CCR Progression: Podcast

As a reminder, I am planning to do a time travel reflection and a podcast part for my CCR.

             

I haven't really been a podcast person, but I have actually been listening to a lot of them recently. One podcast has been completely theatre related. Over the last two months, I have been auditioning for musical theatre programs across the country. Podcasts have been a pretty good way for me to learn a lot about the colleges in a short period of time. I am not a podcast expert, but I have definitely listened to enough professional ones by now to where I could emulate some of the techniques. 

I plan to make a podcast specifically about the target audience of my film opening. It could discuss how I arrived at the film's target audience and how I plan to make the film available to the public. I would like to experiment with some of the regular aspects of podcasts, such as a theme song and an interviewer.

CCR Progression: Time Travel

As a reminder, I am planning to do a time travel reflection and a podcast part for my CCR.

After a quick Party City run, I got myself everything I need to transform into the most drastic character I'll need to be for this CCR: Old Man Joey. The video will start on Old Man Joey meeting the viewer traveling to his time in a time machine (we'll ignore how/why the viewer got into his room). Old Man Joey will send the viewer back to crucial times during my process making the AICE Media final. These could include:

• February: The beginning of the whole process. Discuss research in genre conventions. Discuss which conventions I embraced and discuss representation.
• March: Approach to production. Reflect on how the process evolved throughout the production. 
• April: Editing. Explain how I integrated technologies into the project. (All types - hardware, software, Blogger, etc.)

It'll probably end with Old Man Joey giving a final statement. 

The February segment would reference my "Choosing and Representing a Genre" blog post from Feburary. I would explain what I meant by a "Dramedy" and go into the details about how I balanced a serious and humorous tone. Here, I could go more into how I was inspired by the Soul opening, but how my final piece still differed greatly from it. I could also explain how I tried to recreate the dull feeling of the opening of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I could even incorporate my "Genre Research Activity" blog post from November of 2023. Overall, I didn't really challenge much of the genre's conventions

The March segment would take place during the week of me filming and beginning to edit. I could mention the troubles I had during the day of filming. I would mention how I got my actors to be in the film (and how so many of them dropped it). I could explain how I found locations for the two scenes of the opening and discuss how I confirmed them. Additionally, I would go into depth about how bad it was I started my whole process with a filming technique (the one-shot) instead of starting with the story.

The April segment would happen after I'm done with the final product. By then, I would have used all the technology I would need to create the opening and I could elaborate on it all. I would highlight the softwares I used, including Blogger, Adobe Premiere Pro, iMovie, and InShot. I would also explain why my phone was the only hardware I needed to film the piece.

Of course, my younger selves in all these time traveling wouldn't know how all his ideas came to be in the end. Still, it would be treated as though he was very determined and he knew that nothing would change throughout the process. 

EDITING AND TITLE CHOICE

With only three clips in my entire film opening, there wasn't much editing to do involving cuts and trimming.

Much of the editing came from the sound. I really wanted to make sure the chorus sounded good during the auditorium segment of the piece. I feel like the combination of their voices, if done well, could really enhance the tense tone. I did different things in order to enhance the 4-person performance such as:

• Requiring a metronome at 110 BPM playing either on stage or in someone's ear so that the chorus would stay on beat. The conductor's hand wasn't enough. 
• Filming the opening with live vocals, but also recording a voice memo of everyone singing the song. This could be placed on top of any part of the film needing more power from the chorus.
• Leveling the vocals so that when the harmonies of the song comes in, all of the actors are blended.

There was minimal sound editing needed for the classroom portion. The room was enclosed and there was minimal background noise to cover. The students were supposed to sound bad, and they did. 

The film's credits were placed right at the beginning of the opening. I structured the frame so that the text could appear on the white wall to the right. I wasn't ready to name the movie until after I filmed everything. While editing the clips together and seeing the atmosphere come to life, I decided to name it The Broken Score. 

For the beginning credits, I timed it so that each credit showed up on beat with the music. Everything flowed together very nicely I think. In my "𝚏𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚝" blog post, I researched the impact that different fonts can make towards the tone and atmosphere. I was leaning towards using Garamond, but during the editing process, I tried out a font called Caviar Dreams. It was slightly wonky, but still very serious. It has quirky "e" vowels and disproportionate consonants, but still maintained the perks of Garamond. I thought it represented the film very well with it's irregular feeling. 

FILMING DAY

That's right. Filming DAY. I was thankfully able to do all of the filming in one day. Everything had seemingly worked out. 

Almost.

It was Monday, March 18th, 2024. I had gotten verbal confirmation and confirmation by text that all 11 of my actors could stay after school that day to film. 11 people still wasn't ideal, since a regular chorus class size was usually much greater. Still, I thought the audience could suspend their disbelief for the idea. 11 students could still produce a big sound that could fill an auditorium. 

I had told everyone to meet up in the theater. As I walked into the room (very happily because I had just secured the location with the band kids), I only saw five of my actors. 

Five.    

I instantly contacted the group chat with all of the members and asked where everyone was. Slowly but surely, everyone began to send their excuses. Some of them were valid. Some of them were not. One of my members was feeling very sick with a sore throat and mucus (Valid). Another one of my members completely forgot it was today (Not Valid). 

One person named Santiago had agreed to be the chorus teacher for my film opening. He was the oldest out of the 11 actors I asked to come, and he looked it. He took the Chorus elective at my school with me and I figured he could mimic some of the actual instructor's work as a conductor. That whole plan fell apart when, on filming day, he informed me how he was in the hospital being scanned for a form of retina detachment. It was very scary, but luckily, it did not develop into anything serious. Still, he still had to stay in the hospital all day. I've been talking to him throughout the entire process and he is starting to feel much better now ❤️

I now had only 5 members, and they were all juniors. As the only senior, I decided to take over the role as the conductor. All the actors would wear there regular school clothes so that they were believable high school students. I wore all black in order to try to give off some of the conductor's authority. I needed someone to be the camera operator, and I chose Alex. He had great experience with the camera and I could trust him to follow what I had in mind. That left my film with only 4 people to be the chorus students.

This was the only day we could film. I had reminded everyone many times about how we planned to film on that Monday. Even if only 4 people showed up, I knew that it was the best chance I had. I used what I could. I continued on with filming, and it went pretty well. I didn't worry the present actors about how we were missing six members. That would just cause more stress. I told everyone that the plan had changed to where the film would be about training a student barbershop quartet. It was perfect for the 4 members we had there. It started off as a placeholder plot to get along with filming, but I actually started to like it a lot. 

I made sure Alex closed in more on the chorus so they filmed up the frame when they were showcased. This would help make the audience ignore the small number of students.

The good thing about working with your friends is that you get to goof off.

Final Lighting Choices

After obtaining the two filming locations, I really took time to figure out the final lighting for both scenes.

Starting with the auditorium, I got very lucky with what I was able to get away with. Again, the bare minimum would've been just a bare stage with all the lights turned on. After contacting some connections, my group and I were able to use the lightboard. I used the advice from the Phoenix Union Youtube video (which I studied from the "Lighting Ideas" blog post). We were able to turn off all the lights in the seating area of the auditorium. We kept one singular light on at the ceiling of the stage. The light I chose was a long strip of LED bulbs which could be raised and lowered. We raised the row to a height where it showcased each of the actor's faces, but didn't light up the whole room. We stationed the performance to where the light shined directly in the the space between the conductor and the performers. 

This oval of brightness was still a little brighter than I pictured, but it's okay. The key light above the subjects is admirable, but I actually really appreciate the darkness of the picture. You can barely picture some of the instruments and chairs throughout the scene. There are specific parts during the rotation around the conductor where the lighting is exactly how I pictured it would be from the storyboard. Although I said I wanted a spotlight in the "Lighting Ideas" blog post, I realized that the spotlight would have to come from the room in the back of the auditorium (pictured below). It would not be able to light up the conductor's face at all, and there would probably be a terrible shadow placed on the performers. 

My favorite parts of this segment are where the camera pans across the conductor's reaction. The minimal backlight of this picture really produced the ethereal aspect of an imaginary episode.

Figuring out the classroom was much easier.

I did not have to manipulate the lighting at all for the classroom. There were basically three settings for the lights: Bright, Less Bright, and Off. The brightest setting was perfect. Although the ceilings were high, everything was able to be lit up. The bright colors in the room helped create this temperature which contrasted the intense and illumination-based claustrophobic scene before. 

After making these lighting choices, it greatly improved my film opening by setting the mood and tone, enhancing visual appeal, and directing attention to where I wanted. 

Sets and Locations

    The filming is done. We can talk about that later. I need a whole blog post to talk about how lucky I got with the set and location. 

    The locations worked out completely. During my drama elective, I went to the chorus room and confirmed that I could use it for a few hours after school. The only issue was that there would be a 15 minute chorus meeting after school. My group could use it when the meeting finished. That wasn't too bad. In my mind, I could picture that, even in the worst case scenario where we couldn't use the auditorium, I could tweak the film enough to where it could all take place in the chorus room. We secured the most important location, and that was a huge relief. 

The chorus room was bright and static. It is a clean classroom, but a little cluttered. A grand piano can be seen covered by sheet music which the teacher hopes to conduct in the future. Many chairs are set up, showing how the teacher was expecting more students to apply to his class. As the camera rotates around the subject, posters can be seen put up all around the room. The decorations range from group pictures to school stickers. It's all the regular stuff you would see in a classroom. 

    I stayed after school and tried to claim the auditorium. It turns out that the Band kids needed the auditorium to set up for their Music Performance Assessment competitions the next day. It took place right on the stage. This, at first, was heartbreaking. I looked online to my school's Activities Calendar, and their set-up time wasn't reserved.  I couldn't believe that my plan was going to be fumbled by a group of people who tried to sneak their way into the auditorium without booking through the Activities Calendar. Of course, I couldn't be too mad, though. I was trying to do the exact same thing. 

    Through all this ruckus, an idea sparked. Originally, I pictured an empty stage for the auditorium segment of my film opening. As the Band started moving in instruments, I realized that their assemblage of objects could actually help my piece. I asked if I could record something which featured their gizmos, and they said it was completely fine. Their tests didn't start until tomorrow. 

There are numerous chairs and instruments that can be seen. They are never the focus, but they help add to the story. With the stage filled with furniture to be like an actual orchestra, it makes the dream sequence of the film feel more grand (and more unrealistic for the poor teacher). The curtains are all raised so you can see backstage as well. I'm very thankful that I chose this specific day to film. 

TL;DR -> Band kids are nice

Preparing for Editing

I will be traveling quite a lot to visit colleges during my school's Spring Break. That will not stop me from finishing my AICE Media project, though. I plan to finish filming my project within the next few days and edit the piece in my free time while I travel. Some projects in my AICE Media class have introduced me to editing softwares, but there is still so much to learn for the ambitious film opening idea I have in my mind. This will be one of my last research posts. I had to really explore every possible visual and audio editing software and see their perks. Some seem to go along with exactly what my film needs, and some do not. 

Adobe Premiere Pro:

Adobe Premiere Pro remains a dominant force in the editing software landscape, known for its robust features, flexibility, and integration with other Adobe Creative Cloud apps. Its non-linear editing system allows for seamless editing of footage in various formats, including 8K and virtual reality. Premiere Pro offers advanced color grading tools, audio editing capabilities, and a wide range of plugins and extensions to enhance workflow efficiency. Additionally, its integration with Adobe After Effects simplifies motion graphics and visual effects integration into projects.

Final Cut Pro X:

Developed by Apple, Final Cut Pro X is a professional video editing software known for its intuitive interface, powerful performance, and seamless integration with Apple's ecosystem. It features a magnetic timeline, making it easy to organize and rearrange clips without affecting the overall structure of the project. Final Cut Pro X offers advanced color grading tools, built-in audio editing capabilities, and support for 360-degree video editing. With the addition of features like ProRes RAW support and HDR workflows, Final Cut Pro X continues to be a popular choice among Mac users.

DaVinci Resolve:

DaVinci Resolve, developed by Blackmagic Design, is a comprehensive editing software that also includes robust color grading, audio post-production, and visual effects capabilities. Its non-linear editing interface provides professional-grade editing tools, including dynamic trimming, multi-cam editing, and advanced keyframing. DaVinci Resolve's Fusion page offers node-based compositing for creating complex visual effects, while its Fairlight audio page provides high-end audio editing and mixing features. With its free version offering many powerful features and the paid Studio version unlocking even more advanced capabilities, DaVinci Resolve has gained popularity among editors looking for an all-in-one solution.

Avid Media Composer:

Avid Media Composer has long been a staple in the film and television industry, known for its stability, industry-standard editing tools, and collaborative workflow features. It offers a wide range of editing capabilities, including advanced trimming tools, timeline customization options, and support for multiple video formats and resolutions. Avid Media Composer's MediaCentral platform facilitates seamless collaboration among team members, allowing for real-time sharing of projects, media, and metadata. While it may have a steeper learning curve compared to some other options, Avid Media Composer remains a go-to choice for professional editors working on large-scale productions.

Of all of these options, I am leaning towards Adobe Premiere Pro. My class is already pretty fond of it because of our previous projects (which some of my early blog posts go in-depth about). A big perk of Adobe, though, is their audio help. 

One of the standout features of Adobe Audition is its integration with Adobe Premiere Pro, enabling a seamless workflow between video and audio editing tasks. Editors can easily send audio clips from Premiere Pro to Audition for detailed editing and then import the edited audio back into their Premiere Pro projects without losing synchronization. For example, let's say you're editing a short film in Adobe Premiere Pro and need to enhance the audio quality of a dialogue scene. You can select the audio clip, right-click, and choose "Edit Clip in Adobe Audition." This opens the selected audio clip in Audition, where you can apply noise reduction, equalization, compression, and other effects to improve its clarity and balance. After fine-tuning the audio in Audition, you can save your changes and return to Premiere Pro. The updated audio clip will automatically replace the original clip in your Premiere Pro timeline, with all edits and effects intact. This seamless integration between Premiere Pro and Audition streamlines the audio editing process, allowing for efficient collaboration and a cohesive post-production workflow.