To create my CCR, I have installed a monthly subscription based software called “Movavi”. It was $30 and is described as being generally quite user friendly. Since this was my first time even touching video editing , this seemed like my safest bet.

After some experimenting, I have quickly discovered one thing.

Editing is, and I cannot emphasize this enough, insanely tedious. So much respect and admiration is being extended to Ben at this moment in time. :,)

This software performs the basic functions of video editing. Since it is aimed specifically towards newbies such as myself, it contains many free samples that can be customized and inserted into your own videos. This has served especially helpful in moving the progress of my video forward, as I could easily drag and insert any transitions or overlays directly.

Within the Movavi video editor is a tool used specifically for recording sound. This is primarily what I’ve utilized to record the voiceover bits that are going to be inserted into my CCR. I’ve separated them all accordingly to the parts they will be located at in the video, so as to help me stay organized.

Finally, I’d just like to display the absolute mess my desktop has become. This is only a slight glimpse into all the pictures I’ve had to manually add to my desktop so that I have easy access to them while inserting them into my video. After putting all my audio clips together, my CCR is looking to be around 15- 17 minutes long, give or take. This means that many, many, more pictures will be needed. :,) The ones pictured above is just the few of several more to come.

Whether I like it or not, the CCR is soon approaching. :,)

As the production of this entire media product comes full circle , I wanted to take a moment to research exactly how I wanted to format and create mine. Asides from adding any finishing touches to my blog, this is the last thing I’ll need to have completed before I can finally close the door on this project.

Though, I’m suddenly realizing:

I have no idea how to make one. I’ve never even touched a video editing software in my life. :,)

In order to get a better idea of how these things are made, I began first by consulting the AICE Media Studies syallabus to see exactly what the graders were looking for. As it turns out, Mr. Engle had already discussed it with us before. We did exercises in class answering these very questions. The questions are as follows:

From there, I began doing some research and watching CCR’s from the years previous. I made sure to watch CCR’s that received high marks for a better reflection of how a satisfactory CCR should look. Of these were Brianna Duncan, Kierstan Lupinek, and Nickole Hicks.

The CCR’s that performed the best appeared to have the following similarities:

• Very thorough, lengthy
• Consistent and fluent flows as they transition between ideas
• Shows evidence of the process of film making
• Thoughtful reflection
• Director Commentaries
• Videos, not powerpoint, prezi etc.
• Content > Video Professionalism

Now that I know exactly what is expected of me, I’ll try my best to get started on my script and worry about the actual video portion later. That’s…gonna be a whole nother’ monster. :,) Stay tuned, folks.

As with many aspects of a film, titling is extremely important. Titling can play a major role in the branding, as well as the feel of a film overall.

Each of the fonts used for the following films have one thing in common despite their visual differences. They are intense, and evoke a feeling of uneasiness in their viewers. This is due to their unsettling appearance, as they are very serious and “in your face”. Macabre fonts such as these are used often within the realm of horror and thrillers and help to give a sense of a film’s content without revealing too much.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8oSrbYB3Os&feature=youtu.be

Seen above is the title card we implemented into our film. Our editor Ben created it using a font called “DVORAK”. This followed the conventions of horror a lot more, as it appears scratchy and foreboding. We made sure to insert our title card after the sequence ends, rather than at the beginning. This assisted greatly in challenging our viewers expectations for the film. Had the title card been at the beginning, our audience would have started to create their own expectations and meanings for the film, since the font obviously screams “horror”.

The next font Ben used in our sequence is “VCR OSD Mono”. Ben discovered that this was the font used for VHS timestamps, giving the font a more vintage and mysterious feel. This challenged genre conventions a bit, as it is much more subdued and classy than our main title. Since this type of font is generally more ambiguous in meaning, it doesn’t reveal too much about the nature of our film. This font also had a curser overlay, which paired well with the Word document shown at the end.

According to Cambridge, we can use music in our film opening as long as it is credited. As discussed in a past blog post, music can play a major role in constructing meaning and emotion from the audience. This effect was definitely something my group members and I wanted to implement in our title sequence, as well.

Pierce has taken it upon himself to start looking into possible music soundtracks that we can use in our opening. After consulting Ben, Katelyn, and I, we evaluated the options and have decided on “Psycho”- an instrumental produced by a creator named Lucas King on YouTube.

By a landslide, we all seemed to agree that the slow, eerie progression of this piano instrumental was the perfect fit for a film. We came to the general consensus that this song would achieve best in unnerving the viewers, yet also create an eerie sort of calm, as well. Due to the somewhat relaxing nature of the tune, our audience will hopefully be startled at the terrifying presences once they occur on screen- making them feel both deceived by the music and shocked at the same time.

Overall, I’m confident that this soundtrack will create the intended effects we wish to induce on our audience, and I am infinitely more excited to see how it looks once complete.

We have finally completed all the necessary filming for our title sequence and have successfully transferred all the footage to Ben’s computer via flashdrive. It is time for the long process of editing to begin!

To edit, he will be utilizing a software called ‘Sony Vegas Pro 16’. This is one of the best in the business, as even highly regarded editors use this for professional film editing. If you thought this picture looked complex, you’re right- though Ben navigates it like a pro! This software will supply him with all the necessary tools to make our title sequence feel and appear exactly as we imagined it.

Some features of Sony Vegas Pro include: Color Correction, Multi-cam Editing, Masking, Compositing, and Stabilization, as well as several more. Not only does it have many useful tools for video editing, but it has audio editing capabilities as well.

What Ben plans on doing with editing:

1. For one, we all agreed that adding a blue filter to the title sequence with color correction was an absolute must. This would help to maintain a dreamlike vibe, as well as decrease some of the warm lights and contrast visible in our raw footage. This will also serve another purpose of making the sequence appear more ominous, as well.
2. Next, Ben plans on inserting diagetic , and non-diagetic sound into the opening that is primarily recorded by our director, Pierce. Sounds that will be included consist of the bed sheets rustling, the faucet being turned off, and musical stings, among many others.
3. Ben will also match all the shots together, ensuring that the pacing remains relatively slow and drawn out until the very end, when Lionel is attacked by a shadowed figure.
4. Finally, he will insert the music that I have detailed in a separate blog post. This music will help to establish a creepy and chilling vibe.

And just for fun, here’s some famous Hollywood films edited using Sony Vegas Pro:

• Paranormal Activity (2007)
• (Audio parts of) Titanic (1997)

Sources Cited: 

• https://www.moviestudiozen.com/free-tutorials/sony-vegas-pro/524-sony-vegas-pro-13-best-features
• https://www.quora.com/Has-Sony-Vegas-ever-been-used-for-a-Hollywood-film
• https://www.vegascreativesoftware.com/gb/vegas-pro/features/#productMenu

Until I started writing this blog post, I hadn’t yet realized just how much technology was used to create our film opening. Today I will detail exactly what we used, as well as it’s purpose.

For the actual filming portion of the project, we utilized both a Canon Rebel T3i camera, as well an iPhone X. The Canon was used sparingly, saving it specifically for more professional shots that could not be captured on the iPhone X. That being said, the iPhone camera was used primarily. This is largely due to the advantageous factors associated with it. The iPhone was more convenient, since the footage was easily transferable from Katelyn’s phone to her iCloud, which is stored on her laptop. Since everyone in our group had a mobile phone, we were able to record from angles, providing us with many options to choose from during post production.

Ben and Pierce were both entirely responsible for recording sound and audio. Each of them utilized a pre installed app located on their iPhones called “Voice Memos”. This app allowed them to record the ambient and diagetic sounds contained within our opening. These sounds include sheets rustling, the photo frame being placed on the counter, as well as footsteps and A/C, to name a few.

Finally, we used industrial lights provided by Pierce’s father to illuminate the curtains and make Katelyn’s shadow appear more visible and intense. This was achieved by plugging it into the wall as I shined them steady on the curtain and someone else filmed. Another device provided by Pierce’s father is the laptop shown at the end of the film. Luckily he had one sitting around that he didn’t mind destroying for the sake of our project. Thank you Pierce’s Dad!

Unfortunately, I could not be present for the second day of filming, however my group has graciously filled me in on what I missed.

It seems that in my absence my group filmed Lionel (Robert) traveling into the other hospital rooms and him interacting with the mysterious figure following him. In addition to this, they also ended up re-shooting some clips from the dummy encounter on day 1 to make it seem less corny and cliche.

After my group filmed everything necessary, it seems they also went down a bit more of an experimental route. They attempted to film, what looked like, Katelyn’s feet levitating off the floor in mid air. This called for an especially interesting method of capturing the shot. You can only imagine my face when they described this to me. See for yourself:

For a better visual, my group showed me this scene from “The Eye” (2008, Moreau, Palud) The scene depicts a paranormal figure levitating off the ground and his feet dragging across the floor. I was super freaked out by this, which meant the scene did it’s job.

The result of this interesting setup! They explained to me the shots will likely not be used, since Pierce’s hair and Robert’s legs kept getting in the frame. Not to mention, physics worked against them as it was difficult to move Katelyn forward in the directions necessary.

Since Mr. Engle has kindly agreed to stay after school with us so that we can get this project complete, we’ve divided filming in to two days. Unfortunately, I won’t be present for the second day, however this shouldn’t be an issue since day 2 of filming likely won’t take as long as day one had.

This is especially since our director, Pierce has taken it upon himself to create a detailed list of shots we’re expected to capture today. This made all of our jobs a lot easier, especially Ben who will use this to aid in compiling the necessary shots during editing. There was little to no confusion on set about what was expected to be filmed that day, as Pierce added us all to a Google Doc we were able to access on our phones.

When we arrived at the room at 2 PM, we immediately began setting everything up. This meant props, getting Robert suited in his costuming and ensuring the room was organized accordingly.

Against our better judgement, we decided to film the sequence of events chronologically. We began first by filming the clock that appears above Lionel’s bed frame. We had to use the Canon for this shot, as Katelyn’s iPhone had been revealing our reflections in the clock.

The first push in of Lionel’s face as he awakens required Katelyn to stand on the bed with the guidance of Pierce showing her how he’d like the shot to look. I commend Robert for being able to keep a straight face because this was quite a funny sight.

In order to create the silhouette we intended to depict in our film, we employed the assistance of industrial lights that Pierce borrowed from his father. Seen in the image above is Katelyn holding the industrial light on the dummy so that he’d appear in the curtain. Katelyn first demonstrated to me how to hold the light correctly and then she began filming it from the other side of the curtain.

Something we learned from our first film experience was that we needed to film on multiple devices so that we could capture the same shots from several angles. As a result, we used Katelyn’s iPhone X (primarily), Ben’s iPhone 8, Pierce’s iPhone 6s and Robert’s iPhone 7. This method worked best in the interest of time since we only had until 5 to film.

As stated in my previous post, we have decided to change the setting of our film as the motel didn’t end up working with what we had envisioned. But fear not! I have already secured a new location for our film, and I feel this one will be even better than the last.

A mock hospital located on my school campus! This is common setting for thriller films and just this picture alone gives off a certain unsettling feeling. It can’t get any better than this! 🙂 I am confident this will establish the creepy vibe we were initially aiming for.

The mock hospital has several different “rooms” which may be useful if we choose to have Lionel explore in the film opening. This will also help as to maintain a realistic feel for the setting.

If the room wasn’t creepy in itself, take a look at these mannequins we found scattered throughout the building. Freaky, right? I’d like to incorporate them somehow, though I’m not sure how yet. I’ll discuss this with our director, Pierce before we film.

Since our film setting will be located at a hospital, Robert’s costuming will change to a hospital gown. Like before, this will make him appear more vulnerable but also depict him as a patient in the hospital. Luckily I didn’t have to go far to obtain this dress, as the room had hospital gowns supplied for us already. I also found some hospital socks, which will make the setting feel more organic and less artificial.

There is one caveat, however. :,) (Yes, everything’s too good to be true) The teacher in charge of this building can only stay until 3 pm. This leaves us with little to no time to film, which is very problematic considering the deadline for our final cut is quickly approaching and Ben will need ample time to edit and evaluate the footage. Mr Engle has offered to stay after school with us until 5 pm to supervise, giving us more time to get all the shots necessary. However, we will still have to split production into two individual days. This is something Mr. Engle advised heavily against, since we may find we have issues regarding continuity, though, against his better judgement, it seems we don’t have much of a choice. Trying to cram production into one day seems too daunting and we risk our footage appearing choppy and rushed. Which, given our first attempt at the opening sequence, is something we’re trying to avoid the second time around.

Hopefully everything goes according to plan this time. :,) Regardless, I’ll post about it but… stay tuned!

After much discussion and reflecting on our rough cut, we have ultimately decided to,,,scrap it and start back at square one. :,) Though inconvenient and painstaking as this may be, (especially this far into the project) we collectively agreed that our rough cut was less than satisfactory and overall, not what we had envisioned for the result of our film. However, this is okay, (I say this now but will probably regret it later) because we recognized the mistakes we made and when all said and done, our title sequence is gonna be more bomb than before. B)

It is important to note , however, that we are still sticking to the roots and skeleton of our film. The plot, characters, and branding will remain the same, and, so will the overall premise. We are essentially just filming in a new location, and making whatever changes are deemed necessary to fit that location.

WHAT IS GOING TO CHANGE:

1: THE SETTING: As enjoyable as the Super 8 Motel was, driving there was a major inconvenience for all of us. The drive itself took 45 minutes to an hour one way and, since *most of us don’t have our own means for transportation, it was up to our parent’s to take us there. (huge shout out to my parents for always being so supportive of our creative endeavors because I’m sure it’s tiring c,: ) Not only that, but the room was too expensive to rent a second time. (It was over $100!!) I haven’t yet decided our new film location, but when I do, that will be detailed in a separate blog post.

2: THE LIGHTING: Another major problem we encountered was the grainy and displeasing quality of the video. Due to our inexperience with the Canon camera, none of us knew how to create an exposure setting suitable enough to record in the dark! Robert’s dark complexion and attire made it even harder to see what was going on, so this is something that will for sure change. However, we would still like to add a blue hue during color correction, so as to maintain the dreamlike vibe we were initially aiming for.

3. THE MEANS OF FILMING: This leads into the next thing that will end up being changed. We used the Canon camera for most of the shots captured, as well as Katelyn’s iphone x. While we still may use the canon for some more advanced shots, we will ultimately use her phone for most of it. We may also use Ben and Pierce’s phone to capture the same shots from multiple angles. This will save us time as well as give us a wider variety during post production.

4: THE COSTUMING: Since we’re likely not going to be filming in a bedroom setting anymore, the next costuming decision will match whatever the new environment is, whatever that will be. The red dress worn by the phantom (Katelyn) may remain, though.