Re-shoot Blog: Interference with a Global Issue

          Unfortunately, my group and I were unable to re-shoot any of our scenes. This was not any of our group member's fault as we were all prepared to film again. The previous week, my group members and I all got on a group call and decided on a day to re-shoot. After deciding on a day that worked with all of our schedules, we were very excited to film again. However, unexpectedly a disease known as the Coronavirus (COVID-19) began to spread globally. As a result of this, the school was shut down and orders were made to remain inside of our households. Again, my group members and I got on a group call and discussed what would be best for our film and ourselves. After lots of thinking, we decided that it would not be worth risking our safety at this moment. All of our scenes were very well put together and honestly, did not really need to be re-filmed. It would not be worth risking our health just to re-shoot one scene that had a minor mistake.
          My group and I used this group call very wisely to brainstorm ideas about our film. We knew that we would not have time to re-film before the due date because of the sudden outbreak of this disease. The scene that we had planned to re-film only had a simple lighting mistake. I thought back to when we previously filmed and remembered an important detail. During the filming process, we shot each scene multiple times in case any issues occurred. Luckily, we had filmed this exact scene in a room with better lighting. After looking through what seemed like thousands of videos of deleted footage, I finally found the one I was looking for. This scene was perfect, as there was a slight bit more amount of light in the room. It was just the right amount of light to still create the horror effect we wanted. This worked out so much better, as none of my group members including myself had to risk our general health or safety. Throughout this all, we still managed to fix the small problem and produce a great film overall.

Editing Blog: Adding In Music

          Finally, my group and I were on the last stage of editing. We were very excited to finish editing and to see the final product. There were still a few things that needed to be fixed, but this did not take much time. First, we had to set the timed duration of the title sequences. We needed to ensure that each sequence appeared on the screen for the specific scene and then disappeared when the scene was done. It was important that only one sequence was shown at a time, to allow for less confusion. This was a very simple fix that involved pressing on the title and setting the time that we wanted it to be shown. After this, we moved on to making sure the transitions between scenes were smooth as well. It is important that the audience can tell when a change in scene has occurred. This will also allow the audience to see when a different shot/angle is being used. For example, switching from a scene with an over the shoulder shot to a scene with a low angle to add suspense and show what that character was seeing.
          The last thing I did during the editing process was add in the music. My group and I had to ensure that this music was copy-right free as it was one of the requirements for our film. I took many steps to be certain that our music met this specific requirement. When searching for music to use, I did a detailed search on YouTube and the internet. After searching through many songs, my group and I finally decided that we had found the right song. We then edited this copy-right free song into the beginning of our film. This music would be played when the title sequences were being displayed. The song we chose was absolutely perfect and greatly matched what was being shown in the scenes. It was also used to extenuate the true horror genre. By starting out with a very happy song, the audience would be more surprised/thrilled when the horrific events occur. We did this by stopping the music when the plot begins to occur. For example, the music plays as the friends are gossiping and having a good time. However, when the music cuts off the scenes begin to get scarier and darker as the Ouija Board is brought out. After all of these exiting steps, my group and I wrapped up our editing process and finally got to watch our amazing film!

Editing Blog: Adding Title Sequences

         After the exporting process, it was finally time to put the clips in order. Unfortunately, this process took a long time. This caused me to be a little setback. Luckily, my group and I edited very early just in case any issues like this occurred. Once all of the clips were on the software I got right to work. It is very essential to the film that all of the clips are in order. If the clips aren’t in order, the film will not make any sense to the audience. Luckily, some of the clips were already in order. A few clips were out of place, but this was an easy fix. We simply had to drag the clips into the correct order.
           This was an easy process of checking to see what the clip was and adding in to correspond with the other scenes. After this, we moved on to adding the title sequences. Adding the title sequences was much more intricate and time-consuming. It took a while to make sure that we had the title slides in the right order with the corresponding scene. We did this for each of the title sequences that were required to be in the film. These title sequences would be shown throughout the beginning of the film in different scenes. The order of these sequences was very important as well as it would make more logical sense. These are used to give credit to the crew and actors of the film. Additionally, they are used to make this film seem more realistic and add more thrill to the genre. Adding in the title sequences truly allows the film to begin to come together and reach its full potential.

Editing Blog: Exporting and Trimming Scenes

          After finishing the filming process, my group and I were very excited to move on to the editing process. The first thing we did was go through all of our footage. I wanted to ensure that we selected the best footage. For most scenes, my group and I filmed many shots. This is why we needed to go back and choose which scenes turned out the best. It took us a lot of time to delete the footage that was not necessary. We had to pick the scenes that not only turned out the best but also fit the genre and plot of the film. After this, I began to trim the clips. I needed to make sure that my film met the strict time requirements. It took lots of time and perfection to meet the time requirement and make sure the scenes fit as well.
          However, there were a few issues while trying to meet the time requirement. Our time kept going over the maximum amount. As a group, we collectively decided that we had to cut the less important scenes from the film. After cutting these scenes we perfectly fit the requirements and had no more concerns. After this step, I began to import the footage. Instead of using Pinnacle Studios, my group and I used iMovie. Using iMovie was much easier, considering that we filmed using our iPhones. We had some trouble importing all of the footage due to the computer we used. However, this was resolved by using a different computer to export. After we switched computers, the export process went very smoothly and all the problems were resolved.

Peer Review Blog

          While reviewing this film there were many aspects of it that I enjoyed. Overall, the film did a great job of establishing and making sure the audience could clearly identify the genre. Additionally, they created a sense of mystery at the end to allow the audience to want to know what comes next. The aspect that I enjoyed the most about the film was the scary creature shown throughout the scenes. This creature not only looked so realistic, but it also added great value to the mystery and horror. At the beginning of this film, the creature is shown lurking around the house. As the scenes go on this creature starts to become more noticeable. For example, you can see the creature lurking in the back of a scene with the main character brushing his hair. As the scenes go on, the audience begins to form ideas of what this creature could be. This was an excellent technique to keep the audience wanting to know what will comes next and what exact significance this creature has.

          While reviewing the film, there was one main aspect that I felt needed to be adjusted. This would be the lighting. In most of the scenes, it was very difficult to see what was going on. Even though the darkness was intended to create a horrific effect it was very difficult to comprehend what was happening in each scene. Adding a slight amount of light would allow the audience to get a better visual. This would also give us a better understanding of what is going on like it for less confusion. For example, a flashlight or lamp could be used. Additionally, scenes could be shot in a room with little natural light coming in. A closet or bathroom is a great room to film in as they usually don't have much light coming in. Using these techniques would allow for better visualization, while still creating a horror effect.

Filming Blog: Genre Reinforcement Throughout the Film

          My group and I wanted to ensure that it was clear for the audience to identify the genre throughout the film. It's important to establish this genre to allow for better comprehension of what is going on. I made sure to take this into account during the filming process. While filming, my group and I took many steps to create a more mysterious and horrific effect in some of the scenes. In the scenes where we wanted to create a mood of suspense, we made sure to film in a dark location. These locations include the bathroom, closet, or laundry room. These are great locations to film because there is no light coming into the room. We then used the flashlights on our cell phones to light up the room. Using our flashlights allows for less to be identified in each scene. This creates horror as the audience is unaware of what is going to happen next.
          Another thing I did while filming to ensure that the genre was clearly established was the usage of props. During the most horrific scenes, we included props to frighten the audience and extenuate the scenes. In most of the scenes, we used an Ouija Board. An Ouija Board is a very commonly known scary board game. We used this board to show the audience how scary the scene could actually get. Without having the Ouija Board in the scene, the audience would not be able to identify that something is about to happen in the scene. Additionally, we shot the scariest scene in the bathroom. This was because we wanted the girl to disappear by being possessed. We were able to do this through the usage of a shower curtain. We had one actor go behind the shower curtain and pull the other actor when the lights flickered. This created a mysterious effect as it is unknown to the audience who the antagonist is.