Decision Day

After weeks of gathering experience with software and viewing examples, the time has finally come to make my choice of whether I wish to pursue the movie project or the magazine project.  To be completely honest, I was, and still am, intimidated by both programs. Each has complex menus, options, layouts, file transfers, and commands, and I feel as if I still do not totally understand either one. They are both hugely overwhelming. However, I do have a good enough comprehension of both to list some of the pros and cons of each. 

Adobe Premiere Pro is a creative video editing and production software. I was shocked at how much I was able to do on the app. When you start your project, the four different editing screens/ sections are well organized and make the software seem less daunting to use. Simple commands, such as cutting footage and placing clips, are very easy to use. You can use different camera presets, which alters the way motions appear to happen in each project. As seen in the tutorial, the Effects tab allows you to either choose presets or set your own parameters for how your film looks. There, you begin to really polish and edit your film. You can do things such as blur the background and increase focus on certain areas, and you can add color presets to each clip. This wide range of functions allow you to edit your movies to have a certain feel, or effect you want to leave on your audience. I believe a lot can be achieved with the editing tools the program offers. 

However, Premiere Pro has its cons as well. In order to import files, you must search through either your computers or the cloud. On its own, this is not an issue, but on school computers, this is extremely difficult to do unless you email the needed files yourself (which has also proven difficult due to restrictions). Since video files are much larger, this can very quickly become a tedious obstacle, even on home computers. Inserting audio files is difficult as well. In addition, having preset effects is much easier than setting up your own, which can hinder your project if you are looking for a very specific feel. Overall, the program can be very awkward to work with at times. 

On the other hand, there is the choice of Adobe InDesign, a creative graphic design software. I felt more at ease with InDesign since I have used graphic design programs before. It is centered on editing two things: Text and Objects. Although commands are less straightforward than they are in Premiere Pro, with a bit of exploration, it does not take long to figure them out. Right away, you can choose from several different layouts and paper sizes, allowing you to create a variety of publications. Placing and formatting text is simple, as text boxes tend to automatically adjust and line up with points you have already established. Character Styles give flair to your text and theme. InDesign also allows you to link text from different pages, which is highly useful for a magazine. It is also much easier to import content, such as photos, and adjust them to your text spreads. Formatting is an overall simple process. 

InDesign can also be somewhat limited. Adobe has other programs, such as Photoshop and Illustrator, that allow photos to be closely edited. Because of this, InDesign may not have the same variety of options when it comes to image design and editing. It takes more work to make things look good on InDesign; in order to add effects to an object you add, you must go through menu upon menu of options, which can be confusing and time consuming. Occasionally, the automatic formatting of InDesign can become annoying if you wish to create something more abstract. It can be tedious to work with. 

Keeping all this in mind, I have chosen to pursue the magazine project. Overall, it seems like InDesign is easier to work with than Premiere Pro. It is significantly easier to import and store images on InDesign than it is videos on Premiere Pro. Furthermore, creating effects and adding creativity seems much easier to do on InDesign than it would be in Premiere Pro. I also feel as if you can have more creative reign and freedom with a magazine, as well as less stress. With a movie project, you are stuck with the footage and audio you have. With a magazine, however, you can add whichever images you want whenever you want. Magazines seem like much less of a hassle to work with, and I get to have more creative reign in the process, which is a strong advantage.

Overall, my goal with InDesign is to tell my story as effectively as possible. It's really important to me that my concept is presented in a way that is unique so it can sell well. With the range of functions and layout ideas I have, I think I will be able to achieve the mood and atmosphere I want on the pages.