Editing Struggles

So I have run into an issue. My partner and I are editing our opening, and it looks like a montage at the moment. I had covered this potential issue in one of my previous posts, and I am trying to figure out a way to solve this. If this cannot be solved, it would not evoke the sense of grief and sadness that we are trying to go for.

One way I could fix it is to connect all scenes by a certain part of the character or the setting. One example is focusing of the main characters eyes, and where it travels. This can tell my partner and I when to cut the video, and make a transition that seems cohesive and normal. This can be applied to a common feature in the set, such as an object or memory. The plot of the story involves using multiple objects that the deceased friend and the female character shared, which helps to progress the plot. We still need something more specific to make the opening as effective as possible.

Another way is to use editing features on the platform being used, in this case being WeVideo. One of the features I was exploring was the fade in/fade out feature, which is something that can work well with the type of opening that my partner and I are doing. Though, it is not something we can use for all of the opening, or it can become corny and repetitive. My partner and I will have to talk more about this, as this is a major issue that needs to be solved.

One avenue that can help with this issue is the use of correct music. Music being it the background, and changing from a less to more intense sound, can be a great tool to transition from scene to scene in a emotional and character driven sense. My partner has found some sources of music, but we are waiting to put the music until we are done with the editing. We had decided that having a fully edited project would help to pick the best type of music, as we would have a better understanding of what emotions and tones are expressed with the full opening completed.

Recordings from Today

I was able to record the last half of the storyboard, and it came out well. It took some extra time, as my parent was filming this, but it came out well. I was able to record what was in the storyboard, and add new plot points to the scenes we were filming, in order to get the best outcome of a project. This also means that we will need to cut out certain scenes filmed previously, but that is something for another day. 

The scene below was one that was not exactly scripted, which I felt had much emotion and relevance to the opening. This scene is at the end of our opening, where the main character sees a memory of her deceased friend, which was an imprint of their hands in a piece of stone. This is outside her house on her porch, which is another reminder of how strong and close these friends were.

This scene was filmed as a close up shot, which was something written in the storyboard. This allowed for the emotions of the reminder to be opposite from her frantic feelings of being late for her funeral, which was happening right before this scene. The moment when the female character looks up, it is a moment of reflection and solidifies the basic plot of the movie, and serves as a moment that the audience is questioning of what may happen next. I really like how this scene turned out, and I am thinking the title of our opening can be incorporated in this clip through further editing or with a transition of music.

Attached below is the scene.

All good from here!

My partner and I decided to keep the plot the same, and keep me as the actor in the opening. Keeping it the same allowed us to continue with our original plans in the storyboard, and not fall behind too much.

I will film the second half of the storyboard starting today, as it requires some changes to the original plan of filming. Since my partner will not be able to do it, I would have to use one of my parents to do it. As they are not completely familiar with our project and what is required recording wise, I am making sure to allocate the time to assist and explain what is needed to be done in all aspects of recording the opening. This would most likely require multiple tries, and will take more time to be done as accurately as possible.

After this, my partner and I will continue to edit the project. We are focusing on making the opening as cohesive as possible, and not make it look like a montage. Since we do not have dialogue, this can pose as a challenge, that we are continuing to find a solution or multiple solutions to solve.

New Prop and Distribution Techniques

After some consideration, the prop that I will use at the end of the opening is a forgotten object. This would evoke a sense of remembrance and incomplete thoughts relating to the death of the main characters friend. With the film opening, my partner and I wanted the audience to inquire about what would happen next, and potentially scenarios that could have caused for the demise of the main characters friend.

In terms of where people would see this, it would be on a digital platform that many people are exposed to, and gives new creators a space to grow through different projects. It would not be a place such as a major television network or on a platform dealing with movies made by experienced directors. Some of the places our movie opening would be presented would be on YouTube and Crackle.

YouTube is a global video platform, that allows millions of people to view content from creators from a variety of genres. In the case of our opening, this would allow people interested in amateur film creators content, such as people who are also film creators, or people who are interested in the themes and plot of our story. Moreover, YouTube has sections on the website that categorize some of the videos into specific genres, featuring certain videos as trending or the top viewed in the category. This would allow our video to be properly placed, and allow for the target audience to come and watch, which can potentially increase due to more viewers liking and recommending the opening to others.

Crackle is a streaming platform from Sony, which shows a variety of movies and original content. Under this platform, people who have access to Sony Entertainment and its resources would be able to watch this, which is a considerable amount of people. A variety of ages of audience will watch this, from children to adults, due to the accessibility of a platform like Crackle.

We keep these things in mind during our production, and strive to do the best we can, with the teaching and resources that we currently have, and keep learning about.

The Current Plan

As of now, Colin and I decided for me to film of the opening at my house, so neither of us have to start over. Though, this means that I would not be able to use the props that we were planning to use before. The main prop I would not be able to use is the handprint tile. It acted as a final memento between the main character and deceased friend. This would bring a sense of nostalgia and added sadness to the movie plot, which is needed for the plot we are doing. Also, it would have been incorporated with the title, which is something my partner and I needed to re- think about.

Some of the ideas I have are using another shared object between the main character and the deceased friend, such as a soccer ball or another type of toy. This would show that the main character and the deceased friend had more shared interests, which could have been hobbies or passions of theirs. Additionally, the prop can be something part of nature, like a certain animal or plant, like a flower. This can show the symbolism between the friend and the flower, as something that she loved, or was even representative of. These are some of the things I am thinking of doing, and will continue to think of more.

We have a problem

Well, we have a problem. My school has been cancelled due to the current pandemic, and most people in my area are practicing social distancing.

This would create a halt in our scheduled, since my partner and I still need to finish filming the project. We have gotten through half of our storyboard, and the rest still needs to be done. We would not be able to meet at each others house to film, which can pose as a serious problem. Some of the solutions we have come up with is to use the footage we have and change the story, or to use a different person for the video. We are still working on figuring it out.

We started to edit the footage that we have, so we do not fall behind too much. We will have to come up with a different solution quick so we can finish our project by the due date, with the necessary requirements and best quality as possible.

This weeks plans

In terms of progress, my partner and I have recorded around half of our storyboard, and have worked on editing some of our clips to match in terms of lighting and continuity. Also, we are working on the title of our opening, which is a real challenge for us. We want to come up with something that encompasses our movie and the themes in it, but not make it corny. We had came up with "The Memory of Happiness", but it did not click with the plot of the rest of the movie, as we made a rough outline of the plot to help make the opening as meaningful as possible. 

We are planning to film next week, and completely finish so we can start editing in the same week as well. We were suppose to meet this weekend, but my partner was not able to come. This would not halt us too much in our schedule, but it is important that my partner and I are extremely productive this week in order to meet our certain deadlines, and finish the projects and other components on time. 

Representation

In terms of representation, the main thing the opening does is cater to representing teenagers in a place of vulnerability and emotion. In general, growing up through the teenage years is difficult; moreover, people are trying to find themselves and their purpose. They go through many changes, and are growing up. But, sometimes the feelings that teenagers experience can be invalidated, or though of as overdramatic and unnecessary. As mentioned in a HuffPost article, "Why More Adults need to value Teenage Voices", in the minds of adults, teenagers can be thought of as " useless" and "irresponsible". With our opening, we try to show the feelings of a teenager going through a difficult time, and validate other teens that may be going through the same situation, or go through feelings that they may not completely understand. My partner and I would want the audience, whether teenager or not, to understand that all feelings are valid and important, and it does not dictate the type of person you are, or does not make you"uncontrollable: or "insane", based on the opinions of other people.

In terms of race, we are representing the Indian and African race through our main characters. In the beginning of the opening, you can see the female main characters pictures, which shows her in Indian clothing. This choice was not intentional, but it is important as these races are not casted in movies and television shows in America, and we wanted to create and opening that showed some diversity, in order to bring our own personal touch to our opening that would be in the drama genre.

Sources

Song, Isabel. “What Adults (Apparently) Can't See When They Look At Teens.” HuffPost, Huffington Post, 8 June 2014, www.huffpost.com/entry/teenager-misconceptions_b_5024803?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAANU6Ohh1sj-tVtCTU_O57uqq5KDxGAUfmFsrA7dYxNK2uhK6hWNJOzBAo0Tb6ypsGuyMRwDy8GYPW8fD0ax6w98SmR-ZR3KOW53aeHaOgJD2GkvKtnNrNnuVfXsARFDk1fx9M8qeKPRkOmXArSUxfr45seFyb2d4CNaE8rWnGLZh.

Video Issue

As my partner and I were reviewing our recordings, we came across this one that had an interesting lightning change.

In this specific video, we were filming the beginning part of the opening, where the main character is waking up, after three alarms have rung, at 2:00. When the main character snoozed the alarm clock a third time, the lighting changes from this muted gray/blue to a bright orange, and then back to the muted grayish blue tone. As we both watched that video, we were puzzled as to how this happened, and if this ruined the low key lighting we were trying to establish.

We were able to figure out a solution, which was through our editing software, WeVideo. In the application, there is a color correcting tool that we can use to duplicate the low key lighting that is in the rest of the clip. With that, we were able to use the clip, and not have record it again, which would affect the continuity of the other clips we had filmed that day.

Target Audience

For our film opening, my partner and I realized that we needed to establish our target audience. With the plot of our video dealing with a teenager losing a friend, we wanted to cater this to ages around 13-20, but I feel that people in any age range can watch this.

Our primary audience is teenagers, with the age range being around 13-20. Our film opening does not have overt symbols or processes that attract to this audience, but the representation of emotion and feeling that the teenage female character has in the opening, is something that this audience can relate to. As grief is something that is experienced different between person to person, teenagers as a whole experience grief in a similar set of ways. According to the article, "Experiencing Grief as a Teenager", by VITAS Healthcare, some of the ways that teenagers express grief with an emotional change to the smallest of things, and being in daze and not with reality. The film opening expresses both of these types of grief, with a major influence being certain object that the main character and her deceased friend shared. Even if the targeted aged audience has not experienced grief and the loss of a special person, they can relate to the emotions and actions being portrayed, as it would be the way that they would act in that particular situation as well.

In the case of our secondary audience, which is all the age ranges, it appeals to this audience in a variety of ways. One of the major ways is the subject matter of grief and loss, which can appeal an older audience, men and women, to watch such a movie. Past the film opening, the rest of the movie would involve the main character exploring the feelings related to her friends death, which can lead her to major insanity. This would be something rated for audiences 13 and above, making the age range mostly versatile.

Sources

“Experiencing Grief as a Teenager.” Hospice, Palliative Care, & End of Life Services, VISTAS Healthcare, www.vitas.com/family-and-caregiver-support/grief-and-bereavement/children-and-grief/experiencing-grief-as-a-teenager/.

Today's Work

Today Colin and I recorded half of our storyboard today. We were able to establish a type of lighting scheme, which was low key, through implementing the amount of light we were letting in from the blinds. Also, we created the set of the room by having a whiteboard, that served as a bulletin board and a to-do list. With this, my partner and I decorated the board with pictures of the main character and friend, and other personal mementos. Also, we also included a to-do list, to show the number of things the main character has to do, being a teenager in high school. Though, the list is dated about 2 weeks ago than what the current date is, to show that she has not made any changes since that day, most likely due to her friends death, which seriously impacted some of her daily activities and obligations

This shot is an aerial shot of the main character sleeping, as our opening begins with the girl sleeping for a long period of time, due to the event of her friends passing, which makes her not want to get up and do anything at that current time. We had recorded a repeated snoozing shot of the main character turning off the alarm, in an attempt to avoid the events that are coming. With this current shot, it begins to introduce the situation of the main character, and what event has really happened. Moreover, doing this as an aerial shot allowed for more visual interest, as we also recorded a medium shot of the same actions, to put them together and flow in the film opening.

Schedule+ New Prop

As my partner and I have finalized on our idea, we have decided to come up with a more definite schedule of production in order to get this project done in the most timely manner.

03/08/2020- Film half of storyboard

03/09- 03/13- Find handprint art prop/ edit project

03/14- Finish recording the opening

03/15-03/22- Edit project(Include credits and title)

03/23- 03/27- Finish Editing project/ Do last minute shots and changes

03/28- 04/05- Creative Critical Reflection

In other topics, the prop we are going to need to find this week is an art kit, that will help make an imprint of a hand. My partner and I wanted to find a third symbolic prop that represented the main character and the best friends friendship, and we already had a friendship bracelet and pictures of them together. The significance of the handprint is to show the time their friendship has lasts, and how connected both of them were to each other, and possibly how connected they are now. It would look like a project that they both did in elementary school, which would be a more explicit show of how long the main character and the friend were friends. My partner and I love this idea, as it would also be a good intro to the title of the movie, which is something we are still working on.

Storyboard

Finally, our storyboard is done! Below is both pages.

The plot of the opening deals with a friend getting ready for her best friends funeral. She wakes up, after snoozing the alarm for hours, not wanting to confront the impeding event. She eventually wakes up, very tired. She walks to her bathroom, overcome in emotion, but prepares herself by washing her face. She later walks back into her room, and sees a friendship bracelet she shared with her friend, and goes through more emotion of denial and acceptance of the incident. Later, she sees a picture of her friend, and changes her clothes to get ready for the funeral. As she leaves with the funeral announcement and her stuff in hand, she exists her house to see the last reminder of her friend, which is a handprint of his and her hand on the side of her house door. The title of the movie will come up after this part, which is something we are still trying to figure out.

Idea Reflection

During class today, my teacher had us sit in groups and talk about our project and the processes that my partner and I are doing. As I discussed my project, everyone was really responsive to the idea of grief and how to express it through modes other than sadness and crying. But one of the undecided things in the plot was the symbolic prop that would end the film opening, and allow the audience to understand that the opening is about a funeral. Some of the things that the people in my group recommended was having more objects or pictures of the friend and the main character, to imply what the opening would be about. Though, one of my doubts was using implied visual cues and props, as their is a chance that it can be misinterpreted, or make the opening more confusing. I went to ask my teacher about this, and she recommended to make a funeral announcement, which would have the deceased friends picture and certain title on it. This was a really good idea because it would help to conclude the opening, and make it definite to what the story is about.

In my partners group, he got the recommendation to change a part in our story, where the main character throws away a friendship bracelet, as it reminds her of her deceased friend and makes her really mad. Some of the group members thought it was too harsh, and recommended that the main character would have a more pensive and emotional moment, and have reflection on their friendship.. This could be further shown with a flashback, which my partner and I were thinking of doing. 

This week, Colin and I are planning to start the first half of filming, and make many of the props to add to the room. We are hoping to finish to finish the storyboard before, as it has been every- changing thing for us. 

Props and Symbolism

This past week, I have been researching certain symbols and customs that come with having a funeral. As our opening deals with the main female character getting ready for her friends funeral, my partner and I focused on the certain things people have to do to prepare to attend a funeral.

Some of the things done during the time around the funeral is a group gathering, involving the people close to the deceased, as they express their feelings about their event, mostly in a way to find peace with the situation. This would make the actual event of the funeral somewhat easier to handle emotionally and mentally. In the main characters case, it begins with her waking up in the afternoon, sleeping with the covers around her in an unorganized manner. She has not confronted her feelings about her friends passing, and has been sleeping for long periods of time, as a result of her continued feelings of sadness and grief. After this, her alarm clock begins to ring, and causes her to angrily get up and smash the button to turn it off. This progress highlights another feeling part of grief, which can be anger or rage, which is something she is going through on her own.

In terms of props, we had decided that the girl would have a shared memento with the deceased friend, which would be a friendship bracelet. As the girl gets up from her bed and gets ready, she would see the bracelet, and have a emotional reaction towards it. At this point, many things in her room are reminding her of her deceased friend, and she does not want that, shown as she ends up throwing the bracelet in the trash. Due to the bracelet, the characters emotions are shown related to the death of her friend, which are denial and anger. This can prompt questions about the character and the friends relationship, and how the main character is involved in the events related to her friend.

Some other props that would be used are a black dress that the main character wears to the friends funeral, and roses. With roses, their is not a specific one that needs to be used, and it can depend on the person. In the characters case, she would bring a white flower to the funeral. The color white can mean purity and innocence, which is representative of her friend. Her friend bringing a white flower is a way to pay homage to how nice and pure her friend was, which is different to how the main character is now.

Sources

Freud, Emma. “How to Do a Funeral.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 4 Jan. 2014, www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jan/04/emma-freud-guide-how-to-do-funeral.