Project Links

 Here are my project links, I had so much fun doing this project!

Film Opening :  Video Project 3.mp4

CCR 1:  CCR1.mp4

CCR 2:  CCR2.mp4

Final Reflection on Project

 Looking back now, working through every part of this project pushed growth, especially in creative thinking and hands on abilities. Right at the start, figuring out how to open strong meant planning an introduction that grabs focus while shaping what comes next. We also used lighting to help convey the mood to the viewers, making certain scenes feel more serious and intense depending on how the light was positioned and how bright or dark the room was. As things moved forward, staying clear on the main idea mattered, connecting each piece so the flow felt natural. With the CCR videos, it made me look back on all we did throughout these eight weeks, it helps a lot in doing the final reflection.

We also improved in aspects such as filming, planning, and editing. We learned the need to plan for aspects such as the angles to take pictures and the need for clear sound in our videos, especially for the main project and CCRs. Then came the editing part, where we used Clipchamp to arrange our videos, cut out errors, and add pictures to help explain what was going on in our videos. This helped our project and CCRs look even better.

Looking back at everything, we were able to bring creativity and explanation into our work, making it a better overall product. The opening drew people in, the main project helped us develop our ideas, and the CCR videos helped explain our ideas in a more creative way. If we could do anything to make it better, we might use more camera angles to make it more interesting. Overall, this project has helped us see how everything fits into a media product, from start to finish while also having so much fun!

Here are some links we used throughout our project to help us convey ideas:

https://macksennettstudios.net/how-lighting-affects-mood-in-film/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlNviMsi0K0 (for more ideas on camera angles)

Post-Production Editing of CCR

  After filming, I worked on editing everything together during the post-production phase of my CCR videos to make the finished products appear tidy and well-organized. I recorded the videos at my friend's house, uploaded them, and began using Clipchamp to edit them. I had to seperate the questions and organize them so the answers corresponded to the right questions because there were two CCR videos with two different questions in each. To improve the video's flow and unique look, I cut out the parts where we paused or made mistakes.

In order to point out the ideas that I was making, I also included images in the video while editing it. I included images on the screen while explaining some aspects of my project so that the audience could understand what I was doing instead of listening to the explanation. This has also been made easy by the Clipchamp editor, which helped me drag the images to the timeline and position them exactly at the point where I wanted them in the video. In order for the images to appear at the right time while explaining each idea, I paid close attention to the timing.

   Here is a screenshot of my editing: 

After giving the editing process some thought, I came to the conclusion that post-production is what truly brings the video together. Even though the raw footage was good on its own, the editing made everything simple and interesting for the audience. The CCR videos looked more professional and supported my explanations when I added pictures and arranged the clips. Overall, using Clipchamp enabled me to transform the initial recording into a final product that better described my project.

Post About Production of CCRS

 Instead of just giving regular answers to the questions, I chose to use more creativity in the creation of my CCR videos. I recorded the videos at my friend's house. We pretended that I was being held captive and that I could only be released if I correctly answered two questions in each video. I had to answer the two questions for each of the two CCR videos I had to create. In order to make the recording feel more like a scene than a typical school assignment, we made an effort to make it more unique. My friend Simon helped with recording the video and made sure that everything was clear and that the camera angles looked good.

I realized throughout filming that setting up the idea in advance made the production run much more smoothly. The hostage idea made the video interesting and special when compared to other ideas I had, when compared to just sitting in front of the camera and speaking. In addition, we had to think about the camera's placement, the room's lighting, and how I would clearly and actually respond. I had to focus on giving accurate answers to the CCR questions so that each aspect of my project seemed clear, even though it was intended to be slightly humorous.

In perspective, I believe this concept improved the CCR's recall and attraction. It helped me show my creativity while still describing the important parts of my project. Since we had more space and time to film at my friend's house, the process also became easier. In general, creating the CCR in that way allowed me to combine my creativity with an explanation of my work, giving the video a more personal feel than an average school presentation.

   I got my idea from the movie The Dark Knight, when Batman interrogates the Joker. I was scrolling on my phone when I saw a clip of this, which sparked this idea of ​​the hosting CCR videos.

Post discussing CCR production ideas

 I was thinking of how I can make my CCR video more creative rather than just standing in front of the camera and answering the questions normally. Since our project video has a dark thriller theme, I thought that my CCR video could somehow fit into that theme as well. My plan is to make my CCR video as if I am a hostage and the only way I can get “freed” is to answer the CCR questions. This would somehow fit with the mystery and suspense theme that our project has, making my CCR more associated with the media product rather than making it completely unrelated to the media product.

I want to film a simple scene which shows me sitting in a dark room or a chair. Lorenzo could take on the role of the person in charge or the one asking me the questions The scene could become more intense through the addition of small thriller elements which include a flashlight and dim lighting and tense background music. I could also use parts of our project video to answer questions while showing the audience actual examples from my discussion, which makes the viewer attentive.

In comparison to simply explaining everything, I believe that this idea could make the CCR more interesting and inventive. Also, it would align with our project's theme, which contributes to the portfolio's general feeling of connection. To make it feel less like a presentation and more like a short story, Lorenzo could assist by filming, asking the questions, or even taking part in the scene. The video could still provide a clear response to the CCR questions and be enjoyable to watch if the shots and lighting are carefully planned.

I was looking through Google for inspiration pictures, I think this one could resemble my idea:

This scene from the Dark Knight when Batman interrogates the Joker is a great reference video to what I could be doing due to the lighting : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jane6C4rIwc

CCR Question 4 : How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project?

 During the production of our media project we used a lot of technology to make the final video. We used cameras on our phones to record all the scenes, which let us get the footage we needed for the story. After we finished filming we used the editing software Clipchamp to cut out clips, put the scenes in order and add transitions. To add, we made the quality better to make it look more realistic. We also used websites to look up ideas about thriller media and to put our work on our blog such as:

https://www.sterkinekor.com/article/the-art-of-creating-tension-in-thriller-films

Using all this technology made it a lot easier to make the project. It helped make the project better. The editing software let us take out clips we did not need and make the story easier to follow. It also helped us make the timing between scenes right so the suspense would build up slowly. Looking up ideas online was also really helpful because it taught us about the things that make thriller media exciting and how professionals make their movies scary and mysterious.

Looking back, technology was a help in getting the project done. Without the editing software and other digital tools it would have been really hard to put all the footage and make a finished video. From this project I learned that technology is really important when making media and that it can be used in ways to make the story better. I learned that media projects are great with technology and are part of making a good media project.

CCR Question 3: How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?

 Our media product kicks off by presenting a drama filled news report about a killer nobody can suspect
. That right away piques the viewer's curiosity, because they're naturally aware to learn more about what happened and who was behind the mysterious murders. And of course we used some pretty suspenseful shots coupled with a dark and moody lighting to really crank up the tension. For example the scenes with someone inside the house and the point of view shots make the viewer feel like they are really a part of what's happening keeping them engaged and invested in the story.

This approach surely grabs the audience because suspense, intrigue and mystery are at the heart of a thriller movie. By limiting viewers to just the bare minimum of information, they're naturally going to get hooked on finding out the rest of the story. Plus the quick fire shots and the way the scenes get cut together, keeps the visuals fresh and keeps the story moving all of which helps to lock viewers in and keep their attention. This is actually a pretty standard approach that's often used in pro level media productions because it gets viewers emotionally involved and keeps them interested.

If we were to put this media product out there for real, I think it would probably be shared online via video platforms, or social media. Given that the target audience is primarily teenagers and young adults, those sorts of platforms would be a great way to reach them where they are. In this day and age, loads of people just go online to watch short films, trailers, digital content and the like so doing it this way would give our project a chance to reach a pretty wide audience pretty quickly.    https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/social-media/

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/social-media/

CCR Question 2: How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?

In our thriller video, we drew on some pretty standard tropes from the crime genre like the breaking news segment that starts off, telling the story of this mystery killer that has struck again. That really helps get us up to speed quickly and gets the audience the info they need to follow what's going on. We also made use of some pretty dark lighting and suspenseful shots, especially when we were showing scenes inside the house and the title screen "Watching From the Dark" that we came up with. All of this helps build a spooky atmosphere that fits right in with the sort of thriller we were going for.

These conventions are so often used in crime and thriller media because, overall , they keep the audience guessing and wondering what's going on. The news report in particular is a useful way to get some background into the story in a way that feels real  which makes the whole thing feel more believable. And with that darker lighting and point of view shots we used it really does feel like you're right there being shown the scene, like you're actually watching it all happen in front of you. Which is great, because it keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering who the bad guy is and what's going to happen next

Looking back on the project, I reckon using these conventions did a big job in making our media product feel like a real thriller intro. The combination of the news report and all those darker scenes really set the tone for the story and creates a mystery from the start. If we wanted to take it a step further we could probably get a bit more mileage out of some sound effects and dramatic music to really crank up the suspense and make the audience feel even more on edge.

https://nofilmschool.com/thriller-genre-definition