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!