Bless Your Soul Past Carolina

      My mind has immediately entered relaxing mode considering we finally finished the film opening. It's not like there is a whole other third of the project I have to complete 😭 😭  (I'm kind of sad I just discovered you can use emojis when there are only about four blogs left). To be quite frank, I actually learned what a CCR was about two days ago and have been living in blissful ignorance. But, it's time to get to work and write a script answering the questions provided. A great resource that helped me get a clearer sense of what I had to do was actually my teacher, Mrs. Stoklosa, who gave us notes on what we should include as well as examples of past CCRs. I am not extremely worried anymore because I now know what I am doing, and the questions have basically been answered in my blog as I researched (Thank you past Carolina for not being a slacker!!🙏🙏). While I am a little worried about the time crunch, I am kind of excited to actually make the eight-minute video interesting in my own ways.

     One of the things that stood out to me was my AICE Media teacher saying this video was a chance to show off our personalities. So I thought, what better way to do this than show a bunch of pop culture references that I love. For example, I could film my reflection in different styles that will be similar to VOGUE 73 Questions, Wired's Autocomplete Interviews, or even an Oscar acceptance speech when I am thanking all the people that helped make this a possibility. In terms of setting, I know I definitely want to film mainly in my room since it is where the film opening was shot, so I could switch where I am sitting to show more of the setting. As of right now, Julia and I have conversed and answered the questions on a Google Doc so we are on the same page. I am in the process of finishing my script so that within the next day I can film and edit it. Writing proves to be a challenge for me because I tend to ramble a lot, which would make this project eight hours instead of eight minutes. So I will be sure to answer the questions thoroughly, but not dwell on them for too long.

My notes on the Creative Critical Reflection

The Final Cut

      After many trials and tribulations, I have finally finished the editing process. Julia and I met up on Tuesday and dedicated the whole day to finish up editing. We combined the half I edited individually and the half she edited individually and worked to make them seamless. We were finally able to add key sound effects like typing, a car alarm, a text notification, and a message-sent sound effect. I am not going to lie, this was definitely the most stressful part of the project. We worked on editing for hours because every time we thought we were done, we would do something wrong in terms of saving the actual project, which would get rid of the credits or the sound. There were several times when Davinci would just shut down out of nowhere, and restarting my computer would take away time. 

     However, after many YouTube tutorials, online forums, and playing around with the settings, Julia and I were able to finish the final product. We utilized software such as Davinci and VideoStar for editing and animation, and Uppbeat and YouTube for sound effects and music. After some reflection, things I would have done differently include taking more time to finish the editing process so it did not feel as rushed, I also would have done more research beforehand on the basic functions of Davinci to save myself the stress. While it was no easy process, it was definitely rewarding considering the weeks of planning, research, and production we did finally came together and produced an impressive result. Our vision of the film opening was brought to life and notably shows how far we have come since the beginning of the year. 

P.S. I finally know what rendering is!!

The Editing Process (Part 2)

      The most anticipated part of the project has finally arrived: adding the typewriter effect to the opening credits. At first, I thought it was going to be extremely complicated to animate this effect, especially since we had to do it many times. However, by watching a YouTube video tutorial we were able to accomplish it. The effect really made the film opening come together since it matches so well with the plot of the film. The opening credits include the production company, cast, music composer (especially since we have to give credit to the artists of the song we are using), editor, production designer, producer, writer, and director. Considering we had numerous shots of objects around the room, we have plenty of time to show all these credits. We were also able to animate the title to look like it is being typed out on a computer.

     The only roadblock we faced was the font we chose not being available on Davinci Resolve, or at least the free version. We picked out the most similar font which turned out to be Devanagari Sangam MN. After comparing the opening credits with black and white text color, we decided to go with black since it stands out more and better represents a typewriter. The next step is to meet with Julia and spend time combining both our parts and adjusting the editing to not look choppy, but instead continuous. Below is the YouTube tutorial we used to learn how to make the typewriter effect as well as a screenshot of the film opening being edited to include text.

The Editing Process (Part 1)

      So, we finally started editing. As mentioned before, Julia and I have decided to split the editing in order to be more efficient. I have been tasked with editing the first half of the film opening. To be honest, this is probably the hardest part of the project since I barely know how to edit or use the software. We decided to use Davinci Resolve since we have used it in class before for another project, so at least we know how to complete basic functions. I have been watching tutorials on how to edit all day and found out I was editing in the wrong tab. After correcting my mistake, it was so much easier since I could see all the clips that I imported into the project and did not have to keep scrolling to see the clips.

     I went through all the camera footage and decided which clips we should use based on the quality, camera shakiness, and angle. I suspect that as the editing process continues, I may have to switch out some of the clips so they flow better. At first, I was very scared because my part alone took up six minutes; however, once I began cutting clips down and matching the pacing of the cuts to the music, the duration of the film opening went down. I am happy with our choice of Song #2 since the more upbeat vibe allowed for faster cuts. Below is a picture of the editing process and how much progress we have made so far. Using the professional camera turned out to be a great choice since the quality of the shots is much better than our last project where we shot with an iPhone. 

Making Musical Moves

      Now that the production process has finally ended, we enter the era of post-production. Julia and I plan to get this film opening mostly edited by Sunday or Monday to leave time for any last-minute setbacks. The reason it has even taken so long to start post-production is that we did not have the materials needed to transfer the footage from the SD card to our editing software. So Julia and I took advantage of Amazon Prime and ordered a USB 3.0 card reader so that we could actually carry on with the project. Since it is spring break and we are separated as of right now, we have agreed to split the editing in half, and then hold a meeting together where we combine both edited portions of the film opening together seamlessly. In the meanwhile, we have been trying to decide what music we wanted in the background of the opening since it really does make or break the film opening.

   Taking into consideration the genre of our film opening, we decided to go with a music genre that is more popular amongst teenagers right now which is: indie music. At first, we were going to borrow a song from one of our friends who is a songwriter and producer, but it would not be done on time. As a result, we turned to copyright-free music on YouTube. While I would have loved to use "The Adults are Talking" by The Strokes in our opening, contacting them for permission to their song would be impossible to achieve by the project deadline. So instead, we looked up copyright-free indie-pop music on YouTube and were mainly torn between two selections. The first song was definitely the genre we were going for, however, it was not as upbeat as we wanted it to be so we kept looking. After much searching, we found the second song which seemed perfect since it was more upbeat and would match the chill vibe we were going for in Malia's room. Overall, we decided to use the second song since we feel as if it matches the pacing of how we wanted to edit the shots together better.

Song #1

Song #2

That’s A Wrap!!

 Today was production day number two, also known as our last day of production. Taking what we have learned from production day one, the filming process went much more smoothly and we were able to film everything we needed. Due to the fact that this is Florida, we could not film past 6 p.m. because it was going to start raining, which would ruin our shots outside. However, we were on schedule and we’re able to finish in less than two hours. First we filmed all our scenes inside. We didn’t have to worry about setting up since we left the set decorated from the previous day. We shot the scenes we drew in our storyboard with a variety of different angles so we had more to choose from when editing.

Then, we filmed the scenes that would come after the film opening and title card. We had to wait until 5:30 p.m. to do this since we needed a car. When Julia’s mom arrived with her car, we hustled to get all the shots done before it would start raining. We filmed a scene of Malia getting into her car to go to school, and getting a text from her friend asking if she got into the writing program she applied for. One of the biggest obstacles was figuring out how to film anything involving a phone screen since the camera could be seen in the reflection, or it would not focus. We solved this by filming a variety of shots where the camera was hidden to see which one would work with editing. While originally we wanted to film the text message as the notification popped up, we may have to show the text message already sent since it was the only way the camera would focus. We discussed how to solve this problem by throwing around the idea of adding a ringtone sound effect when the message is shown to create the impression it was just sent. I really think that because we shot scenes a variety of times we won’t need to do any reshoots, which makes the production process an overall success.

Lights. Camera. Action.

 Today was filming day one. Surprisingly, there were a lot of obstacles but we were able to adapt to them to make sure the film opening was still on schedule. We were able to film the shots with Malia’s sister who bursted into the room telling her she was late. We were originally going to use Julia’s actual sister, but she declined and we asked our friend Sasha to be in it last minute. Since we knew her time was limited we filmed her scenes first. Then we set up the props in the room and filmed the shots with the different objects around the room to show Malia’s personality. We were not able to film as much as we wanted to due to the fact that it was raining and there were people cutting their grass outside. Who knew people made so much noise?

Another obstacle we encountered was having to switch the filming location. While originally we filmed in Julia’s room, we changed it to my room because the layout would allow us to manipulate the camera more. In total, we spent an hour filming and setting up. We dedicated the first day of production to preparing Malia’s room and filming the shots that did not require much sound. In the future, we need to look at the weather and consider how it would impact our progress, even if we are filming inside. I would still call the first day of production successful since we were able to accustom ourselves to what filming is like. Below are pictures of our set:

Getting a Second Opinion

 This week in class, we got into groups and told our classmates about our film openings and our progress in order to get some feedback. This activity allowed Julia and I to get some more ideas to further enhance our film opening. First, it was good to know we were on the right track since everyone was at the same stage we were: production. While the people in my group had completely different ideas, there was one person who was also doing a coming-of-age film opening, so it was nice to share some ideas on how we were going to incorporate the genre elements into the opening. It was refreshing to see everyone’s creativity and I was really inspired for post-production, something I was previously scared about because of my lack of experience.

One of my peers in my group looked at our storyboard and recommended not just typing the title, but also the opening credits. My friend and I really liked this idea, but it interferes with our plan of having the credits appear as we show different shots of the room. Fortunately, we came up with a resolution and decided to still show the opening credits as we show the setting, but have them typed out in the corner. Additionally, someone in my group shared an amazing website with royalty free sound effects and music that I plan to use in the editing process. I was honestly having trouble finding good sound effects that were copyright free, but this website seems like it will really help; it is called Uppbeat. Overall, I look forward to editing my project with all these new ideas and advice.

I've Never Heard Silence Quite This Loud

 All this talk about pre-production and production has clouded my brain to the point that I have barely thought about post-production. Who knew that films aren't just magically ready after the filming process is done? (insert gasping sound effect) I decided it would be a smart idea to start thinking about this as soon as possible since editing will be done for the duration of one week, and I don't really want my film opening to just be utter, complete silence. As a result, this post is dedicated to sound editing. Without sound editing, it can be unclear as to what characters in a film are doing. Without sound editing, you might as well throw your film in a time machine to the 1890s because that's the only time where silence in film is normalized. My partner and I did a sound editing project near the beginning of the year and we learned the hard way that not all objects sound like they are supposed to sound. You would expect walking on the street to sound like you are walking on the street, but it doesn't! 

We have compiled a list of the major sounds that we need to edit into our film opening, either through foley or making those audio snippets ourselves (insert applauding sound effect). One of the main noises we use is the typing noise, which could be made by just typing keys on a computer. For the opening, we use a voiceover of Malia's character as well as a score which will be provided by one of our friends who produces music (the backup plan is using copyright-free music). We also need to produce the sound of paper ripping which cannot just be produced by actually ripping paper since it will not sound as crisp. Next, we need the sound of a car or bus horn which we can find in a sound bank or record a car horn beeping. Additionally, we need to have an iPhone notification sound that we could just record from an actual iPhone. I think our biggest challenge will be trying to mimic the sounds heard when driving, such as the wind, other cars around you, the radio slightly turned on, etc. The goal is to try to produce as many natural sounds as we can, however, we do not want to sacrifice the quality of the piece out of convenience. As a result, we will edit any sound that does not sound as crisp as we would like it to. (insert inspiring music sound effect)

P.S. The title of this blog post may or may not be a reference to a Taylor Swift song, but I couldn't help myself ok. Sue me.

It's Filming Time!!

 The time has finally arrived! After weeks of meticulous planning, Julia and I are filming our film opening this week. It feels so rewarding to finally see our ideas and plans come to life. Before we get ahead of ourselves, there are a few items we have to collect to ensure filming goes by as smoothly as possible. We will be having a two-day shoot, one for the scenes in the bedroom and one for the scenes in the car. This will ideally take place on Thursday and Saturday. Once we finally film all our content, we can get started on the post-production process. In preparation for our first scheduled filming day, Julia and I will be collecting a few items to use as props and/or aide in filming.

First, we will be filming on a Canon camera I have to ensure the quality of the shots is high. While the setting is in Julia's room, I will take some of the many movie posters in my room and hang them in Julia's room in order to give off a more teenage impression. We will need to figure out the placement of our camera that produces the shots most similar to our storyboard and has the best lighting. We need to photoshop the college acceptance letters as well as the writing program flyers, and then print them out to scatter them across Julia's room. In addition, we need to crumble pieces of paper and write a heavily annotated manuscript on a piece of lined paper (at least one page). We need to make one of the most important parts of the opening, the plot board. We will do this by writing down different writing terms as well as references to Malia's book on index cards and hanging them on a closet door. I need to take an alarm clock to Julia's house and set the time to early in the morning. Lastly, we need to ensure we shoot earlier in the morning so we get optimum sunlight. This week should be exciting and the pre-production process has ensured me that everything should go to plan.

Storyboard: The Finale

 I feel like a giant weight has been lifted off my chest now that the storyboard is done, and this project has a sense of direction again. We added more to what we have already done (illustrated in a previous blog post) and we finished the opening scene as well as the scene after it. One problem we had while making the storyboard was timing. There was no way for us to know how long each clip would be, and therefore we did not know how many shots to add or remove to the film opening. As of right now, all the shots we included seem necessary to build Malia's character and her storyline. My fear is that the shots will exceed two minutes and we will be forced to change the storyboard to cut down the time. This will be determined during the post-production process and we will figure out how to problem-solve from there.

New additions to the storyboard include more shots of the room, Malia writing her novel, her getting frustrated over her book, being late for school, and then the trip to the school itself. The frustration over Malia trying to finish her novel will communicate how important writing is to her, and how dedicated she is to perfecting her craft. Furthermore, Malia being late to school introduces the conflict between her being a writer and her being a teenager since writing often takes priority over schoolwork. Finally, the trip to the school itself will show Malia getting an email of getting accepted into a writing program to show the audience that Malia really is a serious writer and is quite good at it. Below I have attached pictures of the new and improved storyboard (it's digital and everything!!), as well as Julia and I working on it during class.

Casting & Location Scouting

      It is time to decide who will play our main character Malia. Her physical characteristics consist of brunette hair, brown eyes, tan skin, and a shorter height. Right away, Julia matches that description. When thinking of the character Malia, I feel like I always subconsciously saw her as Julia since their personalities align. So it was only natural that Julia plays the part. Since Malia and Julia are alike, Julia would really understand the part she is playing and we would be able to evoke more genuine emotions from her. As a result, Malia’s description would come to life since her aspirations and conflicts would be shown through Julia’s actions and emotions.

     As for where the film opening will be shot, we considered two locations for the main setting. We need a teenage girl’s bedroom which means it either had to be Julia’s or my bedroom. We decided on Julia’s bedroom just because she has 100 books which we can use as props (considering it’s on our prop list) without having to transfer them. In addition, Julia’s room has better lighting since she has a big window, which would make the shooting process easier. Another factor of Julia’s room is that she has many posters that will sell Malia’s characteristic of being a teenage girl. For the last thirty seconds of the film opening, the setting will take place at Cypress Bay High School since we want the scene to be Malia and a teacher or friend conversing about her novel. A problem I can already see us running into is how to get good sound quality in the noisy hallways, but we will consider this and do more research to avoid that problem. Overall, the film opening will have two main settings.

Fonts Are So Complicated

      Who would have ever thought that fonts are actually considered when making a film opening. Fonts are one of those features that you don’t really think are considered to much, but that cannot be farther from the truth. Over the weekend, Julia and I played around with different fonts on Canva to decide which one we wanted to use. We looked at different variations and picked out which one we thought would fit the vibe of the film more. We wanted a font that looked like a typewriter since our protagonist is a writer and a large portion of the film focuses on her deciding if she wants to continue down that path.

     We ended up narrowing it down to seven fonts. The one that called out to us was the second to last font called IBM Plex Mono Light. Unlike the other fonts, it was thinner and looks more minimalistic which is the aesthetic we want the font to give off. We chose it because it looks straight from a typewriter which fits the characteristics of the film. In addition we looked at different color variations of the title, while pink gave off the more girly coming-of-age look we wanted, we settled on black since we plan to have Malia actually type out the title. In addition, black helps keep the minimalistic look.

Storyboard Part One

     I failed. I said I would manage my time well but I failed sadly. This week I went on a field trip that I have been waiting to go on for two whole years, and sadly that means I have been lacking in the responsibility department. What I learned from this experience is that I need to find a balance between this project and my life if it’s going to work out. I need to start treating it as a creative passion project rather than a grade. 

     On another note, I was able to meet with Julia and make most of the storyboard for the film opening. We decided the first few seconds would focus on shots around the room. So the screen is black and the first thing you hear is typing noise, it then cuts to a shot of Malia’s fingers typing. After that the shots of books, college acceptance letters, posters, writing programs, and a book manuscript start. There is also a shot of Malia’s screen to show she is writing her book. We plan to start the opening credits a few seconds after the scene starts, but we are still researching what positions we should include, and what fonts we should use. The storyboard can be seen down below, and more progress regarding the storyboard will be provided. This is a learning lesson to be more dedicated and responsible.