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Everyone here in AVP is working hard to prepare for our upcoming 80's Film Fest! Today in Practicum we're shooting the intro, starring Zac. Rock on! 

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Remake Headache

When it comes to movies, there are few things that make my stomach churn quite like remakes do. Remaking a movie is funny business; there isn't an exact art to it. Audiences typically create hype with their high hopes of finding the same excitement and spirit from the original film only to be disappointed post-viewing to find that their experience was completely different. The truth of the matter is that this vision was created by another mind, another crew, and other actors. Expecting the same reaction and giddiness is silly of us to do. It’s part of human nature though; like food, we crave that which makes us happy and familiar.

However, that’s not to say that it’s only our fault that we don’t enjoy a movie remake. A bad movie remake is, well, a bad movie remake. Artists should keep in mind and take heed of what made the original such a success. Who were the characters and what makes them so likable? What are signature trademarks of the original? Why do audiences like this movie and what could we do to create something lovable? And most importantly they must consider the following: Being a box office hit once does not ensure future success. Just think of Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; no one could play a better Willy Wonka than the legendary Gene Wilder. Johnny Depp, a bewitchingly devilish pirate, could not fill our childish hearts that yearned for that chocolate river nostalgia once again. It is true- artists have the difficult task of asking themselves these questions in hopes to please the tough crowd. However, can audiences place all the blame on movie master minds?

Bob Dylan said it best, the times they are a-changin’ and so are we. This fact is evident in not only the kind of movies made, but the music produced and overall fashion of the world around us. It is our adaptability, after all, that sets us apart from anything else in the world, and from that aspect, movies should reflect what is in season, and thus, can only determine their success from pure risk and careful analysis of the people of today. 

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Film Fest 2013 Date Announced!

AVP's annual film fest will take place on Monday, May 20th in the auditorium at Consol. Admission is FREEEE and our theme is "I Love The 80's". Keep an eye out for sneak peeks and updates as we prepare for another great event!

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Congratulations to Joe Spelce, Steven Cote, Josh Rush and Ana Sevilla for winning the "Best High School Short" award at the Texas Independent Film Fest!

This group of Advanced AVP students' short horror film "Dream a Little Dream" was screened last weekend at the Texas Independent Film Festival in College Station. They then received the award for "Best High School Short". Additionally, "Dream a Little Dream" was honored with the "Best of Show" award at SkillsUSA State. Everyone in the program is so incredibly proud of this group of students and their amazing work!

You can view "Dream a Little Dream" here. 

 - Lauren Hodges, Practicum in AVP

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Practicum in AVP Forced Perspective Photography Project

Over the last two weeks, the Practicum class (or Tech 3, as we fondly call it) has been experimenting with forced perspective photography. This project required a lot of creativity and even more trial and error experimentation. It was definitely challenging, but as you can see, we had a lot of fun along the way!

- Joy, Zac, and Lauren, Practicum in AVP

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Listen Up, Sci-Fi Fans...

If Sci-Fi is your movie genre of choice, then 2013 is shaping up to be a great year for you. Movie and TV trends seem to be focusing on futuristic themes lately. A lot of movies are coming out that are about post-apocalyptic eras with mind-blowing technology, or lack thereof with the focus on survival.

Tom Cruise, in his new movie Oblivion, plays Jack Harper, one of the last few drone repairmen stationed on Earth. He is part of a massive operation to extract vital resources after decades of war with an alien enemy. His mission is nearly complete but comes crashing down when he rescues a beautiful stranger from a crashed spacecraft. Her arrival is the spark of a chain of events that forces him to question everything he knows and puts the fate of humanity in his hands. This movie was released in theaters across the nation on April 19th, 2013.

Many upcoming movies are highlighting these themes, such as The Host, which was released on March 29th. The film is based on Stephanie Meyer’s only non-Twilight novel about a parasitic alien soul that is injected into the body of a human girl. Instead of following her race’s mission of taking over the earth, the alien soul forms a bond with her host and sets out to aid other free humans.

Although this year’s busy movie schedule is full of all kinds of films, sci-fi is on the rise. So set your phaser’s to stun and get your light sabers ready for this year’s promising science fiction films.

- Helen Reese, Advanced AVP

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Photoshop Tip: Selections and Masks

When doing professional Photoshop work, the most important part of any composition is the selection. Removing subjects from their background can distinguish professional work from amateur work. Often, I see classmates or friends working in Photoshop, and when they reach for the dreaded eraser tool, I can’t help but cringe a bit. Here are some tips to create better selections and edit photos in a non-permanent manner.

First, there are several selection tools that greatly improve efficiency and quality of Photoshop work:

The Marquee tool

            Used to select largely uniform areas, the Marquee tool is great for cropping off a large area of an image. The selection can also be feathered to give edges a softer look.

The Lasso tool

            Used to make rough, abstract selections, the Lasso tool is good for quickly removing large areas of an image that aren’t uniform. The Magnetic Lasso tool can be used to select portions of an image based on color difference. By dragging the Magnetic Lasso around your subject, you can select it with little to no work providing the subject is largely identifiable from the background. The Polygonal Lasso tool is perfect for selecting areas with straight edges. 

The Quick Selection tool

            Used to make more specific selections, the Quick Selection tool identifies differences in color to make a selection. This tool is suitable for selecting subjects from busy backgrounds but will not work properly if the subject color is close to the background color.

The Magic Wand tool

            Used to make quick selections, the Magic Wand tool is perfect for a subject on a plain colored background. By adjusting the tolerance (found in the toolbar) of the Magic Wand, you can select all of one color at once to quickly remove a solid background. Be careful of subjects on white backgrounds as highlights on the subject can often be selected with the background. Adjust the tolerance to minimize this effect.

These four tools create the backbone of professional Photoshop work. By becoming proficient in all of them and learning how to mix and match tools to create the best selection, the quality of your Photoshop work will increase significantly.

To use these tools in a non-permanent manner, make a selection then add a mask. The Mask tool can be found at the bottom of the Layers window; it resembles a square with a circular hole in the middle. The Mask tool uses your selection to create an editable mask on your image. Using a mask prevents permanent changes to an image and can save lots of work later on if an area of the image is accidentally erased.

By combining different selection tools with layer masks, Photoshop work becomes more efficient and the output is much better. So next time you need to edit an image, think twice before reaching for the eraser tool.

- Camille Aucoin, Advanced AVP

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KAMU STUDIOS

Last month, Advanced AVP visited our local television station, KAMU. It was an exciting and educational experience for everyone, especially since many of us plan to work in television in the future. We learned about different sets and backdrops, studio cameras, and lighting for news and talk shows. We also toured the audio room. It was very small, but full of interesting equipment like the studio's huge sound board. Seeing this amazing piece of equipment at work was probably my favorite part of the tour. All in all, the trip was an amazing experience and a great opportunity for our class. 

- Jacky Mora, Advanced AVP

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SkillsUSA State 2013

Last weekend, several AVP students traveled to Corpus Christi to compete at the State SkillsUSA Conference. All three AVP classes were represented, and students competed in contests including Television Production, Audio/Radio Production and Broadcast News. We came home with several awards, including second place in TV Production, second place in Photography, best of show in Preproduced Video Projects, and two gold medals in Technical Information Testing.

Overall, this trip was a huge success. Our competitors received many compliments from judges and spectators, timing and transportation went smoothly, and we had the chance to make new friends and spend time with old ones. However, this is the first year since 2008 that no one from our program has advanced to Nationals. Many of us are disappointed, but we put up a good fight and we’re ready to get back into the game and win next year!

- Lauren Hodges, Practicum in AVP

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AV Geeks, circa 2012

In the shamefully short-lived 90’s sitcom “Freaks and Geeks” (and any other high school movie/TV show, for that matter) the hopelessly nerdy kids in the Audio Video (AV) Club were the lowest of the low on the totem pole of high school, even  surpassed in coolness by Sam Weir’s band of “geeks”.

But fortunately for us AV kids, quite a bit has changed since 1999.

It all started with an idealistic young educator named Scott Faulk. He arrived in the barren wasteland of A&M Consolidated High School’s Media Technology programmed armed with a small band of AV devotees and a dream: to create the best Audio/Video Production program the world had ever known.

And he did. Well, we did. And we’re still doing it.

Picture this: the latest technology, the fastest software, the sharpest shots, coming together to capture and immortalize everything from school football games to original horror films. Audio/Video Production, or AVP, connects high school students with the world of professional video production. Through both Mr. Faulk’s teaching and hands-on experience, AVP students explore various aspects of film and television, gaining invaluable experience and knowledge. It’s no wonder many of our alumni end up at some of the country’s top film schools after graduation: AVP students have studied film at New York University, The University of Texas, Savannah College of Art and Design, and Emerson College. In addition, many former AVP students have found jobs in film and television, creating a tight-knit web of influential and knowledgeable alumni.

So needless to say, we don’t exactly fit the old sitcom stereotype of AV Club nerds. No pocket protectors, thick glasses, or wheezy voices here- instead, we have top-of-the-line equipment, advanced skills, and a unique family atmosphere, where everyone’s talents are accepted and utilized. Check out our stuff and get to know us! If you’d like to get in touch with any questions, visit our Contact page. Come back soon for more info about what we’re doing, watching, and thinking here in Audio/Video Production!

- Lauren Hodges, Practicum in AVP

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Website Release, Gala, and Awards Ceremony. 

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Grandiose Gala

   Fall semester brought many assignments, sports games, musical shoots and more. With all this hard work and time placed into the AVP program, students were more than happy to join the soirée and celebrate each other’s creations in the first annual Audio/Video Production Awards Gala and the beginning of the AMCHS AVP web campaign. The night launched with pictures, hors d’oeuvres, and laughter followed by dimming lights and hushed voices- the ceremony began. Students were nominated in five categories:  Best Public Service Announcement, Best News Package, Best Horror Film, Best Shot Project, and Best Audio Project. The winners included:

Chad Ruesink for Best News Package

Alejandra Fajardo and Diego Espina for Best Public Service Announcement

Joe Spelce, Josh Rush, Steven Coté, and Ana Sevilla for Best Horror Film

Camille Aucoin for Best Shot Project

Helen Reese, Jenna Gonzalez, and Jacky Mora for Best Audio Project

Winners were applauded and congratulated upon their victories and went down in AVP history as champions. But all good things must come to an end- and so the night danced away into the stars of victory as the heavens rained smiles and sparkling grape juice upon all students and Mr. Faulk.

Winning videos will be posted soon under Our Work.

-Ana Sevilla, Advanced AVP