AICE Media Studies

 Below is my CCR for my final task split into 3 different parts

 Below is my final task. I really learned a lot and enjoyed making and creating this assignment. Hope you enjoy my film.

While finishing up my editing process I realized that I made a lot of changes to my film. Mainly because I got carried away and recorded too much footage. My time limit is two minutes and I was way past that. I only kept necessary clips into my film. Also, some scenes didn't make sense to the plot and I realized I would make my audience confused so I cut it out. Most things don't work out in the end so it's best to change it so everything can work out perfectly.  Moreover, I realized that I didn't check to see if the music I planned on adding to my video isn't royalty-free. I figured it would be too much trouble to switch around my whole soundtrack on such short notice but it's better than getting a copyright strike. So, I made sure to find royalty-free music only. At first, I was skeptical; I didn't think I would find any good free music. However, I was far from right. There were so many good options that it was hard to pick just one at times. Most of the t...

 Here we are, after all my hard work I finally feel satisfied because I accomplished the hardest part of my project. Which is filming; it was a long journey but I enjoyed myself. Filming is also the most time consuming, important part of this project. Without the footage there will be no project. Essentially the footage is the base of my project and lucky for me, I just got it done. Everything is finally coming to a close. Soon enough I'll be done but for now I had to start editing. Editing was really easy. I had to put all the clips in the correct order. When I filmed I just recorded the scenes that seemed the most convenient to film at the moment. So this was determined by what time of the day it is, how long the scene was and many other facts. Most of the clips I had to crop because there was a lot of bloopers. I'm guessing that's why it took so long to film because a lot of mistakes were made. However, along the way I learned a lot and I guess one could say mistakes is ...

  This marks the day before the last of my filming process. I have so much footage to a point where I think I might run out of storage on my phone very soon. I recorded a lot of duplicates of the same scenes. In doing so I have the opportunity to pick the footage that fits my opening sequence best. This gives me a lot of flexibility and when my opening sequence is all put together I can always switch out the scenes for one of its duplicates.  Also, I've noticed that I portray the same emotion in different ways, which is understandable. I want to try my best at making my message clear to my audience. Besides my questionable acting, the music will help the audience feel the emotion I want to cast on them. Particularly, emotion is up to interpretation so I'm not too worried about it. It should be noted, that I will receive feedback from my family viewing my opening sequence. Their input will further help me improve my work. I just have to make sure they're being brutally hones...

 Over the 3 day weekend, I used all the time I had to my advantage. I'm really proud of myself and what I got accomplished. Filiming was surprisingly easier than anticipated. Although it took longer than I expected; everything was organized and planned to perfection. I had the best lighting, no interruptions, and my cousin seemed to know what she was doing. So we also had an amazing time together filming. I honestly believe it made us closer, which is a plus. Watching the scenes we recorded together gave us the opportunity to reshoot and modify things that needed to be changed. For example, how the pillow was positioned or my facial expression. She contributed to a lot and I really think without her help this wouldn't be possible.  Moreover, like mentioned beforehand, the scene that we recorded took a long time to shoot. We spent 2 whole days on it and lucky for me she decided to spend the night. So time was not a factor while we were filming because we had all the time in the...

 Since my last blog, I discussed how I was planning on filming more scenes; which I am but I never got the chance to. I really wanted to but my schedule has been so busy. It might seem like it's easy to set aside 10 minutes dedicated to filming one scene but it's way more complicated than that. A scene one might assume will take 30 minutes to film actually takes an hour. There are so many bloopers and camera malfunctions, that make these scenes take so long to shoot. It crazy to think about but 10-second scenes probably took 5 times longer just to record. There's a lot of hard work put into recording these movies. I have so much more respect for filmmakers after taking this class. Actually getting to see what happens behind the scenes of these types of things is insane, there are so much time and effort you have to put into this. My final task is only 2 minutes so imagine the filmmakers making a 2-hour movie. This is honestly impressive and movie production teams deserve mo...

During my week-long break, I did almost everything. From relaxing and reading to practicing my driving skills and studying for upcoming tests. I accomplished many things over the break which I'm indeed proud of. These things that I did were very beneficial on my part and I don't regret doing them. Even if it meant that I didn't get to record all the scenes that I desired to.  I already knew beforehand that there was a chance this would happen. I had high expectations for myself and I knew it was possible to fulfill them. However, in the end, I only managed to record a few scenes. Despite this discouraging news, I believe it's not that much of a big deal because I have a lot of time to finish. Technically if I didn't record at all over the break I still would have enough time to record and edit my opening sequence. So I'm glad I'm one step closer to being finished with my project. Now, being back at school means I would have to work around, my busy schedule. ...

 Previously, I discussed how I recorded two scenes I needed for the final task. I managed to start editing those scenes as well but I never finished. So, this week I continued that editing process. I did anything that I was too tired to do last week. Now that I'm done editing those scenes, my main goal is to record the rest. I don't want to rush anything so I won't record everything in a day but I plan to record the majority of my final task over my break. Today is the start of spring break. Which is a whole week off with no school. Meaning I'm free from homework and my schedule is no longer busy. Of course I'll use this break to relax and prepare for the fourth quarter but I have one more idea in mind. I will take this break to my advantage and use it to start filming again. I want to film scenes that are more prominent than the others. Which are the ones that I know have to be in the opening sequence. This also applies to scenes that I know I normally wouldn't...

      The previous Saturday, I found myself bored. All my friends were busy, nothing on my phone entertained me, and I completed all my homework. I was in a space where I didn't know what to do. I was so desperate to be occupied that I would practically do anything, even chores. After complaining about having nothing to do, I sat there and I thought to myself. Then, that's when I asked myself, "shouldn't you start filming?" At that exact moment, my boredom quickly left. Filming is usually fun and very time-consuming. Therefore in doing so I will be occupied. My boring weekend suddenly started to get interesting by the second.  Since my cousin who was originally going to help me wasn't at my house I asked my mom to help. My mom is not the most tech-savvy person so I had to show her the ropes. I had a clear vision of which camera angles I wanted to use and the pacing of each scene so I specified this all to her. At first, she was having difficulties but after a ...

 The clock is ticking! I was getting closer and closer to start filming. There's no rush but I knew I wanted to start as soon as possible. I had to make the necessary preparations in order to start. In my previous blogs, I went over all the things I did and what lengths I went to just to be prepared for this.  Although, the whole process of getting ready to film has been tedious. I really enjoy setting up to prepare for something great. I love seeing everything come together after all the hard work I do. What helps me during my process is playing all my scenes through my head. It motivates me to keep on pushing forward because this will all be worth it at the end. Therefore, I got up and I got to work. Prepping my setting was a very important step that I'm glad I did not skip.  Prepping my setting meant cleaning my room. So my bed, my desk, my floor, so on so, forth. This didn't take me long to do. I also picked out my outfits for each of my scenes. So pajamas and casual ...

 Continuing my journey of making my final task, I had to start filming. I use my phone to record my videos so you could imagine how hard it is to find a way to prop the phone without it falling. I would either need someone to record me or a tripod to ensure the phone won't fall. Recently those things were not available to me. Therefore, I had to improvise while I had the time. I sat down and differentiated between the scenes that I would have to do alone and the scenes I needed extra help with. This process was very tedious and time-consuming. Some scenes I was unsure of so I would have to film it myself as a test run.  Most of the ones I tested out were shaking and blurry. I instantly knew that help would be needed immediately. Unfourtuanelty, when I record myself I can't see the screen. Either the camera would be crooked or it wasn't focused. There are so many factors that come into play with filming yourself. I'm better off with waiting until I get the tools I need. ...

Before I start to film or edit, I have to get a few things into order. For example, I don't have all my props yet. The props I still need are a calendar, a cake, and headphones. In order to get these things, I had to ask my Dad if could he take me to the store. Unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to go to the store yet but my Dad said we could go tomorrow. As soon as I buy my calendar I'll get straight to work. I'll mark it appropriately based on each individual scene and record it. I want to get everything out of the way so I could finish in time and not feel too rushed with everything. This is such a big important project and all the weight is on my shoulders because I feel pressured to make it perfect.  Without any help, this project has been a challenge but I won't let that get to me. Additionally, when I get the cake I will record all the scenes that involve it as soon as possible. Buying this cake is a win-win situation, I need it for my project and a...

The storyboards are one of the hardest things to do in this class. This is because I have a clear idea of how I want things to work out beforehand. I already wrote down my story in my notes and made an outline of it. It's easy to write down what you want and jot down ideas of what you want but to draw them is a whole different thing. Especially if drawing isn't your expertise. It could be frustrating at times because the drawing won't come out exactly how you picture the scene. I don't want to confuse myself or anyone who views my storyboards. Also, there are so many scenes meaning there's a lot to draw. Things may not remain consistent if one's mind is focused on drawing all these scenes. I worry that my storyboard isn't in order because I tend to be very indecisive. So I want to use my storyboard as a reference guide to creating my final task project but I fear it won't be similar to my final outcome. Hopefully this is okay and the change will bring ou...

Font: For every title card the font will be the same so it remains consistent. I will be using a font that matches my theme. Usually, in thrillers, the font is either really simple or has a scary feel to it.  Contrast: I will make my title lighter than the background images so the audience can read it easily. In my example, it is not shown this way but I will adjust it later on.  Size: The title will appear in bold font and big enough for the audience to read.  Spacing: There will be spacing in between the letters also for the audience to read better.  Working title: The title of the movie is "Trapped" or "Imprisoned". I choose this title for now because it describes how the character feels. How will the titles enter the screen? The titles will pop up on a new scene and then fade away.  How long will each title be before it disappears? Each title will be 3-5 seconds because it's fast-paced. This ensures the audience will get immersed.  All titles wil...

 Dialogue & Sound Script  Scene 1:  No dialogue ... then suddenly alarm rings.. *faintly sighs* Scene 2:   Teacher: " Today class we are going to get started on chapter 5..."   M/C:    "Everday feels like the same day over and over again... I'm tired, I'm lonely, I'm sad"  Scene 3: M/C: " I just want to feel something for once. To not be bored with life." *fast-paced music* Scene 4: M/C: "But now things are finally going to change"  Sister: " We're about to do the cake soon- what are you doing?" *music cuts off*  M/C: "Oh my god! Get out!" Sister: "Sorry just hurry up"   M/C: "Alright, Alright" Sister: "Oh yeah and Happy Birthday by the way" Scene 5: *music plays faintly through headphones* No dialogue Scene 6: *family singing happy birthday*...  Sister: "make a wish"  *music intensifies* Voiceover: "I wish-" Scene 7: *intense music* no dialogue  Scene 8...

 Location  I will be filming at my house and different areas inside my house. The majority of the time I will be filming in my bedroom.  Participants Actors: Jayla Darden  Filiming: Jayla Darden Editing:  Jayla Darden Directing : Jayla Darden Safety Team: Charrick Darden (my father) & Velma Tennyson  Health & Safety In order to ensure my safety, my Father and Grandmother have volunteered to act as a "safety team". They will provide extreme supervision with access to a phone that can dial 911 and a first aid kit.  In the scene when the main character is blowing out the candles, the safety team will light the candles and make sure they go out safely.  Moreover, because of COVID-19, I will be filming in my house only so I won't be in contact with anyone except my family members. If I decided somewhere outside of my home my mask will be on at all times until I'm isolated from the public. Then, I will remove my mask and film safely.  Sche...

 This is from the website "Art of the Title":  www.artofthetitle.com What titles are displayed during the opening sequences? Production companies, name of the actors, the film creator, costume designers, etc. What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?  The opening sequence switches from the place the kidnapped girl is and the title screen.  What connotations do these images carry? The face-paced cutting between each scene is getting the audience immersed and prepared for what could possibly happen next.  How does the film establish a feeling of the genre from the outset?  Non-diegetic sound is increasing the anxiousness one might feel watching this.  What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?  Since there are kidnapped girls the audience is sure to watch them try to escape or be tortured. Also the dim lighting and stereotypical creepy man.  How has technology been used effectively?  The unfocus...

   This is from the website "Art of the Title":  www.artofthetitle.com What titles are displayed during the opening sequences? The name of the actors. The directors and producers. What images are prioritized in the opening sequence? The opening sequence is showing the life of the apparent, main character. Also, his surroundings so the view of the city and where he works. We get a good view of the office. What connotations do these images carry? We see that he's a dad and that he's pretty content with his job. Although, he seems like he doesn't have any friends. This is a neutral connotation. How does the film establish a feeling of the genre from the outset? Thriller movies keep the audience guessing. I assume things like where he works and what city he resides in, are significant to the plot. Maybe a little bit of foreshadowing.  What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience? The movie is starting off pretty calm and it introduces t...

 This is from the website "Art of the Title":  www.artofthetitle.com What titles are displayed during the opening sequences? "Universal Pictures Presents"  " A BH/ GOALPOST PRODUCTION" "IN ASSOCIATION WITH NERVOUS TICK PRODUCTIONS" "THE INVISIBLE MAN"  What images are prioritized in the opening sequence? The image is the bottom of a cliff. There are waves crashing on a rock that reveals the movie titles. These are the opening production credits. What connotations do these images carry? The loud noises of the waves crashing against the rock is scary because that means the waters aren't calm. When the ocean is like this it's extremely dangerous. The title sequences have negative connotations.  How does the film establish a feeling of the genre from the outset? The sound of the waves paired with the dark sky is alluding to the fact that something bad will happen. By the title, the main character might be in unknown danger. This w...