The journey of making Keep Watching has come to an end! Below are the links the short film, social media page, and the postcard.
Keep Watching Short Film: https://youtu.be/pDUWtds7Efk
Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/keepwatchingg_/ |
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Alas, this journey has come to an end...
Here is my critical reflection of creating Keep Watching: Critical Reflection of Keep Watching
Hey! Ever since my last editing update, I started to incorporate the visuals and audio throughout the short film to morph it from a rough draft to the final.
Update: it has been completed! Now, let's share the process, shall we...
Visuals
-Aesthetic
The aesthetic and visual presentation was the most important aspect I took into consideration when editing, and as I previously discussed in my last editing update, I wanted the short film to have a vintage/televised aesthetic. The reason for this is because the world that Eve lives in is meant to be perfect, hence I wanted to emphasize this by making the audience feel as though they were truly watching the perfect life from a perfect tv show or movie. Of course, the short film takes a turn, but as the events of the story unfold, the aesthetic remains as though to continously remind the audience that they are literally watching the characters. When trying to execute this, I went on Youtube and looked up tutorials on how to make my clips look retro/recorded. Below are the two tutorials I used for reference.
As I proceeded to follow these tutorials, I was unable to copy the retro effect displayed because I didn't have GPU, so many of the effects I was supposed to use on Premiere wouldn't work. However, I was able to find a solution, as I used the different "Noise" effects provided by the program, and found that "Noise HLS Auto" worked with my project, so I raised the "Grain" to 7.9, "Lightness" to 4, and "Noise Animation" to 26, which aided in presenting that old-style, retro TV look I was going for. Layered with the "Noise HLS Auto"" effect, I also increased the "Faded Film" in order to further the vintage look.
-Color
The color throughout the short film shifts between the televised world (past) and Eve's interview (present). In the "perfect" world, the saturation is raised and bright colors are highlighted in order to illustrate that perceived perfection the recorded world is going for. Meanwhile, Eve's interview is coded with blue tint, and the exposure is turned down as to reflect the truth behind their reality, or what's truly behind the camera.
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| Before |
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| After |
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| Along with the saturation, I wanted to keep the temperature somewhat cold in order to depict reality seeping in despite the facade of perfect. I played with the exposure, shadows, and highlights depending on what each of the clips needed, so the sets vary. |
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| The settings I used for "Noise HLS Auto" in order to emulate a vintage/retro TV aesthetic |
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| The saturation and "Faded Film" depended on each clip, so the settings vary, but this is an example of what I did for this specific clip. |
-Special Effects
In moments where the characters break the fourth wall, I wanted the screen to glitch as so to present the idea that if their perfect world is ever disrupted, it will break/there are major consequences to their actions. Additionally, it is meant to make the audience aware that the characters are aware of their existance, even though they aren't supposed to be. In order to create this, I used the "VR Digital Glitch" effect on Premiere and set the effects on a timer, so that the glitch was gradual and followed the movement of the characters. The time in which the glitch is most used is during Scene 5, when Eve confronts Jane in her bedroom. During this moment, I set the effects to the highest level I felt was necessary, as well as made it seem as though the television turned off. When replicating this "shut-off", I simply turned the height of the frame to 2, and kept the width at 100 while placing the "shut-off" on a timer using keyframes.
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| Settings + Timer for the glitch using "VR Digital Glitch" |
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| I placed the timing for the "shut-off" at 0 for "Scale Height" and kept "Scale Width" at 100. This image shows the "shut-off" midway, hence why the settings are somewhat different. Under the clip on the left, the keyframes are placed in order to capture the speed of the screen shutting off. |
Audio
Finding music for the film was a tasking process, and I was split between multiple decisions. While searching, I decided to make a list of the music I liked so that I could compare them later.
P.S I used the following programs to find and download audio: Pond5 and Pixabay
-Interview Scenes
During the interview scenes, I originally wanted the Interviewer to have a deep/male voice. Although, due to casting conflicts, I had to play the Interviewer, and I do not have a deep voice... Therefore, I used the "Pitch Shifter" effect on Premiere to make my voice sound more disguised/mysterious, thus making the Interviewer character seem secretive, and allowing the audience to question who they are. Along with this, I decided to also incorporate Foley sounds, since the original clip included me shuffling behind the camera, but that audio wasn't picked up. I used my old heels that I would wear for debate competitions to emulate the Interviewer walking in the background, and a random pen I found lying around the house as so to make it seem as if the Interviewer is writing down what Eve is saying, thus the audience understands the role of this character solely based off of the sound used.
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| "Pitch Shifter" settings |
-Finding the tone of the film
Since this is a thriller, I wanted to present the suspenseful aspects of the genre through the music, so the audio I did end up choosing I felt best represented the suspense and mystery of the short film. The select tracks I did choose are somewhat similar, as each are recorded in a lower register, and have slight sounds of percussion, which I thought added the right amount of intensity I needed for the scenes that required it, such as the scene in which Eve confronts Jane about what she saw, or the chase scene between Eve and the two townspeople. Overall, I wanted to maintain the suspenseful tone of the short film, while contrasting that bright colors used in order to emphasize the sketchiness of the environment that Eve is in.
In conclusion...
Editing this project went much smoother than last year, especially since I learned to not delete my clips in order to make space, thinking that Premiere would save them. I was more cautious and organized with how I managed my footage, and I'm content with the final product, which I'm so excited to share soon!
Hey y'all! Here is an update on the back of the postcard! The front is still the same as seen in the previous blogpost (Postcard Blog).
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| I though adding the TV sticker would take up the extra space of the card in a clean way, and putting the festivel name, along with the date/time on the screen seems more fitting to me than what I had originally put. Overall, I think this design is much cleaner than the original, but I will be revisiting this closer to the end of the project. |
Hey! Yesterday I was able to finish the "rough draft" of the short film, meaning I was able to piece the clips together into cohesive scenes (for the most part). There are still some quirks within each scene I have to figure out, but that will come when I start adding music and visuals to the short film.
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| As of right now, this is what the short film looks like. This is without music or any visual effects added (other than "Warp Stabalizer" for uneven shots and "Denoise" for noise disturbances) |
As for the visuals of the film, I wanted to present a vintage, televised aesthetic, similar to what I have been displaying on my social media page with the images I have been using. I also wanted to increase the saturation for the scenes outside/at Town Center, that way I can convey the "perfect world" atmosphere of the film. Below is the vibe that I am trying to achieve; notice the way the colors are used/how pixlated the pictures look rather than the physical images themselves. This is what I'll be trying to emulate.
Hey!
Last night, I uploaded a teaser trailer for Keep Watching, as well as a new poster to promote the film!
Teaser Trailer (find on @keepwatching_shortfilm on Instagram!)
With the trailer, I wanted to remain as suspenseful as possible, not giving away any spoilers from the film, but at least hinting at the premise of it. I decided to use Katie and Alex for the teaser since their roles become slightly more prominent later within the film. In this particular thirty second glimpse, Katie and Alex's characters are walking down the stairs, talking about normal, everyday topics, in this case school. However, Katie notices something halfway through her conversation, and she stops to stare at the camera. Who she's staring at or why she is staring at the camera is unknown, but it is implied that her observation is not good because when Alex notices, the setting and characters start to glitch, promptly ending the scene.
Editing the Teaser
When editing the glitch towards the end of the scene, I used "VR Digital Glitch" on Adobe Premiere, and adjusted the settings depending on the type of shot. The glitch started to occur when Alex breaks the fourth wall, so I timed the effect so that it would slowly appear rather than abruptly.
Links to Music Choices:
Movie Poster
As I mentioned in a previous blog, (Starting My Social Media Page!), I wanted to create another poster to promote the film alongside the original I had made.
With this poster, I decided to use Canva, which is what I have been using for my Instagram posts. With the text, I simply copy and pasted the text I had used for the first poster, "Year 3000", so that the title and the contents that appear on this poster are in coherrence with the the first promo poster. The tagline at the bottom is also in the same text as before, "Lastica Light", in order to maintain that vintage television/futuristic aesthetic.
Along with the text, I wanted the image to present the same vibe, so I decided to screenshot a scene from a certain part of Keep Watching (no I won't tell you this is a spoiler free zone...) that I felt captured the darkness of the film. In order to maintain a vintage/televised look, I edited the photo on Canva using a combination of "Radiate" and "Canvas", and adjusted the settings to my liking.
My toughest challenge when making this poster were the names of the actors, specifically the color they should be and where to place them. I juggled between white and red because I couldn't tell which one would be easier to read, but as you can see, I eventually choose white because I felt that the red overlapped with the title, and it was too much color overall. Originally, I had also had the last names placed on top, but due to spacing issues, I decided that having both names, first on top and last on the bottom, looked more organized.
Hey! Since we are reaching the final aspects of this project, I wanted to lay out what I'll be doing for this week
1. Edit the short film
- Find music
- Color research?
-Finalize final product
2. Continue promo for short film on social media
-I'm aiming to post twice or three times a day, mainly BTS footage or additional image promotion, such as screenshots from the film itself!
I'll keep y'all updated throughout the week!
I started making the postcard, and I'm pleased with the front of it, but I'm having trouble organizing the back of it.
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| I wanted to keep the front sweet and simple, reusing elements I have used for the two previous promo posters. The main difference with this postcard is the text with my name at the top, and the tagline, which are now in purple instead of white. I felt that by changing their color, it would separate from the title card, and it pops out well with the background, which is a reuse of the second promo poster layered with a static background. |
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| I maintained the static background used in the front, but I feel like the back has too much going on, and it doesn't look as simple as the front. I tried a multitude of other designs, including a television screen, but the text would blend in with the screen and it was difficult to read (it also made my eyes hurt lol). I decided to go with the Florida Film Festival because if I were to hypothetically send this somewhere, I would want to remain local first before branching out domestically. The Instagram handle did change, and the main reason for this was because the original user, @keepwatching_shortfilm was too long, and when I tried to fit it on to the postcard, I was having trouble sizing the text. Therefore, I decided to change the username to something much more simple and quick to memorize, so that if people want to check out the film even further, they won't have trouble looking for it. |
We will see how this turns out...stay tuned (or keep watching ;))
Hey! Today I filmed Scene 2, the end of Scene 5, and Scene 6, but was unable to get to Scene 4 :( But that's totally fine because I was able to get the majority of what I set out to accomplish filmed, and I'm pleased with today's productivity. With that being said, here are some of the highlights of today's filming sesh...
Battery Update + Positives
Along with resolving the battery issue, I was lucky enough to film on a day with awesome weather conditions, and at a time where the location wasn't packed with people.
Minor Negatives + Editing Updates
While the weather was great, the area that we filmed in had many additional and disruptive sounds, such as the water fountain and the bell tower that would chime every hour, which would take away time that I would have to film since I had to wait till the song was over. Additionally, there were moments where gusts of wind would come through, which hindered many shots I would take, especially moments where Emma and Liv's characters were walking and talking to each other. At times, I would play back the footage and find that it was difficult to hear them, so I had to find alternative ways to shoot the scene. Originally, I planned on using a wide shot of Emma and Liv's characters walking, but once I filmed this, I realized how hard it was to hear them, and even if I used audio from other takes where the audio was better, it wouldn't sync up correctly on Premiere, so I decided to shoot this scene using a variety of close-up shots and medium shots in order to capture their lines. |
| The lighting in this close-up shot of Emma is too dark, so I am hoping to fix this by using Premiere. I guess the darkness could work for the context of the scene, but it's hard to see her face, so I'm still going to edit it anyway. |
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| This is what I have of Scene 2 thus far! I'm almost done putting it together, but I haven't delved into music, color, lighting, text, etc (this goes for the other scenes I have edited as well). |
Bloopers :)
Just like day 1, here are some fun bloopers I was able to capture during today's filming process!
Hey y'all it's Soph! Today, I began my first day of filming, and it went pretty well. I wasn't able to complete everything I set out to film, specifically the ending to Scene 5 and Scene 6, but regardless, I felt that it was an efficient day.
The Positives!
The schedule I proposed in a previous blog (Filming Schedule + Actors!) was mostly followed, as I was able to complete Scenes 1,3, and 7, as well as most of Scene 4. Due to being able to film half of the short film, I was able to get a jumpstart on editing. I didn't do any major edits, I simply wanted to get started on organizing the clips that I had so that when I do eventually begin the post-production process, I won't have to take more time figuring out the clips I want to use.
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| I didn't do any major edits, but instead focused on sorting out what clips I wanted to use and cutting them down to make a sequence. This process was mainly done to Scene 5, since the other scenes I filmed are one shot. |
The Negatives...
The night before I started filming, I asked my dad if I could use his camera, and I wanted to make sure that it was fully CHARGED before I did so. He said he had charged it, and I took him at his word because it's his camera, no one else uses it, and I had figured he charged it after filming a piano video. I went to sleep peacefully...
In comes the day of filming, and while filming Scene 3, the camera dies...MID SCENE. I'm frustrated for two reasons:
1. My dad lied (not intentionally of course...but y'know...I was stressed at the time so this was my rationale)
2. I don't know where he keeps his charger because he never told me :)
To make a long story short, my mom found the charger (thank you mommy :))) ) and I was able to film for the rest of the day. However, this problem did teach me that I should definitely be more organized with the equipment that I am using, specifically making sure that my camera is CHARGED...
Since my camera wasn't fully charged, I had to spend the rest of the day taking "charger breaks" so that I had enough battery to finish the scenes. By doing this, it took time away from filming, hence why I wasn't able to finish the rest of Scene 5, or start Scene 6. I'm most likely going to push the filming of these two scenes to Saturday, since tomorrow is going to be focused on the scenes at Town Center, which are Scenes 2 and 4. I would like to finish Scene 5 and start Scene 6 on Friday, but I don't want to stress out Emma, since she's in every scene, and today was a long day for her.
And don't worry...my camera will be charged for tomorrow...I've learned my lesson.
Hey! I recently uploaded a new post to the Instagram page! Here are some details to keep in mind :)
This is one of the five Instagram posts I uploaded today. Each one looks the same, except for the name and role of the actor, as well as the photo used for each one. I desgined each post on Canva, and used a TV shaped sticker as the design, similar to the logo used for the film. I kept the theme (as previously discussed in Starting my Social Media Page!) and used the "Lastica Light" font for the names of each actor, and the "Gota Light" font for the role that they are playing.
Specifically with both fonts, I decided to edit them further in order to give them that retro/televised look, so I used the "Neon" effect for the actors' names and the "Echo" effect for the character names/roles. Additionally, I wanted to emphasize the word "role" on each individual image because of the tagline used for the film, "Everyone has a role to play". I thought it was fitting to overuse the word and establish the eeriness of the plot without giving any major hints away.
As for the individual photos, I edited them further on Canva by using the "Drill" effect located under "Screens", as well as the "Radiate" effect. I combined both effects in order to once again portray a retro televised aesthetic thus matching the vibe of the film.
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| Final post! |
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| Example of the "Echo" effect used on text. |
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| Example of the "Drill" filter in use, which is located under "Screens". |
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| Example of the "Radiate" filter. I only used a small amount of it, but I felt that even the tiniest use of it allowed the photo to seem more eerie and retro. |
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| Example of the "Neon" effect used on text. |
The journey of making Keep Watching has come to an end! Below are the links the short film, social media page, and the postcard. Keep Watc...
