I'm celebrating with snickers ice cream. Totally yum. Haha, I'm cocmpletely spazzing right now. I really thought I didn't make it!
Always stay optimistic you guys, things will always work out in the end!
I made it into advanced! Despite my EPIC fail at filming today, I was in the TOP FIVE and was able to get into the advanced advanced class! Wow, I can't believe it! (:
ZODIAC SCOPE - Libra
Your routine will get disrupted today, which will get on your nerves more than it probably should. You've been on such a nice roll for so long that this new turn of events is disrupting your flow and making you cranky. The best approach for this level of frustration is not forcing things back the way you want them. It's too late for that. No, better to take a deep breath and just go with the flow. An adventure is right around the corner.
Today was my first day at the video workshop!
To get into either the advanced or intermediate workshop, we have to film a short 60 second short film and edit it all within four hours. That's harder than it sounds. First, you have to come up with a story (which took me a good hour and a half). Then you need to cast, check out equipment, and scout locations. Once you find your locations, you need to film, film, and film to make each shot perfect. Then you have to go back to the school, capture all the film, return the camera, edit and find appropriate music, and finally render to complete the project.
I was doing fine when I started filming. Everything seemed to be working out okay (even though I was stressing out like crazy). But then, after we return to the school, I realize there is NO audio.
No audio? CRAP! I had no idea why the camera didn't pick up audio. It was a mystery! Until I discovered a setting on the camera...
Shutter Speed was set to 1/1000 and I filmed in 60fps.
I'm assuming you guys have no idea what that means. It basically means that it films MANY more frames per second than when shutter speed is off. So everything I filmed was in SUPER SUPER slow motion. That's why there was no audio. Obviously, a camera can't record audio in slow motion...
So I freaked out. I thought I was finished. I awkwardly captured the film and began laying out my clips, making sure nobody noticed my epic fail. I sped up each clip by 250%, which made everything look normalish speed, but very choppy.
But I didn't let that get me down. I HAD to pass the entry test. I worked my ass off to produce a decent video and I must say, I was surprised at the quality of the final project. Sequencing seemed fine. Color was fine. The only thing that wasn't fine was the slight jerkiness of the camera. But I can always say I added that in editing to add my desired effect.
My point? Filming was extremely stressful. Stress is something I haven't really felt the past couple of days, after returning from Sacramento. I did just what my horoscope said. I went with the flow. I didn't turn back, and I didn't freak out. I didn't fix the problem, but rather didn't let it become a huge one. Interesting scope today.
ZODIAC RATING: 9/10
Just came back from Sacramento a few days ago, and wow, do I have stories to tell.
First of all, I'd like to say how amazing it was to get out of the Irvine Bubble. It was amazing too, to get out of Southern California. It's a fantastic experience, hanging out with three great friends, embracing every moment.
Driving up there was almost moving. After we pass the busy streets of LA, we drive down miles and miles of wilderness. The Grapevine is an extensive mountainous area with next to no stops. So many hills, so many mountains. It felt calming to see nothing but nature.
Once we got there, everything seemed to unwind. All my Irvine troubles seemed to fade. Those didn't matter anymore. I felt completely relaxed.
Probably the best part of the trip was stargazing. Up there, the blanket of lights that pollute our skies from our cities ceases to exist. Thus, the skies are fresh and clean and clear-I've never seen so many stars. Well, I might have, but I definitely don't remember. We gazed at the endless sea of stars for three hours, but it only felt like a couple minutes. Every time we'd see a shooting star, whomever claimed it first could wish on it. I made a lot of wishes that day.
We also went ghosthunting. In front of the house we stayed at is a vast farmland, with cornfields, forests, rivers and lakes. We drove out there with the golfcarts with our video camera, anxious to find something spooky. Of course, we ended up scaring ourselves near to death, and it's a pity to say that we didn't find any ghosts.
Golf carts. Seemingly harmless, boring vehicles. Except when you drift with them. Drifting was loads of fun, even after being thrown off the cart several times by inertia. I came an inch close to crashing into a trailer. Fun. At least I didn't crash into the house, like Joe.
We played Flashlight tag a few nights with a ranch neighbor, Danny. There were tons of places to hide, and each game took a good half hour to complete.
If you didn't already know, I stayed on a ranch. There are horses on ranches. It only makes sense then, to talk about the horses. I rode a horse named Joshua, who is amazing. Retro, another horse on the ranch, was great fun to talk to and feed. Two other horses ( whom I forget their names ), a mother and a foal, were great fun to play with. I really love horses!
And, continuing with the horse topic, we went to the race tracks! The first track we went to was truly amazing--ponds and green grass surrounded the dusty tracks, overlooked by a beautiful california sunset. We didn't win much there, so we tried our luck driving down to Pleasanton. Now that was a thoroughbred track, instead of the previous chariot races. I must say, thoroughbreds are tons more fun to watch. But still no luck. After hours at the tracks, I'm proud to say we lost a grand total of $250. It was so worth it.
Back at the ranch, I helped cashier at the local cafe. The first few customers were patient as I bashed the cash register with a confused expression, attempting to ring up a correct receipt. Eventually I succeeded, and gladly worked the register with only a few mistakes. It's a lot harder than it looks.
All the other stories and tid bits shall go unsaid, only to remain between me and the three other travelers. I really loved hanging out with them, and I truly had a blast.
And to you all, I'm BACK! So lets go out and do something. I'm so bored at home, and I've only been back about a day! Lets go to the beach, or bowling, or hold a huge manhunt game, or something. There is so much to do and nobodies doing anything. I've learned that vacation is where my friends are, and it never has to end.
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