Going through the Footage

           I’m so glad that we finished filming, and now it’s time to put it all together! Before we can edit we need to go through all of the footage that was taken. We knew this was going to be a lot longer process than it has been in the past. This short film is the longest project yet that we have done. My group and I plan on meeting up soon to review our footage and go through it. However, I thought it would be a good idea to look through it and pick the clips that I thought were the best. This way, I can show my group mates the clips and see what they think. This will make it a faster process and more efficient. Since I filmed, I have all the footage on my phone which allows me to have access to all of it. I had to see which clips came out the best, but also put into consideration the audio in the background.

         I started off by looking at the first set of clips that I took for the first scene. Each clip from this scenes looked pretty good so I just favorited the one I thought was overall the best. I continued to do this for the rest of the scenes. I tried to pick the clips with the best shots and angles. While filming, I was moving a lot to create tracking shots. So, I also chose the clip that looked the smoothest and most professional. I had just gotten a new phone right before filming so it was perfect timing. The camera quality is very good and doesn’t show much movement which allowed the footage to look very smooth. I continued to go through the clips for each scene favoriting the best one. For some, I favorited multiple which I will show my group mates to come to a decision of which one we will use. Now that I have gone through the footage, I can meet up with my group mates and picking our clips will be a lot easier. 

Filming: part two

           Once they were both inside, Jeffery walked around snooping. Paige then opened up a box and pulled out the picture of her and her ex. Jeffery then proceeded to ask questions about the picture. Paiges brushes it off and then Jefferey leaves. This was our second scene of dialogue. Later, I realized that I didn’t get a close up shot of the picture, so I did that at the end. It was now time for an outfit change. This scene was of Paige on a run so she changed into athletic clothing. I filmed her running and when she was coming back, she noticed a letter in her mailbox. This is when she looks around and sees Jeffery, her neighbor looking at her and waving. 

          Paige grabs the letter and runs inside to open it. It was then time for another clothing change. Both Paige and Jeffery put on a different outfit for the next scene to show there has been a time change. Then I film the next scene where it cuts to Paige installing a camera using tools. Jeffery comes up to her while she’s doing this and they have another conversation. I filmed over the shoulder shots during the conversation and took multiple takes. It was now time to start filming another scene where Paige is in the car. I filmed her driving up to the house and then stopping when she sees another letter in the mailbox and took a POV shot walking towards the mailbox. Then I film the next scenes where she goes inside to call her friend and then confronts the neighbor. Once the neighbor denies that it is him, she goes inside and I film the last scene of the ex. We were finally finished filming our short film! 

Filming: part one

          Once I had felt that I filmed enough takes of the first clip, we moved on to the next. In this clip, Paige opened the car door, got out, and went to the trunk of the car. First I stood at the front of the car and took shots of her getting out of the car. I then realized that my reflection was shown in the car of me filming. I went to the back of the car and starting filming from this spot. Luckily, my reflection was no longer in the car so I then took a few takes from there. Next, Paige was supposed to open the trunk. I thought that a trunk shot would be a great idea for this clip. I went in the back seat of the car and opened up the little trunk access window. This way, I could hold the camera and get a good trunk shot. 

           Once I found a good position, Paige opened the trunk and grabbed out a box. Then our next clip was of Paige walking into the house to set the box down. I took a few takes of this as well. Now this is where Jeffery, the creepy neighbor comes into the film. I filmed Paige walking back to the car where Jeffery pops up. This is the first scene where there is dialogue. I had our script up on my phone which allowed me to read their lines to them and help them remember. I filmed this scene multiple times to make sure that we had at least one really good take of this scene. Jeffery offers to help Paige bring boxes inside, so I film them both grabbing boxes and walking inside. I filmed this a couple of times and this scene was now over. 

Filming Day!

           My group and I finally filmed today! I picked up my friends Paige and Kelly and then went to Leo’s house. We all met up here because this is where our filming location was. Once we were all there, we got all of our props together. I got the boxes I had brought out of my car and we taped the boxes closed. Then we wrote on the boxes words like “kitchen” and “office”. We did this to help the audience understand that the girl is moving in. Next, we had to get the letters set up. We got the envelops and paper to put inside of them. Kelly wrote on the envelops with a red marker and weird handwriting. Then she wrote a couple of creepy letters to put in the envelopes. 

              Once we had all of this done, I had to get the picture printed that we needed. The printed photo that we needed had to be of the girl and her ex together. I brought Paige and Leo over to a good place and took a picture of them siting together. Then, I sent the picture to my mom to have her print it. She said she would drop the picture off which helped us so that we could start filming. Once we finished with all of this, we got to filming right away.  The first scene that I needed to film was Paige pulling up to the driveway in the car. I filmed this a couple times to make sure that I was could get the best shot possible. I always film multiple takes to try and avoid having to re-film later. Each time she would pull into the driveway, I would stop filming so that this was one clip. 

Preparing for Filming

           Tomorrow is now our official filming day! I’m so happy to finally be filming now. We’ve had a couple setbacks but we’re finally ready to start filming our short film. It is important to make sure we have a smooth filming experience and are prepared. To ensure this, I thought it would be a good idea to create a checklist. I made a list of everything we need to film. I included things like props, the clothing the actors need to wear, and more. One of the main props that we need are boxes. Luckily, I have plenty of boxes that I have been keeping for when we would film. We need multiple boxes to create the setting that the girl is moving into a new home. I also included tape on the list that we will use to seal the boxes.

          Another important prop that we need is a printed photo of the girl and her ex together. This will be used in a part of the film. The girl will pull the picture out of a box and then the neighbor will proceed to ask questions. We won’t be able to get the picture until we film. This is because we need to take a picture of them together first. Once we take the picture, I will go back to my house to print it. Luckily I live really close to Leo’s house which is where we are filming. We also need some tools and a camera for a certain scene. Kelly will be bringing these things for us. I also informed our actors of how many outfits they would need. Since our film is acting like it’s over a series of days, they need a few outfits to help the audience understand this. Now that everything is planned out and a checklist was made, we are more than prepared to start filming. 

Covid Delays

          My group and I were prepared and ready to film today. However, we ran into some problems and have to postpone our filming date. One of our main actors Aaron, can no longer be apart of our film. He was playing the part as the neighbor. Sadly, his mom was possibly exposed to the Corona Virus. She is going to get tested but since we won’t know the results in time, we didn’t want to take any chances. It is important that we all stay safe during these times. We quickly had to find another actor. We couldn’t lose anymore time so it was important that we find someone as quickly as possible. Luckily we were able to do this. Once we knew Aaron couldn’t play the part we asked another friend. 

           Our other friend Jeffery, agreed to playing the part. We had mentioned something to Jeffery about the film prior. This helped us a lot because we had him as a backup plan. This really worked out in our favor and helped to not cost us anymore time. Finding someone to replace Aaron so quickly made everything a lot easier. Realizing how much the virus spreads, it made us want to take extra precautions. Since we know had a new actor, he had to learn the lines for his part. Right away I sent him the script so he could get an idea of his part. Since we are no longer filming today, we needed to find a new filming day. Luckily, we are now on winter break so this made it easy for us. So now we are filming on Monday the 21st. 

Filming Soon

          We’re finally filming tomorrow and I can’t wait! Since we are getting ready to film, it is important to make sure everything will go smoothly. We also need to be prepared so we can film efficiently. The first thing I did was review the script. I wanted to get a better idea of what was going to be filmed. Since I am the one that will be filming and directing, it is important that I know what is going on. Going into filming, I will know what needs to be filmed and how I need to film it. I also thought it would be a good idea to review our storyboard. That way I know what angles we planned on doing. I want to be as prepared as possible so that everything goes smoothly and I know how everything needs to be done. 

           Another very important thing to consider before filming is safety. With the Corona virus still going on, we have to be very cautious and make sure we are staying safe. We will make sure that we will be wearing masks and our actors will only take them off when we are filming. This will help us stay as safe as possible. We will also be using hand sanitizer and washing our hands often. With the virus, filming and production has changed greatly. It is so important that we stay safe when we’re together to keep everyone safe. We also want to keep our family’s safe and everyone else around us. It’s good to cover all the safety before filming so that we have a plan and can all stay safe. Now we’re ready to film tomorrow and make our film come to life.  

Plan for December

          It’s finally December and we’re ready to make our short film come to life! Our plan for this month is to be productive and get everything done efficiently. We plan on filming during winter break which is coming up. Filming during break was a good idea for us since we have midterms coming up. We will also have more time during break and will be able to focus on our film. A very important part before we can start filming is getting the actors. I personally feel that I am not a good actor. Since I am not the best actor, I always stick to directing and filming. My group mates Kelly and Leo didn’t really want to act either. This called for finding other actors. 

         I instantly thought of my friend Paige who I feel would play the part really well. I also texted our friend Aaron to play the part of the neighbor. I was really excited when they both agreed to be in our short film. We still needed someone to play the short part of the Ex. This person would only be in the film at the very end for a short period of time. Leo decided that he would play this part since it was only a small part. Leo has usually always played parts in our previous films and he was always a great actor. Now that we have our actors we are ready to start filming. I texted my group members and we decided that we would film next Saturday on the 19th. I’m so excited to film and see how it turns out. 

Filming: Thanksgiving Break

           Hello again! Thanksgiving break has now come to an end. We are back to our virtual learning today. Even though my group and I did not film this week, we did not let this time go to waste. My group and I have been doing lots of planning for our short film. To start off, we made the decision that we will be using our phones to film. We thought that this would be the easiest and most efficient way. Last year, my group and I used our phones as well. We had a really good outcome with our phones which helped us come to the conclusion on how we would film. We also discussed the very important topic of masks. We will wear our masks at all times except when playing parts in the film. That way, we can stay as safe as possible. 

          With our very few filming locations, this will also help us with out safety. My group and I will not be exposed to many different places. We will also not be coming in contact, or around anyone who is not apart of our short film. We are taking our health, and others very seriously during these hard times. Luckily, due to our limited locations, we will be as safe as possible. I am so excited to start actually filming for our short film. In the past, this has always been really fun and my favorite part. I am not the best actor, so I have always filmed and directed for my group. I’ve always enjoyed this part because I get to see the film come together. I can’t wait for my group and I to get together and start filming to bring our ideas to life! 

Turkey Day!

          Yesterday was Thanksgiving! With the Coronavirus still spreading, we can’t be around large amounts of people. Every year for Thanksgiving, my family and I always get together with everyone. Due to the virus, we couldn’t this year. I only had Thanksgiving dinner with my family that’s in my household. It really sucks that everyone can’t be together for this holiday. Especially since it’s the time of year where you’re supposed to be with your family. However, it is for the best and is very important for everyone’s safety. I have been working a lot, especially this week with no school. I was grateful that my job was closed on Thanksgiving so that I could spend the day with my family.   

          So far, my group and I have not filmed. Over break, my group and I have been spending time with our families. I have also been working everyday so far. With yesterday being Thanksgiving, we didn’t film either. However, my group and I have a good idea of our plan. We decided that we would give ourselves this week to have a break. We figured out how to stay on track by not filming this week. We have a couple days planned for filming coming up. It would be best for us to get as much filming done in one day as possible. That way, we have more time for editing. As well as reviewing it to see if we need to re-film certain parts. We want get our filming done in a timely manner for the safety of ourselves and others. 

Marketing Campaign for Short Film

          It was finally time to start the marking campaign process! To do this, I had to create different social media platforms and create a website to promote my short film. I first started off by creating the website. I went on Wix and it gave me two options. The first was to answer some questions and Wix would create the website for me. The second option was to start off with a blank template and I could create the website from scratch. I decided to go with the first option since I was new to this and never made a website before. I entered the name of our short film and included what I wanted to be on the website. After answering all the questions, the website was created. I then just changed the pictures on the website that related to our short film. 

         Now that I finished setting up the website, I had to make the social media platforms. I started off with twitter, and went to create a new account. I signed up using the email I had previously made. I made a new gmail account so that we could use the same email for all of our accounts related to the short film. That way, everything would be organized and easy to remember. After creating the twitter profile, I headed over to Instagram. I then setup an account here for our film. Next, I created an account for Youtube, and then for Facebook. For Facebook, I had to use my name to sign up or else it wouldn’t work. Once I finished creating all the accounts, I copied the links onto the website so they are accessible through there. 

Storyboard for Short Film

        This week our group worked on our storyboard. Before we started we wanted to decide whether we should meet up in person or do it over FaceTime. Meeting up would’ve made the process easier since we’d all be together and could work on it in one session. However, meeting up would’ve been a hassle so we ultimately decided to talk about it through FaceTime. We all got on FaceTime and first planned how we would approach doing the storyboard. Our group didn’t want one person having to do all of the actual storyboarding so we decided against that. Our final decision was that we would split the storyboard 3 ways so that everyone could do equal work. This was also a efficient way in our eyes. Brooke would do the storyboard for the first two scenes, Kelly would do the third and fourth scenes, and Leo would do the last two scenes. We gave each other creative freedom but made sure it followed our screenplay and it had the necessary criteria. That criteria being the drawings of what’s going on and the description for each box with what type of angle/shot is being used. Once that was made clear we split off and worked at our own pace. We also made it clear that if anyone needed help just to call and we’d be there to help the most we could. Once we finished the storyboard we all sent them to each other and reviewed them. We reviewed them to make sure nothing was missed. This is essentially our guide for when we start filming so it was key that everything was right. Now that we have the storyboard finished we’re one step closer to filming. We now have a vision of how our film will look. The storyboard will help navigate through the process and make sure we’re on the right track. Overall, the storyboard process went pretty smoothly and we think we approached this the best way possible.

Planning for Short Film

• Schedule: 

11/11- storyboard 

11/14- shopping for props and anything else we need for filming 

11/21- filming 

11/28- filming

12/5- editing 

12/12- editing 

12/19- re-shoot

12/27- re-edit

1/3- final touches 

• Location: The locations we are going to film at consists of only two places. The main location will be the main characters house which will be where the majority of the scenes are shot at. We will be filming both inside and outside of the house. The other location we are filming at is the neighbors house. There are a few scenes that we will need to shoot at this location. These scenes will only be on the outside of the house.
• Participants: As of right now we plan on Leo playing the “creepy” neighbor. One of Brooke’s friends will be playing our main character. If something comes up where she can’t anymore then Brooke or Kelly will play the main character. As for the stalker who only shows up in the photo and at the end we’ll have one of Brooke/Kelly play them. 
• Health and Safety: Seeing that we’re still in a pandemic that affects how we’ll make sure we’re safe. Everyone will have a mask on unless they’re acting in a scene. Hand sanitizer will be present incase it is needed. We will get tested for the virus before we begin filming. If someone becomes infected with Covid-19 during the filming process they will quarantine for 2 weeks and the others will get tested. 

• Props: For our short film we will have a variety of props. 

-For scenes 1 & 2 props consist of a car, moving boxes, picture(s), house key and a letter. 

-For scenes 3 & 4 props include a security camera, drill (?), and another letter. 

-5 & 6 props are a cell phone, and a stack of letters. 

• Costumes: 

-Scene 1: Protagonist is wearing causal clothing, suitable for a day of moving in. Possibly some jeans, a casual top and accessorize with some sunglasses. Neighbor is also wearing causal clothing and could consist of cargos. 

-Scene 2: Protagonist is wearing clothing for working out. Spandex, running shoes, and her hair will be up. Neighbor is wearing casual clothing.

-Scene 3: Protagonist is wearing casual clothing once again. Leggings and a simple top. Neighbor is wearing shorts and a top.

-Scene 4: For this scene the protagonist can wear anything. (Will be decided when filming) -Scene 5: Protagonist is wearing comfortable clothing. Could consist of pajamas or sleepwear. 

-Scene 6: Protagonist is wearing comfortable clothing and casual clothing. The neighbor is wearing athletic wear such as basketball shorts etc.

Short Film vs. Feature Length Film

           Now that I have watched both the short film and the feature length film, it’s time to compare! Some qualities that the short film had that the full film did not is that it had no dialogue. The rag dolls did not talk to each other in the short film. However, there were other sound effects that made the short film come together. I thought the short film not having any dialogue is what made me a little confused on what the film was about. With the use of dialogue in the full length film, I was able to pick up on what idea the director was trying to get across. The characters talking about what was going on really helped me and gave me the bigger picture. Another quality that the short film had was that there were only two rag dolls. There was also only one machine in the short film. This was also the first machine in the beginning of the full length. On the other hand, the full length had a total of 9 rag dolls, and multiple machines that they had to defeat. The full length film also accomplished some things that the short film did not. One example is that the long film gave me a better understanding of what the true meaning behind the film was. I truly enjoyed both the short film and the full length film. However, I definitely enjoyed the full length more because it had a really good plot and kept me interested throughout. The use of dialogue in the full length made the film much better. It was easier to understand due to the unique and unusual plot. I was also left feeling better at the end of the full length compared to the short film. After the short film, I was a little relieved since he defeated the machine, but I was also upset since 9’s friend sacrificed himself. Even though multiple rag dolls souls were taken, I was relieved at the end to know that they were free and happy. I really enjoyed watching both the short and full length films, and thought it was so interesting to see how the directors made it into a full length. 

Research 9, The Feature Film

            I was so excited to now watch the feature film after watching the short film. I was so amazed by the short film and couldn’t wait to watch the full thing. After finishing the feature film, I was very pleased with the movie. I thought that it was really good and I really enjoyed it. I was really impressed with how they made the short film into a full movie. I definitely understand what the director was trying to portray when making the film. I had many mixed feelings throughout the film. I was always on the edge of my seat while the rag dolls were fighting or running from the machines. I was also really upset every time that the machine took one of their souls. The plot was the same as in the short film. After watching the full movie, I understood that the plot was a post-apocalyptic world. 9 is the main character of the other rag dolls. Each rag doll has a soul that is part of the scientists. The rag dolls live in fear of the machines and hide from them. 9 is very intelligent, brave, and is determined to take down the machines. He made some mistakes but learns from them quickly and takes responsibility for them. He also pushes to do what’s right and is very caring towards the others. It shows what the director thinks about life and souls. It also shows his personality of how strong and potentially dangerous machines could be. The full movie was definitely very interesting, and I enjoyed every moment of it. 

Research 9, The Short

           After watching the short film, 9, I was left wanted to know more about the film. At one point in the short film, I felt really bad when the one stitched dog sacrificed himself and died to the evil creature. I also felt uneasy watching it because I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next. I felt very anxious while watching the evil creature chase after the stitched doll.  I was then relieved when the creature fell and the the doll was now safe. My opinions about this short film is that is was really interesting. I did think it was a little confusing but I still enjoyed watching it. The plot in this short film was also very interesting. The setting was very unique and looked like they were in a world that had been damaged. There was pieces of machines and other junk everywhere. It was pretty dark and the only source of light was a lightbulb. The characters were also very unique in this short film. There were stitched dolls that were very unusual looking. There was also an evil creature that looked like it was made from machine parts. The stitched dolls had different personalities character traits. They were intelligent and also caring toward each other. When the one doll sacrificed himself and the other came up with the idea of how to conquer the evil creature, this was shown. This short film also showed a lot about the director. It really showed how creative he was and how he views life. It also shows that he has very unusual and different ideas. Overall, I really enjoyed watching this short film and thought it was such a creative idea! 

Genre Choice for Film

         After doing research on a couple of genres my group and I have finally made a decision. The genre we have chosen is thriller! We feel that out of thriller, horror, and action that thriller best suits our pitch. Our pitch is “A person receives threats in the mail and must figure out who is leaving them.” Once we researched the three genres we decided that action didn’t really suit it. Action movies involve a lot of fight scenes and loud sounds which we don’t think fits our plot. It also seems like it wouldn’t be properly developed in 5 minutes. Now my group and I thought very hard on deciding between horror and thriller. Both genres can be applied to our films and our vastly similar. The key difference with horror and thriller are that horror’s are meant to be scary and invoke fear in you. They’re both suspenseful but thrillers put you more on the edge of wonder what’ll happen next. 

        With our ultimate realization that horrors have too much of a focus on fear and can dwell for a little while it left us with thriller. Thriller is perfect for the genre seeing that it builds up a lot of suspense. Thriller allows us to build up our plot and finish it in a satisfying way all in 5 minutes. The CAMS and editing are relatively easy processes for us and they’ll be easy to capture and execute. Using thriller allows us to keep our pitch and not have to really tweak it. Our pitch fits the outline of a thriller. Thrillers create a sense of urgency and that, in our minds, can be implemented well with our plot. We have many ideas on how we can implement the sounds of a thriller and the props into our short film. Before going into this we assumed thriller would be the choice but it’s nice to have confirmation after doing research. Overall thriller seems like a match made in heaven and we can’t wait for the next step in this journey!

Genre Research- Action

• Common CAMS: zoom, pan, POV, tilt, tracking shots, reverse shots, high angles, and tilted shots 
• Common Sound:  ominous music, gun sounds, running sounds, high-pitched music, punching sounds, and objects breaking sounds.
• Common Mis-En-Scene (CLAMPS): 

Costume- common costumes vary; it could be suits/dresses, superhero costumes, alien costumes and many more.  

Lighting- Natural lighting, dim lighting, key lighting, backlight, and soft lights.  

Actors- They can be anyone. Usually have stunt doubles as well.

Makeup- common makeup in action movies depends, it can be natural, or a fully masked and painted face. 

Props- common props include guns, knives, chairs/tables, blood, bullets, glass, cars, sunglasses, and many more. 

Setting- The settings are usually in busy cities that end up becoming where houses or private homes. However each film is different. 

• Common Editing: Jump cuts, cutting on movement and "action", slo-mo's, action matches, flashbacks, and graphic matches. 
• Example Films: Some action films are, Extraction, 007, Baby driver, Bad boys, Angel has fallen, and avengers.
• Elements I like: The elements I enjoy are, I  really enjoy the plots of the films. Usually the actors are fighting for someone or something. I also enjoy the element of wondering who will when a fight or what's going to happen next. 
• Elements not appealing: Sometimes I feel like action movies can get repetitive and that the plot can sometimes be a bit boring in the middle. 

Genre Research- Horror

• Common CAMS: reverse-shots, close-ups, tracking shots, pans, zoom, wide shot, low angle, hand-held, over the shoulder, cantered, and birds-eye 
• Common Sound: no sound, silence, abrupt noises, echos, footsteps, sound of breath, can all be diegetic or non-diegetic 
• Common Mis-En-Scene (CLAMPS):  

Costume - casual clothing for protagonista typically, antagonists usually wear masks or dark clothing                                        

Lighting - low lighting, usually at night in the dark, shadows and shapes to create fear                     

Actors - normally required to act fearful or eerie                                                        

Makeup - bruises, cuts, made to look as if the victim is tortured or in pain, makeup applied to look grimmer                                          

Props - props are normally weapons such as knives, axes, guns. Other props maybe rocking chairs and creaking doors                                      

Setting - Typically somewhere isolated, perhaps an abandoned house, the environment is normally abandoned and dark

• Common Editing: cutaways, jump cuts and fade outs
• Example Films: Us, Insidious, The Conjuring, Annabelle, The Nun
• Elements I like: I like the fear and suspense it creates. I enjoy the anticipation it builds up for eerie moments
• Elements not appealing: I feel like they may drag on for too long and are all really similar. The silence and eerie sounds can be disturbing at times 

Genre Research- Thriller

 My group and I had to choose three genres to research that we thought our short film would fit into. Some things that we had to research for our genres are common CAMS, common Mis-En-Scene, and common editing. The first research is on the thriller genre. 

• Common CAMS: tracking shots, pans, reverse shots, high angles, over the shoulder shots, point of view shots, tilted shots, and zoom. 
• Common Sound: eerie sounds, sometimes complete silence, footsteps, animal sounds, and even sometimes extraterrestrial sounds. 
• Common Mis-En-Scene (CLAMPS): 

Costume- common costumes in thrillers include masks, ripped clothing, hoodies and jackets, casual clothing that can sometimes be dark or black, and creature-like clothing.

Lighting- common lighting in thrillers are usually dark/low. The lighting is very important because it displays shadows that create tension and suspense in thrillers.

Actors- the actors in thrillers can be anyone. 

Makeup- common makeup in thrillers is usually dark, sometimes scary, and can consist of cuts, bruises, dirt smudges, and can even be smeared as if the actor was crying. 

Props- common props include fake blood, notes/ letters, brief cases, money, phones, and even broken things like glass. Weapons are also common props such as guns, chainsaws, and knives, which add tension to the film.

Setting- the setting in thrillers are usually in spooky places, allies, abounded and haunted locations, and isolated places. Thrillers are also sometimes taken place at night which add onto the suspense. 

• Common Editing: these include jump cuts, flashbacks, action matches, graphic matches, and sometimes slo-mo’s.
• Example Films: A Quiet Place, The Silencing, Ma, Escape Room, and The Invisible Man
• Elements I like: I really enjoy the rush of adrenaline that I get when watching thrillers. As well as being on the edge of my seat waiting to see what will happen next. 
• Elements not appealing: I don’t really like the anxiety and terror that some thrillers make me feel.  

Genres I Would Like to Research

 Since our pitch is "A person receives threats in the mail and must figure out who is leaving them", I thought these 3 genres are most appropriate: Thriller, horror, and action. 

The first genre we will research is thriller. Thriller could be our genre because since our short film is 5 minutes, creating a thriller is a very efficient way of composing a great movie in a short period of time. My groupmates and I can further execute making a thriller by using non-diegetic sounds to emit suspenseful music while in the editing process. The suspenseful music could play in the background of the main scenes to make audiences truly feel the thriller aspect of the film. We could also film low angles of the mailbox and vertical pans showing empty dark streets. We could further push the thriller genre by never showing the antagonist of the film. The film could end without ever showing the antagonist (That is just an idea though). 

We will research horror more because, horror could also fit our genre. This is because my groupmates and I can implement very little lighting to give the audience a feeling of nervousness and "what's going to happen". Horror could be our genre because we can have whoever is putting notes into the mailbox actually come for the protagonist of the story. Their are many ways we can write our short film to make it into a horror genre. Another reason I want to further research the horror genre is to find out what angles I can use to make the film feel more like a horror. I believe if I used tilts it would make the film feel more like it. 

The last genre we will research is, action. Action could be an option for our short film because, we can make the antagonist and the protagonist try to find each other. That could result in the film becoming an action if there's lots of running away and fighting scenes. We need to research what type of lighting goes with an action movie. We also need to research which angles and sound go with an action. We are looking forward to choosing our genre very soon!

Pitch Blog

My group and I’s pitch for our short film: 

A person receives threats in the mail and must figure out who is leaving them. 

Group Blog

        The process for the final task has finally begun. The first step was to figure out groups. We had the choice to work independently or in a group just like last year. I decided that it would be best to work in a group. I think that being in a group is better since there are more people to give ideas and their options. This year we were given the choice to work with people from different AICE media periods. I was really excited about this since my options with who I wanted to work with weren’t as limited. I chose to be in a group with my two good friends Leonardo and Kelly. I was in a group with Leo last year so we are both familiar with how we work together. Kelly was in a different group last year but I’m so excited that she is working with us this year. 

          I am really looking forward to seeing what we will create together. I know that we will work really good together since we all get along well. We’re also all creative so I am excited to see what ideas we will come up with. It will also be easy for us to work together since our parents know each other and we live pretty close. We are each also good at different things which will help us being our final task together. I am usually the one who films and directs when we have projects. Kelly is good at making the scripts and planning, while Leonardo is good at editing. Since we each are good at certain things, I think this will make our group even better. I am so excited to be working with the people I am this year. I can’t wait to figure out what our final task will be about! 

I’m back!

           Hi, it’s me again! I am so excited to be in the next level of AICE Media Studies. I learned so much last year and can’t wait to continue to learn even more. I had so much filming all of the projects last year. This year, I am even more excited since I can use everything I have learned and create even better projects. However, with the pandemic going on, it will be a lot more difficult to adjust. The virus has really effected and changed how everything must be done. I plan on working in a group so it is very important that we take safety precautions and wear our masks at all times. It will definitely be a lot more difficult trying to work in these hard times but I will figure it out. I am really looking forward to making the final project for this class. It will be a five minute short film. I have never made a film this long so I am really looking forward to starting it. I will also be making a website, postcard, and blogging throughout. I will really be expanding my knowledge this year and learning more about how the whole production process really works. Branding is also something we will focus on this year. That is something that is new to me so I am interested to know how it works. I can’t wait to do my own branding for my short film this year. In the short film I will be coming up with a beginning, middle and end. Last year I only made an opening sequence. I’m really looking forward to being able to make a plot start to finish. I’m so glad that I’m back and now taking the next level of this class! 

Audience and Institution Practice Essay

Question: In relation to the media area you have studied, discuss the ways audience consumption has changed over time. 

            In relation to film, audience consumption has changed over time in many ways. Institutions distribute films to the audience in different ways than they used to. Audience consumption has greatly changed from physical media, to digital media. With technology becoming more advanced and growing every day, this continues to increase.

For the audience to consume the films, it must first be distributed by the institutions. Back then, films used to only be distributed through movie theaters and DVD’s. The ways that films can be consumed has changed greatly, from cinema, Blu-ray, and DVD, to digital download, digital television, Video on Demand, and Near Video on Demand. Even platforms such as Netflix and Hulu. Trailers for the films are even being distributed on YouTube now for people to watch. Distribution has expanded to home exhibition even more with the use of digital viewings. In the Furious 7 movie, they used Cross Promotion and teamed up with the phone brand OPPO, which hosted events that promoted the movie. Furious 7 included the brand on some of the posters. Cross Promotion was also used when Forza Horizon 2 released a video game that was based on the movie. This Cross Promotion helped distribute the movie. Furious 7 was released on DVD and Blu-Ray in 2015. It was also premiered in the SXSW Film Festival, and released in cinema. In 2019, the release of The Lego Movie Part 2, showed how audience consumption has changed from just 2015. This movie was distributed to audiences through cinema, DVD formats, Blu-Ray, but also on digital and Movies Anywhere where audiences can access the movie through digital streaming platforms. Synergy was used when WAG and Warner Bros came together to produce and distribute this movie. The Lego Movie Part 2 also used Cross Promotion with DISCOVER and Burger King. As well as Cross media convergence when making a videogame for the movie. Audience consumption through digital distribution allows the film companies to release the film electronically as digital files to the theaters. Doing this saves money and resources for the companies. Digital distribution has increased market for companies like Disney and allowed for a big growth in the number of cinema screens in other countries. This also expands the audience consumption by allowing a greater amount of people to have more access to the films.

However, this change is consumption for audiences has led to a negative effect in some ways. Due to the increase in digital distribution by institutions, DVD and Blu-Ray sales have decreased. Disney tried to increase the DVD sales with the Alice in Wonderland movie. To do this, Disney shortened how long it was distributed for in theaters from 17 weeks to 12 weeks. In hopes that it would reduce the amount of illegal copies watched by people. Some companies distribute as a day and date release so that the film is released on DVD and in cinema at the same time. The 2011 film Tower Heist was about to be released to Comcast customers in addition with the release in theaters, but was not taken into consideration anymore when multiple theaters protested are threatened not to show the film.

Audience consumption of film merchandise has also changed over time. Nowadays, merchandise is used to promote the films and attract the audiences. The institutions promote merchandise for the films, where the audiences then consume it by purchasing the products. In the 2017 Beauty and The Beast film, Disney used synergy to promote the upcoming release in a special edition of ‘The Bachelor’ on ABC. Some merchandising of the film included selling clothes, dolls, and more were released on a Disney online store. Disney also teamed up with Hot Topic to come out with t-shirts and more. Merchandise was also sold at Target where you could find costumes for children, and mugs were released by Hallmark for the film.

I can also relate to how consumption has changed over time. Growing up, I would either go to the movie theater with my family or receive DVD’s to watch. I had so many films on DVD and Blu-Ray that I would watch when I was younger. Now, I can access the films digitally on many different platforms. I’m always going on Netflix and Disney+ to watch so many different films. I even see many films streaming on TV to purchase. I still purchase DVD’s here and there, but not as much as I use to. Now, I either go to the movie theater, or watch the film digitally.

            Overall, audience consumption has changed over time through films. Digital distribution continues to exceed disc-based media. Audience consumption continues to grow in different ways as technology increases and grows.

Extract Practice - 24

            The theme of the extract 24, is a crisis situation. A man is interrogating a woman who appears to be connected to the potential attack. He is trying to find out where the bomb is located. As well as trying to get information to stop it from detonating.

            In the beginning, the extract starts off in the first location where a woman is at. The interrogation room is used for the majority of the scenes where the woman is being held, to show that an urgent matter is taking placed since serious questions are being asked and need to be answered quickly in this location. Next, a zoom is used to get a close-up of the woman’s face who is being interrogated to show that she has something to do with the crisis and is important to the situation. Then, an eyeline match is used of the man looking over, which then cut to a shot of the camera in the room shows that he is making sure the interrogation is being recorded, and that the observers are watching. There is then a cutting of the shot showing the woman going to the shot of the man interrogating which manifests the intensity of the interrogation going on and how they are going back and forth.

            In the middle of the extract, the first thing shown is a two-shot. The two-shot is of the observers watching the interrogation on the monitors shows that something serious is going on and that many people are involved and needed. Then, a clock is used as a prop in the extract to help the director’s vision. The clock is used to point out what the woman was looking at to show that more and more time is going by until the crisis situation of the bomb detonating happens. After that, the dialogue begins in the scene. Dialogue is used between the man and woman in the interrogation room to show what is being talked about between them, which gives information on the crisis situation. The final thing displayed in the middle of the extract is a sound bridge. The sound bridge at the end of the scene with the two observers, leading into the scene with the man interrogating in the woman’s face shows how the two scenes are going on at the same time and how the observers are watching what is going on as it happens. The sound bridge carries over from one scene to the next in the middle of the extract.

            Towards the end of the extract, more is going on and happening more quickly. The hand and ankle cuffs were used on the woman to show that she was being held which also made the interrogation more serious since she was locked up. The woman being locked up emphasizes that she knows information on the potential attack and possibly how to stop the bomb from detonating. This helps the director get his/her vision across. Next, there is a split screen of the man choking the woman in the one screen, and the observer and security people running to the interrogation room in the other screen, which shows they can’t let him kill her since they need her for answers. After this, incidental music is used as the woman is being choked and the security is running towards the room to show that the scene is intense and something very serious and urgent is taking place. It adds on to the serious situation about the bomb that is going to be detonating. The last thing observed at the end of the extract was a long shot. The long shot of the man that was just choking the woman shows that he let go and stopped when the people came in and told him to stop. He was frustrated since he was getting answers from the woman about the bomb attack that was going to be happening soon.

            Overall, the director’s vision is that there is a crisis situation on and the actors need information on the bomb that is going to detonate in a short period of time. All of the camera angles, shots, movements, editing, sound, and mis en scene helps to show that this is the director’s vision. These intensify and make the scenes seem more urgent and show that a serious matter is taking place. The interrogation also shows that the woman is a key to finding information out about the potential attack, which is apart of the director’s vision.

Final Task CCR

                 Here is my CCR for my final task! This was by far the most challenging, but also exciting project this year. In these videos, I answer questions and reflect on my finished product. The videos are a total of 12 minutes and are in an interview style format. I also inserted examples from the film into the videos to make them interesting and fun! I have learned many new things and my knowledge and understand has grown tremendously. I elaborate on this as well as many other things. Some of these include, the products conventions, social groups and issues, engaging with the audience, how it would be distributed, my production skills, and even the technologies my group and I used. 

Final Task: The Catch

       This is my opening sequence to an original movie. The name of the film is The Catch. It’s about a murderer that is hired as a hit-man by his boss to kill a victim. A witness sees the attack, and the murderer notices. It ends with the witness running away and the murderer falling trying to run after them. The audience is unaware if the murderer will catch the witness or if the murderer will get ratted out. This was our third project we did this year. This was definitely the most challenging, but also the best one yet. I was exposed to lots of new skills while filming this and learned many things. I had so much fun going through the process making this with my group! 

Music Video and CCR

          This is my music video and CCR. This was my second project this year. My group and I chose to do our music video on the song 8TEEN by Khalid. We chose this song because it’s very upbeat and fun. Making this music video was a lot of fun and I enjoyed it very much! This was definitely one of my favorite projects this year.

 

Commercial and CCR

            This is my Gatorade commercial and CCR. We had a list of products to choose from, and my group and I chose Gatorade. We thought that making a Gatorade commercial would be really fun and exciting. The commercial was our first ever project for this class. It was definitely a cool experience while making the commercial. I learned a lot along the way which helped me in my later projects. 

Creative Critical Reflection for Commercial

1. How does your product use or challenge conventions AND how does it represent social groups or issues?

The product is a commercial that is advertising Gatorade. The commercial genre is sports drinks, since it is promoting Gatorade. All sports drink commercials generally include athletes that are usually working really hard while exercising or playing a sport. These commercials also include the athletes drinking the sports drinks and then getting energy and the ability to perform better. The product uses conventions because we include conventions that would typically be in Gatorade commercials.  In our product, we have a scene of one of our group members drinking the Gatorade and filming it close up. Shooting the Gatorade up close made it clear what our commercial was trying to promote and made it clear to the audience. This is in other Gatorade commercials as well to get a good shot of the product. This shows how our product uses conventions because this is what you would find in most Gatorade commercials. Our product also uses conventions because of the music and sounds we used. The sounds and music usually intense and show that there is a lot of action going on and that they are working harder, which our product included as well. Sound effects of crowds were also used. These sound effects intensify the importance and excitement of the commercial. The product uses these conventions just like a Gatorade commercial would. Also, the camera is often moving to show the actions that are going on and is never really still. In our product, the camera was also often moving, and therefore also shows how our product uses conventions. The product also challenges conventions in a few ways. In the commercial, we used natural lighting since we were outside. Usually, Gatorade commercials are outside with sim lights from the stadiums or the field. Our product represents social groups because our commercial is for all different age groups, typically those in the middle-aged group. Our commercial is meant to be for those who usually stay active and either exercise or play sports. It also represents social groups because it is for all different groups of people. The product is for everyone, which is why the commercial is for all different genders, races, ethnicities, etc. Our product is made for all social groups and advertises Gatorade to attract everyone.

2. How does your product engage with audiences AND how would it be distributed as a real media text?

Our product engages with audiences because it attracts those who are into fitness, exercising, sports, etc. Our commercial shows how Gatorade gives people energy and the strength to do their workouts or play in a sport. It also engages with audiences by making people want to buy and drink Gatorade. The product also engages with the audience by the type of music and phrases that are said throughout the commercial. The motivational music and phrases will catch people’s attention and make them interested in the commercial.  It also engages with the audience because our commercial shows someone running the track but then getting so tired that she falls down. After she drinks the Gatorade, she gets energy and is then able to finish her lap around the track. The audience might be able to relate to the product because they might experience similar things. While they are training or working out, they get tired and might feel like they can't do it, but if they drink Gatorade, they will get the strength and energy to finish. The audience will want to get Gatorade to help keep them hydrated just like the person in the commercial. The product also engages with the audience by making them want to buy and drink Gatorade to perform better during their sport, practice or exercise. This commercial would be distributed as a real media text through commercials on sports channels. It would be distributed here to advertise Gatorade and make athletes want to get the product. It might also be distributed on sports or athletic websites to promote Gatorade. If the commercial is distributed on television or websites that promote sports, it will make viewers want to buy the product since they see that Gatorade is a popular drink and benefits athletes' performances. I would also probably distribute the commercial and put it on main channels with the most broadcasting and views. I would also want to air the commercial at times that most people are watching to get Gatorade advertised as best as possible. Overall, the commercial engages with the audience mainly by being a motivational and relatable commercial. That way, people will be interested and want to buy Gatorade. The commercial would also be distributed as a real media text through television and would air at the most popular times.

 3.  How did your production skills develop throughout this project?

Throughout this project, my production skills developed in many ways. In the beginning, when we did our storyboard, I learned how to properly plan a film. This taught me how to be more efficient and be more organized so I can plan the best way. On the first day we filmed, I learned how to use the camera and tripod properly. I was taught how to correctly turn the camera on and off, as well as how to put the SD card in. With the tripod, I also learned the correct way to set it u and how to shut and close it up. Then, I had to attach the camera to the tripod and adjust the knobs on it to get the perfect angle for our filming. All of these skills were new to me, and I can now do it again more efficiently. My production skills also developed throughout this project because I can now better identify camera angles, shots, and movements. While we filmed our commercial, we had to make sure that we were including the requirements for the project. Doing this, improved my skills on these topics since we had to identify them, as well as making sure we filmed them. In the scene of my group member going into her duffle bag to grab out the Gatorade bottle, we made sure to film at a high angle to get the shot of her going into her bag. During the scene of my group member drinking the Gatorade, we filmed a medium close up because we wanted to make sure we filmed the product of the commercial close up, but not too close so that we still got our group member in the scene. When we filmed the scene of her running on the track, we used a pan movement. We left the camera stationary on the tripod, and I moved the camera lens from right to left using the handle on the tripod. My production skills developed throughout the filming part of this project because I learned how to use the equipment, as well as learned and understood the camera angles, shots, and movements better. Filming this commercial works as a reference to me because I can now use it to help me remember what some of the camera angles, shots, and movements look like. I know the type of shots that we used and when they were used, so this will help me remember what they look like. Another way that my production skills developed throughout this project was during the editing process. My knowledge expanded more when I learned how to dump, import and export on the computer and pinnacle studios. After we were done filming for the day, I would go and dump all our footage from the camera, into a file on the computer. Then when it was time to import, I had to select all the footage and import it onto pinnacle studios. At the end of our commercial, we had to save and export the film. I now know how to do all of these skills and do them efficiently. My skills also developed throughout the editing process while using pinnacle studios. I learned how to put the footage together and how to put it on the correct track, as well as how to remove audio from the footage. We had to cut some of the film to make it the correct length, and also add music into the commercial. I recorded the voiceovers while my group member said the phrases, and then we inserted the voiceovers into our film. Overall, my production skills developed greatly throughout this project, and I can now do the process more efficiently since I know how to correctly do all of these techniques.

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

Throughout this project, I used three main software's, which included google drive, pinnacle studios, and iMovie. Other technologies and hardware that I used were cameras, SD cards, and SD card readers. While making the commercial, I had to integrate technologies to get my footage from one place to another. On the first day of filming, we received a camera, tripod, and SD card. I then combined the camera and SD card by inserting the SD card into the camera. To insert the SD card, I had to open the little door where the SD card goes. Then, I put the SD card into the slit and made sure that the words on the SD card were facing me. Once the SD card was in the camera correctly, I closed the little door. The SD card was now successfully in the camera and ready to start filming. We first filmed everything that we needed for the commercial out on the track. We filmed each scene a few times to make sure that we had enough takes. This then allowed us to pick the best scenes to use. Once we finished filming for the day, I had to dump all of our footage onto the computer in case we didn’t get the same SD card next time. We also did this so that we had our footage in more than one place. To do this, we had to integrate the SD card and the computer. I went and got an SD card reader, and then inserted the SD card into the reader. Once it was in, I inserted the reader into the computer and pulled up the files. Then, I opened the folder that our footage was on, highlighted all of our footage, and then dragged all of it into a folder on the desktop. We also needed to put all of the footage onto our google drive so that we had another backup place that our footage. I opened google drive and made a new folder that I could put the footage into. Then, I had to download the footage, and wait for it to finish. I could then put all of it into the folder I created on google drive. After everything was on my google drive, I just closed out of it. I then integrated technologies when putting all the footage from the desktop onto pinnacle studios. When I opened up the software, there was a sample film on the track showing up how the software worked. I needed to start fresh, so I went to the top and clicked file, then new, and the track was now empty. To get the footage on pinnacle studios, I had to open up the software and click import at the top. Then I selected all of our footage and clicked import and waiting while it all imported onto pinnacle studios. Everything was now on the software, so we started building our commercial by pulling the best pieces of footage onto the right track. We weren't able to finish our commercial during the class so we decided that we would use iMovie to finish over the weekend. Throughout this whole process, I was integrating technologies from google drive, to pinnacle studios, and then to iMovie. As well as from the camera and SD card to these software's.