Creating my Voiceover Script

     Starting something like a script is always difficult. I have my base idea, folding paper more than 7 times is impossible, and a few other components I definitely want to add in at a point. To organize my thoughts, I made a list of these components.

    

    Most of them are words I want to info operate at one point, some are quotes, and some are just ideas. With this list, I used it in chronological order to create my script. I really like how it came out! 

Here it is-

It is impossible to fold a standard sized piece of paper in half more than 7 times.

This commonly spread concept first reach our fragile ears at a young age.

When our freshly weaved brains wouldn’t let a simple statement of truth get in our way...

Grasping a clean sheet of parchment with no doubts, no abstract thought

The first 2 folds inflated our confidence

Just a few more seemed in our reach 

Creating crevices by creasing what we were told was not possible

4... 5... 6... 7... 

Maybe if I unfold and try again

Repeating my halves until I am left with half of my original confidence and a wrinkled piece of hope 

Getting smaller and smaller and smaller and...

Maybe if I get a bigger piece of paper,

or perhaps a thinner kind?

Maybe a different color would make it doable.

It couldn’t be my failure, I had to make an adjustment.

I couldn’t fold

My brain couldn’t fold my true inability to overpower science

Unraveling my paper

at such a young age

when I first realized

the possibility of inauthenticity...

If I fold my paper 7 times and say it was the impossible 8th fold,

maybe,

just maybe...

Only in the impressionable eyes of those around me,

I could clutch the idea of an impossible expectation

and conquer it.

    I really tried to do my best to emphasize my character's false confidence shown at the end of my opening. She looks happy and confident, but it's fabricated. It's inauthentic. It's not ACTUALLY the 8th fold. Others may think the girl looks good and is happy. But she's not, it's a lie. It's forced. 

    Not having a happy ending to this script makes for what I hope to serve as an unfinished story, leading into the rest of the film. 

Giving Credit Where It's Due...

    I have two final touches left to my project and I decided to begin with the credits of my opening. I have to include the director, producer, writer, cinematographer, editor, and actor. I am going to give myself all of these credits as this was a solo project. So, go me! But, I will also be crediting my friend Liv Wagner who is the girl I am trying to dress like. 

    

Plan B

    I have planned to add these credits to my stills shown in the beginning since I began storyboarding. But, once I did as planned I realized the credits were on screen for an alarmingly short amount of time. I asked for advice from Mrs. Stoklosa and I decided to feed the credits into a few clips after my stills. This way, the text will be on long enough to read and not distract from the main purpose of my piece. She also advised me to make use of empty space in my shots. 

Before...

After!!!

I am super happy with this change. It looks so much better!

    As for the timing of my credits, I had to adjust the editing of my stills so make them longer. It ended up making everything flow a LOT cleaner. It also forced me to shorten the scene of trying on the outfit in the mirror which I didn't even realize how much would clean up my opening. I had too much time cut out for it prior. Overall, amazing adjustments were made. 

Looks like I just have one more thing left to do...

• credits ✓
• voiceover ▢

Editing, Editing, Editing!

     I imported all of my clips into iMovie to start editing! I have 10 minutes total of footage. I need to get to 2 minutes total, but i'm planning to edit around 1:55-1:57 total so I can leave time to create a production logo for the beginning. 

Production Company Logo

    I didn't stress this too much. I decided to go with the name "Blu Films" as Blu is my middle name. I created a moving graphic and slapped it on a landscape background. I'll play this for the first 3-5 seconds of my opening.

The still version of my production company logo

Cut it down!

    Now the hard part, shaving off 8 minutes of film. I sorted through the clips and put them in chronological order. Not only do I want to shave it down, I want to keep each clip not too long so the opening is never too boring. I also want to try to cut from clip to clip with some of the beats as much as possible as I think it creates a more advanced feel. 

    After about an hour of playing around with the clips, I narrowed it down to the desired length. I'd insert the video here, but it's not finished just yet! I'm missing two very important aspects-

• the voiceover
• the text for credits & the title

    The credits are simple, but the voiceover will take me a little while. So, until next time blog. We're almost at the end!!!

    

    

 

Fixing My Music

    I selected my music a few weeks ago now. It fits my intended vibe perfectly and it isn't too intense to take away from a voiceover. As mentioned in my blog before, the music is only 1 minute and 30 seconds. So, let's fix that!

Trial & Error

    I imported the music into iMovie, the editing software I am by far the most comfortable with. Since my opening doesn't involve any crazy edits or effects, I will also use iMovie for the visuals. 

    

    So, I have 1:30 clip. Since I have 30 seconds to fill in, I began by finding an area around 1 minute (minus 30 seconds from the whole) that could be a good looping point. What I mean by this is finding a spot where I could take the last 30 seconds and duplicate them at the end and it would sound seamless rather than repetitive. 

    

    This wasn't super easy. I had to play around with looping and even fading in and out some sounds for a more seamless cut. I think it turned out pretty unnoticeable when listening to the entire piece. Especially with a voice over, I think it's totally full proof!

What do you think?

Click here to view a clip of where my music loops. 

THATS A WRAP!

 After a longer than expected process, filming has been completed!

Some of the many clips in my camera roll

I mentioned this in my last blog post, but sometimes no matter how much you plan, you can always run into dilemmas while actually filming! 

THE MIRROR SCENE

    This is the main section of my film opening. My plan going into this was to set up my tripod at the desired angle and film for about 3 minutes where I change into the clothes and then compare myself to the picture in frame. Then, I would select my favorite parts from those 3 minutes and cut the rest, so I would be left with around a minute.

    I followed this plan. After filming the first time, I realized my fan was on. The fan was too distracting from a viewer's point of view so, take 2. I then realized I had unnecessary items in the background. So, I changed the position of my tripod just a bit and removed some background items. Take 3, I filmed how I planned with the computer with the picture of the girl in frame. 

    There was nothing I could label as "wrong" with my third attempt, but it made me think. Would this shot be more focused on me if I didn't have the computer in the shot? So, I did a fourth take. Now, I have these two shots of the same scene. Maybe I will incorporate both into the project, maybe not. I'm just glad I am giving myself options for editing.

Take 3 - Shot with computer

Take 4 - Shot without computer

    Just because filming is complete does not mean the hard part of this project is over. I now will move onto post production, editing. Decisions to be made, clips to be cut, music to edit.  

FINALLY FILMING

 FILMING HAS BEGUN!!!

And WOW, is it rewarding.

    I've filmed many projects before, but never one this planned out. 

PREP

    I borrowed my kind friend Jack's tripod for filming and carried my mom's 50 pound full length mirror from her room to mine for the try-on scene. I even invited over my other very kind friend Adrian to help out with filming.

Me, Jack's tripod, and Adrian! ☺

THE PROCESS

    Something as planned out as this project, things are a little stressful when they don't come out as intended. The usage of my blue-purple LEDs aren't as prevalent as anticipated. The lighting is definitely still not super bright, and there is a hue of the blue-purple over the frame. 

What am I doing to fix this? You may be asking... 

    Well, it may not be an issue. So far, I think the avoidance of high-key lighting and the subtle hue serve enough purpose. Even if the blue-purple isn't super noticeable to a viewer, that's okay. I think a lot of the best techniques in film go unnoticed due to them feeling so natural. A subtle hue is just fine!

    Here is a still from the first few shots of my opening where you can get a feel for the lighting I was just describing and the vibe finally put together. I really love this still- It feels like every piece of thought is being paid off. 

Costume Design

     My film opening has two outfits my character wears. One is the standard outfit she is wearing while scrolling through social media on her laptop, and the other is the one she tries on to try and look like the girl in the photo.

    For the first outfit, I didn't want to overthink it too much. I want it to be something very casual- something a teenage girl would wear while just relaxing in her bedroom. I usually take part in this kind of relaxation in a hoodie, but I didn't want any hoodie logo to take away from what's happening in the opening. So, I searched my closet and found a nice, plain maroon sweater. 

The first outfit my character will be wearing!

    For the second outfit, the choice is very simple. It's intended to replicate the photo of the girl on social media. So, I searched my closet and found near identical jeans and a closely matching halter top. The top isn't exact, but I like it that way. My whole message is supposed to be that no matter how reachable an expectation feels- it's not. So, let the shirt be not perfect!

The outfit being replicated

Outfit replication

Thanks for joining me, blog! Costumes are looking good!

Group Meet!

     Today in Media we had our very first group meet where we got the opportunity to discuss our projects. I received and gave an abundance of feedback which was really great!

Here is the group I met with! (That's me in the white hoodie in the back!)

    I gave a quick summary of my film opening and then I presented my main concerns which were: (noticed how I said were, past tense) 

• Is the ending I planned good enough to lead into the rest of the film?
• I need to decide on a title. Pronto. 
• Is the voiceover about paper necessary? Does it feel too random?

MY ENDING- 

    My current ending is planned to have my character look at herself in the mirror and feel like she looks good enough to leave and she closes her laptop showing the image she now looks like. My concern was that this may seem too much like a short film ending, but my group assured me that it definitely feels like there is more to come with the film as the girl's confidence is artificial. They also said that the credits with the shots mold to create a opening, not a short film. 

TITLE-

    I haven't really put much thought into this yet. I was just kind of waiting until an idea came to me. I proposed the name "UNFOLDABLE" to go with my voiceover about paper and my group seemed to really like it. So, that may be a winner. 

VOICEOVER-

    Over the past few weeks of a lot of heavy planning about filming, I started to wonder if my planned voiceover was even necessary. I explained how I was planning to talk about folding paper as a metaphor. Was this too random? Would people understand?    

    Tess, an old friend and participant in my group, expressed that she really enjoyed the dissonance created by the idea of paper and the visual of comparison. I really appreciated this, it was entirely my vision and her approval definitely made me feel super understood! So, it is a yes to the voiceover for now unless something else corrupts my vision. 

Successful class! ☺

Journal Art!

Hello blog!

I am still recovering from my cold. I have been in bed all morning. 

While filming still isn't something I feel well enough to do, I wanted to stay productive on this project. 

    I thought about every shot I need to film (I referred to my handy shot list) and I realized one of my first shots, a still, is my journal! The perfect activity for recovering from being a little sick- making art! 

THE ART

    I want the shot of my journal to be very visually pleasing while encapsulating my character's conflict of comparison. I looked back at a few of my past sketches where i've drawn text conversations, phone screens, and faces. I combined a few of these past ideas and molded them to my idea and came up with this spread- 

    Im super proud of it and I think it encapsulates the intended vibe very well. The phone screen has an outline of a body on social media, very obviously on theme. Words are displayed around the spread like "WHY NOT ME?" and "NOT GOOD ENOUGH", as well as text conversations displaying desperation and sorrow. Like counts, broken hearts, and scribbles are also shown, giving the piece a messier feeling. Then, eyes are shown, giving the feeling of being watched or added pressure. 

    This spread isn't as cluttered as the spreads I usually make, but I didn't want it to be super crazy. I don't want the viewer to feel the need to pause to take in every individual thing on the spread. I want it to be a few seconds long- long enough to take in the vibe and move along with the viewing of the opening. 

    I enjoy including a lot of personal touches into this project such as art that make it even that much more meaningful to a viewer. If there is anything I have learned about this project it's that it takes a BOAT LOAD of preparation. 

Things happen. DaFont has my back.

     This week was SUPPOSED to be my filming week as I have every component needed ready to go. But, things happen. I have caught a cold. 

It's ok! I don't feel terrible, but definitely not well enough to fully portray the character I have in mind.

...

So, what can I do in the mean time?    

    Later in the week maybe I can film some shots that don't require me in it yet, like the opening stills, just to get the whole filming process started. Then, this following week I can accomplish the rest of filming. 

    To keep myself busy for now, let's pick a FONT to go along with those opening stills!

PICKING A FONT

    I have literally no clue what i'm looking for. I am just planning to browse until something pops out at me. I am using DaFont, a really great website with a large range of fonts to pick from!

    The category that caught my eye is called "Handwritten", an array of fonts that appear to be a bit sloppier than the average, like a handwritten note. I was drawn to this as my opening is about a teenager. I think a font not so bold would give it a less strict feeling while the heaviness of the content will still serve it as a serious piece. Here are 3 that caught my eye-

    These three all have a similar vibe so they would not clash with each other. I was thinking Secret Admirer would work for the title while either Winkle or Baby Doll would work for the credits. 

Thanks, DaFont!

The Perfect Hue

     I've been thinking a little bit more about portraying a not so happy and bright vibe right from the beginning. Since I am starting my intro with stills, it might be hard to understand what mood is being portrayed. Yes, i'll have music. But, what other aspect can I add to make the vibe clearly understood?

LIGHTING. DUH!

    I decided pretty early on in this project that I didn't want high key lighting whatsoever. I wanted dimness. But taking that vision a step further- should I add some color in? 

* I don't know if ALL the lighting will come from a colored lighting source, but maybe some of it. 

    Anyway, I own colorful LED lights that I can practically choose any color for them to be. So, lets talk about COLOR PSYCHOLOGY.

Psychology of Color

Like the diligent AICE Media student I am, I took notes on this earlier this year-

    From these notes, I can immediately conclude I will opt for a cool hue rather than a warm hue. This will portray more of a passive feeling rather than electric. So, we are down to green, pink, blues, and violets. I want to rule out greens and pinks as I think they are too loud in a sense. Pink seems too positive and green feels too out of nowhere. Like my notes say, it feels to nature-esc.

    

    We're down to two contenders... 

BLUES vs VIOLETS

    Both choices feel a little bit too bold on their own. Blue can portray sadness which is a bit too strong of a feeling for my vision. Purple can portray inspiration. But combining these two hues into more of a mixed hue... I think I will create the perfect vibe.

THE PERFECT HUE

    And here she is folks! A beautiful mix of blue and violet, portraying a muted vibe of sorrow and concentration with a touch of inspiration. I think it will go perfectly with my opening. ☺

Set Design & Such

        When creating a piece about teenage life, it is extremely important to embody the lifestyle accurately. Many productions over exaggerate the vibe or just miss the ball park completely, but being a teenager I think I totally got this.

        I have planned to have a few stills showing the girl’s bedroom and surrounding elements before introducing what she is doing or worrying about. This way, the viewer can grasp she is a normal teenage girl, with normal teenage girl things, in an accurate way. 

        The stills I have planned include a phone (pretty basic & self explanatory), a journal, a picture wall, and a long shot of the girls bed and wall while she’s in frame. 

THE JOURNAL

        I, a fellow teenage girl, keep a journal. So this should be easy. I’m thinking of creating some drawings with words here and there embodying jealousy or envy. Maybe i’ll draw some faces, some eyes, or some bodies. I think this will be a great first look for the viewer to understand there will be conflict regarding beauty standards. 

        The picture above is a random page in my journal I drew a month or so ago with a bunch of faces. This same vibe is what I want to achieve- a bit eerie but also very compelling. 

THE PICTURE WALL

        I have always had a bunch of photos i’ve wanted to hang up in my room but never got around to it. I decided today that this project was an excellent excuse to finally just do it and have it be apart of my set design. The photos don’t have much meaning themself- they are just pictures of my family from different times and pictures of my parents as a young couple. I didn’t want the photos to be very descriptive to the character, more just symbolizing towards a design a teenager would have in their room. Here is the picture wall from a little bit of a distance so you can focus more on the layout than the pictures themselves-

THE ROOM AS A WHOLE

        This is a picture of my room in nice lighting. I think my mattress and fake vines both fit a teenage vibe very well. I definitely will have the bed not as put together to create more of a distressed feeling. The biggest change from my normal room to the design for this opening would be the lighting. I want it to be dim with a computer screen lighting up the girl’s face. But overall, go me for being a teenage girl!

The Shot List

 I have compiled a shot list for my opening.

    This shot list coincides with my storyboard I made earlier in this planning process (see my "The Storyboard" blog entry). It will help my filming process remain orderly rather than not chronological or hectic. 

    There are some shots (see number 5 and 16) that aren't solidified. I have presented more than one way of filming the same moment. I will execute all ways and see which looks better in the completed opening during the post-production process. I like planning out giving myself options with shots like these as it allows for the project to fully mold to the intended vibe. 

SHOT #16

This shot consists of the girl looking back at the photo she envies after trying on the clothes. Here are the shots I am going to film-

• A shot where the camera pans from the mirror to the computer, matching the girls eye gaze (NOT a POV shot, the camera will be positioned behind the girl). 
• A still medium shot where you can see the mirror AND the computer. The girl is in focus and her eye gaze shifts from looking at her to looking at the computer. The focus then shifts to the computer. 
• A medium shot of just the mirror of the girl looking at her self then glancing to the right. Another shot is presented after of just the computer, an eyeline match.

    

    If I was trying to get this project done as quickly and carelessly as possible, I'd just chose #3. That choice is by far the easiest to film. But, I am super determined to alter every shot as needed to use the most technique as possible, creating a very put together and advanced film opening. 

Decisions are made!

Hello beloved blog!

I am happy to announce decisions have been made and my film opening project is moving along!

MUSIC

    I have scouted and scouted again on my chosen music website, Uppbeat. I finally found a track that I think perfectly embodies a sentimental message yet still captures a sense of stress and sorrow. It is called "Notes From The Past".

Click here to listen!

    Now, of course it isn't absolutely perfect. Cause what would this project be without constantly overcoming obstacles? The music has a length of 1:30. My project will be 2 minutes. So, I have two options. 

1. Edit the music. Id take the existing music and find a place in the last 30 seconds where I can cut and loop it for the remainder of two minutes to fill the gap.
2. Slightly edit my scene to not include music in the last 30 seconds. Possible dialogue with another character.  

    Im definitely leaning towards the first option as I am confident to create a seamless extension of the existing music. It also creates less rearranging / replanning. 

PICTURES

    I mentioned in my last blog post I was going to use pictures of a friend of mine to include in my film opening for the picture my character envies. I asked around and my good friend Olivia was really open to let me use a picture of hers for my project!

My beautiful friend Liv

    I think the photo shown above is the one I will use for the mirror portion of the opening. I have pants very similar to the ones she is wearing, and I am still deciding if I am going to ask her to borrow the shirt she's wearing or just put on a random tank top for the video. The random tank top may illustrate further the idea of not having as nice things as people online or jealousy in that way. The same tank top may be a little bit too unrealistic to randomly have the same exact outfit. 

I'll keep the blog updated on further decisions. 

That's all for now!