Script/Research For Question #1 of CCR

Hey blog!! Today's entry is about the research and development for question #1 of my Creative Critical Reflection (CCR) for my portfolio project.

The purpose of a CCR is to reflect on the planning, production, and final product of my film opening. For this CCR, we need to take two different approaches for the four questions. After my teacher showed us some examples, I went on YouTube and watched some CCRs from different students. I came across one that was simple, but it made me think about how to make it more creative. The student answered her question by just referring back to a paper she had, and when I saw that, I thought of doing something similar but with a twist. I want to present my answer as if it's a conversation between a teacher and a student in a classroom. Here's what it would look like:

[CLASSROOM SETTING SCRIPT]

(Scene opens in a classroom. The teacher, played by me, stands in front of a whiteboard with Fallen Rhythm written on it. Two students—also played by me—sit at desks, ready to ask questions.)

TEACHER: Alright, class! Today, we’re breaking down the film opening Fallen Rhythm and how it fits into the psychological thriller genre. Who wants to start?

STUDENT 1: (Raises hand) What exactly makes a film a psychological thriller?

TEACHER: Great question! Psychological thrillers build tension using suspense, unsettling visuals, and sound design. Instead of relying on big action scenes, they focus on emotions, the mind, and psychological struggles. I studied films like Get Out (2017) and A Quiet Place (2018) to see how they create suspense through cinematography, pacing, and sound. My goal was to apply these techniques in Fallen Rhythm.

STUDENT 2: How did you use those thriller conventions in your film?

TEACHER: Excellent! Thrillers often use low lighting, strong contrasts, and close-up shots to show psychological tension. In my film, I used quick cuts of flamenco shoes, a red skirt, and the dance studio to create intensity. Instead of traditional music, I used the sound of a cane hitting the floor to build suspense. The silence between sounds adds to the unease.

STUDENT 1: Did you challenge any thriller conventions?

TEACHER: Not really! I stuck to the conventions because they work so well for building suspense. My focus was on using them effectively rather than changing them. I wanted to keep the tension strong and make sure the audience really feels the pressure the main character, Triana, is experiencing.

STUDENT 2: What about representation? How does your film handle that?

TEACHER: Fantastic question! Representation isn’t just about who is on screen—it’s about how their struggles are shown. Fallen Rhythm explores ambition and the physical toll of pushing yourself too hard. Triana’s biggest challenge isn’t an external villain, but her own body. That’s different from many thrillers, which usually have an antagonist threatening the main character.

TEACHER: Alright, class! To wrap up—Fallen Rhythm follows thriller traditions, but it also brings in new themes by focusing on internal struggles and cultural identity. Any final questions?

(Students shake their heads. Bell rings. End scene.)

Continuing the Editing Process

Editing is moving along, and I’m starting to see everything come together for the opening of "Fallen Rhythm". After getting the clips in order and trimming them to keep the pace right, it was time to focus on the next steps—color correction and adding the credits.

I watched a few tutorials to help me get a better handle on color correction. The goal was to keep the colors natural, but with just enough adjustment to enhance the mood of the scene. I worked on the exposure, contrast, and a little bit of color tweaking to make everything pop, while making sure it still felt grounded in reality. The editing is all about creating tension, and the right colors help with that, so I spent some time getting the look just right.

Once the color correction was done, I moved on to the credits and title. I decided to have the title appear as Triana moves across the screen, in line with the flow of the dance. The credits show up in a similar way, matching the energy of the opening and making sure they don’t distract from the action. I wanted the credits to feel part of the movement, almost like they’re part of the dance itself.

It’s been exciting to get closer to the final product, and I’m happy with how things are shaping up. The editing process is challenging, but it’s amazing to see how the pieces are falling into place. I’m looking forward to what comes next!

Here is an image and link to the Youtube video I watched: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omtuw1Ua2Qk

 

Starting the Editing Process

Editing is finally here, and I’m both excited and a little nervous. After filming, it’s time to put everything together and make sure the film opening flows the way I imagined. The first thing I did was go over all the footage and organize the clips in order. I watched each shot carefully to see which ones worked best. Some shots looked better than I expected, while others didn’t fit as well as I thought they would. Since the opening is fast-paced, I need to make sure each shot connects smoothly and keeps up the energy.

Once I had everything in order, I started adjusting the length of the clips. Some shots were a little too long, and I don’t want any part to slow things down. I had to trim them to keep the pacing right. The rhythm of the editing is important because it needs to match Triana’s movements and her intensity while dancing. I also need to make sure the inserts like the close-ups of the flamenco shoes and the red skirt, appear at the right moments. These little details help set the mood, so I’m paying extra attention to them.

I’m also experimenting with the order of some shots. Even though I planned things out before filming, sometimes the clips work better in a different sequence. Moving things around helps me see what flows best. I want the film opening to feel natural but also intense, so I’m playing around with different combinations.

So far, the biggest challenge is making everything feel seamless. Since the film opening doesn’t have music, the sound of the dance needs to be just right. I’m adjusting how the beats of the cane and footsteps sound together, making sure they add to the tension of the scene. It’s a lot of trial and error, but I’m excited to see how it turns out.

Here is an image what my editing currently looks like:

Font Choice For The Credits and Film Title

  Hey blog!!When making a film, every little detail matters, including the font. From the beginning, I knew I wanted a cursive font for my film opening. It had to match the feeling of the story and bring out its energy and elegance. Flamenco is full of passion and movement. A plain or blocky font wouldn’t show that. Cursive fonts flow, just like the dancer’s skirt or the way she moves. I wanted the credits to feel like part of the dance, moving smoothly across the screen with Triana.

I also picked cursive because it looks more emotional. The swirly letters add drama and match the serious tone of my film. Since the opening is fast-paced, I didn’t want a font that looked stiff or boring. The cursive style makes it feel more artistic and alive. At the same time, I had to make sure it was easy to read. Some cursive fonts are too fancy, which makes them hard to understand. I picked one that is simple but still pretty, so people can read it easily while watching the film. The title of the film will appear as Triana moves, so the font needed to look natural and not out of place. 

The only thing I’m not sure about is the color of the film title. I don’t know if I want it to be red or not. Red feels bold and fits the flamenco theme, but I’m not sure if it’s the best choice. I want it to stand out without being too overwhelming.

Fonts might seem like a small choice, but they help set the mood. The cursive font adds beauty and emotion, just like flamenco itself. It needed to be bold, expressive, and full of life. 

Here are the two color options I have:

Foley Sounds

 Foley Sounds Within My Film Opening

Making the right sounds for the opening scene was important to make everything feel real and with energy. Since the film focuses on a flamenco dancer, the sounds were a big part of setting the mood. Here’s how I made some of the key sounds.

The first sound I worked on was the dancer’s heavy breathing. Triana works really hard during the dance, so I wanted her breathing to sound loud enough to show how much effort she was putting into it. I recorded her breathing closely to make it clear how hard she’s pushing herself.

Next, I focused on the "cajon" (the percussion instrument I played). The cajon is really important for the rhythm of the dance. I had the video playing in front of me while I recorded, so I could make sure the beats lined up with the dancer’s movements. It was tricky, but the sound of the cajon helped keep the energy of the scene going.

I also needed to capture the sound of the dancer moving a chair across a wooden floor. This sound was simple but important. The creak of the floor and the scrape of the chair added to the feeling of tension before the dance gets really intense.

Finally, I worked on the sound of the cane. I wanted to make sure it was loud enough to stand out when Triana picks it up. I used a wooden stick to match the sound of the cane hitting the floor. Since I didn’t have a mic, I used wired headphones to record, holding them close to the action to make sure I got all the details.

All of these sounds helped bring the opening scene to life. They added to the feeling of the moment and helped show Triana’s struggle and determination. I’m excited to see how it all comes together when we start editing the film! Here is an image of the headphones I utilized to record the sounds. And in this picture specifically I was recording the heavy breathing. 

Obstacles/ Issues During Production

 Obstacles During Production

Making a film opening is never easy. I knew there would be problems, but I didn’t realize how many small things would slow me down. From technical issues to unexpected problems, I’ve learned a lot along the way.

Limited Equipment
One big challenge was working with little equipment. I don’t have professional cameras, lights, or sound gear, so I had to get creative. I used a ring light and the studio lights for lighting. Sometimes, it looked good, but other times, shadows were hard to control. Filming on a phone was also tricky, especially trying to get smooth shots without a stabilizer.

Filming Without Being Seen in the Mirror
I didn’t expect this problem, but filming without being seen in the studio mirrors was really hard. Since mirrors were everywhere, I had to be careful with camera angles. Sometimes, I had to stand in odd places or crop the shot to keep myself out of the frame. I had to redo some shots multiple times just to get it right.

Noise From Cars Outside
Another issue was the noise from cars outside. The studio wasn’t soundproof, so I could hear cars passing by while filming. This made it hard to get clean audio. I had to redo takes when the noise was too loud, which took up a lot of time.

Short Time to Film
Balancing this project with school and other work was stressful. I didn’t have much time to film, so I had to work fast.  Finding a time were both of my sisters were available was tricky, especially since my older sister who is the actor is in college. 

Even with these struggles, I’m excited to see the final film opening. Every problem made me think and find new solutions. The process hasn’t been easy, but it’s been worth it. I can’t wait to share the final product. Here is an image of getting everything set up to start recording: 

Day 1 of Filming

Day 1 of Filming:

Day 1 of filming started with a lot of excitement and a little bit of stress. The day began with both of my sisters and I, getting food before heading to the dance studio. It was a long ride, but we made the most of it. Once we got to the studio, we were ready to start filming.

For this first day, my older sister played Triana, the flamenco dancer. She did an amazing job bringing the character to life. When she started dancing, especially in the beginning before she grabs the cane, you could really feel the intensity of her movements, and it set the tone for the scene perfectly. But once we started filming, I realized that I was going to need some background music so I figured the best option was for me to play the "cajon". 

Since I had to play the "cajon" (the percussion instrument), I couldn’t film at the same time. That’s when my little sister came in. She filmed the part where Triana starts her dance. It was tricky because I was focused on playing the cajon and staying in rhythm with the dance, and at the same time I had to make sure she was getting all the shots right and the ones I wanted since she has very few experience in the filming world. 

Originally, we planned to film everything, but we didn’t have enough time to do everything. We had to make some adjustments on the opening scene and it took a lot of our time up. I’ll be talking more about the obstacles we faced in a separate blog, but this post is all about what we managed to get done on the first day. 

Even though we didn’t get too film everything, it was a good start. I'm excited to keep going and see where the rest of the filming takes us. Here is a video of my older sister dancing, my little one filming and me playing the "cajon".

https://youtu.be/VIZt_KzkLcI