CCR

My CCR podcast, via my iPhone 7.

The Final Product

Gone  (2017)
Directed by Zach Cohen
Written by Zach Cohen
Edited by Zach Cohen
Starring Alec Marsh

The Post-Production Pt. 3

I'm done with my project! Now all I have to do is create a YouTube channel, record the CCR, and upload the final project (and blog about it). I can do that tomorrow though I have no time today. In this post I'll talk about some changes I made and some regrets I have.

I added text to credit the creator (me) and the actor (Alec) in the last shot. I used simple white text with the name being in bold (pictured below). I didn't want to be distracting, but I felt Alec and I deserved to be credited. The credits "not only acknowledge the achievement of the individuals responsible for the movie, but can create a sense of pride as well," per Arnon Shorr of studiobinder.com. This also means that if the movie is good, people will know who made it and I will be proud of it. If people don't like it, oh well I'm stuck to it.

 

I also added an upbeat, action track called Escalation in the end when the character realizes that he's alone. I did this to create a dramatic, epic effect. Jaclyn Bell says that the right music "sets the scene." In the scenes, the character is running frantically outside. It is a fast-paced sequence that should be accompanied by fast-paced music. Take a look at the Star Wars films. The music almost defines the entire series as it perfectly complements what's seen on screen.

It took a long, long time but I finally found a title: Gone. It reflects the first-glance situation (last person on Earth after everyone disappears) but also can represent the actual situation (dead and in a limbo-like phase before transiting to the afterlife). Let me explain. The character originally thinks that everyone is gone, but he doesn't know how or why and why he is the only one left. However, he comes to realize that it is him who is dead. His entire life, his family, his friends, his love and passions, all gone. He is the one who is "gone," not everyone else. I added a faint glow to a slow zooming white text to make it look more eerie.

I wish I did a couple things differently. First, I was so focused on making sure the shots were steady that I didn't realize that shots that move more on the edges might add to the franticness and confusion of the film. Also, I wish I had recorded some more audio tracks of Alec speaking so I could avoid some audio issues. Like I've said, my biggest issue was the white noise in the background. White noise is the background sounds that most people tend to overlook, like an A/C or the buzzing of a computer charger, or in my case a fish tank. I tried to reduce it using an Adaptive Reduction tool, but it was 50/50. It could just be me and that I was looking for the noise, but I'll have to see what others say. Overall, I am proud of what I made but I wouldn't say it's great. Now I have to make a YouTube channel. (For the sixth and final time, Thanks Blogger).

Bell, Jaclyn. "Music Makes Movies." Center Digitaled. N.p., 22 Apr. 2012. Web. 7 Apr. 2017. 

Shorr, Arnon. "Where Credit Is Due. Film Credits Order Hierarchy (with Free Film Credits Template)." Studio Binder. N.p., 8 Sept. 2016. Web. 7 Apr. 2017. 

The Post-Production Pt.2

I'm almost done with editing. I've made a few changes though. My first one I was removed the white layer and just took down the saturation. It didn't look good, kind of unclear and hazy, but now it seems a little dull. It fits the mysterious tone of the film, and thescriptlab.com agrees that lowering the overall color of a scene can "give an eerie or suspenseful effect".

I also added an inverted ellipse with a decreased feather and opacity to give the perception that the audience is seeing the scenes from someone else's point of view. For some reason, it's white on the corners but in the video it's black because of the black video in the background. I did this to make the audience connect with the character and try and understand what's going on in the character's mind. Also, its got some pretty good hints and foreshadowings of what's to come later on in the movie. I explained in my Filming in LA posts why I chose the scenes I did.

My biggest issue is audio. I did my best to turn off any electronic thing in the house so there were no background noises, but I couldn't shut off my fish tank. You can hear it slightly in the background. Luckily, for some actions like the footsteps, I recorded an audio clip for them. I just need to make it seamless and realistic. I know how important audio can be, but filmbase.ie says it better than I can.

Fortunately, Alec and I recorded many self-made audio tracks. In addition to some footsteps, I recorded the opening/closing of the doors, Alec's scream, and the heartbeat at the beginning. However, I wasn't all that talented so I used some sounds from a website called orangefreesounds.com. It's royalty-free so they allow anyone to use any of the sounds in anything. I used a gong-like sound when Alec saw his parents' empty bed (to show that something was wrong in that there was no one around) and a climactic zoom sound (to pair with the vertigo shot because it just sounded better). I didn't like Alec's gasp in the beginning so I used a male gasp track and I think it sounds better.

A huge part in covering up any audio flaws like that one is adding music. Fortunately, I used royalty-free music so I won't have any issues there. I settled on a track called Eerie Atmospheres. It is very suspenseful and I'll use it in the beginning when the character wakes up confused.

I still have some finishing touches to do, but I'm in LA (again) and I will try and make time to do so. Next post I'll talk about what my finished product and what I would have done differently.

"Mystery/Suspense." The Script Lab. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2017.

Dombchik, Max W. "The Importance of Sound." Filmbase. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2017.

The Post-Production Pt. 1

I filmed the final parts of my memory sequence yesterday. One of them was me scratching my dog (pictured to the right). I did it to show another aspect of joy in the character's life. Also, a dog can symbolize friendship, per whats-your-sign.com/.

I started editing today. As I mentioned before, I'm using Adobe Premiere Pro. The first thing I did was put all the clips on the track. Then, I trimmed them to a timing I felt was appropriate. I have a few sequences on there, like when the character turns the corner into the living room. A sequence is important as it provides a "realistic and seamless transition between two chronological actions," according to thescriptlab.com.

Once the clips were in place, I started toying with visual effects. I settled on a transparent whit player to give the opening a "heavenly" feel. For more on that, check out my post The Pre-Film Stage. However, it doesn't look that good as it disrupts some of the clarity, so I might take it off and just reduce the saturation with the ProCamp effect.

I still have not found a title, but I created a template for it. I gave it a simple, sleek white font with a faded gray outline. I have it slowly zoom on a black background. I gave it a slow zoom to emphasize suspense and to change the pace from a fast sequence of events to something eerily slow. I checked out www.videomaker.com for some advice, and they recommended big, centered text to emphasize the title, kind of like the one from Psycho.

I really need to get the editing done because I have so much work to make-up by tomorrow and I leave for LA again after school. Just a quick thought.

"Dog Meaning and Dog Symbolism." Www.whats-your-sign.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2017.

Schilf, Michael. "The Eight Sequences." The Script Lab. The Script Lab, n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2017.

Driscoll Jr, Edward S. "The Art of the Title Sequence." Videomaker. N.p., 01 Sept. 2009. Web. 05 Apr. 2017.

The End of Filming

I got back from LA early yesterday morning, and I still have some work to do. At this point, I was supposed to be done filming but I still have some shots left:
My dog
A happy scene with my mom
A sad scene with my mom
Getting frustrated over work
Holding a girl's hand
The girl laughing/smiling
The girl leaving
The scene at the pool
I can get the first four and last one at home, but I'll need to do the ones with the girl in school. I can do it during my fourth period or seventh period, ideally.

I've already described why I want happy and sad scenes, but the pool memory is pivotal. That is when the character looks up at the sky, as if looking at God, then down at the pool then jumping. I also plan to have a knife just for more clarity that he is about to kill himself. However, it will not be revealed until the end that that is when the character kills himself and he is the one who is dead. This clip, along with other subtle features like the echo and the white clothing all add up to the character being in a kind-of limbo state before he ascends to Heaven. The goal is for the audience to watch the memories closely, and if their smart enough they can piece together how the character went from happy to depressed to dead.

Other than this delay, my only issue is that I have to submit my work on April 8th. However, I will be back in LA to visit family and I hope I will have time to work on my project. This is why I must get it done asap, but I do have lots of work to make-up and an SAT in the time until then. It will take some great concentration and focus to get it done, but as www.ananda.org says, "Concentration and determination are the keys to success."

Kriyananda, Swami. "Concentration Is the Key to Success." Ananda Sangha Worldwide. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.