5-thdimension

[5-thdimension]

DaVinci Resolve 19 Crash

THE MOST unexpected thing to happen!

When editing my CCR, I have witnessed weird tendencies in the program. At first, it gradually slowed down to the point of stumbling the video each second, which was very irritating. Secondly, it wouldn't let me put the needed audios or clips on the timeline. Lastly, it went to the complete disaster of the total crush of the program. It would close itself and wouldn't open again at all.

I was very confused and assumed that the problem might be in my computer as it is not that great and i did not have this problem when efiting the opening scene. Therefore, I deleted some files for more space - it didn't help. I deleted and reinstalled DaVinci, which cost me 2 hours. It didn't help. At this point, I was completely desperate and stressful as I didn't have any other option besides DaVinci as it is the only program I am accustomed to. In this desperate state, I did the only thing I could in my situation - went to the internet.

Looking for what might be the problem, I found some random videos of people showing similar experiences. However, all of them had no idea what is going on. Then I went to reddit and other forums such as the Blackmagic forum. There, the assistants claimed you need to update GPU driver and other things. As a non computer professional, I have no idea what that means. Yes, I have Googled, but... I still have no idea how to do it and, moreover, what aftermaths it will have on my computer, and I don't want it crashing. On the forum, I saw many similar complaints and made certain that the problem is indeed in version 19 itself. This was when I remembered that I updated the program to version 19.1.4 before editing CCR. Perhaps this was the time it hit my computer and the drivers people were talking about.

I didn't have any strength, physical or mental, to search for solutions as they all are very complex for a person who doesn't even know what driver the computer has (me). Moreover, I had very limited time to finish my editing. My life savior was one comment with a shared link to previous versions. There, I was able to download version 18 and edit safely again. However, in the previous version I wasn't able to open my new projects, so I had to start from the beginning. At least, it was working stable and wasn't bugged.

This whole situation had cost me all my nerves, I am completely exhausted, but luckly, it is all solved and over. Thank you all people on YouTube, Reddit, and forums.

[5-thdimension]

Reflecting on time-efficiency

Managing school&media project&personal life

Finally, the last stage of the project I worked on for the whole year has come. After this long, fascinating, and sometimes extremely exhausting journey, I must say that it is very hard to combine various tasks and duties and, more importantly, to succeed in all of them. Now, looking back at the beginning of the year, I have to say that I should have managed my time schedule more productively and started the actual work much earlier.

Analyzing how I structured my stages of production, I see that I spend much more time than needed on the pre-production process. Almost half a year, I was researching, brainstorming, and just thinking I would start later. After the winter break, I started searching for the actors and the shooting place. I finished filming in February and had to take a break for my school exams. As the spring approached, I found it quite stressful to manage all the things I had to do. I spent most of the day in school focusing on the lessons and exams, all my free time I was dedicating towards editing and Creative Critical Reflection. However, I also wanted to have some time for myself too because productivity is only reached in balance. Therefore, the past month has been very stressful for me as I had to reduce my leisure time on work. I built myself a schedule and strict deadlines for every task I had to fulfill. For example, to finish writing CCR during one week in the time after school. Eventually, it helped me to finish my project at the right time.

However, for the next year, to avoid this stressing, I will start planning the schedule much earlier as well as I will try to spend equal time on each stage of production. In addition, most importantly, I will start the actual work right from the first semester in September.

[5-thdimension]

Creative Critical Reflection 4

How did you integrate technologies - software, hardware and online - in this project?

Welcome to the final stage! I will now explain how I integrated technologies into my project.

My film '5Th Dimension' strongly depends on the use of various technologies and programs due to the genre of science-fiction, which led to the significant use of hardware technology during the production stage. First of all, for the filming I used my phone's camera because it weighs less than a professional camera. If I used the actual camera, then I would quickly become tired during the arc shot. This is also a huge advantage because I don't have to carry the heavy cameras that were used before the age of digital technology. Nowadays, with all the developments I can easily use my phone for filming. Therefore, I decided to use my phone with a professional stabilizer Moza Mini-Mi, which you can see right in my hands. It allowed me to make my arc shot smooth without any unintentional shakiness. Through the small controller, I was able to direct my camera in any direction needed. Moreover, in combination with its software app MOZA Genie through Bluetooth connection, I could use its convenient interface to access different features at once . For example, it was easy to quickly change the focus during shooting or to use Zoom. It also has a following feature, which I used when I had to maintain focus on specific character while walking around the table.

Another hardware technology that I used is a small LED lamp, which was needed to recreate the light from the window showing an apocalyptic city. This helped me to achieve the gloomy atmosphere and make my opening scene look more realistic. Also it was very convenient to use due to its small size making it mobile so I could carry it in my hand easily. Moreover, an important part of my technology range is, of course, the green screen, which played a crucial role during production and post-production. Even now, I use it to transfer between various locations. In addition, the green screen made my life a lot easier because I did not have to draw the picture myself. Instead, I just put a ready background image. During this process, I also had some struggles, but definitely less than before the age of special effects. The last piece of hardware technology I used is this mysterious device that the main character used to travel back in his time. In reality, this lighting thing is actually a basic lamp for reading books. However, I thought it looked like one of those futuristic displays in science-fiction films, so I decided to use it in my opening scene.

Considering the software technologies I integrated in my project, I have to point out the program I used for editing, which is DaVinci Resolve 19. In this program, I was able to create the atmosphere of science fiction through the use of fusion effects, such as placing a backgroud picture of the apocalyptic city. In addition, specifically in the fusing section, I was able to create a wormhole in the titles using 3D modeling. DaVinci Resolve also helped me to correct the colors, for example, to darken the shadow parts and increase the red colors to match the background. Moreover, I also included special effects such as glow and light rays to ensure that my shot perfectly matches the atmosphere seen in the window. These various features are solely the advantage of digital technologies, without which I wouldn't be able to make my film as nearly great as it is now. It would also take a lot more time to edit.

To create music for my project, I used the software app 'BandLab'. There, I found various packs of sample sounds united by the tone and mood. From them, I selected the ones I felt would set the mournful tone to my scene, and then following my pure imagination and inspiration, I put those sounds in order to create the soundtrack. This app helped me a lot because I strongly believe that sound makes a huge impact on the impression of the film.

Another program that I used, without which my opening scene wouldn't exist, is the program for script writing. I used Kit Scenarist specifically because it has an appealing interface that is easy to understand. However, the most significant feature of this program is that it automatically counts every line, every dialogue, and description. Then, it transfers them to the actual time duration of the film. This was very convenient because I had a strong restriction of 2 minutes for my opening scene, and the note of time in the program kept me on track of how much I needed to write.

Speaking of online technology, I used various websites for inspiration as well as to learn new skills. For example, I used YouTube to get more experience in editing. Different tutorials helped me to get the idea of how to successfully use DaVinci Resolve and, more importantly, how to turn green screen into an actual image. I also used YouTube when searching for the conventional opening titles. Basically, I typed for the opening scenes of my favorite sci-fi films and noted how they approached this topic. YouTube is also my way of distribution because I uploaded my film there so that it is easily accessible for the audience. Therefore, nowadays, due to easy access to the internet, it is much easier to learn new things. Previously, I would have to go to the library or ask a professional to teach me, which is not that fast and convenient. Another aspect of online technology I used is social media. To promote my project as well as my blogs, I used Instagram and Telegram to inform my followers of my experience and process, which helped to increase awareness and interest to my product. Other social media websites, such as Pinterest, I used for inspiration when I created my moodboards. This particular website helped me to visualize my film and so to understand its universe better.

Overall, I integrated various technologies in my project, including software editing apps, hardware shooting equipment, and online websites for promotion and inspiration. Modern technologies have allowed professionals to produce media products in a cost-effective and time-efficient way, which lead to the development and growth of the entertainment industry. On that account, technologies helped me to create my opening scene the way it is, most importantly solely by myself, which wasn't an option before the modern age. It also allowed me to learn new things and to get unforgettable experiences during this whole process of production.

(View on YouTube for subtitles)

[5-thdimension]

Creative Critical Reflection 3

How did your production skills develop throughout this project?

Welcome to level 3! Here, I will discuss what I have learned and what skills I developed throughout this project.

First of all, take a look around. See where I am? I can be anywhere! This is one thing I learned thanks to my project. I am sitting peacefully in my room, but for you, I can be everywhere at once. This is because I use green screen and the skills I developed when learning how to use it. In my product, the green screen is an essential part of the composition because it allows me to project a gloomy apocalyptic city to the audience. For my project, I used the program DaVinci Resolve 19, where I spent endless hours achieving the ideal picture. Through the process of editing, I have faced several issues, such as the complicity of stabilizing green screen on moving shots or the problem with the size of the green screen, so that I had to manually shape the form. Despite these problems, I was able to learn how to fix them during post-pruduction. Moreover, as I have never worked before on such complicated projects, I have paid particular attention to learning about special effects and 3D modeling, which I used to create a wormhole for the titles.

Another skill that I learned is to produce music. Before this project, I never tried to create a new soundtrack, so I only used free samples with no copyrights from the internet. However, this time, I felt that if I'm working on this project for so long and I am so engaged in it, it would be unfair to use someone else's music rather than try to create my own and put a part of my soul in this process. Therefore, at first, I decided to use my skills in playing violin as I thought it would bring the desired mournful tone to the scene. So one day, I sat, wrote a short soundtrack, and recorded it. However, later, after I finished the shooting process and started to edit, I understood that the atmosphere created wasn't the one I wanted to convey. The audio and the visual picture did not match. Then, I decided to use a music creation app 'BandLab'. At first, everything looked very complicated, with various pages, buttons, features and so on, but I needed to create my soundtrack, so I stayed and step by step I have learned how this app works. So now, I know how to make a perfect soundtrack for anything.

One of the most significant skills I developed is management skills. In my project, 9 actors were initially involved. One main character and 8 politicians. It was a huge issue during pre-production to coordinate all of them and, most importantly, to plan the shooting schedule when all of them would be free. I had to pay attention to their personal schedules and choose the shooting date accordingly, which was complicated also due to the restrictions of the room where I planned to film as it was only free on certain days of the week. Despite this problem, eventually I succeeded and found the perfect date. However, life never goes without unexpected obstacles. Therefore, one day before the shooting, one of my actors got sick. Luckily, it wasn't the main character, but this situation taught me to be ready for unexpected challenges and to be able to solve problems in limited time. In the end, I had to rewrite the script a little and give this actor's lines to another actors.

During the stage of production, I also developed my skills as well as I faced some obstacles. To begin with, I developed my directing and operator's skills as I was shooting an arc shot, which is difficult to shoot due to many actions happening simultaneously. While filming, my eyes were locked on the screen of my phone to ensure that the picture was focused and showed exactly what I wanted. At the same time, I was walking around the table with actors, so I had to pay attention to their sudden actions. One time, one of the actors suddenly leaned back on his chair and almost bumped into the camera. In addition, I had to be careful not to stumble on something while walking. At the same time, my ears were focused on the actors' lines to ensure they were saying everything correctly and their tone matched the mood. I also had a great issue to calm them down because sometimes they were laughing and smiling during shooting.

To conclude, I developed various skills throughout my project and understood how hard it is for the professionals to overcome obstacles. I also faced some challenges and was able to solve many of them. However, there is one thing I would like to improve, which is lightning. During shooting, I used a small red lamp, which allowed me to lit perfectly my close-up shots, but in the overall picture during arc shot, the light was accidentally reflected from the glass-surfaced wall. Unfortunately, I could not fix this problem on post-pruduction. Therefore, I think that this situation is a good lesson for my future projects and the aspect I have to pay more attention to.

(View on YouTube for subtitles)

[5-thdimension]

Distribution through YouTube

After completing the post-production process for my sci-fi film, the next crucial step is distribution. Given my project’s low budget and aim to target a wide range of audiences, YouTube stands out as the best platform. It offers free access, a massive potential audience, and the opportunity to build engagement around my film.

YouTube has several advantages. First of all, it is the most popular video platform, which is free, meaning that it allows you to publish your product without cost. It also helps to target the audience through the use of keywords, tags, and descriptions, which makes the film easier to find. Moreover, this platform allows two-sided communication - between the producer and the audience - through comments, likes, and sharing functions. This creates an opportunity for feedback and can positively benefit the producer as outsiders' critiques can help to understand your mistakes. Therefore, elevate your production skills for future projects. Another advantage is that YouTube has analytics tools that allow track of views, watch time, audience retention, and engagement. This data will help me understand how my film is performing and what I can improve in future projects.

Nonetheless, YouTube is a great platform for independent producers, but it is also not very encouraging in terms of new accounts. YouTube tends to promote through its algorithms accounts with already established audiences rather than completely beginner's channels. Therefore, if I want to reach a wider audience in the future, I will have to spend some time analyzing marketing strategies and the way I can make my product more recognized.

[5-thdimension]

Lightning issue

Reflecting on the production process, I have to point out that I encountered an issue with the portable red lamp I used for lightning. When reviewing my footage during editing, I noticed that this lamp was reflected in the glass wall of the room. This unintended reflection disrupted the aesthetic of the scene, making it appear artificial and reducing the sense of realism I aimed to create. Since the film's tone relied on immersive visuals, this lighting flaw became a noticeable distraction.

I had various obstacles during the production process, and most of them, I was able to overcome during post-pruduction. However, this thing was one of those I wasn't able to fix, no matter how hard I tried. I experimented with various techniques to minimize the reflection, including adjusting contrast and applying masking effects. However, none of these methods completely resolved the issue without compromising the framing or overall composition. Despite my best efforts, the reflection remained a flaw I couldn’t fully correct.

This experience taught me the importance of thoroughly checking for unwanted reflections during filming. In future projects, I plan to conduct more test shots before rolling the camera, carefully analyze the set for reflective surfaces, and experiment with different lighting angles to avoid similar mistakes.

[5-thdimension]

Creative Critical Reflection 2

How does your product engage with audience and how would it be distributed as a real media text?

Welcome to level 2, where I will be discussing how does my media product engages with the audience and how it would be distributed as a real media text.

Let's start with how does my film attracts and maintains interest. Since the genre of the film is science fiction, my audience will have certain expectations such as the presence of a unique universe, futuristic technology, and a logically constructed conflict. This means that my product has to follow those conventions in order to achieve success, to be distinguished, and to be appealing to the audience. To do that from the beginning of the film, I specify the genre immediately right in the opening scene where I introduce the futuristic technological device and the dystopian setting. Those elements are easy to recognize for the general audience as well as they are captivating, which makes the audience intrigued and interested in watching.

Another way of how my product engages with the audience is through compelling narrative with relatable characters. The research shows that mostly the target audience of sci-fi films is young adults aged 18-44 years old who enjoy fiction, special effects, and complex narratives. The range is quite broad. However, it allows the product to wider the themes covered. My product contains many different aspects through which the wider range of audience can be covered. Along with the strong conflict of moral and ethical dilemma of the main character in which he has to decide whether he has the right to save someone who doesn't want to be saved. My film also has cultural and social relevance to our world as it discusses current issues such as climate change. One of the main conflicts in my film is Man vs. Environment, where the group of scientists has to find a way to change the past in order to prevent ecological destruction in the future. Furthermore, the story keeps the audience engaged through a thrilling story arc, which includes a sudden plot twist when the scientists realise that the method they found is only a temporary solution to the problem and therefore, the humanity is still at risk of extinction. This becomes the point of no return, allowing the audience to discuss personal opinions on the topic and how they would react in such a situation, as well as this process will bring a storm of various emotions.

Developing the aspect of emotions, according to sociologists, humans are at constant need of experiencing different feelings, and my product satisfies those needs. From the mystery around the dystopian setting to the excitement of new technologies and to the despair after the plot twist. One particular storyline I want to point out is the relationship between Æskanor and Thaluno. Their small and accurate storyline does not bring strong feelings of passion to what the audience is used to. However, it shows the importance of a deeper understanding of the partner as well as the idea of devotion in love. I feel that in modern films, love lines are added just for the sake of it. This 'love' is usually a performance that looks fake and foully. In my product, I want to show the audience the beauty and purity of love and connections between real people, which does not have to be based on strong physical contact, rather on deep emotional connection.

Switching to the second part of the question about how my media product would be distributed as a real media text, I have to mention again that the target audience for Sci-Fi films is people aged 18-44. This means that the distribution strategy has to cover a wide range of audiences and a wide geographical area. The most conventional and convenient method is the traditional cinema release through various distribution companies. For example, 'Universal Pictures' is a successful company that released famous Sci-Fi films such as 'Back to the Future' and 'Jurassic Park'. Another example is 'Legendary Entertainment' with their films - 'Dune', 'Interstellar'. I understand that in modern days, my target demographic prefers theaters less and less with each year because of the availability of streaming platforms. However, to my personal producer's preferences, I believe that theatrical distribution is essential for my product. The main reason is that the experience of a physical presence in the theater is more suitable for Sci-Fi films as there is an opportunity for such features as IMAX, 3D or 4D, which allows a deeper immersion into the universe of the film, and so engages the audience more.

Additional methods of distribution of my media product, that are more suitable for a low budget production like mine, would be to send the film to various festivals and competions where my product could build recognition and potentially find an independent distribution company, my personal preference would be to release my product through the company 'A24'. Returning to festivals for science-fiction films, there are several options popular among fans and professionals, which include 'Fantastic Fest', 'Sundance', and 'Toronto After Dark'. Moving to the easiest and most cost-effective way of distribution, I would consider the initial distribution of the film through streaming platforms such as YouTube. This platform can ensure global access and the opportunity for monetization, which is essential for independent film producers. The last way of distribution that I find the most engaging is to release the product through DVD. Limited physical release, perhaps in the uniquely styled gift box, is a treasure for all Sci-Fi enthusiasts and collectors longing for nostalgia of old science-fiction films.

Overall, engagement with the audience is interconnected with the distribution strategies, and so to ensure the product's commercial success, the producer has to pay close attention to both of those factors, considering the genre conventions and audience's expectations.

(View on YouTube for subtitles)

[5-thdimension]

Before & After: A Look at Raw Footage vs. Final Edits

Finally, I have completed the process of editing. It was a long and definitely an exhausting journey. However, it was also an exciting one as I was able to learn and achieve many different things along this process. Looking back at where I started - completely anaware of professional editing or any special effects - I can truly state that now I am capable of various editing features which I will definitely use during the producing of Creative Critical Reflection.

Comparing the raw footage - clear, no colors and lightning suspecting the danger of the apocalypse, muffled actors' lines, or even their laughter during shots - to the final edits, I can say that I achieved the great difference. I managed to choose the right voice tracks and match them to the audio. I managed to change the coloring, achieving the desired mood of despair and the atmosphere of danger. I managed to add various special effects such as dynamic zoom, glow, light rays, and most importantly- the green screen.

After all this work, I am happy that I'm finally done and that I learned so many new skills that I can use in my future projects as well.

[5-thdimension]

Experience of being a sound director

Not long before shooting my opening scene, I participated in my friend's project as a sound director. It appeared to be more complicated than I expected. I had to hold the microphone itself along with the sound recorder. The issue was to press the button 'record' (which was lagging) and at the same time hold an extremely heavy microphone. Nonetheless, it was a great experience of using sound equipment and learning how to manage with the work by myself, which later helped me during my own shooting. Because I had to cooperate with many things simultaneously.

Moreover, as I helped on my friend's project, I observed how to manage with many actors participating. During the shooting, there were 5 actors, and I must say it was very hard to control all of them. It was pretty chaotic to film. However, as my friend managed to operate the whole process, I carefully observed and noted tips. During my own shooting, this helped me a lot to efficiently manage time and productivity as well as to coordinate all actors in the effective way.

To evaluate, participation in various projects, even if not as a film director, can bring valuable insights and help you to learn from others' successes and mistakes to elevate the quality of your own project.

[5-thdimension]

CREATIVE CRITICAL REFLECTION

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

[5-thdimension]

Creative Critical Reflection 1

How does your product use or challenge conventions and how does it represent social groups or issues?

Hello, welcome to the first level. Let me introduce myself. My name is Anna Bobkova, and my project is the opening scene of the film '5Th Dimension'.

First and foremost, my film falls into the category of science-fiction, which means that it follows some common and straightforward conventions associated with this particular genre. For example, in my product, I explore a new scientific concept of traveling through time and space using 5Th dimension. Developing real scientific theories is a fundament of almost all science-fiction films. For instance, 'Inception' by Christopher Nolan discusses the science of dreams (Oneirology) and the theme of subconscious.

Conventions of science-fiction also include the great use of high futuristic technology, which goes beyond imagination and real technology that humanity possesses nowadays. Science-fiction explores the world ahead of our century. We consider real facts and turn them into a dream reality, suggesting how our descendants will be living in hundreds and thousands of years. In my opening scene, I introduce this new technology through showing how the main character disappears into a wormhole after using a mysterious device. However, in science-fiction films, the setting and technology may vary. The only limit is our own imagination.

Despite the various breathtaking visuals and concepts, science-fiction films hold the great power to represent significant issues in our world. My product faces the negative perspective of the future, where the whole world suffers from ecological destruction. I raise the issue of environmental problems that affect humanity nowadays using the setting of the future in the film, which allows the audience to observe the consequences of not taking action. Moreover, people are commonly afraid of the future and changes in their everyday life. This is where the part of representation steps in.

Many science-fiction films explore the conflict between present&future, ironically picturing humans as arrogant, irresponsible, and avoidant despite any potential threats. This convention is portrayed in different films such as 'Don't Look Up' or '2012'. In my product, I follow the same convention, depicting politicians who are constantly arguing instead of actually listening to the main character. The purpose of this convention in my film is to make the audience to 'open' their eyes on reality, allowing them to observe their own arrogant actions from the outsider's perspective.

On the other hand, to make my film stand out among many others, I challenge some conventions inherent to this genre. The main difference in my project is the main character Æskanor. Among sci-fi and action films, the main characters are usually following the 'The Hero' archetype (according to Propp' theory). Such characters always know what they are doing. They are overconfident and determined, brave and smart, which makes them unbelievable and less appealing to real people. Some examples include Luke Skywalker from 'Star Wars' who has the classic hero’s journey or Neo from 'The Matrix' who is Another Chosen One who goes from an ordinary person (a hacker) to a godlike hero.

Unlike those characters, Æskanor does not become 'The Hero'. He is an ordinary scientist, and by the end of the story, he does not get any superpowers or abilities. On the contrary, his success is temporary, and despite him being able to change the past, it doesn't have any effect in the end. Eventually, humanity still becomes extinct.

Æskanor doesn't follow the 'destiny' path, nor does he truly want to save humanity. He is the type of person who flows with the flow, which represents how most ordinary people live. Despite the moral dilemma, death of the brother, and obstacles on the way he manages to survive and achieve success. I believe that creating such a character allows to convey more ideas along the film. My product suggests that even by simply living and working hard to achieve the smallest goals, it is still worth continuing your life.

Overall, my product represents current ecological problems in our world that need to be fixed, or otherwise, the consequences might be fatal for all of humanity. Looking introspectively , my product discusses the importance of one's life journey, evaluating that personal wishes and desires matter.

(View on YouTube for subtitles)

[5-thdimension]

Idea for Creative Critical Reflection

After finishing the editing of my film, I had a small break, during which I started to consider various ideas of what to do for the creative critical reflection. The hardest part is ... how to be creative?

My first idea was to film the reflection under the water, but since I live in Istanbul, it is pretty cold here in spring. Besides, this idea wasn't matching my film's style or the theme. Therefore, I continued thinking. Thinking. And thinking... until I remembered one viral trend on TikTok about people creating videos as if they were in a pixel game which looks similar to this:

⚠️ Horror pixel game

I really like the atmosphere and aesthetic of pixel games, such as 'Undertale', so I have decided to use this style and graphics as the fundament for my CCR. Evaluating further, I decided to make the whole interface of the CCR look like a video game in which the 'player' will enter different levels representing the 4 questions needed to be covered in CCR.

The setting of the 'video game', unlike the one on the video above (horror), will match my genre - science-fiction. I'm planning to create the scene on a spaceship in the deepspace. I used a pixel game 'Undungeon - Kickstarter' as the inspiration of the mood and colors I want to create.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15OkBhqsKlV_PPqt9f5NL5nwVlxptZEC1/view?usp=drivesdk

Overall, while searching for more and more ideas, I recalled a video from the amazing @harkeofficial (tiktok), which I saw back in 2023. This was the exact thing I wanted to do in my CCR. The abrupt sharp movements, the style of a video game, and the engagement with the audience through interface. Since I first had this idea in my head, I was unsure of how to bring it to reality. However, finding a real successful video allows me to better visualize the process and how I have to film my CCR. Moreover, her account has many lifehacks about editing, which I also can learn along the way.

⚠️ Horror context

Harke's video

[5-thdimension]

Wormhole creation

After analyzing the title conventions for the science-fiction films and noticing the trend to put them over a cosmic environment, for example over planets, stars, or the space itself, I have decided to put my titles on the video of a moving through a wormhole. This satisfies both the conventions and my idea to show that the main character travels to his time.

I used the video below as a reference and an instruction on how to create a wormhole in DaVinci Resolve. Surprisingly, the whole process appeared to be basically 3D modeling, starting with a basic cylinder and slowly adding more and more characteristics to it. I previously had experience with 3D modeling in Blender software, so I only had to transfer my knowledge from it to DaVinci.

Overall, I had a chance to explore more features available in DaVinci Resolve, which significantly contributed to my project.

The final look of my titles over the wormhole

[5-thdimension]

HYPERLAPSE - of editing 1 shot

This short video depicts my process of editing one single shot from my opening scene. Editing includes the deleting of green screen, placing a new background, color correction of the photo, color matching to the foreground picture, glow effect, vignette, and some other minor visual corrections. Hyperlapse lasts 1 minute 17 seconds, in reality representing around 1 hour 40 minutes.

Overall, this is the short representation of how and what I did during the editing process. It was extremely hard, long, and exhausting. As well as it tested my patience and my distractive nature. Nonetheless, through this process, I developed skills in editing and got to understand more about the work on visual picture and colors.

[5-thdimension]

Soundtrack development [FINAL]

Through endless experimenting with soundtrack creating, including searching on free websites for sampels, and even trying to write my own music, I finally managed to finish this process.

I used the app 'BandLab', which has various features for creating music. So what I did is that I found the pack of sample sounds of different instruments (such as drums, violins, and other sound effects) which were united by the same tone and atmosphere. Then, I started to listen to all of them and separate the ones I felt could work together nicely. At first, it was very hard to get used to the app as I had never tried to create music before. However, after a few tryings, I managed to create my first part of the soundtrack. Why the 1st part? Well, it appeared that the app required payment for more than 16 lines of sound, and I accidentally created empty ones, which I couldn't delete at all. Therefore, I just exported this part and then started to make the second.

For the second part, the process went a lot easier and quicker because I was more careful with unknown buttons. After I finished everything, I transferred the file with soundtracks to my computer and added them to the main sequence. In the section of 'sound', I increased the echo feature a little bit and balanced the volume to the main sequence so that the soundtrack doesn't cover the dialogues.

Overall, I learned how to create my own soundtrack using a professional app. Also, I developed my skills in DaVinci Resolve, specifically in the aspect of sound.

Soundtrack 1

Soundtrack 2

[5-thdimension]

Titles

The last stage of my exhausting editing process - opening titles!

Before stepping right into the section of titles and starting to randomly pick fonts, I did a small research about the conventions of titles in sci-fi films because I wanted to bring this little sense of classics and nostalgia. Thus, I mainly focused on old science-fiction films, which could be perfect examples for my opening scene. Therefore, here are some patterns I noticed along with the examples.

Bold Typography and Futuristic Fonts

Many sci-fi films often use sleek, metallic, or digital-looking fonts to evoke a futuristic or high-tech feel. Examples: Blade Runner (1982) uses simple, bold text with a minimalistic feel.

Space or Cosmic Backgrounds

Another common feature is that sci-fi films' titles set against the backdrop of outer space, planetary landscapes, or starfields. Example: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) has its title appear over an image of the Sun rising over Earth.

Digital or Glitch Effects

In cyberpunk or tech-heavy sci-fi, titles might appear as if being typed on a screen, glitching, or assembling in a digital manner. Example: The Matrix (1999) has its title emerge from cascading green code.

For my product, I use the combination of the first 2 features, meaning that I used plain sleek font along with the background of the movement through the wormhole. The picture created is minimalistic in the foreground, which balances the fast movement on the background, and so does not overwhelm the audience.

Through my little research, I got to know common conventions of titles in sci-fi films from old ones to new. Also, I learned to search for the balance and focus on the overall picture rather than solely on small details because sometimes making those details excessively unique may turn the bigger picture into mayhem.

My titles

[5-thdimension]

Special effects

(light + glow + curve)

For my opening scene, I used some features and visual effects to make the scene look more appealing and realistic. To create an effect of real lighting from the window, I used the feature called 'Light Rays', in which I manually searched for the right position on the screen and the correct amount of light. Furthermore, on close-up shots, I used 'Glow' to show the red lighting again. However, it took a very long time to manually find the right spread ratio or gain or other additional settings. The thing is that I couldn't 'copy&paste' settings as the shots were from different sides and angles along the table. This means that the intensity and the position of the light had to be different in every single close-up shot.

Another problem was to maintain the balace between the actual lighting of the scene and my additional light rays because once I made those rays brighter, the lamps and other bright areas in the shot immediately became excessively lit. So, it took some time to find the right balance in each shot.

For the last couple of shots where the main character stands near the window, I had to use 'Vignette'. There were several reasons for this decision, which are :

● To soothe the edges of the green screen, making them disappear in the darkness of the vignette

● To hide the decor elements on the walls near the window (those did not match the setting of the scene)

During the arc-shot, the attention to those elements is minimum due to the constant movement of the camera. While during a long stable shot, the audience is more likely to wander their gaze around the room, focusing on those unnecessary details.

At the end of the scene, before the titles, I made a transition, also looking like light rays. Due to this transition, it is clearly visible that the main character is absorbed into the mysterious device and travels further into the space, which suggests that he is returning to his time, in the future.