Blog Entry 3.4 My Project

Unfortunately my first ideas of creating a YouTube video of spirits or the paranormal can’t be done, because of technical problems. Such as, my Canon digital camera only shoots 30 second video clips. Also, the software I have on my PC is Roxio Creator Premier from Sonic solutions, which only creates DVDs and slideshows; therefore, videos cannot be uploaded on the internet. So, that being said, I go to my plan “B”.

 I have always been a fan of anything supernatural, and thanks to Prof. Smith's embedded YouTube video on the “The Raven” by Poe. I realized my first love of stories in mystery and horror was back in grade school when my English teacher introduced me to the American writer, and poet Edgar Allan Poe, the rest is history.

I will create an adaptation of "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allen Poe; I will use Xtranormal , which is a text-to-movie online module that will bring the short tale to life. I will edit and crop the story to a modified 3 or 4 minutes video, which I will post on YouTube.   

So far, I have created an account with Xtranormal; and, over the weekend I have made a few free test movies, so I can practice using the many tools and features. Also, I have read and reread “The Tell-Tale Heart”

The steps that I will take to complete my research project before the deadline are: preform research on Edger Allen Poe and the genre of gothic fiction. Also I will research mental diseases that cause "over-acuteness of the senses”. In addition, I will watch many videos; rent two or three of the many film adaptations of "The Tell-Tale Heart", and maybe watch a few Alfred Hitchcock classics so I can get ideas on camera shots, angles and direction.

Also, I have to decide on which parts of the story that have to be deleted in order to fit the time length of my project and to do it in such a manner, so I will not jeopardize the significance of the tale. Furthermore, the most time consuming and tedious probably will be creating the mini- movie; because, I am a perfectionist I will edit, edit and then edit again until I feel that it is done or I just ran out of time and have to meet the deadline.

The only problem I anticipate is being unable to upload the completed Xtranormal production of “The Tell-Tale Heart” on YouTube or my computer gets a virus and crashes.