Covid-19 Impacts the Clothing Industry: My Reflection Blog for My Individual Video

Over the past couple of weeks, I worked on my individual video project about the impact COVID-19 has had on local boutiques. I interviewed the manager of Dress Up Greenville, Hannah Turner, and Lizard Thicket Greenville, Ally Farr. These ladies shared their personal experiences with the pandemic and the hardships their store and customers have faced during the lockdown and transitioning into a new shopping experience.

Wishing all of these clothes could come home with me!

I knew from my experiences during the pandemic how difficult in-store shopping was, and I could only imagine how frustrating it must have been for business owners. Hannah and Ally gave me tons of insight into how their Greenville locations were affected. I learned so much about how corporate and regional areas handled and were impacted by the pandemic.

I’ve enjoyed working on this video project because it is much different from other projects. I learned how to set up interviews with people correctly and even make last-minute changes when interviews either fell through or there was a scheduling conflict.

I also learned how to make a deep connection with the interviewee. Hannah and Ally were both nervous for the interview, and it was up to me to make sure they felt comfortable and connected to me. As the interview rolled and I bounced questions and comments off what they were saying, Hannah and Ally relaxed more and elaborated on how meaningful the connections with their customers are to them.

One aspect that I think I sharpened my understanding and performance on was B-roll shots. I had to make sure that my B-roll matched what I was saying on the track so that my audience would hear me say the action and simultaneously see the step being performed. For example, I said “connect with others” on my track, and I included a B-roll shot of a customer being helped by a sales representative at Dress Up. I also took individual shots at Lizard Thicket of products, like jeans and jewelry, and when I listed them in my track, I included these shots as I said them.

My new favorite accessory!

Also, I tried to include a variety of different shots. I tried to incorporate tight, pan, wide, and even some God-shots in my video to elevate my story and capture my audience’s interest. When I was filming, I always tried to keep in mind that I needed a few shots per sentence, so I kept an open mind and tried to be creative with my shots.

Throughout this project, I felt more comfortable using Adobe Premiere Pro. I could unlink video and audio quicker, adjust the speed and duration of shots easier, use the razor tool to trim my track and shots, and use special effects within the graphics and a couple of shots to enhance my video.

Overlooking Downtown Greenville, South Carolina!

The skills I learned from this project will serve me well in the future. I want to pursue a marketing career within the fashion industry, specifically with Chanel. Learning how to take the best shots to fit the audio track, interview people, create a story arc and call to action, and incorporate unique effects within the video will help me effectively communicate a message to my target audience.

Watch my video here