Film Opening and CCR Links!!!

 

Hello!!!!

Here are all of the final links! Here lie all of the blood sweat and tears from the past 8 weeks in three little blue lines. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed creating them. 😚😚😚

OUTGROWN 

CCR 1 

CCR 2

That's a wrap!

 

WOW!

This project has been with me for quite a bit now, and has gone through so many retakes, edits, and screenshots over the past 8 weeks. Reflecting on all of my efforts, I'm very proud of what I have molded and reworked to get myself the result that I wanted. I initially approached this project with an expectation of perfection, assuming that it was no different than any other short film I had done. However, it was different in a good way. Through working alone especially, I learned the importance of time management, resourcefulness, and creativity, and I realized that adaptability was just as important as drive. The planning, production, and editing processes all forced me to put in 110% effort and step outside of my usual domain. Rather than covering one job, I did them all, which was exciting and allowed me to fully control my result.

Being able to say I completed not only a film opening, but also a 10-minute directors cut of it makes me feel more capable to do things on my own. As I hope to do something like this for my career, I learned that my creativity will take my farther than I thought, and that if I have a message to share to the world I will be able to. In getting better at framing, costume design, and especially editing, I am ending this process as a stronger filmmaker and student than I was before. This project showed me the importance of research and persistence. Despite filming with nothing but an iPhone and a deadline, being successful in reflecting my message shows me that I will only improve as the years go by and I gain more experience and resources. This has been a very rewarding opportunity and I am proud of what I've accomplished!

CCR Post-Production

 

Hello!

I am finishing up the editing for my CCRs! It's been a wild ride but after 8 weeks and 4 busy days, my portfolio project is almost done. For both CCRs, I used ClipChamp to edit. Familiarizing myself with it throughout this year's projects is helping me move through these fast. Shot in two different days and two yellow shirts, both of these are roughly 4 and a half minutes. 

The first CCR contained questions 1 and 4. I have footage of all 4, but those two I felt were answered the best and related well to each other regarding topics about genre conventions and technology.

The second CCR contained questions 2 and 3, both about audience and growth throughout the project's duration. I am so proud of them both, and I'm excited for them to be released to the world! We're almost there! Stay tuned.

CCR Production

 

Hello!

The production process for my CCR has begun! Yesterday I began production and used a tripod to film on my iPhone. I started editing on ClipChamp but I found the way that I'd been filming it was very confusing and a lot of the footage was either lost or out of order. Because of this, I'm filming again today. Hopefully I get better results!

This time I will memorize longer chunks of my script so that there are not as many clips as there were before, and I will keep the video rolling throughout each question with multiple takes within it so I have only 5-6 videos in total to work with. I feel like this will be easier for me so that I don't have to sift through 66 videos that all look the same...

Updates to follow on the production process. Hopefully I have better luck this time around!

CCR Production Ideas

 

Hello!

I have a few ideas that I have been considering for my CCR. I want to connect it somewhat to my project, so I have been looking at mostly trendy media texts from or about teenagers. Although this is loosely related to my project, it is still on theme with the self expression of adolescents through media. Let's look more in depth:

Option #1: YouTube-style Vogue interview

                    

    Celebrity interviews take a creative form through Vogue. Very popular among Gen-Z, these interviews either tour through someone's home, get ready with that person, or do a "What's In My Bag." These displays of personality along with an interview provide a fun introduction to their inside world and is great for viewers with short attention spans. This could have been a good choice for my CCR, as it ties in with my research from Vogue's fashion articles and also integrates movement and interest aside from only questions. However, I did not pick this idea because these videos are really popular. I feel like many people will think to do it and I can be more creative than that.

Option #2: Talk show

    

    Although this is a basic option, I always think there's something fun about seeing your favorite actress or artist on a talk show. To make it more interesting, I was thinking about interviewing myself, taking the role of both the host and the guest. However, I still think there would not be a lot of movement or interest in the scene, since all I can do is switch between the two people in the same setting. I did heavily consider this but I ultimately did not end up choosing it.

Option #3: Radio hotline calls

       Ultimately I ended up deciding to do one of those radio stations that you can call in and ask questions. This may sound like a basic idea on paper, but I have ideas to make it unique. This hotline will be called "Audience Asks", and as I have just finished my "movie", I will answer questions from "the fans at home" about it. To make it interesting, I will dress up as each caller differently and be in different settings for each question. This will make it look almost like a short film rather than just an interview. I also want to incorporate funny things throughout it by having a reoccuring bit with each caller. I want every device calling the hotline to be different- an iPad, a banana, a hand, and for each caller to get stranger and stranger. This will make it visually fun while also keeping a simple concept that is easy to understand.

The script is complete and is linked below. The only thing left to do is to begin production! Stay tuned to see the final result.

CCR Script

    

CCR Question #4

 

Hello!

Here is my research for question 4 of my CCR.

"How did you integrate technologies in this project?"

Some things I should include:

-ALL tech, software, hardware, online, etc.

-Any obstacles

-All devices used

I want to mention the difficulties we experienced in shooting without a physical camera in particular. Also the usage of my iPhone instead along with the editing around the problems we faces with lighting. I also need to mention my trials and tribulations with the editing softwares and websites used to make my logo.

Here is my response-

For this project, we shot on my trusty iPhone 13. Utilizing only the camera flash and “Cinematic mode”, this was definitely the most low maintenance production I’ve ever conducted. [socapa photo] To make my company logo I used Canva and edited everything on ClipChamp. Initially I edited on iMovie, but my clips kept deleting themselves, so I learned how to convert my footage into folders on my computer, which helped them render a lot faster. We did have some technical issues while filming in particular, especially with dark lighting and using an iPhone camera instead of the camera we planned for. That forced me to get more creative and experiment with different shadows and settings. To more seamlessly integrate the lighter clips with the darker clips, I lowered the exposure so that the lighter clips were not more visually aggressive than the darker ones, keeping the dark, gritty mood alive. I would say I definitely improved during production. I got more patient in redoing shots and I became more resourceful despite obstacles. This project taught me so much about research, planning, and pacing, and I’m very proud of what I ended up with. 

Next week I will begin filming my CCR and reviewing the project! We're in the home stretch. More to follow!

CCR Question #3

 

Hello!

"How did your production skills develop throughout this project?"

Here is what I need to do-

• Reflect on evolution of progress
• Discuss research and planning, starting with genre
• Any changes/adaptations
• Start VS End, previous projects

I want to make a point of my progression in framing specifically. Especially from my One Word Project it was BAD so I think I honestly got a lot better at making each shot meaningful rather than just putting things in front of a screen.

(Awww throwback to my mid project)

What I scraped together-

There were a lot of self-discoveries in this project for sure. I wanted it to feel messy and chaotic, which was really challenging for me as a perfectionist. No longer prioritizing perfection was hard, but it really added to the piece creatively. At the beginning of the year, I struggled with framing and making my shots feel intentional. I would just center everything instead of thinking about how to replicate the emotions of my characters through them, like the handheld shots to depict instability. Over time, I became much more meaningful with angles, setting, and color to communicate feeling rather than just trying to make things look nice. I also did a lot of research over the past few weeks. I looked through Vogue for costuming inspiration and studied different drama films to understand lighting and tone. That research really helped me see how costuming, color palettes, and props can build up a lot of emotion. We did have to adapt to the dark lighting being picked up while using an iPhone camera instead of the camera we planned for. If I did it again, I’d prioritize better equipment and more technical preparation, but those challenges made me more resourceful and added a lot to the overall piece. Throughout this time, I grew both as an actor and as a director, and I’m really proud of how it turned out. 

I don't want to talk too much about the individual technical aspects so that I can discuss them in question 4. I feel like this response works well in answering the question simply without sharing too much of the information for the last question. 

The only research I really used for this response was my own personal experience and reflections on my projects in the past. We're reaching the end! Just have to finalize editing my project and writing my script for the CCR and then we're in business. TTYL!

Fiona’s Feed [Blog]. Blogger from https://fionasfeed67.blogspot.com/

CCR Question #2

 

Hello!

Today I am conducting research for the second CCR question:

"How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?"

There are a few important things I need to touch on when answering this-

• Who is the target audience (age, gender, commonalities.) How did you find this?
• How your choices engage the target audience?
• Discuss availability

Target audience is typically broad for drama films due to the many subgenres that branch from it. Mine, in particular are adults and young adults, because of the more mature theme of my opening. I also want to point out the importance of the representation of women in my project. I want to make it apparent under the surface of my general opening that the piece also depicts the diffuculties not only of adolescence, but of womanhood. Films that connect women through hardships with understanding hold a special place in the hearts of me and all of the girls around me and I want to touch on that within my CCR for sure.

Here is what I wrote-

Well, my audience is mainly teenagers and young adults, like many drama films, but more specifically I’m aiming this product toward young women. I find that getting a message across to an audience helps when you show them someone like them, in this case, a teenage girl. Being able to relate to a character is very important because the theme feels heavier when you see it happening to someone like you. It’s almost like a put-yourself-in-her-shoes type of thing. I researched popular going-out styles among Gen Z-written Vogue articles so that I could further relate my character to their audience and engage them through the current trends. As for distribution practices, so far, I am considering only small film festivals for now. This project will not be making it to the big screen, but hey, there’s always hope for the next one! 

When touching on the distribution factor of this question, I want to make it apparent that there would be no wide release for this project if it were to be distributed as a real media text. I do aim to keep the tone of my CCR lighthearted since I am considering different fun ideas on going about it. 

Throughout my research earlier in the semester on target audience and distrubution of media texts as a whole, I think I included everything meaningful within my response while also keeping it consise. I will further expand each answer through both my response delivery and added images throughout my video, but I think that the size of my answer for this question is just as it needs to be, because I do want to save time for the other two questions as well. 

Finishing up the questions and then onto scripting. See ya next time! (tomorrow)

Sources:

Brown, A. (2020, December 18). The importance of women in film. Medium. https://anastasiabrownn.medium.com/the-importance-of-women-in-film-6759b068c56

Independent Cinema Office. (n.d.). Understanding audiences. https://www.independentcinemaoffice.org.uk/advice-support/how-to-start-a-cinema/understanding-audiences/

Lofthouse, L. (n.d.). Genre & target audience. Fiveable. https://fiveable.me/the-craft-of-writing-film-focus/unit-5/genre-target-audience/study-guide/6vbkvrIGBFFo1psY

The Los Angeles Film School. (2020, January 17). Everything you need to know about indie film distribution. https://www.lafilm.edu/blog/indie-film-distribution/

Stark, F. (2026, January). Portfolio Project Genre #2. Fiona’s Feed. https://fionasfeed67.blogspot.com/2026/01/

Editing- Beginning Timeline

 

Hello!

I initially began my editing process in iMovie, as reccomended by a member of Group Meeting #2 and a friend from CBTV. However, despite waiting and redoing the same edits millions of times, my timeline consistently loaded each clip irregularly and would undo my changes. The clips would either claim to be "missing" or would load in very poor quality. I don't know who lost it, but it wasn't me. 

So, I decided to try ClipChamp. I had used ClipChamp earlier in the year for the One Word Project and the Soundscape Project and had a pretty painless experience, so I switched my clips over to there.

My timelie went from looking like this-

To this! Although it is a minor setback, I am a lot more confident that my clips will stay now. Redoing some things is worth it knowing they will not be deleted.

More on this next week, along with CCR research and wrapping up this year's portfolio project. Thanks for reading! See ya later.

Editing process- Soundscape

 

Hello!

A big part of setting is contributed by sound. In my project, I need background noises such as objects falling, cars, and people. I intended for my setting to come across as a city, despite my character being in a secluded area, like a back alleyway or on a seperate street at night. 

Because production occured in an empty parking lot, I needed to collect sounds to create a city soundscape and add to the tone of my opening. Here is what I found:

I am using the website Pixabay for non-copyrighted sound. All of my sound effects were recorded during production, but the room tone that I did not have in my filming location I easily found by searching up "city sounds." In doing this, I found natural, indistinct audio that will work well along with the natural sound from my footage. I added them into a folder titled "audio", and downloaded them from Apple Music. Looking forward to seeing this come together! Thanks for reading.

CCR Question #1

 

Hello!

Today I am conducting research for the first CCR question:

"How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?"

What's good about getting this question is that I actually formulated my idea on a specific issue initially, so I have a lot to say about it. As well as this, I still have my research from my initial blog posts on genre, so that will definitely help me. While taking notes in class, I jotted down that when answering this question I need to be sure that I-

• Discuss the genre and the changes to it that I made
• Discuss genre is shown VS how I showed it
• Discuss representation

First I want to discuss the genre, as it seems like a good basic introduction for my interview. Describing the genre and how it's typically shown firstly will contrast my take on it later.

    The drama genre, despite being interpreted in many different forms, such as thriller, coming-of-age, and even romance, carries a similar theme of hardship throughout all of it's pieces. Many dramas tackle topics of moral struggle, mental health, and the complexities of life as a whole. Targeted mainly towards teenagers and young adults, drama films often touch on real-world issues and provide takeaways that leave you thinking at the end. It's common throughout these films to utilize low-key lighting and close ups, emphasizing both realism and emotion. What I love about drama films is that despite weaving around various subgenres, they typically avoid sugar coating issues and provide realistic performances for an abundance different situations. 

I think this is good for the basic genre description. I don't want to add too much about dramas as a whole because I could go on forever. The most important part of this description is to contrast the standard depiction with my own version of it.

    My take on this genre throughout my film opening was very similar, in the sense that I tackled a real world issue and depicted the complexity of adolescence and growing up too fast. Using dark lighting, close ups, and tracking shots throughout my piece, I emphasized my protagonist's emotions and depicted her navigating the world both physically and emotionally. Throughout my props, makeup, and costuming especially, I added many elements of realism that add to the overall storyline and represent my genre well. 

I want to be sure to emphasize the point that this topic is not typically viewed as serious as it is due to the lack of age-accurate casting. In this way, I technically do challenge the usual reflection of adolescence that consumers are used to.

    

    I challenged the idea of adulthood in my piece. In a typical drama, it's standard to cast an adult to play a mature role, but in mine I wanted to touch on the issue growing up too fast, and children feeling the need to replicate the adult things that they see. Casting myself for this role especially, I challenged the common casting in popular movies and TV shows of adults to play roles where they are in high school or college. By depicting a real kid doing these mature and unsafe things, I wanted to make it as real as possible. Normally if this issue is addressed, the person speaking on it is an adult themself. In being the messenger, I wanted to go to lengths to depict the troubled childhoods that you normally don't see in films and not sugar coat the topic at all. 

This is a good moment for me to piggyback off of the topic of casting and now mention representation.

    Because of this, I aimed for age accuracy for this piece on purpose. In representing my protagonist in this way, I reflect the seriousness of my topic and put into perspective how young some kids really are when they try to grow up too quickly. As well as this, I intended on this story to be about a young girl, because women specifically, from a young age feel pressure to conform to beauty standards and society's view of what a girl should be. There are many powerful stories like this, and growing up watching Mulan, Little Women, and Legally Blonde, I wanted to create a subtle commentary on womanhood as a whole, and how no matter where you are at in life, there are always unreachable expectations held over you. My protagonist in particular, is at the same time too young and too "old", representing the way that in adolescence or as a teenage girl specifically, it feels hard to find your place in the world. My film intro almosts acts as a PSA not to go down the wrong path, and shows the repercussions of biting off more than you can chew.

Wow. That's wordy. I will definitely workshop it so I have time for...you know...the other THREE questions...

But it's better to have a lot to say and to have worked with a purpose than not! In a seperate document I will condense each of my answers, but for now I think I have a lot of good stuff to work with. Catch ya later!

Sources:

MasterClass. (2021, September 3). Guide to movie subgenres: 21 popular film subgenres. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/guide-to-movie-subgenres

The Knowledge Academy. (2024, May 22). What are filmmaking techniques? A comprehensive guide. https://www.theknowledgeacademy.com/blog/filmmaking-techniques/

My own blog! Blogger (2025, January 23). Portfolio Project Genre #2

https://fionasfeed67.blogspot.com/

Cinematic on iPhone

 

Hello!

While filming, my cameraman made a discovery. Due to a certain scam through a certain Facebook Marketplace, we didn't have the camera we expected to shoot on. Because of this, we had to resort to filming on my 4 year old iPhone 13 on 42% battery. However, (not only saying this to be optimistic), I do think that shooting with a lower quality camera gave our footage a certain look that really added a lot to the visuals. The flash on the phone made the glitter pop more and specifically using the "cinematic" setting captured the movement really well. It added a lot to the rough, messy theme I was already working on, since my protagonist, herself is also on low battery in a way.

Although I would choose to shoot on a camera next time, I think we did really well with what we had. I'm excited to sort all of my clips out while editing and see what I can make with it. For the future, though, I really do like the effect given with "cinematic." The creation of depth throughout the entire picture really immerses you into it and creates a great touch in my project. Thanks for reading!

Group Meeting #2

 

Hello!

These are my notes taken from the second group meeting. This was a different bunch of people so I got a lot of good input. Here is what I jotted down:

• use final cut camera app for best quality video
• film each CCR scene with each angle first
• develop CCR idea!!!!!
• different costumes for each "character"
• purposeful imperfection
• imovie on desktop works well
• uppbeat.com for non copyrighted audio
• consider a variety of rock/metal/house music
• play on phone speaker rather than importing, sounds more authentic (?)

Regarding the possibility of re-filming, that all depends on the quality of the videos after I export it into my editing software. Worst case I will reshoot, but I honestly don't feel that I need to. I got pretty good advice regarding both editing my opening and beginnging scriptwriting for my CCR. My next mission is to find the audio and create a soundscape. More to come!

The Look- Dressing the Part

 

Hello!

The makeup look behind this project was very important. I depended on a certain visual to imply not only a night out, but a LIFE out, and a lack of supervision and self control. Because I had to capture this girl's story in a 2 minute timeframe, it was very important that I provide enough context strictly through costuming and mannerisms. Due to the lack of dialogue in my piece, this was extremely important as well. Because this girl is so alone, I decided on not even giving her a name, let alone human interaction throughout this opening. I wanted it to be assumed that she lacks a support system, so much so that she is shown completely alone throughout the entirety of the opening. 

I am no model or drag queen, but one thing I do know how to do with makeup is look like a MESS, and thankfully that is exactly what I expected myself to do. I figured a mess of mascara, eyeshadow, and glitter would get the job done. Here is what I ended up with. Thanks for reading!

The look:    

The aftermath:

         

Getting creative- propmaking

 

Hello!

Because I don't think it's realistic (or legal) for me to acquire a cigarette for my film opening, I am determined to make one myself. This prop is extremely important to the general message of my project, as a young girl depicted smoking is the epitome of irresponsibility and early maturity. However, as I am a young girl myself, I'll get arrested if I try to buy a pack (because I'm sure the cashier knows every trick in the book, regardless if it's "for a film"), and I don't know anybody who smokes or is at least trying to quit smoking. Because of this, I need to get creative. It may be for the better that it looks a little homemade anyway, since I'm pretty sure showing a minor smoking on film is a felony. Regardless, enjoy this tutorial! It could be helpful for film projects, halloween costumes, or withdrawls.

Here is what you need:

1 index card

Tape

Short fingernails

Step 1:

Take an index card and flip it so that the lined side is upright and the shorter side is towards you.

Step 2:

Take a piece of tape and set it at the end of the short side farthest from you.

Step 3:

For the cleanest possible look, fold a small portion of the index card along its width.

Step 4:

Roll along the length of the index card until it is a small tube roughly the size of a cigarette.

Step 5:

Tape along the end to ensure it won't unravel.

DISCLAIMER!!!! ****not a real tabacco product

And you're done! It looks realistic enough to maintain the seriousness of the message while not committing any crimes against the state or either of my lungs. The paper translates great on camera and hopefully provides you with the effect you're looking for. Tune in next time to follow my production process!

Creation of Company Logo

 

Hello!

I just created my company's logo, which will be used for my film opening project. Although it looks basic, it holds significance to both me and my film opening beneath its surface. With neon sign lettering, my logo will fit in well with the night-life, edgy tone of my project, while also reflecting a hot pink, confident touch.

Reflecting both girlhood and womanhood, these choices intentionally represent the messy transition of finding yourself and your place in the world while also navigating the hardships women face in today's society. This logo demonstrates both the power in feminitity and the light of self discovery, which are both themes I aim to reflect in my opening. I think it's very fitting for my brand and an important message that I want to reflect at the same time- you can be professional and hardworking while also confident, feminine, and bright. Click the link below to watch me make it! Thanks for reading.

Creation of logo

Color schemes

 

Hello!

As I begin the production process tomorrow, my brain is already looking forward. The editing process for me occurs while the camera is still rolling, and before it a lot of the time as well. I feel like envisioning what is captured already into my software helps me to figure out what exactly I need from my cameraman and from myself, too. Specifically, my mind is on the coloring of the film itself. Coloring is extremely important to mood and reflective of the style of the director themselves.

Although Wes Anderson's color scheme is not what I aim to recreate in my project, I'm absolutely in love with his aesthetic throughout his films and his dedication to art through architecture, costuming, and prop design. In the Grand Budapest Hotel, (shown to the left) he was also said to be picky with the movements in his scenes, as he wanted them to look as fluid and satisfying as possible, famously stepping in the actor's place during the prison's food scene to ensure the movements looked exactly how he wanted. This dedication inspires me and helps me to be sure of every scene before I move on to the next, prioritizing consistency and happiness throughout the production and editing process over everything else.

More similar to my expectations, the color palate of David Fincher's Fight Club is exactly what I'm envisioning. A dark, almost mysterious mood is created throughout this movie through the coloring alone, and forms a tension as the atmosphere around the main character shifts from blues and grays to yellows, reds, and blacks. Although I'm not filming an entire movie tomorrow, I do want to imply that if the opening were to have a film following it would have a plot twist or some sort of dramatic ending that will have been foreshadowed by the opening and developed throughout the entire film.

I obviously cannot rely too much on the colors captured through the camera, so this is a future me problem for when I begin editing. Just something to think about. Thanks for reading! 

Lighting

 

Hello!

Lighting is a very important part of any piece. It provides context, mystery, and location. I am using a specific approach for my project, and that is to create no lighting at all.

Although I have access to ring lights and projectors, I am seeking to create a realistic looking piece, not glamorized or flashy. I want to use only the streetlights or the dim lightings within the alleyways. This will make my enviornment recognizable as a sketchy outside area without having to put in any work for it. Utilizing access to different parts of my city will hopefully make the production process go as smooth as possible. 

Here is what I'm envisioning:

Props

 

Hello!

I start my production process next week, so that means I need to gather every prop that I need to ensure my vision is met. Because my setting is on a simple street corner, the most visually important part of my film intro will have to be me! I have made several posts about costuming and style inspiration before, and now it's time to gather everything I need and finalize my props and look.

Things I need:

• A cigarette (fake or real, I don't discriminate)
• A lighter (which will not be used)
• A fur coat (which will be donated by my lovely best friend's mom)
• A pair of heels (from my mother)

Things I have:

• A purse
• Body glitter
• Shimmery eyeshadow
• Hundreds of hair ties

If I can't find these objects then I will make them in a seperate blog post. We're reaching the final stretch of planning! More to come...

               

Character Development

 

Hello!

Today's research is based on character development. This can work in either direction- a change for the worst or for the best. A character's initial values are usually evident throughout the beginning of any story or film, and the way they change by the end of it defines the development of their personality and moral values. 

Google defines character development as "how a character has changed throughout the story", and there are apparently 5 types of it: honesty, responsibility, learning, reflection, and experiencing. By this logic, character development is only a shift in personality from "bad" to "good." However, I have my own definition of it. 

I consider character development to be more like timeline throughout a person's life. They have low points and they have high points, but their life overall is a straight line. Regardless, in life a character moves forward despite the challenges ahead of them, and their stories all end regardless of good or bad choices. The way they end their stories is the true judgement of their combined experiences. True character development is the combination of every action despite fluctuations in behavior, and what a character does with the things they learned throughout the timeline of their story. 

That's why I agree with this depiction in particular, specifically how the character is said to have changed "for better or for worse." I like the idea that a character's story arc is not linear, and that there is no way to go throughout your life without making any mistakes.