Life Update

   Hi blog, senior year has been something. I have decided to finish my year by graduating early attending online classes. I am still going to be working for the basketball team and am finishing up my college applications. I submitted my UF application today so wish me luck! Basketball season is coming soon so hopefully I will have some photos/videos to share soon.

Senior Year

  Hi, blog, the senior year started today, but my first day went poorly. I woke up and had a panic attack which resulted in me getting sick. I did not end up going to school today, but will tomorrow. In other news, I applied and got in to work for my school's basketball team! I will be working with two other girls on the social media team to promote the sporting events. I am very excited to share any content I create with you here. I will be creating graphics, photographing/videoing games, editing content, etc. 

University of Falling

  Hi blog I will be brutally honest in that I did not learn how to use Adobe and it is my last night at the University of Florida's Summer Media Institute. Note that the blog title relates to the fact I probably stopped myself from tripping at least ten times on campus. There is lots of construction going on and a lot of uneven surfaces.

The Experience:

  What is the Summer Media Institute?

  UF SMI is a six-day program where students can learn from UF professionals and outside resources and make connections with other students who are passionate about the journalism and/or communication field. While being at SMI students experience average college-related things such as living in dorms, eating in dining halls, and walking the campus.

  Why did I do SMI?

  I signed up for SMI to step out of my comfort zone. Through AICE Media if you have seen any of my other blog posts you know I mainly worked behind the camera producing, directing, editing, etc. I chose one of eight specialties available, Anchoring and Hosting. Here is the full description of this specialty from the SMI website. "Improve your on-air performance skills. From anchoring newscasts and going live in the field, students will learn new techniques and get to practice and improve their presence and performance. They will also learn the finer points of shooting standups for TV news stories." This too me sounded very interesting!

  How was my SMI specialty experience?

  I really enjoyed the experience of being able to practice reading from a professional teleprompter while sitting at the anchor desk looking professional. For the first time, I do not think I did terribly. We did not go live in the field at all I would not say, but we did shoot an interview and for that got to set up a professional camera. 

  What stood out to me at SMI?

  I had limited expectations going into SMI. I would first say I did not expect to feel in shock at points. For example, I did a sports announcing hour-long class and whilst walking to the studio a band was being recorded in a nearby studio and we stopped in and watched as it was being recorded, This was crazy. Also crazy was the first time I walked into the INC/Innovation News Center. It was nice to see how so many different media specialties are under one roof from WUFT broadcasting to GHQ radio station. 

  Did anything unexpected occur?

  Yes, I knew I was going to enjoy the sports announcing the election, but not as much as I did. From the start of the elective, I knew it was my place to be as the lecturer began to discuss football, my favorite sport. We learned about the sheets with player information and scripts before speaking through one of the scripts. I would say I did a decent job as when asked who should sit in the mic chair for a group picture my peers pointed at me. I was supposed to get the announcement which was about UF sports inductees done in a minute and I did just that. Personally, I believe I was shaky and stuttering at points, but it is good to know this was not clear. This really confirmed my desire to work in sports. Throughout the week in anchoring my peers and I kept being told that we should not go into sports and should go into meteorology. This concerned me quite a bit, but I realize now I do not have to be a sports broadcast reporter if I want to make it in sports. 

  Did I like the campus?

  I do like the campus of Florida. I thought it was very pretty at night time when the Century Tower was lit up. The dining hall options were limited, but I believe this is due to the small amounts of staff and students currently at the school. The people I met on the campus were very kind from a random guy who told me where the dirty dishes drop off after I looked confused after my first meal to the director of the program who sang Party in the USA at the program's karaoke and the teacher assistants who gave me compliments on my anchoring and checking over of the teleprompter script.

My future with UF:

  I plan to apply to the University of Florida this fall. Common App opens in less than a month. My test scores are not exactly strong so that is where my fear comes in. I have an upcoming ACT and SAT. However, during one of the night lectures we spoke to current and recent University of Florida students and we (the SMI students) could ask the UF students whatever we wanted to. Someone asked if each person could say their SAT/ACT score and it was good to see that there was a variation in the scores people got. 

Moving Foward:

  I got to see Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. I hope by me gracing the area the team will have a fantastic season. I may or may not have told my brother that if FSU wins the national championship this year I would go to Florida State.

  During the sports elective on Thursday, I got an idea on how to change my college essays so that is something I need to get working on as Common App opens around August. Update, I did write a new collage essay that incoorporated my SMI experince! Along with this, maybe I can try to announce games at my high school. I know the guy who did it for basketball and baseball left, but there may be another person who already planned to do that. I did however apply to work in social media for my school's basketball team, but I have not heard back about this yet. Wish me luck!

More Photographs:

Disclaimer these are all uneditied and were shot using auto settings on my families camera which I have only used a few times. I would like to get more into photgraphy in the near future.

Update:

  It has been over a month since SMI and I miss the experience a lot, I have started my University of Florida application, wish me luck! I am posting this after asking for permission to speak on the program on this blog, but I did not hear anything back for the month so I do not speak for the program/school. Go Gators!

Closing the Chapter: Part 2

  Back in the media room, I was for year two. I was thrilled to find out that Brooke and Julie were in my class for year two! I knew the majority of the class from day one, but there were a few new faces whom I developed relationships with over the year.

  This year was a bit of a blur for me as I dealt with mental health challenges, however, the media gave me an outlet, a place where I could escape my own struggles and just enter a new world I created. Media gave me a purpose. 

   The projects that impacted me the most in media this year were the two final projects. This year, unlike last, I decided to create my short film "Unaware" alone, this mainly was due to the fear that I would drag my partner down. Working alone went well, I was able to create each component, the video, social media, and postcard. During critiques, most people praised my social media which was great as I thought that in college I could attempt to become an influencer/post my passions. 

  Speaking of passions, as you read in the second most recent blog I really am unsure of what I want to do in the future. I think my major will end up being something in journalism/digital media, but I will still try to take courses in the marketing/communications field. 

  I was one of six juniors in a class full of seniors. I had honestly not talked to all of the juniors well till today, the final day of class. I hope that I continue to keep up to date with these students as we are all going to be dealing with AICE Media withdrawal. I was so impacted by each student in the class as they each had their specialization which they were more into. Some of my peers had great scripting skills, others had great marketing skills, and others had great videography skills. I recently wrote a few Instagram messages to a few of the seniors that impacted me the most as seeing their skills challenged me to grow.

  The final project I ended up editing as you know if you read the last blog. I used Adobe Premire for the first time when previously I had only used iMovie. Editing this allowed me to see the wide arrange of areas in the media I could work in as some of my peers want to work for The New York Times and others want to become directors. This class has prepared me for a job in the field and I am extremely grateful to my teacher.

The way I started my AICE Media blog: 

    "Hi, my name is Grace, I am a 10th grader who is at the point of life where she must figure out what she wants to do in the working world. My "ideal job" changes weekly, if not daily, and the media is something I am interested in. College seems far away but I know time flies. Currently, I am enrolled in the AICE Media AS course. This blog will be the place I document my work as I go along learning and creating within media. I am so excited to be able to look back in the future and see some of the exciting things I got to create in my sophomore year."

The way I am ending my AICE Media blog:

  Hi, my name is Grace, I am a soon-to-be senior who is still figuring out what she wants to do in the working world. My "ideal job" remains to be something that is ever-changing, but I know for sure I want to work in the media. College does not seem far away anymore as time is flying. I am soon no longer rolled in AICE Media and this blog will now be used in any way I want, whether it is sharing creations, reviewing a movie, etc. I am so excited about my future.

Closing the Chapter: Part 1

  Hey blog, today was my final AICE Media class and I am feeling very sappy about it. I think I have grown as both a person and media artist throughout these past two years. Walking out of class was very odd, but I know I can go back to the AICE Media room whenever I need to.

Recap:

  Day one of sophomore year I remember as being a good day, my hair was looking good, I got to school on time, I had friends in my classes, an overall good experience! I had AICE Media AS the second period and I will admit the first time walking into that class I was nervous. I was one of just a few sophomores in the class that was typically taken by only seniors and juniors. I recognized many of the upperclassmen as being tv production students and this was a concern as I knew they had experiences I did not have.

  I soon realized that my lack of experience would just mean I had to push myself harder. I believe my first AICE Media project was a short video which I could choose to make on anything. Due to my school opening a new building my partner/friend Brooke and I decided to make a project titled "Lightning Bolt Where?" . Looking back at this vide
o allowed me to see the growth that has occurred these past two years. My shots were very unstable and there was a lack of continuity. Our second AICE Media project (I think?) was a project where we had to take pictures that would convey a message. Mine was called something like "Fear of the Agenda" and it was about an evil agenda. I guess we can see that from the beginning of AS my brain had been in the psychological thriller area. I had a great time with this project as we were allowed to capture images throughout the school. I really enjoyed this freedom.

  Also during that year, we had a sound project which was my first time exposed to foley sound art. I really enjoyed this project and to this day watch videos on foley, usually they are Disney videos. I would love to get the chance to work with this art more in the future. Another project, which as my favorite, was the media marketing project. For this project, my group was assigned a song, Blind by Korn. I had never heard this song prior as it was in the metal genre, a genre which I do not exactly listen to. This genre was new to me, but it made me do intense research on other groups as I created a full website with merchandise and tour dates for the band. https://graceaicemedia.blogspot.com/2022/02/music-marketing-blog-post-2.html in that blog you can see more specifics. We filmed at night in a Publix parking lot and it was such as funny experience. I also created a promotional video which looking back at the font I choose for it makes me laugh. This project really finalized my switch from wanting to be a psych major to wanting to be a media/communications major.

  Finally, it was time to create my AICE Media AS project component. I still am proud of this project, "Can You Help Me" which I created with my friend Julie, but looking back there are so many changes I wish I could have made specifically with having more shot variety (which I still had troubles with this year) and with having my title appear on screen longer as this was a film opener.

  Throughout the AICE Media AS course we also learned information for our end of year essays, one of which was a visual analysis. Analysing pieces in media has certainley impacted my viewing experience of other films. I find myself always thinking, "That's a nice shot." or "Oh why did they not film in that way." This class also brought me closer to my peers. I still miss the seniors from that class as they always shared such funny stories. 

Start of Something New

  Hey blog, I am back! This summer I will be doing a one-week journalism program and have decided I want to learn how to use Adobe Premire Pro prior as I have been only using iMovie throughout my AICE Media experience which is coming to an end.

  Speaking of the AICE Media end, I am editing an my final project which was to create a video based on a prompt. The prompt my group choose was "What does it mean to 'grow up'" Our documentary is laid back as we interviewed our peers so I decided now could be a good time to start learning premier pro by creating a blooper reel which I do not think will be graded, but I could likely receive feedback on. 

  From first impressions, editing on Adobe seems like a slower process than on iMovie, but this could also just be because I am experienced with iMovie and not Adobe. I started watching a video on the basics and then got bored so I just decided to download the program and play around with it.

  I did not get much further than figuring out how to edit audio and clips and also I figured out how to add graphics

  I checked out the coloration area and was happy to see that there are presets that I will likely use when editing in the future. These preset looked less harsh than the iMovie presets I have previously used. I also thought the different audio effects were very interesting.

  As the program I am going to approaches in late June, I will continue to figure out how to use Adobe.

  I ended up also editing the documentary itself on iMovie which has inspired me to create future documentaries.

  I have missed the blog as you can tell, so I will for sure blog if I have time at the program or after the program. I am specializing in anchoring whilst there to step out of my comfort zone as I am more experienced with producing films rather than being on camera.

  I have some hopes that throughout next school year, I will make a few productions possibly a documentary on how my school's new clear bag policy is altering how people pack their bags and I also want to try and get involved in filming the sports at my school possibly by creating a season-long documentary for one of the less represented sports.

  College applications are coming soon and that is scaring me, but this new adventure will be okay! Things will work out the way they are meant to.

Project Components

  Today is the day you all now can officially see Unaware in all of its glory,

  I have created a linktree to put in the film's Instagram bio!

  Here are all the links to each specific component.

Short Film

Instagram

Postcard

  It is possible I posted the film on both Instagram and Youtube at 11:11... superstitious much? 

  I hope you all enjoy this piece, thanks again.

  Till we meet again.

Critical Reflection

  My short film, Unaware, aimed to capture the pressure felt by teens preparing for the SAT. More specifically, I aimed to capture the idea that preparing for your future as you prepare for college can be a challenge that people often do not accept and deal with which leads to chaos.

  Unaware is a comedic coming-of-age film. When looking at the coming-of-age conventions I was reminded of how coming-of-age films often focus on an important period of time for the main character as change is occurring. Researching these conventions made me think of two of my favorite films Sixteen Wishes and The Half of It which both feature stories about change that incorporate a love story, another common coming-of-age convention. Unaware features Sofia who is studying for her important SAT. To an extent, my film challenges the coming-of-age conventions since there is no strong romance in this film, but there does seem to be a developing crush on someone unknown. Unaware aligns with the comedic conventions which ties to the specific comedic choice of dialogue used. For example: "Help me, Harry". This current age reference is meant to make the audiences laugh and feel that they can relate to Sofia. Often people love to associate with and feel a connection with their favorite celebrities. Also, specific shot choices such as the long shot where Sofia falls on the treadmill and the long shot where Sofia forgets her keys making her stop mid-shot come together to develop an overall comedic tone. This aligns with the comedic conventions since often in comedy films there are over-the-top actions taking place, which is exemplified by Sofia taking a long time and doing unnecessary tasks to prepare for school. Challenging the comedic conventions is the ending of Unaware since it does not end in a happy tone rather it ends in the frustration Sofia feels after realizing she woke up during the middle of the night.

Frustration Filled

  Unawares' target audience is mainly females between the ages of twelve and eighteen many of whom are a part of Generation Z which is a very technological generation. Due to this, when branding Unaware the focus was placed on developing a relatable brand. The film component includes aspects of recent pop culture such as the previously mentioned reference to Harry Styles and the inclusion of modern prop pieces such as a hydro flask and minion figurine. Also, I created and posted a blooper reel to develop the feeling that there is a sense of realness behind the film. To target younger audiences I posted short promotional TikToks since younger generations tend to have short attention spans. The brand was not only meant to target Gen Z but also older people who can relate to the film's storyline. On Instagram, I included an interview with my mother who is not a female between the age of twelve and eighteen. I did this to potray that older generations would enjoy this film and to promote parents watching the film with their children. Also, when creating the Spotify playlist that is inspired by the film I used both recently released and past released music. I then used this music and posted Instagram stories to promote the film and interact with the community. Also on Instagram, TikTok, Spotify, and in the film itself, I decided to only use lowercase letters which is a common trend amongst my target audience. On the YouTube page, however, I did use capital letters as YouTube typically has an older target audience.  This relates to the idea of Unaware establishing a relatable brand.

  A way I could improve the brand would be by using the same font on all promotional items such as posts and the postcard. Speaking of the postcard, I do not think it developed my brand well. I mentioned
the social media pages and film festival screenings on the back of the card, but the postcard itself may have made the film look like it was a horror film due to the darkness of the key art. I used pink text to try and balance this out. This choice of the colored text relates to my target audience being females. 

  My brand is not only able to interact with its female aged twelve to eighteen target audience but is also able to represent its target audience. The main character and only character featured on the screen in Unaware is Sofia. Sofia is dealing with the struggle of feeling like she is disappointing her parents as can be known by the music choice she listens to "When Do I Stop" by Ale Aldana. Sofia is a Latino teenage female. I decided to create the character Sofia since young Latino women are underrepresented in film. Paola Segnini, a Latino portrays the role of Sofia, and Ale Aldana a Latino created the music for the film. The age of Sofia can be seen through the story since the SAT is specific to students and also by the overall mise-en-scene. In Unaware it can be seen that Sofia is around the age of preparing to go to college since she has college shirts hanging in her closet. As mentioned prior, there is a romantic aspect of Unaware. After waking up Sofia sees a text from a contact labeled with a heart. The audience never learns the name or the gender of this person. There is often a lack of LGBTQ+ representation within the Latino community so it is possible that Sofia is not out to people so she hides the identity of this crush. She also has a mini pride flag on a shelf in her room. I choose these aspects to represent the LGBTQ+ community and to normalize their existence in films. Many films based on LGBTQ+ characters solely focus on the romance aspect. I think Unaware is successful in representing my desired target audience due to the modern aspects of the story, but I could have included more Latino culture such as Sofia using Spanish after she falls on the treadmill or her mother using Spanish to express her deepened frustration towards her daughter after she is informed of Sofia's actions.

Modern Materials

  After the creation of Unaware over the span of ten weeks, I have gained knowledge on the process of creating a short film alone. I also have deepened my passion for marketing. I know there are aspects of each of the three components that could've been better, specifically making sure that all three aspects are tied together both visually and meaning-wise. All things considered, I am proud of the short film Unaware, its social media pages, and its postcard. 

Did I Find My Purpose?

  Hey blog, it feels crazy to type that by this time tomorrow my short film "Unaware" will be released. I wanted to wrap up my A Level AICE Media blog the way I began it which was by discussing how I hoped to find purpose whilst creating my AICE Media Short Film.

  When I began this project I was facing some mental health struggles which led to me missing a good chunk of school. I am still dealing with these issues which have impacted my motivation levels. I believe the formation of this project brought out my "good side". I have noticed that when I am focused on something I am passionate about, whether it be an American Sign Language Signing Show (which I was a part of earlier this year) or coming up with social media marketing for Unaware, I become an overall more stable person. Was I stressed while making this film? Of course, I was, but it was a sort of good stress as it made me push myself and gave me a reason to go on.

  Now to reflect on the specifics of the project. I know I should have done more research into other coming-of-age films, but my lack of ideas at the beginning completely pushed my timeline back. If I would have watched other coming-of-age films I could have likely written a better script, but I do think my sort of modern-day culture-related lines in the script and overall storyline were good.

  Filming wise I would love to get a "real" camera for any future projects I decided to create as my iPhone was slightly problematic. I would not have the issues of forgetting my iCloud password and having trouble saving footage if I had a camera. Also, I like to invest in a mic and a lighting kit. I do think given the lightning I have in my home I used my resources well for example by using a night skylight that gave the bedroom a night-like atmosphere. I think it would have been nice to use a mic to record the few sounds I recorded such as the shower running and the sink running. This would have given me clearer sounds.

  

  Editing wise I am happy with what I created. I think iMovie really pulled through in being easy to use. I would like to learn how to use other editing platforms on my own time when I have lots of time to learn the programs, but for now, iMovie worked well. I was able to use certain iMovie tools I had not used prior such as the ability to speed up clips and the usage of filters.

   In regards to marketing this was my favorite aspect of the project. My postcard may be slightly boring as I forgot to take any pictures during the filming process... but I think it came out alright. I really like my social media. I interact with my audience on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Spotify which are all commonly used by my target audience. I enjoyed getting to be creative when posting specifically when creating the TikToks. I do however wish I could have learned how to import fonts into and out of Canva as I believe this would have created more cohesiveness within my project.

  I am very thankful for the people I worked with during this film. Paola was a great actress as well as an overall supporter throughout this process. She is a person who will give her honest opinions so this was much appreciated. I also have to thank, Laura, who played the unseen role of the mother in both the film and my life. Her support throughout this process is very appreciated. I also must thank Ale Aldana who created the songs used in both the film itself and the blooper reel. The song "When Do I Stop" well-encapsulated Sofia's emotions. Prior to Ale's offer to create this song for my film, I really had given up on music due to not hearing back from multiple companies. Lastly, I thank the past and current AICE Media Students and my teacher Ms. Stoklosa (hi if anyone is reading this) who have made me push myself. Seeing other people's projects come to life has been awesome. The people in my class are crazy talented and I cannot wait to see what they accomplish in life as most of them head to college.

  It feels weird to think I will not be taking AICE Media during my senior year of high school. I am a person who hates change so I hope to continue to use my film passion to create new projects just for funsies. One passion AICE Media sparked in me was the passion for social media/marketing. I first fell into this when I created a website and merchandise for the AS Level Music Marketing project.  I then again was able to use this passion to create the social media for "Unaware" which I am quite of.

  I thank all of you who have read these blogs even if somedays the blogs were just me complaining about how all music companies hate me (side note, yesterday I received an email from the owners of the song "Cold Cold Man" by Saint Motel, which I wanted to use for my blooper reel, asking for more information to help me gain the rights to the song... a little late). I hope to continue to use my passion as a way to escape from my mind. I hope to blog more here in the future, even if it is just little life updates because I miss blogging.

So Did I Find My Purpose? Do people even have purposes?

Post Card

  I have now completed all three components of my project! Here is my print component, the postcard!

Front 
                                         

Back

My postcard is simple since my target audience of teens may not want to read a lot of information. Instead they would rather scroll through social media which I listed. I also listed my fake screening at the Florida Film Festival which is an upcoming festival in my home state. 

Sadly I was unable to figure out how to import a font into Canva. I was hoping to use the same font I used for my title and credits. However, I think this font, which I have used for promotion on the social medias works well! I was a little worried that since the stills I chose for the front and back are dark lightning wise it might give off the wrong perception that this is a horror film. This font I believe makes it clear that it is not a horror film. I choose the pink color since in the film Sofia wears a plain pink shirt at one point. As I stated in my social media post I have decided to use all lowercase for my social media posts and even credits, so I carried this through to my postcard. 

Social Media

  Hi again blog, I made a blooper reel for my film! Whilst filming Paola (aka Sofia) and I (the director) had lots of funny moments which I felt the audience would enjoy seeing. This is also a source of promotion for "Unaware" since I am posting it prior to posting the film. 

  I uploaded a few more posts on Instagram and linked the Spotify playlist I created for the film. I also created a Tik Tok account where I posted a few videos and then added them to Instagram as well. I have a few Tik Toks saved to post after the film's release.

  I have decided I am going to post the film and blooper reel on both YouTube and Instagram. YouTube is a very commonly used platform not just in America, but globally. 

  I am waiting to get Paola's approval to post the blooper reel since she is in it and should have an opinion on if she wants any clips removed. 

  Update she said I could upload it!

https://youtu.be/APTQSgO86QY 

  My goal when creating the blooper reel was to create something real. I did not edit the visual aspects at all so the looks are the originally filmed form. As you may notice in the image below (if it ever uploads) the first shot of the blooper reel looks quite grainy. I did not use this shot in the film itself, however, it is a realistic shot of what footage a cinematographer may capture. I did, however, edit the sound to make sure everything was even and could easily be heard. I tried to align my clips up to the music, which is the instrumental version of "When Do I Stop" by Ale Aldana, to create a blooper reel that is a satisfying watch.

  Plot-wise I was very lucky that my first and last shots came naturally. As you would notice if you watch the blooper reel (which you should) in the first blooper I mistakenly was recording and say "3 Oh I was filming this whole time" since I had planned to start recording, but already was. This leads well into the rest of the bloopers. The last shot is not really a blooper. It is footage I shot to use for a vlog, but then I never did create the vlog because I did not capture enough vlog footage. However, this clip fits perfectly as an end to the blooper reel as in it Paola and I wave bye to the camera!

Moving Forward:

  I will be creating my postcard tomorrow!

  

I can not believe this project is coming to an end. I am attending a Taylor Swift concert Thursday so my last blog posting will be on Wednesday. In that post I will have my postcard, short film, and social media pages linked. 

Editing Wrap Up

  Hey blog, I never made a proper blog post as to how editing my film Unaware went so here is this!

Importing Footage:

  When I initially imported my footage I had over five minutes of footage just from the start of the short film till the gym scene ended. I was very worried as I knew once I imported the rest my film would be likely over ten minutes. Luckily I found the portion of iMovie that allows you to change the speed of your footage! I majorly utilized this tool.

Speed

  This tool allowed me to be able to use all of the footage I shot. A great aspect of this tool is that it preserves the pitch of the clip.

Stabilize Footage:

  Another iMovie tool I utilized was the stabilization ability. Even with my camera rig, I had some shacky hands so some of my footage was shakey. I was able to add the stabilization effect so my footage is more stable.

Stabilized

Match Color:

I used the match color filter to make each gym scene look the same. Since I shot from multiple angles in that location the lightning differed prior, so this helped!

Matching Color

Matching Color

Filter:

  Speaking of color I used iMovies Day into Night filter to make sure that the clips where Sofia leaves and enters the house appear to be nighttime. We shot these scenes at night, but my outside porch light was a little too bright and cold not be dimmed.

Before and After

Crop to Fit:

  To edit a few close-up shots I used the crop-to-fit feature on iMovie so that the image displayed was easily readable.

Sofia's Screen

Sound Editing:

  All of my dialogue I was able to record while on set! I only added in the music/music alarm and a few extra dietetic sounds such as the sound of Sofia's phone being laid down and the sound of the shower running. 

Shower Sound

                                      
Title/Credits
  When choosing a font for my title and credits I knew I wanted something that the audience would look at and think of school. I used the website Dafont and found the font "School Book New" which looks like a pencil writing.

Font

Font in Film

  My screenshotted images do not seem to want to upload currently, but I hope they will later! Update I had to import them differently which took quite a few minutes :(

Moving Foward:

  I will be creating my postcard tomorrow!

  I have created a blooper reel for social media and will post about it now!

Almost There

 Hey, blog, less than a week remains till my project is due... that is crazy. I have an update for you all!

Storyline:

  I have almost finished editing! I would like to get some feedback on my shortfilm tomorrow and Sunday to see if people think any changes need to be made.

  I decided to use all of the footage I shot whilst filming. This means the storyline is longer! The ending is now when Sofia shows her frustration by laying her head down after she got ridiculed by her parents for waking up at the wrong time. I decided to go with this ending since I believe it fits my coming-of-age genre better since in coming-of-age films often the protagonist interacts with their family. In this case, the audience hears the protagonist's mom. I decided to have Sofia be the only character shown on screen since she is who the film is based on.

I apologize that this is short, editing has been taking up my time. I will go into more depth about the editing process and social media process tomorrow!

Music Hates Me

  Hey blog, I have not blogged on here thinking I would blog about my blooper reel being complete. Well... I have not started the blooper reel as I never heard back from Warner regarding using "Cold Cold Man" by Saint Motel. This really hurts the soul.

  I looked for a song for the blooper reel and thought I found one on this website uppbeat. I then realized the sound was one of their premium sounds and that I would have to pay to use this. I will not be doing this. 

  I might call Warner again tomorrow and see if they can give me a more direct number to call for information since the lady who picked up when I called did not know about licensing. I would like to beg you to use the song. I may or may not have recorded the song on my phone and started editing a blooper reel with it to see if the song is worth fighting for to use. It is worth it. When in contact with the company tomorrow I may even say how I will use the instrumental version of the song if needed. If they claim I have to pay I might just pay... I know I should just find another song, but I am so set on this one.

  I have already asked Ale, the creator of "When Do I Stop", to send me an instrumental recording of the song. I believe I will use this in my blooper reel if I do not gain the licensing rights.

 Additionally, today I recorded a few more sounds for my short film. I recorded the sink water running and the shower running. I believe I have all the sounds I needed for "Unaware". I am entering my final little fixes editing period and then I will be getting feedback from my peers as to if the editing is clean.

Moving Foward:

  I need to continue editing my short film.

  I need to create my postcard.

  I need to post on social media.

  I need to find music for my blooper reel if I am unable to gain the licensing.

Group Meeting

  Hey blog, today I participated in my first group meeting based on this project!

  My group was Keira, Sabrina, Nethumi, John, and myself. Keira, John, and I are doing a short film. Nethumi is doing a documentary. Sabrina is doing the trailer component.

Lovelies

  Keira shared a funny story with us that she named her characters by asking her cast what they were almost named. I would love to do this in the future. She also shared that she gets her music from Uppbeat. I will for sure be looking into this as I may need to find an alternative music source for my blooper reel. 

  I went next and had people critique my story and key art ideas. John recommended that I add a shot of the windows being open with it being dark out after Sofia wakes up from falling asleep. I think this is a good idea and will be trying this out. He also recommended that the key art I use for the postcard is the one I planned to use which is shot when Sofia opens the door and realizes it is a night out.

  When Sabrina went she shared how she feared her trailers may feel too much like a film opener. I have had a similar feeling about my short film. I fear that when Sofia opens the door it feels like the climax of the film and that there is no falling action. However, I could interpret the alarm ringing after Sofia falls asleep as being the climax. This would make her study portions of the rising action and the preparing to go to school portion as the falling action. So maybe there are two climax portions? This is not exactly how a story should be portrayed, but hey I am being unique?

In My Editing Era

 Day One:

  Hey blog, I called Warner Music and was sent to voicemail. I left a voicemail and learned their hours are till six pm / nine pm eastern time. I will be calling after school today, so I have to call within their available time period! Hopefully, I call and get some good news, meaning I can use "Cold Cold Man" by Saint Motel. 

Editing:

  I have been editing since I filmed. I have mainly been working on getting my film within the time frame. I have made it within the recommended 5-5:45 time frame!

Speed:

  I found out how to speed up clips on iMovie over break! This saved my mental health as I was way over time before speeding up many clips. I still have to play around with this editing tool as I have made some clips too fast-paced. 

Storyline:

  I am having a bit of trouble with my storyline. The first scene up until where Sofia leaves the room is in my opinion great! Then she goes downstairs, into the kitchen, and then leaves it. This is where the chaos begins. 

Prior to Choas

I filmed a panning shot of her walking into the next room, and it is just a bad shot.

Where Did She Go

My photos will not upload. This is not a full post yet I hit upload... My brain is tired, goodnight blog :(

A few days later...

  Hey, blog it is now Thursday, I had a busy beginning of the week trying to get ahead in my other classes so that this weekend I can spend a lot of time on this project! I called Warner Music during their hours and the lady I talked to briefly directed me to email a different Warner email than the one I originally did. This call and email were done on Tuesday. I have not received an email back yet, so I may just have to find a royalty-free option for my blooper reel since I plan to create it this weekend.

  Today I participated in my first group meeting based on this project (I missed the first one or two) I will blog about this separately. 

I Have A Post

  Hey blog, today I posted on the Unaware Instagram page! Before I show you the post let me share some background information.

Social Media:

  In yesterday's blog I shared with you the posting information for two of the posts I have planned. Here is the information for the other two!

  Post One - Grace the Creator

I in a photo from years ago

 Q&A in the caption -

What is your favorite coming-of-age film?

   My Girl

Why did you decide to create this short film?

  My past creations include works mainly in the psychological thriller genre. I wanted to expand my horizons as I created this piece that relates to what I am currently dealing with near the end of Junior year.

What have you learned about the cinema by creating this?

  I have experienced more whilst editing such as when I have sped up clips or altered the lightning.

Post Four - Laura the Voice

Plays the role of the unnamed parent and is my lovely mother

  Q&A in the caption -

What is your favorite coming-of-age movie?

 The Breakfast Club

Did you have acting experience before this role?

  I played Patti in the film opener for "Can You Help Me" created by my daughter and her friend Julie. 

Why should people watch the film?

  People can relate to this comedic coming-of-age short film even if they are not currently in high school preparing for the SAT.

The First Post:

  As you can see in the screenshot I also chose a profile picture! The bio will likely change once I come up with something creative.

Editing:

  I edit a good amount today, but this deserves a post of its own so I will do this tomorrow. I discovered an incredible tool, stay tuned! 

 Moving Foward:

  I will continue to edit. I need to find a font for my title sequence.

  I will begin working on my postcard.

  I will continue to post on social media.

  I will call Warner music and hopefully report back that I have a blooper reel song!

Home Sweet Home

  Hey blog, I arrived home from Atlanta today! My flight was delayed over an hour and then once it arrived at my local airport we sat on the tarmac for over thirty minutes waiting for a gate to open. I arrived home later than expected so I lack updates.

Social Media:

  

  However, whilst on the plane, I was thinking about posts I could put on the Unaware social media account. I decided on four posts each highlighting a different person. Each post will have a photo of the person and in the caption, there will be text with questions relating to each person's role in the creation of my short film. These answers will be on the shorter side to promote that the text gets read by my teen target audience who often have short attention spans.

Post One - Grace the Creator 

  I will share information on this post tomorrow.

Post Two - Ale the Singer

The creator of "When Do I Stop"

 Q&A in the caption -

What is your favorite coming-of-age movie?

  10 Things I Hate About You

How long have you been writing music?

  I've been writing songs since I was little, but I didn't really get into it until around 8th grade. This is my first song in a while and I'm really proud of how it turned out!

What inspired you to write this song?

  The feeling of stressing out and working yourself to the bone just trying to meet everyone else's standards and expectations. Just basically what school tends to do to a lot of us.

Post Three - Paola the Lead

Plays the role of Sofia

 Q&A in the caption -

What is your favorite coming-of-age movie?

  Little Women

Did you have acting experience prior to this role?

  I have played short roles in other student-made films in the past and have been part of the ensemble for musicals in school when I was a child.

What have you learned about the film from partaking in this role? 

  It is a thorough and creative process. It is satisfying to see the end result.

Post Four - Laura the Voice

  I will share information on this post tomorrow.

Music:

Due to the day spent at the airport with a late arrival home, I did not contact Warner music about gaining licensing. I will hopefully do this on Monday. 

Moving Foward:

  I will create these social media posts and come up with more ideas.

  I will continue to edit my short film and find music for the gym scene

  I will work on my postcard.

Counting Stars

  Hi blog a March Madness basketball game is currently playing on my hotel room tv and the band at the game started playing "Counting Stars" by One Republic so that is tonight's blog title.

Music Update:

  My good friend Ale wrote a song for my short film Unaware. This song is titled "When Do I Stop" and I think it perfectly encapsulates how I imagine Sofia feels. I informed my friend about how bad my luck so far in finding music for my film and she decided to create a song for it. I am very thankful for Ale a fellow AICE Media Studies student. Since I am using the first option of ending a portion of the song will be heard as Sofia closes the door.

When Do I Stop by Ale Aldana

  I have not inserted the song into iMovie yet as I got home from my day in Atlanta and began feeling unwell. Today I hiked ten thousand steps down a mountain path that I thought would be shorter than it was so I was unprepared wearing jeans and the wrong shoes. I could feel every rock I stepped on. Also, I was not wearing sunscreen so I am burnt. Wear your sunscreen everyone!

  I did not yet call Warner music in regards to learning how I can gain the right to use the song "Cold Cold Man" by Saint Motel in my blooper reel. I will call the group tomorrow. My apologies for the lack of updates, I will be home tomorrow and will hopefully be able to provide more updates!

Moving Foward:

  I will insert the song into my short film as I continue the editing process.

  I need to work on my postcard and social media portions.

Wifi Please Work

  Hello blog, I am currently in Georgia with bad wifi. 

  As the title said I have been having some wifi issues with the wifi constantly going in and out as I try to edit so my progress has been slow.

Wifi Down

Editing:

  Currently, I have been focused on editing my short film "unaware" I for sure shot more footage than expected. I have decided to use the ending one which I mentioned in a few blog postings. This means my short film ends when Sofia goes outside and realizes it is the morning. This is not ideal, but everything will work out. The currently edited version is over five minutes and forty-five seconds which also is not ideal, but this is just an early version. 

Spotify Playlist:

  I am a frequent listener to music as are many of my fellow Gen Z members, As Gen Z we have access to a lot of music from both the past and present, I am a Spotify user so I created my playlist which focuses on present music. This music encapsulates the anxious feeling of being unaware and not set on your future. I might add a few more songs to the playlist, but I have it linked if you want to take a listen. You may notice that two of the songs I was interested in using, "Always Get This Way" by The Aces and "In My Mind" by Lyn Lapid are on this playlist. If only I received a response from either song's creators...

Link to Spotify

 

Blooper Reel:

  I will be creating a blooper reel for my short film which I will post on the social media accounts. I was hoping to use the song "Cold Cold Man" by Saint Motel, during the video. I emailed the company that owns the rights and received a response with a phone number I can call for more information. I will be calling this number tomorrow! Let's hope I have good news to share with you all tomorrow.

  If they allow me to use this song for my blooper reel I may also ask if I could use the beginning portion of it during my film as the phone alarm!

Moving Foward:

  I need to work on my postcard as I know which photos I will use as the image on it!

  I need to decide what fonts to use for my film

  I need to post on social media!!!

  I need to find music to use in my short film!

  I will continue editing my short film and blooper reel.