Lessons learned!

Newscasters, actors, entertainers...they make it look so easy. Last night, I experienced the joy of shooting a promo. The promo was for the upcoming Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition league - the Glacial Super League (in Limerick City, Ireland). I was happy with the script I had written, equipment was all set up, lighting was fine, but fluffing lines is a pain! I'll be honest, this was a trial by fire. A number of elements that I did not have a lot of experience with were meshed together in the hopes of piecing together a decent video.

The scenes were split by season. So, I had three paragraphs to say. Learning them is one thing, reading them aloud is another, but learning a script and staying focused on all the other essentials is a different kettle of fish. You can't move around for fear of making seat noises, hand movements had to be toned down - I nearly resorted to strapping my arms down - and of course things such as eye contact, breathing and facial expressions have to be considered. Everything that we take for granted. Watching videos back and listening makes you very concious of words that you say incorrectly, or where the stride is broken.

The first paragraph took some time. There were many "nearly there" moments, which then resulted in a stumble. Some people make the whole process look too easy! The second paragraph was a little more straightforward, despite being longer. However, time was ticking on. Shooting couldn't be left to the next day, or moved - results in differences which even the less-than-observant would notice. So the project pushed on, although certain lines could have been tidied up a little.

The final paragraph was pretty seemless. It was short, simple and straightforward. In saying that, it still took a couple of attempts. As a presenter, I still have plenty to learn, but it's good to have made a start. The project required editing, but that's a different story for a different time. There was plenty of downloading, uploading and, if it's even possible, sideloading. I am reconsidering my usage of Cyberlink Powerdirector. Now that I have actually put together a project rather than something straightforward, some of the inadequacies have been noticed.

But without further ado, here is the final project. It recaps what has gone before in the Glacial Super League. The first session of season 3 will take place on 16 July, 2011 in Moviedrome, Limerick City. More information is available here.

Glacial Super League Season 3 Promo: The Story So Far