Reflecting

Over the course of (roughly) the past two months, I have grown and benefitted immensely from the process of creating my two minute film opening project. Although at times challenging, I truly credit this work with enhancing my production skills and permitting me to better my creative processes. I had extremely high expectations for myself (as I always do) coming into this portfolio assignment. Yes, at times my hopes may have been unrealistic; however, albeit some expectations did not come to life, I remain content with my final creation and appreciate both the hard work and improvement I elicited during the journey. 

As I have documented in my blogs, it can be noticed that my projects underwent changes throughout the duration of these two months. Some of these include the two major sound alterations I revealed yesterday. Previous to last afternoon, I had never considered adding music to my opening; however, after watching the finished product back, I felt there was something missing and concluded music was the best course of action to fix the mishap. In addition, concerning my CCR, although not revealed, I had always had in mind wanting to create a "director's cut" form of production. However, due to scheduling issues, and my final film opening not being completed on time, I resulted into changing these plans as the project needed to be fully finished in order to do so. Instead, I decided on the WIRED "autocomplete interview" and I could not be happier with the results of this creation. 

Reflecting on my process, I also realize the key moments I experienced while working. The very first one, in my opinion, was the creation of my storyboard. Completing the planning aspect assisted me greatly in truly picturing my piece. It brought me one major step closer to the filming process and marked the first time I deeply visualized my opening. In doing so, it allowed me to connect with the product I planned on making and come to appreciate it on a greater level. Another key moment was the day I filmed the majority of my project. This day, as I remember it, consisted of me absolutely falling in love with mise-en-scene. I found myself getting extremely caught up in my character's set and costume design, appreciating and perfecting every minor detail in an attempt to convey my story properly. As a result, I now greatly value mise-en-scene work and am enthralled by my ability to deliver a variety of messages through such simple props such as a notebook, making me appreciate my work and process much more. 

Overall, this project has taught me a lot. I feel completely that this was an amazing learning opportunity for me. I learned not only specific skills, such as production and post-production processes, but also overall, crucial life skills, such as time management. My next two blog posts will consist of publishing my CCR and final film opening; I could not be more exhilarated to finally demonstrate the project I have spent so long writing about. 

LAST MINUTE ADDITIONS

As I stated on my last post, I only had a few final touch ups to complete on the editing of my actual two minute film opening project. Fortunately, I have been able to complete everything I had planned, such as adding the melancholy filter. However, when I thought I had finished, I watched my piece over and felt there was something missing. In my opinion, the sound editing seemed off and spontaneous, not adapting to the tone of my product. As a result, I made some last minute alterations. Firstly, I removed the school bell I stated would play in my piece. For a lack of a better word, the sound effect came off as corny and did not appear coherent with the rest of my piece. Secondly, I added a small clock-ticking sound effect during the therapy scene, attempting to add intensity and a dramatic effect. Thirdly, I included a melancholy, non-copyrighted music. After some YouTube searching, I found what I believe is an extremely fitting song that would add the extra touch to my piece and assist in the storytelling behind it through its characterization. 

Here is the song: 

That officially marks the end of my editing journey! It has truly been a wonderous experience in which I have learned a lot; I could not be more excited to soon be posting my finished two minute film opening product. 

BreakingCopyright. (2021, June 18). Royalty free sad ambient music (for videos)-"Elegy" by @SavfkMusic GB IT  [Video].

            Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHw14PLHJCc

Final Updates

Before publishing my last few posts which conclude my documentation of the two minute film opening project, I figured I should provide a couple updates on the final steps of my portfolio. For one, since last week, I have, for the most part, completed the editing process of my product. Now, I am merely adding final touches to ensure my piece is the best it can be. For example, my next step is adding the melancholy filter that will assist in conveying the tone of my piece. However, this process should not take me longer than a day; therefore, I plan on completing the project by the end of this school week. 

Moreover, since my last blog, I have answered the remaining three questions required of me for the Creative Critical Reflection. In fact, I have filmed and edited both my CCR products already. As a result, I wanted to present the inspirations for the themes I selected for each piece. My first CCR is inspired by the GQ celebrity "replies to fans on the internet" interviews. In my video, I read questions "fans" of my film sent in on Twitter and respond to them verbally. The only major difference between my production and GQ's publishings is that, in my video, my response is not seen being typed up to send out to the individual who asked the question, while on the celebrity interviews they are. Here is an example of the interviews that inspired my CCR:

My second CCR, on the other hand, was inspired by WIRED's "autocomplete interviews." In my video, I respond to the last two questions required for the reflection, revealing them by peeling off paper from a board where the questions appear as a google search, similar to that of WIRED's real interviews. However, as opposed to the real publishings, my interview's board does not depict the title "google." Instead, I made a DYI board where the title is "CCR." In addition, instead of stating "autocomplete interview" at the beginning, I stated "autofill interview." Here is an example of the interviews that inspired my CCR:

P.S: this is one of my favorite celebrity interviews ever; I find it hilarious.

Before closing this off, I'd like to state that my creations are in no way meant to copy these companies' brand or ideas. I merely enjoy both these video types so much that I hoped to model my project after them, hopefully allowing my CCR to be as entertaining as the celebrity interviews I watch so often. 

Preparation for the CCR

As I complete my editing process, it is time I begin pondering the main aspects of my Creative Critical Reflection. Through more technical brainstorming, such as the type of media I will produce, I have dug deeper in my consideration for the main questions required to be answered. One of the questions has caught my attention the most, as I grew very curious to realize my answer upon reading the prompt. The question is: "How did your production skills develop throughout this project?"

This question, in my opinion, is extremely important. From the beginning, I have viewed this project as an amazing opportunity to dive deeper into the film production world and discover the many ways in which my dream career functions. For the most part, I feel my production skills have significantly increased due to this portfolio. For one, I now value greatly the planning process. In previous projects, I lacked in giving much consideration to the beginning steps of a production. However, due to the two minute film opening project, I have learned the importance of planning, and more specifically, storyboarding. My storyboard assisted me immensely, outlining my filming in a manner which allowed it to be completed quickly and cohesively.

Furthermore, I have developed a new found appreciation for mise-en-scene elements. Like never before, I realize how crucial set design, costume design, and a variety of other aspects are to a production. As detailed in previous blogs, the costumes my character wears, along with props and set design, all assist in properly conveying my story. Collectively, these features construct a theme and tone of their own, overtaking my piece and enhancing my project. This opportunity has allowed me to not only realize this, but maximize my use of mise-en-scene. In previous projects, the mise-en-scene production aspect had been a back thought; however, this time, I made it a top priority, an ideal I feel elicits a higher level of skill.

Lastly, I feel my filming technique significantly improved due to this project. In previous assignments, I always encountered one issue: missing footage. I never seemed to film enough, leaving a major obstacle to deal with when it came time to edit. In fear of this occurring again, I made sure to reshoot scenes multiple times, allowing myself to have a multitude of options. I feel this style of shooting more closely resembles that completed in the real film world, also representing a higher level of production skill.

I greatly admire how eye opening this question is. Not only have I grown fond of the process as a whole due to it, but I also feel a sense of pride and gratitude that I was able to learn so much as a result of one experience.

A Step Further Into Editing

As I stated in yesterday's blog, I have decided to complete the basic editing steps on iMovie as opposed to Premiere Pro. In addition, I outlined that I had already completed the lining of the sequence for my two minute film opening project. That was my first obstacle in the editing journey. The following, was dealing with sound. Luckily, other than the scene after the title slide, my opening is pretty much soundless, including only one or two major sound effects. These are the sounds of an iPhone alarm clock and a school bell. After my entire opening was laid out, I began searching for the sounds I preferred.

I concluded that, for the alarm clock, I would stick to the iPhone's default: radar. In my opinion, and in the opinion of most people I know, the radar alarm is an infuriating sound that triggers many. As a result, it is perfect for my film. In the opening, I must convey my character's annoyance with her life and how draining her daily routine is, a theme I feel an irritating sound conveys well. The alarm stretches longer than what is normally heard, also conveying how each day bleeds onto the other. Furthermore, for the school bell, I merely picked a generic sound that presents the idea of school ending in a universal manner.

I am very content with the use of sound in my film opening. It makes me extremely joyful that a further step in my editing journey has been completed.

Change in Plans

I have officially begun editing my two minute film opening! Over the course of the past week, I have been working on the editing process for my project, laying down the selected clips and bringing all the pieces together. However, one slight change has been made. As stated in previous blogs, I had planned to edit my two minute film opening on Premiere Pro. When I began doing so, I realized a more efficient method that would facilitate and better my work. I decided that the basic sequence building and the sound editing for my project would be done on iMovie. I have experimented with iMovie previously and find that the app will allow me to complete the basic steps in a timely fashion and permit me to move onto the more challenging editing steps quickly. Later works, such as credits and filters, will be completed on Premiere Pro.

As of now, I have concluded the initial step of the editing journey. The sequence of my finalized clips has been set and all the videos have been cut and modified to fit the project in an efficient manner. Although simple, this process was time consuming. I was required to really consider the length of each clip and what aspects were either necessary or irrelevant to depict within my project. All in all, I am very content with my success in the editing journey so far. I believe the iMovie decision was a necessary and coherent one for the completion of my project.

Here is a snip-it of the completed editing sequence:

A Hard Decision: The Title

The final aspect I concluded was necessary to finish prior to commencing my actual editing journey is selecting the title of my film. To be truthful, when I sat down and began brainstorming my decision, I realized I had zero clue where to start. Of course, I hoped for my title to be representative of my character and storyline, characterizing the plot in a word or phrase. However, it proved extremely difficult to coin a title that did not appear 'cheesy' or, simply, boring. 

I began by searching for synonyms of "repetition" and "schedule." Considering the two minute opening, these nouns perfectly capture the essence of my plot and elicit to viewers a major aspect of the film's focus. Yet, the words by themselves seemed unfitting, leading to my synonym dive. The finalists from my research were "echo" and "slate." I heavily considered these two titles for a long period of time. However, neither of them seemed like the right decision.

I then turned to my character for answers. As opposed to surrounding my title on the film's plot, I pondered whether it could represent the main character depicted in the film. As has been thoroughly explained in a series of blog posts, my character, in the film, is shown experiencing angst, dreadful of her daily schedule and the meaningless life she led. So much so, that her mental health deteriorates and, throughout the film, audiences follow along on her journey of self discovery and the process of finding love within her given life. As a result, this film will be titled Dread. 

I feel very comfortable and joyful with this title. I believe it truly captures the essence of not only my film but the struggles and representations depicted in it. Now, I have officially completed all the processes I hoped to conclude before the start of my film editing. Next week, I will dedicate my time to the editing process and I will blog every step of the way.

I could not be more excited for Dread to be finalized!

Brazilian Opportunities

As I stated in previous blog posts, my hope was to complete my filming process previously to traveling for spring break. Thankfully, I succeeded in this goal. However, there was one truth I omitted; I left one scene to shoot in Brazil! As planned on my storyboard, the very last scene in my two minute film opening would be in a therapist's office, illustrating the mental struggles my character experiences. On a very early blog post, I also revealed that my aunt is a therapist, and that therefore I would have the opportunity to shoot in her place of work, allowing my piece to be realistic. As it turns out, my aunt lives in Brazil!

I feel very lucky that I got to shoot in a location that will allow my two minute film opening to seem authentic and true. This scene, in my opinion, is what pulls my entire project together, eliciting to viewers the path the rest of the film will go down. In addition, the completion of this part of the filming also means I am one step closer to being prepared to edit! I could not be more excited to commence my editing journey and discover techniques and tricks as I go along, while also completing a major task in the completion of my two minute film opening!

If it's to anyone's interest: I am loving Brazil!

The Beginning of the Editing Journey

I'm back and posting this from Brasil! The past week has been hectic, but very exciting. Unfortunately, I have been very busy and therefore have not been able to commence the editing of my two minite film opening. Yet, I see light in this. As I became increasingly stressed over the project, I realized that there were a multitude of aspects I had to complete before actually beginning to edit. Of course, these tasks have proven themselves to be much smaller and simpler than the overall process; however, I see them as crucial nonetheless.

The main aspect I have been focusing on is the careful selection of what clips and videos will actually appear in my two minute film opening. While shooting my project, I captured a minimum of three clips for each part of the opening. For example, the bathroom scenes all have multiple takes. I did this in an attempt to ensure that I would have enough footage to choose from and enough to where I would be fond of at least one. As a result, it was necessary for me to rewatch all the videos and select the final ones for my project.

I find that this process will simplify my editing journey and allow for the overall task to take place in a calm, organized manner. It has been very interesting to view my piece from a representational perspective; of course, I hope and have been careful to select the videos that I feel elicit my character in the manner designed for her. This task has also allowed me to realize how meticulous the editing process actually is, and has grown a new fondness for the post-production job in my eyes.

I am excited to begin putting everything together!

Conclusion of Filming

I am happy to report that I have officially concluded my shooting process! So far, this aspect has been the biggest test of my time management. It was a genuine struggle for me to balance other work along with the continuation of my two minute opening project. However, through set backs and frustration, I was able to persevere and complete this major piece of my overall portfolio. As a result, I feel very content with the videos I created and am extremely joyful that the pieces are coming along well. 

Here are some pictures of the filming journey:

I recorded most of my scenes on my dad's phone, given that his camera quality is higher than mine. Consequently, I have airdropped the videos to myself, attempting to preserve their standard, and have also transferred them to my laptop. The next step will be to download all the footage onto Premier Pro, the editing software I plan on using. Next week, I will dedicate my time to the editing process, beginning on my flight to Brazil for spring break. Given the eight hour length, I will have plenty of time on the airplane to commence my editing journey and take a further step into the completion of my Cambridge portfolio project. 

I cannot express my excitement in continuing my venture with the two minute film opening. I am extremely joyful with how everything has come along as of now, and am thrilled to view how the process continues to flow.  

The Two Major Props

As I wrap up my filming process, it is important that I also finalize the last of my mise-en-scene elements. In my storyboard, I included two major props: the character's notebook and a textbook. For the textbook, I plan on using my own SAT guide book, eliciting the extent to which school work and extracurriculars consume this character and contribute to her sense of vanity. The notebook, however, I must create myself, as the shot will consist of the character's scribbles. I hope to convey pieces of my piece through the drawings and writings, making the close up on her notebook meaningful to the development of her character. Here is what I created:

As can be seen, I included a variety of typically sad drawings, such as the cloud raining on the person and the broken heart. I did so in an attempt to convey the own melancholy characterized in my character. In addition, I made sure to incorporate aspects of her real life as well, eliciting that even when she is conveying her emotions and lost in her thoughts, her life remains surrounded by her obligations. For example, the reminders of her SAT and therapy appointment. Lastly, I included what I consider to be an easter-egg. As stated in a previous blog post, one of the mise-en-scene elements in my character's room is a dying rose. Consequently, in the notebook, a drawing of a dying rose can be seen. I strategically included this in an attempt to reinforce the idea that the rose symbolizes my character's lost of spirit and fleeting hope.

Now, it is officially time to complete the filming!

My First Major Obstacle

Good morning! It has been a while since my last blog, and for that I apologize. Due to excessive school work and scheduling conflicts, I have unfortunately fallen behind in my production process. As presented in previous blog posts, I had planned to complete my filming last week, allowing for my editing journey to commence this week. Unfortunately, last week I was tasked with taking the SAT, delaying all my plans. As a result, my filming is not yet complete. However, I have made it a point for myself to wrap the shooting up this weekend. With next weekend being Spring Break, I will be out of the country. Therefore, I will not be able to film as the settings I had planned are here at home. By completing the process this weekend, I will be able to dedicate Spring Break to editing and get myself back on track. 

For now, I would like to provide updates on what scenes I have completed. As of today, I have closed the curtain on my waking up shots, "messy room" shots, and the bathroom shots. Here is a snip-it of one of the completed waking up scenes, the very first shot in my two minute film opening: 

I hope the next time I post on here I do so with good news and updates!

Costume Creation

 I'm back with another mise-en-scene post!

A few days ago, I wrote a blog describing my set design plans and what aspects I incorporated into my first day of filming. As I continue my filming process, I have dedicated increased focus to my character's wardrobe as well. In the beginning of my film opening the character is rarely seen, which is why I had mainly focused on her setting. After a certain point, however, the focus is entirely on her. As a result, I am transitioning from set design building to costume design. 

As depicted in my mood board, which I posted on a blog last week, I hope for the main colors surrounding my character to be light blue, symbolizing her sadness, and black/gray, representing the blandness of her life and daily routine. Consequently, I wish for her wardrobe to be composed of these colors, for the most part. In my opening, the audience follows the character's schedule for three days. Obviously, she must wear different outfits in those shots in order to hint at the change in days. Therefore, I have crafted three main costumes for my opening scene. 

Here are those costumes:

Due to this process, I have developed a new admiration for mise-en-scene in the film world. It is amazing how much of a story these small aspects can tell. I am extremely content with how everything is coming along. 

Defining my Shooting Process

As I posted on my blog, two days ago was my first day of filming for my two minute opening scene project. Due to the time consuming mise-en-scene aspects I needed to consider, I was only able to shoot a couple parts of my story, provoking me to wonder how I would be able to complete my shooting process this week, as I had planned. Consequently, I concluded that I needed a filming schedule. Although I was a little late to the realization due to the fact that I had already commenced, I decided that the rest of my filming procedure would flow much better, allowing me to perfect my story in a coherent, necessary manner. 

The following list elicits this schedule, following the sequence of my storyboard (posted on a previous blog):

2/27/2023: Film waking up/ going to sleep scenes.

3/1/2023: Film bathroom and homework scenes. 

3/2/2023: Film therapy office scene. 

3/3/2023: Film school/classroom scenes. 

As I have explained in previous blog posts, my opening follows a repetitive pattern. As a result, I have allotted days fully to, for example, shooting a wake up/go to sleep scene, as there are roughly 4 of each I must capture. These shots are time consuming as mise-en-scene elements, such as costume design, must change each time, resulting in my day-by-day scheduling decision. 

I am excited to dive back into my filming process later today; however, in a much organized, paced manner.