Eriberto Mendoza's AICE Media Studies Final Project

 Inside of my project, there are various shots that need a clearer voice or that need a sound effect to give context to them. My goal in this post is to go over how I'm rectifying that. Key points that I have identified that need treatment for this are when Fern looks up towards the door at the end of the montage, when the Killer kills the child (Ethan), when Fern and Ed look towards the camera, and when the car starts in the driveway. Fern looking at the door can be solved by adding a simple door-knocking sound effect, which my editing app of choice, iMovie, provides for me in its sound catalog. Adding this right before Fern looks at the door will solve this issue. To rectify the lack of speech when the Killer kills the child, I will need to add a voice-over with a speech filter on it, to make it seem lower quality and more distorted, as it would be recorded through a security camera. To achieve this, I imported a voice recording of myself saying "Please Noo" into iMovie...

Opening credits are an important part of any film, as they let the audience know who is in the film. This may give the audience context as to what the rest of the film may be like. In  Blog Post #38 - Titling Sequence , I went over my plan to edit my titling sequence into my film and what shots they will be in.  The opening credits scene in my project will be at the beginning, over my montage . The inclusion of the opening credits will help my opening scene to further grab the audience's attention, by showcasing the names of the actors in the film. Although it may not be in this project, occasionally, credits may grab an audience's attention by stating names that a wide audience may recognize, specifically celebrities. For example, people may recognize Tom Holland, or Zendaya, from the Spider-Man movies from the past decade. This may grab the attention of audiences who are fans of these actors, encouraging them to watch the film.  As I discussed in Blog Post #38 - Titling...

As I researched in my previous blog post, transitions are vital to films. This is because they are essential to storytelling and managing the narrative elements and flow of a film. Transitions are a tool that are important to be used correctly. While editing my project, I used fade transitions, dissolve transitions, and cut transitions in order to fit the tone. In my montage scene, I used cross-dissolve transitions in order to convey that scenes were happening over time, and fade to black transitions to convey a larger passing of time. To end this scene, I used a cross-blur transition to assist the whip pan the camera was performing. I also used a cut transition to show scenes happening one immediately after the other. During the scene of Ed walking in, I used hard cuts to amplify the hard opening and closing of the door, making Ed's presence more impactful.  After the conversation scene, I used a match cut in order to transition from Fern walking in front of the camera to Fern wal...

  Transitions are an important part of filmmaking, as they help to connect different shots and scenes in a film smoothly. A transition is a technique used in videos and films that moves the audience from one shot/scene to another, having various effects on a film. This helps the filmmaker to have an easier time conveying a narrative by smoothly connecting scenes. In this post, I will research different types of transitions to see what their effect on a film is in order to gain knowledge to apply to my project. Cut A cut is the most basic but also a very useful type of transition. A cut transition is just a sudden switching from shot to shot, with no effects. A cut can impact a film in many ways, some of which include Making the audience feel disoriented Maintaining a fast pace Keeping fluidity between shots Below is an example of a cut transition, used all throughout this video— Fade Transitions- Fade transitions are a basic transition where a shot dissolves to a color, specificall...

 Now that I've completed recording every shot I need for my final cut, I have to begin to edit the clips into their final form. I will be going off my script, storyboard, and general idea for my project to create a rough order of the shots to go through in order to make my project coherent when watching. The first sequence defined in my script is the montage of Fern reading S.K.B.D. News. Inside this sequence is my title sequence, and throughout it, Fern drinks coffee, plays with his pen, reads the news, and gets a notification on his phone before looking at the door. There is not an order to these besides the notification and looking up at the door coming last. This means that clips relating to this scene will come first. After this sequence comes my title card, which I discussed and developed in Blog Post #38 - Titling Sequence After the title card comes the sequence of Ed Entering the Office , which shows Ed entering through a door, asking Fern a question (prompting a shot chan...

 In my project, the driveway scene is a vital part of the story, as it ends off my project, and would transition into a scene of Ed and Fern speaking if it were to continue. The problem lies in the fact that my recording of it is too long, taking nearly 50 seconds just to pull out of the driveway and to drive down the road.  I plan to shorten this scene by using editing techniques such as speeding up the clip, moving audio to another part of the shot, and using jump cuts and dissolve transitions to convey the passing of time, as I wrote about in Blog Post #2 - Jump Cuts , although for a different scene now. This is the full 47-second shot I must shorten to around 20 seconds. Below is the edited shot, which I got down to about 18 seconds, which is around the time I was hoping for out of this scene. To achieve this effect on the scene, I split up the clip into 3 parts, deleting the parts in between. These 3 parts were Fern stepping into the car, the time from when the car starte...

Ed and Fern's conversation is the main scene in my project, as it takes up a lot of time, reveals the character traits and motivations of Ed and Fern, and introduces the killer into the story. I have my script written for this scene to start off the transition of the whip pan of Fern looking towards the door, after the montage sequence at the start, and after Ed walks into the room. The scene will start with Ed at the table, who then shows  Fern the security camera footage. They then crack a joke and look at the camera. Following this, there is an action match transition to the scene of them walking out to the driveway. Below are all the trials for this shot that were recorded, and the final shots I ended up with are at the end of the video. Shot 1- Ed walking up to the table Attempt 1: This shot was cut off too early, and Fern moved too suddenly. In this attempt, we had also not memorized the script, so we were just going off of improvisation from the general idea of the scene. In...

 Ed entering the office is an important part of my project, as he is not present at the beginning, and only enters after Fern is reading the news. It would not make sense for him to suddenly appear next to Fern, after not being seen in any other shot.  During this shot, I wish to have a wide shot of Ed coming through the door, and speaking to Fenr while still slightly covered by the door, the shot will then use a whip pan to show Fern responding to Ed. This technique will be used in order to reduce the number of attempts it will take for each shot, compared to recording it all in one shot. The shot will then switch to Ed walking through the room towards Fern, zooming out as he approaches. This will be the end of the scene. The shots at the end of this video are the ones I will use inside my project, they may require trimming, editing, or voiceovers in order to make them better, but I am satisfied with the results I have achieved today. Next is to record the following conversat...

 In my previous post, I examined my first 3 attempts to record the scene where Fern and Ed (played by Fernando and myself, Eddie, respectively) walk out of the office, into the driveway. However, all of these attempts had distinct problems in them, whether that was a misunderstanding between the people involved or just the time the scene was recorded. I strive today to record the shot I will use inside of my final cut for my project. This is the final shot we recorded on the first attempt today. In this shot, the focus of the camera starts on the keys, which should draw the audience's attention to the keys, and then to Fern's hand as he picks them up. The tablet and laptop are also in the frame of the camera, as the laptop is there during the beginning montage, and Ed will place the tablet down after he shows the security camera footage to Fern. During the time where Ed and Fern are walking to the door, the focus largely stays on Fern, in order to lur unneeded things from the b...

 In my project, after a conversation, Ed and Fern walk out of the Detective's Office together, with Ed in front, and Fern close to the camera. During this scene, I chose to use a tracking shot, where the camera follows behind Fern before becoming stationary as they approach the door. While they are in the doorway, Fern is supposed to throw keys to Ed that he picked up at the beginning of the shot. This shot will help the indoor sequence to transition to the one taking place at the end of the opening in the driveway, which I recorded in Blog Post #44 - Recording Driveway Scene Below is my first attempt to record this scene— During this attempt, it started off well. The problem with this shot stemmed from the fact that Fern walked faster than the person holding the camera (Ethan) expected, causing the camera to fall far behind Fern, obstructing most of the camera's view.  Below is the second attempt— The error with this shot is a communication error, stemming from my not properl...

My opening two minutes end with the car of the detectives driving down the road after the detectives walk out of the house and get into the car. This scene works as a transition into the next major scene that would exist, where the detectives are driving in the car. This also helps to show who the leading detective is, as Ed is the driver of the car, giving him more authority.  This is the car I will be using for this scene— I am shooting for this scene to take around 20-30 seconds. This is so I have enough time for everything else to fit into my project, and to nicely wrap up the 2 minutes I need. To record this scene, we had the camera placed right off of the driveway, and track the car as it moves out of the driveway, and away from the office down the road. Since I was using my parents' car, I had to rush this scene and only had limited attempts to get it right. Below is my first attempt trying to record this scene. During this shot, Fern and I had trouble getting into and start...

 In my last blog post , I wrote about my first recording session with Fern and Ethan, and how we got the first few shots of the montage done. In this blog post, I will recap another session we did, the new shots we recorded during it, and how we improved on a previous shot. Checklist from my previous post I will need to record more shots of just Fern sitting there, Fern drinking coffee, Fern playing with a pen, and rerecord Fern reading the news and the shot of the news. Shots Fern Reading the News— This shot will be used to transition into the over-the-shoulder shot shown in the last post. This shot will help to transition from a wider shot to the shot where it closes in on the laptop screen. I will have to trim out the beginning and end of the shot, but I may be able to use it in my final cut for my project. The focus in this shot isn't really focused on anything for a big chunk of it, as far as I can tell, and it is a bit shaky— but I can make it work. Showing Fern— These shots ...

 In my script, I wrote about a montage consisting of Fern drinking coffee, fidgeting with a pen, and reading the news. Before that, in my Blog Post #37 - Montages , I wrote about what montages are generally used for, and how to accomplish the desired effect of the montage. My desired outcome for this montage is to convey the passing of time, make room for my titling sequence, to build Fern's personality as a character, and show the S.K.B.D. News articles . The montage must also end with Fern receiving a notification on his phone, and hearing a knock at the door. To meet all of these requirements, I will need to shoot many shots that encapsulate these ideas and execute them well.  I will need separate shots— effectively showing Fern reading the news, and showing the news itself on the screen clearly.  shots that serve the sole purpose of showing Fern shots that show Fern drinking coffee shots that show Fern playing with the pen, to build him into a more energetic character...

 While me and my actors were getting ready to start recording, we ran into multiple unexpected problems. The scene I will be discussing in this post is the scene of the security camera footage, which features the Killer killing Lacey's Child, the Killer played by me, and the child by Ethan. The script for this scene has the killer approaching the child, and stabbing him, with (fake) blood flying out. Photo of me, Eriberto (Eddie) Mendoza, in the Killer's outfit before recording The problems we ran into may have been unexpected, but they were not unpredictable and could have been planned ahead. The biggest obstacle we ran into was the  weather . We noticed a few hours before, the sky had gotten gloomy, grey, and cloudy, but I dismissed it, being eager to start production. When my actors arrived at my house to record the scene, I felt a drop come from the sky, at this point I was starting to get worried, the sky had gotten darker and more grey.  Recording When we went to st...

While starting to record my project, I ran into multiple problems with recording my security camera scene, which I decided to record first due to the necessity of it in my first sequence. After recording and looking back at the recording, the acting and placement of props were not up to par. The water bottle I was using to shoot out my fake blood was seen in the frame, breaking the illusion of blood flying out.  The actor who was assisting me in this scene also did not have enough time to record the scene, leading me to have to change actors after a few attempts, having to record on a different day. Although I could've made time on another day for her to retry, I had another person who could assist me at a sooner date. This actor's name is Ethan, and after interviewing him, I decided to use him in my project, as he was available to record and boasts good acting and camera skills. Although, this is the template I want to use in this scene, the angle, setting, and costuming for t...

The script for my project, Beneath the Hood, is something I have revised two times now, now a third before I start to film. In my original script , it started with Fern receiving two sets of documents from Ed, and then two more scenes followed one at the crime scene, and another in a random dark room. Those two ideas had to be scrapped due to a lack of time; even without this time restraint, my budget wouldn't allow it.  In the second revision of my script , Ed comes into the room speaking on a mother reporting a murder at the Lacey Manor and only handing Fern one set of documents, and then handing him a tablet with security camera footage. This is similar to my final script but with some changes. This script revision still includes the scene of the crime scene. although I think this was an error on my part, as by this time I had already scrapped this scene. This script was also flawed, due to the fact I never wrote in the scene with the security camera footage, although I had ment...

A titling sequence is an essential part of a film, as it introduces the cast members, the filmmakers, and the film itself. As it comes at, or near the beginning of a film, it may leave an impact on the audience, potentially attracting or repelling audiences. When opening credits are combined with an opening sequence of shots, to present the credits, that is a titling sequence, which is dedicated to giving credit and introducing the film's title. I commenced my research into title sequences on studiobinder.com , and artofthetitle.com , a website that I trust, due to frequently using it for research in my project, and one that was provided by my instructor, respectively. When I inspected various title sequences on artofthetitle.com, I noticed a pattern. That pattern was that during a titling sequence, there is largely not much going on story-wise in the background of the credits, just things such as establishing shots, and shots panning over something— whether in a wide-shot, drone-s...

 A montage is a collection of camera shots, images, and scenes that are edited together and used to convey many actions or the passage of time. A montage is created by utilizing the skill to edit together and reorder different pictures, videos, and scenes, to tell a story. This allows a filmmaker to tell a great amount of information in a shorter amount of time, by compressing different shots together.  I researched montages on studiobinder.com , in order to develop my knowledge of their uses and different forms. Montages have many different uses and can be used in many scenarios, as it is a very broad tool. The use of montages I would like to focus on is their ability to speed up time in a film— to condense the time while still getting a story across. An example of this usage of montages is shown in Pixar's movie Up , which uses a montage to show the whole life of a couple in just a few minutes. The montage is shown below. The montage uses many different scenes across time, s...

A tracking shot is a technique used in filmmaking in which the camera moves through the scene, while following a moving object through the scene, resulting in a trailing effect behind, or toward the object. An example of a tracking shot would be a camera turning toward a thrown ball. Here is an example of a tracking shot on my hand. After researching on studiobinder.com , I have obtained knowledge of several new types and usages of tracking shots. Tracking shots can track more than one object in motion, and has multiple methods. Tracking shots can be recorded on a dolly, a drone, handhelds, or any tool used to move the camera.  An example of a tracking shot, of a fast object is from The Flash, where the drone shot moves toward the object, and rotates to face them when they move. This tracking shot helps to emphasize the sense of speed of the objects, and it is visually appealing to the audience, as it keeps the two objects on screen. Based on this research, In my project, I plan to...

Whip Pans are an important part of conversations in films, they help to convey a sense of speed, urgency, or mood. Depending on when they are used they can convey different meanings. For example, if used with people talking, it will convey a sense of speed. If they’re used when looking at something, it conveys anxiousness. An example of whip pan usage is the music video for the song Thick Of It , by KSI. In the scene shown below, whip pans are used to show the fastness of the life led by the singer, KSI, which the song in the background helps to depict. Showing KSI going “From the Screen, to the (boxing) ring, to the pen, to the king”. The combination of the song and whip pans helps to tell the story of the aspects of KSI’s life.  Usage of whip pans is also a tool in this scene to quickly transition between scenes, as it blurs the camera. More uses of whip pans are explored at studiobinder.com, which says that whip pans can additionally be used to simulate the fast movement of a v...

S.K.B.D. News is a fake news site inside of my project, which appears at the beginning, as Fern as reading it. It is based off the BBC News website, and as seen in my Blog Post #20 - Cinematography , currently it is just the BBC News website with an edited "SKBD" logo. In order to make the news site seem more convincing, I must make articles and authors to replace the real ones.  Here is the current image i used for the SKBD website in Blog Post #20. Along with the changing of the articles, since I am changing the filming location of my project, I will also have to use a laptop. This means I will have to change the size of the image. Here is the edited size image. I will go through with the editing of the image by changing the HTML code of the BBC website, and then editing the changed articles onto the existing image. S.K.B.D. stands for South Key Bureau of Detectives, because my project is filmed in Florida, and Florida is shaped as a key, and a prominent part of Florida are...

 The weapon is a vital part of a killer in a movie, Jason with his knife, Leatherface with his chainsaw, and so on. My killer will have a blade coming out of his wrist, as i planned out in blog post #1. In order to safely and easily design this weapon, the start of it will be hidden under my sleeve, and will be wrapped around my hand— such as so.  To reduce the cost of making this weapon, I will be using a 3D-Printer in order to create it. I designed the file for this model in Tinkercad, and due to the size restrictions of a 3D-Printer, I designed it to split in half, to connect to each half to make the blade longer. Designing the Model Here is a picture of my 3D-Printer. This is a picutre of the finished weapon, and it around my hand. I will use this to hide under the sleeve of the killer, it will also blend in with the Killer's outfit. This concludes the costuming and props of the Killer, I did the previous parts in my Blog Posts #26 & #28-30, doing the cloak, cowl, and...

As I've written previously, costumes are an essential part of a character. To my characters, Ed and Fern, their outfits will represent their role in their movie, and the job they are supposed to have— being detectives. I am using detective iconography and iconic symbols to help the audience decode that their supposed to be detectives, and have them use different outfits to reduce cost and to show that the two characters are similar but different.  Fern will be wearing a trench coat and a fedora in my project, while Ed will be wearing a suit and fedora, in order to symbolize them being different. and to reduce the cost of my project— since I already own the suit. Trench Coat A trench coat is a long, waterproof coat that is traditionally designed for military officers. Trench coats are also associated with people like spies, police, and detectives, this is likely due to their length, usual darkness, and ability to cover up a person. They may be associated with these people also due t...

 Special Effects are an essential part of a film, they allow the filmmakers to effectively portray their story, by creating a more convincing image. In my project, I plan to use blood to portray the killing of a person. In my Blog Post #25 - Security Camera Footage , I developed my idea to incorporate black and white, low-fidelity video into my project to recreate the visual tell of a security camera. In this blog post, I will outline my idea to use fake blood, or other liquids, to create a special effects illusion of the spilling of blood, onto the person whom the Killer is chasing in my film. I will do this by having the person who gets stabbed by the killer in the footage throw up fake blood, to look like blood is pouring out of them, in order to increase the effect of the killer "stabbing" them. The person who will be acting out this is Lilli, and I, Eddie Mendoza will act as the killer instead.  I'm going to test whether different colors dyed of water or fake blood i...

A character's outfit is a vital part of their character, and in this post, I will be finalizing the outfit of the Hooded Killer. My goal is to rationalize, restate, and summarize the decisions I have made creating this costume. Costumes are an essential part of any character's role in a film, as I've discussed previously— they signal character roles, intentions, and symbolism inside of a narrative. For instance, a character with an outwardly "bright" outfit, may be a lighthearted character who does not have much going on in the film, while a character with a more dark, intimidating outfit may signal a darker motivation, or role within a narrative. My idea for the outfit of the Hooded Killer, the villain archetype within my project (According to Propp's Character Theory ), is supposed to be a mysterious, dark figure who looms over people. They have a dark motivation, with unknown origins, and their costume reflects that. Here's how My goal in creating the c...