I can't believe this journey has ended, but on a lighter note, I'm super proud of our final results. Check them out by clicking the links!!
Film Opening: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vBcl6IOQJc0vvvYnv7ZydfXPi_4H0VfC/view?usp=sharing
CCR 1: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GVAWx35ZCUn1CJsloR4iio8V1zfUni09/view?usp=sharing
CCR 2: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y-WG0l-4zl5SuaXntS1KmpGh0U9UGlq5/view?usp=sharing
Signing off for this year,
Aneesa Bajaj :)
Wow, eight weeks really flew by! When starting this project, I was very unsure of myself as a filmmaker. I doubted myself and my skills because I had never truly ventured into making a film. However, thanks to my incredible teacher and teammates (who have become my close friends), my confidence in myself has grown tremendously. I now know how to approach developing a film, as well as production and post-production. I've learned the importance of planning, organization, trust, and how it's okay to ask for help.
Without being organized and planning ahead, this film opening wouldn't have been possible. The schedule we made during week 1 helped keep us on track to success. Preproduction and planning ahead made filming days go smoothly, as we would have a list of items to bring, shots to get, and locations to film. Another important thing I learned was the importance of trust. With a big project like this, responsibilities had to be divided between the team, and we had to learn to work with each other and trust each other to effectively complete our tasks. Additionally, an important lesson I learned was to not be afraid to ask for help. As someone who doesn't have much experience in film, and who was working with teammates who did, I was sometimes unsure of myself and my abilities. Asking for support helped me throughout the project and aided me in expanding my skills. I learned some useful color grading tips from one of my teammates, and some editing shortcuts from another.
Regarding technical skills, making a film opening has taught me the deeper meanings behind film. Before this class and portfolio project, I had never considered the "why?" Why this lighting? Why this font? Why this angle? I asked myself all those questions and many more when producing my film opening. This project has helped me slow down and put thought into every aspect of film. I considered the deeper meanings and what I wanted to portray with every shot. For example, if I wanted to show the audience the protagonist's feelings in a scene, I chose to do a close-up to emphasize her facial expressions and reactions.
Overall, this class and project have taught me so much. I am so incredibly proud of myself and my team, and I can't wait for AICE Media A level!!!
I'll see you one more time for the final film opening and CCR, Bye!
CCR 1
Editing my first CCR was an easy process. I started by importing my videos into Premiere, then applied Ultra Key to remove the green screen in the background. These were my settings:
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It was a relatively simple edit, so to spice it up a bit and make it more reminiscent of a real award show, I decided to incorporate cheering sound effects.
Lastly, since I filmed during sunset the light varied from shot to shot, meaning I had to color grade them to keep a consistent look.
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The before and after of a shot
Overall, the editing went okay, CCR 1 definitely was a little easier. Stay tuned for the final products! See you next time.
CCR 1: Oscar acceptance speech
My first CCR was filmed at one of my group member's houses. Samuel was gracious enough to help me record my CCR in exchange for me helping him. Another one of our group members lent us the green screen I used. Regarding equipment, I used a Canon 90D to film, a tripod, a GVM LED three-point light kit, Holly Land wireless microphones, and a green screen. The filming setup was simple, I was standing in front of the green screen with three-point lighting set up around me and the camera directly in front of me. Since I was giving a speech, and I didn't want any cuts I had Samuel hold my laptop with the speech on it by the camera, and I used it as a teleprompter. I used the website Free teleprompter because it has adjustable settings like text size and speed which make it convenient.
However, I ran into an issue which led to a change of plans. After filming a few takes and constantly messing up (reading and preforming a 3-minute speech is hard) I knew that I was wasting time, as I still had to film my friend's CCR. So, I decided to use a take where I messed up about halfway but stopped and picked up from before I messed up. I'm going to have one cut in the duration of the speech but in post I hope to make it as unnoticeable as possible.
CCR 2: Yoga class
For my second CCR the production was simpler. I used a tripod, Canon T8, and filmed in my backyard alone. One issue I faced was audio. I didn't have mics so I had to rely on a rode mic to pick up my audio, which would've normally been fine if I was in a quiet area. Except I forgot just how noisy my backyard is (I live next to a major highway). Thankfully only my intro and outro require audio so it won't be too bad. Besides that one issue filming went smoothly.
What a week... and not in a good way. I have so much to say, but alas, Cambridge grader, I know you don't know me and don't care about my silly high school problems, so I won't bother you with them.
...Anyway, we're basically in the final stretch of our portfolio projects (scary!) I finally figured out what I'm doing for my second CCR, I'm doing a movie press interview. As an (honorary) film kid, I've watched so many of these; it's always so interesting to hear the behind-the-scenes of new and popular movies.
To answer the question, "How did you integrate technologies- software, hardware, and online- in this project?
We worked with two different cameras, and three different editing softwares. For filming we mainly used a Canon Mark IV, but for a couple shots we used a DJI Osmo Pocket 3. The Canon camera was checked out from our highschools television program and the DJI Osmo is owned by one of my group members. We also used a tripod, as steady shots look more clean and professional. Additionally, since we are doing VFX steady shots are crucial to make the process easier.
Regarding post-production, our group utilized Adobe Premiere Pro, After effects, and Blender to edit and add VFX.
The third question I need to answer in my CCR is "How did your production skills develop throughout this project?"
As someone who has taken television production classes all throughout high school, competed at national levels for news production, and fostered a passion for video production from a young age, I definitely came into the project with previous knowledge. However, AICE Media Studies has taught me so much new information at a much deeper level than anything I've previously learned. Even though I had previous experience editing (and even certified in Premiere Pro) I now understand when and why I should employ certain editing techniques. Similarly, I've learned about mise-en-scene and its importance in film. Before this project I never thought about why certain scenes are lit or colored in specific ways. I've also become more mindful when framing shots and choosing angles, as they can change the way a scene is viewed.
Mainly, this project has helped me slow down and consider WHY I'm making each decision in the production process. My usual production style is fast-paced, as I have to pump out a segment every week for my television production classes' weekly show. I never really thought too deeply about every step of the process, but rather just made the segment. Now, I pay closer attention to smaller details and always make sure to plan before starting something new.
Additionally, this project taught me how to step out of my comfort zone. Before AICE media I've never actually ventured into making a film. Besides one mediocre project where I was assigned to create a chase scene, I've never made a film. As someone who everyone sees as just being the anchor girl, it was cool to try something new and embrace a more creative side.
That's all for this blog, see you next time!
