Final Project

This is the final link.

 https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1oR0kK4GFGLVy9QcTLcpPuEDS0xiWuXCQ?usp=sharing

Final Reflection on Project

Hey guys this ismy last real blog ever, gosh there have been ups and downs throughout this project but I'll let you guys read to find out. Hope you enjoy, thank you to everybody.

Reflection 

When reflecting on my AICE Media Studies project, I suppose the final delivery was effective in coming up with an intriguing and thrilling start of a movie. Through the elements of thriller, mystery, and sci-fi, I was in a position to arouse curiosity and motivate the audience to continue watching. The use of props like documents and a laptop, the interview scene contributed to building the narrative and creating the impression of an investigation.  

 

A good use of genre conventions to create suspense was one of my best strengths in my project. I did not give all the information immediately but gave it bit by bit so that the audience can assemble information gradually. This increased the interest of the opening and was in line with the expectations of the target audience, consisting of the viewers, who are fond of mystery resolutions.  

 

Besides the opening of the film, I believe that my CCRs were also useful when explaining my creative choices. The podcast presentation style enabled me to bring up the CCR 1 and CCR 2 in a natural and conversational manner, and the voiceover bedside slideshow in CCR 3 and CCR 4 enabled me to clearly define my skills and use of technology. My overall project became more dynamic and professional with the help of two different formats.  

 

In case I somehow managed to make the project better, I would have paid attention to the overall production quality with audio and visuals as the primary areas. And as far the production of my CCR's I would have put more time into the pocast. Nevertheless, the project taught me to have valuable skills in media planning, filming, editing, and presentation. All in all, it was a learning experience, which enhanced my knowledge on how products in the media are produced and marketed. I hope that one day I can apply these skills in a real life scenario. I want to give thanks to my instructor because without her I would know nothing of what I know today, thank you.

Post Production Editing

Hey guys second blog post of the week. Today'spost was probably the easiest post I've ever had to make anyway it's short, hope you enjoy. Thank you. 

Editing 

I have just finished the post-production of my CCRs, primarily- polishing the podcast of CCR1 and CCR2. I then played the audio after recording to identify any slip-ups, lengthy connections or anything that was not clear. That allowed me to narrow the entire thing down and sound more professional. 

During the editing process, I cut off the filler pauses and the instances in which I reiterated myself several times. I ensured that the flow of the conversation was smooth with question and response, and I ensured that the levels of both voices are at par to ensure that both voices are audible. The voiceovers in slideshow CCR 3 and 4 were already understandable and properly outlined, and thus I made a hasty verification. Altogether, the podcast was later refined during the post-production phases and offered it a finely polished final product.

Post about production of CCRs

Hello, This is my first blog post of the week. It feels like I haven't posted a blog in so long. LOL. Anyways I am proud to announce that we and I have finished the whole entire project. After 7 whole weeks of blood, sweat, and tears it finally done. Today's blog post is going to talk about the production of my CCR's hope you enjoy.

Intro

I made my Creative Critical Reflections (CCRs) in two forms: a podcast that constitutes CCR question #1 and CCR question #2, and a voiceover slide show that constitutes CCR question #3 and CCR question  #4. It was more professional and much cooler to go this way. The podcast I made felt natural and had a chill vibe, and the slideshow was used to organize myself when answering the qustions.

Podcast 

In the case of the podcast I made it sound like a dialogue between me and my father. That makes it appear less written and more genuine. I made the questions concise so that I could make the responses stick to the important points such as genre rules, representation, audience and distribution. This made me strike all the requirements without uttering the real CCR questions. I chose not to utter the questions 

Presentation 

In the case of CCR #3 and #4 I prepared a slides deck narrated with voice over. The format allowed me to engage in a tour of how my skills have been developed and how I applied technology. I outlined the focus of each of the slides in order to make sure that my voice would flow easily and be organized.    

Final Thoughts 

Overall, the entire creation allowed me to refine my skills related to the convo in various formats. I also observed that media could be customized according to the purpose and audience.  

Post discussing CCR production ideas

CCR Production Ideas 

Some of the production ideas that we developed in the preparation of our Creative Critical Reflection are what I am discussing in this post. The CCR is a key component of the AICE Media Studies project since it will enable us to elaborate on our creative choices of the film. During the preparation of our answers, we started considering the way we should express our ideas clearly and interestingly.

 In developing our CCR responses, we would have preferred to dwell on the decisions we made in developing Case 48. This involves giving a discussion on the genre of the movie, the intended audience and the techniques of production which we utilized. Considering these aspects, we will be able to say more about the way we created our film and what creative decisions were taken in the process of making the film.

The other essential step in the preparation of the CCR is the reflection on the whole production process. This involves reflecting on what we liked and what we learnt during the project. The production of Case 48 served to realize that a lot of planning, collaboration, and technical expertise are needed to create a successful film.

On the whole, planning the CCR responses enabled us to consider the creative and technical decisions that we took during our movie. Through these choices, we are able to elaborate to a greater extent on how we came up with Case 48 and what thoughts informed our eventual product.

Research and script for #4 question of CCR post

CCR Question #4: How did you integrate technologies during the project?

The fourth question of Creative Critical Reflection that I researched today is concerned with the usage of various technologies in the process of making our film. Film making in the modern society depends a lot on technology in filming, editing and sharing. In the making of Case 48, our team had applied various technologies to assist us capture footage, cut scenes and structure our project.

The camera equipment that we used to shoot our scenes was one of the technologies that we found significant in production. The camera enabled us to take various shots including close-ups and angles of the interview. We also fitted a tripod to ensure that the camera remained steady, and the footage did not appear shaky. These tools allowed enhancing the overall quality of our film and made the scenes look more professional.

Editing software was another useful technology. The editing phase allowed us to trim clips and time and order of scenes. Editing enabled us to better control pace of the story and make it easier to read by the audience. Digital resources were also used to share videos with our group members and organize our production.

In general, technology was significant in the development of Case 48. These tools enabled us to create a better-organized film and a professional film through filming of the scenes to editing the final product.

Research and script for #3 question of CCR post

CCR Question #3 – How My Production Skills Developed 

The third Creative Critical Reflection question I researched today concerned the way my production skills emerged when we were making our film. When starting this project, most of us were still mastering the art of using camera angles, lighting and shot composition properly. As we filmed more, however, we came to understand these techniques better. During the film production of Case 48, I managed to acquire some key film production skills.

 

The first significant competency that I gained was the ability to see how various camera shots can influence the meaning of a scene. To illustrate this point, we utilized close-up shots when interviewing people to make the scenes look more serious and intimate. These kinds of shots enable the viewer to concentrate on the feelings and responses of the characters. We also tried various angles and framing styles so that each scene would be more interesting to look at.

 

Editing was another crucial skill that enhanced in the production process. When we were editing our footage, we learned about the ability of pacing to vary the experience of the story by the audience. Switching between shots and sound included contributed to the feeling of professionalism and involvement of the film. Editing also assisted us to eliminate errors and arrange the clips in a way that makes the story of Case 48 easily readable.  

In general, the assignment on this project allowed me to acquire some valuable production skills. I was able to develop technical skills as I progressed through the project, starting with learning to frame shots correctly and concluding with the learning of the editing process. These abilities were used to add to the overall quality and professionalism of our film.

Research and script for #2 question of CCR post

CCR Question #2 – How Our Film Engages the Audience

Today I did research on the second question of the Creative Critical Reflection. This question is about how our movie appeals to the audiences and entertains them. When we developed Case 48, our group wanted the audiences to be curious and a little uncomfortable at the beginning. Since we are dealing with a mystery narrative style we incorporated the things that are typical of the genre of suspense, investigation, and unanswered questions. 

 

One of the ways we attempted to appeal to the audience was the film genre. As our story is a crime and mystery plot, we employed the aspects that are typical in investigative movies like interviews, clues and tense moments. These factors make the audience remain intrigued since they would want to know what actually happened with the case. The gradual disclosure of information in the film keeps the viewer eager to know and watch more to find out the truth behind Case 48. 

 

The character of Maverick was another source of keeping the audience interested. An investigative style can be used to introduce him as a person taking part in the resolution of the case. Such a character encourages the audience to read through the story and get to know what occurred. Furthermore, the darker lighting and somber moods of the interviews make the film more realistic and dramatic, also, keeping the viewers interested in the story. 

 

All in all, the work on Case 48 involved our primary intention to involve the audience. Through the crime and mystery genre, the suspenseful narration, and good character representation, we tried to produce a film that will leave the viewers wondering and eager to know what the story behind the case is all about. 

Research for #1 Question of CCR Post

What's up blog, tuning in for my second post of the week. I am still feeling very meh ever since I got the flu. However, I must keep fighting so that my body can reach its equilibrium. In today's blog I am going to be conducting research about the first question of the Creative Common Reflection portion of my project. Hopefully you guys enjoy, thank you.

Understanding the Question

Before we can start research on what the question is and how to answer lets first learn what the question means. So what does "How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?" mean? The question is basically asking how my film follows or breaks the normal rules of my genre, and what my film says about real people or real-world issues. 

 

So we are going to want to answer this question by not only discussing about what conventions are but also discussing the conventions I used and discussing whether not my conventions are for or against general conventions. We are also going to want to finish answering the question by ending with a discussion about representation. Representation refers to the choices made in how individuals, groups, events, and issues are illustrated within a production.

 

Genre 

Production Post of Your Choice

What's up blog, I know its extremely late for this to be my first blog post but on Tuesday I found out I had the flu and since then I've had a nonstop migraine along with body aches, today I woke up feeling a little better so I decided to start working on my blog. I hope you guys enjoy today's blog, thank you.

Costume creation

I am going to be creating Maverick's costume. Since me, Sam, and Santi decided that we would be directing the film and having our dads be the actors, I thought that I should start coming up with a costume for my dad who will play Maverick to wear.

The costume of Maverick is all about identification of himself and the adversity he faces throughout the film. The leather jacket and the jeans make him appear to be a rough, self-sufficient man who can take on anything that comes his way. We want Maverick to give off an adventuresque style because that's what you will see in the film. Right now I am thinking about having him wear a motorcycle jacket because when it is not zipped up it gives off that vibe plus the strap that will be hanging off the neck also helps reinforce what we are looking for in Maverick's character.

 

The coarse jacket shows that he is not afraid of danger and the jeans make him look practical and willing to move. We are going to have him wear blue jeans because they will look better with the jacket he will be wearing and they are more common then any other color jean. Maverick is going to appear to be prepared to act in an instant, instead of appearing as a person trapped in a laboratory. 

 

Another main look that Maverick has is that leather strap bag. He is constantly searching and experimenting with things. The bag is something that he cannot afford to leave behind because it has many of his values. It demonstrates that he is ready and willing to do anything, he carries notes and tools with him at all times. His costume does not make him look too good or too professional, but rather makes him look real and down-to-earth. The jacket, jeans, and bag all put Maverick in the image of a person who is always in a hurry, running against time and is determined.

 

Production Post of Your Choice #2

What's up blog! Tuning in for my last blog of the week. In today's blog you are going to see the process of uploading the videos we filmed from the last production post and adding our credits into those shots to make our credits sequence. Hope you guys enjoy, thank you.

Credit Sequence Part 1

Me and my group focused on the liquid mixture in the glass bowl to hint at the outbreak of the doctor's medicine, without giving everything away. The close-up feels both scientific and a little mysterious, which fits the story.  As the camera moves up you see the bubbles show something reacting or spreading. This ties right into the plot. It aligns with the plot because as the foam goes up, the audience is not sure what will happen next, creating a mindset where the viewer is trying to figure out the problem.We chose to do this shot as the opening shot for the credits because it grabs attention right away- like a hook in an essay. It took us a whole day to get these shots right since we knew the credit sequence had to be more than just cool visuals—it needed to add to the story.

 

We used the shadow of hands on the wall to show fear and anxiety. By not showing a face, the scene feels anonymous, like whatever is about to happen or whatever this person is about to do can affect someone. The movement of the putting the gloves on adds tension and makes things feel uneasy. We chose this for the credits because we want to reinforce the mystery of the outbreak without needing any graphic images. We wanted the credits to mean something, not just your traditional black screen with rolling list names, but something that will attract an audience and entice them to keep viewing.

 

This shot shows the audience the title of the movie, it develops meaning and contributes to the overall moral of the film. A mystery, everything in the film is a mystery to the point of the medicine to when Maverick is trying to find a cure. The messy desk indicates that there is a person who may have caused the crisis, which is in line with the plot with the main character trying to find a cure. The lights make it dramatic creating a serious sense of urgency. This shot was selected to formally introduce the title since it draws the audience into the investigation aspect of it. With the credit sequence being among the most difficult elements to do correctly, we took a full day to make sure that every shot, including this one, contributed to the plot and created suspense even before the main story has begun.

 

And last but not least we have the audio, I chose this audio as the sound for the credit sequence becausing it is suspenseful, yet scary at the same time. It makes the audience feel engaged and keeps them on there toes, questioning, what's about to happen?, who is about to get hurt?. This is exactly what we wanted our audio to sound like in the credit sequence.

 

 Citations:

Uppbeat. (n.d.). Soundroll – Nightfall [Music track]. Uppbeat. https://uppbeat.io/track/soundroll/nightfall

Production Post of Your Choice #1

 Whats up blog today will be the day I post my third blog of the week. Today's blog is going to talk about my production process recording our credit sequence. This blog is going to be full of roller coasters but I hope you enjoy, thank you.

Publix

The process began when we to Publix striaght after school. We did some research trying to figure out what products and baking items we could use for shots of our credit sequence. We wanted the credit sequence to give off a scientific type of vibe. So, as we made our way to Publix we researched what two liquids we could use together to make bubbles, like science experiment bubbles. We found out that Vinegar + Baking Soda would get us what were looking for. We weren't sure if we wanted to get food coloring because we weren't sure if would tie well into the plot of the film, but we did end up buying it so that we had it just in case we'd use it. And we did end up using it. We also bought glycerin gummies because it was the only glycerin product they offered at our nearest Publix, but when we used it, it did not work like people said it would, it might be because we got gummies but in the end it worked.

 

House

These were all the products we bought:

 Once we had the shots planned out in our head we started conducting some experiments to see what would work, we first tried with the glycerin gummies plus water, we thought they'd dissolve in the water because that's what we read. However, that did not work out they stayed to the bottom. We then tried the baking soda + vinegar mixture and wow, to our surprise it worked magically well. We then put some drops of green food coloring into the mixture and it produced this.

The glycerin + water made this👎:

Once we figured out that baking soda + vinegar was the done deal, we started preparing for the shooting. The shooting was set to take place in Santi's room.

 

Shooting

We knew what to use for the bubbles so know we started making some Mise-en-scene elements around the room, we wanted the setup to look like a messy science office. Here I am making a prop that would later be utilized during the production. You can also see Sam looking on the other monitor for a background, for the shooting location. We included the food coloring tubes as props because we thought they aligned with the scientific vibe of these shots.

Once we got done setting up all the props we began to shoot. We had ideas of shots we wanted. Even if we weren't going to use them in the eventual production it was better to have them there as an option. Santi recorded some shots and so did I. I forgot to mention before we entered the room we explored with different colors and concluded that red would be what we'd go with. Here is a shot of what it looked like.

 

After we were done with the super foam scene, we wanted to aim for a calmer shot that would transition smoothly with credits. This was going to be one of the shots that culminates the credit scene, so we wanted it to be one to remember, here is a picture of Santi getting the angle right to this.

This was the second the last shot that we were doing of the day. The last shot we wanted was a shot of a shadow. It was going to be a scientist putting a glove on in the dark, the shadow allows it to be a little suspenseful and that was what we were aiming for. Here are some snippets from to shot.

Citations:

Home Science Tools. (n.d.). How to make super bubbles – science project. https://www.homesciencetools.com/article/how-to-make-super-bubbles-science-project/?srsltid=AfmBOoqPnaH7nUSgtWswqJTUEnA8btl5WN0mYopxObuHqYJEi6xqnxAd

KiwiCo. (n.d.). Fizzing colors: A crazy chemistry DIY science experiment. https://www.kiwico.com/diy/stem/crazy-chemistry/fizzing-colors?utm.com 

Planning Post of Choice (Titles - Fonts)

Whats up blog, tuning in for my second blog of the week. Last blog focused on the process of creating our logo, that process was fun and enjoying. Today's post is going to talk about the title and font we are going to use for the first 20 seconds of the film.

Font

To begin our film opening we are choosing to display our logo to the production company we made, SSJ Entertainment. The font we chose for the logo was Gagalin because it fit vibe of the logo, the cool color hues, the blues mesh together well, and the calming Gagalin font helps to demonstrate the calmness our logo gives off. We choose for this to the first text because we want the audience to know who they are working with.

 

Following the logo we move on to the credits. We are not done with the credits however we have started by showing our director and illustrator for the film, these will appear on the same shot so that we can have enough time to include all the credits without using up too much time. We are choosing not to show the credits in a large font size, this is because we don't want the credits to be overpowering, meaning, we want the audience to be able to enjoy the shots we have to offer in the background, and not be stupefied. As a group we also decided to make the font subtle yet legible and easily recognizable for any audience. This is because we want the audience to be able to read the credits with nothing impeding them. The Lazydog font fits our needs perfectly.

 

The last type of font we will use the film is called Norwester. I chose this font in specific because it ties to the theme or our film mystery/thriller/sci-fi, I also chose thing font as the title because when animated it looks extremely well. You know when you watch numbers flip on certain clocks or even on pieces of paper. That is the intent because our title includes a number, a number that is very important for the overall theme of the film.

Title

Now for the title. The title we chose for the film was hard to decide on. We struggled because what if the title sounded corny or it didn't fit the theme of the film. The title is one of the most important aspects of this project because that's how people are going to recognize the film. However, we got it "Case 48". I'll break down both words so that you can know the reason why we chose this title. First the word "case" refers to the investigation Maverick will do throughout the film as too why a problem surfaced after the medicine was made. And then "48" comes from the amount of time the doctor said that the people who took the medicine have left "48 hours".