Post production #2 - Editing

 

Editing "A New Beginning" with a 90's aesthetic

 I want to give it my film opener a ‘90s-inspired aesthetic like the warm, dreamy, and soft look like the movie Clueless.

Something I noticed when watching Clueless is its soft, bright colors, gentle lighting, and golden undertones which make everything light, airy, and a little romantic. Even though A New Beginning is more about romance and mystery I still want to keep that nostalgic feeling like in the mansion scenes. I want to create a feeling that this world Ethan is stepping into is different and magical different from his normal life.

Things to focus on when editing.

A little bit of that glow effect will be added making the lighting look natural but dreamier  like in Clueless it has that warm and golden glow over everything.

I want to add a tiny bit of grain. This will help give my movie that nostalgic feeling just like those classic romance movies. Instead of those sudden and sharp cuts I will use soft fades and dissolves to create a smoother, dreamlike feeling. This is especially good in romantic films so scenes feel soft and timeless.  When I was doing some research about editing I learned that Freeze frames or Slow zooms were big in 90s teen movies. I want to try this when Ethan first sees Lily.

Right now I am trying different filters seeing how much glow effect I should add without making it look fake. I want everything to look natural so I need to find the right balance.

I am excited about editing this part because it's not just about putting these clips together its about creating a mood and telling a story and all these details matter. I can't wait to see how it looks.

Script for CCR #1

 

Hey Blog!! Today I am working on my script for my CCR #1. I will be on a podcast with my brother and he will be asking me these questions. Here's what I had in mind. 

Host- Good evening everyone, we have a famous director in our studio today for a very special podcast so please welcome Chandni Narang.

 Chandni- Happy to be here! 

Host- Happy to have you but do you mind me asking why we're shooting outdoors? 

Chandni-Since my upcoming film is romance I thought why not add in a location that would match the genre of my film plus there's no harm in a little bit of promotion. 

Host-Right! Let's move on to the questions. So Chandni, how does your product use or challenge conventions ? 

Chandni- Romantic-comedy has been my favorite genre but so far out of the films that I've seen most if not all of the times the male main character is either self made rich, or from a wealthy family, or a prince, while the female lead character is a just a pretty girl who falls in love with the boy and they live happily ever after. For example, Cinderella, Crazy Rich Asians, The Great Gatsby, etc. In my movie I switched things up a bit. The male lead is not doing so well while the girl is beautiful, wealthy, princess-like.

Host- Wow! Romcoms are my favorite genre as well and like you mentioned a rich princess and a homeless guy, how did you represent social groups or issues? 

Chandni- We have kept it very simple and shown a social hierarchy based on wealth where the princess has a modern castle- like mansion and  Ethan the main male character basically has nothing and he finds all this and meets Lily while of course, falling in love is what my film is about.

Host- That all sounds great.

Post production #1

Hey guys!! we are finally done with filming so it's time to start editing. The real magic begins, post production is where everything comes together. Arranging the clips and adding music. Since our movie is all about the atmosphere and emotion editing will be so important in making it look good.

Before I start editing I made a checklist of everything I need to do.

-Going through the footage

-Cutting and arranging the clips

-Adjusting the sounds.

To be safe we filmed a lot  and took a bunch of videos from different angles. So going through all those videos took some time but are finally done. Then I started cropping the videos we planned on using.

For editing I plan to use Adobe. I want to use slow fades and smooth cuts and for the Sound layering I will be using natural sounds like wind, footsteps, and the rustling flyer. Some techniques I will focus on  are audio transitions to make sure background music blends naturally with scenes and color grading to create the right mood for each shot.

I think everything we have so far looks great, I still plan on testing out some more cuts to see which one looks perfect for our film our movie.

Production Post

 Behind the scenes of “A New Beginning” 

Filming this project has been exciting and challenging. At first I was a little stressed because it was hard for everyone to agree on what days to film but in the end we figured it out. Every part of the process, from selecting locations to filming the right scenes, had to come together to tell the story properly. Since this film opener is mostly based on mood and emotions, I had to pay attention to small details like the way the camera moves, how the lighting, and also the way the actors respond without words.

One of the first decisions me and my partner had to make was where to film the opening scene. The street where Ethan sees the "Help Wanted" sign had to be quiet and calm. We filmed in golden hour  to get soft, natural light that was warm. The flyers blowing in the wind was an important scene. This flyer had to catch Ethan's attention and the audience's. It took a few takes because sometimes the wind would be too much and the flyer was about to fly away but sometimes there was no wind.

Filming at the mansion

When Ethan enters the mansion the camera movement is different. It's more steady and slower. We used a low angle making Ethan look small, which shows he feels out of place. We also took some wide shots showing Ethan and the house and the part where he’s walking down the long driveway.

Something I learned is that camerawork can tell a story even without words. The way the characters moved and the way the shots are framed can say a lot. The way the character stands or how the lighting hits the scene, all these little details matter. Overall I think today was a great filming day it took a few tries but we all worked together and got there. I can't wait to see how it will come together!!

Production: Location

Hey Blog today we filmed the part when Ethan shows up to the address on the paper and it's this huge mansion. This moment is important in our movie because it doesn't  just show how big this house is but it also shows how small and out of place Ethan feels. Ethan is entering this new world, everything is so fancy, so different compared to where he's from . We wanted to get  that feeling of being overwhelmed and amazed. 

The mansion has this long driveway with a bunch of trees on the side and some type of pond. We show Ethan walking and looking around so shocked. You hear his footsteps and the sound of stepping on the leaves. Another small detail that's important is when Ethan is standing outside the house waiting for the gate to open. This emphasizes that Ethan is entering this new world. As he is about to enter you can see he's hesitant and a little nervous. We hear the gate opening and Ethan is just standing there with his backpack.

The camera shows the house from far away making sure we see how big and fancy it is. This  scene is about Ethan starting a new chapter in his life and the location of the mansion helps tell that story. 

The long driveway, the gate, and the house all work together to show that Ethan’s life is about to change in a big way.

Set design: Living room

 Hey guys for my production post today I am focusing on the set design for my living room. This is where one of the most important scenes happens. When Ethan sees Lily for the first time walking down these stairs. We haven't started filming this part yet but we are focusing on all the furniture and color for our Rom Com. The living room is designed to give this 70s vintage feel. I am trying to make the living room feel cozy and homey. So I plan on using these yellow crotchet pillows. The bright yellow color stands out against all the other neutral colors and the darker tones of the wood. 

My crotchet pillows and blankets.

 

The pillows and blanket are soft, comforting and handmade which is how the 70s culture is its tied with to family and home. When Ethan first enters he is very nervous and feels out of place but this setting make him feel a little more comfortable. When I was looking on pinterest for some 70s themed living rooms I noticed a bunch of the pictures had plants and the color scheme was mostly yellow, brown and orange.

Heres some plants I have that I plan on using. My partner also has a few options so we will see what looks better. All these little details will help our movie come together and create that vintage feel. As the film goes on these things will play a part in creating that comfortable atmosphere inviting Ethan to this new world.

Auditions and Casting

For my movie “A New Beginning" I wanted to find the right person to play it to bring the character of Ethan and Lily to life. We asked a few people to come over to my house and audition but they couldn't make it in person so they sent us videos of them auditioning.

I think auditioning by sending videos was a good idea because I could rewatch it multiple times and the actor also feels less nervous when they are filming at home by themselves. I asked everyone to read a line the character would say later on in the film. This way I can see how they bring the characters'

emotions to life.

Here's the script I gave to everyone auditioning.

For Ethan: I didn't expect all this. It's just a job, right But this place feels like stepping into a different world. And you... something about you is drawing me in, even though I'm not sure what to make of it.

For Lily: You think you're ready for all of this? This place, this job... It's not as simple as you think. No one is ever really ready. But we all figure it out somehow.

Heres a video of some auditions.