Finishing and exporting

    Today we finished filming. We shot the scenes with Stephanie, Olga, and me. We filmed at Stephanie and Olga's house. It was the last footage we needed before editing. I went over to Stephanie's house to film the majority of the clips. Dominic went to Europe so we have to work without him. We still include him in decisions. However, he can't work with us in person so we have to work around it. We had the storyboard and script to follow. Everything went smooth because we only needed to be 3 people.

   Now that we finished filming we need to go to the next step. We had to export the footage. It was easy because we filmed on a phone and will be editing on the same one. We filmed with an iPhone and will edit with iMovie. We did the same thing last year. Since it worked for us then we know how it will work for this year. We haven't started editing. We just wanted to export it and make sure all the footage was there. Last time we tried exporting we lost footage and had to film again. We wanted to make sure we had enough time if that happened again. Now we need to start the editing process. 

Filming the main part

    Today we filmed the climax of the story. It was Stephanie, Mats, and I. Dominic went to Europe so we have to film without him. He is still involved in the decisions about the movie. He just can't be with us physically. Today we filmed the part where Stephanie gets killed. There was not a lot to film so it went pretty fast. Since we only needed 3 people we could find time easily and get it done. We all met up at my house first. We then drove to the location where we were going to film. 

   We already knew the location where we were going to film. Since we had filmed prior scenes for the movie we already had a spot. We drove to the same park we were at last time to continue filming. We are filming on a separate day because the people that were in the movie on the first filming day does not have to be there for this part. We wanted to make sure we didn't use anyone's time if we didn't have to. Also, Mats didn't have to be there for the first part so it wouldn't make sense to waste everyone's time. We went back to the same spot we found and recorded the last time. We filmed the last scenes we needed outside. We made sure to film each scene multiple times just in case. We don't want to go back if we don't absolutely have to.

Having to refilm

    Today we had to refilm. We were starting to put the footage into the editing software when we realized some footage was gone. Everything we filmed the first time at Stephanie's house was gone. This meant we had to go back and refilm everything for that scene. We were mad at first. We had spent so much time on getting it right the first time. We were disappointed, to say the least. We looked through our phones to see if we could find it. After we looked through our camera rolls and recently deleted we gave up. We couldn't find the footage anywhere.

   We realized that the only thing left to do was refilm. We all met up at Stephanie's house where we were going to film. We looked over the storyboard and script once again. After that, we talked and tried to remember what we changed. Last time we filmed we changed certain angles and movements as we went along. We wanted to use the same changes again. We tried remembering as much as we could and just followed the storyboard. Dominic was the person filming most of it because both Stephanie and I had to be in the same shot. This time we knew better how to act and say certain things. It set us back a little bit but I am happy that we realized it on time and were able to film again.

Not filming

   The last time we filmed was Tuesday. Since then it was been Christmas. We decided not to film these past few days. We all celebrate Christmas so we were unable to film. We all had different things going on so we couldn't find the time. We also just wanted a break and had other things to think about. Since it's a holiday we just wanted to relax. We didn't feel like thinking about filming. We decided to continue filming once Christmas was over. People were also out of town so we would've had to adjust. 

   We will start filming again as soon as we can. We will try and find a day next week to continue. Now, however, we don't need the entire group. All we need now is Stephanie, Dominic, Olga, Mats, and I which will not be an issue. We still need to film the scene where Stephanie gets killed and found. We also need time in case we need to refilm. We always have to think a step ahead just in case. We learned from last year to always think a step ahead and plan for anything. We also need time to edit. This will happen once we are done filming. By transferring the clips to the editing software and starting to edit we will see if there is anything that needs to be refilmed.

Filming our next scenes

    On Tuesday we started filming with our larger group. We started by filming in my apartment and getting those scenes. After we were done filming inside we needed to film outside. We decided on a park near us to film at. We all got into the same car and drove over there. It wasn't far from where I live but it also wasn't walking distance. When we got there we got out of the car and paid for parking. We then walked around the area to see where we wanted to film which scenes. It wasn't that big so we walked around the neighborhood as well to see if there were any good places. We found another small park down the road which we decided we could use.

   After we observed the area we went to where we wanted to film. We talked about the scenes that we needed to film. The actors went over their scripts to know their lines. We couldn't exactly stick with the storyboard because the surroundings were different. We just had to go with and do the best we could. Dominic and I took turns directing and being the cameraman because Stephanie had a role in the scenes. We did angles like eye-level and tracking shots. We filmed each scene at least twice. We wanted to make sure we got something we could use. This would also reduce the number of scenes we would need to refilm.

Filming as a group

    Yesterday we started to film our movie. We all met up at my house at about 10:30 in the morning. We were going to be 6 people but one person didn't show up. We had to reschedule the role last minute to one of our other friends. This set us back a few hours. Our friend came over and we started filming the scenes we needed inside of my apartment. We set up the props and went over what we needed to do. Each of the actors went over their lines to make sure they knew them. We referred back to our storyboard to see which angles and movements we needed to use. We shot everything in order so that we knew how the storyline would work.

   We decided to shoot each scene at least 2 times. We wanted to make sure we had something we could work with. We wanted to think ahead in case we later noticed a flaw or if we didn't like something in the clip. This will reduce the risk of having to reshoot these scenes. We especially wanted to limit the reshooting risk since for these scenes we needed a group of people. We don't want to use other people's time if we really don't need to. We also tried different angles and movements from what we originally decided on. We realized that certain scenes could be filmed from a better angle and we wanted different options. The filming process in my apartment took about 2 hours because at first we couldn't take it seriously and kept laughing. After a while, the actors became more comfortable and it went better. Everyone worked well together to get the job done.

Making changes

    In the past week, we have made several changes to our plan and film. The first change was the filming days. At first, we had a plan to film last Wednesday. We had that plan since the weekend before but something came up so we had to reschedule. We decided to reschedule the filming to Monday the following week. We thought this would be a good idea because we have our winter break. On Sunday, the day before we were going to film, something came up once again. We decided to just move the time to later in the day instead. When Monday came around something new happened and we had to reschedule once again. We decided to reschedule for Tuesday because no one had any plans so we were going to meet up in the morning.

   Tuesday came around and everyone gathered at my house to film. We were all supposed to meet up at 10:30 in the morning. Everyone got there except one person. We tried calling but had no luck. We waited around for a while to see if he would call or show up. After about an hour we decided to give the role to someone else. We called a few friends and found someone that was able to do it. We later got a call that the other person couldn't be in the film anymore. In a way, it was a good thing that we had to reschedule the filming because if he was in previous scenes we would have to refilm everything since he couldn't finish his scenes. Even though we had several changes it worked out for us in the end.

Starting to film

    My group and I have started filming. We decided to meet up on a weekday because that was when everyone was available. Since it was a weekday and we had school the next day we did not film the entire movie. We decided to only film the start of the movie. In the beginning, we didn't need the entire cast there. We only needed the 3 of us who are in the group as well as Olga. We decided this was the best idea because everyone else was studying for finals and we did not want to take up their time. The scenes only required Stephanie, her mom, and me. Since Dominic did not have to be in the scenes he filmed. We want to make the groups as small as possible due to COVID.

   We all met up at Stephanie's house and talked about what we were going to do. We decided to print out the script and the storyboard. We used the printed out a storyboard to be able to set up the scenes and angles right so that we knew what we needed to do. We also looked over the script to make sure we didn't need to make any changes before filming. Once we were done proofreading everything it was time to start. Stephanie and I changed into the clothes we were going to wear and touched up our hair and makeup. We started filming and everything went smooth and well. We were nervous in the beginning but as filming went on we became more comfortable in front of the camera. Printing out the script and storyboard was definitely a smart idea and it made filming much easier. We need to talk to the others in the film now to continue shooting the rest of the movie.

Progress So Far

    We just had a week off school due to thanksgiving breaks. We were planning on filming but some things came up. We didn't realize that certain people who were in the movie were going out of town. Instead of filming, we needed a new plan. We needed to discuss with everyone to see when they are free to film. We want to make sure we get everything done on time. We had to rethink the order in which we will film. The best thing to do was to see who needed to be in each scene. Then depending on the people and scenes, we could come up with a schedule that works. If we have to we can film different scenes with those people on certain days.

    Since we already have our script and storyboard this could work. We just need the actors who are in the same scenes to be available on the same day and time to make it work. We could film out of order since we know what happens and it's more efficient. The only issue we might face is refilming. Or if we have a new idea we would need to go back and reshoot. We still need to figure out the details. At least we havé the general idea down. For the first scenes, we only need Stephanie, Olga, Mats, and me which can be easily organized. We will most likely film the beginning scenes this week. We will figure out a schedule with everyone else later this week.

Music Choice for Short Film

 The music choice for our short film is still unclear. At first, we were thinking of different songs that would go well with the movie. We then started researching how to get the right to use it in our film. We realized that we needed to reach out to the owners, get permission, and a bunch of other steps. We realized this would take most likely to take a long time. And that's if they even decide to respond whatsoever. We decided to use uncopyrighted music. This would be a lot simpler and faster. We then started to search for uncopyrighted music. It was a lot harder than we thought. 

We started to search for copyrighted music but realized it was also a lot of work. We needed to first find a song that fit the film. We also had to make sure we liked it since we have to listen to it over and over. When we found a song that was decent we had to make sure that it was copyrighted. Since we don't know much about music in film and copyright we didn't know if certain websites were scams. We wanted to be 100% sure it was not copyrighted. We are still searching for a song we like. We are not too worried about it yet though. Since it will be added in editing we still have plenty of time. And if something changes in the script or plot we can make sure the music fits the change.

Marketing Campaign for Short Film

    My group and I recently started thinking about the different marketing campaigns available. We realized that the easiest and best for us would be through social media promotion. We have opened several social media accounts. We opened accounts for the film on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram, and TikTok. We know that these are some of the most used social media platforms and will be the easiest to grow on. We also already know how to work these platforms which makes it a lot easier for us. We ourselves have followers on these social media platforms and have told our friends and family on there to follow and support the accounts. The names of the social media's are basically the same, just the name of our film "The Slicer". We have followed other kid's accounts in our class that has also made social media accounts for their films. We are excited to start posting things about the movie.

    We have decided to not split up the responsibilities for the accounts. We decided to manage all the accounts together. We know that we all work well together and rarely argue so it would work. We usually agree on most things or are good at negotiating so we know that there won't be a problem with posting and someone getting hurt or angry in the process. We created a TikTok which was not required by our teacher. We decided to open one anyway because we know the power it has and how popular it is. Since we have and use the app ourselves we know the ins and outs for the most part. It's a way to try and gain a larger audience. We have seen how people can become very popular through these apps and even though it is very rare, it's worth a shot. We are all excited to start recording and posting about our journey. We have not posted anything yet but we will soon.

Storyboard for Short Film

 

My group and I worked on our storyboard. Stephanie and Tekla met at Tekla's house, and Dominic was on FaceTime because he couldn't join. The entire process took approximately 4 1/2 hours. Stephanie worked on writing the descriptions. This includes the camera angle or movement, location, and description of what is happening during the 6 second period. Tekla worked on drawing the pictures for each of the storyboard boxes. She then colored them in so everyone can distinguish the characters from each other. Dominic was on FaceTime to help us decide what to write and draw. Since Stephanie finished her part of the storyboard before Tekla, she helped Tekla color the storyboard. Stephanie had to go home before the storyboard was finished, so Dominic left the call. At home, Stephanie finished up the drawings. The next day, we all were on FaceTime to write this blog. This process went smoothly and didn’t take a long time. Our team worked efficiently to finish the storyboard. We now know how our film will look like. This will be really helpful when it comes to the filming process. It will allow us to save time because we know where we need to be, and what the angles have to be. The storyboard will keep everyone involved in the film organized and on track. The storyboard is an essential part of filmmaking for this reason. The storyboard process went smoothly. Overall, our group works very well together and we are optimistic to begin filming.

Planning For Short Film

 My group and I decided to film on one day. Everyone will meet at Stephanie's house at 11:00 or 1:30. This depends on which character the actor is portraying Then at 11:15, we will begin filming the opening scenes in which Bella is waking up and getting ready. Then at 12:00, we will film the kitchen scene and the news reporter scene in Stephanie's house. At approximately 12:30 we will have lunch until 1:15. Then we will set up the camera in Tekla's house. We should be filming by 1:30. From that point, the rest of the actors would already be there in costumes. We would film all of the scenes that are in Tekla's house. We should be done by 3:00. Then, we will set up the camera in the neighborhood that Stephanie lives in. Then we will film the scenes in which the character Bella is walking to the character Brandon's house. After that Stephanie will quickly do special effects makeup on herself (Bella). This should be done by 4:00. Then, we will film the last scene in which all of the characters are looking for Bella and eventually find her. This should be completed by 5:15

The locations include Stephanie's house, Tekla's house, and Stephanie's neighborhood.

Our participants include Stephanie as Bella, Tekla as Chloe, Dominic as the News Anchor, Olga (Stephanie's mom) as Bella's Mom, Mats (Tekla's dad) as The Slicer, Blake as Brandon, Julia as Sasha, and Luca as Grayson.

Since there is an ongoing pandemic, we have decided to keep our masks on at all times except when filming. If a person is currently being recorded, they will not have to wear their masks but everyone else will have to. In addition to this, everyone will be tested for COVID-19 a few days before filming. We will also be washing our hands whenever we feel necessary, and always have hand sanitizer with us.

One prop that we have is the board game at the character Brandon's house. This is because they are playing the board game when Bella enters the house.  Another prop is a mobile phone. This is because Bella's mom calls Brandon in one of the scenes. Other props include beds, makeup, cereal, a bowl, tv, a mask, and a tv remote.

Our costumes are normal clothes that a typical teenager would wear. This can include jean shorts, a tee-shirt, a cropped shirt, a skirt, etc. However, the Slicer will be wearing dark clothes, and possibly some type of face-covering/ mask.

Short Film vs. Feature Length Film

 I watched both the short and feature film of 9. I liked both of them a lot. They were very different but so alike at the same time. I watched the short film first and was confused at times because there was no dialogue. In the feature film, however, there was a dialogue that made everything a lot easier to understand. There were also more characters in the feature film. It made the plot and the whole story more eventful. In the short film, in the end, there was only 9 left, however, in the feature film, it was him and a few other characters. In the short film, there was also only the soul of 5 that was showed released while in the full-length film there were the souls of the others who died throughout the movie as well. I liked this part because it made me see the different types of characters that were involved in the entire plot making the story what it was.

In the short film, there was also only one monster while in the longer film there were multiple. This made more sense to the storyline though since there were even more characters. The fact that there were more characters and monsters made the film better in my opinion. There were certain parts in the feature film that I recognized from the short film. There were obvious similarities like the names and the broad plot of the monster and it ends up being defeated. However, even though there were certain scenes that were similar they were used differently in the feature film. Like the way a monster was killed was very similar but there were parts added and parts that were different. Overall I think I liked the feature film better than the short film. It had more detail and because of the dialogue, it made it better and easier to understand. They were both very well done.

The feature film

 Last night I watched 9, the feature film. The movie was very intense from start to finish. When the movie first started I was pretty confused because there was not much context. When it continued on, however, I started to understand the storyline. I started to understand things once there was dialogue. The movie was very emotional and I was close to crying multiple times. There were many plot twists that really surprised me. The plot only got more and more interesting throughout the movie. It definitely kept my attention because there was not a dull moment. Every time I got calm something dramatic happened.

I loved the way each character was unique. They all had their own personalities and skills. They were all able to contribute their knowledge when they needed to get past an obstacle. I was also fascinated by how 9 was able to be so smart and know a lot when he was the newest one. Since they get past so many obstacles it's very motivating and is clear in its message. It is inspiring people to never give up and always keep working. I was able to create an emotional connection as well as learn from the movie. Throughout the film, they used many different angles, movement, and sound. It was interesting to see how they made it since it was animated. It was overall a really good movie.

Research 9, the short

 The short film was at first a little confusing to me since there was no real background information or talking. As 9 continued around the place by himself and eventually having a flashback more things made sense. I almost immediately got a sad feeling because in the flashback 9 was seen with another character, however now he was all alone. It was very heartwarming when the two characters shared their belongings and seemed to deeply care about each other. The flashback became at first intense when the monster showed up and the other character had to fight him. From context clues, I could already tell that it would not end well and it made me sad once again. My intuition was correct and the monster used a device and took the soul of 9's friend. It was amazing the way Shane Acker was able to create a sad scene and be able to show the heartbreak that 9 was going through even though he is an animated character. I was not expecting to feel an emotional connection since it was animated but Acker did a great job conveying his emotions onto the audience. As the movie continued the plot only thickened. 

Once the flashback was over the plot only got better and better. I was caught off guard when the monster showed up but this time in the present day. Based on what I had seen last time the monster showed up, this would be a difficult fight. 9 led the monster into a cave and was able to trick him! When I saw this I first thought that he died too easily and I thought it was odd. But then I saw that 9 was above the roster ready to attack and I gained hope again. When 9 was standing on the edge after running from the monster I almost lost all faith again, I believed there was no way he could escape that many times. But once again I was proven wrong when 9 outsmarted the monster and was able to kill him. I was so happy and sad at the same time, I was happy that 9 won, however somehow I felt bad for the monster's death. When it cut to the next scene where 9 was standing by the graves looking at his friend's "skin" sadness struck me even harder. I could relate to the feeling of mourning and missing a loved one that was taken too soon. When the device the monster used to have started vibrating I was confused but I could kind of tell what was happening. The souls were finally released and able to go to their graves and rest in peace. When his old friend, 5, looked back at him it filled my heart with sadness that they had to once again go a different way but also so happy the got to see each other once again and that he was able to be at peace.

Choosing a Genre

  My group and I finally chose a genre. We felt that thriller best fit our pitch. Our pitch is, "Bella is your average teenager. Nothing abnormal has ever happened in her life, not yet at least." This pitch is eerie and suspenseful and therefore fits the thriller genre. 

We decided not to choose horror because we feel that many other groups will be choosing it. In addition to this, horror films can be slow-moving until there is a jump scare. We feel like we cannot complete an entire short film about horror in 5 minutes. 

In addition to horror films, my group and I also researched mystery films. We felt that that mystery would be interesting. However, we didn't know how we would fit it into our plot. This genre is difficult to conduct because these films are typically intense. We didn't want to confuse our audience by squeezing in too much information into a 5-minute film. 

Ultimately, we decided to do a thriller movie. Our plot fits the genre of thriller the best. All of the aspects that we wanted to include were fit for a thriller film. In addition to this, thrillers are easier to film than mystery and horror. This is because our time limit is 5 minutes and we don't want to overload ourselves. We also liked all of the aspects of this genre. Overall, we thought that a thriller film would be the best fit for us. 

Thriller Genre Research

  My group and I researched Thriller movies. 

Common angles found in thriller movies include close-ups and aerial views. These give the film more of a suspenseful and eerie feel. A popular moving is a tracking shot. The camera follows the character to give the audience a rush. The audience doesn't know what to expect, and therefore engages them to keep watching. Common sounds of thriller movies include car engines, police sirens, screams, as well as diegetic and nondiegetic sounds. These include music and monologues. 

The costumes are typically normal everyday clothing. The lighting can be dark or light depending on the location. In addition to this, the location can be anywhere: it depends on the storyline of the film. The makeup would normally be natural unless someone is injured or died. In this circumstance, the actor would have bloody and bruised makeup. The props can range from a chair to a car, to anything imaginable. The props solely depend on the plot of the film.

Common editing in thriller movies is zooming in. This allows the audience to be curious as to what is going to happen next. An example of a thriller film would be "Homecoming". Overall, my group likes the suspensefulness of thriller movies. We never know what to expect so we are always at the edge of our seats. We like everything about thriller movies.

Mystery Genre Research

 My group and I researched the different aspects of mystery films.

In our research, we found that some common angles are close-ups. These are used to make the audience curious, and it is typically zoomed in a clue. Some popular movements include zooming in or out. This allows the audience to understand what is trying to be shown, so they can interpret the scene. Some sounds include screaming, creaking floorboards, and diegetic sounds such as music or a monologue. Sounds heavily impact the film, and can help the audience understand what is going on. Costumes typically include normal clothing. Lighting can be dark at times, and light at others. The makeup is typically normal unless there is a character that got injured or died. If this happens, then the makeup is bloodied and bruised on the actor. Props can range from weapons to furniture depending on the plot of the film. In addition to this, the location can be anywhere: it depends on the plot of the movie.

 Common editing includes jump cuts and flashbacks. At the end of mystery movies, sometimes there is a flashback to show what and how everything happened. There is normally a diegetic monologue over the flashback. Some mystery films include "Murder Mystery". My group and I like how the plot ties together at the end. In addition to this, we enjoy how the flashbacks give a recap so all of the audience's questions are answered. However, we don't like how the plot can be difficult to follow. Sometimes we are completely lost and want to stop watching the movie because of this. 

Horror Genre Research

 My group and I have thoroughly researched the genre horror. 

In horror, common angles include close-ups. Close-ups are normally used to show the fear in the character's face which causes the audience to feel scared. This normally happens as soon as something bad is going to happen. Another commonly used angle is an over the shoulder shot. This is normally the antagonist looking down upon his victim. This belittles the protagonist and gives the audience a sense of fear for the main character. Panning and tracking shots are both popular aspects of horror films. Tracking shots are typically used to show an individual running away from something/ trying to escape. Panning shots are normally used to increase suspense.

Common sounds in horror include suspenseful music that is added to the movie, doors creaking, and people screaming. All of these sounds (whether they are diegetic or non-diegetic) are used to increase suspense within the film. Common costumes can range from typical everyday clothes to an intense scary-looking costume. It depends on what the particular movie revolves around and what the antagonist looks like. Common lighting is typically dark and eerie to create an eerie feeling. The makeup can be natural-looking, or it could be intense with a lot of gory aspects. For example, if one of the characters died, there would most likely be bloodied and bruised: this is done by makeup. Some props include weapons, and stairs. The antagonist is probably using a weapon to kill their victim, and a stereotypical scene is the main character falling downstairs. Most of the time, the location is in a house in which the main character is trying to escape.

When editing a horror film, timing is key. The editor might do split screens, jumpcuts, or anything to add suspense. In addition to this, they might add diegetic and nondiegetic sounds to ensure suspense. An example of a horror film would be "Bye-bye Man". My group and I enjoy the suspensefulness of horror films as well as sound and editing. The aspects that we don't like include the angles. Some of the angles make it difficult to understand what is going on during the film.

Genres I Would Like to Research

  My group and I have recently finalized our pitch. Our pitch is, "Bella is your average teenager. Nothing abnormal has ever happened in her life, not yet at least." The next step is to research multiple genres that our short film could be. A genre is a style of an artistic piece. There are many different genres that would fit our short film. 

As a group, we decided that our short film should gear towards the eerie side. We decided to research the genres of thriller, horror, and mystery. We feel that our film may include aspects of all of these genres. However, we have to research and decide from there. These genres have similarities and differences. Because of this, it will take intense research to decide which genre our short film should be under. In addition to this, we are still brainstorming the plot. 

We will need to have a basic idea of the storyline. This is so we can ensure that the genre will fit the short film. We are excited to begin researching. This will allow us to be confident in the genre that we choose. We will all research each genre, and compare notes and talk about what we learned. From there, the three of us will all work on our blogs. Overall, we are excited to begin researching.

Below are films from the genres thriller, horror, and mystery.

The Pitch

 Bella is like any normal teenager. Nothing interesting ever happens to her, well, until now. All of a sudden everyone is acting strange and nothing is like it's been before.

Group Blog

   I have picked a group for my project. It started with my best friend and me, Stephanie. We had been planning for a long time to work together. We were talking about different pitches for our movie. Even before school started we were talking about different ideas that we could film. We came up with a few ideas that we liked. We were thinking of some plots and what we definitely wanted to include. Since we live super close together we started planning things for when we had more information about the project itself. We had decided that it was only going to be her and me together. However, our plans changed. 

   A friend of ours texted us today asking if he could be in our group. We have both known him for a few years. We told him that he could join the group. We all joined in on a FaceTime call. We had to tell him about our plans. We shared our ideas for the project and asked for his input. He liked what we had so far. We also asked him for ideas but he didn't have any yet. We all agreed that this would be our group and we didn't want to include anyone else because it would be too many people and too difficult. For health and safety reasons and because of the pandemic we decided that us 3 would be enough and we all live close together which is good. 

Intro Blog

    I'm so excited to be back in AICE Media A-Level. Last year was really fun and I knew I had to do it again. This year will be even better. Now I know how the class works and what is expected. This year I also have my best friend in my class. I am really excited to work with her on this project. I already love the concept and work for this year and doing it with her will make it even better. I'm excited about all parts of the project. I love that this year we are allowed to be freer and do our own thing. Last year was more structured and learning while this year is more about being hands-on. 

   However, it will not only be all good this year. Since we are in a pandemic it will be difficult to do everything we would want to do. My teammate and I have seen each other regularly so that is not a problem. The problem would be finding a place to film to make the movie how we want it. With all the restrictions down here in Florida it will definitely be an obstacle we will need to tackle. I am sure we will figure it out and do great anyways. We could even film from our homes if the outside and public places are not available. Once the movie is complete, we won't have to go out as much, and we would be able to work "from home." We will still be able to work together but safer. I can't wait to actually start planning and working on the project. I have waited all summer. 

Audience and Institution Essay

Evaluate the impact of media ownership on the media texts which get produced

   In the world of film media ownership and status is very important. When looking at some of the most successful films that have been created, we see a clear pattern. Most of the movies that do the best have been distributed by high status/ well known companies, often the same ones. When it comes to film and distribution there are many companies, but two companies that have done the best is Walt Disney Pictures as well as Universal Studios.

   When a person hears Walt Disney or Universal many different successful movies come to mind, some of these being “Beauty and The Beast” and “Guardians of the Galaxy VOL.2” from Walt Disney Pictures and movies like “Furious 7” and “Jurassic World” by Universal Studios. Disney is in fact the largest media conglomerate in the world and made a total revenue of $38 billion back in 2010. Since these companies are already well known and expected to produce great movies, every time they come out with a new release more and more people will go out and see it to see if it’s as good as the rest. Both Universal and Disney have come out with many films and have been able to observe and adapt to what people like to see and what often ends up being successful. They have the opportunity, unlike many other companies, to experiment with what movies are popular and even if it ends up being a fail, they still have a high status and will get viewers for their next films. These companies having high status and ownership over the media text which is being produced because they have gained the audience trust in them making a movie, they like which makes them grow even more.

   All this makes it hard for other companies to compete. Since these well-known companies basically rule the film industry, it makes it hard for other smaller companies to grow. Smaller companies must try and make movies that are similar to the ones that are successful, based on research within companies like Disney and Universal, but also have to make sure it’s not too alike because then there would be no point in viewing their movie if someone with higher status and budgets already made the same one. And being too diverse will not be beneficial either because it could push away the general audience who have grown to like what these higher-ranking companies put out. Smaller companies need to do a lot of work and research before attempting to compete with these more popular distribution companies in order to make it big.

   The success of a distribution company can be clearly seen when looking at the revenue they make. As stated before, Walt Disney created both “Beauty and The Beast” and “Guardians of the Galaxy VOL.2” which are two very successful movies. After Beauty and The Beast was released it made $1,263,521,126 (1.3 billion) worldwide. And Guardians of the Galaxy VOL.2 made $863,756,051 worldwide after its release. Due to them being distributed by the trusted and well-known company, Disney, it gave them the potential to grow and ended up being huge successes making millions and billions of dollars for the company and inspired for new movies. Universal has experienced the same success through different movies. Furious 7 made $384 million within the first opening week and Jurassic World made over 1 billion dollars in total. These successes also led to a series of movies related to its original made by the same company, like Jurassic World by Universal. There are several distribution companies that have made it big around the world and part of this is because each of the companies create different types of films and all reach different types of audiences. Since there are major distribution companies covering all genres it makes it difficult for new or smaller companies to either start a trend in films or make it big themselves.

   The large companies that were bring discussed have worked incredibly hard and all been unique in their way of working their way to the top. Now that they are known for releasing popular films, they have gained the audiences trust and no matter what the film may be like, they will have someone watch it to see if they like it or not based on who released it. They have much ownership over what is being put out and seen which can benefit themselves with their future projects as well as making sure they are staying on top.

24 Extract Essay

   The director’s vision seems to be that people should be careful when it comes to who and what they trust. Always expect the unexpected because there is no way for knowing what someone else is capable of doing or what information they know. It’s vital to always be on the lookout and it’s always better to be safe than sorry when trusting people because no one can control their actions except for them. People should be careful and not have so much trust and faith in others.

   In the first scene Jack enters a large empty room with nothing but a table and Nina sitting in a chair. The lack of props plays a role in the setting that they are in. It seems as if they are either at a police station or a detective office where Nina seems to be questioned. There is a lack of items since they want to make sure that any possible risk is minimized when dealing with criminals and suspects. This clue of the setting helps the director’s vison because criminals in the first place are there because they violated the law and can’t be trusted. The lighting is very dim, and it makes it hard to see and interpret the scene and the things happening. The lighting made certain things unclear, just like people’s trustworthiness in the director’s vision for the scene/extract. From the start there are close up shots on Nina as it shows her emotionless face which makes it difficult to analyze her expressions and understand what she is thinking. As Jack walks into the room an eye-line match is seen. He looks up to the corner of the room where we later see that there is a camera. This seems to be foreshadowing something that will eventually take place. As he steps into the room non-diegetic music starts playing and creates a suspenseful mood and creates the feeling of not knowing what is going to happen next.

   In the second scene starts off with a two shot and medium close up combined as two, what seems to be detectives, are watching a screen in a different area but seemingly the same locations. The main prop within the scene is the screen that the two detectives are studying in silence. On the screen the audience can see that they are watching Nina in the room that her and Jack are in. They are watching them and seeing their every move to make sure nothing goes out of hand in there. Since they aren’t in there themselves, they need to make sure that neither Jack or Nina does anything they shouldn’t since they can’t control them or know what they are thinking or will do next.

   In the third scene there are many over the shoulder shots of Jack and Nina as they are talking to one another and Jack questioning her and trying to get information out of her to help stop an explosion. As they speak, using dialogue, Jack says to Nina, “I’m not going to make a move until I believe you’re credible…You are a trader Nina…You would sell anyone and everything.” Jack is already aware that Nina can’t be trusted and that he has no idea what her intentions or plans are. He doesn’t trust her easily, after all she is the one being questioned in an ongoing crime.  He knows, from what seems like past experiences, that she is a liar and selfish. Jack proceeds to lose his temper and flip over the table that stands in front of Nina. This is a cut away; it went from showing them having a normal conversation to Jack getting angry and acting out. Jacks behavior escalated out of nowhere and no one was expecting it. No one can trust him on what he could potentially do next.

   The fourth scene shows the detectives that are outside watching the questioning become on edge and tense up after seeing what Jack did. After Jack flipped the table and it crosscut to the detectives again to show their reactions there was more non-diegetic music that started playing, but this time it was louder. As the situation is getting more intense the music does the same and keeps everyone on edge. As the detectives seem to become worries of Jacks behavior, they can’t tell what he will do next and they can’t trust him that it will be the right thing.

   As the fifth scene starts the music is louder and louder back in the room where Jack is slowly walking back to his chair and sits down as the situation seems to be de-escalating. Nina starts speaking and once again Jack loses his temper but instead this time, he pushes Nina, while she is sitting in her chair, to the back of the room and starts chocking her. We can identify diegetic sound as the chair is screeching across the floor and Jack screaming out of anger. The scene cuts into a split screen where on one side is Jack attacking and talking to Nina and on the other is the detectives running to the room. As the moments intensifies it was important to see how both groups reacted. Jack continues to speak, through dialogue, to Nina as he chokes her, and the incidental music is louder than ever. The detectives are followed with a tracking movement as they rush to the room.

   The sixth scene starts off with a sound bridge that links Jack talking to Nina into this new scene as the other detectives enter the room. There is now a close up of Nina, showing a reaction shot, to what is happening to her and it’s clear that it wasn’t expected. The other detectives make Jack leave the room to ensure that he doesn’t do anything else to Nina. As Jack leaves they use a wide shot and pan movement to show Jack leaving Nina and the room behind.

   The scenes clearly show that Jack himself and the other actors were very unpredictable and that there was no way to trust their actions. The director’s vision was shown through the unpredictable characters and their actions. There was no way any of the actors could trust one another when it came to what they would do next and what information they knew. This shows that people should always be careful when trusting others; just because a person might know what they would do or how they would react, that doesn’t mean that others will do the same thing.

"Go Away" Final Film Video CCR

   I filmed the CCR. I went through and answered the 3 questions provided. At first I didn't understand the questions. I read them multiple times. I searched certain words I didn't understand. I also thought back to past CCR's with the same question and how I answered them. We challenged conventions by giving people a new idea of what a teenager is really like. We wanted to show that not all teenagers are the same. Teens are just like other people and  we react and handle situations differently, We also wanted to make sure that teens had an outlet they could relate to.
   Our film engaged with the audience by forming a connection. We know the feeling of being seen a certain way because of our age. We wanted to prove to other generations that the stereotypes aren't always acurate in every situation. Not only teens but other people who have been stereotyped could relate. The film would be distributed on streaming services like Netflix or Hulu. My production skills improved a lot throughout the making of this film. I learned more in depth how angles and movements should be made and I see the difficulties of filming. We integrated technologies by using softwares and devices we already know how to use. It made everything a lot easier when we actually knew how to work out equipment before starting and jumping into things. This filming experience has taught me a lot.

"Go Away" Final Film

I really liked the way the movie ended up. The movements, angles, and timing were done very well.
However, we needed to work on the audio during editing.

Dunkin Commerical CCR

Creative Critical Reflection

1. How does your product use or challenge conventions AND how does it represent social groups or issues?

• My product/ commercial was on Dunkin Donuts. My group used and challenged conventions by including different people’s enjoyment and/or love for the brand and products it comes with. In most Dunkin Donuts commercials, the actors as well as the extras act very unnecessarily dramatic and over the top in the way they act as well as talk. However, in our Dunkin commercial, the actors were more realistic, down to earth, and more relatable than the brands existing commercials. The setting in most other Dunkin Donuts commercials is usually in a workplace. In these commercials the cast is usually adults or families. However, we made our commercial take place in school with actual teenagers. We wanted to make something different and unique to be able to see if it made any difference in sales or for people to want to go there. We wanted to stick out from the other Dunkin commercials as well as be able to connect with audience our own age. In the commercial we also didn’t insert the prices of the products. We wanted to see if this would attract more customers or if customer wouldn’t want to buy it since the price wasn’t show upfront. That part of the commercial was meant for research and used as an experiment. Next time Dunkin could attempt to advertise other products besides coffee to other types of audiences to attract new and more customers.

•   When we made the commercial, we wanted to make it for teenagers and others our age. Since we are all teens, we gathered our ideas and brainstormed on how to make the most appealing commercial and used things we would look for or find attracting on commercials ourselves. As teens we see how much coffee (and other products Dunkin Donuts offers) teens consume and we realized that most of Dunkin Donuts customers are most likely teens. It was time to make a commercial that stood out and called on teens to make them feel included. Making the commercial in a school setting with students made it stick out from Dunkin Donuts other commercials and reach a new audience that they don’t usually target or market for. It’s a way to spread and grow the brand as a whole. If this type of commercial is successful Dunkin could consider making even more commercials towards teenagers and other groups they haven’t targeted before. This could be a big step for Dunkin in their growth and evolution and perhaps make new products aimed at new social groups to expand popularity.

 2. How does your product engage with audiences AND how would it be distributed as a real media text?

• My groups brand (Dunkin Donuts) engages with their audience in different ways. The products presented in each commercial is directed and targeted towards different types of people with different lives. Before my group and I decided to make a Dunkin commercial towards teens we looked at Dunkin Donuts past commercials to see what had already been done. It was mostly the same thing made for the same social group/ audience. We wanted to step out if that line and make a new connection to a new group, teens and other kids our age. We made the commercial based on things we would want to see that would make us want to go and buy whatever they are offering. We are able to connect with this audience since we have the same mindset and work on the same level as them. We can make relations to things going on in a teens life that will make them feel connected to the brand and understood. They could feel like they fit in. By making different types of commercials and advertising different products from Dunkin Donuts we could reach different audiences all in one.
•  Dunkin Donut commercials could be distributed in many different places. For example, it can be shown at sport evets, on the television, before movies at the theater, on social media, the radio, etc. Since Dunkin is reaching out to different social groups and audiences, they have a large variety of outlets they can spread to. If Dunkin decides to make or distribute a commercial on the television, they are more likely to reach adults and families. However, if they were trying to reach anyone, they could put an ad on the radio. When in the car and an ad comes on the radio anyone has the potential to hear it. The driver or passengers who can be any age possible. If Dunkin decided to publish something on the internet or on social media audiences like teens or a bit older would be the primary target and audience, they would reach. Depending on what is in their commercial and was is being done in it should determine where they want it to be distributed and seen. However, they also have to consider what times they want the commercial to be on each platform for it to do well and to be as successful as possible. For example, if they want to air a commercial on the radio it would be the best to do so throughout early mornings. This is the time both adults and students are up and driving to their jobs and school. If they were to heat a Dunkin Donuts commercial about coffee or breakfast on their way they might get tempted and stop by.

3.  How did your production skills develop throughout this project?

• My production skills evolved and became much better due to this project. I got to see and learn the process and see what it took to do certain things. I learnt what would be difficult and what I found easy to do so that I know where to focus my time during the next upcoming projects and so that I can make a plan so that I give myself enough time on each step while keeping it within the time frame I was given. It was fairly easy to come up with the shots my group and I wanted to shoot. We spent extra time re-shooting the shots just in case we accidentally deleted one, ended up not liking it, or if it would end up not working with the time frame we had to stay within. We realized that the exporting process would take up a good amount of our time if we decided to use school computers, so we had to spend extra time figuring out what we were doing wrong and how to fix it. We ended up using our own laptop and will most likely do that for future projects to save time. The editing process was simple due to the fact that we used our own software that we already knew how to work and control. During this whole commercial project, I got to see and get the basic understanding of how the projects will be carried out and how they should be done. I realized that it wasn’t as easy as I had originally made it out to be in my head but it also wasn’t way too difficult.

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

• When we started this commercial, we decided to use our phones as cameras to record the shots because we knew how they worked and didn’t have to worry much about the footage being deleted or disappearing. We knew that if something was to happen, we would be at fault and have to deal with the time limit ourselves, but it was a chance we were willing to take. The recording process worked out very well but when we were going to dump the footage into the school laptops something went wrong and it wouldn’t let us, we still had all the footage on the phone we used so we decided to try editing on our own laptop as well. This ended up being a good decision because the footage/ our shots were already backed up on the computers iCloud so it was already dumped. We used iMovie which seemed to be a lot easier software to use than Pinnacle Studios. In the end it was a good decision to use our own equipment and technologies because the schools equipment was not working correctly and my group ended up finishing the commercial and turning it in early.

Dunkin Commercial

I really liked the movement of the first shot. It looked really smooth and professional. I also liked how you could clearly hear the dialouge.
We definitely could've done it better but it was good enough for our first project.

"I Lived" music video CCR

"I Lived" Music Video

In the music video I really liked the way we shot the scenes. It gave me the feeling of a teenage dream which was the intention. I also really liked that we were able to be in it even just in the background. It definitely added a personal touch to it.
The only thing I didn’t like was how some of the music and the shots didn’t line up.

Re-editing Blog: During Quarantine

   Reshooting and re-editing has been difficult. There is currently a pandemic around the world. Everyone is currently during quarintine. No one is supposed to leave the house unless it's an emergency. This has made it difficult to work as a team. Since we can meet up its difficult agreeing on things. As well as having proper comunication. We havn't been able to discuss much about our film or CCR since we can't see each other. However, we have figured it out and made it work. We were able to still communicate everything we needed to do.
   Our entire group created a groupchat. We could tect our ideas and questions easily. We were already done shooting so we didn't have to worry about that. We finsihed all filming early and were re-editing. Editing together was not a choice anymore. Since it was on Kelsey's laptop she finished the editing. She sent us pictures for us to use for the previous blog. Since the CCR is individual we are all able to do it independently without a problem. We still use the group chat for any questions before asking our teacher. As a team we work well together. I'm pround and happy that we were able to figure it out. Once everything was done Kelsey emailed us the finished movie.

Re-editing: Adding music

   Today we added music to the film. We originally added music before reshooting. We realized that there was no point since we needed to add footage. We decided to get rid of the music until now. Now we finished reshooting and can add music. We had already picked out a song that was not copyrighted. We decided to go with the song Medicince by Daughter. I had heard the song previously and liked listening to it, however it was new to the rest of the group. At first we couldn't figure out how to add the song into iMovie. A member from our group searched it up online and we succesfully added the music.
   Once the song was added it was time for peer review. We got feedback that it was difficult to hear the dialouge due to the volume of the music. We tried to cut out certain parts of the song in order to make the volume lower. This was the next difficult task. Just like previously, we didn't know how to do this. The group was together and every member tried to figure it out but we couldn't. We decided to reach out to our other friends for help in hopes that they knew how to do it. We fianlly found someone who was able to do it for us. We fixed the audio where it needed to be. It took a lot of teamwork but we eventually figured it out.

Re-editing: After added scenes

   After we decided to reshoot we had to re-edit. We added the new scenes into iMovie. We dragged them into the spot they were supposed to be in. We had to delete certain old scenes. We replaced some of the old scenes with new scenes. We changed some of the order of the clips. We wanted it to look as natural and normal as possible even after the changes. We put them in the new order that made the movie look the best. We then had to cut certain scene lengths. We needed to make sure it fit the required time limit.
   Once all the scenes we put in place we needed transitions. We had to change transitions due to the additional clips. We were able to keep some of the old transitions between the scenes that were still connected. I looked through the transitions to find a fit for the new scenes. I tried different transitions.  At first my teammates and I didn’t agree but we decided on majority rules. We added fade and jump-cuts. It made the scenes look the best. We used these transitions the most thought the film. They are the best ones that were available.

Reshooting: The Issues

   We went out and reshoot certain scenes. There was a problem though. The scenes we had to reshoot included fake blood. We used fake blood the first time we were shooting. We had to add an extra scene while reshooting. In that scene I needed to have fake blood on my hand. Throughout the film I needed to keep the fake blood on my hand. When we were reshooting we came across a problem. We didn't have fake blood with us. We were lacking a prop.
   We needed to improvise. We started thinking of what things were available to us to act as fake blood. We didn't have a lot of choices. We decided to go with a red marker. We tried putting a pink marker on my hand but it didn't look good. We tried using a red marker instead and it worked a little better. It didn't give the same affect as the fake blood but it was a good enough replica for the shot we needed. We tired to film it from a distance where it wouldn't be as noticable. It ended up staining my hand and lasted a couple of days. But it was worth it because we got all the shots done.

Reshooting blog: important scenes

   Today we went out and reshot some clips. We liked our clips from last time but we agreed that there could be some improvements. We needed the film to be a little longer. We watched the film over again. We decided to add a scene instead of reshooting one. It was the easiest to fill what we needed. After we got the peer review paper back we decided to follow the tips. We needed to add more angles. We looked through the list if necessary ones. We picked the one that was easiest to add and for the film to still make sense.
   We decided to add another shot after I wake up in the movie. In the movie there is a scene where I wake up and find blood on my hand. Originally after that it cuts to be seeing it then getting out of bed. However, on the peer review it also told us to better show the fake blood on my hand. We added an over the shoulder shot/ high angle (combined) to focus on the blood. We added the few seconds we needed with the shot if the blood. We added the shot between the clips. It gave more detail to the audience of what was happening. We were able to both add another shot as well as a few more seconds. Now we need to make sure it all works together.

Editing Blog: Transitions

   Today we added the transitions. We finished filming and had to export our clips. Once all the shots were in iMovie we could start. We put all the shits in order the movie plays out. We looked to see if there was already a pretty smooth transition or not. For the first few scenes we didn’t need any specific transitions. We used some jump-cuts and easy transitions. We wanted it to look as smooth as possible without taking away from the actual clip. We deceived on minimal editing to not make distractions from the plot. For the most part we used fade and jump-cuts.
   There was a part of the movie where there was a jump between scenes. At first we didn’t know what to do. We thought about reshooting the two scenes and combine them. However, we weren’t sure if it would match with the time slot so we tried thinking about other options. I came up with the idea of trying different transitions. We looked through a lot of different types of transportations. After we tried the transitions we came together to discuss. Some of us had different opinions but we eventually came to an agreement. We decided to use a jump-cut. The other transitions made the scene confusing.

Peer Review Blog

  The groups film was very good. The story line was done very well. It was easy to follow and understand. Everything was made clear. The acting made everything come to life and look realistic. There was no dialogue which made the acting stand out even more. There were different sounds within the film that matched with the mood of the overall story. The camera movements and shots were all smooth. There were no harsh transitions and it made everything flow. Their film was overall made really well and there were minor problems.

  Even thought the group did fairly well, some things could have been improved. There was no dialogue. Dialogue could’ve added more suspense. It would also make certain scenes clearer. At certain moments when the action was happening. Certain things got confusing. Dialogue could’ve helped develop and explain what was going on. There were also no titles within the film. There was no way of telling who was who and their role. All the necessary titles should be added.