Specific effects

February 28, 2025

 How to create a specific effect

Hey Cambridge!! I was doing some research today on how to achieve an echo effect on the sound for my film, to convey Piper feeling disconnected. I found a YouTube tutorial with some great tips on how to edit it to get the vision we had in mind.

First, you can apply a Reverb effect in Premiere Pro by searching for "Studio Reverb" or "Surround Reverb" in the Effects panel and dragging it onto your audio clip. Then, you can tweak settings like Decay and Wet Level to get the right echo.

To carry the echo beyond the end of the clip, you can add a Transparent Video layer on top of the audio clip. This carries the reverb beyond where the audio fades away, adding to that sense of isolation.

I’m also thinking about experimenting with different reverb presets and volume levels to really nail the feeling and maybe duplicate the track to make the effect feel more layered. I am really looking forward to putting it all together!!!

Color scheme

 February 26, 2025

Color Scheme

Hiiii Cambridge!!! This past week, my group and I have focused a lot on our film’s mise en scène, especially the color scheme. We want everything to match the exact look we’re going for, so we’ve been putting a lot of thought into every detail.

We created a couple of mood boards to help set the vibe and decided on a specific color palette. For the graduation scene, we reached out to some friends to help out and made sure everyone had light-colored outfits. We wanted the whole scene to feel cohesive, so we asked them to stick to shades like white, gold, champagne, light blue, and light pink. So basically, anything soft and light-colored.

We also bought a ton of props in the same color scheme to keep everything visually consistent. Since we want the film to feel as realistic as possible, we’re making sure not just the outfits but also the decorations in the house match the aesthetic.

Here are a few mood boards I put together to guide everyone and really capture that perfect graduation vibe!

Production Post 1

 February 27, 2025

Production Process

Last week we started our production process. My group and I began filming the entire bathroom scene for our film opening. We faced many challenges while doing so, like having to reshoot certain parts multiple times because of mistakes. For example, we had to cover the front of my house because every time we would film Piper, our main character, walking into the room, the rest of the house was visible. We needed to create the illusion that a party was going on in the back, so the focus only had to be on the room. 

Another problem we ran into was that we completely forgot one of our main props, Piper's phone... Since we already filmed most of the bathroom shots, reshooting all the scenes was not an option. We had to improvise, so we decided to have her hide the phone under her dress to make it seem like she had a pocket. When she needed to use her phone, she pulled it out of her dress naturally so it didn't look like it appeared out of nowhere. It was definitely a last-minute fix, but it worked!!

Even with all the setbacks, we made everything work, and everything turned out well. Now we are moving on to filming the next part, which is the graduation party scene. I can't wait to see it all come to
life.

Audio

 February 23, 2025

Audio

Hi guyss!! Today I was talking with my group about how we wanted the audio for the film opening to be, and this is what we came up with. 

I really want to focus on sound and see how much I can do to make everything feel more real. I’m planning to use a mix of foley sounds, sound effects, and both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds to bring the scenes to life. Basically, I just want the best sound quality I can get.

The film is going to start with the sound of a car driving to set the mood. After that, I’m thinking about adding either foley sounds of Piper walking into the house or using a sound effect. I’m not sure yet because my group and I are going to test different things and see what works best.

One of the biggest moments is Piper’s surprise party. Since she feels totally overwhelmed and out of place, we’re adding a ringing noise and fading everyone’s voices to really show how disconnected she is in that moment. I think this will help the audience feel what she’s feeling instead of just watching it happen.

Later, when she’s in the bathroom looking at her memories, I want to add diegetic sounds and maybe some non-copyright music to make the moment more emotional.

Another important sound moment is when Piper calls her friend. We need to add the ringing of the phone and make sure the phone call itself sounds real. The little details in the audio will help make the conversation feel natural and believable.

I’m really excited to see how all these sounds come together. Audio plays such a big role in storytelling, and I think it’s going to make a huge difference in how people experience the film. I can’t wait to start experimenting with it.

https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/video/discover/sfx-for-video.html

Setting & Props

 February 22, 2025

Mise-en-scene : Setting & Props

Hiii Cambridge!! Today I am talking about mise-en-scene. My group and I finally named our protagonist... PIPER!!! We also went to Party City because it is sadly closing and EVERYTHING was on sale. We got most of our props for the film opening and figured out what we wanted the setting to look like. We want the house to have warm lighting and graduation colors, sooo we got gold and white props.

Props

- Balloons/Surprise Banners: These props help show the viewer that there is a party going on.

- Confetti Poppers: These will be used to emphasize the surprise and to shock Piper.

- Food and Drinks: These props are what are in typical parties to give more context to the viewers.

- Phone: The phone is going to be used to show all the videos/memories to the viewers

- Graduation Cap/Diploma: These props are used to show the Piper graduated.

Setting

Entryway: The entryway of the house will be dark as if no one is there. Then Piper is going to walk into the house.

Car: Piper is going to be coming home from a graduation dinner

Living Room: The living room is where the party will be held

Bathroom: Piper is going to be on the bathroom floor reminiscing

Memory/Video Scenes

Gas station: Piper's friend group is going to be at the gas station after sneaking out and getting snacks.

Park: Piper's friend group is going to be on a walk for another one of the memory scenes.

Bedroom: Piper's friend group is going to get ready for a party for one of the memory scenes.

Character Development

 February 20, 2025

Talking About Character Development

Character development is about how a character changes and grows for the better through their experiences, shaping who they become. It is what makes a story feel real. Coming-of-age films capture life's big transitions, real emotion, and overall personal growth. My film opening is about a high school graduate who got into the college of her dreams, but the reality of her leaving soon starts to sink in...

Inspiration

                 - Thirteen: An emotional journey of self-discovery.

- Mean Girls: Navigation through High School and personal growth.

- Sixteen Candles: The ups and downs of being a teenager while struggling with feeling overlooked.

Character Development For My Film

The character my group and I developed starts off with a surprise graduation party. As the night goes on, she starts feeling overwhelmed by all the goodbyes and congratulations she’s receiving. Needing space, she goes to the bathroom and scrolls through her memories. Her perspective changes as she embraces the moment and goes out one last time instead of staying overwhelmed and sad on the bathroom floor. That's when she calls her friend, and the film begins....... 

Costume

 February 19, 2025

Mise-en-scene : Costume

For our film opening, the mise-en-scene plays a key role in setting the tone and visually representing the emotions of our main character as she processes the transition from high school to college. 

Graduation Costumes:

Mostly Light Colors & Formal Attire

- White: The main character is going to wear white, symbolizing purity and uncertainty of the future

- Gold & Champaign: The gold and champaign add a touch of success and give the scene some sort of party vibe.

- Light Pinks & Blues: The light blues and pinks add sentimentality to the scene.

Highschool Video Costumes

- Bright Colors: The bright colors represent the friendgroups carefree, exciting moments of their high school life.

- Comfortable, effortless Youth Style: The friendgroup is going to wear trendy but comfortable clothing like hoodies, sweatpants, tightshirts, graphic tees, etc. This clothing shows their carefree and spontaneous vibes.

Media Theories That Fit My Filmmm

 February 16, 2025

Media Theories That Fit My Filmmm

Todorov’s Narrative Theory of Equilibrium perfectly applies to my film opening, as it follows the three key stages of equilibrium, disequilibrium, and new equilibrium. Many coming-of-age films follow this theory like Boyhood and Eighth Grade.

- Equilibrium: The main character returns home from a special event, thinking the night is over.

- Disequilibrium: She walks into a surprise party and feels overwhelmed. She reminisces about her past, friendships, and the reality of leaving for college and she struggles with the emotions of change.

- New Equilibrium: Instead of staying overwhelmed, she chooses to call her friend and go out for one last time before leaving for college.

This theory really helps tie the story together and makes the character’s journey feel real.

Storyboardddddddd

February 15, 2025

The Outline of the Film Opening

(The Storyboard)

My partners and I have been working on our storyboard, and it’s finally coming together. We had to come up with many ideas for the videos ourselves but figured out how to bring our ideas to life. We focused on making the story flow and keep it engaging through different shots, like close-ups and long-shots for different scenes. We also finally picked our shooting dates, and we’re filming next week. I’m so excited to see everything come together. Can’t wait to get started!

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Film opening idea

 February 13, 2025

Film Opening Idea

For my film opening, I’m making a coming-of-age story about a girl who’s reminiscing. I’m not totally sure what she’s coming home from yet, but she’s going to be dressed nicely, maybe from a graduation dinner or a party. I still have a couple of ideas, but this is the general plan.

She gets home thinking the night is over, but then.....surprise!!! Her parents ended up throwing her a surprise party and invited all of her friends. Everyone starts congratulating her for getting into the college of her dreams. She’s excited, saying thank you to everyone, trying to take it all in.

It starts to feel like… a lot. The hugs, the congratulations, the reminders that she’s leaving soon... And it all starts to hit at once. She goes to the bathroom and starts scrolling through old videos/vlogs and memories with her friends that she filmed throughout her high school years. That’s when it really sinks in, her life is about to change.

She ends up calling up her friend and says, “Let’s go out one last time before I leave.” One final adventure before everything is different.

Color Scheme

- whites

- champagne accents

- neutrals

- golds

Videos/Vlog ideas

- Late-night car rides

- Beach day or night with her friends

- Walks at a park

 - Sneaking out at night

Group Meeting

 February 10, 2025

Group Meeting

Today was my first group meeting, and it was amazing! Hearing everyone’s ideas and suggestions gave me so much inspiration. Grace’s blog posts especially stood out to me. Her creativity and the way she made everything so fun and engaging made me want to do the same with mine. 

My film opening is all about a group of teenagers on their last day before college, sitting together and watching the vlogs they filmed throughout high school. The meeting helped me find the aesthetic for the friend group, and they made me realize, that I want a total 1990s feel. Vintage camcorder footage, retro fashion, and a nostalgic vibe. I could literally picture it in my head, and now I’m even more excited to bring it to life. 

The meeting was superrr helpful. I got to throw out ideas for other people’s projects too, from filming spots to cool ways to shoot their scenes. It made me see my own project in a whole new way, and now my brain has so many different ideas. I cannot wait to start filming!

Target Audience

 February 9th, 2025

Target Audience

Coming-of-age films are typically made for teenagers and young adults, usually between 12 and 18, because they depict the ups and downs of growing up. These movies explore self-discovery, friendships, romance, and figuring out who you are. Characters go through real teenage struggles that the audience can relate to, making these films engaging and emotionally impactful.

To make sure that these films connect with teenagers, filmmakers develop realistic characters and narratives that reflect their everyday experiences. The audience relates to the main character's struggles, whether its friendship struggles, family drama, academic pressure, or even personal development. A lot of these films feature romance, fashion, and music, which all tend to appeal to teenage girls. 

Producers make coming-of-age films because they know their audience, which is mostly teenagers, especially girls who enjoy stories with romance, music, and sports. These films usually feature relatable characters that teens can connect with. By using familiar themes and settings, like school and friendships, filmmakers can appeal to this audience.

For my film opening, I am considering following a group of friends, focusing on their growth and struggles with things like maybe school. By using music, fashion, and real settings, I can create a film that feels true to the coming-of-age genre and speaks to teenagers.

https://prezi.com/u-mzr7kqffc7/target-audience-research/

https://glcoverage.com/2024/11/14/coming-of-age-movie-2/

Credit Scenes

 February 7, 2025

Credit Scene Research

Juno

The opening credits of Juno stand out because they use hand-drawn animation instead of live-action, which is different from other coming-of-age films. Juno walks through town drinking a giant bottle of SunnyD, and everything has a sketchy, homemade look, with warm colors like red, orange, and yellow. The credits are handwritten and a little messy, making the movie feel more personal and artsy. Unlike the polished and stylish openings of Clueless or 10 Things I Hate About You, Juno feels more indie and unique, which matches the main character’s personality. Using a certain color scheme or using hand-drawn components in my credits could work as inspiration for my film. Also, I would like my opening to be more creative and personal. I want my opening to set the tone of the film as quickly as Juno's, which is why it works so well. 

My Dumb Diary

The opening credits of Dear Dumb Diary are also different, with a handwritten, diary-like style that stands out from more traditional title sequences. The credits appear in a scribbled, uneven font, like something a character might quickly write down. There are small doodles spread throughout, such as hearts, stars, and arrows, which give the impression that the credits are the character's own ideas. It feels quite similar to Jamie's imagination because of the combination of live-action and animation. I could use handwritten credits with simple visuals for my film to establish the mood and tone.

The Edge of Seventeen

The Edge of Seventeen's opening titles are incredibly straightforward, which perfectly complements the film's genuine tone. To keep the attention on Nadine and her emotions, the text is a simple plain white font that appears over the opening scene without any fancy effects or animations. This gives the film a more personal and authentic feel than a movie like Dear Dumb Diary, which uses handwritten fonts and drawings to bring the characters' imaginations to life. Using a similar approach, I could cover the opening scene of my movie with minimal titles that don't take away from the plot. It would create a natural, intimate tone while ensuring that my characters and their emotions stay prominent.

Seeing these different approaches helps me figure out how I want to create my own opening. I’m still deciding on exactly what I want to do, but these styles give me a lot of inspiration and ideas to work with.

Film Opening Research

 February 2, 2024

Film Opening Research

Today, I am looking at different film openings to get inspiration and figure out how to make my own film opening engaging. The first few minutes of a movie usually set the tone and introduce the world to the audience. Analyzing how other coming-of-age films will help me decide on things like music, color, and editing for my project. 

10 Things I Hate About You

10 Things I Hate About You grabs the audience's attention right away with a drumbeat before showing a bright city. The title pops up shaking in a fun font that matches the vibe of the film. The camera pans through the city, with a high angle of two cars, one blasting pop music and the other playing alternative rock. The bright colors in the credits and scenery make the film feel more alive. The movie makes it really clear that Kat doesn’t fit in with the usual high school crowd just by how she’s introduced. The bright, fun high school setting contrasts with her edgier, alternative style, which is shown through her music and attitude instead of dialogue. I could do something similar in my film by using different types of music and visuals to show character personalities right away. Maybe my main character’s room, outfit, or even what they listen to could give hints about who they are before they even start talking.

Clueless

Clueless starts full of energy. The music kicks in immediately, making everything feel upbeat and fun. The Paramount logo fades into the title, which has a fun and playful look. The first shot is from above, showing a car full of teenagers, making it clear they have an easy, carefree life. Then we see Cher, the main character, in a fast montage of her shopping, hanging out, and having fun, all while wearing bright and stylish outfits. The fast editing makes her world feel exciting and busy. Then it slows down as she looks in the mirror and talks to the audience, making her more relatable. The scene where she uses a computer to pick an outfit is fun and also gives insight into her personality. The way Clueless mixes fast cuts, bright visuals, and voiceover to introduce Cher is something I could use in my film, maybe by doing a quick montage to introduce a character’s personality before slowing down for a more personal moment. Using a mix of fast-paced clips and a character breaking the fourth wall could be a great way to bring my audience into my film right away.

Good Boys

Good Boys starts very differently from the other two movies. There's no music at first, just the Universal and Good Universe logos, which makes the opening feel quieter and more personal. As soon as the camera moves into a bedroom, the music starts, and you can tell a lot about the character just by looking at his room. It's full of dinosaur toys and other kid stuff, showing that Max, the main character, is still young even though he wants to grow up. Then we see him watching something on his computer and building a contraption to warn him if someone opens the door. This shows his curiosity and innocence without needing any dialogue. Instead of flashy editing or bold colors, this opening focuses on small details to tell us about Max, which is something I could use in my film by letting the setting and little actions reveal things about my characters. Instead of relying on a lot of dialogue, I could make my character’s personality clear through their room, what they’re doing, and small moments that feel natural.

While the style of these films may differ, they all set the mood, introduce the main character, and hook viewers using music, fast-paced editing, and attention to detail. They all immediately engage an audience. These openings will give me ideas on how to make my film opening fun and interesting, either through contrasts, fun montages, or subtle moments in character. I could then mix and match these techniques into my film while still engaging from its very start.

Schedule

February 5, 2025

Schedule

This outlines my planned dates for each week leading up to my film project deadline. It includes research, planning, production, post-production posts, and designated filming days. Dates may change due to outside factors like work and tutoring, but this serves as a general guide for staying on track. The schedule is fairly simple because I'm still not sure how I am going to approach each week with my blog posts.

Research on genres

February 2, 2025

Research On Genres

Today, I spent some time researching different genres for my portfolio project, which made me even more excited to get started!!!!! Looking into all the possibilities helped me narrow down what I actually want to do, and I’ve realized that drama and coming-of-age are the two genres that make the most sense for me. They both feel like something I’d have fun filming while still being something I can pull off well.

Drama has always caught my attention because it focuses so much on emotions and real-life situations. It’s all about storytelling and connecting with the audience on a deeper level. A lot of my favorite movies have that emotional pull that makes you really care about what’s happening. I like that drama can be anything from intense and serious to more subtle and quiet. It gives me a lot of room to play around with different ideas, which is why I think it could be a great fit for my project. https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-drama-definition/  

Then there’s coming-of-age, which I’ve always loved. These movies capture those little moments in life that feel small but actually mean everything. They focus on friendships, growing up, and figuring things out, and I think that’s what makes them so relatable. I also love how visually creative they can be, with lots of bright colors, fun music, and unique ways of telling a story. Movies like Lady Bird and The Perks of Being a Wallflower have so much creativity that I really liked, so I’d love to bring some of that energy into my own film opening. https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-a-coming-of-age-movie-definition/

Now that I’ve looked into these genres more, I feel like I have a better understanding of what makes them work. I’m still figuring out exactly what I want to do, but I know this research is going to help shape how I approach my project. Whether it’s the way I introduce the story, the kind of visuals I use, or the overall mood I want to create, these two genres are the right fit. I can already tell that having a clear direction is going to make the whole process so much easier (and way more fun).