Final Reflection

Reflecting upon this project now, I could say on certain grounds that this was one of the toughest as well as highly rewarding creative efforts I've made. When we first started organizing our film premiere, I had a vision of the suspenseful atmosphere we wanted to create, but I didn't realize how much thought and planning would be put into every single little detail—cinematography, lighting, editing, sound design, and marketing. Each of the steps involved in the process was foreign to me, be it how to shoot for ultimate tension, how to light in order to set the right mood, or how to use sound to build tension. One of the biggest things I learned doing this was how to tell a story visually. While we could not rely on exposition or dialogue, we had to find ways of expressing the desperation and confusion of the protagonist through camera movement, lighting, and cuts. With close-ups, low angles, and tracking shots, we were able to situate the audience in the thick of it so that they directly experienced the fear and sense of urgency. The lighting setup was also a huge learning experience—since we filmed in a black garage, we played around with different lighting styles to achieve the perfect balance between visibility and mood. Using LED lights and practical sources like a porch light actually helped us to create a suspenseful, realistic look without blowing out the image.  Editing was also where I greatly improved.

Early on in the project, I had a vague sense of how things worked, but by the end, I had picked up so much more about pacing, layering sound, and color grading. Editing at precisely the correct moment had such huge effects on the intensity one felt throughout the scene, and I learned how to adjust colors for tone so as to enhance thriller atmosphere. Sound design was also important—utilizing Foley effects like footsteps, labored breathing, and creaking ropes to create a feeling of immersion. Beyond the technical, I also learned much more about teamwork and problem-solving. Filmmaking is not a perfect process—things go wrong, shots do not turn out as you desire, and occasionally you have to reshoot or change plans at the last second. Catching on to how to present to my team, respond to unexpected setbacks, and negotiate creative solutions was just as valuable as any technical skill. In the end, working through the CCRs gave me a chance to reflect on everything we had accomplished. Doing one as a TikTok-style interview and the other as a formal sit-down allowed me to have the chance to present my ideas in two different ways—once energetic and interactive, once comprehensive and analytical. This project pushed me outside my comfort zone in the best way possible, and I’m proud of how much I’ve grown as a filmmaker.