She Knows......

This is my final cut for my film, I hope you enjoy! 

 

The CCR

 How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?

- I believe my film represent social groups or issues because even though my film idea isn't exactly expressed it's very stereotypical. I say this because the story consist of the fact that the family came from a dark past, but as soon as the girl was born they immediately changed there life around. They didn't want to be in that business anymore so they got out. But eventually it came back to haunt them. So they use the brother as the prime example of what would happen to them if they didn't listen to them. So typically through these situations, it's usually the man who dies and the woman who gets framed for it. Having no context everyone is not going to believe her because well one, she is a female. And also she happened to find him in the back of her house. It also represents social issues because typically in these situations it's usually the female getting blamed. Whether it's because she is crazy or mentally not stable. So they give her that label. Like a prime example, is the TV show "Riverdale". I believe there is a season where one of the main characters Betty is blamed for her boyfriend murder. And obviously no one believed her when she said she didn't do it because they found her at fault with his blood in her hands. All the evidence points to her so when she said she didn't do it, they didn't believe her.  

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

- I will like to say the way my production engages with audiences is my film starts off as quiet and very laid back. But it gradually builds tension and starts to intensify as it goes. And this is good for the audience because as it builds people start getting anxious and would want to know what will happen next. And the with the music it adds meaning and just makes people want to know what is going to happen or what's the next move. My film would be distributed as a real media text because as more people keep watching it everyone is going to have there own theories. Everyone would want to have there own idea or input so everyone is going to analyze it. 

• How did your production skills develop throughout this project?

- Since I was working by myself for this production I had to learn all four roles. Which is director, cinematographer, editor, and sound designer. I already kind of have experience with director and cinematographer considering those were my roles last production. But I also have help since it I had a partner. But since I was on my own I had to learn to navigate with all four roles. My main role was director but I also had to work with the other three. I can say they definitely got better because in order to get better at these types of things, you need to experience them firsthand. It's a textbook teaching, it's more hand on deck and learning from experiences. 

• How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project?

- A way I guess you can say I integrated technologies was with the opening shot. She receives a "NO CALLER ID" phone call so I had to use phone. And if you want to count the music that too. But that's mainly there for more a meaning purpose rather then for something technology wise. 

Post- Production

 Now that I am officially done editing the film I just have to focus on doing the CCR. And for working by myself I can say I am proud of what I did. Because during filming everything just kind of felt off. It always felt like I was doing something wrong or I wasn't doing enough. And when we will watch my peers rough cuts I realized how much better there ideas or actual films were. But when I actually started editing and added the music I was proud of myself. I was constantly doubting myself throughout the whole process. I always felt either behind or like I wasn't doing enough. But actually seeing my film for the first time thoroughly I felt myself relax a bit. I even thought that my film was way shorter then 2 minutes. But as soon as I started to piece the clips together I realized I was freaking out for nothing. Adding a title also helped with reaching the time limit. So as this production comes to an end I feel a little stress being lifted off my shoulders.  

Editing part 2

So far music I had to use a different software called Adobe Premium Pro. Yes I can use rush to edit the music but in order for the music to come out the way I want it too, I have to use a more advanced app. And with pro it allows you add effects such as fades in and fades out. It also allows for me slow down the song so it builds tension. One thing I wanted from the very beginning with this film was to slow down the song, and slowly have it build until the lyric "she knows" is the big part. It sets the tension for the rest of the film and it also sets everything into place. 

Editing part 1

 

Editing for me was a little tricky, I should say. This is my first time ever editing something alone. And I had to work between two different software's. One was for the actual film itself and the another was to edit the music. But overall it a learning experience.  The only thing I did have trouble with was trying to adjust the clips. Because since I had to film on my phone I had to download Adobe Premium Rush on my phone and upload the clips from there. Because yes, you can email yourself the clips but it does ruin the quality of the clips when exporting. And since there were many takes I had to watch every clip and see which one was the correct one. But after getting the rough cut finalized I started to shorten the clips. Luckily I don't much dialogue so I really just had to worry about making sure I didn't cut any important shots out. But after getting that settled, the music was what got me. 

Starting the rough cut

 Now did I officially have finished editing, I have to work on my rough cut. Which is basically all my cuts combined together just not edited. And I know for a fact that that is going to be a little long because most of scenes require time to make the mood more chilling. I want it be this uncomfortable silence so it's uneasy for others. I almost want the silence to be too loud. To the point where you want to hear other noises. But besides the monologue and silence, there is also raw audio. Of the cars passings, the wind, the footsteps and also the doors creaking. Starting the rough cut would definitely be interesting because it's something I never really done. Especially by myself. And with editing I think that's where I would have a little trouble searching my way around and figuring out how to do certain things. 

Bird Box Background research

 As I looked into the background of the movie Bird Box I come to find out that they created their story based off chaos and tension. For example "in the first opening scenes absolute chaos are occurring by Bier are honestly terrifying. She captures complete chaos on what appears to be a relatively limited budget, realizing the power of stark imagery- a woman bashing her head into a glass window or another calmy getting into the driver's seat of a burning car- over the CGI overload we so often see in post-apocalyptic movies." They build intense scenes with overwhelming scenes that are hard to watch. And they also do this with heavy amounts of silence. They make everything go quiet before something happens. Which I think of a lot of films do to make their movie more dramatic. 

Subtitles

 I wasn't going to have subtitles for this film because I didn't think it was necessary but that before I included a bit of Spanish into script. But it's basic Spanish. But I think subtitles would be important so being understand the full context of the story and really know what's going on. Subtitles are translations. And also according to research on subtitles they are important because "with subtitles you will significantly improve the SEO of your videos, meaning that search engines can find and rank your content and thus increase the traffic of your videos." Subtitles would be very beneficial to those who don't understand Spanish, so they can fully understand. 

 

It's a wrap

 Now that I am done with filming and getting all my shots, now it's time to start editing. Which I got to be honest I am not that excited for. But mainly because it's not my strongest suit. I never really found an interest in editing. It was never a thing I like to do or something that was for me. But the only thing that is actually making me look forward with editing is the song. I want to incorporate the song at the perfect time and really sync it. And also since I am the only one in my group I also get to play around with it and see what I do and don't like. And with that being said hopefully the final cut turns out okay for a first time editor. But I am excited to see the final thing and see how it really turned out. 

The song

 For this scene right here is where I want the song to start playing.

This is her big "oh my goodness" moment. Where she catches on and realizes what is happening to her. She now knows she is being framed for a murder she did not commit, But with the song this is where I want the lyrics "she knows, she knows" to start playing and as she says her final line that is when the beat drops and changes and that's where it cuts. I want it all to sync in with the lyrics and the drop of the music. But after the cut ends, the credits would come into play with the song still playing in the background but in a echo and slowly fade out. 

Breaking down the shots

 I like to think this a beautiful shot because you really see her reaction and see how scared she is. And then the sun just hits the right spots. Then you see lifting his head trying to wake him up. And though it's a photo, in the actual video itself the wind happens to pass by at the right moment. For instance, for this scene this is where she gets a knock at her saying it's police. And as the police says " ma'am its LAPD open up" it hits her what is going on. She realizes she is being framed for a murder she did not commit. 

The Actors

My main character is the girl, the one in all black. And the dead body is the one on the floor with the blue/white striped shirt. Luckily these people are really good friends so it didn't feel weird or awkward for them to film together, considering they were playing siblings. And even though the dead body never talked, at least he had a friend to film with him rather then a complete stranger. And as the story evolves I would a pair like them, to act so it wouldn't seem weird and you can truly capture the chemistry between them. You need that type of bond to really see how these "siblings" care for each other.  

Process of filming part 2

 So since I dealing such a nasty/sticky substance for the fake blood it did require a bit of clean up. Because with corn syrup I believe if you let it sit it would eventually harden which I cannot have because this wasn't my home, so I had to hose down the floor. And since it was really hot outside I think it would harden quicker. Also the moment we where done filming I told the another actor to hop into the shower and change. Because since it's a syrup I does get sticky and doesn't feel nice against the skin nor hair. And mixed with heat and sweat it wasn't a good combination. I believe it took about three hair washes for the syrup to actually go away because of the amount I have poured on him. 

Process of filming part 1

 So far the outside scene, I had to make fake blood out of corn syrup and red food dye. It did make a huge mess and it got almost everywhere but it did the job. I had my actor place it on the back of his neck, head and ear. I wanted to make it seem like he was bashed in his head and suffered from a head wound. I wanted it be brutal so it made it seem like he suffered. And I also had to use dark eyeshadows to draw bruise/strangle marks around his neck. I just mixed dark purples and black together until I was happy with the results I got. Which is why I had him wear a light colored shirt he wouldn't mind getting dirty because I wanted the color to pop. And even though the "blood" looks fake I don't think many people will pay attention to it. 

Equipment breaking

 So my plan was to film with a camera, to make the quality and overall film better but the didn't seem to work out. Before filming I went to go get my camera from my bag, and I realized it wasn't turning on. I thought maybe it was just dead, but I remembered I charged it the night before and I even put in a extra battery and nothing was working. So I came to the conclusion that the camera just gave up on me at the perfect moment. So I had to improvise and use my phone. Luckily my camera quality isn't too bad but I did want to use the camera for the sake of it being my own film. But with the camera not working it did push me back a little so I can properly set things up again and into place. 

Filming

 So that I have everything to go, and set into place I can actually start filming. I start shooting mid-day, maybe around 4 p.m until most likely sunset time. And I was originally going to film at night so then it really sets the tone, but the story is the main character wakes up from a hangover. So that's why I decided to stick with the mid-day and not night. And also with filming, it should only take me about a couple of hours since it's only really one person, well beside the dead body. But for the scene with the dead body that should only take roughly about 30 minutes since there is only about two shots with it. The rest of the time it would the girl. 

Change of locations

 Unfortunately, the original location I was suppose to film wouldn't work out anymore. Due to change of actors and also locations it made things more difficult. My actors wouldn't able to commit to being in my film so I had to come up with a backup plan, which thankfully worked. But due to this change I also had to change my lay out, and since this new locations looks differently I also have to change some of the shots. I had my other friend, who wouldn't mind using her house and being an actor sub in. So I had her sent me photos of her house so I can get an idea of an layout. And her house is definitely easier to work with because I only have to worry about filming in her backyard and not others since she has a fence. 

Pre-Shooting: Over-the-Shoulder shots

 Over the shoulder shots! Probably one of my favorite shots to get because not only can they be beautiful but they also add meaning to the plot. It makes the audience feel like they are there with the characters. And frankly, these are shots that probably going to cause the most tension. Because this is where you going to see what the character is looking at. You see what they see, and feel what they feel. For instance, these are some great OTS shots I found that I will try to do.

Obviously for the bottom photo, I wont be able to capture the sun in the center, but it is going to be something that I am going to try to aim for. Because for the shot where she opens the note, I am going to capture an OTS shot of her looking down and reading it. So then the audience can see what she sees. 

Pre-Shooting: Master shots

 Master shots are also going to play a very huge for this project because it establishes the relationships between the character(s). It tells you want you need to know about the characters and what is going on. These are some examples I have found that I have found helpful.

In these shots you can tell everyone is kind of distance from each other. Everything feels and looks lonely. It feels as if everything is far away and your just by yourself. Which is what I am trying to aim for. I going to use master shots to show that character is sort of alone. As if something is missing her life. Throughout the course of the film, it's only ever going to be her and no one else. And with these type of shots you will be able to notice how distance she feels. 

Pre-Shooting: Pan shots

 Before I start filming I want give a rough idea of how I want some of the shots to look like. For example these are pictures of pan shots that I got from pervious movies 

 I want the character to be either facing the side, meaning I getting a side profile or a back profile. I never really want the character to face forward. I want to keep her face "hidden" from the camera until the last scene which is outside. But for the first two scenes I do however just want to get her side profile or have her face anywhere but the camera. And with these pan shots it will capture pretty much her body so the audience would be able to observe her body language and read her. 

Facial Expressions

 Throughout this film I want my main character to have a bland face. The only times she ever is going to make a face is when she gets the phone call, opens the door, and finds the dead body. I want her to mainly be serious for this film. There isn't suppose to be a happy or positive vibe to it. I want it to be chilling, thrilling, and silent. The only reactions audience is really going to receive from her is shocked and confused. There is really nothing else to it. But when I do capture these reaction shots I don't want to react in a dramatic way, I just want to let the audience know that there is something off. And I am going to do that with the help of the eyes. The eyes are viewed as something useless but yet they tell everything. The eyes never lie. They tell a story the mouth cannot speak. So that's why I don't want her to have these dramatic reactions. I just to tell people that something isn't right.

Clothing and Props

 I am not really going all out for the clothing and prop part of this film. The only real "props" I need is fake blood, a cell phone, and piece of paper. The fake blood is meant for when she finds the dead body so it looks realistic. The cell phone is for when she receives the phone call and the piece of paper is meant for the "note" at her front door that she ends up finding. And as far as clothes, I am just going to have my main actor wear all black. And the dead body wear dark pants and a light colored shirt to make the blood more vibrant. These elements aren't really my main concern as far as it goes. They don't really add meaning to the story or have a strong significance behind. Well at least not yet, but as the plot evolves yes clothes and props are going to have a deeper meaning. 

 

Finding locations

 Now that have found a location for my film, all I need to do is get my equipment and actors there. And thankfully my actors happen to siblings so that shouldn't be a problem. But now that I have an actual location, which happens to my friend house I can map out how I am going to film it. I had her sent me a pictures of how it looked inside so I can get a rough idea of how I am suppose to film. And her house isn't too big so thankfully that makes it easier. I wont be needing to move my tripod around too much either because we are only going to be filming on one side of her home. And since I only need one place to film, I wont be needing to drive or travel to another place. So far the filming location is reliable and seems to be a good fit. 

Getting the green light

Not only did I my proposal approved but I also got the green light to start filming. Creating the proposal was probably the most stressful thing I had to deal with so far but lets hope it stays that way. But now that I have the green light I have to scout for locations that fit my idea. And it shouldn't be too difficult because it only needs to filmed in one place, a house. I am very lucky for settling with the idea I chose because it makes things easier on my and my actor part. I don't have to worry about driving from one place to another. And getting the actors to another place as well. But with the storyboards I kind of just created my own little home and went based off it. But now that I have the green light, I just to have worry about finding a location.