What I Learned Through PSA Production

By Ella Harrison

The Public Service Announcement project required me to face tough obstacles for the first time:

- First time shooting interviews for a big project.

- First time editing a longer project in Premiere Pro.

- First time reliving one of the most challenging days of my life.

Yet, all these difficult “firsts” led to me being proud of the first longer project I produced and edited for this class.

"LOVE THOSE WHO LOVE YOU"

Courtesy: American Heart Association

When the class was tasked with picking a topic for our PSA, I quickly concluded that I wanted to do mine on heart health. I chose this because of my dad’s recent heart attack, and then subsequent open-heart surgery. The storyboard for this project formed quickly because it is something I care about.

FUTURE FILMING AND IMPROVED INTERVIEWS

One of the most difficult parts was filming. I had to shoot over spring break because that was the only time I could go home. We had not yet done the shooting labs, so I do feel like my shots had the potential to be better if I had practiced beforehand. However, the textbook was helpful in filling in some of the gaps.

Spring Break with My Parents

One mistake I made during the interview was overestimating how comfortable my family was talking about the topic. Of course, my parents were more than willing to help with the project. However, talking about this life altering surgery just a month after it occurred brought up various emotions.

I did not prepare my family for the interview as well as I should have. I mistakenly thought that because we had all experienced the event, I could go in and have my parents talk about it without a structured plan. My dad pointed out to me that in future

interviews, I should better explain the

interview to the interviewee, no matter how well I think I know them.

EDITING

The editing lab we did in class helped greatly when it came to post production. I had a solid understanding of where and when I should add B-Roll on top of A-Roll, J-Cuts. L-Cuts, and music beds.

I was able to navigate Premiere Pro better since I have used other Adobe programs such as Audition and Photoshop. I also discovered how helpful programs such as Canva and iStock can be for accessing stock footage. I used scenes from inside a hospital for my B-Roll which I am not be able to shoot myself.

MOVE TO DOCUMENTARY

I feel that my PSA acts as a steppingstone to the mini documentary. Now, the mini documentary is less intimidating. I now have a better idea about the filming process, interview preparation, and editing. As I begin my mini documentary, I am keeping these things in mind:

1. Shoot more B-Roll than you think you need.

2. Provide interviewees with an overview of the interview well in advance.

3. Prioritize the most important parts of the video before spending a lot of time on the nitty gritty details.

4. In persuading the audience to care about the topic, I must include logos through arguments, ethos through testimonial, and pathos through emotions.

5. Lighting and location are key in framing interview shots.

Watch my PSA here!