CCR?!

Blogger, I don't know what to do. I obviously need two different ideas for my two CCR's but one of my ideas, and the only idea I had, was a flop.

I told my teacher about how I want to take inspiration from "Get Ready With Me's" (GRWM's) which I already told you guys about. But, my teacher said that those usually don't turn out well, and it's a lot of "talking head." I really thought I would be able to do it and not make it seem like I am a talking head, but she says it is really hard to accomplish. I really want to take the risk because I think I am capable of it. I thought I could overcome the whole "talking head" thing by incorporating lots of multimedia during it, and continue the next step of my makeup routine after I show a video or picture. I make these videos alllll the time, but I'm not sure I should take the risk since I want to do well on this exam.

The CCR is going to take so long and we're going on Spring Break. I need to come up with these ideas and make scripts STAT. I will probably have to film during spring break except for the fact that I will be in Aruba. I may have to film in Aruba and maybe do an interview thing? There's a trend on TikTok going around of people with mini microphones asking peoples names and a specific question, so maybe I could say something like "what's your name?," and then ask, "did you see Chloe Blum's viral video about...." I can have most people answer yes, and then ask a question I need to be answered. It would be good to have a few people say no, making it more realistic. The only thing is, is that, it doesn't feel original and it may be hard to accomplish.

Inspo: https://www.tiktok.com/@timetosalsa/video/7194553177772002602?_r=1&_t=8klLIBm6IMU

Knowing that I still have to film and edit both videos is stressing me out, especially with it being due right after spring break, so I need to manage my time. I feel like filming in Aruba may be chaotic and not give me enough time. I want to speak with my friend Amanda, the SGA historian because I think she could help me come up with trendy ideas that would help me get my point across.

Ok it's been literally two minutes but I just talked to Amanda and she gave me some really good ideas. First, she said to do an idea like this where I create the CCR like a regular video, with multimedia and all, and then repeat the whole script as the video plays and say how it is my "special talent." I like this idea and I will consider it. She suggested also doing a cooking video like adding a little bit of this and a little bit of that while still putting multimedia over the video but I'm not sure about that one.





She also recommended doing carpool karaoke, where I create a song about the film, play it in the car with friends, repeat the lyrics from the song, and put multimedia when the song talks about certain elements. Creating a whole song can be really challenging and it may be hard to not look like a talking head during it. She took inspiration from James Corden's Carpool Karaoke.


I'll let you know what I will figure out and I'm going to speak with my teacher, but that's it for now!

Update

Hey! So this is just a general update on what I've been doing and what I'm up to. I found all my sounds, (thank g-d) and I'm not going to lie, I've been a bit stressed. I talked to Mrs. Stoklosa about my song and she liked it, yay! I've been mostly stressed about filming as I want to finish filming by next week. I had a plan to film my flashback (bed scene) on Friday, which I did, and this relieved the tiniest bit of stress as it is only like 12 seconds. I talked to my teacher and she said it would be good to wear my outfit of choice on Monday, and during lunch, I will film the hallway scenes with friends. She suggested that I film the classroom scenes during 8th period (when I have her), and use her room and my classmates to make it come to life. She allowed me to have someone sit in her chair and act as the teacher, so hopefully I can find a way to get Dr. Pollino (a teacher I know) to film a couple scenes in the room. If not, I would have to use a student who, preferably, looks like a teacher. The throw-up scene can be filmed during any day after school which I will definitely do, and I will wear the same outfit that I wore in school so it is continuous and realistic.

Now, I want to go more in-depth and tell you about my bed scene.

I'm not sure if the bed scene is good enough and I want it to seem realistic. I put a filter over the flashback, by just using the photo app, selecting edit, and putting the "dramatic cool" filter. It's less of a black and white, with more of a blue undertone, making it seem more like a flashback.




Here are some different ways I could have made the shot look.




"Dramatic cool" filter





"Mono" filter



No filter

I also made the beginning shot a medium shot, rather than a close-up, to give more context of the background, and that I am in a bed. Everything else stayed the same.


I also wanted to show you some of the mise-en-scene elements that I used for the bed scene. I wore one of my dad's button-downs which I didn't tell him about because I'm pretty sure it's like really expensive but this is what it looks like. For bottoms, I just wore shorts but they are not part of the mise-en-scene as they are purposely hidden for the sake of being covered by a comforter.



Then, for my hair, I had my friend Lauren do a super messy bun, to give the effect that I had just woken up from a super rough night lol.

For makeup, I knew I needed to look super rough so I put Caliray mascara under my eyes, and my friend Lauren smudged the Charlotte Tillbury Pillowtalk lipstick on the side of my lip to give the effect that you know... I was kissing someone (ew).




Doing makeup on the phone with Madi for approval

Madi's FaceTime photo of me after putting
on the lipstick

Me on the phone with Madi to see what she is thinking of the shot so far.







Speaking of mise-en-scene elements, I wanted to show you what I will wear during the school shots to give you guys an idea of how Lily usually looks at school and an idea about how she is put together. I specifically chose jeans with no rips to show that she is reserved yet fashionable and the top is slightly cropped to show how she still fits in society and is trendy, yet modest.




This color top represents how Lily is loving, feminine, and compassionate.





This light blue color represents serenity, trust, and peace.



A high ponytail will represent how she is, hardworking, energetic, a problem solver, straightforward, and dynamic.


I learned about color theory from a Nearpod that my teacher did but for specific colors like light blue, I used the website below.
https://symbolgenie.com/color-light-blue-symbolize/#google_vignette


I learned about hair theory from this website.
https://www.addcolo.com/blog/hair-psychology-what-your-hairstyle-says-about-your-personality/

Sound Searching

Hey, blog!!! I have everything set for filming and now I need to look for sounds. I knew I did not need to gather that many sounds as I only needed white noise for the flashback, music for walking in the halls, a bell ring, and maybe a little chatter for the background noises at school. I am still considering if the throw-up sounds should be natural or online. It may seem fake if I don't use my own sounds, as we are in a bathroom, and it echoes. But, it may not be loud enough on video if I throw up from a distance from the camera. I think I am going to create a Foley (I will blog about it in a different video) of me gagging or throwing up in a bathroom (so it echoes) and put it over the shot of me hunched over in the bathroom.




Below is the link and credit for the song of Lily (me) walking into school. We were looking for an upbeat but not corny song of me walking in. It needed to match the vibe, and after searching on purple-planet.org, freesounds.com, pixabay.com, and Youtube, I think I found the one. We were stuck between the one down below and another one from Pixabay (which I unfortunately cannot remember) but we found something really nice, and bonus points for our teacher liking it!


The creators of the song describe the song, “Just Like That,” as "an uplifting, upbeat and positive modern hip hop track for content creators and ideal for vlogs, travel videos, advertising, montages, promos, openers, outros, teasers, and more."

They said we can "use this music track for FREE IN NON-COMMERCIAL VIDEOS (no promotion of paid products or services) on YouTube and social media without monetization." They say that, "to use it for free, simply subscribe to [their] channel, like [the] video, and credit [them] exactly as [followed] (no exceptions).
Credit (copy/paste):
Music by Elysium Audio Labs Track: “Just Like That” www.elysiumaudiolabs.com License: https://bit.ly/36mBO6N • Uplifting Hip Hop Background Music fo... Spotify: http://spoti.fi/3as7DLr"




So, with this info, I will most certainly credit them in our video. Here's the song!!




Music by Elysium Audio Labs Track: “Just Like That” www.elysiumaudiolabs.com License: https://bit.ly/36mBO6N • Uplifting Hip Hop Background Music fo... Spotify: http://spoti.fi/3as7DLr




For the white noise, I might have to talk to a classmate or the teacher on Monday because I can't find the sound I am envisioning. This sound from Pixabay is lowkey giving confusion vibes which I really like since Lily is confused about why Jake left but I'm uncertain and waiting to get back to class and talk to people about it.

The bell ring sound from Videvo was very easy to find and I think this is what I may use for the background school chatter.

See you next time!

Yikes

Blogger..... I am stressinggggg!!!! My teacher just introduced the CCR and I have never felt more stressed. 

I have to answer 4 questions. 

1. How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?
2. How does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text?
3. How did your production skills develop throughout this project?
4. How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware and online – in this project?

I plan to include the first two questions in one video and the other two in another video. My first two questions will be in a "Get Ready With Me" video, a popular trend on TikTok, where people talk while doing their makeup routines. I am still figuring out the second two questions but I know I want to use my mini mics and have someone follow me around school.




The time limit for the two videos combined is 10 minutes. It’s important to make them very creative and just make them a reflection of my project. I noted that when citing research, it should be valid. To make your video more interactive, I should move while talking and not have a talking head. I also noted that you should not wing it, and not provide general responses.




For the first question, I broke down by first discussing genre conventions/characteristics. Then I understand which genre characteristics I embraced and which ones I challenged or why I didn’t use some genre characteristics. I should definitely also discuss representation and how individuals and groups are illustrated.




For the second question, I broke it down by discussing the target audience, like age, gender, and common interests. Then I should explain how we engage the audience through techniques. Lastly, I should discuss my distribution strategy, for example, streaming and film festivals.



For the third question, I broke it down by asking what I did and how did I schedule. It also involves how my process was evolved/research and planning. I have to explain what I did to change or adapt. Lastly, I have to reflect on where I started versus where I ended or talk about any projects in the past that helped with this project.




For the fourth question, I broke it down by how I integrated technology like software, hardware, or online. Software could be things like editing, or apps for filters. Hardware could be a phone, camera, tripod, or lighting that I used. Online could be like Blogger, or Canva, which was highly used. I have to explain if technology helped me overcome obstacles and if I learned new technologies through this process. I also have to explain if it helps me solve any problems. Also, add a final statement or an ending. That includes what I learned or what I can improve on this project.




I noted that as I film, it’s important to take pictures of me doing the process so that I can add examples to my video. I also noted that the video seems to get boring or if I’m talking for a little bit of time then I should add some music with no lyrics.




I think it’s most important to create a script, present info, creatively, and incorporate research.




That’s all!! Thank you.

Filming/Editing Schedule

Hi!! I’m back for my third blog post of the week. Creating a filming and editing schedule requires careful planning. Keep in mind that the following schedule will definitely have adjustments. Here's my schedule for completing my project by mid-April:

Pre-production (March 1 - March 7):

•Review and finalize any remaining script details.

•Confirm availability of filming locations.

•Ensure necessary permissions for shooting.

•Confirm actors and roles.

•Schedule rehearsals if needed.

Production (March 8 - March 21):

Week 1 (March 8 - March 14):

•Filming of bedroom scenes.

•Capture any flashback scenes.

Week 2 (March 15 - March 21):

•Create throw-up

•Film high school classroom scenes.

•Begin filming hallway and eye contact scenes.

Post-production (March 22 -29):

•Initial review of filmed footage.

•Identify any additional shots needed.

Editing (March 29 - April 2):

•Begin working on the rough cut of the film.

•Add music and sound (Foley) effects.

•Share the rough cut with classmates and friends for feedback.

•Make necessary changes.

This schedule will help me figure out times to allow for flexibility and adjustments as needed. Adjustments will be required based on the availability of our members, actors, rooms, etc.

Possible Filming Locations

For the film opening, I visualized most of it being filmed obviously in a school. I could see the beginning of her walking into a school outside of Cypress Bay and through the white gates. I also like the hallways of Cypress Bay, but it may be a little too crowded so we may film during lunch, when it is not as crowded, and bring a few friends to be the actors. I could have a few teachers who have the same lunch as me, and ask for their permission to just pop out of their classroom and say “Hi Lily.” 

For the bathroom scene, we want to do this outside of school as it may cause a mess in school that we won’t have time to clean up. It also will take a couple of tries so we want to do this after school on the day we film so that Lily (me) is still wearing the same outfit as she was in the hallway.  For this specific scene, it should be shot in a public bathroom, as it looks very similar to a school restroom. we were thinking of doing it either at Gator Run Park or Publix because those restrooms are very similar to the school restrooms. 

For the classroom scene, I need permission from one of my teachers to let me use their room. The room does not need to look like anything specific, as it just needs to look like a normal classroom. 

For the bedroom scene, I think that any bedroom in my house or Madi’s house will work. We will primarily show the bed rather than the whole bedroom. We just have to make the bed look like it’s been slept in, with Lily, dressed in a men’s button-down, giving the idea that she has slept with a man. I think that my filming locations are pretty manageable I just have to get lots of permission from people

Storyboarding

 Hi! Below, you can find my storyboarding to help you visualize the idea that I am going for! Excuse my drawing skills:)