CCR

The challenges of this project and conventions of society gave me good reasons to pick the song that I chose and the many different aspects it represents other than just another baseball tune. I decided upon the song ‘Centerfield’ by John Fogerty because of the many different messages the words in the song portrays. The genre of the song is American Rock and Roll which seems to represent a fun day playing America’s favorite pastime—baseball. However, when you take the time to really analyze the lyrics—the song actually says so much more. The underlying meaning of the words sung by Fogerty can focus on just a simple ballgame or the game of life itself.

When analyzing the video, the words reflect many life lessons along with the ballgame lessons. Fogerty’s lyrics reflect a person who has watched life, and the ballgame mostly from the bench or the sidelines without ever really getting involved. After seeing many of his heroes also fail and get back up time and time again, the lyrics continue to inspire and show that giving up is never an option. Despite the fact that ‘Mudville’ symbolizes a rough life with many disappointments, putting your best foot forward and trying your best every time should be how you tackle life. With life lessons anyone can become successful. This is a powerful message that should be portrayed for all young people to defy the conventions of society, and prove that anyone can make something of him or herself.

After taking a great deal of consideration to determine the sequence of events that were needed to construct my video, each scene was able to provide an individual meaning on its own and tell a full story. This way of presenting this form of media was done intentionally, captivating the viewer with the need to follow the sequence of events to the end to fully comprehend the message it delivered. The video doesn’t just look at a day at the ballgame, but at life itself. Despite the number of failures, strike-outs, and time ‘sitting on the bench’ the participants all get back up time and time again, putting forth a great effort and being the one to shine successfully in ‘centerfield’.

If this video were to be created professionally, I would first post it on TikTok and on YouTube. TikTok would have the quick ‘Wow” factor to capture the attention of many people—but especially young people, allowing this important message to be presented in a fun and upbeat way. I would also post a copy of the full video on YouTube because this is a platform where the full impact of this piece of media can be watched and appreciated multiple times. YouTube is not just a means of online entertainment, but used as an educational tool by many. It is viewed by people of all ages and can provide the opportunity for this video to be viewed in a different way other than just baseball.

Throughout the entire project my production skills have expanded. I took the time to view and research many videos before deciding how my project would proceed. Through the exposure to other peoples ideas, I was able to fine tune some of mine and actually change other ideas to better create a piece of media that would be fun to watch while delivering the messages I was trying to relay. The more I listened to the actual lyrics of the song, I came to realize there was a deeper and more profound meaning that related to many life events as well as just playing baseball. Through the process of deciding where to post the video I realized I wanted to have more than my 10 seconds of glory on TikTok, where something is posted and quickly forgotten. I wanted more because of the time and effort that was spent creating a quality piece of media that I hoped would be viewed time and time again because of the messages it sent and the deep impact it would have on both youth and society itself. Often society does not see the good in young people and often retaliates with negative feedback. A feel-good video that promotes success is an important message for young people today.

 

I integrated many forms of technology into this project using different types of software, hardware, and online sources. Some forms of software I used throughout this project included CapCut, Adobe Premier, and Microsoft Paint. I used CapCut to put the video together, Adobe Premier was used as an editing tool, and Microsoft Paint to add the finishing professional touches to the production. After looking at hardware options needed to complete the project, I decided on the following which included an iPhone 13, a Sony video camera, and a DJI drone. All these sources of hardware were used to capture various moments and different perspectives in the production of my media piece. Online sources used for blogs, necessary to complete my project consisted of YouTube, Google, and TikTok. All of these were used for inspiration and for brainstorming ideas.

            The main sources I used to film, edit and blog were my phone, CapCut, and Blogger. My phone was the main source for filming instead of a video camera because of its ability to capture unique angles, its light weight and easiness to handle and maneuver, and its abilities to zoom in and out quickly and smoothly, and focus on specific things being filmed. When it came  to making a decision between using CapCut, or iMovie, I chose CapCut. I found CapCut to be much more superior editing software because it is easier to navigate, implement pieces of media, and export to different websites. I used Blogger because it is great for submitting blogs.