Group Meeting #2

Hi Cambridge! Today, in class we had another group meeting. I had six people in my group this time, Nicole, Murat, Sebastian, Sonakshi, Sofia, and Kat. In today's discussion, we shared our stories, obstacles, and gave each other feedback. 

Sebastian was the first person in the group to share. His film opening is a Thriller about a group of boys who find a mysterious glowing bag. His group used our recommendation from last time about adding a flashlight in the bag to create the glowing effect. His only issue was that he has 100 clips that he needs to cut down into 2 minutes. So, we recommended that he edit it all together first and then shorten or cut out the unneeded clips. This way he can make sure the character and story is portrayed properly.

Apple. (n.d.). Editing clips and shortening. https://help.apple.com/assets/64A5AE492752E2C4050C7B7A/64A5AE4D2752E2C4050C7B80/en_US/5f35b54c2fbb7b41a18ba37419230366.png

Next, Murat talked about his story. His Mystery opening is about a pair of detectives who are chasing after thief who leaves calling cards. So, the film is called "Calling Card" with a lot of inspiration taken from Sherlock Holmes. His obstacles are that they don't have enough props to use and it was difficult to film in their setting of a narrow hallway. The props portion he has to figure out on his own but for the filming part we recommended using a selfie stick to film.

Comic Book Resources. (n.d.). Sherlock Holmes [Image]. 

https://static1.cbrimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/sherlock-holmes-3-custom-image-2.jpg

Then, Katerina shared her film opening. She's doing a Drama about a girl named Caitlyn who has parents with addictions. Her only obstacle was that her two actors (her parents) were in Europe for 3 weeks and she has a lot of extracurricular activities, so she didn't know when to film. We told her how urgent it is to get her filming completed sometime this week.

After that, Sofia went. She's making a Sports Drama about a guy and the mental and physical struggles of running. She's halfway done with filming. The only part left for her to film is her garage scene where he starts smashing things. She was having trouble coming up with things to smash though so we recommended using empty cans or buying some cheap plates.

Alamy. (n.d.). Empty aluminum cans collected for recycling [Image]. 

https://c8.alamy.com/comp/E4EXB2/empty-aluminum-cans-collected-for-recycling-over-white-background-E4EXB2.jpg

Afterwards, Sonaksi shared her Coming-of-Age film about procrastination. I really liked this idea/story! She said she took a lot of the inspiration from her own life. Her biggest issue was that one of her actor's family members died so she had to change her entire story. 

Lastly, Nicole shared that she's creating a Coming-of-Age film on teenagers who are sneaking out and are very stressed, so they turn to drugs for help. Her only problem was that she forgot the sounds had to be copyright free and didn't know where to find any good ones. So, I recommended she use Pixabay, which I used for my sounds.

Pixabay. (n.d.). Copyright free sound. https://pixabay.com/images/search/copyright%20free%20sound/

Finally, I shared my teen pregnancy and running away plot and everyone was kind of taken aback/shocked. The girls in my group really loved the idea and found it interesting. I didn't really have any obstacles other than not having a bike. But one of the constructive critisms I got was that it sounded short. So, taking that into account, I'm going to finish off the car scenes and see how much I make it to. If it's less than two minutes, I'll make a scene of her entering CVS. 

Norr. (n.d.). CVS Pharmacy exterior at dusk [Image]. 

https://norr.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/CVS-Pharmacy-gallery-05-1-scaled.jpg

All in all, this was a very helpful and successful group meeting for all of us!

Production of Company Logo:

Hi Cambridge! Today I am creating my production logo. So, let me show you my process...

My inspiration for my logo is Warner Bros. It's one of the most-known logos in my opinion and it also gives the same vibes as Superman's emblem which I really like. 

 

Superman logo [Image]. (n.d.). 

Warner Bros. Pictures logo [Image]. (n.d.).

I'm also interested in using an M with lines underneath it so it will look like the name AVA. I used to sign my name like that a lot when I was younger so it would be fun to have a little piece of me in the opening. I don't want it to come off as narcistic though so I'm only going to use the symbol with a different production name. Also, most companies don't use their first names as the name, so it would be pretty unusual.

For my company's name, I went to review what other company's names were. The name started with either the founder or their main inspiration. They ended with things like "Pictures", "Entertainment", and "Studio." But I also like the production company "A24," their name is short and memorable. So, going based on that, I wanted to include a number somewhere in my company's name. 

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). *List of film production companies*. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_film_production_companies

Finally, I chose the company name of "67th Studios." You may or may not know that the numbers 67 have become a meme online, so I wanted to include another piece of me into the company so its personable. I think this will be very funny for me to look back on in a couple of years!

Then I started wondering, what will my audience think since my logo and company name have no correlation. But I reviewed the company "MGM's" logo and theirs is their mascot, Leo the Lion. So, just in case, to reassure myself, I changed the name to "67th Arrow Studios." I chose the word arrows to get an A somewhere in there to connect to the logo! I'm also going to make the line that goes through the M an arrow to create the A's. Now there was only one step left before creating it... Find out if the company already exists!

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) logo [Image]. (n.d.).

Thankfully, when I searched up "67th Arrow Studios" up online, only street names and map's locations popped up, so now I'm clear to create it!

Google. (2025). Google search results for "67th Arrow studios". https://www.google.com

Before I began, another thing I wanted to include is an animated logo. I searched up where I could create and animate a logo and Canva was the common denominator. Here's a video I used to learn how to make it below...

https://www.canva.com/create/logos/animated/

Lastly, here's a series of screenshots of me creating my company, 67th Arrow Studios, logo on Canva! Along with the final animated product!

1) Review instructions on website:

2) Pick a template to edit:

3) Start customizing:

4) Change colors and finalize fonts:

Here is my final animated logo! I had the amazing idea of having the arrow shoot into it. So, without further ado here it is!

Costume Creation

Hi Cambridge! On Monday, my actor, Crosby, came over and we began filming! There was a lot to cover in the Mise-en-Scene aspect, so today's post is dedicated entirely to the wardrobe and makeup creation.

On Sunday, I had compiled my inspiration for her costume. I wanted an oversized graphic t-shirt and black sweatpants. I wanted it to be a comfortable but also slouchy/lazy looking outfit. So, I facetimed her and she showed me her clothes, and I picked out which one was fitting my vision!

Here's the images of my inspiration I found online:

Pinterest. (n.d.). Oversized T‑shirt with thermal body graphic [Image]. https://i.pinimg.com/736x/6f/b2/18/6fb218671490735803c12d46b93f2a1c.jpg

Nordstrom. (n.d.). Black sweatpants product image [Photograph]. https://n.nordstrommedia.com/it/7dd205c5-e5c6-4da4-ac1c-cdbfedc28043.jpeg 

Here is her actual costume! I think it captures exactly what I wanted, a realistic, casual, and comfortable teenage outfit. It's a Nirvana t-shirt which fits the graphic I wanted, and it relates to Jess's love for rock!

Nirvana. (n.d.). Nirvana. In Wikipedia.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana_(band)

Next, on Monday, I had her apply heavy eye makeup with non-waterproof eyeliner and tubing mascara. I also asked if she could wear a dark lipstick, as shown below! 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cV-FGTVyRFRL5v3PDILA4W4rM_7IX04P/view?usp=sharing

Then came the fun part! We smeared her mascara, added water to her eyes, and blended in red on her skin to make it seem like she's puffy and been crying all day. Here are some behind the scenes of doing this!

Water & Q-tip on eyes:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/188XHmINHboohVRgGCy9bOiHEZDap1uV2/view?usp=sharing

That's how I prepared and created Crosby's "Jess" look! I hope you enjoyed watching some clips! I know I did when making it! 

Here's the final Makeup look:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uxqX12GhGpXl1iuiIRxebTBE8dqaHhwv/view?usp=sharing

Change from Bike --> Car in the runaway scene:

Hi Cambridge! On Monday, I started shooting my film opening. We had a minor setback with the rain and biking, so I improvised and had 'Jess' run away in her car. So, I split filming it into two parts: Jess's room and driving scene. 

This photo doesn't do the rain justice, but it was rainy pretty hard in the morning when we were trying to film. But luckily, in the afternoon, things dried up and we were able to film somethings with my car outside!

Since my actor, Crosby, doesn't have her license yet, I filmed it by having her enter the car and showing her starting the car but not driving in it. For the driving scenes, I'm going to have my mom as sort of a stunt double to drive away. You won't be able to see her face, but you will be able to see someone is in the car. 

Also, I don't want to show my license plate on camera, so I started brainstorming of ways to hide it. My mom recommended I blur it or cover it with something, so I researched some videos online and found exactly what I needed. 

Here are the links to a few resources I used:

Clipchamp. (2026, January 6). How to blur a video online. Clipchamp Blog. https://clipchamp.com/en/blog/how-to-blur-video-online/

Clipchamp. (n.d.). How to blur part of a video | Clipchamp tutorial [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/S7l2TqVXkoE?si=yf0mwdp3_b0uq26d

But after watching these videos and discussing it with my teacher, it kind of takes away from the plot and makes it look odd. It makes me feel like the audience is probably wondering why it's not shown.

So, I moved onto the other idea of covering it with something. 

My first idea was on one of those student driver bumper stickers because they go along with the plot of how young she is. It kind of connects to how innocent she should be yet she's facing an unsupported teenage pregnancy. 

 

Student driver sign on car [Photograph]. (2026).

My second idea is just taking off the license plate all together but that makes it look unusual for when the audience sees it. 

My final idea was to cover it with a sarcastic/snarky comment on a paper. I feel like this would go along with the rebellious tone I want to convey and serve as some comedic relief in the moment.

All in all, I'm not sure what I should do but, I will keep you updated! I'm going to record it with both the bumper sticker & paper this weekend and choose which works the best for the scene!

Prop/Set Design:

Hey Cambridge! On Monday, I began filming! There were a lot of different props I had to set out to create the setting of her room. As well as having to clear out my personal things from my room as this is now Jess's room. So, here's what I did first!

Here's a little before video of my room:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kW75jUE52WguYpoQ09wipHma_SHQVLBN/view?usp=sharing

Here's a very short time lapse of me clearing out a dresser:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nxL7q7-KaP0QD2mM8g-dkMMXSRngyj1z/view?usp=sharing

Here's the after video:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1h4vCgP7ZTCTSbJ_u0Kc1f1Nbnbi8mdeH/view?usp=sharing

In a previous blog post, I shared the making of the positive pregnancy test, which is one of my biggest props in this opening! But as you can see, I added many more props around the room. Here are some closeups of the most interesting ones. 

- I created a little journal/sketchbook. "GET ME OUT OF HERE" sounds super dramatic but it also shows that she's already struggling. I added little emo doodles like a skull, eye with a piercing & liner, broken heart, and etc. I also added a J+S doodle and crossed it out to show there is something going on between them.

- I made lipstick marks for the mirror. This was really fun to do... I used the lip products shown in the picture and just kissed a piece of paper. Then to make it look homemade, I ripped it off the paper rather than cutting it. Finally, I stuck it on the mirror with tape.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qu1hGJHjdnXcUn2DcNf_GlmQ7X4OOv10/view?usp=sharing

- I compiled different posters with popular punk and rock artists during the 2000s that I could print out.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gFa2GzsZG4tS6xjfYSixMWi1FPbWe2Hr/view?usp=sharing

Evanescence. (n.d.). [Poster].

A 10‑point plan: Avril Lavigne. (n.d.). [Magazine cover].

Special report: The war in Iraq they won’t let you see. (n.d.). [Magazine cover].

Not okay. (n.d.). [Poster].

Green Day. (n.d.). [Poster].

Avril Lavigne – Let go album cover. (n.d.). [Album cover].

- I made a concert ticket for a hypothetical Avril Lavigne concert. I found a ticket template on Canva and edited things like adding her name. Then, I printed it out a cut it out, so it looked realistic!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T5s64EORFXIcybwTvohhSHozN63BNH_K/view?usp=sharing

This was a really fun process of clearing out my things and picking what I want to use to showcase who 'Jess' is. It was also very challenging and gave me lots of creative freedom. This is only a small part of my production process, so stay tuned for more!

Planning Audio:

Hey Cambridge! Today I wanted to compile all the audio parts I need for my opening. They have to either be created by me or a copy right free sound from online.

First, I want to summarize what I need...

- Indie music

- Sniffles *

- Phone notification *

- Jessica's voiceover *

- Punk/rock music

- Zipper being yanked open *

- Snapping noise of hanger *

- Sighing noises *

- Boyfriend's voicemail *

- Fast-paced violin song

- Zipping noise *

- Phone saying "starting route" *

I'm sure I missed some small sound detail, so if I did, I will include it in another blog post! Also, I put a star (*) next to the ones I'm going to create through foley. 

To begin, I asked my brother to create the boyfriend's voicemail. Here's the actual audio I'm going to edit in. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OuUGJEh4tqbJoK6ZNECRBWO-WjmA2byD/view?usp=sharing

For Jess's voiceover, sniffles, phone notification and sighing, I need my actor, Crosby, to voice it so it's more realistic and I need to have another phone to text so I can record the notification sound.

I created the maps voice by using google translate and typing in "Starting route to Pharmacy." This way I got an artificial/computer sounding voice. Here's a video of me getting the audio.

Google. (n.d.). Google Translate. https://translate.google.com

Now I created the sound of the hanger snapping. Here's a video of me actually snapping one along with a photo of the aftermath! There are so many little pieces everywhere!

For the last of my foley, I zipped and unzipped my backpack. I tried out many patterns of where each zipper should be to get the best noise, and I cracked the code by having them both in the middle. It let me pull it apart really easily and caused a very sharp noise. It also created a rustling noise with my bag which makes it a lot more realistic.

Now that I completed most of the foley sounds, I moved onto getting copyright free sounds from online. One of the resources my teacher recommended for sound is Pixabay. It's a free photo and video website where you can find things to use without copyright issues.

Pixabay. (n.d.). Pixabay. https://pixabay.com

After discovering all the different sounds, I realized there are so many different options for the music. I didn't realize what a variety there was in rock and punk. So rather than switching up the tone completely with instrumental I'm just going to use all punk and rock. Here are the audio files I will use for my project:

These sounds all give off a very 2000's mood which is exactly what I'm going for!

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BRuqL7g7zIII06mXPENANeMpd-_qeCyA/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16ubWHh1EMQRXE3mmnDuuo99srfbEDoBt/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1euS0npb8j0Iru_nZy767kqbMtVAR0FoT/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1blxA46DHBmu08DfEHrKlksQeHQWmM66d/view?usp=sharing

I hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned the behind the scenes of my production!

Finding an actor and location:

Hi Cambridge! Today I finalized my location and my actor for 'Jess' for my film opening. Since I already researched lighting techniques and created my storyboard (in previous blog posts), I imagined everything happening in my house/neighborhood. 

Here's an image of the doorway Jess will be standing in when she's first introduced. Also, here's an image of a messy bedroom but I will definitely make it look more cluttered when filming. The third image is the sidewalk 'Jess' will be biking on while the title appears.

Now, that I found my location, I had to start looking for an actor. Originally, I was going to use one of my friends in drama and theater to act in it but, she isn't free any of the days I allotted for filming. I could've switched the dates and waited for her, but I didn't want to fall behind schedule. So, next I started asking even my non-acting friends. A lot of them didn't want to do it since it was out of their comfort zone but finally my friend Crosby said yes! Here is a photo of her... She has previous experience acting in numerous middle school film projects.

I think she will be perfect for the role of 'Jess' because she has a very teenage looking aesthetic already and I can use some of her wardrobe to dress 'Jess.' She's also great at doing her makeup and often uses eyeliner which I wanted 'Jess' to have. 

Another actor (voice actor) I will be using is my brother, Alec, for the role of the Boyfriend in my opening. He's at college right now but it's a non-visual part/only the audio, so it will work really well by having him record himself saying the script and sending it to me so I can edit it in. His voice will help give the allusion of a teenage boy's voice! I'm going to give him script lines like "Please call me back! I know I messed up!" to read for the diegetic voicemails.

All in all, I'm very excited to film on Monday, and finally see all my research and preparations come together. I'll keep you updated!