creative critical reflection

 

https://prezi.com/view/FQZM0h1JKE6CfmPHDoww/

final film

 Finally, it is the moment we have all been waiting for, the final film. I hope you like it! 

see you later.... (my overall thoughts and feelings)

Bittersweet, but the film is over and this will be my final formal blog post. The next two posts are my CCR and final film. After months of working hard on this film, it's been completed and all my blog posts are done (well except for this one). I am so grateful for this opportunity. I learned not only how to act and edit, but also how to lead a group. I was able to let my creativity run wild and do what I wanted. As I've mentioned before, this film was my vision and idea, and this is exactly how I imagined it. Obviously, this is no Hollywood-level film, but for what it's worth, it's a pretty good film. There are some things that I would've done differently, though, like using CapCut from the beginning and getting a different dress, but these are minor things, the positives outweigh them. I love the zoom-in transitions. I love the montage. I love how Dylan gave Nicole a ring pop to propose. I love how the comedy of it. I love how Priest Pascal turns into a burger. And the list can go on, and, on. Honestly, exactly what I wanted. Not only was the film fun but writing these blog posts was a blast to make. I loved updating this blog and writing updates on our film. It helped me put all my ideas into one document. And when I needed to reference something, it was easily accessible. Overall, I will miss this experience and would love to do it again. Who knows, maybe this won't be the last time you see me. Maybe you'll see me credited in the next movie you watch in the theaters. So this isn't a goodbye, this is a see you later. 

-with love, Nicole Gonzalez

what do others think?

So far, you have only heard opinions of our film from my point-of-view, but what do other people think of my film? I interviewed two people, my school's video and photo teacher, Mrs. Perez, and her student, Elliott Marrero. I picked these people to interview because they have a lot of knowledge on the topic, they do a lot of filming in their free time/is their job. Here, you will see what they liked, disliked, and overall criticisms they had.

Elliott Marrero:

What did you like?

The storyline throughout the opening was very consistent and well-written. The audio fit with the short very well. I also loved the comic effect hidden behind the eerie feel of the end of the film.

What did you dislike?

The camera angles in the film are not compositional. They felt tilted and too close up. I also wish that the priest was in more of the film.

How can we improve?

Getting better compositional angles would keep the film better quality. Slowing down the pace of the opening would allow for a better interpretation of the film.

What moments, characters, or ideas resonated with you while watching?

Priest Pascal really resonated with me while I watched. The comic effect they brought gave the film a different meaning. I also enjoyed Nicole's character before she was in her daydreaming, the way her character looks gives an extra comedic effect.

Why would someone want to watch this film?

If anyone is interested in chicflics/romcoms, this film would be perfect for them. It has the same feeling of a hallmark movie. It's definitely not something to take seriously. 

Is this movie at a level where we can distribute it?

No, due to the lack of camera quality during the daydreams and the quick pace.

Mrs. Perez

What did you like?

I loved the whimsical feeling in the dream sequence, that whole scene is very cute. I like when he hands her the flowers and the ring. The part where the girl wakes you up was very. Overall, very cute.

What did you dislike?

I did not like the transitions between the different scenes. I think they do not match. The composition is off and it is dark at some points. 

How can we improve?

In the beginning, you should've put an over-the-shoulder shot looking at Ashley, not at Nicole. Additionally, it is not clear Nicole is daydreaming, you should've used a different transition that made more sense, like a rift. The beginning is also too fast, it should've been slowed down a bit.

What moments, characters, or ideas resonated with you while you were watching?

I really like the main character, Nicole. The way she's a nerdy girl and delusional is cute. I also liked when the priest became a burger, it was funny.

Why would someone want to watch this film?

I think someone would want to watch this film for the comedy, I found it funny. If this was a real full-length film, I would've loved to see where Nicole and Dylan's relationship would've become.

Is this movie at a level where we can distribute it?

No, the beginning is a little confusing and some parts are choppy, but for being their first time, they did a wonderful job!

(I took inspiration from this website for some of my questions: https://calvary.church/grow/resources/movie-discussion-guide-general-questions)

meet the cast: overall feelings

The main people you see on camera, the cast. I myself am part of the cast. For all of us, this was our first time acting, so it was a new experience for all of us to be in front of the camera. Obviously, we are not Hollywood-level actors, but for our first time, I think we did a great job and I am so proud. Here are their quotes (my overall thoughts will be in a following blog)

Ashley Marshall as Ashley

"I’m Ashley Marshall, I was an actor in the film. I played the role of Nicole’s best friend. I helped out with setting scenes and piecing everything together. My house was used for the majority of the filming. I had a very fun time with this project, particularly because of the people, they made things less stressful. I’m glad I got to work with such an amazing team."

Dylan Hernandez as Dylan

"What's up bees!!!! My name is Dylan Hernandez and I played Dylan, the love interest, in the film. This was my first time filming and I was really nervous since I was meeting new people. it was an amazing experience and I am super happy I got to meet new people. My favorite part about filming was THE FREE FOOD (just kidding). It was overall a great day filming at the park and spending time with my new friends."

Bryanna Pichardo as Priest Pascal

"Heyyy! I am Bryanna Pichardo and I was an actor, makeup artist, and assistant camera person. I was asked by the group to assist them when making the film, and I had a fun time with them. They had told me the idea for their film, and occasionally I added my two cents, mostly jokes, and it build my relationship with each member. For example, we joked about me dressing as a burger and it actually ended up in the final product. Every moment that I was able to spend with this group, whether it be in class or outside shooting their clips, I had a smile on the whole time. I was also a cameraman for a good chunk of the film and I improved my ability on capturing scenes from different angles and camera movements. Not only was I able to improve teamworking and camera work, but I build on the relationships with each member. Love y'all!"

meet the crew: overall feelings

Behind the scenes, there are people who helped in the making of the film. Here, I will say who is the crew and a brief quote from them. They did things like record, design, and overall make the film look better. Not only were they a big help, but they also gave us good ideas and advice on how to make our film look better. Most of these people weren't even in our group, they just lent a helping hand!

Vivien Tang: Editor and Camera Worker

"Hey my name is Vivien Tang, and I and the editor and camera worker of this project. The project was a phenomenal success as I was able to contribute a lot of my ideas to the storyboard to help create the final piece. I enjoyed so many different aspects of the project, such as the editing process where I cut and edit each clip so it can transition more smoothly. I enjoyed being able to replay my clips over and over again to ensure everything was smooth and nothing glitched out. As the editor and camera worker, I also obtained several skills during my project such as communication, editing, and filming. Communication was extremely important to me as I had to learn how to communicate with my peers outside of school to help with the filming. Editing was an additional fun aspect that I also enjoyed doing as I learn where to place each clip and where to edit. Moreover, the filming aspect of this project was very enjoyable as I learned different camera shots and angles to do for this project. Overall the project was my absolute favorite as I had a lot of fun!"

Anais: Musician, Photographer, and Helper

"Hey! My name is Anais and I made the music, took pictures for their blog, and was an overall helper. It was so much fun to make the music in this film, I have a passion for writing and playing the guitar, so me being able to show that off in a film was cool. One thing I did to help was hold up a towel so it wasn't too bright in the scene, it was so hard for me not to laugh. Overall, helping Nicole, Ashley, and Viven in their film was a pleasure!"

Malavika Nair: Helper

"Hello, my name is Malavika and I was a helper during this film. I gave Nicole, Ashley, and Vivien inspiration for the film. I gave them the idea to have a picnic scene, and I love how it turned out. I also helped while filming by setting up the props and bringing the things they needed for that scene. Even though I did not play as prominent a role as everyone else did, I am still happy to get the opportunity to help and be part of this great film!"

Jim Marshall: Camera Worker

"I’m Jim Marshall, Ashley’s father. I helped out Ashley film the final scene. Although the filming process was a bit annoying since we had to reshoot a few things over, I still enjoyed it very much. I even offered some advice for some of the clips. I was more than happy to help my daughter with her school project."

final storyboard

After all the editing and new scene, this is the final storyboard.

                                                 

                                          

editing post 4

This is my last editing post, for I have completed the whole film! It was much easier to edit last time than last time, I already had experience. It was also quicker because I did the bulk of the work prior. As I did previously, I will do a step-by-step of everything I did.

What I first did was add the title sequences.

Then I added the title at the end that Vivien made.

Now it's time for the second part of my editing today: the sound. The way I added the audio onto the film was to first put the video the audio comes from in the film, then detach the audio. From there I put the audio where I wanted it to go. The video the audio originates from stays there, so I just delete it. I did this for all the sounds we used

I first added the songs Anais made for us.

Then I added the sound effects.

The last thing I did was review and make sure the film was finished and bam! Editing was completed. Overall, I am happy we made the choice to switch editors and editing software. Not only did this make the process more efficient, but it made the overall film look better. I do wish I had practiced a little more on CapCut, however, because I had to look around for a couple things, like detaching the audio and changing the filters. If I have something similar to this where I need to edit, I will definitely use CapCut. (not sponsored)  

updated script

While filming, we decided to change the script because we no longer liked it, it was too short. I like our new script better because it elaborates more on what is happening in the scene. Here is the updated script.

HOME SCENE:

(It is established that Ashley and Nicole are hanging out, they are sitting on the couch in the living room talking. Happy indie music is playing in the background)

Ashley: -gibberish-, Yea. And I don't know for him to cheat on me with her is just so disrespectful. I can't believe it. And I can't believe he would do that, after everything I've done for him, I literally went to his grandma's funeral...

(Ashley's voice fades away and Nicole's daydream begins)

DREAM SCENE:

(happy, romantic music plays as Nicole and Dylan frolic in the fields. Some time passes, now its the wedding.)

(Ashley is trying to wake Nicole up)

Ashley: Nicole, Nicole, Nicole!

(Nicole's daydream ends)

HOME SCENE PART 2:

(Nicole and Ashley are back on the couch, Ashley is shaking Nicole to wake her up)

Ashley: Nicole, Nicole, Nicole!

Nicole: Huh?!?

Ashley: Still thinking about him? 

Nicole: Yea...

Ashley: Let's just watch the movie.

Nicole: Okay.

(Ashley turns on the TV)

HOME SCENE NIGHT:

(Ashley is on the couch, sleeping with a note on her forehead, "Had 2 go! Dishes r on counter! Love you, Nicole")

(Ashley wakes up, reads the note, then goes to put the dishes in the dishwasher. While putting them away, she sees a note from Nicole "Dylan + Nicole 4EVER")

Ashley: What the heck??… Dylan and Nicole forever... In her dreams

(The title comes up. end of the film)

editing post 3

When I began to edit on CapCut, I was a little confused about how to use the program, this was my first time using it. After playing around with the buttons for a little bit, I was able to learn how to use it. Unlike Premiere Pro, CapCut is very user-friendly and easier to navigate, so changing software for me to edit was a good choice on my part. Here is a step-by-step of what I did today.

I first began by putting all the clips together.

After that, I put transitions between the different clips so the film can flow smoothly.

Then I cut the clips that needed to be shortened.

Then I began to focus on the dream sequence, putting a filter to make it look euphoric. 

Some pictures of me editing!

Next time, I hope to add the title sequence and music. I also wish to wrap up with editing.

list of transitions

 Since we switched apps, the names of the transitions changed. In this blog, I will show the new transitions we are using and why we are using it.

Black Fade

Black fade in our film represents the time changing, as it transitions to nighttime. The darkness of this transition is also a reason why we picked it.

Blink

This transitions changes the audiences point-of-view. So far, we have been seeing things from a first person perspective, but now we are seeing it from Nicole's point of view, as she begins to regain consciousness from her dream. The reason we chose it was because of how smoothly it changed the perspective, without confusing the audience.

Fade (called Mix on CapCut)

For most of the shots in our dream sequence, we used a fade. We felt as though this matched with the euphoric feeling of the film. The scenes slowly flowing into each other is exactly what I imagined, so the fade was perfect.

Bubble Blur

The bubble blur represents the dream is ending, and lets the audience know it is. It also adds to the fast pace feeling of the end of the film. 

Zoom in/out (called Infinite 1/2 in CapCut)

The zoom into my eyes shows the audience that everything that is about to happen is coming from my mind. This also elaborates on the fact I am not paying attention to Ashley. The zoom out shows that the day dream is over and Ashley successfully got me out of it. The reason why we chose this transition is because it reminded us of the show, That's So Raven.

Fade (known as Blur on Capcut)

Unlike the last fade that was used, this fade looks to get, as the name suggests, blurry, as if the camera gets out of focus, then back into focus. This transition is used in most of the home scenes because of its simplicity. The reason we chose this is because we did not want just a simple cut, and this type of fade made it like a fancy cut.

major update

Vivien has had some difficulty with editing on Premiere Pro, so we have changed the app we are going to use. Instead of Premiere Pro, I am going to use CapCut to edit instead. We will still use Premiere Pro, but only for the title. 

I have never used CapCut before, so wish me luck!

Also, for the new scene we are filming we decided to give the love interest a name, Dylan.

use of props

    As seen previously, our film uses many props. This immerses the audience in the film. In this blog, I will go over the different props we used for our film. 

   HOME SCENE

  As shown above, we used board games, chips, and some donuts as props for this scene. This shows that Nicole and Ashley are hanging out. This creates a calming feeling as it is assumed by the audience that they are munching on food and playing board games as they talk.

FIELD SCENE

In this part of the scene, you can see a blanket, basket, flowers, and some chocolates. This makes it obvious that they are having a picnic. These props also add to the romantic feeling of this scene.

 

HOME SCENE NIGHT:

The props in this scene consist of  2 notes, one telling Ashley Nicole left, and one showing Nicole's delusion. The first note helps the audience know Nicole is gone and keeps the story going, while the second note elaborates on the dream sequence. The same plates are also shown, being put in the dishwasher, keeping the film continually correct.

shooting: home scene- night

 As said previously, we had to add an extra scene, so today, Ashley filmed the last part. Originally, Ashley's friend was going to go over to her house and film, but she had to cancel, so instead, Ashley's dad, Jim, filled the role of cinematographer. Since I was not there, I cannot really speak about it but here is a direct quote from Ashley's blog.

"Welcome back! Why we had to film a 3rd scene and how it played out: I was a bit surprised when Vivien informed me that we only had about a minute of footage. Despite our best efforts to capture everything we needed, we simply hadn't filmed enough to tell a cohesive story. That's when Nicole, with her quick thinking, came up with an idea to shoot an extra scene.

The idea was simple enough. I would wake up in my living room, only to find that Nicole was no longer there. Instead, she had left a sticky note on my forehead, letting me know where she had gone. Of course, this meant that we needed to film a few more shots to make the scene work. And, being the expert videographer that he is (joking, of course), my dad was behind the camera.

Honestly, the process was a bit frustrating at first. I had a clear vision of how I wanted the scene to look and play out, but things weren't quite turning out the way I had imagined. It was definitely a team effort to come up with ideas and figure out how to make everything work. Thankful for my dad and his helping hand.

We ended up reshooting the first scene a few times because we realized we needed the TV in the frame, which we hadn't included in the first take. But, with some perseverance and a bit of creativity, we were able to capture everything we needed in just 30 minutes.

Looking back, it was definitely worth the extra effort. The final product turned out even better than I had hoped, and I'm grateful to have been a part of the process. It's amazing how much work goes into creating just a few seconds of video footage, but it's all worth it in the end."

lighting

For the dream, home, and home 2, natural lighting is used. However, during the home night scene, practical lighting was used. Why was that? Today, I will explain why we chose this and what effect is creates/ evokes.

Let me begin with home scenes. One reason why we chose natural lighting is because of the location. We filmed at Ashley's house, in her living room, and to the left are these big floor-to-ceiling sliding doors, so no other type of lighting was needed. If we were to add more lighting, it would be too bright and unnecessary. Additionally, the natural lighting adds to the chill, relaxed feeling of the scenes. The lighting also adds to the feeling that Ashley and Nicole are close to each other and feel comfortable with one another. It's not like it's super bright though, since it is dim natural lighting, it feels calmer.

Next, the dream sequence. Yes, this is natural lighting, but it is so much brighter than the home scenes. That is because we filmed outside, right under the sun. This bright natural lighting makes the scene feel energetic and playful. The way the sun brings out the white in Nicole and Dylan's outfits really adds to the bridal feeling. Like the home scene, this natural lighting is perfect, and adding extra lighting would be unneeded because it is already bright. If we were to add more light, it would be too bright. For this scene, I put a filter called Dark Brown (from CapCut) to add to that dreamy, euphoric feeling. I took inspiration from the lighting in the Twilight movies. This makes the scene a little dimmer, but you can still tell it is bright, much brighter than the home scenes.

When it came to filming these 3 scenes, it became a race with the clock to film because the sun is only out for such a period of time, so we had to rush in filming some scenes.

And finally, the night home scene uses practical lighting, coming from the ceiling lights Ashley has in her house. The reason why lighting was needed was because we filmed in the nighttime, unlike the other scenes that were filmed during the day. If we were to use something like a studio light, it would not have the same, homey vibe the practical lighting gives it. And obliviously, if we had no lighting, you wouldn't be able to see anything. 

new scene idea

 Since now we need a new scene, I have come up with this idea. 

(End of what we have, which is tv)

- Fade into the next scene

- (it is nighttime and Ashley is asleep)

- She wakes up and sees a note on her forehead “had to go, my mom was here” 

- Ashley starts picking up in her kitchen to clean up and finds a love letter from me to Dylan 

- Ashley says to herself “in her dreams” then it shows the name of the film “in my dreams”

I hope this works out, as previously stated, I am about to go on vacation, a cruise actually, and I will have no internet or Wi-Fi, meaning I cannot see the end result until it is completely over and done with. I wish Ashley the best of luck!

editing post 2

So far for editing, Vivien has added transitions. These transitions help tell the story of the film. Below is pictures of the editing. While editing, we noticed that the video only came down to a minute long. Due to me being gone for vacation around this time, I was not able to help with the shooting of the new scene. I did, however write up how the new scene was going to go (in a future blog post) Vivien has spent some time editing, and it has been challenging for her to do so. We will probably have to make a change in the next coming days. The film is not coming out as I want it to and I don't want her to keep on doing it over and over again, so I might come in to help. 

title sequence

The title sequence runs throughout the middle of the dream sequence. We chose this because there is no dialogue in this scene, just music. We felt like if there was dialogue, music, the title sequence, and visuals, it would be too much at once. The way we organized our title sequence was by role: actors, editors, cinematographers, musicians, and miscellaneous. The reason it is in this order is from most prominent to least prominent. The credits also pop up on the sides of the screen. A new clip is a new sequence. The font we used was called Vouge (from CapCut). This font matched the fancy Times New Roman font I was looking for. Here are some pictures of our title sequence.

 

For the main title of the film, we are using rumba large (on Premiere Pro). It is similar to the Vouge filter we used prior. The black background makes it more dramatic and puts the focus all on the title.

We were thinking of other fonts as well, those options are below. But overall, did not match the vision.

For all the texts, we chose the color white because it fits the romantic and bridal feeling of the film.

group dynamics

Most of us knew one another, so there was no issue there, except for Dylan. He only knew me and no one else, so at first, it was a little awkward, but thanks to Dylan's bubbly personality, he got along with everyone perfectly. He first met Bryanna, I drove them both to the park and back, so Dylan got along better with her, they spent more time together. Once we got there he began to talk to everyone and became comfortable. 

Dylan and Bryanna even fell asleep in the car ride!

We didn't really have any problems or disagreements while filming. If two people had clashing ideas we just did both of them, then while compiling clips, we just pick the best one out of the two. Bellow's an example of this. Ashley wanted to do this scene still, while Vivien wanted the camera to pan with the characters. 

   

Ashley's vision.

 

Vivien's vision.

All in all, I am happy to have worked with the people I did, it made the project much more enjoyable to film. Yes, I only talked about filming in the park, but that's because the home scenes consist of the same people (me, Ashley, and Bryanna), so the dynamic stays the same.

representation

 In our film, we represent a variety of cultures. Ashley is Polish, I am Cuban, Dylan is Columbian, and Bryanna is half Ecuadorian and half Dominican. Additionally, we all have different personalities, with Ashley and Dylan being more bubbly, while I and Bryanna are more introverted. Bryanna also has vitiligo, adding to our representation.

Some pictures of us repping our cultures!!

However, we do use stereotypes. Nicole is the average nerdy girl, with pigtail braids, a lisp, and retainers. But this is the only stereotype we use. But this is necessary in order to portray she, is for a lack of better terms, a loser.

All in all, I do not think we need to make changes, the characters range with a wide variety of personalities.

film update

 Quick update!!

While we were filming the home scene, Ashley said my name, Nicole, instead of the main character's name, Kimberly. So we do not have to reshoot, we have decided to just change her name to Nicole. The clip where she said Nicole is below.

updated storyboard

 While filming, we made changes and came up with new ideas, thus making us have to change and update our storyboard, below is the new storyboard.

                                          

editing post 1

 In order to put all of our filming clips together, we need to edit them together. The person who is going to edit our film is our camera person, Vivien.

In order to portray and transition from one scene to the next, she has started to use a number of video transitions, including dissolve, eye shape (round), and fade. She is not currently using any video or sound effects.

The length of each video was a problem she ran into. It took her a long time to remove the beginning and conclusion of various films since they were cut too short or too long because we took them with another group. Moreover, she may have put some shots in the gaps between some of the shots she used. She was able to complete this assignment swiftly, however there was a time-consuming problem that sadly had no remedy. She had some difficulties putting the films together, which is another problem.

Below are some photos of Vivien editing: