Editing Blog

   My partner Jeannie wanted to edit the film since we used my story or pitch and because I drew the storyboard which was about 8 or 9 pages long. After filming I was able to dump the footage onto my laptop and move it into my folder specifically for AICE Media Studies. My partner brought her laptop when we did the re-shoot last week on Thursday so I can dump the footage from the SD card onto her computer since she wants to edit it. She decided to edit the scenes together with all the transitions and effects we wanted to create the Thriller and Action feeling through our genre. We both decided to keep the titles for last so we can decide together when we meet up to re-edit the film. We already have the title design in our mind but we wanted to wait and see the right places to edit our title on that can be seen and read. My partner Jeannie already has a mindset of how the film is supposed to look like so I trust her with getting it done before the deadline. For the music I decided to handle searching for a non copyrighted song since it is too much of a hassle to email the producers to use a song in the movie. I am looking for a song that will fit the theme of our film and bring out that thriller feeling among the audience. I am pretty happy with how my partner and I are handling the situation due to the COVID-19 virus and I am glad that the AICE Media Studies class is all online.
    Since my partner is handling, editing the film I am waiting until she finish so all I have to focus on right now is assisting my partner and getting these blogs written. We were supposed to have school this week but because of the virus, Broward County Public Schools District closed schools for this week and now we have 2 weeks of spring break. This 2 weeks of spring break is the perfect time to get this done and finalized for April 9th which the due date. The last important thing I am putting all my focus on is the CCR since it has to be 10 minutes long so right now I am writing my script and start filming with the camera I have. Since school is closed for this week I still have the camera and tripod for when I checked it out so I am going to be putting it into good use for the CCR. I am making sure that I turn everything in on time and that I check the dates from the pictures I took in class especially with the blogs since we have a blog every Monday and Thursday. I am making sure I keep myself healthy but still working myself even though we have no school. I plan to work together with my partner and discuss with her when to meet up to re-edit and watch the film. This Thursday I will for sure have more information on what was edited and how everything is going with my partner. I plan to accomplish the goal of getting the film done on time and impress my audience.

Re-shoot Blog

   Today we were able to meet up in the parking lot location to re-film the stabbing scene that is the most important scene in our movie. Last time we filmed we were completely unready we didn't have any supplies or any of the props we needed like the fake knife. I went to the dollar store before I met up with Jeannie and purchased a fake knife for 5 dollars. Once we got to the parking lot we got all the props ready and my sister and I made sure to dress up again in the same outfit except we changed her outfit. We wanted to give her to wear a plain white shirt that with ease can get stained with the red paint. We will also give her a jean jacket to wear to be more stylish than she was in the previous filming we did. I also made sure to charge the camera to its fullest so we aren't rushing to finish filming before the camera dies. Now there won't be any distractions or interruptions for us when we film. Last time we filmed I dumped all the footage onto my laptop so once we finish the re-shoot I am going to delete all the old scenes and replace it with the new dumped footage on my computer. I'm super excited to re-film since we can film without the wind in the background ass well.
    Before we left to re-film I made sure to bring essentials with us since a lot is going on in the news and supplies to clean up after we finish filming. I brought hand sanitizer and masks just in case of the virus. I brought wet wipes and napkins to clean off the red paint off of our hands, face, and the fake knife. I was also sure to  bring lots of water since last time my sister and I didn't have anything to drink and money in case we need to buy something in Five and Below such as extra props, drinks, and snacks.We took 2 hours to film our movie because we didn't have much to re-shoot and we already knew what we wanted it to look like thanks to the storyboard. Since my sister had a plain white shirt filled with red paint to portray blood she wore an extra shirt underneath so she could take off the white shirt with ease. We were able to get all the scenes we needed and I made sure to dump all the footage on my SD card onto my computer. My partner Jeannie decided that she wanted to edit the movie and focus on the titles last just so we can have all the scenes to be edited clean and have all the transition, music and effects we wanted. On Tuesday when I go to be in the film for my sister and her groups movie, Jeannie will also come along so we can start recording our CCR. Jeannie will also bring her laptop so I can dump all the footage onto her laptop from my SD card because she wanted to start editing over spring break. The storyboard below are the scenes we re-shoot and how the story is supposed to be like.

Filming the Main Plot

  Finally my partner and I were able to meet up and film the main story or plot of our opening movie. My sister and I were preparing all the props needed and extra clothing for the two characters I play in the film. We planned to meet up in front of Five and Below and walk to the back of the stores to the parking lot and set up the tripod and camera. We planned to meet up at 11:00 in the morning but due to my partner being stuck in traffic we meet up at 11:35. Once she arrived we went straight into the store to buy red paint to look like blood from the stab scene. To be honest we were completely unprepared we didn't have no water, napkins, or the fake knife for the movie so we substituted it for scissors. We decided to film in the morning because we had to do our homework and study for the SAT that was coming up on Wednesday. Jeannie bought the paint and when we arrived at the location in the parking lot that was when I realized I forgotten to take the SD card and put it into the camera. We had to wait additionally for my parents to drop off the SD card before we could start filming. Once we had all our supplies (sort of) we started to set up the tripod and the camera so we can start.
    I forgot to bring our storyboard so my partner and I had to explain to my sister about each scene and what we wanted her to act out and say. Once we were half-way into our filming my partner Jeannie realized that we had 25 minutes of filming left on the camera before the battery dies, even though I charged it the night before. The best part was we got all the walking and close up scenes done and now we had to focus on the stabbing scene and the boy running to his mother scene. The stabbing scene was fairly quick and we did 10 shots of that scene and once we finished we only had 15 minutes left so we had to rush. We shut off the camera so we can get the props ready with paint. My partner Jeannie painted the scissors while I put on my hoodie and paint my sisters face with the red paint along with her hands and my hands. Once Jeannie the director finished filming my sister dead on the floor we quickly had to film the scenes with the boy running up to his mom before the camera dies since we had 5 minutes left. We filmed that scene up until we had 1 minute left. After filming for the day we were such a mess we had paint all over ourselves while we waited for Jeannie mom to arrive to pick her up. Once I got home I immediately took out the SD card and dumped all the footage onto my laptop in a folder I have dedicated for AICE Media Studies. My partner and I discussed recently to re-shoot some scenes this weekend before spring break and this time we will have all our props ready and actually be prepared by having the camera fully charged so we have more time to edit.

Peer Review

     For my peer review, I had to review a group of boys and their opening film of the movie which was 2 minutes and 53 seconds long. The group had everything all the titles, sound, and editing done real nicely. What I really liked about their film was that it was consistent and you knew exactly what the story of the movie is about. The story of the film was about a hit-man that was hired to kidnap a high school boy since it shows the hit-man with the money and hanging up a picture of the boy on the wall. The last scenes of the film shows a trunk shot of the high school boy inside the trunk and the hit-man closing the trunk. I also really liked how they put so much detail and effort into the movie by having a detective, a dad role, the hit-man, and the person who hired the hit-man. They also put a lot of detail to show the kidnapping and make it seem like the high school boy was kidnapped from home by showing the controller on the floor which the dad picks up and the TV all static to show something might have happened. Everything was connected and went together like a puzzle piece which I like when watching a movie. The editing of the scenes was very clean and transitioned efficiently to the next. The lighting was consistent and added to the feeling of the movie genre.
       The group however, did not have all the camera shots, angles, movement, and editing style to fulfill the requirements needed to be in the film. One suggestion I would like to make about the film is to definitely trim some scenes since the movie was over 2 minutes such as the walking scenes and trim to the important scenes of the movie. The only confusion I had was why the high school boy was being kidnapped but I do like that it leaves you in a cliff-hanger wanting to know what happens next. Another suggestion I would make is to edit the lighting in scenes in the bedroom unless it was on purpose to create that effect. Overall everything else made it feel realistic and natural I honestly enjoyed watching their film. The titles in the movie were clear and readable just went too fast for my liking since I was not able to read it without having to pause it. They were able to avoid filming the camera man and the tripod and there was good sound quality throughout the film. The only thing the group has to add or remember is too add the "directed by" title at the end of the opening so we the audience can know that this movie has just started. The rest of the film hit all the marks for everything else on the form we were given to fill out presented below. I noticed that the group members were not done editing but I can't wait to re-watch it one it is completely done.

All Aboard the Filming Train!

   Finally my partner and I were able to film together all the scenes needed inside my apartment. The filming process was so much fun and fairly simple since we had our storyboard to guide us. We were able to finish recording all the scenes needed for the first location with the first main wealthy female actress which I play. Since we filmed on my SD card I was able to dump all of the footage onto my laptop so I can start editing the footage we have tomorrow after school. Jeannie was a wonderful director as we both ensured we had all the camera angles, movements, and shots that is needed in our final movie opening. During the filming process we had a lot of bloopers but we still managed to get all our filming done in the matter of 3 hours. The hardest part of the filming process was the lighting since my room has dark lighting but then we realized that this is beneficial for our film to create the suspicion of the character. We realized that when Jeannie starts to edit we can fix the lighting for some scenes that have a more brighter setting. Since we started filming after school the lighting in the bathroom provided a perfect fit from the light coming into the room through the window and from the lights we have. Jeannie was able to direct me into frame and made sure I did each scene perfectly.
    I honestly had so much fun, which I always do when I film for other projects with my friends. Since we are saving the parking lot location for the weekend to film we were able to change some things regarding the storyboard which include how the character will dress up, portray her hair and makeup. The rest of the scenes still remain the same in our storyboard. I laughed most of the time when we were filming which is why we had so many bloopers because I couldn't think of something serious to get me in the mood and mindset of our character. The wealthy women in our film plays a serious yet intimidating character since she is a business woman and has a reputation. She also plays a cautious yet risk-taking character due to her paranoia and the feeling she has against her sister. For me I had a hard time acting this out since we were filming in my house and I was feeling hyper and goofy this evening. Jeannie was always there to get me on track and to stop myself from messing up the scene because we were filming for 3 hours. We did although have a hard time setting up the tripod before we started filming because a lot of the screws were loose which I was able to fix and tighten to make sure the camera stays on the Tripod. I had an amazing time filming and I can't wait to film the scenes in the parking lot where the thriller and intensity of the film will be revealed.

Filming Coming Soon

This weekend my partner Jeannie and I weren't available to start filming our movie. I already made plans with a previous group to be in their movie and film with them on Saturday which took us three hours. The weather was not cooperating with us that day since it was raining and we had to do many re-shoots since people and cars kept coming into shot. My partner and I however do plan to film this weekend. We will take about 2 to 3 hours filming in the two designated location and do any re-shoots before so we can have everything before we edit. We will re-watch everything we filmed and I will start editing at home to have something for the peer review coming on March 3rd. But this weekend was super stressful since I had to be in another groups film, do all of my homework, volunteer at Petco and since it was my dad's birthday. My partner Jeannie also couldn't film due to my plans being all scattered. To be honest we don't have complicated scenes to film, all of it can be done quickly. During our filming process I also have to make sure that we have a the camera angles, movements, and shots needed in our film.
 This week I plan on buying all the props needed for our film such as the fake knife and a extra shirt that will be stained with fake blood for a couple of our scenes. I'm going to discuss with my partner if I can start filming all the scenes in my house so that this weekend we can focus on the scenes needed to be filmed in the parking lot behind the shopping plaza.This will give me time to edit the first section of the movie from one location which will be easier on me then filming all scenes in one day and start editing the next day. For our costumes we didn't have a specific outfit that the actors have to wear so I don't have to worry about buying clothes except for the plain white shirt that will be stained. My goal is to have a full story-line movie to show the other group that will peer review our film. I plan to edit over the weekend as well but just to get the layout and all scenes together and trim or even cut out some scene from the movie. I'm not that focused into the sound and titles for now I want to focus on getting the structure together and make sure it is efficient and not choppy just like a real movie. By Thursday I plan to check out a camera and start recording once I get home from school with the assistant on my sister who will also be one of the actresses in the movie. For now I am going to discuss everything with my partner and hopefully we can get everything done on time which I know we will. I also know that my partner, sister, and I will have a fun time filming for our movie and lots of bloopers.

Here' the Reel on our filming 🎥

On our schedule my partner and I planned to start filming our movie on the first weekend so we can have time to re-shoot any scenes. But this wasn't the case for us because in the first weekend we had plans with family that could not be rearranged to fit our filming schedule. My family and I had two birthday parties on Friday and Saturday and then on Sunday I had tons of homework and online class to catch up with through the day. My partner Jeannie could not make it to film this weekend was because she had work and family issues that was going on preventing her to be able to come to my house and film. On Monday we thought to film since it was no school due to President's day. However, I could not make it because my parents friends came to my house which is one of the main location for the movie. The noise and volume would be too loud and irritating since most of our scenes require no sound and dialogue. Yes we could have muted the sound when editing. I know for a fact that when there is a camera you can not stop little children from wanting to be on camera. My mind already had a mindset on the schedule I came up with in the previous blog in the presentation but because we did not film my mind is all over the place thinking about when and how we will get this movie done on time and not miss a single deadline, but I always reassure myself everything is gonna be perfect. We plan to film one of these weekends before the peer review our teacher assigned us for March 3rd because we wanna get all our scenes recorded and to start somewhat editing our scenes for the other group to review. My partner Jeannie and I discussed what we plan on doing after filming and before the date for the peer review. We agreed that once we finish filming the scenes I will dump all the footage onto my laptop at home to start editing and export onto a flash drive to have something for the other kids to watch. My partner Jeannie agreed that this is the best way to get a grade for the peer review. Honestly having control of that situation puts my mind at ease because I will have all the footage so if God forbids anything happens when on the school computer I will have everything on my personal computer. In my head I already have a vision of the entire layout of the movie as well as the storyboard. I already have ideas on how to edit our movie to evoke the Thriller and Action feel with the lighting and music. The best part about not filming is that I have all this time to search free music without copyright since some scenes need it. Now I can look and get a feel of the music and know how the actor and actress is supposed to feel in that scene. Hopefully this weekend we will be able to plan a day to film everything and start editing in our music and titles.