CAPSTONE BLOG #1

The first part of my capstone was the most difficult. This was where I generated my ideas of the
vision I strive for, and how I am going to accomplish it. The very first step began with me choosing a song
that I found fitting for the visual style and theme. I had decided on “Super Gremlin” by Kodak Black for
the senior boys. I wanted their video to follow a storyline, having an introduction, where I show the
school/gym, then later the team and their game highlights. Following the highlights I had a section of
player shots to introduce the team. Super Gremlin has a unique intro that leads nicely into an
instrumental with a catchy beat, perfect for hyping up an audience. For the senior girls, I storyboarded a
video with quicker pace and clips. I wanted to keep it short and sweet, building anticipation for the
audience. I chose “EA” by Young Nudy and 21 Savage because of its quick introduction and recognizable
rhythm.

Once the song was chosen I began generating ideas based on the individual songs, planning
what shots i’d like for verses, or choruses. What I did was listen to the song on repeat, visualizing exactly
how I wanted it to look and compiled my ideas into a shot list (Figure 1-4, 5-7 ). Once all my ideas were
set, I put them into a storyboard, where I included the visuals, composition, and where in the song I
wanted them. This allowed me to have a rough estimate how how my video would play out (Figure 8-11,
12-13 ).

With all my ideas laid out in an organized manner I brought my ideas to my film teacher and the
basketball coach for approval.

Knowing exactly what I wanted for the film I reserved equipment that would fit. For the boys, I
used a Lumix GH5 to allow me to take crisp slow motion shots, and studio lights with gels for dynamics.
As the girls video was shorter, I wanted to focus on dynamic shots and camera movement, so used a
Ronin RSC stabilizer for smooth camera movement.

The preproduction aspect of my project required the most organization and creativity within my
capstone, but it set the foundations needed for my video to succeed. It was a real challenge testing my
creative thinking skills, being able to visualize an entire project beginning with a song. The next step in
my project was to materialize my ideas into shots, which leads me to the production aspect.