Hello everyone! I am so excited to finally be able to say...
that after long awaiting and many night editing...
My own film production - ECSTASY - is finally completed! I am happy with how it turned out, but do believe more could've been done, but regardless i'm super excited and relieved to have it finished.
so please... go check it out!
And for my creative overview of the long process of this project,
here is my CCR if you'd like to check it out as well!
Ok... you know whats happening by now.
(if you don't this is another CCR question/scripted answer post... shhhh)
LuOnline.
#4 - How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project?
One of the main technologies used in this project was camera equipment. Recording the scenes required planning how the camera would move, where it would be positioned, and how certain shots would be captured. As well as the entire fact of my only available camera having the lenses broken.
Even though it wasn’t professional camera equipment, it still worked well for filming and allowed me to capture the shots I needed.
Using a phone camera also meant I had to think more about camera positioning and movement since phones can be harder to stabilize
For example, one of the scenes involved a close distance to my friend's face, naturally, it was harder to stabilize the camera and keep myself from laughing or reacting.
Shots like that required planning where the phone would be held so the video would still look smooth and not too shaky.
Another technology used in the project was lighting equipment specifically a ring light. The ring light helped control the brightness in certain scenes and made it easier to highlight objects like the background or close ups of Cami’s face,
it might not seem like it made much of a difference but it made the day look brighter and the right timing i needed it in.
Lighting helped set the mood and made the shots feel more intentional instead of just relying on random lighting in the room which is overall pretty bad.
Audio was also an important part of the project especially the voicemail from Cami’s dad that plays at the beginning
Using audio like this helps give the audience context about the story before much dialogue happens (since there isnt much in mine)
online research and digital tools were used during the secondary planning stage
Looking at examples from other productions and blogs genre conventions helped A LOT to guide me making decisions about shots, lighting, and storytelling techniques, as well as just giving me clear directions on how to get started
even though the project used simple equipment like a phone camera and a ring light, combining different types of technology helped turn the idea into a 'complete' media production
Im actually pretty excited for this blog as I already knew my ideas the second a CCR was mentioned!
If you're not sure yet, in this blog I'll be talking about my CCR ideas and how I will do them, for example: A podcast, guided presentation, a video, etc..!
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For my CCR I want to do something a little more creative instead of just doing a slideshow or a normal presentation.
My idea is to make it look like different interview situations where I’m being asked questions about my project,
For CCR questions #1 and #2 (by recommendation from my teacher) I plan on doing a video podcast style interview.
These questions are more about explaining ideas like how my product represents social groups and how it engages audiences and could be distributed
since they don’t really require a lot of photos or visual examples I think a podcast format works well for them as well as seems really fun to do as I get to incorporate my friends, making it less boring for Cambridge to grade
For the setup I plan on rearranging my room so it looks less like a bedroom and more like a podcasr filming space. I’ll probably move my bed to use the blank wall behind it, take down the many posters I have up, and organize the background so it looks more like a small podcast studio
Another one of these...
Get used to it! Most of my blogs will progress into only speaking over CCRs as it's getting closer to the due date...!
Anywho! CCR #3....
"How did your production skills develop throughout this project?"
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For this CCR question I will be discussing how my production skills developed throughout the project. (who would've guessed!)
At the beginning of the project I mostly focused on the idea and storyline but as the project continued I started learning more about the 'technical side of media production'.
One of the biggest areas where my skills developed was planning and organization. At first I thought making a timeline would be easy and could be left for later... but I was very... and VERY wrong.
I quickly realized that planning shots, locations, and props actually takes more time than expected and can't be made up completely out of day dreaming and random ideas.
When I actually began filming it was a mess, as I had a good 60% of it planned... I had to sacrifice a day of recording to really sit down and get my ideas straight (still im glad i did..)
I also improved in prop and visual planning.
At first I didn’t realize how important small objects could be, but throughout the project I started paying more attention to details like ideas and sceneries that'd make the whole "teen" vibe more realistic, and other everyday items that make the scenes feel more 'human'
Lighting was another area where I learned more as the project continued. I experimented with using a ring light and adjusting window shades to match the mood of certain scenes, as well as having to fake many night scenes as day time (do NOT recommend... record it during the right time.)
Small changes in lighting can completely change the atmosphere of a shot so learning how to control that was an important part of my process.
But this project helped me understand that media productions isn’t just about having a good idea. It also involves planning, experimenting, and adjusting things throughout the process to make the final result what you envisioned as well as realizing not everything will go as you wanted it to,
Obviously as this is a student based project I didn't have paid actors which was a . HUGE. and may I say HUGE... variable of my vision as my actors were... not the best.
hihi, Lu is back online!
Today i'll be explaining or, discussing my CCR question #2: How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?
For this CCR question I will be talking about how my film opening engages the audience and also how it could be distributed if it was a real media production. (obviously.)
Since my project is a teen drama with what I guess you could call "psychological elements"
the main audience would most likely be teenagers and young adults. Stories that focus on addiction, mental health, and just a teenage focussed life tend to connect with that audience more because those topics feel more realistic and relatable to them, naturally, luring them in.
The way my opening engages the audience is mostly through visual storytelling instead of a lot of dialogue. For example, the kitchen scene where my main character Cami is organizing pills already tells the audience a lot about her situation before anything is directly explained (which is that she is medicated). Small moments like the voicemail from her dad in the beginning with little to no reaction, or her dancing while sorting pills help show the contrast between her normal life,struggles , and her personality.
Another way the audience is engaged is through "mystery" and curiosity. When the pills fall and she finds the small bag under the fridge that moment acts as the climax of the opening since its not explained what it is. The audience doesn’t fully know what’s happening or going to happen next which encourages them to keep watching to fully understand
If this project was a real film it would most likely be distributed on streaming platforms, since that is where most teen dramas are consumed today and I know this is a very common answer in this generation, but also social media, I have came across many youtube films or small creator films through my own algorithm on social media and videos. Platforms like streaming services or online releases allow productions to reach younger and selected audiences more easily. Social media would also play a big role in promotion with trailers, short clips, and teasers being posted online to attract the targeted viewers.
But overall my project tries to engage the audience through emotion, curiosity and related subjects that make the story feel believable instead of overly dramatic and childish.
For this post im going to talk about how I plan on developing my lighting scheme, since lighting is probably going to be one of the most important parts of my project.
Because my genre is a teen drama mixed with psychological elements, lighting is going to help set the tone without me having to over explain anything. I dont want the lighting to feel all bright and happy, especially in the kitchen scene. Even though she’s dancing and acting normal, the situation itself isn’t normal so the lighting needs to subtly reflect that. While still having good quality lighting.
For the bedroom opening scene, I’m thinking of using more natural and softer lighting, maybe slightly dim, so it feels calm but also kind of heavy (like the only real light source is the windows). Since the voicemail from her dad will be playing while shes in bed, I dont want the lighting to distract from that moment so keeping it simple and more natural will help the focus stay on her reaction and the audio (as well as the fact shes not moving and just laying there untill its basically over.)
In the kitchen scene, I plan on using cooler lighting tones instead of warm ones. Cooler lighting usually gives off a more serious or detached feeling which fits the theme wayy better than a warm lighting.
I have a ring light that I can use to control brightness and direction, especially for close ups of the pills and her face, etc. The ring light will help make certain objects stand outwithout lighting up the entire room too much.
For the scene at Lexi’s house (the secondary girl, not sure if I mentioned her confirmed name has been picked as Lexi) , I want the lighting to feel more harsh and direct since theyre outside and obviously the sun is a thing also that scene is more confrontational and in a way awkward stronger lighting or sharper shadows could help make it feel slightly uncomfortable.
I dont want it to look overly produced, but I also dont want it to look accidental. The goal is to make the lighting look intentional but still realistic
The only scene i can see myself using warm lighting is the bike scene since I want it to be captured by the sun to really show the time of day and also highlight and contrast her features
Overall my plan is to experiment with different lighting setups before filming fully. I’ll test how the ring light looks in different positions and see how cooler vs more neutral or warm tones affect the mood. Lighting is something that can completely change the feeling of a scene so even small adjustments could make a big difference in how the final project turns out and as easy as it looks... I can tell it won't be as easy as I wish it would be.
Hello everyone,
I've come with some exciting updates!
I have confirmed all my characters names, plot holes, props and finally... and officially,
my logo!
Here it is:
I've decided to my logo with a theme of illumination, bright, or something in between this since for some unspoken reason the "name" 'Lumina' has always stood out to me,
Maybe it was also influenced by the meaning of 'ilumina' in Portuguese means to bright or lighten something and overall a pretty word.
Originally I wanted to do something inspired by my favorite artist, TV Girl, and planned to include one of their own characters (Valerie) and include a picture of a vintage woman's face:
But unfortunately this would've gotten copyrighted.
So here is the process of me finally creating a logo, using Canva!
