BLOG 44: THE GRAND FINALE

BLOG 44: THE GRAND FINALE

Hey, beautifuls💎, welcome back to my blog!

    Today is THE DAY you've been waiting for. To make things short, I'll express some final words and then embed the video here. With that being said, let's START today's blog!!😁💐

    First off, I just want to say that this has been a long journey, so I want to thank everyone for joining me today (Yes!! Give yourself a round of applause👏🏻👏🏻). Throughout my time in AICE Media Studies, I've learned so many things; effectively planning might be the most SIGNIFICANT skill I've learned so far😁. Other than that, I've been exposed to materials that I never knew before, like mise-en-scène, storyboarding, etc., and I truly appreciated the fun time that came along with the new experiences. After 44 blogs, I can confidently say that I am now at the intermediate level and no longer the "beginner." Now, I've learned how to brainstorm efficiently as well as film in the right way. Now, I am no longer a noob. Now, I can take pride in my production skills. It was a GREAT time to have you along my side throughout this challenging chapter. Again, thank you!!🙏🏻🙏🏻

   It's been an interesting and fun experience, trying out different techniques, angles, and camera movements. Creating this project for sure resulted in many arguments, but we all managed to persevere through and produce a product that completely EXCEEDED my expectations. We did face many difficulties; however, I believe we all did our BEST and created a project we can be proud of. If you were to ask me, "Was it difficult?" or "Do you see yourself doing this again?". The answer will always be YES. So, without further ado, let's take a look at this magnificent project you've been waiting for:

BLOG 43: NEW CHAPTER

BLOG 43: NEW CHAPTER

Hey, lilies💐, welcome back to my blog!

    In today's blog, I will talk about the future project I'm doing after finishing the film opener. I will elaborate in details, so trust me, I'll make it easy for you to understand😉. With that being said, let's BEGIN with today's blog!!

    So, my next big project is a case study of a movie (BOOOO!! boringg). Now, I haven't decided on which movie to focus on yet, but I have to DIG up every single detail—like dissecting a frog in biology class, but way LESS gross! 😂 I have to research EVERYTHING from the storyline to the cinematography, the character development, and how the film appeals to its audience. Just imagine we're now tiny humans who will be going inside the director's head and EXPLORING why they made certain choices. All of this effort is simply to help me ACE the writing component of my AICE Media Studies (Yes! I’m well aware that it’s rhymed😏) as they won't let me use any outside sources😭😭.

    To put it simply, I must become a movie detective (one of the Holmes😤). I have to be able to analyze scenes, dialogues, camera angles, lighting, and even the background music and piece it together to understand how the technical elements contribute to the overall narrative. To make it even SIMPLER (for my slow girlies out there😉) just think of it like putting together a puzzle, where every little piece is ESSENTIAL to complete the whole picture. So!! My goal is to memorize every detail by the end of this chapter (like EVERYTHING) so I can use them as evidence to write a solid argument for my component 1. Bloods and tears are needed for the grades!🫡

BLOG 42: PATH TO PERFECTION

BLOG 42: PATH TO PERFECTION

Hey, pookies🐻‍❄️, welcome back to my blog!

    Today's blog will be more toned down than usual. I will conduct a DEEP reflection on the process of making this short film opener. This will include any improvement I could've made as well as the things I'm REALLY satisfied about. With that being said, let's START this discussion!! 🥸 

    Looking back on making this short film opener, there are a few things I WOULD like to change. The biggest thing that bugged me the most was the time management; that was a BIG one. We often found ourselves in a rush, especially when it came to editing. I wish I could've planned a better schedule so I and Little Miss #2 don't have to STRESS out when it comes to editing time. Additionally, I think trying out more camera movements and angles can make our project more APPEALING. I also think spending more time planning each shot in details could make a BIG difference in the end.

    On the other hand, there are many other things that I'm really PROUD of. First of all, our team chemistry is phenomenal. Everyone gave their best (I truly appreciate that😁) and it SHOWED in the final product. Next, I took great pride in the editing part. Especially the special effects, such as the smoke effect, it turned out to be way BETTER than I imagined; it DEFINITELY added an amazing touch. The sound design was also another highlight. Even though it took some time, the final audio mix MATCHED perfectly with the visuals; it definitely made the film more engaging. Now looking back, this wonderful result made the whole bumpy journey worth it.😉

BLOG 41: CREW IMPRESSIONS

BLOG 41: CREW IMPRESSIONS

Hey, honey buns🍯🐝, welcome back to my blog!

    In today's blog, I will disclose each member's impressions when they first saw the project. Since me and Little #2 are already in charge of the editing, we knew how it's going to turn out all along, so I will only include Little Miss Barbie's and Little Miss Cleongy's. Nonetheless, these are exclusive, one-in-a-lifetime reactions that you DON'T want to miss out on. With that being said, let's BEGIN today's show!!🎪🎠

    The moment Little Miss Barbie watched the final version, her eyes immediately lit up. Her facial expression at that time is PHENOMENAL; her mouth was wide open to the point you could FIT a whole egg inside.🤣. I would say she gave a more dramatic reaction among the two; the way she gasped and clapped her hands is way more intense than what I expected. She couldn't stop talking about the flawless transitions and the awesome smoke effect at the end. Being the drama queen she is, Little Miss Barbie instantly grasped my hand and declared how this opener is Oscar-worthy. To be honest, her excitement was INFECTIOUS; it made me and Little Miss #2 EXTREMELY proud of our hard work.

    Little Miss Cleongy, on the other hand, put on her director's hat and gave a more thoughtful review. All she gave us was a nod and a statement, "The storytelling and camera work are on point." While she doesn't show her excitement as extreme as Little Miss Barbie, she constantly gives out comments on what she likes. Let me tell you, when I say "constantly," it MEANS constantly; that girl seems like she doesn't want to shut her mouth🤣. She kept expressing how she LOVED the dolly-out shots and the tracking scenes. She keeps pulling out all of the technical terms she learned in class and ABUSING them (this girl doesn't know when to stop😭). Nevertheless, her comments had us all giggle gaggle and that's what matters.

BLOG 40: CINEMATIC MOTIONS

BLOG 40: CINEMATIC MOTIONS

Hey, sunshines🌞, welcome back to my blog!

    Today's blog is about camera movements that were utilized in my short film opener. Similar to other camer movement posts, I will ANALYZE the movement, which includes the purpose behind it as well as how it is suitable for the corresponding situation. With that being said, let's BEGIN today's blog!!!😁

    After a good few days of debating, we all think it's BEST to begin this opener with a close-up of the calendar with Gigi's birthday marking. This was used to give the audiences some clues and provide a subtle foreshadowing to the incoming content. Immediately after that, we utilized a pan combo with a zoom out to create a CONTINUOUS flow while introducing Gigi. The camera follows Gigi as she sits down, giving the film a steady, uninterrupted quality that SIGNIFICANTLY enhances the unity of scene organization. Furthermore, we HEAVILY use static shots toward the middle of the opener. As we planned to let the editing shine, we didn't want to add any unnecessary camera movement that could potentially distract the audiences from our excellent edits. For the title sequences portion, we used quick cuts (montage edits) between each movement to create an exciting mood that PERFECTLY reflects Gigi's eagerness to begin her coming-of-age party.

    As the film progresses into the main plot, we use more COMPLEX movements to convey the intricate emotions Gigi's feeling. Right after Gigi's dad announced his absence, we decided to use a dolly-out, changing the camera size from full to wide shot. This helps to emphasize the feeling of loneliness; in addition, we immediately paired it with a static shot right after to FURTHER highlight Gigi's despair emotional state as she expressed her frustration/disappointment while exiting the room. To fully capture Gigi's movement, we utilized a pan movement to display all the movement while keeping the chaos to a minimum; with this, we were able to emphasize Gigi's sadness rather than anger. Finally, to top things off, we used a steadicam to ACCURATELY track Gigi's path into the kitchen. This allowed for a more realistic feeling, which significantly enhanced visual storytelling.

BLOG 39: CUT & TRIM PT.3

BLOG 39: CUT & TRIM PT.3

Hey, lovely💞, welcome back to my blog!

    Today blog will be about the final day of editing. If you're a frequent reader, you would know that this is the third day already. It's tiring at this point, but I will push through and fill you in with the tea. With that being said, let's DIVE into today's content!!🌊🤿

    On the third day of editing, I and Little Miss #2 had officially turned into zombies. The only THING we could feel was tiredness; however, the urge to finish this project MOTIVATED us to keep moving. We understand that the result will be worth all the efforts we put in for this project; hence, we dedicated our last breath on this final day. Similar to other editing days, we assigned the ending and the sound area as part of the checklist that needed to be finished on the third day. The first thing that we did was add a hand-made (by me 😚) illustration of white smoke on a gray background to use as a base for our opener title. It truly has been an error and trials to find the SUITABLE background color. At first, I decided to go for a peachy color, the same color as Gigi's jacket, but it turns out to be too dark. Next, I went with a lighter shade of pink, but it looked too artificial so I at last chose a gray background to MIMIC the real smoke. Moving on, it's now time for the title's color; after some deliberation, we decided to use the same color with the cake's decoration, chocolate brown. To finally complete this area, we added a slight shadow to truly make the title stand out from the smoky background.

   

    Now looking back, we truly underestimate the DIFFICULTY of adding the soundtracks. At first, we decided to leave the sound for last, as we all thought "extract, insert" were all we had to do. However, the reality SLAPPED our faces real hard; as the sound editing process took us an additional 4-5 hours. We keep going back and forth to get the sounds to flow to each other seamlessly. We thought starting the opener with the song might be too sudden so we used a bird chirp sound effect for the first 12 seconds to SET the atmosphere and then added in the official soundtracks. For each transition, we have to manually decrease and then increase the sound to ensure a smoother transition. Another significant sound is Gigi's dad's voiceover. When these diegetic sounds are about to begin, we decided to MUTE all background sounds to enhance the DRAMATIC atmosphere of Gigi dad's sudden notice.

BLOG 38: MAGIC ON SCREEN

BLOG 38: MAGIC ON SCREEN

Hey, gorgeous💚, welcome back to my blog!

    Today's blog is dedicated to the special effect used in our film opener. I will EXPLAIN the intention behind the selection as well as other options we went through before finalizing this effect. With that being said, let's JUMP into today's content!!🦘🦘

    Toward the end of our film opener, I and Little Miss #2 decided to use a STUNNING smoke effect to create a smoother transition to the final title's background. This special effect adds in a tocuh of mystery that PERFECTLY establishes an erie atmosphere for the conclusion of our opener. Additionally, the effect creates a layer of smoke that swirls under the title, creating an ethereal vibe (you SHOULD see it for yourself😁) that helps attract the audience's attention and keeps them wanting to know more of what will happen. On top of that, the realistic nature of the smoke effect makes the transition feel way more SEAMLESS; this helps pull viewers deeper into the world we tried to create throughout the film. Furthermore, by optimizing the realism of the smoke, we were also able to make the scene more visually striking.

   To be honest, before settling on the smoke effect, we considered several other options to achieve the best level of visual effect. One of the top options was to use a lens flare effect, which would have given the scene a dreamier and more mystical vibe. Besides that, a slow fade effect is another option that truly gives all of us a HEADACHE. The slow fade effect closely aligns with our objective (targeting the viewer’s emotion), as it further highlights the emotional distress of the scene. However, after multiple hours of debating, we all agree that the smoke effect is still the BEST option of all; it provides a PERFECT balance of mystery and realism, just right for what we’re aiming for. Additionally, the smoke effect also adds depth to the narrative that overall just resonates with our vision better.

BLOG 37: TAILORED TUNE

BLOG 37: TAILORED TUNE

Hey, bunnies🐰, welcome back to my blog!

    If you're a big fan of NewJeans, this blog is FOR you. Today, we will discuss the custom-made song produced by Little Miss Barbie. Since she already dedicated this precious Y2K, bubbly song to our short opener, I will take the lead in ANALYZING this tune. With that being said, let's have a listen party!!🎉🎊

NewJeans everybody!!

    From the first beat, this song gave off a wave of reto groove that had a little touch from the modern's melody. To make things easier, picture the vibe you'd get from a collaboration between Pink Pantheress and NewJeans; I would go INSANE if this were to be true (my absolute favorite artists😭). In my opinion, Little Miss Barbie has truly OUTDONE herself; she's perfectly blending the bubbly feel of the Y2K era with the fresh and modern sounds. Additionally, the catchy and upbeat tempo FLAWLESSLY sets the tone for our short film opener, making it an irresistible melody that's sure to get stuck in your head😚. Furthermore, Little Miss Barbie's spirited vocals create an ethereal atmosphere that invites listeners to step into this MAGICAL world. It's the kind of song that makes you want to hit replay as soon as it ends!!

An iconic 2000s pop hit

    Next, as we DIVE deeper into the song, it’s clear that every element has been carefully crafted to evoke a sense of nostalgia while still keeping the fresh and exciting feeling. With the accompaniment of the electronic instruments, the title sequence was able to bring out a playful touch while keeping the energetic feeling (similar to early 2000s pop hits). In addition, the sound layering of the instrumentals adds depth as well as complexity, making each listening experience way MORE interesting. Overall, Little Miss Barbie has created a musical masterpiece that not only complements our short film opener but also stands out as an APPEALING song on its own.

P/S: I will include the song right below (I didn't forget this time 😚), so check them out whenever you can!! 🤭

BLOG 36: BUCKET LIST

BLOG 36: BUCKET LIST

Hey, girlypops🫧, welcome back to my blog!

    Today's blog will be about my high-budget version of my film opener. I will discuss things (actors, costumes, setting, etc.) that I would change if I were to have a HIGHER budget. I'll reveal my dream vision for the very first time, so stay SEATED. With that being said, let's START this imagination, shall we?👑👸🏻

    

    Imagine if I were to be a trilionare CEO with a film production hobby instead of a high schooler's doing a school project. I would hire TOP actresses in Hollywood to star in my film opener; it would be thrilling to have Sadie Sink play as Gigi. Sadie's acting skill first caught my eye in the series "Stranger Things." Her acting wasn't emphasized in the first 3 seasons; however, the recent season gave her more screen time and let me tell you, it hits DIFFERENT. This is the first time I ever paid more attention to a side character; her personality added a unique touch to the character; her charisma truly shined through. Having her as a part of my project would be a game changer. Additionally, I'm satisfied with Gigi's costume so even if you were to give me more money, I wouldn't consider changing it😎.

    Moving on to location, I would like to film in a 2000s-style house. I want to incorporate something new for the targeted audience (Y2K) while keeping the old, traditional elements (2000s-style house). This will create a unique visual experience that will appeal to both nostalgia and modern aesthetics. Not to mention, the FAMILIARITY of a 2000s-style house might help viewers connect with the setting on a personal level. Next, with this amount of money, the ONLY right answer is to hire the best production/editing team, am I right? Having a skilled production and editing team is a KEY component of bringing this vision to life. Their expertise will be BENEFICIAL in capturing the aesthetic of this opener, which helps create a visually engaging experience for the audiences.

BLOG 35: SHOT BY SHOT

BLOG 35: SHOT BY SHOT

Hey, pookie bears🐻, welcome back to my blog!

    Today's blog might feel a bit adventurous as I will cosplay as a professional movie analyst and DISSECT the camera shots and angles I used for my project. I will include the reasons behind every usage as well as how they create meaning throughout the project. With that being said, let's BEGIN the surgery!!👩🏻‍⚕️💉🩺

    First, I will start with my favorite camera shot in this film opener; ladies and gentlemen, please make a look to your right. That's right, if you were thinking about a wide shot, then you're correct, and for those who think it's a full shot, unfortunately it's wrong. This is not a full shot, as the gaps between Gigi's head to the top and Gigi's leg to the bottom are TOO significant. Additionally, you can tell how the shot gives a bit of emphasis on the background, which is not often conveyed by a full shot. We utilized a wide shot to emphasize the loneliness Gigi felt at the moment. With a wide shot, we were able to ISOLATE Gigi and make her seem small compared to the size of her room. This portrays Gigi as vulnerable, increasing the audience's sympathy.

    Let's move on to camera angle; to your left is the scene of Gigi's walking down the stairs; can you take a guess what angle it's being filmed in? You have 3 seconds. One...Two...Three...time's up!! The correct answer is high angle. We purposely selected this angle to further EMPHASIZE Gigi's despair. This technique is often used by professional to make a subject appear smaller, which helps create a psychological effect where it makes the subject seem vulnerable or powerless. Especially when using this angle after the previous camera shot, it truly brings out the loneliness that was suggested in the last post. With the addition of these angles, the audiences are able to feel more DISTRESS, as to this point, it has been strongly emphasized.

BLOG 34: CUT & TRIM PT.2

BLOG 34: CUT & TRIM PT.2

Hey, sweetie pies🥧, welcome back to my blog!

    Today, we will have a little gossip session about what has happened on the second day of editing. I will disclose the amount of time spent editing, people involved, as well as any additions that got added. Don't worry!! I'll include some behind the scenes photos for you😉. With that being said, let's START with today's tea session🍵.

    UHH I don't know who should be responsible for this but somebody NEEDS to pay for my hospital's bill. When I tell you we spent 3 days just to edit, I wasn't lying; things turned out to be more difficult than what I expected it to be. So to optimize our efficacy, me and Little Miss #2 decided to divide out the portion we need to work on each day. The second day was solely for the title sequence and transitions; as a result of being extra, we spent a total of more than 10 hours (I seriously lost count at this point). I was at the point of GIVING UP, because tell me why we wanted something so complicated. The team decided to have the titles placed on moving objects; I had to manually pause every single second to adjust the position😭(crying in back pain). Well, thank God, all the pain I experienced paid off, because, let's me tell you, the result is phenomenal.👍🏻👍🏻

    Similar to the first day of editing, me and Little Miss #2 are still in charge with the editing. I wish we could have more editors, but I have to admit, our chemistry was so GOOD we basically carry the work of 3-4 people (and I'm not flattering myself😐.) At first, we were about to give up on putting the title on the moving object as the tracking feature on CapCut DIDN'T work too well. Gigi's hand was moving at the speed of light and the title was just TOO slow (dumb😋) to catch up with the movement; they're never aligned properly. However, we persevered through and decided to go back and manually fix every second of it. It was challenging, but I'm glad we motivated each other to stick till the end.