focusing on audio

 What’s up blog, Sam here. A lot of people do not realize how much audio affects a scene, but it can completely change the mood. Since our project leans into mystery and tension, we want the sound to feel real, and emotional.

How We’re Using Sound

The film starts with Maverick watching the podcast where Dr. Mueller is about to reveal the big news. The audio here is going to sound like it is coming from an actual device in the room, not like a clean studio recording. That helps the audience feel like they are in Maverick’s pov. Once the film transitions into the real show, the sound becomes clearer and more professional to show the shift. We are also adding a short clapping sound when the host introduces the show. It makes the broadcast feel real, having a real audience. When Dr. Mueller reveals the truth about the medicine; everything cuts to silence for a second or two. Silence is uncomfortable on purpose, and it makes the moment hit harder.

Character Reactions and Tension

 After the silence, we cut back to Maverick. His breathing, his voice and the way he talks to himself are meant to feel personal, like the audience is inside his head. Then we cut back to the show one last time with intense breaking news style music. It comes in fast and loud to show how crazy the situation is. when the show reveals that Dr. Mueller is suddenly gone, the sound helps make the moment even darker and shocking.

Foley and Original Sounds 

For the typing scene, we are not downloading a sound effect. We are recording it ourselves. Foley is when filmmakers create their own sound effects using real objects because you can really get what you want. and it makes everything feel more natural. Even something simple like typing sounds better when it is recorded in the actual space. Doing our own Foley also makes the project more fun and gives us more control.

https://d26oc3sg82pgk3.cloudfront.net/files/media/edit/image/49646/article_full%402x.jpg

reflection

Overall, this is a good blueprint about what we are going to be doing with the sound, and thanks for stopping by.

citations

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diegetic

https://www.britannica.com/art/Foley-artist

mise-en-scene lighting and setting

 setting

The opening takes place in the podcast studio, that already has a clean and professional look. The equipment in the back and the layout of the room make the interview feel serious, like something you would actually see online. The other scenes happen in regular home spaces like kitchens and living rooms. These spots make the reactions feel real because the women are just going about their day when they hear the news. The mix of the studio and the everyday home settings helps show how far the announcement reaches.

lighting

The lighting in the studio starts off bright and calm while the doctor is talking normally. Once he starts admitting what happened, the light gets a little tighter on him, so the moment feels heavier. The shots of the women use simple natural lighting from windows or whatever lights are already in the room. It keeps everything looking normal until the news hits. The difference between the clean studio lighting and the softer home lighting helps build the shift from a regular interview to something way more intense.

https://outsetstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/DSC00261-scaled-1280x720.jpg

focusing on mise-en-scene props and costume design

 costume design

All three of us sat down and talked through how each character should look. We wanted the outfits to match their personalities and the roles they play in the story. For the doctor, we agreed he should not be in a full medical uniform since the scene takes place in a podcast studio. Instead, we are giving him a semi formal look. He will be wearing a collared shirt with a quarter zip over it. It makes him look smart and put together without being too serious. We are still deciding between pants or jeans, and the shoes are not locked in yet.

The interviewer’s outfit is more formal. We wanted him to look respectful and prepared, especially since the doctor invited him onto the podcast. He will be wearing a dress shirt, tailored pants, and dress shoes. Accessories will be kept simple, probably just a watch.

Maverick’s costume took the most discussion between me, Jalin, and Santi. We ended up choosing jeans and a leather jacket because it fits the type of character he is. It gives him that rugged, mission focused look you see in other films with similar protagonists. It shows he is serious and has something important pushing him. We are also giving him glasses to highlight his nerdy side.

props

Most characters will not have many props. The doctor and interviewer might have a pen and paper to help them explain things, but that is basically it. Maverick has a couple of props that matter. His main one is his computer, which is literally the same one I am typing this on right now. We thought it fit perfectly because the stickers and overall look match his nerdy personality. You will see why it is important later, and I will add a picture at the bottom. We are also giving him energy drinks to show how little sleep he is getting while working under a tight deadline.

https://jaafirsteverblog.blogspot.com/ 

character development

Character Development

Hey, blog welcome back.

Maverick is the main character in our film, and his name fits the role perfectly. A maverick is someone who does things differently, which is why we chose it for him (Merriam‑Webster). After taking a medicine that ends up having dangerous side effects, he learns he only has 48 hours left. Even though he doesn’t know much about medicine, he has to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. He is not just trying to save himself but everyone else who took the same medicine. This puts him under a lot of pressure and forces him to rely on quick thinking, research, and whatever experiments he can manage on his own.

His appearance helps show the audience what kind of character he is. Maverick wears jeans and a leather jacket because this type of costume is often used in films to show toughness and determination. The glasses add a nerdy side to him, which makes sense because he spends a lot of time researching and trying to understand the medicine. Throughout the film, he deals with equipment that he is not fully trained to use, which leads to mistakes and small accidents. These moments help show how desperate the situation is and how hard he is trying to fix something he was never prepared for.

His props also help build his personality. His laptop, covered in stickers, shows that he is creative and spends a lot of time researching. The energy drinks show how little sleep he is getting and how intense the situation has become. All of these details work together to make Maverick feel like a real person who is trying to survive something overwhelming.

Overall, Maverick is meant to be seen as determined, stressed, and pushed to his limits. His clothes, props, and actions help the audience understand who he is and what he is going through as he tries to solve the crisis before time runs out.

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/all-worlds-alliance/images/a/a7/Nathan_Drake_render.png/revision/latest?cb=20181230135010

https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/mcdinjo-ec016mod-1547154552.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:*

citations

Merriam‑Webster. “Maverick.” Merriam‑Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam‑Webster, https://www.merriam‑webster.com/dictionary/maverick.

Smith, John. “How Costume Design Shapes Character Identity in Film.” Film Studies Review, 2020.

media theory

what is this media theory

Barthes Enigma Codes is really just about how stories grab you with unanswered questions. A movie or show tosses out a strange clue or something unexpected and now you're wondering wait, what's going on. It's not very complicated it's just how suspense works. You don’t get all the answers up front, so your mind sticks around, trying to piece things together. 

media theory in my project

 I chose Barthes enigma codes for this project. It's about how stories create mystery by leaving questions hanging, not answering them too soon. That way, people stay hooked, trying to piece things together. And overall makes things more interesting and engages the viewer. 

Our film opening has a big uncertain part right at the start, Dr. Mueller comes on the podcast and says his new medicine is actually dangerous/deadly, that everyone who's taken it only has 48 hours to live. It hits the audience with all these unanswered questions like is he serious, what exactly went wrong, and now what for the people hearing this. I think that builds the tension we need. The quick cuts to the moms freaking out make it even more mysterious because they are the ones how are on the drug/medicine. We see their reactions, the panic, but not the whole picture. It seems like that adds to the confusion without explaining much.

Enigma codes fit because we don't have a ton of action or effects, just talk and faces and music. The mystery drives everything. I want viewers to feel that same shock as the characters did, kind of lost in the questions. This part gets a bit messy in my head but yeah, the unanswered stuff is what pulls them in. Maybe it works best that way. And this would be the one I add because I like the idea, but we are still in pre-production.

https://s2.studylib.net/store/data/005475812_1-03a173b59280fa069483f5bae935a922-768x994.png

credits.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Roland-Barthes (britannica.com in Bing)

https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/roland-barthes-semiotics/ (studiobinder.com in Bing)

project idea and major inspiration

figuring out what we were going to do.

 This script comes after a lot of trial error; first the idea I came up with was confusing it was inspired on sorry wrong number I mentioned this in a previous blog we know we wanted to do something with drama or mystery after we got an idea about a famous doctor giving medication two a famous person and then a murder comes in the room and puts some drugs in the meds laces it. the rest of the film would be trying to figure out how the murders is. and that's before we got tis solid idea.

project idea

Our ideas for this project really just came from what we have, trying to avoid those annoying filming issues from before. So we're sticking with locations like houses and that studio my Santis dad and his friend own. It's perfect because he's into sports journalism and does podcasts there, so the setup already feels professional for our story.

The main concept is still a doctor stuck in this awkward spot. We start with him getting interviewed in the studio, and right away you see he's got this good reputation, he's a big deal in his field. Then he drops the bomb that the new drug he put out is actually dangerous, something messed up during development. He says sorry, explains people who took it only have 48 hours. He's all broken up about it while talking. To make it hit harder, we'll cut away to these middle-aged women tuning in, maybe one working out or cooking dinner, another even popping the pill as he's confessing everything. They look totally stunned I think that part will work if we don't rush it. We might put in a quick voicemail from one, like saying goodbye to family or something, but I'm not sure yet.

For the medicine part, we'll fake the production visuals with a basic reaction, maybe mixing stuff with water to look dramatic. I plan to run it by my chemistry teacher for tips, could be fun. Dialogue stays short around 150 words, and we'll layer in some free music to ramp up the tension without any hassle.

Santis dad is probably taking the doctor role, seems natural for him. for the woman We'll grab our group moms and a few friends, easy enough. I'm on editing, Jalin and me got costumes and camera stuff covered. One of Santis friend's mom is actually a real doctor, so borrowing a coat shouldn't be a problem if we need that authentic touch.

Today we're drafting the script in class, which should nail down the details. I am excited to get my teacher's take; any suggestions would help.

Honestly, with everything coming together, I want to jump into production right away. Excited doesn't even cover it. I really think we can make this good putting in max effort. Like, I've always figured hard work wins me and Santi agree on that, and yea I think it's going to be fun.

https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/brainstorming-mind-map-flowchart-marker-business-concept-presentations-reports-brainstorming-mind-map-flowchart-197981069.jpg

credits.

https://santiperiod2.blogspot.com/   

Reflection post about group meeting #1

 intro

today we had a group meeting with all the different groups, and we talked about how our portfolio projects are going and the ideas everyone has. we also talked about any small improvements or tweaks people want to make, and honestly it was good to hear what everyone else is doing and kind of get inspo from it.

Christian he’s doing a thriller about 4 friends and 3 of them get caught in a trance after seeing some portal thing and the 4th friend finds them but the other 3 close the bag after seeing the portal. it's like a mystery vibe. I am not going to lie Chris is my friend, but I found his project a little confusing and i gave him some constrictive criticism.

Trisha hers is a paranormal thriller and it starts with a girl on a call and a bunch of weird stuff is happening with technology. like her ring camera says someone is there but no one is. she leaves to go to her friend's house because she’s freaked out and she’s going to edit in the notifications to show the weird things happening. I want to say Trisha did a very good job in this meeting contributing and helping out, giving good ideas to everyone.

Avery hers is like a thriller or drama in a normal high school. she’s a cheerleader and there’s no romance but she’s actually a drug dealer and the basketball player is the one she sells to. they’re both the opposite of what people expect. she’s using the cheer outfit for costume mise-en-scene.

Ethan he’s doing a sci fi stop motion animation with an astronaut on a rocket and it gets destroyed. his second idea is also on a rocket, but its harder to produce we had a good conversation with him about what's the best option for him and he ended up going with the first one. his problem is he needs multiple sets and the lighting will have to change. he’s using stick bots and said filming might take like 2 weeks.

Meliyah she’s doing a psychological thriller about a girl talking to her sister, but the sister is actually dead and she doesn’t believe it. she said she might change it more into a drama. We also helped Meliyah tweak something in her project for the better helping her chose how to edit the deid sister.

Selena

she’s doing a thriller, but she doesn’t know what supernatural creature she wants yet. leaning more into horror and she’s going to use music to build the mood. But overall, she doesn't have a concrete idea set almost like me at the time of the meeting.

Sonakshi hers is about overwhelming feelings and using diegetic sounds She is still also brainstorming but she wants to do something with that.

refection

this group meeting was important because it helped us see where everyone is at with their projects. I liked it because I got to help my classmates with their ideas and everyone had really good concepts. It gave me more motivation and inspo for my own project too.

image link

https://media.gettyimages.com/id/641090456/vector/collaboration-infographic-with-8-steps-parts-options.jpg?s=1024x1024&w=gi&k=20&c=g5oQL38J9lxvgaCGEOZ4LpRmE6oesEEYVYTg7qYJ0Ic=