Elizabeth Berrios Final Project Blog

(My cover for my podcast) Currently, in my creative critical reflection, I am planning out how I will go about my interview reflection. Whether I'll have someone interview me or I'll just set up my phone and interview myself. I'm leaning towards having someone interview me, as I think it will look and feel more real too, which, for some reason, makes me more confident in my work. As for the podcast, it's pretty simple; I just need to record the audio and create a cover for the video for my podcast. My idea is for me to answer the first two questions in my interview and the last two in the podcast. This is so both videos don't drag on too long and become potentially boring to the viewers. I plan on filing my interview Wednesday so I have all of Thursday and Friday to edit and finalize. I can’t believe how fast this year has flown by and how much my and my classmate's knowledge has developed. I'm excited to finish and be able to see my full final portfolio!

 Both my opening sequence and Greedy People create suspense right from the start by using dark lighting and an eerie atmosphere. Each scene is carefully framed to build tension, making the audience question what’s happening. Both openings also focus on mystery, using visuals rather than dialogue to hint at the crime and draw viewers in. The pacing is slow and deliberate in both, allowing tension to build naturally. However, Greedy People has a much bigger budget, which makes a huge difference in quality. The cinematography is smoother, the lighting is more professional, and the sound design is much more detailed. My project, on the other hand, relies on practical lighting and simple shots because of time and equipment limitations. Another big difference is how Greedy People moves between different locations, while my sequence takes place in one setting to keep things contained. The film also uses layered sound effects and music to enhance the suspense, whereas my project takes a...

Both my opening sequence and Trap (2024) use dark lighting and eerie music to build suspense right from the start. They create an unsettling atmosphere that draws the audience in and makes them anticipate what will happen next. Both also rely on slow-building tension rather than jumping straight into action, which helps establish mystery. The framing in both openings is carefully thought out, using close-ups and shadows to add to the ominous feel. However, there are clear differences due to budget, time, and resources. Trap has professional cinematography, lighting, and sound design, making it look more polished and cinematic. My project, on the other hand, uses more practical effects and accessible equipment, giving it a raw, indie feel. Trap also benefits from a bigger budget, allowing for high-quality special effects and complex sets, while my sequence takes place in a more contained environment. Another difference is the pacing— Trap builds suspense slowly, while my sequence mo...

 

 Podcast and interview: How do your products use or challenge conventions, and how do they represent social groups or issues? My film primarily sticks to traditional crime conventions, particularly in its plot structure. However, by featuring teenagers as the main characters, it represents certain aspects of teenage social dynamics and feeds into the common fears parents have when their kids go out and what could potentially happen. While it doesn’t tackle major societal issues, it does reflect the ways in which teens interact and navigate their environments. That said, my project has the potential to challenge conventions related to social groups—especially in how teenage victims are portrayed in crime narratives. The podcast serves as an opportunity to expand on these ideas, discussing common stereotypes surrounding teenage kidnappings and how the media often portrays them. In this podcast we can analyze these tropes and explore whether they truly show the reality or feed into mi...

Feedback: “My review: This video, created by Liz, Hailey, Margaret, and Jason made a very good opening. The key thing that stuck out was their brilliant use of sound to convey what was happening in the scene. At the beginning everything is happy and there is a song playing while they are joyfully getting ice cream but then an alarming score and heartbeats begin to start when the killer is close to the girl. It’s dark when they leave which also contributes to it being a horror opening which was a good idea. Another thing that was good was mid shot following the girl through the ally. Your mise en scene and cinematography was well done and it really conveyed that it was a horror movie opening. Finally, the setting was well thought out and the alley played into horror tropes which is smart. There are a couple  negatives but they are very minor and not super detrimental to the quality of the film opening. The first critique is it could be longer. There could be more to the opening and ...