PLANNING
This section will include my planning for this project.
PRE PRODUCTION
14.01.2025
Practicing Thriller
This is a practice thriller using the scenes that my class teacher Mr Esera and I had filmed during one of our media classes. We had initially come to have a look at the garage to decide whether it was a good spot for filming, and decided we will film when we had gotten there. I wanted the clips to somehow relate to my thriller film if it was a full series. This would be towards the end when the person behind all the mysterious activities is revealed. I wanted to show how the anti protagonist lives in a random empty apartment and was calling someone who the audience does not know. It also shows that there is a bigger group of people who are involved in the case of the silent countdown.
13.01.2025
Reflection Blog
This is.a reflection blog of the work I have done so far, and an update of the past few weeks.
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I am confident that I will be able to edit the film how I want it / close to it by using the platform CapCut. I may be able to buy the pro version of the application if needed, so that I could use more features to edit and export a more high quality product. I have learned that sound plays a major role in creating the meaning needed during my last editing process - it should be able to go well with the scene.
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Till now on my filming, I have not been able to do any filming during the holidays due to personal reasons which I have let the teachers know. On the week I had come back and planned to do filming, there were flash flood warnings in Singapore due to continuous rain and heavy rain from Friday till Monday. Due to this, we were not able to film on that weekend. However, if the weather has not improved by this weekend, we will continue filming in the rain since we are short on time.
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I am planning to finish most or all of my filming by Chinese New Year 2025 (which leaves us with two weeks) since anytime after that would be more challenging to film, due to mock examinations, as well as other factors. Which is why, it is the best option to try to finish filming by then so that I am able to do editing during my exam week. This way, I would have a bit of time to do re-filming if needed.
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Although the weather has not been on our side, I believe that it would look more interesting for the movie. However, I must be cautious when filming in these conditions by checking which times are best beforehand, as well as not getting my camera, phone and other equipment wet in the rain. Another thing I will struggle with is to have good sound quality when filming some parts where the actors are speaking, due to the distance between the character and the camera would cause the audio to be muffled. However, this could be fixed with a well blended voice over to make it more realistic if needed. Additionally, I must watch out for puddles, or other sources of water when filming (so should my actors) since this could cause injuries such as slipping or falling. However, I will do my best to try and avoid filming in these areas if the conditions are too risky for my actors, and work around the wet areas since the outdoor scene will have some running actions to do.
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Filming the opening scenes indoor will not be as much of a hassle, other than the other people living in my house potentially disrupting the filming process, since my cousin usually studies outside in the living room during the weekends. This could hopefully be resolved somehow by asking him to study in his room for a bit or by recording when he finishes.
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Things I could keep in mind for my next recording sessions:
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Continuity - Always look through the footage after filming before heading home
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A plan of what we will do - such as a storyboard / discuss it with others beforehand
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Actors preparing beforehand - coming in specific costumes
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Having stable footage / using a stabiliser - saves time on editing process
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Focus on lighting - overall a dim lighting both indoors and outdoors. Gloomy weather could help.
07.12.2024
Continuation of Editing
Today, I decided would be a good day to do some filming to practice for our media project since it was the best the weather had been since it has been quite cloudy/rainy these days. Initially, my plan was to film for the actual thriller opening, however since one of the other actors needed in this scene was unavailable, I wanted to try out something different which could still be useful for this project.
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By going to the underground area this day, we noticed that unlike the last time when we went on the same day at the same time, the place was more crowded compared to then, when we had only 2-3 people walking through the tunnel. By going to this location, I realised that even though we go on the same day of the week at the same timing, that we can never predict if that location would be empty or not since it is a public area. Due to this, the filming process took a little longer and I had to work my way differently rather than film smoothly since I did not want any other people to be in my shot other than my actors. Hence, filming was difficult that it would be if it was empty.
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Additionally, I tried to use the rule of thirds when filming some scenes, such as the first scene by placing him on the left grid so that I could get the hang of filming techniques.I also noticed that my actors acting was a bit stiff and unnatural in these shots. But this can be improved with more training and practice as he gets used to being in front of a camera and by making him feel more comfortable in acting. This also gave me the idea that my the rest of my cast may experience the same thing since they have not acted before. Hence, by giving them a proper planning of the shoot, they can prepare beforehand / get an idea of what we will be filming that day.
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During editing (on CapCut), I focused on sound effects. I tried to incorporate different sounds such as the sound of nature in the beginning as well as a peaceful melodic sound which slowly fades away into an intense sound. This was to show the feeling that the peace he was experiencing and him being deep in thought was disrupted when he felt that he was being followed. I overlayed a sound of a heartbeat so show that his heart was pacing when he felt that he was being followed, and added the sound of footsteps when he was running. This was again overlayed with a faster paved heartbeat to increase the tension for the audience. During this part of the scene, I also used shots of the back and front of the character running, while I also ran along with him. By doing so, I felt that with the unstable shots, it further created a disorienting feeling.
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Then, the character runs to the end of the tunnel where it is light, and I thought this would be an interesting shot to edit, so when editing, I increased the exposure, highlights and a bit of the contrast to make the light increase and make it look as though the character had entered another dimension, possibly with new beginnings. After that, the screen goes black and shows the movie title "Till the End." I chose this title as he was running and eventually will reach the end. By making the text fade from white to red, I felt that this could possibly indicate the troubles he may face during his journey to the end.
Here is a screenshot of the sounds I used / the layout of CapCut.
02.12.2024
Introduction to Editing
Today I tried to edit some footage I had filmed for another class project and tried to get familiar with editing on my laptop on Adobe Premier Rush. However, since my footage was having some trouble uploading, I decided to use another app called Capcut. From this I learnt how to cut clips, add sound, and make colour edits on this app.
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When filming the footage, my main goal was to try to make a smooth continuity. Although we had a limited time to film due to our schedules, we managed to film these clips in one take for the opening of the video. I learnt continuity when filming during the media workshop on the 8th of November and comparing it to that day, I had less stress and felt ease when filming since my actor for this footage was very patient and understood most of the instructions I had given. On top of that, I feel that having a smaller crew who was focused was much easier to handle than a larger group with some people getting distracted and talking during filming. Due to this, I believe that having a well focused team can help when filming my thriller opening project "The Silent Countdown".
08.11.2024
Media Workshop
On this day, the students studying media at Etonhouse International School Orchard went on a workshop to learn the skills of using a camera and getting familiar with it. From this experience, I have learnt that one of the hardest parts of filming is continuity. I realised this when trying to film a shot of two friends meeting, where trying to film the walking did not show the continuity well. It also made me realise how time consuming filming really is. When trying to film a few second clips of the two friends meeting, it took over half an hour to try and film those shots. Hence, giving me a rough idea on how long I should plan for the future when filming with my cast.
The storyboard that I created on the 4th of November helped me with what shots I should focus on and what I need to practice. I tried to recreate some angles as a guide.
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These two photos are some photos I took of the media students on our way to scout for our second location after our first. Although it was a snapshot, it is a photo of the behind the scenes of what production is really like. At times, it is always easier to film with a crew, rather than do it alone.
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Here I used a low angle shot to show superiority of the character and establish a bit of the background as well. I think this shot may come in useful when doing an opening for a thriller movie to show superiority. to further improve this photo, I believe that I should centre the subject, or use the rules of 3.​
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I then used a high angle shot to show vulnerability of a character and to show her sad emotions and feelings as though she is disappointed or frustrated at something that she has heard or seen. I thought that using an open space with the character wearing a full white can show purity and a new beginning for the plot that she may face in the future. This angle could be useful when showing inferiority in a character in the thriller genre.
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This is a camera shot that will be very useful in my thriller film opening and I am planning to incoorporate an extreme close up shot of either an object or expression. In this case, I used an extreme close up shot of my friends eye with her expression to show concern and sadness. I think this was done well and could be better improved by including a shot of both the eyes and eyebrows to show a better visual representation of the characters facial expressions, in future shots.
28.10.2024
Recce Reports
My condominium
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Potential safety hazards
The doors could slam if the windows are open and the wind is strong and this might injure the actor or crews toes. However, this can be prevented by doing check ins beforehand or keeping the windows closed when filming certain shots. We could also put doors stoppers if needed.
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( insert photos )
Emerald Hill
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Potential safety hazards
Crew could get hit by a car or slip and roll down the hill all the way down and then get hit by a car or someone could come and kidnap or stab them. This can be prevented by checking if the area is empty or moving to the side if a vehicle comes near. Incase of other health emergencies, we could call an ambulance to my condominium since it is a five minute walk away.
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( insert photos )
Clarke Quay Central area (underground)
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Potential safety hazards
Potential bikers go through that passage but usually it is empty. If people do come, we can move to a side and let them go through before continuing the rest of the filming.​​
22.10.2024
Casting Sessions
​On this day, we held our first casting session to scout for candidates to be in our project. I interviewed individuals who wanted to take part in my film. This included many students, some of which are Deyan, Tatim, Yuuto and Luo. During this session, these students auditioned, and also had a little interview on why they have chosen to be candidates for this thriller film. These are some of the questions and answers by the candidates.
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1. Tatim ( insert character name )
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What makes you want to be in a thriller film?
Firstly I think that it would be really fun not only because I'm helping a friend, but I also get to act and I've wondered what it would be like to be in a cast and be in shooting. I know that it will probably take a lot of time for the final product but I wonder what the final video would look like.
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What is your favourite thriller movie?
My favourite one would probably be Spiderman: Far from home mostly because of the twist in the middle of the plot and also the cliff hanger at the end of the film. I also liked it because I like Tom Holland and Jake Gyllenhaal's were in it and their acting is pleasing to look at.
2. Deyan ( insert character name )
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What your favourite movie?
My favourite movie is "A Quiet Place". I found this movie interesting because it had a lot of excitement.
Who is your favourite actor or actress?
I would have to say it is Lady Gaga from the last film she was in called "Joker: Folie à Deux". I really liked her acting because she puts emotion into it and I think she shows the message well. The musical in the movie was great too and I like it because there is beautiful girls in it.
2. Yuuto ( insert character name )
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What about acting makes you want to be a part of it?
I have always found the concept of acting quite interesting and I wanted to gain experience by being in one. I also think it would be a great conversation starter when talking to people. Acting can take me out of my usual comfort zone and it will make me try new characters that have different types of emotions.
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Who is your favourite film director?
Quentin Tarantino.
01.10.2024
Production Schedule
23.08.2024
In the thriller series "Alice in Borderland", each game has a countdown/ timer. I have taken inspiration of the countdown clock and used the countdown timer in my thriller opening idea.
This is the end of this section.