Film Opening & CCR Links

Film Opening:

I'm so glad I am finally able to share my film opening. I hope you learn something from the message I was trying to send, and hope you enjoy!! :)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VhkJezx--Zxhib9-r9sh5qxX9EbT7W8Z/view?usp=drive_link

Creative Critical Reflection #1:

My first CCR answers the questions

-How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?

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

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XI2h2LPKZcNIvqDyTocPv_DYgNFvqFqt/view?usp=drive_link

Creative Critical Reflection #2:

My second CCR answers the questions

-How did your production skills develop throughout this project?

-How did you integrate technologies- software, hardware, and online- in this project?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eWq7oHbvlkUy8J4tlM7_yPdAUHEghWaV/view?usp=drive_link

Music by Juno Velvet: "Dancefloor Voltage"

Final Reflection

I actually cannot believe that this is my last blog post before sharing the links. It feels unreal. It’s been such a journey, but I’m glad I’m done and happy with my finished product.

When I first heard about this project, I truly thought I wouldn’t be able to do it because it seemed like so much, and it was, but it helped me learn so many things about editing, filming, audio, everything. And I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to work on it.

Especially when I realized I would have to do it alone, I got so scared, because I had very different ideas from the friend I usually work with, and we decided to each do our own project. That made me even more stressed when I realized I was going to had to take on this enormous amount of work completely alone.

This is why I’m glad I had help from others. My sister filmed most of it, and my friends also helped me film and gave me ideas on what I could do and how I could execute it. They supported me every time I had a meltdown thinking I wouldn’t be able to do it.

I also learned so many things about myself. I learned that if I’m determined, I can get anything done, even if I procrastinate a little bit like I did with this one, which I now know not to do again. But that’s what I had to work with.

There were also some things I couldn’t control, like when I could film. For example, everything had to be filmed at night, which really set me back because I couldn’t film on school days since I had homework and had to sleep early. So I had to film on weekends, staying up around three extra hours trying to get everything done. Then there was a point where I filmed scenes with the voice in the background, and it sounded terrible, so I had to completely redo all those scenes on a different day. That set me back a lot too.

But looking back, I’m so glad I was able to finish. I’m so glad I had so many people helping me, and I’m happy with the final result.

I also spent so much time on the CCRs, which were a big worry for me. Apart from filming a whole movie opening, I had to do two more videos, and I had no clue how to do them. I had so many ideas, but they were unfortunately shot down by my teacher, so I had to come up with new creative and professional ideas for the CCRs, which was a challenge.

Once I finally had my ideas, I had to figure out a way to execute them. I set up a whole area in my dad’s office because it looked professional, and I thought it would work well for the director’s commentary. I had also never really watched director’s commentaries before, so I had to watch a bunch of videos to understand how I was supposed to do it, plus add the voice from my film for a kind of comedic effect.

And for the podcast, I had to write out my whole script and figure out how to keep it long enough without making it too long. Then I had to find music for the beginning that was completely copyright-free and fit the intro of a podcast, and figure out how to structure it so it would sound like a real, professional podcast.

But in the end, it all turned out fine, and I learned a lot. So I’m truly grateful that I got this experience, happy that I finished on time, and am so proud of the result.

Though, I also have to keep in mind that I didn't have professional grade products so it's not going to look and sound as great as if it had all that, but I hope you really enjoy it, while also keeping that in mind. :)

CCR Editing Post

 Okay, I’m back. I just finished editing the podcast, which actually wasn’t that hard to do because since I had the script right there, I knew exactly what I was supposed to say. I didn’t really struggle with my lines, and if I did, I just cut it out, so I didn’t have to edit too much. I also put in the music that I found that was free, so I didn’t have to ask to use it. I think it kind of fits my personality too, it’s just a little bit of hype music, and I really like it.

So I’m really excited to show what I have for my podcast because I actually really like how it turned out, and I obviously answered the second two questions that I had to.

Now I’m still working on editing the director’s commentary because it came out a little longer than I wanted, so I have to cut down a lot of parts. I also have to add in some scenes from my actual project and include the voice, so it’s a lot more editing. But I think I’m pretty much on track.

Once I finish that, I’m going to go back and rewatch everything to see if there’s anything I need to change for my film opening and the two CCRs. So far, I’m pretty good on time, I just don’t know what days I’ll be able to edit everything since I’m leaving for Mexico on Friday.

I’m back. I just finished editing both of the CCRs, so I’m basically done. This is my last post before I move on to my reflection, which is gonna be kind of emotional guys… I’m just kidding.

I’m actually really excited to write my reflection because it’s kind of a breath of fresh air after finishing everything. I’m really glad that I was able to finish everything on time.

Now I just need to go back and rewatch everything, but I’m pretty sure it’s all done. I’m getting really close to the finish line, but it’s definitely going to be done in time.

CCR Production Post

Hey guys, so I’m currently filming my CCRs. I’m doing the podcast and the director’s commentary. The director’s commentary is going to answer the first two questions of the CCR, and then the podcast will answer the second two. I already wrote the script and everything, and I just came up with these ideas.

Basically, I have to get going, but I’m still in the process of editing my actual film opening, so the process is a little slow. I know I have to get it done as soon as possible because I’m going on a trip to visit my family in Mexico on Friday, and I want to finish everything before then. I don’t know how the Wi-Fi will be there or if I’ll even have enough time to finish.

So basically, I already tried to film the director’s commentary, but I messed up on a part. But I figured out exactly how I want to film it. I set up a little recording area in my dad’s studio because I think it looks kind of professional, and I’m going to set up my drive there. I also have to find a way to put my script somewhere like a teleprompter, but in a way where you can’t really tell I’m reading off a script. I’m not super confident that it won’t be noticeable, but honestly, if it is, it’s fine because I’ve seen other director’s commentaries where they’re clearly reading off a teleprompter, so I don’t think it’ll be that bad.

For the podcast, I’m a little scared because my teacher said it’s kind of hard to do, but so far I don’t think it’s going to be that bad. I’m going to record my voice in Voice Memos because it has really good audio, and I have a mini microphone that I can use. Then I’m going to import it into my editing software and make sure it sounds good and actually feels like a podcast.

I already have the music I want to use, I’m just not sure where exactly to put it. I’ve seen that a lot of podcasts usually put their music at the beginning and at the end, so I’m going to try that. 

I don’t really listen to podcasts, so I’m kind of not sure what to do, which is why I probably should’ve been listening to more episodes and trying to base it off that so it sounds more professional and realistic.

Research and script for #4 question of CCR post

Hey friends! For the final CCR question, I’ll continue using the podcast format since it fits well with reflecting on the production process. This question focuses on how I integrated different technologies throughout the project.

Technology played a role in almost every stage of creating my film opening.

At the beginning, I used online research to explore dystopian films and analyze common occurence of the genre. This helped me understand the visual style and themes that are often present in dystopian stories, such as surveillance, authority, and control.

During filming, I used camera technology to capture the scenes. Being able to record on a phone made it easier to experiment with different shots and angles until I found the ones that best created the atmosphere I wanted.

In the diting stage, I used editing software to assemble the film and adjust the pacing. I also incorporated sound elements, including the voice that appears in the opening.

Sound editing was super important because the voice needed to feel slightly unnatural and authoritative to represent the controlling system in the dystopian world.

Here's what I want the question response to be:

ME:

So for this last reflection question, I’m going to talk about how technology played a role in creating my film opening.

Honestly, technology was involved in almost every stage of the process. At the beginning, I used online resources to research dystopian films and get inspiration for the visual style and themes I wanted to include.

Then during the filming process, I used digital camera technology to record the scenes. This made it possible to experiment with different shots and angles, which helped create the tense atmosphere of the dystopian world.

Editing software was really important in the post-production stage. That’s where I was able to arrange the clips, control the pacing of the opening, and add sound elements like the authority voice.

Without these technologies, it would definately have been much harder to actually bring the idea of the film to life.

Research and script for #3 question of CCR post

Hello again, blog! For my third CCR question, I decided that a podcast format would work really well. This question is about how my production skills developed throughout the project, which feels like something that could be discussed in a more relaxed, conversational way.

Podcasts are naturally reflective, so it feels like the perfect format to talk about what I learned during the process of creating my film opening.

When I first started the project, I mainly focused on the concept of the story. I knew I wanted to create a dystopian narrative about authority, control, and questioning society, but I didn’t fully realize how many technical skills were involved in turning that idea into an actual film.

One of the first skills I developed was planning and story structure. Because my project is only a film opening, I had to figure out how to introduce the world and the character without explaining everything. This forced me to think more about visual storytelling and how to communicate ideas through shots and atmosphere instead of just dialogue.

My camera work also improved during the project. I started paying more attention to things like framing and shot composition, especially because dystopian films often rely heavily on visuals to create a specific mood.

Editing was another skill that I developed a lot. Editing helped shape the pacing of the opening and allowed me to build suspense by carefully choosing how long each shot lasts. My editing skills are actually still being developed, because I still have so much to learn!

This is the script so far, hope you like it!

ME:

Hey everyone, welcome to my little podcast reflection on my film opening project. Today I’m going to be talking about how my production skills actually developed throughout the process of creating the film.

When I first started this project, I honestly thought the hardest part would just be coming up with the idea. But once I actually started filming and editing, I realized that there are so many different production skills involved.

One skill that definitely improved was planning the story visually. Because this is only the opening of the film, I had to think carefully about how to introduce the world without explaining everything directly.

Another area where I improved a lot was editing. Editing really determines the pacing of the film, and since my opening is supposed to feel suspenseful and slightly unsettling, I had to experiment with how long each shot should last and when to cut to the next scene.

This project really helped me understand how all the different parts of filmmaking work together to create the final product.

Research and script for #2 question of CCR post

Hey blog! Now that I’ve started planning the structure of my CCR, I’ve been thinking more about the creative direction for the first two questions. Since my film opening includes that mysterious voice, I thought it would be really interesting if that same voice actually interviews me during the CCR.

Instead of just answering the questions normally, the voice would ask me the questions almost like an interrogation. I like this idea because it connects the reflection directly to the themes of my film. The voice represents the controlling system in the dystopian world, so having it question the creator of the film adds another layer to the idea of authority and surveillance.

For Question 2, which asks how my product engages with audiences and how it would be distributed as a real media text, my main focus is on suspense and curiosity. The opening is meant to make the audience feel slightly uncomfortable and uncertain about the world the character lives in.

Because the main character begins to question authority, the audience immediately understands that this could be dangerous. That creates tension and makes viewers want to keep watching to see whether she gets caught or whether she continues to rebel.

Another way the film engages audiences is by slowly revealing information about the dystopian world instead of explaining everything right away. This encourages viewers to pay attention to details and try to figure out what is happening.

If my film were distributed as a real media text, it would likely target a teenage or young adult audience because dystopian stories are very popular with that demographic. It could work well on small streaming platforms where audiences enjoy suspenseful or thought-provoking content.

Here's a rough draft of the script:

VOICE:

Creator. Explain how your product engages with its audience.

ME:

My film engages audiences mainly through suspense and tension. From the beginning, viewers can sense that something isn’t quite right in the world the main character lives in.

VOICE:

Explain further.

ME:

The audience quickly realizes that the main character is beginning to question the system around her. In a dystopian society, questioning authority is dangerous, so that immediately creates tension in the film and for the viewers.

VOICE:

And how would this product reach an audience?

ME:

If it were distributed as a real media text, it would most likely be released on a streaming platform aimed at younger audiences who enjoy dystopian or psychological stories. These platforms allow films like this to reach viewers who enjoy suspenseful narratives that explore social issues.

Remember, this is still a rough draft, I'll fix it throughout the week!

Post discussing CCR production ideas

 Hey blog! I'm so excited to start planning the CCR for my film opening. Even though my opening isn’t completely finished yet, I figured it would be smart to start brainstorming ideas now so the process is easier later. I’ve been thinking a lot about how I actually want to present the CCR questions in a creative way instead of just answering them in a normal video.

My teacher mentioned that doing a podcast could be challenging, but honestly that kind of made me want to try it even more. Podcasts are super popular right now, and they feel really natural and conversational, which I think would work well for reflecting on my process.

For the first two questions, I want to do something that feels connected to my dystopian film itself. Since my film includes that mysterious voice that is basically controlling the main character and telling her what to do, my teacher gave me the idea of the voice actually interviewing me. So instead of a normal q&a, it would feel like the authority figure from the film is questioning me about the project.

The idea is that the voice would ask me the questions like an interviewer, and I would respond. This ties into the themes of my film because the voice represents authority and control, which is exactly what my story is criticizing. It would feel like the system itself is interrogatng the creator of the film, which I think would be a cool concept. It also keeps the dystopian atmosphere of the opening there, even during the reflection.

Then for the other two questions, I want to switch to a podcast format. This would be more relaxed and reflective, where I talk about my production skills and the technologies I used throughout the project. A podcast format makes sense here because these questions are more about the process and what I learned, so it would feel like I'm just casually discussing my experience and growth during the project.

Another reason I like the podcast idea is because it allows me to talk more naturally about what went well, what challenges I faced, and how my skills improved. It doesn’t feel as scripted as a traditional video response, which makes the reflection feel more authentic.

I feel like this combination will make my CCR feel way more creative and connected to the themes of my project. Instead of just explaining my film, the reflections will actually feel like an extension of the dystopian world I created.

Next I’m going to start scripting the questions and thinking about how the voice will sound in the interview section, and also planning what topics I want to cover in the podcast reflection.