New Year Eve and being behind schedule

New filming dates and plans

Christmas update

COVID19 CORRUPTION

    Filming was initially supposed to be one week away. Unfortunately, my main actress who will be playing Morgan, Paola D has family members who have tested positive for COVID-19, as if nothing could go wrong, here we are. I do have my best friend, Yazmin V who can work as a substitute however she’s currently not available. After the last couple of days I did go in and make some changes to the script. I do want my actors to improvise a bit to make the scene feel more realistic but I do need the script to be well written in order for the cast to get an idea of how I want them to play and act out certain situations. Improvising can lead to some amazing scenes and hopefully, that’s what we will end up getting at the end of filming. 
    As of now I will be filming solely on my phone so it’s gonna be difficult but I think I’ll be able to snag a couple more phones and film different angels at the same time without anything interfering. This will make the film look much more put together and cohesive which is exactly what I want. Now that my lead can’t film anymore, I need to contact a substitute and Change dates again, I have to make sure everyone is taking safety precautions and following the CDCs guidelines. It’s unfortunate that Covid is postponing our filming, it will set me back a lot but I can’t have anyone coming to film at my home while experiencing any type of symptoms or being in contact with anyone who has experienced something. 

Location confirmation & final plans

                           12/22/20 (Sunday preparation day, script overview on zoom)

On December 22nd the whole cast should be emailed the script and ready to do a table read on a live zoom call conference, everyone should be in attendance at their home.

                                12/23/20 (Wednesday, My house) filming from 2:00 to 6:30 p.m.

On December 23rd we are going to be filming the main scenes of importance, the interrogation scene will be filmed at this time so Paola and Jefferey will be at my house.

12/27/20(Sunday, My house) Going to film here most likely for the first scene from 3:00 to 6:30

on December 27th Jonathan and kyarah(kiki, my little cousin), need to shoot the flashback scenes.

12/28/20 (monday in the car and at the parking lot) Everyone should be free this day from 2:00-6:30

On December 28th Paola and Kyarah, film the morgan and young morgan scene together.

12/29/20(Sunday re-shoots 1:00-7:30) 

On December 29th, according to how certain scenes look, I'll decide what needs to be reshoot and who needs to come over. After the 29th everything should be good to go in terms of footage and I can begin the editing process.

Planning revise part 2

This is the second segment to the first planning blog, the prior blog. So I know beyond all doubt that a larger part of the shots will be recorded in my home, the "cross examination scene" will be recorded in my home in the lounge area, the lighting will be as diminish as could be expected under the circumstances while as yet having an adequate view regarding the matter so you can see them/it obviously. There will likewise be scenes in the kitchen where I need the lighting to strickly to be characteristic, the light will be coming from a side window in the kitchen that will ideally light the subject u however much as could reasonably be expected. 

There will be two or three scenes outside also. One in the front of my home, this scene will be shot around sunset so around six p.m to get a pleasant perspective on the sky while likewise getting great common lighting regarding the matters. There will be a scene on the most significant level of a parking structure, I need this scene to be shot during the evening time when the large splendid lights enlighten the parking garage, I accept will the lighting won't just will it carry an emotional tone to the storyline yet it will likewise assume a major job in changing the vibe of the film. I don't have a clue whether I need drug use to be in the film yet, I sense that I will join liquor into a portion of the scenes anyway I'ts clearly phony. The medication I would need to join into the film is cigarettes which in the event that I need it to be convincing, smoke needs to emerge from it, I am investigating purchasing channels and causing ones without tobacco or nicotine however I'll to need to perceive what I can do.

Planning revised part 1

So in order to pull off turning my vision for this short film into reality, we need to plan, again. I will be making this a two-part blog just because there's a lot that needs to be covered in the pre-production segment in order to get the ball rolling in the production field. So I know for a fact that a majority of the shots will be filmed in my house, the "interrogation scene" will be filmed in my house in the dining room, the lighting will be as dim as possible while still having a good enough view on the subject so that you can see them/it clearly. There will also be scenes in the kitchen where I want the lighting to strickly to be natural, the light will be coming from a side window in the kitchen that will hopefully light the subject u as much as possible. 

There will be a couple scenes outside as well. One in the front of my house, this scene will be shot around dusk so around six p.m in order to get a nice view of the sky while also getting good natural lighting on the subjects. There will be a scene on the highest level of a parking garage, I want this scene to be filmed during the night time when the big bright lights illuminate the parking lot, I believe will the lighting will not only will it bring a dramatic tone to the storyline but it will also play a big role in changing the ambiance of the film. I don't know if I want drug use to be in the film quite yet, I feel like I will be incorporating alcohol into some of the scenes however I'ts obviously fake. The drug I would want to incorporate into the film is cigarettes which if I want it to be believable, smoke needs to come out of it, I am looking into buying filters and making ones without tobacco or nicotine but I'll have to see what I can do.

Birthday and Filming

Today, December the 15th is my birthday. I'm sixteen now which is scary for numerous reasons. I'm getting closer to being an adult which is kind of gross but simultaneously exciting(mainly gross). It feels like times running down and before I know it i'll be off to college working towards a degree that may or may not pay of in the end.  It's terrifying but as of now I'm trying to remind myself that I am here right now, attending my second year of high school trying to push through the hardships of everything going on in the world while also trying to keep up and stay mentally stable which has possibly been the most difficult thing to do. When it comes to this class I've been trying to solidify a good schedule where filming won't be an issue. It's been tricky because while I have the vision on how I want this process to go and how I ultimately want the short film to look it's starting to feel like it cant be executed the way I want it to because of, drum roll please... Coronavirus.
It's been difficult with the holidays coming up as well because some people are having family from other countries coming and then having to quarantine to make sure they are COVID-free, I didn't anticipate this at all really. I thought the schedule I made prior was what was for the good of the good and would work but with all of these unexpected changes everything seems so blurry now. I have to find a way to make things crystal clear so that we can film!!! In the mean time here's my cake, Zeus is my nickname(long story).

Thanksgiving Update

 Music, 

 Social media and website 

Planning Missing Miles

Short Film vs. Feature Length Film

     It's time to compare the short film and the feature film now that I've seen them. One of the most notable differences was that the short film lacked dialogue, while the feature film did. The divergence in dialogue, on the other hand, allowed both plots to flourish in their own distinct ways. They have the same narrative qualities now, but the full length version was able to fill it out further. Due to the length of the film, it was possible to provide a backstory and expand the plot in new ways. We were also able to see all of the rag dolls in the full-length film, while we were only able to see two of them in the short film. The full-length version had the benefit of fleshing out 9's character while also allowing new characters to be introduced into the expanding universe. Despite the fact that the full-length film had more plot possibilities, the director's choices in both films played well for their strengths. Since the short film was just 7 minutes long, they were able to get right to the point and share their thoughts, while the full-length film had to try to fit new ideas into an hour. 9 was the main character in both films.

        9 is the central figure in both films from the start. They both have flashback scenes that give the viewer more details about the plots. Given that both stories involved the spirits of dead rag dolls, the endings were also remarkably similar. All of the other rag dolls die in the short film, but all nine, seven, three, and four rag dolls live in the full length film. In the end, I think the full-length version was my favorite. That's not to say the short film wasn't entertaining, however I found the full length movie to be much more interesting. I liked how much scratcher growth was incorporated into the full length. I felt like I could relate to not only 9 but all the other supporting characters because they were all so well-detailed. I also enjoyed learning more about how the rag dolls and machines were made. Overall, both films were entertaining and told their stories beautifully in their own distinct ways.

Research 9, the feature film

    After seeing the short film, I've finished watching the entire feature film! The full length version delves much further into the story. It had the same ideals as the first, namely, surviving in a post-apocalyptic world against the robots, but it was more detailed. The main character, 9, remained the same, but the audience was now able to see him develop as a person. 9 begins as a timid newcomer who has no idea what lies ahead, but by the end, he has developed into a brave hero ready to do whatever it takes. Now that he had a lot of time, the director was able to really advance his career. He was also able to create new rag dolls that we had never seen before.We learned more about 5 and met the other rag dolls, but 7,5, and 1 were the main supporting characters. 1 has his own storyline in which he appears to be a stubborn old man at first, but in the end, he sacrifices himself for the common good. There's still a lot of world building and new environments to see.

    The first film's machine reappears as an antagonist, but this time as a far smaller foe who leads to a much more dangerous threat. Now there is dialogue that both advances the plot and adds to it. There was more time to justify why things are the way they are with an hour of running time instead of seven minutes. The audience now knows how the world has become post-apocalyptic, and that the rag dolls represent the spirit of the main scientist. Because of the longer runtime, the plot was able to grow more fully. In terms of animation and special effects, it works much better here.The character designs seem to have improved significantly. For instance, green light effects are done much more cleanly here. While the devices remain frightening, each rag doll has a distinct design that separates it from the others. In general, the feature film was well worth watching.

     

Research 9, the short

 I've come to some conclusions about a couple of topics after watching the seven-minute short film, but I still have a lot of questions. Let's discuss the location of the short film. The film is set in a post-apocalyptic future where there is no sign of existence except for nine ragdolls that hold actual souls. Each ragdoll has a tag, which I discovered later in the film but will discuss when we arrive. The 9 ragdolls aren't the only survivors on the ruined planet; there's even a machine cat-like monster that tries to kill them all for unknown reasons, but the creature was present for the majority of the film. The soul-snatching machine cat-like beast kills 9's comrade in front of his eyes throughout the film. Then he tries in vain to catch the beast in a cage, but it is eventually killed. In the movie, a green blinking portal-like entity appears and disappears at random. The film's intent and use of the portal-like object is very cool at the end. It opens a doorway when merged with the creature's eye, allowing the dead ragdolls, all of whom have numbers, 9's friends and family to finally be set free.

    As a result, I realized that every single ragdoll has a number as a name. I thought the lack of dialogue in the film was fascinating and very cool. It did, though, make it somewhat strange in terms of how I was expected to completely comprehend the storyline and acts taken in, but I also grasped a significant portion of the plot. I was also struck by 9's growth as a character. I thought he was very stupid at first, but as the movie progressed, he used fast and powerful thinking skills to eventually destroy the monster. I also noticed the directorial style and how it tangled into the ending of the film which was brilliant. I would probably give this film a six out of ten. I rate it a six just because I don't understand everything such as the origin of the ragdolls, how earth became apocalyptic, or how the creatures began to exist but I still thoroughly enjoyed this film. Even though I tend to love short films just because of the short time it takes to watch one, this one was very well rounded.
    I was also struck by the director's composition and how it intertwined with the film's brilliant conclusion. This film is potentially a six out of ten for me. I gave it a six because I didn't get anything, such as how the ragdolls came to be, how the world turned dystopian, or how the beasts came to be, but I also had a great time watching it. About the fact that I prefer short films due to the limited amount of time required to watch them, this one was very well-rounded. Now it's time to see if any of my questions have been answered by watching the whole movie! The director's composition, and how it combines with the film's incredible ending, really struck me. For me, this film has the potential to be a six out of ten. I gave it a six because I didn't understand how the ragdolls were created, how the future is dystopian, or how the beasts were created, but I enjoying watching it, and I typically don't watch short films because I feel like they're super fast in pace and typically never answer my questions and leave me wondering a lot of things but this film was different, it answered my questions and was again really enjoyable.

“Genre Choice for Film.”

Genre Choice for Film

Although thriller and psychological thriller are both really great in their own way, mystery fits the story more. The genre I am going to chose is mystery. Lets review what a mystery film is, a mystery film is a genre of film that spins around the arrangement of an issue or a wrongdoing. It centers around the endeavors of the criminologist, private examiner or novice detective to comprehend the baffling conditions of an issue by methods for hints, examination, and cunning derivation. The plot regularly fixates on the deductive capacity, ability, certainty, or determination of the analyst as they endeavor to unwind the wrongdoing or circumstance by sorting out signs and conditions, looking for proof, grilling observers, and finding a crook. Tension is regularly kept up as a significant plot component. This should be possible using the soundtrack, camera points, substantial shadows, and astonishing unexpected developments. Alfred Hitchcock utilized these procedures, yet would at times permit the crowd in on a forthcoming danger at that point draw out the second for sensational impact. 

This genre has gone from early mystery stories, anecdotal or abstract criminologist stories, to exemplary Hitchcockian anticipation spine chillers to an exemplary investigator for hire films. A connected film subgenre is spy films. Definition and qualities Mystery films fundamentally center around tackling wrongdoing or a riddle. The mystery by and large spins around a homicide which should then be comprehended by police officers, investigators for hire, or novice detectives. The watcher is given a progression of likely suspects, some of whom are "distractions," - people who have the rationale to perpetuate the wrongdoing yet didn't really do it-, and endeavors to unravel the riddle alongside the examiner. On occasion, the watcher is given data not accessible to the principal character. The focal character normally investigates the unsolved wrongdoing, exposes the culprit, and stops the impacts of the villainy. The fruitful mystery film clings to one of two story types, known as Open and Closed. The Closed mystery disguises the personality of the culprit until late in the story, including a component of tension during the misgiving of the suspect, as the crowd is never entirely sure what it's identity is. The Open mystery, interestingly, uncovers the character of the culprit at the head of the story, displaying the "immaculate wrongdoing" which the crowd at that point watches the hero disentangle, typically at the finish of the story, likened to the divulging scenes in the Closed style. 

“Genres I Would Like to Research.”

Genres I would like to Research

Before I get into the pre-production process of the film I have to select the film genre. Although there are tons of genres and sub-genres we could research. There are three genres I am going to research.  I will be doing a brief introduction of each below, make separate blogs for each one, and then ultimately decide which genre I will pick. Now let's get into a short introduction for each genre, shall we? The first genre I'd like to research would be thriller. Thrillers are known for being dark, engrossing, and having a suspenseful plot-driven story. I feel as though the storyline I am going with does have a thriller aspect to it, that's why it is an option. Thrillers can range in plot but keep people on their toes, grasping their attention,  and keeping it for themselves.

 I would like to research thrillers because Boon-Joon Ho's Parasite is a thriller and even though my film won't be similar to that movie, thrillers can have different sub-genres but grasp you in such a way where you can't stop watching. The second option is psychological thriller. Psychological thriller is the genre for my two-minute intro last year called "5:05". Psychological thrillers take you further into the character's emotional and mental state which is critical while still having a suspenseful aspect to it. Due to already working a bit on a psychological thriller, I feel like I could make this film even better and really get into the character's mental state even more. I would like to research this genre because psychological thrillers really do gain an audience's attention in such a unique way. Working on a film with a heavy psychological foundation would be really fun. The third option is Mystery. Mystery is "a type of fiction in which a detective, or other professional, solves a crime or series of crimes". Although I initially didn't plan on researching or considering mystery, I really want to research it. The reason I want to research this genre is because the storyline revolves around the missing of the main character's father so obviously trying to investigate the possible crime is mysterious. I feel as though it will be extremely challenging but really fun to execute.

Genre Research- Mystery

Mystery

According to masterclass.com "The mystery genre is a genre of fiction that follows a crime (like a murder or a disappearance) from the moment it is committed to the moment it is solved."

CLAPS- Costume Lighting Actors Props Setting

Mystery films

• Costumes in mystery movies are usually dark and contain mute colors, dresses are usually distressed. Both genders typically wear mute colors and black, similar to psychological thrillers.
• Lighting similar to thrillers, typically dark or not very saturated, I think this is because the movies want to pay close attention to detail on the storyline rather than something beautiful or pretty. 
• Acting in mystery films tends to seem extremely real which of course, is incredibly important, seriousness and aggression is something I love seeing in .
• Props in mystery films sometimes have an important back story. Props vary but most are weapons, drugs, and technology like phones.
• The setting is usually based in homes,  rural areas, and commonly involve therapy type settings. The protagonist is usually having to deal with an issue or find a way out much like thrillers.

CAMS- Camera Angle Movement Sound

CAMS
(Similar to thriller)

• Common angles in Mystery films are, medium close ups, over the shoulder shots, close up shots usually on the actor's face or important props, full body shot, long shots, low angle shots.
• Common camera movement tracking shots, panning shots, rack focus, and zoom in.
• Common sound in mystery; mystery tends to have a lot of dialogue, with not as many pauses or eerie moments. We don't hear much music playing from scene to scene unless it's in a prominent location that builds the plot and storyline. 

Vivarium. Shutter Island, and The Nice Guys are all mystery films that go about mystery in a different and interesting way, for example while Vivarium is more serious, frightening, and thrilling, The Nice guys is funny, action pact, and light hearted.

    

Genre Research- Psychological thriller

 

Psychological-thriller

Psychological Thriller films

• Costumes in psychological-thriller movies are usually dark and contain mute colors, dresses are usually distressed. Both genders typically wear mute colors and black.
• Lighting is similar to thrillers. 
• Acting in psychological-thriller films is typically raw and is usually the make or break of the movie. Its what tangles all the convections together so expression is crucial.
• Props in psychological-thriller films sometimes have an important back story. Props vary but most are weapons, drugs, and technology like phones.
• The setting is usually based in homes,  rural areas, and commonly involve therapy type settings. The protagonist is usually having to deal with an issue or find a way out much like thrillers.

CAMS
(same as thiller)

• Common angles can be birds eye, close up shots usually on the actor's face or important props, extreme long shots, low angle shots, point of view, and over the shoulder.
• Common camera movement tracking shots, panning shots, dutch, handheld, rack focus, and zoom.
• Common sound is typically dark and eerie. Music starts off at a slow pace and speeds up at certain times to build suspense reaching the climax of the situation or film as a whole. Sound bridges are constantly used along with the non-diegetic sound.        

                         

Genre Research – Thriller

Thriller

Thriller is a genre of film that "primary feature is that it induces strong feelings of excitement, anxiety, tension, suspense, fear, and other similar emotions in its readers or viewers—in other words, media that thrills the audience". A lot of the elements in thriller movies revolve around the Claps. 

CLAPS- Costume Lighting Actors Props Setting

CLAMPS

• Costumes in thrillers can range in color due to the range of plots that fall under the genre, I typically associate thrillers with suits and deeper/ darker colors. Some common colors would be red, black, grey, and dark blue.
• Lighting in thrillers is one of the main conventions because lighting allows the audience to feel suspense and tension throughout the movie. Movies like split use dim, minimal lighting to engage the audience and keep them on their toes at all times.
• Acting in thrillers is super important when it comes to dialogue it's not as critical but when we talk about emotion, you have to be able to read the actor's emotions whether they're scared, sad, or happy. Elements like lighting and music build suspense the role an actor plays is to relate with the audience so expression is crucial.
• Props in thrillers sometimes have an important back story. Props like guns can have an important reason for being used or involved. Also things like knives, a dripping water tap, and blood are heavily used. Especially blood, most thrillers usually involve death, and typically when someones being murdered, blood is everywhere.
• The setting is pretty basic in thrillers, the suburbs, houses, rural areas, even basements. The protagonist is usually having to deal with an issue or find a way out of it so like an escape, solve a mystery, or finish a mission.

CAMS- Camera Angle Movement Sound

CAMS 

• Common angles in thrillers can be birds eye, close up shots usually on the actor's face or important props, extreme long shots, low angle shots, point of view, and over the shoulder.
• Common camera movement tracking shots, panning shots, dutch, handheld, rack focus, and zoom.
• Common sound is typically dark and eerie. Music starts off at a slow pace and speeds up at certain times to build suspense reaching the climax of the situation or film as a whole. Sound bridges are constantly used along with the non-diegetic sound.

Final task pitch

After the strange disappearance of Morgans's father, will her and the police be able to figure out his whereabouts and find her peace?

My Group this year

MY GROUP THIS YEAR

Starting off the Short film, I first have to pick or assemble a group. This year's final task will be a lot like the one last year in terms of working alone. Last year I was excited I had full creative control but this year it's different. I'm still glad that I have all the control however I am a bit sad I am working alone. I wish I had a group of people to work on this with. It's hard with not knowing anyone in my class this year and not being able to communicate with anyone in person. I don't know any of the A level kids because all my friends from AS either didn't make it into A level or just wanted a change so I am left to work on this alone. That being said I can say I will definitely be assembling a cast. Last year it was just my mom and I but this year I'm aiming more towards working behind the screen rather than in front of it.  I want a cast of at least five people that will remember their lines. Hopefully the actings great but as long as the script is well rounded and the shots are great, I think I can work with some bad acting. 

I already have some of the cast in mind, actually. I will most likely have my main character be the voice actor of last year's final task. She really wanted to be in one of my projects and I think she'll do good in this so I'm so excited about that. I want my five-year-old cousin to be in this because I think that'll be really fun plus she fake cries all the time so I believe she'll be a good addition. I also have a friend in mind for two roles actually and I think he'll be amazing at that. But I also have a lot of backup plans in the works so that if certain people don't want to be in it then I can use special effects and wide-angle shots of me dressed up a certain way or in a certain position to portray someone else and get my message across. My best friend Yazmin is really good at special effects makeup and it's not very cost-effective. I think and hope that this will be as professional as possible. I don't have the entire plot and storyline figured out the but everything will be sorted out in due time. As of now, all I really know is I'm working by myself on this. I'm nervous about due dates and everything getting done on time because it's just me, if I was working with three other people it wouldn't be as hard but EVERYTHING WILL GET DONE. 

Welcome Back

 Hello again, Its been quite some time. This summer has been extremely odd. What was supposed to be a trip to Puerto Rico turned into staying home with nothing to do. With everything closed and worrying about my grandparent's and parents health I didn't hang out with too many people this summer. The only person I did hang out with was my best friend and I saw her maybe once a month. COVID-19 not only ruined my summer just like many others but is also ruining my high school education and experience. With everything transferring into virtual learning there have been pros and cons. The great thing about virtual learning is being able to sleep or take naps when needed and leave class early to do other things. However In my personal opinion the bad out ways the good. I've found it hard to stay interested in class. I feel as though not only have I not learned anything but I'm not motivated once so ever which says a lot because I'm one to always stay on top of my grades. I also haven't had very much human interaction in a while and I was looking forward to school because of that but keeping people safe is much more important. The biggest pro of this year would be A level Media Studies. I am back for another year of trying to bring some visual art for everyone. As you know from last year I did a two minute introduction to a film but this year it'll be a full short film which makes me extremely excited but also quite nervous. It'll be a huge challenge and take a lot of time to finalize but I know this year in Media Studies will be fun and worthwhile. I'm excited to see my progress through the full two years. I also can't wait to get started on working on projects and editing, I can only hope you'll enjoy what I create. I have to get to brainstorming, See you all soon!

AUDIENCE AND INSTITUTIONS ESSAY

AICE COMPOSITION 2 ESSAY

CONCLUDING MEDIA STUDIES

Concluding Media Studies

So we've been through a lot this year and by "we've" I mean you and I. You've seen my commercial, music video, and final task. You've seen research I've done in the past and title sequence deconstruction and now media studies is coming to a close. I hope you've enjoyed observing my progress and projects I've created. Media Studies definitely solidified my love for creating film and media in general. I definitely envision myself majoring in film production when I go off to college. The entertainment industry is so interesting and I want to learn so much more. I hope next year I can be in A level Media Studies but only time will tell. I loved this class, genuinely I met some amazing people and usually in high school you learn a lot and take a lot of classes you don't necessarily feel like are useful or you won't use in life. But when it comes to media studies I felt like this was a class I HAD to take and I don't regret it at all. I look forward to blogging more when/ if I am in A level. I must go now but I'll leave you with some bloopers and pictures I love.

BEHIND THE SCENES OF CCR

Behind The Scenes of CCR 

The CCR, creative critical reflection took a very, very, veryyyy long time to edit. I had to first crop both segments of footage then crop them. I had to make sure the audio didn't overlap so it wouldn't be too much noise from the corresponding person who isn't talking. I had to change outfits so it wouldn't look like they're the same people. I didn't want my effort to go unannounced and I wanted to look different for both the host and "me" so I also changed the way my hair was because obviously my hair is two different colors and it's split through the middle, as if I don't look like a crazy person already. I had to make it seem as if the host was only blonde which actually worked out well. Besides appearance I also changed the seats as well so the "set" didn't look too similar. I had a lot of jump cuts sadly but I think the end product wasn't absolutely terrible. The main issue with editing was trying my best to have everything aligned as much as possible in the background but I tried. Anywho here are some behind the scene shots.

CREATIVE CRITICAL REFLECTION QUESTIONS

CREATIVE CRITICAL REFLECTION QUESTIONS

So this is my third and final time doing creative critical questions. This time it wasn't as easy. A lot of editing went into account this time. It was really fun and challenging having an interview on a "podcast" with myself. The main issue was trying to make the background align and you can see how the change in shots and questions causes me to have to change the alignment but I do think overall it was really cool. Very stressful at times but it was funny seeing two of me in one frame. I answered all four questions. I also inserted a scene from the movie and the music as well. I did want it to be unscripted so I wouldn't be looking on top of the camera or reading the whole time. I wanted it to feel real and look real at the same time. I did have to do a lot of jump cuts but I do believe it didn't change the quality too much. I do wish corona wasn't happening, I would've had my best friend interviewing me and she could've drawn up a logo screen for the beginning of the interview but we must stay home and social distance ourselves for the people we love and the better of the world. Enough ranting here is the creative critical reflection questions interview BE SURE TO CHANGE QUALITY TO 1080 HD, for some reason the quality has gotten really poor when I posted them regardless, enjoy.

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MY PROGRESS: FINAL TASK

5:05

This whole year has mainly been based on one thing, the final task. My movie 5:05 has been planned, drawn, filmed, edited, and now is ready for your viewing consumption. Its been a hard and long journey to get here but I have grown to love cameras and editing. Media Studies as a whole has solidified my appreciation for film and encourage me to push my boundaries in terms of fulfilling and executing my vision. Although there was a lot of altercations with the audio and lighting, I hope you enjoy. Its 2 minutes and 9 seconds and starts off with the music and announcer talking about the recent deaths that have happened. While that is happening you can see Z after killing her simulator, the weapons used, and her link board/planning board. I hope you can somewhat go into the mind of "Z" and feel on edge. I hope you can gravitate towards this psychological thriller and take it all in. Without further ado I present to you, 5:05.

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MY PROGRESS: MUSIC VIDEO...

Music Video
The second project we worked on was kind of our midterm grade. It was a music video that I also worked on with Lucas. The main difference between the commercial and music video is that this time our project was the complete opposite in quality. It was extremely bad. We kept trying to schedule a day to film but we never could. Plus while all of this was happening it was the end of November close to thanksgiving and I spent it in Jupiter, Florida for a week. So I had to film scenes on the ride to and from Jupiter. and by the time we got back it had to be due. We used the song "Day n' Night" by Kid Cudi which Lucas picked. Looking back I wanted it to look like 5:05 or at least have some the same theme as the final task. I also regret choosing a song like this due to the fact it's extremely repetitive. We should've gone for a romantic music video with a romantic song and work with that but this definitely taught me much more than the other projects. It taught me to be more realistic in terms of being able to execute certain shots and to MAKE A SCHEDULEEEE. This was a bunch of chaotic of footage I tried to create LAST MINUTE. It WAS definitely not ideal but I tried to save it as much as possible.

MY PROGRESS: COMMERCIAL

COMMERCIAL

 To start off let’s discuss my progress throughout media studies. 

Our first big project was of course the commercial. I worked with my classmate Lucas for this project. We worked EXTREMELY well on this although we didn't follow absolutely everything on the storyboard we have a majority of the shots we wanted to film in order and came up with some really good ones along the way for stock/ backup footage. We filmed a "VANS" commercial, Vans is a skating apparel brand and due to Lucas and I owning ALOT of Vans merchandise we can to the conclusion that It would be extremely cool to do a commercial like this one. The music was a remix of the song Pride by Kendrick Lamar and went really well in correspondence with the conventions most commercials like for Vans obtain. One of the conventions vans commercials have is a filter overlaying the commercial to highlight and contrast scenes to intrigue the targeted audience. So for the commercial I decided to add a filter from an app on my phone with a variety of filters to choose from I thought this would be the be one. My editing in this was honestly probably my favorite, its short and sweet but extremely rapid at the same time. I used jump cuts to correspond with the music which I thought provided a better appeal to the overall product which I think it did just right. If I ever do get into serious editing and film production I would definitely want to make projects like this rather then the music video and final task.                      
                   

Editing on time

So before peer editing I had to put something together for my classmate to grade. It wasn’t great but I got it done. The result was about fifty-five seconds long. It took about ten to fifteen minutes to edit. I put some of the clips together and just ended up with no non-diegetic sound. No one actually ended up peer editing me and so I ended up peer-reviewing myself. I needed to see what I was missing and what shots could flow better together. I had crazy by patsy cline as the music which I need to change due to how well known that song is even tho it truly is an amazing song I won’t be allowed to keep it. My title font wasn’t the one I want it to be I ended up using one called PingFangHK-thin which looks a little like Helvética but I can add my own font into my editing software but it’s a little difficult to do so I’ll have to work on that as soon as possible. For the most part I know how I want to edit to look but due to not having all the shots and required Camera movements, angles, and sound I will have to work harder to get everything done in a beautiful way so everything integrates together.

The weekend and Monday shoot

This weekend was unlike any other. It had its ups and downs, mostly downs but I got through it.
Friday and Saturday were rather horrible and embarrassing while Sunday was chill and easy but also kind of bad. On Sunday I went to a place called thrift con. Thrift con is a thrift convention held in Miami, Little Haiti to be exact. Thrift con wasn’t like a normal thrift store but just bigger which was what I expected but it was a selection of vendors and a lot of vintage cool and rare clothing.
Usually if you go thrifting a shirt would range from one to twelve dollars but at thrift con prices can range anywhere from five to three hundred dollars which is insane but the shirts were really nice.
And although the clothing was really sick the people were even better, everyone wore vintage kinda outfits it was really refreshing to see. They were all super nice and helpful but also down to earth.
This was the first thrift con I’ve been to and apparently, it's annual so I am certainly going next year as well and dressed better too I wore really basic clothes Sunday and I kinda felt stupid in a way but I had fun. The only downfall was I spent twenty dollars on pants that don’t fit and I also lost twenty as well while Christina and Paola got clothes they actually really like and met people they like so kinda sucks. Monday we shot a little bit it wasn’t much of a big deal only because we filmed a tiny bit of shots that we had not filmed prior to it so it was really easy and an overall lowkey and chill day.

(Screenshot of thrift cons Instagram post, we are seen shopping)

Peer editing

Peer Editing

On Tuesday we peer edited. And when I say ‘we’ i mean my classmates and I. I was supposed to be graded by a team of three but I think they were all absent. I peer-edited Kol and Julia who did a burglary film with a comedy genre. The film was really funny and cringe at the same time. They didn’t do some of the shots and angles they needed to but it was still a gem to watch. They filmed most of their shots outside but still managed to have pretty good lighting. The only big factor that would need to change is the sound quality. They did have both non-diegetic and diegetic sound. The flaw in their sound quality was that due to filming outside there was some wind and you can certainly hear that in the film. I advised them to either do a voice-over or get a phone and do a voice recording or a video and extract the audio to then add it into the two minutes. Not sure what they’re going to end up doing but I do know that they appreciate the advice and will be editing that part soon. And all though it had some minor defects it was really funny. There was even a scene where the bulgar is approached by the homeowner's dog and falls back into the pool. The burglar was fully clothed and just got out and took a towel like nothing happened. I had a good laugh and you can certainly tell it’s a comedy so they worked in they’re genre well.

Filming at the house

Filming at the house

On Wednesday I worked a tad bit on the final task. 
We again mainly just played around and had fun. 
I recorded a lot of the beginning audio. Paola plays the announcer and basically sets the tone for the movie. Having absolute silence was critical but I couldn't expect too much because well, they're my friends and when we're together it's hard to be serious. Luckily we got the beginning audio out of the way. I was thinking of filming some shots but when you're with the people you love, you can tend to get distracted easily. My other friends didn’t help either but I tried not to get as mad because it’s not their fault. Our group as a whole is pretty silly so having them in the room with Paola and I when recording audio was probably not the best idea. For the remainder of hanging-out we did a lot. We played video games, went outside, and played basketball which I haven't done since seventh grade when I was extremely active. 

(Pic prior to filming)

Fun day without filming

FUN DAY WITH NO FILMING

So far I haven't filmed it.

Friday I sadly forgot to check out a camera.

 I also was able to stay after school and hang out with the cast.

 Luckily the voice of "announcer", Paola will be over to do some voice recordings and hang-out with me Wednesday. On Friday my friends Christina, Paola, and I went to go eat at this really good grilled cheese place nearby school. We ate there and then went to our other friend's house. Darrow wasn’t expecting us but we thought it would be funny to see his reaction plus he wasn't doing anything important so we dropped by. We had fun playing with his 150$ Star Wars light which was really fun and scary to play with. We played video games, I was much better than all the other girls but Darrow beat me by a little bit. We usually go outside but due to the cold, rainy weather we’ve been having lately we figured it would be best if we stayed inside. It's crazy to think south Florida has ugly, gloomy days but it does suck when there are days like this, especially when you actually have plans. Anyways After about an hour and a half we left to go to Christina’s house which is about ten minutes away. Then we filmed a funny video and talked about school and life, doing high-schooler things. My friendship with Christina isn’t super new but we haven’t gotten to that level of comfortability yet that most close friends have so all our conversations are fairly new and not as repetitive as my conversations with Paola since we are much closer. I got picked up by my sister about twenty-five minutes after getting to Christina’s house and got home safe. The whole day was really fun even though I didn't film, Wednesday with Paola will be great. 

  

Planning Blog: Storyboard

STORYBOARD

Its time to add a visual to the script. So with that being said I have to make another storyboard. The storyboard allows me to draw out each scene to get an idea of what the film will look like when completed. This is the third storyboard I've made and I think it's safe to say my drawings have gotten the slightest bit better. Although this intro will certainly much more different from the other two. Now I am adding inserts, adding more titles, and needing to make smoother transitions. I have ten scenes drawn out in the slide show. The editing for this is especially important, I have to ensure that all the shots correlate to make a steady flow and enjoyable intro. The storyboard includes a multitude of shots. Shots like medium angles, close up, and over the shoulder, shots are featured in the movie. As well as panoramic, tilt, and tracking shot movements. The titles will also appear on the screen at the same time as the movements and angles are on the screen. This time around I have action-match shot, eye line shots, and even point of view shots.   

Planning blog: Location, Participants, Health, Schedule

Planning blog: 

Location, Participants, Health, Schedule

Now let's discuss some really important factors in preparing and planning the intro. The most important being health. 
I want to ensure safety is the primary focal point. 
I don't want any of my cast members to be in danger at any time so staying healthy and safe is paramount. For example knife's will be handled by an adult, more information about that in the slides. The participants refer to my cast. The cast contains two people. A LOT of my other friends aren't available so my cast is VERY SMALL.
 The main character "Z" will be played by Alanys D, "Announcer" will be Paola D. The Locations will mainly be at my house. The schedule will be primarily based on how the cast schedule is. I made it so it'll be flexible and they're personal life won't get affected too much. I also set dates for re-shoots. Everything is stated on the slides below. 

Planning Blog: Shooting Script

              Planning Blog: Shooting Script

Now its time to complete the shooting script. The dialogue script while very important contains the dialogue and sound in the shots but the shooting script is equally if not more important then the dialogue script. The shooting script discusses what is being shot, what angles and movements are being executed and some of the editing that will be done. There is eleven scenes in total. Ultimately ending after a conversation with Lilian. Some of the shots that are going to be done are medium shots, medium close-up, wide angle, low angle and birds eye view. The main shot used is medium. I will also doing a over the shoulder and shot reverse shot. I wrote some of the editing I will embark on as well to make the editing process faster and easier so I can finish everything and complete it the way I envisioned. Making both scripts actually have made me eager to begin filming and if you'd like to check the shooting script out it is down below.    

Planning Blog : Sound Script (sounds and dialogue)

     Planning Blog: Sound Script (sounds and dialogue)

To begin the planning process we first have to come up with a script. The script will contain all types of audio used through out this blog. I haven't chose the song I will be using yet but it will be playing of a majority of the two minutes. The first scenes dialougue will last about thirty to fifty  seconds.  The first scene will contain audio from an old radio playing and the volume of the radio will lower when Z begins to talk. I want the transition of audio volume to go unannounced so that the audience isn't confused as to whats happening as much because they will be able to hear whats happening and Zs voice at the same time. Important details the announcer says will be higher in volume but once Z starts talking again it wont be as loud.  Zs voice will continue to be the same through out because i want it to seem as if its a one on one conversation of you entering her mind. The sound is then mainly the same for the remainder of the film containing music, Z's voice and some noise when Z is in the bathroom.