My Final Film Opening!!!

 I can't believe I am finally done! Thank you for coming along on my journey as I slowly blossomed into a better filmaker! I'll see you on my next venture <3  

Here is the link to my film opening video (The Letters) 

https://youtu.be/gKm9EhzqBiM

CCR

 Finally after hours of perfecting I have finished my CCR! I am very happy with how it turned out :) Thank you for watching! I was already thinking how weird it's going to be these next few weeks without posting on my blog. (I'll have to delete my blog posting reminder :). 

Click this link to access my CCR:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19Ul_kyhyIdX-pt1TudIYmPiLtbt3wJj7/view?usp=sharing

CCR script!!

I am almost done! All I need to do is to record my CCR and edit! :)

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

 

My short film " The Letters' is in the Teen/Romance genre. Though I definitely wanted it to be a unique piece of the film there are certain conventions or formulas that almost all Teen/Romance movies follow. Obviously, there has to be a compelling love conflict where one person is searching for the love of another. The characters have to be relatable so that the target audience will become emotionally attached and gave a rooting interest. The background has to also reflect the mood of the piece. My research included some of the better-known films in my genre. Movies such as a cinderella story, Stargirl, and Tall girl all followed certain conventions that audiences seem to receive well!

 I didn't really feel the need to do anything radical in my Teen/Romance film. There are such a huge amount of past films that kind of laid the groundwork for what I was trying to achieve that I knew if I actually followed conventions it would serve me, and more importantly my audience better!

My film is kind of representing the female character that has become stronger and more confident to take a chance in finding love. Normally it’s the men that tend to go out of their way to go to present themselves but in my film I wanted to show my female character  progressively getting stronger throughout my film. 

 

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

 

My target audience is geared to the young teen audience ages ,8-18 and primarily young girls. This is a dem that typically communicates via text and phone calls and is heavy into social media channels such as: Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube. They consume movies through streaming movie sources including YouTube streaming, Netflix, Hulu and Disney plus to name a few.

 

I decided to go with light airy colors and visually appealing props in my film opening because aesthetics are tending now a days. This is especially true on Tik Tok, an extremely popular social media app for my target audience. There are several videos that show this type of aesthetic.

 

I plan on making my film available to audiences by posting my film on Youtube, Instagram reels, and attending film festivals. 

 

• How did your production skills develop throughout this project?

I was fairly raw in how to put a film opening together. My evolution in the process came through understanding the editing process more, selecting the proper music to accompany the piece and learning what props would enhance the mood!

My research and planning for the short film was brainstorming different genres that appealed to me. After much consideration I found I kept coming back to the Teen/Romance category as I tend to be drawn to those storylines. I tapped into my memory of some the better Romance films I'd watched and ranked them on Canva as to which ones really tugged at me emotionally. I then laid out an action plan that would address what I needed to do make my film a reality.

My approach to production was to develop lists of tasks that needed to get done as the production process evolved.I ended up having to revise my schedule, change my fonts and even the name and design of my production company. These delays put a strain on the completion date I had given for my film.

At the beginning I didn't understand fully how important all the details were in making a quality film. As days progressed this became all the more real and I tried to insure that every shot had importance. The blogs we had written before really helped my writing abilities and allowed me to be more creative and the One Word film gave me some foundation for filming the right shots.

 

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

I decided to use my iPhone 13 to record the opening scenes of my film. As I've discussed in previous blogs, I love using Canva since it's a fantastic tool for quickly creating graphics for nearly anything. I also used Vont, Phonto, Premiere Rush, and Imovie to edit my film opening. 

The different technologies definitely helped me with my film making such as Canva making my blogs and film look more professional. It also can be a curse as when my computer wouldn't load vital information I needed for the production. Overall, most of the technology I was familiar with so there was no new tech stuff needed.

I have learned many things throughout the process of making my film opening such as working efficiently, staying organized, learning from past mistakes, and that details are important. If I could do something differently if provided the chance I would have left my self more time for editing so I wouldn’t have felt rushed during the process. 

Although I felt my process was efficient opon reflection I came to the realization I needed to delegate my tasks in order of most important to least important so that I wouldnt feel overwhelmed when somethinhs werent done in the timely manner that I expected.

Key Moments and Changes to the Project!

 Hi Blog! I hope you are having a great day! Wow! I am almost finished with my film opening project! Make sure you go check out my last few blogs to see the progress I have made! In this blog I will be talking about some of the changes to my project and major key moments leading to the final string of my project! So with out further a do... let's get right into it! I have had to make several changes to my project. Originally, I planned to incorporate Emily Watts' cover song "La Vie En Rose." But she didn't respond to my DM. So I started to browse for music on the Uppbeat app. 

I finally found a song that I think will fit perfectly with my film opening.  It's also free of copyright, which is a plus! It's called: "Now or Never" by Tyler Edwards. Uppbeat is unquestionably an underrated software. I would suggest this app to new filmmakers such as myself:)  I would also like to talk about some of the key moments I have experienced this past week! I began working on my CCR script and it's going great! I can't wait to show you guys my film opening and my CCR! I would recommend to stay tuned! 

CCR (Creative Critical Reflection!)

 Hi Blog! Yay! I am so close to finishing my film opening project! Let's not forget about the Creative Critical Reflection, where I will address any questions you might have. If you haven't checked out my previous blogs make sure you go check them out as I talked about the post-production process. For my CCR I will be creating a script to help me answer the questions smoothly. I will also be using a couple apps to edit. (Voice Memos, Canva!! my all-time favorite editing app, and also Premiere rush.) Below are pictures of the research and several voice recordings I have made.

You may be wondering how I will be making my film's CCR creative. Well, I'm glad you asked! I came up with a great idea! My dad is really good at making a professional voice since he was a broadcaster on the radio. I have decided that I want to do an interview or a talk show. So my dad would ask the questions and I would answer. I will be including images, research, and videos to make it even more entertaining. I'm so excited for you guys to finally see my completed project! Stay tuned! :)

Totally Focused! (post production- editing!)

Hi! Yes, as the title implies, I am extremely focused! I've been working on perfecting my film opening project for the last several weeks. Yes, there have been several decisions to be made as well as a few hiccups on the journey, but altogether, I am happy to announce that progress has been made. Difficulties with my music selection have been one of the more rough experiences I've had. I sent a DM to the artist of the music I wanted to include in my film's opening, but she didn't respond. So my plan b was to look for similar music, which took a long time... I'm happy to say that I've finally discovered a song that fits my film's opening well!

 

 

I would like to talk about the several editing software I have used for my film opening. I originally wanted to edit on my computer but I had many issues with downloading the apps I wanted to use. So instead I ended up editing on my phone with apps recommended by experienced editors (Vont and Premiere Rush.) The editing went great! I really enjoyed the editing process since I was able to personalize and make my project unique! I'm so pleased with how my film's opening turned out, and I can't wait to show it to you! I'll see you in my next blog!

☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺

Post Production!!!

 All I can say is wow! Time really goes fast. My project has progressed significantly, and I am so excited to announce that I am almost finished! I'd want to take a moment to reflect on my filmmaking days. The first day of filming went smoothly until I realized that the software I was using to record the shots was saving them vertically rather than horizontally. Due to this problem, instead of filming the second part on Day 2, I had to refilm every shot again.  I made sure it was horizontal the second time so I wouldn't have to deal with this problem again. Below is a photo I took on the day of filming!!

As I mentioned in my blog from last week I was still on the search for the perfect font for my film credits. As you know, I previously chose the font for The Letters, my film's opening title. (An example of how it will look is shown below.) I've finally decided on the font for my film credits! I was looking around Dafont and came across one that perfectly suits my theme. The little hearts are so cute!! It's like it was meant to be. I'm really looking forward to seeing the final result, and I'm sure you are too! See you in my next blog!

Film opening credits font!

Film opening title font! 

Blog Post 20- Changes to the production company again!?

Hello, Blog! Yes. Yes. I'm sure you've seen the title. As you are aware, I am determined to make this film's opening the best it can be. As a result, I've chosen to change film opening production company once more! If you haven't read my most recent blog, I discussed some of the obstacles I've had as well as the types of decisions I've had to make. In this blog, I'll present you with two new business production concepts for the start of my film. 

You might be asking why I changed the look of my film production company. I made this modification because I felt like it was a little rushed, and because it'll be at the start of my film's opening, it's crucial that it looks flawless! I've learned my lesson! This takes time, and if I need to think things over for a few more days, I will. I was able to collect some feedback on which one I should choose thanks to my family and friends. The one on the left is my favorite. I'll compare each one to the final product before making a selection. 

💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌 💌  

The rumors are true!  Dafont is incredible! For my film credits, I've been experimenting with different fonts. Yes. If you remember, I discussed this in one of my previous blogs which font I was going to use for the credits.  However, things change, and change is a good thing. Dafont is currently not working :( I will show you guys the fonts in my next blog! 

Blog Post 19- Key Moments! (Filming 🎞 )

Hello, Blog! I hope you are enjoying your day! Filming has taken up a lot of my time this week. I'm exhausted... But at least it's the weekend! Spring break is, unfortunately, coming to an end:( I've been able to use this lengthy vacation to get some work done on my project. My computer doesn't support the adobe premiere pro editing app, therefore I'm a little stressed.  I tried to download the software on my mother's computer, but it wouldn't load either.  I need to figure it out as soon as possible since I want to start editing this week. I'll have to use different editing software if the program doesn't download in time. 

Above is a list of the days that I filmed. I wanted to make sure that the time I was filming was perfect for the lighting in my film opening. Filming at a time when the sun was setting was a huge difficulty for me since I didn't have that much time to film without it getting dark. Since the lighting in my room dims early, I had to figure out the best time to film. I attempted to video earlier in the day, but the lighting was not as I had hoped, so I waited till later in the day. That's all for today! Talk to you tomorrow :)

(Golden Hour)

Blog post- 18 Production Process!

Hi, Blog! It's been a long week of planning and shooting my film opening. Make sure you check out my posts from last week since I've made some modifications to my project. In this blog, I will be updating you guys on my production process. As you guys know, I shared in my last blog that I bought the props I needed for my film opening. (Below is a comparison of how I wanted my wall grid to turn out and how it turned out!) I'm really pleased with how it came out! If you look closely, you'll notice that I printed the pictures based on what my character likes. Pink! Flowers! Books! Letters! 

(Sneak Peek!) 

As you are aware, I have already chosen the music for my film opening. I'm afraid I won't be able to use the music since the artist hasn't responded to my message. I'll keep you all updated in my future blogs if she does! If the artist doesn't respond in time, I will have to select an alternative song. Just in case, I've started looking for songs that are similar to the one I liked. Aside from that, everything is going smoothly. I'm very excited to show you guys my film opening! It's going to be great! Talk to you guys soon! :)

Blog Post 17- Changes to the project ( NEW production company design and name/ filming schedule)

Hello, Blog! I hope you enjoyed your Sunday! In my previous blog, I covered key moments (I showed the props I purchased for my film opening.) In this blog, I'll discuss how my project has progressed. I really wanted to start filming around the weekend of March 12th and 13th, as you know. But things happen, and that weekend was very hectic, so I decided to begin filming this upcoming week. I'm not concerned about the filming process because I have planned everything out, and I know it will be simple. This week, after I finish recording, I'll have a lot of time to edit. The updated filming schedule is shown below. (The little hearts are the days I will be filming.)

If you remember, I had previously established my film production company in one of my previous posts. I chose to change both the name and the design. It used to be called "Ambre Productions," as shown below. I wanted it to be more visually appealing and eye-catching. After looking for inspiration on other websites, I decided on the name "Clearview Productions." To contrast with the hues in my film's opening, I selected bright colors like electric purple and yellow. I also wanted to emphasize the name using bold fonts. That's all for today! Until next time! 

Old version

New version!

 

Blog Post 16- Key Moments (set design/ props!!)

 Hi Blog! In my last blog, if you haven't checked it out, I reflected on the group meetings we had in class. In this blog, I am very excited to show you guys my props! Yes! Finally, I have put together all the props I will be using for my film opening. As you guys know, I have already shown a variety of different props I would need to go with the theme. One key moment for this week was making sure I stay on budget. My biggest concern was how I would purchase the items I wanted without splurging. I prefer higher-priced/higher-quality items, but I knew that for this project, I needed to look at a selection of lower-cost options.

Above are the items I purchased for my film opening. I decided to go to Micheals to purchase the wax and wax stamper (this will be shown in my film opening :) It's a surprise!). I also purchased a wall grid so I could showcase a collage of what my character likes. I purchased the envelopes and the paper that I'll have closeups of my female character writing on. All the other props I have at my house. I still am deciding on what camera I will be using. I'll probably use my phone, although I'd prefer to use a more professional camera. In my next blog, I will discuss any changes to my project. Talk to you guys soon! 

Blog Post 15- Production Process (group meetings)

Hello, Blog! How are you? I hope you're doing well.  It's a lovely Friday, and I'm excited to reflect on the creation of my film opening. In my previous blog, I discussed any project developments that had occurred. In this blog, I'll discuss my class group meeting and how helpful it was! Group meetings are a great way to bounce off ideas from one another :) I have the majority of my project planned out. However, I did want some guidance in selecting the music for my film's opening. (Below is a picture of the group I discussed my project with!) 

To be honest... I was mortified at the thought of the project's deadline approaching so quickly. I thought this was the perfect opportunity to gather suggestions for my project from the group. Music has a significant impact on how you interpret a film. That's why I believe I need to choose the perfect one! My group recommended several great websites for non-copyright music, such as Uppbeat (with two P's) and Spotify. One of the members in the group meeting told me to look in the profound section because it conveys emotion. 

Spotify

It's finally here... the moment you've all been waiting for...I was finally able to select the music for my film opening.  Funny story (I actually found this song when I was driving home searching for music.) I decided to choose "La Vie En Rose" by Emily Watts. I believe this will fit the theme perfectly! That's all for today, folks! Until next time! :)

Blog Post 14- Any new changes to the project?

 Hi Blog! Happy Sunday! In my last blog, I reflected on the key moments of my film opening. In this blog, I will discuss if there have been any new changes to my project. I'm sure you guys have heard in my past blog reflections that most of the changes will take place in the post-production process of my film opening because that's where I'll see the whole thing come together. So, no, there haven't been any new changes currently in my project. I will start to film next week as it is spring break, and I'll definitely have to film and edit with a breeze. 

I'm really looking forward to starting filming next week! I've been planning what I'll need throughout the days I'll be recording.  For instance, I've already purchased all of the items I'll need for my film's opening scenes. Don't be concerned! It was inexpensive. I made it a priority to buy on a budget!! I've also chosen the music that will play in the background. (I will show it on my next blog.) To be honest, choosing music was difficult. That was one of the toughest challenges I've faced so far! In my next blog, I'll finally be recording for my film opening! Stay tuned! :)

Blog Post- 13 Key Moments!

 Good Evening Blog! In my last blog, I reflected yet again on the production process! If you haven't checked it out, please go ahead and check it out before you read this blog :p. In this blog, I will reflect on the key moments of my film opening. As I have mentioned in my previous blogs, I know that there will be a lot of key moments in my post-production process. But so far my main key moments were the selection of fonts, colors, and character descriptions. All of these selections I have made have led me to finally get to my filming process coming up this week! 

Another example of a key moment is selecting my props. I already have most of the props I will be using for my film opening at my house. I will be purchasing the following items that I believe will help my film opening fit my anonymous female character.  Stickers and letters will be the first things I purchase. I've included a few samples of what I'll be buying below. I'll also get a wall grid so that I may hang some of the photographs that correspond to my female persona. Above I have examples of some of the pink photos I will hang on the grid. In my next blog, I will reflect on changes to my project :)

Blog Post 12- Production Process!

 Hello, Blog! I've reached the stage where I know I'll be able to begin filming and editing!  Finally all the pieces of the puzzle are coming together. In my last blog I reflected on some of the changes on my project. In this blog I will be further reflecting on my production process as I have done in my past blogs. Since I am going to start filming soon I have been researching ideas and inspiration on the internet. For example, I really wanted to make the film title of my film look like its being written to fit with the theme. Later on in the post production process I will decide if I will use this idea. The reason it may not work for me is because I would need to get Adobe premiere. Here are a few links I found that will help me achieve this effect. 

https://youtu.be/sArQZnpNY5s

https://makeitcenter.adobe.com/en/blog/text-draw-on.html

Another thing I've been doing is looking up similar movie premieres on Netflix and Disney+. This has provided me with a range of  film opening options.  Music is one of the things I've been concentrating on. I'm currently still choosing on the music for my film opening.  Finding the appropriate song has been challenging for me since I want it to complement my feminine role. Aside from the music, everything has been going smoothly. I'm really thrilled to start filming for my film opening because I'm hoping it will turn out exactly how I imagined it! After I finish filming the shots, I'll start talking about the various editing softwares I'll be using. Until next time blog :) 

Blog Post 11- Any changes to the project so far?

Hello, Blog! I can't believe I've been working on my film opening project for four weeks :). In my last blog, I discussed key moments for my project. In this blog, I will discuss any changes I have made to my project. So far, there haven't been any major modifications. I believe it's because I haven't started editing yet, and I know I'll be making a lot of changes there. I'll start filming around next week, so stay tuned for more information. I've also been planning for my filming process this week. I really want to make sure there are no issues with lighting and props, so this week I have been making sure I have the right props for my film opening! (Below, I have a list of the different props I need to find or buy for my film opening project.) 

I've made a few minor adjustments to my project. For example, because my first rough draft wasn't where I wanted it to be, I had to change my storyboard. In addition, as mentioned in my previous posts, I changed my font selection. I wanted to make sure the font matched the theme perfectly. I chose a variety of fonts so that I could compare them to the various colors and images that I had saved as a reference. The project's final modifications will be discussed in future blogs. In my next blog, I'll go over the different editing software I'll be using and start looking for non-copyrighted music. Until the next time:)

 

Blog Post-10 Key Moments

Hello, Blog! In my last blog, I discussed the production process for my film opening. I'll discuss the key moments in my film opening project in this blog. The decision-making process has probably been the most important aspect of this project so far. Deciding in between what colors, fonts, lighting, shots, and angles is all a part of this process. The storyboard is the foundation of the project, and to be truly honest, it was challenging for me to decide what exactly I wanted to include, which is why I will be making several changes. (I will show them in my next blog).

I think an important aspect of making a film is the selection of the characters. Is there a heroine, a protagonist, or antagonist? Since my female character is somewhat cloaked in secrecy and not really revealed, I could be a little more lenient on my selection. The male character, though had to be handsome, has a sense of confidence yet vulnerability. I believe I found that perfect actor (my older brother). He has alot of the visual qualities I tried to convey! Another example of a key moment is choosing fonts and color schemes. I decided to go with neutral colors to fit the aesthetic theme I was going for. As shown in my previous blogs, I decided to go with a Calligraphy font which I believe will fit the theme well!

Blog Post-9 Reflection of Production Process

 Good evening, blog! It's week four of the process of creating the film opening. On this blog I want to reflect on the production process for my opening of "The Letters." If I'm being honest, it's been going better than I expected. I have successfully come up with great ideas for my film opening, which could potentially change during the next few weeks. It is important that I stay on top of my work and make sure to continue planning for upcoming tasks I will need to complete. Yes, there have been some issues with making decisions but other than that I have made the progress I was hoping for! 

In my initial creative thoughts for my short film, I felt like a Coming of Age piece would touch all the bases as far as demographically. I then had to brainstorm ideas for how to shoot the film, my location, and who would be the characters. I really wanted something simple where I could utilize my camera on my phone, a simple software like Canva, and an area where the lighting could be complimentary to the vibe of the film. I ended up choosing my own house, which has some lighter/ warm tone hues and shades and colors that would set the tone of my piece. There is so much more to do, including shooting B-roll and possible voiceovers and making sure my script is compelling. Sometimes you don't really know until the pre-production bleeds into production. I don't anticipate too many issues at this point.