Time Based Instructions: Wrapping a Gift

20 min readOct 22, 2020

Studio Fall 2020: Project 3

10/20

Our third project: create a video, 1 minute or less, that instructs people on how to do a specific task. I was assigned gift-wrapping, so was tasked with finding tape, wrapping paper, a box, and scissors for my video.

I already had scissors and tape on hand, and went to CVS to find my wrapping paper. I knew I wanted something more muted, classy — something that wouldn’t pop too much or be distracting. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a very great wrapping paper selection at CVS, so I settled for this black and white flower pattern with gold polka dots — not quite what I was looking for, but it was less distracting/colorful than the other ones with animal illustrations, “happy birthday”, “it’s a girl!”, etc. I’ll actually probably go out and try to find new wrapping paper, but this is what I‘ve got for now.

It was also surprisingly hard to find a generic, clean box of a good size: there were plenty of boxes, but they were either too big or small, and most of them were too colorful or had a lot of writing. I ended up trying to clean up this amazon package, but it still had some markings and words.

What are you learning about how to do the task you’ve been assigned?

I’ve really only ever wrapped gifts one way (the way my mom taught me growing up). It’s the generic wrap across/ fold in the corners method, and I think it’s pretty effective, but I wanted to do some research to see if there were any other methods that might be easier/simpler — or that might be really cool for people to learn, like any gift-wrap “hacks”.

I found that there are surprisingly a LOT of different ways to wrap boxes with paper, some super elaborate and decorative! I thought it was really cool that you could take something as simple and unextraordinary as paper and use it to make something — a gift — so much more special. However, I figured this method wouldn’t be very practical for trying to instruct someone how to simply wrap a gift. I’m thinking I’ll stick to the way I’ve always done it: it seems like it’s the most go-to method for wrapping a gift, and I wanted to stick to communicating how the wrap a gift really well and clearly rather than to try and deviate too much or introduce a never-before-seen method of gift wrapping.

10/22: In Class/ Watching Videos

What did you learn from the class analysis of videos today? What are important points to keep in mind when crafting a video? Key takeaways:

Sound = information (for example, the weirdly joyful music of the Italian police motorcycle dramatically affects the mood it gives off)
All videos, sequences, however short or simple, tell a story.
How is time used? Is it linear, or does it jump back and forth? Is time compressed, or expanded?How does that affect the intake of information?
Humor makes videos more enjoyable, engaging, and memorable (“Why Man Creates,” “Man” (dark humor))
Pauses and timing are used to build momentum, anticipation, make room for the viewer to take in the story (Carousel).
Coordinating the visual and auditory elements of a video make it really effective (Catch me if you can)
How are cuts/transitions made? (Lincoln)
How do certain images allude to bigger ideas, like how the still images in the “Farmer” commercial allude to religion and God?

I was a little confused as to why we were watching a video of Italian police officers doing motorcycle tricks — or why that had even been a thing — until we began to talk about had been happening in Italy around that time: the ending of World War II, and what the government would have been trying to impress upon the world and to its own nation — that in a time of turmoil and chaos, Italy has power and a force that can carry something out with great precision, that they can put their mind to things and get them done. I thought it was so significant that what initially seemed purely for entertainment actually had such a deeper meaning and story when looked at with the right lens and context. Watching the Carousel commercial, it also occurred to me just how important timing and pacing is: the pauses between the man speaking is what really builds up the story, emphasizing and magnifying the emotions. Even the smallest fraction of a second might make all the difference! I also really loved the conversation we had about how movies (and basically any video taken non-candidly) are really all illusions: we know that they’re scripted, that the characters are actors, that there’s cgi involved, etc. — what makes them so believable and effective? How do they make us feel so deeply?

Although some of these questions aren’t as relevant as others since we’re making one minute, un-edited (other than cutting clips) instructional videos, and not movies or animations or commercials, but they were still insightful to think about because, in a way, they really all are the same thing: telling a story.

10/26: Making a Photo Storyboard

Before taking the actual photos for the storyboard, I first wanted to make thumbnail sketches so that I would know what exactly I would need pictures of. I wrote down the steps of wrapping a gift, and “illustrated” the thumbnails before pulling out my camera.

10/27: Class Review of Photo Storyboards

What did you learn from the group review of storyboards? What ideas do you have for revising/improving your storyboard/story? What is informing your thinking?

Natural lighting is ideal
Recognizability: what is most “typical” when you think of a wrapped gift? Consider the range of what people imagine when they think of a “gift” and try to capture that range so that it’ll be really clear what exactly it is I’m doing to anyone who might watch the video.
It’s nice to have a noticeable contrast between the two different sides of the wrapping paper so that you can see the edges
POV: orientation of hands, orientation of box
Wrapping paper shouldn’t be too distracting
The wrapping paper should also be forgiving: some textures (matte) are more forgiving for small creases, mistakes, than others (glossy or iridescent), because the reflective/glossi-ness accentuates even the smallest of creases and folds.
Have a “gift-giving” shot at the end?
It’s good to have a contrast between the elements in frame, so that each object is distinctly its own object. There should also be a distinct contrast between the elements and the surface, so that they don’t blend together.
What is an appropriate starting point that communicates what the video is going to be about? What about an appropriate ending point that provides closure for the video?

Personally, I received feedback that my shirt sleeve was distracting, and my background as well: there are some moments in my storyboard where you can see the cabinet and all the things on top of it behind the desk I’m using and it draws attention away from the main focus of the video: the gift-wrapping. Something to really consider is how to eliminate these distractions to keep the focus on the object of the video.

10/28: Video Iteration 1

Chelsea and I found an empty classroom that we could film each other in with some clean, simple desks. We tried filming from above my head so that I could get “my” POV, but most of the time the top of my head was visible/blocking the view of the gift, so I asked her to stand opposite me from the desk for the main overhead view, and then to my side for the more close-up folding shots. I had to re-do a lot of steps because I wasn’t content with how I did it the first time around — for example, if I was folding the paper over the box but it creased a weird way, I did the step over again until I got a clip of a clean fold-over.

After filming, it took some time to cut down the video: originally I had around 5 minutes of footage, so I realized it wouldn’t be enough to just cut out the mistakes or “bloopers” (the clips I talked about above where I did them again), but I also had to splice in between steps to condense any parts where I was moving off screen, grabbing the scissors, etc. basically any unnecessary information.

I think the video itself is clean, straight to the point, and easy to follow. I really enjoy the clips of me cutting the wrapping paper, the sound the scissors make as they glide across and I’m really content with how that part was edited with the quick cuts throughout the cutting action. I think the gift-wrapping aspect is pretty good and you can understand pretty well what I’m doing.

Some things that were not-so-ideal:

There was this really loud hum/whirring sound in the room. Either I need to find a way to turn it off, or find a new location.
Because human hands can only be so steady (and holding up a phone for like 3 minutes straight gets hard on the arms) the video was a little shaky. I think it’ll definitely be ideal to get a tripod so that I can get steady filming.
The desks were simple and clean, but very thin. It was hard to fit just the materials and desk surface in the video without also capturing the floor/background. The background should definitely be less prevalent.
My shirt may be too much of a distraction? As well as my bracelet.
I’m still not so happy with my box. It works, and the size is great, but I think a clean, unused box will be less distracting and make the video look more… clean.

Things I’m doing

Scouting out some places I might be able to film my video and keeping that in mind as I go about campus
Figuring out the tripod situation! Seeing if there’s anyone near me/in studio that has one I could use.
I ordered a pack of square brown boxes I could use in place of my amazon box.
Getting new wrapping paper

Update: I went to Target to get wrapping paper. Surprisingly, there wasn’t that great of a wrapping paper selection at Target, either! But I was able to find this grey one with gold sparkles I liked.

11/3: Iteration 2 for Peer Review

To do my second iteration, I borrowed Chelsea’s tripod and went back to the classroom that I had filmed in last time. I did the opposite/overhead POV once again by moving another desk in front of the one I’m using and setting it up on there. For the side shot, I moved another desk perpendicular to the desk I’m using to my right (creating an L shape) and lowered the tripod to get the lower angle from my side. Also my square boxes came in!

Peer Review:

Main feedback points:

The overall sequence and instructional aspect is good and easy to follow, although it might be better to have more of an explanation regarding where to cut the wrapping paper.
The main critique was about the shift in POV, to try and get a consistent POV so that it doesn’t completely flip halfway.

My plan in response:

I’ll try to find a way to film the beginning part of the video from a different point of view so that the point of view is consistent throughout the video. I’ll also try to show how to measure/cut the wrapping paper more communicatively, as my iterations so far haven’t really “explained” that step in detail. I also want to find a different location/table, hopefully a surface that’s big enough that there aren’t any edges shown in the cut and that I can rest a tripod on comfortably.

Feedback from breakout rooms

I brought up my POV dilemma to my breakout room in class, and they actually said that the shift in POV wasn’t that big of a problem.
They did agree that I should explain a little more how I’m measuring where to cut.
They appreciated how I indicate where I’m going to be cutting with my scissors.

Reflection:

I got mixed responses on whether the shift in POV is confusing or not, but either way, I think I do want to try and get a consistent POV. However, I’m kind of scratching my head because I can’t have the tripod hanging directly over my head because my head will likely end up being in frame, and setting up the tripod opposite me will always create at least somewhat of an angle to where I won’t be able to just flip the footage to change the POV (because I need to angle the camera in order to avoid having the legs of the tripod in frame).

11/5: Discussing Criteria

In breakout rooms today, we came up with some criteria we thought were key to our instructional videos:

Video quality: the pixel quality itself of the video has to be fairly good, if the video is too pixelated or glitchy, it makes it hard to watch.
Speed: if the task is going too quickly, it seems like the video is more about just performing the task than someone actually instructing others on how to do the task.
You should be able to clearly identify and see each step.
No distractions: background, surface, background noise, should be minimal and inconspicuous.
No unnecessary information: it should be concise, with no superfluous elements to add confusion.
Lighting is important, shadows shouldn’t be too harsh or make it hard to see steps.
Beginning: does it introduce? Ending: does it resolve? Telling a story from beginning to end.

For my final, I want to:

Find a new location. I’m hoping to be able to film on a nice wooden desk — I would use the ones in studio, but they’re pretty scratched up, and I don’t want to use white seamless as my surface because I want my video to feel a little more… natural(?) I feel like if the surface is just blank white, the video would feel a little removed from any natural, every-day context.
Film from my POV so it can be consistent throughout the video
Do more to indicate how I’m measuring where to cut
Do something at the end to indicate the gift-giving aspect: possibly include a gift bag and/or card?

11/6: Filming the final

I scoured the campus to find my new location: Tepper had empty classrooms but I didn’t really like their desks. There was a nice area in the UC, but their desks were round which made it tricky to set up the tripod on. The Schatz dining area had the most perfect desks and the room was lit beautifully, plus there was no one there— BUT there was music playing. I asked one of the kitchen staff if they had any control over the music and if there was any chance they might be able to turn it off for just like 30 minutes for me to film my design project, but she said she didn’t know how.

I finally decided to film in my dorm (Hamerschlag) lounge because it has really big, wooden desks and it’s well-lit during the day time. There’s also usually not a lot of people using it during the day, so I decided I would try and film around 3 or so when there hopefully wouldn’t be too many people walking in and out.

It took me around 30 minutes to figure out my tripod set-up in order to get just the right POV. I tried setting it up right behind me on top of another desk but it still captured the top of my head, and then I tried stacking the tripod on top of a chair on top of the desk to get a really high overhead view so the opposite view might be less angled, but that didn’t really work either. I finally figured out that I could do the L-shape with desks again and have my arms come in from the side a little but still have a pretty head-on POV.

After figuring out the tripod situation, I pressed record and began filming — but as I unraveled the wrapping paper during my first take, I realized I did not have enough wrapping paper. I had just enough to actually wrap the gift, but not enough to be able to show myself cutting the wrapping paper for the video.

Not gonna lie I was pretty devastated. I had just spent the whole day scouring around figuring out where to film, I had finally figured out where to film and how to set up the tripod, and by this time there was only an hour left or so before the sun went down.

So, I decided to go out and spend the rest of the day getting more wrapping paper, and then try to film again the next day. I bused to the Rite Aid in Squirrel Hill, but the only non-flashy wrapping paper they had was still glossy and I knew I wouldn’t be happy with using that for my final video!! So from there I took another bus back to Target, where I grabbed the same wrapping paper as before.

11/7: Actually filming the final

The next morning, I set back up in the lounge and set out to actually, finally film my video after having gotten more wrapping paper. It took me a couple tries — I think I wrapped my box a total of 3 times to get all the clips I needed for the whole video. The tricky thing with this is, if you mess up cutting or folding, you basically have to start over because you can’t get rid of cuts or creases.

To better explain how to cut the wrapping paper, I filmed a close up shot of me folding up the side of the paper against the box, and indicated with the scissors the length between the paper and box and mirrored it on the other side.

I also made my ending more elaborate: I filmed a clip of me writing a gift note on a post-it and putting the wrapped gift in a gift bag to communicate the gift-giving aspect, and to provide more of a conclusive story for the video.

I was pretty happy with how it turned out: the lighting and clean, wooden surface definitely made all the difference, and I felt that my instruction was effective and that the ending wrapped up the story nicely as well.

HOWEVER. While editing, I realized the hum of the AC and vending machines in the lounge was way too loud and distracting. I tried different noise reduction and hum reduction effects on both iMovie and Premiere Pro, but they both just made the sound of the wrapping paper very muddy and echo-y.

At this point, I had already given back the tripod and had totally thought I was done filming, so I was very conflicted on what to do. However, the more I watched the video, the more I realized how distracting the background noise is — so I asked Chelsea if I could borrow her tripod again and decided to film it one more time.

11/7 Part 2: Filming the ACTUAL final

At this point, I realized the only place I really had to film was my own room. So I cleared off one of my desks and moved a cabinet to create the L-shape that I’d had in the lounge. However, the single overhead fluorescent lighting in my room was really harsh and showed my shadow in the video, so I tried clearing off my other desk in the other corner of the room to see if the lighting would be better from that angle. The shadows were better there, but I noticed through the camera that the fluorescent light made these weird waves in the video that traveled up and down the frame and it was really distracting. So, I did a whole rearrangement of the furniture in my room and moved the desk closer to the window. Then I realized I needed a level surface to slide my materials on in the first opening clip, so then I moved the other desk as well. This is what I ended up with:

I finally started filming, and then… I realized I was short on wrapping paper AGAIN. After all the takes I had done in the morning for my final-that-ended-up-not-being-my-final, I only had just enough to wrap my gift one last time, but again, not enough to show myself cutting the wrapping paper. But this time around, I didn’t have the time (and to be honest, nor the motivation) to go all the way back to Target a third time to get the same wrapping paper, especially not when I had so many leftover pieces of cut wrapping paper that were just the right size for wrapping the box but not enough to show the cutting action.

My solution was to cut the wrapping paper roll a little shorter, and then wrap one of my larger leftover pieces perpendicularly around the roll so that I had a bit more length. To keep the paper from unraveling, I secured the edge around the roll with tape to make it seem like I still had some more paper around the roll.

Also, the roll didn’t stay rolled-up on its own, because the paper is wrapped perpendicular to its original orientation around the roll. My solution for this problem was to also tape the edge of the wrapping paper to itself so that it stayed “rolled-up” for the first clip where the materials are laying on the desk.

After finishing filming, I edited for around an hour or so and finished the video. However, I ran into another problem here: my iMovie would not export. I tried all sorts of trouble-shooting methods throughout the afternoon and evening, but nothing worked, and I ended up having to call Apple support and updating and restarting my computer a bunch of times before it finally worked.

The Final Video:

Things I’m happy with:

I’m really glad I was able to figure out the POV. It definitely makes the video more cohesive and consistent to have the video be filmed from (mostly) one orientation so that the viewer isn’t flipped across the table halfway through the video.
The lighting is nice, it made all the furniture-moving worthwhile.
I’m really glad I was able to film on a wooden surface like I had wanted to. I think it makes the video feel more natural and relatable(?), more realistic.
I like the way my editing turned out: it’s concise, easy to follow, shows no more and no less than the information you need to know, and it’s paced neither too fast nor too slow.
I ended up indicating the cutting measurement by using my fingers to show the length, and I think it’s effective and gets the instruction across.
The ending is a nice conclusion to the story and provides more closure for the video as it indicates the actual gift-giving aspect.

Things that could have been done better:

If you look closely at the part where I cut the paper from the “roll”, you can see that the paper has been taped to the roll. Obviously, it would have been ideal to have an actual sufficient roll of paper. But, it still gets the message across and doesn’t take away much from the actual instruction of that step. Also, having the paper wrapped around the opposite way actually made for a really nice cut of unraveling the wrapping paper, so that part worked in my favor.
There’s a cut (from around 40 to 45 seconds) that’s out of focus.

Reflection

If there’s anything I learned from this project, it’s that storytelling and video-making is a lot harder than it looks. The other day I was watching a youtube video that was narrated with an excerpt of a book, and there was a sequence where these hands were stacking a bunch of books on a desk surface, filmed with an overhead POV. I found myself wondering how they had filmed it — did they have the camera hanging overhead? Did they set up a tripod like I did? Did they have it to their side a little just like I did, or did they set it up a different way? Going into the project I honestly thought it would be pretty simple, just taking a video of myself wrapping a gift, but it was honestly ended up being the most stressful project so far. It was so much harder to find just the right materials, the right location, the right filming set-up, than I thought. It made me realize just how hard it is to tell a story well — how much effort goes into even the simplest scenes or sequences, and how much more work it is to make things simple and to-the-point than it is to just communicate it in whatever way.

I learned that good storytelling is a lot harder and takes a lot more effort than I’d thought. There was so much to consider about and effort that went into what was — and wasn’t captured — on the video. For example, the video itself is just a 60 second video on how to wrap a gift, but what what’s not necessarily evident from a quick view is all the effort that went into finding the right location, the right surface, strategizing the time of day to get the right lighting, the camera set-up, etc. I think I realized that it’s actually so much harder to simplify things and remove distractors/superfluous elements to make it concise and pure than it is to make something more complex or elaborate. I have gained so much more appreciation for movie makers and video makers.

I think I once again learned the importance of putting myself in the user’s shoes and considering what would be easiest for them to learn, what I could do to remove distractions or unnecessary information so that they received no more and no less than what they need to, what they might enjoy, etc. I think it will make me a far more empathetic designer because especially in products or environments design, designers are always essentially “teaching,” guiding users on how to interact with the design.

I was pretty stressed time-wise for this project, as I had a lot going on in other classes and in my personal life. I want to improve on time management and trying to account for possible mistakes, technical difficulties, etc. ahead of time so that I have enough time to achieve what I want to in my work.

Wrapping up this project, I’m reminded of the slogan from one of the movies we watched in class — “Communication is the best gift.” The more I think about it, the more I’m convinced it’s so true. A gift is only a gift if it’s freely given and able to be freely received without having to earn or work for it — able to be understood, within reach. Having compassion for the design audience isn’t just an obscure, good-intentioned, ethereal feeling, it’s a commitment to communicate a story, a message, to the user and to meet them where they’re at.