Eden's Blog

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 Movie Opener Final Cut   After reviewing some comments made by my classmates, I edited my film opening. I re-shot some clips of individuals putting on masks and asked the actors to look more serious because I did receive a comment saying that the emotion of the shots in the first draft fit the tone. I think these ones look nicer and have the emotion that matches the film opening's overall tone, which is pretty somber and reflective. Additionally, some mentioned that I take a look at the audio. I re-did the audio to make sure that the backing music sounded good at all times and the voices of the actors counting down from 10 were loud enough to hear. I am thankful for those comments and think that they helped me improve the quality of my film opening. 

  I really appreciated all the feedback I got from my draft film opening! It made me feel a bit more confident about my project. The biggest takeaways were that some of my actors' emotions didn't necessarily match the tone of the opening and that there were some audio issues. I may reshoot some scenes to make sure that the actors match the tone of the film. I also will work on the audio a bit and make sure the music and any dialogue (the counting) fit at appropriate volumes. I plan on working on the audio this week and possibly re-filming some shots this weekend/next week. 

Film Opening Rough Draft

  Here is a screenshot of my editing. I recorded shots of individuals putting on a mask - somewhat solum which created a bit of a dramatic effect. A shot from last week (of a series of text messages discussing the changes going on once the coronavirus hit) transitions to a shot of the first individual (Lissa Mann) putting on a mask. I wasn't sure last week how it was going to work, but I like how the text is shown briefly over the next shot as they transition.    Here is the second screenshot of my editing screen from more filming that I was able to do this week. I'm not sure if I am going to add extra titles or not because I like the simplicity.  In my last post, I showed my title scene. This week I am going to work on implementing the big party scene and making sure those transitions go smoothly and work nicely. I also have been playing around on iMovie with audio. The party scene will have mostly diegetic sound and maybe some light music underneath. These scenes a...

  Here is a screenshot from when I was beginning to edit my film opening. I started using iMovie, however, it was lagging a bit so I might end up switching to Premiere Pro. Since I am working alone, I was the only person editing this week -- I may seek out advice from classmates and students who have taken this before to help me improve some techniques.  As of right now, I have this for my title. I might replace the black screen with a shot of the NYE party (which I am still working on the actual filming for), but am still deciding. I like the font of the text, and I edited the transition so the title comes as if it is being cut by scissors.  My big issue right now is that I am still lacking a lot of necessary or ideal shots for my film. I was able to get some more shots this weekend but still need more. This week I plan on working on getting more of those to make editing much easier for myself. I also plan on dedicating more time this week to my film opening, since last ...

This week I filmed more for my film opening. My film focuses on the events and chaos of 2020. A huge part of the year was how virtual everything became, so I wanted to include shots of people interacting over text messages, video calls, and the such. I set up my phone on a tripod ring light to get better lighting and used my camera to record the shots. I recorded quite a few shots this way and I think they will turn out pretty cool! I plan on filming more shots including other people and start editing in the upcoming week!! 

This week I began to figure out my filming plans and started filming for my movie opening. I wanted to start with more of the individual shots, and wait to do the big scene for next week. Many shots in my opening are going to represent various moments from throughout the year to show the different experiences that people faced. One that I wanted to emphasize was wearing masks and virtual learning. Here is a picture of me recording my friend who is doing school work through the computer.  I liked that the shot incorporated the different setting that comes with virtual learning.  Throughout the opening, specifically near the ending shots, I want to show the "main" girl of the opening sitting alone in her bedroom celebrating the new years by herself -- in contrast to the beginning of the film when she was celebrating with a group of friends. I moved my room around to create a cute corner that would be good to film in. This is what the picture below shows.  I might use the fa...

Actors: I will have friends and family act in my film; Ellie Poling, Kira Swanson, Kacie Swanson, Maria DeClerq, Laura Krumholz, Kevin Krumholz. (The cast list is not 100% confirmed yet).  Costumes: Actors will wear normal clothes, party clothes.  Props: New years eve props and decorations (glasses, balloons, confetti poppers, etc.), masks, computer to show virtual school, newspapers, television, and laptop to show the events of 2020.  Locations: my house for the scenes at the NYE party, Lely High School for shots of students at school during this time, and possibly other outdoor areas of Marco Island.  Dates and times: I will start filming next week - specifically Friday, February 12th, Saturday, February 13th, and Sunday, February 14th. Possibly some other days as well depending on how much filming I get accomplished.  Scripts: there will be little dialogue in the film opening -- a group of friends at a party will count down from 10 and then cheer "Happy ...

 For my opening film, I wanted to take the events of this past year and put them on screen. My plan is to create a New Year's Eve party. The film will open at a party with a group of friends celebrating the end of 2019 and soon to be the year 2020. The will be an establishing shot and will consist of diegetic sounds with possibly some light music backing it. The camera will pan to some friends take pictures, where one will notice the clock about to hit midnight. At this point, a wide shot will take place, the group of friends get ready and begin to countdown from 10. After they chant "10," the camera will cut to clips of the girls in the future watching and reading the news about the coronavirus entering the United States. This will likely take the form of POV, medium, and cameo shots. The music will also die down and become more intense to fit the situation. Soon after, the camera will cut back to the party as the girls chant "9." The camera will then transitio...

1. The title of this film is, "Rise." The genre of this film was sports, possibly tying into a sort of combining of age type-feel. It shows a very talented soccer player being discovered by what can be assumed to be a coach or recruiter. Right from the start, the quality of their videos are very good, they have very clear images and clean movements. They are creative with their camera angles, using a variety of them. I loved how music quietly starting playing and as the main character put on headphones, the volume of the music increased -- as if we were hearing what he was hearing. Then the camera shots were on the beat with the music, which I thought was a really cool element and something that I would love to incorporate in my opening. The music shifts and a second song is added on top, it blends really well and keeps the feel of the opening very strong and intriguing. I didn't love the two ending chocker shots, but it was a good way to leave the audience thinking and w...

In season three, episode 4 of the Netflix series "Black Mirror," the shot opens up with a plain black screen. White text in the form of codes begins to appear, doing so with sounds of typing playing. The text shows the show title, Black Mirror, and then a crack in the screen jumps out -- almost as if the screen was an actual mirror. The sounds flatline and the text fades. The episode title, "San Junipero," shows quickly and then also fades. Just with the title sequence, there is bits of suspense and erieness due to the typing and flatlinning sounds that will leave the audience wanting to see and hear more.  The opening shot of the episode shows waves of the ocean rising to the shore. The setting is dark, showing the audience that it is clearly night time. The water is also dark except for the neon colors reflecting onto it, this shows that the shot has developed through low-key lighting. An establishing shot is then shown, displaying the city which is off the coast ...

 The genre of my film will be Coming-of-Age Drama. I will be working alone. 

  How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences of the film?  The title of the film, The Sound of Music, is shown prior to the opening scene. Other than that, there are no titles displayed during the opening sequences of the film.  What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?  The Swiss Alps are prioritized greatly in the opening as they are the background in which the protagonist, Maria, is running around and taking in the beauty of her environment. Additionally, Maria herself is the main focus of the opening sequence whilst she is singing the song, "The Sound of Music."  What connotations do the images carry?  These images carry very positive connotations. Throughout the opening, which is the song, Maria is sharing with the audience how the hills and the mountains, as well as, the great power of music make her feel. They fill her with love, laughter, a sense of comfortability, and inspiration.  How is genre reinforced through sym...

  How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences of the film?  There are about 22 titles displayed during the opening sequences of the 1984 film "Sixteen Candles." The titles include the name of the film, the leading actors and actresses, and the members of the crew (such as producers, casting, and music directors).  What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?  The opening sequence shows images of the school in which is a primary setting for the film. They also show students who attend the school: getting off the bus, walking through the campus, opening lockers. More specifically, they show students who are couples and are in relationships, showing affection as they walk together -- including the iconic hand in the back pocket.  What connotations do the images carry?  The images carry both positive and negative connotations. The environment in the opening sequences is filled with lovestruck teenagers -- which to them, being together is ...

 

         

In the film, "Agent Carter," the shot opens up with a flashback scene, including Captain America (Chris Evans) and Peggy (Hayley Atwell). The scene shows Captain America going into action while saying the final words to Peggy. This is done through the use of close-up and choker shots, which help show the intensity and emotion of the scene. Additionally, there is dim lighting which makes the scene feel more sorrowful. Along with the camera shots and lighting, the performance of the two actors helped enhance the scene -- the audience saw raw emotion through facial expressions and tears. The scene itself does not include much dialogue between the two and lets the performance make its impact. In the final moments of this scene, the instrumental music increases as it shows Captain America focusing on a picture of Peggy whilst he sacrifices himself in battle.  The next scene opens with the words "One Year Later" titled across the shot. This allows the audience to understa...

 

   I decided to comment on the mise-en-scene of the 2008 movie, "Mamma Mia!" I made this decision because this is one of my favorite movies and I think the setting, lighting, costumes, and staging are quite remarkable. For those unfamiliar, Mamma Mia takes place in the Greek Islands and features Donna Sheridan (Meryl Streep) who is preparing for her daughter's wedding. Her daughter Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), secretly invited three men from her mother's past in the hope of one of them being her real father. Mamma Mia is a jukebox movie-musical that is based on the songs of the Swedish pop band ABBA.  The movie opens in the dark of night on the island, and pictures Sophie mailing letters to her potential fathers. Deep Space is used in this opening scene. This opening sequence has the song “I Have a Dream” playing under it, and contains a variety of wide, low, follow, and cameo shots. Sophie is looking from the letters to the open ocean. Deep Space is used in this frame ...