Production – Images (Chromebook Mini-Documentary)

In this modified version of creating a mini-documentary, you will only be using still images in place of interview and B-roll footage.

A. Create an Images Folder

On your Chromebook, click on the Files icon to open the folder.

Navigate to your Google Drive Project Folder within your class folder. Click the three dots at the top-right and choose New Folder, or click the [ctrl+E] keys.

Name the new folder images.

Use this images folder to save all photos for your project.

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B. Gather Images

For each person you interview for your mini-documentary, you need a portrait-style image.

If the person you interview is living with you, use your phone’s camera set to it’s highest quality. Find a simple background and have the person stand several feet away from it.

The photo should be wider than it is tall. Take a head-and-shoulders photo with space above their head and the bottom in the middle of their chest . It is better to leave a little extra headroom and space below the shoulders than not have enough.

Make sure the person is lit well. One way to get good lighting is to have a window to your back that provides the main light on your subject. Avoid main light sources that are above the person or behind them. The background should not be brighter than they are, and there should be no dark shadows on the person’s face.

Take several photos so that you may choose one that best represents what the person looks like. Here is an example:

Once you have your images, send them to your school email address. Make sure you send the highest quality, which should be the original image size. Download each image into the Images folder in your Google Drive Project Folder.

For people who are not living with you ask them have someone use their phone to take portrait-style photos of them against a simple background. (If they have no one available to take their photo, they may take selfies.) Please send an email or text to them with the following guidelines:
– The person’s face should be lit evenly from a light in front of them.
– The background should be simple and no brighter then they are.
– The image should be wider than it is tall.
– The bottom of the image should be in the middle of their chest
– The top of the image should have space above their head.

Remember, your interview subject should send several images that they think best represent what they look like. Remind them to send the highest quality version of each image. Download each image into the Images folder in your Google Drive Project Folder’s.

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C. Prepare Images

Use your Chrome web browser to navigate to Pixlr.com then click on the ADVANCED PIXLR E button.

Click on the OPEN IMAGE button.

Navigate to the images folder in your Google Drive Project Folder. Select an image then click the OPEN button.

In the Pre-resize Image window choose the Full HD option, then press the APPLY button.

The Advanced version of Pixlr.com is similar to Adobe Photoshop. With your image open, use the Select menu to Select all, or press the [Ctrl+A] keys on your Chromebook keyboard.

Your image should now have a dotted line border. Open the Edit menu and select Copy or press the [Ctrl+C] keys.

Open the File menu and select New Image or press the [Ctrl+E] keys.

From the Open Image choices select Full HD then click on the Create button.

Open the Edit menu and select Paste or press the [Ctrl+V] keys.

Open the View menu and use the Zoom Out option, or press the [Crtl+-] keys to zoom the image out until it is all visible.

Select the Move tool and use it to reposition and resize your pasted image until you have a good head-and-shoulders framing: headroom at the top, and the bottom just below the shoulders.

Once your image is framed and position correctly, you may use the Adjustment and Filter menus to make any corrections you believe the image needs. Only use these options to make sure the image represents how the person looks in real life.

When are satisfied your image is correct, open the File menu and click on the Save option, or click the [Ctrl+S] keys.

Enter a simple File name that will help you identify the image. For File type choose the JPG option. For Quality choose the HIGH option. When all information is correct click the DOWNLOAD button.

When the window opens make sure you are saving the image in your Google Drive Project Folder Images folder. If the file name is correct with a .jpg extension, click the SAVE buton.

For each person you have interviewed you need at least one good head-and-shoulders image. If you have more than one for the same person, add a number to the file name.

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D. Prepare B-Roll Images

Use the same steps above. If the image is not a close-up of one person, you will skip cropping the image to a head-and-shoulders framing.

Use simple yet descriptive names for your b-roll images. Here are some examples:
kitchen-mom.jpg
chromebook-sister.jpg
dad-at-work.jpg