Editing 2

 Hello, today we followed up on our editing progress  and this is what I have to report on that matter. We also had the pleasure of finishing all our filming recently so we are mostly working on editing. 

As previously mentioned in our last blog, editing 1, we are still working on editing our movie opener "Do No Harm" and we are still planning on using Chiller as our chosen font for the title. Recently, we haven't faced any new problems, mostly the same problems mentioned in the previous blog like giggling during filming and forgetting lines. as well as, trying to amplify the actor's voices and suppressing background noise.  As stated before in the last blog we will be using voiceover as a way to combat that problem and we will also rehearse lines before recording. So far, our group was able to collect and record the last pieces of footage to finish our movie opener, so all that is left is to put them together and then record the voiceovers. For clips like the one where the doctor calls the patient and she answers her cellphone, we are going to use audio effects such as beeping from the buttons being pressed by the doctor dialing and a ring tone for the cellphone of the patient. We also made up different selections of eerie music for the added clips and were trying to choose which one adds better suspense to the clip. This was the job me and Kamryn mainly focused on. Regarding transitions, we are using straight cuts and match-cuts to transition between the rest of the clips. We also added some video effects such as light flickers and slow blinking for the unconscious patient. This time during editing we spent around 2 hours working on the videos. 

Editing 1

Hello, today we were instructed to talk a little about our editing and how everything is coming together. Here is what I have to note: 

 The title of our film is "Do No Harm" because it's a thriller/ horror movie and the title is meant to create slight sarcasm due to the ending of the opener. The font we plan to use for the title is called "Chiller", which is part of CapCut. The editors in my group are Suri Nguyen and Niliem Valdes; they work together to edit long clips and put them together. While they worked on most of the editing, my other group member and I contributed to deciding and opinionating on fonts, effects, and transitions we should use in the film. For audio, we used sounds like eerie music in the background for scenes where there is a tension build, EKG monitor beeps for hospital scenes, and  faint breathing sounds for the unconscious husband. Additionally, for video effects and transitions, we added a black fade-out effect to transition the scene of me (protagonist) crying because my husband is in a coma into the doctor explaining what's wrong with my husband. We are planning to use transitions such as match-cuts, j-cuts, and more as we get more clips.  On a different note, some problems that we encountered during filming were trying to amplify the audio and suppress the background noises that occurred during filming, as well as having to make several small cuts to different scenes because our actors kept laughing or smiling during a sad scene. Keeping a straight face was hard. What we could do to fix these problems is record a voiceover and overlay the current audio with the new one and practice scenes without recording to avoid re recording the same scene. Currently, my group has spent little time on editing and focused on the basics of editing, like putting clips together and adding a few transitions. We plan to focus more on editing when all the clips are collected. An estimated amount of time we have spent on editing so far could be about 40 minutes to an hour at most. After school today we will continue to film for the remainder of our clips. 

Peer Reviews of Initial Draft

In today's class, we showed 2 groups the clips we have so far collected and edited together. We discussed with each group 4 things that could aid the film in being better put together, and what are some things that need to be fixed regarding sound, costume, camera angles, lighting, etc. 

After peer reviewing my work with the group that Elijah, Noam, Bianca and Anna are part of, they gave me the useful criticism that follows: 

• The plot was hard to follow through every clip.
• After the part where the main character puts their head on the other person's hand, the transition used, which was sort of a blurring out of the scene into the next, made it seem like the next clip could have been a delusion of the main character or a dream-like state. It made the clips even more confusing and didn't clarify the fact that it was supposed to be a transition to the next day. 
• The audio is of bad quality, and it is hard to hear the characters speaking. It is especially important for the scene where the doctor is telling the crying lady what is wrong with her husband, since this is an important context for the film. 
• Where did the second patient come from?
• The clips are too long and don't add much to the storyline 

Finishing the peer review with the last group and grabbing their input. I followed up with another group, which consisted of Milo and Reinaldo, to collect further opinions on the clips we have so far made. This is the criticism they had:

• The camera angles and afterward effects were good, but the sound needs improvement for the first clip. 
•  The second clip needs a cut into different shots so it doesn’t feel too long and doesn't bore the audience because of the lack of movement. 
•  I personally would add a more emotional appeal to receiving life-changing news. 
• More diegetic sounds should be integrated to make the atmosphere of the hospital natural and less quiet. 

After taking into consideration these opinions, the next time we film, we will draw focus on adding some sort of background sound, as well as speaking during filming, doing voice-overs, so the audio quality is better for the characters speaking. We will also add more transitions as we collect more clips, as well as change the particular transition we set between the 2 clips we originally had. Another thing we will change is the length of the second clip since many of the other groups commented that it is too long. If the length is necessary for the dialogue, they suggest changing between different angles to make the scene less static. 

Challenges in Film

 Hello, today we discussed some of the challenges we have had after our first time filming and how we solved them in the end. 

What are the challenges involved in filming? 

During filming, we faced challenges like finding props and having to retake the same scene over and over because I wasn't showing the right emotion or because we were using the wrong camera angle. Another challenge was remembering lines and cooperation. For example, Niliem had the right angle, and I forgot my line, or Niliem laughed at my face because my fake crying was too fake. Lastly, in a few clips, Suri would accidentally move in the shots of the unconscious husband, so it ruined the whole clip. 

 How are you handling each of these challenges? 

We handled these challenges by retaking scenes and rehearsing lines, also editing clips that were mostly perfect, but some minor details weren't quite right. Patience was also a big part of everything since the constant stress of redoing things over and over weighed on all of us and made us want to give up. 

Is everyone pulling their own weight? 

Not everyone is currently participating because we haven't reached the patient's scenes yet; we are just filming the beginning. She mostly sits out in the current scenes and helps when she is asked to. Suri and I are doing our best as actors, and Niliem is doing her best filming. 

Lighting? 

Lighting hasn't been a big problem since we are overall using high-key lighting, which is easy to find in the nurses' office. As of now, we are not using any lighting shifts, so we have had no issues with it. 

Sound?

When we did our first try, we realized the sound wasn't as loud as we thought it would be. In the end, we decided to voice over some of the actors' lines and record all the non-diegetic  sound separately and then edit it so it's clearer. 

Preparing to film

 Today, we came together to settle on dates we will film, the location, costumes, props, and actors. We also loosely worked on the script; that specific script is not set in stone, but it is a first draft of it. These are all the current decisions that we plan to execute. 

Actors: This film features Kamryn Phoneseuksam as the patient, Claire; Suri Nguyen as both the husband and the receptionist; and me as Dr. Elena. 

Costumes: I will wear a white lab coat with formal wear underneath as the doctor; Suri will wear formal clothing as the receptionist; and Kamryn will wear casual wear as the patient.

 Props: We will need to borrow the outfits from the school nurse. Hospital equipment from the school nurse, like a stethoscope, masks, a thermometer, and possibly a scalpel. Fake blood to use for injuries. Bedsheets and a metal table in a hospital room. 

 Locations: We will record at the school clinic. We will need to talk to a teacher to supervise us. 

 dates and time: 

January, 23,2026 at 3pm to 5:30pm

January 28th, 2026 at 3pm to 5:30pm

February 4th, 2026 at 3pm to 5:30pm 

February 11, 2026 at 3pm to 5:30pm 

February 18, 2026 at 3pm to 5:30pm

February 25, 2026 at 3pm to 5:30pm 

March 4, 2026 at 3pm to 5:30pm 

March 11, 2026 at 3pm to 5:30pm 

March 18, 2026 at 3pm to 5:30pm 

March 25, 2026 at 3pm to 5:30pm

Scripts: 

Scene 2:

Doctor Elena: "Alright Claire, I will call you once I get your labs back. Have a good day"

Claire: "You too, bye." 

Scene 3: 

Doctor Elena: "Hello, am I speaking to Claire?

Claire: "Yes, this is Claire."

Doctor Elena: "Hi Claire, this is Dr. Elena, calling from the clinic. I'm calling you regarding the results that we received from your recent labs a few days ago. I'm afraid that we have found complications regarding your heart. 

Claire: "What is it?"

Doctor Elena: "On our charts, your blood has shown very elevated troponin. Have you felt any symptoms recently?"

Claire: "I haven't felt anything, what does that mean?"

Doctor Elena: "Feeling no symptoms while having high levels of troponin could indicate asymptomatic heart failure, early stages of heart failure. If possible, I would like to schedule an appointment with you at another clinic to talk about possible solutions, in 2 days at 6 pm. Are you able do that?"

Claire: "Yes, that would be fine."

Scene 4:

Receptionist: "Welcome miss, do you have an appointment here?"

Claire: "Yes, it's under Claire, for 6 pm."

Receptionist: "Alright, just sign your name on this check-in sheet and you may enter her office now."

Claire: "Thank you." 

Scene 5:

Doctor Elena: "Hi Claire, sorry for the short notice. I wanted to make sure you get treated as soon as possible."

Claire: No worries. What are my treatment options?"

Doctor Elena: A safe and efficient option that I would highly recommend is a CABG surgery, which can help improve your cardiac functions. May I proceed with it?"

Claire: Yes. When can I start?

Doctor Elena: "Now."

Claire: "Wha-" 

Film equipment: 

Personal phone cameras will be used to film most of the movie's opening. Microphones may be borrowed from a production company. 

Initial Storyboard

 In today's class, we were given a paper to draft out our first scenes of the movie opener, to get a basic idea of how the storyline should go. These are the scenes my group and I came up with following the plot line previously made. Suri contributed to making the first draft of the scenes, Niliem and I contributed to explaining a detailed play-through of each scene, and lastly, Kamryn came up with the transitions and sounds. We all aided in coming up with the angles. 

Scene 1

In this scene, doctor Elena looks at hr husband in the hospital bed, lying unconscious. Distress is clearly displayed on her face. Wires attached to Daniel's skin, keeping him alive. She finds out his dire condition and is informed that he can't be helped since Daniel has such a rare blood type. Finding a donor would be nearly impossible, especially for such a vital organ. (heart)

A two-shot is used for the two characters having a sad moment. It helps keep both characters in focus at the same time. 

A non-diegetic sound is playing of the heating of the machines and faint breathing from Daniel. Elena's soft sobs are heard. 

A straight cut is used to transition to a different setting smoothly. 

 

Scene 2

In this scene doctor Elana goes back to work the next day and has a check-up with her usual patients. Everything is good with the patient, but she will call her after the scans and blood work develop. Elena gets the idea to save her husband by using the heart of another healthy person and makes up a lie to get the patient to meet her alone. 

There is an over-the-shoulder shot of the doctor talking with the patient in the hospital. The shot helps draw focus to the doctor's face and helps the viewer see the POV of the patient. 

A conversation between the doctor and the patient, and the patient, while the doctor scribbles on a paper, is heard. 

A reverse-shot is used to show the conversation between Elena and the patient. This helps show the POV of both characters as they talk. 

Scene 3

In this scene, the doctor calls the patient later on to tell her that she needs to come back to a different private clinic because the blood results came up and something looks wrong. The doctor tells her a time and location where everyone will be gone. 

A close-up of the doctor conversing with the patient over the phone is shown, which aids in displaying the emotion in the doctor's face clearly as the patient responds. 

The sound of their conversation both the doctor and the person on the phone. Also, the phone is ringing, waiting for the patient to respond. 

A fade-out is used to show a different character at a different location and help transition through the scenes

Scene 4

In this scene doctor Elecna meets the patient at an empty private clinic owned by Elena. The patient is checked in by the "secretary" (a friend of Elena's helping her with the crime). The patient walks into Elena's office to talk about her blood results. 

There is a wide shot of the patient checking in with the receptionist to establish the new location, and the background is shown, empty. 

Then the sound of a TV in the background playing in the distance, a conversation between the receptionist and the patient. 

A match-cut is used to transition between the reception desk and Elena's office, using the patient entering the door to get out of the reception and the door of Elena's office as a match. 

Scene 5

In this scene, the patient meets Dr. Elena in her office, and doctor Elena explains the negative results of her blood test. Elana explains that an emergency surgery will need to be performed. Elana tells the patient the procedure is quick and only needs her there. 

A mid-shot is used to show Elena and the patient having a conversation about the test results. The mid-shot helps draw focus to their upper body language. 

Elena and the patient are talking. The sound of Elena flipping through the results on paper. 

A J-cut is used to blend in the sounds of the background of this scene with the eerie music of the next scene to introduce scene 6. 

Scene 6

In this scene, Elena comes behind the patient with a cloth and puts it over her mouth and nose to put her to sleep. The patient's shock is shown in her eyes as she begins to fall asleep; she gets dragged into another room, and the door closes by itself. Then, to end this dramatic scene, the title screen is shown, leaving the audience in a cliffhanger.

A Dutch angle is used to create a mood of disorientation, unease, and tension as the patient's eyes show fear, and then a tracking shot is used as the camera follows the patient being dragged by Elena into a different room. 

 

Eerie music plays in the background, and footsteps are heard. 

A straight cut transition is used to cut directly to the title screen, continuing the drama of the scene. 

Mood Board for Movie Opener

  

In today's class, we searched for pictures to help us envision our movie opener. We placed these pictures into a sort of visual canvas of the characters, props, and settings. 

In this movie board, I chose to create a sense of iryness. The high-key lighting mixed with the red accents of the blood helps make a contrast between colours, which captures a tense and unsettling atmosphere for my movie opener. The image of a female doctor, a female patient, the surgery room, and the hospital bed represent a place that is usually associated with care, trust, and healing. However, the red accents and symbols of the blood contrast with that expectation; this hints that there is another motive under the façade. The knife and the heart suggest that someone might be killed and their heart will be taken out. In addition, the high-key lighting also makes everything appear clean and realistic, which makes the disturbing elements stand out. Overall, the mood I wanted to create is suspenseful and uneasy, drawing the audience in by turning a familiar, safe environment into something that feels threatening and unpredictable.