Creative Critical Reflection (CCR)

 

 

Movie Opener Final Cut

Film opener

I did not make much changes because I realized that people will always have something to say so I the director and editor made decision to not change the film. The only thing I did decided to change was adding background music throughout the film and lowering the volume of the intro and outro sounds.

Peer Reviews

 

Film #1 Peer Reviews

What specific elements of the film opening did you like?	Was there anything that left you confused? (be specific)	What suggestions do you have for changes?
I liked the camera angles to give it a more interesting feel for it.	I did not understand why the killer went in the house.	I would suggest using more commentary between characters.
I liked the acting and the camera angles! Also the story line, especially the comedic touches, were well thought out!!	The way it ended made it seem like a trailer to a tv show or that it was the end entirely (with the to be continued?) and since it is a movie opening maybe that could be changed a bit.	Maybe make some of the transitions a bit smoother and cleaner - some worked really nicely but others were weaker.
I liked the constant transitions with doors, and the last scene	The overall plot was a bit splotchy and confusing. I could get the idea of what was happening, but context is more needed as to why people are hiding/looking for/ people.	To help, you could include a background information scene in the beginning or during the first scene. You could do a typewriter font and sound effect and give background information and names. I think this would really help establishing the plot better.
Pretty funny: Cory watching Maury and Davis getting slapped after getting choked out.	Why did Weatherby choke out Davis and why did he hide in the house?	Less cuts, there are a few shots you could have done in single takes without cutting. (The guy walking to the door and getting choked out). I would also get rid of the police car at the end and have the "To be continued" text during the intruder mode part.
I liked that there were references to things that are popular, such as maury show and alexa	I'm not sure what genre the opener was supposed to be. Likely suspense but it also seemed like comedy	Adding background music to create suspense, especially in the end would help to enhance the movie opener
I liked the suspense the film had. It kept me on my feet throughout the whole thing	I would fix some whole in the storyline, some of it was a bit confusing. Stabilize some of the camera shots, they were a bit sloppy.	No not really, it was good overall
I liked the cuts you made back and forth in the film because I like how it showed the different settings. Furthermore, I liked the various camera shots and angles you used because it created element in the film, like in the close up shots of the actors face. Lastly, I really liked the variety of lighting used because at some points it was dark and at others it was dark with a touch of light.	The plot of the film was very clear making it easy to follow through with, but I was just confused if the film was meant to not have audio?	I would suggest adding dialogue between the characters at the beginning and end of the film, so that we can get better context. As well as some suspenseful music to add more taste to the horror film about murder.
I really liked the music that went along with the title it gave off a mood of anticipation I also really like the Alexa scene it was a really funny part	I wad left confused on why the detective got attacked and the reason as why the guy went into the home	Add some titles like the type of and who made the production

 I had mixed emotions about these comments while everyone seemed to enjoy the film calling it funny and liking the general idea they sure did have a lot else to comment on.  Most people said that their major confusion was the plot. The most asked questions were "why did the killer go into the house" and "why the detective got attacked" which now I think  in the future I might make the reason clearer and try and answer these questions. Editing wise after reviewing these reviews I could fix the cuts, transitions, and the titles especially the ones at the end. In conclusion I think that our film opener was decent and entertaining  but wasn't the best quality which I plan to change.

Movie Opener First Cut

Movie Opener  

Beginning to Edit week 2

 This week my partners Corey and Michael continued to edit our film opener on adobe premier pro and started to completely finish our editing for our first draft.

This week I continued editing the film opener and had the clips in order , I did most of the work at home. This week was much harder because as I added more things to the workspace the program became slower and would freeze causing what would normally take a minute to take 5.

Since I had all the clips in order to make the film opener flow smoother I decided to add transitions in certain spots. I mostly used the default transition with a bit of a zoom transition and nothing fancy because it would make the film seem like it had too much going on.

The last major thing I did was add the two Free music soundtracks I selected before I created the project. Adding the sound track was simple however trimming it to the right point and length was the majority of the work. I decided to put one at the end and beginning instead of having music during the film.

Beginning to Edit week 1

  This week my group (Corey angelo and Michael manning) started to edit our film opener video. We edited it on the program " Adobe Premier Pro" which I have used previously in for other films and other classes.

I first put all the videos and resources I needed into a file in my student number  so I could make sure I had everything and nothing got lost. I numbered the clips in order so it could make it easier for me to add them later without having to go back into my phone to see the order.

I started by first opening a blank workspace in  adobe premier pro and started by importing all my  videos then after that I created a new title layer for the intro which included the name of our movie.

After creating the intro I added the videos into the timeline in order which was hard because they were all mixed up and the cross cutting between the 2 characters on the phone made it even harder. 

Beginning to film week 2

 This week my group Corey and Michael finished our filming

After filming the videos of Donte outside we next filmed my entrance into the house to introduce the new and final setting. We used a following shot and panned up at the beginning which was a cool idea.

We next filmed the videos of Corey finding the body which we filmed out of order but it did not matter because we would fix these later. We had to film it as if everything just occurred and had Corey act super surprised to add suspense and keep you wondering what is happening.

Our last clip was of Corey finding out that the intruder was inside. This was the best shot because we had a red light turn on from pitch black which was very intense. This was the dramatic scene conclusion that tied the whole film together 

Beginning to film week 1

 This week my group Corey and Michael started to film for our film opener

The first video we took was inside Corey's house and it focused on the tv show he was watching  to show that he was relaxing in his house. The house is not well light with the only light from the Christmas tree and kitchen.

After finishing the clips inside we filmed the clips of Donte outside on the phone they were filmed as if Corey was actually talking to him so when we edited it later it could switch back and forth and look good. Surprisingly the lamp post gave good lighting  and made for a good establishing shot of our second character.

While Donte was on the phone we filmed a sperate video of him walking towards the door. The video started in the front of Donte and moved to the side as he approached to reveal that I was actually behind him and showed me grabbing him. This is personally my favorite shot because it adds suspense and shock revealing me.

Preparing to film

 actors: Michael manning, Corey Angelo, Weatherby Carney and Donte 

costumes: Joker outfit and criminal outfit 

props: deck of cards , truck,  and a phone 

locations: Ole neighborhood , parking lot, woods

dates and times: 1/12- 1/15 , 6:00pm -10:00pm

scripts: Can not release script at this time to preserve suspense and plot/no leaks 

 Film equipment:  iPhone 10xr ,phone stand , and dolly 

Initial Storyboard

1)

2) Our film opening is going to be mainly a mystery mixed with some action parts. It is going to start we 3 people in a area that seems shady to add to the mystery part. The 3 people are going to try and corner one man who the audience does not know yet. The group is going to split up and it will then reveal that Weatherby finds his partners body with a joker card symbolizing a clue to who the an they are trying to get is. At the same time Corey who is in a different area hears a scream and goes to it to find a phone recording of a scream , he then gets a call on the phone and it fades to black symbolizing his possible death. Weatherby then runs to the car to leave and as he looks in the back he sees the man and then the opening ends. This adds to the mystery and builds up suspense.

3) Camera angles we plan on using are pov shot, over the shoulder shot, closeup shot, panning shot, following shot, long shot, establishing shot , eye level and a medium shot.

4) Audio notes we plan on using are maybe at the end of beginning or end for a voice over.

5) Transitions we are planning to use are cut, fade to black , contrast cut, fade in and out, cutaway , and a dynamic cutting.

6) we plan to use text in our title cards and intro and then at the end of our film as credits.

 

Movie Opener Brainstorming and Research

 1) Rise

direct sound to open the scene 

Post synchronization dubbing of a song which acts as a sound bridge throughout the opening

heavy use of low angle shots and closeups

Uses cuts to black then to a new camera angle

2)Offline

lowkey lighting 

eerie and creepy music 

3)Dear lover 

Sound bridge is used throughout the whole film and it starts when the clips start

starts with establishing shots 

Credits on each of the beginning cuts

Voice over used 

4)Dare to thrill 

starts with producing company title card 

heavy use of over the shoulder shots 

direct sound used in the beginning and end to further the plot

music used as a sound bridge over most of the film 

5)Always watching 

Tittle card with name and production company

suspenseful music 

cuts between talking then nondiegetic sounds 

6)The blue boar

Old costumes to portray time period 

Starts with talking

happy and light music playing towards the end of the film

7)White coat 

Starts with an intro to the production company 

out of focus 

lowkey lighting 

no talking 

music throughout the film

8)Stalker 

New angle every time the main character moves

credits at the bottom of the screen

stalker title card to symbolize screen change

Creepy sound effects when something happens 

9)Nostalgia 

cuts back and fourth 

summary: After watching all these clips and films I noticed it might be a good idea to added a sound bridge throughout the film based on the type of genre to added flair or suspense. Most of these films had little talking and focused more on camera angles which I think would be a good idea. These films end abruptly  and usually keep you in the unknow to keep you watching. Might want to change my genre to suspense or horror.

Midterm exam

    Based on this short clip from the mind-boggling show "black mirror" I was able to gain tons of information about camera shots, angles , movement, sound , mise-en-scene, and editing. 

    Black mirror is a show know to have trippy plots and tons of twist which is exemplified in this short clip. The movie starts with an intro which says black mirror followed by a crack in the screen to create and eerie effect. A black title card is then displayed after with the words "San Junipo" which is most likely the place they are at. An establishing shot is used next panning upwards from the water to show shops and restaurants on a beach front. An establishing shot introduces the general setting of the movie and is used to bring in the audience which is perfectly portrayed in this one shot. The camera continues to zoom in and pan following a car of teens who are picking up food in a retro car from a vintage style restaurant emphasizing that they are in a different decade. As the pull up the radio is playing just finishing up a song when the radio host says “this is the hottest song of 1989” showing the time period they are in. This song and radio host is a prime example of an offscreen sound which is a sound assumed to be in the space of a scene but remains offscreen while the sounds take place simultaneously. The scene continues to show our main character who seems to be alone and dressed like a nerd. A medium shot is used to show above her waist and as she walks around aimlessly. A cut is used to show the other 2 characters who are talking but walking across the street as the main character is looking at them. As they walk into a club an over the shoulder shot which is used a lot in the film is used to emphasize that the main character is watching them and follows. A dolly shot or a shot where the camera seems to track or follow the subject is used to follow the main character who is in the club along with a panning shot which almost works as an establishing shot to show and emphasize this new setting. In packed  the club songs from the 80’s is playing loud which shows a contrast to the main characters previous setting  where she was alone, and it was quiet. Mise-en-scene is used in the demonstration of the lighting which for the whole movie has been lowkey light with the main lighting being from the neon lights everywhere. The main character goes to play video games and a low angle shot is used to show her getting coins to put in the arcade machine. A man approaches the main character trying to hit on her and an over shoulder shot is used to show his point of view of him watching her. The two characters exchange words and when he asks her to play a game she sees a car crash in a video game which causes her to fall back and the music changes to fast paced eerie music showing that something traumatizing is happening. The main character goes to a seat and drinks a coke when the other character from the beginning sits down and uses her to get the guy, she came in with to leave whose name is Wes. Wes and the other girl Kelly seem to be friends and a couple and are dressed very fashionable compared to the main character yorkie.

    In conclusion, this short clip was full of camera shots, angles , movement, sound , mise-en-scene, and editing. It was packed with all these techniques and more I didn’t even catch.

 

Film Opening Research #2- Pineapple express

 How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film? 

One title is displayed during the opening sequence to the film which is the Colombia pictures title card. This is a very iconic card and company the lady with the torch does different things sometimes, in this one it's the same everything except for the fact that it's in black and white.

What images are prioritized in the opening sequence? 

An old car driving in a middle of a field to a trap door is prioritized along with the title "1937 The United States of America" in white lettering.

What connotations do the images carry? 

These images carry a dark and suspenseful connotation due to the black and white and the seriousness of the situation.

How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset? 

The genre is reinforced through symbolic and technical codes form the outset because the camera angles and lighting help to leave you in the unknown making you wonder what is happening which reinforces the comedy aspect because it is a comedy that is serious at the beginning. 

How does the film establish an enigma from the outset? 

The film establishes an enigma from the outset by having everything fast paced with little to no detail about what is happening in the scene.

What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience? 

The strategy of suspense is used to ensure the film appeals to it's target audience because it keeps them hooked and on the edge of their seats to wonder what is happening and how this turns into a comedy. 

How has technology been used effectively? You might want to consider camera angles, transitions and editing techniques. 

This technology has been used effectively to produce a high quality movie that is a good comedy and has a intro that draws the audience in.

I will be working with michael manning and corey angelo to make a 

Film Opening Research #1- Turbo

 How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film? 

Only two titles are displayed during the opening sequences which is the 20th century fox company intro and the dream works intro. The dream works intro with the boy on the moon is sometimes different in this intro he swing his fishing pole/line to reveal the company name dream works. These are both big companies and are very common to be at the being of a movie.

What images are prioritized in the opening sequence? 

The images of race cars on a race track followed by an orange snail with a brown shell and racing stickers on his shells. The sequence then changes to reveal that there is no race and the snail is just on the tv.

What connotations do the images carry? 

These images carry a happy and energetic connotation because the show how happy he is racing against other cars and how pumped up he is to be in this race. The final images showing that it is a tv and not real creates a distant and hopeful connotation because it demonstrates how the snail has dreams but in reality he is far from them and can only view from a tv.

How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?  

The comedy genre is reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset because at first you think there is a snail racing with cars which is funny but then you realize that he's just a snail on a tv which is even funnier. The technical codes of using the zoom and camera angles to show a contrast helps to not add suspense but add humor.

How does the film establish an enigma from the outset? 

The film establishes an enigma from the outset because you are confused on why there is a talking snail racing race cars on a track and why there is a snail on a tv. This makes you ask questions like "How did he get there?" and "why does he want to race?".

What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience? 

The film uses good/friendly animation ,good voice actors, comedy , and a questionable plot to ensure the film appeals to it's target audience. The target audience is most likely family and kids so the friendly characters and looks help to make this possible. Good voice actors and some famous ones help to get the name of the movie attention and possible target parents.

How has technology been used effectively? You might want to consider camera angles, transitions and editing techniques. 

The high quality animation and technology was used effectively to make the movie interesting and better to watch. The camera angles and transitions help to make the movie flow almost as if its happening in real time and you are bringing brought into this world.

My favorite genre powerpoint presentation

 

My favorite Genre - Powerpoint

 

Film viewing practice essay "agent carter"

 The Short 2013 film “Agent Carter” directed by Louis D 'Esposito captures and exemplifies tons of different film elements. In the opening scene you can hear Peggy's voice as the marvel intro rolls, not even 20 seconds in and the film is using a sound bridge or the process when sound carries over a visual transition in a film: this goes to show how great of a director Louis d ’Esposito is. The first use of a camera shot and angle is in the flashback between Peggy and Steve Rodgers (captain America) when they are cutting between scenes the camera has a closeup on each of their faces which helps to capture the emotions and facial expressions by forcing the audience to view their faces. Surprisingly in this same scene the editing processes of crosscutting and simultaneity occur in the constant cuts during the conversation between the two. Right before the flashback ends you get a behind the back shot of captain America sitting in his pilot seat heading straight down towards the ground, this shot shows the setting but does not show what he is feeling in these supposedly last moments. On the other line Peggy hears silence/radio static then a fade to black.

The next scene opens up with an establishing shot of a city with the writing “one year later” to set up the scene and provide detail to what is now happening. In the back sad but hopeful music plays helping to inflict emotion in the audience. This use of music is an example of a non-diegetic sound or any sound that the characters on screen can not hear but the audience can. The scene changes to a lowkey lit office filled with men and Peggy  with an alarm blaring showing something important is going to happen. The boss gets a call that  two agents are needed to be sent to go after a man called the zodiac and the music changes to something faster paced making the scene much more dramatic and intense. After Peggy is not picked to go on the mission her boss comes and talks to her and in this confrontation there is a heavy use of over the shoulder shots and eye level shots to make you feel like you are the person who is listening in their place. The eye level shots also help to show details into the faces of the characters demonstrating their personalities.

After all the men have left, Peggy sits at her desk and the boss receives a call that agents need to be sent out to go catch the zodiac. The scene then skips to Peggy heading towards the location walking right up to the establishment. In this walk the mise-en-scene use of costume is exemplified demonstrating the time period by showing the men wearing clothing from a period like the 50’s  , this helps to make the film more accurate and more believable. As the men approach Peggy the setting is dark and is lowkey lit, helping to emphasize the mise-en-scene and make the scene that much more suspenseful. Peggy beats up the men and there is one left he goes for his gun and looks up and she is gone , the whole time an old timey song is playing in the back. This is an example of a diegetic sound because the characters on screen can hear it. She gets the man at gunpoint and says drop it.

The final scene is a great example of staging and acting. The henchmen do a great job in looking scared and nervous and Peggy does an even better job at selling that she is a highly trained/ skilled agent. To sum it up the use of camera angles , sound and mise-en-scene really help to bring this film to life making it believe and very entertaining to watch.

Film elements graphic organizer

 

MISE-EN-SCENE

I decided to comment on the mise-en-scene of the 2007 film  "There will be blood" directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. This film is know to be one of the best movies to demonstrate mise-en-scene and said that the mise-en-scene is what pushes the story. I chose this film because of the high reviews that it has received and the perfect executions of mise-en-scene. Personally my favorite part and arguably the best part of the whole film is the acting and performances of the main characters.

The film starts off in a mining tunnel showing the main character doing different things in the dark tunnel. This gives off an example of lowkey lighting which is used throughout the film. Lowkey lighting is when the fill light is at a very low level, causing the frame to be cast with large shadows.  This creates a dark and gloomy feeling making it seem as if you too are going in the dark in a  scary tunnel it also helps to direct the main focus on the main character or an object that brighter.

This movie is supposed to take  place during the late 19th century and the early 20th century but was made in 2007 so it stresses the importance of  the mise-en-scene of costume. Costume is important because it can demonstrate a  character’s personality, status, and to signify these differences between characters. Costume is an important part of displaying the era in which the film is set showing typical outfits wore in that period and helps to make the movie seem more accurate and sets the theme. The movie "there will be blood" does an amazing job at conveying the right outfits to be worn in that time period showing what people would wear in all walks of life ranging from what kids would wear , women , poor workers, rich men, and even young ladies . The nice outfits the main character wears shows his power , wealth , and status in the industry and time period playing an important part in portraying who he really is.

Being in the empty and almost untouched California wilderness drilling for oil much of the scenes demonstrate deep space or when there are important components in the frame located both close to and far from the camera. This creates a wide feeling and shows how big something can be for example when they are showing the off the new drilling station they built demonstrating how massive it is and how small/far they are from it. This deep space also intertwines with the setting/staging showing how things compare for example the oil rig being bigger than the church showing what is more important to the owner... the oil.

5 Master edits with sound effects

1) Offscreen sound: This clip perfectly demonstrates an offscreen sound because the sound is assumed to be in the space of a scene yet remains offscreen while the action takes place simultaneously. A peaceful song is playing while Michael is sleeping but really takes place offscreen and for me circus music is playing assumed to be happening in the scene. This makes the scene more interesting and captures the viewers attention

2) Postsynchronization dubbing: The second example of a sound effect being used is Postsynchronization dubbing which is the process of adding sound to a scene after it is filmed.  This demonstrates it because I added the sound of a fast car to the 2 clips after it was recorded and edited. This effect makes the scene funnier and compares the 2 things to a fast car.

3) Music: This scene includes music which is almost church like demonstrating the holiness and importance of toilet paper. Music really enhances the emotions inflicted in the scene making it much better than compared to something without music.

4) Sound Bridge: A sound bridge is a type of sound editing that occurs when sound carries over a visual transition in a film. The following scene is an example of a sound bridge because the same creepy music continues to play throughout the two scenes almost flowing and carrying over. The sound bridge helps to keep the eerie vibe from the music going throughout the whole scene making it much more creepy.

5) Non-diegetic sound: In this scene Michael keeps wanting to do bad things but remembers me telling him not too and stops. This scene shows how a non-diegetic sound is used because it is sound that the characters onscreen cannot hear but the audience can. The non-diegetic sound helps the viewers laugh and realize what is  going on.