Documentaries

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENT
Documentaries
In this project, you are challenged to create a documentary like those you see in
theaters and on such television channels as National Geographic Channel, The History
Channel®, and Discovery Channel. You will use advanced techniques in Adobe
Premiere Pro and Adobe After Effects to add special effects to your documentary.
Project Description
A documentary is a film that attempts to “document” reality. Documentaries
are often created to inform people about an important issue or to create an
archive of an important event. In recent years, documentaries have become
more mainstream, unleashing a stream of independent filmmakers
communicating their ideas, thoughts, and opinions. In this project, you will
create an original documentary on a topic, issue, or event that interests you.
Use this project to communicate about a topic you are passionate about and
produce your film so that it incites others to echo your passion.
Project Resources
Project example
Jigmé was created by a team of student filmmakers at the Reel Ideas Studio
2008 Cannes Film Festival program. Carlos Lopez Estrada, Mathias Becker,
Rachel Rickoll, Jes Ellacott, and Heidi Berg created this film. The film follows
a man named Jigmé, whose life in Cannes does not walk the beaten path.
Click on the image to the left to view the final Jigmé documentary.
Requirements
Your documentary should adhere to the following requirements:
1. Be 10–15 minutes in length.
2. Contain at least one interview with a person knowledgeable about
your chosen topic.
3. Use one or more advanced techniques or effects from the following
list.
4. Be in a web-compatible format. (Note that copyright laws restrict
public distribution of a video with a copyrighted song.)
Advanced Techniques/Effects
The following advanced techniques and effects are particularly applicable to
documentary production. Click on the image to the left of each tutorial
description to view the Adobe TV tutorial within this PDF. These tutorials
will teach you how to use these techniques and effects in your documentary.
For even more tips and tricks, tutorials, and inspiration for video production,
see the Digital Video show on Adobe TV.
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PROJECT REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENT
Learn CS4 Production Premium – Using Dynamic Link
Technique: Using Dynamic Link
Description: Exchange data between Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects,
Soundbooth, and Encore using Dynamic Link, without rendering and
exporting intermediate files.
URL: http://tv.adobe.com/#vi+f15419v1026
Learn Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 – Applying effects to groups of clips
Technique: Applying effects to groups of clips in Adobe Premiere Pro
Description: Apply effects to groups of clips. Create a multieffect preset, save
it in a new custom bin, and apply it to a group of clips.
URL: http://tv.adobe.com/#vi+f1600v1022
Learn Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 – Using Photoshop with Premiere
Technique: Using Photoshop with Adobe Premiere Pro
Description: Create a sequence-ready Photoshop file, import a layered PSD,
play Photoshop video, and use Photoshop rotoscoping in Adobe Premiere
Pro.
URL: http://tv.adobe.com/#vi+f1600v1000
Learn Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 – Using Speech Search to speed editing
Technique: Using Speech Search in Adobe Premiere Pro
Description: Transcribe spoken words to text. Use Speech Search to find
precise locations in clips and make editing clips of speaking talent quicker.
URL: http://tv.adobe.com/#vi+f1600v1027
Learn Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 – Understanding digital video metadata
workflow
Technique: Using metadata to streamline video production in Adobe
Premiere Pro
Description: Efficiently track, search, and organize assets as they travel
between Adobe Production Premium applications.
URL: http://tv.adobe.com/#vi+f1600v1005
Learn Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 – Batch encoding with Adobe Media
Encoder
Technique: Batch encoding in the Adobe Media Encoder
Description: Batch encode one sequence to multiple output types with the
Adobe Media Encoder.
URL: http://tv.adobe.com/#vi+f1600v1021
Creative Cow After Effects Tutorials – Smoking Letters
Technique: Creating smoking letters with Adobe After Effects
Description: Eran Stern shows you a quick and easy way to make a smoky
title effects using the displacement map effect and one text layer.
URL: http://tv.adobe.com/#vi+f15419v1042
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PROJECT REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENT
Creative Cow After Effects Tutorials – Shape Tips #3
Technique: Using shape layers in Adobe After Effects
Description: In this podcast tutorial, Creative Cow leader Aharon Rabinowitz
shows you how to use shape layers to easily create that Old School look
where a red dashed line animated over a map to indicate travel destinations.
URL: http://tv.adobe.com/#vi+f15419v1044
PhotoshopCAFE TV – Motion Tracking with Mocha in After Effects CS4
Technique: Motion tracking with Mocha in Adobe After Effects
Description: Jeff Foster shows you how a complex composition is easily
created with the aid of the Mocha for AE software included with After Effects
CS4. Add video to objects inside a composition with ease.
URL: http://tv.adobe.com/#vi+f15419v1032
Layers TV – Episode 69
Technique: Creating an aged, gritty feel for video in Adobe After Effects
Description: RC has a tip about using multiple artboards in Adobe Illustrator.
Jason "The Scriv" Scrivner is back on the show with a tutorial about video
editing with After Effects and creating an aged, gritty, feel for your video.
URL: http://tv.adobe.com/#vi+f15419v1030
Layers TV – Episode 75
Technique: Creating a video intro in Adobe After Effects
Description: RC creates a basic video intro using After Effects CS4. Corey talks
about transferring color sets between Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
URL: http://tv.adobe.com/#vi+f15419v1031
Next Steps
Once you have completed production of your documentary, consider how
you might have used other advanced techniques or effects to change the
style, tone, or message of the documentary.
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