Critical Reflection

 • How does your movie represent social groups or issues?

My movie represents two brothers. Being that they are twin brothers, that is what brings them together, what makes them a social group category. The problem arises when the twin brother kills the other and takes his life as a college student. The whole movie is about how these two brothers are separated and how it’s great for the one who left, but not so much for the one still there. There could have been more of the brothers' story, but I couldn’t find the time. An issue that my movie represents is murder! There are so many things that can happen. The body wasn’t hidden, it was just left in the seat in front of the creamery. It’s safe to say the brother isn’t too smart. There can be an entire group of people that realise he is dead and have to deal with that trauma. There could be someone who finds him, or realised and brings other people into it. Those groups that find the body would be a social group, and the issue would be the trauma caused by it. 

There’s also many things that the main character does that can be put into a social group. Since a social group is a group of people with things in common, there is always something that someone is experiencing that can place them in a social group. For example, trying a drink and thinking it tastes funny. Everyone has done that at least once. There has always been that time when you’re trying a drink for the first time or under a different recipe and it isn’t good. Another example is the fact that he’s a new college student. Everyone wants to experience the ‘moving to a new town and starting your life’ at some point in their life. There are people that have done that and who can talk about it. That’s a social group on it’s own. The people with the experience. 

• How do the elements of your production work together to create a sense of ‘branding’?

There were many elements of the movie. Including music and visuals. Getting the music to correspond with the movie is a very important aspect. The mood needs to be set correctly. The music can’t be in the beginning of the movie when nothing has happened. It also has to be the right kind of music. I can’t have my happy music at the end where the main character dies, I also can’t have the suspenseful music in the middle when he’s just getting tea and living his life. That could be insanely early foreshadowing. If anything, the music would go in the very last time he got his tea, but even then it wouldn’t be good. 

What was on the screen was a very important part of the movie as well, obviously, it was the movie. There were certain times when the scenes had to be right for the emotion to be displayed correctly. The camera couldn’t be in the wrong angle or it wouldn’t capture what I was trying to convey. There is a moment at the end where the evil twin brother is walking up to the main character. I made him walk toward the camera instead of making him walk with the camera because the message went better. I was trying to put the camera in the spot of the main character, since the movie is still in his eyes. He doesn’t know he’s been poisoned until it was too late. Whereas if it was the other way, the brother knows he’s killed him. He knows that he’s going to get the life he’s always wanted. Placing the music where it was and the camera where it went was all a part of getting the audience to feel what I wanted them too. Getting them to feel what I want is what makes my movie, and my position as a director/creator the fame it needs, a.k.a, my brand.

• How does your movie engage with the audience?

The movie keeps the audience engaged with the audio and visual aspects of it. The audio aspect is the music. I watched many movies to get an idea of what I wanted for the movie. Then I asked my friend to make music after completely forgetting what movies I watched. Just like how it created a brand, it also works to engage my audience. Using music to change the mood of the movie, can also change the way the audience is feeling about the movie. Since music has been scientifically proven to change the mood of people, it makes sense that it’s used as help to change the mood of the movie. There is a scene in the beginning of the movie where the main character is walking into the dorm house for the first time. It cuts mid way into him opening up the door so we can see him walk inside. That was obviously intended to get the expression of him and see his mood change. When seeing the mood of someone else people tend to mimic that since we are very sociable creatures. We’re not going to see someone happy and immediately be mad at them with no reasoning. He was excited to be in his dorm. This also works with those people who have experienced that or want to experience that. They can live, or relive this through his eyes. Also, since it’s a short film, it could be harder to keep everyone engaged. That’s not an issue when music is to play. Music can change anyone's mood and I took advantage of that. 

• How did your research inform your movie and the way they use or challenge conventions?

My research made my movie so much better. You wouldn’t think it, but most of my research consisted of watching movies with similar genres. I took note of what they did in a general sense. They had music, obviously, but what kind of music? Every movie has music, whether that’s a laugh track or instrumental. If it’s not dialogue, it’s probably music. Even documentaries have music! The music that I found the most in the movies I watched was suspenseful music. Granted, I did watch full length movies where they had over an hour to really develop the plot, and the music made sense. It just brought out the emotions that we were already feeling. Whereas, in my short film, and in the few others that I did see, the music was used as a guide so the audience knew that something was coming. I probably should have watched more short films, but the ones I found weren’t in my genre. I did notice, in the short films, that everything was very fast paced or was cut to feel like a large amount of time has passed. This makes sense because it’s such a short amount of time that is allowed in the film. I took advantage of this trick and did them both. Although, it was because I was trying to fit all the scenes into a time frame, and not a random time that would have worked. Using everything that I learned helped with the movie, while some used and others challenged the conventions, they both worked to my advantage in the end. I either took that idea and used it myself or saw how they did it and asked myself how I could change that to make it work for me.

My Short Film Package

 Double Order

https://youtu.be/VhdBr5zs4DM

Website: https://lockedskyproductio.wixsite.com/doubleorder

Postcard:

This is getting old

 Honestly, five minutes of editing gets very tiring after the first few days. At first I was excited for the challenge and ready to get my movie in order. But after I spent two hours deciding which scenes I wanted to add instead of adding them all, I got very tired. Granted, this was yesterday and the day before. I could have done the smart thing and done this over break, but why would I possibly save myself the stress? 

As for my music, my friend made something. I hated it. He made it similar to the spooky music I used for my movie last year. It was more spooky than suspenseful. I would have just said whatever and went with it, but since my movie is lacking, I want the music to at least be good. He told me to send him a rough draft so he knew what to play off of so I did. I sent him the clips that I wanted the music in. He, instead of understanding that I was struggling, decided to laugh about it. I know it's very cringe worthy, fight me about me. 

He finally got to work and started making music. He asked for clips from other movies that he could relate it to. At first I was thinking that I haven't seen any movies lately so I couldn't tell him, but then I remembered I did see a movie, in December. It was some type of suspense. I asked my friend, who I watched it with, to send him the title cause I couldn't remember what it was. He said he got it, and got to work. 

I realised I still have to update my social media. I'll add many pictures and videos that I got my friend to take while we were shooting. 

Yes, I'm still editing

 

I got back on Friday, but of course I didn't edit. Why would I spend my time being productive? I'd rather sleep until I have to go to work then come back and sleep some more. Obviously I wasn't done with the winter break state of living. It wasn't until today that I opened up my laptop for editing. Since my English teacher was absent, I took advantage of that and slept. I decided I would wake up and edit before I forced myself asleep again. When I woke up around 3, I got on my computer and looked at what I had. It was over 7 minutes of footage from one folder. That wasn't going to work. I got rid of my second folder of work to work on my first folder. Now that I didn't have major distractions like last week, I thought it would be easy.

Good thing my brain finds the simplest things to get distracted by! I thought I was going to have to force myself to start staring at the back of my phone for two hours and completely forget what I was doing! If you cannot tell, that was obviously not my intention, but it ALWAYS happens. I finally pulled myself together and edited the entire folder. Not only did I get less than half the footage down to under five minute, I also got it in the right place, generally.

I still have two folders to fit into this small amount of space. I also still have to edit cuts and words and everything. In fact, I still have to check up on the progress my friend is making with the song they said they would make for me! 

Good thing I saved it all until the very last few days before the due date! I've always thought I work best under pressure. For someone who is used to being in school and having constant reminders, it was true! Now that my bed is a few inches away and I can join class on my phone, it's not as true. 

At least I have one scene done and put together. Unfortunately, it's not supposed to be a very big scene. It takes up close to two minutes of the 5 minute movie. That's a fourth of the entire movie! That only gives me about 2-ish minutes to fit in the middle of it since the beginning and end is about a minute combined. Well, I hope it's a minute, since my beginning is in another folder. 

Happy New Years Eve!

 When I woke up, I didn't have time to check my phone. I promised my aunt I would help her clean and I woke up so late I could only have breakfast then go help her. After I helped her for a few hours, I was told I was going to go visit family. 

Unfortunately, the family I was visiting didn't have wifi and the area that they lived in, there was pretty much no service. I figured I would be able to edit when I got back and write my blog then. When I got back, I had to help prep for the new year party. I completely forgot about editing and school. 

After we prepped for the party, we started it. There wasn't anyone really here. I started with games at my cousin's house then went to my aunt's house next door. They had a first next door and I was going to cry if I didn't get to roast a few marshmallows. 

After that I went back to my cousin's house and I watched them play pool. School never crossed my mind. 

I counted down the seconds and it was the new year! I wasn't until I went inside to finish my plate of food that I remembered I had school. 

Below you will see a facebook approved photo that my aunt took of me and my brother at the bonfire. 

Yes, they are burnt marshmallows. It's the only way to eat them. 

Card games and sleep

 Today I didn't edit. I know, I know. I woke up with an insane headache and didn't want to look at my screen. Even with my glasses it hurt to look at my computer screen. I'm starting to think that I might have the flu, but I can't tell cause I can't go to the Drs. When I woke up I spent hours just lying on the couch listening to a podcast. Since I couldn't open my eyes without them hurting, I had to listen to a podcast. I need to have one of my senses occupied at all times. I needed to catch up on Rotten Mango anyway. Stephanie had three episodes I forgot to listen to cause I've been busy. 

After I could get up, around 1, I got off of the couch and found that mum had my laptop for school work! I started doing stuff so I wouldn't be so bored, since I couldn't look at my phone. It took me until 4 for actually be able to look at my phone, but by that time I was so tired I ended up taking a nap. When I woke up, dinner was being made. I went to go find my cousin and mum. They were outside about to play cards. I love playing cards, so I joined them. Then my brother ended up joining after we were done, so we played another game. After that we ate dinner.

After dinner I considered editing. I walked over to the computer and the prunes hit me! Earlier, while I was napping, my mum and cousin went to the store. I woke up for a minute and called and asked them to get prunes because my stomach has been messing up. So instead of editing like I wanted to, I was forced into the bathroom until it was too late to edit and write a blog in the same night. 

In the pictures below you will see me wearing a mask while I played cards. This was me taking extra precautions to keep them safe. This was also to make my cousin mad since she was very anti-mask. Yes, I am aware I have a rats nest on top of my head. I am washing my hair tomorrow. 

Wave of Sickness

 

This was me about 5 hours after I woke up. When I first woke up my mum was using my computer for her homework. That took about 2 hours. After she was done, everyone wanted to play cards, I wasn't going to pass up the chance to play cards. That took about two hours. I was feeling fine during all of this. Minus getting hungry and just keep playing. I ended up eating chips and dip. I figured I would due editing later in the day.  I mean, I had all day, right? Wrong. After cards, it was about 3 p.m. 

My aunt asked me to help her clean up the kids' rooms today. I went over there to make sure they were up from their naps and they were! I was thinking about the scenes that I had, making sure I had them all and everything just needed to be put together.

As far as I was aware, I had everything. I just needed to put it together. 

I cleaned up the boys bedroom just fine. It was when I got to the girls bedroom that I started losing energy. At first I thought it was just because I was thirsty. As I kept cleaning I kept losing more and more energy. My body was filled with waves of anxiety and stress. I thought I ate something bad and I just needed to use the bathroom. I went back to my cousin's house across the street to use the bathroom and it was on my way over there that I got extremely light headed and felt really sick. 

I was in a lot of pain, inside and needed to lay down. But this time it was 3:30, and I passed out on the couch and didn't wake up until after everyone ate dinner. It was about 7:30 when I woke up with a pounding headache. I took some aleve and tried to eat and drink something. I was also very warm. I thought I was sick. Maybe I still am, but after that nap and water and aleve, I'm starting to keep better. Unfortunately it's hard enough trying to write this blog, there's no way I'll be able to edit tonight.