The end...

Wow.  

After like 3 whole months its over. 3 whole months of brainstorming, writing countless blogs, editing. Its over. I am kind of happy because now I can relax but at the same time I'm going to miss working on this silly little film opening. It was so fun to brainstorm with my project partners, edit, and filming it was the best part. But I will not miss CCR's at all. I don't know why but I genuinely struggled with both of my videos and I was honestly procrastinating most of it. But its all over. This project was genuinely super fun and I learned so many new things that i can now use in my TV production class. I loved researching genres, titles, fonts, all that jazz. I've been reading some older blogs from when i first started the film opening and It was so nice to look back on where I started with this project and where I am now. I used to not know a lot about pre-production strategies, but this project has helped me become more efficient during pre production in order to make post production faster. I also learned valuable filmmaking experience, from the technical aspect like framing, lighting, and mise-en-scene to improving my ability to collaborate with my group members effectively. I learned the importance of how every little element from camera to sound all comes together to bring an atmosphere to life.  

I feel like both of these guys at the same time

but this isn't the end... I'm taking A level YAY so more this to come. I am excited :)

till then blog :)

CCR’s and film opening!!

Film Opening: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FNngq8bwy2vk3dniIEOOvQqf97Jgjc_a/view?usp=sharing

CCR questions 1 and 2: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vOxSO2iloAaFWbJvZ9qsVZ2kMIQ2U7MQ/view?usp=sharing

CCR questions 3 and 4: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rD1LX3-dGXr9Mp0Es40bl_ReISWwfU1-/view?usp=sharing

post-production of CCRs

 Hi blog!! Its editing time.

Of course I am using the one and only premier pro for this. Honestly my CCR is very simple so my timeline is not chaotic at all (this is video 2 CCRs 3 and 4)

Production of CCRs

 

Hey blog!! lots of CCR filming today. I filmed both videos. I was so happy until I remembered i still have to edit them.... lol.

To the left is the set up for CCR video 1 (questions 1 and 2). I set my cellphone right in front of the computer (I have horrible memory so I read off the screen the whole time sorry!!). And to the right is the outfit alter ego Vicky wore so yay!! 

CCR question #3

CCR MADNESS!!!!! 

(I'm not complaining I'm so grateful to be taking this class 🧡)

I decided I want questions #3 and #4 will be paired together (but in this post I want to focus more on question #3). I will be making banana waffles but every time I move on to the next step I have to answer a different question. I also want to be "in character" like I am answering questions from real fans. What inspired this idea was a you tube video i stumbled upon a couple of years ago from a creator I followed during the covid-19 pandemic. 

She would answer questions fans asked on her Instagram while baking a pie!!

Moving on...

Lets refresh really quick on what question #3 is: 

How did your production skills develop throughout this project?

Before we start this is a the recipe: 

1-  Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. 

2- Mash bananas with fork until no large chunks remain. Add buttermilk, brown sugar, eggs and oil. Whisk until well combined. Add dry ingredients and mix until no clumps remain. 

3- Add 3 tablespoons of butter to your waffle maker and cook until golden brown on both sides. Serve with additional bananas, honey and powdered sugar. 

yay! 

Now here is my basic outline/script:

Hello everyone! I am the * insert role here* of the upcoming film “manslaughter” and I will be answering some of your burning questions while making my favorite banana waffles. let's get into it! 

*Swipe*  

"Let's answer our sponsor, Cambridge, question while mixing together our dry ingredients. Question 3: How did your production skills develop throughout this project?"

(On Screen Step 1: Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl)

*reflect on the importance of pre production, talk about the technical(camera, lighting etc)*

"Alright now onto our fan questions!!, what was researching for manslaughter like?" 

*Explain how it's the first time you do a horror film and dive into sources used to learn how to execute the genre*

"Next question, how did you decide on what set design elements you wanted"

(On screen: step two: Mash bananas with fork until no large chunks remain. Add buttermilk, brown sugar, eggs and oil. Whisk until well combined. Add dry ingredients and mix until no clumps remain)

*talk about how that is called mise en scene and talk about the props*

"Ok, What did you have to change or adapt as you worked on the beginning of the film?"

(on screen: Add 3 tablespoons of butter to your waffle maker and cook until golden brown on both sides. Serve with additional bananas, honey and powdered sugar. )

*choice of music, last minute addition of the face at the end*

"Alright here are the finished pancakes. Thank you so much for sending me questions * reflect on where you started and where you ended* 

That's it for now, see you later blog!

 

CCR question #2

Here we are with more CCR shenanigans. This has been eating at my brain for a while.

Why is it so hard to get my creative juices flowing!!!! Like for my CCR video one (questions 1 and 2) i wanted to do like a talk show but all the members are me BUT LIKE THATS SO GENERIC. I don't want to be generic. I don't want you Cambridge to be like "Great! the 182636279 talk show CCR"

But i finally got it. Instead of a talk show its just a lighthearted conversation between two versions of myself. Both vastly different from each other, with different styles and personalities. I was honestly inspired by one of my favorite childhood Disney Chanel series "Liv and Maddie" where Dove Cameron played twins with completely different personalities. Liv, a famous diva popstar. And Maddie, a high school jock. 

Its crazy to me how they are played by the same actress. But anyway!!

Lets refresh on question #2

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

I would want this conversation to take place at a table, but each end is a different Vicky. Even though I am putting questions one and two together in this post i will focus more on the script for question two. Also this is more like a happy medium of a script and outline. I tend to change things a bit after developing a full script so I like to have order and flexibility at the same time. Vicky #1 will be the one asking the questions. She will be dressed very formally and neatly. While Vicky #2 is a more natural version of my self and the one answering the questions. 

*transition from question 1 to question 2* 

Vicky #1: Okay lets hit pause for a sec (breaks the 4th wall) Question number two: How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text? 

I am not quite comprehending... what is the target audience of "manslaughter"

Vicky #2: *explain*

Vicky #1: How did you even figure out the target audience? 

Vicky #2: Well, we knew coming in that we wanted to target *info info info*. 

Vicky #1: Okay... how do you convey your target audience through the look of the film. You know costume elements, set design, production choices so on and so forth? 

Vicky #2: *deep into production choices and mie en scene*

Vicky #1: I see I see... so you have that part of your project prepared and established. But you can't forget about distribution. How will you be making "Manslaughter" available to your audience

Vicky #2: *info info info*

Of course before recording my actual CCR I will have a clear script with points in order but this is the over all layout.

Group meeting #2

Hiii there blog!! 

So before I get into anything I just wanted to apologize for how horrible my blogs from last week were. I sounded lifeless and bored (I'm not bored just super tired!!!). Making up the 15 assignments and 3 quizzes I missed at STN while keeping up with regular assignment is pretty hard. But I'm officially back and caught up 😎

Now the actual contents of this blog post... our second group meeting! I was put in a group with Vanessa, Jacey, Pedro, and Tiziana. They all genuinely had amazing and creative film opening ideas. It was really nice to see others work and creativeness. There wasn't a single opening idea where I was like "wow this is so generic". 

here is us posing with our blogs :))

First up was Vanessa. Her opening was about a resident who is in love with another dentist at the dentistry she works at. She kills any of her coworkers who try to get between them. I thought the idea of a dentist murderer was really cool and original, and it was even cooler that she actually filmed at a dentist office!! I love that she filmed on a digital camera because the footage came out so cool and old-timey (since her opening is set in the 80s). She was having trouble coming up with a name, and then she mentioned that her friend gave her the idea "The Residency" and we all told her she should use it because it fits the film perfectly in my opinion.

Next Jacey: Its about a tarot card drawing gone wrong. She cleverly titled it "The Last Draw" which is super clever. But she couldn't settle on a font so we tried to give her different ideas and suggestions. Her lighting is so cool. 

After that it was my turn. I told everyone my idea and showed them what I have so far.  We chatted about it for a bit and the only feedback I got was that maybe I should change the title to "Men slaughter" instead of "Manslaughter". I like it but I have to think about it and talk it over with my group.

Then went Pedro. His films name is "monotony" about a man who is a victim of the 7-5 life. basically every day is the same (like he's living a monotonous life). I think its interesting. He hasnt filmed anything yet though so we will see. 

Lastly Tiziana who also hasn't filmed. I did not really understand her story. I know it has to do something with a baker. She was telling us she wanted to film at a gas station so we were just teaching her how to get the permissions to film on private property!

That's all for now blog, see you soon!!

 

Researching for question 1 (CCR)

Hi blogggg :))

This whole CCR thing has me confused. I was absent while the teacher gave the lesson (I was competing at STN!! Which btw was a great success I placed first in both of my categories!!) so I had to call my group and ask them to explain. I have an overall idea now but wow the CCR is more work than I thought it would be... I mean yes this is an AICE class so it makes sense but I've never done a project like this before (not complaining though I much rather do that than write 900 words in an hour).

Question #1: How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues? 

Okay so we want to challenge the gender roles. Most of the time mass serial killers are male, and the victims female. We want to switch it around. The female is the killer. We want to flip the typical "male killer, female victim" trope. This immediately grabs the attention of our viewers and makes them question their expectations. In a way we are saying "women can be complex and dangerous too," which is something we don't always see in the media. By making the killer a woman, we directly challenge stereotypes about women being "passive" or always the victims. This is a way to break down outdated ideas about what men and women are supposed to be like.

Here are some websites that were useful while developing this blog post: 

Nash, Joy. “Gender Roles in Modern Society.” One World Education, One World Education, 2016, www.oneworldeducation.org/our-students-writing/gender-roles-in-modern-society/.

Tutella, Francisco. ““Just as Deadly”: Inside the Mind of a Female Serial Killer | Penn State University.” Psu.edu, 2023, www.psu.edu/news/research/story/just-deadly-inside-mind-female-serial-killer.

Color grading

 We want to color grade some scenes to make everything more cohesive. We aren't that good at color grading so we were looking at some tutorials. Here is all the important info I gathered and will be incorporating into a couple of scenes. 

First: 

The basic color correction panel is in my opinion the easiest and most efficient. It is especially useful to make overall adjustments to the color of the footage. For example fixing exposure issues, fixing white balance, and the overall look of the color. I would definitely use this on the parts of the opening with the red light "flashback". I want to make sure the other details are more sharp as the red light kind of swallowed everything.

Second: 

The hue saturation curves. This is always a need no matter what kind of project I'm working on. I can pin point specific colors to make them more or less saturated. You can use it to change the color of objects or skin tones. So, the chicken looked a little dark in the raw footage and I want to correct the color a bit to make it look more like food. So i would use the hue vs sat to do that

Line Edit

 

Progress!! We finished our line edit on Adobe Premier Pro which is our chosen editing platform. We sorted through all of our footage (as you can see it is in the bin on the lower left hand corner), and chose the best takes. Then we put it im chronological order. Now all we have to do it cut everything down so that it fits the requirements. 

BTS

Hey Blog!!

Filming is officially over!! Here are some behind the scenes images from all of filming :) Overall it was super fun and I'm so happy I was able to work with Juan and Bella!!

We had to do so many takes of this scene because it is very hard to set a vinyl down on the record player on your first try.

Doing some wide shots of Bella lighting the candles. Here you can really see her full outfit (shoes, dress, hair)

Some handhelds, peep the "bloody" trash can in the back. 

The Publix rotisserie chicken in action. 

Production: the dinner

Hi blog!! 

By far the hardest parts to film of the opening were the dinner set up scenes. Not because of what we were filming but how we wanted it to be filmed. We wanted to go step by step: plate, napkin, silverware etc. But a single wide with cuts would be too boring. So, in order to have flexibility during post, we had Bella (Elana) repeat the process 3 times. Once for wide, the second time for closeups, and third for a high angle. This took very very veryyy long but I know it will be useful for the post production editing process.