Final Reflection

 As I finalize my submissions, I find myself reflecting on the overall process of creating this opening. Not only has this been a challenging experience, but it has been a rewarding one as well. It has pushed me to develop my filmmaking skills, storytelling skills, editing skills, and my analysis skills as well. Looking back, I now see just how much I have grown creatively throughout the course of this project.

 When I first decided on creating a horror film opening, alongside my group, I knew I wanted to capture so many different elements on suspense, tension, and mystery, while also challenging many horror genre conventions. Throughout this process, I also learned how to effectively use lighting, sound, and cinematography to enhance the horror atmosphere. The research phase, in specific, was truly eye opening, as I got to study classic horror films, as well as analyze how they engaged audiences through not just storytelling, but though actual execution.

 One of my biggest takeaways, was the importance of pre- production planning. The use of storyboarding, scripting, blogging, and just overall organization in advance made filming smoother, and far more efficient.

 Like any creative project, this one came with its fair share of challenges, mostly, I found that time- management was a big one. Having to balance research, filming, and editing required VERY careful planning, also, since we were working with pretty limited resources, we had to figure out different ways to get creative with our lighting, sound design, costuming, filming process, and tools. We also had to make sure the elements of horror within our opening were effective without relying on cliche tropes, by focusing on more psychological tension rather then jump scares, we created a horror experience that felt even more immersive, and unsettling.

 Editing was where everything came together, I was able to refine the pacing, fix the coloring, and carefully add sound effects to enhance the mood. This whole phase taught me the power of small details, as even the most minor tweaks in timing or sound levels made a huge difference in building suspense within my opening.

 The CCR process overall allowed me to really step back, and critically analyze my work, not only did it give me a new perspective on all of my choices, but it allowed me to truly analyze them, so I would be able to articulate how my film engages audiences, uses technology, and represents themes.

 Overall, this project has been an unforgettable journey, and I really cant wait to see where my newly developed skills can take me!

xoxo, your favorite extra ;)

CCR Links

 These are the final links to my CCR, I hope you enjoy watching them!:

Questions 1 and 2:

CCR1&2Here!

Backup Link:

https://www.canva.com/design/DAGiFXwtobg/BoQ1ws7OMS31S1deVksLew/view?utm_content=DAGiFXwtobg&utm_campaign=share_your_design&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=shareyourdesignpanel

Questions 3 and 4:

CCR3&4Here!

Backup Link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V9mk4-7uUmEXbIb8pCEVY_SVKfd9_e9H/view?usp=sharing

Project Link!

 This is the final link to my Film opening project, I hope you enjoy!

OpeningHere!

Backup Link :

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Zr6u8lPyKYLtNXiYJVg5-JqogdA6iMsZ/view?usp=sharing

Post- Production Process CCR

 The post- production stage of my CCR was one of the most crucial steps in bringing my project together, after filming all of my responses, as well as audios, I wanted to ensure my final product was polished, engaging, and effectively conveyed my insights about my opening. This stage, post- production, involved careful editing, sound design, visual enhancements, and final review in order to create a professional and cohesive product.

Once I had all of my footage, I imported it into CapCut for editing. Although it isn't the most sophisticated software, all I had to do editing- wise for my CCR's was to place the clips together, and i felt as though CapCut was the right fit for me in terms of this. It allowed me to work on-the-go, something which is extremely important for me as I work just about every weekend, and at least 3 days during the week.

After making all necessary edits, I did multiple playbacks to check for inconsistencies in flow, sound balance, and pacing. Once I was completely satisfied with the final cut, I made sure to export the video int my google drive, ensuring it remains in the highest quality possible.

Post- production allowed me to refine my technical skills, while gaining a deeper understanding of editing workflows, sound mixing, and not just storytelling, but visual storytelling. It reinforced the importance of details, and patience, as even the slightest adjustment could make a large difference in the final product. Seeing my hard work come together into a cohesive, and engaging final piece was (is) extremely rewarding, and I am so excited for what is next to come!

CCR Production

 Today, I got together with one of my good friends, who also happens to be taking Media AS this year, and we got to work on the production of our CCR's. We decided to make the most of our time and effectively film both CCR's, for questions 1 and 2. I felt as though working alongside someone else who had the same objective as me, but wasn't in my actual group was extremely beneficial, as it provided outside perspectives and help for my CCR's production, as well as my answers within the project. This overall process pushed me to reflect on all of my creative decisions for my opening, analyze my growth, and explore the impact of different technologies on filmmaking.

Before diving into filming and editing my CCR's, I began with research. This is where my past blogs were a truly helpful tool, as all of the research I have been conducting over the past couple of months was laid out for me to see, and take information from. I broke down each of my questions into simpler terms that  I could better understand in order to be able to address them in a way that was not just analytical, but also engaging.

When revisiting my original inspirations, like The Conjuring, and Halloween, I was able to reinforce my understanding of genre conventions. Also, platforms like Letterboxd helped me to analyze audience reactions to different horror films, which was very useful in explaining how our film engaged viewers.

SInce my CCR's required me to not just reflect on my project, but also to present my ideas creatively, and in a compelling way, I decided to approach them in a way that felt unique to me and my project. The actual video was filmed on an Iphone, once again taking advantage of the 4k video quality which was so crucial during my actual opening, my goal being to also maintain consistency with the style of my film opening, while making sure my explanations were all clear, and professional.

One of the largest challenges was ensuring that y CCR responses were just informative but also engaging. In order to tackle this, I experimented with different formats. For example, I structured one of my responses as a talk show style interview, making my discussions feel more dynamic, and interactive, while I structured the oher as a standalone presentation, maintaining formality, and keeping it informative, while using fun slides and fonts that match my personality in order to keep it creative on some levels.

The biggest challenge was time- management, balancing the filming, editing, as well as refining my answers took lots of careful planning, but I was able to easily overcome this by breaking up my process into different steps, such as- research, scripting, filming, and editing, helping me to stay organized, and on trach.

Looking back, the overall production process of my CCR helped me to grow not just as a filmmaker, but also a storyteller. I ended up developing stronger research skills, improving my editing techniques, as well as gaining confidence in presenting my creative decisions. Mostly, it allowed me to reflect on all I have learned throughout the filmmaking process. This experience has given me so much valuable experience in filmmaking, and I look forward to applying these skills to future projects.

Research for CCR #4

 And finally- question 4, all though I'm sure you know the drill by now, lets simplify the question before we can fully delve into how to respond to it, through research:

What technologies- software, hardware, and online did you use?

 For this project, I used a combination of hardware, software, and online tools. Our filming was done on an iPhone, and we happened to take advantage of the 4k video quality, and portability. In order to stabilize some of our shots, we used a tripod.

All of our editing was completed on Adobe Premiere Pro, which allowed me to fine tune our cuts, add some color correction, and layer on sound effects (such as the music behind our credit sequence, and our foley sounds) creating a truly immersive horror atmosphere.

Youtube tutorials helped me and my group to not just better handle adobe, but to truly refine our editing techniques. In terms of promotion and research, I used Letterboxd to analyze different audience reviews of similar horror films, as it helped me identify what aspects of horror films that viewers found the most effective in creating fear.

                              

Research for CCR #3

 Once again, in order to further research this question, i first want to simplify it down:
How did your production skills develop throughout the process of filming your opening?

 At the beginning of my project, the approach I took to filmmaking was basic. I relied on simple framing, and shots, and incorporated minimal editing, However, as I began to research horror cinematography and pacing, my production skills evolved. Through studying classic horror opening such as Halloween, and The Conjuring, and learning how lighting, camera angles, and sound can create suspense, and truly elevate a film.

During our planning, I created a detailed storyboard, and experimented with different shot compositions. In production, I improved my ability to direct scenes, as well as manage timing for scares (psychological, as we really have no jump scares), and adjust lighting for maximum horror effects.

 In the production process, I improved my ability to direct scenes, manage the timing for scares, and adjust lighting to give my desired effect. Within post- production, I refined my editing skills, enhanced transitions, and our sound design in order to create a polished final cut, and one which i would be proud to turn into cambridge.

Group Meeting

 Today, in class we had more group meeting, but this time, to discuss our process with our creative critical reflections. My group was made up of  6 people (including me), of whom only one person had actually began their production process (shoutout to Nicole).

Look at my group below, as we admire McKenna:

 We all mostly discussed our ideas, and in doing so realized that we all more or less wanted to do the same thing, which defeats the "creative" part of a creatieve critical reflection. After discussing different ways to make our CCR's more individual, and personalized to every person, we came up with the following ideas:

1) Absolutely NO! Getting readys ( something which, to be fair, we were warned about by our teacher, but all further realized the extent of its lack of creativity anyways) They are all essentially the same and it becomes repetitive, and at some point, essentially a talking head.

2) No more Vogue copying, something which happened to be a much more common phenomenon then I thought it'd be (Beauty secrets, 73 questions)

3) SO MANY paparazzi and podcast and interviews. So, maybe add an element of creativity if it's going to be done, in order to distinguish your final product.

 Overall, I found this group meeting very helpful, as I always have. I find group meeting are a good way to not just further connect with my classmates, but also to get valuable feedback from people who are in the exact same boat as you, and can understand your struggles. I learned just how common some of my ideas were, and got a better idea of which ones to crap, and which to work on further. 

I feel like I will always enjoy working in groups with my peers, and am glad for the connections and friendships it has brought me.

:)

These are my groups blogs:

https://nicbau.blogspot.com/

https://blogbycharlee.blogspot.com/

https://mediasmedley.blogspot.com/

https://intomediastudies.blogspot.com/

https://ruzlog.blogspot.com/

Research for CCR #2

 Firstly- let's begin by boiling down the research question at hand:

How does your product engage with audiences, and how would it be distributed?

 Horror movies typically engage audiences through a combination of suspense tactics, creating atmosphere, and emotional connections with viewers. My opening scene uses a mix of eerie sound design (made by our amazingly talented friend), dimmed lighting (as well as candle-light) , and a compelling hook/ storyline, through the use of blood, in order to capture readers attentions.

 Different tactics, such as jump scares, tension- building music, as well as relatable, and down- to earth character that resonate with audiences can also enhance audience engagement.

 In terms of distribution, independent horror films tend to gain more traction through being presented in film festivals, as opposed to being shown in large movie theater chains (such as AMC, Regal, Cinemark), which can be a more unrealistic goal. Alternatively, we could also show our film in small, local theaters, which are usually more prone to showing independent films.

Social media marketing, and online streaming platforms such as YouTube, Vimeo, and Shudder are also very helpful when it comes to distributing the film on small platforms, which can reach larger audiences then a local, small theater, or a small film festival could. If aiming for a wider release, partnerships with more indie production companies, as well as the use of platforms like Amazon Prime, or Netflix, would be the most useful to reach a larger audience.

Bonus Post!

 I really felt as though I had to add this post onto here, as our friend Juan Diego, or as some of you will come to know him, the starring male lead in our film, has decided to absolutely gift us with a musical piece which he has allowed us to incorporate into our opening. He actually made the piece after we wrapped on filming, as he felt inspired by the process. Not only is he an amazing actor, but a truly gifted musician as well, and I am proud to say that we will be changing the music within our credit sequence to our custom made piece!

Here's the piece for those who want to listen:

Question 1

 In order to answer the first question of my creative critical reflection, I first want to boil the question down to: How does your product use or challenge conventions and represent social grounds or issues.

 One of the biggest questions we considered while making our horror film opening, was not just if, but how (to what extent) it would follow or challenge genre conventions, and what kind of representation we would include within the opening.

 Horror films have typically well established conventions, many of which we decided to include to effectively create a recognizable opening, these conventions include, a dark atmosphere and the use of suspense, as we relied on low, candlelight, and an eerie setting to build tension, a staple in horror films. Next, we used the element of violence and fear, the use and presence of a knife, blood splatter, and an implied murder immediately panics viewers, incorporating that element of fear as well as violence. Finally, the use of mystery is essential, as almost nothing is releaveld upfront, keeping the audience guessing in order to not just build more tenions, but also to keep the opening as just an opening, and making sure it want too conclusive.

 However, me and my group still decided to challenge some of the more typical horror tropes. For example, instead of relying on a helpless female lead, who is a citim, we aimed for more balanced roles. The killer isn't just a masked murderer, but instead a character which is equally human and which other can relate too, and connect with, in some ways. We also played with perspectives, so instead of showing an actual violent act, which wouldve been unrelaistic for us to achieve as ameature filmmakers, we focused on both the buildup and the aftermath, allowing viewers imaginations to do most of the work, filling in the gaps.

 When it comes to how we incorporated elements of representation, although horror films typically have a problematic history of more stereotypical representations, me and my group wanted to make sure we avoided that, we did so by avoiding the use of that "final girl' trope, giving our characters more depth, and felt like more realistic, relatable people as opposed to just horror stereotypes.

 Me and my group also considered how fear, in itself, is a universal experience. Rather then make our horror based on an external monster, or a supernatural force, we decided to lean into the more psychological aspect of horror, focusing on tensions, paranoia, as well as fears of the unknown, making our opening feel more grounded and relatable to a far wider audience.