FINAL LINKS

CCR VIDEO 1: CCR 1

CCR VIDEO 2: CCR 2

FILM OPENING: EREBUS

Final Thoughts

Oh.  My. God.

Theres no way these 8 weeks have gone this fast. It's literally felt like 3 days since we started. 

This project was such an enjoyable and valuable experience, and I am so proud of both myself and my team. From the start, we organized and paced ourselves well; we also made sure that everyone contributed equally. Even though we faced challenges, we pushed through and worked together, creating an amazing film opening. The teamwork aspect was one of the best parts—we had fun while putting in the hard work. And I couldn't have chosen a better group to do this with.

One of the things I appreciated most was getting to apply and develop new skills. Not only did I improve my filming techniques, but I also learned better time management through organizing my blog posts and pacing myself with the project schedule. I ALWAYS procrastinate, so this really helped me stay on track. Additionally, working on my CCRs gave me a deeper appreciation for how films are put together, which will help me analyze movies better and improve my media text essays as well.

Beyond just the technical skills, this project taught me patience, teamwork, and participation in a way I didn’t expect. My group and I went through some wild experiences, from climbing trees for high-angle shots to jumpstarting my car that broke down while filming. Even though these moments weren’t part of the original plan, they added to the overall experience and made the project even more memorable.

Choosing a genre we all loved made this project even more exciting. It allowed us to create something meaningful and showcase what we knew. Looking back, I feel like I gained so much—not just from the final product but from the entire process of bringing it to life. This was truly an unforgettable experience, and I hope you enjoy what we created!

Post Production CCR Video 2

 During the production of the second video, I faced many challenges, whether it was setting up the camera, microphones, etc., or just editing and making everything fit.

My first challenge during filming was setting everything up. I went all in with this and brought my computer, camera, microphone, and other stuff into the garage where I could effectively make use of all of these to create a semi-realistic podcast. Here is a picture of when I was setting everything up.

I wanted to include product placement, as it is regularly shown in podcasts like these, and I also wanted to add a comedic twist, so I wore a wig and a fake drawn-on mustache since I couldn't find a stick-on one.

And then, when I finished up doing the part where I am the interviewer, my sister moved the camera. I was so mad at her, but I couldn't do anything; she's only 8 years old, so I just told her to get out. And I had to refilm everything since if the camera was even a little bit off, it would ruin the entire thing. 

Fortunately, I finished before I lost my darn mind, but then came editing.

For some odd reason, the second recording had different lighting on it, so I had to meticulously change the color on Premiere Pro until it met my standards; even then, it doesn't look completely perfect. So I'm kind of mad about that. 

Overall, my experience was pretty meh while filming and editing this, but I hope you guys enjoy the final product. And with that, I think I am done with everything. Thank you guys for following my journey. My next 2 blog posts will be my final reflection, and then the links to my film opening as well as both CCR's.

Question 3-4 CCR Script

 The script for Video 2 CCR

The camera is set up on a tripod. On one side sits INTERVIEWER ME, wearing a ridiculous curly wig and a bushy fake mustache that keeps slipping. On the other side sits ACTUALLY ME, looking mildly embarrassed but playing along. The vibe is chaotic yet oddly professional. 

INTERVIEWER: (adjusting mustache, deepening voice)
Well, hello there, folks! Welcome to Me, Myself, and a Terrible Disguise, the podcast where I ask the hard-hitting questions… to myself. Today, we’ve got a very special guest... Me! Say hi, Me. 

ME: Hi, Me. Nice mustache. Did you borrow it from a 70s cop show? 

INTERVIEWER ME: (stroking mustache, offended)
Excuse you! I spent three whole minutes hot gluing this bad boy on. Anyway, let’s get to the good stuff. (Scoffs) First question, how did your production skills develop throughout this project? I hear you’re some kind of editing wizard now. 

ME: (smirking)
Oh, wizard might be generous, but yeah, this project leveled me up for sure. I mean, I was filming and editing. Honestly, working on this film was intense. Every little edit mattered—like, Every. Little. Part, even a small sound effect like a footstep being placed wrong can ruin the immersion and flow of the whole thing. 

INTERVIEWER ME: (nodding)
Mmm, yes. So, what’d you actually learn, huh? Gimme the juicy details—did you master lighting, sound, what? Spill it! 

ME:
Okay, fine. I got way better at the small stuff that nobody notices until it’s gone—like adding footsteps when Leo’s running, or that creepy clock ticking in the background. The sound design was huge for suspense. We picked audio effects that made you feel like something bad was definitely about to happen. Oh, and fonts! Turns out picking the right font for credits is, like, an art form.  

INTERVIEWER ME: So, you’re telling me you went from amateur hour to Spielberg Jr. just by fiddling with sound effects and stuff? 

ME: (laughs)
Pretty much! I mean, I had some editing chops before, but this was like -next level shi- stuff dude! Every choice—lighting, camera movement, the color of the title—had to mean something. It’s like I was playing 4D chess with myself. No offense, Me. 

INTERVIEWER ME: (twirling mustache, which almost falls off)
Hmmmm. Fascinating! Truly, a genius at work. Alright, onto question two, because I’m a professional and we’re not just goofing off here. Tell me about the tech you used—how’d all those fancy gadgets and software make this masterpiece happen? 

ME: (grinning)
Oh, where do I start?  I mean, Adobe Premiere Pro was my ride-or-die. I edited the whole thing there, cut the footage, added credits, and threw in music and sound effects. I even cleaned up background noise, so you don’t hear my dog snoring through the suspense. Then I hopped over to After Effects for this slick title sequence. (Showing title sequence)- 

INTERVIEWER ME: (interrupting)
Wait, wait—did you say your dog was snoring? Is he the real star of this film? 

ME: (rolling eyes)
 Focus, wig guy. Anyway, hardware-wise, I used my iPhone in cinematic mode—smooth focus pulls, crispy footage, honestly great stuff. We had a drone too, but the crappy quality unfortunately didn't make the cut, so I had to improvise. Instead of the drone, I went ahead and climbed this big tree to get the shot we needed of the car.  I also got fancy with shots—close-ups, over-the-shoulder, low-angle stuff to make me look cooler than I am. Stabilizing shots was a learning curve, but I nailed it. 

INTERVIEWER ME: (pretending to take notes)
 You climbed a tree? Sure, whatever you say... What else? Did you, like, invent a new filmmaking app or something? 

ME:
Nah, but I did use Blogger.com to keep us organized—shot lists, schedules, all that jazz. And YouTube tutorials were my secret weapon. I’d be lost without some random guy on YouTube teaching me how to keyframe in After Effects. I also watched a ton of film openings too, for inspo. It all came together into something… actually decent. 

INTERVIEWER ME: (leaning forward, mustache dangling)
Decent? DECENT? You’re underselling it, pal! Sounds like you’re ready to take Hollywood by storm—or at least make a viral TikTok. So, final thoughts: what’s the big takeaway from all these techy stuffs. 

ME: (serious for a sec)
Honestly? Editing’s everything. You can shoot the prettiest footage, but if the edit sucks, it’s over. This project taught me how to take raw stuff and make it feel right. suspenseful, polished, whatever. It’s like sculpting, but with less clay and more caffeine. 

INTERVIEWER ME: (standing up, wig slipping)
And there you have it, folks! A man and a mission to edit the heck outta life (Shrugs). Thanks for joining us on Me, Myself, and a Terrible Disguise. Catch you next time—assuming I don’t lose this mustache in the meantime! 

ME: (facepalming) And cut. Get me out of here... 

[FADE OUT]  I have finished filming Video 1 and am currently editing it as i write this, filming for Video 2 will commence tomorrow, or when i finish editing Video 1. Thanks for reading, this blog was kind of short, and we are nearing the end of this project. I hope you enjoyed my journey! Next blog will be a post-production blog about Video 2.

CCR Production Ideas

As you all may know, my idea for Video 1 of the CCR part of this project will be a TikTok-like interview where a man walks up to me in my car, and proceeds to ask about questions 1-2 of the CCR. In between the more serious questions will be follow-ups and less serious questions. I tried to make the script sound as human as possible, to make a sincere-sounding conversation. 

I will be filming this with my friend since kindergarten, Wyatt T; he is also taking this class, and we will both be helping each other out with making our CCR's. We will be using Wyatts Meta AI Ray-Bans to film the entire interview. He will be the one interviewing me. As for his project, well, you will have to see for yourself on his blog. We will begin filming and hopefully finish on this Thursday, March 20th.

However, for video 2, I was thinking to switch it up a little bit. I kind of wanted to do something where I am interviewing myself, sort of like a podcast, but the interviewer is wearing a wig and a mustache, to add kind of a comedic part to it. I was also thinking of doing an AI interview, where an AI person is interviewing me, but that just seemed kind of weird. For the interviewing myself thing, I was thinking of setting up my phone on a tripod in front of a large table in my house, and sitting on one side of it, while I ask questions, wearing a wig and mustache, to nobody on the other side, or maybe someone sits there kind of as a placeholder so it doesn't look weird, and then recording the same thing except I'm on the other side and I'm answering questions. Then i will edit out half of each video and put them both into one video on Premiere Pro, using my masterful editing skills (that was not sarcastic)

I know this might seem kind of like a weird concept, so I drew it out in MS Paint so you can kind of visualize it. (Dont judge my drawings please.)

I also wanted it to look as authentic as possible, so I will probably be adding stuff that you would usually see on a podcast: microphones; product placement and advertisements; audio content, including music and sound effects; as well as something in the background that can indicate which podcast we are on, like a banner or something on the wall.

That's all for this blog. I hope you enjoyed my somewhat chaotic brainstorm. My next post will be about a group meeting about our CCRs.

Question 4 CCR Research

Question 4 for CCR is:

How did you integrate technologies—software, hardware, and online—in this project?

In this project, I got to experience using different technologies to create my final production. I used Adobe Premiere Pro to edit and assemble our film. I added credits and titles, using specific fonts to enhance the visual storytelling. I integrated music and sound effects, and used After Effects to create a visually stunning title sequence. Background noise was removed to enhance audio quality; all of this made me realize how crucial editing is in filmmaking and how much it can elevate a project.

We also used hardware, such as the phone we used to film the scenes, and the drone that we unfortunately didn't use for the final cut. I used my iPhone's cinematic mode to capture high-quality footage, including smooth focus pulls. I learned how to stabilize shots and adjust movements effectively while filming. Our shot list included close-ups, mid-shots, establishing shots, and over-the-shoulder shots. I also incorporated dynamic movements such as tilts, handheld shots, and low-angle shots to give better visual storytelling.

To stay organized, we used Blogger.com to document our entire production process, which helped us schedule tasks and ensure every step was accounted for. I also referenced YouTube tutorials for editing techniques and watched other film openings for inspiration.

Overall, these tools and techniques allowed us to successfully complete our project and achieve a high-quality final product.

Thank you so much for reading my final CCR Research post, Next post will be about my CCR Production Ideas

Question 3 CCR Research

Question 3 for CCR is:

How did your production skills develop throughout this project? 

Working on this project significantly improved my production and editing skills, especially since I was responsible for filming some of it, as well as editing all of it. Throughout the process, I applied many of the techniques we learned over the year, which helped me refine my abilities.

Before starting, I already had some editing experience from previous projects, but this one was different. Since it was a film opening, every little edit and design I added to it would mean a lot since it was only a 2-minute video, where we had to demonstrate our ability to use techniques, be it camera movement, lighting, or editing, to give a scene more meaning.

I mostly worked on editing. Working on adding the little things nobody thinks of, like the sound of footsteps when Leo is running, or the clock ticking in the background. Sound design played a huge role in creating suspense, and we carefully selected audio effects to enhance the tension in our film opening. I also learned a lot about font choices and how they affect a film’s tone. Certain fonts and colors didn’t work under specific lighting conditions, and I realized how crucial credits are in setting the mood. Even small details, like the color and style of the title, contribute to the overall atmosphere. 

However, I also was filming. I filmed most of the scenes inside the house as well as all of the scenes inside and outside the car. During filming, I thought of using camera movements to communicate different ideas. We applied a variety of angles that we had been studying in class and saw how they can actually work to influence real productions. Using my phone, I filmed many moving shots, experimented with focus pulls, and adjusted lighting to highlight characters and create suspense—perfect for our chosen genre of horror.

This project pushed me to improve in multiple areas, especially filming and editing, as well as understanding the impact of post-production choices.

I hope you have enjoyed this blog. The next one will be about Question 4 CCR Research