Post-production (editing) process post #2

For this part of the project, I focused on editing in Premiere Pro to make the pan scene feel dynamic. The main idea of the opener is showing me taking the cover off a pan, and as the cover lifts, I edited in words that fill the pan. This makes the scene feel more creative and adds a visual twist instead of just showing the pan normally.

While editing, I created a new sequence for each word so I could control exactly when and where they appear in the pan. I spent time matching the timing to the cover lifting, making sure the words felt like they were naturally filling the space. I also worked on the pacing so the reveal felt smooth and engaging.

Most of the editing was done in Premiere Pro, keeping it simple so the focus stayed on the pan and the words rather than on extra effects.

Overall, this stage helped me improve my timing and sequencing skills. Post-production is where the opener really started to feel alive and visually interesting.

Post-Production Editing Process Post #1

For this part of the project, I focused on the editing process and putting everything together in Premiere Pro. Most of the work happened during post-production because that’s where the idea for the opener really comes to life.

The main concept of my opener is showing a scene where I’m texting, and on the screen, the text messages appear in bubbles that I edited in. Instead of a normal cinematic start, the video highlights the texting itself, giving the opener a more interactive and creative feel. I made a new sequence for each message bubble to control the timing and placement, which helped make the conversation look natural on screen.

While editing, I spent time arranging each sequence, deciding when the messages should appear, and making sure the pacing felt smooth. I experimented with the order of the texts to make the flow feel realistic, and this added a layer of humor and personality to the opener.

Most of the editing was done in Premiere Pro, keeping it simple so the audience could focus on the texting scene rather than complicated effects.

Overall, this stage helped me improve my editing workflow and my creative choices. Post-production is where the opener really started to feel like a polished scene instead of just raw footage.

Group Meeting #2

Group photo of the meeting

Today in class, we held our second group meeting. I shared my progress with my classmates Santiago, Mario, Luisa, Andrea, Gabi, and Gavin, and they offered the following feedback.

So I told them about the production process and how I've only just began logo and character creation not that long ago. My group classmates told me they really liked my idea and want to see it when it comes out. My classmates also feel worried on how I am going to make my 2 minute opener with no real plot.

Apart from the plot issues, they said the my idea and logo were nice, and they really liked my blogger and blog posts and it's theme.

For the CCR, I learned that we need to do 2 different types of media, so I suggested some ideas to my peers, like an interview, a podcast, or an award show.

BTS Production process #3

 Overall, that night was a good filming night. This was the only clip I don't want to use. It's extremely awkward and just doesn't work. Once again, not sure how many times I can say this, but thank you, Jaime. Huge help. and Nick. 

Production Company Logo

If I am being honest, I did not think making a logo would stress me out this much. It is literally just a name and an image, right? Wrong. A logo is the first thing people see before your film even starts. It sets the tone. It tells people whether you are serious or just messing around with iMovie at 2am.

I wanted something simple but bold. No crazy colors. No overdesigned gradients. Just black and white. Clean. Cinematic. That is how I landed on the silhouette idea.

Then came the title struggle. I spent way too long choosing fonts. Some looked too playful. Some looked like horror movie knockoffs. I needed something tall and sharp for Absolut, so it feels commanding. Then Cinema underneath in smaller spaced lettering to balance it. The figure with the hands up was inspired by a famous meme.

I kept it centered because symmetry feels powerful. Black background because it screams cinema. White silhouette and text because contrast is everything. It almost feels like a studio intro you would see before an indie thriller or experimental short.

The biggest thing I learned in this process is that logos are about identity. It forced me to think about what my production company actually represents. Minimalism. Character focus. Strong visuals. Slight dramatic edge.

If I had more time, I might animate it. Maybe the hands slowly rise into frame. Maybe the text fades in sharp and quick. But for now, I like that it is bold and still. It feels confident.

Overall, I did not expect a simple logo to take this much thinking. But I am glad it did. Because now when that logo shows up before my two minute opener, it will not just be a random graphic. It will feel intentional. And that is the whole point.

Logo Creation Layers Video

BTS of Production process #2

Today I walked up to my friend Jaime, who helped out a lot on the project, and we said what's up to each other on a sidewalk around 9 pm in an open space. The outcome was solid; it was a good start and really set the vision for the project. This time, instead of my sister, it was my friend Nick who was super helpful as well. He barely made the camera shake and learned super fast.

BTS Filmings #1

Today we filmed in the kitchen, and my sister was behind the camera. I used the air fryer oven and pressed the buttons to turn it on while she recorded. We kept it simple but got some good shots from different angles, and she helped film; however i had to stabilize everything because it was too shaky.

Planning Post: FILMING WEEK!!!

Week 5: 2/16-2/22 Schedule

This week is the big one. It’s when I actually start filming my opener and begin shaping it in editing. I’m also taking time to create a production company logo so the project feels official. Every day has a focus, but it all overlaps because production is messy and rarely goes perfectly on schedule.

Monday

•     Practice Filming with actors

Tuesday

•     Shoot a few scenes reflect and revise

Wednesday

•     Create a production company logo

Thursday

•     Finish the majority of filming

Friday

•     Experiment with the editing

Saturday

•     Post production post: editing

Sunday

•     Post production post: editing
  
  
  

Researching Audio for my Film

Audio is going to be a big part of how this two-minute opener lands. I want the breakfast scene to feel normal, almost cozy, so I’m planning to open it with old 70s-style music that gives a “good morning” vibe. That will contrast heavily with the tension that comes later. When the mission ramps up, I want the soundtrack to shift to something closer to a John Wick-style thriller intense, fast, and suspenseful. The contrast will make the audience feel the shift from normal life to high-stakes action.

Beyond music, I’m planning to layer in foley and environmental sounds to make the scene feel alive. Texting, moving around, putting on shoes, zipping the hoodie all of that can be emphasized with subtle sound effects. I’m looking at Pixabay for free foley sounds, but I might also record some myself depending on what fits best. These small audio touches will make the movements feel intentional and heighten the suspense even in quiet moments. I’m keeping it flexible, but sound is going to guide the audience’s attention and mood throughout the short opener.

Mise-en-Scène #2: Set, Location, and Lighting

The environment and lighting will shape the tension and mood in the opener. The kitchen is where he starts in normal life, making breakfast and checking texts, grounding the story in a relatable space. The outdoor location is for the meetup, creating contrast and escalating the story. Using simple, practical locations makes the short film feel realistic while keeping the focus on the character and the actions that matter.

Lighting is another storytelling tool I’m planning to use. I’m trying to borrow a ring light from CBTV to control shadows and highlight important movements like texting, handling the gun, or putting on the hoodie. Close-ups lit carefully will emphasize intention, tension, and focus. Every element, the set, location, and lighting works together to make ordinary actions feel cinematic, precise, and impactful. This is how a low-budget, two-minute opener can feel intentional and suspenseful.

https://www.youtube.com/c/CypressBayCBTV

Mise-en-Scène Planning Post #1: Costume & Props

For this two-minute opener, the way the character looks and the objects he interacts with will tell almost the entire story. Costume is key. I’m using my own wardrobe to build his persona:
 hoodie, hat, and shoes show he’s casual but prepared. The hoodie hides identity and signals he’s about to go on a mission, while shoes show he’s ready for action. These small choices communicate that he’s trained, precise, and serious even though he’s a teen.

Props are just as important. Jaime’s airsoft gun stands in for a real weapon, keeping things safe while adding tension. Robbie’s fake blood from Halloween will sell the final act and create impact without overdoing it. Even the phone and DMs are props they show his orders, the mission stakes, and his connection to the agency. Every item will be used deliberately, framed so the audience notices it and understands its importance without extra dialogue

My Films Main Character Development

The main character is a teen spy working for an agency, and every action in the opener has to show that clearly. Making breakfast, texting the boss, putting on a hoodie and shoes, and checking details like his target’s favorite band all of it is part of his job. These small actions reveal his focus, discipline, and ability to follow orders while still blending into normal life. The audience needs to understand that he’s not just a kid hanging out he’s precise, calculating, and trained, even before anything dramatic happens.

His interactions with the target and the agency show who he is and what drives him. How he replies to the boss, how he prepares for the meetup, how he observes the billionaire’s son each choice signals intelligence, adaptability, and moral ambiguity. In two minutes, the opener has to establish him as competent, strategic, and fully aware of the stakes. Every movement is purposeful, every glance and text counts, and by the end, the audience should instantly see that this is a teen who can handle a mission that is far bigger than normal teenage life.

Kind of like this kid. This is an image taken from "Alex Rider"

My Main Idea and Inspirations

I’ve been thinking about this two-minute opener nonstop. At first glance it seems simple: breakfast, texts, hoodie, shoes, meet up. But the more I think about it, the more I realize it’s about control. Who controls the story, who controls the audience, and how much you can make someone feel in almost no time. It is tiny, but I want every movement and every glance to matter.

What got me fired up for this project is watching films that turn everyday life into a pressure cooker. I’m talking about Drive, Collateral, and John Wick. None of them rely on chaos from the start. They make the audience notice the quiet, the small details, the planning. That’s what my opener tries to do. A text about a band might seem dumb on paper, but in the context of what’s coming, it suddenly feels loaded. Every little mundane thing builds the story before the first big act.

I am also obsessed with how these films handle anticipation. You know something is about to go wrong, but you don’t know exactly when or how. That uncertainty is the hook. It’s why I focus on prep sequences like putting on a hoodie or tying shoes. These tiny actions are meaningless in real life, but in a thriller world they are signals. They tell the audience to watch closer without me ever saying a word.

Finally, there’s the moral side. The protagonist does something unforgivable in the end. That makes you question how you feel about everything that led up to it. It’s messy. It’s uncomfortable. That’s exactly what I want from my two minutes. I want people to leave thinking, wondering, replaying it in their heads. Short runtime doesn’t matter if it sticks with them.

This project is about layering meaning into tiny moments, making the audience do the work, and letting the world feel bigger than two minutes. It’s inspired by the slow, deliberate way thrillers build tension, the careful choreography of movement, and the moral ambiguity that makes people squirm. The goal is simple: take ordinary things and make them feel like the calm before a storm.

Media Theory I will Incorporate into my Film

Reception Theory is insane when you actually think about it. It’s not about what you put on screen. It’s about how people interpret it. That is perfect for my two-minute opener. On paper, it is just a guy making breakfast, texting, putting on a hoodie and shoes, and meeting someone. But everyone watching will read into everything differently. Every glance, every DM, every small movement becomes part of the story for them.

Viewers don’t just absorb what happens. They fill in the blanks. They create tension from ordinary things. That is why my opener works even though it is short. One person might see the texts and shrug. Another person might feel immediate danger. The audience is constructing the suspense themselves. That is the power of this theory. You do not have to spell out everything.

Think about movies like The Killing or Zodiac. Nothing dramatic happens for a while, but the shots linger, the dialogue lands, and the way characters move makes viewers start guessing. You are piecing together clues before anything even explodes. That is what I want. People should be reading the situation in their heads before the payoff happens.

Reception Theory also shows that ambiguity is useful. My script does not need loud action or explanations. Viewers will read motives, imagine stakes, and fill in emotional weight themselves. That means I can focus on small details. The DM, the band name, the hoodie, the shoes. Let the audience’s brains do the rest.

Handing over control to the audience is scary and exciting at the same time. It makes the tension hit harder than if I explained everything. In two minutes, the audience does the work and that makes every moment count more than you think.

Group Meeting #1

During this blog session, the class mostly focused on sharing progress and throwing around ideas rather than locking anything in. People talked about what genres they were leaning toward and why, and it felt more like a brainstorming day than a finished-ideas day. The discussion helped clarify what actually works on screen versus what only sounds good on paper. A lot of ideas started vague but got better once people explained them out loud.

Most students’ ideas centered around familiar genres like thriller, horror, and drama. Some people wanted to rely heavily on tension and suspense, especially using lighting and sound instead of dialogue. Others talked about using symbolism or open endings so the audience has to think instead of being told everything. A few ideas were more experimental, like focusing on atmosphere, distorted sound, or unconventional camera angles to create meaning rather than a clear story.

Listening to everyone else helped show how many different ways the same genre can be approached. Even when two people chose similar concepts, their execution ideas were completely different. Overall, the blog felt useful because it gave perspective on what’s realistic, what might be confusing to an audience, and what ideas stand out the most. It helped me think more critically about my own project and how I want it to come across.