CCR Question #1 Research

 Friday February 27, 2026

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Now that my film opening is close to being complete, it's time to start thinking about my creative critical reflection. This really consists of creating two videos that will answer each of the four questions, two in each video. I will group the first and second questions together in the first video and in the second I will group the third and fourth. I want to do a director commentary for the first two questions, as I think that I will be able to present the information in a thorough manner, while still having fun with it.

For my first video I will answer the question:

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

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I want it to almost feel like a movie review, but instead of critiques I will talk about my process. It's really all about research and diving deeper into what I discussed in my previous blogs, i'm just saying all of it in front of a camera this time. I will have to look up different things about genre conventions and representation (if there is any) to give a thorough analysis and explanation to my film. 

This will probably be the easier one of the two videos to film and write, since it isn't as elaborate as I want my second video to be. However, I still want it to be engaging and fun, showing my personality and how it is a complete 180 to the contents of my film. I think that that juxtaposition is really interesting, and in doing that I want to set out my thought process and what led me to choosing such a hard topic in the first place.

With the CCR's, I really just want to have fun with it, it is just reflecting on all of the work that I have put into the last few weeks, and I want to present it in a way that i'm proud of. So i'm so excited to get to work on finalizing the scripts and starting filming, I can't wait to share my process!

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Here is a link to the first video (CCR Question #1) script/outline! - CCR Scripts

- I will be adding the rest of the scripts for video 1 into this One Drive folder, so stay tuned!

The Editing Process (audio)

Thursday February 26, 2026

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My choices in the audio of my project were heavily decided on what I did with the visuals. I wanted them to go hand in hand, providing a balance between them both. My main goal was to make the visuals match the audio. One thing that I did to try to communicate this was taking the song that I chose, Metamorphosis by Your Arms Are My Cocoon, and making it muffled in some of the present day and sad flashback scenes. 

Making it feel like that is what the character is hearing; they are both sort of "blocking out" the song in an attempt to make them feel better. Even though the music is very much non-diegetic, that little bit of symbolism makes the music mean so much more to the characters because that was their song. 

Now i'm not going to have barely any dialogue, however, I do want to utilize some sounds other than the music. I created a foley gasp sound for when Violet wakes up from her dream sequence, creating more of an impact instead of just seeing it visually. As well as including a ringing sound that is typically heard when a character receives terrible news or gets into an accident, I want it to communicate how Violet sort of lost all of her senses when she found Lee dead. She lost touch with reality and that feeling is hard to replicate, especially through a screen, but I think that the mix of the muffled music, ringing, and the visuals will really convey that sheer emotion to the audience, creating a hard hitting moment.

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I am utilizing a bunch of different cuts within the music to put the distortion where it needs to be, as well as creating fade in and outs for the other audio elements, creating a smooth transition between all of them. Making it sound cohesive, instead of choppy. Even tho the audio elements that I am using are fairly easy to edit with, it makes it that much for important to mess them up. So I am taking everything into consideration; things like the volume levels and time duration are huge in making or breaking the sound as a whole. I just mainly want the audio to fit perfectly with the visuals, it will take a bit more editing and working for it to get to exactly where I want it, but I know that I can do it!

At this point in time I am close to having all of the overall shots and sound where I want them, then I will take the time to thoroughly go through each section to make sure that I didn't miss anything. Like i said in my last post, every move that I make regarding this project is for a reason. I want there to be intention behind every single thing that I do and as of right now, it is turning out in my favor. I think that my film is unfolding beautifully, exactly how I wanted.

 It tells a story that I hold close to my heart and I want to execute it in a way that does it justice. I have all of my thoughts and ideas in my head and as I am getting closer to the end, everything is starting to take shape just the way that I saw it. I can't wait to wrap up my editing process and share my film! 

The Editing Process (visual)

Wednesday February 25, 2026

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When it came down to starting the editing process, I landed on utilizing iMovie to put my piece together. I have already had previous experience with this platform from some of my other classes, so I thought that it would be a great pick! It also has a ton of filters and color grading elements to chose from, which helped me tremendously when it came down to scenes that required a good amount of editing. This especially came in handy for the dream sequence scenes, to add a hazy and calm connotation; not only through the visuals (filters/ colors) but from the scene that those things are being placed on. 

For example, with this specific shot I made sure to add onto the preexisting sunlight to make it more warm. In doing this it creates a more memory like feel, which is exactly what I wanted. I also added a "Romantic" filter overtop to create a hazy and light atmosphere surrounding them. I chose that filter specifically because I feel like it encapsulates that essence of missing someone, where you remember them in such a warm and beautiful light.

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Now in comparison to the dream sequence scenes, I used a black and white filter for the present day scenes where Violet is all alone. I did this with intention, making it seem like all of the color got drained from her life the second Lee died. I had in mind that throughout the film, the color will slowly come back as she grasps onto the reality of the situation instead of falling back into her dreams to seek comfort from someone who is no longer there. 

With this scene specifically, it starts by showing a grey sky (establishing setting), showing Violets mood before she is even shown. And in having the scenes following the sky be black and white shows that that is how she is seeing the world, with no intention of fixing it, as she is seen laying in bed. I did this because I wanted the audience to see the differences in how Violet sees the world and how Lee saw the world before he died and how that sheer event impacted Violets view. 

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The scenes where is depicts Lee right before his death, I wanted to show how his heart is feeling through the visuals. All of his previous scenes before this have been extremely warm and airy, which reflected him in that moment, so in doing that same thing but with a deeper and more emotional underlying tone, makes the audience feel it too.

Now for these scenes I didn't want to push it to become completely black and white, just because I didn't feel that it fitted the scene entirely; I wanted there to be some color, but very muted. I chose the filter called "Silent Era" mixed with a muted and cold color grading to create a very somber feeling. Revealing that it is how Lee is dealing with his emotions.

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Along with my story that i'm telling, I want the visual aspects to enhance it even further. Every move I make within the production of this film are all extremely intentional, I want to produce a product that is fully thought out, connecting myself to this project in so many ways besides emotionally. 

Now I am about halfway through the editing process as I am writing this post, and that is exactly where I want to be right now. I plan on having my film be finished within this week and next week, I can't wait to share my creation. Stay tuned!

Group Meeting #2

Tuesday February 24, 2026

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Today in class we had our second group meeting. We are using it as a sort of a mid way check to see where people are with filming and how their story has evolved from the first group meeting. 

My classmate, Veronica, went first and explained her story and the process, her film is called "Her Major Flat". Her story follows a band, consisting of 4 members: the front man, bassist, drummer, and keyboardist and their issues as a band. The front man is jealous of the keyboardist because of his musical talent, with different storylines intertwined throughout, like how the bassist is in love with the front man. I really love this idea and concept, I think that it is a really cool twist to the typical band story. She mentioned that she started her day one of filming and has one more day to complete it in full, but I think that her film opening is a very solid idea that translate really well on screen! We also talked about her ideas for her CCR, she talked about wanting to do a podcast with her being the guest and the host being an animated character. I think that this really reflects the vibe of her film, so they go hand in hand, which I love. This is her blog below! 

Super duper cool blog by me macaroni😎

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Second went my classmate Luciana. Her story follows a traumatic love story of abuse and right before he hits her it cuts to a flashback of all of their loving scenes, then it cuts back to her about to send a message. She talked about having trouble in differentiating the fighting scenes and the flashbacks scenes, and everyone in my group gave her tips of changing the lighting or utilizing filters to make it feel nostalgic in a way. I think that her story could be developed a bit more, but overall I think that it is a good storyline that could be executed beautifully. She's also going to communicate the different feelings within each scene, she is going to utilize three different songs with minimal dialogue. She also talked about her CCR and how she wants to split it up into an interview portion and a presentation, which I think is a good idea! This is her blog below!

About Me

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Filipe went third. His story is a comedy/ action film that follows a driver, Pauly, and a guy that sells car parts, he described it almost as a dealer for car parts. The whole premiss is how the main character, Pauly, wants to show his new and improved car to his friend and it backfires on him. It is meant to be a fun and funny film opening that surrounds cars but it isn't the typical racing movie, which I really like. He mentioned that he is starting filming today at a dead end road, which I think that it could be really cool so that they are. able to make it look believable. He also talked about how he wants to use shots that showcase shifting gears and pressing on the gas to create the illusion of driving really fast, without actually doing it. To add on, he also talked about wanting to use a hip-hop song with a lot of prominent beats to create an upbeat feel, but he said that he has not found one that fits just yet. With that his film is called "Shift Happens" using a play on words of shit happens, which I think is really funny. For his CCR he wants to do a presentation or maybe a interview. This is his blog below!

AICE Media studies

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Fourth went Srikara. The story follows a drug deal that turns into a kidnapping, following the Action genre. It consists of a lot cuts that show the progression of the kidnapping, which I think could be cool. He mentioned using close ups of the main characters eyes, using eye line cuts to show what he is seeing. He said that he wanted to utilize somber music within the flashback as well. He also mentioned that he is still thinking of a title for the film. It really just follows the process that the kidnapper is taking and highlights what he is doing to the kidnapped person. I think that his story could use a little bit more developing because it is't really a solid story, but I do think that it could become a really cool story. For his CCR he wants to do an interview with the drug dealer, tying his story with his CCR, which I think is a cool idea. This is his blog below!

blogforproject

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Last went Kamila. Her story follows a love story that turns into a phycological thriller, that evolves from a car crash where the girlfriend dies but the boyfriend lives. From there it completely shifts into the boyfriend spiraling because of her death, leading to a revenge plot within his character. That scene is set up a year later, it really is his mind playing tricks on him, making him believe that she is still there with him having hallucinations about her. In having it be one year later, he wants to get revenge on her killer by taking revenge on him on her anniversary. She mentioned that they haven't gotten a title yet, but will most likely have one soon.I think that this idea is so cool and I think that her and her group will execute it really well. I also think that the story is extremely well developed, which shows real improvement. They want to achieve those hallucinations mentioned before by playing with the opacity and editing, making it look like she isn't really there. For her CCR she wants it to be in correlation to her story, but hasn't gotten a definitive plan yet; however, she did mentioned a police interrogation which I think could be cool. This is her blog below!

KBlog

BTS of overall filming

 Monday February 23, 2026

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Over the weekend I made it a point to get the filming done in full. It was the last step that I needed to complete in order for me to start the editing process. Each filming location turned out exactly how I wanted, same with the costuming. I was extremely happy with the footage that I got out of it and now al I ave to do it piece it together!

This process really put my skills to the test. I have only worked with a tripod a handful of times before this, so I was still fairly new on how to operate and control it according to the specific shot I was shooting. Like for example in one of the final scenes we filmed, I got to utilize the tilt technique, which is something that I have never done before. For some of the scenes I had to adjust my preset camera setting to adhere to the change in lighting that was happening throughout the day. 

I wanted each movement that I captured of them to feel natural and authentic. Making it reach a more deep connection, and that wasn't that hard to do since my two actors are together in real life. For a lot of the happy/ fun scenes, I really just told them to be theirselves and pretend that the camera isn't even here and it made for some really beautiful shots, displaying their relationship front and center.

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Every bit of symbolism or creative choice that I talked about within my past posts all came to life on set on Saturday. I remember talking about having sunlight shine through the trees to represent Lees light escaping him, and the sun was shining down perfectly to capture that essence when we were filming. Both locations that I talked about ended up being so perfect for the specific shots that I had in mind; they each carried a different vibe and that was perfect for separating them into the happy and sad scenes. I only say that because it could be easy to lose that differentiating factor, and in having one location being completely out in the open and the other being majority enclosed, it separates the feelings.

My main thing was that I really just wanted the setting to be lush and full of life, to reinforce the life that Lee is losing. I am just so happy that I was able to communicate that through the screen and chose out places that were perfect for it.

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I really think that the filming went exactly how I wanted and I couldn't be happier about the outcome! I had a lot of fun filming and directing and thats how I wanted to approach this project in the first place. I really just wanted to have fun with it and take away any stressful feelings that I had towards this project, and in doing that it made the experiences that much more fun; making it feel like something that I enjoy rather than just another project.

I got to work on my passion for photography all the while working on this project and that is so special to me. I can't wait to edit it all together next, i'll see you there!

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I also made a little BTS video below, check it out! -- BTS video

The Look and The Feel (costumes used)

 Friday February 20, 2026

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Violet

I've mentioned in one of my previous posts the concepts of what costumes I want, but now I have the actual ones I will use. Me and my sister, who plays Violet, took a lot of time going through both of our closets to get the perfect pieces for each scene; this goes for jewelry too. I had a very specific look in mind for what I wanted her character to wear and I think that we were able to achieve the correct look. 

Below is the outfit that she will be wearing in the "dream sequence" scene, where Lee is seeing her in such a heavenly/ angelic light. I wanted to create some symbolism through not only the outfit being completely white, but having angel wings be incorporated within the earrings. Another thing that I made a point to include is the locket. I want Violet to wear this throughout the flashback scenes to represent the sheer love that she had for him, I will also probably include a shot of the locket open to show that it is for him.

This costume will consist of two pieces, a top and a skirt. I wanted them both to have a very flowy fit to again, make her look very angelic. I pulled this outfit majority from my closet because it would have a more loose fit on her as opposed to the clothes that she already has in her closet.

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Now moving onto her second look in the flashback scenes, my main goal with this one was to make it look rushed. She is seemingly in a hurry trying to find Lee and threw on whatever she could find or what she already had on. A loose sweater and jeans was what we landed on when deciding what I wanted to put her in for such an important scene. 

As for jewelry, the locket will still be a very prominent piece that really communicates that she always has him with her. To add on, along with the locket, she will be wearing her promise ring that Lee gifted to her, especially in this scene it is pulls great focus because it is the only ring that she is wearing; which signals that it keeps her bounded to him. As well as having her wear butterflies within her earrings, adding to their butterfly and cocoon symbolism. In having her wear butterflies before his death, it almost hints at what is going to happen, as Lee's character is associated with butterflies.

As for her other costume, this one will also be two pieces, but with a very prominent shift in color. The difference in colors between the two outfits really show her lees mental health is becoming increasingly more noticeable, and this is rubbing off on Violet. I wanted to communicate that to the audience by colors rather than having her speak about it. She wants to give him space because that is what she feels is right, but in this scene it is revealed that it was too late and the outfit backs that up.

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Lee

Aside from Violet, me and my other actor, Aiden who plays Lee, brainstormed about what his character would wear. I knew that I wanted to keep in sort of adjacent to his regular everyday style, so I decided to keep it simple. In keeping his usual dark color pallet, it brings a sense of connection between Aiden and his character by linking them together through colors. 

Now for Violet and Lees happy scenes, I want him to wear a bit of a lighter shade than black, probably a dark gray, to represent that he hasn't fully slipped into the darkness of his mind, but he still isn't doing well. He will wear a button up shirt paired with a silver Vivienne Westwood necklace that my sister, Soma, gifted to him. Adding another link between the character and the actor. 

This costume specifically is meant to communicate that Lee is trying to hide how he is truly feeling, not wanting to hurt Violet. But to match Violet's really pretty outfit, he wants to look nice for her before he makes up his mind about his death.

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For Lees scene right before his death, I want him to wear a very simple yet messy outfit, making it look like he put no effort into what he looked like because he knew what his fate was. In having him wear a black hoodie or sweater and dark colored pants, it surrounds him in a dark bubble, reflecting how he is feeling internally. To add a deeper representation, Lee will still wear his necklace and that will be the only jewelry he wears. It sort of links to Violet and her locket, showing that they both will always have each other with them, even if they are not there physically. 

I don't have an exact photo of this costume, however, this one is pretty similar. My main goal is to have him look like he is being consumed by the darkness, imitating how his emotions are taking over his body and mind. The costume will help aid in his overall numb and tired look. That feeling will be within the happier costume but very minor, I want to show his gradual decline; making it took sudden. Which will set up the main rhetoric for the rest of the film.

Company Logo Production

Thursday February 19, 2026

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Now for my logo I knew I wanted it to have a vintage feel with a cursive font; something pretty, but still portraying my vibe well. I decided to utilize Canva when making my logo and ended up having to chose between a plethora of options, which was a really tough decision. But before I could pick a design, I wanted to come up with a name first. I sort of wanted it to reflect the vibe of my story, having contrast between whatever design I chose and the name. After some thinking I landed on calling my production company "Saturday Sun Productions"; in having the name portray a warm vibe, putting it against a black and white design created juxtaposition between the two, just like my film opening. 

I really liked the look of an old film roll, or like a black and white movie credits; something that felt gritty and vintage was the overall look that I wanted. To kind of have a nod to hold films and the countdowns that were featured before the film. In addition to that, I will be including the audio of the old film because I didn't want it to be completely silent. It won't be very loud, just something in that background to get people intrigued.

I started playing around with different fonts, colors, and transparency to create a sort of flow throughout the logo. In making it, I wanted it to be appealing while still setting up the story ahead.

Link to the process!: Film opening logo

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Now that is all for what will play before my film opening, but for the stand alone logo, I wanted it to carry the same sort of vintage vibe. I used a font similar to the one above, still carrying that classy and clean vibe throughout them both. I did an inverted version of the opening above for the logo, having the gradient come from the middle as opposed to from the sides.

Link to the process!: Logo production

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Again, I wanted it to look visually appealing to the audience, while still having a timeless/vintage vibe about it. I went through a ton of different color combinations, stickers, font sizes, and gradients to land on the logo that I created. I love the look of darker colors mixed together, so I decided to go with black and gray for my overall color scheme. Having the gradient be under the text and designs really pulls the viewers focus into the logo and name of the production company; which in return sparks curiosity.

With the idea of utilizing the look of old film, I pulled majority of inspiration from black and white movies when creating this logo. The cursive writing and pretty visual choices really give a nod to those cut scenes in black and white movies, especially the silent ones, where it says what the character is saying. In taking this creative route, I want it to reflect the overall film opening. With having the background be all dark colors with cursive writing on top, it communicates that even within the dark, there can be beauty. Which is what my film is about.

Examples of inspiration

Filming locations

 Wednesday February 18, 2026

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When I first started thinking about where to film, I knew that I wanted it to be a very beautiful and dreamy place. For the outdoor scenes that is, I landed on Markham park and Vista View park. I have been going to these places since I was little, so it almost has a bit of a personal touch to it. 

Vista View is a park sat on top of a big hill (probably the highest point in Florida thats nearby) that overlooks the city, you can even see Ft. Lauderdale from up there. It's one of those places that would be perfect to film at because of it's quietness and atmospheric feel. The sun also hits it perfectly at golden hour, closer to sunset, to get that really warm and angelic feel and I think thats the time that i would want to film there. I want the location to reflect Lee and the "sunshine" that he portrays to the people around him, almost creating symbolism through the golden light. This location is almost going to communicate the last little bit of light that Lee has in his eyes, and Violet won't notice that anything is wrong with him because of the environment around them. The beauty that is consuming them becomes the reason that the scene following even happens, Lee wants to die having a good last memory and this was just that. Just the sheer vibe of the park really drew me to it and made be pick it in the first place, I think it will be a really beautiful location to film, especially for my happier flashback scenes.

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Now for my sad flashback scenes, where Violet will find Lee, I decided on going to Markham park. I have gone here to film some of my previous projects and it is a great place to get a more sad and somber tone through the wooded parts of the park. I want to primarily film within the woods areas or the bunny trail, really just to have a covered/ enclosed environment to add a sense of being trapped, because that is how Lee if feeling. I still want there to be some sunshine within these scenes, but now that same golden light that was shown in the scenes prior. I want it to convey the dying spark inside of him to the audience, through things like having the trees block the sun and the light being a different color. Between the sheer juxtaposition between each scene, it will make it evident that Lee was just hiding how he truly feels, and Violet won't find out until its too late. I think that Markham park is a perfect location to tell how his life ended and portray those feelings to the audience through setting. Even though both places are outside in nature, each of them tell a different story between the two characters and I really want to show that.

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As I mentioned before in my last post, I already wrapped filming the opening and closing scenes of my opening. Those scenes were shot entirely in my sisters room, I wanted her and her character, Violet, to be connected through her room; which create a sense of authenticity within the character. I've said before that the all white surroundings is engulfing her, creating a sense of purity, however, with the dark and lowkey lighting, Violet stands out against it. Almost having her own essence around her, and it isn't the angelic feel that is seen later in the opening. She feels defeated, and it is extremely evident that she has let every bed thing consume her and isn't trying to fight it off anymore. I really want to show those feelings and message through having her in only her bedroom, showing a sense of numb/ tiredness, which is common in depressive cases.

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With those places in mind, I want to make it a point to get all of the shots/ scenes that I have in my head out though my camera. I will most likely wrap filming as a whole over the weekend, then begins the editing process! 

BTS of filming so far

Tuesday February 17, 2026

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Last week we filmed the opening and closing scenes. These were shot in Somas bedroom; I wanted to utilize a space like this because it already felt so personalized and unique to her and her character. For the first day of filming it went pretty well, I got all of the shots that I needed from my story board and some additional ones, just in case. I made it a point to overshoot, in the slim chance that I need one more frame or the clip that I got was blurry.

The setup was simple, we had a tripod that we moved around to get specific angles and used it to capture every shot without it being too shaky. For one of the shots, I had to place the tripod on top of my actor to get an exact overhead shot of her laying down. I really love how the scene turned out and I think it really sets the mood for the rest of the piece. 

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In addition to setting the mood, my sister, who plays Violet, really wanted to act out and portray her character in a sad light. So she used water droplets to make it look like real tears in the closing scenes. While we were filming it, I could see the essence of her character come to life, and I think she did a great job in helping that happen. 

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While I only filmed one of my actors on day one, my other actor, Aiden who plays Lee, was helping me set up the tripod to get each scene/ frame perfect. Now Aiden is in CBTV so he has had previous experience with cameras and the ins and outs of the filming process. It was really nice to have an extra set of hands to help me film, whereas I have never shot and directed a short film at all. 

Now for Lees scenes, I am planning on filming those late this week/ into the weekend. I am pretty confident that I can get the rest of filming done in a day, maybe two. I have had a bit of interference with my premade schedule due to some of my other classes. I am running sound for one of our upcoming musicals, so I will have to balance that with the rest of my filming. It will be tough but I am certain that I can do it!

For the remaining scenes that I need to film, I will be going to two separate parks, to kinda create two different memories; the good and the bad. Like i've mentioned in my previous posts, it is going to be a sort of "dream sequence", mixing flashbacks of memories with Violet still feeling the same feelings she did when and before Lee died. I will dive deeper into it when I wrap up filming, but for now I will keep you posted!

Links to BTS videos + photos: Day 1 BTS

Taking a closer look into Mise-en-scene #2 (costuming)

Friday February 13, 2026

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Flashback Scenes

For the costumes I want to keep it fairly simple, especially for the flashback/ cutaway scenes. I want Violet's costumes to be primarily white and flowy. to convey an angelic and pure connotation to the audience. I want Lee to sort of see her as an angel to symbolize what he will become. In having her look beautiful and angelic, it's a way to show how Lee sees her. I also want to have her in all white or a light color against the green/ nature background to portray rebirth and growth; it in return hints at Lee, without directly saying anything. With him being portrayed through Violet reveals just how important that he was to her.

The main goal is to convey her in the way that Lee saw her before his death, he didn't want to hurt her, but he wanted to die with the memory of her being beautiful and not hurt by his own actions. I just want these overall scenes to be extremely dreamlike and hazy, to show that the memories are fading, but she is still holding onto it.

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Now for Lee's costume in the flashback/ cutaway scene, I want to have his colors get increasingly darker the farther the scenes progress. This symbolism represents the decline of his mental state, and in having this be shown through the colors that surround him, it makes it clear that he is hinting at his death without explicitly saying it with dialogue. In having his costume being black/ dark colors, it makes the atmosphere around him feel unnatural or seemingly decaying. This symbolism quite literally represents his character and the way that Violet viewed him right before his death. She never really knew how deep it ent, however, the decline in his colors and mood made her a bit worried, but by the time she figured it out, it was already too late. 

To add on, when those kind of dark colors are paired with the green background, it represents a seemingly "disease" like feeling. With that "disease" being his depression and how it is consuming his entire being. Like I mentioned before, Lee wanted to see Violet in a angelic way before he died, but in doing this he forgot about himself. It becomes increasingly obvious that his hair gets messier, his eyes lose their life, and his feelings turn numb.  I want to really show that symbolism through his looks, to create an impacyful story through visuals.

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Opening and Ending Scenes

 Now for Violets scenes alone, she somewhat takes the place of Lee. In having her colors take such a dramatic shift from pure and angelic, to dark and depressed, it represents that she if falling into that same numbness that Lee had. This brings a sense of moral ambiguity, showing that she is trapped between the memories of her lover and the present without him. She hasn't excepted the fact that he is gone, so she surround herself in dark colors to still feel like there is a sense of him there. She will also be wearing one of his sweaters to add onto that. 

With having the opening scene showing her in full dark gray, surrounded by her white sheets, symbolizes the fact that that angelic feeling is still in there. The way that Lee saw her is still with her, even if she doesn't know it. It's pulling focus onto Violet and showing the same mental decline that she experienced with Lee, adding a bit of isolation mixed in between. Like I said before, it's like she is still bonded to the memories, revealing the trauma that she is still holding onto and refuses to let go.

Taking a closer look into Mise-en-scene #1 (lighting)

Thursday February 12, 2026

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 Through the lighting, I want to portray the sheer juxtaposition between their happy scenes together and Violet's alone scenes. From the very beginning I want to establish a very dark and somber tone, and I want to achieve this by having low-key lighting. The room will be mostly dark, except for the light that penetrates through the curtains and that would be considered a key light. But, depending on each shot, it will change from a key light to a fill light, as it will be shined on her face from an angle as opposed to being head on.

I want the lighting to convey those same depressed and unmotivated feelings that Violet is feeling to the audience. With the curtains closed and a small amount of light peaking through, it almost represents her character at that moment. Cutting everyone and everything off to live in her own sadness, but that light will shine through again. That light represents Lee, and it comes back full circle with the juxtaposition between the dark and warm lighting of each scene. 

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With the scenes of Lee and Violet together, I want there to be a warm and happy tone to the lighting. To achieve this as accurately as possible, i'm going to shoot most of these scenes outside or with a generous amount of natural light from the windows if need be. 

Each scene is going to be communicated through these warm tones, and I want the audience to feel the sheer love and warmth just from the visuals. I am going to definitely take advantage of golden hour at both of the outside locations i'm going to film at. Within Lee's mood board in my previous post, he is shown as being very light and full of life. I want to symbolize this through the light of the sun and golden hour because it's something that reminds Violet of him. And in having their happiest scenes being in these warm environments, it adds to her pain of not being able to feel that warmth again internally. 

My plans for audio

Tuesday February 10, 2026

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When it came down to the audio elements of my film, I knew right away that I wanted to get permission to use a song from one of my favorite artists. Now in doing this, I wanted to have options; so I ended up messaging/ emailing 3 separate artists. And I got conformation from all three that I could use their songs; for me this was huge. I wanted to reach out to as many people as I could so I would have a better shot in having one of them respond with a yes, I was not expecting to get clearance from every artists that I asked. With this in mind, I made sure that I specifically messaged artists that have either produced the music themselves or owns the record company under their music. I found that it would be easier to get permission if it's an independent artist, so I wouldn't have to go through the long process of applying for a license and messaging with representatives from a major record company just to not get permission.

I reached out to the artists Elliott Fullam, Your Arms Are My Cocoon, and Ebril. They are all niche artists, and that made it a whole lot easier go reach out and get a response almost overnight, as opposed to waiting several days or even weeks. Each song that I picked all match the overall mood of my piece. They are extremely hard hitting and emotional songs that I personally connect with. I wanted to chose a song that I loved so it could add that much for meaning to my film, I think that the song is a major part of my film and I want it to compliment what is being shown visually. 

The process that it took to reach out to each of them was fairly simple. I messaged them through their instagram and their business/ inquiries email (I got more responses through emailing). I explained in my message that I wanted to use their song in my self-made student film for my Aice Media class. All of them responded with a yes and wished me good luck on my project! The attached photos within the link bellow are my emails/ dms and the responses that I received.

Link! - Artist conformation file

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Now with weighing my options and taking everything into consideration, I think that I will go with the song "Metamorphosis" by Your Arms Are My Cocoon. This song is one of my favorites of all time and it perfectly captured the essence of sadness mixed with hope. As I listened to the song to really solidify that it was the one that I wanted, I came up with an idea. In the film, Lee will be associated with butterflies, and Violet will be associated with cocoons. In having this, she will essentially go through a metamorphosis of sorts to come back to her sense of self. With utilizing this symbolism mixed with the overall context and vibe of the song, it will make the opening that much for impactful.

Aside from music, I want there to be very limited dialogue. I have mentioned this aspect before in some of my previous blogs, but I really want the visuals and music to speak for itself without the use of talking being the main focus. I will most likely use dialogue in the flashback scenes. I want the opening to convey a warm and nostalgic feeling in those said flashback scenes.

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Song links:

Metamorphosis - Your Arms Are My Cocoon

Going Alone - Elliott Fullam

Stranger In You - Ebril

Developing the Characters

 Monday February 9, 2026

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Now that I have fully figured out what I want to do with my story, it's time to start putting my ideas into action. My piece will focus on only two people. With my sister Soma playing "Violet", and her boyfriend, Aiden, playing "Lee". In having the focus be pulled to such a limited amount of characters, leaves room for the audience to really understand them on a deeper level. Each of them will have a joined understanding of one another, and I really want to portray that on screen. By conveying two people that have been through thick and thin, having the story leave off on a heightened somber tone reveals that she will have to do this alone. Throughout my previous posts, i've mentioned having mental health drive my characters and I want to communicate that effectively to the viewers. In having experience with issues such as depression and anxiety, I want to show how it feels internally, while portraying it externally through the screen. It's all communicated through the face/ body language, without explicitly using dialogue to get the point across.

From the very beginning of this project, I have been accumulating photos and adding them to a Pinterest board to help with my creative process. I love doing this for major film projects so I can clearly see the vision I have in my head be communicated through pictures. With that being said, below are my characters and collages that I created to represent them. 

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"Violet"

Played by Soma

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Her character will have a very soft and sweet vibe, which correlates with her personality. I want to convey her heartbreak not only through her clothes/looks, but through her overall vibe as well. So as you watch her on screen, you can feel all the feelings that she is dealing with.

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"Lee"

Played by Aiden

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I want to portray Lee's character in a very warm light. The juxtaposition between his vibrant and warm external tone and his cold and depressed internal struggle create layers to his character. In having him not let anyone see how he is truly feeling behind the warmth, makes his death that much more impactful.

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Link to mood boards: Mood Boards!

Shots and composition, how it adds to the story

Friday February 6, 2026

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For this week, my class was tasked to have a group meeting with each other and discuss each of our ideas/stories regarding our film openings. Unfortunately I was unable to attend school due to a sickness and missed the meeting. So for this week I was given an alternative research assignment of my choice and I want to look farther into the shots and composition in coming-of-age films.

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I want to really highlight the main characters isolation right off the bat, by utilizing tight close ups. This expresses the feeling of being trapped and confined within ones mind, without saying that explicitly. I want to move the story though the specific shots, having the shot types aid the storytelling, as I won't be using any dialogue. Along with close ups, I want to use zoom/ pull ins to really capture the raw and unfiltered emotion that I want to portray. I would also incorporate the subject not being centered because it adds a sense of being unbalanced, but that is how the character is feeling in the present moment, unbalanced. Seemingly missing her other half. 

I want to show the immense pain that she is in by having a sequence throughout of her crying, and that scene being sliced multiple times by some happy memories and some dark. I want to do this as a way of portraying her remembering these things in real time, as if to see a glimpse into her mind at that moment.

Ex. Perks of Being a Wallflower

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To express the happier scenes, there will be a great use of two shots and wide shots. Really showing how open and loving the environment is around the pair, without having them say anything. I love the idea of having the characters emotions carry the story rather than the dialogue because I feel that a film can have a greater impact if the feeling is expressed to the audience through their emotion and body language. In having the happy scenes show great forms of love through each character, it makes his death that much more impactful even if it isn't exactly shown.

With these scenes in particular, I want to try to have the two of them be in the middle of the shot, creating a sense of balanced that was once lost in the beginning of the film. In having them be balanced, it makes the "flashback" scenes feel much more intimate and warm, as apposed to the cold and isolated feeling after his death.

Ex. Sixteen Candles

Media Theory Research

Thursday February 5, 2026

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After looking over each media theory, I have landed on incorporating the Binary Opposition Theory and Enigma Code; each of these will play a major part in my film opening. 

Like I mentioned in my past blog, using character vs. self will be a thing that I would want to incorporate within my main character. With the self conflict being her tearing herself apart and blaming herself for what happened. Her mind won't let her grieve the immense loss, and is instead attacking her overall being. This in return is what creates that character vs. self conflict within the story. It is such an important factor in representing the different ways that something as heavy as death can impact a character.

EX. In coming-of-age films

The BreakFast Club

- Each character has to push through stereotype to reveal their true selves to one another, each becoming vulnerable.

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This also goes hand in hand with the Enigma Code, as I won't be showing explicitly how he died; leaving it up to the audiences interpretation. There will be hints to it but I want viewers to figure it out as they watch; which further increases the deep and sad nature of my film. I feel like having that tiny sense of mystery surrounding it adds to the sheer impact that the story will have. In leaving that plot point unexplained/ up to interpretation expands the world that I am building, I want to leave the story off with people unfolding it themselves. 

EX. In coming-of-age films

Moonlight

- Chiron navigates his identity and sexuality without letting the audience in. The lack of knowledge the audience has about how he feels internally, in return drives the overall narrative of the story being told.

My Storyboard

Wednesday February 4, 2026

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Storyboards are so extremely important when it comes to deciding the overall look in your film; this includes which scenes will be used, camera work/ angles, and effects. I have accumulated a rough draft of my idea onto the storyboard bellow, I have carefully crafted the scenes to flow into one another and to make the story cohesive. However, there is some possibility that when it comes down to the filming process itself, I will make changes to the scenes that I have set in place. But for now, it is complete and I can't wait to share it!

Storyboard link - My Film Opening Storyboard

My storyboard bellow ↓

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Additional notes ↓