Lizette Nieves AICE Media Studies Final Project

Hello, my name is Lizette Nieves and this is my Creative Critical Reflection/CCR for my AS level media studies final project. For my final project I had to create the intro of a film, in which I got to pick the genre and what the story was about. I enjoyed the fact that we had a lot of creative freedom, however, it was hard picking what I wanted my story to be about. After changing my idea once, I filmed and decided I didn't like the story I created, so I scratched that and then I came up with Growing Pains. Growing pains is a coming-of-age film about the life of Cora. In my final cut I didn't get very much backstory on Cora... I wish I could have done more than 2 minutes, so I could go into more depth about her character. My main character, Cora, is actually kind of based on someone I know in real life. Their mother wasn’t always there for them and their siblings. So, they had to grow up being very indep[]endent, they also have a very close relationship with their sibli...

 Currently I have most of my project finished. I noticed that it started to remind me of a music video, so I've decided to add an extra scene and a narration. I will be filming that this week if I have a chance. If not, I can just film this weekend. Then all I would have to do is edit that into my project and add text to the film. After, I will be finished and can post it to YouTube. 

 Fade from: black music will play over  Cut to : mid-shot of the girls playing on a trampoline, they are holding hands. Cut to : long shot of the girls playing tag in a field. Cut to : Handheld shot, continue cut of the girls playing tag Cut to : low angled shot of Cora playing with her dog Cut to : girls running from camera while holding hands Camera will pan up to the sun and zoom Cut from sunny sky to gloomy sky music volume will decrease, diegetic sounds Camera will zoom out of sky to older Cora running. Cut to : Cora getting in the shower and turning water on. Cut to : Cora picking up a picture of younger her and dog, proceeds to put it in a moving box. Cut to : Cora putting a box in her car. Cut to : sequence of Cora driving (include the outside perspective of the car) Fate to : black

Cast/crew: Cora- Hailey Wells Younger Cora- Bailey Richards Younger Eleanor- Kylie Richards Eleanor (narrator)- Lizette Nieves Director: Lizette Nieves Cinematographer: Lizette Nieves Producer: Lizette Nieves Production Designer: Lizette Nieves Sound Gal: Lizette Nieves Music: Experience by Ludovico Einaudi Costume designer: Lizette Nieves Hair: Lizette Nieves Editor: Lizette Nieves Sound editor: Lizette Nieves Color editor: Lizette Nieves Production Schedule:  Feb 12 - filming Feb 12-15 - Main editing Feb 15 - Sound (music) and color editing Feb 26 - script Feb 27-28 - narration Mar 1 - publish final project

  After my establishing shot, there will be a shot of the girls jumping on the trampoline. The shot will be mid-shot with the girls as the main focus of the shot. There will be little to no depth. This is because I want the viewers to just focus on the girls and the bond of sisterhood they have. They will also be holding hand to show how close they are. I was thinking of a handheld shot, to put the viewer in the action with the girls but I think it will be to much with the bouncing. There will be music over it, and I think a voice over (not sure yet), the viewer can obviously see that they are happy. The tone will be brighter so they can see this is a good memory.  To embody the childhood memory vibe I want shots of the girls playing. This shot will be of them playing tag. It will be a long shot with depth. The location will be the big open part in froth of the barn and woods. I want the girls to stay in frame for most of the time so there is no awkward parts with no one in fr...

 For my final project I wouldn't use anything fancy to film. I just will use my iPhone to film and to edit. The iPhones make it easy for people that aren't familiar with editing/filmmaking. I won't be spending any money for props because I'll be using what we have around the house. The distinctive prop I'll be using is a picture frame of the younger version of my character. The picture within the picture ties together that they are the same person just different eras in their life. One big prop I'll be using is my sister's car. For costumes they will be just wearing the clothes they normally do because it is a modern story. The outfits correlate to this time frame, her memories are from 2008 and her present self is in 2019.  ____________________ I plan on filming in my house and in my yard. I don't need permission from my parents because they are totally cool with me filming here. I will also be filming in my sister's car. As well as around my neighb...

 Im doing good on time with production. I'm at the stage where I don't know if I should film more or just add text to what I have now. Right now I'm a little over a min and 30. When filming my sister it's like pulling teeth so I don't know if I'll be able to record anymore. If this is where I'm done with the filming phase, now all I have to do is put the credits and the production intros. The filming phase went good, I didn't need to do a lot of takes. My favorite part of filming was with the girls. They were very easy to record and get the essence of children being children. The sound phase of production was easy, I can say that iMovie is the easiest to edit especially with sound. iMovie allows you to add sound behind videos and change the volume of both. That's what I have so far for the production phase of mu final project.

 Targeted audiences are a group of people with specific interest. Films within the coming of age films normal targeted audience is teenagers. Ages from 13 to 18 because they are the most likely to relate with these films. This is because they are going through the topics within the coming of age genre. Older people can also relate because they once were teenagers too. My targeted audience for my film is mainly teenagers as well, but also older people because they can relate to my film. My targeted audience is the same as the genre as a whole. The combination of years throughout her life, her childhood, teen life, and adulthood. A lot of teens can relate to growing out of your childhood. Teens with absent parents and having to grow up faster than others can relate a lot more on a different level. The targeted audience of the genre will continue to be successful in the future. Older coming of age films are quite popular because the are considered "classics." For example, "...

 I chose the "coming of age" genre for my final project. Coming of age films are centered around the growth from youth to adulthood of the protagonist. The first coming of age film came out in 1955, It is named "Rebel Without a Cause." This film is about emotionally confused middle-class teenagers and it explores differences and conflicts between generations. Some incredible examples of coming of age films are "Sixteen Candles," "The Breakfast Club," "Stand By Me," and "the Perks of Being a Wallflower." "Stand By Me" is an adaptation of Stephen Kings book "The Body," it follows a group of boys go on a journey to discover the dead body of a missing boy. The film is a flash back to 1959 and the boys friendship and growth in the view of older Gordie. Another incredible coming of age film that was adopted from a book is "The Outsiders," it follows the struggles of a group of 1960's greasers.  One ...

Production: I would want Growing Pains to have a large scale production, and be financed by a studio. It will be filmed on nice cameras, but nothing too extra like 3D. I'm going for a happy vibe during the childhood memories and sad vibe during current time frame. So, the color design/editing would be very important. Music is a very key point in my film, a faster pace for the childhood memories and slower pace for when she is older. I chose the actresses I think would best fit my characters. My sister Hailey plays my character Cora. Then, Bailey plays younger Cora and Kylie plays younger Eleanor. Picking actress that I believe would best fit my character is a little dificult becaus ethere are so many good actresses. I believe I would pick to play Cora is Jennifer Lawrence. I think that she could bring a lot to the film and would portray the emotions of Cora increadbly. For younger Cora I would pick Mia Talerico and for younger Eleanor I would pick Mckenna Grace. Distribution: I ...

 Sound is very crucial to every film. The sound of a film help with a higher understanding of what a viewer is witnessing in a film. The films sound also affects the viewer depth of emotion. Whether the film makers want the viewer to feel empathy, tense, joy, etc. they will use sound to inflict those emotions. Sound all together, whether it’s silence, dialogue or the sound track, helps bring the final film together.  The film Call Me by Your Name is really a masterpiece and has a incredible sound track . In this specific scene, the film makers wanted to match up the shot of him crying with a song from the sound score of the film. The song has a sad tone to it, they do this to make the viewer feel empathy for him. As he’s crying there in front of the fire as life goes on in the background as if to say that he can’t move on from the lost of Oliver. Which the music in background helps the viewer feel empathetic towards him. A song with a happy tone wouldn’t cause the viewer to f...

I worked with Reese Gardner for the film editing assignment. For the filming part of our assignment I was the one that filmed our project. Reese's role was acting and editing the project. I filmed on Sunday, Dec 13, she edited it later that day and we uploaded the final product on Thursday, Dec 17. This assignment as a whole was not difficult, we are new to filming and editing and we are finding it very fun. During this assignment we worked with different types of editing and using our knowledge on filming from past lessons. Working hands-on really gave me a better understanding of what we learned in class. I am very excited to use all my knowledge I've learned in my final project for the class. Jump Cut:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXHqgCYoo5E&list=PLNBlVwGE-i_or9ruIV8VngQ2Fya32ALNu&index=4&t=9s   In this example of jump cut the man changing his appearance. The transitions between shots are very abrupt and not smooth. The reason they used this technique of ed...

 My original idea is out of the picture by now. I've been really struggling with the ideas that pop in my head. The fact that I'm so indecisive is a really big hardship. I already started filming my second idea, but I hated it. I usually come up with these "great" ideas then end up hating them. So after crying from having no idea what I'm going to do: I texted my sister. I asked her if she could be the main character in my movie, then she asked so many questions. Of course I ended up crying again because I was so lost on what I wanted to do. Finally, my sister agreed. I also asked a family friend if I can use their daughter, Bailey, to be in my film because she looks the most like my sister. My final project is going to have a sad tone. It will be about growing up and growing out of your childhood. My main character, played by Hailey, and her younger self, played by Bailey. The establishing shot will be of a child running through a field, playing with a dog, being...