My two media texts are VERY valid!

For my final media text research post, I’m analyzing two films that connect to the psychological thriller genre in different ways, Fall and Five Nights at Freddy’s. They’re very different movies, but both use tension, sound, and character perspective in ways that inspire me for my own short film.

Text #1 – Fall

Fall is technically more of a survival thriller, but psychologically, it does a lot. The entire movie centers around two girls climbing a 2,000-foot tower, which already makes you uncomfortable. But what makes it more than just “heights are scary” is how it focuses on isolation and mental strain. As the situation gets worse, the tension becomes less about the physical danger and more about the psychological breakdown. There’s a major twist later in the film that completely shifts your understanding of what you’ve been watching. That twist element is something I really admire, It makes the audience question reality, which is a key part of psychological thrillers.

The cinematography also plays a big role, wide shots emphasize how small and helpless the characters are, while close-ups capture fear and desperation. The pacing stretches moments out, forcing the audience to sit in anxiety as they see the girls surroundings. Even when nothing dramatic is happening, the height alone creates constant tension.

Sound design is subtle but effective, the film focuses on using foley sounds like the wind, metal creaking, and silence at extreme heights to make everything feel fragile. Instead of loud background music constantly playing, there are moments where natural sound dominates, which makes the danger feel realistic.

What I take from Fall is the idea that environment can become psychological pressure. You don’t just need tension from characters, sometimes the setting itself is enough.

Text #2 – Five Nights at Freddy’s 2

Okay. Yes. I know. People might judge this choice... But this is my excuse to talk about it because I genuinely loved it and found it scary in ways I didn’t expect soooo i don't care what people think. 

What stood out to me the most was the sound design during jump scares. The film builds tension through silence first. There are quiet hallways, faint mechanical noises, and slow camera movements. Then suddenly, a loud sharp sound hits. That unpredictability makes the scare more effective because you genuinely don’t know when it’s coming.

The editing supports that too, the camera often lingers on empty spaces or slightly off-centered frames, making you expect something to move. Sometimes it cuts quickly right before something appears, which disrupts your sense of comfort.

 - You can't tell me that is not creepy

The movie also focuses on the main character’s trauma and memories. There are scenes where dreams and reality blend together, using softer lighting and slower pacing to show emotional vulnerability. That blur between reality and memory fits perfectly with psychological thriller conventions.

Even if people critique the film, I think it does something well, it shows how tension can come from timing and sound rather than constant action.

Both films taught me different but important lessons: Fall shows how pacing, isolation, and perspective shifts can build psychological tension. Meanwhile, Five Nights at Freddy’s shows how sound and unpredictability control fear.

Today's Special: TV shows

 For this research post, I decided to analyze Thirteen Reasons Why. I know it’s technically a TV series and not a short film, and it’s not labeled strictly as a psychological thriller, butttt it has so many elements that connect to the genre, especially in terms of emotion, mental state, and perspective.

What makes Thirteen Reasons Why so powerful is how deeply it focuses on characters and their internal struggles. The story centers around Hannah Baker and Clay Jensen, but instead of just showing events, it shows how those events affect them mentally and emotionally. That psychological focus is something I really want to incorporate into my own short film, focusing on my main characters emotion's instead of what is actually happening. On a side note I am between 2 ideas right now and it is so hard to pick one I just know there is a lot of emotions present!

One of the strongest techniques the show uses is point of view. A lot of the story unfolds through Hannah’s tapes, which means we experience events through her perspective. That automatically creates bias and emotional intensity. We aren’t seeing a neutral version of events, we’re seeing how she felt. That idea of  reality is very common in psychological thrillers, where the audience questions whether what they’re seeing is fully reliable. 

The show also uses editing and transitions in interesting ways, it often blends past and present together, cutting between timelines to show how memories and current emotions connect. Something I definitely know I will be using in my film. That layering makes the story feel heavier because the past constantly influences the present, I think that technique could work really well in a short film if done carefully.

Sound design is another important element in the show, It uses music to build emotion rather than action. In emotional scenes, the music is soft and slow, making the moment feel intimate and raw. In more intense scenes, the sound becomes sharper and more tense. It’s not about jump scares, it’s about making the audience feel uncomfortable or emotional. That’s something I want to focus on heavily in my own project, so finding the right music is key. 

The most important part, though, is how the characters are portrayed internally. Hannah isn’t shown as just “sad.” We see her different emotions, especially her vulnerability. Clay’s reactions show guilt, frustration, and helplessness. The show spends time inside their heads, showing how small moments build into larger emotional consequences. Even though Thirteen Reasons Why isn’t a traditional psychological thriller, it deals with psychological tension constantly. The suspense doesn’t come from physical danger, it comes from emotional weight and that intensity is what I connect to most.

For my short film, I want to focus heavily on one main character and their internal state, similar to how this show does. I want the audience to feel what the character feels, not just observe it. If I can portray emotion in a way that feels raw and real, like this show does, then I know I’m heading in the right direction!

Show numero 2 - Baby Reindeer

The second TV show I’m analyzing is Baby Reindeer.... (Those who know) And honestly… I don’t even know how I feel about this show. I binge watched the entire thing in one day, and the only word I can confidently use to describe it is peculiar.

It’s not a traditional psychological thriller, but it absolutely lives in that psychological sphere. The tension doesn’t come from physical danger the way action does, it comes from discomfort and emotional instability the show portrays, that for sureee got me.

What makes Baby Reindeer so strong is how deeply it puts you inside the main character’s mind. We’re not just watching events happen to him, we’re watching how he processes them. His internal conflict,  confusion, and self-destructive tendencies are constantly present. The show doesn’t try to make him perfect or heroic, It makes him human, with complicated emotions and feelings he does not know how to deal with.

The editing style in Baby Reindeer also stands out, It uses voiceovers to let us hear the main character’s thoughts, which adds a psychological layer to every scene. It makes audiences not just guess his thoughts but also hear them. But at the same time, the way events unfold makes you question reliability, you start wondering what’s reality and what’s shaped by his perception.

Sound and tone are subtle but effective, they aren’t loud or dramatic every five minutes. Instead, there’s a constant subtle discomfort. Sometimes it’s in the pauses during conversations or it’s in the silence after something awkward happens. 

Emotionally, this show is heavy, It deals with trauma, shame, and obsession in a way that feels raw and almost invasive. Watching it feels personal, like you’re not supposed to be there, but you are. I like this for my film. 

Short films need to be included as well

 For this research post, I focused on a short psychological thriller film linked below!

Short film

Since I’ve chosen to create a psychological thriller, I wanted to study examples of the genre in action. This short film was perfect because it shows how suspense can be created with simple filmmaking choices, without big sets, loud explosions, or heavy dialogue.

One of the first techniques that stood out was the film’s use of tight close-up shots, especially during key moments. For example, there’s a scene where the main character sits still and stares forward with nothing happening around them. The camera stays focused on their eyes and facial tension, and you feel the unease even though there is no action. This works because psychological thrillers often rely on internal conflict and subtle emotional cues. Instead of showing violence scenes, the audience is made to sit inside the character’s head, and that helps creates tension.

The lighting throughout the film is dim and shadowed, creating a mood that feels unsettling. One scene shows the character in a dark room, the light only illuminating part of their face while the rest fades into shadow. This technique makes the environment feel mysterious and unknown, a major convention of psychological thrillers. 

The editing style was a huge part of what kept me engaged. The film doesn’t rush but instead it alternates between long, lingering shots and quick cuts. For example, a shot may start on an empty hallway for several seconds, longer than expected, creating a feeling that something bad is about to happen. Then it quickly cuts to a close-up of the character’s face, making the viewer jump slightly because the quiet tension suddenly changes. This is seen across the whole film which was my favorite thing getting mini jump scares.

The sound design is subtle but plays an important role, there’s minimal dialogue, which means every sound choice matters. Background noises and moments of silence all contribute to the tension. In one scene, the character sits alone with only quiet room noise. The silence feels almost too quiet, and it makes the audience expect something to happen even though nothing does. Silence is a major tool in psychological thrillers because it forces the viewer to listen hard, and when they listen, they get uneasy. That anticipation creates anxiety, and anxiety builds tension without any loud music or dramatic sound effects.

Watching this short film actually made me excited because I realized I kind of want to do something similar. Not copy it obviously, but use the same idea of tension through atmosphere instead of action. I already have a rough idea forming in my head, something focused on one main character, internal conflict, and a slow build that makes the audience question what’s real. The simplicity of this film proved that I don’t need ten locations or huge production value, I just need good pacing and a strong social cues!!

Text #2- Delivery

For my second short film, I chose this because it creates suspense and uneasiness through very intentional filmmaking choices, without relying on a big budget, loud action, or dramatic dialogue. Since I’m planning on doing the same, I wanted to look closely at how this film does it.

One of the first things you notice in this film is the way the camera moves and frames the character. The shots are often close and tight, especially on the character’s face or upper body. This makes every small expression or movement feel important, and it forces the audience to focus on the character’s emotions. 

The lighting is also very intentional. There are lots of shadows and darker tones, which makes the environment feel mysterious and slightly off. For example, in one scene the character is lit mostly from one side, leaving the rest of the frame in darkness. That kind of lighting makes it feel like there’s something hidden, both visually and psychologically.

The editing in this film is subtle but very effective, there are moments where the film holds on a shot longer than expected,  like a still hallway or a lingering close-up, and that creates tension just by itself. Holding a shot instead of cutting immediately makes the audience wait. There are also quick cuts when something slightly unsettling happens. That contrast between slow, lingering shots and sudden quick cuts keeps you slightly off-balance , exactly what a psychological thriller wants. I specifically liked the note scene, where it shows pieces of the note on the screen with tense music and it accelerates. 

Joseph's ghost wants to run it back

After going back and forth between comedy, action, and everything in between… I’ve officially decided my genre. I’m doing a psychological thriller for my short film. Key word right there, "short film", I decided on the Short Film Package!! It was going to be easier for me to think of a solid idea compared to thinking of a movie idea, then think about key elements for the two DIFFERENT trailers, so overall, it was easier, anddd I have an idea on what I want to do, (stay tuned for that!).

Shocking? Not really.

I tried to brainstorm comedy ideas, they were ok I guess. I tried action. Cool in theory, stressful in actual developing. But every time I sat down to actually think, the ideas that came naturally were deeper, more emotional, and slightly concerning. So instead of fighting it, I’m embracing it!!

Psychological thrillers focus less on physical action and more on what’s happening inside the character’s mind. It’s about tension, paranoia, and identity, so basically making the audience question what’s real. That’s what I love, I love when a story makes you uncomfortable without even showing anything extreme and you want to know what's coming next.

I watched a YouTube video breaking down psychological thriller techniques, and it really emphasized how important mood, sound, and pacing are. It’s about cutting at the right moment and making the audience feel like something is off, even if they can’t explain why.

I also read an Article explaining what defines a psychological thriller, and here are some key characteristics that stood out to me:

1. Complex characters with internal struggles

2. Twists or unreliable perspectives

3. Emotional intensity

4. Suspense built through psychology rather than action

And that’s when it clicked.

This genre actually works perfectly for a short film. I don’t need crazy locations or big action scenes, I need strong storytelling, and good dialogue. Also, if we’re being honest, I connect to this genre the most. I like writing stories that are considered "different" and make people really start thinking, I want my story to have real emotions and make audiences connect with it. So instead of forcing myself into a genre that is cool but hard to execute, I’m choosing the genre that naturally sparks creativity for me. And since I’m doing the short film option, I can really dive into the character’s mind and build something serious and thought provoking.

Operation: Survive A Level Planning

 Now that I’m (almost) done choosing between the film promotion or the short film, it’s time to be realistic. This is not AS anymore, this is A Level. Which means more detailed planning and more pressure... So here’s my planned timeline for the next eight weeks and what I wish to accomplish each week. (Manifesting organization.)

Week One (2/17–2/22)

Goal: Lock in with what I want to do

- Finalize my project choice

- Pick my genre.

- Start thinking about target audience.

- Create a rough concept idea.

-  Establish the overall direction and tone of the project.

This week is about clarity, no filming yet. Just making sure my idea is strong enough to survive the next two months.

Week Two (2/23–3/1)

Goal: Research everything

- Deep genre research.

- Analyze at least 6 real media texts in my chosen genre.

- Break down conventions (camera work, editing, narrative structure, sound, pacing).

- See what I want to keep and what I want to challenge.

This week is basically me becoming a film critic, I want to really grasp how professionals structure trailers or short films so I’m not just guessing when I start creating.

Week Three (3/2–3/8)

Goal: Turn research into planning

- Research social media pages similar to my genre.

- Start drafting story outlines.

-  Create rough storyboards.

- Plan shooting schedule.

By the end of this week, I want a clear visual plan of what I’m filming and when.

Week Four (3/9–3/15)

Goal: Finalize pre-production

-  Complete detailed storyboards.

- Finalize scripts (if needed).

- Confirm locations.

- Confirm cast (if needed).

- Plan costume, props, and other technical needs.

This week is about planning everything correctly, I don’t want to go into filming unprepared like last time.

Week Five (3/16–3/22) – Spring Break

Goal: Start production, even though it’s spring break, I need to use it wisely.

- Begin filming major scenes (or trailer content).

-  Capture as much footage as possible.

-  Reflect on what’s working and what isn’t.

- Research print components (poster, postcard, digipak depending on final choice).

This week will set the tone for how stressful the rest of the project will be.

Week Six (3/23–3/29)

Goal: Continue production + start editing

- Finish filming.

- Start rough cut editing.

-  Make adjustments if scenes don’t work.

-  Begin brainstorming Critical Reflection 

Editing always takes longer than expected, so I want to start early.

Week Seven (3/30–4/5)

Goal: Refine everything

- Final editing.

- Add music and sound design.

- Adjust pacing.

- Work on social media page.

- Continue planning Critical Reflection.

This is polishing week, which means fix what needs to be fixed and improve quality. 

Week Eight (4/6–4/10)

Goal: Finish strong

- Final export of project.

- Complete print component.

- Finalize social media page.

- Write Critical Reflection.

- Reflect on the entire process.

This week is about presentation, for instance, how I'm portraying my entire project and no need for rushing. 

If I follow this timeline, I should stay on track and avoid last-minute panic editing at 2 a.m. (We’ll see if that actually happens.) Right now, the main priority is choosing my option and genre. Once that’s locked in, everything else will start falling into place.

We have officially began!

Which one of these choices is getting me my own Oscar?

For this year, our portfolio project consisted of 4 options we could choose from. That sounds easy right? Always pick the easiest one, well... there is no easy way out in this class, if you thought so, then have you learned nothing from last year???  I have to decide what my main production route is going to be, and I’ve officially entered my indecisive phase. I’m stuck between Option 2 (Film Promotion Package) and Option 4 (Short Film Package). In a way, they both feel like me by their own different characteristics and the ideas I have in mind.

When going down the Film Production Package lane, it sounds very fun and very tempting, making two trailers, plus a poster and social media page. That sounds so fun (I'm saying this because I have Canva Pro and I need to put it to USE!!). I’m not even exaggerating when I say I heavily judge movies based on their trailers. When I’m at the movie theater, the trailers beforehand literally determine if I’m booking my next movie date or If i'm going back to just watching Youtube videos for my source of entertainment. Trailers create the entire vibe of a movie, they set the tone, build suspense, and make you need to watch it. The idea of being the person who gets to make them now sounds very cool. I promise i'm going to make it to the big leagues. 

The only thing stressing me out is making two trailers for the same film. Like… how do you make them different enough but still cohesive? That’s something I’d have to figure out soon if I go with this option.

MEANWHILEEEEEE..

There’s Option 4, the short film package.

Complete. Creative. Freedom.

Writing stories has always been one of my favorite things to do, like even just imagining fun scenarios in my head is cool enough, but the opportunity to actually bring it to life and add characters and faces and share my ideas with other people feels like a reward. And if you know… you know… maybe Joseph finally discovers why he’s a ghost and we turn this into a full cinematic masterpiece. (Niche reference. If you’re new here, welcome!)

But here’s the thing, a five-minute short film sounds short. It is not short. If it took me forever to develop a film opening before, imagine a fully structured five-minute piece with rising action, climax, resolution, cinematography, sound design, everything. It’s giving stress for the next month, but it is also giving challenge accepted ONCE AGAIN. 

Right now, I think my final decision depends on genre. If I choose trailers, I would love to do something action packed or comedy driven. But if I choose the short film, I would probably take the opportunity to go deeper, something more serious and emotional. I recently saw the movie Wuthering Heights, and it inspired me to do like a tragic ending if I do the mini film. To help myself decide, I’ve been watching different action and comedy trailers, analyzing pacing and editing style. I’ve also been watching short films on YouTube to see how directors build complete stories in just a few minutes. 

For the trailers, I looked into my favorite movie which I watched recently to inspire me, it was "We're The Millers", when analyzing the Trailer, I looked into it's comedy film conventions which I liked, but it didn't compare to the Anaconda Movie Trailer, although I personally didn't like the film it's trailer perfectly highlighted and found a way to draw audiences in- AKA me.... As my last movie trailer I watched, I saw the Crime 101 Movie Trailer which I saw in theaters and it looked so goood, I added it to movies to watch because of it. 

 

In regards to the short films, doing a trailer seems 10x more fun based from what I have seen but I am going to keep comparing the two. I used this link to find some inspiration: 

YouTube: Five Minute Movies

This is just the beginning, I don’t have the final answer yet, but I know whatever I choose, it’s going to push me creatively in a way that feels bigger than last year. So for now we wait till next blog where I make a decision!

Critical Reflection: Group Documentary Project

Over the course of this documentary project, my group and I developed a 5–7 minute documentary that focused on the impact of the Latinos in Action (LIA) program and its recent news about a shutdown going to happen. Throughout the process, we went through multiple ideas, faced scheduling and production challenges, and made creative decisions based on research and time constraints. Despite the difficulties, we created a documentary that meaningfully represents a social issue within our school community and engages its audience through personal stories and documentary conventions.

Representation of Social Groups and Issues:

Our documentary represents the social group of Latino students, teachers, and families who were directly affected by the Latinos in Action program. LIA was a program that supported students academically and emotionally while also encouraging community involvement, tutoring, and leadership. Its shutdown, “due to orders from the U.S. Department of Education, which claimed the courses may be discriminating based on race and violating federal civil rights law”, became the central issue our documentary explored.

Rather than focusing on political arguments, our piece represents the human impact of the program and its removal. By interviewing LIA students, the LIA teacher, and a parent of a child who was tutored, we showed how the program affected different people within the community. Students spoke from the heart about how LIA gave them confidence, belonging, and a sense of purpose. The teacher provided insight into the program’s goals and long-term impact, while the parent interview highlighted how LIA helped improve her child’s confidence, even if academic results were not immediately noticeable. We aimed to keep the documentary unbiased, acknowledging that not every experience was perfect while still emphasizing the positive role LIA played. This balanced approach helped us represent the social group honestly and respectfully, allowing real people to tell their story instead of forcing a single biased narrative.

Audience Engagement:

Our target audience consists mainly of students, parents, and members of the school community, particularly those who may not have been familiar with LIA or understood its importance. We engaged the audience by using direct interviews, emotional testimonies, and relevant B-roll that showed real classroom interactions, tutoring moments, and students working together. Hearing students describe how LIA helped them feel supported and confident creates empathy and encourages viewers to emotionally connect with the issue. We also used B-roll to transition smoothly between interviews, keeping the pacing engaging while reinforcing what was being said. Music was used subtly to support emotional moments without overpowering the interviews. In some sections, we intentionally excluded music so the audience could focus fully on what the interviewees were saying, although we could have used some more background music in some scenes. This contrast helped maintain engagement and gave more attention to the most important moments.

Research, Conventions, and Creative Decisions:

Research played a major role in shaping our documentary and the way it followed documentary conventions. Before filming, we studied examples of documentaries and discussed common conventions in class, such as interviews, B-roll, sound, and the use of music to establish tone. We decided to use direct interviews, allowing subjects to speak naturally without including our voices as filmmakers, so the focus stayed on their experiences. Our research also influenced our editing choices. Editing a documentary is more complex than editing a regular video, especially when matching voiceovers with B-roll and transitioning back to interview footage. To manage this, I focused on pre-editing clips, organizing interview footage, and selecting fonts for interview titles. I chose fonts that were clean, professional, and classy, ensuring they matched the serious tone of the documentary without distracting the viewer.

We also learned that having too many people editing would be chaotic, so tasks were divided among each other. This decision helped maintain consistency and prevented conflicting creative choices. Although some conventions, like handheld footage, were not heavily used, this was a known choice to keep the documentary visually clean and organized.

To add on, after reviewing our footage, we realized we had too much of the same B-roll footage, or it was just lacking what we needed. My group needed to think quick due to time constraints, so what we did was fill up some gaps with pictures. This was a really creative idea as we got to show more real connection of the class with people from the community. It was all smiles, fun and an insight to what the program really is like. With a simple touch of music we turned some pictures into a magical moment of memories to share with others. 

Conclusion:

Overall, this project challenged me creatively and technically, especially during post-production. While editing was not my favorite part, it was essential to shaping the final product and making sure the documentary flowed smoothly. Through research, planning, and collaboration, my group and I created a documentary that thoughtfully represents a real issue in our school community.

Although the project was stressful at times, I am proud of the final outcome. It communicates the impact of Latinos in Action, engages the audience emotionally, and demonstrates our understanding of documentary conventions. This experience helped me better understand the responsibilities that come with telling real stories, and how powerful those stories can be when done right.

Surviving the Final Stretch: Editing

Post-production… easily the worst part for me. I don’t know what kind of editing warrior you have to be to enjoy cutting a documentary together, but it is definitely not me. I can edit a normal video just fine, but a documentary? With voiceovers, interviews, music, and B-roll? Yeah… no.

Editing this project was way harder than I expected. Every few seconds we had to make sure the voiceover matched the B-roll, and then we had to perfectly transition back to the interviewee talking without it looking awkward. It was like putting together a puzzle where half the pieces are missing and the other half don’t even fit. We also had to pick music and fonts, which sounds simple, but it’s actually a whole mission when you’re trying to keep the vibe serious, emotional, and not cheesy. I focused on fonts for the interviews and pre-editing clips so I could send everything to the rest of the group to assemble. Since we had a bigger group, not everyone needed to edit, otherwise the project would’ve turned into pure mess.

For the fonts, I wanted something classy but not too dramatic, something that actually matched the tone of our documentary. I went through so many options until I found one that fit perfectly with the piece. I made sure every interview clip was clean, organized, and ready to be placed into the timeline. It sounds small, but trust me… it took time, patience, and three mental breakdowns.

Picture of font choice:

And honestly, that was basically the whole post-production experience. Long hours, a lot of rewatching the same clips 500 times, fixing tiny mistakes, and trying to make everything flow together. And this was jut my tiny part, shoutout to my group for doing an excellent job to piece it all together. But what matters is we got it done.

This is my last blog regarding this project, and looking back, this whole process was a lot. From brainstorming to filming to editing, we really did everything we could to make this documentary look good. It was stressful, but we actually succeeded, and I’m proud of the work we put in.

Here is my full production log of this documentary:

Also guys side note..

Christmas is in less than 15 days!!!

The Best Part

Hiii guys today im talking about day three of production, and honestly, filming was going way smoother than expected. I was actually excited to start shooting because we finally had a solid plan and a story we were proud of.

Day 1 of filming:

The day after planning we decided to start filiming right away to not waste time. Since we were filming in school, it made everything way easier. We borrowed mics and a tripod from Mrs. Stoklosa and headed straight to the LIA room to start interviewing students. We picked around five students and asked each of them to choose two questions from the list we created. They opened up about their personal experiences with the program, and it was genuinely really nice seeing them speak from the heart. After the interviews, we filmed the class working together and grabbed a bunch of B-roll clips to use throughout the documentary. Honestly, day one was extremely successful. We got home and reviewed everything, and it all looked great.

Clip from student interview:

Day 2:

We focused on getting the interview with the LIA teacher, Mrs. Rodriguez. We set up a little corner in her classroom with a clean background and let her talk about her experience with the program. Her answers were strong, emotional, and perfect for what we needed.

Last days:

After that, the only footage left to capture were the social events. Since everyone in my group went to them but I couldn’t (because they were right after school and I had to work), I took on a different job. I focused on finding a parent to interview

It took a few days, but I finally found someone, my mom’s friend, whose child was tutored last year. I asked her the same set of questions from my last blog.

Buuuut… there was a small problem.

Even though the documentary is supposed to be unbiased, it still centers around how LIA impacts the community. And her responses… were not exactly ideal. She explained that she didn’t notice much of a difference in her child’s learning because the tutoring was “too short” and the ESOL kids had to share tutors on different days. I get it, and she wasn’t wrong, but it wasn’t the angle we originally hoped for.

BUT... she did talk about how LIA helped her child build confidence, so we used that part of the footage since it aligned better with our message. From there, we basically had all the footage we needed. Over the next few days, we filmed any extra B-roll just in case, and then we jumped straight into editing.

Here are some extra clips we filmed:

And that’s where we were at, definitely making progress!!

Planning Documentary

This was a little rough not gonna lie. My group and I, started the morning by thinking of some ideas we could do, at first we wanted to create a documentary about a girl at our school who has been a well known YouTuber since she was young. Our goal was to explore the internal struggles behind her life, interviewing her, her mom, and her close friends to give the story depth and emotion. As good as the idea was, we quickly realized the biggest issue: scheduling. Her availability is extremely limited, and combining her schedule with ours (since we all work and have different commitments) made the whole project feel almost impossible to do smoothly. After discussing it with Mrs. Stoklosa, she suggested we rethink our approach and consider something more manageable. That conversation actually helped us a lot, because it pushed us to come up with something even better you guys are not ready for.

We decided to shift our focus to Latinos in Action, a very know program at our school that was recently shut down “due to orders from the U.S. Department of Education, which claimed the courses may be discriminating based on race and violating federal civil rights law.” Since LIA has had such a big impact on students and the community, we felt this was an important story to tell. Immediately, we envisioned interviewing LIA students, the LIA teacher, and even parents of the children we’ve tutored. Once we talked it through as a group, we all genuinely loved the idea and felt motivated to get started.

We planned about 20 B-roll shots we want to capture, everything from classroom activities to tutoring moments, and organized our list of main interview subjects along with the shot types we want for each.

Some ideas we had:

1. Extreme long shot of LIA classroom

2. Close up shot of LIA students working together 

3. Long shots of meetings and events LIA hosts

Then came the scheduling challenge. Everyone in my group has a job, so matching our availability wasn’t easy. We decided the best place to start was with student interviews during our class period, since that would be the easiest time for all of us to be together. After that, we set up a plan to film LIA activities throughout the week whenever our schedules align. We logged everything in our production log: ideas, B-roll plans, interview notes, and filming dates, so we can stay organized throughout this process.

                                    

These were some questions we planned asking parents who's children got tutored by LIA students:

Overall, day two helped us solidify our concept and feel confident about the direction of our documentary. Even though it took some trial and error to get here, our group was excited and ready to continue.

Documentary Research (Viewings)

For this project, we had to create our own short 5 minute documentary, but before jumping into filming anything, we spent time watching different documentaries in class and for the Op-Doc assignment to understand how they’re built. The three main ones we watched were Exit Through the Gift Shop, American Promise, and Abstract: The Art of Design. Each one had its own style, pacing, and way of telling a real story, which helped me understand what type of documentary I wanted to make.

For our first documentary we watched American Promise (class favorite), it felt to be more of a traditional piece but emotionally powerful. It followed the same two African American boys for years, sharing their experiences in regards of their education at a prestigious school in New York, showing long-term storytelling, personal interviews, family interactions, and a calm observational style. This documentary really helped me understand how to insert B-roll, as the interviews and graphics flowed seamlessly.

Meanwhile, Exit Through the Gift Shop illustrated how chaotic but creative a documentary can become. It starts with Thierry being super passionate about street art and documenting real artists. But once he becomes Mr. Brainwash, everything shifts. He stops focusing on the meaning of the art and starts focusing on profit and fame. The film goes from being about passion of street art to showing how easily art can turn into a business. The documentary shows this by shifting the tone with visuals by using a mix of direct interviews, indirect interviews, found footage, and even moments where the filmmaker becomes part of the story. I liked how it felt messy but still super intentional. 

And finally, Abstract focused on design, but what stood out was the visual style, clean shots, voiceovers over footage (which I really liked), aesthetic graphics, and interviews that felt more artistic than just informational. It made me realize in order to get my purpose across I need to focus on presentation and how these choices affect my audience's perception of it. The editing gave me a good sense of what I wanted to do with my documentary in terms of choosing the aesthetic, even analyzing the music used. 

Watching these three really helped me understand things like:

– The difference between direct vs. indirect interviews

– How B-roll supports what someone is saying

– How documentaries use narration, archive footage, and real-life moments

– How the overall tone and style change depending on the topic

From all that, I started to get an idea of what I wanted my own documentary to feel like. Seeing so many different approaches made me realize I don’t have to follow one strict format, it's more about choosing the elements that match the story I want to tell.