not glorified like many music videos currently, and it is relatable. Also, I like that when Johnny walks down the hall, he has Micah following him lip syncing. What I like about that is that Johnny doesn't notice Micah, like he's not there to Johnny.

This music video showcases our teams strength in multiple ways. Micah has very good timing and is a great lip syncer. As you can see by the clothes, it was done all in one day, but not rushed. This tells that Linden, who was the main "director", if you will, was a very good director. I acted, and I think that was my strong suit of this project. I was able to portray whatever mood Johnny was supposed to be feeling.


Song: Johnny B Goode
Artist: Chuck Berry
Lyrics: Deep down Louisiana close to New Orleans

Way back up in the woods among the evergreens
There stood a log cabin made of earth and wood
Where lived a country boy named Johnny B. Goode
Who never ever learned to read or write so well
But he could play the guitar just like a ringing a bell

Go go
Go Johnny go
Go
Go Johnny go
Go
Go Johnny go
Go
Go Johnny go
Go
Johnny B. Goode

He used to carry his guitar in a gunny sack
Go sit beneath the tree by the railroad track
Oh, the engineers would see him sitting in the shade
Strumming with the rhythm that the drivers made
People passing by they would stop and say
Oh my that little country boy could play

Go go
Go Johnny go
Go
Go Johnny go
Go
Go Johnny go
Go
Go Johnny go
Go
Johnny B. Goode

His mother told him "Someday you will be a man,
And you will be the leader of a big old band.
Many people coming from miles around
To hear you play your music when the sun go down
Maybe someday your name will be in lights
Saying Johnny B. Goode tonight."

Go go
Go Johnny go
Go go go Johnny go
Go go go Johnny go
Go go go Johnny go
Go
Johnny B. Goode

Animated Life Lessons

P2T2 Introvert Saves Day from Kapaa Middle School MEDIA on Vimeo.

እኔ አንድ ሰው ቅጂ እና ለጥፍ መጠቀም ይችላሉ ማየት , እኛም ሊከራከሩ አይችሉም ?

Just kidding! This blog is in English, not Amharic. Above is a very inspirational quote I came across. Don't expect much else new from this blog; new project, team, details. You know the drill. Anyway, let's talk about what my instructions tell me to talk about. In class, we have been doing a new project, as usual. This time it's animation. We learned to make a GIF in Photoshop, now were doing the same things but for a whole animation, and it's not a GIF. We teamed up for this one. I'm on a team with Linden and Shaday. Their blogs are somewhere below if you want to see them. Lindens is very funny. I've never read Shaday's. For the animation, we are supposed to exaggerate personal traits of ours. Mine is introvertedness, Linden's is procrastination, and Shaday's is hyperactivity. We are not saying that being lazy, shy, or hyper is bad, we are just using them as our main traits.

This animation is meant to do two things. One- It has to be funny. Two- It has to teach a life lesson. I think that these are two very difficult things to mix together, especially if it has to be consciously visible two a teacher and students.  Our life lesson is focused towards introverts, but I think we all have a little bit of introvertedness in us, some more than others. You are supposed to learn that there is no need to be shy, and you are never entirely alone in this world. There is always someone you can talk to if you want. It is also humorous because of how it unfolds rapidly and basically everything goes wrong. Linden and Shaday's traits would be fine for my task, but my task is to talk to people, and I'm the introvert. Their traits also make it difficult for them to do their tasks.

Working with teams is never a completely smooth ride. Working people you've never been within ten feet of before has its upsides and downsides. One good thing is that you don't want to make a bad impression, so you try to pull your weight. The downside is that you can be shy, and maybe not share all your thoughts, and it can be awkward working with new people. My team had varying skill levels. Linden has experience, and had a very easy time with it. Shaday and I were both new to animating in Photoshop, and it certainly showed. From 1 to ten, I would give our team a 4.5 on productivity. I think our best moment was the pitch, which Mr. Sanderl seemed to think was funny. Our biggest challenge was my and Shaday's lack of experience. Below are three behind the scenes photos, what the class though of it, and our storyboard.

በኋላ እንገናኝ!