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The motion graphics above are examples of my graphic works which were created for assignments, studios and internships. All of them are create by After Effects (AE) and I still keep learning and practicing my AE skills as a important part of my post-production knowledge.
on The two episodes above are from a non-profit, student-organized live program by It’s Alive Studio in RMIT. This is a fantastic program and we managed to broadcast it on Livesteam and received thousands of views in total. I was working as camera operator in episode one and graphics (subtitles, graphics at the bottom and the rolling credits at the end) in episode two. It is different from all the previous works I have done since it was all live and we must be very careful with the right time of showing up right things and coordinating different groups. In sum, I have learnt lots of valuable experience with the amazing crew!
on This is a short documentary of Melbourne local food that I created during my media study in RMIT with my teammates as credited at the end. I was responsible for part of shooting and as well as editing in this show.
This is a short radio program about the freegan culture in Melbourne and I was responsible for recording and editing the footage. In order to offer a better understanding on freegan culture, we invited a girl doing freegan in the city of Melbourne and did a short interview with her.
This is a creative short video I create for Shots VS Cuts studio in RMIT. It is quite experimental, and the purpose is to examine the power of parallel editing as a film technique on manipulate time.
This is a short exercise of using color grading. I used the footage from the previous short video project and aimed to practice my post-production skills.
on Dear Manager:
As a final year media student in RMIT, I’m very interested in making various media products on multiple media platforms. As a student will graduate in November this year, I’m glad to introduce myself to you and a detailed resume and show reel link are also provided with this letter.
I am currently studying bachelor of communication (media) degree in RMIT and will graduate in this year. Before that I was studying in Australian National University as arts student until transferred in 2013, in order to focus on my favorite media studies. I have strong interest on multiple media platforms like TV, films, and online video. It is always my goal to work in media industry as a media worker after graduation.
I have recent experience of working with my teammates to successfully broadcast the first RMIT live show ‘Rock Bottom’ on the Livestream. In that show, I worked as both camera operator and graphics. Besides, I also have post-production skills of using Adobe series (PR, AE) to create motion and still graphics, animations and do post-production works like editing and special effects for films, TVs and short videos. Few sounds montage, short videos and motion graphics have been made by myself for school and another studio. You can see some of them through the attached show reel link. Now I’m also working on a documentary about Chinese students studying VCE program and their experience of living in Australia. In that program I have worked with StudySuccess© studio as camera operator, producer and likely to be the editor as well in latter this year. There are more details about my personal experience as media worker in my CV.
Film, TV and video production are always attractive for me. Now I wish to develop my professional skills and gain real experience from the industry. It will be a great honor for me to work with those skilled and passionate people.
Please contact me anytime if you have any questions or require an interview.
Thanks for your time and consideration
Yours sincerely,
Xiaochen Zhang
on XIAOCHEN ZHANG
||Phone number: +61447252308||
||Address: 316 La Trobe St, 3000||Email: zxcdotwo@gmail.com||
Objective: To further practice and develop my professional skills. Gain valuable experience from the media industry.
Education history:
2010 – 2012: Luoyang No.1 Senior High School (China)
High School Certificate(Overall:80+)
2012 – 2013: Australian National University College
Foundation program, majored in Arts(Distinction)
2014 – Current (2016.11.11): RMIT University
Bachelor of Communication (Media)
Relevant Skills:
Team work
Postproduction
Video shooting and sound recording
Language
Relevant Experience:
Achievements and rewards
Interests:
Show reel:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7nUFjLDFKt5g_RoQNucZM9ZqGg4GKTWm
on Collaboration is always important in teamwork, and we have done a lot of teamwork through the semester. I must say I have met many wonderful people in this class. They are all passionate, talent and creative which I can’t be more sure after watching their films again and again. Through working with them, I see the weakness I have and the strength I can learn from them. It is a double-win for all of us.
I should thank Lisha and Mona first, who help me a lot shooting my film. As I said to everyone in the first class, I have no experience of shooting a film or documentary at all, not to mention the camera and tripod. They teach me the skills they have learnt in last semester while shooting, and explain the things I was confused in class. It is impossible for myself to do a film especially I have to be the actor as well, so after setting up the camera and showing the storyboard to them, they helped me to shoot most of the scenes in my film. As a director, I firstly experience the challenges of getting everything under my control and making sure everyone knows what he or she is doing. Sometime I have pictures in my mind, but it is really hard to share it with others. When I work with other guys in class exercises, I keep telling them the ideas I have and let them know what I am thinking and wondering, of course, in a good manner. I don’t think someone might get angry because I said some of my opinions which he or she might disagree, since we are all going to be professional. For me, I never refuse to listen when working with others, no matter who he is because I don’t take any personal opinions on anyone when working, and I believe most of the people in this class have the same thought with me.
Anyway, communication and collaboration both play significant roles throughout the semester. I enjoy the time working with my colleges and I expect to work with most of them again in future.
on Here it is, this semester is about to end. I have got my project 3/4 finished, and I am trying to make it a completed film, but not sure if there will be enough time to do the rest of it. Anyway, I have already learnt a lot. After talking to Robin about my problems, I find my way now: if it is gonna to be something, it should only be that thing. My film talks about a story that a man lost his language ability due to the loneliness he suffers. This thing doesn’t in real world. Some people may have autism due to some reasons, but no one will experience the same thing that man experiences in the film. So why I am trying to making sense at all? It is totally a world I invent, which means things can happen just because I want it to happen. With this privilege as a film maker, I am able to focuses on something else rather than the plot. For example, like the use of subtitles, images and voice over, I should maximize and emphasize the certain effects of them on audience. Once I decide to use these experimental elements, I should already give up the ordinary narrative and structure of the story. Trying something new rather than doing the things you already know how to do. I think this is just the aim of this course and in terms of doing that, I achieved my goal.
on This week in class we talk about how to use PR to achieve some specific effects on our footage. For example, adding color correction, subtitles and transitions. These things are extremely useful for us and fortunately I have already learnt these skills when I was creating some MVs during my high school. But apparently there are still many things I need to know about PR, AE and AU. I should find some tutorials on YouTube just like I did before and spend time on it.
Here is a screenshot of my PR file. Actually, it is not completed yet..
on This week is a busy shooting week. I have done lots of shooting with Mona, Lisha and other my colleges. But to be honest, the result is not satisfying for me. I start to realize how ambitious and difficult the whole thing is and I lack the ability to control it. For example, the problems happened in class happens again, the sound mixer doesn’t work well, which means I need to re-record the conversation latter in studio as well as the environment sounds. I also start to ask myself, what sort of film I am making? It should be not like the ordinary drama, but I worry about if it is too abstract so that people can’t get it. But if I focus on making sense for the story, it becomes strange especially the subtitles and voice over, which seems unnecessary at all if I want to tell a ordinary story of an ordinary man. So I start to consider which way I will go: the abstract and experimental film which is ambiguous form the beginning to the end, or a half-drama and half-documentary film which tells a clear and logical story. There is not much time to consider, I should meet with Robin next week and discuss this with him.
on This week I have done the first part of shooting, and I show them to Robin and get some very useful advice: I should slow it down. This is gonna to be a film reflecting a man’s complicated inside world and because of that there should be enough time for audience to understand what is happening. I can make more shots on him and focus on his body language and expression. Slow the whole thing down and give time to audience. This is the most important thing I should remember when shooting next scene on weekends.
Besides, the class this week focuses on the lighting stuff. I was absent because I had sore eyes and felt ill, but after watching the video my classmates shot in class, I have learnt a lot. The lighting is such a complicated technique which requires time and efforts to improve. I really wish I can practice the skill with those equipment used in class, but most of my scenes are outside and maybe I should get familiar to capture the natural light first before I start to focus on the inside lighting equipment. Hopefully I will practice them in next semester.