A Whole (Old) World

    Right when I had finished editing most of my project, specifically the scenes with actors, it was time to add in the sound at the beginning and I, of course, ran into an uh oh. I had found the perfect sound to use from bulletproofbear.com, a website that my teacher had referred as it offers royalty free music. In the website’s search engine it says you are able to search for moods, so I looked up “moody” and after listening to different options, I liked the audio labeled Urban Island by Gregory Scott Reeves! So, thank you Mr. Gregory! I liked it even better when I slowed it down slightly for a slower vibe. However, once I had to add the audio onto the scenes (especially to be able to tweak the length of some of the clips to sound better with the song), I couldn’t find the option to add my own sound on Adobe Premiere Rush. It was at this moment that all my frustrations exploded, and I neglected all my intentions to learn a new software and I took my entire project to iMovie. iMovie has never let me down. Why didn’t I just use iMovie from the first place? Why is my loyalty so feeble? UGH!!!!!!!

    Well, enough of the drama. After moving my project to iMovie, I was able to add in the music and edited the lengths of each credit scene to some of the beats of the music. Watching it back, I’m so happy with how everything is turning out, and I’m loving how the font (Montserrat) appears. I chose for the text to be light blue to go with the overall mood of the opening film and what the movie is supposed to represent. Not only is blue a representation of sadness which can allude to Alejandro’s grief, but the blue also matches well with his graduation gown that is later shown. I also edited the song to end when Alejandro is tapping on his phone, transforming the sound into a diegetic one and then leading into the playing of the voicemail. 

    Placing everything together, I’m soooo happy with how it’s looking and I think it’s finally done! I’m going to look at it again with a pair of fresh eyes later on to ensure that I didn’t miss anything or that something is edited wrongly. I also want to show it to my family members to hear their feedback while I still have some time to fix anything. Looking back on my process, I have definitely learned a lot and have grown as a person in both the context of a content creator and a student. I was (mostly) able to use my time wisely and put what I’ve learned into practice. Though I went through some obstacles, I’m glad I was able to find other solutions that ended up benefitting the overall final look of the opening. Something I forgot to mention, was that I had to cut the detail about the main character playing soccer because it was difficult to get symbols like pictures or trophies to demonstrate his soccer career. The picture I had also shown before () was stuck to the wall and it was the only printed team picture that my family or even the actor’s family had. I didn’t want to print a picture using my own printer because I knew it would’ve looked out of place, and also who prints their own team picture on regular copy paper to hang in their room? To defeat this obstacle, like I had to surpass many others, I decided to work around it and just make do with what I had. Without even knowing that I had initially planned to include that detail, the opening still appears to be seamless. But for the most part, YAY! The film opening is complete!

Fonts and Credits

     So, after continuing to edit my opening film, I have run into an uh oh. Curious as to what types of fonts the software I'm using offers, I realized that, though it has a various amount of font options, it only allows the text to be in a determined spot on the frame. I was really unhappy by this because it really messed up with the look that I had envisioned for all the shots. I also didn't want to get ahead of myself by looking at different fonts on Google because I knew that once I found a way to implement a text in the spot I desire, that software is going to have a limited amount of fonts to use, too. However, not to get married to the idea, but I already envision the text to be a thin yet strict/boxy shape wise, which will hopefully be a pretty easy font to find.

    My reasoning for what I'm looking for in the font is that I don't want the text to necessarily look feminine (meaning to have a flowy or curvy sense) but I also don't want the text to be bold, the thinness symbolizing Alejandro's very own hesitation of stepping out into the world. For the title of the film, specifically, I want the letters to be slightly separated from each other to emphasize the feelings of loneliness and awkwardness that my character feels throughout the movie. I'm thinking for it to look kind of like the title slide of the film Submarine. A font that already represents the image I have in my head is the font Montserrat. I was hoping that whatever software I found had a font similar to this one.

Rotten Tomatoes

    The reason fonts are so important in a film, especially at the very start, is because it helps create a mood and atmosphere when the audience is still being introduced to everything. It very easily gives away the aesthetic of the movie and in what artistic sense the movie is going to be presented. That's why I owe my LIFE to Canva, the software that made it possible to add text to my videos in the manner I desired with an abundance of fonts to choose from! Canva is a software that makes it extremely easy to present information and design templates in a creative manner. I already knew I loved it to death, but now I love it even more when this message popped up on my screen. Words cannot describe my excitement, and I immediately began to add the credit scenes and titles to my scenes before adding them back to the complete project in Adobe Premiere Rush. I still have a few finishing touches to do regarding the sound, but I'm so happy with how everything is turning out. Nearing the end of creating the opening film, I have begun to start thinking on ways to present my CCR. So, definitely stay tuned for that!

Me vs. My Computer

     So, I can safely say that Adobe Premier Pro is nothing like iMovie. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I decided to take my editing skills to the next level and tackle a new software program, but it took a while to get used to it. I, first, had to transport all my videos onto my computer via Google Drive. This required going through them and I quicky edited some of the clips where it was easier to use my fingers to zoom in or change the orientation. When exporting the clips onto Google Drive, I also took the liberty of labeling them in an efficient manner to help the progress go more smoothly. I, of course, labeled the video with the subject or scene that appeared, but I also labeled my preference over repeated clips in order to remember which one I liked seeing on my phone better. The reason I didn't just go ahead and delete all the clips that I didn't think I was going to use was because I wanted to make sure that I had all the footage available in case I run into any problems.

  

    After I organized all my footage, I had to import them into a new project on Adobe Premiere Pro. This is where I started to get confused because where iMovie had a plus option to add new media and a single screen to work with, Adobe Premiere Pro looked like THIS (↓). It took a lot of exploring and clicking random symbols to finally find the place where I could import my videos. And it was at this moment that my computer decided it didn't like me. Every time I tried to download a video from my Google Drive onto my computer, it wouldn't take the file in a video format. I struggled for about 30 minutes with my mom's help, and I finally decided to give up. No matter which method I would try (emailing, Dropbox), my computer was unable to show me some love and download the videos in their original formats. That's when I had to part with my dreams of using Adobe Premier Pro, but I still didn't want to use iMovie because I knew it only had a limited amount of fonts and editing techniques. Looking for an answer and trying to see what I could maybe accomplish on my iPad, I found a software called Adobe Premier Rush: Edit Video.

    

    It seemed that Adobe Premiere Rush was a simpler and beginner version of Adobe Premiere Pro. I was glad to have found it because now I could still discover a new software program that offers more techniques and skills while also using something that's more to my level. It also proved to be extremely beneficial for importing my media since all of my videos were already on my iCloud. Once I downloaded the APP, I immediately got started on editing the film opening. I, FINALLY, imported my videos onto the software and began to separate the audio from the clips and deleted the audios. I still need to explore different music that I could implement into the scenes, but I do know that I don't want my own footsteps or breathing to be heard. After the long process of putting everything together, my scenes seem to be looking good! The next step is to find the right font and add in the credits to their appropriate scenes. Without any text, the clips of the objects look pretty bare and it's hard to tell how long they have to be without knowing what it will all look like. The scenes of the actors, however, are all edited in and I now need to work on adding any background sounds and the voicemail! I'm so happy with how everything is turning out and being able to see my project closer to the finish line gives me a lot of relief and excitement! Now, I have to work on finding the correct font so that I'll be able to complete the finishing touches on my film opening!

Compare video editing Tool Plans and pricing | adobe. (n.d.). https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/video/compare-plans.html 

Completed Filming Process

    Today was my last day of filming and it has been a success! Luckily, my star actor was able to portray the emotions well and pay attention to my stage directions. I took multiple takes of all the shots to ensure that I would have a satisfactory collection of clips and I even recreated some of the shots of the objects in the room because there was a different lighting (a special thanks to the Sun for constantly being in motion and constantly changing what my scenes look like). First, when the actors arrives, I told them to change into their costumes (the formal attire) and told them about the overall plot of the idea. I thought it was good for them to understand where the story was going in order for them to better play the part. It was extremely beneficial for my main actor to have been in the same position as Alejandro, a teenager who is about to graduate, because he was able to embody the anxious persona well and move across the room with weight and anxiety. 

    Next, I began to work through the scenes in order, especially since I didn't want our natural light source showing up at different intensities and angles in sequential scenes. We started to film our scenes and I was sure to keep looking at my shot list for reference because I wanted to ensure a variety of shot types in the opening. I also let the actor take his own creative liberty and asked him to make movements that felt comfortable and natural. This is what also led to the changing of some scenes like instead of Alejandro sitting on the bed, he sits on the chair. My actor thought sitting on the chair would flow easier and after seeing a few practice movements I agreed to give it a shot. And I'm so glad I did, because I liked what we were able to film utilizing the chair rather than the bed which had a boring backdrop. Thankfully, both of the actors already know each other well (one being my dad, and the other being my boyfriend), so they were comfortable filming with each other and accepted each other's suggestions. I filmed my dad's scenes after all of the scenes with Alejandro because of a timing issue, but I actually like how their disconnection can be seen through them never appearing in the frame together.

    When I was filming, I was also sure to create a lingering moment for my movie's title to appear. It's exciting to think that I am now moving on to the editing phase and need to look deeper into fonts and sounds. I already have some ideas for a font (something thin and dainty yet masculine) that I'm excited to look out for and implement. In class, we also began to learn about the Creative Critical Reflection and what the entails for the future of this project. I'm excited to see where this is going! For now, I need to focus on editing and begin to finalize my film opening portion for this project. I've edited projects before, but mainly through the use of my phone and the software iMovie, but I'm interested in figuring out how to use Adobe Premier Pro in order to have a better range of tools accessible. Wish me luck!

Note: Finally, it works to embed my own video! Prepare for more sneak peeks soon!

Filming Progress

    Filming has officially commenced! I, first, wanted to capture the shots of the objects placed around the room. My hands are not the steadiest in the world (God knows I could never be a brain surgeon), so after taking a few practice shots of items around the room, I knew I would've needed the help of some filming tools. Thankfully, I was able to borrow a camera stabilizer from my teacher and the rest of the shots appeared much better. Some movement is still detectable, but I wanted to hold the camera rather than use a tripod because I wanted to give the scenes a sense of natural movement as there is already a lack of excitement and movement in the scenes, being shots of only the items. I wanted to go for a homey and realistic feeling, like as if the scenes were being witnessed by the audiences own eyes. I was inspired by the memories captured by the character Yang from the film After Yang, and I wanted to create that same feeling of tranquility. 

Link: https://youtu.be/cIJ8-HGWlKw?si=Plti5C-DPwuh9mfA

    For the most part, I'm really satisfied with how everything looks. I'm taking multiple shots of an item/area at different angles, lengths, and focuses. My phone has a setting on the video mode called "Cinematic" where it takes the video at different focus pulls. This is a cool feature because I'm able to focus on different things by activating what's called the "AF Tracking Lock." I'm hoping this will give my film a more sophisticated look with more dimension as not all of the scenes will be constantly in deep focus. I'm also content with how the lighting is going. I was worried that it wouldn't look bright enough since I was just using the natural light source from the window in the room, but I think it actually gives it a more organic look rather than a bright or harsh overhead light.

    The next scenes to be filmed are with the actual actors! In terms of costume and makeup design, the main character will be well-groomed (his hair neatly done) and in the action of putting on dress pants and a dress shirt. Graduates typically wear formal clothing since the day marks an important achievement. It's not extremely formal where the men wear suit jackets or tuxedos, especially since the graduation gown acts as a jacket anyways, but it's still a pretty formal event where everyone tries their best to look good. That's what makes the opening and Alejandro's actions in it even more impactful because he's running late to his own graduation, clearly not showing must interest in hurrying or getting there on time. This is extremely telling of Alejandro's view of and interactions with the world that the audience will encounter later on in the film. The father character will also be dressed formally, except unlike Alejandro, he'll be wearing the suit jacket for a more mature look.

Stocksy

Slow and Steady Wins the Race, Right?

      Having some extra time before my actors are ready and available for filming, I wanted to make sure that my audio was 100% ready. After listening back to my two samples, I made an embarassing realization (thanks to a family member) that there isn't much of a difference between either audios. So, after more analyzation I chose the audio where I liked the sound the best and that I thought would best fit the film. It's about twenty seconds long and even after playing it about once and a half times, it won't fill all of the required time. Before playing the first recording of the voicemail, I have decided to fill the silence with a diegetic song. How will it be diegetic? I thought it would be fitting for the main character Alejandro to be listening to music as he is getting ready, and as the song ends, I could input the scene of Alejandro stopping the music and playing the voicemail. The title would then appear at that moment on the wall while the first playing of the audio plays.

Voicemail Sample 

    Thinking back on one of my lessons in class, my teacher had provided a few resources for where to find copyright free music and sounds. The sites she suggested were freesound.org, bulletproofbear.com, bensound.com, and purpleplanet.com. I took the liberty of exploring these different mediums and trying to see if there was a sound that I was inclining to. Bulletproodbear and Bensound, specifically, have royalty free music rather than just sound effects, so I focused on those two. On Bensound, I have the option to peruse between different genres and I'm leaning towards either folk or indie music. While there are some sounds that I'm liking, they all seem to be instrumental and it's a small selection. I then looked at Bulletproofbear, which also seemed to have only instrumental music, but it did have a larger selection under the indie genre.

    Now, it's FINALLY time to start filming and see my ideas in action. It's frustrating to be off schedule, but I'm glad to have been able to decide on a few more set and sound designs. Going into filming, I'll have my actors work with their scripts and then move off script for dialogue scenes, and take multiple takes as I've learned that overshooting is the best method. I'll also make sure to follow my shot list but keep in mind that it's okay to take creative liberty and improvise when a better shot is needed. Next time, I'll have some sample scenes to show!

The Curtain = Filming ...and the Curtain is on Fire

     Unfortunately, filming hasn't been going how I wanted it to be going. I had planned to have most of my footage done by this time, but due to scheduling conflicts and life circumstances it has been difficult to do so. It's even more difficult that the film requires daylight to be coming through the window as it takes place in the morning because by the time I was home most days after school and other events and activities, I only had about an hour of sunlight. Luckily, the universe seems to be on my side and is giving me a helpful hand to allow me to complete my filming, and that is that the clocks are changing an hour ahead due to Daylight Savings. Hopefully, I'll be able to complete all my filming and get back on track with my schedule soon.

    Having unforeseen extra time before the start of filming, luckily, gave me some more time to perfect the props and work on the audios for the film. First, I found the perfect photograph of a young boy's soccer team (belonging to my family) that will help build the context of Alejandro's skills with soccer. I think it's important to show various aspects of the character's life and personality, like the soccer team photo and the Star Wars figurine, to increase Alejandro's relatability. Relatability is important to a coming-of-age film, and I also wanted to emphasize how Alejandro is a well-rounded category who had life going extremely well for him. This is what makes his mother's death that much harder on him because he is broken out of his "perfect" life and can't find the way back. I have also decided to definitely add some piles of clothes over the hamper to create the sense of disorder, symbolizing how Alejandro now feels about his life. I also found this old cube that belonged to my older brother which contains baby photos of him with my mother and my father. I thought a cool shot could be to show the cube at an angle where both photos can be seen, acting as another symbol of how his youth represented the perfect days of his life and how that has now been lost.

                                 

    On a good note, I was also able to record two versions of the mother's voicemail. First, I talked to the actress on how I want the tone and words to sound. Luckily the actress is my own mother and I asked for her to embody a motherly nature as if she were actually leaving a voicemail to one of her kids. After practicing a few times and going over the script, we tried a few different recordings of the scene. As only her voice is required, she was able to read from the script directly, which helped with her lack of memorization. At the start, we had only been recording the audio as a normal video to get used to it. Then we moved on to actually leaving a voicemail on a phone to be able to get the exact distortion and sound that comes from a phone call. I was sure to get a satisfactory audio from each method of recording because I'm unsure if the sound will be clear in the final product of the film.