Hello everyone. This is it. The final post. I'm very appreciative of everyone who has helped me along with this project. I cannot express my gratitude enough. Thank you.
Now, what this post is about.
I had a ton of fun making the CCR. It felt like making a youtube video to put on your channel. The editing was fairly simple and it was a very enjoyable process.
The link to my Creative Critical Reflection, here
See ya!
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It's done. Thank you for going on this journey with me. I learned a lot and I look forward to what lies ahead.
Link to the final cut of Debreifed, here
Me right nowWe are down to the wire now. The editing phase of the project is almost done, it is due next Monday. In addition, we have to put together a Creative Critical Reflection. This means ANOTHER VIDEO TO EDIT, YAY!
Last finishing touches in regards to audio tracks, sound effects, dialogue, etc are due. I anticipate going slightly over the two-minute mark.
But onto the CCR. I'm excited to do it because we were instructed to have fun with it. I would say I'm a "meme connoisseur," so I can't wait to make my CCR entertaining as well as complete the requirements associated with this task.
I've finally made a decision on what music to put in the film opening. Right now, I want to use "Decisions" by Kevin MacLeod from the Youtube Audio Library and "In 3" by Godmode, also from the Youtube Audio Library.
I'm want to loop the first four seconds of "In 3" at the beginning of the opening. I think it fits the scene well as well as provides some sound to a rather quiet situation. As for "Decisions," I want to use the song when the scene changes to the protagonist's house because as the song's name suggests, a decision is being made. I'm quite happy with my music choices I think they will implement well in the project.
Hello again. I'm back with another editing update. I've finished splicing the clips together and now is the sound editing and fine-tuning phase. I believe I am on track to finish editing the opening by Monday or Tuesday.
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As I mentioned last week, I began editing my film opening yesterday and I have been working on it today. I have about 30 seconds of the finished project edited but I would say the pace is slow because I still haven't reached a decision on what music to play and I am doing an internship all of this week during the day, therefore, I can only work on this at night.
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Yesterday, I went back to the set to finish filming there and wrapped up the at-home scenes. Filming is 90% done. Just need to record audio pieces.
At sunset, I went back to the office to film shots 1-6 as I had not done it previously when I was there with Santiago. This shoot went relatively quickly as it was just me and there were only a few shots to take. After that, I went back home and waited for nightfall to film the at-home scenes.
Around 8 o'clock, I began filming the at-home scenes. This shoot took way longer than expected as I had some trouble figuring out to get the lighting right as well as having my whole face visible over the briefcase. I finished filming around 9:30 and I feel very confident in how this is going to turn out.
The next step will be recording audio and scouting for sound effects and music.
Next week, I plan to edit my project so I'll keep you posted.
Hello again. This week is the last week before Spring Break so I would like to finish filming this Friday (no school) at the office and my house so I can have the entirety of Spring Break to edit my project.
On Friday, I plan to go back and film the rest of my scenes in the office around 5-6 PM so the time of day matches the other scenes we've previously filmed. After the office, I will go home and start filming in my kitchen when its pitch-black outside so the only light is the indoor one. I'm only missing shots 1-5 and 24-42. Shots 1-5 are at the office and I may redo #6. Shots 24-42 are all going to be done at my house. I'm really happy with the pace I'm working at. By the end of this week, I will have all the footage I need to begin editing the project and I have Spring Break and the week after it to finish editing and create my critical reflection. I think my project is looking great so far and I can't wait to see the finished product!
Today, we met in class for group meetings. We were to meet with other students and give feedback and suggestions on other's projects. Here's how it went.
totally real image of us meeting in classI had three major things to ask about: lighting techniques, song choice, and editing software. For editing software, I was stuck between Adobe Premiere and DaVinci Resolve because I had experience with Adobe but DaVinci was free. But someone brought up that our teacher had a link on Canvas to a free 6-month trial for Adobe Premiere. With this new information, I decided to go with Adobe Premiere.
For the song choice, I wasn't sure what I wanted for the scenes before the elevator. They recommended that I start editing the scene and then see what kind of music would fit if any. They also said that the elevator scenes should have stereotypical elevator music underlying the scene.
The last feedback they gave me was for the at home scenes. I want the protagonist to sit at the kitchen table with the chandelier light above him kind of spotlighting him in the dark. They suggested that I experiment with towels and blankets to manipulate shadows and light.
I think this feedback was very constructive and I will try to implement their ideas into my production.
Yesterday, I began filming my project called Debriefed. I was filming at the office building with Santiago (briefcase guy) for about an hour and a half. We filmed shots 6-23 as we felt they could be shot quickly and easily with Santiago.
Setbacks: Since we were filming in a public office, there were people using the elevators to come and go. A couple of times we had to reshoot scenes because someone called the elevator and needed to use it. While it didn't significantly hinder the process, it certainly made filming a bit slower.
Elevator Filming: Since we were mostly filming in an elevator, it was pretty tight getting the two-shots. We had the camera set up on a tripod right in front of the door and it filmed us in the back of the elevator. We had to hope no one called the elevator because the doors would open and light from the hallways would reflect off the back of the elevator. It was a little tedious and required a few attempts to get it right.
All in all, I believe I got all the footage I needed with Santiago and I will be returning to the set again next week to film my scenes.
This is big. ALMOST THIS BIG. I have finally secured an actor to play the role of briefcase guy. My good friend Santiago.
When I came up with the character of briefcase guy, I knew I needed to find another actor to play him as I would be playing the protagonist. The obvious answer would be to ask my friends. I asked my friend Alex first if he could do it but due to his busy course schedule, he said he likely wouldn't have the time. I asked my other friend Landon but he said he was busy that weekend. So that left Santiago.
I approached him last weekend and I asked him if he could help me with this production. Santiago is in CBTV 2 and is somewhat skilled in editing so he was surprised when I asked him if he could act. He asked questions about the role like dialogue and costume design. After telling him such details he told me he would think it over. And as of yesterday, he has agreed to play the role.
Sooooooo, there is a change of plans. Originally, I was going to film the scenes without briefcase guy first because I didn't know how long it would take to secure an actor. But now that I have an actor, I want to film scenes with his character first so if anything unexpected comes up, he won't have to cancel on me. We are scheduled to film his scenes tomorrow, March 11, at the office building after school. I look forward to the next blog where I will talk about how its like being on the set of my production.
Well, here it is. The end of my storyboard.
Shots 31-36
Description: These shots show some of the briefcase's contents up close and place emphasis on the file folder.
Shot 37-42
Description: These shots show the protagonist talking with someone he can't see. This creates suspense as the voice seems to be the person who wanted the protagonist to have the briefcase.
I plan to begin filming next weekend so I hope you stay tuned.
Here is my second storyboarding post! This post covers everything from after the briefcase guy puts the briefcase down to when the protagonist opens the briefcase at his home.
Shots 19-24
Description: These shots continue the awkwardness of the elevator scene as well as explain how the protagonist gets his hands on the briefcase.
Shots 25-30
Description: These shots illustrate the protagonist's hesitance to open the briefcase but also show his surprise at what he finds in it.
Tomorrow, I will be making my final storyboard posting and I am looking forward to begin filming next week.
This week, I will be posting about my storyboard for the film opening. The beginning of the project, up until the briefcase is placed on the floor, is shown below. Here we go!
Shots 1-6
Description: These shots establish the setting and the main character.
Shots 7-12
Description: These shots give the audience more characteristics about the protagonist and set up the unusual situation in the elevator. It also establishes a focus on the briefcase.
Shots 13-18
Description: These shots show the confusion of the protagonist as to why the man with the briefcase is acting strangely.
Here are the costumes for my film opening!
Protagonist: Chase J. Arnold
Costume Description: The point of the outfit is to cement the setting. The outfit is very formal and, mixed with the surroundings, the audience can tell the story starts in an office building. I figured the outfit would be quite boring without an accessory so I decided to have the protagonist carry a black/orange laptop bag for a splash of color.
Hello again. Today, I will be showing you some of the props I will be using in my film opening.
Prop 1: The Briefcase
Description: The briefcase is going to hold all of the other props as the briefcase is the one-stop shop for the agent's equipment. It holds all of the essentials that an agent would need to conduct a mission.
Prop 2: The "CONFIDENTIAL" File
Description: This file will contain the briefing of the mission the agent is tasked with. The scene won't show the contents of the file because it's conveyed later in the movie.
Prop 3: ID Badge
Description: The main purpose of the ID badge is to give our retired agent his clearance back, and reveal to the audience the agent's name.
Prop 4: Passport
Description: The mission would likely take the agent overseas, thus, a passport is needed to leave the country. Also iconic locations like London or Paris can be used in the film.
Prop 5: Memory Stick
Description: The mission requires the extraction of data from another person's computer. Since this needs to be done discretely, a USB memory stick is perfect.
Prop 6: Tablet
Description: The tablet is how the agent is given updates on his mission as well as reporting progress back to base.
Prop 7: Recording device
Description: The recording device is meant to be used by the agent to secretly record conversations without others knowing.
Prop 8 Camera
Description: The camera would be used by the agent to record photos or video evidence. The camera is not a smartphone so the data captured by it is not as easily traceable.
Prop 9: Money
Description: Every mission comes at a financial cost. Cash is less traceable than credit/debit cards. The prop itself is not real money though, it's fake.
These props cover most of the essentials an undercover agent would need to carry out a mission. I already had all the props lying around my house except for the file and ID badge. The file was made by gluing a paper slip with "CONFIDENTIAL" written on it to a regular folder and the badge was made with a free template found online and by laminating it with my picture.
This week, I am starting the actual production of my film opening. There are lots to do such as set scouting, outlining, storyboarding, and scripting.
As of now, I have a general thought on what the outline of the scene will be.
The Outline
The scene begins with a tracking over-the-shoulder shot of our main protagonist (name yet to be decided), as he walks toward an elevator. Judging by the outfit of the protagonist and the surroundings, it seems he is leaving an office building.
As the protagonist walks toward the elevator, a series of mid shots show his entire appearance and he stops in front of it. Then a close-up on the call button of the elevator with the protagonist's hand moving into the frame to push the button, then out again.
Then, a mid-shot from outside the elevator shows the protagonist getting in the elevator as the door closes behind him. In the same shot, another man can be seen already standing in the elevator holding a briefcase. The two men stand in awkward silence for a couple seconds and then the protagonist tries to break the ice with a joking "Long day huh?" The other man is dressed in a black hood with shades. The other man does not respond to the protagonist but instead places the briefcase on the floor (close-up).
The elevator door opens and the other man walks away without the briefcase. The protagonist calls out that he left his briefcase. The other man ignores him and disappears. The protagonist crouches down and picks up the briefcase confused (close-up).
The scene cuts to the protagonist in what is presumed to be his home. He opens the briefcase on a table and is surprised to see money, a passport, and a file folder labeled "CONFIDENTIAL" among other items. There is a panning close-up of the contents of the briefcase. The protagonist suddenly looks up from the briefcase, as if someone else was near. Then, a mysterious voice from the corner says, "We need you to come back in." The last shot before the cut to title card is a low angle of the protagonist from the side, showing both the protagonist sitting down and a silhouette in the corner.
Of course, this is subject to change as with any movie production. The finished product is often very different from the original idea. While I believe the filming shouldn't be a problem, I hope the footage doesn't run too long because we only have around 2 minutes.
In my last post, I said I was going to talk about why I used the word "franchise." This is because it has almost become standard practice for action films to end on a cliffhanger. One of the longest-running jokes in Hollywood is the seemingly unending story of the Fast & Furious films. According to Wikipedia, a cliffhanger is a "plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode or a movie of serialized fiction. A cliffhanger is hoped to incentivize the audience to return to see how the characters resolve the dilemma."
Another franchise known for its cliffhangers is the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The films in the MCU will often have a resolved story, but the credit roll at the end of the film likely will contain a small scene that often features a side character and sets up a future film. A good example of this is the post-credit scene from Avengers: Infinity War (2018). In the film, fans were shocked to see the Avengers lose to the villain Thanos and the film ends with a victorious Thanos and half of all life in the universe snapped from existence. In the post-credit scene, a side character in the film, Nick Fury, sees people around him begin to turn to dust (this is the moment Thanos snaps away half of all life). Fury pulls out an old pager and as he begins to turn to dust, the pager sends a signal to Captain Marvel, the titular character of the next Marvel film released after Avengers: Infinity War. The entire point of the scene was to encourage the audience to go see Captain Marvel when it releases to see how the character is related to the unresolved story of Avengers: Infinity War.
One film whose ending was groundbreaking was Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980). When it was released, Star Wars was nowhere near the level of popularity it has today, but with the great success of its predecessor Star Wars (1977), now known as Star Wars: A New Hope, fans were clamoring for a sequel. Thus, Empire Strikes Back was released. At the end of the film, however, the heroes are left battered. The series iconic villain Darth Vader is revealed to be the main hero Luke Skywalker's father, Luke loses a hand in a duel with Vader, and Han Solo is frozen in carbonite and taken away by a bounty hunter. This left audiences dying to know if Han Solo is ever rescued or if Luke would ever take on Vader again. The sequel to this film, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, resolves the story of what became to be known as the Original Trilogy of Star Wars films. The cliffhanger strategy worked immediately because Return of the Jedi ranked in almost $50 million more than Empire Strikes Back in domestic total. And this strategy of ending every film on a cliffhanger paid off in the long run because since then, Star Wars has become one with pop culture and is currently the 5th highest-grossing media franchise ever. There have been animated and live-action TV shows, prequel, and sequel film trilogies, toys, comics, books, etc. All from 3 films that created hype for the following one by purposely not ending the story.
It's very clear that cliffhangers are a widely used tool in action films to generate excitement for a sequel. A sequel means more money and more money makes the big executives of Hollywood very happy. While I'm only creating a film opening of 2 minutes, a cliffhanger would definitely add suspense and leave the audience wanting more.
Sources
Wikipedia Page for Cliffhangers
