Editing Part 1

Today I wrapped up my filming completely. I recorded for about 3 hours, getting a wide range of footage.  I've split my editing process into two halves - the first half being the portion in which Victor (owner of home) finding Joey (intruder), and the second part is when Victor and Joey have the conversation about a trip to Japan. 

I'm using Premiere Pro to edit this all together. I've worked on importing all of the film clips. I first went through all the footage and chose the scenes that would be best for the piece. Next, I arranged them within my project so that it can follow a clear progression track. I've started editing the suspense scene already, arranging everything into a nice, clear, and proper manner. I've created discomfort and anticipation, and avoided making too many fast cuts but still showing a variation in technique in order for the piece to retain the audience's attention. 

Within this phase, I have not implemented sound design. I want to finish my entire scene first, and then put in the different sounds that I would end up needing to add to the completeness of the scene. By the end of this first editing stage, I had a rough cut that clearly established the first half of my opening. Although I'm behind where I expected to be, my piece is shaping up to be what I expected it to be, and I am excited to see how it turns out.

Researching CCR Question 1

 As a part of my AICE submission, I need to work on creative critical reflections that help me reflect upon my project.

The first question I'm answering is "How does your product use/challenge conventions & how does it represent social groups and issues?"

Comedy and adventure films typically start with everyday scenarios that has a disruption which helps drive the narrative forward. That's why my idea of using this conversation between friends is an example of me properly using these conventions and applying them. 

As per tradition, comedy films establish humor through dialogue through exaggerated situations. This is where my piece sets itself apart. I start off with something that builds tension. By using the instance of the intrusion, I feel that my piece challenges the audience's expectations, and helps surprise them. 

As far as representation goes, my film is focused on a group of friends. Rather than exaggerating their portrayal through stereotypes, I'm presenting them all as realistic and relatable individuals. By showing one friend as a corporate worker, I set an image of responsibility for people that may relate to the character.

I also have a theme of friendships. In modern society, friendships are limited to the bounds of reels and blue and gray bubbles. I challenge this by showing such a friendship that barely needs any form of social media. It highlights comfort. 

Overall, my film both uses and challenges such conventions. It follows similar structures but adds it's own small twists to it to keep my film seeming like a new experience.

Group Meeting #2

Today was our second group meeting. Here are my notes:

Addison talked about her idea, focusing on a boyfriend who lost his girlfriend in a hit-and-run, resulting in him losing his life internally. We discussed her aspects like mise-en-scene, and filming techniques that she will use to film this project.

Afterwards, Gustavo and Bella showed their overall progress. They discussed their idea and how they're going to record their project today at a restaurant. They showed their production design logo and showed how and where the inspiration from it stemmed from.

Then it was my turn. I discussed my idea with my new group and then talked about my choice of props, costume design, and foley sounds, and then told them some of the ideas that I had for my filming. I then took suggestions about filming, and got specific ideas like recording from inside the film, and keeping wide/medium/close-up shows of the characters during their conversation.

Next was Oliver, who talked about his idea of a drug deal leading to a kidnapping. He showed us some clips that he recorded as well as some stills. We then provided him feedback on what he already filmed as well as more locations to film at.

Finally, Isabella told us about her idea of how she wants to show a forced arranged marriage slowly turning into a love marriage. She talked about having characters develop awkwardness towards each other. We discussed her props and what the opening would look like on the screen. 

This concluded our meeting for today.

Costume Creation

 For my film opening, I also need to plan and create the costumes for my characters. This needs to be something that reflects my characters' personalities and support the tones of the scene. My film focuses on an ordinary group of friends - one who is returning home from work (the responsible one) and one who's pitching the idea of the trip. The important aspect is that the costumes feel normal.

My primary character is the one returning from work. To show this, I will make him wear standard business semi-formal clothing. Therefore, my primary character will wear a white button up with black trousers. 

My secondary character is the one pitching the idea for the trip. Since this is a more chill and relaxed character, I'm going to have him wear more colorful and casual clothes. Therefore, he will be wearing beach clothing. 

Overall, the costume creation process was very important in supporting character development in my opening. By carefully selecting clothing, I am able to communicate personality and the dynamic between my characters in a more visual manner.

Foley Sound Creation

I've started the practical production for my film opening. Today I worked on foley sound to enhance my piece by adding a more realistic feel. My film opening is most reliant on the diegetic sound, and so including foley sound will support the film. 

The first step in this process is identifying the sounds that I need to create with foley. This list included the footsteps, creaking of doors, and the sound of the umbrella swinging. I don't expect these sounds to be recorded clearly during filming, so that's why I recreated them.

For footsteps, I walked across the floor with my phone recording. For the creaky door, I used my room door, and opened & closed it many times in order to get the clip I needed. 

After all of this was done, I reviewed all of the voice memos I recorded and then selected the clearest sound clips. 

Overall, creating Foley sound allows me to have greater control over the audio quality and realistic-ness of the scene. This process is essential in achieving my goal of using diegetic sound to support realism in my film opening.

Lighting in Comedy

 Lighting must be carefully used in order to help align and support the tone and narrative. Since my film is a comedy thats centered around some friend, the lighting needs to work to maintain the lighthearted and humorous tone. 

My opening will take place outside and at home, so i will be using bright lighting to create a welcoming atmosphere. Keeping light evenly distributed will create a clean appearance which helps reinforce the lighthearted tone and keep a humorous tone.

However, for the suspense scene at the beginning, I will implement some lighting trends seen in thriller films. This scene will be dark especially inside the house. This will limit the light in certain areas which also makes the audience wonder what's coming, adding to the suspense in the scene. I'll use some open blinds to let in some light and make the scene seem realistic. 

This lighting scheme ensures that my comedy film opening visually reinforces the humorous & thrilling tone, highlights character reactions, and maintains a realistic environment.

My Production Company Logo

 For my film opening, I developed a production logo to use in the beginning of my opening. My production company is called ID Digital. I selected a clean font to represent simplicity. My logo also contains a folded look in order to create a sense of happiness/playfulness. 

I intentionally used a minimalistic design instead of something complex. This is something I've seen brands do in order to help with their brand recognition. 

To create the ID Digital logo, I used Canva. Along with that, I utilized embedded apps like TypeCraft in order to fully finish my logo.

This is my final logo, followed by the steps of my design process:

Logo Design Stages: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P6w4IKOoTJZzvFw3aeE8cJAC9mMjEGVt/view?usp=sharing

Costume

 The second mise-en-scene element I'm focusing on is costume. I find costume important since it can help communicate the character's personality and lifestyle. Since my opening is focused upon the busy life and adventure-loving aspects of the two friends, I want my opening to reflect that as well.

The main character (returning from work) will be wearing clothes matching his office's dress code: a white button up with black trousers. This outfit represents his life as a corporate slave and shows that he is just as normal as the rest of the audience. The character is seen as realistic and believable. This also helps to establish the sense of normality and set the equilibrium at the beginning.

The friend (intruder) will be wearing casual clothing to represent his more laidback and fun loving attitude. This friend will be looking out a window, sipping a drink, and wearing beach clothes. This reflects how he's more playful, and it helps foreshadow what the conversation between the friends would be about.

Overall, costume usage in my film is important in order to strengthen the feeling of authenticity and to develop the characters. By using natural and ordinary clothing, the audiences can relate to the characters and can help them connect with the characters. This is important for the audience to enjoy the opening.

Props

 Within my piece, I'll be using props as one of my key elements of mise-en-scene throughout my piece. The most important prop in my piece is the umbrella, which is what the main character will use when investigating who's in his house. 

This umbrella showcases mainly the main character's fear and uncertainty, while also being a highlighter of his bravery. This is because the character chooses what's closest to him, but doesn't go for an actual weapon. 

The umbrella also helps create the shift in tone from suspense to comedy. As the friend is discovered, the friend instinctively responds with the umbrella, which creates the first comedic scene in the opening. This transforms the umbrella's hidden meaning from a symbol of fear to a source of comedy. It also allows the tension created within the scene to become relaxed.

I'll also use the backpack of the main character as a prop. This will contribute to the main character's personality, hinting at the everyday routine and establishing the initial equilibrium. 

All in all, I'm going to carefully place these props within this scene in order to support the development of my characters. I look forward to using the props to create a realistic environment while adding to the suspense and comedy of the scene.

Planning my Audio

 When working on my piece, I will include mainly dialogue. At the very beginning, I plan to include non-diegetic audio to gently establish the beginning and unease as the character is at work and comes home. I'm also going to incorporate a bit of foley sounds in the piece. These sounds will be used to model things like: creaking of door and floorboards, footsteps on the floor, & the sound of the umbrella opening. 

While the main character is walking through the house, I will be having suspenseful music in the scene. This helps me play my trick on the audience, and make them think that this a thriller rather than a lighthearted comedy. Once the character discovers the intruder, the music in the scene will switch to a score with a more lighthearted sense, and then close when the dialogue starts. 

My dialogue will create a dynamic which mirrors the friendship that my actors already have. This will help the scene feel much more natural. I'll incorporate things like laughter to add to the tone I'm trying to create. 

Overall, I want to make the audience become immersed into the experiences and the life of the character. I'll be sure to use my non-diegetic audio cautiously so it makes the scene seem more genuine rather than reduce the authenticity. 

Character Development

 In the opening of my film, I want to make sure the audience can immediately understand who the two characters are so that they can understand the message behind this piece. 

I introduce the protagonist as a regular corporate "slave". He arrives home to what appears to be the normal environment. This moment of calm allows the audience to see him as an ordinary and relatable person before the suspense starts. However, when he notices the door is open, his reaction immediately shows the brave aspects of his personality. Instead of running away, he investigates the house while holding an umbrella for protection. This shows that although he is nervous, he is also curious and brave.

The intruder scene plays a major role in shaping the tone of the film to comedy. When the friend jumps out, the audience experiences relief and humor, but this moment also establishes the dynamic between the two characters. Their interaction suggests a comfortable and playful friendship, suggesting that relationships will be important for the film.

My goal with this opening is to present characters that feel authentic and relatable so that audiences become invested early on. By mixing the moment of suspense with humor and friendship, I will be able to introduce key personality traits of the character. This ensures that the audience completely understands the purpose of my opening.

My Storyboard

 In preparing for my project, I've come up with a quick storyboard that creates a small track of how my piece will flow. This is what it looks like:

In the next few days, I'll be figuring out things like mise-en-scene and the small details that add to my piece.

Media Theory I'll Be Using

 The media theory that matches with my idea the most is Todorov's Narrative Theory of Equilibrium. This theory includes three key points: equilibrium, disequilibrium, and a new equilibrium. 

Here's how each part of my idea plays into the theory:

1. Equilibrium: The main character spends a very ordinary day working, and comes home.

2. Disequilibrium: The main character sees that his front door is open. This creates a sense of suspense throughout the piece. The main character follows and then starts trying to find who entered his home.

3. New Equilibrium: The main character sees his best friend and the tone of the scene becomes lighthearted again. Their conversation becomes very trip-focused, setting a new normal.

Here's how the theory has been seen in the films I discussed earlier:

The Hangover:

1. Equilibrium: A normal wedding weekend is expected.

2. Disequilibrium: The groom disappears.

3. New equilibrium: The groom is found and the rest of the friends make it to the wedding, but the friends returned changed men.

Superbad:

1. Equilibrium: Two best friends walk to school having a regular conversation.

2. Disequilibrium: They realize graduation is approaching and their lives are about to change.

3. New Equilibrium: They adopt a mission to create unforgettable memories.

Portfolio Project: My Idea

 I'm someone that is in love with films regarding friendships, relationships, travel, and adventure. Having watching and loving films like The Hangover, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (Hindi films), I had to create something along the same lines when I got the opportunity to do this project. 

That's why I'm creating an opening for a film focusing on the adventures of a group of friends. I plan on having a suspense starting, where the main character walks into his house to see his door open, and walks around with an umbrella, trying to find who is there. He gets scared by his friend, who was the intruder, and the two friends then discuss an idea to travel somewhere and go on a group trip. My opening will consist of the planning, setting up the stage for the actual trip when it happens (later in the film). 

I'm still ironing this idea out. I'm working on a script/storyboard that I can use to visualize the idea, and will be making it both feasible while keeping the quality of the idea without compromise.

Group Meeting 1

 Yesterday was our first group meeting. My group and I (randomly selected) all presented our ideas for our film project, and were given feedback based on what we personally thought of each other's projects.

Listening to everyone's ideas showed me how inspiration can be used to create different and unique ideas.

Here are a few of the notes that I took during the meeting:

Group Meeting 1 Notes –

·       Gustavo is going for something similar to Bullet Train (comedy/action)

o   He needs actors, and he’s the producer/director

o   He wants to either make his music or grab it from Epidemic Sound

·       Sebastian is creating a car-based action comedy

·       My idea

o   Gustavo thinks dialogue takes longer than I would assume

o   Cut the first portion of the clip to around 20

o   Maybe something like the van scene from Ant-Man

·       Vitor’s idea is a fusion of some movies

o   He wants to show a band that is looking for success but is really bad

o   His idea might be a little too much for a 2-minute slot, and if it’s not done properly then it could feel really cramped

·       Lina wants to make a coming of age film similar to Juno

o   She wants to show an attempt to escape from reality, wants to show the opening following her day (something like my Ladybird)

Film Openings: Target Audience

 A film's opening is made to directly cater to the expectations of a film's target audience. The opening is what sparks the audience's interest in a film, and can help take the film to success given that the opening fulfills the expectations in a realistic manner. To further understand how film's openings tailor to a target audience, I researched the openings of Mean Girls, Legally Blonde, and Home Alone.

Mean Girls:
 - This opening caters to the target audience by offering immediate reliability. By opening in a high school and referring it to a system with rules and a hierarchy, it becomes relatable and easy-to-connect for teens. The humor in the opening is conversational and is consistent with how the audience speaks.

Legally Blonde:

 - Legally Blonde has a bright and upbeat tone which immediately tells the audience that it is a fun comedy. The protagonist is introduced from a feminine lens and it aligns with the expectations that the audience already has from past comedy films. It taps into themes of things like social identity and love which are interests that younger audiences may have, which connect well with the audience.

Home Alone:

 - This production starts by showing controlled chaos in a loud home. This sits perfectly with the family dynamics of families with young or multiple children. The perspective of the movie is very child-centered, and it is an emotion that many younger children relate to (being the center of attention). The child is portrayed as frustrated and sympathetic and this is what wins and hooks the audience to the film.

Film openings in the comedy genre are mirrors of familiar environments of the target audience. They establish a tone immediately, and use relatable characters as entry points for the audience into this world.