CCR & Film Opening

CCR's 

CCR #1/2

CCR #3/4

THE OPENING

Pushover

The END

     After eight weeks of hard work, we are finally at the end. This project was nothing like I've done before, and it's made me realize that school lacks the opportunity to give students the free will to create anything meaningful. In the four years of my high school career, I've never been granted the opportunity to create something with so much time and effort up until taking AICE Media Studies. I'm very grateful that I was given the opportunity to do this project, especially after learning so many things.

    One of the things that at first made me a little uncomfortable and stressed was the blog post. At first these blogs felt intimidating but with time they became part of my routine and gave me a perspective in relation to how films are planned and made. Looking back I do wish I added more personality to my post but to me I think it's really important that I did them as a whole. 

    The project in general was a great experience. I learned a lot of what it takes to work with other people, especially when not everyone has the same perspective in things, but its taught me how to perceiver through different situations. When taking a look at planning I wish I put a bit more effort, to be honest, not because I don't think I did a great job but because I think I could've made a better product. I feel strongly about this when thinking about the way we organized the filming process since it was such a mess at times. Other than that, a lot of the time I felt that my production abilities were reinforced and strengthened, by the constant immersion in the project. 

    And for my final message. I'm hoping that students in the future are given more opportunities to create what they want and learn how they want. Thank you very much AICE Media Studies, for all the moments of growth and reflection. 

     

CCR Post-Production

    Now that I'm finally done with all the production for both of my CCRs, it's time for me to begin editing. 

    Since, my CCR for questions 1 and 2 involves the use of a green screen, I needed to find a way to key it out in the editing software. I used Premiere Pro for the first time for this CCR, and yes I did use it for the opening but that was mainly Brennan, so this was the first actual time I was using it. I did some research on how to key it out and it was pretty simple. All I had to do was go to the effects setting and use the Ultra Key and select the color of what I wanted to key out. Now, that this was done, I needed to figure out a way to add the opening in the green screened monitor. For this I added a layer below the layer that was masked out and with the use of the corner pin tool under Distort (effects), I transformed the video to fit the monitor perfectly. I also did this for the rest of what would appear later in the video, like references and sources. Another thing I did was add background music, to not have such a dull video especially since most of the time only my face appeared. For the music I went with Jazz music to add a calm tone. Then in addition to the music I tried to limit the amount of jump cuts which were only around two, and they were only visible when talking about different CCR questions and the ending.

CCR's 1 & 2

    The second CCR which answered questions 3 and 4, had a bit more to it in terms of how the sequence went. This production involved a back and forth with T and me, so it meant that clips needed to be displayed accordingly to not mess up the set of questions. While, editing I found that I should probably add some text before the "interview" began to let the people know the name of the show and who was being interviewed. So, this is what I did and had the text fade in and out with the footage as well. Compared to the other production there was not that many technical components involved in terms of effects, but overall it was a successful post-production.

CCR's 3 & 4

    One thing I forgot to mention about the first CCR production was that when I would answer the questions for the CCR I would make the foreground into the background by blurring it and adding text stating the question. This was something I thought added a little more personality to the production and made it a bit more engaging. Another detail that I saw was that there was too much negative space so I decided to crop the footage and make it more appealing. 

    Realistically, I think I'll probably do some final touches and revise what I have. I don't want these videos to feel basic and dull, so even though there's not that much going on I think editing is what's going to save me in terms of professionality and creativity. 

CCR Production

         We are getting closer and closer to the end. Yesterday, while discussing my production ideas I settled with what I had and today I began filming. For my first CCR production I went with questions 1 and 2. This production was heavy in camera angles and focused a lot on the editing opportunities. The second production was for questions 3 and 4, and was a more of a gag type of production.

    While, filming for my first production, I moved several things in my room, for me to get the best angles and efficiency. But, most importantly I thought of something that I mentioned in the production ideas blog, which was making my monitor a green screen so I could show media through it. This was honestly my favorite detail and it was something to give the video more life, since my overall theme was just a "movie review." One thing that had me a little frustrated was the fact that the tripod I've had for years was broken, and I didn't have either the time to buy another one or money. Luckily, I remembered that my family had these banner stands and the to legs that held it were pretty much a tripod itself. So, that's what I used and I can't even lie it was way better than the one I had before. Also, this production took about an hour. including the set-up, which meant that I had enough time to film my other production later on in the day. 

Green Screen Monitor

Tripod

    For my second production, I went with the, "Therapy for Actors," which is intended to be an interview like show that asks questions to actors in a easy but detailed way. I decided I'd film this in my living room where the ambience was clean and simple. Since, I had no one else to film this scene with I had to "improvise" and play T, the therapist, and myself, Jean Paul Hernandez. While, it was a little frustrating trying to get all the dialogue right at the time, I think that with my responses, which were the answers to the CCRs, it felt realistic because of some of my delays in thought. And no this does not mean I did not know my lines, but I think it did give it a bit more of a real feel to it. For, both of the characters, I had different hairstyles and clothing to differentiate who was who and it definitely contrasted them both. I do think that there was some things that I could have improved, like some of the script, but I think it tied together pretty well.

Living Room

CCR Production Ideas

     Now, that I've answered all 4 CCRs it's time for me to think about how I could bring these answers to life.

    For the CCRs 1 and 2 I'll be producing one video. Here I was thinking of making a YouTube film review type of video. Meaning that I would answer the questions of the CCR as a person talking about the film and analyzing the conventions and how to access the film. Since, this production will be quite simple, I wanted to give it a little uniqueness through using my monitor as a green screen and inserting parts of what I'm talking about in the screen to give it a bit more creativity. Other than that, I think I'll have some background Jazz music to give it a bit more character.

    Then just like the other two CCRs I'll be having the questions of CCR 3 and 4 in the same video. For this production I want it to be a less generic than my last. How? Well, I was thinking of making a "Therapist for Actors" type of show that has T the "therapist" ask questions to me the, actor. These questions will be CCR 3 and 4, but will have mini questions in between that add more detail to the answers. Honestly, I think it'll work more as  quick interview type of thing, but I think it'll be very fun to film since, I'll be playing both roles.

    Hopefully, this turns out to be a fun little project that's going to help reflect my experience throughout this eight week journey. 

Question #4 (CCR)

 Now, the very last question of the CCR, how did you integrate technologies - software, hardware, and online - in this project? To me this is a pretty cool question since it helps understand, at least to me, the different technologies go into making a a film.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT:

• Discuss any type of technology
• Different types of hardware: cameras, lighting, mics, etc.
• Any software: planning, editing, animation, tools, etc.
• How were these technologies used?

CCR#4 SCRIPT:

    Through the process of making a film, there is one thing that gets written out of the equation. What is thing? Well, that would be the technologies used to make these productions. That's why when understanding the production of, Pushover, technologies are quintessential. 

HARDWARE: 

    The camera used in the film was obtained through Brennan and his connections with the TV production crew at our school. The camera was phenomenal and had a microphone attached to it which was very important when recording the dialogue. 

    Lighting wise, we didn't have much control in the park scene, but in the tracking shot of Asher at his house we used the natural lighting in the house and ring lights that helped tone the film down. We also played with the lighting in the editing software, but that'll be talked about more later.

SOFTWARE:

    For the software used in the planning and post-production, there was a nice amount of helpful tools. For example, websites like StudioBinder were very helpful in research and planning processes like the storyboard. 

    Editing wise, we used Adobe Premiere, which was provided to us by the school. This site is great in terms of productivity and was a key tool in the lighting due to it's tone changer. It's also very helpful with it's advanced but simple interface. 

HOW WERE THEY USED?

    While, at times some of these technologies were tedious to work with, the understanding from me, Vanessa, and Brennan worked together in a interesting and interactive way that glued everything together. 

CONCLUSION:

    I tried something a little different in the script for this CCR and that will probably will be reflected onto the script of the third CCR question. It's likely that both CCR's will change a little when coming up with the production ideas, but for now this is what I'll be working with.  

    

Question #3 (CCR)

     As previously mentioned, both CCR #3 and #4 are going to be composed in the same production. Because of this I'll be making a script for CCR #3 today. This CCR asks, how did your production skills develop throughout this project? This question is great and gives a reflection of how a person grows over time.

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT:

• How have your skills evolved throughout the production
• How it began and how it ended
• Research & planning
• Approach towards production

CCR#3 SCRIPT:

    This script involves me answering the CCR question, although there's a good chance that for the production I'll have more character and idea built into it. 

    For the production of, Pushover, I had previous experience in several other film productions from film classes in the past. Some of these projects were really short films, music videos, and even stop-motion, but I've never done a project with so much thought and energy until this one. 

    During the previous projects for my film classes I didn't necessarily research or plan anything out. By not doing this, the end results were not so good. But, unlike those productions, this was one was the complete opposite. I thoroughly researched many different topics, techniques, and ideas that elevated my work a lot. This was evident while researching for my genre, because beforehand my knowledge on thriller was limited and by researching I understood things within the conventions of the genre that helped give a blueprint on how to make thriller. This leads me to my next point which is planning. Planning was also something that I had lacked in previous projects, but while filming this project it was really helpful, especially as a guide. Also, planning through storyboarding was great, since it lead as a visual representation of what scenes were to look like. 

    By incorporating these tools, it lead to approach the production in a more professional and concentrated way. Meaning that with the brains of three people, we discussed ideas in a mature manner. If we didn't agree with something we would speak up and adjust our views. This was something that guaranteed me certainty that I was both growing as a film maker and as a someone who could overcome difficulties.

    As the project developed it gave me time to see the steps of where we as a group started and how we at first struggled creatively and how we then ended up as people that can create something meaningful and entertaining. 

CONCLUSION:

    Just how I mentioned earlier, this is just a blueprint of my answer/script to CCR#3. When I come up for an idea for this production I'll be sure to add a creative aspect that helps generate a less boring product. 

Question #2 (CCR)

     For the second CCR it asks, how does your product engage with audiences and how would it be distributed as a real media text? This question has two major parts that are very important towards how audiences interact with the film. Smaller films normally don't have huge budgets since they're either independent or not directly supported through a big production company. Meaning that for this CCR I'll be focusing on the way that Pushover is going to be distributed through its small budget. 

    Also just as a little update, I wanted to say that I'll be making a piece of production for questions #1 and question #2 and another production for questions #3 and #4. So, in the script shown I'll be talking about both question #1 and #2, just to clarify any confusion. 

SCRIPT

CCR#1

    Hello everybody my name is Jean Paul Hernandez and today we are going to talk about the opening scene for the highly recommended film, Pushover, from Briggs Productions. The films opening follows the sequence of the murder of Austin, a teenage boy that plays the role of a "bully." In the opening he gets killed by the protagonist, Asher, a strange kid that has mental problems. In just the first two minutes of the film, it already uses conventions within the thriller genre. The suspense that is built through both Asher's and Austin's interactions hooks the audience instantly and perfectly demonstrates the blueprint that thriller films convey. With the use of these conventions the film also stays focused on thriller by representing different social groups that are evident in both Asher and Austin. The way in which Asher physically portrays himself acts as a mask for his true psycho mentality building up the mysterious sense of thrill. Now, Austin's appearance acts more as a reflection of what Asher is and helps develop their characters at deeper level.

CCR#2

    Now, that we have settled the films narrative its time to take a look at how this low budget film is being distributed for people to see. From what I've been told Briggs Productions is independent and due to money have limited ways to distribute their film, Pushover. That's why they've decided to self-distribute and release their film through the Thriller/Suspense Festival. This is an online festival that accepts submissions from all over the world. Meaning that it's a great way for production companies like Briggs Productions to distribute and embrace their films. Through this festival, films are recognized and can get awards like, Best Performance, so it creates an engaging stage that also grants the audience a way to become involved in how the film pushes its popularity and success. 

CONCLUSION

    This is pretty much a completed version of my script for both the first and second CCR, but honestly when filming the production for these question I'll probably add a bit more character to give the "review" a bit more personality. 

Provost, R. (2025, January 13). What is film distribution — The ultimate guide for filmmakers. StudioBinder. https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/film-distribution-guide/

https://filmfreeway.com/ThrillerSuspenseFestival

Question #1 (CCR)

     For the first question of the CCR we are asked, how does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues? For this specific question t here are many different things that can assumed for a film. This would also be the case for my opening, due its representation of thriller and identity.

    Because our film's genre is thriller I researched a lot on conventions within the genre. A lot of it is based suspense and intense atmospheres. Some films that represent this are in the John Wick series and Inception (2010), that have a bases surrounding thrill. One of the sub-genres within thriller is revenge thriller, which illustrates a protagonist experiencing and solving a problem that is personal to them. 

    Immediately when being introduced into Pushover we are given thrill, which is a use of one of the films conventions. As Asher gets harassed and demeaned by Austin, it fuels Asher just enough to kill Austin. This scene alone showcases the suspense within this genre it also captures the dark atmosphere that lingers. Within this scene, a sense of revenge is captured through Asher that the audience is yet to understand. It perfectly demonstrates the genre through a short period of time, that is efficient through the fact that a lot of these thriller films have a way to hook the audience instantly. Hence, the reason why we decided to not really challenge the genre's conventions since it's already a blueprint that works well in itself. By being able to appropriately follow these "rules" it helps tell viewers what the film is meant to be about in just the opening alone. It's a great way to develop meaning too, between characters and their traits.

    These conventions that the thriller genre has, is a perfect way to introduce social groups and issues. Both Asher and Austin can be characterized immediately just through the limited time they have in the opening. Asher faces a truth that is demonstrated by his appearance and work. He appears to follow the stereotypical architecture of a person that only focuses on school. Then once, the suspenseful scene where Asher runs to kill Austin, it causes there to show the mental struggle he faces at home due to his home life. Now, for Austin his clothes show the constant variable where baggy clothes and tough character represent a person that faces issues at home. Both of these characters are very similar in a way as both struggle at home, with relations, but their appearance tells another story. Through Austin's death the conventional use of revenge identifies issues that Asher has and also his emotions.

    The use of conventions, while repetitive at times, is a form of setting a base and establishing what is to come. This gave me and the group a grounding as to what the film's opening was to show. Personally, I think that films that are thriller based, need to have it established immediately to apply a more tone driven piece.