Behind The Scenes
Videos editing
I used this chance and learned about different editing software and how to use them. I learned how to make an image thumbnail, how to add text to it, and how to add transitions. I also learned how to upload videos to YouTube and how to embed my videos into my website. The amount of time it took me to make the first video to the last was quite a drastic change. I learned a lot about editing but I think I only scratched the surface I want to learn more about video editing and see what I can improve on next time. This project was on a timeline so I did not invest as much effort into some of the smaller details but I will expand my skills and improve as time goes on.
Music generating
I used an audio generating website that allowed me to type in a description of genres I like and it got the job done. It taught me the importance of keyword structures and how to type them into the search bar without overwhelming the AI with ideas to make the music too complicated. I would love to make my own music, but I don't yet have the skills and time to make music from scratch which is why I explored this route. Although, I still needed to scroll and regenerate different songs to find the ones that I liked. I would say this process was the easiest of all my to-dos but it made the videos feel complete.
Making a filming set up
Making a filming setup was another struggle because I was using light gray paper. I needed a background that would not wash out the origami and that match the aesthetic of my website. I looked around trying to find a table and realized there was a shelf that turned into a desk and it was a nice dark gray so it was perfect for the demo video. The area was a little cramped and the desk space was a little more narrow but other than that it was the best we got, so I set up some margins for how much the video could see and jammed out to music as I nervously did every fold.
Photography
Trying to find good lighting just out and about is hard when you're in a location where the only thing you see is snow and gray skies for miles. But, I didn't let that stop me, and I found a cool background. I didn't know how I wanted the origami to be positioned on the tree, so I just placed it somewhere and prayed that it was not going to fall I focused my camera and took the photo. I estimated different positions of light and tested the distances that would give me the right amount of light. I had to make sure that the light is not too close that you can't see the origami .
Photo editing
Thankfully for editing photos I didn't have to do too much because basically, the only thing that was off was the fact that the photos were too big, but one thing that I did learn was that those photos are in 4K so my website can be seen in all its glory on a 4K TV but if on other devices it might take a little bit to load. I learned how to edit a handout of a thumbnail with the help of tutorials, this was probably the most advanced thing I did during the photo editing. I just felt that the hand was taking away the beautiful gray rabbit.
Positioning/ Lighting
The positioning and lighting of the subject are dependent on how you want the mood of the shot because I tested and experimented with different combinations of both and I found that more natural light with a center front shot was mostly what I went with, since it shows all that the origami is and a little bit of the background. I found that shots with dramatic lighting and angles look more moody and artistic.
Making a website
Making the website I thought was the most nerve-racking thing and it was but it was more so the research, the videos, the photos, the logo, and the layout all of these things make up my website. it is not that hard to just make a file name it a website and call it a day but you have to think about who will look at it. What is its purpose? What is the main idea? Why is mine different from others or how do I make it so? You think about all these things when making a website and I didn't know that until I did it.
Color pallet
My favorite color is violet. I wanted to add that color to my website but as I looked through hundreds of pallets I realized that violet didn't give me the best results so I looked at other colors and still didn't find that pallet that I liked so I just waited till I got the photos and decided to go with the shades of grey to match the winter vids. but in the end, violet was interpreted in the finely website.
Logo design
For my logo I wanted it to have a crane in it or at least the shape of one, so I found a picture a discombobulated crane and incorporated my name into it. There are two N's and two A's plus a V for the first part of my last name. This was not the only design I came up with, there were about 7 different styles because I wanted to have some variety. Then I asked my family to pick which they preferred and in the end, they all said my first design. I learned that sometimes you should just stick to your gut when making a logo because personally I also thought that my first design felt the most finished.
UX
UX (user experience) is very important when making a website. It is the reason we can press the buttons we can, it is the reason we don't feel overwhelmed by text, it is the reason we can just breathe in and admire the work that people do to make the viewers happy, and I did all that in less than two months. I have never made a website or was even interested in creating one until I did it.
I had a great time making and breaking this website, I learned many skills that could assist me in my future endeavors and I hope that I can improve and continue the expand my understanding of origami.