Done!!!

I'm finished! I'm so happy I got the chance to complete this project and I can't wait for next year! Here are the links to my portfolio project video and my CCRs!

Portfolio Project:

Dust Bunnies.mp4

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GbtZOTnGWKzwgJ98KBY_yalH7MK5fD83/view?usp=sharing  

CCRs:

CCR#1 and #2.mp4

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bZbzWG4vbpuDoDeYPVXsdwrOno-4_Usc/view?usp=sharing 

CCR #3/4.mp4

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wEGtXCZ4khvYlolj2swxZtAohoFfWQxp/view?usp=sharing

I put two links for each video just in case one doesn't work. This is my last post for this class, but you'll see me post again for AICE media A level next school year. Bye!!!

Reflection on project!

    I can't believe I'm finally done with this project! It took up so much of my mind for so long that its going to feel like I'm missing something without having it in the back of my mind. Throughout this project I've become better at media production and learned to think about how small details could affect my entire production. I remember when I first came up with the idea for Dust Bunnies. My teacher had just explained the project for the first time and I couldn't stop thinking about sisters who wouldn't admit that they didn't hate each other. I of course brainstormed other ideas, but I just kept coming back to Makayla and Kimberly. My project has changed a lot over the time that I've been working on it, though the messages and values stayed the same. My storyboard is not the same as the final product because of decisions I've made during the filming and editing process that would make it look or sound better.

    I really think this project is one of the most unique and informative that I've ever done. When I actually was in the middle of filming, designing costumes, and trying to direct, I learned so much more than I ever could reading or watching videos about it. When I chose this class I really just wanted to have a class that was challenging but still fun, I would never have imagined how rewarding it would be to think deeper about film. I especially fell in love with learning about how films are marketed. I will be forever grateful for this experience, and I can't wait for next year AICE media A level to learn even more! 

CCR post production

    After I was done filming I moved all the best takes into OneDrive and from there, Clipchamp! I started by just making sure all the clips were in the right order, then I started adding videos and pictures on top of what I was saying to make my product more visually interesting. My main goal for editing was to make sure that everything flowed well together and made sense. I didn't screen record the whole thing, because that would've been hours of screen recording, but I have a clip of myself editing.

Screen recording of editing process:

This is CCR #3 and #4 being edited

Screenshot of finalized editing:

CCRs #1 and #2

CCRs #3 and #4

Final thoughts:

    I actually can't believe I'm done! This journey was so fun and I learned so much! Editing my CCR's didn't take as long as I thought they would and I feel like I've gotten better at editing as a whole. There were a few bumps with editing, like I would edit a section and then I would go back and play that part and something had been undone, but other then that everything went pretty smoothly. 

CCR production

    Hi! okay so my CCRs. I filmed two of them each answering two questions. As you know from previous posts, my first video is a comical video where I'm talking to a random person who wants to know about my portfolio project, the second one is an online cooking video. I started by writing the answers to the CCR questions, then I made two scripts incorporating the answers to those questions. My next step was to deal with the mise-en-scene for each video. The first one wasn't that hard, I just had to find spot in my house that looked nice and had good lighting. The second one was a little more challenging because I had to use my kitchen, find pajamas that were presentable enough, and find an apron that wasn't completely destroyed after using it for years. My original thought was to make the CCR that takes place in the kitchen during the day, but I didn't realize that the day I choose to film my dad would be working from home so I wouldn't have been allowed to be in the kitchen filming. By the time he was done with work the TV was already on in the other room, so I had to wait for my family to go to bed. Because of this it was around midnight when I started filming so I decided to rename my "cooking show" Madi Makes a Midnight snack, because it took place at midnight and I was cooking very simple food.

This is an image of the costume I ended up wearing for my second CCR video.

This is the first take of my first shot in my CCR #3 and #4 video

sped up take of CCR#1.mp4 

This is one take of my first CCR video that was sped up

Conclusions:

I really liked filming these CCRs, it let me be creative while also answering some questions that are vital to understanding my thought process behind my film opening. I got to show off a little bit more of my personality, and think more about my project. I can't wait to edit the final takes together and have fully completed CCRs!

CCR#4

    For my final CCR I wanted to reflect on myself and my skills that have grown throughout the course of this project. So for this one, I'm answering the question how did your production skills develop throughout this project? 

    My production skills were okay at the beginning of this project, I mean I had taken the entire AICE media class so I knew the basics, but I had never really done any filming or editing prior to this class and this project. One thing I was really good at was coming up with ideas, but I knew executing them would be a problem just because of the lack of experience. It took me a lot of tries to get a shot right at first because even though I knew what I wanted it to look like in my head and at this point I had filmed before and new how to get these shots, they just never turned out the way I planned them to. After a lot of experimentation with camera placement, I was able to get shots I was happy with. By the last few shots, I found I didn't need to reshoot them as many times, and the shots I had were overall better. 

    Another thing that I grew a lot with was editing. At the beginning of this editing, I spent so long just focusing on one shot. By the end of the project I knew how to work Clipchamp a lot better and it took me less time overall to edit. Really throughout this project my production skills got better in every aspect, just because I was spending so much thought and effort on it every day.

Picture of me editing

   One part of production I thought I was better at then the rest of my skills going in to this project was my sound skills. In class I had spent a lot of time focusing on sound and making it look right with the videos, so I was confident in that aspect. Despite this I feel like I was able to improve on audio as well. I recorded and listened to many different audios and I found that the first thing I recorded or found might not be the best one for my project. By the end I had spent hours looking for the perfect sounds to make my project not only believable, but also make the audience figure out what is happening without video assistance.

Script:

I want to take a little bit of a pivot here and talk about how much this project actually means to me

At the beginning of the school year I had no idea how far I would come with all my media production skills

That progress could be credited to this project

I mean I had taken the entire AICE media class so I knew the basics, but I had never really done any filming or editing prior to this class and this project.

I feel like the hands on experience really reinforced everything that I've been learning throughout the year

I've always been creative when it comes to ideas

I mean why else would I be standing in my kitchen every night making food and talking about whatever

The problem I had at the beginning of this project was my lack of experience and my fear that what I would create, wouldn't be the same as I pictured it in my head

Throughout the course of this project I became better at filming, directing, and especially editing.

When I first started filming I needed to plan out the camera placement before I could even consider working out what I wanted myself to look like. 

This created around 50 completely unusable takes on my phone where I was out of costume and my camera wasn't even straight. 

The part that amazes me the most though was when I actually started filming in costume I had gotten a lot better. 

I didn't have to do as many takes to make it look like I wanted it too and by the end I was confident that if I had to do this project again it wouldn't take me half as long to film.

I also had to direct myself, my sister, and my best friends sisters.

At the beginning I don't think I was clear enough about what I wanted them to do

but by the end of filming with them, they matched my vision almost exactly.

Another part of the media production process that I got better at was editing

Before this I had never really edited before

Yeah I had the embarrassing CapCut phase when I was 10

But nothing serious or to the level of what this project required

By the end of this project I knew how to work Clipchamp a lot better and it took me less time overall to edit

When I started this project I would've said my strong suit was sound

and considering the foley attempt that you saw before, I think that says a lot about how much I improved as a whole

I recorded and listened to so many different audios

In doing so I realized that the first thing I recorded or downloaded might not be the best for my project.

Really throughout this process my production skills got better in every aspect

I think it was because I was spending so much thought and effort on it every day for weeks

Well would you look at that

My grilled cheese is done

I guess that means I'll see you tomorrow for more of "Madi Makes a Midnight Snack"

Final thoughts:

    This is my last CCR script and I think I was able to answer the question while also making it into the context of this future reality I'm trying to portray. There might be a few slight changes to the scripts when I film the CCRs, but this is pretty much it and I'm not planning on changing things if possible.

CCR#3

    For my third CCR I wanted to answer the question how did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project? I'm going to be answering this in the context of an online cooking show where I talk about random things while I make food.

Technologies I used:

    The main technology I used was my phone. I used it to film my entire opening and I used it to transfer all the videos onto my OneDrive. From there I was able to access the videos from my computer and upload them into Clipchamp. I used Clipchamp not only to edit my entire portfolio project, but also to edit my company logo and speed up any screen recordings I took in order to put them on my blog. also used Canva to create the font and the company logo. 

    Another big thing I used was Blogger itself. Without it I wouldn't have been able to document my progress, it also helped me organize my thoughts and make my project seem more manageable because I just had to take it step by step and upload what I was doing. 

    Something I also used a lot was Pinterest. I used it to get pictures that matched the ideas I had in my head. I also used that website to create mood boards for all my characters. I also used Freesound.org to find audio that I couldn't make myself with foley, Like two little kids playing and having fun together.

Script:

Hello and welcome back to Madi makes a midnight snack

Today we will be making a grilled cheese sandwich

The start time is _____

And many of you will be asking, (Madi are you finally going to talk about what you're making)

the answer to that, would be no

If you want a grilled cheese recipe you can (with editing) look it up

Anywhoooo

Today I'm going to discuss something I've been working on for a while now

"Omg what is she talking about" "Wow she has interests" "That's crazy bro"

Will you let me talk please

I've been doing this really cool project in AICE media studies where I had to plan, film, and edit an entire 2 minute film opening

"Are you kidding" "You couldn't do that" "Be so for real right now"

Shhh

Well I used a lot of resources that helped me a lot

One of the most important type of technology I used was... (insert image of fancy camera) my phone!

I know kids these days

But I'm not a pro filmmaker and I don't have access to a (clears throat and checks notes that came out of nowhere) Canon EOS C400

I used my phone to film my entire project and then transferred my best shots to One Drive

One drive was really important because it allowed me to store all my best takes and transfer them to a somewhere I could easily edit them

"Where's that"

The Batcomputer

No but seriously my laptop might have been one of the most essential things for this project

Without it I wouldn't have been able to access my editing platform, Canva, Blogger, and so many more apps and websites that were important in my project.

"could you be more vague"

Do you want a list

(crickets)

Okay fine (deep breath)

*Insert credits

Pinterest

Canva

Blogger

Clipchamp

Freesound.org

IMDb.com, Inc. (n.d.). [IMDb interest page: Music]. https://www.imdb.com/interest/in0000139/

Mise-en-scène in the mystery/thriller genre [Slide presentation]. (n.d.). SlideShare. https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/mise-enscene-in-the-mysterythriller-genre/55798524

MasterClass. (n.d.). Essential elements of a mystery story. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/essential-elements-of-a-mystery-story

Task 8: Audiences of murder mystery [Presentation]. (n.d.). Prezi. https://prezi.com/lfpgrmkhkb9f/task-8-audiences-of-murder-mystery/

IMDb.com, Inc. (n.d.). [IMDb list]. https://www.imdb.com/list/ls526021926/

TasteRay. (n.d.). Defining the family drama: More than just melodrama. https://www.tasteray.com/articles/movie-family-drama-cinema

Movieguide®. (n.d.). Why this wholesome family TV show appeals to audiences of all ages. https://www.movieguide.org/news-articles/popular-articles/why-this-wholesome-family-tv-show-appeals-to-audiences-of-all-ages.html

Inkitt. (n.d.). Writing an emotive family drama. https://www.inkitt.com/writersblog/writing-an-emotive-family-drama/

Filmstro. (n.d.). Everything you need to know about creating flashback sequences. https://filmstro.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-creating-flashback-sequences/StudioBinder. (n.d.). Color grading vs. color correction: What’s the difference? https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/color-grading-vs-color-correction-process/

Color Meanings. (n.d.). Pink color meaning: The color pink. https://www.color-meanings.com/pink-color-meaning-the-color-pink/

No Film School. (n.d.). Drama genre. https://nofilmschool.com/drama-genre

Calum. (n.d.). The art of the opening scene in film. Medium. https://medium.com/@calum.45/the-art-of-the-opening-scene-in-film-3ab33fbb6977

Collider. (n.d.). The best opening credits in movie history. https://collider.com/best-opening-credits-movies/

No Film School. (n.d.). Why title sequences matter. https://nofilmschool.com/title-sequence-matter

Media Studies. (n.d.). Action enigma codes. https://media-studies.com/action-enigma-codes/

Changing Minds. (n.d.). Hermeneutic code. https://changingminds.org/disciplines/storytelling/devices/hermeneutic_code.htm

Enigma code [Slide presentation]. (n.d.). SlideShare. https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/enigma-code/10069933

Psak, A. (n.d.). Unveiling the subconscious: The art and appeal of the enigmatic narrative. https://antonpsak.com/unveiling-the-subconscious-the-art-and-appeal-of-the-enigmatic-narrative/

Media Studies. (n.d.). Barthes’ codes. https://media-studies.com/barthes-codes/

Codes. (n.d.). Kairos. https://kairos.technorhetoric.net/stasis/2023/ulmer/diagrams/codes.html

Skwigly. (n.d.). Storyboarding tutorial (Pt. 1): The do’s and don’ts. https://www.skwigly.co.uk/storyboarding-tutorial-pt-1-the-dos-and-donts/

StudioBinder. (n.d.). What is a storyboard? Definition, examples & process. https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-a-storyboard/

Momcozy. (n.d.). Makaylah name meaning. https://momcozy.com/blogs/baby-names/makaylah

The Bump. (n.d.). Madison baby name meaning, origin, and popularity. https://www.thebump.com/b/madison-baby-name

The Bump. (n.d.). Kimberly baby name meaning, origin, and popularity. https://www.thebump.com/b/kimberly-baby-name

Beverly Boy Productions. (n.d.). How to layer sound in film. https://beverlyboy.com/filmmaking/how-to-layer-sound-in-film/

Moore, S. (2024, August 28). The basics of film screen credits. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/schuylermoore/2024/08/28/the-basics-of-film-screen-credits/

Domestika. (n.d.). 10 typefaces from movies. https://www.domestika.org/en/blog/3589-10-typefaces-from-movies

Creative Market. (n.d.). Theatre fonts. https://creativemarket.com/blog/theatre-fonts

Indieground. (n.d.). Movie logo fonts: Exploring the typography of 30 classic films. https://indieground.net/blog/movie-logo-fonts-exploring-the-typography-of-30-classic-films/

And that's everything!

Now some of the most important websites I used out of that list were Canva where I was able to design fonts, and the company logo

I used Pinterest to look up ideas and create mood boards for the characters and their outfits

I used Clipchamp to edit my entire project

I used Freesound.org to find audio for sounds I couldn't make with foley

and not for my lack of trying either (insert VERY embarrassing video of me trying to sound like a little kid)

Yeah... I decided not to go with foley on that one

Finally, I used Blogger to post about my progress 

So that means if you so choose, you could find out a lot more about this project here https://madi52.blogspot.com

The rest of the sites mentioned were critical to my research and therefore the project itself.

I really couldn't have made my project without every single resource listed above and I'm so grateful to have access to resources such as these

conclusions:

    I really enjoyed working on this question, because even though it was just me walking though the different things I used to make my project possible, I was able to do it while thinking about how someone from the future might think about it. I feel like I answered the question thoughtfully and will also be able to also make it entertaining to watch.

Editing for portfolio project is finished!

    I'm done! well kind of, I'm happy with the editing right now but tomorrow I'm going to talk to my teacher and get feedback for it. 

This is what it ended up looking like!

    There are a few things I'm going to ask about. For one, I made the font pink for the credits but I'm not sure I like that. I think making the font back might show up better, but the pink follows the genre conventions. I'll see what my teacher suggests tomorrow. I also found a way to make my life a lot easier when editing by grouping things together. Now when I move things around I don't have to put everything back in its place, because it all stayed together!

Final thoughts:

    I know this is a short post but I wanted to update on progress with the project right now. I am happy with it, but I'm honestly am little bit of a perfectionist and I want it to be good so before the due date I might mess with it a little bit more, just to make it the best that I can. Now I get to focus my attention on the CCR's. Because those are such an important part of my project, the rest of the posts this week will be about them.

CCR#2

    For CCR #2 I wanted to keep the same concept as I did for my first one where I'm talking to a random person that just showed up in my house. Again I think this can be informational and shows off my willingness to be friendly with people, while also adding a little bit of humor. In this CCR I wanted to address the question "How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as real media text?" 

Information:

    The opening to the film Dust bunnies is very dramatic and it engages the audience by getting so personal with the character and her feelings. This plus the audio makes the audience reminisce on their past. This makes them feel close to the characters. More importantly however, it starts out with the main character looking at something off screen. Later the audience finds out that she's looking at her sister's room, but the mystery of what she's looking at makes them interested.

Distribution options:

    So if my project was a real media text I wouldn't be a well known film maker so it wouldn't go to theaters or a huge distribution platform like Netflix. Instead there are places that I could upload it where a large number of people might still see it. One of the more well known places would be YouTube. I know that's the basic answer, but its also the easiest. Film critics might not see it, but the everyday average viewer who could relate to the themes discussed in my film, might just come across it. Another great way to get my film out there is with a film festival, I would have to pay more than a YouTube upload, but it would be a better way to reach critics. 

The type of film festival that I would hope to upload my project to if it was a real media text

    

Script:

So yeah, I think that answers your question

Oh okay, you have another one

How does my product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?

Well my product is very character focused so the audience feels connected to these characters

It also makes the audience interested because of the audio transporting them to this ideal past

At the very beginning all they see is a teenage girl staring at something in silence

This makes the audience interested in what she's looking at.

It also intrigues the audience and makes them feel closer to this character

If my project was a real media text I would probably distribute it by uploading it on YouTube

This is a cheap and simple way to get eyes on my work and maybe get more people interested in it

I would also submit it in a film festival

This would be a great way for my work to be seen by people with media experience.

I would probably also post clips of the most interesting parts on social media sites like Instagram and TikTok

This would be a way to distribute parts of my work, but more importantly it would intrigue potential viewers and make them want to go to YouTube to watch it.

Well if those are all your questions can you... leave

great, bye

(Sources roll at the end)

Final thoughts:

That's my script for right now, but things could change when I'm actually filming. Overall I'm happy with this script so I'm going to try and stick closely to it, but again, I might have to make the decision to change something when I film this.

CCR production ideas

    My production ideas for my CCR aren't exactly the most experimental, but I plan to make them more creative in the context of the circumstances that made them happen.

    My first two CCRs are me talking to the person who just showed up at my house randomly. I'm scared of them but also excited to talk about my project. This means I'm able to talk about the intricacies of this project while also providing some funny moments and making it more interesting. 

    To make this work I would have to act super awkward and nervous but get more comfortable when talking about my project. I don't want it to seem like I'm just nervous to be on camera, instead I want to make it clear that I'm acting so the switch between nervous high school student and someone knowledgeable about my film needs to be emphasized.

    My second idea was to have a little animated character talking about my project. For this idea I got inspiration form the YouTube channel Alex Myers but I rethought it and decided it wasn't creative enough, and honestly I don't think I have the animating skills for that.

    After thinking it over for a while I thought about how I love to make simple foods like sandwiches and smoothies for my family. I decided that I could make a cooking video where I talk to the camera and talk about things while I'm cooking.

    I like the idea, but I realized I needed to think about how I would make it different enough from the first idea I had. I came up with inserting images of me cooking throughout the video. I also made it set at night, so that also differentiates it.

How to accomplish it:

    For both by CCR videos, mise-en-scene will be really important. For the first video it will have to look like I wasn't expecting company so I can't just be standing in front of a white wall and talking, but it also can't look like I don't care what my house looks like so I'll move to a spot in my house that's neat and more professional then the kitchen. I would use the living room, but the lighting is really bad in there so I would rather go with the spare bedroom and just say in the context of this scenario that I'm telling the person that its my room. Also this would make scene because if someone just showed up randomly asking about my portfolio project I wouldn't be keen on showing them my actual room.

Lighting in my living room and why I don't want to film there.

    The mise-en-scene in my second video will have to be more complicated because I have to make it look like she's both ready for bed and about to cook.

I created this outfit and thought it would work well with the tone I wanted to set for this CCR video. I was wearing pajamas underneath an apron and I thought that helped solidify the image that I'm cooking right before bed.

Conclusions:

    At this time I have already started filming but I know I need to work hard to get all of this done because I want my CCR's to turn out as good as I can make them. I'm hopeful that they will reflect my knowledge of different types of media wile also being entertaining to watch. 

Editing editing editing...

     Sooooo, I am not done yet. It honestly hurts to admit that because I've really been trying to follow my schedule, and I've been doing a good job up to this point. However, my main goal is to make this the best it can be and if that means taking a little bit more time to edit, then I can live with that. I wanted to post today about this to just provide an update and show where I am in the editing process. 

    Basically what happened was I've been editing on and off all week, today I woke up at 7am to try and finally finish it. I still had to work on the last few transitions and from the time I last posted about this I realized that the sound wasn't the right volume and I needed to fix it. I still needed to add in the credits as well. On Friday I started working on adding them in but I needed to fix the length of some of the clips so I decided I would just wait until I was happy with everything before adding them in.

    Right now I still need to add in all the credits and make the audio line up better. I'm a lot happier with it then when I woke up this morning, but I feel like if I rush to get it done by tonight, it wont look as good as it can. 

These are all the clips and audio I have added in right now. I'm happy with the video but I still need to go through it a few more times to to make the audio perfect. As you can see, everything's been almost shifted to the side and clumped together so I need to put everything back in place.

    Also in the time between now and my last post about this, I've added in the company logo and the movie title. I also realized I needed a sound for this logo, which was an oversight on my part. However, I went to Freesound.org and was I was able to find a sound for that and the title card.

    I also found a way to have the audio slowly increase as the opening goes on so it sounds like the past is taking over her mind slowly, and so the audience can get a little more time to figure out what is happening on screen.

    Right now I have this almost hysterical laughter to represent the girls when they were little laughing together. Honestly, I liked it when I recorded it but I really hate it now. So I think tomorrow I'm going to rerecord the laughing to make it sound less hyena, and more little girls having fun.

Conclusions:

    I'm happy with what I have so far and my new date that I want to have all the editing done by is Wednesday March 4th. Its a reasonable date based on how much I've completed and how much I still need to get done. Really the biggest thing I still have to do is add in the credits, and I already know how to do that, so it probably wont take that long. Everything else is just shifting things into place and making sure it sounds good. I'll update you here when I'm done editing!