Final Reflection

Now that my project is finally submitted, i'm going to explain how I think this project has actually greatly benefitted me in terms of being a filmmaker and just expanding my creativity. It has been a long ride, but now that i've finished, i'd like to look back and reflect on all that i've accomplished.

This was by all means NOT an easy task, and I definitely faced many challenges, but this project forced me to resolve them in whatever means possible, and to become creative with my solutions. When I first began to come up with an idea for this film opening, it felt almost unreachable, I had these big ideas that I knew that realistically, couldn't actually work, but I think that with my project, I came pretty close. I knew I wanted to do something different, and I felt constrained with doing only one genre, so this was an amazing way for me to think outside the box and combine the two genres that I adore deeply: slashers and psychological thrillers.

I know i've gone on about how happy I am with it, but there are definitely some things I wish I would have changed if I could've done this all over again. First, I relied way too much on post production and should've put more of my energy on pre production. I did have my props and costumes, and locations ready, but my script and storyboard could've been more detailed, as well as having some supplies like microphones could've been helpful. Even though I ended up using voiceovers anyway, having a microphone in such a busy place could've been helpful and would've probably helped take off a couple days of editing the soundscape.

Also, I should have had a more reliable actor. Even though I actually like my story with just one witness even more than the intended story, it wasn't fun to have to scramble to change the story because one of our actors didn't show up. It created a lot of unnecessary chaos and I think it could have easily been avoided if I just had someone a little more reliable.

Another issue I faced: TIME MANAGEMENT!!! I should've managed my time A LOT better than I did in this project, considering how time consuming it is, you really can't leave anything to the last minute. Although I was doing really well at the beginning, I found that towards the end of the project, I was kind of lacking and it showed. Fortunately, it wasn't too bad and I was able to do everything I wanted to do in this project efficiently like my CCR, blog posts, and editing.

Although my management was off, I will say that at the end everything came together perfectly, I was able to edit my projects and any issue that I had was able to be fixed in post production. I was able to use voiceovers successfully, I created many foley sounds, and I used some non-copyrighted music to create the perfect soundscape of the horror world that was 'Paranoia'. My CCR I also was very happy with and it was a breeze to film and edit it. In my CCR, I was able to include all the research i'd done in my blogs, add examples from other films, include some screen grabs from my own film, and I was able to criticize and reflect on my own work.

In the end, I faced a couple rough patches, but we made it out! This project was an incredible experience and I feel that I have grown creatively and intellectually in ways I didn't think I could. Thank you!!

Links!

Film Opening link:

Link

CCR 1+2 link:

ccr link

CCR 3+4 link:

ccr #2 link

CCR post-production

Finally, post production! One of the last stages of this project! Honestly, this process was probably one of the easiest editing tasks i've had to do just because all I really needed to do was put all the clips in and add all the references, music I wanted to add in each clip. I think I may also think this because editing my Film opening did take a REALLY long time, so compared to that, this was a breeze. 

While editing, I decided to implement different examples of media because I realized my interview was mainly just me talking which definitely got boring to watch. To fix this, I added photos and clips over me from time to time so that it seemed a little more visually interesting. I also decided to add music in the background because I felt like it added a little something to the video. 

Here is an example!

After I added everything I wanted to show, I made sure to rewatch the CCR's over again to make sure that the audio is able to be heard, that it flowed well together, and that all the necessary info I wanted in the video was mentioned. Then, I made sure to export it to my google drive.

I'm very happy with the way my CCR came out and I didn't have many issues creating it! I hope you enjoy it!!

CCR Production

For the production of my CCR, I had 2 ideas which I was able to execute both successfully: an interview and a documentary/questionnaire.  I had the idea to do the classic talk show interview, because I felt like it was the most effective way to integrate a creative concept, while still being able to answer the questions in an efficient way. However, my 2nd idea being the documentary took a little more effort since it was filmed in the middle of the forest aka the set of my film. Let's go through the production of both CCRs!

The interview: So with this CCR, I answered questions 3 and 4 and luckily had the help of my 2 friends, one of them also being in aice media. I enjoyed having her help since she gave me advice from and outside perspective that wasn't biased and we had a similar-ish concept so we were able to bounce ideas off of one another. 

We decided to film in the most plain room we could find and got rid of any decor so that our interview would be the main/only topic in the video. We also tried to dress as officially as possible so that we could sell the idea of an interview even further.

This is how our set up looked like!

I made sure I had my CCR script finalized and had it in front of me while filming so I could make sure that I wasn't missing any points and that my explanations flowed correctly. 

The documentary: so for this CCR, I answered questions 1 and 2 and it was actually a little easier than the first CCR. Although I did have to go to the forest to film, I went in the morning and found that there were no real interruptions outside other than some occasional planes. But to my surprise, there wasn't a lot of people out so it was easy to film without disturbing anyone. 

Also, it was a nice day out so there wasn't any rain we had to be wary of and all in all, everything kind of worked in our favor so that was a relief. I tried to dress similarly to my last CCR which is somewhat "official" since my inspiration for this CCR is those directors cut videos where the filmmakers of a movie will explain some aspects of it while on the set for the film.

I learned a lot from filming my CCR and I was really able to reflect on myself and my work. I needed to research, edit, and film, which I think only helped my skills as a filmmaker!

CCR #4

What technologies did we use while filming:

For our film, we placed a big emphasis on handheld shots, because we thought they would add a sense of urgency and tension into the scenes, which effectively conveyed the intense tone we wanted the audience to experience. The shakiness of the camera was intended to create a feeling of chaos, particularly in the first half of the film. However, for the second half, we switched to using tripods to create a strong contrast. The stable, almost sterile shots in the library scenes reflected the uncomfortable distance and calmness in contrast to the intense earlier moments. We filmed using our own phone cameras, without lighting or microphones. 

We chose to avoid using lighting to capture the natural sunset in the first scenes, because we wanted to allow the changing light to be shown in the shots. In the library scenes, we enjoyed the look of fluorescent lighting, which created a harsh, clinical atmosphere which was perfect for the setting. 

As for sound, we opted not to use external mics due to the difficulty of controlling background noise in such a public location. Instead, we decided to rerecord the dialogue in post-production to ensure that the dialogue could be heard and so we'd have better control over the sound quality.

In terms of organization and planning, the blog was a very valuable tool throughout the process. It not only helped me stay on track with the project but also kept me accountable to the timeline I had set at the beginning. The platform allowed me to document my thoughts in an organized way, merging all my ideas in one place and making it easier to reflect on my progress.

For editing, I used Adobe Premiere because of my experience with it from TV production, and because I enjoy using its color grading tools since they are more versatile than other platforms. However, I did chose CapCut for the title sequences because it offered unique options that aligned with the vision I had for the opening. 

And lastly, I used Pixabay to find non-copyrighted music, which was crucial to the film’s overall feel. I find that music is often the defining element in setting the tone, and I wanted to ensure the soundtrack complemented the scenes perfectly.

Technology was very crucial to our film and helped in a lot of ways, especially during post-production. One of the biggest challenges we faced was the audio quality during filming, since we shot in public locations where controlling background noise was nearly impossible. However, by being able to record voiceovers and use foley sounds, gave us the opportunity to completely transform our soundscape. This allowed us to not only resolve the audio issues but also enhance the atmosphere of the film, creating a much more immersive and controlled world for the audience. By carefully curating and creating each sound, we were able to elevate the film’s tension and mood.

CCR #3

Our process evolved by beginning with general research for example, like the A24 horror film openings since I thought that might be useful and I actually got a lot of inspiration from 2 modern horror films, "X" and "Pearl." I really enjoyed the artistry behind each of these and liked how they incorporated the time period into them. I ended up including this in our own film, which takes place in the 1980s. 

Then, I settled on my genre. I did some research on other genres like coming of age films just to make sure that I was set on it.  I just think that horror movie openings can be so unique, I would like to give my take on it. It can show you the end of the story, or just the beginning.

After, I researched some movie credits like Vertigo and Fight Club, because of their uniqueness and I was hoping to be inspired by their creative use of fonts, and color. I took notes of the things I wanted to incorporate for example, the way color is used to symbolize the events occurring, the music reflecting the scenes, and the unique fonts used. 

However, in hopes of making my film as creative as possible, I chose to integrate the symbolic code theory into the film. Me and my partner landed on this because the film Suspiria was honestly our biggest inspiration for our film and specifically the use of the color red. We wanted it to represent danger, blood, and violence, and we ended up dressing the killer in all red to demonstrate this. We chose the red symbol to effectively convey to the audience that the character is dangerous, while still hinting at underlying feelings of love.

However we have the juxtaposition of dull colors in the 2nd half of the opening to convey the complete opposite. It shows that they witness of the crime has fallen into a deep depression, and also as a character generally, is the contrast of the killer character. The scenes are gray and lifeless, this will further communicate to the viewer that the main character is not a reliable narrator and is probably not in a healthy headspace.

After coming up with our theory, we had a summary of our film done with! We actually stuck to the summary pretty well which was to begin with a chase scene for the first minute where a crazy ex decides to kill her ex boyfriend. We will utilize tracking shots for the first 30 seconds to follow the victim at first. Then, we wanted to end this first minute with a group of kids witnessing this murder and the killer sees them but the kids can't see the killers face. Then, a matchcut would occur beginning with the kids witnessing the murder, and then them sitting in school. 

We made a few changes during production that shifted the film slightly. For starters, we had planned for multiple witnesses, but we decided to focus on just one. This change was for two reasons, one of our actors didn’t show up, and we realized that having a single character as the witness would help the audience form a stronger connection with them, making the experience more personal and intense. Also, the second half of the film was supposed to be set in a school, but we had to change the location to a library after we realized we couldn’t actually film at a school. Although this change altered the setting, it ended up adding a unique atmosphere that worked well with the tone of the film. Despite these changes, I’m really happy with how everything turned out. We were able to stay true to the core of the story and be happy with the results.

A lot of the projects I had done in class actually helped me finish this film opening but one in specific was the soundscape project. By being able to learn about foley and all of the individual sounds in a soundscape, I was able to curate a murderous scene that i'm very happy with. Also, the music marketing project helped me identify a lot of crucial things that you need when developing a film opening which is figuring out who is your target audience and how to appeal to them in your film. For example, by blending both slasher and psychological horror, our film is able to appeal to a bigger pool of people, other than just teenagers.

All in all, I am very happy with how my project came out and I think that although I started with something else, in mind, the film came out a lot better then I could've imagined. I think the final result reflects an evolution of my initial ideas into a more creative and original concept.

CCR #2

How did we arrive at out target audience? Psychological thrillers are popular with under 25 year olds as well as adults up to their 50s. This gives the genre a very broad age range and the potential to reach a lot of people. Adults rather than children below 18 are targeted for most psychological thrillers because the nature of this genre is often intellectually demanding, violent and/or psychologically disturbing.

Luckily, slashers have a similar target audience being teenagers and young adults, often aged 15-25. This works really well because our film integrates a lot from both genre and ensures that the people who are viewing our films are likely to appreciate things from both genres.

Cite: https://prezi.com/_tx5rlgdlb1u/psychological-thrillers-target-audience/

https://fearworm.com/who-is-the-haunted-house-demographic/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20usual%20age%20for%20the,rather%20than%20an%20older%20one.%E2%80%9D

How do our production choices engage with our target audience: Our film’s production choices, like the signature mask and the focus on trauma and psychological spirals, are designed to both scare and really engage our audience. The killer’s mask isn’t just another slasher trope—it represents the killer’s true identity and the mask they wear to hide it, adding depth to the film’s psychological layers.

Also, since the film is set in the 80s, which is known as the golden age of slasher films, we’re channeling classics like Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Halloween. The 80s-inspired clothing and outfits help bring out nostalgia and cultural relevance, while also showing off the characters' personalities and keeping the audience visually hooked.

The forest setting is another key element. It’s a familiar backdrop that immediately makes viewers think of classic slasher films, while also tapping into the fear of the unknown. The eerie atmosphere of the forest draws people in, making them wonder what dangers lie in the shadows and building the suspense for everything that’s about to happen.

I plan to have my film be screened at some film festivals so that it can get as much exposure as possible. Some of these festivals include Sundance, Tribeca, Fantasia International Film Festival, and some other smaller festivals. I also will have my film be available on youtube so people on the internet could have easy access to it and hopefully will expose more people to it. 

Group Meeting #2

So today in class we had our second group meeting! 

First, Anabella told us about how her project was going and told us how she filmed with her dad and one of her friends. Her biggest obstacle was that she needed to film with her friends dog and he would not cooperate. She said it took them about 1 hour to film 3 shots. She also walked us through some of her mise en scene elements like the construction of her beer bottles which were actually just sparkling water bottles with a new label on it. She told us that she was finishing up the editing process and is currently writing her script for the CCR.

Kailen decided to use an actual camera which she wasn't very sure how to operate and it wasn't until after she finished filming that she realized that she hadn't recorded half of her clips. This was a pretty big issue but I think she was able to re-film them so it ended up working our fine. Another issue was that she only had one actor when first started filming and she did need a couple more.

Adil has everything on the right track from what I heard, the only really big issue is that he needs to find time for him and his partner to film. However, he is combatting this issue by writing the script for the CCR and filming some of that in the meantime until he and his partner can find a time they can film together.

Aneesh said that his story just doesn't really add up and even though he does have his entire project filmed, it doesn't have the effect that he wanted it to have. We all pitched in some ideas to give the story a darker tone but it is a stalker kind of story and one of the only rules for the project was that we couldn't do a stalker film. I'm not sure if he is going to keep going with the story he initially had, or if he is going to change up his plot. 

I didn't really get much feedback since I already have all of my filming done and overall i'm pretty happy with it. However, they did give me some ideas for what I could do for my CCR. I'm thinking I could do a documentary style exploring the set of my film while answering questions. I'm still unsure for my other CCR, but I might do a classic interview style with some unique mise en scene elements integrated so that it will be visually interesting for the viewer.