The final title sequence for our film, Lucid Elucidations!

Alternative Viewing Location: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xzgs_62lCr0dy1xMx0ABxTpuYxVupCZO/view?usp=sharing

Wow! Editing is a lot more painful than I gave it credit for. Anyways , here it is, my CCR!

Alternative Viewing Location: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mPRviYlADINxnleJWz-QNSn5baSRdZnM/view?usp=sharing

Hello my name is Bianca Raby, the production designer of our film opening, Lucid Elucidations! My group consists of the wonderful director Pierce Thomas, talented cinematographer Katelyn Wagner and masterful editor, Ben Isaacs. Creating our title sequence was definitely a journey, full of both tremendous triumphs, as well as many tribulations. To put it lightly, an experience that I learned an immense deal from, moreover, one that I value and will never forget. Without further ado, lets begin as I run you through my creative critical reflection!

Lucid Elucidations is a psychological thriller that follows the story of Lionel, a man who suffers from head trauma and amnesia, a memory loss which has trapped him in the realm of his fears and the terrifying depths of his imagination. In essence, a mental purgatory where fantasy and reality coexist. While Lionel is battling the enigma that his personal situation has become, he is also attempting to discover what happened to his sister, and how he is somehow connected to it.

Throughout the course of filming our project we carefully referenced the conventions within our genre, not straying too far from them as we knew their implications would have a significant influence in determining how our film was received. We wanted to ensure  that the genre was established clearly while also maintaining our own degree of creativity and innovation.

Since my designated role in this process was production design I took on most of the responsibility in establishing the appropriate costuming, setting, props, and lighting.

PART 1: HOW DO YOUR PRODUCTS USE OR CHALLENGE CONVENTIONS AND HOW DO THEY REPRESENT SOCIAL GROUPS OR ISSUES?

The setting of our film was conducted in a mock hospital located on our school campus. When I chose this location, I was really excited because I felt like it would create the perfect feel for our film. This was mainly due to the fact that, hospital settings are often used within the horror and thriller genre and can be incredibly creepy when manipulated correctly. Because of their close association with death, illness, and most importantly, it’s inhibitors vulnerability I believed this would do wonders in establishing the tone of our film. This has been exemplified in many horror films and shows. For instance, in the first episode of the walking dead, Rick grimes wakes up from a coma in an abandoned hospital. It is quickly, in fact, almost immediately revealed that the hospital is empty and in a severe state of disarray after a zombie outbreak erupts in america. This setting achieved well in captivating viewers and making them feel uneasy. Much like our film, the hospital setting creates the illusion of safety. Then, it subsequently has the viewers expectations inverted upon the realization that it is not as safe as it may seem. The hospital plays on  Lionel’s perceived isolation, until he isn’t and we discover that he is sharing the hospital room with an unknown force, a phantom if you will.

Going off that, the costuming I chose was extremely important as well. The gown worn by the protagonist was used mostly with the intention of indicating his role as a patient. This plays into the plot in which he is attempting to discover how his ailments are connected to death of his sister. However it served a dual purpose in making him appear more vulnerable and susceptible to a potential attacker – one which is later revealed to be the shadowed figure.

A lot of the props I chose for the opening were mostly implemented to help create a feel for the setting. For example, the flowers, and the pill bottles. However, others were of greater significance. The photo frame, perhaps, which is of one of the more poignant. The photo frame depicts Lionel and his sister, leaving viewers with the chilling question of : “Well, what happened to her?’ This of course, is never revealed, though it helped to provide some context as to who the unknown figure could be. In addition, the computer, which is opened on a microsoft word document that reads the unsettling phrase, multiple times,  “ I SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE.” I developed this idea in hopes of paying homage to the iconic scene from the horror classic “The Shining”. In this scene, Wendy Torrance, after recognizing her husband’s odd behavior discovers his typewriter, accompanied by pages upon pages of the single phrase “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” This scene receives continuous praise, even to this day, and rightfully so as it achieves incredible success in unnerving viewers. This idea was something I had hoped to include in our first rough cut, but was ultimately scrapped for sake of time so I’m really glad it finally made its appearance in this one.

In terms of the lighting, we seemed to have challenged what it is typically used in within our designated genre. Our lighting was, for the most part pretty high key as opposed to the low key lighting which is a common staple to the horror and thriller genre. The use of high key lighting helped to build on the illusion of safety that I had mentioned previously, shocking both the viewers, and Lionel when the scares are finally presented.

In terms of cinematography we stuck to some more common conventions. Arguably one of the most important being the, over the shoulder shots. This choice in cinematography greatly influenced the feel of the film, making the audience seem more included in the action, as well as immerse them directly into the same dangers Lionel encounters. This gave almost a first person view of everything that was occurring. We also used close ups to either emphasize the significance of certain items or the reactions of Lionel to certain stimuli. To assist in this same result, we employed mid shots and wide shots to display the environment and reveal any additional elements that provide context to the following scenes. For example, this one which reveals Katelyn’s shadow behind the curtain.

Ben was entirely responsible for editing, however we all added our own input as to how the film should look. We agreed that a blue filter added during color correction would make the sequence appear more dream like, as well as decrease the amount of contrast, extracting the color that previously existed in the scene and ultimately make it appear colder, darker and more ominous. The pacing remained generally slow and consistent throughout, emulating Lionel’s thought process as he was still trying to piece together the events he was exposed to before arriving at the hospital. The pacing increased a bit once the shadowed figure attacks him, showing Lionel, and the viewer’s heightened senses of fear and panic.

Sound was one of, if not the most important element of our title sequence. We used music produced by creator Lucas King throughout the opening to create a general sense of uneasiness and mystery. We also used various musical stings throughout to heighten the horrifying presences and fearful reactions to the events occuring onscreen. This is very common in the thriller genre and help to evoke a more augmented sense of fear and suspense from the audience. Likewise, we employed various foley sounds, like the eerie hum of air conditioning that you’d expect in a silent environment, and, in the beginning a echoing reverb of water dripping from a leaky faucet. This symbolism of water was an essential part of our branding and also helped to establish that Lionel was dreaming. This was a result of most of our sounds sounding unnatural.

Regarding representation, we challenged the conventions in the thriller genre. We employed a male victim and a female aggressor, something that isn’t seen too often in horror films since men are usually the attackers and women the victim. This is exemplified in films such as that of The Silence of the Lambs and Psycho. Furthermore, we also casted an african american lead, this is something that is not seen frequently in thrillers but also cinema in general.

PART 2: HOW DO YOUR PRODUCTS ENGAGE WITH THE AUDIENCE AND HOW WOULD THEY BE DISTRIBUTED AS REAL MEDIA PRODUCTS?

We were initially torn between a variety of production companies but eventually decided on Blumhouse Productions. This decision was mostly driven by the fact that they specialized in creating low budget horror films, and were their own independent company. This would allow us more creative liberty in producing our film and also ensure us it will be created with a degree of success we found to be satisfactory. Blumhouse has created many successful horror films that have become a modern classic of our generation, such as that of Get Out, Split, and the Purge. These films performed especially well in the box office, earning a gross box office success within the range of 100 to 300 M USD.

This leads in to another reason why we chose Blumhouse. Blumhouse has a 10 year first look deal with Universal Pictures, which will ultimately give us the opportunity to have our film distributed and purchased by them. Since Universal is one of five major media conglomerates, this will be very advantageous to have them as our backing. It will give our audience greater motivation to see our film since Universal is a highly esteemed brand known for distributing incredible blockbuster hits.

Folllowing this, our film will likely be released to film festivals , such as Sundance so it can build a reputation and obtain some hopefully good reviews, praise, or awards from critics. This will help to accumulate hype and anticipation for the film before it is sent to movie theatres for wide theatrical release. In addition, we will use various media synergy techniques, such as trailers via youtube, and other social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram to market our film.

Finally, the intended audience of our film, which is an important factor to consider given the success of our film is entirely dependent on the people who would be investing their time and money into it. Since it will be given a rating of “R” the marketability will likely be oriented toward an age range of 18 to 24. This is due to the potentially graphic and disturbing nature of our film, which would make it unsuitable for a juvenile audience. In study conducted by Pavel Prikhodko regarding film genre preferences 84% of males chose thrillers, while 83% of women chose the same. This rejects the correlation of gender and preference within our genre meaning that our film won’t be specifically marketed towards either sex. Off the same coin, it won’t be marketed to a specific class, or race, either.

PART 3: HOW DID YOUR PRODUCTION SKILLS DEVELOP THROUGHOUT THE THIS PROJECT?

Prior to this project, I had about zero film production experience under my belt. Zip. Nada. Zulch. Creating this fiilm opening was initially a very daunting and overwhelming task.  However, I quickly realized that the process is a lot easier with group members, individuals who were consistently on the same page and worked towards a common goal. This brings me to my next point. Communication. Communication was key in producing the desired results for our film. Though at some points we weren’t on the same page, our issues were quickly resolved and we were able to communicate clearly our aspirations and ideas. Every decision was made with the approval of each member. This meant that there were no surprises or confusion about what was going on, making pre and post production generally smooth sailing.

However, in producing our film, I quickly discovered that there was a lot more than meets the eye. I realized not only how much time, but how much effort and money is involved in making a film. On props and costuming alone, I spent well over $60!  I also realized how to look deeper into the purpose of certain pieces and clothing as they pertained to the scenes.

As discussed in my blog, my group and I had first filmed a rough cut that did not end up making it the final as we completely discarded the footage and started back at square one. It took lots of discussion before we could come to this decision, however we believed it would be the best course of action for a variety of reasons. For one, very minimal work was accomplished during our first experience filming the rough cut. We greatly underestimated the tedious nature involved with filming, leaving us with less time to film and placing us far behind schedule. As a result of our naivety, we had to create an alternate ending that didn’t adhere to our script, making the final product appear choppy, and convoluted. We were all thoroughly disappointed with the outcome and after reviewing the hours of footage, decided we could do better.

And we did.

We learned from our mistakes and applied this knowledge to our second chance at creating our film opening. While we did make a lot of changes, I definitely believe this was for the better and I can confidently say I am more than happy with the results.

4. HOW DID YOU INTEGRATE TECHNOLOGIES- SOFTWARE, HARDWARE AND ONLINE IN THIS PROJECT?

We integrated various modes of technology into our our project. In order to establish a clear line of communication, we began by creating a group chat in Snapchat. This is where most communication outside of school occured as we were able to share photos, videos, and thoughts easily. In addition to this, our director, Pierce Thomas made a dropbox folder that everyone could access and use to upload files and clips related to the film opening.

On set, we used Katelyn’s iphone x for a majority of the shots taken. However, we also used a Canon Rebel T3I for the more sophisticated and professional shots that were impossible to capture on a mobile device. There were many complications that arose during the utilizing this camera. Though most of the issues encountered were due to our inexperience with the camera, we found the footage to be somewhat grainy and less visually appealing after it was transferred. Not to mention, the camera was quite heavy and without access to a tripod, it was difficult to use for extended periods of time. We ultimately ended up using Katelyn’s iphone due to the convenience of having the footage automatically synced to her laptop icloud.

As with producing a film, I had never even touched video editing software until, well, right now. To edit my CCR I installed a subscription based software called “Movavi”. Initially, I was pretty perterbed as I hadn’t even known where to begin, but after many youtube videos, tutorials on their website and my own experimentation,  I discovered editing wasn’t too difficult at all. In fact, the process was rather simple, just very tedious and required a lot of the patience that I tend to lack. Movavi was quite simple, with little creative freedom but it got the job done nonetheless.

Our editor Ben, however used a software called “Sony Vegas Pro”. As the name suggests, this is a professional editing software that equipped him with a range of possibilities and options. Though the complictated essence of it was second nature for him, Katelyn, Pierce and I all agreed it was far beyond our understanding.

Arguably one of the most important pieces of technology we used was probably the industrial lights used to amplify the presence of shadows on the curtain in our opening. These lights were provided by Pierce’s father and, without them, I don’t believe the chilling presence of shadows would have been nearly as efffective.

Overall, I am happy to end this by emphasizing what an incredible experience this has been for me. In such a short time, I have learned a tremendous amount about what it takes to be a filmmaker and the work involved in creating a film entirely. This could not have been accomplished without my amazing group and if youve stuck around to the end, thank you. I hope you’ve enjoyed my CCR!

Now that our project is officially complete in it’s entirety, I’d like to take a moment to thank and credit everyone who helped make it happen.

First and foremost, I’d like to thank every member of my squad. This could not have been achieved without them!

I want to thank Ben for working tirelessly on editing our title sequence, for always keeping us informed about the progress of the editing, and for always consulting us with ideas and questions. Ben did a phenomenal job on editing, and I could not be happier with the result of his effort. So thank you, Ben! I’m convinced you’re gonna be world famous for your editing one day. This is only the beginning!

Next, Katelyn, our cinematographer! As with everything she works on, Katelyn was incredibly driven and hardworking, completing her job to the best of her ability all day every day! She pulled an all-nighter just to complete our storyboard! In addition to this, Katelyn possesses a wonderful vibe and wholesome spirit! When all of us were stressing about the project, Katelyn helped us to reassure and collect ourselves! So thank you, Katelyn! ❤

And of course, Pierce, the director! Similar to Katelyn, Pierce is an incredibly hardworking and motivated individual. A lot of Pierce’s strength in the creation of this project lied in the creativity involved. Pierce was entirely responsible for the script as well as the narrative concepts of the film. Pierce was an amazing director, a true leader, one that remained firm, yet always kind in his demands and expectations for the project. I believe Pierce could be a real director, someday!

Finally, Robert, our actor! Despite the (probably exasperating) hours of filming we made Robert endure, I never heard him complain, not once! Robert was always compliant with every request and instruction we had for him, even if they weren’t always communicated very clearly nor effectively. Robert stayed at the motel with us until 1 am and even drove us all home afterwards. This was especially kind of him considering he had done us the favor of starring in our film in the first place and expected nothing in return. Thank you, Robert!

Next, the individuals who, although were not directly involved in the project, were critical in making it a reality.

Mr Engle! Our AICE Media Studies teacher and mentor! Whenever we had concerns or questions regarding the progression of our film, Mr. Engle was always readily available to provide and offer his advice and input. This made the entire process appear much less formidable. Not only this, but he took time out of his day to stay after school with us so we could film our project. Mr Engle did this not because he got anything out of it, but because he wanted to see us succeed and perform well on our AICE exam. Thank you for everything you do, Mr. Engle! 🙂

And last, my parents. Without them, I would not have had transportation to the many places I needed to attend, nor would I have been able to edit and create my CCR. (my parents bought my editing software) On top of all this, my parents suffered through alllll my stress induced tempers that resulted from this project occasionally. I’m grateful they didn’t throw me out of the house, or worse, throw a shoe at me. ❤