A few days ago I was planning for my CCR, which was the last part of the portfolio project. I decided the best route of planning what I was going to do was to create a very simple script of everything I'm going to say. I will also include in parenthesis what pictures I will insert in the actual video because it is important not to keep a video of just me talking the whole time.
Script:
Hello! You just saw a quick clip of part of my film opening called "Pursuit", and I'm going to be talking about and discussing my planning progress throughout the entire film opening by answering a couple questions. So lets start right away with the first question:
1. How does my product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?
So I'm going to split this up into two parts by first talking about how my product uses conventions, specifically, with talking about the genre of the film. The genre I used in the opening was horror, and now when you use horror as the genre of a film, it has the same approach and goal like every other film, which is to engage the audience and interest them. However, the main thing that makes horror stand out from other genres is that this genre tries to create a unique feeling compared to other films, like boosting adrenaline or creating an uncomfortable tone for the viewers. And this is overall made by using techniques like lighting and specific sounds.
Now for the second part of this question, my film does not specifically dive into or focus on any specific social groups or issues. However, it does dwell into teenagers and some struggles they could possibly have in their childhood, like doing things that cause them to be in bad situations or interacting with strangers. So for example, in my film opening the protagonist, which is of course a teenager, could have been doing something like exploring a restricted area or interacting with a mysterious person, causing them to end up in the bad situation he's in.
The next question we have is:
2. How does my product engage with audiences and how could it be distributed as a real media text?
So back to what I mentioned before with the genre and the feeling I tried to create, there are certain aspects that are used to help engage the audience. One of them can be lighting. By using a low key lighting technique or having a dark environment, you can kind of get that spooky or uncomfortable feel for the audience. In my opening, it started of bright at sunset and made the gradual change to being darker as the scene started getting more intense. Another important technique is the sounds and shots used. For example, towards the end of the opening where there is a POV shot of the protagonist hiding and looking around, this helps immerse and engage the audience into the film. The panting sound from the main character suggests that he is scared and that something could happen at that moment, which will make the audence want to pay more attention and keep watching.
Now I am not working with any big film organization or anything like that, so obviously I won't be able to distribute my film in a theater. One of the best ways to help promote and distribute content so that people can find it is through social media, like YouTube. Everyone has heard of YouTube and uses it to watch videos everyday. By posting this on YouTube and other social media platforms, people who are interested in the horror movie genre will be able to find my film and it can grow in popularity.
Next we have the question:
3. How did my production skills develop throughout this project?
Now, A great way that I planned and and kept everything organized was through blogging everything I did. By doing this, I could look at what my ideas were in the past and if I wanted to change something. From looking at what I researched, to creating a script, and to even finding a location for filming, the blog was a great way to track everything I did.
And although I do have experience in filming things from past projects like my sound film or one word film, this was the first project working by myself. I got to have a lot of freedom on this project, and everything was my own idea. I was lucky to have my dad help film and give me some tips on something I could do better, and although he did not understand what idea I had for some certain shots, he later saw when I was editing what my vision for a specific shot was for and why.
I think this project overall helped improve my planning process for big projects like this and gave me more experience in filming and editing.
Finally, we have our last question, which is:
4. How did I integrate technologies in the project?
So first off, the film equipment I used was basic, however was super important in the film making. For example I used a tripod to help stand up my phone when recording scenes to keep a still and stable shot. The tripod had good features such as adjusting the height, being able to tilt, rotate, and pan when recording. I was able to use all of these techniques in my film to make it better.
I also used a lot of important software in this project. One of the things I used was the blog posts, which I mentioned earlier, and how they helped keep me organized and helped me plan everything out. Of course, I used an editing software to edit and combine all of the scenes together, and I used Adobe Premier Pro, which I already had previous experience with, so it was not an issue. One final important thing I used was a sound effect database to add every background sound. I used a website called ZapSplat to find sounds like the wind, crickets, footsteps, the trees blowing in the wind, and more.
At the beginning of this project, I was a little nervous on all the work I had to do, but I knew it was going to be a fun new experience. I got to improve my planning skills through blogging, I got to use my own ideas and creativity, and more. I also got to learn more about new filming techniques used in my specific genre of horror. Something I think I could do better is to not wait so long to record, so I could have more time after to fix anything, go back and rerecord, and more. Thanks so much and I hope you enjoy my film!
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