#8 What or who should I pick?

    Hey guys, welcome back to my blog! I'm back with another post, and today we'll be talking about who and what I am picking to do for my Cambridge project.

    This project is very nerve-racking for me because I want to make everything as perfect as possible, and that puts a lot on my plate. So let me explain what I have to do. I have to make a 2-minute intro of a movie, and I have to pick the theme of the movie. I think I'm going for a "Coming of Age" theme, like a corny high school movie. My second option is "Loss and Grief," due to my own experience with loss and grief when my grandma, whom I was close to, passed away.

    For this intro, I want to make everything seem real and I want the audience to feel the intro even if it's only 2 minutes long. I want the intro to leave you guessing and wanting to watch the full film, not just the first two minutes.

    My idea for "Coming of Age" is to make it about a high school girl waking up in the morning on her last day of high school and driving to school. I want to include many angles, shots, and colors to give it a happy feeling and not a sad one. I want to incorporate a lot of the Cambridge skills I've learned so far with Mrs. Ortiz and the Cambridge media studies book we have in class.

    I picked two classmates to help me film this: Madison and Nicole. I picked them because I trust them to help me with my work. I also need help with camera work because movies aren't filmed by just one person, especially when the star, which I will be, is also involved in the filming. With all that being said, I will be doing more planning for my film. This is just a brief overview of what's popping up in my mind at the moment.

#7 Come Edit with Me

    Hey guys, welcome back to my blog! I'm back with another post, and today we'll be talking about editing and how I did my editing.

    I edited a short horror video about a girl working alone in an empty classroom. To make the classroom seem lonelier and more eerie, I darkened the colors to cooler tones. I started with the colors because I felt it was the best way to set the right mood for the scene.

    For the shots, I didn't use many, but I did include wide shots, over-the-shoulder shots, high-angle shots, and close-ups. I was able to get all these shots in one 34-minute take, thanks to my friends helping me out. We filmed this in my global teacher's classroom at Cutler Bay Senior High, which used to be a cooking class until it flooded one day, adding to its spooky backstory.

    Now, let's dive into the backstory. I came up with this horror film idea while working on my teacher's assignment in that classroom. I decided to film it, and it just grew from there. Editing is all about expressing what's happening in the film and adding emphasis. I edited the video to create a creepy atmosphere, making it look like a ghost was watching over me.    

• Where I edited: Canva

• How long it took: 45 minutes

• What I used: I darkened the shade, added background noises of students talking, applied a blinking filter, and used a swirl effect filter.

Now I'll be adding my video. I hope you enjoy it!

I'd love some feedback as I'm new to editing and eager to learn more! 

#6 Using Voiceover as a Storytelling Tool

     Hey guys, welcome back to my blog! I'm back with another post, and today we'll be talking about how there are so many different sounds in filmmaking, but one in particular catches my attention. Can you guess what it is?

     If you guessed using voiceover as a storytelling tool, you are 100% correct. Now, let me tell you why I picked this topic out of many. First, I have already used this method to create my own voiceover storytelling without filming, just using sound. The experience was great, and I had fun working with the editing to tell the story.

     I made my voiceover storytelling on Cap Cut due to my lack of editing skills, but I am eager to learn more to advance my knowledge. This skill will benefit me in my Cambridge exams and any other editing projects I might undertake in the future.

     The voiceover story I created was about a man who was sick, ended up in an ambulance, and then in a hospital bed, where he slowly starts to die. It was a dead giveaway because I ensured all the sounds were noticeable enough to guess what was happening as if you were seeing it. I made sure to put all the sounds together so it sounded like they came from the same man—it was so spot on you would think it was an old man.

     I will provide an example at the end so you can see what I am explaining and get a better understanding. Hopefully, you can come up with your own perspective of it and maybe even get a whole other story out of it. Keep a close ear on what you hear.

Here's my voiceover as a storytelling tool:

#5 Production Design and Setting

     Hey guys, welcome back to my blog! I'm back with another post, and today we'll be talking about while exploring the art of Mise-en-Scene in film, there are many different aspects to consider, but I always focus on one.

     Just in case you're interested in the different topics, here they are using lighting to set mood, symbolizing through color, character performance and expression, the impact of costume and props on storytelling, using shadows and light for dramatic effect, and creating theme through overall mise-en-scene.

     If you didn't notice, one topic is missing from that list, and it's called production design of setting. The production design and setting in films are really important because they help create the world of the story. The way rooms, outdoor spaces, and even small props are designed can make the setting feel real and add to the storytelling.

     While creating these scenes, you can see a little bit of everything I listed above come together if you take some time to observe. It's all art; if you take your time to sit and appreciate the work, you can enjoy it and analyze the details. Doing this allows you to enjoy films more deeply because you understand the effort and creativity involved. I hope you see it by the time you're done reading my blog.

For example: 

For my film opening, I envision a cozy, eclectic bookstore in a small, charming town. The main setting includes tall, wooden bookshelves filled with various books, a vintage globe, a reading nook with a comfy armchair, and a friendly cat lounging on the windowsill. These details make the bookstore feel alive and personal, helping the audience connect with the characters and the story.

#4 Mise-en-Scene

     Hey guys, welcome back to my blog! I'm back with another post, and today we'll be talking about my experience with my mise-en-scene assignment given by my wonderful Cambridge Media Studies teacher, Mrs. Ortiz.

     I had a lot of fun with this assignment because it felt like designing a Build-A-Bear, but for my room. I'm currently redecorating my room, so this task made me feel like I was seeing my room come together. It was a creative project that also taught us about different scenes, like the rooms people film in.

     My room decor is basically BOHO, which is what I aimed for with this assignment and even my own room at home. This decor is my favorite at the moment due to all the cream and pastel colors. I also added a lot of plants because I enjoy taking care of them, and they give me a peaceful feeling.

     The plants I chose were Boston fern, ivy, snake plant, Golden pothos, and even Chinese evergreen. There's a good variety of plants that can be used in the BOHO decor I'm going for in my room. These plants are really cute, very easy to care for, and don't need to be in direct sunlight, which is great.

     At the end of my blog, I will show you my inspiration and the final result, so you can see the tweaks I made. I really think you should use this method anytime you're remodeling a room in your house or your own bedroom. Now, I'll show you what I did, and I hope this information helps you with future projects. If you have any feedback, please let me know! There's always room for improvement.

#3 Five - Photo Story

 

    Hey guys, welcome back to my blog! I'm back with another post, and today we'll be talking about, have you ever tried making a story or even just telling a story with five photos? I hadn't until now. 

    The story I was trying to tell is about a girl who gets lost in the hallways of a new high school on her first day. She is trying to find her class but can't until she gets help from a fellow student.

 

    The student looks at the lost girl's phone to check her class schedule and see what classes she has and is looking for. She then helps the lost girl find her class.

    Yes, this story was told using only five innocent-looking images that don't seem to mean much until they do. When you analyze those five photos, they mean a lot more than it seems at first glance.

    How this came to be: my teacher, Mrs. Ortiz, assigned this task. It sounded funny at first but ended up teaching me a lot. This assignment taught me that when you analyze something that looks small and insignificant, it can actually have a lot of meaning. It also taught me some important camera angles and shots for my Media Studies class.

    Below, I will show you my story images and how they turned out. If you want to give me feedback, feel free to visit my previous blog and get my email. I would appreciate the feedback because there's always room for improvement!

    My Blog: Note Guide

#2 Digital Notebook

    Hey guys, welcome back to my blog! I'm back with another post, and today we'll be talking about how I'm excited to share another update with you all. Let's dive into my digital notebook.

    My digital notebook is an online tool I created to help me stay organized and on track with my Media Studies class at Cambridge. I've chosen a Boho theme for the notebook – it's filled with plants and colors that make studying more enjoyable. Plus, it's straight to the point, which makes it a great study tool for everyone.

    I chose the Boho theme because I love its aesthetics, and it matches my room at home. Decorating my digital notebook is a fun way to make studying more appealing. When I look at something I created and enjoy, it makes the whole process much easier.

    This digital notebook has been a lifesaver for memorizing vocabulary and important facts from our lessons. It's tough keeping up with all the topics like sound, angles, and different shots, but writing them down helps me stay on track.

    I'll share a link to my digital notebook so you can use it too. I hope it helps you as much as it has helped me. If you have any suggestions to improve it, please let me know. There's always room for improvement!

MY EMAIL: 0500077@studnets.dadecshools.net

MY BLOG: Note Guide

#1 My Media Studies Journey Begins

    Hi, I’m Gabriela Correa, but you can call me Gaby. Initially, I chose a different media class at Cambridge. I decided to switch because I didn’t feel confident in the other class. Here, I feel more well-rounded with the information, and it makes me feel more confident and comfortable learning.

    This class stood out to me because we will be writing our own blogs. I thought it would be an enjoyable class where I could learn a lot. Plus, we get to write blogs, and I love writing, so I was thrilled to incorporate that into a class. I aim to pass this class with a B. I feel confident because our teacher is genuinely dedicated to helping us and puts her all into the class.

    

    Mrs. Ortiz seems to have a solid teaching method planned for us, and I love that she shows interest in our class. I feel bad because this class was unexpectedly assigned to her, and she had to learn everything quickly. However, I know she is doing her best. I hope to learn, achieve, and fully grasp the aspects of this class—not just do well but excel in everything I do so that if I encounter something related to this class in the future, I will know what I'm doing. 

 

    I feel confident about this class and the knowledge I will gain. For example, I believe I will grasp everything with excellence and not just mediocrity. I have no doubts about Mrs. Ortiz or her teaching methods. I think she’s a very smart teacher who truly cares about her students' learning and well-being, both in and out of class. I love her bright and bubbly energy, so I’m ready for a new class and a new teacher. Lastly, before I wrap up for today, I want to mention the video aspect of this exam. I am nervous, but I believe Mrs. Ortiz will provide the help and feedback we all need.