Project Reflection

 After hours and hours of filming, editing, and researching, my project is FINALLY done! This took quite a while to make, and I was very proud of how it came out. I was nervous when my partner was out sick for a week and we couldn't film, but thankfully, everything worked out.

I think we could have improved on utilizing more motion in our shots, as most of them are still, and focusing on one thing. I do feel like it was important to stay like this though, to capture the depressing atmosphere of the beginning of the film. Also, I wish we had proper equipment and lighting, so we could have made an even more powerful film. Regardless, I'm glad it came out well with minimal equipment.

I was surprised how much music can enhance a film, the sad, somber instrumental music when he covered up his bruises really demonstrated how he felt on the inside, but wanted to keep it locked away in his heart. Also, the sound effects worked great with our shots, and enhanced the film even more.

Overall, there is room for growth in the future, but I'm very satisfied with how it came out.

I hope you enjoy it, Cambridge!

CCR Post-Production

 The post production was pretty straightforward, as I used final cut pro for the editing.

For the first one, I downloaded a royalty-free instrumental song from google, and overlayed that with the film. I also added images, that appeared and disappeared as I was talking. This was very easy, and only needed me to put images for the timeline. I took screenshots from my project, to discuss specific scenes.


For the second one, I didn't add music, to keep the eerie atmosphere of a principal's office. We filmed it in 2 takes, so I had to combine them in editing. Once again, all I needed to do was to add images over the timeline, and was very simple and quick.

Finished Project!

 Here are the links to my project:

Movie: 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fJZQGuDFIFABo2c6wOrYyPH2pabS8sAF/view?usp=sharing


CCR #1: 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UIkQutYgTDjXfnR166SUKT5WvF07lgVW/view?usp=sharing


CCR #2:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Cn4m8erBdSG0RkC3BoPvr5sblnOqOFQQ/view?usp=sharing

CCR Production

 I had to shoot both of my CCRs, or creative critical reflections.

The first one, was simply shot in my room, using my Dad's laptop camera to record me. This was simple enough to film, but, took a couple of takes. For this CCR, I focused on questions #1 and #2. 
I answered:
How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues? How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?

I discussed how the introduction challenges the typical stereotype of a high-school bully, and how the bruises on his arm immediately raise questions, and wants the viewer to keep watching. Also in this video, I talked about it could be distributed through film festivals, and social media platforms, such as you tube and TikTok.

For the second CCR,  I focused on questions #3 and #4.

How did your production skills develop throughout this project?

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

I discussed how the use of a storyboard was very helpful for the production, and how it helped us outline the project. We also experimented with different camera angles and lighting to make the scenes more engaging and powerful. Additionally, I had to learn how to use Final Cut Pro, a new editing software I have never used before. It was a big learning curve, but with the help of google, the editing went smoothly. For this one, I was the bully being interviewed by a school principal, played by my dad.

Part of the script.

Research for CCR Question 4

 The software utilized the most has been by far Adobe Premiere Pro. This is the editing software I have used for everything, including arranging clips, editing the color, adding sound effects, editing the sound effects, and adding music. For example, in the scene of me waking up, it was a bit too bright and exciting, so I dimmed it down and added a cool colors filter, to show the agony of him waking up.

We unfortunately never had access to a professional camera, so we made use of what we had, and utilized my iPhone 15 to film. It has a high quality camera, however, so it worked perfectly. Since we were using a phone, and not a camera on a tripod, we used a phone stabilizer to shoot some of our shots. This made the film a lot smoother, and looks much nicer then the handheld film.

To document everything, I used what your reading on right now, google blogger! This allowed me to neatly document everything I have done on this project, including documenting research, filming, editing, and other projects. By writing blogs, it allows me to reflect on the project myself, and makes me come up with new improvements. I also utilized YouTube to look up videos on editing, such as the color filters, and to access movie clips, which provided us with ideas.

Research for CCR Question #3

When we began to plan, we made a story board, scouted potential filming locations, and made a list of all the shots we need. This was vital for our development of our film, and allowed us to plan the emotional connection to film elements. The hardest part of this, for me, was to come up with an idea in the first place. The overabundance of ideas made it very difficult to make just one. The shot list allowed us to check off shots as we shot them.

The filming went smoothly, and we were able to film most of them easily, and in my room. Some of the shots were missing the emotional feel we wanted, so this was easily fixed by adding the blue filter in Premiere Pro. The largest obstacle however, was that my partner was out sick for the week, and in vital time, when we needed to film the remaining shots in school. Thankfully, he returned and we filmed them.



The portfolio project made me realize how crucial fast problem solving can be, and how planning is vital for success. Having a layout pre-made is very helpful, but being able to  make choices to improve the introduction is important. This project opened my eyes to how much work film writers go through, and that they need to be appreciated more.

 

Research for Question #2 for CCR

Our project is a thought-provoking film that argues against the classic stereotype of high school bullies by diving into his hidden true personality, and factors that cause this. This introduction engages audience with the film by utilizing subtle storytelling to grab the viewers attention. For example, when the bully hides bruises under the hoodie, it sparks curiosity from the audience, and causes them to be emotionally invested. This with the contrast of how he acts in school, it also makes the audience feel empathy for the bully, and causes them to consider why he acts like how he is. Our production choices, including atmospheric lighting and dark clothing. 

Our target audience is teenagers and young adults, who's ages are 13-21. These ages could most likely relate to the themes of bullying in our film. These people are sometimes in these situations, and may reflect on the film. To distribute this, we could utilize platforms such as YouTube and Vimeo. We also can enter our film into film festivals, such as the Lighting Film Festival at my school, Cypress Bay. This will help us gain recognition for our production.