This weekend, me and my team will begin to edit our video, and I want to give some background on our experience with the program we’ll be using. We’ll be editing in Clipchamp, which is a simple and efficient video‑editing software that makes it easy to organize and create projects. My teammates and I have used Clipchamp before, so we already are familiar of how it works, which should make the editing process much smoother. One of the times we used it was for our Music Marketing Project, where we created a two‑minute music video for a chosen genre. We earned a good grade on that assignment, and we’re hoping to reach the same level of quality again.
When recording footage for this project, the files were automatically arranged in the order they were filmed, which makes importing everything into Clipchamp much easier. Since Clipchamp and OneDrive are owned by the same company, we can import our videos directly from OneDrive, which saves time and keeps everything organized. Clipchamp also allows multiple people to work on the same project. By clicking the share button and inviting teammates through their email, everyone can edit on the same timeline together.
A difficulty we had last time while editing in Clipchamp was that the app’s performance depends heavily on your computer. My computer isn’t very strong, so when I was editing the Music Marketing Project, the video kept buffering and lagging. It got so bad that one of my partners eventually had to take over and finish the editing. Another issue we ran into was importing files. Sometimes Clipchamp doesn't let you import a whole folder of videos at once if the total storage size is too large, so you have to upload each file one at a time instead.
HOST: Welcome back to The Spotlight Session. Today we’re talking with Sebastien, the creator behind a new short psychological film that’s already getting people curious. Thank you for being here.
SEBASTIEN: Thanks for having me. I’m still trying to figure out if these lights are supposed to be this bright.
HOST: Its fine, it's part of the broadcast. Anyways, Question #1 How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?
SEBASTIEN: The opening is designed to pull people in through tension and uncertainty. Instead of explaining everything, it lets the audience experience the moment the same way the character does. The closeups, the sound design, and the slow reveal of the object all build curiosity. People relate to the themes too. The story deals with pressure, influence, and how easy it is to lose control without realizing it. Those ideas feel familiar, especially for younger audiences, so even though the situation is exaggerated, the emotions behind it feel real.
HOST: It has that “something’s off but you can’t look away” energy.
SEBASTIEN: That’s exactly what I was going for. The kind of moment where you’re not sure what’s happening, but you want to keep watching to figure it out.
StudioBinder. (2020). What is sound design in film? Definition & examples. https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-sound-design-in-film/
No Film School. (2019). How sound design can change the way you feel about a scene. https://nofilmschool.com/sound-design-change-feelings
While filming, we realized there was a major issue in our story that we should have planned for but didn’t. One of my partners arrived a bit late to the filming location, which meant the sun was already going down. Because of this, viewers will be able to see a noticeable change in lighting, which might cause some confusion. We filmed on a Friday at 5:30 PM, about two to three hours after school. In the future, we should have scheduled our filming earlier in the day, especially if we knew someone might arrive late.
At the Start:
The last difficulty we faced during filming was that our original helper, who was supposed to help us on set, was unable to come. The original actor was meant to act as a substitute for Nicolas, but that plan fell through. Fortunately, Teo (who plays Nicolas) arrived with an electric car, while the original actor drives a gas‑powered one. The electric car made almost no noise during filming, which actually helped us keep the audio clean and avoid the unwanted car background sound.
Just yesterday, we finished filming our opening scene. In total, we recorded around 100 different clips, and the entire process took about three hours. We faced a few obstacles such as lighting issues and cars passing through the shot, but overall everything went smoothly. One of my partners, Kai, brought the main production equipment, including two cameras (one for filming and one for behind the scenes), as well as lighting and stands.
One of the most interesting scenes to film was the bag scene, where the characters fall into a trance. This moment is the central point of our story, so it needed to be executed perfectly. For this shot, we placed a light inside the bag so that when Ethan opens it, a bright glow appears, hinting that something inside is taking control of him. We used a low angle shot to capture Ethan’s facial expressions and build suspense as he opens the bag.
After filming, we now have to edit around 100 clips for our movie opening. In my opinion, the editing stage is the hardest part after filming, and I will definitely need the help of my partners.
The process of creating the name for our logo was not as difficult as it may seem. My group and I wanted a company name that included all of our initials and still sounded good. We decided on SMR Productions, the S representing my first name (Sebastien), the M representing my partner’s middle name (Matias), and the R representing my other partner’s last name (Rader).
We are aware about the creation of the name itself is simple, but we feel it sounds clean and serves its purpose well. The logo, however, was much more challenging to create than the name. Designing it took a few hours because we wanted something visually appealing and professional. We chose the color green because it’s a favorite shared by everyone in the group. We also made several improvements to the logo, which I will show in the photo below.
Beginning
As shown in the photo, our logo went through several small changes, mainly involving color adjustments, icon updates, and text positioning. We aimed for a minimalistic design that looked formal and resembled the style of a real movie production company. We also added animations to our logo, which you will see below. Since we don’t have the same resources or budget that professional studios have for their logo transitions or openings, we worked with what was available and created the best production logo we could.
Sound will help our movie opening by building tension and setting the mood before anything major happens. Quiet background noise can make the park feel empty, and small sounds like footsteps or wind can make the scene feel more suspenseful. As the boys get closer to the strange situation, the sound can slowly change to make the audience feel something is wrong.
Me and my team discussed that we will be using a variety of sounds, including foley and diegetic sound. We already picked the royalty‑free music that will play in the beginning to avoid copyright. This first track will create a calm mood while the boys are in the car, and we chose something that feels like they are coming back from a party.
As the story starts to build suspense, the audio will slowly fade out and a darker, more unsettling track will fade in. The bag in the scene will also have its own sound that feels “attracting” to both the characters and the audience. Some of the sounds in the opening will be created through foley, like the car door opening or the sound of footsteps. The trance moment is the main part of the sound design. When a character falls into a trance, a specific sound will play so the audience knows it is happening. Each time another character gets pulled in, the attracting sound from the bag will grow stronger.
When the fourth friend arrives in the car, most of the audio will lower or fade out to show something is off. Once he notices the others are gone, the sound will slowly fade back in. When he sees their belongings on the ground next to the car, the audio will rise again to build tension and lead into the mystery.
As we started planning our opening, we realized that the boys’ personalities needed to come through even before we show them the suspension of the bag. Unfortunantely, they do not have official names yet, but we focused on how each one behaves and reacts at the moment. Every action shows who is confident, who is quieter, and who tends to follow the group.
Once they arrive at the park, their reactions begin to separate. One boy is more curious and willing to explore, another is unsure and hangs back, and another tries to act brave even though he is clearly nervous. These differences help shape their identities without needing dialogue. The tension in the scene comes from how each boy responds to something they do not understand, and those reactions reveal more about them than anything they could say.
The fourth friend’s moment is important because it shows how he feels about the group. When he arrives and realizes something is wrong, his confusion and worry help the audience connect with him. He becomes the emotional link between the boys and the viewer. His reaction shows how close they all are and sets the tone for the mystery that follows. Even though the characters are not named yet, their personalities come through clearly through their behavior and the way they handle the situation.
In our film opening, the actors will subtly show that they’ve just come back from a party. Instead of directly showing the event, we plan to use cues like the music they’re listening to, their energetic vibe, and the overall energy they bring into the scene. These details help the audience understand what happened before the camera starts rolling.
During our brainstorming session, my group agreed that the actors should wear casual clothing that realistically matches what teenagers look like after leaving a party. Clothes like graphic tees, ripped jeans and joggers (carefree appearance) help explain their hyper energy and make the moment feel more believable. Their clothing, combined with the music and their behavior, reinforces the idea that they’ve been out having fun.
To assist in this, I will provide several examples of outfit styles the actors could wear. These examples will help guide our wardrobe choices and make sure the characters visually match the tone and context of the scene.
One of the most important steps in filming is choosing the right location. I’m fortunate to live in an area with plenty of strong options, from open parking lots to narrow alleyways. Having so many choices made the decision harder at first, because each spot offered something different for our project. After discussing the strengths and weaknesses of all four locations, my group and I eventually agreed on the one that fit our vision the best. Now I’ll walk you through the four options we considered.
One of our potential locations was Regional Park in Weston. This was our first option because my group and I have been there many times before. This place has all the necessities we need as well such as the nature and the space. The setting itself isn’t bad, but it is extremely popular and tends to get crowded quickly. Since most local soccer and baseball games take place there, the parking lot is usually filled with cars, which would have made filming more difficult. This location is our main backup.
Our next potential film location was Tequesta Park, near the turf field and baseball field. Like Regional Park, this area is also heavily used for sports, so it tends to be crowded with people throughout the day. Another drawback is the large number of trees, which we didn’t need for our scene, along with the limited amount of parking available.
Another one of our potential film locations was the back area of Vista Park, near the softball fields. We eliminated this option quickly because filming there would be difficult since it is on school property. The location also lacks the visual elements we needed, as it doesn’t have many trees and offers only a small parking lot. On top of that, it is usually crowded during school hours, which would have made filming even more challenging.
After further consideration, we chose the St. Paul’s Church parking lot as our main filming location. On Saturdays, which is when we plan to film, the area is usually empty, although it becomes crowded on Sundays because of church services. The space itself is wide and open, and the calm environment creates a strong setting that works well for our film. It is also conveniently close to where all of my group members live, making it an efficient choice for my group.
The Ring is a great example of the use of enigma code as it creates a central about the videotape. It raises questions such as "What is it," "Who made it" and how do you stop it" It includes elements such as mysterious tapes, clues and uncertainty.
When we were creating our script, we drew major inspiration from two films: Weapons and Talk to Me. We used the horror style from both movies, but we added a stronger thriller element. Our opening isn’t full horror. Instead, it focuses on suspense and moments that keep the audience wanting to know what happens next.
Talk to Me is a supernatural thriller about a group of teens who discover a disturbing party game involving a ceramic embalmed hand that lets them communicate with spirits. What stood out to us was how the teens randomly find a suspicious object and, as a group, become victims of it. We took that idea but changed almost everything else. Instead of the story taking place in a room with a haunted hand, our opening happens in a parking lot, and the m
Weapons also influenced our script, mainly through its dark tone and tense atmosphere. Even though our project is not as intense or violent, we were inspired by how the film builds suspense through mystery and uncertainty. We used that same idea by creating an opening that keeps the audience questioning what is going on and what might happen next. Instead of relying on jump scares, we focused on creating tension through the setting, the characters’ reactions, and the strange object they discover.
In Week 3 of the Portfolio Project, my instructor placed me in a group with seven other students. We each shared our film ideas, discussed our plans, and received feedback. I want to talk about the projects that stood out to me the most.
The first idea came from Manuela, who proposed a thriller about a family that doesn’t realize the child living with them isn’t actually theirs. This raised a lot of questions, like who would play the child and how they would pull off the production. The concept has strong potential, but it still needs more development. Juan’s idea was a thriller‑action film featuring a John Wick–type character who suffers from severe PTSD and a major injury. This injury gives the antagonist a physical advantage. The idea is interesting, but fitting all of that into a two‑minute opening might be challenging.
Andre presented a horror/thriller about someone home alone dealing with strange issues involving their Ring camera. At first, the character thinks it’s a glitch and asks someone for help, but it turns out the problem is connected to paranormal activity happening throughout the city. It’s a strong concept, but again, it may be difficult to fit into a short opening. Taryn’s idea was a sci‑fi, post‑apocalyptic story about two sisters living far from civilization. The idea is solid, but it feels a bit plain right now and raises questions about how they’ll film it.
My opening begins with a group of three to four friends driving home from a party after getting something to eat. They stop in a parking lot to finish their food when one of them notices a random bag on the ground. One friend checks it out, opens it, and immediately falls into a trance. The others rush over to help, only to fall into the same trance. A final friend arrives, sees them frozen and staring at the bag, and is shocked by what they’re looking at. That’s all I have for now since it’s still a rough draft.
After presenting my idea, the main suggestion I received was to include camera shots from inside the bag. Overall, I really enjoyed this assignment and appreciated hearing everyone’s ideas as well as the feedback on my own project.
Credit scenes are made to acknowledge the people who brought a film to life. This includes directors, actors, producers, writers, cinematographer and more. Some are easily and simply done, and some can be different such as one that adds on to the film and theme.
Initially, I wanted to incorporate the credit sequence by using elements from the environment around us. I thought this approach would be efficient and visually impressive, especially since it’s a technique often praised in the film industry. However, after further discussion it with my group, we realized it would be too difficult to execute efficiently. Because of that, we decided to use a more traditional style simple text-based credit. We’ll choose a font and size that match the tone of our opening, so the credits feel aligned
This film opens with a series of still‑life shots showing Italian architecture, old photographs, and warm summer interiors. The credits appear in a yellow font that blends naturally with the visuals. The strength of this opening comes from its calm, observational style, as the camera lingers on objects that represent the characters’ world and help establish a strong sense of place before the story even begins.
The credits stay minimal and traditional, allowing the viewer to focus on the environment without distraction. This simplicity supports the film’s nostalgic and reflective tone, making the visuals feel even more meaningful.
Although Se7en is known for its gritty style, the credit sequence itself uses small, simple white text placed over close‑up shots of notebooks, photographs, and unsettling handwritten notes. The font stays clean and straightforward, while the editing and visuals create most of the tension. The credits don’t try to stand out they sit quietly on top of the imagery, allowing the disturbing details to shape the mood. This approach keeps the focus on the film’s dark atmosphere while still using a traditional, text‑based credit style.
Gone Girl opens with calm, wide shots of a quiet suburban neighborhood at dawn. The credits appear in a simple white calming font that fades in and out, matching the film’s controlled and serious tone. The text stays minimal and doesn’t pull attention away from the scene, letting the viewer focus on the stillness of the neighborhood. As the shots continue, the visuals slowly create a feeling that something isn’t right the empty streets and soft lighting suggest that there’s more going on beneath the surface. The simple credit style helps support this mood by staying subtile and letting the atmosphere build the tension. This keeps the focus on the film’s mystery while still using a traditional credit sequence.
