Creative Critical Reflection

Click here to listen to my Creative Critical Reflection for AICE Media Studies (AS Level)

Final Project

Here is my final film opening for my original film Little Boxes. This was created for Media Studies AS Level.

 

This is the End

This is officially my final blog post (besides my final film opening and CCR). This is a bittersweet moment. It feels like breaking up with your boyfriend/girlfriend, it may be tough at first but you will get over it eventually. It is going to be strange going about my life and not thinking about my blog and what to post, but life will return to normal as time goes on.

I am practically done with editing my film opening and simply need to record my podcast and then I'm done. The posts containing my final products will be up in a day or two, so stay tuned for those.

And for those of you viewing this blog who are aspiring film makers I suggest you definitely check out this and this. They are wonderful articles and a great source of inspiration. After having gone through this entire project I've learned a lot. I've made some mistakes, but I've also learned from them so I guess they aren't all that bad.

I can't wait to share what I have been working on for these past 6 weeks. I am so proud of what I have accomplished and hope everyone who watches it enjoys it. Maybe in a few years I can look back on this blog and see how much I've grown. So unfortunately, this is goodbye for now.

Sources:
http://flavorwire.com/345062/20-brilliant-filmmakers-on-why-they-make-movies?all=1
http://www.fastcocreate.com/1679472/martin-scorseses-film-school-the-85-films-you-need-to-see-to-know-anything-about-film

Working on My CCR

I have decided to create a podcast for my creative critical reflection. I was conflicted whether to do a screencast or a podcast. I ultimately chose a podcast because I thought it would work better for me. A screencast may look cool but I thought it would be too difficult to do, as you have to sync the onscreen actions with the voiceover which just seemed like too much to worry about. So a podcast seemed like the best option for me. I am able to speak clearly and freely and not be limited by a visual.

To record my podcast I was considering using Audacity, a free audio recording software. It seems optimal for beginners, like myself, and it seems simple to record and edit. After some deliberation I decided to go with GarageBand instead. I already have the application on my computer, so I won't need to download anything else, and I already know how to use it.

GarageBand

For my CCR I've created an outline for what I want to say. The outline is like my storyboard for my podcast. It will help me make sure I talk about everything I need to talk about and cover all the necessary points. I plan to record it this afternoon and edit and have it all done by Thursday.

Sources:
http://www.audacityteam.org
http://www.apple.com/mac/garageband/

Some BTS

So as I am finishing up my film opening and creative critical reflection I thought I'd share some extra background information, specifically on the origin of my main character's name. The name I chose for her was Violet. Now it may just seem like a name chosen at random but I was inspired by a song of the same name.

The song is by a band called Hippo Campus. Now I am a bit biased because they one of my favorite bands, but the song is truly fantastic (you should definitely check it out). The song Violet comes off their South EP. I was mainly inspired to choose this name by the song's music video, which I will include below. The video depicts the destruction of classic American symbols (ex. a football helmet) by destroying these objects it represents breaking the norm, they want to "break" the common American standards. This is what I feel connects directly with my character and the plot of my film.

It is a small little detail that may not seem significant at first, but contains a deeper purpose. It's the little things that make the big things. Now it is back to work. Just under a week till crunch time! I can't wait to share what I have been working and I hope you all are as excited as I am!

Sources:

http://hippocampusband.com

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/south-ep/id1023481885

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfFjEkSs8Ps

Foreshadowing

A key component to my plot is the realization by my main character that beyond her small suburban town lays land untouched by man. Although my opening is going to be focused on setting, I want to foreshadow the plot. I spent a lot of time thinking of ways to do this and integrate into my setting shots. I finally came up with something.

We have all seen "Made In..." labels of all types of products. This label identifies where the product was made. Common labels include "Made in China" and "Made in Mexico." Even though they are made in a certain country, they appear in countries all across the world. This shows the global scale in which products are manufactured. For my film I want all the labels to say "Made in Weston," the name of my town. I am going to incorporate these labels all throughout my intro so that the viewer begins to question why everything was made in that town. The reason for this would be that everything must be made in the town, because they are the only town in existence, there is no one else to make it for them.

I feel that by incorporating these small details I can hint towards the plot without explicitly stating it. A common quote I've seen when referring to good film-making is "Don't give the audience 4, give them 2 plus 2." - Andrew Stanton, from his Ted Talk. This basically says not to give away everything to the audience, make them figure it out. Audiences like to figure things out for themselves. I want to make my audience think. I don't want to give them all the information, I want them to work for it. It is a small addition that I hope will make a big difference.

Sources:
http://www.ted.com/talks/andrew_stanton_the_clues_to_a_great_story

A Small Road Block

As I am wrapping up filming my project I've encountered some issues, that main issue being the weather. I'm almost done filming but I still need some key outdoor shots. The weather and the atmosphere are really important for my film opening. The setting is my main focus for my film opening, so the look of everything has to be just right.

Living in Florida poses a challenge when concerning the weather. It can go from blue skies and sunshine to torrential downpours in 20 minutes. With this in mind it has been difficult to get consistent lighting. Some days the weather is perfect and the lighting is just how I imagined it. Other days its rainy and cloudy, which is an issue because of lighting. It has showed me just how difficult filming outside can be. You are at the mercy of Mother Nature. I have to take advantage of the weather when it improves so I can finish filming. According to The Weather Channel, Friday looks like the perfect day to finish up filming. The forecast is partly cloudy and 0% chance of rain, I just hope it's accurate!

Beside that one issue, filming is going really well. I'm really excited to share the final piece. With just a little over week left, there is a lot to be done in a small amount of time. It's going to be a busy, hectic week to come.

Sources:
https://weather.com/weather/today/l/USFL0590:1:US