Editing Blog: The "Key" to Success

    Welcome! Today we decided to begin working on phase one of the editing process for our music video, which we executed entirely on my laptop for organization's sake. As you may recall, my previous blog mentioned that we had completed filming a little under half of our total scenes, so it may strike you as odd that we've chosen to start editing so early on. However, to me at least, the production process is like cooking, you clean up as you work to save time later on for smaller final touches to be put into place. With regards to our editing session today, I found it to be quite helpful being that we were able to overlay our song onto our video, after having converted it from a Youtube video file to an MP3 of course, allowing us to gain a rough idea of where we fall with our current pacing and look for scenes that we could afford to allocate extra time on once we take on filming again. Prior to doing so, I made sure to mute each of our clips so that our nondiegetic music would be able to play over each scene without interference from external sounds that could distract our audience. Likewise, I was also able to set the stage for future editing by making sure that I could easily superimpose sound effects, such as the slamming of a car door, without having to go through the hassle of arranging the scenes and music in the correct order again. In doing so, we were also able to adjust the timings of each clip so that each cut and blink was on beat. That, in turn, makes our video more aesthetically pleasing as it will simultaneously engage our audience both visually and auditorily. Having said that, I also worked alongside my groupmates to make our transitions smoother by shortening some of our clips to have each scene flow smoothly together. This became especially important when it came to our action match cut and cutaways as we wanted to ensure that we did not confuse our audience, so that they could easily follow along with the plot. During filming, we chose to shoot some scenes multiple times in the case that we ever needed a clip of equal quality to use as a backup when attempting to remain within our tight time constraints. As we edited today, it became apparent that we had made the right decision in choosing to do so. When it came down to the final scene we revised today, the closing of a car door, we needed it to work as an action match cut, meaning that the action within the scene needed to follow through on the previous action of the scene which proceeded it, which in this case was the shutting of our subject's front door. By using a clip in which we quickly slammed the car door shut, we were able to a seamless transition between the two scenes.

For the time being, the editing work we've conducted has been restricted to ClipChamp due to my familiarity with the platform, which is displayed below, but I do plan to branch out and experiment with other online editing applications, such as DaVinci Resolve 17, if time permits.

To end things off for today, I would like to acknowledge the fact that we were able to accomplish a great deal of work today and that our performance on this project thus far has seriously surpassed my expectations. I can admit that there is still room for improvement, but we've certainly come a long way from our commercial and I cannot wait to see what our final product ends up looking like! With that said, I can find no better way to close things off than by saying that I "Always had high, high hopes..." (Panic! At The Disco 2018). 

Filming Blog: Officially on "Track"

     Hey there! Yesterday marked our first day of filming for our music video and I would like to say that it was quite productive! Prior to delving into what my group and I accomplished yesterday, I would first like to apologize for not typing up this blog last night. We were able to get through four of our scenes and wrap up our filming in one location, i.e. a fellow group member's house, entirely, but by the time we got done it was nearly nine o'clock. That may not seem like it's so late, but upon considering the hour-long travel time between my home and theirs (with Floridian traffic factored in of course) and the fact that I had quite the hectic day, having been up since five o'clock in the morning to compete in a physically draining Navy JROTC orienteering competition (in which I placed second for my event), I was completely spent. I am here now though to recount the events of my day and give you an insight into how things went.

    I arrived around four o'clock in the afternoon in order to begin preparation for our scheduled six o'clock filming time, which was optimal considering that the sun sets at around five-thirty. The first order of business, at least for myself, was to get acquainted with the individual who would be starring as the main actor in our music video. For a bit of context, the actor, who I came to learn was named Brandon, was a friend of one of our group members and he was more than happy to agree to be a part of our film. After doing so, we got straight to work. While one of my groupmates, the one portraying the subject's deceased girlfriend, worked together with our actor to take pictures that we would use for the subject's lock screen and for later scenes, I worked with the groupmate, whose home we were using to film in, to artistically and methodically make the room we were using look disorderly. We intended to achieve this look by scattering clothing and shoes across the room, on chairs, and on the ground, as well as placing a myriad of items on the desk, such as a hat and an even empty plastic bag. Once that was done, we continued to work together in order to change the date and time on our subject's phone to create the effect of having the text thread look as though it had been sent the Saturday prior to the events that transpired in our music video, establishing a timeline for what is actively occurring in the recording. However, we were unable to do so, which means that we need to resolve the issue in our editing phase. Before beginning to film, I also suggested that we use dark purple lighting in our video, as it would serve to represent the sadness and frustration experienced by our subject. The rest of my group came to the same consensus, hence why that color lighting is used to establish a sense of continuity between some of our scenes. Moreover, we also decided to send more concerned text messages from the subject's friends, using the names and photographs of other group members in the Weston Estate band. 

    As the photography session came to a close and the light outside grew fainter, I assumed the role of acting director, and the filming actually began. We referenced the storyboard quite a lot and did not deviate much from our original plan, except for a few minor changes when it came to having our subject already be in the iMessage application when sending the text to his girlfriend to save time and when changing the framing we used for our tracking shot. Being that the original concept for the video was my idea, I reviewed all of the shots we took before finalization to ensure that they fit with the overall vision I had going in. 

    As with anything in life, nothing ever goes as smoothly as expected, and there were some hiccups that I helped overcome. For the first half of our filming, we were able to use a device to stabilize our shots; however, the stabilizer eventually ran out of battery, which then allowed me to step in and provide some assistance in keeping the camera steady as we continued. Having said that, I should also mention that I was given the opportunity to film some of the scenes of our music video, during which I ensured to maintain adequate framing and shot clarity, as to allow for our audience to completely understand what is going on. Furthermore, we also had another issue regarding the presence of shadows that did not originate from our subject, but rather our film crew themselves. As previously mentioned, we needed to change the framing for one of our scenes, and the reason why is because we needed to account for the extra shadows we would undoubtedly have in our shot. Despite the shadows not being as noticeable upon doing so, we found that they were still present in the scene. That's when I stepped in and proposed that we not only direct our phone flashlights towards the area we were filming in to reduce the presence of shadows entirely, but also use our stabilizer (which also doubles as a selfie stick) to extend the iPhone we were shooting off of higher up and angle it to point down at our subject. Both of these ideas worked great and we were able to quickly resolve the issue and move on. All in all, this was definitely a great experience and I'm glad to be back into the filming groove!

Pictured below is me, towards the center of the photograph (I am indeed wearing my orienteering outfit as I came straight from the event to film), our main actor to the left, and one of my groupmates (the one portraying the subject's deceased girlfriend) as we discuss how to go about executing the next scene within the necessary time constraints.

After the (lights, camera,) action-packed day I had yesterday and the fact that part of it was military-related, I really think that the song, or jody rather, that I picked for is perfect, especially upon the mention of "Hard work(!)" (The U.S. Army Airborne 2011).

Storyboard Blog: How Everything is Going to "Play" Out

    Greetings and salutations! We've officially completed our entire storyboard and I'm thrilled to be able to share it with you! It did not take too long to create because, as mentioned in my earlier group blog, we had already pitched concepts for the music video. This time around, our only concern was ensuring that we could have each of the shots and angles properly visualized to simplify the actual filming process when we got to it. 

Scene 1: 

In Scene 1, the video will begin without a fade-in and be positioned as a medium shot showcasing the main prop, our subject's cell phone, from an angle to the side. This is done to ensure that there is easier mobility of said prop upon moving it out of the frame during the beat drop. However, prior to doing so, the phone will be turned off and display two pieces of text, the name of the song, "Saturday Nights," and the name of the artist, "Weston Estate," which will both appear at different times, one after another. This will then allow the audience to have enough time to read both the title and subtitle, providing them with the context regarding the song that our music video is centered around. As for the text itself, we intend to have it written in a glowing font to capture the audience's attention from the very beginning and resemble the "natural" glow that cell phones exude. During this time, the instrumental introduction of the song will fade in and play non-diegetically. The music will not be interrupted, but rather overlapped by the diegetic, generic pinging of a notification, specifically, the "Note" sound offered exclusively by iPhones, that turns the phone on and simultaneously causes the title and song artist to disappear. As the phone lights up, the lock screen, containing an image of the subject and their former girlfriend, who is wearing a dark blue hooded sweatshirt, appears with a hidden text message from the subject's friend. The image on the lock screen is meant to establish the relationship that the subject had with another character that will not be shown directly in the music video. The name that appears on the top lefthand corner of the hidden message will be the name of one of the members of the band, Weston Estate, Marco, the lead singer of this particular song, as an ode to the group. After remaining at the same angle and pausing on the lit-up phone screen for a bit, the subject's hand will enter the frame and pull their phone out of the frame and to the right as the beat drops. This will take a total of ten seconds. 

Scene 2:

In Scene 2, a cut will occur to another medium shot, which will now frame the main subject in the center as they sit on their bed and swipe up to unlock their phone. The subject will be wearing a dark blue hooded sweatshirt, the same as the one their former girlfriend was wearing in the photo that they use for their lock screen. The subject will then scroll up on their phone, leading into another cut where their phone becomes the main focus in a medium close-up shot to create a sense of detachment. In this scene, the subject will scroll from the top of their iPhone to reveal the contents of the message which will read as such: "Hey dude, been a while...you've been MIA lately, let's hang out!". The subject will then clear away the message, with a cut occurring to the subject's eye in an extreme close-up to make the transition smoother. The camera will then switch its angling to adopt a close-up overhead shot as the subject enters the iMessage app where they will open up the text thread between them and their former girlfriend. This, in turn, creates a more intimate and personal relationship between the subject and the audience. At the top of the text thread, her profile picture will be an image of her happily smiling wearing brightly colored attire with her name being the nickname Eve, which is short for Evelyn, followed by a green-colored heart. The nickname Eve means "life" in Hebrew and also acts as a biblical reference, being the creator of human life. Upon being opened, the most recent text message will have been sent from their girlfriend a couple of days prior and say, "I hate you." The period is used in an effort to underscore the anger felt by the subject's girlfriend at the time she sent them the message. The subject will then type the message "I miss you" followed by a red heart and send it to her. All of this, of course, will occur as the music continues to play non-diegetically. This will take a total of nine seconds to execute.

Scene 3:

In Scene 3, a cut will act as a segue between the previous scene and this one, when a medium shot will be used once more to frame the subject in the center as they grip a pillow in their arms, to recreate the feeling of holding their former girlfriend, and fall sideways and to the right. This sideways falling will then cut to black once they come into contact with the bed, using a match cut to transition to them walking through their bedroom doorway which is also sideways, but that gradually straightens itself upwards with a dutch tilt, whilst they walk through, showing them from the front. At that time, a full and tracking shot will both be employed. As for when the subject completely exits their bedroom and walks through their living room, a medium tracking shot will be used to follow them from behind through their home, falling in line with one of the many conventions I highlighted in my research blog. This will be able to achieve the effect of distancing the audience from the subject by leaving them unable to gauge how they truly feel at this given moment in time, being that they are not able to see their facial expressions. Throughout this time, the music will be playing non-diegetically with no interruptions by diegetic sounds. All of this will occur over a time span of eight seconds. 

Scene 4:

In Scene 4, a tracking shot will persist from behind as the subject opens their front door, giving the audience a glimpse at the dismal, dark sky as they begin to walk downstairs. At the time, the camera will remain stationary in the door frame until the door shuts. An action match cut will then occur to show a close-up of the subject's car door shutting as the diegetic sound of an engine starting plays and overlaps the non-diegetic sound of the song which is still playing. A jump cut will then occur to when the subject is exiting their car, with a close-up shot being used to focus on their foot stepping out of their car and into the parking lot. Once their toes touch the ground, an action match will occur and they will be stepping through the doorway of a diner instead, which is signified by the change in the ground's texture, as well as by the dinging of a hanging bell. This will take eight seconds.

Scene 5:

In Scene 5, a cut will occur to when the subject is already seated at a booth in which the camera will pan from their feet to their upper body, framing them in a medium shot, exactly like the one used in Scene 2. This is meant to act as a parallel to when the subject was home alone, showing that despite being in public they still feel isolated. At this time, there will also be food on the table and the subject will be actively swirling a soggy french fry around in their ketchup, looking quite disinterested in their food as a waitress, who is only shown next to the subject with her hand that has long, red stereotypical nails extending into the frame, and a conventional retro outfit that is only partially shown as she sets a two-strawed milkshake on the table in front of him. The two straws in the milkshake are meant to create a sense of irony because they typically indicate that a drink is meant to be shared and enjoyed by a loving couple; however, here the audience is witnessing a lonely young man in the pits of sorrow, preparing to drink the milkshake with no company but his won. To further emphasize this melancholic feeling, both of the straws will have meaning, with the green straw being symbolic of the subject's former girlfriend Eve(lyn) and the blue straw representing him by being the same color as the hooded sweatshirt he is currently wearing. A jump cut will then transpire to where the food is left mostly uneaten on the table and the subject is in the same positioning as the waitress, only showing half of their body in the frame, excluding their head, as they leave cash on the table. The subject then steps out of the frame and a second later, the diegetic sound of the hanging bells ringing occurs once more, indicating to the audience that the subject has left the premises. This entire scene will take eight seconds. 

Scene 6:

In Scene 6, a cut will occur to show the subject walking in front of stores outside that are nearby the diner as a couple approaches them from behind in the blurred-out background. The scene will be framed as a medium-full shot and a front tracking shot will be used to show the couple as they become more prominent in the frame holding hands and inaudibly laughing as they walk by slowly and without a care in the world. This will take a total of nine seconds to complete. 

Scene 7:

In Scene 7, a loose close-up shot will be used to emphasize the subject's feelings of envy and uncomfortableness towards the happy couple as they tighten their hooded sweatshirt strings around their head, breaking off from the path to lean against a wall. A medium shot framing will then be used as the subject pulls their phone out of their pocket and stares down at it, with the camera capturing their side profile. This will take five seconds to complete. 

Scene 8:

In Scene 8, an over-the-shoulder shot will be used to show the subject as they page through their gallery and look at old pictures of their former girlfriend. A cutaway will then occur to show the subject with a sad smile using a close-up shot and then cut back to return to a close-up of their phone screen. This will take nine seconds. 

Scene 9:

In Scene 9, the subject will open their text messages to see that they have received the same text message back from their girlfriend, raising intrigue within the audience as to why that might be the case. The subject's phone then pings with the same ring tone and the message "Hey, I heard that Evelyn, passed away I’m so sorry." appears from the same friend who texted them earlier, revealing that their girlfriend was dead all along. Of course, in this case, the period is used to exemplify the seriousness of the situation rather than non-verbally expressing anger. The music video then ends there with no fade out to allow the audience to take in the true gravity of the situation as the plot twist finally sinks in after having experienced it through the "eyes" of the subject, which was made possible with the close-up shots. That plot twist being that the subject has given into a grief-induced delusion and has been texting themselves, not their (who we now know to be deceased) girlfriend, the entire time. This will take a total of nine seconds. 

Music Video:

In total our music video should be about one minute and fifteen seconds long, meeting the criteria of being between one minute and ten seconds to one minute and fifteen seconds.

Storyboard:

I have attached an image of our storyboard below to make the above text easier to visualize:

Clarifications:

• The arrows found within some of our scenes' frames are meant to show the movement of either the camera, as indicated by the color blue, or a subject, as shown by the color purple, within the frame. 
• In Scene 4- Part 1, we used four blue, L-shaped lines in each corner of our frame to show that our camera would remain stationary after having trailed our subject to the door frame.
• In Scene 4- Part 2, we used a line to divide up the frame, not because we were using a split-screening effect, but rather because we intended to convey the action match we want to have occur as clearly as possible. 
• In Scene 4- Part 3, another line is used to divide up the storyboard frame. It is once again not indicative of a split-screening effect, but rather an action match, being used to show our subject stepping out from their car into the parking lot and then into the diner.
• In Scene 8- Part 2, a line is used once again to split up the frame for the purpose of showing that a quick cutaway is occurring. 
• In Scene 5- Part 1, the straws are colored blue and green to represent the subject and his girlfriend, respectively.
• Regarding the shoes being worn by the subject, we have not yet decided if they should be sneakers, as they are a common piece of casual wear, or slides with socks, which could be representative of the fact that the subject is not focused on their outwards appearance, but is instead completely absorbed in their own internal turmoil. With that being said, we chose to draw sneakers in the storyboard; however, the decision has not been finalized. 
• As for makeup, we may apply some to our subject's face to accentuate their eye bags and make them seem exhausted from everything going on in their life. 
• Despite not being colored in, the subject's hooded sweatshirt will likely be dark blue to reflect their current depressive state.
• We would like for the colors in our video to be very muted, perhaps even having a blue-tinted haze over some, if not all of the scenes, to achieve the same effect as the color of his hooded sweatshirt intends to. We also intend to have our lighting remain neutral to show that our subject is very disinterested in his life and surroundings, finding everything to be quite boring in his withdrawn state.
• As previously mentioned, not everything has been finalized being that our storyboard only serves to provide us with a general idea of how our music video will be filmed, which means that some changes may be made during the editing phase of this project, but we will try our best to stick to what we have planned.

Closing Remarks:

As with any filming project, I cannot help but feel utterly thrilled to begin, and I believe that the following snippet of Daughtry's song "Start of Something Good" really encapsulates my thoughts on this task: "Oh, I'm starting to believe that this could be the start of something good" (2011). 

Planning Blog: On Our Way to Top the Charts

     Hi again! Now that my team and I have established the foundation for our music video, that being the research we conducted regarding the conventions of indie music videos, we can now begin to create our game plan moving forwards. In order to do so, I've chosen to break up each of the necessary points we need to cover into the following sections:

Props:

    In music videos, very minimal dialogue is used, as mentioned in my previous blog. That then means that selecting the right props becomes of grave importance when attempting to convey a meaningful message in around a minute and a half. Choosing props did not prove to be all that difficult, however, being that our storyline is partially based on the lyrics of the song that we chose to use. Within the song itself, the term “phone” is mentioned multiple times, making it the obvious choice for being our central prop, which is essentially the prop that we will place the most focus on throughout the entire video. Since that was the only tangible prop mentioned in the song that fit with the vision we chose to follow, we needed to make some creative decisions of our own. With that being said, we also chose to include a pillow, a car and its keys, a milkshake with two straws, and finally, soggy fries to pair nicely with an equally as depressing burger. All of the items mentioned above are things my group mates and I have either access to on the daily, or are objects that we can purchase at a relatively low price, making it easy for us to reshoot flawed shots until we create our, mostly perfect, final product at a low cost, in terms of both time and money.

Costumes:

    As with props, costumes are a vital part of music videos, especially since they can provide valuable hints to the audience before the true intentions of an artist or cinematographer are revealed to them. We plan on having our primary subject wear a hoodie, whose color we are still unsure of being that we want to either find something that reflects their state of depression and detachment, as in a dark blue, or use something that allows them to blend into their drab surroundings, like a dark grey.  As for the rest of their outfit, because we are aiming to achieve the effect of our subject having an unkempt appearance, we can have them wear an unironed pair of black jeans with a dark pair of shoes to match. In our music video, we plan on having our subject walk by two blurred out figures, whom the audience will be able to make out as being a couple; therefore, in order to establish the contrast between their inherently cheerful state and the fallen spirits of our subject, we could have them wear bright colors, such as yellow, pink, light blue, and even red. We also want to include an image of them and their girlfriend on the subject's lock screen. In that image, their girlfriend will be wearing the same hoodie that the subject is throughout the entire music video and our subject will be wearing casual clothing with livelier colors, such as that of the aforementioned couple, to show his contentions and feelings of comfortability whilst with their girlfriend. In the backup plan that you will find below, we consider creating a diner set up of our own, in which case one of our group members could dress up in a short-sleeved, light pink or blue gingham dress, paired with a white collar and signature white apron. This same costume could be used even if we were to film in an actual diner as there is no guarantee that they will have the same uniform we are seeking to include. 

Filming Schedule:

The dates listed below provide a general idea of the schedule we intend to follow in order to have our music video completed correctly and in a punctual manner:

On Wednesday, November 17^th, 2021, my group and I will begin storyboarding for our one-minute and fifteen-second music video; we will have it complete by Friday, November 19^th, 2021.

By Monday, November 29^th, 2021, we will have begun to shoot our music video, if we have not started to do so already, and have filming completed by Monday, December 6^th, 2021.

From Tuesday, December 7^th, 2021, until Friday, December 10^th, 2021, we will make necessary edits and revisions to our music video to guarantee that everything is in order by its due date on Monday, December 13^th, 2021.

Location List:

    Within our music video, we intend to transition between several different locations, which I will highlight below; however, I would like to note that none of the following places are finalized, but that they are our best options moving forwards. In the first scene, we would like for our main subject to be placed within an untidy bedroom riddled with garbage and dirty clothes, where they will be sitting on their bed in the midst of it all. Following that scene, we will then shift outside of the subject's home to show them entering their car. Depending on how pressed we are for time at that point, we may or may not choose to show some of the car ride, thus making the vehicle a location as well as a prop. If we do end up running short on time we will likely move directly to when our subject exits their car in front of a diner. With that being said, one can safely conclude that a diner, which most likely be either a Denny's or a local mom-and-pop restaurant, will be our next location, due to its close vicinity to the home of one of our group mates. We will of course ask for permission to film within whatever diner we choose to visit because it is a public place and, as such, must ensure that we respect the privacy of others. Upon exiting the diner, our subject will walk down the street until they reach a park. Our subject will then enter the park and seat themself on a bench, making that our final location. 

Backup Plan:

 

   Our music video and the message it intends to convey require very specific locations when it comes to filming, but if issues do arise, it's never a bad idea to be prepared. If we are unable to use the car of one of our group member's siblings, we can always just ask to borrow one of our friends' or parents' cars to film the scenes in which a vehicle must be present. As stated above, we will need to ask for approval when it comes to filming our music video in a public place, which is why if we are turned away from one diner, we can always find another one in the area that has more lenient filming policies, or if worse comes to worst, we can always create our own diner set-up within the home of one of our group mates, with parental consent of course. The weather is something we must also factor in as Florida has extremely variable weather conditions, but we need not fret, as the rain could potentially act as a pathetic fallacy, displaying the true inner feelings of our main subject. Having said that, we would likely need to update our props list to include objects like umbrellas, for instance. With this project, we are able to expand our overall reach and include individuals from outside of our class, meaning that if our subject were to fall ill, we could always use another person as a replacement. Regarding the filming itself, if one of us is asked to quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure or were simply unable to attend one of our filming sessions, we could always have a fellow teammate temporarily take over whatever job they were in charge of, especially since our main subject will not be one of the members of our group. 

Concluding Remarks:

    

    Now that we’ve laid everything out, I feel like our music video is sure to be a real hit! As always, I can’t just leave you on a cleft hanger (you thought I forgot about my musical wordplay, didn’t you?), so just to show you how much anticipation I'm in, here are some lyrics by the ever-iconic Britney Spears to close things off: "I think I'm ready now" (Toxic 2003).

Research Blog: Ready to Rock and Roll

    Hello! Today, my group and I began to lay the foundation for our project by conducting thorough research on the common conventions related to our music video. To do so, we first needed to establish the genre of our song, which we determined to be alternative, or as many today call it, indie (the word indie meaning independent, or that an artist is not working in conjunction with a large, mainstream record company). Before beginning, one must first understand that there are three ways in which the indie genre approaches music videos, from either a performative stance, a narrative stance, or a mixture of both stances. Somewhat contrary to the way in which it is named, a performative indie music video concentrates mainly on the artist and their band engaging in a musical performance with the addition of instruments, as opposed to some form of a histrionic production. Said kinds of indie music videos are meant to simulate the feeling of the band is performing live, lipsyncing, and all. That is not to say, however, that storylines are never intermingled with said performances, bringing us to the narrative style of indie music videos. This kind of music video focuses heavily on the theatrical aspects of film, aiming to convey an intelligible story, with a beginning, middle, and end, by placing heavy emphasis on the portrayal of various emotions. By combining both styles together, artists can achieve a "happy medium," where they are equally able to entertain their audience visually through the use of a story, whilst also ensuring that the talents of the artist(s) are clearly exemplified. Knowing this, one can now understand how the conventions being defined below are related to the aforementioned styles.

Camera Angles, Movement, and Shots (CAMS):

    The indie genre has taken the world by storm over the past couple of years, growing to become immensely popular during the latter portion of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. This is likely a direct result of the fact that the indie genre gives complete creative liberty to music artists and allows them to adopt innovative perspectives with the help of various camera filming techniques. Hence why camera angles, movement, and shots play such a vital role in making an artist's vision come to life. 

    Regarding the camera angles that are used in indie music videos, one will find that they are often eye-level, low, or high angles. The purpose of positioning a camera at eye level is to make the subject more relatable and keep the filming undistorted, as to ensure a sense of realism is maintained. Hence why indie music video thumbnails are also often at eye level, to grab the attention of the video's prospective audience by establishing a human connection before they even press a button. As for low angles, they allow the audience to get a more personal sense of what a subject is experiencing as they typically appear during times when the subject is taking a moment for introspection. This is quite interesting, as unlike the filming used in movies and short films, indie music videos use low angles for an entirely different purpose than to make a subject appear imposing or intimidating. Furthermore, high angles are used to show how small and seemingly insignificant a subject is, or feels when compared to the world around them.

    Shifting one's focus over to the camera movements that are often incorporated into indie music videos, one will find that tracking shots, pans, and tilts are quite common. Looking first at tracking shots, when placed in front of the subject, they are used for the purpose of allowing the audience to "feel" the same emotion that the subject is experiencing as they can read their facial expressions; however, when they are trailing the subject, they create a feeling of disconnectedness as the audience is no longer attuned to the emotions the subject is feeling. Panning is typically used along with establishing shots to illustrate the significant magnitude of a particular location when shifting upwards or horizontally, or to have the camera settle on the primary subject of the video when shifting downwards. Titling is usually applied when trying to show more of the scene to the audience within a limited frame. Additionally, the creation of shaky movements by using handheld shots adds to the verisimilitude of the video.

    Now, out of the hundreds of different shots an artist could have chosen to include, over-the-shoulder, close-up, both extreme and non-extreme, medium, establishing, two-, long, and wide are the main ones they choose to integrate into their indie music videos, and for good reason. Over-the-shoulder shots are quite common during story-driven dialogue or conversations that take place prior to the introduction of the song into the video and aim to show the relationship held between a subject and their on-screen counterpart. Close-up shots in their extreme and non-extreme forms are used to focus on a subject's face in order to emphasize their emotional state, whether it be one of contentment or melancholy, or when attempting to give the audience a clear view of the artist and their band as they lipsync to the concurrently playing song. Medium shots are used when an artist intends to introduce their audience to a new setting, as they are able to continue to keep the subject in the spotlight, whilst also keeping viewers aware of said subject's surroundings as they remain within the frame. Establishing shots are occasionally used at the start of the music video to create context and set the tone and mood of the rest of the video, or perhaps to even create a contrast between the music video's initial ambiance and the final way in which the main subject feels (that is if they aren't static, but rather a dynamic character) at the conclusion of the music video if a narrative route is taken. Two-shots are used when intimate moments are portrayed between the main subject and a fellow character on-screen to evoke a sense of romance within the audience. Finally, one can group long and wide shots together being that they both work to achieve the same effect, which is to display the sense of detachment and isolation that a subject feels from others, as well as the crushing weight of understanding about how alone they are in the large world around them. 

    Aside from everything I have mentioned above, I would also like to note that I noticed a severe lack of point-of-view shots, which I thought would be more common since indie music videos are all about immersing their audience in a story; however, I can understand why this creative choice was not made. Although pathos, a powerful emotional appeal, is often created by using point-of-view shots, one must also consider that because the audience is not actually affected by the events that transpire within the music video, they won't feel as moved. Hence why letting the audience view the video from the sidelines, so to speak, allows them to see the main subject live through their struggles or positive experiences, and gives them the chance to then consciously relate to and empathize with said subject, as opposed to being forced to do so with a point-of-view shot. 

Sound:

    Indie music videos, like any other genre, use a mixture of both diegetic and non-diegetic sound. When presented with a mainly story-driven indie music video, the song itself will be non-diegetic as the subjects in each scene will experience real-life events that directly affect their lives, meaning that they will hear what we as the audience do not. On the other hand, if the music video focuses mainly on the artist and their performance, it will use the song diegetically throughout, taking a few breaks to allow for a story, of sorts, to develop. Moreover, a variety of different noises are often used diegetically prior to the introduction of the song into the music video to establish context for the audience depending on the location in which the scene is set. Said sounds may include the ringing of an alarm clock, birds chirping, dogs barking, sirens, and even meaningful dialogue, all of which are able to effectively drive the plot along to a point at which the song will take over as the primary source of sound within the video.

Editing:

    Editing is a key part of bringing any piece of film together and in a music video that is roughly three and a half minutes long, it is vital to ensure that smooth transitions are used to create a clear storyline. Having said that, throughout the numerous examples of indie music videos online, there are three kinds of editing that I found to be the most commonly employed. The first of which is crosscutting. Crosscutting is often used to show the subject's feelings of being overwhelmed by a particular emotion throughout different scenes, usually leading up to the main climax, crescendo, or beat drop in the song. The next instance of recurrent editing that I found was the use of split screening. Split screening served one of two purposes when I saw it used, to either show how two subjects have become disconnected over time after being united at one point, perhaps playing on the "right person, wrong time" idea, or to show how two subjects with completely different lives met each other by chance and, like soulmates, are just meant to be. The last common example of editing I saw was the use of blurring, which allowed the camera to either focus on someone for who the subject harbored an interest, or on the subject themselves as to highlight their detachment from both life and reality.

Mis-Én-Scene (CLAMPS):

    The first component of the mis-èn-scene is costume design. In indie music videos, subjects will either wear colorful clothing to stick out from their dreary surroundings and bring life to a scene, or wear equally as bleary colors to limit the distinction the audience makes between them and the set, showing the parallels between them and the setting. Moreover, upon considering my earlier point that the indie genre refers to artists who are independent and not directly associated with a large record label, and therefore do not have immediate access to many expensive resources, it makes sense as to why comfortable, casual, and easily accessible clothing such as hoodies, graphic t-shirts, jeans, and sneakers, are regularly worn. Consequently, subjects are not usually adorned with expensive jewelry, normally not wearing any at all, or at most, simple, non-distracting pieces. In doing so, the music video is able to relate to the aforementioned core value of indie music.

    The second component of the mis-èn-scene is lighting and color design. Due to the lack of dialogue, other than that of the song's lyrics, careful selection is made when choosing colors and lighting. Most indie music videos are filmed in an outdoor location, which means that ambient, or natural, lighting is incorporated to contribute to a truly lifelike and relatable effect. Additionally, when a more dramatic note is struck, or a stirring lyric is sung, low-key lighting is often used to accent shadows, and create a mysterious tone, whereas high-key lighting is used to highlight more upbeat parts of the song. Thus, it makes sense that darker, harsher lighting is added when the lyrics begin to cover more serious subjects. As for the colors being used, there is typically a red or blue tint that reflects the inner feelings of a subject, whether they be a thirst for power or a profuse sense of sorrow. Occasionally, an indie music video will be entirely in black and white, which is done to achieve an effect of reminiscence, making the audience feel like, they too, are stuck in the past alongside the subject. Other times, the music video's colors will remain desaturated throughout and have muted color tones that seek to show the absence of interest that the subject has in life.

    The third component of the mis-èn-scene is acting. Considering that music videos only use their songs as the primary source for sound all the way through, there is very little opportunity for dialogue to present itself. That then means that non-verbal acting presents itself front and center, with body language becoming of huge importance. Of course, depending on the mood and tone that an artist aims to convey, the acting found within the music video will be sure to vary. If one examines an upbeat indie song, they will find that the subjects are often smiling and enjoying time with another individual, as opposed to if one were to examine a gloomier song, where they would find a single main subject who feels outcast from society or who has suffered an unimaginable loss. Regardless of any emotional connotation, however, indie music videos will often contain the artist (and their band) playing an instrument, a subject walking to either showcase their insatiable restlessness, or to emphasize their inability to escape something, and dance, whether it be some variation of the hip hop or interpretative dance styles.

    The fourth component of the mis-èn-scene is makeup. Since the main focus of the video is not on the makeup being worn by the subject(s), it is either not applied, used to create a "natural" look, or used to put emphasis around the eyes of a subject. By doing the latter of the three things, the artist is able to capture the attention of their audience and keep them drawn into the story as they become unable to look away from the piercing eyes of the subject. Additionally, the use of makeup, and its trends over the years, can also be used to indicate the era in which the music video is situated, whether that be the 1950s, the 1970s, or the 2010s.

    The fifth component of the mis-èn-scene is the props. Unlike a commercial, a music video isn't trying to market the audience anything, which means that there isn't a main prop, or product, to focus on. This then allows artists to have creative liberty when carefully selecting props to match with the overall atmosphere of the song and video. That is not to say that they aren't recurring props found across a number of different indie music videos because there certainly are and they can include musical instruments being actively played by a subject, papers with certain phrases written on them to achieve either a romantic purpose or to give the audience an idea as to what a certain subject is thinking or feeling, items related to the personality type of the character, such as a stuffed animal to insinuate that they are childish, or even items directly related to the song's lyrics, such as a cellphone when it becomes mentioned in the song.

    The sixth component of the mis-èn-scene is the set. Indie music videos, when based around the concept of past memories and loss, for instance, do not tend to remain in one location, but rather alternate between at least two or three throughout the entire video. This, while others whose lyrics are either directly tied around a particular location, or whose storyline is only related to one particular area remain stationed in said places. With that being said, beaches, open fields, and forests are common outdoor filming locations for indie music videos because they allow the audience to feel connected to nature and show them the similarities that lie between the environment and the subject being presented. As for filming that occurs within houses, particularly within kitchens, living rooms, or bedrooms, it is meant to give a personal insight into the subject and their life, often providing subtle hints about their general disposition that will be further underscored as the video progresses. Indie music videos are also often shot on streets, whether they be in rural areas, large metropolitan cities, or suburban neighborhoods, creating the effect of loneliness that some feel despite being one of the billions of people inhabiting the planet. Upon holistically examining all of said locations, one will likely see that they are all open for public access, can be filmed on or in with a relatively low-budget, making for cost-effective choices, and are places that members of the audience are sure to have visited, allowing them to better relate to the contents of the music video and have the artist's message really resonate with them. As for the weather on set, more often than not, it is dark, gloomy, and stormy, acting like a pathetic fallacy to reflect upon the inner turmoil of the main subject.

Takeaways:

All in all, the main pieces of information that one should take away from this analysis are as follows:

• Eye-level, low, and high angle shots along with tracking shots, pans, and tilts are perfect ways to achieve variation within scenes and maintain the attention of viewers, whilst also preventing the distortion of visuals that would take away from the realism that must be created.
• Over-the-shoulder, close-up, medium, establishing, two-, long, and wide shots are effectively able to introduce new scenes and put extra emphasis on the emotions being portrayed by each of the subjects on-screen.
• Both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds are used in indie music videos, with dialogue being kept to a minimum and most sounds that are not emanating from the song occurring prior to its introduction in the video.
• Crosscutting, split screening, and blurring are all editing techniques that are commonly found within indie music videos.
• Regarding the mis-èn-scene, costume design is important in maintaining the identity of indie music, whilst lighting and color design are used to ensure emotion is clearly conveyed, and nonverbal acting is heavily relied upon to do the same. As for makeup, it isn’t as critical as the other aspects of the mis-èn-scene in indie music videos, only being used to accentuate the eyes of some subjects and add a dramatic flair to the video. With that being said, both the props and the set are able to give away subtle, but important clues as to who the subject is and the current mental state that they find themselves to be in.

Now that we're done with the research, we're officially one step closer to starting filming, so like the phenomenal Michael Stanley once sang, "Let's get the show on the road" (Let's Get the Show on the Road 1973).

Group Blog: Avoiding Treble and Starting Off On the Right Note

    Welcome back once again! I have returned to provide an update as to who my group members will be for my project this time around; although, I guess you could consider it less of an update and more of a reminder since nothing has changed. With that being said, my group is once again comprised of the following candidates: Julissa Espinal, Yaneli Zelaya, and Nicole Kimmick. Unlike the first project we were tasked with completing, I am quite familiar with my group members and their respective work ethics. That then means that I know what to expect heading into this project. When it came to producing our commercial, I felt as though we had a great dynamic and a healthy environment in which there was always room for discussion without fear of being left unheard. The fact that we seem to have good chemistry means that we are able to collaborate better and compromise when necessary. That aspect is important now more than ever because of our conflicting tastes in music. Each one of us values and respects one another's input, which is why we chose to group up together again. Therefore, it is safe to say that communication is key. In fact, today we had a nearly two-hour long video call regarding what our final song choice would be for our music video. To come to a conclusion, we each agreed to produce a realistic storyline, with a beginning, middle, and end for each of our songs, eliminating those we could not create concepts for and then voting out the ones that were not as detailed. After significant discourse and contemplation, we ultimately settled on "Saturday Nights" by Weston Estate. This is because we found it to be the best song to use to convey a story with a coherent plot. I also liked the fact that because the song could be interpreted in different ways, as evident by our lengthy conversation, we will be challenged to work together to create the message that we want our audience to receive, as opposed to the one that they perceive at first glance. This also ties back into why I find filmmaking to be such an interesting avenue because it gives you the opportunity to mold the malleable minds of your audience and get them to see things from a unique perspective. 

    Shifting the focus over to our individual jobs this time around, we felt that we should allow everyone to expand their respective reaches on this project, especially since we've grown to be more comfortable around one another and can now exercise our creativity freely. Our last project gave us a baseline of where we were at as novice cinematographers, so I'm quite excited to see how much we can all improve on this go around as fully-fledged amateurs. Moreover, through the techniques each and every one of us has picked up over the course of our last project, we are certain to include innovative elements within our music video that set us apart from all the rest. 

    Since we are now working on creating a music video, I feel like leaving my blog off on a good note (pun completely intended) and using a song lyric is fitting, so in the words of Marvin Gaye, "Let's get it on" (Let's Get It On 1973).

Reintroduction Blog: Guess Who's Back, Back Again

    How's it going? It's been a while, hasn't it? Not much has changed about what you already know about me from my initial introduction, but I am proud to announce that I have moved up the ranks in my NJROTC Drill Team, being promoted to Administration Officer. The title isn't the only thing that came along with the job however, I also have to maintain individual cadet records, track promotions, and input the service hours that said cadets earn throughout the entire year. Outside of school-related programs, I've started to further explore my interest in cinematography, sinking deeper into the rabbit hole of online short films, ranging from prize-winning shorts to film school applications, and even to international submissions for various film competitions. I find myself to be quite intrigued by the fact that such a diverse assortment of individuals can produce equally compelling works that cover a wide range of subjects, including loss, love, identity, and aspirations. Additionally, by examining the final products that others have produced, I can look for specific aspects I admire within their films, and put my own spin on them to apply them as a part of one of my projects in the future. 

    With the return of the film industry after the devastating pandemic that has gripped the world for over a year, movie-goers finally have something to look forward to with the fantastic line-up of upcoming and long-anticipated films, including The King's Man, The Batman, Morbius, and my personal favorite, Spider-Man: No Way Home, many of which were put-off by the pandemic. Considering that a number of Marvel-related films will be hitting theaters within the next year or so, such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder, I felt obligated to rewatch all of the films from start to finish in their chronological order of events. This time around, since I already know what to expect, I can take in more of the careful detailing and planning being put into each movie, thereby allowing me to appreciate the hard work and effort that went into achieving things like proper lighting and impactful sound to produce a truly captivating final product, perhaps inspiring me to take to the big screen one day. This mindset is what allowed me to really enjoy Marvel's latest film, The Eternals, on its official premiere date. It was a slower-paced film that focused more heavily on meaningful dialogue, a beautifully composed soundtrack, perfectly captured shots, and eye-catching scenery than other Marvel films to flesh out the deeper, more mature plot and its multi-dimensional characters to maximize its roughly two and a half-hour run time. I find this to be something that I can really appreciate as an aspiring filmmaker myself, to think that even the most seemingly insignificant of details, can hold such great importance when it comes to immersing an audience in the story a director intends to convey. I believe that if I had not previously undertaken a filming project (the commercial) I would never be able to truly understand how involved and invested one must be to create something so grand.  Despite the number of negative reviews I saw online and on social media, I thought it was a great film that took cinematography to the next level by producing breathtaking visuals, as evidenced by the hundreds of names of collaborators I saw move past the screen whilst waiting for the post-credits scene to roll. 

    Moving past my thoughts on filmmaking after seeing firsthand how one goes about developing a piece of media, I feel as though my experience with the commercial changed my outlook on the whole. By conducting that as my initial project, I was able to understand the specific factors that go into making an effective final product that has the power to change my audience's opinion on certain subject matters, especially since commercials are made to be persuasive. That, in turn, gives me an edge when it becomes necessary to "toy," for lack of a better word, with the emotions of my audience in future projects of mine to ensure that my message is clearly conveyed. Additionally, I became more proficient when it came to using editing software, extracting sound bites, and handling filming gear (i.e. learning new filming techniques on my iPhone 11 Pro Max).

    Now, before I close things off, I quickly wanted to address a point that I made on one of my last blogs prior to this reintroduction, which briefly mentioned the fact that it was my birthday. In honor of that day, I've attached a picture below to not only re-verify my identity, but to also share some of my happiness with you:

    Moving past that, I'm sure you've enjoyed my signature signoffs thus far, and I don't intend of stopping any time soon. As I previously mentioned, I've undertaken the hefty responsibility of rewatching the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe's films in preparation for the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home movie, so I feel that it is only appropriate to quote another prominent figure in the Marvel Universe, Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark: "Oh, it's good to be back. You missed me? I missed you too" (Iron Man 2 2010).

Creative Critical Reflection Blog: Looking Back

    Hi again! As you may recall, I published our final product in my last blog, which means it is now time for some much need ruminative reflection. Regarding our finished product, I felt that we were able to challenge common conventions found across a variety of soft drink commercials, whilst also representing generally faced issues. 

    Beginning with the conventions themselves, we refrained from using high-angle shots because we did not want to create any kind of tension in our audience. We also strayed away from incorporating tilting because there was no need for any dramatization, nor did we need to showcase any sort of vertical scenery as our commercial was horizontally oriented. Furthermore, we also did not include over-the-shoulder shots, instead using medium shot framing as to not waste time switching between different subjects' viewpoints by focusing on both of their expressions simultaneously. Moreover, since we focused heavily on inter-subject dialogue to make our actresses' performances more dynamic and realistic, we avoided the inevitably awkward silence that we would have had if had we chosen to make a song the forefront of our sound compilation, using voiceover to emphasize certain points in our commercial. These all allowed for us to have a fresh and original take on our soft drink commercial. Shifting our focus to the issues our commercial represented, I would not necessarily say that we brought attention to any major social issues, but rather smaller-scale problems, perhaps what one may refer to as daily inconveniences. Seeing that our product was a beverage, its main purpose is to quench the thirst of consumers, which means that our target audience can be comprised of any and all kinds of people, ranging from children to older adults, athletes and executives, essentially anyone who wants a way to satisfy their sweet tooth (with about seventeen grams of sugar to be exact) and cool down. Hence why we are able to solve the problem and answer the question, "What should I drink(?)" for people who are in need of a refreshing boost of sweet, ice-cold, beverage. 

    Moving on to how our product engages with our audience, we ensured to subtly include colors that stimulated a sense of thirst or the feeling of heat in our viewers, which as mentioned in my earlier blogs, was achieved through the imposition of heat-like filters, giving our shots a reddish tint, as well as through the colors of the clothing that our actresses wore. We also had our actresses actively engage in dialogue to create a more relatable and conversational tone, which captivates the attention of our audience.

    As for how we would go about distributing it as a real media text, we would likely do so through a televised advertisement or YouTube commercial, thus allowing us to have a wider outreach. If we were to consider how our product would be dispersed from a real-world standpoint, there would be a number of different factors to take into account. First, one must assess the baseline pricing for a thirty-second advertisement like our own. Typically, advertisements of said length, when aired on national television cost $115,000, at least in 2020, according to Kelly Main, a staff writer whose main focus lies in marketing. Of course, this is not always the case being that a number of other variables also come into play. With that being said, one would also need to consider the location in which their commercial would air. For instance, our commercial relied heavily on the conveyance of the fact that it was extremely hot outside. Therefore, it would be more likely for someone from Florida to purchase the drink after watching our commercial, being that they can personally relate to the excruciating heat we ensured to highlight, as opposed to someone from Maine, where temperatures are not as extreme. Additionally, one would also need to evaluate the best time of year to air their commercial. Since our advertisement intends to emphasize the heat outside by using elements like the diegetic sound of cicadas to set a summerlike atmosphere, a time when there is an increased demand for cool and refreshing drinks, it would be quite counterproductive to have it released during the cold winter and fall months because sales would not be as high. Lower sales would make for a smaller profit, meaning that we would be making unnecessary expenses instead of maximizing returns by waiting for the right season. 

    Regarding the actual schematics of creating a real-world commercial, production costs can be upwards of $150,000 as claimed by Beverly Boy Productions, a video production company. However, when you factor in fluctuating CPMs, which are the cost-per-thousand impressions, one will find that the summer months are the optimal time for commercial production being that CPM costs are driven downwards due to the lack of competition between companies. Sortable, a website intended to help publishers simplify the strenuous process of publicizing their work, states that this comes as a result of the lowered advertisement budgets across the board as different brands begin planning and preparing for the packed upcoming third and fourth quarters, which contain a number of different widely celebrated holidays in the United States of America, including Independence Day, Labor Day (and its preceding weekend), Halloween, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, Chanukah, Christmas, and New Year's Eve. With that being said, money could be saved on production costs if simple and effective, convention challenging techniques like the ones we used, which I previously mentioned above, are applied. As with any endeavor, commercials are a gamble, being a sort of risk and reward situation, where sometimes the profits do not outweigh the investment, which is why it is important to take in the bigger picture when trying to determine when and where to air our commercial, lest it be lost in the immense stream of mass media that consumers intake on a daily basis. 

    Upon considering how I was able to mature and develop my production skills throughout the project, I would like to note that when I first began the project, I had a very vague idea of the official production process, being that I had never applied it myself in a hands-on manner. That then meant that I was very unfamiliar with editing programs outside of iMovie (which I had used for previous projects), so I needed to dedicate more time towards acquainting myself with said applications. Additionally, I had never had to make any difficult or particularly tedious shots before this project, like the one that was required for our initial panning from the sun because of the fact that we did not consider the Sun's positioning around noon into our production calculations. This then allowed me to learn how to be more creative and take more open-minded approaches to obtain the perfect shot, making me a better cinematographer on the whole. 

    Now, in order for this project to have been made into reality, I needed to use a variety of technological aids, which mainly included editing software and websites where I could obtain visual aids and enhancers in the form of GIFs (Graphics Interchange Formats), or audio samples from platforms like YouTube. Going into the specifics, I used Remove Bg to get rid of the white background behind our font, which we got off of the My Fonts website, and I was able to convert audio from YouTube videos by using the iPhone screen recording feature and then putting it through an MP3 converter I came across online. To put everything together, on top of iMovie, we also used ClipChamp, a free video editing website. As for adding in our final touches, which included the addition of filters, I used Prequel, a free-to-download application from the App Store. Regarding the hardware we used, our commercial was shot entirely on two iPhone 11 Pro Maxes. Now, considering our limited budget (we are high school students after all), I think we made the most of the resources available at our disposal, and have now become familiarized with the various programs we can easily access, which means that we are prepared and equally as excited for our upcoming project.

    All in all, I think this quote by Kiki Layne who played Tish Rivers in the 2018 movie, "If Beale Street Could Talk" sums up my attitude towards our next assignment: "I've never been more ready for anything in my whole life."

Commercial Blog: That's a Wrap!

     Hello again! I'm proud to announce that we finally completed our commercial after about a month of hard work and dedication. This project was one that I found to be quite the insightful experience, giving me the opportunity to dip my toes into the world of filmmaking by beginning with a form of media that is so common that it even goes as far as affecting us in our day to day lives, providing us with an escape from the mundane humdrum of the workweek. This endeavor allowed me to see just how much of an impact film and advertisements have on me and the type of life that I lead. The fact that advertisements have become so integrated into our daily lives to the point that we have begun to pay less attention to the artistry and psychological thinking that goes into creating something that we deem to be as trivial as a small ant lying on a leaf, makes for quite the saddening realization. And to think that people do not truly understand the intricacies behind producing such a short piece of work makes me ever the more grateful for having taken this class, as it not only allows me to delve deeper into my interest in film through an immersive teaching method, but also teaches me practical life skills, such as learning the importance of choosing your words carefully to concisely and clearly get a point across, and learning how to evaluate the motivations behind the way in which certain things may be phrased. With this project I was able to identify the various conventions used in the world of advertisements, being able to pick out the numerous similarities shared between commercials, and finally understanding the way in which advertisements are able to lure us into purchasing a particular product or service by using just the right sound or achieving the perfect lighting, all of which I found to be such compelling aspects to consider. It really makes you realize how much work goes into creating something as short as thirty seconds that holds such an influence over the lives and choices of people worldwide. Believe it or not (quite honestly I was shocked myself), after we had finished working on our commercial, I actually found myself paying more attention to advertisements as they appeared on television and in YouTube videos, trying to dissect the various shots and scenes they used with what I had learned through my own experience. Regarding our project and my final thoughts on it, I can acknowledge that our commercial may have had a few flaws, but those are all a part of the learning experience, giving us the chance to recognize our mistakes and make meaningful improvements to future film projects that we will one day undertake. I thought the experience was quite enjoyable and was not disappointed by the group members that I had chosen, which makes me look forward to our next enterprise even more! These blogs have been and will continue to provide us with an accessible platform where we can easily share our final products to whoever wishes to watch them, perhaps even allowing others to find some inspiration of their own and drive them to create something wonderful. With that being said, I have attached our commercial below and really do hope that you enjoy it! 

(Apologies in advance, after sending the video between devices to upload it onto my blog, it may have lost some of its original quality.) 

To close things off, I believe that this line delivered by Corey Feldman from the Goonies just about summarizes the feelings of triumph, pride, and gratification I have about our final product: "It's gold, guys. We did it(!)" (The Goonies 1985), especially considering how happy I already was since today is my birthday!

Editing Blog: And Now, the End is Near

    Zdrasti (that means hello in Bulgarian)! Today was officially our last day of editing, and it was literally crunch time for me (I ate some "healthy" snacks while I tied up some loose ends of the project at home). The first order of business was finalizing our song choice. To be entirely honest, I met with my friend right after our previous class and we got to discussing what some of our favorite songs were growing up. By complete coincidence, they managed to mention the name of the song I had stuck in my head (whose name, of course, escaped me at the time) that would be a perfect fit for the project because of its mix of western-like and surf rock undertones, its upbeat tune, and overall popularity- "Pump It" by the Black Eyed Peas. Now, I'm not sure if you've ever seen Monty Python but that was the holy grail moment for me. After I located an instrumental version of the song, my group and I came to the general consensus that we should have the audio play when the Arizona Iced Tea can is first introduced up, until when the camera pans to a very confused Actress 2, and when both subjects go in to take a sip of the iced tea. That way, we could add another layer to our dietetic sound composition. Since the song has such a catchy melody, it will be likely to stick with the audience for the rest of the day, meaning that every time they catch themselves humming its tune, their mind will inadvertently wander back to our commercial and, consequently, our product. In fact, to test that theory, my group and I actually showed the clip to one of our fellow peers, and later on, we caught her humming the song and saying how we had gotten it "stuck in her head." Therefore, through the pure exploitation of our audience's involuntary memory association, we were certain to produce a successful commercial.

    After we had finished working out our sound situation, we began to focus our efforts on trying to create the effect of heat, one that would induce a sense of thirst in our viewers from their mere perception of subtle cues. Of course, we had already taken one step towards achieving this goal by panning from the sun, which created a lens flare due to its utterly blinding brightness. I was then able to help my team take it one step further by turning up the saturation, brightness, contrast, highlights, and overall temperature of our footage, as well as lowering the shadows present in the frame by a few notches using the editing app, Prequel, to create our desired effect in post-production. 

    Upon doing so, we then wanted to find a way to leave a lasting impression on our audience with a final shot of the Arizona Iced Tea can, a memorable line, and the company's logo right at the end. To do this, I employed the aid of an online editing tool, Clip Champ, to blur a certain part of our commercial. We chose to blur the ending of our final shot, Scene 8, directly after our two actresses take a sip of their iced teas. Superimposed on this blurred portion of the commercial are a GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) and the following phrase "The answer to all your problems (.)", which remain on screen until the eventual fade-out of our commercial. When it came to the GIF, I could not come to a reasonable conclusion other than that the fact that it must have been a mixture of sheer luck and coincidence, that its animation was in perfect sync with the diegetic, unedited noise of our two actresses' cans clinking together with the bleachers as they were set down, to create a euphonious sound. As for the catchline, my group and I thought it was appropriate because Arizona (Iced Tea) had been the answer to every question, or problem, that had "stumped" our two subjects throughout the commercial. When choosing to include this phrase, I drew inspiration from other commercials that often make a witty reference to a running gag found within them. Moreover, I felt as though it would be best to match the text color of said phrase to one of the colors from the original Arizona Iced Tea logo, as it would create a sense of uniformity. The only issue I had was deciding which of the three colors to use; however, this matter was quickly resolved once I saw that the pink color stood out the most against the blurred background. In fact in the upcoming image, I have pictured just that. 

    I've included an example of Clip Champ's interface below, which also doubles as a production still for the editing of one of our scenes. 

    We were not able to completely stick to the original plans that we outlined in our storyboard, but the changes we made we certainly for the better, allowing for easier and more effective execution. That is not to say that our commercial did not have its share of faults. There were of course things out of our control, namely the position of the clouds in the background, ambient sounds, natural lighting (although we did wait to reshoot scenes until after the sun was no longer obscured by clouds), and wind direction, especially when having to pause and redo shots to correct minor mistakes. That, in turn, made it difficult to align the clips perfectly without errors. Hence why the cut between Scenes 5 and 6 did not blend very well together. Then again I could argue that it was an intended jump cut to the show the passage of time between Actress 1 reaching her hand out to grab the Arizona Iced Tea can and returning it back to the frame, but I will own up to my mistakes and concede that argument. Despite this imperfection, I believe that we made the best of the situation because it was only one minor flaw that did not affect the message and advertisement of the product itself, so it was one we needed to accept and move on from. 

    All things considered, since we were able to consolidate our film into a total length of twenty-nine seconds, during which we never strayed to include irrelevant information that would waste valuable screen time, I believe that we created the best final product that we could, given our available tools and our relative unfamiliarity with this kind of project.

    I think that after all the hard work my group and I put into this film project the only thing I could even fathom doing to close off this blog is to give a feral hiss and growl the words "My precious" like Gollum did in Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) to show just how possessive I am of our project!

Editing Blog: The Final Stretch

    Hey there! Today my group and I moved on to the editing phase of our filming project. Before we began, we decided that we would mainly be focusing on acquiring both our dietetic and non-diegetic sounds and adjusting our clips to ensure that they were consistent throughout each scene. We also dabbled a bit in smoothing out transitions; however, that was not our primary focus at the time. Regarding the diegetic sound, we remained in agreement that we should use the chirping of cicadas during the panning that takes place in Scene 1, but we are still unsure of how to tie all of our sound elements together. I suggested that we have the cicada sound play during the panning as planned, but then have it gradually fade out as the dialogue and background music commences. On the topic of music, we decided that it would be best to work with instrumental versions of songs that we felt were either popular during the summer months or reminiscent of the summertime, so that the lyrics did not divert attention away from our product. During this step of our editing process, I focused mainly on finding popular, but relevant songs, and settled on the following as my top three choices for the video:

- "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals: This would relate to the commercial because it emphasizes how hot it is outside. Moreover, because it is a recognizable summer hit, even with its vocals removed, the audience may subconsciously connect the song to their own pleasant memories; thus, making promotion easier through positive association. 

- "Gravity" by Brent Faiyaz and featuring Tyler, The Creator: The beat is slow and, as such, can represent a relaxing summer's day, one where the audience may feel at ease knowing they can drink a nice, cold Arizona Iced tea to cool down. On the other hand, it could also be used to underscore the length of a hot summer's day, being that the beat is long and drawn out. That, in turn, could potentially make the viewers crave an ice-cold beverage to quench their thirst.

- "Location" by Khalid: This song was quite popular a few years ago and I found it interesting that the title correlated so well with the ongoing skit playing out in our commercial, where a conversation concerning where our two subjects would like to go occurs. Moreover, the song has a simple melody, which means that it would be able to provide musical substance to our commercial without subtracting attention from the main product we wish to advertise. 

    After settling on a couple of songs each, I used two websites to begin working on converting YouTube video files to MP3 and then having them stripped clean of vocals. After that, I shifted my focus to combining our scenes in order and removing unnecessary parts that might cause us to go over our allotted film time. To do so, I essentially looked for areas where I believed that either the lack of action consumed too much time, or places where I found that the deduction of some seconds may eliminate choppiness within a scene. During that time, I also cropped the videos to all have similar dimensions and framed them according to what our storyboard laid out. Unfortunately, we were not able to stay true to the entire definition of a medium shot by filming our subjects from the waist up because we needed to guarantee that our main prop, our true subject rather, was still visible within the frame. However, all things considered, I still feel as though it met enough of the criteria in order to be considered a medium shot because it gave an equal presence to both the subjects and their surroundings. 

All of my editing work was conducted iMovie as pictured below:

    Overall, I would say that today we had a very productive session, sorting out a lot of the minor details so that we can focus on refining our commercial as a whole next class. Since I am having guests over for dinner, I feel like I should quote Anthony Hopkins and say the following, although I mean nothing of it as a double entendre as he intended: "I do wish we could chat longer, but I'm having an old friend for dinner...Bye" (The Silence of the Lambs 1991).

Filming Blog: Take 2- Out of the Frame

     I'm back at it again, and I'd like to start off by saying how grateful I am to have such cooperative and flexible teammates! Without them, we would have surely missed our filming deadline and fallen behind schedule. You may have noticed that my blog is titled "Out of the Frame," and you may be wondering why I'd need to point out this fact after already having established that I am my group's camerawoman in my last post. Well, that's because the phrase now applied both figuratively and literally as I was not present for any of the filming conducted by my group mates today. Earlier in the day, I was called out of class right before our filming period due to my suspected exposure to COVID-19 by a fellow student. However, after a quick trip to a testing site, I thankfully tested negative, so I will be able to return to class and help with editing as soon as tomorrow! However, the main takeaway from the entire situation is that neither I, nor my group members, allowed my physical absence to stop me from contributing to our film's production process. Due to the fact that we had previously accounted for what to do in such a scenario (as mentioned in my Planning Blog), and the fact that one of our members had already experienced the same situation that I was currently in, we were able to quickly resolve the issue with some good, old-fashion communication. 

    I kept in close contact with my teammates via text messaging, where they shared the shots they had taken and kept me updated on their progress. Originally, my team planned to conduct filming in the baseball field being that we thought it would be fitting to use the red dirt as a way to portray that our backdrop was set in the Copper State (called that because of its abundance of copper, sadly not because it is ridden with red sediments). Unfortunately, they were unable to find a way to enter the field other than jumping over the fence, which would not only risk them becoming injured, but would also increase the likelihood that our props may become damaged, or even be potentially destroyed. Hence, they decided it would be best to station themselves in the softball field because it was more accessible and they would still be able to incorporate the same, Arizona trademarked, red dirt, as in the baseball field. Thus, making for a fairly reasonable trade-off and a smart decision on their part. 

    Once they had set up and begun filming in the merciless Florida heat, they started to send me clips of the scene that they were actively recording. That, in turn, gave me the opportunity to offer up any advice regarding specific angles or methods that could be critiqued with the purpose of having our Arizona backdrop look more realistic; thereby allowing for the creation of the setting we were aiming to achieve. Moreover, I also helped my group decide which shots were best after a critical evaluation of two key aspects: the presence of certain shadows and the placement of the Arizona Iced Tea can in the frame. Regarding the shadows, we wanted to ensure that we excluded our actress's head's shadow from being in the shot, as their arm was the only thing that was meant to be in the frame. This was done in an effort to maintain the continuity of our shots between scenes. As for the placement of the Arizona Iced Tea can itself, since it is the main focus of our commercial, the subject if you will, we wanted to guarantee that it was front and center as opposed to being off to the side. That, in turn, may have then caused the audience to become distracted by the sounds, both diegetic and nondiegetic, and the set in which our prop is placed, instead of the product we are trying to sell. Furthermore, I was also able to begin trimming down some of the shots to ensure that our final film project would fit within the given time constraints of twenty-seven to thirty seconds, removing any awkward pauses to allow for the scenes to flow together more smoothly. 

Below I have attached two images, one of which is a production still that shows my group using creative thinking to work around camera angling and set issues, and the other of which is a screenshot of one of the conversations I had with my team members (The blue chat bubbles are mine) to make a decision concerning where our backdrop Arizona props would go (they are also pictured in the above image to the right of the Arizona Iced Tea can). 

(The grammar in the text messages is not perfect due to it being a mostly informal medium of communication, so corrections for clarification are as follows:

• "diff": Shorthand for the word "different"
• "cam": Shorthand for the word "camera"
• "gor": Accidental misspelling of the word "for" 
• "rn": Shorthand for the phrase "right now"
• "gotchuu": Teen slang for saying "Ok, understood"

Other things such as the capitalization of I and words at the start of the sentence, as well as the lack of hyphens between certain words, are also improper; however because they do not affect the meaning or readability of the messages, I did not feel the need to correct them.)

When it comes to life, nothing ever goes as planned, and often unforeseeable challenges, such as the one my group and I faced today, may arise; however, that does not mean that one should simply back down, but instead, they should learn to expect the unexpected and work with what they are given to overcome any problem. 

After having seen "Triple Frontier," a rated R film for which I did obtain parental permission to watch on a streaming platform (whose name I'm not sure I'm allowed to mention for copyright purposes) this weekend, one particular quote by Óscar Isaac that I believe can apply to life in general really stuck with me, so I would like to end off with it as some food for thought: "It’s always a little harder than you think it’s gonna be" (Triple Frontier 2019). 

(The clip above was taken from a trailer of the film.)