Click HERE FOR CCR
Friday, April 17, 2020
CCR Time
I feel like out of this entire project, the CCR took the longest but here it is!!! A bitter sweet moment.
Sunday, April 12, 2020
Finally... My Film Opening
Here is my film opening, I hope you enjoy it! :)
Click here if the video does not open!- Always need a back up just in case.
Saturday, April 11, 2020
Project Reflection
Over the course of the two months of planning, preparing and executing my film opening, there were multiple changes I needed to make throughout. Before being able to decide on what I wanted to do, I watched gosh knows how many different adventure film openings on Netflix and YouTube. Once I had, I wrote the generally idea of what I wanted. As shown in my earlier blog posts, I had created a story board for my original plan which was a combination of introducing the problem and conflict. Of course, I was trying to fit too much information into a two minute film opening which I realized later on. It took me a while to realize as well as it took me a while to think of a new idea. But this is why I changed the opening but kept the idea of the crime scene case. I chose to focus more on the case: the introduction of the conflict. Developing the case as well as implying that someone in the FBI agency was part of the murder of Agent Jackson by the shredding of a report meant to be in the case file.
From the beginning though, I wanted to keep the shots including people minimal. This was because in class our teacher showed us the Seven Film Opening which expressed that idea, which I had liked. Also, I wanted to keep dialogue minimum to none to allow the shots and music to enhance the suspenseful tone. In the shots, I tried to amplify this feeling with the use of green tones and low key lighting. I originally was going to film and not star in the film but due to the Corona Virus, I had no other option. I was able to use makeup to make my face slightly older as well as had my brother film some scenes. The second part of the filming (the shots including me) were the toughest to film. I had to film late at night because there was too much outside light seeping in through the window which I payed for dearly at the end because I filmed for a good three hours and was exhausted. I filmed each scene multiple times because it did not fit the idea I wanted but before asking my brother to film, I tried to stack different things in my room to film so it would be steady which did not entirely work. I had to inevitably ask my brother for help but couldn't keep him too long because he was tired so the last few scenes with me in them, I needed to make a stand. If course it didn't stay up right and I had to film that scene a million times as well as I was not fully satisfied with my acting. I could not do the close up of the shocked face because of the stand problem and my family was all asleep by this time so I stuck with the long shot instead. This still intrigues the audience implying something is shocking and later showing what was wrong. In the end, I got what I needed and worked with what I was able to film. Luckily, I was able to film the first part of my film at my mom's office before we were in quarantine. Unfortunately, I had not previewed all the clips in great detail (which is ironic because I am a perfectionist) before I left which is why some of the clips are shaky. Sadly, I was unable to re-film them though because of the quarantine.
Although the editing took quiet a while because I went through every video I filmed, I enjoyed this process the most. I got to test out different clips in different locations but I ended up sticking with the original idea which I had placed in my story board. I was also able to test different music from PurplePlant which was interesting but only one the sounds fit the suspenseful tone I wanted. The process was enjoyable for the most part. Towards the end, it was frustrating noting that I had seen it a million times but something seemed off that I couldn't point out. I asked some of my family and close friends who gave me recommendations. Even after taking their opinions and editing the clips, something was still off but I realized the music was slightly off and the color in one of the clips was slightly off pacing which was what was bothering me.
The making of the props took super long because I wanted it to be just right. The folder did not take too long but the bulletin board took the longest. This was mainly because I did not know what I entirely wanted to place on it even after researching and looking to other boards for reference. I postponed it for the longest time but once I sat down and got the photos, newspapers, post-its notes and evidence bags and started placing them on the bulletin board, everything began to form together properly. After that, I was able to film the second part of my film opening.
I am overall satisfied with the outcome of my film opening even with the inconveniences. I believe I was able to use my new knowledge of shots, composition, lighting and sound throughout the project and learned through other projects such as our soundscape project and music video project how to utilize these elements better which made it slightly easier to do with this because I was more comfortable with executing what I learned. I know pacing is very important and believe that the pacing of my opening is sufficient because each clip is not too long nor too short.
I learned so much such as the importance of having an idea planned out a head of time and stick to a timed schedule to work on it. I delayed the second part longer than necessary to film which slightly stressed me out. If I had started my filming on the first part earlier, I may have been able to redo some of the clips I wanted. I also learned that outside opinions are necessary and helpful because what I may think looks good, may not seem the same to others. i learned that it is important to ask for help ahead of time instead of maybe bombarding people, like I did, especially before they go to sleep. Lastly, I learned the importance of each process in developing a film and have grown to have a new respect for the behind the scenes people in the film world.
From the beginning though, I wanted to keep the shots including people minimal. This was because in class our teacher showed us the Seven Film Opening which expressed that idea, which I had liked. Also, I wanted to keep dialogue minimum to none to allow the shots and music to enhance the suspenseful tone. In the shots, I tried to amplify this feeling with the use of green tones and low key lighting. I originally was going to film and not star in the film but due to the Corona Virus, I had no other option. I was able to use makeup to make my face slightly older as well as had my brother film some scenes. The second part of the filming (the shots including me) were the toughest to film. I had to film late at night because there was too much outside light seeping in through the window which I payed for dearly at the end because I filmed for a good three hours and was exhausted. I filmed each scene multiple times because it did not fit the idea I wanted but before asking my brother to film, I tried to stack different things in my room to film so it would be steady which did not entirely work. I had to inevitably ask my brother for help but couldn't keep him too long because he was tired so the last few scenes with me in them, I needed to make a stand. If course it didn't stay up right and I had to film that scene a million times as well as I was not fully satisfied with my acting. I could not do the close up of the shocked face because of the stand problem and my family was all asleep by this time so I stuck with the long shot instead. This still intrigues the audience implying something is shocking and later showing what was wrong. In the end, I got what I needed and worked with what I was able to film. Luckily, I was able to film the first part of my film at my mom's office before we were in quarantine. Unfortunately, I had not previewed all the clips in great detail (which is ironic because I am a perfectionist) before I left which is why some of the clips are shaky. Sadly, I was unable to re-film them though because of the quarantine.
Although the editing took quiet a while because I went through every video I filmed, I enjoyed this process the most. I got to test out different clips in different locations but I ended up sticking with the original idea which I had placed in my story board. I was also able to test different music from PurplePlant which was interesting but only one the sounds fit the suspenseful tone I wanted. The process was enjoyable for the most part. Towards the end, it was frustrating noting that I had seen it a million times but something seemed off that I couldn't point out. I asked some of my family and close friends who gave me recommendations. Even after taking their opinions and editing the clips, something was still off but I realized the music was slightly off and the color in one of the clips was slightly off pacing which was what was bothering me.
The making of the props took super long because I wanted it to be just right. The folder did not take too long but the bulletin board took the longest. This was mainly because I did not know what I entirely wanted to place on it even after researching and looking to other boards for reference. I postponed it for the longest time but once I sat down and got the photos, newspapers, post-its notes and evidence bags and started placing them on the bulletin board, everything began to form together properly. After that, I was able to film the second part of my film opening.
I am overall satisfied with the outcome of my film opening even with the inconveniences. I believe I was able to use my new knowledge of shots, composition, lighting and sound throughout the project and learned through other projects such as our soundscape project and music video project how to utilize these elements better which made it slightly easier to do with this because I was more comfortable with executing what I learned. I know pacing is very important and believe that the pacing of my opening is sufficient because each clip is not too long nor too short.
I learned so much such as the importance of having an idea planned out a head of time and stick to a timed schedule to work on it. I delayed the second part longer than necessary to film which slightly stressed me out. If I had started my filming on the first part earlier, I may have been able to redo some of the clips I wanted. I also learned that outside opinions are necessary and helpful because what I may think looks good, may not seem the same to others. i learned that it is important to ask for help ahead of time instead of maybe bombarding people, like I did, especially before they go to sleep. Lastly, I learned the importance of each process in developing a film and have grown to have a new respect for the behind the scenes people in the film world.
Friday, April 10, 2020
Research. Research. Research.
I have been doing more research and putting together my CCR over the past week which has taken longer than I anticipated.
I learned a lot though not just from my research but I learned some new things about my computer such as how to screen record on it. I never knew that before and have had my computer for about three to four years. But I found that really cool that all I have to do is press the windows button on my computer along with the alt and R button. This is important because it is how I plan to prepare my CCR video.
As mentioned in my previous post, I have already researched film distribution methods which I was astonished about the movie theater opportunities. With further research, I learned that only 14% of adults go the the movies at least once a month and 46% at least once a year. Although those are not the best odds, this is why I would like to distribute the film on YouTube which is used frequently by all ages. I did more research on YouTube and found from Teen Trending Report (2018) that "63.5% of teenagers watch YouTube daily- with 34% watching multiple times per day. 37.4% of teens have clicked on a YouTube advertisement while watching a video. 64% of teens have shared a YouTube video on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media." This information expresses that social media is an important part of distribution and advertisement for my film opening because it can spread more throughout others and a great plattform since majority of the population uses YouTube.
Aside from that, I have also learned that 89% of females and 90% of males enjoy the adventure while 84% of females and 74% of males enjoy the crime genre. Alongside this, 89% people aging from 18-44 & 65+ , 90% people aging 45-54, and 92% of people aging from 55-64 enjoy adventure. 80% people aging from 18-29 , 84% people aging 30-44, and 81% of people aging from 45+ enjoy crime.
Anderson, M. & Jiang, J. (May 31, 2018). Teens , Social Media & Technology 2018. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/
Schevitz, T. & Gharib, S. (August 13, 2019). New Survey Reveals Teens Get their News From Social Media and YouTube. Common Sense Media. Retrieved from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/news/press-releases/new-survey-reveals-teens-get-their-news-from-social-media-and-youtube
Teen Trend Report. (2018). Teen Trend Report. Stages of Life. Retrieved from https://www.stageoflife.com/StageHighSchool/TeenYouTubeStatistics.aspx
Watson, A. (December 12, 2018). Most popular movie genres among adults in the United States as of December 2018, by age group. Statista. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/949810/favorite-movie-genres-in-the-us-by-age/
Watson, A. (August 27, 2019).Frequency of going to movie theaters to see a movie among adults in the United States as of June 2019. Statista. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/264396/frequency-of-going-to-the-movies-in-the-us/
Watson, A. (December 12, 2019). Most popular movie genres among adults in the United States as of December 2018, by gender. Statista. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/254115/favorite-movie-genres-in-the-us/
I learned a lot though not just from my research but I learned some new things about my computer such as how to screen record on it. I never knew that before and have had my computer for about three to four years. But I found that really cool that all I have to do is press the windows button on my computer along with the alt and R button. This is important because it is how I plan to prepare my CCR video.
As mentioned in my previous post, I have already researched film distribution methods which I was astonished about the movie theater opportunities. With further research, I learned that only 14% of adults go the the movies at least once a month and 46% at least once a year. Although those are not the best odds, this is why I would like to distribute the film on YouTube which is used frequently by all ages. I did more research on YouTube and found from Teen Trending Report (2018) that "63.5% of teenagers watch YouTube daily- with 34% watching multiple times per day. 37.4% of teens have clicked on a YouTube advertisement while watching a video. 64% of teens have shared a YouTube video on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media." This information expresses that social media is an important part of distribution and advertisement for my film opening because it can spread more throughout others and a great plattform since majority of the population uses YouTube.
Aside from that, I have also learned that 89% of females and 90% of males enjoy the adventure while 84% of females and 74% of males enjoy the crime genre. Alongside this, 89% people aging from 18-44 & 65+ , 90% people aging 45-54, and 92% of people aging from 55-64 enjoy adventure. 80% people aging from 18-29 , 84% people aging 30-44, and 81% of people aging from 45+ enjoy crime.
Anderson, M. & Jiang, J. (May 31, 2018). Teens , Social Media & Technology 2018. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/
Schevitz, T. & Gharib, S. (August 13, 2019). New Survey Reveals Teens Get their News From Social Media and YouTube. Common Sense Media. Retrieved from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/news/press-releases/new-survey-reveals-teens-get-their-news-from-social-media-and-youtube
Teen Trend Report. (2018). Teen Trend Report. Stages of Life. Retrieved from https://www.stageoflife.com/StageHighSchool/TeenYouTubeStatistics.aspx
Watson, A. (December 12, 2018). Most popular movie genres among adults in the United States as of December 2018, by age group. Statista. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/949810/favorite-movie-genres-in-the-us-by-age/
Watson, A. (August 27, 2019).Frequency of going to movie theaters to see a movie among adults in the United States as of June 2019. Statista. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/264396/frequency-of-going-to-the-movies-in-the-us/
Watson, A. (December 12, 2019). Most popular movie genres among adults in the United States as of December 2018, by gender. Statista. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/254115/favorite-movie-genres-in-the-us/
Sunday, April 5, 2020
Almost There
I sat down and tried to figure out what was bothering me with the film opening and couldn't initially put my finger on it. I had asked my mom, brother and two of my friends for their opinions to get different perspectives on it. After that, I determined that there were some issues with the music and I needed to extend it which took a while to get it right on beat to extend to make it sound like it was originally longer. I also edited the color on some of the second part clips to show its relationship with the first part so they seem more cohesive. There was a clip I wanted to use in between the change of settings but I unfortunately do not have a decent clip of a slow zoom of the folder with the office setting. I was able to make what I had work though to make the transition as smooth as I could.
Aside from this, I started putting together the information for the CCR but have not determined how I plan to present it because I don't want it to be boring and I would not like to be shown in it but I am not sure how to present it as of the moment but I will be trying to determine that over the next three days.
Aside from this, I started putting together the information for the CCR but have not determined how I plan to present it because I don't want it to be boring and I would not like to be shown in it but I am not sure how to present it as of the moment but I will be trying to determine that over the next three days.
Saturday, April 4, 2020
Film Distribution
Knowing that I am an ammeter, I would need different method to distribute my film. The theater is definitely not it because that requires lots of money. Since the target audience is around 13 and older, it should be easier to access since teenagers do not make too much money at the time.
Film festivals would be a great option because they are inexpensive, gets my work out there and the target audience are usually also submitting their films as well. It would have to be local so examples would be Miami International Film Festival, Florida Film Festival, Boyton Beach Short Film Festival, etc. Of course they would have an entrance fee which ranges based on length of the film and time it is submitted but usually between $40-$75.
Another place would be YouTube since people of the ages 18-34 use it more than other forms of social media. While 34+ YouTube is the second most used social media. It is easy to access and unless they pay for premium, it is free. To show recognition towards the film, I would advertise it through multiple social media forums and even ask my friends to do the same of teasers/ trailers. They would be presented on Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat because they are most frequently used by Gen Z and Millennials.
Lastly, I would submit it to AMC, CineMark and Regal. AMC presents independent films and reviews them while Regal holds a Film Festival. CineMark allows independent screenings where you can invite people to come view your film.
Cinequest. (2012). Film Submissions. Marcato. Retrieved from https://www.cinequest.org/film_submissions
Film Festival Schedule. (2020). Film Festival Schedule. Regal Theaters. Retrieved from https://www.regmovies.com/static/en/us/theatre/film-festivals
Independent Film Screenings. (2020). Independent Film Screenings. CineMark. Retrieved from https://www.cinemark.com/private-events/independent-films/
Iqbal, M. (2020, March 24). YouTube Revenue and Usage Statistics (2020). BusinessofApps. Retrieved from https://www.businessofapps.com/data/youtube-statistics/
Office of Film and Entertainment. (2014). Florida Film Festivals. Film in Florida. Retrieved from
https://filminflorida.com/florida-film-festivals/
Submit Your Film For Consideration. (2020). Submit Your Film For Consideration. AMC Theaters. Retrieved from https://www.amctheatres.com/programs/independent/submit-your-film
Film festivals would be a great option because they are inexpensive, gets my work out there and the target audience are usually also submitting their films as well. It would have to be local so examples would be Miami International Film Festival, Florida Film Festival, Boyton Beach Short Film Festival, etc. Of course they would have an entrance fee which ranges based on length of the film and time it is submitted but usually between $40-$75.
Another place would be YouTube since people of the ages 18-34 use it more than other forms of social media. While 34+ YouTube is the second most used social media. It is easy to access and unless they pay for premium, it is free. To show recognition towards the film, I would advertise it through multiple social media forums and even ask my friends to do the same of teasers/ trailers. They would be presented on Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat because they are most frequently used by Gen Z and Millennials.
Lastly, I would submit it to AMC, CineMark and Regal. AMC presents independent films and reviews them while Regal holds a Film Festival. CineMark allows independent screenings where you can invite people to come view your film.
Cinequest. (2012). Film Submissions. Marcato. Retrieved from https://www.cinequest.org/film_submissions
Film Festival Schedule. (2020). Film Festival Schedule. Regal Theaters. Retrieved from https://www.regmovies.com/static/en/us/theatre/film-festivals
Independent Film Screenings. (2020). Independent Film Screenings. CineMark. Retrieved from https://www.cinemark.com/private-events/independent-films/
Iqbal, M. (2020, March 24). YouTube Revenue and Usage Statistics (2020). BusinessofApps. Retrieved from https://www.businessofapps.com/data/youtube-statistics/
Office of Film and Entertainment. (2014). Florida Film Festivals. Film in Florida. Retrieved from
https://filminflorida.com/florida-film-festivals/
Submit Your Film For Consideration. (2020). Submit Your Film For Consideration. AMC Theaters. Retrieved from https://www.amctheatres.com/programs/independent/submit-your-film
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Editing Round 2
I have been editing on and off for about three days or so. I put all the clips together and had to decipher which clips I wanted to use. Edit them to add more contrast and saturation. As I was editing, there is a clip that I have which was part of a transition but it has not turned out well. I took many shots of this but I do not like how ANY of them turned out which is extremely frustrating. I am not sure if I can redo it because it is the transition portion from my mom's office to my room. Due to the virus, I may not be able to redo it but I am going to try because it is an important part of the film opening. I am also a perfectionist and it is not fully how I envisioned the clips and all but it is slowly working out.
Aside from that one clip, I have a minute and fifty-five seconds and need five more seconds which I am not too worried about because I need to add the title still which can be part of that time. There is something missing from it all right now, I am not sure what it is. I am going to postpone the editing for today because I think I have looked at it too many times and am trying to point out things that are off. I am not sure but something does seem off. I will most likely ask my family to preview it and ask for their opinions to see if that helps me figure it out.
I still need to do the background noises. I have some clips done which I did while filming such as the shredder sound. I need to make a list of sounds I need and will be doing that throughout the week.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)