Big debate....who will win??

 I have been doing a lot of thinking, as I usually do. I am not very experienced when it comes to editing, so I have gotten some input on the best apps to use. Mrs.Stoklosa provided us with some background information and different links to various editing software. The different contenders are Adobe, IMovie, or DaVinci. I have heard a lot of good things about Adobe so I may go with that. 

These are the big ones! I will end up going with premiere, as I have access to this program and all of its features. With the different editing tools I need, this will be the best app for me. I have worked with IMovie in the past, but found that it was not my favorite app to use. Premiere is very intricate and has a lot of different tools that are available to me. Thankfully, I have some amazingly gifted friends who have worked with premiere. 

    

When I started editing today, I was utterly lost and confused. Fun fact: I wasn't sure how to import the specific clips into the timeline to be edited. However, connections are always going to help you. My friends Sebastian and Mia are both experienced with Premiere and were able to show me the ins and outs. I did watch a few tutorials but found that with the help of my friends, I was able to learn much more in a shorter amount of time. Shoutout to those brilliant people, I will forever be thankful for their help and gratitude. I can't wait to see their projects! 

Filming Day!!

    Today is/was filming day! This has been a long-waited for day and I was so excited to embark upon this journey. I had been preparing these past couple of weeks for editing as I understand just how much it can be.. I've taken tips and tricks from previous students on how to make this process easier and more enjoyable. I already had the location set and the different places I wanted to film, I just needed to start! Today was the day that I would actually film my ideas and turn my storyboard into the real thing. I was a bit nervous as I wasn't sure how I would be able to capture certain shots, but I was able to overcome some of these obstacles.

    Slight update, I still have not heard back from the artists, "Almost Monday" so I will resort to YouTube Library for more copyright free music! I wanted to update you guys since I know my last blog was talking about how I still haven't heard from them, which is okay.

    I did have a set back with my project, an unfortunate one. One of my actors was unable to be there for filming day. This threw me for a LOOP! What was I supposed to do on filming day when one of my actors could not be there to act their role?? I had already written out each shot and already had the main characters established. I tried not to freak out, as I knew that this would not set me back. With the assistance of my sister, I was able to solve the problem. I would now be the replacement for the actor who was originally supposed to play the creepy man. I was thinking about the various shots I wanted to get, and realized that I would still be able to capture each moment as long as I could wisely record at specific angles. 

    I had my actors, (my sister and her amazing friend) and it was AMAZING!! They were very hard-working and were able to give me an outsiders input, which opened my eyes a lot to the production of the opening. Some shots I thought would be captivating, but might not have translated across the screen. I had so much fun filming and directing. We also got our steps in considering the fact that we were walking around the UM campus, which requires a considerable amount of walking. I love walking and UM has a beautiful campus so I was able to work on my project in the nature and throughout the campus.

    Filming has taught me a lot about the different possibilities available to me and all that I can do at the convenience of my phone, which sounds insane. I'm rambling once again!! But yes, filming was amazing and I look forward to editing. I want to expand my horizons with media and the different options I have to create something at the touch of my finger. I did not run into many problems when it came to recording, and I actually got to meet a lot of new, cool people. I am very social, which I found helped me a lot with my filming because I was able to ask people if they wanted to be in my opening. I started off my approach to each person I wanted in my film by telling them the premise of my intro. I know many people do not consent to being filmed without knowing what the purpose is, which I totally understand. I clarified to each person that this was for a project! I got great responses from people and they were very willing to be in my film. Funny enough, I was also asked to be featured in another groups project. However, their project was not school related. 

All in all, I had so much fun and I look forward to editing! I never thought I would have so much fun in a process that could be deemed as stressful. 

Here are some pictures of my amazing actors!!! I'm so thankful for their help and their availability! 

Collabs and more!

     I have a couple of updates for you all. Today was a very productive day for me! I was able to do some more genre research on some specific technology uses. I think that as an amateur artist, I need as many resources, guidance, and instructions on different techniques that I can use. However, the most important thing that I did was help Julie! Julie is another amazing student in AICE Media. I had the honor of working as the lead of her film intro. At first, we were thinking about being partners for this project but I overall decided to work independently. However, we still have helped each other greatly and have been able to offer assistance and support to one another which I think is amazing. Since I am the lead for her film, I had the ability to work in her project and help her film for her specific project. On her day of filming, she told me exactly what to wear and she also sent me her drafts which helped me a LOT. Because she sent me her ideas, I was able to understand her story and what exactly I would be doing within her film to make it as good as I can with my role.

    Working with Julie also opened my eyes to the many different possibilities I can use to capture the different shots. As I've stated a million times, I want there to be a blue tint to signify the shift in mood. For Julie, she used small LED lights to get the vibrant change in color for each of her shots. I thought this was a brilliant idea. However, I think that since I need to film during the day, I will not be able to use a LED light simply because science does not work that way. I cannot use a light since it will not show up well on camera and would blend in. However, props to her for being able to utilize a home accessory for the well being of her project. 

    Instead of using the LED light I have found an app that will let me add a blue ting over each video without the shot looking tacky or misplaced. Premiere is an amazing and credible app that I will be able to use to my liking. I know many students who are using this editing app to complete their projects. I was looking through their website and they have so much to offer for all of their users. 

 I also decided to learn more about the app so that I am not as stressed when it is time to edit. Here is the video I watched! :)

"Premiere Pro Tutorial for Beginners 2022 - Everything You NEED to KNOW!"

Beautiful Places? Which One do I Choose?

    I've been looking for places to film. I've known for weeks now that I want to film at the University of Miami for a couple of reasons. My sister attends the university so she is aware of the best places on campus to film. Also, I know that UM is not a huge campus so there would not be too much traction. However, I need specific areas to film so that there is some structure to filming day. I for sure want to film at the large UM sign that sits at the entrance of the campus. I will use this location for the establishing shot to show the location of the film opening. However, I will need an elevator. I originally planned for the for me to record at the elevator in Trinity's dorm but there are a couple of problems that rise with this idea. There are many students who use the elevator, so I would have a hard time trying to record each shot due to the constant interruptions. I am aware of this problem, so I talked to my sister and we came up with a solution.

    The students of UM are on spring break this upcoming week, so many students will be leaving the campus to engage in outside activities. Furthermore, the students will not be attending classes so I could completely record in an empty building so I do not run into the problem of having constant interruptions. We will be recording the elevator scenes on the south side of the campus so that we are out of the way. I have also coordinated with my sister to plan the best time to film with her and Elena. They expressed to me their busy schedules which  I completely understand. I also have some extraneous characters that will be needed, so I will need to schedule a time that works well with them. After some careful consideration, we will be filming next Saturday at 4 pm. I am so excited, and I have said this over and over but I do not doubt that this will be a very fun project to film. Also, I have planned to have some people who attend UM to be background characters of my project. I will also ask them for permission before I film them and will let them know the premise of the project. So excited!

BOOKELIAAAA

BOOKELIA!!!! What is that, you may ask. Well, you are in for an adventure.

    As you know, it is SPRING BREAK!!! A nice time to relax and release your mind from the stresses of the everyday academic schedule. School has been moving at a brisk pace, and I am so happy that I am on break. My friends and I have taken a trip to Bookelia, Florida. A small, designated place for the reserved residents of Florida. Ironically enough, we are all taking AICE Media AS Level, so we were able to share our progress with each other. I got some feedback and I am so excited to start the filming process. I was so inspired by this trip, and wanted to hold onto the feeling of friendship so I almost changed my film opening. I wanted to create an opening about teenagers taking on the world, another coming of age film. However, I came back to my senses and realized that I would have to make up weeks worth of brainstorming and progress which I simply do not have the time for,

While I'm here in Bookelia, I've been influenced by the culture of the area. This led me to think about how I want to represent my characters. I have these two teenagers that are still within the social group of gen Z. However, I have to strategically plan this so that the characters are represented as they are. I also changed the characters name so that they are more fitting. Trinity and Elena are the new characters, and are more fitting for the characters. Trinity is the college student and Elena is her friend that is visiting her. Since Trinity is a college student, it is wise to keep her in college gear. So, I will have Trinity's costuming be straight college gear. She will be wearing denim shorts, University of Miami shirt, and her UM water bottle. This way, the audience will be able to tell that she is the character coming from the university. While Elena is her visitor, and is still in high school, she will be wearing neutral clothing that are relative to her age. I want Elena to be in shorts and a shirt as well, but relatively plain. I also want Elena to have little to no makeup so that she keep her youthful look. 

Here are some pictures of my friends and I in Bookelia!!

MUSIC!! Please say YES!

     Cast your votes here if you think that the artists, "Almost Monday" will let Aneesa use their song! Today I had the liberty of contacting the group to see if I would be able to use their song. After I heard this song a couple of times, I knew that I wanted it to be the song that I open my film with. The song is called, "Live Forever" by Almost Monday. If you listen to the song, you will see that it is very upbeat and makes me feel like I can live forever, hence the title. The beginning of my film will show the characters enjoying their day in a very adventurous manner. I thought it was going to be difficult to find a song that would work well with the two characters and BOOM, here it is. 🙉 

    I am super excited at the fact that I may be given permission to use their song. This song sticks to its title because it is called, "Live Forever" and truly captures the feeling of living forever and being unstoppable. As with anything, It may be a while before I get permission but I will continue to check in on any response from the company. If they do not give me permission, I will find another song because we must move on. If you have not heard the song, I will attach the link below. 

"Live Forever" by Almost Monday (2021)

Here is specifically what I wrote to the company in case you cannot see :)

    "Hello!! My name is Aneesa Williams and I am a senior at Cypress Bay High School. I am currently working on developing a film opening and I  was wondering if I would be able to use your song, "live forever" for a partial part of my opening. I would love if you would allow me to use your song as you have the rights over it. All credits to the song would be given to you and noted within the credits. I will NOT be making any profit off of your music, it is solely for project purposes. Thank you so much and I look forward to hearing back from you. Have an amazing rest of your day!"

GROUP MEETINGS!!!

     Hello Everyone! I had the amazing opportunity of being able to work with some other students in my class. We all had group meetings which were very informative and insightful. The overall objective of these group meetings were to talk with other directors and share our progress on our projects so far. It was interesting to see everyone's ideas, and how they have planned thus far. We were able to look through each others blogs and understand their journey with their research, production progress, and their struggles. Each person had a strong goal of creating a meaningful project but we all had challenges to faces. However, it was easy to talk with the group to help do different things. We all want each other to create the best film opening possible, and this meeting really helped everyone solve their problems. Everyone was at a different level within their production which is interesting because we all have the same deadline. 

     As we all shared our progress and our concerns, we were able to tell them how we felt from an outside perspective. Whether it was clarity that needed to be given, or something we felt could have been better, we were all able to enhance our projects. Specifically, there were some people who had not planned their ending, or were unsure of how they wanted to connect different shots and ideas. However, we created a story for them that went along with their storyline smoothly. I was able to show my creativity by collaborating on rewriting or writing the ending to their film. This meeting showed me that this may be an individual project, but we all need help sometimes. Insight is always useful, as well as constructive criticism. No matter the level of experience one has with filming or developing a story, help is always needed in some way or the other. 

    Specifically with my project, I got some positive feedback from my peers which felt awesome. I was almost hesitant on my idea, as I understand how complex certain shots or editing may be hard to complete. I was thinking of changing my idea to something that may be more reachable as far as difficulty. However,  I came to my senses and decided that this was not the time to play anything safe. I had an idea I liked, and I have every intention on completing it to the best of my abilities. I explained my project to my group and they stated that while they thought the idea was a good one, they questioned whether I would be able to make sense of the plot. I took this into consideration, and I will make sure that I write down a note when I start filming to make sure that everything ties back into the overall plot. I've stated this many times that I do not want the audience to be confused as to what they are viewing, but I want them to have a sense
of enjoyment and distinct understanding of what they are viewing. 

    My group was amazing and I think that without this constructive criticism, I would not have been able to get an idea for how the outside audience may view my project. I will continue to share my ideas with my peers in hopes of enhancing my project. Feel free to leave some comments down below! Thank you!

SEE YA LATER!!!

Instagram...Trying Another Way

 I decided to extended my proposal of using Almost Mondays song by DM'ing (direct messaging)them on Instagram. Persistence is key and I think since they are a smaller group, they will respond faster through this form of social media. Without a doubt, they may never respond but it is worth a try. This blog is not as long because I just wanted to give you all a brief update of my adventure of getting the approval for this song. I have high hopes!!! However, I do have backups in case this music won't work out. 

I have found a reliable website where they provide a wide selection of copyright free music. While they may not be the exact song I want, we all have to have a back up in case something goes wrong. 

 

(SMO) So Many Options

     Hi guys! I wanted to give you all a slight update on everything. I had the amazing opportunity of working with two other students on their projects. With this collaboration, I was able to get some insights on what has worked and what hasn't worked for their projects. It was amazing to see the production process, and it felt amazing. I went to Julie's house, as I am the actress for her film opening. I enjoyed working with her and I have no doubt that she will be able to create an amazing film. I also got the opportunity to work with Isa as an actor within her film. We ventured out to a studio in Fort Lauderdale! I am starting to get a bit anxious about filming, as I know that editing will come soon. With this project at its prime, I know that I will still have to research a bit more to understand how creative I can get with this project. I always think about how I am an amateur artist, but I know that I will be proud of my hard work no matter what. 

    I have been constantly thinking about how I will be editing within the next couple of weeks. Editing has always been a struggle for me. However,  I have many resources available to me. Without a doubt, there are YouTube tutorials, videos, peers, advisors, and other people that I have available to me in order to ensure that my film is well edited. I am concerned with different parts within my film where I know that I will need an advanced editing software to be able to capture what I truly want my film to show. I want to show the two characters walking through the hallway in their cheery manner. I already have the sketch of this scene sketched out as I want the two characters to be filmed in a high angle. Specifically,  the two characters must be filmed from a high angle because the camera will cut to the point of view of someone watching the girls through a security camera. This may be my largest concern as far as editing goes. I know for sure that I want to imitate the real perspective of someone watching through  a security camera, and I may have to edit the video in my own way. Don't be scared when I say I want to edit in my own way. I only say this because the certain green lens or distorted effect may not be available to me. So, I must do what I have to do and get creative.  DaVinci Resolve has new and updated effects that more advanced and for skilled people. I am a beginner but I am sure that I can learn from professional editors on how to get the most out of using DaVinci. I have so many options as far as editing, and I am thrilled to explore them all. 

 Mrs.Stoklosa advised us on the many editing software available for us to use. While iMovie is a great tool to use for editing, I feel like I will have more opportunities and features that can enhance my project with DaVinci Resolve. The most challenging part will be making sure that each shot is cohesive and ties in with the storyline, and is not choppy. I am excited to play around with this software. Who knows, I might learn that I have potential in becoming a credible editor. I've already learned so much from this project, it is insane. Until next time:)

What's going on?

    What's going on you may be asking,.....Spring break is coming up! I decided to get some input from my peers. I have made some slight changes to my project. I think that to add some clarity for my project, I’ll add some various aspects that show the development of the intensity within the scene. I’ve always stated that I wanted to add a blue tint over certain scenes to magnify the suspense of the plot. Before, I got advice from my advisor, and was told that I should add the blue tint when the main characters arrived to each mysterious level. However, I want the audience to be able to understand the premise of the situation. 

                                                        POV is everything.

    There will be a separate POV that will show a separate, hidden character spectating the two girls. I will need to edit the spectators POV to show them in a digital, green screen. I want it to be obvious that the characters are being watched through a camera. This will tie in smoothly with the creepy man character. Let’s call the person behind the character, “The Spectator”. The creepy man and the Spectator are in cahoots, as they are the leaders of this twisted scheme. I think that if I show the creepy man and the spectator communicating, this will make the rest of the movie clearer, and understandable.  

"Big Little Lies" directed by  Jean-Marc Vallée

    Today was everything. I am ecstatic to let you all know that I have watched the first episode of, "Big Little Lies". I am relatively picky when it comes to what I decide to watch. While I am easily persuaded to read a book, it takes some convincing and a strong storyline for me to truly get into and engage with a TV show or a movie. Movies are harder for me to watch rather than television shows. Fun fact! However, in class, I wrote a visual analysis essay on this film opening and I picked up on so many techniques and shot compositions that I got inspired to continue watching the film in hopes of gaining even more insight on ways to utilize my camera knowledge and screen time, and to keep following along this dramatic plot. This show automatically caught my attention as I noted all of the medium shots, close-ups, diegetic sound, and other techniques that built the purpose of the film. I was blown away by all of these different aspects that convinced me to watch this show. I liked how the directors built the suspense within the first two minutes of the viewing, but did so in such a slight way. I also noted the specific costuming of each character and what it said about their personal character traits and flaws. 

Since my film is a suspenseful film, I took notes on the way in which the characters communicated with each other. The main character of this show Madeline, is very outgoing and is always looking for the news within the community. However, she meets a new mom who is the total opposite of her loud and demanding manner. This reserved and shy character is represented as such. Madeline and her best friend communicate as such. However, the best friend has an eerie sense about her. While there is no direct statement saying that Madeline's best friend is thrown off, the way the directors represent and film her say everything the audience needs to know. Whether it was the close-ups that showed her twisted facial reactions, or the way the camera director captured her very  limited dialogue. Within the showing, the weird best friend responds to Madeline's claim that the town is very kind and helpful. Madeline's best friend proceeds to say that they, "Pound people with it (kindness)" Words like this allude to the possible future of the film.

    I want to make the dialogue between the creepy man and the character similar to this so that you can indirectly accept that these two  characters are communicating with each other, but one is of far more desolate and off-put  compared to the main character. I believe that if you film something well and with hard work,  you will be able to alter one's perspective and perception of the character. I also liked the muted tones, and blueish hues over the different shots. With low angles, dramatic facial expressions, dull clothing, and the correct dialogue, I am confident that I will be able to build this character's weirdness and establish that something is about to happen. Furthermore, it will be crucial that the creepy character is truly established as creepy so that the audience can correlate the creepy man with the man that is spectating. This will come together smoothly.  I am excited to say the least. 

Storyboard!

     I am fairly concerned with how my project will flow so I decided to make my storyboard today.  I have been thinking about the advice I have been collecting, so I wrote out my storyboard to optimize my screen time. I've also realized with my prior projects, storyboarding has helped me a lot.

THERE IS A PROBLEM!!

                    Don't panic. I have solved the problem! *insert dramatic sigh here*

    I kept pondering my storyline and my overall concept, and I realized that the storyline may be a bit hard to follow. So, I took a new direction and altered the first portion of my scene. Originally, the two main characters were going to be posing at the University of Miami sign to establish the setting, which I will keep. However, to give contrast, I have implemented even  more scenes to show the light-hearted manner of the first  half. My storyboard shows the two characters taking pictures, and generally enjoying their time. With a composition of shots, there are going to be medium shots, close ups, and tracking shots to show them having fun! I am allotting  more screen time to showing them floating around and having fun on the campus so that it establishes setting, their friendship, and the safe nature of the university.

     Following their play, they will walk through the hall to the elevator, and this is where I have added some extra little things. Since I only have two minutes, I want the suspicion and the thriller to be truly present but this cannot be done without clarity. As we know, the girls are going to be entering in some twisted game present at each level of the floors. However, I do not have the time to show the girls completing each levels on the floor. To show the rise in tension, I will add distanced shots of the girls but as if they are being watched through a camera, which they are. There will be an unmasked spectator who is speculating their every move. This person will be in communication with the creepy man. By adding this double view, it will give the audience more insight on the situation not followed by the main characters. By doing this, there will be more clarity that the girls are being watched, and will soon be entering some sticky situation. I feel more reassured now that I have been able to smooth the bumps in my production. 

Forward thinking!

     After careful consideration,  I decided to take some time to reflect on previous projects. I have noted that I am trying to do too much for a reserved amount of time. I will shoot within the following weeks. While the setting will take place on a college campus, I will be able to shoot some shots within the area around me and at school. This realization gave me a  lot of comfort as I felt a bit unsure and uneasy about how much time I would be able to spend going between the campus, and home. I believe that with wise planning (coming up), I will be able to execute this nicely. 

     As I have noted some fairly advanced techniques and elements I've seen in projects, I like how each project has a different flare. Furthermore, I have taken matters into my own hand to widen my scope of knowledge. Within the various films I've watched, my eye immediately focuses on how the directors create scenes that are so high in emotion and messages, but are up to the viewer to interpret the meaning behind the screen. Time to delve even deeper, and take on another challenge!

"STING" like a bee....Foley Play

     I’ve done some research on the art of Foley and how to utilize it to my best advantage. Forewarning: I am not an experienced Foley artist so this learning experience will be fun and frustrating but It will be an opportunity to grow and learn. I went within the deep confines of my Microsoft Word to find my notes on sound. I want the sound in my opening to be surreal and surround, which may be a reach but I am sure I can work to accomplish this. My biggest concern is making sure that the sound is synchronous and correlate smoothly with the content on the screen. While there may be many uses of diegetic sound, I want to implement nondiegetic sound to show my versatility. For my sound bridge, I want there to be a drastic transition from the first half of the scene where the characters are cheery and excited to take on the college life, into the dull and mysterious sense of them being essentially trapped. Sting's will be VERRY useful to enhance the dramatic part of my scene. 

*Pictured above are the notes I took a while ago on sound, they've refreshed my knowledge on music techniques*

    The goal is to make sound that isn't corny. One notable film that used an impressive Foley artist is, "A Quiet Place" which has impeccably created sounds by using zapping grapes, snapping celery, crab legs to signify the monster walking, and more. These are items that I can easily find in my house, or buy if necessary. It is noted that to use Foley recording, it is highly experimental and I'll get creative. This video was very useful and provided me with great insight on how I want to use Foley as an amateur. 

              Link to,  "How The Sound Effects In 'A Quiet Place' Were Made "    https://youtu.be/WnozP8OWeik

                                                    Specific uses of Foley!

    There are specific parts within my film that  want to demonstrate Foley sound.

I plan to establish more Foley usage but here are the parts where I will use specific sounds. 

                        

Pushing of the elevator buttons- Electric Shaver *tzz tzz*

Creepy Elevator Man- Me walking in boots (character will be wearing boots)

Taking Pictures of Characters- shutter clicking, ??

Character Jumping- Me Jumping in an elevator (will be recorded separately at the time of video recording)

Elevator Noise- Pounding on Dryer/Washer

Heartbeat of character in elevator- heavy tapping on desk/chest (merge sound)

Scene 5 “Crazy Sound” (multiple sounds uniform in chaos)- I want there to be a more air (fan/hair dryer)