Links to our project!

 Project: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RRWMh_70Kdk6xVSLfsZ6TRSj9cNXG72f/view

CCR 1: https://youtu.be/ZiqE1zKKuw4

CCR 2: https://youtu.be/DLq2F_mIIVw

Final Reflection!

 So this is it huh? All of that work over the past several weeks and now its over!

Now don't get me wrong, I am very excited to be done with this project. No more stressing over blog posts every week, and no more struggling with editing clips together.

But in a way, I am going to miss this project. Not the project itself, but the filming and creation process was a new fun challenge, and it was very interesting. 

From all the highs like finally finishing filming, to all the lows like trying to deal with Adobe Premiere, this project has been a crazy process that has been both frustrating and fun.

Brady driving on our first filming day

Our original storyboard for 
the project

One of our first shots that we filmed

So that's it! Just one more post to go, and that's the final thing. This has been a very challenging and learning experience that has changed my view on the film creation sphere entirely.

CCR Post Production

 So now that I've wrapped up filming my CCRs, I have begun the editing process.

Thankfully, the Adobe Premiere Pro features made the editing process easy. I was able to piece together the clips, as well as add images and videos over the clips of me talking to further develop the CCR's.

Now that I have fully edited both of my CCR's, i am able to post them online and I am one step closer to finishing the project!

CCR Prodcution

 So this week, I begun filming my Creative Critical Reflections, and thankfully, I had made a few blog posts already to prepare myself for the production process.

However, I changed my mind off of some of my CCR ideas, figuring I should make creations more reflective and creative of my project.

So, I started off filming a therapy scene. This is reflective of the protagonists emotional struggle and problems, fully connecting our film opening to my CCRs.

I asked my mom to help me film the scene, and we were able to use her notebook, not just as a mise en scene element to build the scene, but it also had a few reminders for the questions she had to ask me. 

The therapy scene was filmed smoothly, with minimal problems. However, once I started the second scene, which was the schools principal office scene, I had more trouble remembering my lines during some of the takes.

But after a few extra takes, I was able to remember my lines, and we got the scene filmed. The script was a big help towards the process of both scenes, and I am very glad I wrote it before we started.

CCR Production Ideas

 As assigned for the CCR, we must come up with at least 2 different methods of portraying our CCR through creative methods of display. I have had some ideas that came to mind from the second the option was presented.

Option 1: Post Game Press Conference

As soon as the option was presented to use your own ideas to display your CCR, this is what I have had my heart set on. The concept consists of me, on camera sitting down at a booth with a microphone. A questioner behind the camera, would ask me the CCR questions, and I would answer them. The only issue is creating the design, but I think this would be an excellent idea. 

Option 2: Podcast

Out of the presented options, this is the one I had the most ideas for. I think there are multiple ways to attack this. The first way is to have myself as a guest appearing on another podcast, being asked questions. The other way, which may be easier to develop is that I am having a questioner appear on my podcast. Either way, it is essential that I include the advertisement and add in side effects to further develop my project.

CCR Question #4

 Software Utilization

Our most useful and essential tool has been Adobe Premiere Pro. It has allowed us to assemble our footage, adjust the pacing and mood, as well as incorporate and develop not only our color scheme but also our sound design. We have used it to balance our music with ambient noise. Specifically, our car scenes were shot in the middle of the day, when it was bright and sunny out. But with Premiere Pro, we were able to adjust the lighting, as well as add in new sounds to further develop the scene.

Hardware Incorporation

During the filming process, we did not have too many options when it came to cameras. We had to settle for using an Iphone, which we were able to enhance with a handheld stabler. Because of this, we were able to get smoother motion shots, particularly in the school shots. Our careful use of natural lights is how we developed most ogf our lighting, but a reflector was very helpful in retaining constant lighting during certain tricky scenes. 

Stabler

Online Tools and Blogging

To document our production journey, we utilized Blogger, which has served as our primary platform for organizing our research, reflections and behind the scenes content. Posting updates helped us track our progress, allowing us to reflect on potential adjustments and developments. Additionally, we utilized YouTube to research editing techniques, as well as certain lighting decisions during the filming process.

CCR Question #3

Pre Production and Planning:

To begin, we had a detailed phase of pre production planning, including storyboarding, location scouting, and creating a shot list. This was a crucial stage towards establishing the film's visual style and mood. A big challenge in this stage was the pacing of the shots. Given just 2 minutes to work with, it's difficult to figure out how many scenes to include in that time period. To refine this, we reviewed other film's in a similar genre, to see how they paced their intro's. Creating a shot list and schedule helped streamline the filming and idea process.

Our storyboard, which helped us
prepare for filming.

Production + Reflection

Our filming process went over pretty well, at least to begin with. We were able to film a majority of the shots at the beginning and end of our project, right away. Some shot's were lacking in theming though. However, by using some careful editing techniques, we were able to overcome this. The MAIN problem we faced, is that with just a few shots remaining to be filmed, which would be taking place at school, I contracted pneumonia and was stuck at home for over a week. This delayed our filming process, and set us behind a bit on editing. However, we were able to film these shots after my return, getting us back on track. 

Lessons Learned

This project taught me the importance of adaptability and problem solving on the fly during filmmaking. Planning ahead and creating a schedule is incredibly valuable, but just as important is the ability to refine choices during the production and post production phases. I also gained a deeper respect for how the visual and auditory elements, which may seem minute, are vital in the storytelling process. Overall, my production skills have grown tremendously, and I feel much better about working with film projects in the future.