Portfolio Project Final Links

Links!

CREATIVE CRITICAL REFLECTION #1: CCR 1.mp4

CREATIVE CRITICAL REFLECTION #2: FINAL CCR 2

FILM OPENING: Tunnels

Final Reflection

 Final Reflection on Tunnels

Throughout my work on Tunnels, it is something that has progressed since the first day I started working on my projects in this class. There have been many ups and downs and many times I gained and lost confidence in my project. Feeling lost on an important project is bound to happen; thankfully, I had my partner and friends by my side I was able to relate to and feel like there was hope in our project.

There were several times I felt excited to get my work done, see the final piece, gather everything for it, and document it. Then again, there were times when I just felt worried about how my work might turn out. Considering the fact I have never really worked with any of these types of things before, I think Tunnels turned out great. We've worked really hard in order to get the lighting right, to get the shots right, and to get our actress to collaborate with us throughout this lengthy process. There were so many contributing factors to this project overall but at  the end of the day it is something I can say I am happy with. This project was able to teach me lessons on managing time, editing, and the actual real filming process on something like this. Most importantly, it was able to teach me the true friendships I made when having to film or when needing someone to guide me just in case I were to mess up somewhere.

I'm so thankful on how this entire project turned out after many hours, calls, and texts devoted to getting this done successfully. So much time and effort has been put towards this final piece, and it's something I will always be proud of! I'm glad I was able to create a clear understanding of so many important factors that are heavily needed on these types of productions. Lastly, thank you so much for your time, reading and watching my efforts grow!

A short and silly video we made when we officially finished filming...right here!

Post-Production of CCRs

Post-Production of CCRs (editing)

Editing wasn't too rough especially because I didn't have to play around with lighting or audio as much as compared to the film opening. It was very simple just somewhat time consuming but I think I did a decent job at doing so. Here is a screen record of my editing for some time of my second CCR. I'm glad that recording these CCRs along with the editing process weren't as stressful as the film opening, but I was also happy to see the final outcome of both of my CCRs! 

 CCR Production!

For the production of my CCRs, I ended up having a slight change to my plans. I ended up wanting to create a short baking vlog with Andrea because I did have a spare batch of brownies I was willing to make and I also thought it's be a cute and fun idea to do. My house was where I had decided to do this. For this CCR, I also had my friend Guillermo help me out by recording it. I also split questions #1 and #2 into one CCR and the other two questions into another CCR. This one here is #3 and #4.

Here's this CCRs script! 

Picture of Guillermo and the brownies!

For the other CCR, I did keep it similar to the car idea but it became slightly different to where we wouldn't be driving anywhere and it's just be us talking in the car for a short amount of time. Here is a short blooper of my friend, Dari, and I who I did questions #1 and #2 with in my friends car. It was kind of hot but we managed to put through with it.

Here's this CCRs script!

CCR IDEAS

 CCR Production Ideas 

Some of my CCR production ideas were to interview my close friend whom I based my film opening of and interview her about her the way she views her life academically. I would then manage to integrate the questions on audience engagement and challenging conventions as she is someone who has known the least of my project and would be best to ask about that from an outside perspective. I could do this by doing something similar to those YouTube videos where they drive around town and do things around town while they discuss topics like those.

The second idea I had was to have a podcast or a talk show with Lara, our actress who plays Ana Haynes, and talk with her on her perspective on how she saw us using different equipment and working with things she hasn't worked with before. She's always seen the side of me completely disregarding school work, so I feel having her opinion as I ask questions on the way my production skills have began/developed and the amount of different scenes we made her redo numerous times, the different ways we'd tell her to act, move and the way we'd place things around her. 

CCR Research #4

 CCR RSEARCH - 4 

* How did you integrate technology, software, hardware, and online in this project?

`The hardware that we started using was my partners camera, a Sony ZV 1F, a tripod, lights, flashlights, and microphones. We also utilized Blogger, Canva, Word, Black Magic Camera, Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe After Effects and Epidemic Sound.

We were able to use numerous different types of technology and others throughout the production of our film. We are still using blogger in order for us to document the steps we take and the progress we make throughout the production of our film, Canva to make our logo (me and my partners first initials), Black Magic Camera to shoot the scenes for the film, Adobe After Effects for our title (burning effect for Ana loosing herself), premiere pro to edit the film, and Epidemic sound in order to find sounds for the film. We also used tripods to shoot the majority of our scenes, and a small light that could change several settings in color that we were able to use.

Editing process on Premiere Pro

Timelapse of the editing process on Premiere Pro

The small light we were using

Rough draft of the logo we made on Canva

Adobe After Effects for our title

 CCR RESEARCH - 3 

+ How did your production skills develop throughout this project?

- My production skills began to develop as soon as this project was presented to us and I was able to start putting everything together with my partner. There were times when things felt slow, and rushed, but as overall experience, I think it came out good. I was able to learn on how to use color theory, jump cuts, match cuts, and so many more things. The genre me and my partner ended up choosing is known to be a darker romance type of genre and we were able to also give hints of love throughout the film opening when we would show her phone calls, messages, and pictures throughout her room.

The entire storyline was originally my idea because I am close friends with someone who is very similar to Ana. She overexerts herself with school work, she tries to take harder classes than everyone else without considering her mental or physical state, and she always worries on what colleges she'd eventually get into since freshmen year of high school. This friend of mine worries about her grade and works way to hard on herself to the point the bonds she has with her personal life aren't the best. 

Picture of Lara

I was able to express this point of view of mine towards my friend to my partner and she immediately understood as I kept explaining to her the ideas I had. I would tell her different types of props I'd be able to get us, friends of mine who are willing to act, the time I'd be able to make and she reciprocated as we both have busy schedules. Then, we began piecing the scenes together such as shots of Ana's room, Ana then falling asleep doing homework. Later, during a group meeting I was recommended to do a therapist scene and I shared the idea with my partner and both liked it and immediately started thinking of the dialogue, clothes, location, props, etc. We had no idea who would be the school counselor/therapist so I ended up taking the role. 

Once we had created the script and storyboard was when I really saw everything coming together and we would present the script to our actress Lara she she would practice it. Our first days of production weren't the best due to the fact lighting was harder than expected and we were both working with equipment we weren't used to. On the bright side, we were able to get a taste of it and return extra prepared for the following days of production. Once we were able to do this, we were far more successful with the scenes we were finishing up and the techniques we were trying to use. Especially since we both wanted to integrate color theory into the film, the lighting had to be good, obvious but not too prominent, and had to show emotion throughout. Shadows, and different light sources such as a small light we were using, another white light which we could change the warmth of, and our phone flashlights which you could change the level of brightness on. 

Next, was the big scene of the therapy session between Mrs. Larsson and Ana in the school library which consisted of us shooting in our local library near our school. We got there around the time it opened to try and get the specific room we were trying to use but there had already been someone there who reserved it for 2 hours so then throughout that time we began touching up other parts of our film and research. Once those 2 hours were up we went there immediately and began to set up the room exactly how we wanted it. (A timelapse of us adjusting the room to our liking) This process didn't take us too long due to the fact we already knew what we wanted to do. 

Picture of me and my partner

Throughout this process, I was always sure to try and be more prepared towards props and extra shots if needed. I played around with Canva as well to add things about our film. I'll always be thankful for the people I was able to bother with acting and letting me borrow their house decorations in order to use to for my props. But more than anyone, I'm thankful I was able to have my partner by my side and get to know someone and work with someone good in filming and feel as if we were both able to grow together throughout the production of our film.

CCR Research #2

CCR RESEARCH - 2

~ How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?

- My product engages with audiences by connecting with younger students/adults and trying to connect back to their mental health; mainly, females that range from ages 15-20. This is due to the fact that Tunnels is able to connect and ignite recognition to the suffering and difficulties one can experience throughout life.

Engagement 

Throughout Tunnels, one is able to observe the reality of a being a specific type of a hardworking, smart student. There are numerous students that are quite similar to Ana that many just don't realize. Many young students and young adults stay up for hours throughout the night growing old, doing their homework or simply studying for their classes. We are able to emphasize that topic heavily throughout the film as Ana falls asleep doing her homework, different homework scattered around her, and as she seems to take advantage of her lunch time to prioritize homework rather than eating and talking with her friends. The more she distances herself from friendships, the more she drowns herself into her work. Many teens are known to do this as they are not only growing old, but growing to pretend as if academics are the only things that carry importance in their life. 

Other scenes that are also able to show much truly important Ana's mental health and as it is something she is also trying to push away and disregard, is the scene of the therapy session she has with Mrs. Larsson. The more Mrs. Larsson attempts to talk to Ana about simple things such as her life, more stronger, straightforward answers Ana seems to deliver. This reconnects back to the way younger teens/adults try to conceal their emotions when they're supposed to talk about it. The more they bottle up their emotions, the worse it is on themselves. As many kids are raised to not express themselves, it's something some grow out of or only manage to grow stronger in. 

Distribution 

This film opening will be available through independent distributors; such as, partnering up with AVOD (Advertising-Based Video on Demand), YouTube, Tubi and Crackle. As these are platforms that consist of being free to watch, it only contains ads. Tunnels would be able to be distributed to many audiences once we accomplish this. The amount of views my product will be getting will also be expanding much more and the more known it will become. This would support me and my partner by helping our next product to become stronger and will attract more audiences as we would know what they'd be interested in.

Post-Production 2

Time-lapse

Hello! Throughout our time of us finishing up the last scene (therapist scene), I would have never thought acting is that hard, until now. Overall, I do think the raw footage we have came out pretty good as our ideas looked good when we would check the film and audio.

Here is a time-lapse of the editing process for Tunnels!