My Final Project

Here is Veronica and I's Final Project!!!

 

My CCR

 Here is my Creative Critical Reflection! Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/gUIomPSmla0

CCR Creation

 For my Creative Critical Reflection, the creating process was pretty chaotic. I had my phone on a tripod, had to carry in a chair to my room, and needed to make sure the lighting was consistent throughout the video. However, the planning process was more organized. I had previously written a script since I know I'm the type of person that's not very good at improv. But before I had even written the script I had made a basic planning outline for the topics I wanted to discuss in my video. 

This script really helped, I tried not to look at it as much as I could throughout my video but without it, I know it would have come out horrible. After I was finally done filming I begin to gather my footage and place them in order and cut out parts I didn't like. Once I was done I added pictures and videos from my final project as I would speak and then added some background music to make the video more upbeat and lively. Overall the steps I took to ensure my video would come out the way I wanted successfully worked and I'm proud of the product that came about. 

Pictures of my final script:

Post Production

Post-production is said to take longer than the filming process itself, and let’s just say I can definitely confirm this statement. Filming was quick and easy but the post-production takes lots of time and skill to complete. There are so many choices to make in a certain time frame. In our post-production, we worked on the editing which I spoke about in the last blog but there are many other elements. Color correcting is one of these elements to make sure the film looks consistent. 

Removing unwanted noises in the background is also very important, especially when we wanted to add music to the scene. An important aspect of the film was also the dull tones when Oscar is inside the classroom compared to when he finally makes it outside the colors immediately become more saturated. This is completed during post-production. Overall the finished product of our film came out great and I’m confident with the way it turned out!

Image showing how our character associated outside with bright colors:

Editing Process

 For the editing process, Veronica and I are using iMovie, this is because we are both familiar with its mechanics. First, we started by importing all the footage, once that was done we placed the scenes in order of the story. Then the real editing can take place. We begin cutting out the footage we didn’t need or simply didn’t fit. Then we added editing movements like zooms in the opening title scene. Adding the sound was also another process, we placed them underneath the scenes we wanted each of them to play in. To do this we had to cut the sound for only the pieces we wanted to incorporate into the video in the first place. Lastly, the dialogue that is in the footage mostly just stays the same with only slight changes to the volume.

Images of the actual editing process:

CCR Planning

As I begin with my Creative Critical Reflection I've started off by making an outline of how I want to plan out my video. This includes answering each question from the Creative Critical Reflection and labeling which topics I want to touch upon and making sure I don't miss them. Creating this planner has helped assist me as I begin to write my script. I'll take a look at which topics I need to hit on the ceratin portion of the script I write and elaborate and extend on the topic. 

My planning for CCR:

Key Moments

A key moment in this project so far is working with Mr. Petritis and his wife. They are both so kind and helpful throughout the filming. When we filmed Mr. Petritis's wife for the security guard scene she was making jokes but took her job seriously as well. On the other hand, working with Mr. Petritis was somewhat difficult but nonetheless a blast. 

The only difficulty working with Mr. Petritis is his very goofy personality. Many times we would ask him to do one thing and he would do another while maybe adding a joke. This led to having to reshoot many shots multiple times. But overall this made it a key moment because he kept everybody laughing and it was still enjoyable to work with him. Not only that but Veronica has him as a teacher for one of her classes so it was hilarious to see the banter that would occur between the two.

Mr. Petritis:

Reflection on Production Process

 Filming is going well but we still need to gather more footage. Include screenshots of production so far

As Veronica and I move forth with production we have gathered a good amount of great footage. So far we have already filmed the opening scene and Nick in the classroom as he runs out with the teacher screaming after him. To do our production we filmed on an iPhone 12 camera and occasionally placed it on a tripod to stabilize it. As of now, production has been smooth due to all our actors being compliant and helping Veronica and me get the shots we need. For the footage, I am satisfied with the way it is turning out and hope that the rest of the production is as smooth as it's been so far.

New Actor Look

Since our original actor could not work with us we ended up choosing Oscar as our new one. In contrast to Nicks's blond hair, Oscar has brown. Due to the short period of time to find a new actor, we had to choose one quickly. This meant we only had time to gather somebody who could simply do the job. This is definitely a challenge, but it’s one we can overcome. That is when Oscar came in. Veronica was good friends with Oscar and knew she could ask him to be a part of our project so she did, and he said yes. Overall, the change is not too drastic since Oscar still has a slim-fit physique and fits the age range as well.

New Actor:

Update

As we move forward, Veronica and I have begun to search for audios to use within our film. Since we have started filming we can begin this process. So far we have included bell noises to help maximize the scenery of being at a school. For the introduction of the title of our film Coastal Vision, we included an upbeat tune with our protagonist entering the scene as it pans into his face. For many of our footage, we also included action music as our protagonist is seen running through the halls away from security.

Group Meeting!

 Today we gathered into groups and told each other what our project is about. We did this within a random group of students in our classroom which allows for non bias critics. I described my plot and was told it was interesting and humorous. I'm glad the group picked up on the humor that is in the film, even if their is not a lot of dialogue. Nick Wayne is supposed to be a charming character that is running away from security but is able to make the audience laugh. 

Here's a picture from todays meeting:

Project Name

Finally, we have titled our project! The reveal is...Coastal Vision! For Veronica and I, it took a while to come up with this name. Although it took time, we both had already agreed we wanted the word "vision" to be a part of the title. This is because we like to think that the protagonist, Nick, has a thorough vision of how he wants to live which is outside of people's norms. People around his age see themselves having to move on to college after high school, but Nick has a different vision of life and his future. In the end, we then added Coastal to it since our protagonist loves the beach and sees himself always living near it in the future. The beach has been a safe spot for Nick after his rough childhood and has always dreamt of living there away from all his troubles. 

Storyboard

Today during class Veronica and I worked on our storyboard. This is extremely helpful to get a set plan or idea of how we want the filming process to take place. With our storyboard, we tried to label the kind of shot that is taking place. Doing the storyboard today also allowed us to get extremely in-depth with the plot, as we went along we added a few more scenes and touched upon previous scenarios. On the storyboard there are 3 pages, the first page mostly takes place in the classroom, the second in the hallway, and the third outside.

Here's our storyboard:

Our Issue

Sadly we have encountered an issue with our actor Simon. Because of spring break he will not be back in time to begin recording. This is important since my partner and I will need time to edit our shots after we film. Therefore, we have to change actors and are currently looking for someone different and  quickly to continue on with the project. If we don't find someone soon this will become a huge issue. However, we do have a few other candidates so we will most likely be able to fix this issue fast.

Color Schemes

 In relation to color elements, we want to depict how Nick feels when he's sitting in a classroom in contrast to how he feels once he escapes the school campus. To do this, my partner and I will be making use of color schemes to show this to the audience. While Nick is in his classroom, he will be extremely bored, to egg this on, we will be adding a greyish tint to the scene to invoke that feeling of boredness. 

On the contrary, as soon as Nick begins running away from teachers and security guards after escaping his classroom, everything will be brighter and more colorful. This is done to show what makes Nick feel alive and filled with adrenaline as a young rebellious teen.

An example of the color scheme for the classroom can be seen in this Harry Potter scene. However, it will be less blue and instead more grey.

Character Costume

 To extend on the character outline I will be discussing the character costumes for the protagonist, security guard, and teacher. 

For Nick Wayne, our character will be wearing a t-shirt with ripped jeans or shorts. An example of how this would look like is JJ in Outer Banks. In this show, the character usually rocks some sort of t-shirt and shorts. For our character Nick Wayne, we want him to wear similar clothing styles with perhaps ripped jeans instead of shorts. For Nick Wayne's costume, we would also like to include many wristbands and possibly sunglasses as well. This is all to create a laid-back look for Nick Wayne.

Character costume inspiration (JJ on the right):

The security guard in our film will be wearing the typical uniform that security guards wear at our school. This involves a blue collared shirt and black dress pants. An iconic factor of the security guard's uniform is the keys that jingle as they walk.

Mr. Patterson's costume will incorporate similar clothing styles to the real-life actor, Mr. Petritis. However, Mr. Patterson will most likely be wearing a t-shirt with dress pants and sneakers of some sort. Mr. Patterson also wears glasses.

Editing Software

 To edit our film my partner and I will be doing so on iMovie. We chose this for our editing software since it won't destroy the quality of the video. Additionally, my partner and I already have previous experience with using this software editing so it will make the process smoother to operate. iMovie also has numerous types of features which can be easily added like special effects, themes, sound effects, green-screen, and titles in the video.

Having previous experience helps immensely with navigating the editing process. We can import our video without difficulty from already doing so in the last project. 

How editing looks within iMovie:

Target Audience

 Naturally, as a Teen Adventure genre, our film already targets a younger audience around the ages of 14-24. In terms of gender, our film does not target either males or females specifically. Having a young teenage protagonist who is rebelling against rules taps into the teen mind of the fantasies they all create at times. In other words, Nick is doing what they all wish they had the guts to do at times. 

With further research into the Teen Adventure genre, we came upon the show Outer Banks. Outer Banks targets the same audience as our film. To do this, casting actors and characters who are roughly around the same age as the audience automatically catches the target audience's eye. Additionally, the demographic of our city includes lots of teens. 

Image of Outer Banks: 

Actors

For our character Nick Wayne, my partner and I wanted someone with dirty blonde hair and a charming personality to fit Nicks's role. The actor we chose has the exact character profile we are looking for to represent Nick. Our character Nick is 18 years of age so we needed someone of that same age or an actor who looks 18 years old. Luckily, our actor Simon is 18 years old. As soon as we began interviewing Simon we could immediately tell that he was perfect for the role. Nick is outgoing, charming, confident, and sarcastic which were all characteristics that we saw in Simon as well. This gives us an advantage as we know Simon will have no problem playing the role during production.

Then, we needed to move on to find someone to play the role of our angry teacher, Mr. Patterson. Mr. Patterson is the character that attempts to stop Nick Wayne from skipping class and essentially calls security on him. To play this role we chose Mr. Petraitis from our school. Mr. Petraitis may not be the best actor but we know he would be very willing to help and give it his all. Not only that but the role he is playing will fit into his real daily lifestyle of teaching, therefore, making it more natural for him. 

Lastly, Mr. Petraitis gave us a suggestion for an actor to play the security guard in our film. Coincidentally, his wife is a security guard at our high school who may be willing to play the role of chasing Nick down the school hallways etc. 

Shooting Schedules

During the actual filming process, my partner and I will be having to schedule times where we both can get together to film. Overall the filming will be taking place at school during study hall. Since our film setting revolves around school, we will have to be filming during school hours. This includes our class period during which most of our filming will take place since me and my partner are in the same classroom. 

Filming will most likely begin in one to two weeks. However, my partner and I do face an obstacle involving spring break. Both of us will be away for spring break meaning we will be losing a week of filming. To overcome this issue my partner and I will be taking extra measures to get the filming done the weeks before and after spring break to get the shots we need to put our project together.