well, in case i dont see ya

 I guess this is it, Cambridge. 

After months of work, planning, fights, triumphs, failures, and learning experiences, here I am sitting in my bed about to finish this project. 

This project has turned into something special to me. I've discovered aspects of myself  I didn't know I had. This production allowed me to explore and grow my directing, editing, and writing muscles. It's helped me outside just this class, as I feel more prepared to write in AP Lang and analyze in AP US History. 

Over the past 3 months,  I've become an overall better person because of the opportunity this project has given me. I've become close with some amazing people and developed confidence in my work. 

Squad                                                                         and don't forget my goated chem partner emi

Going into A level next year seems daunting, but I know that, because of the foundation I have with this project, it'll be a task I can handle. 

what nietzche failed to consider is the impact of whimsy on the human spirit

 i wike 2 edit 

i wuv editing 

My editing process for my first CCR was pretty easy. Aside from the bit of audio mixing and shifting I did, editing on Adobe Audition was a breeze. 

Here's a look at the settings for my audio

Timeline of the first CCR

It took me about 2 hours to get through matching music and sound effects, and then I was done. It was an overall simple edit, juxtaposed to the marathon of my second CCR.

me after the 2nd ccr

I've been editing throughout the week, getting the portions of the video I filmed edited so the load would be easier on me. Sufficed to say when I finished editing the last scene tonight it felt like I just slayed a giant. The editing in it of itself wasn't the difficult part, rather the exhaustion I felt knowing this was my last act for this project was overwhelming. I colored a bit, but I wanted the video to feel pretty natural. I did a pretty cool sound design on the project, which I think really helped it to be more engaging. That's really all I have to say it felt like I was on autopilot editing this. 

Timeline for the second CCR

I'm incredibly happy with how this project turned out, and I can't wait for you guys to see it.

when u find out your goat still has it ❤️

 I got the band back together

I am not washed

I am goated

Like I said, my first CCR is a continuation of a podcast series I started with my friend Gus. 

Say "hi gus"

To record audio, we both used holly land mics we had. Because we recorded in separate locations (we're on Spring Break) I had to touch up his audio in Adobe Audition, but that's a later story. My script followed a similar outline when we made our Podcast at the University of Miami. However, this time I had a large monologue instead of our usual back and forth. You can take a look at the script here. This CCR wasn't difficult to produce because I've done the process so many times. I was able to record and edit the entire thing in about a day. The second CCR was a different story.

For CCR numero dos, I made a short film. Now you may ask ''Zach, do you hate yourself" "Zach, do you want to go insane" or "Zach, do you ever get a tingling feeling that nothing will ever be the same and you can only reflect on your past, never living it again" and the answer to all those questions is a definite yes. 

This took me 4 days to do, and no, I did not blog throughout because I have better things (watching March Madness) to do because I am a respectable and classy young man. I've been running around my house and neighborhood filming, and while I will spare you the rousing details of production, I will not, however, spare you from looking at some pics of my shoot. 

 These are the only pics I took 

                        camera on da ceiling 🔥🔥🗣️🗣️‼️

Still from the CCR

I used my hollyland mics for audio, and my Sony A74 to film. You can read the script on my blog, I wouldn't say it's verbatim what I said in the video, but it gets the point across. I made use of my old tiktok fame from transition videos I made when I was 13 to change between scenes. It gave the video a cohesive feel that helps with pacing. I'm really happy with how filming turned out. Editing 🔜

Give me a C! (C!) Give me another C! (C!) Give me an R! (R!) What's that spell? im not finishing the rest

 We've been through this spiel before so let's just cut to the chase. I have to answer this question: 

How did you integrate technologies – software, hardware, and online – in this project?

The project was edited on Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects, both on my and Renn's computers. My computer was used for the remaining line edit and all the color grading done in Premiere and After Effects, while Renn did the graphics of the credits on his computer with After Effects and the Adobe Suit's font's app.

                                                        Totally not a staged shot of me looking at premiere

We filmed on my super awesome very nice Sony A74, and because my Tamron 35mm lens is broken :(, we used a mount converter I had to attach a cannon 50mm lens on to the camera. I set the Kelvin (White balance or warmth) on my camera to a lower number to get a warmer look that we found was common in Western films. 

                                                                            Renn with da camera

We also used my Hollyland mics to get the nat pops we have of Emi digging.

We researched a ton to find the right style for our projects, using the internet's wealth of knowledge to our full advantage. I also used my fav audio website bulletproofbear.com to find the music for our film, and pixabay.com for other sound effects. 

 

Of course, I couldn't have done any of this (and you wouldn't be reading this) without blogger. I've put everything I've had into my blog, from my thoughts to my plans, it's been my bible for everything I do. So thank you blogger, and thank you reader for... reading. You did that. Good job.

smh you can't even CC in this country anymore, probably because of R

 This is my first Saturday off in a while, so why not blog. 

For my 3rd and 4th questions, I'm going to do a cool little investigative short film. For the third question, I have to answer the following: 

How did your production skills develop throughout this project?

How did they? Hmmmm. I'm already well-versed in a few aspects of production, so let's try to get to there bottom of it. 

*Shuffling through papers* 

Found it- Time management

I've learned how to use my time wisely on this production more than any other I've been on. It's requires planning, teamwork, cooperation, and constant attention placed on every detail of the process. Another thing I've improved on is color grading. I wouldn't consider myself a miracle worker when it comes to color grading like some of my friends are, but I wouldn't call my work bad or anything. The Western genre provided an opportunity for me to really stretch my coloring muscles, as we wanted to get the look just right. 

(about) the color we were going for. 

Color we got

Shooting outside provided a unique challenge for me during coloring. Matching the clips to one another after the sun had hidden behind some clouds in a few shots, or it was a bit brighter in other shots was hell. It took a long time to get the color cohesive across the edit. 

This project also gave me the chance to take a second and think about the why. Why am I doing this? Why is Charlotte wearing a hat, why is she limping, why is she doing anything at all. This production and class as a whole has given me the outlet to think, and it's helped a lot in my skills outside the classroom.

Mise-en-scene was another big thing I learned the importance of. From how our character moves to her costuming, a greater focus on what we showed on screen elevated our production to another level.

But the biggest thing I learned is that any genre can be interesting. I hadn't watched many Westerns before this project, but now it's become a genre I respect and enjoy. It's a relic of old movie-making, and while the techniques may be from the past, it can teach a lot about how we can improve in the future.

              

RCC. Wait... Scratch that, reverse it

I realized I never actually mentioned this in my first CCR post, but for questions 1 and 2, I will be doing a podcast. I actually spent last summer attending a podcasting course at the University of Miami (you can give it a listen here), so the first 2 questions will just be a continuation of my podcast show called "The State of Today" with my friend Gus who I did the podcast with originally!

 The 2nd question I have to answer is: 

How does your product engage with audiences?

Gus- Hey everyone, and welcome back to the State of Today, the Podcast where we bring you all the latest insight into all the latest news, pop culture events, and industries. Im Gus,

Zach- and I'm Zach, and today we get a look at a new movie in theaters I directed coming up called "Death Wears a Dress", and get this Gus, It's a Western. 

Gus- A western? Don't see many of those nowadays. Isn't the Genre basically dead?

Zach- Well, Westerns are seen as a genre better left in the past, its ideals and morals a product of a more simplistic and idealized world where traditional gender roles were stringent and clear cut. But I'd argue this is exactly why Westerns need a renaissance. Our film "Death Wears a Dress" defies these gender roles. The main character, Charlotte, disguises herself as a cowboy to better fit into a society where women are expected to stay home while men are out. Charlotte's actions can be seen as a form of quiet rebellion. She's not open about her defiance, but the fact that she has the bravery to do it alone speaks louder than anything she can say. Westerns appeal to those who seek conformity, but Charlotte's sheer will to defy conformity will attract an audience of itself. Westerns also appeal to those who have a flair for the dramatic, and I'd argue nothing is more dramatic than a woman fighting for what she believes in. While Charlotte goes on this journey of amending her wrongdoings, she sheds light on society's own wrongdoings by simply existing. It's this type of story that we feel viewers will feel drawn to. 

Gus- You know what Zach? I'm convinced. It sounds like you really put a lot of thought into that speech, almost like it was... pre-written...

Zach-Prepostrious. I would never. That was all off the dome baby.

Gus- Off the dome? I guess Westerns don't have to be left behind but that saying does. 

Zach- yeah I guess you're right. At least these pants I got are on fleak

Gus- yeah that one too. Signing off, Im Gus

Zach- *sigh* and I'm Zach

Gus- You can't just keep saying that stuff bro

Zah- Just talk to the hand dude

Gus- Oh my god bro can you shut the fu-

Group meeting ✌️

Today we met with a group for the second time to discuss how production went for our film opening.

da squad

 Here's where everyone stands:

Robbie-https://juliansblog2024-25.blogspot.com/

Robbie felt confident in his production. While he didn't have much to show us, he completed production and was nearly finished with post-production. For his CCR, he knew exactly what he wanted to do. He's going to answer questions in the form of an interrogation like in "Dexter"

How Robbie plans on answering questions

For his second set of questions, he plans on staging a robbery committed by CBTV (the tv club at our school that I'm a part of) where they'll ask him questions. I'm not really sure how that would work, but he seems confident in the idea, and that's all that matters.

Gigi-https://gigixcurr.blogspot.com/

Gigi and I were in the same group last time, so it was great to catch up and see how each other's projects were going. She mentioned how she was a bit hands-off in the editing process, but saw that for her group members, it was a pain to edit. I took a look at her blog, and saw they utilized color and lighting very well in their opening. She felt pretty confident about her film, and I showed her how to improve some techniques for future filming endeavors. 

Elke- https://elksnotes3172.blogspot.com/

Elke and I were also in the same group for the first meeting, and I was intrigued to see how her coming-of-age film was going. She showed us a video of it and the style was very unique. The main character broke the 4th wall and talked directly to the audience, something I felt was creative and hooked me into the story. Editing was rough for her group, and they had to do a bit of sound design to get the perfect feel. They were still debating on how long a couple of shots should last but overall, they felt good in their production.

Vicky-https://vzamos.blogspot.com/

Vicky didn't really talk much during our meeting, but she did mention an interesting idea for her CCR. She would take a nice scenic walk on the beach with the questions written on the sand. The group thought this would be logistically challenging, but she assured us she could do it. I'm excited to see how it turns out.

Julian- https://juliansblog2024-25.blogspot.com/

Julia didn't talk during our meeting and said he was still struggling to find ideas for his CCR. I wish him the best of luck on his production.