Media Studies Project

 

                                                           Overcoming Obstacles

               Hey readers! As of now, there is one more week left to complete my Cambridge Portfolio Project. Time has flown by fast and the final due date is approaching. For those that do not know, the project is officially due April 3, 2023.  With that being said, this week is all about making sure that my pre-production, production, and post-production processes all work together to make sure my project is presented in the best format. On March 27, 2023, my AICE Media class held group meetings of up to four people. In these group meetings, each person discussed the resolution of their project and any challenges they encountered throughout the production process. I am glad that I was able to learn other people's processes and how they overcame the obstacles they faced. This blog posting is here to highlight the obstacles I faced throughout this project, and through research and advice how I over came each one. 

• Music Scouting       

          Music is a very important part of any film. Music will allow the audience to fully engage with what is being shown and enjoy what is being heard. Music has the ability to make or break a film. With this being said, I took immense pride in finding the best song for my film opening. The goal for my song was for it to be engaging, natural, and connect to the romance genre. I am happy to say that I have found the exact song that I was looking for. Although, it did not come easy. I searched through Youtube Audio Library to find the song that I was aiming to get. This took days because I really took my time to find the "perfect" song. In the end, I am glad I went through this process because it allowed me to open my ears to amazing music. Amazing music that I will be able to add in my film opening!

•           Editing on Adobe Premiere Pro

                Regarding the editing process, this project is the first time that I have used Adobe Premiere Pro. Being a beginner to certain apps can be hard, although over time things get easier. Adobe Premiere Pro can seem intimidating at first glance, however, once you learn how to operate the app everything else comes easy. Adobe Premiere Pro is a very efficient and reliable editing app. Through the use of online videos/research and teacher advice, I was able to successfully use Adobe Premiere Pro. In the end, I am very glad I used this app because I was able to learn something new and work on my project efficiently. 

• Completing my CCR

                  The CCR (Creative Critical Reflection) is one of the most essential parts of the Cambridge Portfolio Project. Students must choose two productions in which they answer four mandatory questions. Some challenges I faced in my CCR process were figuring out which productions to choose. For example, I could have chosen to do a podcast, talk show, interview, powerpoint with voiceover, etc. Ultimately, I ended up deciding to do a talk show and powerpoint with voiceover. These two productions will both help me answer my CCR in an engaging and informal manner. To add, both are very popular and/or well-known resources. I am very confident in my decision to use these two resources. 

            

           

 

                

Media Studies Project

                      

                                                          CCR Process (Part 2)

     Hello readers, now that I have mentioned the platforms I will be using to complete my CCR, let's begin the process. The CCR (Creative Critical Reflection) consists of four important questions. These questions all help to explain the target audience, genre, social groups, etc. Here are the four questions that must be answered in the CCR:

1. How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?

2. How does your project engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?

3. How did your production skills develop throughout this project?

4. How did you integrate technologies - software, hardware and online - in this project?

     Through using Power Point and pursuing a Talk Show, I am confident that my CCR will explain each question clearly and in a descriptive manner. The main goal is that my target audience for my film opening fully comprehends/understands what I am trying to portray. With that being said, here is a sneak peak/intro of the Power Point for my CCR:

                 

      In all efforts to create an engaging talk show as well, I have gathered props that will be illustrated during the show. These props really add to the look and feel of a professional talk show. In addition, both of these props help the audience to hear better and see what is going on. Both items are modern and very popularly used today. These props will engage the audience in the perfect way and make the talk show very fun to watch. Here are some of the props I will be using in my talk show:

Media Studies Project

               

                                                           Editing Continued...

          As you guys know, I have started the editing process of my film opening. Throughout the duration of the week(s) however, I have come across a few hard ships. Hard ships are similar to challenges. Some challenges I faced are figuring out how to input the music across all shots and having smooth transitions on all cuts. Both of these were obstacles I faced, although with research and help from resources I figured out exactly what I needed to do to overcome each one. 

Inputing Music 

       Music is one of the key parts of a film opening. Music allows the audience to not only visualize what is going on but also hear and understand what the film maker is trying to convey. Inputing music onto a video can be difficult when it is initially done. It is important to make sure that the music is on the right soundtrack/sound base for the entirety of the film opening. Here is an example of where music or sound choice goes on a video in Adobe Premiere Pro:

      Music / sound choice should be right underneath the blue boxes. The blue boxes indicate clips and/or shots that were taken throughout the filming process. While inputing my music choice onto my editing application the main issue I was having was of the music laying over or being cut short. However, I soon realized that I can alter my music using duration and/or input the exact parts of the song I wanted to hear at a certain time. 

Smooth Transitions                                                                                                                                  

   Having smooth transitions is what prohibits a film from looking choppy. I want my film to look as smooth as possible and only portray clean cuts. I researched online to find different ways to make this possible on Adobe Premiere Pro. Through my research, I learned that I had to use different effects throughout the transitions of my shots. Effects can be found through the panels on Adobe Premiere Pro. Here is an example of this: 

          From here, all you have to do is click video transitions and you can choose which ever one you want to use. I am very happy that I found this technique, because not only do I have good transitions, I have amazing effects throughout my film opening. Ultimately, these were the obstacles that I faced throughout my editing process. Although, research really helped me to learn new things and get the best solution from it. 

Media Studies Project

 

                                                                      CCR Process

         Hey readers, this blog posting is the official introduction to my CCR (Creative Critical Reflection Process). In my "CCR Brainstorming" blog posting, posted on March 12, 2023, I was discussing some ideas or ways I was considering to use to complete my CCR. I am glad to announce that I chose which and/or what ideas I am going to pursue. The ideas I am going to pursue are a Powerpoint with a voice over and a Talk Show. 

Powerpoint w/ Voice Over

       Power points are a well known tool to use to display or portray information. Power points provide clear and concise ways to organize information. With this being said, I will use a powerpoint as one of the ways to complete my CCR. The main goal for me is to allow my CCR to be engaging. I want the audience to completely understand my thought process throughout the production and I want to clear up any questions a person could have. Through the voice over part of my power point, I will clearly explain all the information that is being presented. Here is an example of a power point with a voice over: 

                                                              

      Power points allow you to thoroughly present your choice of information. Many content creators and/or film makers use power points as a way to organize information. With power point, you can organize your information into the design and setting you want it to be in. I will use the Powerpoint with Voice over technique to answer my CCR (Creative Critical Reflection). I am very excited for how my CCR will turn out and I hope you are too!

Talk Show

          As I mentioned on my other CCR Blog Posting, talk shows are a very great and entertaining way to release information. Talk shows are where a host is having a conversation with a special guest. My talk show will be very engaging and very straightforward when it comes to answering the CCR questions. I will make sure to include visuals of my production process and any important behind the scenes scenarios I encountered. As a reminder, here are examples of a talk show:

     Overall, talk shows are really effective in making sure that information is explained in an efficient manner. This is very important in any film or project. With the use of a Power point and a Talk Show, I will make sure that my CCR is explained clearly and concisely through more than one avenue. Various explanation will help in making sure that my audience and readers are not confused as to what is going on in my project. 

Media Studies Project

 

                                                                          Editing 

          Hey readers, welcome back! According to the last blog post, I finally chose an amazing song for my film opening. However, this blog posting is an introduction to the editing process of my production. Editing is a huge part of films and it can shape how a film lays outs and/or flows. The editing application I am using to edit my film opening is Adobe Premiere Pro. Adobe Premiere Pro is a very modern and popular editing software. Adobe Premiere Pro allows you to have access to top editing utensils and really helps you create the film you are trying to portray. For those that don't know, here is what the Adobe Premiere Pro application/logo is:

              Moving on, let's look into my editing process. To begin, editing for me is very fun and engaging. I love that I am able to transform my film into anything I want. I also love that I have access to some amazing editing tools that allow me to do so. I am able to change the color grade, duration, lighting, and so much more when it comes to editing the shots I gathered. Here is a sneak peak into my editing process:

                As you can see, I am already going through the motions of editing my film. I have imported some of the shots I gathered and I am reviewing/critiquing them as we speak. I am making sure the transitions, lighting, and duration of the shots all work together perfectly. Everything is going smoothly as of now, however I will let you guys know if/when I overcome any challenges. I hope you guys enjoyed the introduction to my editing process!

Media Studies Project

 

                                                                Music Scouting

                Hey readers, first and formally, I just want to say thank you for staying on this journey with me. It has been one adventurous ride and I'm glad we're still on it together. I just want to say that this blog posting is very important to me. This is because it is all about music! Music is one of my favorite things and I have an immense passion for it. Regarding my film opening, I am tasked with finding an ideal song that qualifies the sound element of my film opening. My ideal song is a romance song for, the genre of my film is indeed romance! That being said, let's dive right into the search for outstanding romance songs/soundtracks ...

               To start off, let's discuss the resource I used to brain storm and broad cast music. This resource allowed me to access Copyright Free Music. Regarding the "Planning" blog post I posted on February 23, 2023, I mentioned a few songs I was considering adding into my film opening. These songs were performed by artists such as Bruno Mars, H.E.R., and Glenn Travis. However, access to these songs was hard and/or tricky to come by so I chose to go the Copyright Free route. Ultimately, I am glad I chose to go use Copyright Free Music because the resource I used had some phenomenal songs and each song allowed you to really connect with what was being played. 

Here is the resource I used:

            As I came across the Youtube Audio Library, I began listening to various songs that were available. All kinds of music were displayed and each music had their own spark or essence to it. The music genre I completely focused on was Romance. My goal was to find a song that had a natural and calm feel to it. A song that would engage my audience and only help them focus on what was happening in my film opening. That being said, here are some of the songs I considered using in my film opening:

 

      Both of these songs have a very calm feel to it. In addition, both of these songs are enjoyable and very easy to listen to. These songs will not only allow the audience to enjoy the film opening, but the music as well. Sunset Walk by Roa has more of an upper beat and has a summer feel to it. Feel by Land of Fire has more of a slower beat and has a sentimental feel to it. All in all, both of these add something different to my film opening and while I decide which song to use, I am going to continue to listen to other music ...

     As I listened to other songs, I am proud to announce that I have chosen the song for my film opening. The song has the exact natural and romantic feel I am trying to pursue. It really connects with what is being shown and I am confident that the audience will love the music choice. Without further ado, may I present to you the song choice for my film opening:

Media Studies Project

 

                                                          Filming Process (Part 2) 

           Hey readers,  let's continue discussing the journey of my filming process! Filming was an adventure in itself and honestly it was very fun. I got to shoot various shots even when I did a change of location and/or setting. I do not regret changing the location of my film because I do believe that it was for the best. Some shots took longer to obtain then expected because I wanted to make sure I got the "perfect shot."  In doing so, I took my time and made sure that everything was to the best it could be. Now, here is a sneak peak of some of the shots I got...

        Shots:

           1

2                                                                                                                                                

                               

3                                                                                                                                         

Description of shots:

1                                                                                                                                      

 

        

     The first shot represents some of the plant life I wanted to incorporate in my film opening. The red, purple, and pink colors of the flowers are colors of love.  Love is the entire basis and/or foundation of my film genre (romance). These flowers provide a symbol of love. I really want my film to portray and/or illustrate representations of love. Love is one of the special things about life and I want to showcase the story of my parent's love as best as possible. 

2                                                                                                                                    

        The second shot aids in including a variety of plant life in my film opening. Plant life is an essential part of my story board, so I wanted to include various kinds of plants. These plants all add to the "natural" setting I am trying to portray. Natural settings are settings that include nature and have a somewhat modern feel to it. Plants are a key part of nature, so my film opening will include beautiful different kind of plants that only contribute to the film.    

   3                                                                                                                                        

           The third shot is one of the shots I used to film the "Garden/Park" part of my film opening. As you know, I used Peace Mound Park, Weston FL to take some shots and film this part of my storyboard. Peace Mound Park was an amazing choice because I was able to get access to beautiful scenery for my film. All of the shots I obtained represent the "natural" setting I was aiming for. I am very pleased for how all of the shots turned out.                                                                                

                   

Media Studies Project

                                                             

                                                           CCR Brainstorming 

             CCR stands for Creative Critical Reflection. The CCR is a very major and important part of the Cambridge Portfolio Project. In this blog posting, I will be discussing some ideas I have for completing the CCR in a fun and creative way. These ideas include an interview, podcast, or talk show. I will be explaining each one of these ideas in depth during this blog post. Let's start! 

 Interview:

          An interview is when people meet face to face to discuss certain topics. Interviews allow for a person to get directly questioned/asked about a topic in an engaging way. An interview would allow me to answer each one of my CCR questions while still keeping my audience intrigued. It would also allow me to answer my questions in an organized and efficient manner. The audience would pick up on the authentic and clear showcase I am trying to illustrate. Here are some examples of interviews:

Podcasts:                                                                                                                                                 

  Podcasts are digital audio files people use to discuss different topics online. People normally log on to podcasts and listen live to a streamer. Podcasts are very modern and well-known in being a good source or way to display information. If I were trying to go the modern route, podcasts would be an amazing way to do it. Many people love listening to podcasts and would tune in easily in order to listen to my CCR. Here are some example of Podcasts:

Talk Show:                                                                                                                                                

    Talk shows are which various topics are discussed and hosts are used to ask the client a serious of questions. Talk shows are normally extremely fun and engaging. Talk shows allow the audience to participate in the discussion and make them feel included. Talk shows are a great way for the audience to feel like they are a part of my project / CCR.  This would allow them to stay constantly engaged and focused on what I am discussing as well. Here are some examples of talk shows:

Media Studies Project

                                                              Overall Changes 

        

        Over the course of my Cambridge Portfolio Project, I have made some changes to my Film Opening. These changes mainly relate to the story board and location of my project. Story boards are used to showing the planning and organization of a film. They can also be portrayed or illustrated as outlines of films/movies. While I began to film my project, I indeed did make some slight changes to my storyboard. For anyone that needs a reminder here is an example of my initial story board:

          

          The changes that I made to the story board consist of the order of the scenes. Meaning, the way and timing each scene will be portrayed. The scenes that underwent a change were scenes 1-4. The initial order of each of these scenes were 1, 2, 3, and 4. The new order of these scenes will be 1, 4, 3, and 2. I would like to illustrate the look of flowers, nice skies, sunsets, etc. before introducing the main setting of a downtown area. It would aid in developing a peaceful and natural introduction to my film opening. 

        

            Some additional reasons why I changed the order of my story board are for better flow of the production and easier transitions.  A better flow would allow for my film opening to role at an improved pace. The audience would have a better understanding of what is going on. To add, easier transitions would allow the production to go by very smoothly. There would be little to no confusion because the editing would be very clear and concise. Other than that, this concludes the overall changes made to my project by far! I do believe that these changes will make a difference in the best way!

Media Studies Project

                                               

                                                               Filming  Process

         Hello, readers! For a second I want you to head back to my "Location Scouting" blog posting. In that posting, I discussed all the locations I was considering to film my Film Opening at. I am here to let you know that I chose to film my Film Opening at multiple areas. The areas are Peace Mound Park, Weston FL and The Weston Hills Country Club. I was originally going to film at Weston Town Center or the Downtown area in Fort Lauderdale, however these areas allowed me to have permission to film and were very local and natural. I am super happy with my decision to film in Peace Mound Park, Weston FL and the Weston Hills Country Club. 

Here are some sneak peaks to my new settings:

Peace Mound Park, Weston FL

The Weston Hills Country Club:                                                                                                    

     Each of these new areas allow for me to create a beautiful setting for my film. I am excited for the outcome of my production and I can't wait to see the official end product! Peace Mound Park allows me to have an amazing garden/park setting for the scenes that consist of this on my storyboard. The Weston Hills Country Club consists of actual work places and adds a very modern feel as well. This is a bonus to my initial setting ideas. 

    

     Ultimately, I am pleased with the decisions I have made concerning my film opening. The next blog posting will discuss my overall changes to my production. Although, this blog posting was just an introduction to my filming process and a slight update on what has been going on. I am glad that I was able to go through the process of Location Scouting and finally choose an initial setting(s). See you guys on the next blog posting!

Media Studies Project

 

                                                            CCR Class Lesson 

     CCR stands for Creative Critical Reflection. CCR's are an important part of the Cambridge Portfolio Project and usually take place after the production process. It is important that students know how to complete a CCR efficiently. This blog posting will be discussing what I learned from my AICE Media Studies teacher about CCR's. 

Purpose of CCR

     The purpose of the CCR is to reflect on the production. During the CCR I am to reflect on my planning, production, and final product. These are the three main parts of the overall project. Additionally, I am to respond to the questions provided. It is very important that I develop an elaborated response to all of the four questions provided. 

     A good way to answer the four questions clearly is to create two types of media products. Some examples are director commentary, a presentation with voiceover, and a talk show ("host" interviews director). This would be an amazing for me to answer all of the questions and do so in an engaging manner. 

The Four Questions

        Question One of the CCR relates to genre conventions. Regarding this question, it is important that I discuss genre characteristics and representation. It is always good to cite where information was found as well. Question Two of the CCR relates to target audience. Regarding this question, I am to discuss all components of my target audience, production choices, and distribution methods. Furthermore, it is always important that I cite research that was used.

      Question Three of the CCR relates to the production process of my project. It is necessary for me to explain my research, planning, and production process. To conclude the question, I am supposed to end with a reflection. Question Four of the CCR relates to the discussion of any technologies that were used throughout my project. For example, hardware/software such as cameras, microphones, lighting, planning tools, editing tools, etc. As usual, it is important that I include any sources that were used.

Ending

      The ending of my CCR will be a final statement that reflects on the project as a whole. I will discuss what I learned throughout my experience and what I would do differently. This part should not take up a lot of time and only acts as a resolution to my overall project. 

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                                                                   Costumes 

         Costumes are sets of clothing that characters typically wear. Costumes provide a look into a character's personality and social life. This blog posting will simply be about the costumes of my two main characters (John and Maria). This posting will reveal the attire of each character and the reasons why I chose the outfit...

Maria

    Maria is a young lady who values her time in the workforce. She often wears professional attire and takes her job very seriously. Maria wears blouses, suits, and dresses most of the time. Each one of these outfits are common for women in the workforce. Various women across the world wear these outfits to work everyday. Here are examples of the  suits, blouses, and dresses women wear:

           Each one of these outfits illustrate the power women hold in the work force. Maria will be wearing a shuffle of each one of these outfits throughout the film. A small edition I would like to add to these outfits are jewelry and heels. Heels symbolize power and jewelry symbolizes the elegancy of being a women. Women can have power in the workforce and appear elegant at the same time. Each jewelry/heels will be available to buy at a nearby store for a reasonable price. These stores include Macy's, Claires, etc.  Here are some looks at the jewelry and heels I am considering to add:

John

       John is the other main character apart of my film. John is active in the workforce as well and takes his job very seriously. John often wears suits and dress shirts. Throughout the film, the character will rotate between this attire. John is a very simple man and so is his choice of clothing. Here are some pictures of the outfits John will be in:

        These are the examples of the outfits that John will be wearing. John will be wearing the shoes of his choice, as his job is not strict on what he wears. These shoes will either be sneakers or dress shoes. John and Maria's shared passion of the workplace is the main reason they got the chance to meet each other. Therefore, it is important that I express each character's love for their job through their appearance/costume. 

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                                                        Location Scouting

           As you know, I would like a downtown area/workplace to be the setting of my film. A workplace is a place of employment for citizens that work. Many workplaces are in or surrounded by downtown areas. Since my two main characters (John and Maria) are active in the workforce, it makes the most sense for the movie to be filmed in or near a downtown area. Let's discuss areas that I could possibly film in...

Town Center - Weston, Florida

           A town center is the central part of a community. Town centers are where families/friends go to hangout and spend quality time together. Additionally, town centers are very similar to the downtown areas of a regular city. Both are surrounded by various workplaces and behold a number of stores and shops. Here are a few pictures of the Town Center in Weston, Florida:

                                      

          As you can see, the Town Center in Weston, Florida is very much alike to a normal downtown area. The town center includes many workplace buildings and has a modern feel to it. This would be a very good setting for my film (Ever After).

Downtown, Fort Lauderdale (Florida)

     The downtown area in Fort Lauderdale, Florida is a very well-known area. Many tourists and/or residents of Florida visit this area daily. Thriving businesses and/or workplaces reside in this area for people to visit and apply to. As many people come to this area every day, it makes clear sense as this area to provide two people with love. Like my two main characters, John and Maria! Here are some pictures of the downtown area in Fort Lauderdale:

       It is clear that the downtown area in Fort Lauderdale is also surrounded by large amounts of water and has a beach feel to it. This setting would allow for wonderful sunsets. Sunsets are a major part of the initial setting of my film as well. If I were to pursue this downtown area, I would have an amazing chance at being able to track one of a kind sunsets while filming a well-known downtown area. 

Downtown Area, Miami (Florida)

     The downtown area of Miami is the most modern out of all of the other downtown areas. This area provides a new look on the future of workplaces in the state of Florida. Miami is the central spot for tourists and big, active businesses. Miami is often filled with tourists and festivals. It is clear that the downtown area of Miami attracts plenty of people and is very popular across the city of Miami. Here are a few pictures of this downtown area:

                               

       Every downtown and/or town center in Florida has its own significance to it! Each one provides a different feel and different scenery. Most importantly, each one emphasizes how workplaces are in fact a major part in the creation of downtown areas. As of right now, I am deciding to film either in the Town center of Weston, FL or Downtown area of Fort Lauderdale, FL. Both of these areas provide essentials to the setting of my film. I am looking forward to the filming process of my project!