One Word Film Editing Reflection

 

What the Project Was About

For this project, we had to make a short film (60–90 seconds) that showed the meaning of one word. The rule was no sound at all, so we had to rely on camera shots, angles, and editing to tell a story. It wasn’t supposed to be just random clips either it had to actually feel like a story that could happen in real time at school.

My Approach

The word me and Jalin got was tolerance. Right away, we started thinking about how to show that word without saying it. We wanted to make something simple that people could understand quickly but also creative enough to stand out and also look as good as the examples we saw in class. We focused on using body language, objects like the food tray, and different camera angles to get the point across.

Brainstorming

We used the brainstorming sheet to throw down all the ideas we had. We wrote out possible scenes, props, and emotions that connected to our word. This really helped us figure out what shots we needed later. The storyboard ended up being super useful. We drew out 15 frames showing what each shot would look like and in what order. This made filming a lot easier because we already knew where to put the camera and how the story would flow. It also gave us a clear idea of pacing and transitions before we even started shooting.

Editing

For editing I used iMovie, and I cut the clips, so the film stayed between 60–90 seconds and flowed better. I added simple cuts and close-ups with wider shots to keep it interesting since we couldn’t use sound. I think it turned out good, but next time I’d try more effects.

Reflection

I think we did a good job planning ahead. Our shots made sense together and the story felt clear. I also think we used enough different camera angles to keep it interesting. If I could fix anything, I’d work on trying to make the word clearer I would have used more hand gestures to show tolerance, and a few handheld shots were a little shaky. overall, me and Jalin think we did a good job.  

Final Film

Here’s the link to our finished project: 20250918_234540000_iOS

Title: Camera Shots & Angles Project

For this project we had to make a short story using 15 different shots and angles. The directions said we needed things like an establishing shot, a long shot, two medium shots, two close ups, an extreme close up, a pov shot, and also a high and low angle. We also had to use a shot with the rule of thirds, and the rest we could pick on our own. 

Me and Jalin decided to make the story about a pen and pencil rivalry on a desk. I thought of them like characters, almost like they were fighting for attention to be used. I used close ups to show the tension between them, a pov shot to give it personality, and high and low angles to change the feeling of power. The extreme close up of the pencil tip breaking was one of my favorite shots because it made the scene feel dramatic, but you would have to look closely also the slashes or markings on the paper if you can see that, even though there little details they add a lot to the plot. 

I think I did good with using different kinds of shots and making it feel like a real story. The order of the shots also helped it flow better from beginning to end. If I could change something, I would work more on lighting because some pictures came out darker than I wanted. Also, I should have added more characters but in the end, I think it came out good. 

https://cdn.inst-fs-iad-prod.inscloudgate.net/04b87065-b2a2-4c27-84fe-ace4f5ab5a13/Your%20paragraph%20text.pdf%20(1).pdf?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzUxMiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCIsImtpZCI6ImNkbiJ9.eyJyZXNvdXJjZSI6Ii8wNGI4NzA2NS1iMmEyLTRjMjctODRmZS1hY2U0ZjVhYjVhMTMvWW91ciUyMHBhcmFncmFwaCUyMHRleHQucGRmJTIwKDEpLnBkZiIsInRlbmFudCI6ImNhbnZhcyIsInVzZXJfaWQiOiIxNzczMDAwMDAwMDE2OTQyMCIsImlhdCI6MTc1NjQ4MDY0NywiZXhwIjoxNzU2NTY3MDQ3fQ.JChMh-EqFdX7kkCY-VaiXh1aOGD-LOvpSky9bSQM-WDN8JU-mK3zDaVnyu7COKDrINUnfcRIBqiwFf3np2SBHA&download=1&content_type=application%2Fpdf

The beginning

Hi, I’m Samuel. This blog is for my Cambridge Media portfolio project. I’ll be posting my ideas, progress, and reflections as I work through the project step by step. It’s mainly a space to keep track of my process and show how my work develops over time.

Thanks for stopping by.