#MediaMonday: TikTok Challenge

Good Morning,

I hope that you are all recovered from the convention weekend and your kids are still talking about it. I know that my students always enjoy convention and competition, but they enjoy the memories more.

As we move into the spring and look forward to what is on the horizon, I am so excited to talk to you about our next pop-up project: For the first time ever, STN is hosting a TikTok Challenge!

We will have 3 categories:

• Feature Story: A human interest segment highlighting the significance about a person, place, or event

• Short Film: A live-action, documentary, or animated film with a distinct beginning, middle, and end

• Tutorial and/or Review: An instructional segment on how to do a task or reviewing a place, product, etc.

This is a free contest and entries are unlimited! To qualify, all entries must be:

• One minute or less

• Following @stnnow on TikTok

• Posted on TikTok with #stntiktokchallenge and @stnnow in the caption

• Posted between March 1 thru March 31

Full details for the Pop-Up can be found here.

As we approach this contest, we need to start embracing vertical framing. A difficult part of filming vertically is stabilization, so therefore, today's topic is: The rubber band Trick!

Here is how it's done.

1. Begin with a traditional elastic rubber band and a tripod with an extendable center post.

2. With the phone held vertically, slip the rubber band around the phone vertically (lengthwise)

3. Extend the tripod center post into the highest position.

4. Holding the phone vertically with the screen facing you, place it on the "ledge" that you left between the tripod center post and the base where it was resting.

5. Carefully grab the back loop of the rubber band that is resting on the back of your phone.

   1. Then, pull the rubber band around the tripod post.

   2. Finally, stretch the rubber band over the other side of the phone, creating two vertical parallel rubber band wraps over the front of the phone.

6. Check for stability.

7. Hit record!

If that made no sense, follow this link for a photo guide.

This is a simple hack, but it makes a big difference when you want control over camera positioning.

Talk to you soon!

Josh Cantrell