The final links are finally here!! I can't believe this journey had already come to an end. I've gained much insight from this experience and I won't forget it! Here it is!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_Kgf5aJk4Kis73tCSGe4AgcG8Wqg5ZCS/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WNljpnaSx8de_5UMuGq66YttRbNspXmv/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1u3qC8pjrbwcyQQJgnMJ8uo47rN1JqR42/view?usp=sharing
Hello everyone! In this post, I will be talking about the production behind my CCR videos! Remember, the two style of videos I did was a director commentary AND a interview.
First, I had to plan how I wanted to present each CCR.
For the production process for the interview, I wanted to be more creative and have my friend play as the interviewer. Thankfully her sister ended up being the one to film everything and told us how to angle ourselves. I trusted her judgement ;) In regards to making the video look like a interview, I had two chairs facing each other when having conversation. My friend, Meliyah, who played as the interviewer, wore nicer clothes to fit the overall setting.
This format made everything feel more natural and conversational, almost like a real interview with a director discussing their work.
Filming the CCRs also came with a few challenges. We had to make sure the sound was clear and that the camera framing looked good. Sometimes we needed to fix small mistakes. Even though this took extra time, it helped improve the overall quality of the final product.
Regarding the director commentary video, before recording , I first reviewed my film and focused on moments that clearly showed the thriller conventions used in the film, such as the scene where the character Asher is in the park before the murder occurs. This scene was important because it establishes tension and also shows Ashers' character a bit.
The next step in the production process was recording the voiceover commentary. While the opening played, I recorded myself explaining my decisions as the director. I tried to speak clearly and naturally so it would sound like a real director talking about their work.
Overall, creating this director commentary helped me reflect on my role as the director of Pushover. It allowed me to see my own choices and how it contributed to creating the opening :)
The script for the interview:
Hello everyone! In this post, I will be sharing the post-production of two of my CCRs and all of the behind the scenes!
During the post-production stage of my CCRs, I focused on editing the footage to create the product for my responses. For one of my CCRs, I created an interview-style video where my friend Meliyah acted as the interviewer and asked me the third and fourth CCR questions. After filming the interview at her house, I looked at the footage and selected the best clips to use in the final video. I focused on making the interview flow smoothly by trimming unnecessary pauses. I also made sure the clips were arranged in a order so tthe audience wouldn't get lost and would understand what they're seeing.
Where I trim some footage since you could hear us planning how we want to film a certain shot:
Editing for the director commentary (inserting the audios):
Hello everyone! This week is the final week to work on our portfolio projects, and time flew by. It’s been a long process, and I’ve never worked on a class project for this long before. In this blog post, I will be sharing my final reflection on the project.
Overall, I’m happy with the final product that we created, and I’m glad I had my group members to work with throughout the process. We all shared our ideas about how we wanted to present our portfolio project, and it helped that we had similar ideas during production. For example, we agreed on how we wanted the lighting to look and the type of emotions we wanted the scenes to express.
If I were to do this project again, I would focus more on organization and planning. During the filming process, there were many interruptions that slowed us down, and I think better preparation could have prevented some of those issues. I also wish we had more clarity about what exactly we were filming before doing anything. Despite that, we used our storyboard to keep us organized and stable in where we were. Even though there were challenges, I still put in as much effort as I could.
Another thing I would change is the environment we chose for filming. I would have preferred a more realistic and controlled setting. For example, filming at the park right next to the road and near the playground was not the best location for a project like this because there were many distractions and background noise. What we did to try and get rid of the sounds to the best of our ability was by using adobe premiere and selecting a clip and trying to get rid of the background noise as best as possible.
Lastly, I wish I had revised our script more. The dialogue did not always feel as natural as I wanted it to. I also realized that I don’t have much experience writing scripts, so in the future I would look at more examples before writing one myself. This project helped me realize the importance of studying examples and planning ahead when working on creative projects.
Overall, this experience taught me a lot about collaboration, planning, and the filmmaking process. Even though there were some challenges along the way, I’m proud of my group and the fact that we completed this project together. :)
Hello everyone! Today I will be discussing the fourth CCR question for our portfolio project. I will be explaining how we intgrated different technoloiges thorughout our portfolio project :D
4th CCR Question: How did you integrate technologies- software, hardware, and online- in this project?
My script:
Throughout the process of creating our opening , technology played a major role in helping us plan certain things, edit, and share our project. From the equipment we had to use while filming to the software used during editing, everything helped us improve the overall quality of our production.
One of the most important technologies we used during the project was the editing software Adobe Premiere Pro. This program allowed us to organize our footage, clips, and change different aspects such as brightness and color. During the process, my group noticed that some of our footage appeared too bright and did not match the darker tone we wanted for our opening. Using Premiere Pro, we used different tints and brightness levels until we achieved a darker color grading that matched the suspenseful atmosphere we were aiming for.
Another technology that helped us during the editing process was Canva. We used Canva to design our production logo in the beginning of our opening. I remember during class, we were testing out different fonts, and we were trying to find a way to make it more engaging to the audience than a regular production compnay. We did all of that on the application Canva.
Hardware also played an important role in our production process. We used a camera to record our footage, which allowed us to get the different shots needed for our opening. Being able to film digitally and having a memory card meant we could review clips immediately in that moment and refilm certain scenes if something didn't look right.
As for research, we analyzed scenes from thriller films in order to understand how suspense and tension are created. For example, the film Nightcrawler uses dark lighting to create a tense and unsettling atmosphere. The way the film uses shadows helps emphasize the mysterious and serious tone of the story. Seeing the techniques they used gave me an understanding of what the audience would see form their percpective.
Overall, technology was integrated into every stage of our project. From filming and editing to researching and usinf different digital tools helped us develop our production. Without these technologies, it would have been much more difficult to have the perfect footage. Technology eventually allowed us to transform our idea into a finished media product that reflects the skills we developed throughout this project.
Citations:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2872718/
https://www.plotexplained.com/movie/nightcrawler/info
Hello everyone! For this blog post I will be discussing my CCR production ideas based off of my portfolio project :D So I have to create two products that would answer 4 questions for the CCR just to give you an idea.
For our CCR videos, we need to come up with a style or format on how we want to answer these questions. Since I was the director for the opening, I was thinking of doing a director commentary video :0 In this video, I wanted to play pieces of our opening while pausing at important moments to explain the decisions behind certain shots. This would work because it allows the audience to see the exact scene that I am referring to while I explain it. During the commentary, I would talk about how our opening uses conventions of the thriller genre, such as darker lighting and specific camera angles that help create tension.
For examples, I searched up on youtube and looked to see how other directors commented on the way they made decisions. One video I saw was Guillermo del Toro commenting on the movie "The shape of the water", and he explained how he wanted to show certain details to the audience, and explained why it was the best choice. That sort of commenting style is what I would want to go for.
The commentary video I saw:
Overall, these two different videos will allow me to answer the CCR questions in different but effectivly. The director commentary focuses more on explaining the creative decisions within the film itself, while the voiceover reflection focuses more on the process and what was learned during the project. I believe that these two different styles of a video will clearly demonstrate the important aspects of our portfolio project .
Hello everyone, today I will be researching and providing the script for the 3rd question of the CCR!
The 3rd question for the CCR: How did your production skills develop throughout this project?
Throughout the production process, my skills developed in several ways. Our project came with some problems that we had to learn how to solve in the moment. For example, as the director of the opening, there were times when things we planned couldn't be done because of environmental reasons. Sounds like cars passing by, kids playing by the park, or airplanes flying above us; these were things we couldn't control. Because of this, I had to learn how to think quickly and come up with alternative solutions so that we could continue filming. For example, we had to take breaks in order for this sounds to just pass on by, and we did it as much as we could. This experience helped me understand that plans do not always go exactly the way we want them to, but there is always a solution :D
Another skill that was developed during this process was learning how to create the right atmosphere for our genre. Since our opening is meant to have a disturbing and suspenseful tone, I focused a lot on the setting and the small details that could help achieve this exact feeling. When we were filming inside Asher’s home, we specifically tried to make the environment feel unsettling. I saw that the lighting was too dark to see Brennan, but I wanted to add some sort of lighting that would highlight the creepiness of Asher's room. This involved paying attention to things such as lighting and camera angles so that the audience could feel the tension we wanted to create.
In addition, my teamwork and collaboration skills improved throughout the project. Film production requires constant communication between group members. For example, Brennan did most of the editing for our opening. However, he would regularly ask the rest of us for feedback on what changes should be made. We would discuss ideas and suggest certain changes, and then those suggestions could be added to the project. This showed how important communication and cooperation are when working as a team, because everyone’s input helped improve the final result :D
My script:
For the third CCR question, which asks how my production skills developed throughout this project, I would say that my skills mainly improved in problem-solving, creating atmosphere, and teamwork. At the beginning of the filming process, I understood what needed to be done through research and more research ;) However, during the production of our opening, I had to apply those skills in a real filming environment.
One way my skills developed was through problem-solving during production. As the director of the opening, there were times when things we planned could not be done because of environmental factors or unexpected issues during filming. These were things that were outside of our control. Because of this, I had to think quickly and come up with alternative solutions so that we could continue filming and stay productive. This experience helped me learn that filmmaking requires flexibility.
I also developed my understanding of how to create atmosphere. Since our opening is meant to feel disturbing and suspenseful, we focused on details such as lighting, framing, and the setting inside Asher’s home to help create that unsettling mood for the audience which we aimed for :D
Finally, my teamwork skills improved throughout the project. Brennan worked on most of the editing using Adobe Premiere, but he regularly asked for feedback from the group. We discussed ideas together and communicated about changes that could improve the opening. Overall, this project helped me better understand the collaborative process behind film production.
Hello everyone! Today I will provide research for the second CCR question and elaborate more on how it connects with our portfolio project!
The 2nd CCR Question: How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?
My script:
Our product engages with audiences through psychological tension built from small actions than obvious ones. One of the main ways we do this is with character development. We introduce Asher as highly organized, academically serious, and disciplined. By presenting him as structured and controlled at the beginning, we create curiosity. Curiosity for finding out the deeper meaning, if that makes sense. This sense of uncertainty helps keeps viewers mentally engaged because they are actively watching his behavior while watching our opening.
(this is part of the research not the script) Camera work also plays an important role in engagement. We used steady shots when Asher is outside with Austin to show the naturalness of the atmosphere. However, once Asher is alone at his house , the framing becomes more isolating, and is also filmed with handheld shots specifically. This visual builds psychological tension without directly stating it. This technique is similar to how isolation can look in the movie "Se7en" , where characters are often framed in ways that emphasize psychological space.
Continuation of my script:
Facial expressions and body language help further engage with the audience. Asher’s serious personality and limited emotional expression create a sense of mystery. Because he does not reveal what his intentions are, viewers are forced to interpret his behavior ,which keeps them mentally involved in the story.
Additionally, our title card design reinforces genre expectations. The clean but serious font and minimal design create a thriller-like tone from the very start. This shows the audience that they are entering a psychological thriller story rather than a casual drama.
In terms of distribution, our project would most realistically be distributed through digital platforms such as YouTube, where short thriller openings like ours are viewed . Because our target audience is primarily teenagers and young adults, social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram would be effective for releasing teaser clips, trailers, and behind-the-scenes content. Distributing it in teaser clips could also help build the anticipation beforehand. Not only this, but we could also submit it to movie festivals that help first time creators! Film festivals like Sundance is a big example. This can help show our credibility and help us gain more recognition as a production company. :D
https://www.sundance.org/
https://stillslab.com/gallery/se7en
Hello everyone!! Not too long ago our class had just learned about the 4 questions for the CCR video. Today I will be providing you all with research and elaborate how our portfolio project corresponds with the first one! :D
Throughout the production of our portfolio project, we’ve made several choices while also putting a lot of research in our genre. By analyzing the suspense/thriller category, we were able to understand the conventions that are used and how they’re relatable in films overall. When we analyzed different suspense and thriller films, we noticed that the common conventions they all use are things like lighting, music, camera angles, and even how characters are shown.
The first question for the CCR is: How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?
Now, our project uses conventions from these thriller movies that I've mentioned before in my previous blog posts, like "The Silence of the Lambs" and "American Psycho". In The Silence of the Lambs, the use of close-up shots during the dialogue makes the audience feel uncomfortable because it feels up close and personal. We used a similar technique in our opening by incorporating close-ups of our main character to emphasize emotion and tension. It makes the audience really focus on that moment specifically, which help builds the psychological suspense.
In American Psycho, the lighting plays a huge role in creating uneasiness. The film doesn’t always rely on dim lighting or dark lighting, instead, the lighting is normal, but the mood feels off because of the character’s behavior. We were inspired by this idea when deciding how to present our character Asher. Instead of immediately showing something dramatic, we focused on subtle movements to make the audience question what’s really going on. :0
Both films also build suspense through pacing. They don’t rush into chaos like the usual thriller movies. Instead, they slowly develop tension. We tried to follow that same strategy in our project by keeping the beginning more calm and allowing the suspense to gradually increase. This challenges the stereotype that thrillers always need loud music or jump scares. Instead, like the films we researched in these movie examples above, we focused on the psychological tension .
By using these conventions intentionally, our project fits within the suspense/thriller genre. However, we also represent social issues like isolation and pressure in a way that feels relatable to modern audiences when it comes to academic studies or being taken advantage of.
These are my citations :D
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Silence_of_the_Lambs_%28film%29
Hello everyone!!
I know that I mentioned obstacles in our filming process in one of my previous blogs, but I thought it would be important to really break down what happened. Looking back, I realize that the biggest issue wasn’t just the small mistakes, but it was the lack of preparation. :/
One of the main problems was that we showed up to the park not fully ready to film. We had the idea in our heads, but we didn’t plan out the details the way we should have. We didn’t walk through the shots beforehand, we didn’t double-check on any of the props, and we didn’t think about timing. Because of that, problems kept popping up one after another. I remember feeling extremely stressed because I could see the time passing and we weren’t making real progress.
For example, I accidentally brought the prop for the scene , Asher and Austin’s project, typed out when it was supposed to be handwritten. I have to be honest, that part was completely on me. Now, Instead of wasting time, we had to quickly turn it into something that made sense, so we decided to make it look like Asher was adding annotations to the project.
Those little delays kept popping up. It wasn’t the strong, organized start we were hoping for, and that really set the tone for the filming process.
Another major obstacle was filming the tracking shot at Brennan’s house. We refilmed it so many times that I genuinely lost count. I’ll admit, part of that was because I kept stopping the takes when something didn’t feel right. I wanted it to be perfect. If something felt of where, pacing didn’t match what I envisioned, I would go over it again with Brennan and JP.
Other times we had to stop because Brennan kept laughing mid-scene, the lighting was too dark, or JP accidentally bumped into the door. None of these things were big obstacles really, but together they made the process feel long. It was a simple tracking shot of Asher walking into the house. Yet somehow, it became one of the most time-consuming moments of filming.
And then, of course, there was the mirror. When we finally thought we had a good take, we realized the camera and JP were visible in the reflection. This made us rethink the angle and positioning of the shot.
Even though these obstacles were frustrating at the time, I think they taught us a lot. We learned the importance of preparation, communication, and patience. We also learned that setbacks like these are part of the process, and sometimes the only way to move on is to move forward :)
Overall, even though it wasn’t the smoothest start, it was definitely a learning experience.
Hello everyone!
Today I’ll be talking about what we worked on during the editing process in class. Last class, Brennan, JP, and I were mainly focused on adjusting the lighting for our opening scene. When we rewatched what we had so far, we realized it was way too bright and didn’t really match the mood we were going for. Since we’re editing in Adobe Premiere, we used the tint and color settings to start experimenting. We played around with the different percentages, but it honestly felt like it was either too light or way too gray. After testing a few combinations, we finally found a balance that actually fit the tone we wanted and made the scene feel more intentional.
We also made specific lighting adjustments in the room scene. That setting is really important for establishing the atmosphere, so we had to be careful with how dark or muted we made it. It wasn’t just about making it darker, but about making it feel right for Asher’s character. The lighting really changes how the audience views the scene, so we had to keep rewatching it until it felt natural.
Another big change we made was during the reminder notifications on Asher’s phone. At first, the screen was way too bright, and it distracted from the small details we actually wanted viewers to notice. Those little details help reveal what kind of character he is, so they’re important. We ended up dimming that specific shot so the audience can focus more on the content of the reminders instead of just a bright screen.
Here you can see on the left corner the percentages in regards of the tinting:
Hello everyone happy Thursday!
This week’s blog post is about the obstacles we faced during the editing process!! We started editing the clips from our opening scene, and although it was exciting to see everything come together, we definitely ran into a few obstacles.
One issue we noticed was an unknown clicking sound playing in the background throughout the transitions of the opening. At first, I assumed it was part of the music we selected, since it blended in pretty well. However, the more we listened to it, the more noticeable it was. Even though the sound was subtle, it would be noticeable to anyone. We tried to figure out where it was coming from and how to remove it, but it wasn’t as simple as we expected. Small audio problems like that can make really cause so much problems and it was pretty frustrating.
Another obstacle appeared in one of our clips. When watching it closely, we realized you could see the camera’s reflection in the glass screen of Asher’s phone. That moment immediately worried us because we thought we might have to reshoot the entire clip. The problem was that all of the filming equipment is being borrowed at the moment , so reshooting wasn’t really an option. Thankfully, Mrs. Stoklosa told us that the reflection could be edited out and it would be no problem.
Overall, this week reminded us that editing is not that simple as expected but it’s more about paying attention to every small detail. Even subtle sounds or tiny reflections can impact the final result like our portfolio project. Although the process was a bit stressful at times, solving these problems helped us understand how important patience are during post-production :D
Here are the photos where we plaued with the audio a bit:
Hello everyone! Today we will be researching fonts and Title cards, and show you what I have drafted for our title card! :D But before that, I wanted to let you guys know that we just started editing our opening since we filmed this past weekend. So I wanted to start looking at title cards and I've seen some pretty cool examples that I wanted to share!
So one of my first inspirations is American Psycho.
Another big inspiration for me is The Silence of the Lambs.
Now as for the title card that I'm working (which is a draft at the moment) I wanted to make it more like "American Psycho" when it comes to the font. I wanted it to be simple and have the title come abrubtly with a cut. This is what i was thinking:
Hello everyone!!! Today during class we had our second group project meeting! This meetings really do help bring insight to what we could be doing wrong or better :) For this group project we were grouped with different people, except Isabella, she was in my first group project. Here I'll tel you what they each discussed during the meeting:
Abriel: Idea for his portfolio project is a coming-of-age opening. When it came to obstacles, there were issues with showing the beach in a car scene. The issue specifically was wanting to shoot with the sunset in the background, but it was too dark to capture that. In terms of the CCR, he's thinking of doing a transition between a radio of them speaking to the actual setting that takes place.
Brianna: Her idea was a coming-of-age story as well but revolves around growth from grief. She hasn't filmed yet but plans to this weekend. As for CCR that our group recommended was creating a video of questions that are popped up on the screen and the actors answer the same questions, just in different parts of the video.
Mateo: His opening is more of a crime/thriller genre and also includes violence. Mateo already knew what he wanted to do in terms of his CCR, and is planning to do a podcast with the actors and director :)
Isabella: I've worked with Isabella before with my previous Group meeting project, so I had a good idea on what to expect. She plans to film soon as well and is thinking of having her CCR videos be in the moment while filming. Or actually I recommended her this idea. Having a crew member go up to the actors in the moment while filming or when they're taking a break, to have them answer questions right there and then.
Clara: Her idea is a thriller/psychological genre. Her main character will be suffering with reoccurring nightmares and can't get rid of it. Her opening circles around that, and Abriel gave a cool idea on what she should do for her CCR. He suggested on having the actor answer questions nightmares, specifically the person tied up in a chair, answer questions in the setting of the actual nightmare, if that makes sense. Like the actor will be interviewed WHILE they are tied up in the chair while being in a nightmare.
As for my CCR, they reccomended I answer the questions like an inttoragation. For example, have myself or one of my group members answer the CCR questions as if we commited a crime of some sort. I thought this was a brillant idea, and I'll see later if I can execute it.
To summairze, this group meeting was very beneficial for coming up with ideas on hwo to carry out our CCR videos. :D
Hello everyone!!! Today I will discuss the set design, and the process of it all ;)
So, we arrived at the park, and we knew that Asher would need pencils and his papers placed in a specific way. Remember, Asher is someone who is organized and very structured. So, we really wanted to incorporate that when placing items on the table. Like having the paper highlighted with annotations and having the pencils spaced out but specifically. Another I did was add reminders onto Asher’s phone to show how organized he was. This is more of a prop discussion but I still though it was important to mention. Here I will share a photo of Me and JP setting things for the scene.
Afterwards, we filmed at Brennan’s house. When we filmed Brennan (Asher ) in the hallway, we used lighting in his house which made the environment have dim lighting. Specifically yellow lighting ;) Later, we filmed in his room, and we had to move everything off of his desk. Again, we wanted to show the little details. We also had a circle light in the back of the room to give the room a creepy effect. We also wanted Brennan’s to turn on the light when he entered his room. We included a textbook and notebooks onto his desk. As well as a couple of pieces of paper stacked on top of each other.
Overall, I believe the pictures will help give you guys a better idea of what we did with the set design. Hope you guys will enjoy the final product! :D
Hello everyone! There's been tweaks in our project... and I thought it was only right to let you know before you see the full portfolio project. So a few weeks ago, JP and I talked to Mrs. Stoklosa about our project idea and she gave us advice on how we should create our portfolio and I mean setting wise. Pretty much Mrs. Stoklosa said it wouldn't have made much sense for Asher to be walking down the road with paper and a pencil in his hand. So, we ended up switching the setting to a different location entirely. I'm grateful and happy that we did, so it helps make our portfolio project more realistic.
We'll have Asher set up at a table in a park. It will be a natural setting, and we'd include sounds of people nature cars, and animals (birds) .We wanted to show that Austin and Asher were scheduled to meet there at a certain time, and they have a project to turn in that same day. We then want Austin to show up abruptly and have him right behind Asher, Then afterwards, Asutin will want to take the project home , just to have it for himself, when it was supposed to be the both of them together. Mind you. Asher has had enough. Austin will walk away with the work, and Asher will use his pencil as a weapon to not let Austin get away.
Afterwards, we won't show the aftermath of what happened, but you can guess. Then we want to transition to Asher looking into the distance after what he had just done, to a 2-day before sequence of him entering his home. We'll use a traking shot of Asher entering his house all the way to his room. We then want to incorporate certain characeristics that show Asher is a very particular person. Then we would end it there, showing a continuation of the story. That is our project idea!
Hello everyone!! Today was our first day filming!!!! We all met up at our selected location, Indian Trace Park, and agreed to meet up at 1:30pm. I'm not gonna lie, there was unexpected troubles along the way. In the beginning, all of the tables were used and we needed one as it was a part of our set design process. One of my group members, Brennan, had to go and ask the person politely if they could let us borrow the table for our class project. The person ended up saying no in the beginning, but we got a hold of it later on thankfully. We pulled out the script, as well as the storyboard to guide us for the opening :)
Afterwards, we begun with an establishing shot of Asher (Brennan) sitting down at the park working on his project and waiting for Austin. During the whole park scene, I was the director for the whole thing. I guided Brennan on how he should portray himself when it came to facial expressions. As for Jp, one of his struggles, as well as Brennans, was trying to not laugh when it came to the dialouge. Which is totally understandable since I was also holding in my laughter. But I advised him to treat as a natural conversation and let it flow naturally. To no think about the fact that he's acting, but just treat the situation as reality.
As for the camera, we had one and it was handheld. I was holding the camera on one hand, and holding the mic on the other. Thankfully, Brennan could borrow it from his TV production class. If not, that would've been a whole other situation we didn't have to go through. We used handheld camera work during the confrontation scene at the park to create a psychological discomfort. Now, when we filmed at Brennans house, Jp was filming but having the camera held hand gave it a effect that I wasn't expecting. Having the camera be handheld gave an almost creepy effect if that makes sense? It adds character to our opening and went very well with the dark lighting that we were aiming for.
Overall, our filming process taught me many things, like you can never be prepared for everything. New problems may appear, and it's up to you how you handle it.
Hello everyone! Lately, we've been looking at ideas to create our own company logo, and we've already started and finished the process.
First off, we started off by thinking whether or not we wanted to use an intense color in the background like red, but then we realized that most production companies include logos. What we specifically had in mind was using glasses onto our production logo. Why? Well, fun fact, me and my group members all wear glasses, so we wanted to incorporate something that represented all of us. We also chose the production company to be labeled as " BRIGGS Productions". One of my group members, Brennan, we used his last name as the label since it sounded pretty different than other typical names :D
Here is our logo!!!
Hello everyone! For today's blog post we will be discussing AND researching about props and set design! Props and set design will essentially provide an insight to the audience of how our characters are portrayed. For our portfolio project, the set design will have pencils, papers, calculators, and even more items to demonstrate Asher as the main character. But for now, lets research!
Props are pretty much items or objects that actors may interact with on screen. As for set design, it refers to the overall setting or environment of where everything takes place. Like how it will be decorated or will any objects have meanings, does it mean something in the way we set it up, pretty much those kind things if that makes sense.
Examples & Research:
In Get Out, everyday objects like the teacup become tools of control. What seems harmless at first slowly means something else. This shift creates tension because the audience begins to see the ordinary items as something related to danger. I want to achieve that by showing the pencil in Asher's hand, and showing that it later becomes a weapon. Something as ordinary as a pencil, can be shown as something must worse.
But overall, in psychological thrillers especially, small details in the background often hints at what happens in the future. Like, a
cracked mirror or an unfinished drawing can show the secrecy.
Now, for our portfolio project, we will use props and set design to display Asher’s character without directly stating who he is.
Our set design will include:
Pencils scattered across the desk
Papers filled with writings
A calculator
Possibly stacked textbooks
These items suggest that Asher is academic AND detail-oriented. However, I want the audience to see that the items are arranged in a certain way for a reason. In summary, these were our ideas as a group, and I believe these movies use props and set designs amazingly. :D Hopefully, the vision that I'm aiming to show is understood in some way.
Hello everyone! We are going to talk about a different topic today, which is AUDIO!!:o
One of the issues that I thought of was getting a hold of a mic for the dialouge, which is essential to the opening. My group member, Brennan, suggested that he could get a hold of one from his TV class, or we could record it with our phones if necessary. :)
Anyways, me and my group want to make this opening as realistic as possible. So, we want to incorporate many natural sounds especially in the park scene. In the beginning of the opening, we were thinking of including the sounds of wind, and the sound of Asher writing as well as papers rustling. In the previous blog post, I mentioned that I wanted to include reminders form the phone to demonstrate how structured and organized he was. So when including the reminders, i wanted to add the realsim and include the notifications sounds as well as any other electronical sound. Also, for the sounds of Asher writing or whatever action that is done, we were thinking of foleying the sounds! To include more original works of our own ;)
When it comes to Austin walking ahead of Asher when he takes the project, we can foley the footstep sounds and especially when Asher comes from behind.
In the next scene, where Asher shows up in his house, we wanted to include natural sounds in his house that would get louder and will become like a ringing sound in his mind that he wants to get rid of. For example, a tracking shot would be done, with following Asher through his room and ignoring anything that comes in his way. Like the sounds of his mom talking or yelling at him (haven't decided that yet). Or maybe the TV is on or a sibling trying to get a hold of him. Once Asher enters his room, then it will go silent. Almost as if it was his safe place.
Now for the title card, we were thinking of adding music, any music that creates tension will do. Maybe get a hold of that sound from somewhere online where it isn't copyrighted or I could create a piece on the piano..??? If it sounds good of course, and if it's doable.
This is a video I wanted to share with you guys, and give you an idea on the way I want to incorporate my foley sounds for my portfolio project! (natural sounds in specific)
