Giving video my best shot

Ayesha shoots her first video in ADNEC.

Since moving to the multimedia section, I have been shown how to upload videos onto The National's webpage using some programmes that are new to me. There are many steps, which confused me as I didn't know it took so long to put a video online.

I spent the first couple of days getting used to the programs and watching how my colleagues work.

Last week, I was asked to shoot my very first video, all on my own, with supervision of course. I was given a brief lesson on how to focus the shot; how to fix the lighting in order to add depth to the shot; and how to carefully place the camera on the tripod.

I was also told what lenses to use, and how to attach them to the camera's body. Practicing around the office, I felt I was ready for the shoot

As I got to Adnec, where I had to shoot the summer festival held there, I managed to carry the giant camera backpack but as I walked from the parking lot to the entrance, I realized it was so heavy it was slowing me down.

Other than the camera with its attached lens, another bigger and far heavier lens was hung on the outside strap. There were microphones, extra batteries, huge headphones, and recorders inside the backpack. I also had to carry the tripod that hit my knee a few times and which, I later discovered, resulted in a purple bruise.

As I was filming inside the festival, I struggled to find the right shots. The settings were not working well for me as the inside of the exhibition hall was very dark. I had to fix the settings multiple times to achieve a clear shot. While filming, a lot of people would pass in front of me, preventing me from taking the shot I wanted.

The confidence I had slowly wore off as I realized I would not be able to get all the shots I planned for the video. After spending almost two hours surrounded by carnival games, Legos, and kids, all I could do was worry that the shots I had  would not be enough.

Next came the editing. I was given a brief lesson on how to upload the shots and sound clips onto the hard disk of the computer and how to save them using the program. I then started "playing around" and trying to find some of the shots that could actually help me in creating my first video.

The edit is still not over, as it seems I have a lot of work to do. Hopefully, I will learn the skills to produce a video at the end of my journey.