CCR & Film Opening

 Film Opening:

Film Opening

CCR's:

CCR 1 & 2

CCR 3 & 4

Post with final reflection on project

   I  feel that this project changed me and my view on films. I  now have much more appreciation towards films because of the work that gets put into them. In 2 months I made an OPENING for a film, and still had to rush a little at the end. The time management lesson I've leaarnt from this project is crazy. As how the project made me feel, it felt like we were a part of something bigger, and genuinely enjoyed talking and meeting to new people as we have filmed. Would I change anything? NO, my group and I have learnt so much from our mistakes and will continue to,

Post - Production of the CCRs

    Now that my CCRs are complete I am nearly done with my project. To edit my CCR's  I used premier pro, and for the logo I used adobe creative cloud and adobe after effects. I also used a database what my friend recommended called bulletproof bear, this is where I got the audio clips from.

    I made the logo when I was waiting the wave (the wave is what the library is called at my school). I have been using every second I get to finish this project since I have to finish this as soon as possible. 

    When I made my CCR I had to make a tough choice, which was to risk it and go with a different idea then what I planned because I didn't have enough time to complete my board game idea, since I lack time management.

    This is why I had to adapt and make it seem like as if I was getting asked questions by the news. This also meant that I had a lot less time to memorize my script so I ended up having to be more creative and answer the questions by going off the script. 

    This is why I chose to do this with question 3 and 4 because the question were the "easier" questions that weren't more "analytical" responses and where more about what we did and how we improved. This way I could feel more confident about what I was doing and in the end it worked out. 

Producing the CCR's

         When filming this CCR I decided to do a visual podcast because of the simplicity it would be the quickest to complete. This allows me to complete it because of the time crunch I am currently in because I have a really big tournament and then I leave for vacation like immediately after. 

    It had taken me a while to memorize the script of CCR 1 & 2 so I decided to do the visual podcast since it was easier to have my script in front of me in case I start t doubt myself. It took me about 2 hours to get the audio for this CCR because if I wasn't messing up then my dog was barking, or my grandma walked in on me, or my dad got home from work and rings the doorbell. 

    Although these were minor inconveniences I had to restart a lot because of these interruptions. I also stuttered a lot and had to restart because of that. When it came to editing the CCR I used CapCut cause it is really simple and easy to use. Plus I was able to work on it when I wasn't home and I am able to edit on my bus rides to my volleyball games. 

    This helped me a lot because I have so much going on in my life right now and using a 1 hour bus ride to my game in Kendall is a good use of time management. CCR 3 and 4 I had to wait until the next day to film because I had to film it during the day.

    Once I got the audio I was able to start editing, but I left that for another day since it is late and I am tired. Its the last week and it is time to work!

CCR #4 Script

https://www.canon-europe.com/for_home/product_finder/cameras/digital_slr/eos_60d/specifications/

 In this fourth, and final CCR I had to answer the question:

How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project?

Then I used these tips and tricks to write my script:

-Begin with discussing any techniques that you used while producing the project 

-Discuss hardware-camera, lighting, mics, phones, tripods, dollies, etc.

-Discuss software, editing, planning, blogging, etc.

Once I knew what to do I began to write my script:

    While filming this technique we used a lot of shots that were close to his face so that the audience is able to see that our charachter is still effected from the "alcohol" they consumed last night. We also used three point lighting in the scene we filmed at night so that our characters face was visible.

Before:

After:

    How we did this was we had Arthur's phone, Maxi's, and mine all being held up at different directions. Now, when it came to the actual filming of the project we used Arthur's dads camera which is a Canon EOS 60D. This camera worked really well cause it picked up sound really well, this helped because we didn't have to use any microphones At first we struggled to use it and after a quick tutorial from Arthur's dad, and many YouTube videos later we finally understood how to use it. Once we got that out of the way we began to film.

The editing of this project was honestly one of the hardest parts to do. Thankfully Arthur had a friend who is insanely good at using adobe so we were able to receive some help from him. Not only that but we watched a lot of YouTube tutorials. When we didn't want to edit super complicated because we were just trying to see how scenes would match together I used capcut to help my group and I visualize how our project was coming to life.

https://www.canon-europe.com/for_home/product_finder/cameras/digital_slr/eos_60d/specifications/

https://www.dummies.com/article/home-auto-hobbies/photography/cameras/canon/movie-recording-basics-on-a-canon-eos-60d-175811/

CCR #3 Script

In this third CCR we had to answer the following question:

How did your production skills develop throughout this project?

Then I used these tips and tricks to write my script:

-Reflect on your progress throughout the production

-Discuss how you begin with research and planning, and offer specific details about both of these processes 

-Discuss your approach to production. What did you have to change or adapt as you worked on the project?

- End with a reflection on where you started and where you ended. You may also discuss previous projects completed in class and how they helped you to develop you portfolio project

Once I knew what to do I began writing my script:

   Throughout this production we have made much progress in all aspects acting, editing, and filming. When we first began this project I would've made a film with a lot of transitions and sounds that were obviously fake, or filmed with the same shot over and over and over again. The worst part is the acting, even though I did very very very little acting, I would mess up a lot like for example when I had to speak my voice wouldn't match the scene. So I would sound super jolly and happy in a scene that required some seriousness. Now I've learned to analyze the scene and find out the mood and the tone and try to keep it that way, unless instructed other wise by director. I've also learned a lot about filming and genuinely enjoyed creating it. I loved the aspect of directing a lot of the scenes and helping out the cameraman get the perfect shot. Finally, thank god I learned to stop using transitions cause it was insanely off putting and made the film instantly look bad.

    When we first began I looked at a variety of films, The Exorcist, Jaws, In the Tall Grass, Anabelle, IT, and Scream. The reason is I choose movies with insanely diverse types of horror (what I mean by it there not all the same copy paste horror movies they have different horror's for example Jaws is about sharks, Anabelle is about a killer doll). When we first began planning we were nowhere near the idea you see today. We had an idea of a looping forest, kind of like the the tall grass in the film In the Tall Grass. But we scratched that and decided that we wanted to have a side character get killed off in the beginning. Then we were instructed to avoid this so we did, then we finally came up with the idea that we currently have of having a doll appear. As for our research we had did various case studies on films that were similar to our film such as In the Tall Grass and Anaconda. The reason I chose to study these films is because the hardest part of our film is the setting and these 2 films have really similar back grounds to ours.

    One of our biggest issues was gonna be finding somewhere to film the bar scene. Since none of us are of age, we cant enter a bar and film there when closing. Thankfully Maxi has an area of his house that looks like an old timey bar, so we decided to film there. Then we went to go film behind regional park. But the area we chose barely had any trees. So we had to walk about a mile to where we a saw a denser area of forest. We also had to change a whole aspect of our film opening because we didn't find a filming location we felt really embodied our ideas so we completed changed it and came up with the idea of the guy walking on the street at night about 10 minutes before we actually filmed it.

    Throughout this class we have done a couple projects and let me be honest, they all came out pretty horrible, but I learned from them. Although in the moment it seemed like my ideas were stupendous they weren't really anything special and were kind of horrendous if I had to describe them in one word, but I learnt from them. Learning about all the things that go into any films or video had made me deeply appreciate this form of art more, and honestly I deeply enjoyed this project because it gave me a sense of being a part of something bigger. I feel like I actually can appreciate a film for the actual aspects of it like the mis-en-scene, shots, and other techniques, and not just enjoy a movie because of the content.

Group Meeting

     

    This group meeting helped me a lot with my CCR's. Going into this all I knew is that I had to answer certain questions for my CCR's. Now I know that I have to do it in a creative
way. I at first had an idea, but my teacher said that it is common and seen a lot. The idea was the google pull strips where its celebrities named and what they google about them. The issue with this idea is that my teacher told me it is really common. So I just decided to switch it out for a podcast. The podcast that I have in mind would be a Q&A type of podcast where clip play on screen often and I reference many pictures and excerpts from our film and film process. The other idea I have is a board game. The one I would use would be monopoly, and the way I would answer the questions is by answering the questions on the cards. For example, how did you use media conventions in your film. Then I would talk about it to the camera while playing monopoly. While filming this I would have an extra also playing monopoly so that when they are playing there is still stuff going on. Plus you cant play monopoly alone! 

    Overall these group meeting helped so much because I was honestly very nervous about my CCRs. Especially since I have to finish them early cause I am going on vacation. Now that I know what to do I am much more confident and plan to finish them up as soo as possible.    

                         

CCR #2 Script

     In this second CCR we will be answering the following question:

" How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?"

When writing the script I used the following tips and tricks to answer this question:

- Discuss how you arrived at your target audience, cite necessary research

-Discuss how your production choices, content, etc. work to engage with your target audience

-Next, discuss how you plan to make your film available to audiences

-Responses should address realistic options for an amateur filmmaker. For example: you would not release your film worldwide to theatres, this is only an option for major productions

    Once I knew what to do I began to write my script:

    When we first began our portfolio project we first had to create the idea of our film and research the genre. When we chose horror we had to do a lot of research. That is when we found that the target audience of most horror movies are individuals from the age of 15 - 25. This is because people at a younger age often enjoy thrills rather than and older person, like when have you seen a 55 year old ride a roller coaster, and I mean coaster, not a kiddy coaster. We felt that our film wouldn't follow the common 15-25 year old target audience because we felt that it was a little more mature because of the drinking. There for we believe that it would 17 - 25, because the older audience could relate to the film more. We also felt that this way we could engage our audience more by having slightly more mature topics. An example is alcohol, most 15 year old's don't go out to parties and drink illegally. But when people become older and become more mature, it is more common to see people go out and do these activities. This way the target audience is more likely to have some experience with handling alcohol, this would help them make a connection with the film.

    When it comes to the future of our film we are hoping to get this shown worldwide. Obviously we are all small upcoming actor, director, and filmer/editor. Our idea is to submit it to many film festivals around the country. The ones we are entering in are the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival, Miami Film Festival, New York Film Festival, and Austin Film Festival. If we are successful we hope to sell CDs to make some money so we can push our film out more, and continue participating in these festivals until we gain some attraction. Then we would host a "private" showing in a theater such as Cinemark. After this we would keep on doing this until it impossible to keep going because it is our dream to be film makers.

fearworm.com

Editing #2

    When Arthur first edited he was really basic using a lot of the transitions that were given to him like the fade in and fade out. But after doing some research together about editing, because editing is an ability I want to have in the future, we were able to all get on the right path. During class we decided to name our film lullaby because of the doll and being able to add creepy doll music into the opening. We also decided on the font of the opening credits and the color, red, because it is a common horror movie convention that we wanted to have in our film.

     

    We also at first wanted to edit the darker shots to make them brighter. Although this idea wasn't bad the quality of our opening dropped and we decided to go back and reshoot everything that happened outside. While outside there were a lot of noises so Arthur ended up silencing a lot of the or removing the sound of them entirely, I have no clue how he has become and editing genius. During the future editing process I wasn't to stay involved because videos have always been a part of my life and I really want to learn how to edit. 

Editing #1

     The editing mainly is going to be completed by Arthur. Although I wont have much editing to do I still decided to edit it a bit. Obviously I didn't do as much as Arthur did, but I put together all we the shots we had done to see how they had come out. From here we were able to decide what to do, because we could see how our film was actually coming to life.

    For this editing I used a simple app on my phone called cap cut. It was really easy to learn to use and very simple. All I had to do was insert the shots that we decided to keep in our film and trim out a little bit of the end or of the begging to where it was just the actual shot and none of the like "3,2,1 action" or "alright cut that's good". This was also the very first ever editing that was done on our project.

Production Post Getting The Right Shot

     When filming we had to use a various amount of angles and attempts to get the right shot. Not only this but we also had to use the right lighting. An example of this is the shot of our main charachter falling on to the light post. In the original attempt it was way to dark in both the shot were you are behind him and the shot were you are at the bottom of the pole. After Arthur having to sit still in a lunge position for 15 minutes to get that shot, we had to go back the next week to re-do it because it didn't come out how we wanted it.\

Here are some key things we changed:

- Locations: we went to a brighter location with more lights and cars so that maxi was much more visible to the audience when re-filmed

- Lighting: with the help of 2 phone camera and a really weird type of hug around type of pose I had to do to Arthur we were able to make it much brighter . We also had a shot were me and Arthur were both squatted over point lights at Arthurs facer to get the right amount of light shined on Maxis face to make him easily visible. Not only this but the lights on maxis face contrasted the night sky and made it appear darker than it actually was.

- Re-shooting: At first we didn't really shoot much we shot whatever we thought we needed and left. This is why we had to go back to maxis house again after a couple days to re-film almost everything. For this reason we ended up taking about 30 shots for about a 2 scenes that needed about 3 or 4 each. This is why we were able to get some of our film done because we were able to play around with the scenes and cut then insert them in a way that we wanted it to seem

CCR #1

     For my first CCR I had to answer the following question:

How does your project use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues? 

This is my script on how I answered it, enjoy!

 CCR #1 

How does your project use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues? 

Script: 

After a lot of hard work and dedication my group and I have completed the script. Now it's time to talk about it. My group and I chose horror, and we studied many films like the conjuring,jaws,it, and scream to look at typical conventions throughout horror movies. We decided to stick to the typical conventions in horror films so that our audience could easily depict the genre of our film. We used these films as inspiration in some of our film openings, for example the dark creepiness of IT. The text, being red and big and bold, while maybe even having some blood incorporated in it. We also chose from the exorcist to have a calmer start to the opening instead of a filmlike Jaws where you have a girl get killed by a shark in the first 2 minutes of the movie. Our idea at first was to have someone killed but then we decided to not kill them, because it would give away too much of the film. So, we ended up deciding to lean towards fear. We started off with the idea of our main character being alone in a forest stuck in a loop of some sort, kind of like In the Tall Grass, but then we decided to lean towards a different fear. Dolls, love them or hate them, they have been one of the biggest and, in my opinion, creepiest aspects, of horror films. Over the last 100 years dolls have been a consistent thing that people could say about horror movies. This is because of the insane popularity of these films. A fifth of the top 25 horror movies are all about dolls, and they have made combined these 5 films alone have made around $1,078,426,404 dollars. Which makes up a seventh of the average yearly revenue off all horror movies, this is why we decided to incorporate a doll into our film.  

The way my group and I are challenging social groups is by the attire. Most of the time in horror movies, you don't see a man in a suit. Normally you will see an individual with casual attire get killed, this is because subconsciously most people can relate more to wearing casual clothing than business. This is a way that we incorporated a social group that isn't usually spotted in horror. 

Before we were ever told or began working on the project I thought I knew what a horror move was. Now that we have actually done a lot of research, case studies, and comparing and contrasting horror movies. I feel like I actually know how to describe a horror movie was. Before this project I would've most likely just said a dark movie that scares people. But now I am able to refer to specific conventions and how they effect people. Not only this but I've also learnt that less is more. Before I would've made a horror movie where a lot if happening such as someone killing a lot of people and you see this happen. But now I've learnt that keeping up the aspect of mystery is also part of the horror because it keeps the audience engaged. 

https://www.statsignificant.com/p/why-horror-films-are-hollywoods-best

https://www.statista.com/topics/12896/horror-movies/#:~:text=Spooky%20season%20is%20upon%20us,span%20of%20only%20a%20decade

Production Post 3

  Filming overall throughout this whole week was pretty successful. Although most of the footage we have will be scrapped and redone ñ. We are being very meticulous about everything we do in throughout this project so that we can score the maximum points possible, and pass to be able to receive college credit for this class. Another thing we learnt throughout this production process is ideas come as you film. So for example some of our shots we got were experimental and weren’t our original idea. But once we saw it and told the others our vision, we chose to film it. Then this way we have some idea of how it looks in our film, and if it looks good we might keep it. For now we just have to deal with some of the of the problems we have with filming this. This project has been a lot of fun so far and I am really glad that I get to feel to be a part of something bigger. For now here is a funny, but frustrating (for Maxi), blooper that happened which happened while Maxi was drinking Apple Juice.

Production Post 2

 During our filming of the bar we had our character stumble out the bar. While filming this we had an issue. We were in a suburban neighborhood and typically when you leave a bar there aren’t any houses near it. So when filming we had to find an area where there weren’t any houses. Not only this but we also had issues with the dark. Although we wanted our shot to be dark, we didn’t need it to be that dark. We hope to film next time when it’s a little bit brighter, but when it is still dark. This way the main character is more visible to the audience.

    In addition to this next time we group up we wish to get more scenes done as this will help us set up a "rough draft" of our project so we can see how it looks. Then we can slowly replace every scene with the perfectly cut, edited, and shot version. To make our master piece complete.