Creative Critical Reflection

 

    Answering questions 1&2: click here

    Answering questions 3&4: click here

Film Opening

 

HERE IT IS. (This took me days to edit, I'm so happy it's done:))))

or 

Click Here

(use the HERE link first and YT link as backup)

This is it. Let's Reflect

 

    The End... For Now

    Hey, blog. I didn't consider that this would be the last post I make for months (till next school year) until today. And genuinely felt sad until right now. I will be submitting the Portfolio Project tonight, the project that Isabel and I have been working on together, as well as my individual CCR videos. This experience has opened my eyes to the tedious nature of making even a two-minute video. We researched, planned, experimented, shot, and edited- all of the above. Having a goal and completing it always feels rewarding, but especially with a project like this where you work towards developing a final product, I'm really proud of it. 

    Of course, I think there's always room for improvement, but I feel good about our final product. I have learned (as I have with other projects this year) that executing an idea takes time, so giving myself that time and just starting immediately even if I don't feel confident yet is key to success. I have learned to be comfortable using more technological resources such as the editing software Adobe Premiere Plus, which I was doubting at first but now am so happy I leaped towards. I have genuinely learned so much by putting what I've been taught in the classroom and what I've practiced with other projects to use, combining tools from foley sounds to writing a screenplay, all things I have wanted to improve in and feel much more confident in. Overall, I'm happy to be ending this era, as it's been hard work but brought me more experience and optimism about fulfilling an expectation, proving to myself that I can take what I learn and use it to actualize my ideas. Eighth-grade me would be really happy knowing her ideas came to life! (Along with Isabel's committed contributions of course)

    Take care, See you in October!!!

Layering Takes Time.

 

    Hey, blog it's Sunday and the project is due in two days AHHHHH!!! I'm really excited to show my final products (from our opening to my CCR videos), I feel like they are all going to come together really well. Yesterday I got a lot done, and today my goals changed throughout the day...

    Changes

    Originally, I wanted to write my second CCR video, film it, and continue editing the opening (in that order). After talking with Isabel and reviewing the questions I had to answer, I realized that it would be a better idea to focus on getting the opening done, and then answering the more reflective questions of the CCR (#3 and #4) to film my final video.

    While embarking on continuing to edit the opening, I began to actually assemble the edited clips in order, and as I was doing so I began to layer on audio that I didn't necessarily think to before. I have always loved to layer audio to get it perfectly fit in place, to fulfill a feeling of continuity and flow. For the file clips in particular, we wanted to focus on making the air fuzzy and for there to be texture, which comes from both the visuals and the audio. For example, I included a VHS hum with static-like noises, with ranging outbursts of more electric pulses. Adapting to the natural sway of the hums, I included a glitch effect (which I had an idea to do either way) to make it seem like there was glitching happening with the older files. This is the video  I used that adds the hum/ static noise.

    Below is the product:

    Other than the VHS hum, I used my first sound effect! I know a big deal! I used an epidemicsound.com sound effect of a computer mouse being clicked to transition from one file clip to another, signifying a type of change, and also that there is more than meets the eye (Someone, aka Doran, is watching the clips). I wanted to ease into the idea that the audience isn't the only one watching the file videos, so the click was a nice introduction to that (considering I'm only giving myself about 30-45 seconds for the file scene).

    Here is the click in action:

    Also, while listening back to the original clips, we noticed that Isabel's voice as Beth could've been more serious/ intimidating, as Beth needs to be immediately set up as a powerful figure. So, Isabel rerecorded her parts as Beth and sent them to me through WhatsApp where I have been able to screen record them and download the voice messages onto Adobe as MP4 files, adjusting the voices as I need to wherever Beth may sound even just a little too friendly.

    For example, here is the very original clip with no editing, raw from filming, versus the edited version with the switched-out audio:

no audio switch

with audio switch

    Getting the timing perfect when cutting audio clips and re-entering in the "re-dos" that Isabel sent me has been rather tedious, but worth it because it does truly make an impact on the character of Beth, whom we are introduced to (the audience) through Doran's own experience, a prominent and key way that we are choosing to tell this story.

    

Helpful Guidance

    To continue to get inspiration/ confirmation of my ideas for my CCR, not just on stylistic choices but also on actual content, I decided to look at some student samples that can be found on this website, where my teacher has listed a lot of what have been very helpful resources. Specifically, I reached out to one of my friends who is now a freshman at the University of Florida and who scored an A on her AS project. She approached the film opening with a direct narrative, narrating an extended metaphor and intriguing the audience more with her words as well as relatability. I watched her CCR which gave me clarification, with her video being very informative and giving insight into the process of her Portfolio Project, as well as the meaning behind her opening. She gave me helpful pointers, and it gave us a chance to catch up which I really enjoyed. Getting to look into the minds of people I know, as creepy as that sounds, is really fascinating to me, so exploring her reasoning for choices and the story she wanted to begin to tell in 120 seconds through her CCR was enjoyable and made me realize that I want mine to do the same.

    Tomorrow is Monday already so I will continue to edit the opening, try to avoid my perfectionism but also not because it leads to a (hopefully) better final product, and just WORK WORK WORKKKKK!

The Airport Causes Productivity.

 

    Hey, blog!!! It's almost wrap-up time and I'm fighting against the clock! As you already know, I have been spending my spring break in NYC for the past week, so working on the project daily hasn't been super successful (it's not like I expected to). I dedicated Thursday to working on the project and got a good amount done, dedicating most of my time to my first CCR. Today is the day we travel back home, so I was planning on dedicating the three hours on the plane to writing my CCR #2 and finishing editing the first one. Let's just say the AICE Media Gods heard me because my flight has been delayed from 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm!!! While you might be thinking "How is that a particularly good thing...", I tend to work better out of home, and so far the airport has been a hub for productivity. I want to dedicate this blog post, like the last, to update you on the progress I have been making regarding the opening and CCR #1.

The Opening

    For me, the hardest part of the opening (being the part I think will make or break the "professionalism") is the visuals of the file clips. What I mean by visuals is the feel, the look. What I'm drawing inspiration from is the old film pictures/ what you would find in your grandparents' old film footage (as I have done :)) There is a specific tint that sparks feelings of nostalgia, and while Doran at that point is starting to feel a tiny bit of recognition of his siblings in the clips, the feel I'm looking for is more distant, less cozy. It's supposed to come off as dusty and lost. All in all, I NEEDED THIS TO BE RIGHT. Isabel was also simultaneously looking for a font/ filter that can fulfill all of our hopes, and I think, so far, Adobe is coming through.

    I spent about two hours (no exaggeration) playing around with Adobe's settings, specifically Lumetri Color. This is where you can find a Basic Corrections tab (including conventional settings such as saturation or the temperature hues of a clip), or get more specific with coloration under tabs like Creative. The true definitive tool, however, I think is an overlay. An overlay is a video that can be found on YouTube (that's where I got them from) that, of course with the reassurance of no copyright issues, you can convert to MP4 and "overlay" it onto any video clip (meaning lay it over and adjust to your liking). I did this using a free website called wave.video, where I also converted an audio file to MP3 to be able to download it and import it to Adobe. I looked at a couple different options but was looking for two effects: that film, textured effect, and an old recording camera effect. 

    After trying out different ones and adjusting the opacity and blend mode of each one (some settings to make them fit well with the file clips), I finally got to a point I liked. Although I think there's always room for improvement, here is the final product, along with the overlay videos I used to get the wanted effects:

Blank VHS Tape

Kodak Vision Grain

Extract 

   

     As you can tell, the audio and cuts aren't yet complete, I was just focusing on the coloration. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, as it feels old and blurred by age. I was debating if it looked too blurry, but I like the mystery it adds, as you can't distinctively see the young girls' faces. Although it hasn't been 50 years since they filmed the files (as Doran is sent them when the girls were a couple years older), it induces mystery, and TESTS is secretive either way, so it makes sense for them to not want to fully expose their subjects.

    Another factor of part of the opening that I decided on is the music for the file scene. Having heard a snippet of it in the video above, I was in between three that would determine my approach to that scene, as the feel of each would introduce the film in different ways. For example, the first one on the website artlist.io called Tales of the Mind is consistent with its intensity, with less of a buildup but still evoking intrigue. It feels more melancholy than the other two, but not necessarily sad. With this one, because there is no buildup toward the title entry, the music would kind of dominate the scene. There wouldn't be "beats" to follow while editing which gives space for a more impactful feel. Because of the music's separation from the scene (how it feels to me) and with input from my sisters, I decided to look at my other 2 options.

    My final two options were on a website called fesliyanstudios.com, where there are very good overall options. One of the ones I liked was under the suspenseful category of music, called Too Crazy. It starts to build up after around 30 seconds of the song and continues a similar beat throughout. While this was a good option, I ended up choosing Broken Village under the sad category. I think that it matches the sounds of the old camera glitches really well, and it feels eerie from the start. It starts off tamer which I like, giving time to develop the suspense. At first, my sister was listening to it for her opening, and it automatically reminded me of what could be a dystopian movie trailer/ introduction scene. It gave me the impression that what Doran is finding is bigger than him, which is exactly the case.

    Making these important choices like what music to use or what coloration to develop is very important, as it will give off an impression automatically. Because of this, I wanted to make sure I was taking the time to make thoughtful decisions that gave me more confidence to continue making impactful choices.

CCR

    As for the CCR, I edited the first video (the NYC one) for three hours straight. I edited it on the editing application iMovie, as I've edited on there before for fun so I'm most comfortable there to make precise cuts. The song I ended up choosing is fun and complementary, allowing me to continue to diversify my video. The song is called South Side Slide, an alliteration that exposes the song's rhythmic attributes. I had a lot of fun editing it, and even more fun finding inspiration for stylistic choices that I will be experimenting with for the video... 

    Here are some of those:

• Light leak/ film overlays such as this one or this one ORRR these ones (Adobe)
• Fish eye lens effect with tutorials like this one, with inspo from this video
• Cool, personalized calligraphy with help from alishadinapop.art on Instagram.

    

    Additionally, I wrote down the two questions I wanted to answer in that video, giving myself almost four minutes to do so in editing, and an unofficial, very partial, very uncut script in my Notes app. At one point I accidentally deleted part of what I wrote which was very frustrating, and with the undo button not working, I depended on my memory and got through it.

    Below are screenshots of my notes for this CCR video:

  

       

   

    

    What's underlined are things I would say, with the rest being non-listed specifics of what I want to include. While thinking, I began to list resources that I have researched from and shown on my blog, making sure the credibility of sources is checked. While of course I only have 4 minutes (that I have given myself) out of 7-10 MAX, I will only include the most important things, as the screenshots aren't even all of it... (it's a visualization of my thought process.)

    

    The day has been productive, slightly tiring, but a gift for my project's progress! It's been really fun to edit and it feels so good when I conjure up ideas I can't wait to physically make come to life. Tomorrow when I get back home, I will write my CCR #2 script, film it, and continue to edit the opening. SEE YOU THENNNN

   

It's Go Time

 

   Updates

     Hey, blog. It's the last week of writing to you. I'm honestly feeling sad about that, considering writing every week for the last however many weeks has made me realize I actually really like to blog, especially when it means maintaining a consistent topic and developing something that feels more long-term, and more meaningful. I'm currently in NYC!!! I've done some really fun things, and while doing so I have filmed my first CCR. As I wrote about in my last blog post, one of my ideas was to film around the NYC locations I am visiting, including scenery the people. I wanted to do this to make my CCRs look more visually engaging and original than simply talking to the screen. Although there's nothing wrong with that, I know I can do more. I have to write both of my CCR video scripts and film my second one, as well as edit both videos of course. I will begin to edit the one I already have clips for, as I will voiceover my answer to the 2 questions onto that video.

    As for the actual opening, I have been researching and asking for guidance in terms of editing. The day before I left, one of my very generous and kind friends Maria came over to my house to give both me and my sister (she's also working on her opening) a rundown of how to use Adobe Premiere Pro, the editing software that we are both using to edit. Although I have used Adobe Premiere Plus before for a school video, both my sister and I had specific questions to ask her. For example, I wanted to know how to add a camera footage filter (which I now know is called an overlay) over the film clips, as well as for shots where Doran is being watched through his computer camera. I also wanted to know how to fix audio mistakes, such as if I wanted to input a voice recording of Beth's questions to the girls to make her sound more interrogative and less passive. 

    Below is a screenshot of some notes of features and directions for myself that I made while she was giving us a tour of Adobe Premiere Pro, along with some pictures of us from the day:

                                                    

Music

    I have also begun to look at options for music for both my NYC CCR and the opening. For the opening, I want to start with a more suspenseful backtrack that accompanies Doran's emotions, as the buildup will be necessary to make an impact leading to the title slide. For the rest of the opening, I was thinking we could use a mysterious, jazzy sound that lightens the mood but also introduces the work atmosphere of the teenagers: controlled, yet not as targeted as TESTS. Additionally, I want the contrast in music to transport the viewers to the present (being "5 months earlier") than the initial scene. For the CCR videos, I only want to include music for the NYC one, as I want to match the energy of the clips and the second CCR video will be more intimate and "raw". I was thinking of funk music, as NYC feels more spontaneous than classical music for example. I have found four royalty-free music websites, also including sound effects that I could use.

    The main two are shown below, excluding Epidemic and Fesliyanstudios, along with some of my options as I scavenged for music options for the opening/ CCR:

Soundstripe

    

Artlist.io

    I will update you about the progress I have made on editing which is my priority right now, along with writing my scripts for the CCR videos.

Beginning the Editing Process

 

    Hello blog! Now that we have all our footage we of course have got to get started EDITING. In this blog post, I will discuss some personal feelings towards editing, some reflection points of what the editing process tests me on, and how Isabel and I will approach editing our opening.

My Relationship with Editing

     I think it's important to show/ state my personal relationship and current experience to this definitive/ key part of the final product process because I feel passionate about this: I've always loved to edit. I have created my own works, as well as for school assignments (most especially for this class), but also incorporated editing and video creation into any projects that have allowed me to. For more background, ever since watching YouTube videos/ having access to any type of camera on my Ipad and applications (such as Videostar and IMovie) that allow for creative freedom, I've always felt drawn to making filming a part of the art I have loved to do. Whether it has been filming myself playing the piano, or making my parents film my sisters and I perform our self-choreographed dance in wildly expressive and thought-out costumes, filming has been a way to capture something I've loved. 

    When it comes to editing specifically, having the ability to control the outcome of something, as well as having the ability to place intentional meaning and provoke a reactive feel holds a lot of power, one that amazes me and excites me. This tasteful part of the video creation process has drawn me in very naturally. Before knowing tactics and placing labels on specific shots, etc... I would record my own videos and edit them, allowing my perfectionism to take control. This means that every beat of the music has to be perfectly synced to its cut, and also that editing for me usually takes a LONG TIMEEEE. In general, editing has been part of the process that I've felt dictates the final outcome, as I truly feel everyone's own style signifies their aim and approach to the flux of images at hand.

    

My Relationship with "Accepting Defeat"

    Due to my perfectionism and detailed-oriented approach, collaboration is truly a test. While I feel I am an active listener and am inclusive of my partner(s) ideas, I oftentimes feel limited when we don't see eye to eye and I don't feel like our work is to its best potential when it isn't necessarily fully developed. Because of this, I have had to learn to let go of all the control and allow everyone to have their go at dominance in the video creation process. AICE Media has definitely helped me practice the art of collaboration including forcing myself to not have control over every aspect of the process. While this has been a challenge that I'm still facing, I'm trying to find the balance between control and trust in my partner(s).

    Concerning this specific project, Isabel and I have worked together 3 times now (whenever we have the opportunity to choose partners we choose each other) and I'm happy with our dynamic. We play to each other's strengths and fill in each other's weaker spots, which we both acknowledge and are appreciative of. For example, she has told me that she has a hard time creating the foundational idea/ base from nothing, which I find comes easier to me. Also, I oftentimes get stuck in motion and find it harder to move fast to meet a deadline, which she helps me with. We usually end up having the same final vision which excites both of us, with true passion to actualize it. Although sometimes we have some communication problems (I understand one thing while she understands another), we stop and make sure that we are on the same page when that does occur and are understanding with each other. Overall, she has made "accepting defeat" easier, considering she is one of my best friends and has many great ideas to offer.

    Below are 2 of the projects that we have worked on together:

this was our first project, edited by me.

this has been our latest project before this one, also edited by me.

Our Approach

    Because Isabel knows my love for editing, she has allowed me to edit most of our projects, which I of course make sure is truly okay with her. With this project, our biggest current challenge is distance. I'm leaving for NYC (so excited!!!) on Sunday morning, and we need to get our editing done. So, we have decided that each of us will have the clips and we will both be editing the video separately, ultimately choosing/ combining choices to create one final product. While that might sound inefficient, we have given ourselves the resources and time in advance to know that and that is why I'm trying to get as much editing done as possible before I leave on Sunday, as we also have to focus on our individual Creative Critical Reflections. She will be using CapCut because she is most comfortable with it, while I will be investigating features on Adobe to ensure that that is the editing platform I will be using. I've used Adobe Premiere Pro before to edit a video and it turned out well, I just want to ensure that I feel in control/ comfortable enough with the platform so I can fulfill our vision!

    In the next blog, I will show research I am doing/ going to do on editing, see you there!